Bound

by Jennifer Dean

  “What was it like?” I asked.

  I knew that the transformation was already over, and yet I still feared for Sean. Though it sounded silly I wished I could have been with him, to ease him.

  “Painful.”

  By the way he shifted his eyes away from me, I knew that he wouldn’t elaborate more. He wouldn’t wish for me to know how vulnerable he had been, but still wanted to express it hadn’t been an easy process either.

  “And you woke with the ability to read minds?”

  To be honest as unique as the gift was I wouldn’t want such a power. I could imagine you would hear more negative than positive things.

  “Yes, but with my telepathy comes an exception,” Sean said. My lips scrunched in anticipation. “There is one mind I cannot break away from despite the distance.”

  “Whose?” I said.

  His eyes shifted back up to me hesitantly.

  “Yours.”

  My head jerked back and my eyes bounced around in every direction they weren’t limited to. This didn’t exactly come across as a good thing to me.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Well, with my gift I can hear minds over a certain distance of miles before they silence. And with practice I’ve learned to zone those minds out at my control.” I found a small grin that came with the subtle shake of his head. “But with you it’s always been different. It doesn’t matter how far you are, it’s always a dull whisper. And if your thoughts are heightened with emotion, they are heightened in my mind too.”

  I sighed before meeting his eyes once more. “You’re saying my thoughts never shut up for you?”

  “Yes,” Sean said with a resisted smirk.

  “So you will always know what I’m thinking?”

  He merely nodded this time. I wasn’t sure which one of us was more embarrassed. Great.

  “Why is my mind the only one?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I take advantage of how it can protect you,” Sean said.

  My eyes looked away from him as I recalled the memories I still had from last fall in Texas. Sean would call exactly the moment I thought his name, as if he knew I needed him that very moment.

  “Yes,” Sean answered my thought. I knew that was going to get some getting used to. “It’s how I know a lot of things.”

  I began to pick at my nails as my eyes shifted to the floor before peeking back up at him.

  “You mean Liam.”

  “I messed up,” Sean said.

  My eyebrows lifted.

  “We all indulged it, Sean,” Grace said.

  “Indulged what?” I asked.

  “Letting me stay so close to you. I convinced them that your presence would fade once I graduated; that having you around wouldn’t be a problem but a way to help me move on.”

  “We all enrolled,” Grace said. They had forgotten I was there but I could hear that tone. She was making it clear that if someone was to be blamed it was all of them. “We wouldn’t have supported it if we thought it would turn out the way it did.”

  “Lillian never supported it,” Sean said.

  I found that odd. If anyone, Lillian would be the first I’d pick for support. Was that just me she was nice to?

  “Why?” I asked.

  “She didn’t think it would be fair for Sean or you,” Grace said.

  “She was right in the end,” Sean said. He rolled his eyes with a subtle shake of his head. “She’ll love that.”

  “She was just trying to forewarn you, Sean. You know that,” Grace said.

  “I should have listened, then Emma wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  I had been bouncing my eyes from Grace to Sean, but I couldn’t stay silent at that.

  “Yes, I would. We can’t control how things happen, Sean. You should know that.”

  Even though my brow rose at the obvious point, he only looked back at me with stern lips and a disapproving gaze.

  “Emma, there are more things than you realize. There’s a reason for the rule that separates Liam and you. Mortals are not meant to co-exist with immortals as you are doing.”

  I sighed, tilting my head side to side at words I felt I had heard before.

  “I know it’s complicated, but I’ve tried to forget Liam and it didn’t work.”

  “Emma, you don’t get it. It’s a risk to your life.” I could see Grace controlling Sean’s flared temper just by her touch and not her power. “It’s like constantly wearing a bull’s-eye jacket in a field of readied archers.”

  “I get it, Sean. But if you were in my place would you give up Grace?”

  “It’s different.”

  “It’s love,” I said.

