Shades Beneath (Shattered Souls Book 1)

by Chrissy Jaye

  He’d kissed me. I’d never been kissed before and now he’d done it. My eyes bore into his, drifting from one eye to the other and then down to his lips again. A slow smirk stretched across them, so sexy and perfect, before he bent his head and pressed his lips to mine again.

  My brain disconnected from my body then, as I leaned into the kiss as one of his hands drifted to my hip and pulled me into him. My arms came up automatically to wind around his neck, trying to draw him even closer. I gasped into his mouth when his other hand wrapped around my back and squeezed me against him. Before I could exhale, he stroked his tongue against mine, sending delicious tingles down my spine into my core.

  My head snapped back in shock, hitting the door, as I heaved for breath in his arms. His green eyes were almost black, wild as he watched me. Then he pressed his forehead against mine, closing his eyes as he breathed out.

  “Are you done?” My head snapped backward again in surprise, knocking my skull against the door even harder than before making stars dance in front of my eyes. In a daze, I turned my head to the left to find Asher leaning against the wall five feet away from us with Bastian just behind him. I gave a small squeak and then hid my face in Cole’s chest.

  Oh God, this was embarrassing.

  I heard Asher chuckle at my reaction, but I didn’t move to look at him.

  “Not really, but I suppose we have more pressing concerns right now,” I heard Cole say blandly. I peeked up at him to see him smiling from ear to ear though, completely unable to hide his happiness. It sent a wave of butterflies through my stomach. “Let’s go cook a meal, Beautiful.”

  Without another word between any of us, Cole grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him. I gave one glance over my shoulder as we went and found that neither Bastian or Asher seemed upset. Inwardly, I sighed and let myself be led to the kitchen. Eventually, I’d have to face this, but it didn’t look like it would be right now.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Avoiding people downstairs hadn’t been a problem like I thought it would be. Everyone had vacated the kitchen as soon as we entered the room. It was like an unspoken rule that the only people allowed near me were the guys. It made me uncomfortable to be forcing people out of a house that was clearly meant for all of us.

  Still, it was better than leaving them outside to freeze. I still didn’t understand that dynamic. How Asher was able to command everyone. In truth, I hadn’t talked to many of them. Unless Garrold counted, but I don’t think being bowed to was much of a conversation.

  “So, what can you make?” Ford asked me once the room was clear.

  “Umm, not much?” I answered, shrugging at him. “I never really learned how to cook.”

  “How is that possible? Your Aunt gave me an entire list of your diet, including whatever you ate at the diner.”

  I swallowed before narrowing my eyes at him, both shocked and annoyed at how much he knew about my life. “I was a bit busy trying to sort through my shit to learn to cook. She taught Mia.” I threw the retort at him, satisfied when he flinched.

  I didn’t like that he was reminding me of how much my life had sucked before meeting Asher. It wasn’t exactly fair since I’d officially met Ford first, but since he had kept things from me, whether he could tell me or not, pissed me off. Still, I couldn’t punish him for it too much. I think he would have told me if he could.

  “I can make a few things,” I said, throwing him a bone. “Most of it’s easy stuff, but I can make a few meals.” My mind was running through a list of things I could make and discarding the courses that wouldn’t feed a large group of people. Even if I was expected to cook for this Lord or whatever he was, I was going to feed everyone else too. That included the fifty odd people living here. It was only fair. “There’s a chili that will work, but we’re going to need a big pot or two.”

  “I can help with that,” Esper said, breezing through the door, closely followed by Garrold, the blue fairy. Everyone seemed to relax all at once. I hadn’t realized how much of a charge was in the air until she came in and made it disappear with her presence. “Tell me what you need lovely and we’ll make it happen, okay?” She gave me a dazzling smile that I returned and set my mind to the task at hand.

  In the end, Ford conjured up four large pots that I could easily sit in with leg room. Using them in the kitchen, while large enough, would have been impossible so we ended up on the back patio. A few burly looking Fae with bear ears went to work building fire pits for the pots while I had the guys help me slice up vegetables for Aunty’s famous white bean chicken chili. Esper was in the kitchen with Garrold searing the chicken that would have to stew all day.

