Casper had made the move from West Sydney to rural Queensland and the new property was surrounded by rough Australian bush and patches of scorched red dirt. From the closest Weald checkpoint, Casper’s home was a long drive down stretches of wide, dusty roads.
The scorching sun beat down from a clear sky and the air was hot and dry. My joints liked this weather, though my skin, used to the overcast skies of Harken, did not.
Beyond the veranda, a group of nephilim were stripped to their scruffy jeans, covered in sweat as they practised sword fighting. Steel clashed against steel, with shouts of encouragement from those who watched.
I watched, occasionally pressing the cold can of beer against the nasty sunburn on my cheeks. While all the men here were seasoned veterans, they still turned to Roman, seeking his advice. Word had gotten around like wildfire in the Outlands about a nephilim with wings the colour of snow. Nephilim all over had tracked Casper down, asking to stay. Casper, who had seemed to expect this turn of events, had bought a property with plenty of room, and soon cabins had been erected for newcomers.
I watched Roman swing his sword. He had changed. The harsh sun had given his bleached skin a molten honey glow, and his wings, which folded neatly behind him, were dazzling white. Well, after a shower, they were white. Right now, they were matted with red dirt. Some of his bulk had disappeared, and there was no hint of the madness that had dogged him those last days in The Weald.
‘How are you doing?’ Casper’s voice interrupted me. He sat down at the table, and stuffed a biscuit in his mouth. ‘You going to stay another week?’ he asked, spitting crumbs.
‘Maybe,’ I murmured. My eyes followed Roman as he finished his demonstration. He’d taken his newfound fame with the strong, silent strength that had attracted me to him in the first place.
There was nothing needing my immediate attention back in Harken. Grogan’s illegal blood sport had been reported to the authorities and with the location being in the Mayor’s family crypt, the scandal had seen Mayor Corelli kicked out of office. The audit against Blackgoat collapsed without the Mayor to spearhead it and so Blackgoat was now safe. Of course, that didn’t mean I was off the hook. My contract with the Order of Guides still had to be fulfilled. I'd resigned myself to the fact I couldn’t weasel out of it, but was drawing the line at wearing a uniform.
Seth had kept true to his promise in helping smuggle Roman to the Outlands, and while it had been a difficult task, he had never faltered, had never suggested it couldn’t be done. My suspicions about Seth had abated a little in the face of this, but not gone completely.
Casper swallowed his mouthful of biscuit. ‘How’s it going between you two?’
I shrugged, indicating I didn’t know. My fate felt entwined with Roman, and while things were strained between us now, I knew we would find our way back to each other. My feelings for Roman deepened with each day and, from his sidelong glances as me, I knew he missed me. But Roman was never returning to The Weald; I had accepted that painful fact, and was torn between staying with him in the Outlands and looking after my family in The Weald.
Crowhurst had finally changed back from his beast and was recovering with the aid of some nasty drink Orella cooked up for him every morning. Gideon was teaching me how to run Blackgoat Watch, and I was learning more sophisticated spells from Orella, to better defend those I loved. While I never gave Jonas Grundler’s mother a chance to experience the revenge she wanted for the death of her son, she had been satisfied at my gruesome description of Grogan’s death, which I might have exaggerated slightly.
Roman approached the veranda. ‘Lora, can you come over for a moment? I want to show the men a move and I need someone small.’ I hesitated and his lips parted in a smile. Staring at his soft lips, I knew I'd probably do anything Roman ever asked of me, as long as he would keep looking at me like that. Like he needed me. Like he wanted me.
‘I'll be right there,’ I said, then watched him walk away, marvelling at his flowing wings for the hundredth time, even if they were filthy.
‘You ever see the movie Serendipity?’ Casper asked me.
‘Nope.’ I pulled a hair tie from a pocket and pulled my hair back. While my eyes were still green, my roots had recently turned completely black. Wanting to keep my identity as nephilim under wraps for as long as I could, I had approached Casper for the secret to his bleached hair. He had passed over some eye-watering concoction he mixed himself and it worked a treat.
‘Terrible fucking movie,’ Casper said. ‘About two people who leave love to fate.’
‘Why did you watch it?’
‘I was trying to bang some chick.’
‘Lovely.’
Casper picked up another biscuit, eyes locked on it, not meeting mine. ‘Yeah, well. One thing that pissed me off about that movie was that you don’t leave stuff like that to chance.’
‘What stuff?’
Casper picked up another biscuit, nibbling its edges. ‘You know. True love and shit like that.’
‘You’re just all marshmallow inside, aren’t you?’
‘I'm just saying, when it’s true and pure, that’s important.’ His eyes met mine. ‘So you just tell me what you need or want, and I'll make it happen.’
My heart warmed at his words. ‘Thanks.’
Walking down the steps of the veranda and over to where Roman was waiting, Casper’s words echoed through my head. I didn’t want to leave my relationship with Roman to chance. I was certain I was heading towards my true destiny. I just needed to figure out how to have a family in both worlds.
Roman smiled at me as I approached, and I knew I would find a way.
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ISBN: 9780857991072
Title: Chaos Bound
Copyright © 2013 by Rebekah Turner
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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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