Rebirth - Book 1 Rogues Shifter Series
Page 32
Chapter Thirty-two
The next day I got up early, showered, dressed, and hunted through the house looking for Liam. I had quite a few questions I wanted to ask him and was slightly annoyed he seemed to be nowhere around. My mood was greatly improved, however, when I saw the fresh pot of coffee, so I took a mug out to the back patio and sat in the sunshine. He popped up about ten minutes later to ask me if I’d like some breakfast. Instead, I asked him to sit.
“Do you know Maya?”
“Yes, I do.”
“She told me your cells have magic. Is this true?”
“Yes. We are made of magic and can drift in and out of the lines as you would step in and out of a gentle rain shower.”
“Can you help me learn to use magic?”
He sat silently for a few moments, his forehead creased in thought. “The fae are comprised of multiple races, all of them powerful, some much more so than others. There are Seelie or Unseelie royals who would kill us both if I tried to teach you our ways. Secrecy is essential to our survival.”
I could see the strain in his expression. “I understand. I’m sorry if I asked for something I shouldn’t have.” I nodded my head slightly, the way I’d seen Rob greet Liam, and he acknowledged the courtesy with an amused smile and nod of his own. There was something about Liam that made me switch into a more formal mode of address, whether it was the way he spoke or the fact Rob told me he’d been around for fifteen hundred years and would possibly live for many millennium.
Liam continued, “What I can do is come to your aid if you are in danger. I am much more than I seem—a trained warrior pledged to serve Garrett, and now you. This I promise, Jacqueline Crawford.”
He bowed his head again and I acknowledged his generosity saying, “I accept your kind offer, Liam, of the Seelie Court.” His laugh was musical and so infectious I joined him. When he asked again if there was something I’d like to eat, I requested french toast and orange juice, moving inside to relax into a kitchen chair and watch him cook.
My cell phone rang. It was Ethan.
“What’s up?”
“Hi, Speedy! Sinc, Kyle, and I are doing some impromptu training. Can you meet us at Route 204 and Longview Road in about an hour?”
“Sure, sounds like fun. Does Rob know?”
He hesitated. “No. We want to try out the weapon Kyle and Sinc have been working on in the lab. It’s not perfected yet. Once we know it works, we’ll surprise Garrett and Rob.”
The idea that Rob should probably be told about our little excursion swirled around in my head for a few seconds, but was quashed by my excitement over doing something cool on our own, without “teacher supervision.” “I’m in. See you soon.”
Liam was bringing out my breakfast as I was hanging up. He put the plates on the table and looked at me with a worried expression. I had a few bites of food, hoping he would leave. When he didn’t, I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Master Garrett will not be happy if he hears you four went off on your own. You must call Robert.”
“We’re going into the woods to train, what could happen? Kyle will have his weapons, Ethan is as strong as any werewolf, Sinc is a genius and can camouflage herself like a ghost and no one can run me down.” I crossed my arms smugly and met his violet gaze with my emerald one.
He scowled and spoke sharply. “I believe in your very limited experience you have only encountered humans, underfed werewolves and shapeshifters. Master Garrett is the only vampire you have met and I am the only fae you have come in contact with. There are deadly creatures roaming the forests of your world and many of them are your enemies. Your ignorance and your arrogant attitude are dangerous, not only for you, but also for the rest of your team.”
My mouth dropped. What happened to the sweet fae who cooked and watered the plants? He continued, still frowning. “And no, your cheetah would not be able to outrun even a newly-made vampire or the weakest of the fae.”
Whoa, well that was unexpected. Liam was starting to piss me off. “Liam, I appreciate your concern. I’ll leave Garrett a note.” No response. “I’ll take my cell phone and call here if there’s any trouble at all. We’ll be back before dusk. We’ll be fine.” I glared at him, ready to continue the battle.
He left the patio without comment while I ate for another ten minutes, carrying my plates to the sink. I threw two sports-sized water bottles, four apples, four granola bars, my cell phone and a hooded sweatshirt into my backpack and took off walking down the road to the intersection about half a mile away. Clouds were beginning to roll in from the West and the wind was picking up. I hoped the approaching storm would hold off until dark.