“You make it sound like we were wrong.” Adele said.
“Because you were! You could have killed them easily and you were just kids.”
“Oh, shit.” Zayden muttered. “I do remember reading about that in her journal.”
“Did you punish them?” Troy asked.
Adele sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course he did. Jaylyn was living with us then because it was after her father died and Ruby was just sent home to Gwen so that meant nothing happened to her.” Ruby laughed because it was true. “But Jaylyn and I were locked in our rooms for an entire week without being able to see each other and he wouldn’t let Ruby visit either. The only outside contact I got was when I could hear Jaylyn and Trever fighting in the next room.”
“And I thought it would have been good for you.” Aleksander sighed. “But I was very, very wrong.”
Darius laughed. “Why, what happened?”
“It made us proud.” I said while I was just moving down to Izin’s abdomen. “And that’s when the dreams started.”
“What dreams?” Zayden asked. “Oh, the first kills, right.”
“Which we’re not going to talk about.” Adele quickly added.
“What?” Izin saw them looking at each other and I guess he didn’t know about this.
“She’s the one that killed Waylin.” Zayden said.
Izin’s eyes widened and he seemed overly curious about the news. “What? And you married her?”
“I put that behind me. I almost lost her once because I dwelt on the past. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Zayden took Adele’s hand in his and no one said anything else until I finally moved my hands from Izin’s body and my eyes faded. “How’s that?”
Izin looked down and was just stunned. “Kathryn is going to freak.”
“That’s not the only thing she’ll be doing.” Ruby smiled while looking at him.
“Ruby!” Adele bursts out.
“What? She’s not! You’re in very good shape for being—”
Izin laughed. “Go ahead and say it—old.”
“I wasn’t going to say old. You don’t even look your age, that’s a plus. She’s lucky is all. If I wasn’t married—”
“And there was no risk of killing him.” I abruptly added with a laugh.
“Oh, yeah.” Ruby muttered. “And that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Izin asked.
We looked around at each other and Darius seemed to be the only one comfortable talking about it. “You kind of know already. She has a touch of death that’s fueled by emotions of anger. She could kill you through sex.”
“Really but not you? I know you haven’t gone this long.”
Darius laughed and shared a look with Ruby. “It happens when she’s with me but I have a stronger resistance than others so it doesn’t really effect me.”
“And it’s not all the time.” Ruby said, looking at Darius. “Just when—” She paused like she didn’t want to go on.
“She’s in control.” Darius finished for her.
“Okay. I think that’s enough.” I said, turning back to Izin. “Is that all of them?”
Izin nodded as he picked up his shirt and started to put it back on. “Yes, actually, thank you. If you want to think it, my father was generous enough to leave my legs so that I could still be presentable on my feet. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to walk around on my own for a while. He’s always been kind to me.”
Everyone laughed quietly.
“I really hope that was a joke.” I said.
Izin smiled. “Yes, it was a joke but I can’t thank you enough. If only there was something I could do for you.”
I smiled back while I sat back down and watched him dress. “Oh, that was enough.”
Ruby laughed. “Adele, when we get some free time, you’re totally going to tell us about that rape dream and don’t leave out any of the details.”
“Ruby!”
“What? I know you’re dying to tell someone how good he was and telling Zayden would probably have been awkward.”
Adele sighed. “Well, I am dying but in a completely different way.”
Izin was looking on, completely baffled of course. I don’t think he knew about what she thought happened that night he took her from Zayden. “What’s going on exactly?”
We looked around and no one seemed to know who would answer or how they would answer. Adele surely didn’t want to, in fact she tried to stay out of it completely.
“Ah, that’s kind of a long tale.” Aleksander said. “And rather uncomfortable too.”
“Not really.” Darius said. “Adele has been convinced for a while that you raped her the night you made her stay with you.”
Izin sat still for what seemed like forever. “You think I did what?”
“It was nothing.” Adele said in complete embarrassment. “It just seemed like something you would do.”
“You mean choose you over my wife?”
“I mean hating me.”
He laughed in a way that showed he wasn’t going to be stingy about this conversation. “I’m mildly amused and this haunted you, has it?”
“I’m over it.”
“You knew about this?”
Aleksander was hesitant. “I was aware but also of the truth.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? We could have laughed about it sooner.”
“It was nothing to laugh about.” Adele snatched. “You nearly destroyed me.”
Izin smiled charmingly. “Honey, if I did, you never would have married.”
“Hey.” Zayden cut in. “You realize you’re insulting me?”
“Yes but you’re still young. You haven’t learned all the tricks.”
“Tricks?”
Aleksander must have felt some awkwardness coming because he immediately jumped in. “Ah, I really don’t think that’s necessary. They’re much too old to be having the sex talk with you now. Perhaps we should get some rest for the night instead.”
