I groaned in frustration and stopped pacing. I stood and stared at the door as if I’d find the answers there, when I didn’t, I decided Rufus had been in there long enough. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the handle and threw the door open.
“Okay, Rufu—” I froze when I saw what was going on behind the door.
A gorgeous woman had her arms around Ian’s neck as they kissed. A jolt of pain sliced through me. She was tall, curvy in the right places, and wore a killer emerald-green gown. She looked like a runway model. Standing beside Ian, they made a striking couple, indeed.
Ian’s head suddenly jerked up, looking at me as if he’d just come out of a trance.
“Goldie?” he said after blinking a few times. He growled and faced Rufus. “Why did you bring her here?”
Rufus, nonchalant as ever, shrugged before replying. “I was not aware the hag would be here.”
At the insult to his friend, Ian’s face turned beet red. The woman’s face had turned to ice. I’d found Rufus’s little jab was funny and had to bite back a laugh. To be fair though, I was a little biased.
“Oh, don’t be mad at Rufus because you’ve been caught. This isn’t his fault,” I said.
Even as I stifled my laughter, I let the warmth grow in my core. Ian could sense it, just as I could feel his rage. He must have lost a little control, because the woman clinging to him squeaked in pain.
“Seriously? Did she just squeak?”
“Mind your step, sugar,” Rufus said in warning, but his lips twitched up at the corners ever so slightly.
“Sugar?” Ian asked, his voice deepening. Another ripple of energy escaped him, and the woman took a few steps away from him. “You have nicknames for each other?”
Unable to stop myself I stepped toward him, which brought me closer to the woman. I felt her eyeing me, and I forced myself not to move away.
“No, I don’t even have a nickname for you! You think I’d have one for some guy I just met?”
“You have often referred to me as ‘bastard’,” he replied.
Sarcasm?
“Listen, Ian,” Rufus said, bringing our focus back to the room and happenings within it.
“No, Rufus, you don’t have to explain anything to him,” I interjected. “Especially when he has this trollop hanging on him.” I am not sure where I got that word, but Ian’s eyes widened in surprise even as Rufus laughed.
The trollop in question came toward me, so smoothly and sensuously it looked like she was floating on air.
“I will rip out your throat if you insult me once more.”
Her aura, though it differed from any I had sensed before, was vaguely familiar.
Fairy.
She smiled, mistaking my silence for acquiescence.
“Will you two excuse us?” Ian asked. I was sure under other circumstances neither Rufus nor the woman would have obliged, but with the energy rolling off us, they left the room without a word.
“Why are you here?” he asked when they had closed the door behind them.
I opened the balcony doors, hoping the fresh air would help us relax. Otherwise this house was going to end up a smoking pile of rubble.
“I thought I knew, but now I’m not so sure.” I leaned against the railing, my back to him.
He was close, almost touching me, but he just stood there without reaching out.
“Then tell me why you thought you came here.”
My anger was subsiding, but the hurt was still there. He’d run away from me… he ran to her.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Fine, then you should leave. Take Rufus with you.”
“I’m sure you’d love that. Then you can be alone with…” Suddenly exhausted, I slouched, resting my head on my arms. I buried my face in my arms, but I felt him move closer to me. “Please do not touch me.”
“As you wish… You need rest, holding back your power will drain you in the beginning. You will stay here tonight. I do not think it is a good idea for you to be driving in your state.”
Because I felt like sinking to the floor and sleeping on the balcony, I knew he was right.
“Fine, I’ll stay in my old room. Rufus can have the floor. Maybe you can just keep her from squeaking too much,” I said as I stood straight again. “Oh!” I yelped as I turned right into his chest.
“Why the hell are you smiling?” I asked.
“You are jealous.”
He placed his hands on the railing, caging me between his arms.
“I am not jealous. I just need sleep.”
“You are jealous,” he whispered, as he wiped away the tears. “I thought—”
“I know what you thought. Seth told me.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “I was an ass for saying what I did, but you’re an ass for leaving. We could have talked. I would have apologized. I know I need to work on controlling myself. I am truly sorry for that. But I don’t know if I can forgive you running to that… that… her arms!” I tensed when he wrapped his arms around me.
“No,” I said pushing at his hands, “you don’t get to touch me after you were hanging on someone else.”
“As you noticed, she was hanging on me,” he said tightening his grip on me. “And I noticed you arrived with Rufus. Did you run to him?”
“Yeah, I ran right to him, because we’re the best of friends! Get real, Ian. And you didn’t seem upset about her touching you.” I gave up trying to remove his hands. Instead I went limp in his arms.
“What you said was hurtful, Qadira. The venom in your voice proved what you think of banshees and becoming one.” He shook me to get me to look at him again.
“Again, I’m sorry for saying what I did. I meant banshees like Gabriel and his minions.” I tried shoving at him again, but it was pointless. “I am changing… What… what if I become like them?”
“Ah, so we finally arrive at the truth,” he said with a trace of humor, and I scowled up at him. “Goldie, you will stay who you are. Gabriel and his men are evil because that is who they are. You will not become a sadist just because you are becoming a banshee. You would already have to be one, do you see?”
