The Chosen Knights

by Mary Ting

  I let out a soft nervous laugh. “Maybe not that bold.”

  Eli swam around me in a swift motion. “I’ll tell you what—if you catch me, I’ll take you to my stable and let you ride my horse.”

  His offer tempted me.

  Eli’s eyes glistened against the sunlight. “It’s almost like flying, maybe even better,” he coaxed.

  “Maybe I’ll let you catch me.” I gave him a wicked smile and dove under.

  Eli chased me. We swam from one end to the other. When I floated by the waterfall, he followed. And when I swam up the stream of the waterfall like a fish, against the flow of water, he did the same. We swam to the bottom and even soared out of the water. I couldn’t remember when I’d had so much fun and laughed this hard.

  When I didn’t see Eli anymore, I stopped. “Eli,” I called. There was no sign of him. I jumped onto the boulder we were on earlier and saw his clothes were gone. “Eli,” I called louder this time, worried about him. I quickly got dressed and continued to look.

  I was pretty sure he was fine, but...something warm and pleasant enclosed me. A thin sheet of black mist appeared under my feet. Starting by my ankles, it coiled around my legs, moved up to my waist, and then twisted from one arm to the other. I tried to touch it with my hands, but it skirted through them. Giggling from the cool sensation and certain it was Eli, I savored him as I felt all of him on every part of me. His entity wrapped around me like my wings could, caressing me, soothing me, enveloping me wholly. I didn’t know where he began and I ended as we melded into each other.

  Something bubbled warmly inside my heart, like a little firefly finding its light for the first time, fluttering ever so softly at first, and then dancing inside the small space, wanting to burst out and soar. I was that firefly, and it wasn’t light I’d found. I had found something precious, something hard to describe, and something undeniably right. Is this what falling in love feels like? If so, I was in a whole lot of trouble and needed to stop it. But I didn’t suppose this kind of sensation was something you could just turn on and off. Tilting my head back, I let myself go, and allowed Eli to take all of me.

  “Lucia,” Eli whispered. Though he was still in demon form, his voice vibrated in my ear, through every sense of my being, slowly breaking me out of my daze.

  “Show yourself,” I breathed, dizzy from the amazing feeling.

  The mist transformed into Eli right in front of me. Our frenzied hearts drummed as one from his embrace. His hair tickled my face, and I loved the way he smelled. Pulling back, he glided his thumb along my cheek.

  “I accept your challenge,” he cooed, still using that soft hypnotic voice. “I believe you’ve been caught. I have you now.”

  “Maybe I let you catch me, or maybe I caught you?” I smirked. “I believe I’m going to be riding your horse.”

  “It will be her pleasure.” He winked.

  “But I should go. My uncle will be worried about me if I’m not there after school.”

  “Don’t worry. I texted your brother. I told him you and I were going after a lead.”

  I crossed my arms and gave him a challenging stare. “Did you now?”

  “I did.”

  I willingly surrendered when he reached for my hand. I didn’t think I could ever get used to him holding my hand the way he had been. It felt so natural, as if his hands were meant for me.

  Chapter 30

  More hair clung to my face the faster I rode Midnight. The cool wind slapping against me was somehow soothing. Galloping next to Eli, I’d never experienced such freedom. We had started the ride at the stable and rode until we’d reached the clouds. Nothing could be seen but the undulating hills and the grass stretching for miles. Like the last time I was there, the setting sun radiated beautiful hues of pink and purple.

  Riding Midnight thrilled me more than I could have imagined. I could understand why Eli loved it there, besides the fact it used to be his home. The peacefulness made me forget everything around me, especially my mission. Eli and I were simply humans, doing the normal dating thing, except this was an exceptional date. At least I thought it was a date.

  After the ride Eli and I lay side by side on the grass, looking up at the clouds. I made sure to focus my eyes there.

  “This is going to sound strange, but do you have parents?” Eli asked. “I mean, I know you have an uncle, unless you’re supposed to call him that for school’s sake.”

  I uncrossed my arms from my chest and relaxed them on the grass. “It’s a long story, but I do. I know what happened to your mother, but what about your father?”

