She turned her head away, feeling foolish. In the morning light, beside her teacher, last night’s events seemed reckless and unnecessary. “Yes, Sebastian. You’re right.”
His smile spoke of his forgiveness as he ushered her through the double doors. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. These are the mistakes of youth. But we don’t have to accept that mistakes just happen. We must make the best decisions we can, hmm?”
Kayla nodded.
They took their usual places, standing in the light that streamed in through the large windows. She began to concentrate on her breath as she had been taught, feeling the energy expand inside her, flooding her entire body with warmth. Aligning her inner forces with her outer form in this way filled her with the awareness of potentiality. She was learning to express this promise with her Intercessor, and Sebastian claimed she was moving forward in her training even faster than her father did. Still, sometimes Kayla wished their lessons didn’t have to go beyond this point, so she could continue to drift in this familiar flow, without the lurking threat of darkness and her duty to clear it away.
Sebastian spoke then, as if he sensed her thoughts. “Kayla, I was hesitant to reveal this to you so soon, but I can see that you need to know now.”
She froze with her intake of breath, her eyes opening, watching him cautiously.
“That was not an invitation for your structure to crumble,” he said sharply. Immediately, she lengthened her spine, closed her eyes and continued to breathe deeply, although she couldn’t seem to relax her face. He continued, his voice even. “Have you ever wondered how you came to possess an Intercessor and why you’re able to wield it? Have you considered what ultimate purpose it serves?”
Kayla forced her breaths deeper, her facial muscles tightening.
Sebastian didn’t wait for any further reply. “You felt lonely last night. Was it because you were alone, or because you knew that you would still be alone, even in Saros’s bed? You’re different…far removed from these ordinary creatures that crawl over the surface of the Earth. Your blood flows from a separate source. You are of the Nephilim, as I am.”
Kayla’s posture was suddenly perfect, relaxed, her breathing full and even. She opened her eyes slowly. She had never heard that word before her first night here, but it resonated in her like something that had been sitting on the tip of her tongue.
“Yes…inside, you’ve always known. Your ancestors are Angels. That is why you can Intercede, and that is why you’ve been lost. I’ve found you, Kayla. I’ve walked this ground for longer than you can imagine, and I know how hard it is to be without your equals. Your past was out of your control, but now you have a choice. You can grope in the darkness as a human or you can forge yourself into a powerful and free Nephil. You can be a person that merely survives, like Saros, or you can be someone whose life reaps the rewards of a higher purpose. I have spent my life cultivating my mind and body—” Sebastian pulled up his sleeve, revealing a complex network of dark tattoos, “—and my world.” He turned his head, his eyes meeting hers. His gaze was solemn, but she felt the return of his usual kindness.
“Sebastian…you know by now that I want to do my best.”
His eyes smiled. “And you know that’s what makes you so dear to me. It’s been so long since I’ve seen someone want to soar. Thank you, Kayla.”
Her face burned, but both that heat and the pressure in her chest were pleasant. Still she avoided his gaze, trying to catch another glimpse of the strangely familiar symbols on his skin.
“I know this is a lot to process. All of our lessons have been accelerated and I’m sorry that we must move at this pace, but so much time has been wasted. If I had found you sooner, I would not burden you with any exercises after such a revelation, but nothing we can do will slow this current…” He guided Kayla to the center of the room, his touch raising the hairs on her arms.
“What would happen if you lost your Intercessor, Kayla? This is something we must prevent. It came forth to protect you, to remind you of your true nature, but it was never meant to be outside of your body for this long.”
She remembered the pain she felt when it first pushed through her skin, but she still took hold of her weapon as he instructed, despite her fear.
“Feel the base of your palm become soft, your skin enveloping the end of the hilt. The bones of your wrist may ache a bit, but there’s some pleasure in that, isn’t there? Your flesh remembers; your skeleton feels the loss. Let it return and don’t be afraid. It is your destiny to be whole.”
