“Why do I find that difficult to believe?”
“Because no matter what I say to you, you’re bound to doubt me,” I fired back, my frustration and disappointment taking turns attacking me. “And that’s fine, Sinjin. You can hate me and doubt me all you want. I don’t care,” I admitted, taking a deep breath. “The only thing I do care about is Jolie, and on that point, I need you to believe me.” Neither of us said anything for the course of a few seconds. We just stared at each other. I could feel the time ticking by, seconds slipping through my fingers as I wondered how close Luce was to showing up. “Please, Sinjin, if you’ve never believed or trusted me before, please give me the benefit of the doubt now,” I begged him in a soft voice. “I’m telling you the truth. I swear I am.”
“Save your histrionics,” he said coolly. He eyed me narrowly for another few seconds before he exhaled and simply nodded. “I will give you the benefit of the doubt just this once.”
“Good,” I answered with a curt nod. Relief washed over me as I turned to the next topic at hand—locating my sister. I started to turn on my heel when his icy hand on my arm stopped me. I turned back around and found his eyes riveted on mine.
“If I discover you are lying, I will not forget it.”
“Yes, I already know—you’ll drain me of my blood and enjoy doing it and yadda yadda yadda. I get it,” I grumbled. But judging by the resolute expression on Sinjin’s face, he wasn’t finished with his warning.
“I will not be as forgiving as I have been in the past where you were concerned.”
“Okay,” I answered quickly, nodding. I wanted to drive home the point that I understood exactly what he was saying, and had no arguments with it so we could get the show on the road. “We’re running out of time, Sinjin. We need to get my sister to safety now!” I turned around again and scanned the crowd, searching for any sign of Jolie, but everyone was standing up, applauding, and blocking my view. “Do you see her?” I asked, while still keeping my eyes fastened on the crowd.
“I do not,” Sinjin answered. “I believe she and the warlock have already made their way down the aisle and are due to make their entrance as Mr. and Mrs. Balfour.”
“We have to get her out of here before that happens,” I answered absentmindedly, still searching for Jolie. “We also need to warn Rand, so he can figure out what to do about everyone else,” I finished and started forward. I was pleased to see Sinjin apparently knew the proceedings of weddings, because I certainly didn’t. As a warrior, though, I’d never had the need to understand such trivial matters, especially when marriage didn’t even exist in my tribe.
“Everyone else?” Sinjin repeated with a little, sarcastic laugh. “I thought your only concern was your sister?”
I glanced back at him and frowned, but didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to get into a long-winded conversation, especially when time was not on our side. Instead, I faced forward again and started up the walkway. I was so overcome with the need to find Jolie that I forgot I was wearing three-inch, stiletto heels. And I NEVER wore heels. Consequently, my next steps turned out to be too bold, and the heel of my shoe got caught in a crevice between the uneven stone pavers beneath me. I wobbled for a second or two, wondering if I could manage to right myself. Instead, I lost my balance. Emitting a funny chirp, I started to fall. Moments later, Sinjin wrapped his arm around my middle as he hoisted me up, making sure I saw his haughty grin as he did so.
“I always find it quite amusing that you are a stunning woman, and yet, you cannot function as one, my little imp,” he whispered in an entertained tone of voice. “I would sooner mistake you for a barbarian than a civilized lady.”
This wasn’t news and I wasn’t offended. “I’m a fighter, not a lover,” I said with a shrug and a smile.
Sinjin chuckled, but once his laugh died, neither of us said anything more. He pushed through the throng of people, and I hung onto his arm and continued to use him as my crutch. Even though I could see the end of the walkway that led back into Kinloch Kirk, trying to cut through the crowd was nearly impossible. The partygoers were merrily drinking what looked like mead. Some were singing and others had already started dancing. All of which prevented us from getting very far.
