by Amber Garr
He whipped his head towards me and stopped walking. “I told you. They’re coming later. Don’t you believe me?”
“I’d like to,” I whispered.
“But?” he prodded.
“But you seem to be hiding something, so I’m a little suspicious right now.” He turned his back to me and ran his hands through his short but messy hair.
Something made a sound deep in the woods. It was like a stick breaking or a limb falling, and it caused both of us to jump. “Let’s go a little further,” Graham said and grabbed my hand to lead me along the path.
We walked quickly and quietly through the woods and not once did Graham stop touching me. My silence seemed to be bothering him, so I didn’t say a word. He would break eventually.
We came across a small meadow flanked by boulders and pine trees. The ground made sucking noises under our feet where the permafrost had melted during the day. The air was cool and crisp and the slight breeze rustled in the branches.
Graham dropped my hand and began to pace at the far end of the meadow. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to talk. Although we didn’t know each other very well, I could still tell that I wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
Finally, he stopped walking and turned to face me. The pain in his eyes nearly made me break, but he needed to come clean on his own. He smiled.
“I wish that I would have met you sooner.”
Okay. Not really the introduction I was expecting. “What?” I asked.
He sighed and moved closer to me. I could feel my heart speed up as he reached down and picked up my left hand in his. “I need to tell you some things and you’re not going to like them.” I swallowed. “But please just hear me out, okay?”
“Okay.” I really didn’t have a good feeling about this.
“Remember how I told you that my parents sent me to Adele?” I nodded, recalling our conversation at Jeremiah’s. “Well, somehow Lucian found out about me and offered to train me.”
“You mean use you?”
He winced. “Perhaps. Adele wouldn’t let him visit with me and instead shipped me off to Jeremiah. He’d just been shunned, but she still considered him a better mentor than Lucian.” Not surprisingly, I agreed. “But when I left Jeremiah’s,” Graham continued, “I was contacted by Lucian.”
I felt a ball of dread begin to form in my stomach. “Weren’t you already a part of the Council?”
“Not yet.” He stepped away from me and began to pace again. It was making me nervous. “He got to me before I was appointed. I don’t think Adele ever knew.”
“What do you mean he got to you?”
Graham looked at me with his dark eyes and handsome face and shook his head. I suddenly felt like I was about to be introduced to a whole new person. “Eviana, the man really knows what he’s talking about. His ideas are…,” he flipped his hands in the air looking for the right word.
“Ludicrous?” I suggested.
“Brilliant.”
I nearly collapsed to the ground. “Graham, no,” I whispered. Please, not him.
“I don’t necessarily agree with all of his methods, but he is right about The Legacy. We are stronger and more powerful than humans and the shifters. It’s the natural order of things. Why should we let those who are weak dictate what we do?”
“The Council?”
“Yes, the Council. And the clan leaders and all of the rest who are beneath us.”
“Us?”
This time he ran up to me and pulled both of my hands into his chest. His eyes were filled with excitement and visions of grandeur, while all of my faith in him slowly began to disintegrate inside of me. “You are one of us. You are so much more powerful than you realize. That is one of the reasons Lucian wants you to be by his side.”
“I don’t want this power if it means hurting people, Graham.” I pulled away from his grasp. “That is all Lucian does. He is a thug and he abuses his power to get what he wants. I am nothing like him.”
That seemed to shake Graham out of his Lucian admiration trance. His face paled and he let out a deep breath. “I know.” He sounded disappointed. “That’s why I needed to talk to you before the others get here.”
“Can you please just spit it out?” I was scared which made me angry. Graham was someone that I had trusted only to find out that he’s in support of what Lucian has been doing. My stomach suddenly dropped as a dark thought rose to the surface. “Oh, no. It was you, wasn’t it?”
He looked confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The cruise ship,” I choked out. Graham had helped the sprites kill all of those humans, an entire mermaid clan, and my friend. His silence was all the answer I needed. I covered my mouth for fear that the bile rising in my throat would find its way out. Turning back towards the cabins, I tried to run away.
“Shit,” Graham muttered and he grabbed me from behind quicker than I would have expected.
I turned and began to punch him in the chest. “Let go of me you…you murderer! How could you do that?” I was fighting as hard as I could, but he wasn’t letting go. “You are disgusting! What…what is wrong with you?”
I stumbled over a rock and fell to the ground. My knees screamed at me in pain but I didn’t care. It was taking all of my concentration not to throw up right now.
“Eviana, listen to me!” My head suddenly began to hurt and the nausea increased in intensity. I remembered feeling this way before and that sent my blood boiling.
“Are you trying to control me?” Kain and I had felt something similar just before Lucian turned the selkies on us last night. And now Graham wanted to take over my mind. I slapped him in the face as hard as I could and the headache instantly disappeared. “Don’t you ever try to do that to me again!”
He had the decency to look ashamed, but that was before the grin appeared on his face. “He said you were strong, but I had no idea.”
