Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  “I do,” I said coyly and he cracked a smile. A real smile that was genuine and in no way to appease me.

  “Last time I’ll ask and then I’m done. You’re sure you want this? You’re sure that I’m worth this?”

  “No question. I think …” I felt the answer to one of my earlier internal questions come flitting to me and I rubbed my promise ring, “if my mom were here, she would have loved you.”

  “You have no idea what you’ve done for me,” he said and his face twisted into an anguished expression. His hands on my sides squeezed a little and it hurt to see him so upset. “I’ve spent my whole life being a … parasite. I never wanted this, Clara,” he said in a vehement beg. “Do you understand? I never wanted to be what I am.”

  My breathing took ragged steps to work properly as I tried to comfort him by saying, “I know. But Eli, you’re not the same person anymore.”

  “Because of you,” he said with a conviction that rumbled into my bones. “I won’t ever feed again from anyone. You’ve given me a gift beyond what I can imagine. I’ll never have to hurt anyone to survive again. I’ll be able to live normally and be myself with no fear of my nature taking me over. I’ll be free,” he mused and I smiled in understanding and nodded my head, but he continued. “You saved me from being the monster I could have been.”

  We were both free now and the impact of everything he said hit me like a piano from the second floor.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said softly as he wiped under my eye. “I was harsh.”

  “No, dummy. They’re tears of happiness.”

  “Then, I’m honored,” he said quietly.

  I smiled and hugged him tighter, my wet cheek resting on his chest. His warm arms encircled me once more and he kneaded my body with them, as if to assure and comfort me. He pressed and moved and I felt him kiss my hair. We stayed like that, content in our own thinking processes of what was happening.

  And then the jerk who shared my guy’s face came and decided to grace us with his presence.

  “Gross,” he muttered behind us. “If I’m going to have to bear witness to this every day, just kill me now.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Buzz off,” Eli said in dismissal and to my enjoyment and chagrin, he pulled my face up and planted a kiss on me that melted bones and forewent apology.

  “Oh, bother,” Enoch groaned. “He’s told you already hasn’t he?”

  “Yes,” Eli answered against my lips and pulled back to grasp my hand instead. “It seems we didn’t need your expertise after all,” he said sarcastically.

  “Oh, this is not over,” Enoch promised and came forward looking menacing and every bit of upset and angry as his fist hardened at his sides. “I thought you were going to try to talk her into letting you go.”

  “What?” I looked at Eli accusingly. “You told him about that? I thought you just decided that when-“

  “Clara,” Eli chided and smoothed my hair, “I have no idea what my idiot brother is talking about.”

  “Standing right here,” Enoch muttered and crossed his arms. I noticed his eyebrow ring was gone now. Huh. “Look, I didn’t need you to tell me. I knew you, the selfless hero, would try to save her from her own stupidity and lack of self preservation.”

  “That’s what I said,” I muttered under my breath, “only without the last part.”

  “What?” Enoch hissed at me.

  “We should talk, yes,” Eli agreed. “Let’s go into the park and find a spot.”

  “You two are idiotic. I hope you know that,” Enoch muttered as he led the way through the grass. It crunched under our feet and the night air had turned a little chilly. I regretted not wearing sleeves.

  “Just shut up,” Eli answered him.

  “This is not going to fly and you know it.” He turned to glare at us both, his gaze lingering on me a little longer than Eli. “You know what our kind will say, and to drag the feeler into it is just … cruel.”

  Feeler?

  “You care, brother?” Eli asked and smiled cockily.

  “You can see the string just as easily as I can. I don’t want to care about her!” he yelled and came to stand in front of Eli with a swiftness that startled me. “I wasn’t made for this. I was not made to want to protect,” he looked down at me with disdain, “human girls, just use them.”

  “Enoch,” Eli growled in warning.

  “And for the record, this is by far the stupidest thing I’ve witnessed by you, brother. Her, I can see, but you? “

  I stayed quiet, though I wanted to say something in retaliation.

