by Rachel Jonas
To me, she’d be what she’s always been.
Everything.
It was only a matter of time before she, too, saw herself for who she really was.
—Chapter Six—
Evie
No expense had been spared. It was obvious the second we walked in.
My socks slipped and slid over the marble tile when I removed my gym shoes and set them aside. It was nice to finally be out of them after traveling so many hours. The seamless, black and white stone stretched from the foyer, well beyond the kitchen, and into the nook. It was a straight shot across hundreds of square feet, allowing visitors to see clear through from one end of the massive house to the other. To my right, stairs with a massive landing decked out with floor to ceiling bookcases. Elise had her decorator fill them to the brim. To my left, a coat-closet the size of my old bedroom. Echoes of our steps ricocheted off cathedral ceilings adorned with ebony-toned, wood beams, forming diamonds against their white backdrop. In the center, a wrought-iron chandelier the size of a small car.
So many windows. They were everywhere, showcasing the beauty that lie just beyond them—the woods of Seaton Falls, made more beautiful by the freshly fallen snow, the incoming winter storm. A gentle squeeze to my shoulders brought my eyes toward Elise when she approached with a smile.
“I know we’ve only just walked in, but … do you like it so far?”
When she asked, I glanced around at the breathtaking views beyond each window—leafless trees with branches dressed in sleeves of white snow. That was all there was to see for miles from what I could tell. Out here, it was just us and nature.
“It’s … amazing,” I breathed, trying to take it all in.
My answer made her smile grow wider. “I’m glad. I wanted nothing but the best for you.”
She’d done all this for me?
Her arm slipped from around my shoulder and she moved forward. “Let me show you the rest,” she beamed.
A quick glance toward Liam proved he was far less impressed than I was, which may have meant he’d seen better.
Lived in better.
Maybe my father’s kingdom in Bahir Dar, our home, made this house look pitiful in comparison. I’d never know.
“A large kitchen was a must,” Elise explained. “I intend to prepare homecooked meals for everyone. I know the food at Damascus left much to be desired.”
No one disagreed with her. Hilda had mostly converted to a diet of fruit and muffins because she said those were the only edible items in the entire dining hall. If you ask me, including the muffins was pushing it.
Pristine, white cabinets with brushed-metal knobs reached the vaulted ceilings. Countertops of white and black quartz gleamed in the daylight, the sun bringing out small flecks of glitter. The appliances were all state-of-the-art, and glancing around, it was easy to tell who had inspired the facility’s décor. At every turn, clean lines and bright white surfaces met my vision. Potted plants had been placed strategically around the room—near windows, beside detailed floor-to-ceiling pillars, beside doorways. While, no, this house wasn’t nearly as cold and sterile as the facility, the similarities were just enough to catch my attention.
“There’s more to explore here on the first floor, but I’m sure you’re anxious to see your bedroom.” That broad smile was back as her voice echoed in the large space. She paused, seeming to read my expression, causing the corners of her mouth to turn down again.
“Of course, if you’re not completely satisfied once you take a look, I’ll have the decorator come back and redo it to your liking.”
I didn’t say it out loud, but I’d never consider having someone come back and do double the work. Not even if I hated whatever design ideas Elise had for my space. Love it or hate it, I’d live with it.
“You always liked turquoise,” she rambled as we climbed the stairs. “Does that still hold true?”
I nodded. Turquoise was my favorite color, actually. I noted that this was another small piece of me that hadn’t changed—another missing piece I could now fill in.
Liam’s and Dallas’ heavy, boot clad feet thudded against the wooden steps behind Elise and I as we approached the landing. My fingers trailed a row of books on the shelf as we passed, on our way to more steps that curved us toward the upstairs hallway. A word came to mind. One I wouldn’t typically use to describe a house, but it was so fitting here.
Grand.
This house was enormous and elaborate, fit for a queen.
At that word, my eyes flitted toward Elise, to the long, black coat trimmed in fur and the sleek pumps she’d worn during the long trip we’d just taken. Only a queen could be so poised, so glamorous all the time. This home suited her.
