“I know. I’m taking you out for a snack.”
I gaped at him. “W-why?”
“Because I’m supposed to return you back home safely, but since I know you probably don’t want to go home just yet, and I’m not in the mood to watch you dance, I thought we could grab something to eat.” He seemed bored with his task. “Besides, I’m hungry.”
“What if I say no?”
“Then I have no choice but to sit here and watch you dance until you decide to go home.” His voice was hoarse and he averted his eyes.
What? Was it so bad to watch me dance? As far as I knew, I was a good dancer. Probably far from being the best one out there, but I could hold my own.
Yet, he had just seen me dance, at least for a minute, and was unimpressed. Bored. With his hurry to leave, I would say he was even disgusted.
With a sigh, I nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll wait outside,” was all he said before turning on his heels and walking out.
I let out a long breath as if I hadn’t breathed properly since I first saw him standing there. It was probably true.
I changed back into my ripped jean shorts, my loose blouse with lace details, shoved my dancing gear inside my tote, and, after locking the studio, I walked out to meet Artan.
I froze, realizing two things.
Artan was waiting by his SUV, and as I walked to him, I lifted two fingers. “One, how did you get in if the door was locked, and two, why didn’t I sense you?” He graced me with one of his rare lopsided grins, but he didn’t answer. He opened the passenger door for me. “I’m waiting for an answer.”
“Just get inside,” he said, sounding bored.
Groaning, I hopped into his SUV. He closed the door, then jogged around the car and slipped into the driver’s seat. He started the SUV, and then turned to look at me, those hazel eyes shining.
“One, do you think it’s that hard to pick a lock? Two, because you were too lost in the music and the dance to notice? That’s my guess.”
I had been really lost dancing, so it was a possibility, one I didn’t really like. Did that mean that I wasn’t always going to sense when someone got close to me like that? I was hoping my senses were good enough by now to sense others, especially alchemists. Well, if they were, then I wouldn’t have agreed to train with Sheila.
In silence, he drove us to a quaint diner a few minutes from the studio. I had been here only a handful of times but knew the menu was great.
Not being able to decide, I ordered a ham and cheese and a chocolate croissants and tea, and Artan asked for one of their famous bacon quiches and black coffee.
The waitress walked away to put in our order, and I glanced out the window.
I was eating out with Artan, a warrior from Lovell.
When did my life become so weird?
Leaning over the table, Artan steepled his fingers and said in his rough voice, “I have one question. Why did you say no to Lovell so many times, and then go to Bellville so easily?”
“How do you know it was easily?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Were you spying on me?”
“Don’t say spy. It sounds so shady. I was checking on you to make sure you and your mother were okay. But no, not at that time. Though I knew something was up when I came to check on you twice yesterday and didn’t find you. And I looked at the dance studio, at school, your friend’s dorm, and your mother’s place. So, I waited for you until you came back.”
I clasped my hands under the table. “What if I hadn’t come back?”
“I was giving you a couple more hours before calling in and getting a search party together.”
A search party … for me?
I shook my head. “Why? Why me? Why are you all so interested in me? Don’t you have other tziganes to worry about?”
“Other tziganes don’t give us so many headaches. They know how to behave.”
To behave … as if I were a child and not obeying my parents. Ridiculous. “Seriously, why me?”
He shrugged. “Why are the alchemists so interested in you? We don’t know. The thing is, there are more alchemists around and making our life more difficult since all of this started. If it was up to my puri daj, you would be living inside our enclave and following our rules closely.”
“That’s why,” I said.
“That’s why what?”
“Why I went with Bellville and not with Lovell. Because with your enclave, I feel threatened, like if I don’t do whatever Darcy wants, I’ll suffer the consequences.”
“That’s not—”
He shut his mouth when the waitress came back with our order.
“Thank you,” I said, noticing the way she looked at Artan. Yes, yes, he was handsome, could we move on, please?
She smiled at me, then at him, lingering a bit. Artan barely glanced her way when he nodded his thanks.
The woman walked away and he said in a lower voice, “That’s not true. I know she seems harsh, but she’s not like that. The oldest people in our enclave are members of the elders’ council, who help the rom baro with decisions and rules. My puri daj is one of the elders. She became the best advisor to the rom baro because of her firm hand. But with her family, she’s as sweet as honey.”
“Hard to believe.” I took a bite from my croissant.
“Give her a chance. Come with me to Lovell. You’ll love it there.”
“How do you know?”
“Because it’s … the perfect place. There’s no one who has been there and not fallen in love with it.” His voice rang with pride, and for a moment, I believed him.
“I’ll … think about it,” I promised him.
The hint of a smile appeared on his lips. “That’s all I’m asking.”
13
I still didn’t want to go back home after the afternoon snack, so I simply steered away from Artan’s SUV and slowed my steps, as if going for a stroll around the neighborhood. Artan followed close on my heels.
Maybe going for a walk wasn’t such a good idea, not with a six-foot-three bodyguard looking like he would kill anyone who got too close.
