by Meg Anne
“I am perfectly safe here.”
Their silence was deafening. She thought she heard the creaking of a gate snapping closed in this distance. So much for this not being her prison.
“Absolutely not.”
“Lucian, or one of his brothers, will accompany you from now on.”
Lucian. Effie shivered, her arms breaking out in goosebumps. The thought of the dark-haired Guardian following her around did not exactly invoke warm and fuzzy feelings. Liar. Effie ignored the little voice.
“We’ll kill each other inside of a day.”
Mirror Two shrugged. “Do not give him a reason.”
“Me?” she sputtered.
There was a rustle that sounded suspiciously like a snicker.
“Oh, for the love of—are you serious?”
“The Guardians have always been the Keepers’ protectors.”
“Such an assignment is not unusual.”
“Why would Keepers need protection?”
“Desperation is a great motivator.”
“Many would give anything to know that which comes to us.”
Sighing, Effie looked at her bare toes. She was familiar enough with stubborn men to recognize that this was a fight she wasn’t going to win. “Fine.”
They never asked for her permission, but granting it anyway provided her the illusion of choice.
“Are we done here?”
Two more nods.
“Great.”
Effie stalked past them, heading down the hallway that Smoke had used to take her to her room. She’d find her own way back . . . eventually. Maybe she’d even find a bathing chamber along the way.
Head pounding, Effie rubbed her bleary eyes and wondered what woke her. Two dull thuds on the door answered the question.
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood with a groan. Everything hurt. Her body felt like she’d spent the previous day training with Ronan and his men. Slowly, memories of the night before returned to her and Effie groaned again. Kieran, her vision, Lucian. . .
“Mother’s tits,” she moaned, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes. Did you really have to bite him, you fool?
There was another knock and Effie eyed the door with suspicion. There was one of three men waiting for her on the other side of that door, and she wasn’t eager to see any of them.
Wrapping a soft blue robe around herself, she swung the door open. “What do you want?”
Blond brows lifted over smoky green eyes. “Not much of a morning person, I take it?”
Scowling, she snapped, “Good morning. Now what do you want?”
Kieran chuckled. “It’s time for your lessons.”
“Planning on drugging me again today?”
He had the grace to look embarrassed. Rubbing a hand along the back of his neck, he said, “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t anticipate your reaction, to your vision or to the herb. When you’re ready to try again, I’ll make sure we’re both better prepared.”
She studied him. He seemed sincere enough and she was terrible at holding a grudge. “So, if we’re not going to analyze my visions, what’s are we doing?”
“Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll show you?”
It took everything in her not to glance down and make sure it wasn’t obvious her robe was the only thing covering her body. Last night she’d barely had enough energy to tug off the few pieces of clothing she still had on and leave them in a haphazard pile on the floor—something she’d never do if she was in her right mind. Just to be safe and add another layer between them, Effie pulled her hair over her shoulder—under the guise of braiding it—and gave him a short nod.
“Give me five minutes.”
“Is that all? My sister took hours to get ready in the morning.”
Effie lifted a shoulder. “Pants, tunic, cloak, boots. Not a whole lot of effort tying up some strings.” Or untying them. Heat flooded her cheeks as more of the previous night returned. She turned away from Kieran, hoping he didn’t notice, and slammed the door closed with her foot.
“I’ll just wait right here, then,” he called through the thick wood.
“You do that,” she muttered, lifting the lid to her trunk and rifling through the handful of garments within.
A thick cream tunic with long-sleeves and dark brown leather pants in hand, Effie pulled them on and then went to grab her boots. It didn’t take more than a cursory scan for her to realize she wasn’t going to find them.
Groaning, Effie stomped back to the door and pulled it open.
Kieran spun around with a smile. “All set?”
“Do I look ready?”
His eyes roamed over her body, his eyebrows lifting when he reached her feet. “No shoes?”
“It would seem they have been misplaced.”
If her casual assessment seemed odd to him, he gave no hint of it. “I’m sure we can find something for you to wear. Will you be alright without them in the meantime?”
With no other choice, Effie gave a sharp nod.
“I guess we will begin our morning with a tour then.”
They made it three steps down the hall when Lucian rounded the corner, a familiar navy cloak hanging over his arm and her missing footwear in hand. Effie noticed him first, stopping dead as he continued to make his way toward them.
Seeing her wide-eyed stare, Kieran followed it, a scowl marring his handsome face when he discovered their visitor.
Without preamble, Lucian held the items out to her. “You left these.”
Effie could feel Kieran’s eyes boring a hole into her, demanding an explanation for why Lucian had her clothes. Blushing, she snatched them from his grasp, but Lucian didn’t let go. Momentum stunted, Effie stumbled forward.
“Well, are you going to give them to me or not?”
“You should take better care of your things.”
“You should be less of an antagonistic prick.”
Kieran snorted, one of his hands lifting to hide his smile.
Lucian scowled and shoved her things into her arms. “I’ll see you later.”