Kayla didn’t let her beating heart drown out her thoughts. Sebastian had taught her how. At this moment it was so clear that every exercise he led her through didn’t build some new ability, but instead cleared away anything that blocked the shining of her own light. She could do this. There was no pain, only a warm and almost wet feeling sliding up her arm. Looking down at her hand, her Intercessor was gone and her body was unmarred.
Her eyes excitedly sought Sebastian’s, and the pride on his face was almost a greater reward than her achievement. “Now can you draw it out again?” he asked softly.
Kayla focused her energy as she had been trained. It took an explosion of will to extend her weapon when she held it in her hand…what would it take to force this bone out of her body? She pressed harder, everything within her driving towards this one intention. Her Intercessor was unmoved — could it be that this task required a different technique?
He noticed her struggle. “Recall the memory of when it first came forth.”
She was back in the darkness, looking up at Jeremy’s face as he reached his hand down to her. Her breath caught in her throat, just as it did that night. Lost in the vision, her weapon’s handle burst out from her palm, followed by a glistening, ivory blade projecting through the hilt. Kayla’s muscles felt cool and light. Gripping her Intercessor, she playfully met Sebastian’s sword a few times before effortlessly calling the bone back into her body.
With an affectionate laugh, he led her to the doors, his arm around her. “Kayla, you always exceed my expectations.” A little smile was all she offered, but his praise meant more to her than she could express.
A quick embrace was their usual goodbye, but afterward, his eyes held her still. “Please return to the Malak’s room tonight.”
“I thought Kittie was going to be an Ophan.”
She was surprised to see him hesitate, his face stiffening. “As with the rest of us, her future depends on her own actions.” The doors closed, but she imagined Sebastian’s gaze guiding her back to Kittie’s room, careful to notice if her steps faltered.
9
Kayla stood facing the narrow window as she practiced projecting her Intercessor from her palm and drawing it back into her body. Her hand and wrist was dark and swollen from over-exerting herself in training, but she felt like she finally discovered the subtle channel through which to direct her energy. With this precision, it was becoming effortless; soon there would be no signs of stress in her face or breathing. Every few tries, she would release a weapon from the hilt, but she still found it difficult to control exactly what came forth.
The sound of the door behind her slowly creeping open caused Kayla to quickly draw her hilt back in, whirling to face the intruder. She saw Jeremy sliding through the opening in the cracked door, smiling at her. “Hey…you’re here. I wondered what happened to you.”
Kayla avoided his eyes, silently searching for some excuse that would save her from this exchange.
His grin dropped, but as he came closer he was still speaking softly. “Don’t be mad. I know it’s been a few days, but you didn’t come back that night and Za’in hasn’t given me a break since. I didn’t mean to leave you here alone for so long.”
She didn’t speak.
Jeremy’s face darkened. “What is it?” he snapped. “Stop being so damn cryptic and just say it already.”
“I…I just want to be by myself right now,” she managed, turning away from him.
&nbs
p; He was quiet for a moment, before laying a hand gently on her waist. “Are you alright?” She hoped he couldn’t feel her trembling beneath his touch, but before she could pull away, he gripped her shoulder, spinning her back to face him. “Jesus, what happened to your hand? Za’in…!” he growled.
“He didn’t do anything! You always assume he’s up to something terrible.” She couldn’t shake this sick, guilty feeling, and she wondered if her words could make him leave, and take this emotion away with him. “If you hate him so much, why do you bother being his Arch? Just to have power? Isn’t there more to life than that?”
He spit out a short laugh. “Nice deflection. So he told you to keep away from me, huh?” The stiffening of her body told him his words hit on the truth. “What about what you want? Do you have any of your own thoughts left?” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, but he only laughed again. “Oh yeah, I forgot, you have no fucking clue.”
