Taking my silence as agreement to his suggestion, Nethiun continued talking straight into my eardrum. “You're a very unique person, in ways not even I grasp. Yes, it's true, you've figured out with the assistance of some meddling twaelin that my Mistress is the reason we're all observing you now. I cannot, and will not, tell you the details of why she's asked me to follow you. I also can't promise you you're not in danger.”
My hands gripped into his back, feeling the thin material of his shirt. Again, I wondered if he didn't feel the affect of the cold air. “You're scared of her, aren't you?”
The dark humor in his tone startled me. “Of course I am.”
“But I—didn't you tell me you can't die? What could she even do to you?”
Gently, he held me at arms length, staring me down with an odd sadness on his handsome features. “Ah. I said that, but don't you remember the rest?”
I shook my head slowly.
“My Mistress is my source, she created me. Everything I have, it's from her. If I were destroyed, something she could accomplish quite easily, it'd be her decision to recreate me from the energy within her again. If she didn't, well.”
My eyes ached in their sockets from how hard I was staring at him. “That's terrible. I... I get it, now. I think I do, anyway.” Him, Ethlyn, they really do have no choice but to obey whatever the twaelin who created them say.
“This has gotten too serious, too gloomy,” he chuckled. Slipping his fingers down till they held my wrist, he guided me towards the opening in the alley way. “Gale Everette,” he said suddenly, casting a sideways look at me that set my blood pumping.
“What, what is it?”
“I said I couldn't promise you that you weren't in danger. I've yet to understand what, exactly, it is about you that is drawing all of us twaelin so close. But.” He linked his arm around my elbow, a gesture so normal, so romantic, I was amazed that I could still walk. “I believe that Ethlyn and Valenforth have intentions just as potentially dark for you. We are not, at all, on the same side, but our interest in you shares a home.”
Watching his mouth, how it slid from a thoughtful smile into a tight line, my belly flexed with the sudden rush of energy that danced around Nethiun.
It's almost tangible, like I could see it, if I focused hard enough.
His next words removed any chance of focusing.
“If either of them tries to harm you,” he said softly, colder than the October breeze, “I promise I'll keep you safe. I'll protect you from them, it's the most I am capable of.”
I believed him. He looked my way as we broke back out onto the bright streets, and in my very being, I knew he meant what he said.
It would have been easy to let that sink in, to revel in the feeling of someone saying such wonderful things. I was never good at letting things be easy.
There was still something he hadn't told me.
“Why?” I asked, biting back my fear of ruining the moment. Around us, the blur of lights turned our skin different colors.
Those colors didn't touch his eyes.
“Why...” He halted on the sidewalk, considering me carefully. “That's amazingly hard to explain. Gale, there is something about you—perhaps IN you—that pulls me, screams at me to stay close. No, to keep getting closer.”
I waited for him to say more, craved for him to say more. Instead, he smiled at me with sudden, brisk cheer. Nethiun blinked, I saw his pale eyes glimmered again.
The mask is back.
“Come on.” He pulled at me gently, leading me along with the stream of people. To the world, we were a pair of new lovers; fitting in, nothing out of place.
If only it could have been true.
Chapter 14.
Nethiun
When I kissed her, it took every ounce of control I had not to chase that rising tide inside of her. To keep myself from seeking out how high her flame could go, even if it meant quenching it and ending her in that grime filled alley. Destroying her fragile body entirely.
Even through my savage hunger, I knew I didn't want that.
I'd pulled away, let her breathe, and in the end calmed the yearning inside of me that wanted to consume every inch of her.
Now, strolling beside her down the streets, I could still feel the magnetic energy that danced in her. It begged me to make it grow, but I ignored it.
For now.
Gale had asked me why I had claimed I would protect her. Truthfully, my decision had surprised even me.
I didn't remember the last time I'd ever kissed a human, I'd certainly never sworn to guard one.
Something is inside of you, Gale Everette, I mused silently. Glancing down at her, catching her shy smile, I matched her with my typical grin.
Yes, there's a power, some sort of energy. It's been calling to me for some time, but now...
Now it's like an endless roar.
I'd told her that was what drew me to her, yet I was discovering there was more to my intentions. Even if the odd, delicious pull of her energy, combined with the sweetness of her wild emotions, had led me to hunger for her...
Now, there was something more foreign mixing with my lust.
“Gale!” A deep voice boomed, the girl beside me pulling up short. Turning, I followed her eyes, spotting a burly man standing behind a small stall across the street.
“That's Josef,” she said, yanking at me to get me to follow her. “He owns the bakery on my campus.”
I didn't tell her I already knew that.
“Gale, how are you?” he asked cheerfully, shooting a pointed look my way that implied more than his question.
With waves of anxiety fluctuating around her, the girl slid her arm from mine. “Oh, uh, great.”
“I can see that!” He laughed, once more staring at me, as if I should know some secret code to play along.
It was obvious what he wanted, his desire to give Gale a friendly hard time being broadcast clear as day. Turning up the volume, I leaned in and planted a quick kiss to the red-head's cheek. I made sure to be extra loud, smacking my lips. “She's not the only one,” I teased.
