Out of the Mountain

by Violet Chastain

  “And did you do that at the same time, like together in one room or . . .” Malachi asked, and I punched his arm in reproach.

  “Ouch, Vivi, I just wanted to be sure they were thorough, an extra set of . . . eyes can go a long way!” He winked.

  “You are incorrigible.” I snorted, and he wrapped an arm around me.

  “You’ll always be my favorite wet dream,” he quipped, and I pushed him away, laugh cutting off when I heard a low rumble from across the room. Rowan’s eyes were blazing. Everyone in the room tensed.

  “He’s only joking,” I said softly.

  “I do not find it amusing,” he intoned, and I stiffened.

  “You know there has never been, nor will there ever be anything but friendship between Malachi and me,” I chastised him through his mind.

  “He should not be so comfortable speaking to you, touching you, or thinking of you in such a manner. You are mine. He needs to acknowledge that,” he growled back, and I stood, aware that the others were watching the silent exchange in confusion.

  “I will decide how I am comfortable being touched, talked to, and thought of. His friendship is valuable to me. I will not lose it because of your insecurities,” I hissed, and his eyes returned to their honey color, frown deepening.

  “You are right. I am sorry. It is difficult for me. We will speak of it later.”

  “Yes, we will,” I agreed, and sat back down.

  There was a collective release of air, and Briony patted me on the leg.

  “What was that?” Adelaide yelped.

  “That is none of your concern—any of yours,” Rowan barked, but I could see her putting two and two together. Weren’t we supposed to be hiding the bond?

  “I can speak into people’s minds and hear their thoughts in return when allowed. Want to let me in?” I jeered, and pushed my magic toward her. She recoiled.

  “No!”

  “Didn’t think so.”

  “With that little spat settled,” Felix droned in his monotone voice, “I agree with the date idea. There is an even number. The girls can endanger whomever they want, they will be one another’s partners, and that leaves the rest of us paired off evenly,” he finished, and I tried not to gape. His pale hair, eyes, and complexion were an oddity, but that was the most I had ever heard him speak at once.

  “I call Tamora!” Malachi chirped and she grinned.

  “The rest of you, pair off as you see fit,” Rowan grumbled, and the rest got up and moved around the room, taking their places beside the person they were going to trust with their lives. I didn’t move at first, still ruffled by the exchange, and was surprised when I met Rowan’s eyes. They were soft, apologetic. I sighed, hopping up and sitting on the arm of his chair. He wrapped an arm around my waist in relief.

  “Thank you.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Men and their egos,” I complained but smiled. I looked around the room that was now paired off. Briony and Luca, Griffin and Peyton, Genevieve and Jonah, Finley and Willa, Malachi and Tamora, Adelaide was with Marlowe, and Tasmin was with Felix. I raised my eyebrows in question.

  “So we didn’t really think through the date thing . . . and this guy is really cute. I’m not finished with him yet,” Tasmin grumbled, and I nodded letting it slide.

  “That leaves at least one in each group with a dagger. Jonah, Felix, and Willa have been working on ways to manipulate fire as a distraction. As we saw the first time they attacked, they fear the fire, recoil from it in much the same way as light.” Rowan seemed happy enough with each pair. I just hoped it would be enough.

  “I snuck a few weapons into the ballroom décor earlier,” Willa said proudly, and Rowan smiled at her in approval. Her mouth almost fell open at the sight.

  “It’s that damn dimple. Stop it before you render her unconscious,” I joked, and he eyed me.

  “I am only trying to be friendlier.”

  “Well, ease into it. You’re scaring the children.”

  “Good thinking,” he said, clearing his throat, and she blinked before nodding. Maybe Rowan could just smile at every adversary during battle and freeze them in place. He chuckled.

  “I am never going to get used to this.” Briony sighed, eyeing Rowan warily. I laughed.

