Discern (Discern Saga, Book #1)

by Samantha Shakespeare

  “Maybe you will someday,” I smiled.

  “You have warmth about you that I admire. I wish I could read your soul, because I bet it would be as amazing as Andrew feels it is,” Alec said softly.

  “Yes, her ability to burn us is quite admirable,” Holden laughed.

  I giggled lightly. It was a nice play on words, but the fire he was referring to was probably the only thing saving my life right now, which was no laughing matter.

  “Be nice,” Alec snapped.

  “I’m only joking,” Holden said, rolling his eyes.

  “It’s fine,” I said, flashing a quick grin.

  My eyes fell to the floor as the conversation amongst us came to an end. I could tell they were speaking with one another telepathically again.

  “What’s fine?” Andrew asked.

  Andrew stood before me. “Everything,” I said.

  “They didn’t try anything, did they?” Andrew asked, glaring at his brothers.

  “No.”

  The golden book was tightly clutched in Andrew’s fist. He slid onto the seat next to me. “Whatever you do, don’t let go of it,” he instructed.

  “I won’t,” I agreed, confused by his request. Only Andrew and I could physically hold the book, so Holden could not possibly take it.

  He gently placed the book in my open hand. I looked up at his beautiful green crystal eyes and started to stand. He grabbed my arm.

  “He’ll come to us,” Andrew instructed.

  I quickly sat back down. Holden made his way over. “Don’t try anything,” Andrew hissed.

  “I won’t,” Holden hissed back.

  “Hold the front and back cover open, and don’t let go,” Andrew instructed, once more.

  I gripped the hard covers and let the book flop open; exposing the hundreds of pages of literature I had always believed to be mythical. It was amazing that this one book could be the key to their survival as well as humanity’s.

  Holden cautiously kneeled down on one knee. His hand hovered over the pages. “Why is there heat radiating from it?” he asked perplexed.

  “You can feel that?” Andrew asked.

  “Yes, is it because she’s holding it?” Holden asked.

  “No, we can’t touch the book either,” Alec explained.

  “What would happen if I did?”

  “Your hand would burn, just the same as if you touched Haley. Believe me, I know,” Alec recounted.

  “Hmmm….so strange,” Holden mused.

  “Just read it. I’ll flip the pages,” Andrew spoke.

  Holden’s orange eyes scanned each page just as rapidly as Andrew and Alec’s had. His eyes changed colors frequently. Mainly from orange to blood red as this book was just as upsetting to him as it was to the others. The pages stopped flipping and the last page floated on top of the others.

  Holden stood up and turned so his back was now to Andrew and me. Alec was steadily watching Holden’s reaction.

  “This means war,” Holden snarled.

  Andrew quickly placed his body in between Holden and me. Alec rose from his casual stance and stood ready to fight. I slammed the book shut. I retracted my feet from the floor, and pressed the book in between my chest and the top of my thighs, keeping it safely tucked away. Andrew’s back was to me. His body was rigid and still.

  My eyes darted back and forth from Andrew to Alec. I was trying to read their body language to gauge what to expect next.

  “They’ve tricked us,” Holden said.

  “Calm down, brother. We can’t go in to this full of hatred or we’ll get ourselves killed,” Alec instructed.

  “They can’t kill us,” Holden challenged.

  “True, but we can’t destroy our parents alone,” Alec explained.

  “Alec’s right,” Andrew sighed, seemingly lost in thought.

  “You were young back then,” Alec reminded.

  “I may have been young then, but I was still unable to defeat father,” Andrew said frustrated.

  “We all need to be on the same page in order to confront them,” Alec said, closing his eyes.

  “That’ll be impossible,” Holden said, still upset by the scripture in the book.

  “It’s our only hope,” Alec sighed.

  “I’ll make it happen,” Andrew said sharply.

  “We aren’t ready to show them all,” Alec disagreed.

