"First of all, you can't tell me what to do anymore. You are not Dad as much as you always seem to think that is your job. Mom and Dad are gone. There is nothing you can do to turn them back.
"You are going to get out of my way. I won't ask you twice. It looks like you and your friend were getting ready to go somewhere. You are such a sell-out and a hypocrite." Kaden's voice trailed off.
"We will deal with this when I get back. I am going to call you tomorrow and we will talk about this further."
Before Graven could say anything else I heard Kaden's bike start up and peal out. I could hear the back tires kick up the dirt and rock that was packed down to make the driveway.
I held on tightly to my knees. I suddenly felt so cold and alone. What were they talking about? What did Kaden know about me? Did he experience the same dreams as I did? Could that even be possible? I never heard of anyone sharing a dream with another person.
Person, ha. I didn't even know what gargoyles were capable of. For that matter I didn't know what I was capable of either. I wanted to find a way to talk to Kaden but for the time being he was gone. Maybe I would see him in my dreams again. I still wouldn't even know if there was any truth or reality to what was said in our dreams.
The emotional surges that I felt when he arrived at the house had subsided since he left. The sexual arousal and the heat I couldn't help but feel for him left me cold and damp. I hated that I couldn't sort my feelings out and I didn't have time to digest anything. The weight of everything just kept stacking up.
I was concerned about what Graven may have done, thinking that I was this female from two random prophets, one of which ironically turned out to be my own mother. I pressed my fingers across my brow.
I must have heard wrong that they are over two hundred years old. At some point I was going to need to ask Graven how old he was. I wasn't sure how to transition into that question without making it obvious that I knew he was not the thirty something he looked.
Even if I was the young woman that he was destined to protect and to bond with, there was no way I was going to live for two hundred years. Then what? Was all of the bad he had taken part of, worth the few years we might have a chance to spend together? I just shook my head and let it hang between my knees.
Whatever the answers were about what he did, I was going to have to leave in the past for the time being. I needed him, not only to keep me at least at arm's reach away from the agenda of Ziona and the Taker, but I needed him to help me save my mother. He was the only access I had to get her out of that compound. He might have been my only source of potential communication with her. Even if I walked myself in there and gave myself up, I didn't know if I had to offer what The Taker truly sought. I could do more harm than good to her that way.
I needed to pull myself back together. I thought it best not to mention that my hearing was becoming more intense. We had somewhere we had to be. After we figured out how we were going to get my mother I would ask him about his past. Unless he decided to share it with me sooner.
I was keeping my own skeletons in the closet. I certainly couldn't tell Graven that I had been having wet dreams about his brother for the past few weeks. Or that his brother was one of the only things that kept my mind off of the hopeless situation I was in. That was of course until I met him.
When I first made eye contact with Graven, I knew in the core of my being that I could trust him, that I had to trust him. I still don't know how to explain the draw I felt toward him. I also couldn't explain the lust that I felt for his brother. I wasn't sure if or how I would ever have a normal life again. I certainly didn't have time for romantic troubles, besides the fact that I didn't have a romantic relationship with either of them.
I was however a woman and there would come a day when I would want my own needs and desires to be fulfilled. That day would have to come when I wasn't fighting for my freedom. I prayed for a chance at a life that wasn't shadowed by the darkness.
I got myself back up to my feet, checked my face and put a touch of makeup on. I figured if I looked refreshed it would distract from any distress I was experiencing. I was never a big fan of wearing makeup, but I did admire girls that could pull off the look. It just wasn't something I ever took the time to learn.
Maybe I could ask Maritza to teach me a little bit so that I could look a little less like a hippie and more like a club girl, at least, for when I was working there. Getting myself through the club thing might be just as hard as my escape to my supposed freedom.
I wondered what we had to go to Santa Fe for. It would be bittersweet heading back to the town I once loved so dearly. I needed to talk to Graven about us going to see Patience, Phaela and Axel. They were going to flip when they saw me in person again.
That reminded me that I still had not had a chance to astral project back to them and let Patience know that I was safe and found a way to escape. She must be worried sick about me. I don't know if I had gone this long between my visits with them since I first met with Patience in the astral plane.
Maybe we would have time for me to reach out to them before leaving Santa Fe. I needed to get out of the bathroom before Graven thought I fell in. I rubbed on some lip-gloss for good measure and washed my hands again, removing the clamminess. I put on the happiest face I could muster and pretended not know anything about their conversation.
Chapter Nine
"HEY," GRAVEN GREETED ME AS I came down the hall. "Are you fairing well? You look very nice."
I could still see the stress in the lines beside his eyes. "Oh, thanks. I thought a little mascara and some lip-gloss would help me feel a little less like a bum. I really do need a new pair of shoes though." I looked down at my feet and laughed nervously.
"Makeup or not, you look exquisite. A rare gem. We can do something about those shoes, no problem with a shopping excursion tomorrow morning."
"I hope that Maritza can still come with us." I wasn't really sure how Maritza felt about me, but I knew one thing was for certain that she knew what Graven liked and or expected his employees to look like. I think if she was with me to make those decisions I would be slightly less embarrassed.