  Rowan gathered paper and drew a rather impressive blueprint of the ballroom, labeling all the exits as he went. He assigned everyone to places in the room, evenly distributing our force for when the chaos started. I would have to move freely, but he would shadow me. The more our plan solidified, the better I felt. I could tell the others were feeling the same, and by dinnertime we were all in better spirits. Hope was dawning behind our eyes.

  ***

  When I told Mauve of Master Liung’s unfortunate emergency departure, she didn’t even try to hide her smile.

  “Ah, so things will go back to the original plan then. This makes things much easier for the lot of us.” She smiled at the others around the table. I could see the tendrils of darkness more clearly now, Connecting them all in an oppressive web of shadows. They were completely in Narissa’s thrall. She would easily take them out when she got the chance. It was disheartening. I would have to try to free them as soon as I could. Surely they would be Narissa’s first stop.

  “I am glad things are back on track,” I lied. I forced myself to eat dinner as I listened to Mauve drone on about what was expected of me tomorrow. Nerves ignited in my belly, and when I finally couldn’t take any more of the anxiety, I stood, stopping her midsentence.

  “Sorry, I’m just nervous for tomorrow. I think I need to excuse myself,” I lied, and she eyed me suspiciously. I saw a flash behind her eyes and knew I needed to take the opportunity. I faked tripping over my own feet and grabbed her arm to steady myself.

  “Kieran had no choice but to give the staff to me for safekeeping. He wouldn’t risk it by taking it into the Fae realm, and besides, I need it to ensure the success of our plan,” Narissa said as she paced in front of Silas.

  “I’ve been thinking a lot, and the time might finally be right to dispose of Kieran once and for all. That is, if Ambrosine doesn’t do it for me . . . Although, he certainly does serve his purposes. If he succeeds in returning both the amulet and our . . . treasure to me, maybe I’ll give him another chance. I can tell that he thinks he is above me. His posturing has shifted from admiring to dominating entirely too easily,” she complained.

  “Men are fickle beings, always more work than they are worth, in the end.” She sighed, running her hand across Silas’s thick chest slowly.

  “Ah well, I will have to decide what I want when the time comes, but for now we have planning to do. When you begin to feel the pull of the moon, I want you to ask our princess for a dance.” Her eyes twinkled with menace.

  “Really, Vivienne, you should compose yourself!” Mauve barked, ripping her arm away and glaring. I stood straightening my clothes and felt Rowan at my back.

  “I’m so sorry. Just nerves. I’ll be on my way,” I yipped as I rushed from the room. Rowan’s hand at my back was steady and comforting.

  “What did you see?” he implored, so I showed him as we walked back up to my room.

  “At least we will have a warning signal,” I said, trying to look on the bright side as he closed the door and locked it behind us.

  “Yes, and I suppose he won’t be looking to harm you, only to capture you for later harm,” Rowan grumbled.

  “Plus freeing Silas first is a good plan. He will easily recover and be an asset.”

  “That is true.” Rowan sighed pulling me to him. I relaxed into his arms easily, taking the comfort he offered. Tomorrow was the day, so much had happened in such a short amount of time. I felt the anxious fear knotting in my gut. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to my friends.

  “All will be well,” he murmured, trying to assuage my fear. He pressed his lips to my hair, and I took the comfort he offered.

  “Will you lie with me tonight?” I mumbled into his shirt, and he pulled back to look
at me fully. I pushed my fear, worry, nerves, apprehension, all of it toward him, and he hugged me tightly again.

  “I would very much love to,” he admitted, and I smiled, excusing myself into the bathroom. I took a minute to freshen up and donned my pj’s. Cotton shorts and a tank, nothing he hadn’t seen before. What if he mistook my invitation and expected more? I was suddenly nervous, and it took all my will to open the door and exit the bathroom.

  He sat on the bed, back propped against the headboard, shirtless with a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, which made me smile. He crooked a finger at me, and I relaxed, noting his playful demeanor. Of course he would know exactly what I meant by inviting him to spend the night with me. I shut off the lights and stumbled to the foot of the bed, climbing up next to him and under the covers. He smelled amazing, and his warm body felt perfect next to mine as he slid down onto the pillow and pulled my head onto his chest. He kissed my head and his hand found my hair, running it up and down my skull, relaxing me further.