  I slid over, laying my head to Sean’s shoulder as I looped my right arm around his like I had so many times before. Except there this time I felt a warmth on my left side, one that I had felt before but blindly ignored. I expected him to resist, only to be left with a nurturing kiss on the threads of my hair.

  “I’ll never be okay with it,” he said.

  “I know. But what can either of us do? I love him unconditionally, no matter what he is, just like I love you.”

  “I just can’t stand the thought of you being anywhere near this kind of life.”

  My gaze, which had been on our feet, shifted out to the doorway frame.

  “I can’t walk away. I’m not strong enough to leave the men I love.”

  I heard an exhale of amusement. “Men?” I lightly slapped his leg.

  “You know I’ve loved you from the moment I was brought into this world.”

  “Well, that makes two of us,” Sean said.

  I turned my neck to the right and back to the door, to see Liam. It was almost involuntarily that I rose from the bed, watching Sean and Grace do the same, before I walked happily over to wrap my arms around his waist. I laid my right temple to his chest as I gazed over to see both Sean and Grace standing in an almost identical hold. I knew there would be no handshake, no gesture between Sean and Liam. This passive-aggressive stance was all the blessing and disapproval Liam would get from my brother. I had to take what I could get. Unlike me, they had nothing but time to work on the exchange, although I was glad for Grace’s presence.

  Sean’s gaze shifted back to me, and in his face I found the small twist of a grin. It’s enough for now, I thought before he began to turn toward Grace. Still my hero.

  Only his head tilted back to the side at the phrase we had evented as kids. I could barely catch the grin on his lips. “Always my ally,” he said.

  “Do I get to see your house now?” I asked.

  Grace looked at me with a wink before taking Sean’s hand and leading Liam and me out the door and down the stairs.

  Reaching the bottom step, I sighed contently, gazing up at Liam when the doorbell rang.

  Before I even had time to shift my gaze to look at Grace or Sean’s expression, I felt the familiar dizzy tornado twist of my body. Once I was still, I noticed the two layers of protection from the three immortals. I looked around to notice that not the slightest movement came from any of them. It was like being protected by statues that were ready to jump to life on command.

  I knew the precision and swiftness of this sudden guard for my safety was because of what stood behind the front door.

  Another immortal.

  23. Immortal Games

  I found the courage to peek around Liam’s extended arms, watching the door swing open on its own—thanks to Liam.

  “Sorry,” a man’s voice said. A second later he was stepping into sight with his left hand raised in surrender. He was neither tall nor short and couldn’t be physically older than twenty-six or twenty-seven.

  Liam relaxed, dropping his held back arms at the sight of him. Sean and Grace also loosened their bodies’ tension with invitation.

  “Just a precaution, Charlie,” Liam said.

  The familiarity with this immortal had my brow lifting in surprise. I watched Charlie wave his hand in dismissal of the apolo
gy.

  “I understand. No need to apologize, Liam.”

  So they did know each. As I began to think how, Charlie and I locked eyes. We both lingered with our own curiosity, at least until I was distracted by the sight of Sean appearing beside me.

  “This is my sister, Emma.” Sean said.

  Liam stepped to his left before angling me for a better view. He still held a readied stance. I wanted to call it the just in case stance.

  Charlie must have thought something silently for I only saw Sean nod back an answer before I noticed his gaze back on me. “Nice to meet you, Emma.” There was something in Charlie’s eyes and incredulous tone that reminded me I was a minority. He wasn’t going to say it, but he sure thought my presence here was odd.

  “Well, mine is around here somewhere.” He turned his neck back toward the door. “Jane,” he called.

  Suddenly a round-faced female, with jet-black hair, strode through the door. But unlike her lighthearted brother, her electric baby blue eyes glimmered in a narrowed gaze toward me.

  “What’s with the human?” She shifted her eyes around to Liam, Sean and Grace. “Was there an incident recently in your territory?”

  If I had felt like a minority before, it didn’t compare to how small I felt now. The sour look on her face didn’t help.

