by Shania Tyler
Ethan nodded silently but then began to shake his head and say, “You know, I can’t go back without you, right?”
Kelly tilted her head. “Why not?”
“I’m your protector. Assigned to you by a goddess. I can’t quit because you know. You don’t have the authority to dismiss me.”
Kelly frowned. “I don’t need your protection anymore.”
“Why?” Ethan asked and then he leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Why? Because the vampire is going to protect you?”
Kelly said nothing, because yes, that was exactly what she’d been thinking. “My purpose is here. Yours is not.”
Ethan sighed and said, “Kelly, you are my purpose.” And he did not seem pleased by this.
The door opened and Maurice strolled through. His cocky grin was in place and he dropped right in the middle of the couch, taking up the space between Kelly and Ethan before asking, “What’s up?”
Kelly stared at Maurice and rolled her eyes. He creeped her out, and he’d almost killed Ethan. She doubted she would ever forgive him for that.
Ethan cut in. “Hey, man, we were trying to have a private conversation.”
Maurice turned to him, “Sorry, cousin, but privacy time is over.”
“Cousin?” Ethan asked.
Maurice nodded slowly. “I’m House of Jinn, too.”
Kelly’s forehead wrinkled. “So, that means you . . .”
Maurice looked over and grinned. “Kill things.”
Decay. And if Ethan was of the same bloodline, then he could heal, but then she looked down at the hand he’d bandaged himself.
“Why isn’t Ethan’s hand healing if he is House of Jinn?”
“Well,” Maurice said, settling further into the couch. “He would have had to visit the Temple of Jinn to have his gift ‘unlocked’ and he can only do it during the Year of Blessings, which happens every one hundred years.”
Kelly took a breath. “When is the next Year of Blessings?”
“It’s happening right now,” Mason said as he walked into the room, followed by Theo, another man she was upset with; Noel, who’d she’d met briefly in the foyer; and about twenty other men who took positions in the corners of the room. Mason kept his brown eyes averted from her and Kelly wondered if he’d ever get used to her blood, or whatever he was reacting to.
Mason walked over to a chair that would keep some distance between himself and Kelly. “I’ve news I thought would be wise to share with everyone so that I don’t have to repeat myself later.”
Ethan leaned forward eagerly as Mason explained what Lanzo had told him before he left. He deliberately didn’t mention the head that had come with the message for Kelly’s sake. She’d gone through enough that night and he didn’t wish to put more on her.
Had it been his way, Kelly would have avoided seeing death entirely. He’d been in America plenty in the past and knew people there were not used to seeing public duels or executions, at least not the past few generations of humans. She’d been sheltered, he was sure, and could only guess at how she wasn’t jumping from her chair and searching for a way out.
He knew it was only a matter of time. She’d been exposed to too much all at one and would scare easily—
“So, what’s next?” she asked, looking him directly in the eye. Yes, there was hesitation, but there was also strength in her.
Theo, who’d been standing by the fireplace, said, “Without a blood key, there’s no way to meet Davor in Ember’s Woods. We will have to wait until he returns.”
Mason nodded. Ember’s Woods was sacred ground south of Morwen and protected by a group of elves the Evaness could not capture. They were powerful shifters, like the stories of nymphs; they were able to change in the blink of an eye, transforming from plant to animal in an instant. And they hated vampires, which meant that Mason had to send one of the Rebel’s elves to parley.
Davor would hopefully return with news that it was safe to enter and then Mason would take Kelly to Talon Island.
“Why are you going there?” Ethan asked suspiciously. He was a good protector. A trash boyfriend, but a good protector.
“To . . . consult with the gods.”
Kelly brightened at this, turning her body fully to him. Mason was more aware of her now than he’d been while holding her as he took her back to the mansion; he wondered how that was possible. He’s purposely put himself away from her in order to concentrate on business, but a turn of the head, her blonde hair a mix of whites and golds catching the firelight, and he was drawn to her. “I’ll meet the gods?”
She’d be more than meeting them. The sooner she was out of his presence the better. “Yes, you will.”
The meeting was dismissed and the men decided to celebrate the capturing of the traitor before they’d been found out. Mason was still upset about the loss of the key, but the men were right in tonight being a victory. It was only too bad that their victor could not be there with them. Lanzo had proven himself over and over again to deserve a seat at the main table. Only he, Theo, Lanzo, Noel, and their elf friend Davor, had the privilege . . . and now they would be adding Kelly, since Mason wished to keep her near . . . and Ethan, because he was her protector and would go nowhere without her.
“Can I talk to you?”
Mason turned around and found Ethan standing behind him. The elf looked very human, but Mason could smell his blood, just as he had the moment they’d first met. “What?”
Ethan cut to the chase. “What’re your plans for Kelly?”
Mason looked around to make sure they were the last two in the room before saying, “What do you mean?”
“Do you like her or are you just toying with your food?”
Mason kept his face blank. “I never play with food. No harm will come to Kelly under my care.”
Ethan placed his hands on his hip. “That’s not what I mean. She trusts you with her life.”
