Wimp out on him. As if. I was totally up for a challenge.
“Fine,” I said. “But you better not let me trip on anything.”
He smiled. Holding up his hand, and placing the other on his chest, he said, “scout’s honour.”
He lied. Or, he was just terribly bad a leading someone who couldn’t see. I tripped more times than I could count. To give him credit, he did apologize profusely each time. We walked for less than ten minutes before I could hear other voices and Gabe announced we were almost there.
“Ready?” He said, moving to stand behind me. The heat of his chest warmed my back, and I had to fight the urge to let myself lean into it.
“Ready,” I said, biting my lip.
With deft fingers, he untied the scarf he’d found in his car and wrapped around my eyes, letting the material fall away. I blinked, taking a moment to absorb what I was seeing.
I took a step back. “You have got to be kidding me,” I said, shaking my head.
“Come on,” he pleaded. “There’s absolutely nothing to be sacred of. You’ll love it, trust me. And I’ll make sure we’re harnessed together.”
I looked over my shoulder at him, my face surely betraying how skeptical I was of the earlier part of that sentence. “Why this?” I asked, curious.
He shrugged. “You looked like you just needed to let go, and this was the first thing that came to mind. There’s nothing more freeing than this, except maybe flying, if it were possible. I always come here when I need to clear my head.”
That was - a good reason. And probably true. I thought back to how it felt when Cillian flew with me, and remembered that sense of peace that had come over me. I turned back to the sign. Something told me bungee jumping off a cliff wasn’t going to be quite the same, but maybe Gabe was onto something.
I took a deep breath, clapping my hands. “Alright, let’s do it.”
He gave a happy hoot, before reaching for my hand again, interlacing our fingers, leading me forward to where people were milling about, waiting for their turn to be put in a harness by the men working there. As we also waited for our turn, I took a peek down the side of the cliff we were jumping off. It was terrifying. The point people were falling from hung over the ocean, the rock jutting out from the rest of the rock wall so that no one swung and hit it, hopefully. Waves crashed below us, offering a watery alternative to the rock face that wasn’t any more appealing. Every time someone screamed while dropping toward those foaming caps, I fought back a shudder. Gabe held my hand the entire time, completely oblivious to how utterly scary this all was.
When it was our turn, we were the only ones left up there, aside from the people who were working. One of the guys, a sweaty, burly man with a southern accent, helped get me in the gear as he rattled off dos and don’ts. I didn’t hear a word of it, my mind racing with fear and adrenaline.
Then we were standing in front of each other, and more straps and buckles were being done up, keeping our two bodies together. Finally, I looked up to find Gabe watching me silently.
“From one to ten, how scared are you?”
I swallowed. “Fifteen.”
His lips twitched. “Good. Fear is good. It’s what gives you a kick in the ass when you need it. That one shove to push you out of your comfort zone.”
My arms were wrapped around his waist, my chest all but plastered to his. Normally, this position would have had my hormones a flutter. That being said, this was not a normal situation.
“Hey,” he said, crooking his finger under my chin, forcing my face up gently. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You can trust me.”
“I know,” I said, my voice coming out as little more than a whisper. If there was anyone else around, I didn’t notice. All I could focus on was the boy in front of me. Those bronze, gold eyes searched mine as his arms tightened around me.
“Ready?” He asked.
“No.”
He smiled. “Good.”
And then we jumped.
***
Falling was slightly different than climbing really fast, but either way, my breath was taken away and my stomach bottomed out. I held onto Gabe for dear life, his arms like two steel bars around me, pressing me against him as we plummeted. Then the cord went taut and we were suddenly flying upwards again, back and forth with the momentum.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d deafened the poor guy. My screams slowly died out as we came to a final stop, the two of us just hanging upside down together, swinging side to side.
“That was - “
“Incredible?” He supplied.
“Insane,” I said.
He laughed, the rich sound of it washing over me, causing me to shiver. It wasn’t often that Gabe laughed so freely. Watching him throw back his head, his lips pulled up without the usual restraint, was breathtaking. He really was beautiful. Cillian had a dark beauty, something not quite human, and not quite safe. Gabe had this pure beauty, the kind everyone can’t help but notice because it’s almost blinding, as if the sun itself couldn’t help but find him and light him from within. And yet, there was something sharp about it to. In the way his eyes seemed to absorb everything, or the way his body always seemed poised to react, if need be. Cillian had that sense about him to, but more like a cobra hiding amongst the tall grasses, whereas Gabe was the hawk circling above, clearly visible to anyone who dared draw his attention.
Why was I even comparing him to Cillian? I pushed all these thoughts away, and instead focused on the sound of the crashing waves below, and the feel of the breeze as it wrapped its tendrils around us, that whisper of a touch that made you sometimes wonder what else was out there. Except, I knew what else was out there, and it wasn’t pretty.