  “We have to before it’s too late,” Andrew snarled.

  “Andrew, you’ll get yourself hurt if you just show up with this book. There are a few of our kind that are still very loyal to our parents. Even I had doubts, and I’ve despised them for many centuries,” Holden said sharply.

  “So you’ll not go with me?” Andrew asked.

  “Not until we have decided the best way to approach the others,” Alec spoke.

  “We don’t have a lot of time. Even if we all accept this book as truth, we still have to devise a plan. We can’t waste any more time over our worries. They’ll all read and understand just as we have,” Andrew said distressed.

  “We need at least another week. We can start off slowly by revealing our findings to Dagan next. He’s the last of us that doesn’t have complete loyalty to our parents. The other four have proven time and time again that they cannot be trusted,” Alec explained.

  “Too long,” Andrew snapped.

  “You must be patient or you’ll start another war within a war,” Alec insisted.

  “I’ll speak with Dagan and convince him to meet with us. I won’t give him any details, but I’ll get him here,” Holden assured.

  “Yes, Dagan’s fonder of you than he is of me,” Andrew said coldly.

  “Is anyone fond of you?” Holden sneered.

  “I don’t hold back,” Andrew growled.

  “I’ll contact you both once I’ve convinced Dagan,” Holden said, disregarding Andrew.

  “Good. We’ll meet here when that time comes,” Alec said.

  Holden took a few steps toward me. He kept his distance, ensuring there would be no contact between us. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Haley. And as far as what you said before, I hope there’s a possibility of that one day. Endless time can be lonely,” he smiled gently. “Your trust in us this evening was refreshing. Usually only mortals that have no clue as to what we are could be that trusting.”

  “I truly believe what I said,” I smiled. “Have a safe trip.”

  They nodded to one another and Holden disappeared.

  “I, too, must be leaving,” Alec said. “Take care of that book and my brother.”

  “I wish I could hug you without causing you pain,” I smiled.

  “Why?” Alec asked, taken aback by my statement.

  “You’ve been very understanding through all of this.”

  “I do my best,” Alec smiled. “Until next week,” he said, nodding to Andrew.

  Andrew nodded back. Alec disappeared just as Holden had. Andrew and I were finally alone. A look of displeasure was upon his face. His fists were clenched and his eyes were dark. He was glaring down at me. Something had upset him, and I had no clue as to what it might be.

  21

  Trust

  Our eyes were locked with one another’s for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes were still black and his fists still clenched. No words were spoken. I was unclear as to why he wasn’t speaking, but uncertainty was what kept me quiet.

  His mouth finally moved as he wet his lips. “Are you best friends with my brothers now?” he asked snidely.

  “What?” I asked, shocked by his accusation.

  “When exactly did you all become best friends? I was only gone for maybe two minutes at the most,” he hissed, thrashing his arms around.

  I let out a slight giggle. “You’re unbelievable.”

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “Are you jealous?” I asked grinning.

  “Jealous?” he scoffed.

  “Yes, I said jealous,” I repeated.

  He plopped down on the couch beside
me. “I’m not jealous. I just don’t want you to let your guard down around them. They may seem demure at this very moment, but they can quickly change in a matter of seconds,” he explained, keeping his gaze upon the wall rather than my face.

  “So far they haven’t broken my trust, so I must give them the benefit of the doubt. That’s how trust works,” I explained.

  He shot a quick, intense glance in my direction for a second before returning his eyes to the bare wall. “You’re too eager to trust.”

  “You hold too many grudges.”

  “You would, too, if you were witness to what I’ve seen throughout the past six thousand years.” His voice was cold.

  He gazed down at the beige carpet, restraining from any further eye contact. He seemed to be lost in thought as he let out a heavy sigh. I imagined that he was searching through his memories of the past—remembering all the times his family had deceived him that I had not been privy to.