“Desperate times call for …” Sinjin started as he pulled me closer to him. Before I knew it, I felt the cold night air against my face. We dematerialized and swiftly bypassed the animated crowd. I instinctively hung on tightly to Sinjin, wrapping both of my arms around him. I wasn’t used to this form of travel and it made me nervous. I preferred to keep both of my feet firmly planted on terra firma … and in tennis shoes. When we landed, Sinjin glanced down at me with a boyish grin. “Desperate measures.”
I cleared my throat and frowned, not at all comfortable with being so close to him. The truth was that Sinjin, as a rule, made me uncomfortable. There was just something about him that made me feel things I had no business feeling—sexual things. And there was no room in my life for amorous longings.
As a warrior, I was always, first and foremost, a fighter. I was skillfully trained in the art of combat; and the whole point of my existence was to protect my tribe. I’d never before felt the stirrings of longing and sexual passion, which was just fine by me. But then I’d met Sinjin who just happened to be the most sexually charged man I’d ever encountered. And, yes, all of my former levelheadedness flew right out the window. Lately, it seemed my hormones were suddenly out of control, and I was beginning to feel like one tightly wound ball of sexual frustration.
But after Sinjin’s resolute threat that he would have no problem ending my life if he needed to, I became even firmer in my conviction that any feelings for Sinjin, sexual or otherwise, were a big, huge, gigantic, colossal mistake. It was best to banish them to the back of my mind, and take a mental or physical cold shower … repeatedly. I found some comfort in imagining that once I was safely away from Sinjin, and reunited with my people again, I could focus on simply rooting out and abolishing every last one of my sexual desires. Then I could look forward to returning to the cool, calm and calculated woman I used to be.
But for now, my focus had to remain on locating my sister.
“You may release me now, beautiful heathen,” Sinjin said with a knowing smile. Only then did I realize, with dismay, that I was still clinging to him.
I didn’t say anything but released him as if he’d just turned scalding hot. He continued to smile down at me in that self-assured and highly irritating fashion of his. I just frowned at him before facing forward and searching for any sign of Jolie.
Standing in the vestibule of Kinloch Kirk, we watched the crowd from the courtyard as it began to cluster in the empty foyer. I glimpsed up the stairs and saw the door to the first guest room along the hallway opening. My sister stepped out of it with Rand right behind her. She’d changed her clothes and was now dressed in a white pencil skirt with a white fitted jacket, which only seemed to accentuate her swollen belly. Her blond hair was pulled up into a neat chignon, and the mint green silk blouse beneath her jacket complemented her pale skin perfectly. Rand was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt that contrasted nicely against his tanned skin. He was undeniably handsome with chocolate brown hair that matched the chocolate shade of his eyes. His smile was sincere, and dimples appeared on either side of his mouth.
As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Balfour appeared in the hallway, a round of cheering and clapping arose from the audience and grew louder by the minute. But before Jolie could take another step, I started for the staircase.
“Ahem,” Sinjin cleared his throat. He gripped my waist with both hands and stopped me as soon as my foot touched the first step. “I am much faster than you, pet.”
No sooner did he embrace me than I felt the air swishing past my face again. He dematerialized and moments later, we were at the top of the staircase, right in front of my sister and Rand. I wasn’t sure who was more shocked at finding ourselves face-to-face, Jolie or me.
“What t
he …?” Jolie started, taking a step backward. Rand’s eyebrows furrowed in the middle of his forehead and he looked perturbed, to say the least.
“What’s …” he started.
“I don’t have time to explain!” I protested before lurching to grab my sister’s hand. I pulled her next to me in a huge bear hug that nearly made me lose my balance in my ridiculous shoes. Good thing Sinjin was standing directly behind me.
“Bryn!” Jolie reprimanded me. “What’s gotten into you?!”
“We’re running out of time!” I yelled back as I turned to face Sinjin to let him know we were both ready to get a move on.
“You need to calm down,” Jolie started. “And explain to me what’s gotten you into such a panic.”
“I can’t! We don’t have time!” I spat the words out and gripped Sinjin’s hand to let him know I was ready for him to materialize us to wherever he had in mind. “Go, Sinjin!”