  I sensed him staring at me, but I refused to look, afraid of what might happen. Every time we were this close, I couldn’t seem to breathe in steady breaths.

  “My mother told me Cyrus killed my father when I was just a baby.”

  My plan not to turn my head didn’t go so well, but his words had touched me. First he’d lost his father to Cyrus, then his mother. And why did Cyrus want Eli?

  “I’m so sorry, Eli.” My words came out as a whisper as his dark mysterious eyes locked onto mine and his lips, so close, made me quiver.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “I never knew my father.”

  “But still, you must hate Cyrus with all your heart and soul.”

  His lips perked up enough to let me know he smiled just for a second. “It’s a good thing I don’t have a brother or a sister. Cyrus would have—” He paused. “I used to envy everyone who had siblings. At least I wouldn’t be so alone. But Milani and Brody have become my family. You know Milani’s story: Vince killed her father, and Cyrus killed her mother, but there’s no story for Brody. The only issue he has is being a Lamia and he skips a lot of school.”

  I let out a soft laugh. “I take it you don’t like Lamias.”

  He raised a brow. “What gave you that idea? I don’t trust anyone with amber eyes and the mark of Cain.”

  “But you have Lamia blood in you. Don’t you have the mark of Cain too?” I picked up his hand, though I’d never seen the mark on his wrist like the other Lamias.

  Eli chuckled, wiggling his fingers. “I don’t have one on my wrist,” he sang playfully. “I have one somewhere you might be embarrassed to look. Would you like to see it?”

  “Eli,” I giggled, trying to get control of my hand. But that only made him grip it tighter and the next thing I knew, his body covered mine, with his elbows and knees on the grass to hold his weight.

  I froze. I could have easily pushed him off, but I didn’t.

  “Do you like where you live?” he asked, his brown eyes piercing into mine. They glowed a shade paler from the reflection of the fading light.

  “I do. It’s beautiful. Speaking of which, I don’t know where you live. Don’t tell me you sleep with the horses,” I teased, but my smile faltered.

  Eli stroked my hair back and then he traced my brows, nose, and cheeks as if to memorize me. And when he touched my lips ever so gently with his fingertip, I quivered under his tender caress. His eyes held nothing back as they darkened. He liked what he was doing and so did I.

  “I can show you where I sleep.” His words came out too sensually, though I was sure he didn’t mean it that way.

  Eli blinked as if to come out of a daze. After he stood up, he helped me up and pointed to the nearby hill, screened off by trees. It was odd to see what appeared to be a forest in the middle of a hill. I couldn’t recall seeing it the last time I was there. But then I had only concentrated on Eli, the horses, and the clouds, and not much else.

  “How do we get there?” I asked, wondering if we were going to walk, run, ride the horses, or rely on our power of speed.

  “What is the point of being who we are if you have to ask me that question? Follow me. Let’s see if you can keep up.”

  I ran like a bullet train on his tail. I had no idea of our destination, except that we were headed into the forest. Luckily, the sun hadn’t set quite yet, and it wasn’t completely dark. But I couldn’t shake the e
erie feeling of going to an unknown place. I trusted Eli, though. He’d never given me a reason not to, and we were going to his home, not into a battle.

  Eli stopped us in front of a log cabin. It wasn’t as big as I had imagined log cabins to be, but I was comparing it to those on the Internet. A warning signal flickered through me when I saw smoke rising from the chimney. Then I realized Eli didn’t live alone.

  “Looks like Milani is home. Maybe she’s cooking dinner.” Eli held my hand, and we walked on a path to his front door.

  When we entered, everything about his place immediately seemed like home. I was pleasantly surprised. Photos of Eli and his mother and Milani and her parents were displayed on the mantel and around the living area. The choice of comfortable furniture and lamps carved from what appeared to be wood, to the cleanliness of the floor, and nothing being out of place, showed me they were responsible. Both of them had done a great job keeping the place in one piece.

  “Where have you been? Brody and I have been wondering where you—” Milani stopped when she saw me and glared. “Why is she here?”

  I tried to open my mouth to say something, but my eyes focused on her necklace, which looked to be exactly the same as mine, and her attire. She wore shorts and a T-shirt. It was so odd to see her without her dark clothes.

