by Amy Manemann
“Where are we?” I asked in awe, turning my gaze to meet Braeden’s.
“We’re at the Light Council.” Braeden’s voice trailed off at the sound of high-heeled shoes clicking across polished marbled floor. The woman approaching us wore a charcoal grey pencil skirt and deep red blouse with a few buttons at the top undone to reveal just enough of the soft swell of her cleavage underneath. Her brown hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail at the base of her neck, the long strands brushing the middle of her back as she approached. Her lipstick matched the shade of her shirt, and when she smiled, I got the distinct impression she wasn’t happy to see us.
“Sir Braeden, it’s nice to have you back at the Council. We weren’t expecting you.” Her eyes raked over him in blatant invitation, and I bristled, rethinking my last thought. Correction, maybe she wasn’t happy to see me standing so close to Braeden.
“It couldn’t be helped, Ella. We ran into a bit of trouble in Salem. The Underworlders broke through the shields and we barely escaped. Is the Council convening?” Braeden asked evenly. Still holding my hand, he drew me closer to his side.
Ella’s blue eyes narrowed in displeasure at the movement. I inwardly smiled.
“I will alert them of your arrival. Perhaps you wish to…freshen up before you meet with the Council?”
I could tell the last comment was for my benefit, and I bit my lower lip, anger simmering at what she was implying. I’d just come from watching vampires get beheaded and she wanted to get into personal hygiene? Really?
To my surprise, Allora stepped forward, hands planted firmly on her hips. “I think that would be an excellent idea, Ella. Thank you for taking care of the arrangements.”
Ella’s mouth opened and shut, lips pursing in a thin line of displeasure. Finally, she forced a smile, curtly inclining her head. “Of course. Follow me, please.”
From the corner of my eye I caught Allora's before she followed Ella across the marbled floor down a hallway. The click of Ella’s heels echoed down the hall ahead of us, but I hardly paid any attention, instead focused on the elegantly framed pictures lining the hall.
“This is the hall of Guardians. Each of these pictures are Guardians who devoted their lives to the Light Council. When I pass, my picture will hang here,” Braeden explained, noting my curiosity.
Sadness filled me at the thought of Braeden dying, and I shivered, despite the warmth of his hand in mine. There may be things about him I didn’t know or understand, but I couldn’t help but feel forlorn at the thought of a world without Braeden.
As if reading my thoughts, he tucked me closer to his side, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. “I don’t plan on going anywhere for a long time. Not when I get to tag along after you.”
His words warmed me more than Allora’s magic tea did, and I smiled, ducking my head from his knowing gaze.
At the end of the hall we entered a round room with a large desk at the center. Several hallways branched off from the room, archways of different colors shimmering above each separate hallway.
“What do the different colors mean?” I asked as we followed Ella towards a shimmering blue hall at the far end of the room.
“Each color represents a different part of the Council. You'll find training and battle techniques in the red hall,” Braeden gestured towards the colored archways, “and living quarters down the blue, pink, and green halls. We just arrived from the portal room.”
I craned my neck as we passed through the archway into the round room, noting a shimmering white color above our heads.
“And which way leads to the Council?” I asked, turning back around so I wouldn’t trip over my feet.
“The Council convenes in the upper part of the building. When you have had time to rest, I will show you the way upstairs,” Ella answered curtly without turning around.
I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her. I had to admit, the thought of lying down and resting sounded like a good idea. I just didn’t particularly care for Ella’s snootiness.
Ella showed us down the blue hallway, pausing at the first doorway.
“You may take your rest here,” she said frostily, staring down her nose at me.
It was Braeden who stepped forward, shaking his head. “Willa will take the room next to mine. Allora can have this chamber.”
Ella’s lips flattened again, but she nodded. “Very well then, you know the way to your chambers. Please alert me when you’ve had time to rest and are ready to meet with the Council. Is there anything else I might do for you?”
