by Lola Gabriel
Once she was finally done with breakfast and a phone conference to keep up appearances in the family business, Eden could hardly keep herself from breaking into a full-run toward the lake. Just as always, she stripped down into her bathing suit and walked into the water. She laid on her back and attempted to resume the peace she had been so horrifically ripped from the day before. It was taking longer than usual, her mind clouded with thoughts of Darian.
She willed herself to focus on her senses, thinking hard to tune into her body instead of her head. With each passing minute, she managed to lose herself in the moment. Once again, she was entering the blissful state of awareness. Her breathing relaxed and became one with the gentle rock of the waves.
Something tickled Eden’s side, causing her eyes to pop open to see what it was. Much to her dismay, it wasn’t a fish nearing the shore—it was Darian. How had he managed to get so close to her without Eden even realizing it? She groaned and resumed her position, closing her eyes in hopes that he would get the hint. Not a minute later, the tickling sensation returned.
“Can you not see that I’m busy?” she asked in a deadpan tone.
“Yes,” Darian chuckled. Eden could hear him moving around in the water then, and she said a silent prayer to herself that he was taking the hint and leaving. Of course, she wouldn’t have such luck. He tickled her other side.
Eden let out a hefty sigh and sprung herself up. “I guess I will return when I can have some peace and quiet.”
Then, a wall of water shoved into Eden from behind. It startled her, causing her to slip on the muddy surface of the lake floor. Her arms flailed as she fought to keep her balance, her head sinking underneath the surface and water rushing into her mouth. A strong arm looped about her torso and pulled her back up. Instinctively, she gasped for air, sucking in the mouthful of water deeper. With just a few thumps on her back, the water shot from her mouth, and she took in several deep breaths of fresh air.
“Edie, I’m so sorry!” Darian exclaimed. “I was just playing around. I didn’t mean to frighten you!”
“Well, you did!” Eden snapped, pushing away from him as she continued to cough. “Don’t call me ‘Edie,’ either! No one calls me that.”
“Sorry, sorry. I hope you know that I had the best intentions coming here. I just wanted to spend some time together and hopefully make up for the awkward dinner last night.”
“Apology accepted,” Eden grumbled before continuing on her path out of the water.
“Come on now, you can’t expect me to believe that you’re genuinely accepting it when you’re walking away like that!” he persisted, grabbing her bicep to pull her back toward him.
“Take a hint,” she hissed. “I don’t know what makes you think that just because I’m being forced into this, I’m going to pretend to like it. Just for the record, by the way, you can drop the charade, too. There’s no reason to act as if you’re genuinely interested in me.”
“You think I’m not interested in you?” Darian questioned, his brows pushing together, as if he was truly captured off-guard by her statement. He shook his head in disbelief, his lips parted like he was struggling to find the words. “I-I… I really don’t know what to say to that, whether I’m offended or merely shocked.”
“Oh, please.”
Darian took her in both of his hands, his fingers clasped around her slender biceps.
“I mean it, Eden. I’m nothing short of flabbergasted that you would think I wouldn’t want you.” At the roll of her eyes, his grip tightened to get her attention. She peered up to see his gray eyes piercing hers with a look of such severity, it was as if he were about to murder her. “Eden, you’re wonderful. You’re gorgeous, yet not jaded by the fact. You’re dedicated to your studies in the healing arts. By God, and you’re honest, on top of that! Sure, it’s aggravating sometimes, but hell, it beats being led on. Which I assure you, I’m not. I care about you, Eden, even if we have never been close. This situation, while I’m sure it looks as though it benefits me the most of all, is what is good for the Kingdom. Come now, let’s make the best of this. I may not be your soulmate, but I can be the closest thing to it if you give me a chance.”
Everything he had just said, on paper, would have looked amazing. Most hearts in her position would have softened at this declaration that they could fall in love, if they gave one another an honest try. However, Eden didn’t soften, not even for a moment. Everything coming out of Darian’s lips was obviously rehearsed. He was putting on a show for her, trying to win her over so that she wouldn’t put up such a fight—which could potentially complicate his entire plan, whatever it might be.
“What do you think?” Darian asked, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“I think that you should have been an actor, since you give such lovely performances. Because you would just as soon climb into bed with Sebastian or Theo if it meant you would get a place in the family,” Eden responded evenly.
Darian recoiled as though she had struck him. “Eden… I…”
“Don’t act so surprised, Darian. Do you think that I can’t see through your little game? It’s quite obvious.”
“I promise you; it’s not. I know that we aren’t soulmates, all right? I know that the love we may one day have won’t move mountains or make you swoon, but if we try—really try—we can have something close. Who knows when your soulmate will come around? Let me show you how much I care about you, how much I want this to work until that day comes.”
Eden waved the sentiment off and, once more, headed for the shore. Darian was trying to be sincere, but she simply couldn’t buy into it. Yes, he had been after her hand in marriage for nearly two hundred years, and perhaps that should have meant something. How could it, though? They had never been close, and they weren’t friends. So, even if he felt an inkling of something for her, it was all superficial.