  “She’s my guest. Be nice,” he warned. “I left messages for both of you.” He turned to me. “Have a seat. I need a word with Milani. I’ll be right back.”

  I knew Milani would be upset I was there; technically, this was her place too. I tried to listen in on their conversation, but magic blocked me. It must have been Milani’s doing. When I edged closer to the kitchen I closed my eyes in concentration.

  “Are you crazy?” Milani whispered sharply. “You won’t trust Abel, who’s been your friend since you both were kids, but you would trust this—this girl with wings your mother warned you about?”

  “What if she’s wrong? It’s not like we’re dating. We can’t. I mean, she can’t. Lucia isn’t evil. We both know that’s true.”

  “Your mother said it twice—once before she was killed and again when we astral traveled. The girl with wings will be your destruction. I don’t think that can be any clearer.”

  “Do you trust me, Milani?”

  “What kind of question is that? Of course I do, butthead. You’re like a brother to me. I owe you my life.”

  “Then trust me when I say I can trust Lucia.”

  There was a pause.

  “You better be right or I’ll kill you myself.”

  “If I’m wrong—and I won’t be wrong—I’ll let you.”

  “I’ll try to be nice, but I can’t promise. Okay, get out of the kitchen. You know I don’t cook. My magic does it for me.”

  I opened my eyes to walk away from the kitchen. After a few seconds, Eli came back.

  “Everything all right?” I asked, intertwining my fingers.

  “Yes.” He tried to sound sincere, but his eyes didn’t lie. “Dinner is almost done.”

  “Did you need any help in the kitchen?” I asked to be polite.

  “Let me show you around first.”

  “Sure.” I got up and followed him to a room.

  Eli’s room was simple. There was a bed, a dresser, a small closet, a bathroom, and a few candles on the nightstand. That was all.

  “Our home isn’t big.” Eli leaned against the doorway. “We only have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living area. This place wasn’t meant to be lived in. It was a temporary home my mother and I would run to when she perceived we were in danger from Cyrus. She used a magic spell so no human or supernatural could see this place. The grand trees surrounding it are the shields that bind the magic. You saw where I lived because I let you see it.”

  “Oh,” was all I could say.

  “Dinner.” Milani used a surly tone. A loud thump on the table confirmed it.

  Eli frowned and turned, leading me out of his room. “Would you like to eat?” he asked. “Milani made some soup. I didn’t know she was cooking today.” He said it loud enough so she could hear. She had gone back to the kitchen.

  “No, thank you. I should go home. I’m sure you two have things to talk about.”

  “What? My cooking isn’t good enough for you?” Milani stood by the table, glaring at me. I didn’t know she’d returned.

  “That’s enough.” Eli’s tone was stern but soft. “You promised you would try.”

  I could understand her though. If I were the girl with wings, then I would lead him to his own destruction. But what did that mean?

  I placed my hand on Eli’s arm. “It’s okay.” I smiled at Milani. “Angels don’t have to eat. It’s not your cooking. It actually smells delicious.”

  Her eyes softened. “Oh, it was my mother’s recipe.”

  “Then I’m sure it’s more than delicious.” I had no idea what I was saying, but it seemed to be working. I didn’t want her to see me as a threat so I took the opportunity to invite her, “Actually, I wanted to ask if you would like to go dress shopping with me and Vanessa. I really don’t want my uncle to take me, and I thought if you came, he would be okay with me going with friends and he’d trust you.”

  Milani’s eyes lit up. The bowls she held shifted lower until I thought she was going to drop them. “Oh...well, I don’t know.” Though she sounded hesitant, she wanted to say yes. Her lips curved into a slight smile.

  Eli must have thought the same as me. He took the bowls out of Milani’s hands. “Let me help you.” After setting them on the table, he said, “I think you should go, Milani, unless you want me to take you.”

  She shook her head and gazed down at her feet. After a few seconds, she looked up at me. “Only if you stay and try my mother’s soup.” She turned to Eli for approval.

  “Sounds like we have a plan.” I smiled.

  Milani perked her lips, but never fully smiling. “I’m going to the kitchen to get bread and another bowl of soup. I’ll be back.”