“You’re absolutely right.” Izin agreed.
“But I kind of want to hear about these tricks.” Darius said.
“They’re the kind that won’t necessarily benefit you.” Aleksander said.
Darius just looked confused.
“Come on.” Izin interrupted. “We continue first thing in the morning. It’ll take us another day or so to get there.”
“It’ll take that long?” Zayden asked. “Why can’t you just tell us where we’re going?”
Izin walked to him and padded his shoulder. “Because you wouldn’t believe us even if we told you. You’ll find out soon enough.”
He sighed and we all walked to the beds Adele created for us.
“Ruby and Darius! Look at me right now!” Adele said before she got into hers. “Do not make me put you in separate beds! Am I clear?”
“Oh, but Adele? I’m so—”
“Ruby! I mean it. I don’t care how quiet you are! Just go to sleep!”
It was amusing to watch Ruby’s displeasure but I was just ready to get to bed and put this day behind us. We still had no idea where we were going but I had a feeling it would all be worth it.
Chapter 33
Adele
Everyone was awakened with the sun and we continued our journey west. Travel was a little more swiftly than the day before and helped us reach the mountain pass by nightfall but we didn’t stop there. We traveled into the night and my father and Izin led us off the road on a small path, leading south into the wild where I’ve never been. The path was much narrower and travel slowed down greatly because of some obstacles we had to maneuver the horses over. It was a long way but it came to an end when the sun rose once more.
“We’re here.” Izin said. “And still beautiful.”
I saw the remote location of surrounding waterfalls and cliffs with a river down below.
“What is this place?” I asked. I thought I knew but I remembered some kind of structure if this is the pla
ce from my dream.
“Let’s get closer and we’ll show you.” My father said. We followed until we stopped at the edge of a cliff, not able to get any closer. “Well, get over there.”
Izin turned his head to see my father’s eyes on him and he sighed while he started getting off his horse. “I’m getting too old for this.”
My father laughed. “What are you talking about? You’re in great shape.” Izin looked up and just raised one eyebrow. “Oh, I see. You haven’t used your powers since the split.”
“Thank you, Aleks.” Izin sighed as he started walking away.
“I’ve only seen it once and that was when I realized I had to of gotten it from him.” Zayden said.
My father laughed as Izin continued to walk off. “I’m not surprised. He walked away from that life a long time ago. It was because of it that he actually found this place. Showing off as usual. He always liked to be dramatic.”
“Hope that I can still make it.”
Izin leaped off the edge of the cliff and I gasped when he cleared the hundred yard gap and landed on his feet on the other side.
“Can you do that, Zayden?” Jaylyn asked.
“Well, I’ve never tried a suicide attempt to find out but I bet now I could.”
“What is he doing?” Troy asked, watching Izin walk away from us even more.
“He has to get up there.” My father pointed up at the top of the cliffs by the skyline, almost two hundred yards up.
Izin approached the bottom and put his right hand up against the ledge and then the left just higher. He started climbing up the vertical surface with ease, not needing to hang on to anything.
“Now that I know I can do.” Zayden said.
We watched and moved our heads up as Izin got closer to the top and he finally climbed up onto the edge of the cliff. He walked over towards the raging waterfalls and jumped across to an overhanging surface among the flowing water. He walked out onto the edge hanging over the spring below and walked underneath it upside-down and into a small cave within the falls.
“Where’d he go?” Darius asked.
“You’ll see.”
A rumble came from the mountains and the horses started to become uneasy. I tried calming mine but then froze when I saw a tower rising up out of the spring across the gap. I was in awe when a structure was forming from underneath the spring. It was an ancient palace with five towers that climbed to the peeks and entirely built from stone; very familiar. This was it.
The last drops fell back down into the spring and I was speechless when two bridges appeared. One over the gap separating us and another over the flowing water down over the other cliff.
“Oh, come on.” My father said. “I thought this group was used to seeing unusual things.”
“This just adds to the list, I guess.” Darius muttered.
“Let’s go.” My father moved his horse forward while pulling Izin’s along with him and we followed behind.
“What is this place?” Jaylyn asked.
“You’re new home.” Izin opened the front door and stepped out.
“What?” Zayden asked.
“Well, if you’d like. It’ll make the distance to your homes the same.”
“But what if you need us?”
“You’ll only be about two days away. If I need you, I’ll call for you.”
“You’re serious?”
My father looked over at Izin and he nodded as he looked back at Zayden. “Would you like to see the rest of it before you decide?”
“I do!” I smiled.
My father approached the door with me and held it open. “After you then.”
I walked inside and was just amazed. The inside was in perfect condition. It was still filled with the original furniture, covered with cloth. Besides dust, there was nothing out of place, no fallen stones, no pushed over furniture, nothing. Everyone else entered and looked around. They too were amazed by the condition.