But he immediately started chuckling and shook his head. He appeared completely at ease; damn him. “I’m afraid I cannot transport us holding hands, Princess, as I will not be able to maintain a good enough grip on either of you.”
“What is going on?” Rand finally demanded, his voice escalating with anger. He took turns spearing me and Sinjin with his narrowed eyes and fierce expression. “Why and how is Jolie in trouble?”
“Luce is coming,” I answered in an even-keeled voice as soon as I realized no one was going to listen to me until I explained myself.
“Luce is coming?” Jolie repeated. She frowned and I could see the fear starting to bubble up in her eyes.
How do you know? she asked me through the telepathic connection we shared.
He told me, I responded.
Just then, Rand reached forward and gripped my shoulder to get my attention. “Explain,” he started.
“I don’t have time to explain,” I repeated myself before shaking free from his hold. “All I can say is that he’s coming and you need to figure out how to protect your people.” I took a deep breath and shook my head again, my own panic starting to overwhelm me. “I can’t help you with that, Rand. All I can do is make sure I get my sister to safety and keep her away from Luce.”
“And why should I trust you with my wife’s safety?” Rand demanded, his expression one that said in no uncertain terms that he didn’t trust me.
“You can trust her,” Jolie announced firmly. Her eyes settled on me as she added, “I can trust her.”
“As your protector, your safety is my primary concern, my queen,” Sinjin announced as he faced my sister with a deadpan expression.
Jolie opened her mouth, looking like she was about to say something, when the sound of screaming hurt my ears. It was followed by the sounds of arguing, of loudly raised voices.
“He’s here,” I said, hearing my own hollow voice. “It’s too late. He’s already here.”
The audience below us started to turn around in wonder as the screams continued to infiltrate the room. They sounded like they were coming from the rear of the house, where the wedding festivities had just occurred. Next came the sounds of explosions and gunfire. I watched Jolie’s eyes go wide as she turned to face Rand, but before either of them could say anything, Sinjin embraced us both.
The brisk wind on my face was the only indicator that Sinjin was transporting us. As to where we were going, though, I didn’t have a clue.
TWO
When we touched down on land, I was able to catch my breath. I glanced around, but didn’t recognize my surroundings. I figured we had to be somewhere close to Kinloch Kirk though, because I glimpsed the roiling waves of the sea from where Kinloch Kirk stood. I couldn’t take in much more than that, however, before the salty ocean air stung my face as Sinjin flew through it again. The reason for the quick stop was that Sinjin could only dematerialize so far before he’d have to touch ground and start again. His gift of dematerialization was more along the lines of jumping long distances than it was flying.
When we landed the second time, our surroundings were much darker. Although the air still carried the ocean’s scent, it now included a stale, mildewy sort of smell. It took me a few seconds for my eyes to grow accustomed to the darkness surrounding me, but once they did, I recognized this new environment as the inside of a cave. The only source of light came from the moon, which shone through a large hole just above us. I assumed this must’ve been the same hole through which we’d passed to get into the cave in the first place. The milky rays of moonlight reflected the drops of rain that were pouring through the hole and puddling on the sandy bottom of the cave’s floor. The temperature inside the cave was arctic, owing to the chill of the stormy Scottish evening.
“Where are we?” I asked as I turned around and further inspected the cave. This was the first time I’d ever heard of any caves near Kinloch Kirk.
“A cave,” Sinjin answered succinctly, seeming amused by his annoying response. I frowned before turning to inspect my environs again. The cave wasn’t a huge space—maybe twelve feet wide by ten feet long. The roof was covered with stalactites that made it look even lower than it actually was. Some of them even touched the ground. All were covered with a greenish looking moss, which I guessed was probably algae.
“How did you know this cave was here?” I asked Sinjin, my gaze settling on him again.
“I have often come here to lose myself in my thoughts,” he replied, and seemed uncomfortable somehow. Moments later, he turned to face my sister. “Are you well, my queen?”