The resulting flush of pink that traveled all the way from her neck to her nose sent hungry sparks into my center.
“You guys, stop,” she mumbled, looking away from us both.
Josef slapped the surface of his stall, getting her attention. “I'm only teasing, no worries, no worries. Sorry I missed you in the shop earlier, had a lot to get ready to bring out here.”
“It's fine,” she said, clearly forgiving his playfulness. “It isn't like you owe the birds free bread.”
“They expect it by now,” he scoffed, glancing between her and I. “So, Gale. Introduce me to your boyfriend.”
“He—what—that's!”
Smiling with satisfaction, I reached out to shake his meaty hand. He seemed strong, no doubt the result of kneading dough all day. “I'm Nethiun, nice to meet you. Gale told me your name was Josef?”
“That's right, that's right. Nethiun, interesting name. I always figured it'd take a certain type to catch Gale's eye.” The baker winked at her, sending her emotions ricocheting like mad.
Looking down at the boxes on the stall, I saw they were full of various little desserts. Gale, too, had shrugged off her embarrassment enough to peer at the treats. “Wow, those look really nice, Josef,” she said.
“Indeed,” I agreed, thinking they certainly seemed better than stale bread.
Beaming, he pulled back the lid, gesturing to us. “Well, they're only a dollar each. Why not buy the lovely lady a snack, sir.”
“Ah,” I said, putting on a sheepish smile. “I'm afraid I haven't brought any money with me.” Rather, I don't have any. That was never something I expect
ed I'd need to bother with.
Josef seemed dubious, but Gale piped up. I could sense her reluctance as she dug into her pocket. “Here, just let me get them. Two dollars isn't so bad.”
The baker seemed hesitant to take her money. Still, he slid the paper away, motioning for us to pick something.
Gale grabbed out a thick hunk of brownie, reminding me of the one I'd seen her eating the other day in the park.
Unsure what to take, I just grabbed a round, shiny roll dusted with sugar. I'm eating a lot of human food tonight, it seems.
“Thanks, Josef,” Gale said, whatever had dampened her mood flitting away as she nibbled the snack.
Nodding in agreement, though I hadn't touched the bread, I smiled. “Yes, thank you.”
“You kids have fun,” he demanded, pointing at us with false seriousness. With one more big grin, he waved his arm, sending us back off down the street.
Letting Gale lead, she took us downtown, further from the blare of music. “Here,” she said, leaning up against the doorway of a building. Bending down, she dusted off the top step before sitting down on it.
Delicately, she nibbled at her brownie. It reminded me, deep in my memory, of a peasant sitting on a roadside savoring the only morsel of food they had. “You seem to be enjoying that.”
Glancing up at me, she lifted her eyebrows until they vanished under her frazzled hair. “Of course, it's chocolate. I don't eat this stuff too often. Speaking of which,” she said, pointing at me with the baked-good, “you owe me a dollar.”
Standing before her, my shadow fell down on her face. Even so, her eyes sparkled with merriment. “If you like them so much, why do I always catch you with old bread? Why not eat such sweet things all the time?”
Gale paused in mid-bite, eyeing me with unease. Slowly, she chewed, savoring the mouthful. Only then did she finally talk. “That's not possible for me.”
“Not possible?”
“Money,” she said, sorrow clouding around her hunched figure. “I guess you wouldn't really get it. You don't need money, do you? You can just do whatever you want, you don't even need a place to call home.”
I mulled over her words, letting this new information click into place. “Perhaps, you might be right. I've never not had a place to return to, though home might be the wrong word. It's always been there, always constant.”
She seemed to be staring at something I couldn't see, some far away memory. “That must be nice.”
She's thinking about something, something that's made her morose.
Nimbly, I settled on the step beside her. I felt her turn towards me, but I set my attention on the roiling clouds above. They looked swollen, ready to break and douse us with rain any minute. “Tell me about it,” I said.
“About what?”
“Your home.” Peering at her wary expression, I shrugged. “It's what you're thinking about, right? You know so much about me, Gale, even if you aren't satisfied with the knowledge. Outside of your place here, in this town, I admit you're a mystery to me.”
“Me, a mystery,” she mused. “I'd never think about myself that way.” Looking down at the last bit of brownie, she finished it off with a wistful sigh.
But you are, you're quite the mystery. I'm keen to solve you, Gale Everette.
Gazing off into the distance, she took a small breath. “It's nothing so tragic, when you get down to it. My mom's a nurse, she works crazy hours to support me going to school here.” Her lips coiled, wry. “I'm probably frustrating her by not picking a major, still. I don't know what I want out of life, I don't know what I'm looking for.”
That was something I could relate to. Lately, the more time I spent tailing Gale, experiencing things with her I'd never before, the more I wondered what my purpose was. “And your father?”