  “Unfortunately we need to talk about what happened earlier.” I sighed, not wanting to spoil the moment but unable to ignore it any further.

  “Which thing are you referring to?” he tried to joke.

  “Malachi flirts; he does it with everyone. He likes to put on a show. He’s been damaged somehow in the past, and it’s plain to see for anyone willing to look beneath the surface. He has shown me that side of him, and I can’t unsee it.”

  “And if Adelaide were to put her arm around me, to make sexual advances in front of you?” he grumbled knowingly.

  “It’s not the same,” I hissed, sitting up in the bed beside him.

  “Enlighten me to the difference.”

  “You chose Adelaide. You let her have you physically, and you used each other. Malachi and I have done nothing more than share each other’s company!”

  “You shared a bed!”

  “We slept separately in the same bed, completely exhausted and unaware of the other’s presence.”

  “I have felt it,” he admitted, sitting up.

  “Felt what?” I asked, confused.

  “Your subtle attraction, the way joy fills you when he is flirting with you . . .”

  I sat up thinking about what to say to that . . . Sure I could see Malachi’s good looks, but anyone would agree that he was handsome. I certainly didn’t dwell on thoughts of him after he was gone, not in the same way I did Rowan. What Rowan couldn’t seem to understand is that Malachi wasn’t really flirting with me and hadn’t since he had gotten to know me. He just didn’t know any other way to relate easily to girls, and honestly, I found his crude humor hilarious and refreshing at times.

  “I can appreciate Malachi for what he is: attractive, funny, loyal, and a friend. Those are facts. I couldn’t even imagine kissing Malachi. It would be like kissing a brother,” I complained truthfully, knowing he would feel the truth behind my words.

  “I am sorry. I do not know where this is all coming from.”

  “Yes, you do,” I criticized, wanting to hash it out in full. We needed to put whatever this was behind us.

  “I tell myself that I tried to stay away, but in truth I know I did not. I saw you, and that is all it took to light a fire in my soul. It angered me at first that you did not realize the effect you were having on me, but I soon realized it was of no fault but my own. I was tied to you; our incomplete bond was a crushing weight, and when we kissed . . . I felt the potential of what could be. I knew that in the end I would not be strong enough to fight it, even for your sake.

  “I tried to make you angry at me, to push you from me. Adelaide approached me with an offer, an outlet for the fire that was raging inside my very bones, and I took it. All it managed to do was solidify what I already knew: no other would ever come near to what I had felt when your lips touched mine. Even closing my eyes and imagining she was you did not work to curb what you had awoken within me. I had claimed something that did not belong to me, and I was reaping what I had sewn.” He grabbed my hands in his. My eyes had adjusted to the dim light of the moon that was filtering through the windows, and I could see the anguish on his face.

  “After that kiss I started to feel you everywhere. I could sense your emotions, could feel your hurt and resentment toward me, and I told myself that was what it should be, what I deserved. I saw your interest in Luca and again told myself that it was good; you deserved to have your own experiences. The boy was kind, and honestly . . . I didn’t feel threatened by him. He is young still, and I saw you control every situation he presented you with. I was much happier with that arrangement,” he admitted, and I growled at him.

  “When your emotions were torn from me, well, I’ve told you before how I felt about that, but it was so profound. Shortly after when I found you dressed in Malachi’s shirt, him in your bed . . . I thought I would rip him limb from limb. The pain was so deep within me, the thoughts of another man taking you so completely . . . I knew then that it was inevitable. I convinced myself you were safer with me near you. I allowed my instincts to take over. I took every opportunity with you that I could. I am sorry for what I did. I am sorry for how I have acted. My past has been so filled with disloyalty, distrust, and scheming. I have never known love until you. I am trying to learn from my mistakes, but I am imperfect.” He ended his speech, and I kept my eyes on him. Those damn Fae really did a number on him. Who could blame him for doubting a good thing when every good thing he was ever given was ripped from him?