“Okay, I’ve decided.” I said as I turned to Zayden and took his hand.
“You really wouldn’t mind living here? Way out away from any kind of civilization?”
“How can you say no? Rift likes it.” The pup was skipping around excitedly with his tail wagging.
All Zayden had to do was take one look at him and give in. It was so sweet. The wolf pup was cute and already proved to Zayden that he’s become part of the family even though he was the only one that could touch him.
“All right. I guess we’re staying.”
“Great.” Izin said. “It’ll take some time to clean this place up a little and get your stuff here but it’ll be worth it.”
“That’s fine. So, were you ever planning on telling me how this power works? I didn’t know you could make jumps like that.”
“Well, I would have but I honestly didn’t know if you had it at all. When your mother was pregnant with you, she obtained my abilities until you were born. We were quite unsure what that meant because you never shown any signs of it growing up. At least not around us so I never asked. I wouldn’t have really known how.”
“Well, I don’t even think I knew until I was probably twelve when Darius pushed me off a roof during one of our rooftop races.”
Darius laughed. “Oh, yeah! That was funny! You tumbled backwards and just clung to the wall instead of sliding down it.”
“That scared me enough and I did let go and I did fall.”
“No serious damage. You were already half way down because of that.”
“Lucky. After that I just thought that maybe I should keep it to myself.”
“You didn’t get the senses first?” Izin asked.
“I might have. I just didn’t notice it during the initial fall but I did after. Things were different but better.”
“They’re easier since they just come naturally. It’s when you get into the physical stuff that take more of your mind to work. You’re lucky you didn’t fall all the way.”
“I suppose but I would say the venom takes the most to control.”
Izin’s eyes seemed blank and he looked at my father for a moment before turning back to Zayden with a heavy sigh. “I was hoping you wouldn’t have to ever find out about that.”
“Don’t worry. I’m learning to control it.”
“You’re not killing anyone, are you?”
“Of course he’s not.” Troy answered before he could. “That’s what he has my wife for.”
Izin’s eyes widened just a little and he looked at Zayden. “You bite her?”
“She obviously doesn’t die. It’s because of her power.”
“Really? An unlimited supply of blood?” Izin’s eyes blackened and my father was the first to get in the way.
“No, Izin! Stop looking at her!”
Jaylyn suddenly became worried by the tone he expressed and held tighter on Troy.
“I don’t have to look at her to smell her.” His voice changed. It was mean and threatening like he wanted to try her as Zayden has and no one was going to stop him. “She’s a pure blood.” He closed his eyes and took a long whiff of the air around him. “It’d be even sweeter than my own.”
“No, Izin.” My father said, still holding him back. “That’s not you. Not anymore.” Izin turned his black eyes from Jaylyn and looked at him. “You’re better than that. Let it go.”
Izin began to calm down. His tense stance was relaxing and his eyes were fading back. “Yes. Forgive me.” He turned his back to us and leaned against the wall in shame for what he wanted but none of us could understand what it was like. None of us but Zayden.
“What was that?” Ruby asked quietly.
“The animal side.” My father explained. “It’s why you must never let it get the best of you, Zayden. Control it fast or bad things will happen and you won’t be able to stop no matter how determined you are.”
“Is that what happened to him?”
“It was a long time ago just weeks before the final split.”
We had ou
r eyes on Izin when he started to answer and turn. “I didn’t have someone like her. I rarely knew about that aspect of my gift until I was overtaken when the anger of a certain betrayal found me. Someone from inside exposed us to my father which would soon end everything we’ve created. He had to go. It was the first time for me and I completely lost control. I was not myself.”
“He ripped out his throat.”
“Ripped it out?” I wondered. “Like—”
“Obviously by biting.” Zayden said.
“One of those images you can never erase.”
“Yes, well, it had somewhat of a different effect on me however like a complete indescribable feeling but I couldn’t control it yet. I soon found myself doing it for fun and people died because of me. It was like I turned into something else completely. Not human.”
“But you did stop.” I said, flickering my eyes towards Jaylyn. “I mean, right?”
“I thought I did a long time ago but sometimes it will come out of nowhere like just now and I have to stop myself. I eventually learned to control it through that time but even then I still did it.”
“They still may not understand since you liked it so much.” My father said. “Tell them why you stopped.”
Izin laughed to himself with a head shake and had to look away. “Well, he’s right. It was never because I wanted to. I did it selfishly every chance I got but things finally changed for me when it did get the best of me and Kathryn was standing closest.”
Chapter 34
Zayden
“You bit her. I’ve heard.”
“It was luck.” Aleksander said. “We didn’t exactly know it then but she was already pregnant so the gift in you kept her alive or she would have died. The venom merely made her weak but didn’t kill her.”
Forgotten Days (Fate's Intent Book 6) Page 13