Her laugh was sour. “What father? I never knew him, mom only ever talks badly about him, if she talks about him at all. Far as I understand, he abandoned us when I was first born.” The tension around her was fierce, I saw her bunching up inside her jacket. “The guy might as well never have existed, for all it matters.”
I realized I was frowning, leaning in closer to her as she sank into her dark mood. I knew, inherently, that I should have been longing for more of the wonderful negative emotions she was letting fly free.
Instead, I curled an arm around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort.
Gale jumped, jerking her head around to eye me, my closeness. I didn't speak, I just offered her the little cinnamon roll Josef had baked.
She squinted at it, then me, then the bread once more. Wordless, she took it gently, then gave it a nibble. The scent of sugar was strong.
Gale pushed against me, as close to snuggling as we could get while sitting on a cold stone step.
Why do I find myself caring so much for this girl... this is beyond being drawn to her because of my duties, because of the energy that resonates in her...
Isn't it?
“I can feel the pulsing in you again,” she whispered suddenly. Looking down, I stared at the top of her head as she leaned against my chest. “It's kind of like music, when I think about it. The beat is different than my heart, but not by much.”
Lifting my hand, I almost stroked her hair. Holding back, I let my arm fall to my side instead when I felt her move.
Sitting up enough so she could look into my eyes, she spoke with such an innocence that it threw me off. “What's it like?”
“What is... what like?”
“Being a twaelin. Everything about it, the absorbing emotions, changing your eyes, flying... Not dying. Tell me how it feels.”
“You think I can only change my eyes?” Chuckling, I ruffled the back of my head. “Being able to change how we look is one of the greatest abilities of the twaelin.”
“Valenforth said that, too.” Gale was wide-eyed, but there wasn't the disgust I expected.
It's because she doesn't know how it's done.
“Do it, then,” she challenged me. “Change yourself, go on.”
Shaking my head, I wagged a finger in front of her nose. “Little things, like remembering to make my eyes reflect light... those are easy. The ability to change more than that, to become someone else? Well, that can't be done on the spot.”
“I don't get it,” she admitted. “Being able to change who you are sounds pretty great, though. Does that mean you didn't always look like you do now?”
Gesturing down at myself, I allowed myself to look pleased. “When my Mistress created me, she gave me this form. I've never had a reason to change it.”
“Oh,” she said, making a face. “Wait, if you could have looked less creepy from the get go—”
“Creepy!”
“—Why, then, were you bothering with sunglasses originally?”
Glancing upwards, my lips puckered. “Ah, well. I saw a lot of people wearing them, so I lifted a pair. It seemed normal enough.”
She giggled, muffling it with her sleeve. “I see, right. I think, if I could change what I looked like, I would do something far more drastic.”
I ran my eyes over her, indulgent. “Why would you ever find a need to do that?”
Her blush was hot, exactly what I needed to break the mood. Reaching out, I brushed my thumb across her jaw. “You're lovely, Gale. I may be biased, since I admit I can see the most beautiful, intriguing of energy burning inside of you. Even so,” I went on, watching her expression shift from bashfulness to uncertainty, “I may not be human, but I can appreciate human attraction just fine.”
“That's a complicated way to say you think I'm pretty,” she mumbled. “Honestly, I—look, I'm just not used to thinking of myself that way. Guys never ask me out or give me the time of day.”
Trailing my hand through her rich crimson hair, I lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? Maybe you just never gave them a chance.”
“Hah, no,” she whispered, closing her eyes and thrilling under my touch. “It isn't that. Not completely, at least. I always thought... don't laugh, I guess I just found the whole romance thing to be sort of a waste of energy.”
“And now?” I teased, knowing full well how she'd react.
The bundle of warmth, of excitement, didn't disappoint. “Now, I don't know. I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm enjoying this. I feel sort of bad, I gave Becky a hard time yesterday for how quickly she was falling for Ethlyn—oh, shit!”
Blinking, I sat back as she started to climb to her feet. “What's wrong?”
“We left them alone, or I guess, I did,” she rambled, looking side to side at the quiet area of street. “When I ran out of the game tent, I... we should go back, shouldn't we?”
“Should we?” I asked, shrugging. “We can, if you really want. I thought you might prefer something else, though.”
Her hesitation was exactly what I had hoped for. “What are you talking about?”
Grinning wide, I rose with balanced grace. “You asked me what it was like to be a twaelin. What it was like to fly.”
Her attention was fixed on me, entirely and without question. I could almost see myself reflected in her wide eyes. “I did ask that, yeah.”
“Then,” I purred, reaching out a hand towards her. “Would you like to find out?”
Gale gawked at me, then my open palm. “You really think they're okay on their own, do you?”
“Yes, I do.”
Gale twisted to stare back out towards the nearby sounds and lights of the festival. I could feel her emotions roiling, and had a strong suspicion what she would decide on.
I wasn't disappointed.
Turning back to me, Gale took my hand.
Chapter 15.
Gale Everette
I'd never get used to it, feeling myself pulled through reality in such a way that no human should ever experience.
Maybe Fate: A Novel (New Adult Paranormal Romance) Page 15