  “I didn’t choose this, but I wouldn’t change it,” Eli explained. “I know we have a rough road ahead, but I fully intend to avoid our kind at all costs. I know you weren’t made for this and it rubs you the wrong way to feel something for her,” Enoch let out a guttural retort to that, “but the thing is, you don’t have to like Clara. You just have to protect her.”

  “Wait,” I could hold off no longer as my gaze latched onto the barbed string connecting my wrist to Enoch’s, “I don’t understand. Why does he have to protect me? Are we in trouble? Is your kind not supposed to …” I motioned between us to the string, “do this? Be connected like this?”

  “They’re no rules. It’s not that we’re not supposed to, it just doesn’t happen very often,” Eli explained and rubbed my knuckles with his thumb. “It makes the others think the Devourer has gone soft. They think we’ll want to change the way things are for everyone. Like I told you, usually it’s a slavery type situation and though the mate may enjoy it—all the parties and the wild lifestyle—they don’t … love their Devourer.”

  My cheeks burned. I pressed on.

  “So why does Enoch need to protect me?”

  “When one of us has a linkage with our mate, it means something a little different. Because my family is bound to you too, they will feel the need to protect you as well.”

  “But we don’t have to like you,” Enoch made sure to point out.

  “Your family is linked to me,” I repeated. “I’m bonded to your family. Does that mean you can all read my thoughts or something?”

  “No,” Eli laughed, “it doesn’t really mean anything to you. You won’t ever feel anything from it, and neither will they except if you’re in danger. It sounds complicated but really, it’s not. It’s simple.” He pulled me to him again. “You chose me, Clara, and I chose you. End of story.”

  “Bloody hell,” Enoch muttered as I looked into Eli’s fathomless violets. “I’m out of here.”

  “Where are you going?” Eli asked, keeping his eyes on mine.

  “Away.”

  “But we still haven’t discussed Angelina,” he told him and finally looked away from me to glare at Enoch. “Low blow, brother.“

  “Well,” he gloated, “I thought your life here could use a little spice.”

  “You brought her here?” I asked and accepted his hard stare with as much courage as I could muster.

  “If it’s any consolation, it was before you were bound,” he said and smiled cruelly. “Man, I’d love to see a cat fight between you two. Though it wouldn’t last long,” he waged and shook his head thoughtfully.

  “Enoch,” Eli barked, “I swear if you don’t stop I’ll-“

  “You’ll what, brother? Behead me like they tried to do in Italy, or run with through with spikes like in Rome? Since you don’t remember, apparently, I’ll remind you; I can’t be killed, just as you can’t. So spare me your pathetic threats. It’s demeaning to our kind to watch you play human.”

  “Don’t toy with us. Be on your way and leave us alone, but don’t play these games and invite trouble where there doesn’t have to be any.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?”

  “Everything isn’t about fun!” Eli yelled and even in the darkness and dim streetlights I saw the veins in his arms begin to bulge a hue of dark blue. “Sometimes things are serious and need to be handled as such. You’re a foo
l if you think that this can be settled with a little fight. This will cause problems all the way around if you don’t stop meddling. Angelina won’t take this lightly and you, being that you’re tied to Clara now, will have no choice but to help in the cause. Fitting, sense you caused all this to begin with.”

  “I’m done,” Enoch said harshly. ”I didn’t sign up for any of this. I’m going to go somewhere far away. Somewhere anywhere but here.”

  I thought Eli would try to say something, stop his brother who was clearly upset by all this. He didn’t. So I did. Little did I know it was a huge mistake.

  “I’m sorry, Enoch. I didn’t realize-“

  “Don’t,” he sneered. “You really think I want your pity?”

  “I just thought … I didn’t mean for this to happen. I had no control-“

  “Just stop talking,” he growled and took a step towards us.

  “Watch it, Enoch,” Eli boomed beside me.

