Keegan moans. “By the grace, Asher. What about Eve? Did she see the flames?”
“Yes, but she also hit her head. I’m pretty sure I convinced her it was just a large black dog suffering from rabies and her injury was the reason her eyes were playing tricks with her.”
Abby let out a strangled laugh. “She isn’t stupid, Ash. Eve can’t possibly think it was just a crazy dog. Give her more credit than that. If she is suspicious, she’s going to keep at it until she gets answers.”
Asher sighs. “I know she’s stubborn, believe me. I see she’s like a dog with a bone, no pun intended, but we need to convince her, Abby. It’s for her protection,” he orders.
Silence. I’m about to walk into the room when Keegan’s imposing voice speaks, halting my movement.
“Why do you think Gage made contact with her?” Keegan asks with concern.
“I’m not sure,” Asher answers. “Whatever the reason, it can’t be good. He told me to tell Michael hello from Deacon.”
Stillness.
“Shit. So do we think he’s working with Deacon now?” Callan inquires.
“It’s possible. Deacon’s smart. He needs someone who’s well connected to get things done for his cause. Given Gage’s history, he would be the perfect partner,” Keegan offers.
“If Gage is with Deacon, what does Deacon want with Eve?” Abby asks with a nervous edge lining her question.
At the sound of my name, I move closer but still stay outside the room so I can’t be seen.
Asher heaves a sigh. “I honestly don’t know. Michael said we were the only ones to know who she is.”
“Well, as we know, the Dark Army is cunning. Do you think Deacon found out about Eve?” Callan queries.
“It’s plausible. We were attacked by a hellhound today. This thing is bigger than just our part. We should probably talk to Michael. Perhaps he can help guide us or at least shed some light on today’s events. We can’t protect her if we don’t know what we’re protecting her from,” Keegan states with authority.
I stand there confused, my heart racing. Who the hell are Michael and Deacon and what did Asher mean about being the only ones to know who I am? Wanting to hear more, I contain my urge to storm in and demand answers. Instead, I remain still and continue to listen.
“Whatever we do, we have to tread with caution. Eve doesn’t know who she is and Michael wants to keep it that way for now,” Asher reminds the others.
“Ash, maybe we should request she be let in on the truth? That way we can better prepare her for what’s to come. Maybe train her,” Abby suggests.
“For fucks sake, Abby. Do you really think she’s ready to learn the truth?” McKenna snaps.
“What do you think we should do, Kenna? Just leave her to flop around like a drowning fish? How long do you think we can protect her from The Demonic Legion, the supernatural world, and herself?” Abby barks back.
“Maybe the demonic and supernatural legions wouldn’t be after her if Asher hadn’t made contact,” she shoots out icily at Asher.
“Gage showing his face today can’t be good. The harsh reality is they know she exists and are after her. Regardless of Asher,” Abby argues.
Gage? What does he have to do with this and what are the demonic and supernatural legions? My gut tells me if it has anything to do with that dog today, I don’t want to know.
“We don’t even know why Gage is here. We’re assuming it’s the same thing but we have no proof,” Callan says as the voice of reason.
“Are you willing to risk her safety?” Asher growls, irritated. “I. AM. NOT,” he says out of a tightened jaw.
McKenna snorts. “I bet you’re not.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Kenna?” Asher roars.
“It means you need a reality check. She’s a charge. That’s it. An assignment. You may have been injected with her blood for protector purposes but she is not your mate. Don’t mistake the two. Not to mention the wrath that will come down on this family if something were to happen between the two of you,” McKenna throws out with spite.
Wait, what? He was injected with my blood? What the hell is going on and who are these people? At this new information, I move closer to the doorway. The girl part of me wants to hear what Asher has to say about us. Sadly, she wins out over the logical part that wants to know what in God’s creation is going on. Illogical? Yes. Clearly my hormones are in charge.
Asher is seething. “Let me be clear so there’s no confusion amongst the clan. The only thing she is to me is a charge. I’m getting close to her for the sole purpose of protection. That’s it, Kenna. Nothing more. I understand the rules here. I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you. You’d do well to remember your place. Keegan, control your mate.”