"I don't see why not. Are you ready? We are running a little late."
"Yeah, what happened to your brother?" I asked even though I knew the answer.
"He had to go. He doesn't usually stick around for too long. Not unless he needs something." He barely opened his mouth when he spoke about Kaden.
"Oh." I looked down. It was hard to make eye contact with him for so many reasons. Especially how uncomfortable he was in answering me. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Brother stuff, you know?" Graven asked, even though I think it was a rhetorical question I answered.
"Not really, I don't have any siblings. I can only imagine. Does he work at the club?"
"Not exactly. I guess you can say he does contract work for me. He doesn't really have a great track record for keeping long-term employment. Don't get me wrong, there are several things that he is very good at. He is still young," Graven mumbled the last sentence to himself.
Young, I thought to myself. What is old to a gargoyle?
"Well I really like the new shirts. Are you excited about the new club?"
"Yes, indeed I am. Are you ready to see it? Well at least see it in the beginning stages." Graven put on a smile and grabbed a tee off the counter. "Kaden left me a few shirts. Maybe you can work your magic with one of them."
"Sounds like fun. Anything to distract myself from the stress of everything."
"We will get through it." He put his hand on my shoulder. "You ready?"
"I guess so. I don't have anything to bring."
"What about the coat? Where is the coat we just bought?" He looked around the room for the bag."
"I left it in the truck. I figured I would leave it there in case I needed it later."
"Oh, maybe I didn't make myself clear about our travel arrangements for this ev
ening. My apologies." He looked to the front door.
"Come on, I guess you will see when we get outside."
We went out the front doors and this was the first time I saw Graven lock the front door. He grabbed my coat from the truck and handed it to me.
"You will want to put this on." I looked around for a motorcycle or limo. I didn't understand what was going on. He then pulled out a black skully cap from his back pocket and handed it to me. "I don't know how sensitive to the cold air you will be tonight; you might want to wear this too."
I stood there holding the hat in my hand. I looked down at the hat. I looked back up at him. I looked around and did not see any transportation other than the Cherokee. I looked back at him. We were face to face, only about a footstep away from each other.
Graven was not wearing a jacket or a sweatshirt for that matter. He took his hands and gripped the bottom edges of his Reign Enterprises tee shirt. He lifted the shirt up over his head. It was fairly dark out there. The only light came from a sconce that was lit on either side of the front door. A slight glow filtered down from the moon. The contrast of light and shadows only enhanced the ripped muscular god that stood before me. I didn't think I could get bored of this man taking off his shirt. For as broad as he was in his shoulders, his waistline was on the leaner side. He didn't quite look like an upside down triangle, but there was no fat covering his muscles or his bones. He held two tee shirts in his hand; he stuck one in each of his back pockets.
"Kasha, I really need you to trust me right now." He stepped in closer to me. "I know that there are things you question and I will give you every ounce of my soul when the time is right and you are willing to accept it." He gently squeezed the sides of my arms.
"But for right now, in this moment, I need to know that you can trust me and know that you will be safe in my arms."
His grey eyes searched my face for a sign of confirmation that I could give him that answer. What choice did I have?
"I do. What is going on?" I had to ask him.
"Please, don't be scared. I need to show you something." He took a half of a step back.
I stood there and I wanted to stare at his chest, all the way down his "goodie trail" but kept my eyes in contact with his. Truthfully, I could have stared into them for an eternity.
I started to notice the color drop away from his face. At first I thought he was going to be sick. I never saw anyone get pale that fast. Then I realized it wasn't so much that he looked pale, his skin was changing. It took on a grey chalky color, like an old weathered piece of stone.
The muscles on his chest doubled in size, as did much of his body. Graven's eyes were still locked with mine. Never fading away or changing even though the rest of his face began to take on more of a canine shape with horns.
I wanted to reach out and touch his skin. I remained frozen. I saw him shift into a gargoyle while I was astral projecting and also saw him as a gargoyle in astral form, but this was different. It happened so fast. I opened my mouth to say something, but there were no words to express my amazement and astonishment.
Graven lifted his massive grey hand and lifted it slowly and thoughtfully to my face. I expected his hand to feel like cold stone. But I was in too much shock to know what they felt like. My legs were like jelly. That was just not supposed to be real.
"We are not driving to Santa Fe tonight," Graven informed me and a huge set of wings spread out from behind him. I heard the flap of them as they released into full span.
"What? You mean, you can't mean.."
"You trust me, right?" he asked again.
"Yes, I do."
"You believe me that I will protect you and do whatever it takes to keep you safe?"
"Yes," I whispered this time.
"Know that you are my life. My word is my bond. I am announcing right now, in this moment, my bond to you. I am your protector from this day forward. I truly hope that we are past the worst of this situation so that we can find the time for you to realize what that means.
"I have to go to Santa Fe and you will come with me. I won't leave you unprotected."