  “What? You may not claim to be one anymore, brother, but I do. I am a Devourer! We don’t care if little girls are scared, in fact we revel in it. I can’t stay here, don’t you understand? I don’t care if something happened to make it this way between us all, I’m not sticking around to see the outcome. I don’t care if your human is happy or safe, ok? And it shames me to my core that you do.”

  I’d never had that amount of poison directed at me before except from Deidre and even then, it was popsicles compared to this.

  “It’s probably best that you leave. Right now,” Eli said carefully and I rubbed his arm where the veins threatened to burst.

  “Gladly.”

  He marched away from us. We watched him go in silence that wasn’t pregnant, but instead was waiting and patient. The sooner he left, the faster we could regroup and come up with a plan. But as he stepped into the pathway to weave between the bushes, I heard an ‘oomph’ before Enoch skidded in the dirt and grass in front of us ending at our feet.

  We all looked up and the first thing I saw was long legs in skinny jeans as the moonlight skimmed its way up her body. Then a white blouse with a black bra. Then blazing red hair that was now cut into a seriously short shorn bob. Angelina. And she looked all too happy to be interrupting our little get together.

  “Enoch, I think you should stay. We have much to … discuss …” her words faltered as she eyed the string from me to Enoch … and the one from me to Eli. Her pretty white face twisted into rage and hatred as the veins in her neck and forehead bulged and blazed blue like rivers and streams down her skin. She eyed me with clear intent. She was going to end me or go down trying.

  “Angelina,” Eli said easily and I still cringed at hearing him say her name. He glanced back for a split second and squeezed my hand before going on. “You know what this means. Just go home.”

  “Oh, I don’t think I’ll be doing that, darling,” she said sweetly. “See, I thought Clara and I had an agreement. When I told her I was your fiancÉ she was supposed to run away, not bind herself to you.” She glowered at Enoch, who hadn’t gotten up from his crouch on the ground yet. “Gee, I wonder how she knew to do that?”

  “Why are you looking at me?” Enoch growled before hopping up moving quickly off to the side. “I’m the one who called you, remember?”

  “Yes, well, you are the one to always stir up trouble. Having fun yet?”

  He sneered, “Oh yeah. Buckets and buckets.” He dusted off his jeans for good measure.

  “Leave,” Eli called loudly. “Just leave. You can’t do anything more here. You know that. The linkage is permanent.”

  “Well, I wonder what would happen to your bond if she were to perish?” Angelina mused and tapped her finger on her hip in contemplation.

  I felt my breath leave me and waited for Eli to snap his arm around me, and he did, but the thing that surprised me was Enoch’s arm around me too. I looked at him curiously and he looked at me. Then grimaced and took a step away.

  “Bloody hell,” he said and looked as if he’d be sick and then punch anyone around just for being there.

  “What are you …” Angelina questioned. “Did you just …” She laughed humorlessly, a peel of ringing tones that grated my nerves. “I’m sorry, I’m just trying to process what I’m seeing. I could not have seen you attempt to save the feeler … from me?” she asked Enoch incredulously.

  “You know how the bond works, Ang. Don’t get sulky. I have no choice,” Enoch replied sweetly.

  “Don’t call me Ang!” she screamed and even stomped her foot in the dirt.

  I took all my power not to laugh at her. It literally hurt to hold it in.

  “Fine, no Ang, but you know I’d never protect her unless I had a choice, which I’ve already stated that I clearly do not.”

  “You know I can take you, Enoch,” she said with a little smile. “I was always better and faster than you. Come on, say it,” she taunted.

  “Sure, I’ll agree with that, when I’m dead,” he said steadily, but his veins gave him away. They began to bulge just as Eli’s had.

  “That can be arranged, Knocky,” she said as an endearment but her actions were anything but. She charged him.

  I froze in terror. There were really going to have a fight to the death in the park, right here in front of us? Angelina and Enoch both glanced my way and licked their lips.

  “Oh my,” Angelina sang, “she tastes divine, Eli. I could almost forgive you for betraying me with her for that.”

  Enoch recovered more quickly and took that as his opportunity for a pot shot.

