by Lexi C. Foss
She finished another slice and handed him a second piece from her side. The box was from Chicago, which explained the thick flaky crust and abundance of sauce. It was delicious. “So,” she licked some stray cheese from her finger as he watched, “if it’s not obvious, then how would an Ichorian know someone is a fledgling?”
“Someone like Sierra can detect bloodlines. Amber, one of Lucian’s Hydraians, harbors the same talent. She confirmed that Eliza’s a fledgling this morning, but Aidan already knew.”
“How?”
“Experience. He’s one of the oldest of our kind and omniscient like his son. Speaking of, is it okay to ask them about the rune?”
“You’re asking for my permission?” He mentioned it earlier, but she didn’t think he meant it.
“Of course.”
“Oh.” His easy reply warmed her, implying he would always defer to her rather than make decisions on her behalf. It was a gift of trust, something that meant a great deal to her. “Sure, if it’ll make you feel better to ask, then do. But it’s a birthmark.”
He grinned. “Want to wager on it?”
She looked pointedly around the multimillion-dollar estate. “Yeah, I have about ten dollars in my purse, but why not?”
“You know I’m not interested in money.” His words were a breath against her ear, showering goosebumps down her neck. “But I’ll wager other, more pleasurable, activities.”
She liked where this was going. “Such as?”
“Hmm, if I’m right, which I am, then I get to fuck you however and wherever I want.” Lust darkened his gaze as he traced her lips with his thumb. She drew his thumb into her mouth and nibbled the tip. His pupils dilated.
“And when I’m right?” It came out breathy. The way he was looking at her, like he wanted to eat her up, was doing all sorts of things to her down below.
“You can tie me up tonight and do whatever you want.”
Her veins were on fire, shooting tingling sensations to all her nerve endings, specifically those tied to her core. The things she could do to him whilst tied to a bed …
“Yeah, I’ll take that bet.”
“Brilliant.” He kissed her to seal the deal.
18
Protective Runes
Everyone was staring at them with varying degrees of shock and curiosity. Balthazar was the only one grinning, the approval evident in his chocolate eyes.
“Did they hear all of that?” she whispered.
“No, but they saw us.”
“Saw us doing what?” They weren’t doing anything obscene, just holding a private conversation and exchanging a few brief touches.
“My open display of affection. It surprised them.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t do public displays of affection.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, a contrary action to his words. “Lucian, Astasiya and I have a bet going that I need your help resolving.”
Luc met Issac’s gaze, his full lips curling in amusement. “You have my attention.”
“She has a mark on her lower back. I believe it to be a rune, but she is adamant that it’s a birthmark. Care to weigh in?”
The smile fell. “Show me.”
Aidan leaned forward in his seat. “I would like to see as well.”
“Now?” It would require her to remove her dress in front of everyone, not a big deal with her swimsuit underneath, but still nerve-racking. She could only imagine the comments Balthazar would make.
“I’ve got it, love.” Issac tapped his head with his free hand. “Vision, remember?”
“Right.” She was never going to get used to his ability. How could so much power be harbored by one person?
“Interesting.” Luc’s eyes took on a faraway gleam, like he was lost in a daydream. “Have you seen one like that before?”
“Similar, but it’s been a very long time.” Knowing what she did about Aidan’s age, a long time could be anywhere from centuries to millennia ago.
Fantastic.
“I believe I’m winning, Aya,” Issac whispered, eliciting a shiver from her. “I hope you’re ready to take another shower. That’s where we’ll start.”
Her thighs squeezed together in anticipation. This was one bet she was okay with losing, even if it did mean she had a magical symbol on her back.
“What does it mean?” she asked loud enough for Luc and Aidan to hear. They needed to wrap this up before she dragged her demon back to the pool house.
“It’s similar to a protection symbol. Does it ever bother you?” Aidan’s gaze rivaled Luc’s. They were both looking at something beyond anything in this room. Were they triggering their gifts? Sorting through thousands of years of data and comparing it to the image? She shivered. Intelligence alone was a dangerous gift, but that kind of knowledge? It could unhinge the world.
“Is it bothering you now?” Issac asked as her birthmark flared.
She frowned as she itched her lower back. “How did you do that?”
“A protection rune against Ichorians,” Aidan murmured. “That makes sense.”
“That’s why it bothers me on occasion? Because an Ichorian is using a gift on me?” She thought back over the last few weeks. The day she met Issac, Osiris and the Conclave, just an hour ago at the pool … Her eyes widened. “Holy shit. Why the hell do I have a rune on my back?”
“More importantly, when did you cross the path of a Seraphim?” Aidan asked, drawing everyone’s attention. “They’re the only beings powerful enough to create something like this.”
“A Seraphim,” she repeated, incredulous. “Issac said they’re rare.” He also inferred they were a myth.
“Extremely rare,” Aidan corrected. “I haven’t seen one in several thousand years, though. I started to suspect they were extinct, but that mark suggests otherwise. When did you first notice it?”