For several blocks, we walked in silence, Artan half a step behind me. Everyone probably thought we were strangers. Which wasn’t entirely far from the truth. Artan was a stranger to me, and besides his aggressive hotness, he was quite frightening.
After an hour walking, my legs were getting tired. It was almost five and I should be back home, even if I wasn’t ready to spend the rest of the evening with my mother. However, I wasn’t sure I could endure Artan’s unsettling figure for much longer.
If only I could order him to go away and tell the others to stay away, too. I didn’t need a babysitter. I sure didn’t want one, at least. But my opinion didn’t matter, did it? Several scenarios surged in my mind, and in neither of them, I saw myself going against an imposing tzigane.
I rounded a corner and realized I was four blocks from home. I had been walking without direction, and yet my feet brought me here.
“Ready to go home, I assume.”
“Not really …” I frowned. “Your car … it’s back at the diner. I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “It’s okay.”
My building came into view, and I glanced at my floor, more precisely at my bedroom window. Shit. I made a mental note never to leave the drapes of my bedroom window open again—not when Artan and Theron were always checking on me.
I skidded to a stop before the front yard. A few golden shrubs were now in the flower beds, as if they had sprouted there a few minutes ago, but this time, there were a few silver and bluish flowers among the golden ones. It was quite beautiful and their scent was strong, fresh, and sweet.
Artan halted by my side and followed my stare. “Golden horehound. My father had the shrubs planted so there’s some protection around the building.”
Just now? Because I had been gone for only a few hours.
I glanced at him. “Why?” I repeated the same question from before. I wasn’t sure he k
new the answer. I wasn’t sure there was an answer to my question. “Why do I need to be protected? If my mother was banished, why do you care about her daughter?”
“Don’t ask me.” He kept staring at the plants, probably to avoid my inquisitive eyes. “I don’t know any more than you do.”
Oh, but he did. He was one of them. He certainly knew more about me, but for some reason, he didn’t want to tell me. Or he couldn’t.
“Well,” I started, uncertain of what to say. I didn’t want to invite him in, but I knew he would stay outside for a while longer. Ugh, I hated being babysat. Should I say good evening, or just pretend he would leave too? “If you ...”
Something tugged deep in me, tingling started in my mind, and my pendant warmed against my skin. I looked around, to the shadows under the trees around the property.
Artan took a step closer to me. “I feel it too.” His body was tense beside mine, his sharp eyes scanning the perimeter of the parking lot and the building.
A foreign force stabbed at my mind, like a fishing hook. I looked out to my right, to where the trees were closer together, forming a thick green barrier. Behind the trees, the sun dipped further.
And the shadows advanced.
“There.” I jerked my chin to where the feeling, a heavy, oily feeling came from, where it was hiding. Waiting. “It’s coming from there.”
Artan snapped his attention to the trees and squinted his eyes, trying to see through the shadows growing darker.
A chill ran down my body and I took a step back, bumping into Artan. I stayed glued to him. His arm snaked around my torso, keeping me close.
“Alchemists?” I asked, though the heavy, dark feeling was a little different from the one I had sensed in the parking garage when I first encountered our enemies.
He shook his head. “No.” Slowly, Artan slid his arm down my body and clutched my hand tight. “Grab your keys.” His voice was low, firm. “Keep them ready. When I say, we run to the front door.”
“Okay,” I whispered. With deliberate movements, I reached into my purse with my free hand and took my keys. That was when I noticed my hands were shaking. “I’m ready.” Even my voice trembled.
The shadows spread, faster than the setting sun. Faster and thicker. It felt … like we were surrounded by pure darkness, and it was closing in on us.
The sound of metal scratching the concrete filled the air, followed by a thin screech.
“W-what was that?” I croaked.
Something lunged from the shadows.
Artan squeezed my hand once. “Now! Run now!”
I moved with him, as fast as I could, but his legs were much longer than mine, and he practically hauled me toward the building’s front door.
Panic flooded my chest, and I didn’t dare look back as the scratching and the screeches echoed behind us, closer and closer.
Then, something landed right in front of the door. Artan skidded to a stop and I bumped into him, my heart hammering in my chest, my chin on the floor as I took in the creature now snarling at us.
What … What was that?
I didn’t know what it looked like. The creature was tall, almost as tall as Artan, with wide shoulders and a long head, thin chin. Its skin was a decaying gray, its eyes were all black, as depthless as the night sky, its ears pointy, its mouth was wide, with plenty of razor-sharp teeth—and two long fangs. The creature lifted its prolonged limbs revealing four fingers ending in jagged claws.
My heart froze for a moment, then went back to a hard, fast rhythm.
The creature snarled at us.
“Don’t move,” Artan whispered. Very, very slowly, he reached down, to the hem of his pants. He pulled it up, revealing a dagger strapped to his calf. “Get ready to duck.”
My mind was racing more than my heart, but I tried making sense of what he was saying.
Fight. He planned on fighting the creature. And I had to get out of the way.
He didn’t need to tell me twice.
Just as Artan’s fingers grazed on the leather straps around his leg, screeches rang right behind us.