Eden didn’t have time for any of this. She was beginning to loathe the entire process that much more. Not only was it clouding her head, making it harder for her to focus when trying to meditate, but it was taking up far too much of her time. Eden knew that it was only going to get worse once her father demanded the ceremony to be arranged. Oh, how she dreaded the thought of picking out dresses and flowers. It wasn’t for her, not at this point in her life.
Darian stayed completely silent as she got out of the water. That was some form of relief to her. Snatching up her clothing, she headed for the estate, barefoot and dripping wet, needing as much distance between her and Darian as possible.
3
Three Days Later
Levi’s knees wouldn’t stop bouncing as he sat in a ladderback chair next to his mother’s bed. Her olive complexion had turned gray in the last couple of months, and her hands were slender and forever shaking. Matilda had been growing more and more ill as the years had gone by, going from not having much of an appetite to growing weak, and now, bedridden.
Levi blamed himself for her condition, making it that much harder emotionally. If it wasn’t for his rebellious attitude toward the Kingdom, Matilda could have gotten treatment from a healer. Instead, Levi had been taking care of her himself, buying potions and elixirs to make her more comfortable from his connections who still remained in the Kingdom.
Matilda began to cough, and Levi sat up, helping her sit up some so that she didn’t begin to choke on her own spit. Guilt washed over him like a tidal wave. He needed to do something about it, and he needed to do it soon. Or else… No, Levi wouldn’t allow his mind to wander there. Grabbing a glass of water from the bedside table, he tilted it to his mother’s lips, instructing her under his breath to drink. Once he was satisfied with the amount of water she took in, he sat the glass back down.
“Is Ginny still coming over later?” he asked her, scratching the back of his head.
“I believe so, as long as she can get away. Last time she tried, she wasn’t able to come out until the middle of the night.”
Levi groaned inwardly. In n
o way did he regret leaving the Kingdom. It was corrupt and led by a mad king who fed upon his people’s fear and wealth. However, he loathed what it had done to his family. His younger sister, Ginny, stayed in the Kingdom because her soulmate was one of Tallant’s warriors. His mother, on the other hand, was caught in the middle and carefully watched. Levi was a wanted man, and it made caring for his ill mother impossibly difficult. She was neither in the Kingdom nor outside of it, making it complicated to get the care she desperately needed.
Levi kept all of his frustrations to himself and simply nodded. Fetching a small vial from his pocket, he placed it on the edge of Matilda’s nightstand. “Make sure to drink that with your next meal. I gave Ginny everything you should need for the next week. I’ll try to stop by if I can.”
“Thank you, Levi. You’re such a good boy,” his mother weakly called up to him, reaching out a clammy hand to touch his arm.
He softly smiled down at her and patted the back of her hand. “I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“I love you too, son.”
With that, Levi left, his heart heavy. His mother and Ginny were the only two people in history to ever hear the words I love you from him. It wasn’t something he tossed around as many other people did. Love, to him, was the willingness to lay your life and beliefs down to bring them into the world and make them real. If his mother got any worse than she was, Levi would have to kneel before the crown. That was love.
Lifting his hood up over his head, Levi exited his mother’s small bungalow. Matilda lived in a tiny community just outside of the city, away from the bustle of the Kingdom, but not far enough away to raise questions. He made his way out of the neighborhood on foot, having the common sense not to park near his mother’s house. That could potentially draw attention. Cutting through a patch of woods, he made it onto the next street and began down a hill toward his old, silver Chevy truck. He let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the vehicle and dug in his pockets to fish out his keys.
Then, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He could feel eyes on him. Trying to shake the feeling, Levi told himself it was just a nosy neighbor wondering what a guy was doing walking around with a hood on. Yet the feeling didn’t go away—it intensified. Only then did he allow his eyes to peer around, turning his head slightly to see behind him.
Levi cursed under his breath when he saw two tall men with stark blonde hair making their way towards him. His jaw clenched as he walked right by his car, not wanting to give away what vehicle was his. The hassle of getting a new car was something he didn’t want to think about. Levi kept walking, keeping his hands deep in his pockets and his eyes forward. Making his way down the road, he turned left and headed up another street.
Since the men were attempting to hang back, obviously wishing no passersby to suspect them of following him, Levi had the opportunity to turn another corner before they came into eyesight. He cut through someone’s yard, hopping their fence and making it a few roads over in no time. Mentally, he was mapping out a strategy to get far enough away from his chasers so that he could loop back around to his car and drive away without being seen.
Much to his dismay, however, as he started down a winding road, two figures appeared in the distance. Sweat began to break out over Levi’s forehead, growing nervous that he wouldn’t be able to shake them without confrontation. Levi could take down two men without too much of an effort, but it wasn’t dark yet, and they could attract the attention of humans.
If he knew anything about Tallant’s men, it was that they wouldn’t care to cause a scene. Their freedom would be purchased by Carlyle instantly. Levi, on the other hand, would be left to rot in jail, and he would have an impossible time with it, since he did not have a social security number, a government ID, or a birth certificate. He would be caught in legal limbo with the American government. Was that their plan? To intimidate him into getting captured by the police?
