I shivered and caught up to Julius in a few bounding steps as he walked further into the woods. The night had never seemed so loud as it did then, the crickets screaming and the owls howling. The wind was heavy too, beating us into unpaved terrain. I zipped my jacket the rest of the way up and stuffed my hands into the pockets, wishing I’d brought gloves.
We didn’t have to walk far before little lights appeared in the distance. It was clearly our destination, and so I followed still without speaking. It wasn’t until we were close enough to see that those little lights had been fire that I realized we were walking into a camp. The sound of chatter that carried to me on the wind confirmed as much. Now, I was beginning to get nervous.
“Julius…” I looked at him tentatively. “What are we doing?”
“You don’t have to whisper.” Julius smirked. “Come on.”
My hesitation didn’t bother him, if he even noticed it. By the time I caught up to him, we were on the very fringe of the campsite. I could see silhouettes of people moving around, throwing their heads back and laughing. Julius ducked, stepping under the low-hanging branches of two mossy trees, and I followed at a distance. As soon as they saw him, there was an uproar.
A girl stood and ran at him, and I expected that she would have him laid out on his back by the time I got the sense to run. She didn’t hit him, though she did throw herself into him and wrap her arms around his neck. She said something, but her words were muffled.
“Julius!” Another girl squealed, getting up to greet him. I looked at them, bewildered, and then glanced around the campsite. There was one large fire in the center, and then four smaller ones clustered into each corner of the clearing. There were probably about twenty people there, and they all were looking at me.
“Come on, Iz,” The second girl pulled the first one away by the sleeve. “Let him breathe.”
Julius smiled. Not a smirk, not a grin, but an actual smile. It was perhaps more disarming than the eyes of twenty strangers weighing upon me. “I didn’t know you guys were here.” Julius said, looking between the girls.
“We just got in tonight.” Said the girl called Iz. She was positively beaming with joy. I expected it to evaporate as soon as she turned her attention to me, but she only smiled wider and then threw her arms around me too.
“It’s so great to meet you!” She said, in spite of the fact we hadn’t been introduced. Her arms were like a vise…I didn’t know whether to hug her back or attempt to shake her off, so I did neither until the other girl rescued me, pulling her away.
“I’m sorry.” The second girl said. “She doesn’t have an off switch; I’ve checked. I’m Catherine…Cat for short.” She stuck her hand out, and I looked at Julius for approval. He was laughing, so I shook it.
“Lilith.”
“Of course you are.” Said Iz. “I mean, no offense, but it’s pretty obvious.”
“You should go find Janna.” Julius suggested. “She didn’t know you were coming, did she?”
“No,” Cat grinned. “I can’t wait to see her face when she sees what Iz has done to her hair.” She moved, and without the flames behind her, I could see the marled scars on her skin…claw marks that raked the left side of her face. I almost gasped, but managed to swallow it with a cough instead.
The girls left, and a young man assumed their place, his hand at his head in salute. “Connor.” Julius nodded, and the man’s hand dropped. “Is Desmond around?”
“He’s on patrol, sir. Shall I call him in?”
“Yes.”
Connor nodded and dismissed himself. “Have a seat.” Someone suggested, and Julius nodded for me to take up a spot on a big log. I did, enjoying the heat from the fire, before looking around some more. Most everyone had gone about their business. The only one staring at me still was a young girl, who couldn’t have been more than seven. I couldn’t help staring back at her, wondering why she was so intrigued by me, until she finally broke eye contact, laughing. She darted inside a tent…one of dozens of small pop up tents that were set up out here.
Julius was immersed in conversation with a couple of men who’d been happy to see him and shake his hand. The people who still milled about were ones with mugs in their hand or bowls in their lap. They ate and talked amongst themselves and laughed, watching the fire and each other, reprimanding children who got too close to the flames, and occasionally stealing glances in my direction.
A massive black wolf appeared then, trotting right up to where Julius and I sat with our small audience. Those dark eyes slid over me, and then focused on Julius. “Desmond.” Julius grinned. “I have a task for you.”
The wolf began to transform, right in front of my eyes. I’d never seen it happen before. It was both intriguing and horrifying to see teeth and bones retract to become something else. I watched it the way you watch the carnage of an accident. And then it was over, and the man who stood before us was tall—easily over six feet—and well-muscled. And he was stark naked.
Julius threw his hand in front of my eyes. “She’s a bit prudish, is all. You know, she’s new to this world.”
“Ha.” Desmond laughed. It was a really deep and enchanting sound. “Forgive me, princess.”
When Julius removed his hand, I opened my eyes to find that he was thankfully wearing pants. Suddenly it was too hot by the fire, so I inched back and refused to meet his eyes. “What can I do for you, your highness?”
“Shove the formalities for one.” Julius clapped him on the back. “I’m taking Lilith to Gehenna. I thought you may accompany.”
A grin cracked Desmond’s face, showing off dazzling white teeth. “You mean you need a friend to keep you out of trouble.”
“One in the same.” Julius shrugged. “What do you say?”
“Yes, your royal highness. I will be your chaperone.”