“You’re frowning again,” Gabe said, bringing his hand up to gently smooth away the crease between my brows with his thumb.
“Sorry,” I said, catching myself leaning into his touch, as it cupped part of my face and neck.
“I thought this would help,” he said with a disappointed smile.
“It did, honest,” I said. “This was – just what I needed.”
The guys at the top started hoisting us up then and we clung to one another in silence until we were back on our feet and free of all the harnesses. As we walked down to the car, he reached out and threaded our hands together again, as though it were the most natural thing to do.
I looked down at them, and back up at the boy who was calmly taking in the nature around us. “Why are you so nice to me?” I blurted out.
He turned to me, those perfect golden brows lifted over the rims of his sunglasses. “What? What do you mean?”
I shrugged, looking down at the ground. “It’s just, people aren’t normally nice to me. I’m not...used to it, I guess. Most of the kids at our school want nothing to do with me.”
He snorted. “That’s just how they act.”
I squinted at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, please,” he said. “Half the boys at the school can’t keep their eyes off you when you walk by, and the girls know it, so they hate you for that reason alone. They’re all just jealous.”
Man, this guy had no idea what he was talking about. “I don’t know what guys you’re referring to, but none of them look at me in that way.”
“Sure they do, they just hide it.”
Now it was my turn to snort. “I think you’re nuts. None of them like me, except maybe Emily. There’s nothing to be jealous of.”
He pulled on my hand, stopping us. “Yes, there is. You walk around that school like you couldn’t care less what anyone thinks, and it drives them all nuts because they can’t help but care what each other thinks. You might be different, Hope, but it’s a good thing. Trust me.”
I decided to keep my arguments to myself as we started walking again. “Do you miss your old school yet?” I asked, changing the subject.
He took a deep breath, looking up at
the cloudless sky. “No,” he said, sounding almost surprised by it. “I thought maybe I would, but I’ve found things here - more interesting.” He looked down, his eyes hidden for me to gauge what he meant by that. My cheeks flushed anyway. “Like I said, different is good. I didn’t know that until I met you.”
On the way home, we stopped at the fish and chips shack again. Mary looked like she was going to pee herself from excitement when she spotted me. She’d sputtered and fluttered around as if we’d just gotten married or something. I would have been embarrassed, had it not been for the amused, happy look on Gabe’s face the entire time. He didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the fuss, so I decided to roll with it too.
“Bless my soul, if this just ain’t the sweetest thing to look at the two of you,” she said, leaning against the counter as she smiled at us. I almost choked on a fry. “I’m just so happy to see him like this, you know? He’s always so cold and reserved. You’ve gone and put a light in his eyes, girl, you have.”
Cold and reserved? I eyed Gabe, wondering what she was talking about. He wasn’t necessarily the most jolly fellow, but I’d never found him cold. He caught me staring and just shook his head, rolling his eyes as a grin played on his lips.
We got back to my house just as the sun set. I stared up at the old Victorian, noting the front door was back in its place, and looked as though nothing had ever smashed through it. If Gabe only knew how crazy my life really was, he’d be running for the hills, I thought to myself.
“Time for the moment of truth,” I said, taking a deep breath.
“Do you think your mom will be mad?” He asked.
“Probably.” I gave him a reassuring smile. “But it was worth it. Thank you, for a really great afternoon. I needed this.”
He inclined his head. “Any time. I mean that.”
I leaned over the centre console and kissed his cheek. As soon as my lips met his skin, I felt him freeze. I stiffened in response, wondering if I’d done something wrong. Slowly, he turned his face toward mine just as I started to lean back, our lips hovering only a whisper away from each other’s. Those soulful eyes met mine, and everything around us seemed to standstill as we simply regarded one another, sharing space and air, but nothing more. Every cell in my body wanted to eat up that tiny distance between us and kiss him on the mouth, but I was too chicken. His head tilted slightly, his eyes going to my lips, and the blatant hunger there had my stomach clenching. I licked my bottom lip. His eyes narrowed, never leaving my mouth as he said, “I think you’d better head inside now.”
Pop.
Just like that, my bubble of hormones and need burst.
I blinked. Leaning back, I grabbed my bag, clearing my throat. “Thanks again,” I offered lamely as I opened the door. “See you tomorrow?”
He nodded, a strange look on his face. I slammed the car door shut, and took a step back as he immediately drove away. There was no way I could miss the white knuckled hold he had on the wheel as he did. What had I done wrong? Maybe he was just being nice to me as a friend and I’d gone and ruined it by opening an invitation for a kiss.