  I was only aware of what his father and sister had done to rid his life of Alexandria. Those same worries wore heavy on his mind. He feared at any moment they could turn on him and create the same ending as they once had before. But in order for each of their cooperation in this endeavor, they would all need to completely trust in each other. It was easy for me to imagine this happening quickly, for I was human and had no concept of endless time.

  “A man must trust himself first, before he can trust anyone else,” I said.

  “I’m not a man.”

  “You’re more similar to mankind than you’d like to believe.”

  His gaze lifted from the objects below and onto my face. Our eyes met. His eyes were still black and unnerving. “Man could die today, and I wouldn’t shed a tear. The only tears I’d ever shed would be in the event of your death—no matter how you die.” His voice quivered ever so slightly at the end.

  Many thoughts raced through my head. “But I’ll die someday,” I said softly.

  “My plans don’t include your death,” he said sternly.

  “That’s foolish.”

  “Would you not become like me if it were a choice?”

  “I haven’t given it much thought as I believe my death will be sooner than later.”

  My eyes dropped from his stare. My words would definitely sting, but they were how I felt. I didn’t really believe I would make it past the next year at the rate things were going. Death was not as scary as it had once been—I didn’t mind dying if it meant saving many human lives. And his parents’ plans to destroy them made the thought of death seem inevitable.

  I would cease to exist in a world without him, either at the hands of someone else or myself.

  He sprung from the couch. “Is that how you feel?” he asked angrily.

  “It does feel hopeless at times. You hate and distrust your siblings, and yet they’re who you need in order to stop the deaths of humans and yourselves.” My voice cracked slightly. Speaking about his death aloud was anguishing.

  My head fell into my hands. I refused to look at him. His eyes would surely be ruby red with anger at my thoughts and feelings; that I somehow believed we might fail and had lost hope in his ability to ensure our safety and future.

  Warmth immediately filled my body as he effortlessly lifted me up into his arms, gently placing me on his lap. Electrical currents pulsed throughout more intensely than I had ever felt before. I continued to keep my head down afraid of his reaction, but my will was no match for his massive strength as he forced me to look at him.

  His eyes were not red nor were they black any longer. They were amber. The color when our lips touched, which reflected his love and excitement for me. The color I didn’t expect to be staring back at me at this moment.

  He ran his finger along my cheek and then continued along my body until he reached the ‘v’ of my t-shirt, stopping before he reached my breasts. I closed my eyes momentarily enjoying the sparks from his touch. His finger retraced its steps, now stopping back on my cheek. His other hand cupped my chin.

  “Do you trust me?” he whispered.

  I quickly opened my eyes, confused by his question. Trust had been the subject that led to our heated argument and now it had resurfaced during such a tender moment. “Why do you ask?”

  “Do you trust that I’ll do everything in my power to keep you, the most important human that ever existed, safe?” he asked in a very alluring tone.

  “Of course I do. I believe in your resolve to keep us together and safe, but you can’t go it alone.”

  “Don’t worry about the others. I’ll ensure they follow my lead. I won’t fail you again,” he said as he pulled my face in closer to his.

  “You’ve never failed me,” I said breathlessly.

  Our lips touched softly at first, but became more forceful as the passion of the moment heated up. My hands wandered, feeling all the hard ridges of his muscular chest. His hand slid through my hair and he wound several stands around his fist, slightly tugging and intensifying the moment. Our lips pressed harder against one another’s. He pushed against my back, nearly slamming his chest against mine.

  My hands wandered upward to his luscious golden locks. I, too, wrapped my fingers around several strands and gave a light pull, once again intensifying the moment. Our kiss abruptly ended. He casually returned me to my previous seat on the couch.

  “What happened?” I asked, watching him walk away.

  “My strength is weakening,” he sighed.

  “Oh,” I said softly, unsure of what he meant. “Is it time to take a soul?” I asked nervously.

  He burst in to laughter and rushed to my side. He continued to laugh, which now was insulting.