At his harsh words, my stomach bottoms out. I’m about to walk into the room and demand answers when my phone buzzes with a text message. Crap. I back away and glance at the screen. Aria sent me a photo of Leo’s tattoo with the caption, “Hotness.” I roll my eyes.
“Great timing, Aria,” I murmur in a hushed voice.
“Alright, everyone, let’s all calm down. Asher and I will speak with Michael. Her truth remains untold for now. Understood?” I hear each person mutter his or her agreement. “Michael would punish us all severely if he caught wind we said anything that might further her ascension. First thing in the morning, Callan and I will look into Gage, Deacon, and the Declan clan. In the meantime, she’s protected. She has the girls at the dorm and the rest of us shadowing her,” Keegan states in a final tone, ending the conversation slash argument.
I take in a breath and walk into the room as all heads turn my way. Worry over whether I overheard is etched on their faces. The room is so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Abby walks over to me, grabbing both my hands in hers and offering a small smile. “Eve, did you get a hold of Aria?” she asks, brushing off the conversation I just overheard.
I nod wearily.
“I’m sure you’re exhausted after today’s events. Kenna and I will grab our stuff and meet you in the foyer in about five minutes so we can head back.” They both leave the room.
Okay, so they’re playing the avoidance card. I turn to the boys, expecting someone to acknowledge the odd conversation that just occurred.
We all stare at each other in a battle of wills. Arms crossed, I lift my chin. “I overheard some of your discussion. Is anyone going to enlighten me as to what is going on?”
Asher walks over to me, slow and steady, trying not to spook me. “There’s nothing going on. All of us were discussing security business for a client. I know you’re still a little jumpy from earlier, but I can tell you you’re safe and there is nothing to be paranoid about. I promise.” His eyes bore into mine, causing my traitorous body to lean into him.
“I’m supposed to just accept that?” My eyes scan the room at the lack of eye contact.
“I’m not sure what you think you heard, but there’s nothing to accept. There is absolutely nothing going on. Why don’t you let the girls take you home? It’s been a long day and I’m sure you’re tired,” Asher says, insincerity blanketing his voice.
I narrow my eyes at him. I know I shouldn’t let them know I overheard, but I need some answers, so I decide to bombard him with questions instead of allowing him to placate me.
“What’s a Barghest?” I wait to see if he’ll give me the truth.
“The Gaelic term for a dog with rabies,” he lies calmly.
“Who’s Gage to you?” I ask with mild irritation.
He looks at Callan and Keegan then back at me. “An old friend from London whom we haven’t seen in a very long time.” He twists truths without hesitation.
“Who’s Michael?” My anger levels are rising at his inability to provide me a real answer.
“A business associate,” he offers with a slight shrug.
“I see.” I sigh, unhappy that got me nowhere.
Asher reaches for my arm and I
pull it back. “You’ve made it very clear to your family that all I am is a... oh what was the word? Charge, that’s right,” I say, my voice bordering on hysterical.
“Eves, you know we work in security. We’ve simply been asked to keep an eye on you for a bit. That’s it.” Callan tries to cajole me.
“CALLAN,” Keegan shouts, startling me.
“She obviously overheard bits of our conversation and needs some information,” Callan explains, looking fiercely protective.
“That’s not up to us. Eve, I’m very sorry we can’t provide you with more details at this time. The harsh reality is simple. At some point, you will learn everything. In the meantime, you’ll just have to trust in us to do our job.” With that, Keegan walks out.
My mouth hangs open in astonishment. What does he even mean?
Callan walks over to me and kisses my cheek. “I’m sorry, cutie,” he offers, leaving me with Asher looking like he swallowed a lemon.
I breathe deeply to prevent the tears from flowing.
Asher’s face is rigid, his body stiff. “Kenna’s right about one thing. Any attraction you think is between us, doesn’t exist.” He swallows and looks to a spot behind me on the wall before continuing. “This,” he motions between us, “can’t happen. Especially with someone like you.”
