“When are your parents getting back?” Talking to Stan would probably be the easiest way to get to the bottom of the mystery.
“Before the baby is born.”
“What? Why would they leave for so long?” I had trouble imagining Emma wanting to take a vacation while Charlotte was pregnant.
“Because they know they won’t want to leave once the baby gets here.” Charlotte crossed her legs.
“Congratulations by the way,” Ainsley said softly. “I forgot to say that.”
Charlotte smiled. “Thanks. It hasn’t really hit me yet.”
“Yes it has.” Liam put a hand on her back. “You know it’s happening.”
“Knowing something is happening is different than it actually hitting you.”
“Completely different.” Ainsley smiled.
“What’s the plan?” Ainsley asked. “When am I going home?”
“You cannot go home until I know it is safe.” I did not try to soften my words. She needed to understand how dangerous the situation was. “Those men are not the only ones.”
“We need to figure out why Ainsley was targeted, and why Blake’s followers are suddenly coming out of hiding. They’ve laid dormant for years.” Liam moved to standing.
“I can try to go undercover. Find out what I can.” I didn’t want to leave Ainsley, but I had no other ideas.
“Absolutely not!” Charlotte jumped out of her seat. “You are far too recognizable. They could kill you.”
Liam put an arm around her. “Relax, he isn’t going to do that because he won’t want to leave Ainsley.”
“You aren’t ditching me.” Ainsley gave me a stern look. “You promised you wouldn’t.”
“You are determined to go home. I’m trying to find the quickest way to make that happen.”
“There are other ways.” Liam looked toward the doorway. “I need to call the Guard together.”
“The giant Guard.” Charlotte laughed.
“The Guard? My guess is that has something to do with Guardians and James’ glowing sword?” I looked directly at James. “Don’t forget explaining all of that to me was part of the deal.” Unsurprisingly, Ainsley still wanted answers to her questions.
“How about I do the honors?” Liam suggested. “I was the most out of the loop when I found out, so I think I can explain it in the simplest terms.”
“Be my guest.” Talking still hurt my ribs a little, so I had no problem letting Liam explain this part.
He pulled a chair over right next to the one Charlotte was in. They both sat down. “Right now you are in Energo.”
“But the city is Bellgard?” Ainsley shifted on the couch.
“Yes.” Liam nodded. “Energo is run by the Essence.”
“And that’s Charlotte?” Ainsley looked at her.
“Yes. That’s Charlotte.” Liam took Charlotte’s hand. “And I’m her Gerard.”
“And what do those terms mean? Essence and Gerard?”
“The Essence is like a queen, except it’s not just a title. Charlotte has all sorts of supernatural abilities that help her keep things in order,” Liam explained proudly.
“What kind of abilities?”
“I can manipulate the elements.” Charlotte explained. “It sounds cooler than it is.”
“That sounds unbelievable. Literally unbelievable.”
“Show her something.” I crossed my arms.
“Sure. I’ll be right back.” Charlotte dashed out of the room and returned with a glass half full with water. “You see this?”
“It’s a glass of water.” Ainsley rested her hands in her lap.
“Exactly.” Charlotte put it down on the table. She appeared to focus on it, and moments later the glass shattered, but the water remained in the shape of the glass.
“Wait, that’s ice?” Ainsley hobbled off the couch to look at the remains of the glass. “You just froze the water?”
“Yes. I can do things like that.”
“Can you too?” Ainsley looked at Liam.
He shook his head. “Nope, but I’m connected to Charlotte. I have the enhanced strength necessary to protect her.”
“Cool. A world run by a super powerful woman.”
“That’s a great way to describe it.” Charlotte grinned. “Liam is strong as he explained, and as my Gerard, he is the leader of my Guard. The Guard is the group of men tasked with protecting me.”
“So still some sexism.”
“Yes. You can’t have it all, right? It isn’t my choice or anything. A greater power decides who’s on the Guard, but we don’t have to go into all that today.”
“I’m the one who’s supposed to be explaining this.” Liam jumped back in. “An Essence is supposed to have ten Guardians, but Charlotte ended up short changed.”
“They are all great, so no complaints.” Charlotte smiled.
“No complaints?” I raised an eyebrow. “You complain about it constantly.”
“Ok, I do. But that’s only to annoy you guys.”
Ainsley laughed. “James was right about one thing.”
“Oh yeah?” This I had to hear.
“I like Charlotte. You told me I would.” Ainsley seemed content and more relaxed.
Charlotte smiled. “I knew you had a soft spot for me, James.”
“You two are eerily alike. It scares me a little.” I looked over at Ainsley. She rubbed her eyes. “Do you think we can save the rest of the meeting for tomorrow? Call the rest of the Guard then?”
“Yes. We’ll put out extra security.”
“Do you still want someone to look at your ankle, Ainsley?” Charlotte asked.
“Not tonight. It already feels better. I think if I stay off it, it might just heal.”
Charlotte smiled, and I knew she had something to do with Ainsley’s ankle feeling better. “Let’s get you set up then.”