"Oh, ok. I think maybe I will put this hat on. Won't someone see us?" I was fumbling with the hat in my hands and the words in my mouth. I wanted to respond to his declaration, I just didn't know how.
"That is doubtful, Kasha. We have a certain kind of stealthiness that makes it hard to see us from the ground and we won't show up on radar. The risk we take is where we take off and land. We usually have places that we know are sans people or predetermined safe zones that another of our kind establishes for us to land."
"It will be faster than driving and for now the safest way for us to go. Although The Taker knows what I am doing with the club, it will be harder for us to be tracked this way if we need to leave in a hurry." Graven made sure his shirts were tucked into his back pockets. "You ready?"
"I uh...guess so." How could I be ready? I was sure that I was trembling with fear. I had never so much as been on a plane.
Graven stepped close to me and scooped me up into his arms.
"Hold onto my neck. I won't drop you. We have to meet Maritza before the long stretch so you will have a small break. Think of this as a test run."
Graven bent his knees and lifted off the ground effortlessly with me in his arms. I buried my head in the crook of his neck. He still smelled fresh and clean. I tried to focus on how good he smelled and not where we were.
I told myself not to look down. Did I listen? Of course not. I looked down and saw his home start to disappear in the darkness. I quickly turned my face back to the safety and security of his neck. I liked the way I felt in his arms.
Even though he didn't look the same I couldn't help but be drawn to him. I still found him intriguingly handsome, even in this form.
"We are a little bit late so Maritza should be there waiting for us."
I felt Graven land on a solid surface and he put me down. My legs were a little bit wobbly. I was glad he never let go of me. I was afraid to open my eyes. With my arms still wrapped around his neck, I opened my eyes and looked around. It was hard to determine where we were. I felt like we were on top of a small mountain.
I looked out into the distance and could see the glow of the city lights. There wasn't a cloud in the sky so the stars were all out shining bright, I felt like I was standing among them. I was cold, but when Graven held me in his arms it was hard not feel the heat he managed to emanate.
"Ehhem," Maritza cleared her throat.
I turned my head a little bit further to see a shadow. I knew the only person that could or would be there was Maritza, but I was taken so much by what I was seeing that I almost fell back. Good thing that Graven still had a hand on me.
"Easy," he whispered in my ear.
"Maritza?" I whispered. I don't know why I always felt like I should whisper when I was in the dark.
"Yes, it's me." She shifted her glance to Graven. "You didn't tell her did you?"
I looked up at him.
"Well... We had a visitor and we were running late. My apologies, Kasha, I tend to forget that you don't know. That reminds me. I have something to work on with you tomorrow or the next day. As soon as we have some free time," Graven said without really saying anything.
I looked back at Maritza. She was stunning even in the form of a gargoyle. Her skin had the same ashy finish as Graven's, but it was so dark I couldn't really tell if they had the same colored skin.
She was dressed to kill even as she stood there with her wings standing tall behind her. She had on a pair of tight black latex pants and a black corset with purple lacing. The back of the corset sat very low on her back so it did not obstruct her wings. I knew she had a great body as a human, but everything exceptional about her was enhanced in this form.
Her face did not have as much of a change in shape as Graven's. Her ears were slightly larger and pointed back. She also had horns on her head, but they were shaped more triangular than Graven's that pointed ba
ck parallel with the ground. It was like they pulled on her forehead to make her eyes more exaggerated. It could have been something that could go very wrong for another person, instead it made her even sexier.
Lucky for Maritza she did not lose her hair like Graven did. She still had a full head of hair. Tonight it looked even fuller. I noticed her fingers were longer, It made me wonder what her toes looked like.
"So, Graven. It looks like you have a lot of explaining to do. You know I will follow you to the ends of Earth and back again, but you need to keep me in the loop." Maritza had an edge to her voice.
"Maritza, I know your loyalty never falters. I can tell you that this woman that stands here with us is of the greatest importance to me. There are many who seek to obtain her and exploit her uniqueness. I have pledged myself to her. I have offered my bond to her and hope that she will one day return the likes." Graven's voice although stern and commanding had bit of hopefulness mixed in.
"Wow, that is a lot to throw at me all at once. Do you believe that Kasha is the one that possesses the light you have searched for all these years?" Before Graven could answer, she looked at me. "Forgive me for speaking about you in third person right in front of you; it is not in good taste."
"From the minute I laid eyes on her, I knew. I could feel in the bottom of my heart and my soul that she was the one. No words needed to be spoken, nothing needs proving. Prophecy or no prophecy, I would have had the very same reaction either way. It was like it was imbedded in my DNA to recognize her as my intended. I can feel it in my flesh and bones that there is no other reason to walk this plane or the next without putting this woman first."
"I understand and honor your choice, sir. She is quite exquisite." Maritza winked at me.
"She is in danger. We need to be very careful. We will fill you in as I deem necessary. Right now I need you to make sure that she is ready to handle working in the clubs. I told her I want her following you. You are the only one I trust."
Betrayed: Breaking the Darkness Series Book Two Page 8