“Call me that one more time, and I don’t care how big you are, I will knock you out myself.” But Julius was laughing, a sound that only grew louder when Desmond bowed his head and said, “yes, your highness.”
It was a side to Julius I hadn’t seen, and I couldn’t be sure why. Did he not want me to believe he had a heart, or feelings? I’d thought at first that he was the bad cop to James’ good cop, but I was beginning to wonder if he wasn’t even half as bad as I believed him to be. Those girls had clearly thought fondly of him, and Desmond seemed to be an old friend. It must have just been me that he hated. And yet he had helped me.
Desmond ducked into one of the tents. It was almost comical watching him try to fold himself into that space. “Who are these people?” I asked, finally unable to bite it back any longer.
Julius gave me a sideways look. “Think of them as the King’s guard. Desmond and a few others patrol the grounds and the land around it.”
“And they sleep in tents?” I cast a glance at the flimsy material, dimpling against the wind. There were dozens of rooms in the Main home.
“They’re nomadic people…some more than others. Our doors are always open, but only a few have ever taken advantage of it. They come for meals, and the cooks are happy to accommodate them, but they prefer to sleep under the stars.”
When Desmond emerged, he was fully clothed and I was thankful. He was nice to look at, but my ears still burned from the close call a few minutes before. Besides, the shirt he wore was tight enough that it left little to the imagination.
Desmond took point, leading us away from the camp, deeper into the woods. I might have been scared…he was big enough to crush me and pass it off as a hug. But something about him was warm. There was no malice to him, as if he didn’t comprehend such a thing. Though we’d just met, he exuded safety. Which, I later realized, was exactly why Julius had brought him along.
We stuck to the wooded path while Julius and Desmond caught up, and I fell into a rhythm with them. I didn’t pay attention to their conversation, but I liked the sound of their voices…Desmond’s deep and slow and Julius’ with far less scorn than I’d imagined him capable of.
I didn’t realize where we were until the conversation stopped.
Janna had brought me here the other day, on our way back from the city. It was a storm cellar, just in the middle of nowhere. The path lead back to the werewolves’ den. Of course, it more than likely went the other way too…into the city.
Desmond pulled the door open and disappeared inside. Julius turned to me with a grin. “I guess you’re going to have to trust me.”
I did, as it turned out. Maybe not entirely, but definitely in Desmond’s company. “What’s with all the tunnels, anyways?” I asked, trying not to focus on the fact that the walls seemed tighter than I remembered.
“The city is far older than most people know.” Desmond explained. “The tunnels were built long before the restaurants and houses that exist now. These days they’re not used much, but I imagine if you could see a map of what it looks like down here, it would blow your mind.”
I didn’t doubt he was correct, considering the complexity of the maze that protected their home. And that was above ground.
“So, what’s a girl like you want to go to Gehenna for anyways?”
“I don’t.” I looked for Julius, but in the dark it was useless. “I’m not really sure where we’re going.”
Desmond laughed and it echoed around us. “What are you cooking up, Julius?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
That turned out to be true, as it was only a few minutes later that Desmond stopped and began to climb a ladder on the wall. He moved something that made a heavy grating sound and then he was gone. Julius went next, then turned and offered me a hand. It struck me as odd, and even if it hadn’t I’d not have taken it on principle.
There was a gap between the last rung and the hole I was trying to climb out of, but I managed to pull myself up. The effort left me breathless, doubled over in an alley, while Julius and Desmond snickered at my exhaustion.
The air here smelled different, salty and stale, almost like the diner. But as we emerged from the alley, I realized what it was…the sea stretched alongside us, the water rising right up to the ledge at our feet, being slapped over the bannister with the force of the wind. I pulled my sleeves further down over my hands, but couldn’t deny the sense of awe that swept over me.
The water was a marvelous thing. I’d seen it in the distance the night James had taken me to the library, but this was incomparable. I didn’t even care what we were doing there anymore.
We walked along the dock until Desmond found a small wooden boat tied up to one of the beams. He untethered it and Julius got in. He looked at me expectantly. “You scared?”
“No.” I said automatically. But I was. I’d never been this close to the water, never breathed its scent, much less been in a boat or swam in it. The wind was causing the waves to slam the shore. I could only imagine what it would do to that little boat. I stepped in slowly, hands out for balance, and considered it a small victory that I didn’t fall. I immediately plunked myself down, ignoring the smirk from Julius. Desmond handed us the ores and then got in.
I could not imagine where we were going. There was nothing on the horizon, save for some tiny lights that could have been fireflies in the distance. Surely we weren’t going to paddle all the way there? Desmond set off in that direction, though, and Julius rowed behind me while I actually began to wonder where the Hell we were going.
We appeared to be rowing against the wind; it burned my face as we pushed on, Desmond steering us for a bit of marshland. As we neared it, the wind caught in the reeds. My ears had to adjust to the silence again as we came to a slow stop. I followed Julius out of the boat, and didn’t deny his help when I felt the wet sand pulling at my shoes like it wanted to suck me under into a watery grave.
The marshland only surrounded the outer edge of what I realized was a small island…barely big enough to house a one story building. But the weeds and cat-lilies obscured it, so that until Julius pulled me through the wet grass, I half expected to walk straight into the water. “Welcome to Gehenna.”