“Uh, as a kid? I’ve had it for as long as I can remember.” That didn’t seem to be the answer he wanted. “Why would a Seraphim put a rune on my back? And how would I know if I met one?”
“To protect you, and I suppose you wouldn’t unless one went ethereal in front of you.” Aidan’s emerald gaze went to Issac. “What have you discovered about her ancestry?”
Ethereal? Why did that word make her think of her mom?
“Just their names, which are too common to mean anything. Are you thinking they knew a Seraphim?” Issac drew his fingers up and down her upper arm, comforting her. This was not the way she expected the conversation to flow. It’s a birthmark. Why would she ever have reason to believe otherwise?
“It’s possible her father knew one and requested a protective mark to help keep her alive.” Aidan crossed one ankle over his knee. “I’d love to know what he negotiated in trade for such a precious mark. The higher angels hate Ichorians.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because we’re considered an abomination to the angelic race.” Aidan said it the same way someone would say duh. “Do you remember meeting anyone unique in your childhood? Someone with an otherworldly air or poor communication skills? They don’t socialize much with mortals, or anyone really. Stoic and abrupt would be good descriptors.”
“Uh.” She swallowed. “Not ringing any bells.”
“What about your parents? Do you remember anything about them, Stas? Anything helpful?” Aidan asked.
“Just childhood things. Nothing useful.” She kept it vague. Talking about her birth parents wasn’t something she was ready to do yet. There were too many unclear memories she needed to sort through first. Like her mom’s habit for disappearing into a cloud of mist. That wasn’t human, but her conversation with Issac last night made that impossible. Only a human female could give birth to a fledgling, right?
Realizing Balthazar could hear her, she shutdown her thought process. His chocolate eyes were understanding rather than accusatory. Please don’t say anything. He gave a slight nod in acknowledgement, surprising her. As he turned his focus back to Eliza and said
something that brought about a small smile, she realized there was a depth to him that he hid behind a wall of licentiousness.
“I have some books that might help,” Luc was saying, deep in conversation with Aidan. He gave Jacque directions on what he needed and the teleporter disappeared. Poor guy was an errand boy for the Hydraian King. She wondered if it ever bothered him, but the joviality she sensed in him was genuine. His smile was one of a man who enjoyed life, like Owen did.
“They are going to be lost in discussion for hours,” Issac said as everyone except Luc and Aidan got up and left the room. Most of them went towards the pool while Balthazar guided Eliza upstairs. Yesterday she would have had no doubt as to his intentions, but the arm around the girl’s frail shoulders offered comfort, not seduction. Definitely more to him than meets the eye.
“And no one else wants to listen?” she wondered. It seemed odd that everyone got up and left in the middle of the conversation.
“When they get like this?” He gestured to the two men who were speaking some language she couldn’t understand. It was lyrical, whatever it was, and nothing familiar. “Everyone leaves because it’s a waste of time trying to listen. They’re impossible to understand.”
“What language are they speaking?”
“I have no idea. They revert back to various dead languages when they get excited about something.” At her raised eyebrow, he added, “It’s rare for them to be presented with a learning opportunity.”
“Because they know everything.”
“Not so much know everything as they remember everything they’ve ever learned.”
“That’s terrifying.” And amazing.
“Indeed. In any case, they’ll let us know if they figure anything out, but I’m guessing that rune of yours will remain a mystery.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because only the Seraphim who gave it to you can tell us why.”
She wasn’t sure how to feel about the idea of an angel placing a protective symbol on her back. Thankful? Terrified? Intrigued? Aidan’s comment about what her father had to trade for the mark was ominous. What if the Seraphim hadn’t collected his payment yet? Was he the reason her parents were killed? Did he know anything about their murder? Learning she had a magical mark on her back wasn’t comforting, but at least it was a positive symbol. It protected her.
“You look like you could use a distraction right about now.” Issac nuzzled her neck, making her shiver in a good way.
“I just found out my birthmark isn’t a birthmark at all. A distraction would be great.” Otherwise her mind was going to wander to places she would prefer to avoid. All the information she gathered over the last few days was enough to make her head swim.
“Have you eaten enough, love?” The low tone against her ear implied the reason behind the question. He won the bet and he was ready to collect.
Her pulse raced. “Yes.” It was in answer to both the vocal question and the one radiating from his blue eyes. With his hand in hers, he pulled her up from the couch and away from the room. Luc and Aidan were too engrossed in their conversation about archaic languages to notice. Like father, like son.
“Okay. Help me understand something,” she said as they walked by the group socializing and laughing on the pool deck. “I get the whole familial ties thing with Amelia being your half sister by way of the same mom, Aidan being her dad and also Luc’s dad, and your creator.” That was a mouthful. “What I don’t understand is how all of you are getting away with this when it’s against the rules to socialize. How does Osiris not find out? What about other Ichorians?”
They stopped a few feet away from where Jayson was holding Anya over his head and threatening to throw her in for something she said. The grin on their faces said it was all in jest, but she suspected he was going to toss her into the water anyway. He was sans shirt, revealing a chest and abdomen that any other time would have drawn her attention, but she was about to have Issac naked in a shower. That was her ultimate fantasy, no other males need apply.
