Genesis

by Christie Rich

“In human terms, Mid-Atlantic, I suppose.”

  Great. Another island.

  “You misunderstand.” His light brown eyes shone with mischief. “Uldran is unlike any place you have ever been. In fact, it might be possible you have heard legends about my home.”

  I scoured my brain for legends that involved islands or the Atlantic Ocean. The only one that made any sense to me was Atlantis. Was he actually implying it was under water?

  Again, he nodded. How was that possible? I imagined glass domes one crack away from making me a permanent fixture of the ocean floor.

  Taylor laughed. “You have seen too many movies. Uldran is one of the safest places on this planet.” When I stared at him warily, he continued, “You will have to see it for yourself.”

  I shifted uncomfortably on my too comfortable seat and inhaled slowly. One of my biggest fears is drowning. Cassie helped me learn how to swim, but that was in the safety of a pool no deeper than twelve feet. “How are we going to get there?” I tried to laugh, but even to me, my voice sounded strained. “I don’t suppose your carriages can morph into submarines?”

  He moved swiftly to my side, tucking a finger under my chin. With a gentle force, he lifted my gaze to his. “I have given up much to have a chance with you. I would hardly let you drown.” He took my hands between his, which only managed to make breathing harder than it already was. “You are forgetting one very important point, my dear.”

  I eyed him warily. “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “You have the power to drain the oceans if you wish. The elements are yours to command.”

  I kept my yeah right to myself and said instead, “It doesn’t always work for me.”

  “That’s merely because you have little experience. You lack the knowledge, but more importantly, the faith. I will teach you as much as I am able given the short time we have together.”

  Despite my anxiety about being with him for so long, I found him interesting. I was going to try to keep an open mind because I knew I wouldn’t be doing myself any favors by being pigheaded about him. He might just surprise me.

  Chapter Two

  At last the carriages rolled to a stop, so I chanced a peek into the everlasting daylight. We were nowhere near water as far as I could see. A thick tree line hugged the road, which, unfortunately, made it hard to tell exactly where we were.

  Taylor joined me at the window, his ear nearly touching mine. The heat from his body warmed my arm, making my unease at his closeness spike.

  When I glanced at him, he gave me a smile better suited to the devil. Charming was this guy’s middle name. Once I got over my dislike of his formality, I decided he wasn’t such a bad guy. He had been gracious enough to teach me how to strengthen my mental barriers even if he hadn’t known he was doing it at the time. I laughed thinking about how he had reacted when I figured it out.

  As it turned out, I had been trying too hard, just like Heath had told me. Crap. I didn’t want to think about him right now. What was I going to do if, in the end, he didn’t want me and I was still stuck on him?

  He seemed to be all I could think about which annoyed me. Even though I was pretty sure Taylor couldn’t hear my inner turmoil any longer, I needed to get my thoughts under control.

  We had just started on what turned out to be not so long of a journey, only a few hours really, when he let it slip that I had overcooked my barriers. I adjusted them and just like that I felt an immediate difference. My mind felt like my own again even though I hadn’t noticed the intrusion in the first place. I know. It didn’t make sense to me either.

  Taylor hadn’t let on that he knew what I had done, but I felt safer with my thoughts. He shifted on the seat beside me, his knee touching mine as if we were old friends.

  “From here, we drift.”

  His matter of fact statement caught me off guard. “But I haven’t ever been there before. How will I know where it is?” My fears overtook me. How will I not be swallowed up by the ocean when I go too far?

  He gave me a placid look. “I will guide you.”

  But I didn’t exactly trust him. Recent events let me know I was a bit too gullible for my own good. Heath had shown me the island before we drifted there to save Zach and Luke. I grunted, why did all my thoughts have to return to him?

  I studied Taylor for his reaction. “I want to see it.”

  “And ruin the surprise. I don’t think so. You will have to put your faith in me. It is the least you could do considering all you have been willing to do while with my brothers.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “That’s not the point, my lady. I wish to guide you…” His mouth turned in a frown. “Please.”

  For heaven’s sake. Why was I even considering this? I took his outstretched hand, readying myself for the trip.

  Without another word I was floating on a stream of matter. The movement sent my world teetering and my equilibrium on vacation. It still amazed me I could think and feel while disassembled or whatever happened to my body during this process. What a way to travel. I supposed it was probably like teleportation, but I really couldn’t say just how long my molecules were freed. I was also amazed every time they seemed to be all in place once we found our destination. The process couldn’t take more than a few seconds, but it seemed so much longer.

  Somehow, I figured I’d be soaked when we landed in Uldran. To my surprise, I was completely dry. When I opened my eyes, my mouth gaped.

  “Wait,” I said. “I thought you told me we would be under water.”

  “We are,” was Taylor’s helpful reply.

  “Bull crap.” We were in a field full of flowers. The grass reached my armpits. I mean we were supposed to be under the ocean.

  He laughed. “Look closer.”

  I nearly fell over tipping my head back. No way. What I had initially taken as sky was undoubtedly water above me. Swarms of glowing fish littered the space over us. Taylor guided me out of the field and onto a dirt road. From where I was standing, I could have been on any country lane with trees and flowers and everything. The colors were vibrant like Lombarda, but the air was different. It pushed at my skin, a bit like humidity, yet it was more oppressive. I eyed the unending water again questioning my sanity.