“Are you sure?”
“You have lived with many banshees over the years, did any of them get pleasure out of hurting people?”
“No.”
“You’re right, I know you’re right. I’ve always been so different from those around me. First with the mortals in school, then with you and the clan. I accepted my differences. They built me into who I am today. Now… I guess I am worried about losing who I am… I just need time to get a grip on everything.”
“You are still Fey. You are still Qadira. You are still the one I love.”
I looked into his eyes. His words were sincere. His aura reached out to mine, but I held back.
“Ah…” he muttered.
“I really am sorry I offended you. It was not my intention.”
“I forgive you,” he said, lowering his face towards mine, stopping only a breath away. “I too am sorry. I should have stayed and talked with you. I should have known you were scared. I am sorry, Goldie.”
“Oh,” I breathed, staring at his lips.
He was too close for me to think, so I pulled back to put more room between us.
He frowned and stepped away.
“Right. So, back to why you are here.”
“I came to apologize to you. I’ve done that so I’ll be going to bed.”
“Okay. You will sleep in here.”
“While you and Squeaky go to another room? That seems silly. I’ll just take my old room. I promise I won’t listen. I definitely don’t want to hear that.”
“You misunderstand. You and I will sleep in here… I will sleep on the floor. Lydia—”
“Ah, so it has a name.”
“Yes, and she will be leaving. She is not welcome here. I am not interested in being with her, Goldie.”
Something in me knew this was true. That he really had no interest in her, but the memory
of them kissing was too new, too painful.
“Hmm… No, it’s better if I don’t sleep in the same room as you.”
“Goldie, I love you. I am so deeply in love with you I will never find my way out. I have lived a long time and have never felt for anyone as I do for you. You are the only one I want to be with,” he said, and moved to stand in front of me. “Tell me you believe me. I need to know you believe me. Please.”
This was a side of Ian I never expected to see. Never thought it was even possible. My heart broke seeing the pain in his face, hearing the strain in his voice.
“Too much is happening too fast. I need time.”
“You take as much time as you want, but I know you feel the same as I. You know it. Whether or not you want to admit it. No one could ever, or will ever, care for you as much as I. I have tried to hide it, tried to deny it. I have been alive too long to know that these feelings only come around once in a lifetime.” He glanced at me. “You have been the most important person in my life… since day one.”
“How can you say that? You always told me it was the mission. I was only important to the mission. For years I wanted to hear I meant something to you. That you cared for me, even a little, but you only ever spoke about the mission. Now?” I waved my arms around, maybe a little too erratically, to point out our current situation. “You chose now to tell me what I’ve wanted to hear? Look, I believe you love me, but I am just not sure anymore we will work well together. I am a fraction of your age. How could someone who has been around as long as you want me?”
“Oh, Goldie. Did you not say age does not matter? That it has nothing to do with who you are. Our auras are linked. We are meant to be.”
“I still don’t understand, why now? Why are you telling me all of this now?”
“I do not want to lose you. I have been a fool. You have always been more important to me than the others. I was ashamed of my attraction to you when we first met. You were only a teenager for Danu’s sake! Even when you reached adulthood, I would not let myself acknowledge how important you had become. Especially when my feelings for you began to grow. I have been trying to deny my love for you long enough.”
“You are right, I do feel the same. Always have. I love you more than I thought it possible to love anyone.” I held up my hands when he moved toward me. “I need time to figure out what I want. I need you to give me time, okay?”
He stared at me for a long while, before sighing and saying, “I cannot force you into a relationship, just as you could not force me. You allowed me time; I will do the same for you. I will be here if you need me for any reason tonight.”
I smiled at him as I opened the door to the hallway to find Rufus leaning against the wall, alone. He smiled a cheesy smile, mocking me. I stuck my tongue out at him, he chuckled.
“Come on, Ruf, you can sleep in my room.”
“Well, well, well tonight is turning out better than I thought.”
“On the floor, Ruf, on the floor,” I said as I headed down the hall. When we got into my room, I grabbed a comforter and pillows from my closet. I wanted to ask about Lydia but didn’t want to sound like a jealous girlfriend.
“She’s in the den,” Rufus said answering my unspoken question.
“Where will she sleep?”
“I am sure she will leave once she realizes Ian has no desire for her to return to his room.”
“Oh.”
“Ian wants nothing to do with her. Never has.” He scowled at the makeshift bed I was arranging on the floor.
“Can’t I share your bed? It’s plenty big enough.”
“Hell, no.”
“Aw, come on, sugar. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
He removed his shirt and flexed his pecs, proving he planned to be anything but “on his best behavior”.
“No.”
He sighed as he watched me take off my shoes and climb, fully clothed, into my bed.
“Well, I am not sleeping in my jeans.”
I rolled over so my back was to him, but not before I caught a glimpse of him in his boxers.
Something else he has in common with Ian, I thought.
“Well, goodnight,” I said as I settled in for the night, the image of a half-naked Rufus floating through my mind.
********
The pain in my chest woke me up gasping for air. I leaped from bed, grabbing my knives as I ran to Ian’s room. Rufus followed, though he couldn’t possibly know what was happening. I wasn’t even sure. I just somehow knew Ian was in trouble.
