Beyond Everlight: an Urban Fantasy Novel (Fearless Destiny Book 1) Page 18

  “What if someone is targeting Fearless? Trying to take away our main defence?”

  Derek rubbed a hand over the lower half of his face. “There’s no way to know for sure.”

  And there was no way to protect the kids who might be targeted next, because they had no idea who was destined to be Fearless.

  “There has to be something we can do, an alert to parents, some kind of lockdown to protect the kids,” Brett said.

  Derek looked up from the picture. “No. We say nothing. Not until we have some concrete evidence. This kind of news would cause widespread panic and we need to be certain before we issue any alerts. Leave it with me, Donohue. I’ll make some calls.”

  Brett left the office knowing he should be feeling more positive about the whole situation, so why did he feel like there was a lead weight on his chest?

  CHAPTER33

  T oday was the day, I could feel it.

  “You might as well kiss the ground now,” Erebus said as he circled me.

  “Nah, I’d rather make you kiss my ass.” The words just tripped off my tongue before my brain had time to compute.

  Erebus’s feet faltered and his eyes flared.

  Erebus never faltered.

  My heart leapt as an idea bloomed in my mind. Up until now I’d held back dialogue with Erebus, ever aware that he could cut me down with a flick of his wrist, but his reaction just now urged me to push it, to shock him, make him falter again so I could take him down.

  It was a fantastic spontaneous plan, except for the fact that training with Erebus was like running from a freight train. The next twenty minutes passed in a blur of sweaty intense concentration on my part. No time for witty banter. No time for my smart mouth to do its thing.

  I was beginning to think my idea was a complete bust, when I finally got my opening. He lunged for me and I swung out of the way, circling him and tapping him on the butt with my stick. “Nice ass.”

  He stumbled forward, and I used his momentary lack of balance to sweep him off his feet with a hard knock to the back of his knees.

  He wasn’t down for long, and when he rose his eyes were blazing orbs of rage.

  I stood my ground. “We had a deal. I’m still on my feet and I managed to knock you down.”

  He advanced slowly, his body a mass of rippling muscle. “You think this is funny? You think that it’s some kind of joke? You think you can distract a denizen with your smart mouth and wit?”

  He was up close and personal, and the urge to turn and run was a palpable force, but I dug in my heels, because all I had left was my pride. His face, which I had thought beautiful a few weeks ago, was twisted in fury. His eyes were brands raking punishingly over my face, my cheeks heated and I clenched my jaw painfully to quell the whimper that wanted to be heard. I hated the fear he could incite within me.

  I hated that he was right.

  My ploy had worked with him, but out there I would have been dead. My pride, however, wouldn’t let me back down. It desperately needed a win about now.

  Erebus leaned down so we were eye to eye. “These training sessions are over.”

  I let him go, still battling my conflicted emotions.

  ***

  I was too embarrassed to go down to supper later, but I should have guessed that my absence wouldn’t go unnoticed.

  I was lying in bed, grumbling over my empty stomach, when there was a soft knock at my door. The first thought that flew through my mind was that it was Erebus come to apologise, and then I reminded myself that if anyone should be apologising it should be me. There was no way he would come find me, and then I thought shit, what if it’s Sabriel? My stomach was suddenly hollow but not with hunger.

  Since the little exchange with Samson a few days ago, I’d been avoiding Sabriel and I wasn’t sure exactly why. He’d been nothing but good to me, and he deserved to be treated better, except Samson’s words had lit a fire of doubt in my mind. The way that Sabriel looked at me was intense at the best of times, but it was also filled with tenderness and, yeah, longing, the last of which I’d chosen to ignore up until now. And then I’d gotten to thinking about him always being there and I was like . . . had he seen me naked in the shower when I was in the human realm?

  The knock came again.

  It was time to face my demons, or as it may be in this case, my angel.

  “Come in,” I called.

  Sabriel entered, carrying a tray of food that smelled delicious. I offered him a tentative smile. “Thank you.”