  “This is impossible.”

  Taylor squeezed my fingers, motioning me forward. “I brought you here first to allow you ample time to adjust to your surroundings. Up ahead is Escara, the capitol of Uldran. My estate is not too far. It’s on the outskirts of the city. Would you like to continue on foot?”

  I nodded, not able to do much else at the moment. In a funny way the schools of fish seemed like passing clouds if I didn’t focus on them.

  Oh, who was I trying to kid. This was just too weird for words. Here I was, on the bottom of the ocean, and I didn’t feel a bit different, except for the usual disorientation that comes when I drift. I hoped at some point my body was going to get used to traveling this way. Until then I would be left as disoriented as if I had ridden one too many carnival rides.

  A sudden flash of nausea hit me. My stomach clamped into a fist. When I stopped abruptly, Taylor was right by my side.

  “Are you unwell, my lady?”

  “I…I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  “It is most likely the pressure. Your body will adjust soon.” When his arm snaked around my waist, I’m ashamed to admit I leaned into him. It was only for support, so I hoped he wouldn’t mistake it for affection.

  “How far have we gone, anyway?”

  “All the way,” he said, grinning before he waggled his eyebrows at me playfully.

  Like the idiot I was impersonating I stumbled. His hand snaked out to right me.

  Who was this man, and what had he done with the stern, formal lord I had met at St. Mary’s College? Okay, so maybe I should have worded my question better. I laughed, cuffing him on the shoulder. “That’s not possible! I’d be dead right now.”

  He shook his head, laughter creasing the co
rners of his eyes. “You are still thinking in human terms. You are not human, Rayla. When are you going to accept this about yourself?”

  Not human. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to accept that no matter how many weird things happened to me. I raised a hand skyward. “But how does this work? I don’t see any structures holding the water back.”

  He shot me a speculative look. “What would you do if I told you there isn’t any?”

  I’d normally tell him to stop being so ridiculous, but considering what I was seeing, I couldn’t do that. “Then what is?”

  “Will.”

  I pursed my lips together then pulled in a long breath. “Let me get this straight. You’re telling me that the minute you all stop concentrating on keeping the water at bay…” I swept my arm sideways for emphasis. “All of this will be swallowed up?”

  A spark of something curious flickered across his face as if I was missing some sort of inside joke. “It will be easier for me to show you, but now, my lady, you have many eager people waiting patiently in my courtyard to meet you.”

  I shook my head. Of course there were. I wasn’t ready to be bombarded by people already. “Can’t I get settled first?”

  His expression hardened instantly. “No.”

  “What if I refuse?”

  “Go ahead. You will still meet my followers.”

  I glanced at him sidelong. His jaw was set, but not as tight as his shoulders. I sighed. “Fine, but I want to rest afterward.”

  “Agreed.”

  He pulled me into motion. Before long we were at a simple garden gate that led to fields overflowing with flowers and grasses. Off in the distance a vast structure sat atop a hill. Something just occurred to me. If we were really beneath the ocean with so much water between us and the sun, where was the light coming from? A soft glow enveloped everything it touched from the trees to the grass to Taylor.

  I might as well have been watching one of those old time movies where women’s faces were filtered to look more becoming. The strange effect intrigued me, but I was already a bit overwhelmed to ask him about it at the moment. How could trees, any ordinary plants, for that matter, grow on the bottom of the ocean?

  “We don’t have much farther,” Taylor said out of nowhere. “However, if you would like, we could drift.”

  Wait a minute. A statement like that could only mean one thing. I whirled on him. “You’re still reading my freaking mind, aren’t you?”

  He shrugged sheepishly.

  “Seriously!” I had just lost any amount of trust I had gained with him.

  He stopped and placed a hand at my elbow. “I merely seek to know you better, Rayla. I cannot give less than my best effort to claim you. For my people.”

  I looked him square in the eyes. “What about for you?” The last thing I wanted was to tie myself to someone I didn’t love, or worse yet, to someone who didn’t love me.

  “Love!” he spat. “Do you know the damage that has been done in the name of love? Could you even understand the horrors I have witnessed—all committed for love. I will take friendship, loyalty…devotion before I would seek after something so fragile.”

  Now we were getting somewhere. “You just admitted it. You don’t want me.”

  “That is not the point.”

  “It is to me. Taylor…” I took his fingers between mine. “Taveon—”

  He stopped me with a raised hand. Something dangerous lay within his expression. “Call me Taylor.”

  I frowned. “Why?”

  He shrugged. “I would prefer it.”

  Okay. That was weird. I shook my head at him. “Let’s get this straight between us, Taylor. I will not give myself freely to anyone for less than love. People are flawed, not love. Love just is. If you let it into your heart, you might find that you can’t live without it.”

  He whirled away from me without commenting. When I didn’t immediately follow him, he turned, shoving a hand at me. “We are expected. Come.”

  Great, another man treating me as if I were his dog. I was just going to have to get through this. So much for keeping an open mind. I couldn’t live with this man knowing I could have more with someone else.