“Set up? Like in a room?”
Charlotte nodded. “Ready?”
“I promise you will be safe here.” I looked her right in the eyes. “And I will see you first thing in the morning.”
“Where are you going?” Ainsley froze.
“Home. It’s not far from here.”
“Wait. Can’t you stay here too? In the castle?”
“Absolutely. James can stay in the room next to yours.” Charlotte gave me her trademark don’t argue with me look. She didn’t need to. I wanted to remain close to Ainsley.
“Got a bandage wrap, Liam?”
“Yeah, walk with me. Let’s let Charlotte get Ainsley settled.”
I nodded.
“Can you stop in before you go to sleep?” Ainsley asked quietly.
“Of course.” I’d have agreed to anything in that moment.
17
Ainsley
I was in a castle. I was in a giant medieval style fairytale castle, and I wasn’t dreaming. I gave up on that idea when I twisted my ankle. The pain was all too real.
I’d thanked Charlotte about a thousand times when she showed me up the sweeping staircase and down the hall to an absolutely beautiful bedroom. A huge wood bed was situated in the center of the room, but it didn’t take up even half the space. A roaring fire was set up in a stone fireplace.
“This is one of the modernized rooms.” Charlotte grinned. “My mom had installed one modern bathroom. When I became Essence I had another three changed.”
“Oh wow. I hadn’t thought about that.” At least I’d be able to use a normal bathroom.
“There are lots of things I love about Energo, but the lack of modern plumbing isn’t one of them.” She nodded toward a closed door. “It’s right through there.”
“Ok, thanks.”
“I think we’re close in size.” Charlotte opened the door to a large armoire that housed some formal dresses. “These should fit you.”
“Thanks so much. I have my bag too.” Someone had dropped it off in the hallway.
“I know you have your own clothes, but if you don’t mind, it would be be
tter if you blended in.”
“I don’t mind, but are you sure you are okay with me borrowing your stuff?”
“Absolutely. Any friend of James’ is a friend of mine.”
“You really care about him.” I watched her face for any sign of her hiding things. She seemed so genuine, and I wanted to believe her words were real.
“I do.”
“Is it because he’s your Guardian?” Somehow her answer mattered. If she trusted him, then my trust seemed more rational.
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s because he’s proven himself to be a great friend. I can’t imagine life without him, and I wouldn’t be alive if he hadn’t saved me.” She wiped away a tear.
“Are you okay?”
“Sorry. Pregnancy hormones. I was thinking about a time when I thought I had lost him.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say, so I took a moment to respond. “I take it he gets himself into dangerous situations a lot?”
“Yes, that time he’d been protecting me.”
“Oh wow.” It wasn’t hard to imagine James as the hero. He’d already saved me.
“Yeah. He takes his job seriously.”
“He seems down on himself though.”
“James?” She asked with surprise.
“Yeah, underneath his confident shell.”
She nodded. “It’s because of his dad. He’s convinced he has to prove himself, but what he doesn’t seem to accept is he’s already proven himself. He’s a good guy.”
“I don’t know what to believe.”
“But you like him?” She sat down on the end of my bed.
“I do, but I shouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Where do I start?”
She laughed. “Anywhere you want.”
“I barely know him. He’s from a different world. He kind of kidnapped me.”
“You will get to know him. You are in that different world now, but is it really all that different? And he didn’t kidnap you to hurt you. He brought you here to protect you.”
“Does he like me?” The words were out without thinking. I knew there was something brewing between us, but I couldn’t avoid some doubts that he was this way with other girls too.
“Like you? That’s the understatement of the century. Or more than a century. He’s crazy about you.”
“Will I get home?”
“Eventually? Yes. Tomorrow? No.”
“That’s honest.”
“I try to be. I know what it’s like to feel out of your element. I was terrified my first night here. Not only was I in a new place, but I found out that everything I thought I knew about my family, and in some ways myself, was a lie.”
“Yeah, I don’t have those other things, but I know what you mean.”
“You will get home, and we’ll get to the bottom of this. You are officially under our protection now, so no one will hurt you.”
“Thank you.”
“For?”
“Being so nice to me.”
“You are a guest in my home, and a friend of James’.” She smiled. “But I’ll let you sleep.”
“With all the modernization there’s still no electricity?” I pointed at the large sconce on the wall. She’d left a lit small lantern next to my bed.
“No. I couldn’t bear to do that.”
“Are there matches or anything to relight the lantern if I need to?”
“Yes.” She showed me where a box of matches waited in the nightstand drawer. “But you shouldn’t need these because the lantern will last through the night unless you purposely blow it out. And James will be right next door. He isn’t a sound sleeper. I am sure he will be in here in a second if you need him.”
“Is that supposed to be reassuring?”
She laughed. “Eventually you’ll learn to trust him.”
“You say that with such confidence.”
“I can tell these things.”
“Because you’re the Essence?” I still didn’t really understand what she was, but I’d seen her freeze water with her mind. She was definitely something more than a regular human.
