Fated (Fate of Love Book 1)

by AJ Brooks

  Taylor’s against the wall, eyes wide in terror, only she’s too tall. Wait. My eyes slowly run down her body as I move slowly toward her, looking for any sign of something else here.

  Her feet don’t touch the ground.

  “R or L, Tay.” I don’t look at her, but try to make it appear as if I’m protecting her, keeping my back her direction, and hoping I’m not wrong in thinking there’s still more than one of whatever those things are.

  She gasps and chokes a few times. “L.”

  I swing around and ram my sword into the wall just to the left of her.

  Taylor drops to the ground as another small whiff of black smoke appears before fading into nothing.

  “Out of here. Now.” She stumbles toward the door, but the sword is still glowing black. That has to mean something.

  “I don’t know.” I take a step forward, sort of amazed I can do anything but run.

  “Z. Come on.” Taylor’s voice is shaking and teary, and it’s not like her, but getting held against the wall and choked by something you can’t see...

  I feel a breeze, and lunge forward to strike, only there’s another breeze and flash of movement. I close my eyes because they aren’t helping anyway, and slice the sword in the air over my head just as a sharp pain slices over my shoulder.

  I scream as another swirl of black smoke appears and disappears in front of me.

  “Now?” Taylor’s holding open the door and the sword shrinks back to a small knife.

  “Now.” I grab her hand and we shove out the nearest exit, my shoulder throbbing.

  “Where to?” she gasps as we sprint across the parking lot.

  Her house is out because her parents watch too close.

  My house is... Probably filled with no privacy and a mom who’s really enjoying Tennyson.

  “Max?”

  Taylor has a smile, even after the attack. “Yes. Max.”

  < - - - >

  Max cocks a brow. “So. I’m like the place for damsels in distress, is that right?”

  Taylor smiles sweetly at him. “We were just attacked by something that we couldn’t see in the girls’ bathroom at school. I thought maybe your big brain could help us sort it out.”

  “Was it perfume?” He smirks.

  “No.” I step forward and pull down my shirt to show him the gash in my shoulder.

  “Oh. Crap.” He runs into the kitchen and steps out a minute later with a cold washcloth that feels like heaven. “That just missed your tattoo.”

  “Thanks.” I sit on his couch, clutching the cloth to my shoulder. “Sorry for this. We didn’t know where else to go.”

  Taylor grabs two more washcloths, and the burning fades as she continues to rub my cut.

  “So, what happened, really?” he asks.

  I tuck a dry washcloth in my bra strap to hold over my scratch, stand up, and pull out the knife.

  “Cute.” He shoves his hands in his pockets.

  “No. I have to show you because there’s a lot to tell you.” How do I get this thing to be longer and look more impressive?

  “What if I don’t want to know?”

  “Don’t be an ass.” Taylor slouches in her chair and reaches her foot out to kick his leg.

  I shake the knife a few times and pretend like I’m going to hit his couch, but nothing happens.

  “It was so big before... It was...” Taylor looks between Max and me. I’m sure she feels as desperate as I do for him to understand this huge thing we’re dealing with and how much we need his help.

  I close my eyes, swing around and hold the blade out.

  “Oh, shit!” Max yells.

  When I open my eyes the sword is full length, but appears to be steel, nothing more. Maybe that means we’re safe?

  “Cool.” Taylor and I glance at each other about the same time.

  I stare at the blade, and just when I want it to shrink, it does. “I wish Cassius were here.”

  “Your wish.” Cy appears next to me with a smile that looks forced, and the warmth of something inexplicable swirls through me.

  Max scampers backward until his back slams against his wall.

  “You should lock your windows, man,” Cy says.

  “Okay. This is my apartment!” Max gasps as he clutches at the wall behind him. “Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?”

  XX

  Cassius

  “You’re a god?” Max breathes the words out like I’m flat out insane as he slouches into the couch.

  “Yes. And you’re my assignment. I was sent here to Fate you to the woman of your dreams. Like I’ve said three hundred times in the last ten minutes.” I lean back against the far wall by the window—the only wall not covered in books or games.

