She took a chance and stepped back so that her body pressed against his, half expecting him to move away. Instead, she felt his hand settle on the side of her waist, his fingers moving ever so slightly in a light caress. His touch was like home and at the same time, it sent a spark of desire throughout her body. She leaned into him even more, and as she heard a heavy sigh, she felt him pull away. She wasn’t allowed to react. There was too much at stake. No one was to know that Hunter had found her and pulled her from the chambers. As far as everyone was concerned, Talia was simply a new charge and to her, Hunter was a stranger who just happened to stand behind her. The facts did not stop how she felt, though, and even after remembering what he had shared with her about his gift, she didn’t care. Talia did not believe that her desire for him was purely magical and she didn’t feel as though she should have to keep her feelings in check. Right now, she was hurt. His moment of caress should have never happened if he was simply going to pull away when her desire kicked in. She turned to search for him in the growing crowd behind her only to find that he had disappeared. Her heart sank and as she turned back to face the battle that was Hope and Ian, she came face to face with Faith.
Her normal expression of disinterest was gone and in its place was suspicion.
“Come with me, pet.” She grabbed Talia’s arm to pull her free from the crowd.
As she was dragged out into the corridor, Talia felt a surge of worry. She had not known Faith but for more than a day, but what she did know of her, she truly enjoyed. She was witty, intelligent, sharp tongued yet quick to show if not compassion, at the very least understanding. The anger she was expressing must have been the cause for worry from the others. No one had wanted Faith brought into to the secret that was Talia, but Hope had insisted and gotten her way. The boys’ protests should have been louder or Hope should have been more willing to listen, for whatever it was that Faith had seen in the Main Hall, she obviously did not like it.
As the double doors closed behind them Faith wheeled Talia around so that they were once again face-to-face. Faith was taller than her and for a brief moment while she stared down at her, Talia felt small and unimportant.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
Her answer could be the undoing of everything so she chose to tread lightly and be as vague as possible.
“You know who I am, Faith.”
“No, I don’t,” she snapped. “The woman that I was introduced to was a lost charge, sent under false conditions. A woman that my sister and I were banding together to help because no one deserves to live out an endless life here, especially those who are wrongfully committed.”
The wrinkle in Faith’s brow deepened along with her anger as the pieces she could place all began to fall together. “I imagine that whatever secret you are hiding, I am probably the only one who does not know it. Hunter would see through your lies in a heartbeat and he and his little band of misfits are so tightly bound together that he would never allow a stranger to infiltrate them.”
Talia could practically see the thoughts forming in Faith’s mind and as she continued to pry, Talia felt cornered. She was alone in the corridor with an apparently dangerous witch with Injection as her main gift. In her prime, Talia’s gift stood against any other, but as she stood there and watched Faith become angrier and angrier, she worried that she would not have the power to save herself if things went too far down the wrong path.
Her only hope was to push her fear out far enough, clinging to the belief that somewhere Hunter was listening for her.
“I want answers, Talia!” As Faith screamed her demands, she reached out and wrapped her hand around Talia throat and lifted her in the air. “You sparked that Faerie. Do you know how powerful a gifted has to be to trigger a spark like that? No simple apprentice to a low-level mage could ever possibly release such power.”
Anger began to take hold of Talia as she unsuccessfully tried to pull Faith’s fingers from her throat. She was not typically a weak woman and the fact that Faith felt confident enough to squeeze the life from her, enraged her. She may not be at her most powerful, but Talia was sure she was still strong enough to go up against Faith.
Talia allowed her gift to build up within her and slowly released heat into Faith’s hand.
As pain and shock registered on her face Faith threw Talia up against the wall, the impact creating a loud thud that echoed in the corridor.
“Who are you?”
Pain surged through Talia’s head and as she swallowed around the sharp stabbing sensation left by Faith’s grip, she coughed and gasped trying her best to fill her lungs with air.
She tried to gather her bearings as quickly as possible, but before she stood the double doors to Main Hall were flung open and the large crowd spilled out in to the corridor. Fists were flying, women were screaming, and somewhere within the mix of it all, a man was laughing a deep belly laugh at the humor of it. Talia assumed the laugh came from Ian since this was the type of distraction she thought he would be proud of. She scanned the crowd in search of Ian or Hope, even Hunter, but they were nowhere to be found. There were too many gifted that were flailing about, adding to the chaos. In hope of avoiding drawing any more attention to herself she decided to attempt a quiet retreat and head back to Hope’s room. Eventually one of them would appear there and they could work on a plan from that point.
Before she could leave the crowd, she felt a hand wrap around hers and pull her from the ground. She looked up to see a man hovering over her. He had no fear or worry on his face regarding the mob that surrounded them, but rather he almost appeared bored. “Follow me,” he whispered as he pulled her toward the double doors. Talia did not have time to argue. She turned and saw Faith watching her, trapped behind two men that were flinging some kind of blue fire at each other while a Guardian was attempting to separate them. The evil in Faith’s eyes gave Talia’s heart a fright and she turned and quickly followed the stranger who had rescued her.