I freeze. The rejection hits me like a punch in the gut. “What do you mean someone like me?”
He runs his hands over his face and through his hair. “I didn’t mean... I just.” He stops and takes a breath before his eyes drop to mine, completely void of emotion. “As you overheard, you’re simply an assignment. My interest in you is professional. I just want to make that clear. I apologize if I gave you a different impression.” Asher’s tone is professional and curt.
Pain floods me. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how deep that cuts. I school my features. “Mission accomplished. You mean nothing to me,” I say.
Asher exhales, the air escaping in a harsh manner.
Ouch. He looks relieved.
8 Realm Jumping
I manage to avoid the St. Michaels for the rest of the weekend and into most of the week. To my surprise, it was fairly easy to do. Asher hasn’t been in class and Abby and McKenna have been in and out of the suite. It seems I’m not the only one with avoidance issues.
The day after my dinner with Asher’s family, Aria and I went for coffee and I told her bits and pieces of the dramatic evening.
“Well, that’s not suspicious or anything.” Her response was followed by her suggesting an eighties movie marathon where we stayed in our pajamas, ate crappy food, and abided by one rule: we don’t discuss the dinner. It was perfect and I loved her for it.
Unfortunately, my reprieve was short-lived. Now I’m forced to answer Aria’s interrogation while attempting to consume my lunch.
“Are you sure it wasn’t just a really large, scary, rabid dog,” she asks for the sixth time.
“Yes.”
“Because in your heightened state of panic, your eyes might have played tricks on you. Plus no one else on campus has seen it. Maybe the owner found it or the pound picked it up?”
“It. Wasn’t. A. Dog,” I snap.
She glances out the window onto the quad. “So they just said to trust them and not ask questions?” Aria looks as baffled as I feel.
“Yep. Oh, and to make matters even more disturbing, McKenna accused Asher of having been injected with my blood,” I say in a flat tone, chomping on a French fry.
Aria’s eyes widen. “WHAT? WHY?” she squeals.
I sigh, forgetting I left that little gem out of earlier conversations. “Finally, a fucking normal reaction to ridiculous. I thought I was on the crazy train for a moment,” I say. “I have no idea. Maybe I overheard that part of the conversation wrong. That seems weird, right?” I scan Aria’s face.
She gives a pointed glare. “Um, yeah. Aside from being fucking creepy, it also sounds impossible. I mean, how on earth would Asher get a hold of your blood? For that matter, why would he need an injection of it?” She contemplates this. “Oh, maybe they’re vampires?” Her eyes dance with excitement. “You know, they’re all rather beautiful, tall, athletic, and they all have those deep blue eyes.”
I give her my best “shut-up” look. “First of all, vampires don’t exist. Secondly, they all ate chocolate cake and drank milk so they can’t be.”
“How do you know vampires don’t drink milk?” she defends.
“I thought they drank blood not milk,” I retort.
She thinks on this for a moment before her eyes go wide. “Don’t look now but Abby and Kenna just walked in,” she speaks in a low voice.
I look. Why do people always tell you not to look? They know you’re going to look. Turning back to Aria, I push my French fries away, having lost my appetite.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” Abby chimes cheerfully without missing a beat. Like the crazy ass dinner the other night didn’t even happen or we haven’t been avoiding one another all week.
McKenna just shoots daggers at me. What else is new? I roll my eyes at her. Ignoring Abby, I grab my bag. “See you later,” I nod to Aria and head to architecture...with Asher. Could this day get any worse?
I walk into class and scan the lecture hall then exhale my relief that Asher isn’t anywhere in the room. Just as I start to get comfortable, that familiar heat worms its way into my veins, alerting me to his presence. Crap. I pretend not to care, focusing on opening my iPad to take notes.
Asher walks up the stairs to his seat. As he passes by me, his scent engulfs my nose, causing me to breathe him in. He doesn’t even glance at me. I’m not sure whether I’m relieved or saddened by that. I keep my features schooled and face forward, listening attentively to Professor Davidson.