Whatever it was, Levi didn’t want to know. He beelined toward a nearby patch of forest, figuring he could get lost in there for a little while before making his escape. It was only when he was totally out of sight from the road that Levi broke into a run. He weaved in and out of the trees at a rapid pace, without rhyme or reason for each direction he took. Time was lost to him, not realizing how long he ran until it was completely dark outside.
He had to have been in the woods for over an hour, running around like a madman. Hoping that it had been long enough, Levi slowed his pace and emerged from the tree line. Taking a deep breath, he strolled toward the corner of the street, hurrying back to his car. Underneath the streetlight, though, stood three men. Levi stopped in his tracks, staring at them. He could take on two men, but three was a gamble.
The men spotted him, one tossing his cigarette to the side before they all stalked toward him.
Without hesitation, Levi morphed into his dragon form and took to the sky. He had transitioned into his dragon state in a pinch so many times that his body was accustomed to the pain which came with it, and he no longer noticed it. Flying far above the tops of the trees, Levi headed out of the suburbs and toward the country. He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to escape them. It was a matter of trying to get the best advantage possible. There wasn’t much opportunity for that, though. The men were quick on his tail and were hurling fire attacks at him.
We’re still in a residential area, and they’re ballsy enough to use fire in the sky, Levi thought. Dodging each of them, he propelled himself higher—so high that the air was becoming thin and causing his breathing to shallow. He stole a glance down, seeing his chasers hovering several yards beneath him. He had to twist his body to avoid their attacks. Pushing his body harder, Levi tried to fly faster than any of them. He told himself that today wouldn’t be the day the warriors finally caught him. It couldn’t be.
Then, a searing pain came over his chest. He howled in agony, losing his focus, and was thrown off beat. Levi desperately tried to flap his wings to get back into sync with the airflow, but the pain was too much to think through. Before he realized what was happening, he was tail-spinning downward. Air rushed past him as he desperately tried to hold his chest. Someone had struck him with a fire attack; the heat from it remained, eating away at his scales and flesh.
He was hitting tree branches on his way down, one after another. The bark scraped across his wounded flesh, earning another howl from the impossibly large beast. All Levi could remember was the pain, the feeling of falling, and then complete darkness.
4
Eden was thrust from her sleep, gasping for air as she came to. Her hands instinctively went to her throat, checking for other hands that had never actually been there. Moments before, Eden she felt someone holding her underneath the surface of the water as she meditated.
What a nightmare. She aggressively rubbed her face, trying to bring herself to reality and shake off the dream. As she did so, she groaned, feeling a painful knot in her neck. She had fallen asleep on her chaise lounge again, causing her to sleep with her head in an awkward position.
Eden hadn’t been sleeping much at all these days, kept awake by her worries and anxieties over the upcoming ceremony. Her father was already in talks of where it should be held, the attendance list, and so on. It was as though the entire thing was a storm cloud hanging over her head, and an inescapable one at that. Eden had tried to soothe her mind by delving even further into her studies, staying up all night reading her grandmother’s journals when she couldn’t sleep. Her grandmother had been the first healer and had taught Eden all that she could before she was murdered however many centuries ago by the vial witches. It brought her some comfort to read her journals, feeling even closer to the woman she had loved so dearly.
If Eden didn’t come to terms with the marriage to Darian soon, she was certain that she would lose her mind. It wasn’t as simple as she thought it would be. After all, the inevitable things in life should be the easiest to come to terms with, right? Because you were aware t
hat nothing you could possibly do would stop it from happening. She coached herself in thinking that being married to Darian wouldn’t change much of anything. She could still live her life, continue her studies… All that would change was her last name. It was a thing of status, not a necessity.
Those thoughts didn’t bring her much comfort, knowing that it was all just wishful thinking. The two of them would have to hold up appearances, look like a loving couple. That was the point of it, after all, right? To unify their front and appear stronger than ever. Just having a ceremony wouldn’t do anything but raise questions. Eden would have to move out of the family estate and into her own place with Darian, wouldn’t she? The thought of living with that man made her want to scream.
The entire predicament left Eden feeling like property. She was a good being exchanged from man to man in order to make them both look better in the eyes of the public. Her opinion on the matter meant nothing—all it had done was prolong the inevitable for a couple of centuries.
Her thoughts went round and round in the vicious circles nonstop. It had rendered her unable to meditate, causing her to become on edge and snappy, though she supposed sleep deprivation wasn’t helping, either. As she stood from the lounge, Eden finally decided that she would take the time to truly sort through her thoughts and make the best of the situation, like Darian had suggested, rather than staying resistant and agitated by it all.
Dressing in a pair of shorts and a breezy white blouse, Eden walked outside and toward the forest. She would walk around and not allow herself to come back until she had made her peace with the future. As she stepped into the great outdoors, Eden looked overhead to see the clouds streaked with pink and purple. She must have stayed up all night and morning, only dozing off for a couple of hours in the afternoon. The realization made her feel that much firmer in her need to accept her fate.