Once through the double doors, the man released his hold on Talia’s hand and pushed them closed. He made a weak attempt at smiling and then nodded toward the back of the Main Hall.
“I’m Josef,” he stated. “Our Guardian sent me for you. She’s waiting with the other new charges. Come on.”
As Josef stormed away, Talia knew that her only chance to escape Faith, for now, was to follow him. At the back of the Main Hall they found a small group of frightened charges, all huddled together. Standing next to them was the redheaded Guardian that had approached Hope and Faith when they first arrived. She nodded at Josef in thanks and then turned her intimidating gaze on Talia.
“You’ve caused quite a commotion.”
Somehow knowing it was unwise to lie to the Guardian, Talia simply nodded in agreement. Their plan had not gone as it was meant to and with Faith now hot after her secret, Talia needed more allies. Perhaps by siding with this Guardian, she would at the very least be able to buy time and figure out what her next step should be.
“I’ll show you all to your rooms. Follow me.”
With that, the Guardian proceeded to lead them out of a back door to the Main Hall and into a dark maze of corridors that did not look to be as well traveled as the ones she had been traveling through over the last few days. Her only hesitation was leaving behind her friends, but Talia still believed that Hunter would find her and if on the odd chance that he couldn’t, she knew she would see him soon enough during the many gatherings that charges were required to partake in. For now, though, she seized her opportunity to be integrated within the charges and followed the Guardian toward her new life.
Chapter Eight
A full moon cycle had passed since the episode in the Main Hall and as Hunter approached the double doors he slowed his pace, hesitant that he had not allowed enough time for Talia to find her place amongst the charges. He had purposefully kept his distance from her, knowing that if he had stayed an active presence in her life, she would not be able to blend in. Staying away had cau
sed an ache in his heart, but he could not trust his feelings for her or hers for him. His magic was too strong and unreliable and he knew that no matter how many times he tried to explain it to her, she would insist that it was not his gift that drew her in. He knew better.
Hunter had fallen victim to his gift before, allowing himself to fall in love with a Seer from a neighboring kingdom. She was beautiful and brilliant and he had believed her when she said their love was true. It wasn’t until he found her with another man that he realized he could never trust that side of his gift again. She had strayed with a man who had the ability to block Hunter’s gift and when their bond was severed, she did not hesitate when the man invited her to his bed. When Hunter walked in on them, she had no apologies. She simply told him she had moved on and that was the end. It wasn’t long afterward when Hunter found himself sentenced to the Keep. Hurt and angered, he had unleashed his gift on more women than he cared to count and one of them happened to be a very special, very pure prize for a Wizard with an enlarged ego who had become King. When the King’s prize went back to him and he discovered she was no longer pure, Hunter was captured and then sent to Windsong. He had remained solitary ever since, allowing only a few select people to be close to him while pushing others away.
Talia was the strongest temptation he had been faced with since, and when he had been near her, it had taken all of his willpower to keep his hands to himself. Not only did she have an overwhelming allure about her, but her heart was kind and her desire for him was intense. She aroused him in ways he had not thought possible and the lust she had for him saturated his own desires, making it nearly impossible to be close to her.
As he stood on the opposite side of the double doors, Hunter focused his emotions and created a mental wall to do what he could to keep her out of his head. He was unsure of how successful he would be, but he had been away long enough and knew that he could not stay in hiding forever. He reached out, took a deep breath and pulled open the doors.
Once inside, he was met with familiar faces and the sense of comfort. His fellow charges were exactly where he imagined they would be. Not a lot had changed in such a short time at Windsong and he was confident that he could fit himself back in the flow without drawing too much attention. For all anyone knew he could simply be returning from a stint in The Hole and no one dared ask about it. Even new charges had heard enough rumors to know better than to ask.
He scanned the tables, searching for Hope and Ian, and when he found them sitting alone, in the midst of what appeared to be a heated argument, he walked over and sat down without hesitation. He had not seen Talia, but he felt an overwhelming tug, urging him to look toward the back of the room, and he knew she had seen him. He kept his eyes forward, refused the need to see her, and proceeded to pluck bits of food from the trays that sat untouched in front of his friends.
“Tell him,” Hope pleaded, looking up at Hunter as he shoved a piece of dried meat into his mouth. “Tell him that just because he gets off on the taste of blood that he is not a vampire.” She shot Ian a dark scowl. “Vampires don’t even exist, you moron.”
“If they don’t exist, then how come every time you let me bite you I can barely hold back my load, huh?” The smug look on Ian’s face said that he believed he had just won the argument, but Hunter knew better. Hope would not let him win this one. She secretly feared that he was one and that they did indeed exist. That was why she did not let him feast all the time. She worried he’d not only become the monster of their childhood nightmares, but also that he’d infect her, and even though she was already sentenced to a life of eternal damnation, she didn’t want to suffer with bloodlust as well.
“Because you’re sick,” she snapped.
Ian reached across the small table and cupped her breast in his hand, giving it a tight squeeze. “You like it just as much as I do, plus you let me do it, so who’s the sick one?”
