I was certain my eyes were enormous with surprise, disgust and bitterness. “You clearly haven’t been to the human world in a while. We are not savages and—”
“Do you consider yourself one of them?” His tone was light, but there was a hint of mockery in it that prickled up my spine.
“I do,” I said boldly. “And proud of it.”
“What cheek.” Quain chuckled sardonically. “I do hope you will keep your little delusion to yourself. Not many would applaud your bravado. Being considered human is an insult in our world. One does not brag about being one.”
I felt my cheeks burn. “Well, I’m not from your world. My mother was human and she was a million times better than all of you put together.”
“Quain.” Ashton rose to his feet. “You’re goading the girl and it’s senseless.”
“No, not senseless.” Quain cocked his head to the side and slitted his eyes. “I am the kindest she will find here. Patting her on the head will do her no good at this point. Her tongue alone will be the death of her. She will need to be broken of her fondness for humans. Starting with that one.” He jabbed with his cane towards Isaiah.
“The boy is no threat,” Ashton broke in.
“Isn’t he?” The cane made an audible crack as it struck the stone. He folded his hands on top. “I think he’s done far more damage than you’re willing to admit, Acheron. There is only so much I can do for her if she is unwilling.”
Ashton looked my way. “I will speak with her. All will continue as planned. I assure you.”
I did not like the direction this conversation was taking. But Isaiah took that moment to shift. He released a groan as he raised a hand to his face. I was by his side in an instant. My palm flattened on the taut muscles of his breast plate, just above the soft patter of his heart.
“Hey, you okay?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose as he struggled up onto his elbow. “Yeah, I think so.” He pushed the hand back through his hair and his blue eyes opened to my face. “Are you?”
I laughed softly without humor. “Yeah, but I’m not the one who was unconscious.” I swallowed hard and touched his hand. “You were so cold. What happened?”
Throwing his legs over the divan, he sat up. “I was headed back upstairs when these two guys jumped me. I didn’t see them coming until one of them stabbed me with something and everything went black.”
“You were stabbed?” I exclaimed, hands already reaching for the hem of his shirt to see for myself.
“It’s just a minor venom injection,” Archer said like that made it okay. “There wasn’t enough used to cause harm, just knock him out.”
Disbelief and disgust had my angry pushing to the surface. “Oh, well, that’s just fabulous!” I laughed bitterly. “Why didn’t you just say so? That makes it perfectly acceptable then. Maybe we should have a stabbing party and I can stab you a few times with venom, you know, just for fun.”
Isaiah surveyed the room around us. He bolted to his feet when he caught sight of the two standing mutely by the door, the two who had no doubt jumped him. His hand closed around my upper arm and I was pulled up and pushed behind him.
“What’s going on?” he demanded, the ice in his tone stating very clearly that he had no problem taking them down despite having been drugged only moments ago. That’s what I loved about him. He never stayed down for very long.
“It’s all right.” Ashton moved forward, hands up in that annoying gesture people used to calm a frightened animal. “There was a misunderstanding, but it has been clarified now.”
It was? Because I didn’t recall anything being clarified.
“This is Quain Blackburn, Archer’s father,” I said, gesturing to the scowling man. “And his … friends.”
“My guards,” Quain corrected, indicating the two by the door.
“Why did you attack me?” Isaiah demanded, sounding annoyed.
“We were under the impression that you may have found this location by mistake, seeing as how we don’t normally have humans roaming freely amongst us,” Quain answered smoothly. “But Acheron requests that you are not to be harmed.”
Isaiah looked as confused as I expected. “Who’s Acheron?”
I patted his arm. “I’ll explain everything later. But right now.” I looked to my father. “You promised me answers.”
“Perhaps after we have spoken,” Quain interrupted, turning his tall frame in Ashton’s direction. “We have matters that require immediate attention, Acheron. It would not do to delay addressing them. This matter has held for seventeen years, a few more minutes will make no difference in the scheme of things.”
Ashton sighed, and for a moment, for just a split second, I actually felt almost sorry for him. The strain began to show around his mouth and in the ever so slight curve in his shoulders. He did his best not to show it, but it was painfully obvious and for that I felt a pang of remorse, which was why I didn’t push when he promised to find me later that evening to finish our talk. I should have stayed and demanded answers right then and there.
Stupid bleeding heart.
I followed Isaiah and Archer from the room and watched as the giant gold doors were shut behind us. I swept a strand of hair off my face and tucked it behind my ear before facing the two watching me.
“So now what?” I wondered.
“I could show you back to the dining hall. You could finish breakfast,” Archer suggested.
I shook my head. “I’m not hungry.”
Archer took a fluid step backwards. “Well, I am. Can’t keep this robust figure without properly fueling it.” He did that stupid bowing thing again. “Princess.”
God I hated the guy and his condescending arrogance. I cut my foot open. I wasn’t being a sissy. He didn’t need to keep calling me princess like he was mocking me. Then he was gone and I was left glowering at the empty space he’d vacated.