“Can’t wait,” she called to his retreating back. She frowned in confusion as she eyed her things. They should have been caked with dirt after being dumped in the mud yesterday, but they were pristine. Someone had cleaned them. Surely not Lucian . . . She was having trouble picturing the hulking brute performing such a mundane task.
“I see you’ve met Lucian.”
Sitting down in the hallway, Effie pulled on her boots and grunted, “Unfortunately.”
Effie wasn’t sure if he was amused by her antics or her answer, but he was grinning as he asked, “Not a fan?”
Effie sighed. Technically Lucian had rescued her, or at the very least kept her from having to walk back to the citadel mostly naked. If nothing else, she owed him a sincere thank you for allowing her to maintain her dignity. And an apology for biting him.
Boots on, Effie stood up and shook her head. “I’m not sure what to make of him, but so far he seems like he’ll be a joy to have around.”
Kieran nodded. “Lucian does tend to suck the fun out of a room. His brothers are better, but not by much. Have you met the other Guardians?”
Effie shook her head. “No, not yet.”
“Nord and Kael. It’s rare that the three of them are all together.”
“Why’s that?”
“They’re bound to the Triumvirate. One immortal guard for each of them. The Triumvirate sends them off when they need answers about something, since they rarely leave the citadel themselves, but at least one of them is always nearby lurking in the background.”
Effie stopped Kieran with a hand on the arm. “Wait, the Guardians belong to the Triumvirate?”
Kieran nodded.
“Are there more than the three of them?”
“Not in the citadel, although it’s rumored that the Brotherhood of the Guardians is vast.”
Confused, Effie frowned. “Then why did they assign one
of their personal guards to me?”
Kieran shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m guessing it has something to do with the fact that Lucian had your missing boots.”
Effie ignored the less than subtle request for information. “So it would seem,” she murmured, still feeling as though she was missing a crucial detail.
“You really aren’t going to tell me what happened last night?” Kieran asked as they started up a flight of stairs.
“Nope.”
Kieran shook his head. “I guess I deserve that since it’s probably my fault in the first place.”
Learning what she had about the halus bane, Effie wasn’t of a mind to disagree. Deciding now was a perfect time to change the subject, Effie asked, “Are you still taking me on that tour?” She smiled when he rolled his eyes.
“Might as well. At the rate you’re going, who knows when you’ll need to find a spare pair of pants.”
Effie shoved his arm, and Kieran laughed. A second later, Effie joined in.
Chapter 11
After introducing her to a handful of the other residents whose names she’d already forgotten, Kieran had led her around the citadel, showing her all five of the libraries, two of the closest supply rooms (in case she needed anything for her chamber, or found herself missing more random items of clothing), all thirty-seven meditation rooms, seven bathing chambers, the four additional archives, and one non-descript black door that led to the Hall of Prophecy. When she asked if they were going to look inside, Kieran had given her a curt shake of the head.
“Triumvirate only.”
“Then what’s the point of showing me the door?” she asked, staring at it with growing interest as they’d passed.
“So that you know which door not to open.”
“I’m pretty sure piquing someone’s interest is the exact opposite thing you’re supposed to do if you want them to stay away from something.”
Kieran shrugged. “Better that you know to avoid it then find yourself there on accident.”
She threw him a glance over her shoulder. “If you say so.”
“Trust me on this one. There’s all sorts of wards down there to protect what’s hidden inside. You don’t want to find yourself on the other end of that.”
Now even more curious, Effie twisted back to catch another glimpse at the door. What in the Mother’s name was down there? With a name like Hall of Prophecy, she could hazard a guess. But even if it was some sort of room that housed various prophecies, why all the extra secrecy and precaution?
“Ah, we’re here.”
Looking around at yet another twisting hallway, she asked, “Where’s here, exactly?”
Kieran gave her an enigmatic grin. “See for yourself.”
He pushed open a door, revealing a dark, glittering hallway. The walls were made of some kind of reflective stone, and the small orbs of light that floated above shimmered on their surface. It reminded Effie of a sky filled with stars.
Entranced, she stepped past Kieran into the hallway, her fingertips lightly brushing against the cool stone, and she followed it down to where it opened into a chamber full of steam. Effie had no real idea how big the chamber was; it seemed endless. If Kieran had told her they stepped through a portal and now walked amongst the night sky, she would have believed him.
“Hot spring,” Kieran said, coming up alongside her.
That was when she noticed the soft slap of water as it hit the rock. Focusing, she could just make out the edge of the steaming liquid.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, taking a tentative step toward the water.
“I come here a lot when I need to think. Something about this place helps me put things into perspective.”
Their voices echoed around the chamber, as Effie knelt down and dipped her fingers into the pool. The water was warm and inviting. She was already planning to come back once she was alone and go for a swim.
“Want to test it out?” Kieran asked, his eyes twinkling in the relative darkness.
Blushing, Effie abruptly stood. “If this was just some play to get me to take my clothes off—”
Kieran held up his hands. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
She narrowed her eyes on his handsome face. “Yes, I can.”