“Rufus, see if Lydia is still here, and if she is keep her here,” I called out to him as I neared Ian’s door. She was behind this. She had to be.
As I entered Ian’s room Gabriel was straddling Ian. I picked up my pace to a blurring speed and tackled Gabriel to the floor. We landed in a heap beside the bed. He threw me and I slammed into the wall leaving a crack.
“You half-breed bitch! You killed my Angels! I am done playing with you, I will kill you this time,” Gabriel said manically as he moved toward me.
I was up and crouched in a fighting stance. He prowled his way to me like a cat on the hunt. His lips in a hard line, and his small, brown eyes narrowed as he neared me. He was in kill mode.
He came at me so quickly, it surprised me. He shoved me and I flew back, slamming into the wall again knocking the breath out of me. I slid to the floor as I fought for air. When he kicked me in the stomach, I stopped breathing altogether.
Gagging and retching, I moved onto my hands and knees. Now in the perfect position for him to kick me repeatedly. My ribs broke. If they punctured my lung, it would take too long to heal, and Gabriel would kill me… and Ian.
I crawled to get out of his reach, but he was faster, what with not being injured and all. He used a foot to shove me to the floor. I fell onto my face. He crouched beside me, grabbing my hair to lift my head. I defiantly looked him in the eye and smiled as best I could. He would not get the satisfaction of knowing he hurt me. Not this time. Not. Ever. Again.
“You think you can escape me, mutt?” he hissed, spittle landing on my face. I gagged again but kept my smile in place even as he ripped my knife belt off and tossed it aside. I took note of where it landed.
“Oh, I don’t want to escape you. Not at all. I want to make you scream in pain. I want to see your face when I kill you.” My voice was hoarse but steady.
“Like that’s going to happen! Look at you! You’re weak and pitiful. I don’t know why I ever thought of you for my project. You disgust me!”
“Back at ya, Gabe.
He flipped me to my back and sat on me, pinning my arms beneath him. He slipped on his faeritonium knuckle guards and began hitting me in the face. Blood filled my mouth, making me choke.
I heard Rufus yell. Gabriel stopped his pummeling for a second. I heard a crash and a grunt before Gabriel returned to striking me.
Suddenly he stopped again. My eyes were so bloody and swollen, could not see what was happening. I could still feel his weight on top of me, but he’d stopped moving.
What the hell is he doing?
He leaned down so his lips were touching my ear.
“I will let you heal, mutt, just enough so you can see again. I want you to watch as I kill your boyfriend. I want you to scream as I do it. Then I will kill you, too. I’ll make your death quick; I promise.”
Grabbing my face, he squeezed to make my mouth open. He pressed his arm to my lips. He forced my jaw open, and I tasted his blood.
“Swallow.”
I disobeyed.
“Swallow it now or I will make Ian suffer more than I already plan to!”
I didn’t want to take his blood, the thought was revolting, but it would help me heal. I’d have the chance to prevent him from touching Ian… or die trying. Either way was better than laying here helpless while he tortured Ian to death, so I swallowed.
Gabriel’s blood was slightly different from Ian’s. Where Ian’s tasted sweet, Gabriel’s was bitter. Bi
tter and disgusting as it was, it did its job. I felt the swelling around my eyes lessen. It didn’t take long for my eyes to open.
I couldn’t see Rufus anywhere, but one of the balcony doors hung from one hinge. Gabriel had tossed him out the window. I stood and began to walk to the door to look for Rufus’ body, but I heard a groan come from the bed and turned in that direction instead.
Gabriel had started his game with Ian. He’d already carved a line in Ian’s arm with one of my knives. The sight of Ian’s blood had the fire inside of me flaming to life, and I was literally seeing red.
My new ability helped to finish healing my wounds. I had to get Gabriel away from Ian or we would both die here tonight, and Gabriel would go free again. He’d be free to hurt whoever he wanted whenever he wanted. And after all these years, it would be this psychopath that would end Ian’s life? I could not let that happen.
My fire coursed through me. It felt amazing. I welcomed it, stoked it, and let it grow. I reveled in its embrace as I accepted it. It was mine.
My hands lit with fire as I moved closer to Gabriel.
Feeling the heat, Gabriel jerked and turned toward me.
“What the hell?” He backed toward the balcony.
“You die tonight.” My voice sounded foreign. It echoed throughout the room.
Moving faster than I ever have, I had Gabriel by the throat.
I threw him to the ground. The knife he held fell to the floor with a clatter. I grabbed it as I straddled him, pinning his arms under my legs. With only a thought, a circle of fire erupted around us. His eyes widened to bulging.
“Wha-what are you?”
I could smell his fear. It rolled off him in waves. I inhaled deeply. My head fell back. A moan of pleasure escaped me as I savored the tangy aroma.
I opened my eyes to meet his. His feared strengthened and my eyes fluttered when it hit me.
“Why, Gabriel, don’t you know? You’re so fond of angels, after all… I am your Angel of Death.”
Becoming Banshee Page 17