With nothing to do and nowhere really to go, Isaiah and I wandered through the maze of corridors while I filled him in on all the things he missed during his venom induced nap. It amazed me how much each looked like the previous one with stone statues guarding doorways and paintings of stern looking men and women. All halls were carpeted in faded crimson and the walls were wood paneled, giving the space a dark, narrow appearance. I had no idea where we were going or how we were going to find our way back, but truthfully, I wasn’t all that anxious to return. Part of me wondered if we could just keep walking to some abandoned part of the castle and stay there forever. No one would ever know.
“He’s not so bad,” Isaiah said, drawing my attention to him.
“Ashton?” I guessed.
He shook his head. “Archer.”
“I am going to pretend that’s the mystery injection you were subjected to talking,” I muttered, making him chuckle.
“I talked to him a bit after he found me wandering the corridors yesterday. He’s an ass, but he means well. I think.”
I folded my arms and scowled at him. “He wanted to leave you to get eaten.”
“They’re not cannibals, Fallon,” he replied.
I glanced warily at the barred doors. “I wouldn’t count on that. You weren’t in that closet yesterday.”
I still wasn’t wholly convinced I had imagined those things in there with me. No matter what Ashton said.
Carefully, Isaiah unclasped my hands from where I was cupping them over my elbows and drew them to him. He splayed the fingers and lightly touched the torn patches of skin, four perfect gashes, with his thumb. Some were still bleeding, but only slightly. There was crusted blood beneath my nails and dry trails running down my palms and between each finger.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, making me frown.
“For what?”
His blue eyes met mine. “For getting taken down so easily.”
I shoved him playfully in the chest. “Don’t be stupid.” My fingers curled in the fabric of his t-shirt. I moistened my lips. “These … people, they’re not like Garr
ison’s men. They’re not normal, Isaiah. I don’t know what they are, but they’re not human, which makes them dangerous. I need you to be careful. Promise me.”
His hand rested lightly over mine, his long fingers making mine seem tiny. “I don’t care what they are, I won’t let them hurt you.”
I frowned at him. “You’re not listening to me. They won’t hurt me because they think I’m one of them. It’s all reversed here. You can’t protect me. I have to protect you and I can’t…” I trailed off and scrubbed at my face with both hands.
“Hey.” His arms came around me and I was drawn into his chest. “What is it?”
I raised my head and forced myself to meet his gaze. “What if coming here was a bad idea? Running from Garrison was a cakewalk compared to this place and these people. It feels like we went from one bad situation to an even worse situation and … I’m so scared I won’t be able to keep you safe.”
One hand went to the back of my head. The fingers combed through my hair. His lips pressed into my temple. “Ashton would never let anything happen to you.”
I shoved him away. “You’re not listening to me. Stop telling me I’ll be safe, because I already know I will be. That’s not even arrogance talking. It’s solid fact. I’ll be fine. But if anything happens to you … God, Isaiah, I don’t even know what I would do. I can’t even…” I tore all ten fingers back through my hair.
“Why do you keep thinking something will happen to me?”
“Are you serious?” I muttered. “They attacked you today only a few feet away from where I was. Had they not brought you into the dining room, I would never have known.” I gentled my voice. “Okay, look, you want to keep me safe and alive, right?”
His eyes narrowed with wary distrust and his eyebrows furrowed. “Yes…”
“How do you suppose that will happen if you die? Without you, I die. I’m not being melodramatic here, but seriously…I’m bound to you. I need your blood, in which case, I need you to live.”
His eyes remained slitted, but they sparked with anger. “You keep thinking I’m just going to lie down and let myself die.”
I shook my head. “That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that I need you to not take these people for granted. They won’t be easy like Garrison’s men.”
“I know that.”
“Okay. Good!” I speared my hands onto my hips and grinned at him a little. “You know what we should have done? We should have gone to Mexico.”
Some of the heat vanished from his eyes and his lips curved. “Mexico?”
“Yeah, why not? Garrison would never have found us there. We could have lived on some beach, sipping things from coconut shells.”
He laughed. “Well, that can be our backup plan.”
I raised eyebrows in mock surprise. “We have a backup plan? Since when? I feel like such a fraud now.”
He flicked my nose. “This won’t be forever. We will stop running one day.”
I heard the longing in my sigh. “Can’t that day be today? I’ll even settle for tomorrow.”
His warm hands framed my face as he guided it up to his lips. The kiss lightly brushed my forehead. “Soon.”
I pulled back and glanced around us. “You know what’s really strange?” I waved at the empty corridor. “This place is enormous. It’s literally a castle, yet there’s no one here. Where are the servants and guards and whatever else castles have?”
“Did you not see the forty foot wall surrounding this place?” Isaiah teased. “I doubt anyone can actually get in to attempt a takeover. And aren’t servants told not to be seen?”
I eyed him. “You’ve really thought this through, huh?”
He tapped a finger to his temple. “It’s always working.”
I scoffed, rolled my eyes and elbowed him playfully. “You’re such a dork.” I glanced at the doors around us. “What do you think is in all these rooms? More monsters?”