Her blue gaze collided with Braeden’s, and I suddenly had the uncomfortable sense there was more between them than Braeden was letting on.
“That will be all. Thank you, Ella.” The flat tone of Braeden’s voice was that of a man who had no interest in what she had to offer. Message received loud and clear, Ella spun on her heel and walked away, the hard click of her heels on the floor the only sign of her anger.
Allora chuckled, shaking her head.
“She sure hasn’t changed, which is why I still don't understand what you ever saw in her. Anyway, I hate to break up the party, but I’m beat. Have a good rest.” A wide yawn stretching her lips, she gave me a quick hug and Braeden a scowl before ducking into her room, closing the door soundly behind her.
I arched an eyebrow at Braeden, who shifted his feet uncomfortably. Obviously, an explanation was in order.
Chapter 12
“You and Ella dated?” I forced the acidic words past my thick tongue. Braeden shoved a hand through his hair, looking uncomfortable where the conversation was heading. That made two of us.
“Perhaps we should discuss this in private,” he suggested quietly, taking my elbow to lead the way down the hall. Having no other choice but to follow him, I hurried to keep up. He stopped a few doors down, opening the door wide for me to pass through before closing it behind us.
We stood in an entryway, a mirrored closet to our left. I winced at my reflection in the mirror, taking in my disheveled appearance. No wonder Ella thought I needed to freshen up, I thought, dismally noting the loose hairs falling haphazardly all over. My face was smudged with dirt, my jeans had a thick layer of Goddess only knew what, and my arm where Demetri had cut me was splotched with dried blood. I was a complete mess.
“You look beautiful,” Braeden said softly, tucking a loose hair behind my ear.
The events of today came crashing over me like a wave, and a lone tear slipped down my cheek. There were a lot of things I could handle. Today had been too much. Braeden released a soft curse and drew me against him, tucking my head beneath his chin.
“It’ll be all right, Willa,” he crooned, smoothing a hand over my back as my body shuddered with a sob. “Please don’t cry, Love.”
I barely noticed him maneuvering backwards until he sat down on the edge of a bed, drawing me onto his lap. I leaned back, tipping my tear-streaked face towards his.
“How can you say it’ll be all right? Were you even there tonight when everything went to hell?” I demanded, not even bothering to wipe the tears from my face.
Braeden cradled my face between his palms, wiping my tears away with his thumbs. “I was there, and it’s nothing I haven’t been through before. Give yourself a break, Willa. You're not accustomed to this world.”
“That’s the understatement of the year.” I laughed mirthlessly, the sound hysterical even to my own ears. “How am I supposed to do this, be a Lightkeeper, when I freak at the site of vampires getting their heads chopped off? Maybe I should just quit now while I’m ahead.”
Braeden brushed his thumb under my chin, sighing. “You aren’t a quitter, no matter the odds stacked against you.”
I softened at his words, heart beating in my ears. I wanted to believe him, oh how I wanted to believe him, but I just couldn’t brush aside my doubts so easily. “How do you know?”
“Because I know you, Willa. It’s not in you to give up.”
I sucked in a breath, lett
ing his words sink in. “You really believe in me that much?” Maybe Allora smacked him on the head harder than I thought.
Braeden’s gaze darkened, resembling an enticing caramel, golden haze.
“I will always believe in you, Willa. Of that I swear.” He spoke in a bare whisper, eyes darting to my mouth. The breath caught in my throat, even as my heart began to pound. Slowly, he lowered his mouth to mine, stopping inches from touching my lips. Our heavy breathing filled the room, and I thought my heart would burst from anticipation. And yet, he still hesitated, a question floating in his eyes.
“May I kiss you, Willa?” His breath fanned over my mouth, turning my insides to mush.
His consideration touched the very depths of my heart. He undeniably wanted to kiss me, yet refused to do so without my consent, which made my heart melt all the more. Unable to answer, I nodded, closing my eyes. His other hand moved up to tangle in the hair at the nape of my neck, and he tilted my face towards his, closing the distance between us to capture my lips with his.