But I, on the other hand, felt out of place.
In this house.
In this town.
Doing my best to ignore the sense of being … unfit … the feeling spread through my gut as I stepped into the doorway of a bedroom.
“This is it,” she announced with a hopeful grin set on her face.
I stared, blinked, stared some more. The sheer size of it had me speechless. White carpet met our feet once we ascended the stairs. It carried on through my bedroom and all the others from what I could see. Left, a huge walk-in closet. Right, a bathroom big enough to live in if I wanted. Even from here, silver fixtures gleamed in the sunlight through a large picture window above the tub. Outside it, the same breathtaking view I’d have beside my bed when I awoke every morning.
A black and white striped comforter covered a king size bed adorned with pillows. So many pillows. Black, white, turquoise. A dark desk with a clear chair tucked underneath it, a laptop the same shade of pale turquoise found sprinkled throughout the entire room. It wasn’t so much that it was overwhelming the otherwise muted tones she selected, but enough that it broke up the stark contrast of black and white. Beside a lamp at the desk’s corner, sat a glass jar filled with colorful candy. I smiled at that, the small touches of me she hid here.
Above my head, I peered up into the shimmering crystals of a chandelier I was afraid to know the price of. Straight ahead, French doors with white sheers at either side drew my attention. I stepped closer until my hands touched the cool knobs. Pulling them open, I moved out onto a balcony that overlooked the woods. Just beyond the trees, the sound of rushing water. The falls were close by and hadn’t been frozen by frigid temps.
“Well?” Elise asked, that hopeful look returning to her eyes.
I glanced left as a strong gust of chilled wind lifted her dark hair into wispy swirls of brown, looking not a day older than twenty, although I knew that to be false. There was such emotion, such warmth emanating from her, it transferred to me.
“It’s perfect.”
The trouble she’d gone through to make sure I’d be comfortable here, despite all the drama and scrutiny surrounding the facility we just left … it was an incredibly sweet thing to do.
She seemed shocked when I attacked her with a hug, feeling her arms tighten around me, too.
“Thank you for taking time to—”
“It was no bother,” she interjected, her accent coming through stronger as she wrestled with emotion. “Anything for you.”
Connecting with her hadn’t been easy. Mostly because I’d set a barrier between us. I had a mother already, and all this time, I’d been vigilant to remind myself that Elise was not her. There was no substitute for Rebecka Callahan.
But … the more time I spent with Elise, the better I got to know and understand her, see her strength, her fierce love … my heart expanded to let her inside it, too. So, while there was only one Rebecka, there was also only one Elise—the woman who’d brought me into this world twice and proved her love and loyalty at every turn.
We finished touring the upstairs, including Liam’s room directly across the hall from mine. His had a rugged set up that suited him—dark grays and navy blues against dark wood. Elise knew us both like the back of her hand. Liam and I, her ch
ildren.
A room had been decorated for Hilda as well, despite her stay being only temporary. She was fond of purple, finding a way to work it into every ensemble she wore, even if only a bracelet or two. So, it was no surprise that Elise had been thoughtful enough to have subtle hints of plum and lavender tastefully arranged throughout—throw pillows, a vase on the dresser filled with fresh lilies, a candle on the nightstand.
She knew us all, had taken bits and pieces to make these foreign dwellings feel like home.
This was home now.
Dallas grabbed his, Elise’s, and Hilda’s things from the trunk of Elise’s car. They all retreated to unpack and start settling in, but not Liam and I. We lingered in the hallway alone, taking it all in—the house, the adjustments to our lives, everything.
“She did a great job with the place.” My eyes danced from one elegant furnishing to the next—crown moldings that trimmed the ceiling and each light fixture, the banister and its ornaments carved from a single piece of wood, the view down into the foyer from where we stood.
A grin touched Liam’s lips and the sight of them had me licking my own.
“It’s nice,” he crooned, “but still not the most beautiful thing she’s ever created.”