  Before I could think anything else, Taylor transported us into the middle of a multitude of people. He smiled sweetly for the crowd, yet animosity pulsated from him like an errant sun. No one else seemed to notice. How could he disguise his feelings so well? If I hadn’t been part of our conversation, I would have thought he had enjoyed our little stroll simply because of the artful smile on his lips.

  Deceit was something I couldn’t take. I’d already had so much from every lord I had encountered. Even with as open as Heath had been about his motives, I knew he was hiding something from me. They all were.

  Why couldn’t they just say what they wanted? Why all the underhanded tactics? Besides, if this was simply about power, Taylor should have his fair share now.

  Taylor cleared his throat loud enough to startle me before his arm clamped around my shoulders. “Everyone, allow me to introduce Rayla. She will be our guest for a few weeks, and, creator willing, she will choose to become one of us.”

  The people engulfed me, offering smiling faces full of friendly comments. I tried not to let my uncertainty show, but who knows if it worked. After initial greetings, Taylor led me to a patio where lunch was being served.

  Good thing too, because I was starving. Heavenly aromas wafted around me, making my hunger ten times worse. He pulled a chair out for me then settled beside me, his elbow nearly touching mine. I didn’t get to enjoy the food much with all the questions in my head tormenting me. I shoved the game hen into my mouth as fast as I could manage and slurped it down with whatever punch they provided. I hadn’t even been here a day, yet I couldn’t wait to leave. The people were nice enough, but what was the point in me being here?

  Taylor had already made it clear to me that there was no use in trying with him.

  “Rayla,” he said, his sharp tone bringing me back to the present. He slid his fingers around the stem of his glass then tugged in a drawn out sip of his drink before he spoke again. He was studying me, his honey eyes distant. “Would you like to get settled now?”

  He didn’t have to say another word. I stood, pushing back my chair, and suddenly, he was right beside me, guiding me up some stairs toward his modest estate. It was smaller than Roger Wayne’s place, yet it was just as nice. The structure was made of something I didn’t recognize, but the sparkling black stone rivaled the glowing air.

  Once inside, he led me down the hall to an understated bedroom, especially compared to what I had seen in Ignis and Lombarda. It was maybe twelve by twelve with a full sized bed up against one wall. I smiled. There was a comfortable feel to the space.

  “The washroom is around the corner. You will find all you need inside. I have taken the liberty to obtain a few of your things from your room back at school.”

  I snapped my eyes toward his. “You did?” When did he have time to do that?

  “I wish for you to be comfortable here.”

  I never expected such a kindness from him, not in a million years. I decided now was a perfect time to study the intricate patchwork quilt Aunt Grace had given me. I hadn’t even recognized it. “Thank you,” I said, sounding shy even to me.

  He didn’t say anything else before he closed the door softly behind him, leaving me to the silence. Maybe I had misjudged Taylor. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore: who I loved, who I didn’t. How could I be sure with compulsion hanging over me, making me feel things that weren’t real?

  I cased the room, looking for my stuff. He had brought everything I left behind at St. Mary’s College. Tears formed in my eyes. I still didn’t feel connected to him, but he didn’t deserve to be treated like a jerk when he wasn’t one. I made a mental note to try harder.

  Clutching my favorite sweats and t-shirt, I headed for the shower. No one lingered in the hallway when I peeked around the door. This was just what
I needed. Time to myself. Time to think about what I really wanted, but more importantly, time to discover how I was going to get it.

  The water warmed my skin, releasing tied up muscles in my back. Man, I was uptight. Fate of the world stuff was draining, especially when people kept me purposefully ignorant. Wait. What if Taylor would tell me what the prophecy said?

  Did I even want to know what it said anymore?

  My muscles knotted again. I breathed in slowly, realizing it didn’t matter what was in the prophecy. I make my own fate. I was not predictable. Even Tabitha had said that, so who cared what she had said millennia before. I had planned on getting some rest, but what I really needed was answers. Hopefully, Taylor would give me some.

  I found Taylor sitting in an office, to my surprise, up to his elbows in paperwork. Somehow, I thought the fae would be above all that. A pleasant breeze full of the fragrance of summer sunshine met me in the hall. The soft light sifting through the open windows haloed him in gold. He really was something to behold.

  Unfortunately, that frown of his would have cut lasting lines into his face if he were human. Seems I wasn’t the only one uptight.

  I gave a timid knock on the door even though I probably should have turned around. As if I had pulled him from an abyss of utter darkness, he smiled groggily at me.

  Taking no time at all to stand, his eyebrows pulled together in concern. “Rayla, why are you not resting? Is your room not to your liking?”

  I stepped into the small office, meeting him halfway. “It’s nothing like that. I just wanted to thank you for bringing my things here and…talk to you.”

  His lips turned in a delighted smile, all evidence of distress washed away. He gestured for me to sit then did the same. “I am pleased that you are pleased. I will gladly get you anything else you need.” An awkward moment passed between us, cementing the reality we were strangers, before he smiled again. “What do you wish to speak about?”

  I didn’t even really know at this point, but I plunged in anyway. “I have a proposition for you.”