  “Why are you laughing?” I hissed.

  He pressed his lips tightly forming a straight line. His eyes had returned to emeralds once more. I assumed our passionate moment was over. “Sorry, please forgive me.”

  “I didn’t realize that killing a human was so humorous,” I said horrified.

  “Haley, I wasn’t laughing at the act of killing a mort…human. It was the idea that after we just shared that wonderful moment, you thought that I was preoccupied in thought about hunting human souls,” he smiled tenderly.

  “Oh,” I said aloud, feeling foolish.

  “I’ll always abide by your wishes, but there are times when it’s harder than others,” he grinned widely. “And it was very, very difficult to break away from that moment. I feared if we continued that I wouldn’t be able to stop. And I don’t want to rush you in to something you’re not completely ready for.”

  “But I am ready.”

  “You aren’t.”

  “And why not?” I asked sharply.

  “You will be, once I prove to you that you’ll be safe and so will humanity,” he said as he caressed the back of my hand.

  “What if…” He placed his finger over my lips.

  “I won’t fail, you won’t die and neither will mankind. And after I prove this to you, you’ll be ready.”

  “Your success doesn’t dictate when I’ll be ready,” I challenged.

  “No, and it shouldn’t, but I can’t give you the proper human ceremony to bond us until after I deal with the situation at hand.” His smile faded as he thought of his journey ahead.

  “I don’t need that anymore. It’s silly after what I’ve seen to believe that someone with a certificate which legalizes their ability to perform marriages would ever bond us any closer than our souls already are at this very moment.”

  “I don’t have a soul,” he said flatly.

  “I don’t believe that for a second.”

  “I really don’t,” he insisted.

  I lightly ran my finger along his gray, tight fitting shirt that clung to his muscular back. I perched my body on my knees and leaned my chest up against his back. I ran my fingers through his hair and gently kissed the top of his head. I leaned down resting my lips against his ear. “Whatever it is that allows you to love is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen and is t
he reason my soul yearns to be with you,” I whispered.

  He effortlessly swung my body around and rested it in his lap again, cradling me like a baby. “The beauty you might see is pale in comparison to yours,” he said softly as he pressed his lips atop my head. “Nothing or no one is more beautiful than you.”

  The sun had set long ago. “It’s been a long day,” I yawned.

  Releasing his tight grip and setting my weak, tired body on the soft cushions of the couch, he glanced up at the clock. “We should get back to your house before your father grows worried.”

  “He isn’t too worried,” I sighed.

  “Why not?”

  “He isn’t home and won’t be for a few days,” I answered. My father had texted me a couple of hours ago saying he was leaving town tonight. His method of delivering the message was odd.

  “Where did he go?”

  “Vegas,” I replied. He usually went this time of year for car conventions and gambling, but I suspected there were other reasons for this trip, besides business.

  “Alone?”

  “Not sure, but probably with Evelyn,” I replied, trying to muffle my disapproval.

  “Are you okay with that?” he asked, reaching for my hand.

  “Yeah, it’s a little unsettling, but he’s a grown man, and I can’t deny him his happiness.”

  “Do you not have someone in your life making you happy?” His eyes stared intensely.

  ‘Yes,” I blushed—but Andrew wasn’t just someone—he was everything to me.

  “I was worried you would say no.”

  “Why?” I asked stunned.

  “I worry my presence has put a strain on your life,” he sighed.

  “No, you make me feel alive again,” I assured.

  “I know how you feel.”

  “Well, at least we have the house to ourselves,” I smiled.

  “We usually do,” he smirked.

  “True.”

  “Are you ready?” he smiled as he placed the journal in my lap and lifted me off the couch.

  He tucked my body inside his arms, cradling me. I pressed my head against his chest and closed my eyes. I inhaled deeply as our bodies swiftly moved.

  My bed was how I left it this morning, unmade. “Sorry,” I said, gesturing toward the untidiness of my room.