  I was more than grateful to be away from Garrold’s watchful eyes. Every moment that he could was spent staring at me. Cole had tried to tell me he does that with everyone, but I didn’t think so. I did, however, believe that he was a bit unpredictable and erratic. Apparently, he’d gone on vacation some years ago and came back not quite right, but in Fae fashion, everyone accepted it. I couldn’t help but reference to Harry Potter, but since Garrold didn’t wear a turban, I couldn’t say he was hosting some sort of evil. Just an odd fairy, a bit too obsessed with me.

  “It’s time to dress, Arianna!” Esper sang from the back door. I groaned and turned pleading eyes to Ford.

  “Don’t let her torture me,” I begged him. He smiled at me and shook his head.

  “He’s not going to save you! Get in this house this instant.” Esper’s voice was no longer sweet and sing-song. She’d turned into a viper who would paralyze and then dress you if needs be.

  I considered risking her wrath. I hadn’t seen it in full force yet and I wasn’t sure if I really wanted too, but entertaining the thought wasn’t a bad idea considering she’d sent her evil bee minions after me only yesterday when I refused yet another outfit. I did not understand her obsession with dressing me.

  “I’d listen if I were you. Bastian resisted once during the renaissance and he still has the scars to prove it,” Cole snickered from the pot he was stirring.

  I whipped my head toward him. “What?” They could not possibly be that old. There was no way. He and Bastian were twins. “Just how old are you?” Cole turned to me and shook his head, telling me he couldn’t answer. He’d made a mistake, but I could tell he was paying for it now. “This isn’t over,” I told him before turning to face my fate. Esper smiled at me, suddenly full of sunshine and rainbows now that I was complying.

  I followed her through the house up to the large suite at the end of our hall on the fourth floor. She hadn’t brought me here since that first day. She tended to bring my clothes to me instead, sensing that the room made me uncomfortable. It wasn’t until we were in the room proper that I realized Garrold had followed us. I eyed him warily while I waited for whatever torture Esper had planned.

  “Into the bathroom with you. The Lord of Shadows will not appreciate that you smell like onions,” Esper said, shooing me with a sudden cloud of glittering dragonflies. They herded me to the only other door in the room as Garrold took a seat in front of the large TV and turned it on. Thankfully, it wasn’t any surveillance of my private rooms, but some show of a woman who reminded me of a snake talking about the change of seasons.

  Guess Fae had their own weather stations too. Who knew?

  The bathroom looked like any other bathroom you would find in a mansion. Gold fixtures, massive tub, open shower, and of course, a toilet I’d be afraid to put my poor ass on for fear of ruining it. The tub was already filled with pinkish water that I could smell from the door. Probably a bath bomb. It smelled like roses and something slightly fruity.

  “Is this really needed?” I asked, not budging from the door.

  “Yes, it is. Now get in it before I force you in it.” Her voice was steely, so much so that I knew she was not kidding, especially when the dragonflies started darting around my head. I needed no more prompting to do as she bid.

  I stepped in and started to pull my clothes off b
efore I realized Garrold had an unobstructed view into the bathroom.

  “Can we shut the door?”

  “Nothing I haven’t seen before, sweetie, but don’t worry, I’m mated!” Garrold called from the couch. Mated? God, this world was a bit crazy. Who called it mated?

  “He’s mine, actually,” Esper said giving me a wink. I turned toward the tub and continued striping, knowing I wasn’t getting out of here unscathed. “Well, one of them, anyway.”

  I turned my head sharply in her direction but Esper didn’t notice. She was gazing at Garrold with fondness. I filed away what she said without comment though it bothered me. Were Fae polyamorous? What did that mean for me?

  No, don’t go there Aria.

  The rest of our time passed in agonizing torture. She made me scrub every inch of my body while I muttered dark thoughts under my breath. Little did I know that the worst was yet to come.