For a moment she was blinded, but her vision cleared after a few frantic blinks of her eyelids. He was no longer standing before her, so she followed the sound of his angry steps as she ran down the hall. “Wait!” He kept striding away from her. “Jeremy, stop!” She felt ill. She knew what she wanted to say, but dreaded the words. “Would you just listen to me?” He had reached his door, but he stopped, his back to her. Her voice was hushed. “It’s not about what I want. There’s more to it. I know you don’t care about what’s right, but we both know that we…shouldn’t—”
“Are you going to believe everything he says?” His voice was flat.
Kayla’s face burned. “I bought your shit, didn’t I? What happened in Madeline, Jeremy? Are we in Torin yet?”
He was suddenly facing her, his fingers bruising her arm below the shoulder. “Christ, are we not past that? The last time I saw you…everything that night was real!” He looked as if he wanted to say more or simply let her go, but he just stared at her, his limbs and face rigid.
The pain of his grip wasn’t in her arm. In that tight band that circled around her, she could feel his bewilderment, his fear, his need. Kayla closed her eyes, leaning into the hurt he pressed through her flesh and into her bone. She couldn’t get Za’in’s words out of her mind, but she knew she needed this too. She remembered what Jeremy said that night, under the stars. He was right. Do I know what I want? Will he trap me, or… “Save me…” she murmured, surprised to hear the words spoken aloud.
Those two broken sounds barely hit the air before his mouth was on hers. He held her tightly to him, the pressure in her arm spreading to include the rest of her body. Jeremy turned around with her, pushing her against his door, leaving her no escape from his passion. Kayla let herself give in, forgetting this place and any of the circumstances that led to this moment. She stumbled backward as the door behind her gave way, Jeremy catching her fall while he continued pushing her forward. She heard the door close heavily as she landed on his bed, his body never losing contact with hers. Kayla lay breathless, accepting his touch, his kisses, wanting to consume anything he would give her. She didn’t realize until this moment how much she had longed for this — his simple desire for her. She let her fingers tangle in his hair, her other hand reaching up his back, feeling herself trapped between his skin and the weight of his armor. Her cool touch against his flesh sent a little shudder through him. Jeremy curled her thin shirt forward, his palms moving up her waist, over her ribs, his mouth claiming her breast.
There was a short, sudden knock on the door. They both sat up quickly, their legs entangled, Kayla immediately straightening her blouse and smoothing her hair. Her frightened eyes searched Jeremy’s face as he looked toward the sound, his features hardening. In the dim evening light that came through the window, his slow walk towards the door seemed to her like something out of a dream. She held her breath as his hand clutched the knob, his body tensing.
Kayla heard Kittie’s voice ring out, “Geez, you could look happy to see me!”
Jeremy pulled her into the room, slammed the door behind him, and fell to his knees, putting his arms around her. “Kit…you don’t even know…” he breathed.
“You’re such a baby,” she laughed. “What’s the worst that could have happened?” Kittie looked up. “Oh, hi, Kayla! I — aagh!” Her words ended in a strangled cry as Jeremy pulled the neck of her shirt down. “Hey, stop! You’re going to stretch it out!”
“That bastard. Dammit, Kit, how did we let this happen?” His voice was soft. Kayla was surprised that the sight of the tattoo on Kittie’s chest didn’t pull a more violent reaction from him, but she knew this wasn’t the worst scenario he had imagined and prepared himself for.
The girl just giggled again. “It’s a rub-on!” She licked her finger and wiped it firmly against the mark, leaving pigment on her small digit.
Jeremy stopped mid-laugh, staring at her. “Kit, I don’t know how you’ve gotten away with it so far, but that’s never gonna work.”
“Don’t you know me any better by now? I have a super-special-super-secret-technique! He thinks I’m a good girl, and I’m your Ophan and we’re on the strong side of things, so all is well.”
He shook his head. “Heh, little favors, right? Alright, so act like an Ophan and give me some kind of report.” He shifted from kneeling to sitting, pushing himself backwards and leaning against the bed. His anxiety was gone; his earlier passion traded for a poised watchfulness.