She slapped his hand away, rolled her eyes, and looked back to Hunter.
“Have you met Talia’s new playmate?” Hope nodded her head in the direction of the table toward the back of the room where Hunter knew she was sitting. “He’s a new charge, came in with the lot that we attached her to. His name is Josef. He’s a Seer and like most of them, I hear he’s a heartless bastard. The rumor mill says he’s here because he saw an event and then lied about it to some official, which allowed him to rip the official off. So, he’s a thief—not unlike your partner in crime here.”
Hunter felt a twinge of jealousy, but simply nodded.
“Yeah, well, I don’t like him,” Ian grumbled. “There’s something off about him.”
“Yeah, he’s not twisted like you,” Hope snapped.
“No, it’s more than that.” Ian’s tone became uncharacteristically serious as he went on. “He comes off as cold and calculating, like he’s watching all of us and waiting for the right time to strike. I feel like I need to keep my guard up.”
“You’re just jealous.”
“No, seriously, Hope, I wish you would listen to me instead of automatically assuming I’m being just being an ass. The guy freaks me out. I watch him all the time and he never slips, but there is something not right about him. I’ve been waiting for Mr. Broodingpants to pull his head out of his ass and rejoin the living so that he can get a feel for him.”
As Ian rambled on about his suspicions over the new charge, Hunter could feel Talia’s eyes burn into the back of his head. She felt anxious to get his attention and to talk to him, find out where he had been and if he was okay. Her emotions were overwhelming and he could feel them press against him, as if she was standing behind him, wrapping her arms around his entire body. His need to go to her became so strong that he could no longer resist and without a word, he stood and walked over to the table where she sat among a small group of new charges.
Feelings of awe and intimidation slammed into him as the charges all stared up at him, shocked that he had approached them. The woman to Talia’s right was hoping he’d come over to make her his new pet. The idea was a huge turn-on for her and she was disappointed that no one had approached her yet. The couple that sat across from her were both terrified and tried to appear unimpressed by his presence, and the man next to them stared up at Hunter as if he were the most delicious man he had ever seen. None of them were important to him. He had come here to see Talia and it appeared his only obstacle would be the man Ian had ranted about who had tightened his hold on Talia’s hand as he watched Hunter’s approach.
As far as Hunter could tell, the Seer did not have any ill intent in his heart, but Ian was right. There was something off about him that Hunter could not quite put his finger on.
When he finally allowed his eyes to meet hers, a flood of emotions washed through him. She was angry, hurt, pleased to see him, and anxious to be alone with him. Fear lingered in her mind and she was on the verge of having a breakdown. She had numerous things that she wanted to tell him, but she feared that he did not want to be a part of her life because of who she was. She also felt embarrassed that the young Josef was holding her hand. Hunter watched her casually pull away and slide her hand onto her lap, out of his reach, and when Josef shot a dark glare up at Hunter, he could feel the anger and jealousy pulse through him.
The Seer did not have any emotional feelings toward Talia, at least not any that Hunter could detect. Rather his feelings for her were more of ownership, like she belonged to him and Hunter was there to steal his property. It was unsettling.
“Can I speak with you?” was all he could say.
A smile curled at the corners of her mouth. She nodded, stood, and walked over to stand beside him. Josef stood with her as if he would be joining them, but Talia shook her head at him and he sat back in his chair, anger burning in his eyes.
In silence the two walked out of the Main Hall and just as the doors closed behind them, Hunter felt Hope’s sorrow, for she believed he was about to make a mistake that he would not be able to recover from.
* * * *
As they walked side by side down the corridor, Talia timidly reached out and laced her fingers through his. At her touch, Hunter nearly crumbled to his knees. He had spent his time away attempting to cleanse himself of his need for her, but in that very moment, it was as if a dam had burst and everything he had been feeling came flooding through. For the first time in his life, he was truly confused and unsure. He did not know this woman, but a piece of him felt as though she had always been a part of his life. She was pure and honest and did not hide her true nature when she was around him. She did not shy away from her desires and the regal aura about her made her that much more appealing. Hunter had desired her even when she had lain motionless down in the chambers and it disturbed him that this side of his gift controlled him more than he controlled it.
The two continued to walk down the maze of corridors in silence and Hunter allowed Talia to lead the way. He knew she was taking him to her room and he did not resist. His desire to be alone with her was in control and as much as he thought he should protest, he couldn’t.
When they finally reached the door flanked by two glowing lamps, she turned to face him, pressing her back against the door.
“Will you come in?” Her voice was laced with desire, but she also had other reasons for wishing to be alone with him. There was something frightening her and for whatever reason, she trusted him. He nodded and they stepped through the door and into her room. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness held off by one candle, he could see that her room was not unlike all of the others. Her bed was to the left, her chair was to the right, and straight ahead sitting underneath a hidden and barred window was a table with a pitcher of water and a glass. Off in the far corner was another small table and atop that one was a small glass bowl. It was similar to the one in his room but the notable difference was that hers housed a flourishing green plant while his held nothing but dirt.
Waking Beauty [Windsong Keep] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 7