“Ah, well. Worth it, if only to see your cheeks heat up like that.”
Effie’s stomach gave a little dip and she blinked at him in surprise. His eyes were hooded, and his golden hair hung loose about his shoulders. His smile grew as she studied him, and Effie gulped audibly. The last time she’d gone for a swim with a man, he’d kissed her. If Kieran’s intent expression was any indication, he had something similar in mind.
That was not exactly what she’d pictured when he told her it was time for lessons. Scowling, she turned away. He was entirely too charming by half and she was not here to play such games. She came to the Keepers to learn about her visions—specifically how to control and interpret them—and then return to her friends. She didn’t have time to fool around with some roguish, albeit handsome, tutor.
Crossing her arms, she stared into the water with a frown. She could just barely make out her distorted reflection in the undulating surface. Kieran’s reflection joined hers.
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Effie shrugged. “I’m not upset.”
“Clearly.”
She watched as he began to tie up his hair.
“Listen, I just thought after yesterday you would want to relax a bit. The water’s known for its restorative properties, especially after a night of indulgence.” He smirked.
The persistent pounding in her temples begged her to consider his offer, but Effie’s eyes grew wide as Kieran’s fingers moved to the buttons at his neck.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked.
“It’s your prerogative if you want to refuse out of some weird sense of principle, but I don’t have the same aversion to fun as you. So, I’m going in.”
He said all this while peeling off layers of his clothes. Effie gaped when his shirt flew at her but was too afraid to pull the garment off of her face before she heard the tale-tell splash as he dove into the water.
Kieran was a walking distraction; one she could not afford. She should go find Smoke and ask that he assign her a different tutor— one whose spicy scent didn’t still fill her nostrils.
Mind made up, Effie started to turn away, but something about the playful smile curving his lips, and the burnished gold of his hair sending drops of water sliding down his sculpted chest kept her feet rooted to the ground.
Her breath hitched as the feeling of déjà vu crashed into her. Between one ragged breath and the next, Effie fell into the memory of the last time a man had looked at her that way.
“Stop worrying what everyone will think. Come for a swim with me,” Darrin cajoled, his green eyes pleading.
“But you’re the Shield and I’m a noth—”
He pressed his fingers to her lips, cutting off the flow of words. “What did I tell you about talking about yourself that way?” He pulled his fingers away, grasping her hand. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“You’re too stubborn for your own good,” she muttered, smiling as she trailed after him through the dense patch of trees.
He flashed her a quick grin over his shoulder. “I got what I wanted, didn’t I?”
Effie scrunched her face up and he laughed, but the racing of her heart betrayed her. She wanted this . . . with him.
All of the men in the Kiri’s Circle were so much more than their titles, but none of them had surprised her as much as Darrin. Playful one moment and intensively protective the next, she never quite knew what to expect from him. He was a bit like a puppy. One she desperately wanted to cuddle. Lost in the metaphor, her nose crinkled as she hoped that his kisses would be less slobbery than those of a canine.
Her eyes darted to his back as heat crept up her neck. It wasn’t the first time she’d tried to imagine what it would feel
like if he pressed his lips to hers. The thought had become more frequent as they increased the amount of time they spent together.
She sighed, glancing down at their interwoven fingers. It was all wishful thinking on her part anyway. Nothing could happen between them. He’d already taken his vows. She needed to rein in these feelings, and fast. Only disappointment waited for her down that road.
The rush of water grew louder as they stepped out of the forest. It was a beautiful day; the sun was warm in the sky and the water sparkled beneath its happy glow.
Darrin pulled off his boots, dumping them on top of a smooth rock. His weapons followed and then his shirt. He purposefully never turned back to look at her, giving her privacy to undress as he walked into the center of the stream.
Effie only warred with herself for one half-hearted second. There may not be a future for them, but she’d always have this stolen moment. Tugging off her boots and a few of her outer layers, Effie tossed them on top of his and then took a running leap into the water.
“Mother’s tits, it’s cold!” she hollered, popping up.
Laughing, Darrin splashed her. “Swim around a bit. It will warm you up.”
Rolling her eyes, Effie did as he suggested. It helped, but the icy bite of the water never fully went away.
Something brushed against her foot and Effie shrieked, spinning around as best she could half-submerged as she tried to locate the source.
Darrin’s laughter was the only answer she needed.
“You ass!” she chided, splashing him. “You scared me half to death.”
“Ah, I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured, his face instantly contrite.
Effie didn’t buy it for a second. “Just you wait, Shield. I’ll get you back when you least expect it.”
“Is that so?”
“Count on it. I have access to your tent and your meals.”
“You want to sneak around in my tent?” he asked, lifting his brow.
Effie’s cheeks burned. Damn it, he always managed to turn things back around on her. She hadn’t realized how close he’d gotten while they’d been talking. She could make out each of the freckles dotting the bridge of his nose, and the spikes of his lashes as water dripped down his face.