  “Let me show you something,” I said, reaching for his head, decision already made and pride be damned. At the contact I opened my mind to him completely. I pushed every thought, every emotion, good and bad, every feeling I have had since the moment we met. When the connection buzzed, I pushed, opening my mind further. A million memories, thoughts, and dreams, a lifetime of them poured out. He gasped, and I heard a sob break from his throat. My heart broke with the sound, but when he kissed me a smile was on his lips.

  “That was the greatest gift I have ever received.”

  “You will not doubt my love again,” I said firmly, and he shook his head, pulling me to him in a bone-crushing embrace.

  “I have never felt so much.” He held my face in his hands and kissed every part of it that he could find before landing on my lips.

  “Rowan,” I mumbled against his lips, and he slowed. “I know that this is hard for you, the truth is that it’s hard for me as well. I have never experienced this either, but I am hurt by your doubt. I understand the reasoning; the time you spent with the Fae changed you, and you have never fully recovered. I know that I couldn’t possibly comprehend the complexities of your mind, but I have never given you cause for doubt, and it hurts.”

  “I will never atone for the hurt I have caused you.” He sighed.

  “You can and you will. You are not one of the Fae, and you are no longer surrounded by them. They took so much from you already, and you continue to let them restrict you even now. You will allow connections, friendships, and trust to grow. Sure, there are bad people, but there are also good people! People much better than I who deserve to know you like I do. It is time to stop letting your past limit your future.”

  “You are right, and your words resonate with my soul. I will overcome this . . . restriction upon myself. I will not allow this to continue any longer, they will not rip you away from me,” he growled.

  “They couldn’t if they tried.”

  “I have never believed in something as much as I believe in us,” he whispered into my hair, and I shivered. Our lips met once more with long, languid kisses that were kept that way only by the promise of tomorrow. The hope that we would have more time together, that this battle wouldn’t be the end of what we had only just begun.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Light spilled into the room, and I enjoyed the warmth of Rowan next to me for a moment before I allowed myself to acknowledge that today was the day. Fear crept into me, ruining my comfortable bliss.

  “All wil
l end well,” Rowan’s voice rumbled, sleep still thick and coating it.

  “We could just stay in bed all day, ignore our impending doom,” I suggested, and he chuckled.

  “Someday, when our lives are much calmer, we will enjoy doing something as simple as that often.”

  “We can dedicate one day a week to lazing around our bedroom.” I agreed, and he laughed, hopping off the bed and pulling me up after him. Rowan in the morning was a sight to be seen. Ruffled and rugged, pure man.

  “I could imagine nothing better than a day in bed with you.” His eyes heated, and I heard the suggestion behind his words. My blood sizzled. I was awake now.

  His hands were at my waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Burying my fingers in his hair was irresistible. His hands slipped beneath my shirt and up my back before he pulled me firm against him and pressed his lips against mine. I returned his kiss eagerly, my body responding easily to his. Fire lit in my belly when our tongues touched, my toes curling with the sensation, and I sighed into his mouth. A groan escaped him, racking me to the bone as he lifted me easily and pressed my back into the wall.

  His kissing became fervent; one hand slid up the leg of my shorts and held me firmly under my behind. The other cupped the back of my neck, holding me to him as he trailed kisses down my jawline. I could feel his arousal firmly beneath me, his need spilling from him and onto me. When his mouth met mine again, I smiled at his eager response to my sigh, and his movements became slower, less forceful, as if he was only realizing what he was doing.

  “You tease me,” he grumbled, but there was humor in his eyes.

  “I didn’t realize what a good weapon I had there.” I laughed, kissing him lightly.

  “Vinnie, you have an entire arsenal at your disposal,” he said as he gripped me more firmly with his hands, “and I would gladly allow you to use any of the weapons that it affords you against me . . . any time you please.” He finished and his words had a physical effect on me as heat spread to my very core at the thought. His eyes glowed yellow and bright, inches from my own.