I was tired of this conversation. Pushing to my feet, I tried to leave but Graham still had a hold of my hand. I glared down at him. “Let go of me,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I can’t. Not yet,” he replied softly.
“Why? Do you have more secrets to share?” I spat.
“I need to warn you.”
“Ha,” I huffed. “A little late for that, aren’t we?” I tried to yank my arm away but he held on with an iron grip. “Let go of me!”
“Will you hear me out?” I didn’t answer. “Eviana! I need you to listen to me just a few more minutes.”
He seemed sincere, but then again, everything I thought I knew about Graham Forrester was a lie. “Does the Council know?”
“Know what?”
I snorted. “That you’re a double agent working for the enemy and infiltrating their lines?”
He actually had the nerve to laugh and that sent me over the edge. I kicked him as hard as I could in the chest that knocked him backwards and freed my arm. He rolled over his shoulders and gracefully pushed to his feet. Rubbing the spot right between his ribs, he winced. “You didn’t need to do that, tart.”
“Don’t…”
“I would have answered your question.” He took a step towards me and I quickly moved away.
“Don’t touch me again,” I demanded. He raised his hands in surrender.
“I won’t. And the answer to your question is no.”
“Huh?”
“No, the Council doesn’t know about the relationship I have with Lucian.” He put his hands in his pockets and his demeanor suddenly went from arrogant spy to concerned big brother. “And they don’t know about your relationship with Lucian either.”
“My relationship? With Lucian?” I shook my head and crossed my arms. “You mean the one where he continually tries to kill me and every member of my family? I think everyone knows about that relationship.”
“They weren’t all family,” Graham said quietly.
“No, they were also my friends like the one you kill
ed when you capsized that cruise ship!” My rage could no longer be contained. “You will pay for that!”
An uneasy smile appeared on Graham’s face. “I think I already am.”
“Agh! You are so frustrating!” I turned towards the woods and the path that would take me back to the world I knew. “I’m leaving!”
“Eviana! You can’t meet with Lucian tonight.”
That stopped me in my tracks. His voice had increased an octave he seemed to be genuinely serious in his request.
I looked at him. “What do you know?”
“Despite his intentions, I know that he cannot be trusted.”
“Sounds just like someone else,” I scoffed.
Graham continued without acknowledging my comment. “He wants you to fight on his side, Eviana and he’s willing to do anything to make that happen.”
“Why does he even care about me?” I questioned for the hundredth time. “What is so unique about me that he won’t just leave me alone?” I didn’t know if Graham had the answers I wanted but I was so tired of this. I was an eighteen-year-old clan leader without any of the substantial qualities an evil dictator would be interested in.
“You are more like him than you know,” Graham replied solemnly and that stopped me cold.
“What are you talking about?”
He shook his head and moved a step closer to me. “It’s not my place.” His left arm reached out for me but I pushed it away and backed up closer to the trees. Pain crossed his face and he hung his head. “You just have to convince the Council not to meet with him tonight. He’s planning something and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“A little late for that don’t you think?”
“Eviana…” he reached for me again and I slapped his hand away.
“Stop touching me!” I yelled. “You’re insane, do you know that? First you tell me what a hero Lucian is and now you’re warning me to stay away from him?” I took several steps backwards so that I was almost out of the meadow. “You really need to make up your mind and pick a side!”
“Eviana!” I turned to run back through the woods but instead smacked into something solid and warm. My nose pinched in pain and I tried to push against the barrier in front of me. But the thing grabbed my hands and jerked them out to my side. I looked up at the man holding on to me and gasped. Lucian’s blues eyes were staring down at me and the look on his face made me tremble.
“Ah, Master Forrester. Thank you for delivering my daughter to me.”
Twenty
Daughter? Was he serious? I looked at his blue eyes and straight blond hair and nearly lost control of my legs. My golden hair had always been different than the rest of my family. Marisol inherited the black shiny mane and dark eyes like my parents, but not me. No, I did look different. And if Lucian was my father…no, I had to stop thinking about that.
“No, it can’t be,” I murmured. My legs gave out and the only thing holding me up off the ground were Lucian’s hands clamped around my wrists. In one swift move, he scooped me up into his arms and set me down on top of a boulder in the center of the meadow. The moment I felt solid ground beneath, I pulled out of his grasp.
“Get away from me!” I tried to yell, but my voice was shaky and I felt the tears building in my throat.
“She seems rather shocked,” Lucian turned towards Graham. “What did you do her?”
“What did he do?” I screamed. “He’s just like you! You both deserve to die!”
Lucian chuckled. “Seems as if that apple really doesn’t fall too far from the tree after all. I will admit that I was a little concerned at first. But now I can see it in you.”
“See what?” I asked.
“Me.”
I shook my head so hard that the headache came back. “I am nothing like you.”
Lucian arched an eyebrow. “We’ll see.”
“No! I will never be like you!” He turned away from me sauntered over to Graham.
“Now what am I going to do with you?”
Graham sucked in a breath and I stopped moving. Lucian’s tone was so menacing, even the birds ceased singing.