  “No. Absolutely not. Fuck no. You’ll have to kill me, Esper,” I said, glaring at her and her fairy lover. Garrold withered under my stare and left without a word. Good. He was leaving fairy dust all over the couch. I felt bad for whoever had to clean up after him. I hoped it was Esper.

  “Yes, Arianna. You have to wear this. It’s ceremony.”

  “My name is Aria,” I reminded her, even though she wasn’t wrong. My name had been Arianna at one point but was shortened legally by my Aunt. “And no, I don’t have to wear that. If you push me, I swear to God, I’ll have Ford make me some yoga pants. I will strut around in front of the Lord of Whatever in them and tell him you picked them out just to punish you.” My entire threat depended on Ford and whether or not he could make yoga pants, but I was fairly certain that he was a conjurer of some sort and it was well within his wheelhouse.

  A sickly-sweet smile formed on her face before she snapped her fingers. Ford appeared next to her in nothing but a pair of boxers and a rain of pink glitter. “You were saying?”

  I gaped at her, completely shocked at what she’d done. Ford looked around him in confusion, the linen pants he’d been holding slipped from his grip as he noticed me and Esper.

  “Are you for real?” I shouted. “Send him back!” I turned away, determined not to ogle him. It took all my control not to turn back and add a few details to my memory, but I didn’t. The man was ripped, more than even I’d pictured. This was my first ever look at him without a shirt on and it made my borrowed panties want to strip themselves. It didn’t even cross my mind that I was almost completely naked. Honestly, naked was becoming a recurring theme in my life. It didn’t mean I had to witness the look on others against their will.

  “Dress her. She won’t listen to me. She’s determined to die,” Esper spit at Ford.

  I turned back to them lightning fast, but it wasn’t fast enough. I felt his magic wrap around me in a flash and suddenly I was dressed. I let out a scream of rage and glared at him before I caught a look at myself in the mirror behind him. I wasn’t wearing the enormous ball gown with a bell skirt and complete with cap sleeves, disgusting amounts of tulle, and in the most hideous orange color the world had ever seen.

  Instead, I wore a floor-length silk dress similar to the one I’d worn on my first day in the big house. It was a blackish green with an oriental theme stitched into it with yellow thread. It hung by one shoulder with a sleeve that draped down my arm while leaving the other shoulder bare. The dress slanted across my chest, covering both breasts just enough before it dipped low on my hip, making it impossible for me to wear a breast band without it showing. At my hips, hung a red sash that tied in back with a bow that lay just above my ass. He even took the time to change my hairstyle and makeup to match the dress. I wore a vivid red eyeshadow with my hair in a traditional Japanese bun, complete with sparkling chopsticks. The only thing that was missing were the accessories, but with such an elegant dress, it didn’t seem to need any.

  My heart thudded to a halt before I launched myself forward. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself up to reach his lips, pressing mine firmly against his before gravity took control and I started to slip down, feeling every hard line of him through the thin silk fabric. He caught me around the waist as I slid down his front bringing me level with his very naked chest. His muscles flexed as he caught my weight. I’d completely forgotten he was only wearing underwear. I averted my gaze from his torso to his face, my face flaming and was greeted with his signature soft smile, the one he used when he was happy but trying not to show it. It always made my heart melt.

  “You’re welcome, Ari,” he said softly before he leaned in to kiss me again, this time softly, without his body pressed against mine. It was a kiss for a lover, someone you were fond of, who you cared about so much, there didn't need to be passion. It was just love. He pulled back again but my body instinctively leaned toward him, causing me to stumble before I caught myself. I gaped at him as he backed out of the room, pulling his linen pants with him as he went.

  I was so screwed.

  “Well, then. Things are moving along, aren’t they?” Esper said, breaking me out of my trance. I brought my fingers up to my lips as I turned toward her, still feeling his lips against mine before nodding mutely at her. “The dress is lovely. Not my first choice, but it suits you, and I think the Lord of Shadows will appreciate the effort to blend with his culture.”

  “Here, these shoes should match.” She pushed a pair of flats into my hands, careful not to brush my skin before motioning to my feet. Shoes were the last thing on my mind as I toed them on. I was more worried about whether that kiss would put Cole and Ford at odds with each other.