“There was a time when our races were family and friends, up until Ichorians realized Hydraians could overpower and kill them,” Issac murmured. “Aidan is from that time, hence his closeness to Lucian. His ties to Amelia were more complicated. He stayed and helped her survive because he loved my mother. I suspect he gifted me immortality for similar reasons.” He tucked a strand behind her ear.
“As to how we’re getting away with this, we’re discreet. What you’re seeing now is a reunion of sorts. Meetings like this are rare. Aside from this past week, the last time I saw Lucian was the night we found Eli’s corpse holding Amelia’s ashes. We talk through back channels that Mateo setup, but seeing each other is a risk to all our lives. Aidan hasn’t seen his son in even longer. I bought this property as a haven of sorts. It was meant as a refuge for Amelia, and doubled as a place where I could see her more. You see how well that turned out.”
“But Osiris has to suspect it, right? You said he knew about Amelia, and he obviously knows about Luc.” It seemed logical the ancient man would at least suspect something, and he murdered Sierra for less.
“He might, but Aidan and Lucian are well versed in strategy. It’s part of their gift and why they’ve stayed alive as long as they have. Aidan knows how to play the game, and he’s taught all of us the same tricks and skills. The Conclave is about survival and proving you’re the most powerful predator in the room. Our bloodline is useful to Osiris as well. He wouldn’t try to kill any of us without sufficient evidence and reason, and right now he has none. There is also a provision of the law that allows certain Ichorians to consort with Hydraians, due to birthright. Aidan’s line falls under that category, in some respects. It’s complicated.”
An understatement. “Okay, and what about Sierra? You all let her die, horribly I might add, for only knowing about Owen and not saying anything.” It seemed a bit hypocritical, considering the party going on around her.
“We’ve all done things we didn’t want to do to survive, Aya. Sierra got caught, and as harsh as it is to say, that was her fault more than anyone else’s.”
“So if Osiris found out about this, you’d what? Accept the consequences?”
“Hell no. We would fight.” Stas hadn’t realized the others were listening to their conversation until Anya spoke up from the pool.
“He can’t command us without a voice,” Tristan said from his lounge chair.
“And he can’t see without sight,” Issac added. “Our bloodline is just powerful enough that we might survive. But until that point, we’ll play the game and watch things unfold.”
“You’re planning a rebellion,” she realized. It was the only explanation for what he was admitting.
“We’re preparing for the inevitable,” he corrected. “There are whispers of reinstating the war between our races. Osiris is just bored enough that he might allow it.”
“So you attend Conclave meetings to what, spy on your kind?” And prepare for a global war? That was a revelation she wasn’t equipped to consider. Shit. No wonder Luc was interested in her. A Hydraian with a gift for persuasion who was immune to Ichorian gifts would be unstoppable. And that was her future. No pressure or anything. She balled her shaking hands into a fist, willing her body to get under control. She could really use that distraction right about now.
“It’s one purpose, yes.” He nodded at Tristan, some unspoken words passing between them, and started towards the pool house. “If you’re worried he’ll find out and come after us here, don’t. There’s enough security surrounding this property to protect a small fortress right now. I’m not concerned.”
“What do you mean?”
“Half of Lucian’s guard is here, all placed strategically around this part of the Hamptons. Mateo’s out there too, using his technical skills to monitor cell phones in the area and what not. The Hydraians take the Elders’ security seriously despite their ability to protect themselves. There’s a reason they’ve lived so lon
g.”
He opened the door to the pool house, but paused when Clara called out his name. She was hoisted up onto the side of the pool with an expectant look on her face. With her wet hair and big breasts, she could pass for a water siren with that come hither look. “Be right back.” He walked over and squatted down to listen to whatever the blonde wanted to say. She splashed him and he grabbed her wrist to place a kiss to the palm.
The whole exchange turned her stomach, Tristan’s words from earlier coming back to haunt her. She was made for him. So why was Clara letting him wander off with another woman? Did they have an understanding where he could sleep around despite belonging to her?
Clara flashed her a broad smile as he walked away shaking his head. There was nothing malicious about her grin. No jealousy, just authentic happiness. She was still frowning when he joined her in the doorway. He ran a finger over her lip, snagging on the edge. “You’re green again, Aya.”
“I’m not jealous.” Lie.
“Clara is a friend.” He tugged her inside and towards the bedroom.
“A friend who was made for you?” She couldn’t help herself. That minor detail went beyond friendship.
They were at the foot of the bed when she said it, causing him to stop and face her. “What did you just say?”
“She’s a friend who was made for you, right? Aidan turned her to be your mate or something?”
The flare in his blue eyes struck her in the heart. It was true. She shouldn’t care. Whatever this was between them wasn’t meant to last. She was destined to live on some island in the middle of God knew where while he would be in New York City maintaining his playboy image. It didn’t matter that he evoked something inside of her she never knew existed; an emotion so deep it hurt. They weren’t dating or in an exclusive relationship, as was evidenced by him flirting with his mate in front of her.