“Sir?” Graham stuttered.
“I do believe that you were warning our dear Eviana, were you not?” Graham’s eyes flitted over to me and then back to Lucian. I could see him swallow. Lucian tilted his head to look at me and sighed. “Yes, she is beautiful.” He faced Graham again. “And to think that I had such grand plans for the two of you. Now it seems as if your loyalty is in question.”
Graham shook his head and cleared his throat. “No, my loyalty is the same. I was simply coming clean with Eviana. She needed to know who I really am.”
“And why is that?”
Graham’s eyes found mine again and my stomach twisted. “Because she deserves to know the truth.”
Lucian huffed. “And how did that work out for you?” When he saw Graham’s face he chuckled. “Yes. That’s what I thought.”
“Why are you even here?” I asked, unable to stop myself from speaking up. Apparently I was over the initial shock or I was just tired of playing his games.
“To find you,” he replied matter-of-factly.
“Found me,” I said sarcastically and he grinned. It sent another round of chills through my body. “Did you even have any intention of negotiating tonight?”
He shrugged his shoulders and moved closer to me. “Perhaps. But only if they gave me what I wanted.”
“Which was?”
“You.”
I really looked at him this time. He was totally serious in his declaration. Did he really think that the Council would give me up in return for a peace offering? I may still have to prove myself to my clan, but I at least thought I had the Council at my back. Although, one of my biggest supporters turned out to be working for the wrong side. Maybe he wouldn’t have been able to convince them after all.
“Why? What could my presence possibly mean for you?”
“You are my daughter,” he said as though stating the obvious.
“No, I’m not. My father was a wonderful man that you murdered for your own selfish reasons.” Tears began to blur my vision but I didn’t wipe them away. Maybe I could elicit some sort of feeling from this wicked creature.
“Your father was a piece of arm candy.” He waved his hand around when I tried to protest. “Now your mother…she was a real leader and I can see her strength in you.”
“But you killed her.” I meant to say that loudly but I barely choked out the words.
Lucian sighed. “Yes. It was a tragedy. If only she would have shared you with me.”
“She knew?”
“Of course she knew. We had been promised to each other. Although I doubt that she ever told your father. She always did coddle him.”
I almost lost everything in my stomach. In just a few short moments, my entire world changed. Lucian Sutherland, the merman leading a war amongst his own kind, was my biological father. His demented blood coursed through my veins. I looked at him in his black leather pants and bright red button up shirt and wondered if half of me was like that. Was I really evil deep down inside? Would I end up destroying all the goodness around me?
I sat there in silence for what seemed like hours, but in reality was probably closer to a few seconds. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind and I felt dizzy and nauseous when I began to piece it all together.
“Why did you attack my house?” The negotiating meeting with Lucian had already been set, so he knew that I was coming to Montana.
“Master Matthew had to be stopped. His powers have grown considerably in the last few weeks. I couldn’t have him messing up my plans.” Lucian smiled and my temperature dropped. “I haven’t used a sword in a while.” He looked at me. “I hear those can really hurt.”
It took everything I had not to attack him right now. “Kain’s going to be okay. You failed.” Lucian chucked in response.
“No, I don’t think that I did.”
“What are you
going to do at the meeting tonight?” I asked.
Lucian had been sizing up Graham, but he turned back towards me when I spoke. “Oh, Graham saved me all of that trouble by bringing you here. There will be no meeting tonight.”
I glared at the man I’d assumed was my friend. “You brought me here for him?”
“No, Eviana, I swear.”
I jumped off the boulder and marched up to Graham. His eyes were pleading with me and if I hadn’t been so angry, I might have tried to believe him. He had purposely removed me from my protectors and now Lucian had what he’d always wanted. I pulled back my hand and slammed my fist into his face like Palmer had taught me.
Lucian laughed as Graham fell to the ground. I didn’t waste any time and jumped on top of the deceitful merman, slamming my forearm into his throat. At this moment, all I could see was red. I was so angry at Graham, at Lucian, at Brendan; all of them had betrayed me in some way and unfortunately for Graham, he was the one taking the beating right now.
I could feel him fighting against me, but it was as if I had an out of body experience and no one could stop my rage. All of this energy came pouring into my body like I had the strength of three men. Almost every person in my life had let me down in some way. Graham used his charm and power to trick me into a friendship. Lucian killed my parents, my uncle, and my friends. My mother lied to me my whole life about who my father was, even when she was facing death by his own hands.
And Brendan. Brendan, the only one I loved, left me to surrender to the call. It was something he promised he’d never do. Julian made it sound like he was miserable, yet he still managed to spend the night with me without any hesitation. He didn’t have any problem reaching in and tearing my heart out because that was what was best for him. I struggled to breathe. I was so angry and so distraught. Why was this happening now?
“Eviana?” Lucian’s voice broke through my concentration. “Eviana, you might want to let go.”
I looked at him and then followed his gaze down towards Graham. His face was bright red and it seemed as though I had nearly chocked the last breath from him. Maybe I should finish the job.