  Sabriel placed the tray before me and sat at the end of my bed. I picked up my fork, eager to dig in to what looked like a hearty meat stew.

  “So, what did you do?”

  I speared a piece of meat and popped it in my mouth.

  “Kenna?”

  I chewed and swallowed. “Fine, I pissed Erebus off by trying to be smart.” I sighed. “It was a stupid idea but I . . . I just can’t carry on like this. I need to be useful, and this, sitting around and cashing in three meals a day isn’t being useful.”

  “How can you be so sure it isn’t?”

  “Seriously? How am I contributing to the survival of mankind?”

  “There are other ways of being useful and you, my dear Kenna, are being more useful than you know.”

  I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest. “Okay, tell me one way in which I’ve been useful here.”

  Sabriel smiled. “Do you recall Samson’s jibe at Erebus the other night?”

  Yeah, that and the rest of it. I nodded.

  “He was speaking of you. You’re the distraction.”

  “A distraction? And how the hell is that a good thing?”

  “How do you think Erebus spends his spare time?”

  “I don’t know, bench pressing a house?”

  Sabriel chuckled. “No. Although that does conjure an interesting image.” He sobered. “Erebus would spend his time out there, in the Evernight, hunting.”

  “Great so I stopped him being useful.”

  “No, you gave him something alive to focus on, something other than death, and in a world composed of death, that in itself is a gift to be treasured.”

  My stomach dropped and the back of my neck heated. “I didn’t realise.”

  “And why should you? This is all new to you, and Erebus . . . he isn’t exactly the ‘chat over a hot chocolate’ type.”

  No he wasn’t, but he’d been kind enough to agree to train me, and I’d treated the exercise like some kind of game. What was wrong with me? Cutting corners had never been my thing.

  Sabriel nudged my tray. “Eat up before it gets cold.”

  I picked up my fork and speared a potato, I caught his eye just as I was sliding he fork out of my mouth and it was impossible not to catch the flare in his cerulean eyes, the obvious dilation of his pupils.

  Oh shit.

  He averted his gaze.

  I set down my fork, the food a lead weight in my belly. I wasn’t the kind to string a guy along, and in usual circumstances I would have laid my cards on the table, just said, ‘Flattered but not interested,’ but for some reason those words were being elusive this time round. If I was being honest, I just didn’t want to lose him. He’d become my comfort blanket.

  “I know what you’re thinking.”

  “Please tell me you mean that figuratively.”

  He chuckled, the sound like melted chocolate. “Yes, Kenna, I am not privy to your actual thoughts. I just have a keen insight and my empathic skills are paramount amongst my kind. You’re thinking of what Samson said the other night.”

  I locked eyes with him. “Is it true?”

  He smiled. “Yes.”

  My stomach dropped and my heart did a funny skip.

  “But not in the way he meant.” He leaned in and took my hand. “My love for you is pure and devoid of the passions of man. I am your angel, and it is natural for angels to love their charges.” He ran his thumb over my knuckles, sending a shiver through me that contradicted his words a
nd my emotions. “Please don’t let it cause you any further anxiety.”

  I cleared my throat. “Okay.”

  He released my hand and stood up. “So, shall we meet later in the library for our evening beverage?”

  I stared up into his beautiful face, noting the slight furrow to his brow. He was worried that I wouldn’t believe him, but I did, because I wanted to. I smiled and nodded and watched him leave with a strange ache in my heart.

  ***

  With time to kill before my meeting with Sabriel in the library for our evening hot chocolate, I decided to go for a little wander. The fortress was becoming more familiar to me with every passing day, and it felt like it was becoming accustomed to me as well. On several occasions I’d completely lost myself in its maze-like structure only to climb a flight of stairs and be exactly where I needed to be.

  There was no agenda today. I roamed the halls, stopping to trace the intricate designs on the gilded frames of the strange landscapes that hung on the walls, and take in the never-ending darkness beyond the many windows of my temporary home.