Mason raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Ethan continued. “Look, I may have not been the best boyfriend, but I’m not going to stand around and let her get played . . . again. You obviously mean something to her, so be straight. What’s your plan?”
Mason narrowed his eyes. “Do I need her protector’s permission to date her?”
“Yup.”
Mason studied Ethan’s face for a moment and the thought of how much he looked like Maurice hit him. Their facial structures were similar and so were their eyes, but Ethan’s hair was brighter than Maurice’s perhaps due to the sunlight on Earth. Both men annoyed him, which was probably the only reason Mason was seeing the similarities in the first place. Mason decided to see where this conversation with Ethan was going. “Are you still dating Kelly yourself?”
Ethan seemed caught off guard by the question, but his expression quickly changed and he said, “Would it stop you if I said ‘yes’?”
No. It hadn’t before and it wouldn’t now. It wasn’t something he was completely sure he could stop from happening. If she wasn’t his pava, he knew things would be different. He’d have guaranteed Ethan that he wouldn’t touch her . . . though he’d never stop looking at her. Kelly was beautiful, pava or not.
And if Mason were serious, the connection between him and Kelly wasn’t helping matters. Knowing she was his pava was scaring the hell out of him, and he feared that if they crossed the line . . .
He wouldn’t give her up. He’d keep her and damn the consequences.
He should be telling Ethan that he could have Kelly, promising to keep his hands and other body parts to himself, but the chances of any of that were impossible when all it took was a glance from Kelly to have him panting like a dog at her feet.
It was sickening.
He still wanted her.
Ethan grunted, as though he could read Mason’s mind. “That’s what I thought.”
Mason crossed his arms. “So, what would you say if I asked?”
“No,” Ethan said immediately as he got in Mason’s face. “You’re a
vampire and I don’t trust you, but besides that, there is something going on here. Something horribly wrong and I can feel it.”
“I’m surprised,” Mason whispered.
“At what?”
“You. Being able to feel when something was wrong. Haven’t you been lying to Kelly for years?” He’d asked to hurt Ethan—which it looked like it did, since the elf had backed up some—but he’d also asked because he was curious. Not much bothered Mason these days. Every now and again, something inside him moved, letting him know he might still be in possession of a soul if he hadn’t already given it to the darkness; however, then he’d remember his task and the sacrifices he was willing to make to succeed.
Kelly was slowly prying open the box to his heart with her tears and her strength, but he’d ignored his heart for a long time, and had presumed it to be buried it with his dead. So, he could make no promises that would relieve the elf. Ethan, like the wise pessimist he was, wouldn’t accept any of the garbage Mason was serving. Mason just had to find a way to get rid of him.
Mason started from the room. “You just concentrate on protecting her back. You were never good with her heart.” He knew his words had hit their mark when the sound of Ethan’s footsteps faded behind him.
He’d not made a friend of the elf tonight.
* * *
ACT TWO
KEPT
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
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Mason paused at the entrance to the great hall and watched Kelly as she leaned over and laughed at something Fedora had said. As the wife of Lanzo, and the only wife within the leadership, she was another honored member of their table.
The room was dark with candles spread everywhere and the smell of spiced foods for the Rebel elves floated in the air.
Kelly’s face was illuminated by the candle that was closest to her. She and Fedora had their heads bent over the table, staring at something, and Fedora was pointing and explaining. This was all happening as the other tables around the great hall were full of men drinking, shouting, and laughing about one thing or another.
Mason’s eyes slid two chairs over and saw that Ethan was talking to Theo, but the elf had left the chair between him and Kelly empty. This surprised him, but Mason wasn’t going to question it. He’d simply take what he was given when it came to Kelly.
He dropped into the chair beside her and leaned over to stare at the map that was spread out before the women. It was a map of Asea, and Fedora was pointing out the cities in the three continents.
Map of Asea
Fedora’s brown eyes turned to Kelly. “Some say the farther east one travels, the more savage it gets, but that is far from true.” Her Chabar accent was heavy. “I would say that the farther east you go, the more authentic the people.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Mason whispered in Kelly’s ear. “She’s from as far east as one could go.”
The place between Kelly’s thighs registered Mason’s presence before her mind ever had the chance to hear his words. She turned her head slowly in his direction and was warmed by the smile in his eyes.
She wanted to touch him and so she did.
Her hand reached for his under the table and she was startled to find that his had been searching for hers as well. It was like their minds and bodies were in sync, moving them closer toward one another. Their fingers laced, and Kelly felt cradled in his large fingers.
Fedora broke in. “Do not let yourself be fooled by the words of men. Salani is a wonderful city.”
Mason retorted, a smirk on his face, “Says a woman who is from the only city in the world that is made of only women.”
Kelly turned to Fedora. “There are only women in Salani?”
Fedora nodded. “Thousands, all of us beautiful, and all of us warriors.”
Kelly believed it. Fedora had a gorgeous tan and curly, black hair that flowed down her shoulders. Her brown eyes were sharp and surrounded by heavy lashes. “I’d love to go.”
“There isn’t much to see,” Mason quickly said. “It’s just desert.”
“But we have the best spices,” Fedora said.