  As I peeked around Eli’s arm, I saw Enoch pick her up by one leg and one arm and toss her into the high pine trees. I heard crunches and thrashing branches and gripped Eli’s arm tighter to hold in my scream. But him and Enoch both were still tense and on alert. Then I saw her … she was flying.

  Or falling rather.

  She fell from the sky as fast as a bullet and landed in a crouch on the ground in front of Enoch. She had jumped that high, I realized, and landed perfectly fine and cat-like. There were apparently more things that Eli hadn’t told me about yet in regards to the things their kind could do.

  “Nice try, but foul ball,” she told Enoch and moved, too fast for my eyes to see, around to his back. She snapped his neck and he fell to the ground in a heap of awkward arms and legs.

  I could no longer contain my scream. Eli clutched me to him and then placed me behind him completely when Angelina made her cat like strides our way.

  “He’s not dead, Clara. He’s very much alive and will be madder than hornets when he awakens,” he told me before turning back to her. “You’ve wasted so much time. You have chased me across every continent, state, and ocean. Don’t you think it’s time to let go of this? Find yourself a mate and be done with this game,” he said to her and it strained with trying to keep it steady.

  “Oh, Eli,” she said softly. “You don’t understand anything do you? After all this time, all the long years and many places we’ve been. All the people who know of our … situation, I can’t just let you go. This isn’t about having you for myself anymore, don’t you see? I just can’t lose. I refuse to lose face in front of my entire race because you had some freakish moral breakthrough years ago. Before that, you didn’t seem to be so disgusted by my advances, as I recall.” She smiled and I felt the blood drain from my face.

  Were they together? Eli had said he’d never cared about nor loved her. I assumed that meant he’d never been with her …

  “CB,” he whispered. I looked up to find him watching my silent freak out. He shook his head a ‘no’. “She’s trying to plant the seed of doubt. Don’t let her. I didn’t lie, we were never together.”

  “Of course you would lie,” she laughed. “What would you have to gain from telling her the truth?”

  “Trust,” Eli told her harshly as I gripped his arm, “something you’ll never understand.”

  She sighed and came forward slowly, stepping over Enoch’s body as if he were nothing.

 
; “Elijah, it’s not just about saving face,” she said and put on a serious expression. “I miss you. I miss the way you used to be. Back then, you were feisty and I admired your rebellion of our union because it meant you wouldn’t be told what to do. It was a clear sign of your leadership and kingship. I knew eventually you’d come around on your own terms one day and that we would be magnificent together. But then when I found you in Bangkok, and you told me that asinine story about the little feeler boy in the diner … I wondered then if you’d ever come back around. But you know what, I never gave up on you. And I’m not going to now.”

  “I don’t need saving,” he insisted in a hiss. “This is what I want.”

  “But you’ve been put under a spell,” she replied and I almost believed her, she sounded so sincere, if it hadn’t been for her carefully matriculated steps towards us. “Can’t you see? That boy was a sorcerer of some sort. And her,” she spat and glanced at me, “she’s somehow found a way to bind you to her. That’s the only reason you want to stay.”

  “I wanted her before she bound me. She was my mate. She’s the reason I stayed in this town. I’m not budging, so you may as well get it through that arrogant head of yours that just because every other male on the planet may find you irresistible, doesn’t make it true and doesn’t mean that I have to.”

  Her lips twisted and turned, pursing into a frown. “That was almost a sweet thing to say. So we’re at a stalemate, then? You won’t give up your pride to come back with me and I won’t give up mine to let you come back on your own. Hmmm.”

  “That’s not what this is,” he yelled. “Just leave!”

  “But then who will direct the Horde when they finally get here?” she said and smiled in her knowledge that she had him. Whatever it was she was talking about apparently wasn’t good.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You summoned the Horde?” Eli asked incredulously. “How could you do that? You’re not only damning me, you’re damning my whole family.”

  “Yes,” she said gleefully. “The price you pay for being a Thames just went up it seems.”

  “My sister … How could you do this to her? Your friend?”