  Trusting the fortress to guide me, I took another flight of stairs and found myself in an unfamiliar corridor. Lush pile carpet covered the floor and heavy black drapes hung against the walls. The doors here were taller and wider, made of sturdier stuff than the ones on my floor. My instinct was to turn and leave. Something about this floor didn’t feel right, and then I heard the scream. It was piercingly desperate, but cut off too soon.

  Had I imagined it? No, there it was again and I was pretty sure it was coming from the room to my left.

  Someone in trouble?

  Had the fortress delivered me here for a reason? If it had then there was no way I was walking away.

  Grasping the handle I pushed open the door.

  CHAPTER34

  T he door swung open silently. I stared at the scene beyond, my brain scrambling to piece it together, and then it clicked. Heat suffused my veins and bile surged up my throat. I flew into the room, screaming at Samson and beating at his back. He knocked me aside with his huge arm. I went flying and landed on my arse. The woman on the bed screamed for me to help her. My vision clouded and blood pounded in my ears. I ran at him. Grabbed his long hair and pulled with all my might. This time the blow he landed made me see the constellations in high definition.

  I hit the ground, my ears ringing. Pain bloomed like an unwanted flower on my cheek. He must have broken my cheek bone. He must have broken my face. My left eye . . . I couldn’t see!

  Samson was done.

  His boots moved toward me.

  “I told him you shouldn’t be here. You’re nothing but a pathetic human who happens to have some otherworld DNA. A mongrel. A dirty mongrel.”

  My scalp lit up with pain as de grabbed a fistful of my hair and twisted.

  “Look on the bright side, your eye now matches that ugly birthmark.”

  I hawked and spat in his face.

  His eyes lit up with fury. He pulled back his fist, ready to strike. I braced for impact. The blow never landed. Samson was ripped away from me by a whirlwind of power.

  Erebus stood in the centre of the room. His chest heaved like he’d just run a marathon. His took in the scene and then turned incandescent eyes onto Samson.

  The woman on the bed, one of the women who had been part of the tithe, whimpered.

  Samson shrugged. “What? You know you can’t kill me. So what are you going to do?” He crossed his arms over his broad chest. Defiant, insolent, or simply crazy, I wasn’t sure. My face throbbed too much to think straight.

  “No. He can’t kill you, but I can.” Baal stepped into the room.

  His tall lithe frame was encased in an impeccably tailored dark suit, and diamonds winked at his earlobes. His green eyes flashed dangerously. “Erebus, please just say the word.”

  Erebus glanced at the bed then looked down at me, the pulse in his jaw jumping like crazy. “No. Death would be too easy.” He fixed his attention on Samson. “You have shamed the clan with your actions, Samson, and I have no recourse but to banish you.”

  Samson dropped his arms. “Banish? You can’t . . .”

  Erebus turned his back on Samson and closed his eyes. Samson began to flicker. He opened his mouth to speak, probably to protest, but he was merely a residue of himself and then he was gone.

  What the heck? “What happened?”

  It was Baal who answered. “Samson is no longer on this plane.”

  I looked to Erebus. “So where is he?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Erebus sighed wearily. “Baal, would you take this woman back to the pool of dreams?”

  Baal inclined his head. “Of course dear friend. I assume you wish to attend to this one.” He swept a hand, heavy with sparkling gems, in my direction.

  Erebus’s lips tightened. He held out his huge hand to me, and I allowed him to haul me to my feet. Baal reached for the woman on the bed, but she jerked away. She curled into a ball making a low keening sound.

  “I mean you no harm. Allow me to tend to your wounds. I mean you no ill.”

  Baal’s voice was like velvet—soothing and beguiling. The woman sat up cautiously and this time when he reached for her, she allowed him to gather her into his arms. He carried her as carefully as if she had been made of glass, speaking to her in a hushed melodious tone that kept her enthralled.