  “No, this is Sean’s sister Emma,” Charlie said.

  Her eyes glared on me before she shifted them to her brother, whom stood slightly taller than her with what I saw to be a much lighter brown hair. “Have they changed something I don’t know, or are we willingly becoming friends with mortals now?”

  “Jane,” Charlie warned.

  She rolled her eyes before shrugging as she moved to stand next to Grace. Charlie’s feet never moved but he leaned his torso forward.

  “Sorry,” he said. It was a soft and inviting voice that followed a tilt of his head toward Jane. “She’s really not bad when you get to know her.”

  “Heard that,” Jane said.

  “Of course you did.”

  He was teasing her but winked at me. I turned my lips in with amusement before shifting my eyes over to find Liam’s patient grin and cautious eyes. He tilted his head with the raise of his brow before extending his hand out for me to take. I wouldn’t have hesitated so long if I hadn’t caught Charlie’s raised eyebrows. I only kept my eyes on Liam long enough to see the nod before gazing down at my feet.

  “Charlie and Jane are roamers,” Liam said.

  “Roamers?”

  I felt the squeeze from Liam’s hand. “Immortals who act as visiting guards in global territories.”

  “Henry and Katherine should be here soon.” Charlie held a diminutive smile as the blue brightened with a focus on me. “I’m sure Katherine will be delighted to meet Emma.”

  I accidently met Jane’s narrowed gaze at Liam’s and my embrace. Just as her mouth opened, her eyes shifted toward Charlie’s raised chin. It was barely a shake that I almost missed. Luckily, it was enough for her lips to recede before I could hear laughter spilling outside the porch.

  Patrick was leading a step in front of a tall slim man who appeared roughly the same age as him. He had short jet-black hair and brightened baby blue eyes not too different from Jane’s. In fact, I could almost mistake them for real siblings. Henry, I thought from Charlie’s recent words. Soon my attention was on the tall oval-faced blonde walking between Lillian and Mary. Her small perfect features were only highlighted by the bright violet color of her eyes. I wasn’t sure, but I guessed Katherine was in her mid-twenties.

  “There was an unfamiliar scent moving east from Alan’s territory,” Charlie said.

  Henry looked to Charlie with subtle grin, as if it was the first time he had seen him in weeks. It explained the sudden report.

  “Where?” Henry asked.

  Though each immortal’s voice was alluring, Henry’s still carried a unique ring. It was as sweet as honey and charmingly seductive.

  “Mostly north,” Charlie said.

  “Tomorrow Katherine and I will head north while you and Jane take the south.” Henry said.

  Charlie was standing with his hands behind his back giving a simple nod. It was an oddly familiar gesture, like a soldier’s movement, like William’s.

  Did he fight in the Civil War too?

  I forgot someone was listening until I noticed and made a double take as Sean nodded an answer back. My brow rose. Though it was odd, I found it quite handy.

  “I don’t believe we have had the pleasure,” Henry said.

  Any image of William and Charlie in their former uniforms vanished at the sweet honeyed voice. Naturally my eyes shifted up to notice Henry’s glowing blue eyes on me. He was talking to me. I shook my head, feeling awkward at the shift in attention.

  “Oh, hello. I’m—”

  “Emma,” Henry said with a genuine smile that showed the perfect white glow of his teeth. “We’ve heard so much about you.”

  “Did you hear that she has won Liam’s fancy?” Jane said.

  “Jane, don’t be rude.” It was a different voice, sweet, lyrical, and soft-spoken as one might hear in a lullaby. It was Katherine’s. “I apologize for her manners, Emma.”

  “It’s all right.” I said, slightly shaking my head as I gazed at the violet glimmer of her eyes.

  I was the black sheep here after all. I already knew it was an oddity to see a human with an immortal. It was right for her to question my presence even if she was a bit aggressively outspoken with her words.