Kittie pulled his chair closer and sat, her legs swinging. “Well, it’s been a really tiring couple of weeks! Za’in is serious about getting all his ducks in a row. He had me talking to the stars, listening to stones, and dreaming into events halfway across the planet. It’s the usual stuff, I know, but it was never this much, and he was never so insistent! He tried looking into me too, to see what was really there. I don’t think he found much, and the tattoo proves it. Oh well. Hmm, what else…ah yes, you’re vexing him quite a bit too!”
Jeremy frowned. “I shouldn’t be, not anymore. What’s his problem, anyway?”
She looked embarrassed, covering her face with her hands. “Jeremy, Kayla’s in your bed!” she whispered.
Kayla flushed, tensing to jump up. Without turning around, Jeremy grabbed her wrist and held her still. “So what?” he asked, his voice low.
Kittie peered at him through parted fingers. “Don’t look at me so scary! He’s the one that’s bothered!”
“So what did he say?”
“You know him — he didn’t say anything to me. I just know that if you keep this up, both of us are going out somewhere without her. It’s been years since we, or hardly anyone, have gotten to just hang out here for more than a few days, but we brought Kayla with us, so we get a little vacation. Get too close, though, and poof! We’re out looking for some relic or quashing some unorganized rebellion. Yuck.”
Kayla struggled against Jeremy’s grip. He wouldn’t release her. “I don’t know why it even matters to him,” he growled.
Kittie blinked, her head tilted to the side. “You don’t? If you think about it, it’ll come to you. Kayla, I’m sure Za’in gave you some version of his reason, right?”
She turned her head away, just as Jeremy looked back at her sharply.
“Something to do with your…identity?” Kittie asked quietly.
Kayla didn’t answer.
“Well, either way, we’ll all have to make some decisions soon ’cuz I hear that Asher Serafin is really on his way.”
Jeremy let go of Kayla’s wrist and crossed his arms, and she wondered if he could tell that this news was no surprise to her. “Good,” he muttered, “we have something to settle.”
Kittie watched them carefully before jumping to her feet and, grabbing Kayla’s hands, she began to drag her towards the door. “But for now, you should come with me, Kayla. It’s getting late. We can all talk tomorrow in the light.”
Jeremy scowled, but followed them out. Kayla turned around, driven by her desire to see his face again before she left, despite her fear of her ey
es meeting his.
He stared at her, the coldness leaving his gaze even as he tightened his brow to keep the chill from escaping. “Maybe you’re smart to keep your secrets from me,” he whispered, “but I still wish you wouldn’t.”
She had no answer for him, her eyes helpless. Kittie pulled her down the hall, calling over her shoulder. “See you tomorrow, Jeremy. Don’t think I didn’t miss you!”
*
Jeremy turned around, avoiding the sight of the girls disappearing around the corner. He let out a long sigh, allowing his forehead to rest against the cool wall.
“You can learn some things from your Ophan, Saros,” said the voice behind him.
Jeremy whirled around, standing straight. “Lord Za’in.”
His dark eyes were still. “I can see now that Kayla has a…weakness for you. However, I am expecting you to show more self-control in the future.”
“Yes, Lord Za’in.” His jaw tightened.
“Saros, I have sympathy for you. She is a truly unique creature, and I understand your desire. But you know how we’ve been searching for her. She’s a treasure, and not only must she be kept safe, but it is necessary to polish this jewel. That can only happen in a very controlled environment, without the ups and downs of passion. Yes, she is very precious…” he trailed off.
“Because she is Michael Steelryn’s daughter, sir?”
Za’in raised an eyebrow. “It’s not that man’s legend that makes her valuable to me.” He paused. “I see you are invested. I’ll give you an opportunity to use that energy constructively. Keep an eye out for Asher Serafin — you have first crack. That’s my gift to you, Saros.”
Dominion of the Star (Descendants of the Fallen Book 1) Page 7