  Eli pulled out a chair for me. When he slid it back in, he leaned in behind me. “You’re amazing.”

  I blushed upon feeling his soft kiss on my cheek. Then he helped Milani pass out the bread, spoons, and cups filled with water.

  “This is a nice surprise. We’ve never had company before,” Milani said. “Well, Brody was here before, but he doesn’t count. Oh, I got Cayden with a scoop of mashed potatoes today. That jerk wouldn’t stop calling me a witch. Ever since he found out, he’s been a pain.”

  I slurped a spoonful of hot vegetable soup into my mouth. “So Cayden never knew you were an Elementum all these years?”

  Milani tore off a chunk of bread and dipped it in her soup. “Cayden is new to our school. As you already know, Eli and Abel are the two leaders within our supernatural world. We have an understanding that we don’t ever reveal information about anyone. We had a terrible incident when Vince sent a spy. We thought we could trust him. He went back to Vince and told him about us. So now we don’t say anything. We’ve had a few battles, but never like the one at Black Sand Beach. It never got that far before.”

  Eli took a sip of his water. “That’s because it never came down to Cyrus wanting something to start an apocalypse. I’m only assuming that’s his motivation. Why else would he go to this trouble?”

  “That’s true,” Milani agreed. “By the way, Abel asked about you, Eli. I don’t understand why you won’t give him another chance. I could tell he was sincere. He wanted to come visit us.”

  Eli glared at her. “You didn’t tell him where we live, did you?”

  “No, of course not. You said not to tell anyone. But Abel was your best friend.”

  “Well, sometimes friends grow apart. Sometimes two people become so different they can never see eye to eye.”

  Milani opened up a lot more during dinner than she had before, though at times she still seemed to be holding back.

  It was getting late and I needed to get home. Zach had asked me telepathica
lly if I was okay and when I would be home. I’d told him everything was fine and I was on my way home.

  “I should get going.” I stood up. “The soup was delicious. Thank you for allowing me to stay for dinner.” Those words were more for Milani than Eli.

  “Sure.” Milani gave me a small smile. She looked down at her empty bowl, as if unsure of what to do. Eli got up and pushed in his chair. “I’ll take you home.”

  “It’s not necessary.”

  “It is necessary,” Milani rebutted. “It’s dangerous out there. Eli can disappear into the darkness, but your wings will stick out like a beacon.”

  I couldn’t disagree with her. But I was surprised and grateful she’d thought of my safety. Shifting my attention to Eli, I said, “Only if you take me home on your bike.” I widened my lips into a slow smile.

  When we arrived at my house, I thought Eli would take off, but instead he walked me to the door. My uncle stood there with the door wide open, glaring at Eli.

  “Having fun?” He raised a brow to emphasize his sarcastic tone.

  “I assumed Zach told you I was fine and I would be home soon.” I tried to smooth things over before my uncle went off on Eli. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I lightly shook him to get his attention. “Look. I’m fine. We were, um….”

  Thank goodness Eli stepped in. I had no idea what I would have said, though I didn’t think I needed to say anything.

  “Doing research,” Eli finished for me. “This.” He pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket and handed it to my uncle.

  “What is it? A love letter to me?” Another sarcastic remark from my uncle.

  Eli released a soft chuckle. “It’s better. It’s how we’re going to kill Cyrus.”

  Uncle Davin yanked it out of his hand and opened it. “Great. You can draw. It’s a dagger.”

  Eli crinkled his forehead in annoyance, but managing to keep his temper at bay. My uncle certainly wasn’t. “Remember when you told me to astral travel to confuse Vince? Well, I did what you asked and traveled quite a bit.” Eli turned to me. “I went back in time to when Jacques first met Cyrus, just before the Cathedral of Troyes burned down—the same place where we found the first missing page. It’s called a true-cross dagger. Actually, it’s a piece from Jesus’s cross. Jacques made it into a dagger. It’s exactly like the dagger drawn in the book. You might want to check out the drawing in the book again and compare them. But we have one problem. Cyrus stole this from Jacques de Molay. We need to get it from him. It will be the one thing that helps us win this war.”