  So I did my best to ignore Jane as she rolled her eyes at Katherine. It helped when Charlie jabbed her playfully in the ribs. As she playful retaliated, I finally caught the crack of a smile. He was right. That dutiful guard seemed up pretty high but she still had a playful side.

  “Anyone up for some immortal games?” Charlie asked.

  I watched as Jane’s spirit lifted even more. Her abrupt excitement was like a dog’s at being offered a treat.

  “Immortal games?” I asked.

  I tried not to laugh at the silliness of naming a game as such. But clearly I was the only one. There was that minority feeling again. Charlie grinned back at me optimistically.

  “Well, it isn’t exactly known to mortals. We created it long ago,” he said.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  His lips twisted wide before he shifted his eyes toward Liam. “Meet us at the clearing on the east side. That looks about the right size and the right enclosure.”

  I had only a second to adjust my eyes before the small breezes blew by me. I didn’t even catch the slightest blur, but now found only two of ten immortals left, Liam and Lillian. I took advantage of it and voiced my insecurity as Lillian flew up the stairs. “Immortal games?” My brow lifted teasingly. “Do you play these a lot?”

  He resisted a laugh. “We play every couple of decades or so. Without Charlie it’s a bit difficult.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because though it is possible it is more convenient to have Charlie create the posts.”

  “Create them?”

  “He’s a shifter. He shifts objects into what he sees in his mind,” Liam said.

  “Can he shift anything?”

  I knew by his grin that Liam could read my meaning.

  “He can’t shift himself, only the materials around him.”

  I pursed my lips at the limited ability that was still very valuable. “Do you play human sports too?”

  I resisted a grin at my tease.

  “We all have our favorites that we alternate between occasionally.”

  “And yours would be?” I asked.

  Lillian reappeared from upstairs. “Over the years of learning form Patrick, I’ve come to grow fond of cricket.”

  “You’ll have to teach me how to play that,” I said.

  I heard his chuckle in my ear as I looked over to notice Lillian holding out a few items to me. I smiled with a little excitement as she held out her hand, leading me down the hall
and into the bathroom. When I opened up the door to her ten minutes later, I handed her the folded green dress and flats I was previously wearing, just before she swiftly positioned a pink fleece scarf around my neck and white knit cap over my head. She stood back with a smiling nod of approval before turning to lead me back up the hallway. As I placed the light grey mitten gloves on each hand, I felt confident in my steps. I wished she dressed me more often. What girl wouldn’t wish for a personal stylist? I hoped she would let me keep the horizontal striped top and dark grey coat along with the jeans that were tucked into comfortable black flat-heeled boots.

  Once back beside Liam, Lillian turned her neck to wink at me before, she too had disappeared out the front door like the others. I closed my eyes with my arms out for Liam, only knowing he had taken off by the subtle air blowing a few bottom strands of my hair. I laid my head against his collarbone until I felt my feet on the ground again. As I opened my eyes the surprise of what I saw froze my gaze. I understood why they didn’t play this game a lot.

  Standing in the clearing was Jane with a large white pole that had a small circular hole at the top. “How tall is that?”

  “Roughly 300 feet give or take a centimeter.”

  Whoa, was all I managed to think. But I had to repeat the thought as I watched Jane swiftly move to set the pole upright. She treated the weight as if the pole was merely a branch she had found on the ground. I wondered if that was what it had been originally before Charlie shaped it. Another identical pole stood on the opposite end of the clearing, creating a goal for each side.

  “Are you allowed to use your gift?”

  “Only if the ball is loose. I can’t force it from their hands.”

  “Why?”

  I squinted at the rule. For some reason I figured it was the type of game that had no rules. Every power was an advantage to the team they were on.

  “Because this game is based on skills we have in common. It isn’t fun to play with too many unbalanced advantages. It would be like one team of immortals playing against a team of athletic mortals.”

  “Not much of a game there, I guess.”

  “We would be bored from playing on a mortal level, and the humans would be frustrated at never getting the chance to play.”