His gaze lingered on me as the subtle compliment brought heat to my cheeks. Large hands swallowed my waist and I moved into his arms, correcting a thought I had a moment ago. No, this house was not home.
This was … locked in his embrace, close.
“I’ve got an idea,” he breathed, soft, fleshy lips grazing the rim of my ear.
Inhaling the mild, earthy scent of him, I managed a question. “What’s your idea?”
He shrugged and, for a moment, seemed too distracted by whatever rogue thoughts rushed through his head as we gravitated closer.
“We’ve been on the road all day. What do you say we head outside for some fresh air?” When he smiled, I was intrigued. “I think I know a way we can all blow off a little steam.”
My head tilted as I tried to make sense of the cryptic statement, but before I could ask, Liam traipsed toward Elise and Dallas’ room, pounding a heavy fist against the door.
The sound brought Hilda out into the hallway as well, standing beside her door with both fists perched on her hips. She stared at the back of Liam’s head, clearly fighting the urge to chastise him for keeping up so much noise. He caught her watching and countered her scowl with a smile.
“Get your coat, Hilda. You’re joining us, and I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Joining you where?” she huffed.
He didn’t let her iciness back him down. “We’re heading outside for a lesson.”
The word ‘lesson’ only confused me further. I didn’t feel much like training today, but wouldn’t shoot down his idea with how excited he seemed.
Hilda glowered at him a moment longer, and then, like me and every other woman I’d seen in Liam’s presence, his charm got the best of her. She smiled the easiest smile I’d seen her give since arriving. Snorting a laugh when he broke her, she waved him off.
“It’s cold out there, and unlike you, I’m not a walking furnace,” she pointed out, heading back into her room where I guessed she intended to stay.
But Liam had other plans. He rushed to her doorway and gently took her shoulders. “That’s what coats are for,” he reasoned.
To my surprise, Hilda didn’t argue. The most resistance he got was an eye roll to accompany the half-smile she gave.
Elise finally surfaced with clothes draped from both arms. The urgency of Liam’s knock had startled her while she unpacked if her tense expression was any indication.
“What is it? What’s the matter?” she asked, bearing that heavy, concerned mom tone.
The look faded when she took in Liam’s light expression.
“Grab Dallas,” he insisted. “Meet us outside. Thought now would be a good time to show Evie around.”
My eyes flitted toward him. Show me around? I’d gotten to know my way around the woods and the rest of Seaton Falls pretty well. Why would he think I needed a tour guide?
My hand warmed in is and I didn’t have time to think or speak as I was rushed down the stairs, and then spun toward the kitchen. Liam scooped my shoes from the front door on the way. Apparently, we were headed out through the back.
“Wait … my coat,” I protested, thinking the hoodie I wore wouldn’t be enough.
“Don’t need it,” he called back over his shoulder. “I’ll show you how to keep warm once we get outside.”
My brow twitched at more vague words.
We paused at the sliding door that made up a large part of one of the nook walls. I only had time to slip my shoes on before Liam swept me outside behind him, into the blistering cold and blowing snow.
February in the Midwest can be brutal and that was the perfect way to describe the weather today. Coming from Chicago, I hadn’t forgotten, and Michigan was no exception to that rule. Frosty air stung the tip of my nose and my eyes watered accordingly. It was practically a blizzard out here, reducing visibility to half a mile at best. Even for those of us with supernatural vision.
Being half dragon, I was sure I ran hotter than the average person, but still. I could feel my knees quaking as I hugged myself when an angry gust of wind swept between Liam and I.
Speaking of, he was seemingly unaffected by all of it. While I felt snowflakes gathering on my lashes and in my hair, it landed on him and instantly trailed down his skin like he was standing in a rainstorm and not a blizzard.
“How’re you doing that?” I asked through chattering teeth.
It was clear he’d tapped into some secret ability I didn’t realize I was capable of.
“Hold out your hand,” he called over the sound of howling winds.