Every so often, I can feel his stare. I hate that I’m so aware of him, where he is, and what he’s doing. Maybe I need a hobby. Or maybe he injected me with his blood while I was sleeping so he would affect me. I laugh at my own disturbing joke.
Professor Davidson sets up the power point. He has pictures he’s excited to share. Ugh, kill me now. “Good Afternoon. Today we’ll begin our week long lecture series about thirteenth century Gothic architecture,” he drones on.
Sensing Asher’s glare again, I tighten my lips in an attempt to look as pissed off as I possibly can. This just increases the headache that is coming on. I rub my temples, trying to ease the pressure and refocus on Professor Davidson. Then my vision becomes a little askew.
Professor Davidson’s voice begins to sound as if I’m in a tunnel, echoing in my ears. “Gothic architecture originated in France in the twelfth century and lasted through the sixteenth century. Its best-known application is throughout many European cathedrals and abbeys, as well as castles and palaces. It’s the architecture of the late medieval period distinguished by use of pointed arches, vaulted ceilings, and flying buttresses. Unlike Romanesque, Gothic is all about height. It’s also been well-documented that the Gothic period brought about grotesques and gargoyles.” I blink a few times to try and clear the fog that is settling in my head.
My lids flutter, suddenly overcome with the need to close them. Of their own accord, they shut for just the briefest moment.
I’m standing in a lavish grass meadow surrounded by lush green weeping willow trees. Their branches drape elegantly, giving the impression of curtains, warmly wrapping me in the forest’s loving embrace. There are massive patches of wild flowers in white, soft pinks, and blues blanketing rolling hills, flanked by streams of crystal blue water.
As my eyes scan the area, I notice it’s snowing. No wait, my eyes lift to the sky and I realize they’re not snowflakes falling. They’re white flower petals. Millions of white petals descend from the deep blue sky and lay elegantly all around me as I lift my hands to try and catch them. I can’t. Oddly, they dissolve on contact.
I am pulled from my wonder by the sound of giggling. I look around the bri
ght green canopy, absorbing the intense color of the flowers and crystal blue water. My eyes settle on little glowing lights that twinkle like stars. Curious, I begin to glide gracefully toward the pink, amber, and blue sparkling lights.
Just as I’m about to reach out my hand to touch the spots of radiance, a vivid emerald light shines, causing me to squint my eyes and step back from the dazzling glow. When I reopen them, in place of the brightness is one of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen. She’s so regal, like a queen who appears to be floating in air. I stand there, motionless, stunned by her beauty.
“Welcome, Batya.” She bows gracefully to me, causing me to swallow and step back.
“Please, do not retreat. There is nothing to fear,” a warm, gentle, angelic voice sings to me from her soft pink lips.
The hovering woman is wearing a deep emerald green Grecian dress that ripples in the air like water. Her bare feet, legs, and arms are adorned with gold rune tattoos that glisten and move on her skin. I watch them travel along their routes like snakes. She has gold bracelets on both her wrists and ankles and her eyes are the same color as her dress, which pop enchantingly off her peach and cream skin.
The ethereal being’s long red hair flows down her back in ringlets that reach her waist. I am so spellbound by her, I almost miss her soft green, translucent butterfly-like wings that sparkle as they flitter in the air. I meet her gaze, absorbed by the glow around her as she smiles in a maternal manner, radiating light and warmth.
I’m completely drawn to her. “W-who are you?” I ask, my voice in awe.
“I am Lady Finella, Queen of the Fae Realm,” she says while motioning her hands all around us, signaling this is her kingdom. “And you are a most welcome guest, Eve Collins.”
My brows pull together. “How do you know my name?” I ask, trying not to stutter.
She looks taken aback before returning her face to a kind gleam. “Here, in the enchanted kingdom, we have been eagerly anticipating your arrival for many lunar cycles, Batya.” She bows with elegance toward me again.
REVELATION (THE REVELATION SERIES) Page 8