Desmond pushed the door open, but there was nothing inside besides a more oppressive darkness than what we left behind. Still, he led us further into the building, and as we drew deeper, I realized two things: 1—it was much bigger inside than it had appeared and 2—it was most certainly not abandoned. Noise echoed off the walls, growing closer with each step, until we reached the end of a hallway and Desmond opened that door.
The men and women inside were all too focused to look up at us. I was grateful as I watched them hurl themselves at each other, grunting and yelling, dodging and jabbing at each other. Fists and kicks were flying through the air, and the distinct smell of sweat permeated the stale room.
“There’s our guy.” Julius tipped his chin in the direction of a slender man dressed all in black who was engrossed in what looked like a staring contest with a woman in red lipstick and a shaved head. Julius grimaced and pulled up the hood of my jacket so that the shadow obscured my face. “Hang back.” He suggested.
Desmond skirted the room with me, a few feet behind Julius at all times, as he approached the man in black. Though he was not particularly tall (maybe an inch or two shorter than Julius), he was imposing. “Ace.” Julius crossed his arms, but Ace’s concentration went unbroken. “You remember me?”
Ace’s eyes flicked over towards us. They were disconcerting, a most unusual green with a sort of starburst pattern in them. He looked like he could have hypnotized us with them. He returned his attention on his opponent, but the eerie feeling didn’t disappear. I suppressed a shudder. “Yeah,” he spoke with an accent that was unlike anything I’d ever heard. It was distinctively not British, but that was probably the closest thing to it. “From the diner.”
But this wasn’t the man Julius had been with the day I’d run away. Though he too was a hunter, this was not the guy Julius had pinned against the wall that day.
“You worked with my sister once.”
“And you’re here because?”
“You want to look at me when I’m talking to you?”
He spared Julius a glance again. “Not really.” He looked back at the woman, who seemed annoyed by the interruption. “Your sister’s easier on the eyes.”
Finally, Julius’ patience seemed to reach its end. He grabbed a fistful of Ace’s shirt and dragged him close. Nobody looked up, but the woman yelled and called Julius a few choice words which he expertly ignored. “Now I have your undivided attention, why don’t we finish the conversation we started a few weeks ago?”
But Ace had apparently noticed my presence, because he grinned. It made his crooked nose look even more twisted. “What the Hell did you bring her here for?”
“I’m glad you asked. Let’s take this outside.”
Desmond led us out the building, Julius never releasing his grip.
I was incredibly grateful for the fresh, salty air when we emerged and the wind that slapped my face. Though nobody had bothered to glance my way, I felt entirely exposed in there.
“I’ve a feeling this is going to be a good story.” Ace looked at me. “Take your hood off.”
I looked at Julius for confirmation or permission. Either way, he gave it with a curt nod, so I shook the hood loose. Ace let out a low whistle. “You must be out of your mind, bringing her here.”
“Oh?” Desmond asked. “Why is that?”
“You know why.” Ace spat. He looked around, like he expected people to descend upon us.
“This is Lilith.” Julius explained. “Lilith, this charming young man calls himself Ace. Ace here is sort of like a hunter. I brought you here because I have a feeling he knows something he isn’t telling you.”
I shook my head, looking between them. “I don’t understand.” I didn’t know Ace, obviously. How could he have been withholding information from me when I didn’t know him?
“I’ll explain. Ace has been following you. I don’t know when he started, or why, but I’m guessing it’s not a coincidence that he was
at the diner the same day you and I were.”
“I’ve never seen him before.”
“Maybe not, but he’s seen you. And I’ve caught him lurking twice now. You want to tell us why?”
Ace stroked the stubble of his chin, thoughtful. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m a hunter…she’s the prize winning buck.”
Desmond snorted in disbelief. “We’re all the prey to you. There’s something you aren’t saying.”
My eyes narrowed. I would take answers from whoever was willing to give them. “How do you know each other?”
“Ace and I go back a little while. We exist in the same social circles, so to speak. The morning at the diner he was hanging around outside…think of it as standing guard, while his friend and I had a chat inside. Two days ago, I noticed him watching you train with Delilah. He was there last night too, and probably would have been tonight except I cut our session short. So, Ace, what do you want with Lilith?”
Ace smirked. “I’m sure you’d like to know.”
Julius grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.
“I would.” I glared at him. “Are you working for Xian? Or Arich?”
“I work for no one.” Ace said, trying to loose Julius’ grip. “Like I said, I’m a hunter. And I’m a good enough one to know that she’s not your run-of-the-mill vamp. And the fact that you’re hiding her behind your silly little hedges and teaching her to fight…well, that tells me she’s valuable to someone. So, I’ve been watching and waiting to make my move.”
Julius ground his jaw together. “You’ll not be making it.” He pulled tighter on Ace’s arm until I heard a crack. Ace howled in pain. When Julius released him, he dropped to the ground, cradling his shoulder. “Stay away from my family. Stay away from Lilith.” His voice was a cold enough warning, but having just watched him snap a man’s arm, it held even more venom.
The Celestial Kiss Page 16