Dreading the idea of pulling my arms away from my body, I did as he asked. My wrist was gently twisted until my palm faced the sky.
“Now watch,” he said, nodding toward his arm.
I stared, thinking he was insane for being out here in only a t-shirt, jeans, and boots—nothing covering his flesh other than the snow turned to water.
But then, there was something else—streaks of light just beneath the surface of tanned, inked skin. His veins were alight with glowing movement, like lava flowed through them at a sluggish pace. I squinted, watching as warmth spread from his body to mine.
My eyes lifted toward his. “How’d you do that?”
He quirked a smile. “It’s easy. Focus on shifting,” he instructed, “but right before your flames ignite, you’ll feel a surge of heat. Contain it. Hold it inside and let it move through you.”
A deep breath puffed from my nostrils, the warmth of it crystalizing in the bitter cold. I sucked at new things. It generally took me weeks to master an unfamiliar technique, so I was almost positive my effort would result in fireballs shooting out my ears or something stupid like that.
As if he heard my thoughts, Liam laughed a bit before encouraging me to give it a try.
“You can do it,” he insisted.
With another breath, I closed my eyes and did everything he said to. First, I awakened my dragon, and then, just as she was about to burst from within, I harnessed the energy she supplied and concentrated to spread it through my limbs, my quivering lips.
“First try,” Liam said. Even with my eyes closed, I knew he was smiling. I could hear it in his voice.
My lids fluttered open and my vision was settled on my wrists just beneath the cuffs of my sleeve. I took in the sight of the same glowing veins and slow-crawling lava moving inside mine as I’d seen in Liam’s. Pushing my sleeve further up my arm, I noted that the glow ended somewhere between my elbow and shoulder, but it kept me warm all over.
Pleased with my progress, I smiled up at him. Suddenly warm, I only kept my hoodie on to stay somewhat dry.
Behind us, the sliding door opened and Hilda stepped out bundled in a coat, scarf, hat, and gloves, clutching a mug of coffee. She
conjured it, I guessed, seeing as how there hadn’t been time to brew any. Elise and Dallas emerged next, wearing nothing more than athletic gear. His black shorts and tank matching Elise’s. She wound her hair into a tight bun before bouncing her brow at Liam.
“I knew exactly what you had in mind,” she smiled. “And it’s been far too long since I spread my wings.”
At first, I thought it was just an expression, but as Dallas made a show of stretching and readying himself with a watchful eye trained on the sky, I knew I’d been wrong.
Elise, literally, meant it’d been too long since stretching her wings. I whirled to Liam and I could only guess how the excitement showed through on my face.
“Wait … you’re teaching me how to fly?” I asked, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I stuttered.
Liam gave a nod.
Excited didn’t even describe how I felt about this. Since finding out flying was even something I could do, I’d been looking forward to this day. Once or twice, I pressed him to teach me, but understood there were more important things to perfect first.
But now … Liam thought I was ready.
My gaze lowered when he gripped the hem of his shirt and raised it a few inches, revealing skin the shade of sand, covering a tight, ridged stomach. I swallowed a breath and forced my eyes toward Dallas when he spoke.
“May as well ditch the sweatshirt, kid,” he said with a laugh. “It’s gonna get soaked once we get moving.”
He was right. I was already drenched and had only stood in one place. I could imagine how it’d be once we were hundreds of feet in the air. So, reluctantly, I took it off, draping it over the ledge of the porch. I never would’ve thought I’d be warm standing outside in freezing temps, wearing only a tank and yoga pants, but I was.
“Since this is your first time up, you’ll be with me,” Liam explained. “Eventually, once you’re comfortable, I’ll show you how to get airborne on your own.”
I couldn’t contain the huge grin his words brought to my face.
“See you up there,” Elise winked.
The very next second, my head shot back to follow her into the sky—a blur of smoke and flames. She took off like a rocket emerging from the cloud of displaced snow where she once stood. It wasn’t at all what I expected. I thought it’d be more like watching a bird take flight, but … it wasn’t. There was so much force, so much power in the motion.