  Zarah paces back in forth in front of me and glances knowingly when I say the Fating part. She got it right away that Taylor might be the girl. Max hasn’t clued in yet. He looks like a smart guy. But to be fair, that might not be the first thing he’d grab onto out of this mess I laid out in front of him.

  “And I’m just supposed to believe that? That you’re the god of love…” Max’s head falls between his knees and he runs his hands through his hair, clasping his fingers behind his neck.

  “Yes.” It’s Taylor who speaks this time and we’re all caught off guard by her solid tone. Max lifts his head and their eyes meet locking into a silent conversation. Zarah and I are involved no matter what. Max and Taylor are in danger because of us.

  “Why, though? This isn’t real. This doesn’t happen. There is earth and humans and animals and...and…”

  “And God?” Taylor asks. “This isn’t any different. If you believe there is more out there, this is your proof. And this.” Taylor grabs a plastic case and throws it at Max. He catches it and shakes his head.

  “God of War? This is a game, Taylor. This isn’t happening in my living room.” He tosses the case back at her.

  “You’re starting to piss me off.” Taylor has lost the calm empathic expression and is back to a tiny ball of fire with a temper to match. But I agree, he’s pissing me off too. Zarah seems to be the only one keeping her cool through our discussion. Just the way she carries herself looks determined. Stronger.

  As Max and Taylor argue, my eyes are glued to Zarah, traveling the length of her as she walks back and forth in front of me. The things that mix inside of me are familiar, yet foreign. I want to pull her to me, push her away, wrap her up, and disappear forever all at the same time. I can’t do this right now. I can’t sort out my feelings for her, if she ends up worse than dead at the hands of an Unfated.

  I raise my hand in the air and stop Max from saying whatever he’s about to say next.

  “Okay. Fine. You don’t believe me. Doesn’t change the fact that Zarah is in danger and now you are too. So humor me, or I’ll take over your body again and make you listen.” I smirk and Max scowls.

  He was straight up not impressed when that part of the story came up.

  “You stay out. I’m serious.” Max points and I shrug, angling my eyes to the ground. I've already turned to stone by accidental looks too many times today.

  “Stop, you guys. This chest beating isn’t helping.” Zarah speaks for the first time. “Taylor and I were attacked. By Unfated, or whatever you called them. What I want to know is what they would have done to us if they succeeded.”

  Three sets of eyes are on me. I study the ground. I need to tell them, but I’m not sure how to lighten the doom. My gaze shifts to the window, and I play with the quiver hanging from my belt, pulling out an arrow.

  Zarah takes another step toward me, and I’m going to tell her because after watching her, being around her, I want her to know everything. I need to do whatever I can to make her world a more stable one, even if it means showing her the danger she’s in.

  “They would have made you one of them,” I mumble. A DVD flies at me hitting me in the chest, and I look up at Taylor who is poised to throw another one. Instantly I turn to sto
ne, making Max jump again, and Taylor closes her eyes to let me change back.

  “They fucking what?” she yells as my shoulders relax and throws another case. I deflect it with my hand. I really do like this girl.

  “They basically would have eaten your soul. They would have become part of you and slowly hollowed you out from the inside. They devour your soul without killing your body. The cycle starts over when you hunt the mortals until you find another host body.”

  “Well, that’s terrifying.” Max speaks this time. “So if these Unfateds are real, and they’re after us–”

  “They are after you, you idiot!” Taylor yells. “I was attacked by one. AH! Open your ears!” Taylor points to the red, rashy skin on her neck. Max flushes.

  Taylor grabs Zarah’s shirt, which is torn, and pulls it low exposing a gash on her shoulder. I jump to my feet and grab her arm before asking if I can touch her. I jump back, letting her arm go.

  “What happened?”

  “A scratch.” She shakes her head, brushing me off.