The room spun on end as a floodgate of sensations overwhelmed me, and I clutched his broad shoulders, holding on for dear life. With practiced expertise, his lips whispered over mine, gently parting my mouth to sweep his tongue inside. A moan filled the silence of the room, and I wasn’t sure if it had come from him or me. The heady combination of his scent and the hot press of his lips against mine had shock waves of pleasure coursing through me, and I was unprepared for the explosion of white-hot desire that burned in my veins. I’d had a few chaste kisses in the past, but those experiences were sorely lacking compared to this.
When we finally parted, we were both breathing heavily, and the world was still standing slightly on end.
“Wow,” I managed, my hands still clutching his broad shoulders like he was a lifeline. And maybe he was. The man had kissed me senseless with a single press of his lips. I couldn’t even imagine what would happen if we did anything beyond that.
With his hands tangled in my hair, Braeden's thumbs made slow, circular motions on the back of my neck. With a sigh, he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to mine and closing his eyes. His arms were like bands of steel as they moved down to encircle my waist, holding me tight against him like he was afraid I would disappear.
“I never thought it was possible…,” his voice trailed off huskily, his face masked in wonder.
“Never thought what was possible?” I whispered, loving the feel of his arms around me. It felt right having him hold me, my body perfectly aligning to his as if I'd been made to fit there.
“That I could feel this way,” he answered honestly. “You were always a whisper in my mind, your name like an unsung song in my heart, yet I never understood why. Until now.”
I smirked, head falling to the side to study his expression.
“Why until now? You’ve never kissed a girl before?” I teased, my smile fading when he winced. Stupid question. Of course, someone as handsome as Braeden has kissed girls before.
“I won’t lie to you, Willa. I’ve been with women before, and I will openly tell you anything you wish to know.” He held up a finger when I opened my mouth to speak. “Within reason, that is.”
I frowned, not liking his answer. “Why within reason? Do you have something to hide?”
He shook his head. “I’d hide nothing from you, especially my past. But I can tell from your reaction to Ella there may be things that would upset you. And that I do not wish to do.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, of course it will upset me knowing you’ve been with other women, especially women like Ella. But I’m not stupid, Braeden. I don’t expect that you were a practicing monk, passing the time doing your Guardian training while waiting until it was time to pay me a visit.”
Laughter rumbled from his chest, shaking the bed. “A practicing monk?”
I swatted his chest, hoping my cheeks weren’t pink. “You know what I mean. I’m just saying you don’t need to hide your past from me, especially when old girlfriends come around.”
“You’re cute when you’re lying.” He leaned forward to press a soft kiss to my lips. I sighed into his mouth, closing my eyes at the contact.
“And you’re good at distracting me,” I breathed when he finally pulled away, my body flushed with a heat that had nothing to do with embarrassment.
“I’ll make a deal with you.” He tapped the end of my nose with a long finer. “I promise to always tell you the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, if you promise to tell me when something upsets you. Deal?”
“Deal. Does that mean I have to tell you the details of my experiences?” I squealed when he lifted me from his lap and tossed me on the bed, tackling me on the downy softness to tickle my ribs.
“Are you telling me there are old flames I should be concerned about?” he asked, stopping his tickling torture to grin at me.
Catching my breath, I shook my head. “I was just teasing, o’ wise Guardian. No old boyfriends will show up knocking on your door.”
Braeden’s expression softened, and he traced a lone finger along the side of my cheek.
“Their loss,” he whispered, leaning in to capture my mouth.
Warmed by his touch, I arched into him, trailing my hands across his shoulders to tunnel through his thick hair. Braeden’s hands traced down my arms and tucked under my hips, drawing my body flush against his. His tongue traced the seam of my lips and I opened under his gentle persuasion to swirl my tongue with his.