  Once the other shoe was on, I stood up straight, gathering my composure. I wasn’t sure who this Lord was but from what I’d picked up on, he was a big deal and someone to be worried about. My petty love life, while a huge deal to me, had nothing to do with that.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Stop fidgeting, it isn’t lady like,” Esper said close to my ear. By her tone, I was sure if she could have slapped my hands, she would have. Thank God for small favors.

  “I can’t help it. I’m nervous. I have no idea what to expect!” I shouldn’t have snapped at her, but I really couldn’t help my nerves. Everything was ready for the Lord's arrival. While Esper had sequestered me away to play Barbie, the rest of the house had been busy.

  The entire patio had been transformed into a high-end Fae party complete with fairy lights and round tables, except I was certain the fairy lights were real fairies. I also wasn’t sure what the centerpieces were, but they were definitely alive, evident by the leaves which shivered when the wind tore through the patio. The concrete had been swept of snow and covered with a large tent made of silks in different draping colors. Despite the ever-falling snow, it was almost uncomfortably warm due to what I could only assume were will-o-wisps that floated overhead and giggled with the fairy lights. It was hard to bite my tongue and not ask the guys about it all.

  Cole squeezed me around the middle, trying to reassure my racing thoughts, no doubt reading some of the guilt in there too although I tried not to think about it too much. I didn’t need the kiss I’d shared with both him and Ford to blow up just before company was set to arrive. I winced, realizing I was thinking about it again. I had to stop.

  Lips brushed my neck, followed by a quick bite. “Stop fretting,” Cole whispered against my skin. I don’t know why he thought turning me on would help me stop worrying. He clearly didn’t understand how I worked. I closed my eyes and practiced my meditation to keep my head clear. Cole squeezed me tighter, making it impossible.

  “Too tight,” I grit out at him and then sighing in relief when he eased up.

  “Just trying to keep you grounded. You’re a bit of a mess right now.” I leaned back against him, taking comfort in his scent of allspice. My emotions were a ragged mess, somewhere between impending doom and apocalyptic rampage. And so much guilty lust.

  “How sweet of you to remind me.” I tried to keep my irritation in check.
With each minute that ticked by, an uncomfortable buzzing settled deeper into my skin and scorched through my blood. I’d noticed it earlier in the library just before I’d caught Bastian staring at me and had meant to ask him about it, but we’d been side tracked. Now, it was in the forefront of my mind.

  Around us, the air stilled, and Cole tensed up with me in his arms. The other guys moved in closer to us. They’d been keeping their distance before, but something was happening, and I wasn’t sure what it was. I could tell by their posture that they were alert and ready to react. Everyone turned toward the yard to stare.

  Out in the snow-covered yard, one of the arches that lined the edge of the yard began to pulse with light. It was as if someone was waving a sparkler in a circle, leaving a trail of light in its wake the faster it spun. I’d seen it before, when Asher came for me, but I’d been in such a panic, I hadn’t been able to really pay attention. I was now, though.

  Without looking, I reached out for Asher, collecting his hand in mine. He gave it a reassuring squeeze as we watched the arch, glowing brighter with every second. Then the light blazed outward, almost blinding me before it flickered out.

  In its place stood a tall man wearing a ridiculous black hat and a dark cloak. I couldn’t make his features out this far away, but I felt his eyes roving over the assembly before him. When they settled on me, I reeled back, feeling as though something was peeling at my skin, hungry and alive. Only Cole’s arms around me kept me from falling over.

  “Don’t show weakness, Aria,” Ford whispered into my ear. I felt his hand on my arm and relished the feel of it, before I turned my focus back to our guest. He was already striding toward us with determination in his step. As he came into the light, I saw the face of a young man come into view. He was handsome with deep blue, almost indigo, colored eyes. My first thought was that the purple eyed wraith had found me again, but the more I searched his face, the less I felt like he was a threat. His eyes, while unnatural, didn’t seem nearly as evil. There was no malice in them, only a spark of curiosity as he came toward us.