“Partially, but also because your feelings are obvious. The chemistry between the two of you is intense.”
“So I wasn’t imagining the electricity?”
“Not at all.” She stood up. “Sleep well.”
“Thank you, you too.”
“Thanks.” She walked out the doorway and closed the door behind her.
18
Ainsley
I dug through my bag and pulled out my toiletries and a t-shirt. James hadn’t packed me pajamas to sleep in, but then again I hadn’t given him much time.
I eyed the closed door. I didn’t see a lock so I took my t-shirt and toiletries over to the door I assumed led to the bathroom. I grabbed the candle and hobbled over to the bathroom door.
The bathroom was modernized in that it had plumbing, but the claw foot tub and porcelain sink made the bathroom appear to come from another era. I couldn’t complain. At least the toilet would flush.
The thought of a bath sounded fantastic, but I was afraid of making myself that vulnerable. Sleeping would make me vulnerable too, but I wouldn’t be doing that naked. I used the bathroom and considered my next move.
I pulled off my sweater, fully intending to change when I noticed the dirt on my neck. I was going to have to take a bath.
I turned on the water, hopeful it was warm, and it was. I let the tub fill with the warm water. I squirted in some body wash I found on the counter to create some bubbles and finished undressing.
I winced as I stepped into the tub, but the soothing warm water made it worth putting weight on my ankle. I closed my eyes and leaned back. I took long, deep breaths, trying to relax.
It didn’t work. My eyes flew open. I’d gotten in the tub without checking for a towel. The thought of getting out of the tub into the cold without a towel chilled me. Despite the modern plumbing, the heat left something to be desired.
I tried to forget about the towel and enjoy the bath until I thought of something worse than getting cold. If someone walked in I’d have absolutely no way to quickly cover myself. I seemed to always find a way to take a bad situation and make it worse.
A loud knock on the door made my fear a reality. “Ainsley?” James called out my name from the doorway.
I groaned. It wasn’t his fault. I had asked him to stop by. “I’m in here.” Maybe he’d be the solution to the towel problem.
The door to the bathroom opened. “Oh, hey.” He looked at me and then away, and then back at me.
“Could you do me a favor?”
“Does that favor involve helping you with a bath?” He grinned.
“It involves you finding me a towel.”
“Oh. I can help with that too.” He walked out of the bathroom and returned a minute later with a plush white towel. “Anything else I can help you with?”
“This is plenty. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Finding a towel wasn’t too difficult of a task.”
“Well thanks for that, but also thanks for everything else. For saving me.”
He sat down on a seat next to the tub. I should have been embarrassed about him being so close to me in the bath with only bubbles hiding me, but for some reason I wasn’t. Maybe it was that the only light came from my lantern.
“I only wish you had not run off, but I do not blame you.”
“My life is insane.”
“So is mine. Welcome to the club.”
“Did you find out anything else?” I moved my hand around in the water.
“Not yet. All I did was this.” He lifted his white cotton shirt to reveal his wrapped and taped up ribs.
“Feeling better?”
“Somewhat. How about you?”
“Much. I probably will regret this bath though.”
“Why?”
“Getting out of it.”
“You have help.” He smiled sheepish
ly.
“Yeah, no.”
“Would you prefer that I get a maid?”
“I don’t want to put anyone out.” I also had no idea who the maids were. At least I knew James.
“Then I guess you are stuck with me.”
“It’s going to be cold.”
“The fire is lit. That should help.” He shifted on the seat. “Let me know when you are ready to get out. I can either disappear or help you out.”
“Could you close your eyes and help me?”
He laughed. “You believe me to be that talented?”
“I hope you are.” I wasn’t looking forward to getting out with my busted ankle.
“I can close my eyes and hold out a hand so you can stand. I will hand you your towel, and then I will open my eyes and help you out.”
“Great plan.”
“You ready now?”
“I’m ready.” I pulled out the drain plug. I waited until James closed his eyes before reaching for his hand. I leaned on him and moved to standing. He held out my towel. I dried off quickly and wrapped it around me. “You can open them now.”
He opened his eyes and lifted me out of the tub. I expected him to put me down in the bathroom, but he carried me all the way over to my bed. “How is that for service?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Yes, because it was such a hardship to help a beautiful woman from a bathtub.”
“I mean with everything. If it’s true I’m in danger, isn’t this a lot to protect me?”
“I care about you. I care about your well-being.”
“Do you normally care this much about a girl you barely know?” I didn’t really want to hear the answer.
“I usually don’t care at all.” He sat down next to me on the bed. “You have an effect on me.”
“I do?” I smiled and looked away. “Oh. I left my shirt in the bathroom.”
“I will get it as well as your other stuff.” He jumped off the bed before I could stop him.
He returned holding my clothes as well as the lantern. He placed the lantern back on the bed stand. “Should I take this as my cue to leave?”
I found myself shaking my head. “Not if you can turn around for a minute.”
Forged in Stone Page 13