“Spiders, most likely,” came a voice from behind us.
Chapter 11
Celia moved toward us with the liquid grace of a dancer. Shadows and light bounced off her with every lithe stride. Her beige skirt swirled around her long legs, barely making a sound. Her golden cat eyes went from me to Isaiah and back.
“Forgive me, I did not mean to eavesdrop.” But her grin suggested otherwise. “We had an appointment this morning to tour the grounds,” she reminded me. “Or would you rather postpone?”
I had completely forgotten about my promise to go sightseeing with her. She clearly hadn’t. I kind of felt bad.
“No, I’d love a tour.”
Celia smiled that feline smile of hers and I wondered, not for the first time, if she was born with such sharp teeth. I also wondered if she had a tail beneath that skirt. I wasn’t sure how to ask politely, so I didn’t.
“Isaiah.” She swept her gaze over my shoulder to where he stood. “Would you care to join us?”
Isaiah and I exchanged glances.
“Is he allowed?” I asked. “Ashton told him to keep out of sight.”
Celia seemed to think about this a moment before pursing her lips. “Perhaps, after the incidents this morning, it would be best if that’s what you did. I’m sorry, Isaiah.”
Isaiah seemed distracted a moment before answering. “I don’t like you going anywhere on your own, not after what happened yesterday.”
“She will be with me,” Celia assured him calmingly. “I give you my word that I will keep her safe.”
He looked at me, silently asking.
I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
After walking Isaiah to his room and making him swear on my life that he would lock the door and not open it for anyone but me, I left him. With every step I took separating us, the heavier the burden in my chest became. I prayed he would be safe until my return. I also prayed Celia would keep her word and this would be a quick tour.
“I have been anticipating our time together since your father first told me about you,” Celia said, cutting into my woolgathering.
“How long ago was that?” I asked.
“Your father and I have known each other for … well, quite a very long time. But I was not aware of your mother, or you, until very recently.”
“A man of many secrets, huh?”
A ghost of a smile quirked her lips. “Yes, but that was nothing I hadn’t always known. It’s what had always drawn me to him. The mystery.”
“How long have you been with him?” I kept my attention on the carpet beneath our feet.
“It will be six years this spring.”
Six years ago, I was eleven. That was just a little over half my life. So while Mom and I ran from Ashton’s mistakes, he was off starting a new life.
I had to swallow the bitter taste filling my mouth. It’s always good to know where you stand in someone’s list of priorities. Especially when they are supposed to love you.
“And he only recently told you about me?” There was no concealing the resentment in my tone now. “You didn’t think that was strange? He lied to you through your entire marriage.”
“I was upset,” she confessed with a slight nod. “But to some extent I understood why he did it.” Tawny eyes dropped to mine. “How could I hate a man trying his best to protect his family?”
“He didn’t protect me,” I said. “My mom did. Isaiah did. My dad stayed in this enormous palace while I was nearly killed.” I stopped walking and faced her dead on. “He got remarried to another woman while my mother died. We clearly have two very different ideas of the same man.”
I expected impatience or maybe even disagreement, but there was sadness in her eyes. “I could defend him, Fallon. But I know you will not believe me and I do not blame you. Trust is never something easily given. It must always be earned. I only ask that you allow Acheron the chance to earn yours.”
The woman was good. I had to give her that. She almost had me fully convinced.
“I’m trying,” I said. “That’s why I’m h
ere, to hear his side of the story.”
She reached out with her slim hand and lightly brushed a coil of hair off my cheek. Her bow shaped mouth turned upwards in a kind smile. “You are very brave, Fallon. Not many could hold it together under such tenuous circumstances. Your mother must have been an incredible woman.”
I pressed myself together tighter. “She was.”
Celia lowered her arm, but continued to study me. “One day, I would really like to hear about her from you.”
I started in surprise. “You want to know about her?”
“Of course. She is such a large part of you and Acheron. But only when you are ready.”
I didn’t know what to say. I wouldn’t have faulted her for not wanting to even hear my mother’s name, let alone hear her entire story. It should have won me over, but I couldn’t help feel wary and confused.
“Come.” She touched my arm lightly and nudged me onward.
“Can I ask you something?” I asked as we found our way to the stairway.
“Of course,” she said.
“I’m sorry if this is impolite, but what are you?”
Tawny eyes rolled in my direction, but there was only amusement in them. “I was born in Ira and before I married Acheron, I was Bane legacy.”
Bane. Bane. I knew that word.
“That’s what Archer is.”
She nodded. “Yes. Actually…” She faced me with a very sly grin on her face. “Arcarius is my brother.”
Had I not already been standing still, I would have fallen over. “What? How is that possible? You’re so normal … and nice!”
Celia laughed. “True he is not my twin brother, but he is my brother and an acquired taste.”
I put my hands up to stop her from talking. “Wait. You have a twin, too?”
“Those born to the legacy, do.”
Touching Fire (Touch Saga) Page 12