“Yes,” Jolie answered, her eyes wide with shock. I could tell she was far from well. And it wasn’t like I could blame her. In the course of the last five minutes, her life had completely changed. She’d gone from being a happy bride at her wedding to the confinement of a cold, wet cave while her husband, and her people, were attacked by mine. I didn’t even want to think about what Luce’s reaction would be once he realized I’d absconded with Jolie …
“Will we be safe here?” I asked her, forcibly banishing the subject of Luce for the moment.
“Yes,” Sinjin answered for her. “This cave exists on an island which is surrounded by the sea, so there is very little chance that we might be discovered.”
“Don’t underestimate Luce,” I barked back at him. “Because it could be to our detriment.”
“What happened back there?” Jolie asked suddenly. She turned to face me and then Sinjin, and the worry in her eyes was almost palpable.
“Luce,” I answered with a heartfelt sigh.
As I thought about what I’d just done, an inordinate weight seemed to settle down on my shoulders. I was overcome by feelings of remorse and guilt, but the more I analyzed the feelings, the more I sensed they were primarily aimed toward my sister and her people rather than toward Luce and my tribe. Even though I’d absolutely defied Luce with the whole disappearing act, I couldn’t say I regretted it. No, I felt justified in my actions, that the only thing I could have done was exactly what I did.
You did the right thing. I glanced up, surprised to hear my sister’s voice in my head.
I guess I’m doing a bad job of hiding my feelings, I replied with a sad smile.
Yes. They’re written all over your face, Jolie agreed as she reached out to touch my hand. I glanced down at our identical hands, now entwined, and it suddenly dawned on me that whatever ties I might have had to Luce in the past, they no longer existed. Jolie was right—I had done the right thing.
Did you know this was going to happen? she continued. I looked up at her again and took in her wide, blue eyes that were clouded with hurt and anxiety.
No, I answered back in thought. Cocking my head to the side, I decided there was more I needed to explain. I didn’t know Luce was coming to Kinloch until the very last minute. And as soon as I received word from him, I immediately told Sinjin, and we came after you. I hope you believe that I would never ever put you or your baby in harm’s way.
I believe you, Jolie finished. She sighed and I was overcome wi
th new and foreign feelings of worry and anxiety—her feelings. I was amazed at how easy it was to channel my sister’s emotions and thoughts—more so than with anyone else. I imagined that was because of our bond—the blood that ran through both of our veins—blood we both shared.
I wouldn’t lie to you, Jolie, I continued, studying her intently. I needed her to understand how serious I was on that point. I think we’re far beyond that by now.
Jolie nodded. Then she cleared her throat and spoke out loud. Apparently, she wanted to keep Sinjin in the loop, even though she addressed me. “Do you know how many of Luce’s people came with him?”
I shook my head, frustrated that I didn’t. “All he told me was that they were due to attack within the hour. And that was probably … maybe, thirty minutes ago.” I swallowed hard. “But I’m sure it’s safe to say he has all of our soldiers with him. It wouldn’t make sense any other way.”
“And how many soldiers would that be?” Jolie asked.
The time for me to choose sides was now upon me. Well, really, I’d already chosen which side I was on when I opted to protect my sister rather than obey Luce’s orders. But, even so, I’d never revealed the truth about my tribe—how many we were, or what our strengths and weaknesses were, etcetera.
“Bryn,” Jolie started, seemingly aware of my reticence in answering the question.
“I know,” I said, responding to her unvoiced observation that I either had to sh#$ or get off the pot. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. “There are three hundred Elementals and one hundred Daywalkers.”
Jolie was already well aware of the reason there was such a discrepancy between the number of Elementals and the Daywalker population. For some strange, unknown reason, after the male Daywalkers reached their twenty-first birthdays, they began to die. Consequently, our male Daywalker soldiers were few and far between.
“And you believe Luce had all of your soldiers with him?” Jolie asked.