“Stupid,” I muttered under my breath. I could have sworn I’d seen the same interest in his eyes, but what did I know? Shaking my head, I turned to head up the porch.
“It’s about damn time you got home. Where the fuck have you been?”
Seventeen
Ambush
I didn’t hesitate.
Running, I threw my arms around Cillian’s neck, slamming into him. He grunted, one arm coming around to wrap my waist.
“You’re alive!” I said, not caring if I annoyed him or came off slightly melodramatic. I’d been so worried. I hadn’t fully comprehended just how much until I saw his scowling, miserable face standing there. I leaned back, my feet settling back on the ground as I looked up at him. I hadn’t realized he’d been practically holding me up. “I was so worried.”
Dark brows lowered over even darker eyes. “Yeah, you really seemed like it. Enjoy your date?”
Well, serves me right for admitting my concern, I thought. Only Cillian Black could make me want to throttle him two seconds after being relieved he was alive.
I plastered my hands on my hips as he crossed his thick arms over his chest, the look of disapproval tangible on his face.
“It wasn’t a date,” I defended.
“Are you sure? Looked like it to me.”
I opened my mouth and then shut it. Wait. “Are you - jealous?”
He snorted. “Get real, kid. I’m just pissed that I had to wait around for you while you were busy eye-fucking some guy.”
I sputtered. “I was not...” I couldn’t even say it. He was so crass, it put my teeth on edge. Every fighting instinct in my body was on high alert, ready to duke it out with him. Until I notice the way he was holding himself, and the fact that for once, he was wearing a shirt. “Shit, you’re still hurt, aren’t you?” I said, my ire dissolving instantly. He pressed his lips together, which was a yes, in Cillian speak. I walked around him, lifting his shirt up before he could protest.
I was going to be sick.
Thick, jagged lines marred his skin, leaving only tiny sections untouched. I couldn’t count the number of strokes that had been meted out. My shaking fingers traced one particularly brutal looking one that crossed directly between his two wings. Cillian could have been a statue for all his reaction as I inspected him. He barely breathed as I choked down tears I knew he wouldn’t welcome seeing. Here I had jumped on the man, and there was no way he wasn’t still in pain from this. And yet, he hadn’t said anything when he’d caught me.
Letting the material drop, I took a deep breath, bracing myself to meet his eyes as he turned to face me again. I must not have done a good job hiding my feelings, because he instantly sighed, his stiffness relaxing a fraction.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said. “It will heal more by tomorrow, and you won’t even notice them.”
“That’s healed,” I choked. “How bad must it have looked before?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from me. “No worse than it felt when it was happening.”
I swallowed past the rising lump in my throat.
Coughing, he shifted from foot to foot, looking slightly unsure of himself for the first time since I’d met him. “I came here because I have a lead on one of the people who were on the list Alexej gave me.”
I couldn’t speak yet, so I just looked at him. He met my eyes, waiting for me to say something, but when I didn’t, he huffed and went on, saying, “He’s also a known associate of Dusek, the demon that attacked you last night. He’ll be at Le Chateau this evening, if you want to go.”
I nodded. He watched me, waiting again. I didn’t trust my voice.
“Christ, Hope, I’ve had worst done to me. Stop looking at me like I’m halfway to dead.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I said, my voice shaking.
“This is my world - our world. It’s not always pretty or nice, so get used to it. I’ll survive, it’s not a big deal.”
I think it was the wobble of my lips, or maybe the watery eyes, but he took one look at me, cursed, and then I found myself crushed against his strong chest. One of his hands cupped the back of my head, his fingers threaded through my hair, the other arm wrapped around my back, holding me in a way that I felt completely safe and secure. Secure enough to cry against his shirt, even though he was probably thinking I was being a baby, and I was just an annoying little girl. I didn’t care. He’d been hurt - badly, and my heart couldn’t stand it. My hands gripped onto the material of his shirt as I cried silently against him.
“Are you done yet?” He said, the words harsh, but said gently.
Taking a deep breath, his scent seeping into my senses and all around me, reassuring me that he was here and fine, I finally pried my hands off of him and stepped back.
“Good?”
I nodded, wiping my cheeks.
“Are you up for a trip, or should I go alone?”
I shook my head. “I can come. Let me just go change,” I said, walking past him and heading toward the house.
“Pick something - “
“That makes me look older,” I finished, waving my hand over my shoulder. “I know, I know.” Cillian speak for, look sexy.
***
The mansion was overflowing with supernatural creatures. Apparently, the last time I’d been there it had been a slow night, because tonight was so packed I was having a hard time walking through the crowd without bumping into one thing or another. And these were not the type of - creatures, one wanted to bump into.
The Dark Princess (The Balance Series Book 3) Page 20