“Shit,” he muttered.
Artan closed his hand around his dagger and the creature in front of us lunged.
I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
Artan threw his hand out and a strong current washed over the creature, slamming it against the door. Then he pivoted us around, just as two others pounced after us. He used the same air trick to push them back.
“Stay close,” he said, finally picking up his dagger.
Keeping me at his back, Artan walked back, out of the circle the three creatures had formed around us, so he could face them all at the same time.
The creatures didn’t seem a bit fazed as they bore their teeth and advanced on us.
I clutched Artan’s arm. “What can I do?” Even though panic threatened to paralyze me, I wanted to help.
He raised his dagger. “Just stay out of my way.”
The creature in the middle leaped at us. Like before, Artan used his powers and threw the creature back, several yards away.
“Look out!” I called just as the creature on the right came for us.
Artan only had time to turn to the monster and parry its attack. I stepped back as the creature swiped a heavy claw toward Artan. He ducked, stepping aside. When Artan straightened, he was on the side of the creature, his dagger buried deep into the creature’s stomach.
A claw closed around my neck. My heart and my breathing stopped. The third creature loomed behind me, its mouth and fangs leaning down over me. I whimpered, shaking hard when its other claw closed around my shoulder, pulling me back, closer to it.
The fear rendered me useless.
No, no. I wouldn’t give up this easily. I tried thinking through the panic overwhelming me. Artan was still fighting the other creature—it didn’t want to go down, even after several stabs from Artan and his dagger.
The first one was on the move, charging fast.
“Artan!” I cried.
He glanced over his shoulder as the creature jumped at him. Artan twisted out of the way and threw his hand up, sending another powerful rush of air to the creature and buying a little more time.
The claws of the creature holding me tightened around my shoulders, and its big mouth hovered over my neck. I scrunched my nose, nauseated by the rotted odor coming from its putrid mouth.
No, no, no … I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Acting without thinking, I stepped on the creature’s foot with all I had, then elbowed its stomach hard. Its hold on me loosened momentarily, and I tried to run.
Meanwhile, Artan let out a loud growl. Like a graceful dancer, he whirled around and landed a kick to the creature’s chest, then another to its chin. The creature lifted its head with the force of the impact, exposing its neck.
And Artan stepped in, plunging his dagger deep.
For a moment, I thought I was free, that I had escaped. Only to have the claws closed around my shoulders harder, its sharp points digging deep into my skin. The creature leaned over me once more, going for my neck without wasting more time.
Its fangs grazed my skin and I let out a cry.
“Don’t move!” was the only warning I got. The next second, Artan’s dagger was buried in the creature’s forehead. Its heavy body fell over me, and I went down with it.
But before I was crushed, Artan sent another wave of air my way, gentle enough to keep me up and tip the creature so it would fall to the other side.
With bared teeth, Artan straddled the creature, his feet on each side of the creature’s chest. He pulled out the dagger, just to pierce it again, this time on its neck.
Not wasting any time, Artan turned to the third and final monster—it was already only a few feet from us again.
Artan let out another growl before running toward the creature. Using his powers, he lifted himself from the ground and landed a hard kick on the creature’s chest. It went down without
any resistance. Artan kept a strong current coming, holding the monster down just until he impaled the creature’s neck with his dagger.
Instantly, the heavy shadows fell away, and the dark orange of the setting sun appeared in the distance.
His shoulders tense, Artan turned to me and fixed those intense amber eyes on mine. “Are you okay?”
I opened my mouth to say yes. An automatic response, a lie. Instead, I shook my head.
14
I paced around the living room, hugging my midriff so I wouldn’t see how badly my arms still shook.
After killing the monsters, Artan took me back inside the apartment and asked my mother to keep an eye on me while he went back outside—to get rid of the monsters’ bodies and check for more.
I didn’t like the idea of him alone out there, where more of those creatures could be lurking, but what else could I do? I was dead weight.
My mother stepped in my way and I yelped, jumping back, my trembling hand over my racing heart.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. “Here.” She showed me the big mug filled to the brim with tea. “It’s chamomile and … something else. It’ll help you calm down.”
I wrapped my hands around the warm mug, the tea almost spilling over, and I sat on the couch. I took a long sip of the tea, not caring that it almost burned my tongue, and I felt it spreading inside me, warming me over and slowly, gently calming my nerves. I took another long sip and sighed in relief.
My mother sat beside me. “Feeling better?”
“Yes …” I drank some more. My hands were still shaking, my heart was still beating faster than usual, but whatever my mother had put in here with the chamomile … it was working. “Yes, I feel better.”
“I—”
The jingling of keys came two seconds before the door opened. Face grim, Artan stepped inside and locked the door again.
He turned to me. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “I have tea.”
My mother offered him a small smile. “I’ll make some for you too, Artan.” She shot up and went back to the kitchen.
Artan took a few steps closer to me, but stood tall, stoic, like a warrior.
Heart Seeker (The Fire Heart Chronicles Book 1) Page 11