  “Holy Hades, Zarah. A cut from one of those could be really, really bad.” I step closer, trying to see without touching her skin—for both of us. “Was it from teeth or fingernails?”

  “Fingernails. I think. It’s okay. It burned pretty bad at first, but we washed it out.” She looks over her shoulder, and it hits me how close we are. My chest almost touches her back and now that her head is turned, our faces are close enough that I can feel her. Her familiarity. Her goodness.

  Like Lena, she radiates goodness and I want to live in it.

  Thoughts of Lena remind of my purpose. Of what Taylor said about past lives.

  My eyes finally catch with Zarah’s, and like always, she sees straight through me. Just like Lena. I need to get her to the Moirai. To find out if it’s possible that Lena is Zarah. Zarah is Lena. Reincarnation is rare, but it can happen. I’ve seen Nona re-spin thread once before. But when I went to talk to them, they wouldn’t listen. Not even riddles or cryptic puzzles. They flat out refused. I need something to show them I’m serious about getting answers.

  “A-hem.” Taylor clears her throat and both Zarah and I jump. I spin around to face the window so I don’t have to actively avoid gazes. Scrubbing my hands over my face, I remind myself to obsess about one thing at a time. Getting Max and Taylor safe is first, and then I can move forward by taking Zarah to the Fates.

  “If they’re real, how do we keep them out? I mean, I obviously can’t keep you out, so what good am I against these creatures?” Max says, his reflection in the window blurred but tense. I don’t need to see him to sense his disbelief. I’m starting to wonder if he doesn’t want to believe it.

  I sigh and don’t say anything. I don’t want to say anything anymore.

  Zarah places a hand on my shoulder and I face the group. “He makes a good point, Cy. How do we keep them out if we can’t see them?”

  “You don’t. Mortals aren’t equipped to deal with things from my world. You’re the weakest beings and have none of the right tools.” I thought briefly about lying, but that’s not going to help. They need to know they’re in way over their heads.

  “Well, that was inspirational,” Taylor says dryly and Max snorts out a laugh. Zarah smiles and it makes me smile. Our eyes lock us onto each other for another moment before I have to break away.

  “You’re the one that wanted honesty.” I shoot back at Taylor and she throws another DVD at me that I block, shattering the disc and case into a million pieces on Max’s floor.

  Everyone stares for a moment, and instead of freaking out, Max is suddenly stoic.

  “So what do we do?” Max’s voice is more solid, more concerned.

  I pull out a knife, similar to the one I gave to Zarah, setting it on the coffee table, and everyone stares.

  “You stay together and you keep that knife out at all times. It changes colors. My guess is that if it glows black, there is an Unfated close enough to attack you.”

  “You guess?” Max asks putting his face back in his hands.

  “This isn’t a video game, Max. I don’t go around killing things for a living. Yes. My guess. If it’s not cold steel, you’re in trouble. How about that?”

  Max nods slowly but won’t look at me so I continue.

  “They have to have access to your eyes, that’s how they get in, so they will always attack from the front. Stay close enough that if you come across one, you can stand facing each other, look each other in the eye. If one of them attacks, use the blade. Just put the blade parallel to the other’s chest and swing out and up, away from the body. That way you’ll get the heart and the head.”

  “Are you insane? We could kill each other.” Max’s voice rises and Taylor’s eyes are wide. I push off the wall and grab the knife. I reach for Max’s hand and he jerks, but I’m far too strong for him. I raise the knife high over my head and slam it into his hand.

  Zarah screams and grabs my arm pulling my hand and the knife out of Max’s flesh. Max’s face is white. Taylor grabs Zarah and pulls her down into her lap, wrapping her arms around her friend’s shoulders. I hold up the blade, gleaming silver. Completely clean.

  Max looks from the blade to his hand and back again. The pale skin of his thin face fills with fury and goes red. There is no puncture, no blood, no mark. It probably didn’t even hurt.

  “You are an asshole.” Max points at me but the anger is mixed with something else. He believes me now.

  “Why would you do that?” Zarah wipes gently at a few tears, careful not to smear her makeup.