“We need to stop,” he said breathlessly, pulling back to trail a hot path of kisses down the side of my neck.
“Probably a good idea,” I agreed, smiling when he lifted his face to look at me.
“A shower,” he blurted out, the words catching me by surprise.
I arched an eyebrow. “Are you saying I stink?”
He chuckled, the warm sound soothing to my ears.
“I’m saying we both need a shower. And rest. The Council will only wait so long before they send someone to retrieve us. I’d rather not face them covered in vampire ash,” he answered.
The world felt out from underneath me, and I swallowed. Hard.
“Oh…my…” I shoved at his shoulders, trying desperately to wiggle out from underneath him as understanding sank in. I was covered in vampire dust. That was the dirt and grime covering my face and clothing. My stomach lurched at the realization, and I darted into the bathroom adjoining the bedroom, turning on the faucet full blast. Braeden came in behind me, watching solemnly as I scrubbed at my face and hands, desperate to get the ash off of me.
“I can’t…it won’t come off,” I choked, grabbing a dark blue hand towel from the hanger next to the sink to scrub my skin harder.
Braeden stepped into the room and took the washcloth before I could scrub my skin raw, gently capturing my hands.
“Let me help you,” he said softly, his golden gaze holding mine.
My head swung from side to side, my body shaking from head to toe. I had to get it off. I had to!
“Please…I can’t stand it.” Fear clogged the back of my throat, and I felt like I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. This was too much.
Carefully, Braeden set me down on the toilet seat, making sure I was settled before turning to the shower.
Numbly, I watched while he tested the water temperature before pulling the shower curtain across. Turning back towards me, he drew me to my feet, reaching for the edge of my t-shirt. I froze and sidestepped him, arms folded over my chest. “What are you doing?”
Braeden sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m trying to help you take a shower. I can’t help you if you’re wearing clothes.”
“You can’t see me naked!” I exclaimed, horrified.
A pained expression crossed his face. “I’ve seen women naked before, Willa. I promise not to look.”
I shook my head, mortified by what he was suggesting. Kissing was one thing, but this? No one had ever seen me naked before, except for Sadie. There was no
way I would let Braeden help me take a shower.
“If it makes you uneasy, I can get Allora.” He turned towards the door and panic bubbled up at the thought of him leaving me alone. My hand shot and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.
“Please don’t go,” I choked, more fearful of being alone than of him seeing me naked.
He held up his hands, frustration and concern stamping his features. “Help me out here, Willa. What do you want me to do? Tell me and I'll do it.”
I bit my lower lip. As much as I didn’t like the idea of him seeing me naked, I really couldn’t stomach the thought of being alone right now. My eyes darted to the shower and back, an idea forming.
“Will you sit in here with me while I take a shower?” My heart felt like it would explode from my chest, and I wasn't certain if it was for fear that he might still leave, or fear that he might actually stay.
“I’ll do whatever makes you comfortable.” He turned around to face the wall, giving me a small modicum of privacy.
I hesitated a second before grabbing the hem of my t-shirt, lifting it over my head and tossing it to the floor. The rest of my clothing quickly followed, and I darted into the shower, whipping the curtain shut behind me.
“Okay, I’m in,” I called out, feeling like a baby for making him stay in here with me while I showered.
“Take as long as you need.”
The tension in his voice made me feel even worse, and I poked my head out of the shower, finding him still standing with his back to me. My heart swelled at the site, knowing he was only doing this to put me at ease.
“You can turn around if you want to.”
Shoulders stiffening, his eyes found mine in the mirror's reflection. The raw desire I saw in his gaze made my knees tremble, and I clutched the shower curtain to my naked body.
“I’m a strong man, Willa, but don’t tempt me. Take your shower. I’ll be here if you need anything.” The huskiness of his voice made me hotter than the steaming water cascading down my body. Unable to voice a reply, I simply nodded, pulling the curtain shut.