“And harsh winters,” Mason replied.
Their bickering had Kelly’s head swinging back and forth to keep up, but she enjoyed listening to them talk. It was obvious they were friends.
Fedora winked and said, “He’s only saying this, because he would not be allowed in our city.”
“Because he’s a vampire?” Kelly asked.
“No, because he’s a man,” Fedora replied.
Kelly turned to him and asked, “Is this true?”
The glint in his eyes told her “yes” long before he said, “If you wish to visit, we will arrange it.”
“When?” Kelly asked.
Mason hesitated and then whispered, “A long . . . long time from now.”
He watched Kelly smile up at him and felt his reserve melt away as he leaned forward and stole a kiss. He’d thought he could control himself around her, but it had been impossible. She was near and his body’s response was the faithful chant of “get closer, get closer, get closer.” All his bravado from an hour ago turned to ash under the heat of her body.
Her lips were pliable underneath his own and he spread her mouth open so that he could taste her more fully and groaned when he felt her tongue entwine with his.
Kelly’s free hand, the one not holding his, gripped his neck, as if to anchor him to her, but she was a fool if she thought he was going anywhere. His own free hand moved to the small of her back and only the thought of picking her up and having his way with her on the table did the trick of knocking his mind back into reality.
He struggled, but eventually pulled away from her.
Each took a deep breath as they’d denied themselves breath while kissing.
Fedora whistled, “Lanzo and I don’t even kiss like that.” And that was saying a lot, since she and Lanzo seemed like they were starving for one another when they were close.
“What game are you playing?” came the whisper at his back from Ethan.
Mason didn’t reply, but at the single question, he knew he had to get rid of Ethan somehow.
Mason reached for his cup, needing something to entertain his mouth before he did something to embarrass them both . . . like show Kelly just where he wished to drink from her . . . The thought of his head between her thighs almost made him choke.
Kelly frowned as Mason coughed around his cup. “What is it?”
Once he’d finished his sip, he said, “It’s House Wine.”
She giggled. “With a house like this, I’d think they would serve something better.”
Mason laughed and said, “No, not house wine. House Wine.” Then he motioned to the room, to his men, and said, “We are celebrating and in celebrations, which are very rare, each man will drink of the wine of his house. My wine is from the fruit vines that surround the Temple of Seocan . . . though the temple is in ruins now.”
Kelly thought that nice. “What does it taste like?” she asked as her eyes moved to the cup. There was a symbol on it, a solar eclipse, and Kelly guessed it to be the symbol of his house.
He grinned, holding the cup by his lips, and said, “Well, I hate to brag—”
“I’m sure,” Kelly said.
“Like a Bordeaux that has been aged for twenty years. It is the best. Trasco, my home, grows the very best fruits. But every man is likely to say the same about their own House Wine, for that is the only House Wine they’ve ever tried.”
Kelly held out her hand. “Might I try it?”
Mason froze and a shadow passed over his face before he took another sip, all the while holding her eyes, and handed her the cup. “Mo’e’ouna a’al H’e ka o’vae.” Drink of me and wake. The words were whispered, but seemed loud to her ears.
Kelly took the cup from him and sipped. The moment the heavenly liquid touched her tongue, its warmth traveled down her thr
oat until it hit her stomach and sensation flooded her body. “Wow. This is good wine.”
“Oh, my gods,” Fedora whispered beside her harshly. “Did you just drink from his cup?”
“What?” This came from Ethan, who was on Mason’s other side, looking ready to commit murder. His eyes moved to the cup that Kelly held in her hand and back to her. “Did you drink his wine from his cup?”
It was then that Kelly realized the room was quiet and everyone was looking at her.
“Kelly?” Ethan called again, while standing up. “Did you drink from that cup?”
“Yes,” she murmured. Then she looked at Mason, who seemed entirely too calm. “Did I do something wrong?”
Mason beamed at her softly, “No.”
“Kelly!” Ethan shouted, moving from his chair. “Give me the cup and—”
“Touch the cup of my house and die,” Mason said, without ever taking his eyes off Kelly.
Kelly frowned at them both as her breathing grew ragged. She did not want to see Ethan in danger again. “Ethan, it’s no big deal. He offered me the cup.”
Ethan spoke through clenched teeth. “After he’d drunk from it himself?”
She nodded slowly and then looked around her before she whispered, “Ethan, you and I don’t go out anymore. If I want to drink from another guy—”
“No,” Ethan said. “It’s not that, it’s—”
“Kelly no longer answers to you,” Mason said, speaking in a calm and gentle voice. He’d even added a smile. “Kelly no longer requires your protection, Ethan. You may go back to Earth. The goddess’s wrath will not befall you.”
Kelly’s heart raced as she watched as Mason took the ring off his finger, took her hand, and slipped it on her thumb; the only one it would reasonably stay on. She stared at the ring and her heart began to race. She knew what rings meant in her world. Did they mean the same here?
She stared at the cup in her hand, wondering at its significance, wondering at the words Mason had spoken to her, Fedora’s outburst that had quickly followed after she drank from the cup, Ethan’s anger, his dismissal, and the quiet in the room..