  “He has to trust me if he wants to stay alive. And to trust me, he first has to believe me. This blade is forged by the gods. It destroys only those that wish to harm its holder. I’m not saying you should swing it at each other, but don’t worry about cutting each other. You won’t. So, listen to me very closely. Stay together, stay alert, and always keep your head. The best thing to do is not leave this apartment until we get back.”

  “And what about you two?” Taylor asks, hugging Zarah tighter.

  Taylor keeps stealing glances at Max. I see in her expression that she doesn’t hate the idea of being locked in here with him. Maybe I should Fate them now and be done with it. I revert back to my business persona as I try to quickly assess her compatibility with Max before I remember that I don’t care about that right now. I’ll worry about them later. One thing at a time.

  “Zarah has a knife just like that one. But I’m taking her to a place the Unfated cannot go. She’ll be safe with me.” ‘Safe’ is maybe not the best word to use for where we’re going. “Well, from the Unfated anyway.”

  Taylor’s eyes get wider and she glares. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  I smirk. “I’m taking her to meet my Aunts.”

  None of them have a clue what this means, but I’ve been dreading the meeting for days. For many selfish reasons I both do and do not want Zarah to meet the Moirai. But my hope is that Zarah’s presence will get me some answers.

  I reluctantly hold out my hand and Zarah stares at it before a look of cold determination floods her face. She laces her fingers in mine. Everything in my life would be so much easier if she didn’t feel so perfect.

  < - - - >

  Zarah still hasn’t let go of my hand as we walk along the windy beach to the meeting spot with Curo. I seriously wish there was a way to spend time with her and not think or worry or fight or wonder… I glance at her again, at the familiar feeling of having her close, and know there’s no way I could shut my brain off around her, even if we were safe.

  “You were sent here to Fate Max and Taylor weren’t you?” Zarah asks as wind sweeps dark wisps of hair across her face.

  I nod and reach out to tuck the strands behind her ear. “You picked up on that, hey?”

  “Why?” There’s deep concern in her features and my first guess is it has something to do with her friend. I had a similar conversation with Lena once, but Lena thought it was romantic. That each person has a
match. Zarah seems skeptical.

  “Sometimes I have to alter an assignment’s course so they meet the right person. But I didn’t choose Taylor for Max. Max chose her. It’s my job to make sure that they work before any magic is involved.”

  “How do you do that?”

  We’ve stopped walking, and I struggle to concentrate as I’m consumed by her beauty and the sunset backdrop and the impermanence of this moment. I’m not sure how to answer her question. According to my mother I should feel it. I should understand the connection between two people in the deepest parts of my soul.

  “I spend a lot of time watching them. Assessing personality, compatibility, logistics. Sometimes it takes months. Sometimes years.”

  “That doesn’t sound romantic at all,” Zarah says with a small teasing smile, and it takes everything I have not to lean in and kiss her. Instead I smile back.

  “We’re going to be late.”

  She lets me lead her back down the beach.

  “Where are we going anyway?” she asks.

  “I need to find out something about you.” I breathe in deeply, the thought of Zarah being a reincarnate still scares the hell out of me, and she frowns.

  “What do you need to find out?”

  “Why you can see my world.” It’s not a lie. It’s also nowhere near the truth.

  Her eyes move to mine and there’s that flash of sorrow again. I look down. Protect me. Protect her. Zarah knows about Helena. But she doesn’t know that she might be Helena. My chest constricts and I push the air out, wishing it would take the tension with it. I might be wrong. I want to be wrong. I want to feel this way about her because she’s Zarah. Not because she reminds me of something I lost so long ago.

  Right or wrong, the only thing that matters now is keeping her safe.

  “And you’re taking me to a place where we can get answers?”

  “The only people who can tell me are the Moirai. The sisters of Fate. But they aren’t going to be happy I brought you.”

  Zarah stops walking. “They don’t know I’m coming?”

  I look at my shoes. “They know about you...”

  “So that’s a no?”