  They left the room and I made to follow but Erebus whisked me off my feet and into his arms, so I got an intimate introduction to the pecs I’d unintentionally admired on more than one occasion. Thank goodness he was wearing a shirt this time. But still, I could feel them through the fabric. If my face hadn’t been on fire with pain it would have been beet red with embarrassment.

  Erebus shifted my weight. His hand brushed against my butt and a shiver of unwanted desire shot through me. Maybe I should ask him to put me down? I didn’t need to be carried. But we were already out of the room. The moment to protest had kinda past, so I focused on the pain and blocked out the body that was too close for comfort.

  We were at my door too soon. I expected him to place me on my feet but instead he pushed open the door and carried me to the bed, placing me gently on the covers.

  His eyes roved over my face.

  Crap, I must look a mess. “How bad is it?”

  He shook his head. “You never fail to surprise me Kenna. So tiny and fragile, and yet so filled with fire.”

  “I’m not exactly tiny. I’m five-eight, which is kind of tall for a woman so—”

  “Also incapable of accepting a compliment it seems.”

  He reached out and ran the back of his fingers down the good side of my face. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I suspected Samson was hiding something from me, I just hadn’t realised that his dissatisfaction with our duty had grown so large as to eclipse everything we stand for. We protect humanity in every way we can, what he did . . . it was unforgivable.”

  “And yet you let him live.”

  “Killing him would have been a mercy, believe me.” He walked around the bed and to the door. “Get some rest. I will send a poultice for your injuries.”

  The door closed behind him and I reached up to touch the place where his fingers had made contact. My skin was still tingling.

  ***

  Sabriel entered like a whirlwind on speed. I almost dropped the poultice I was trying to apply to my face. He came to a stunned halt by the side of the bed, his wide eyes taking in my injuries.

  “You should see the other guy,” I quipped.

  “I should have been here. Kenna, I . . . will you ever forgive me?”

  “Forgive you for what?”

  Sabriel’s hands curled into fists. “I should have been here.”

  “Why? You’re not my bodyguard, besides aren’t you prohibited from intervening?” I pressed the poultice to my face. It stung and made my eyes water.

  Sabriel sat on the bed beside me. “What is this disgusting concoction?”

  “A po
ultice to help me heal.”

  He reached up and gently peeled the bandage soaked in the herbal concoction off the side of my face. His lips tightened. “I should have been here. I would have killed him.”

  “Yeah, Baal offered to do the same.”

  Sabriel’s hand stilled. “Baal is here?”

  “Yeah. Who is that guy?”

  Sabriel placed the poultice back on the tray and held his hand a centimetre away from my cheek. My skin began to tingle and itch. I pulled away.

  “Stay still,” he admonished.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Healing you.”

  “Oh. In that case have at it.” I grit my teeth and let him work his magic.

  “All done.” He traced his index finger over my cheekbone, and eureka! no pain. I rushed to the bathroom to examine my face in the mirror. The swelling was gone, and I could see through my eye again. I ran my fingers over my birthmark, temple to mid-cheek. If only he could have taken that away too, but even as that thought occurred to me, another took its place.

  I hovered in the bathroom doorway. “Could you have healed my leg?”

  “What?”

  I licked my lips. “You said you were there . . . that night . . . Could you have taken away the necrotic infection?”

  “Oh, Kenna, I’m so sorry. We don’t hold that kind of power. I couldn’t raise you from the dead. The cells in your leg, they were dead. That wasn’t something I could have healed.”

  I searched his face for any sign of deceit, any sign of a lie, but found only sincerity.

  “Okay. Good.” I took my place back on the bed. “I don’t understand why Samson would do such a thing. Surely he must have known that Erebus would find out eventually, and I thought he despised humans so why . . . I don’t get it.”

  Sabriel leaned back against the post at the foot of the bed. “It’s because he hates humans that he did it. I sensed Samson’s pent up frustration and his anger as soon as I met him. Over the years it’s grown and festered. He finally acted on it. Believe it or not he used to be a decent being.”