From the corner of my eye, I saw a figure shift. I turned and, lo and behold, it was Ethon.
As soon as our eyes connected there was an electric buzz filling the air. I saw him glance down, avoiding eye contact, probably trying to fight the immense pull of the bond.
“Hey Emma,” he said, quickly glancing back up to me.
“Hey, Ethon. So how’s the tower?” As soon as the words left my mouth I felt completely lame. I hope he didn’t feel like was banished or something. Well, Alaine did banish them, but for good reason. I couldn’t have both of the boys I was bonded with in the same house. They’d rip each other to shreds.
“The tower is fine. Alaine has been a gracious host and has provided us with whatever we need,” he answered. I had a feeling he wanted to say more, but didn’t.
His eyes captured mine again, and as they did, I couldn’t help but feel a deep seeded connection. Damn this bond. It was just as strong with Ethon as it had been with Kade. I hated that it was putting me in this position.
Ethon’s crimson eyes were even darker now, and I awed at the perfect and strong definitions of his facial features. Unknowingly, my eyes slowly wandered down, and I began taking in his well-defined arms and chest, and finally resting on his ridiculous abs.
My mind started to wonder why the bond had chosen him. What was it about him that connected us?
The room began to feel heated. I swallowed the lump growing in my throat, and as I glanced back up, a grin graced his lips.
Oh. My. God. He just noticed me, noticing him. That was slightly mortifying.
Instantly blushing, I turned away. My emotions and insides were going haywire. I closed my eyes to pull myself back together.
“Here you go, Ethon. I hope you enjoy it,” Miss Lily said. I opened my eyes as she was handing him a plate of food. Two pieces of crispy fried chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes smothered in gravy.
“Beautiful,” he said, but was staring straight at me. “Thank you, Miss Lily. I greatly appreciate it, and am sure I will enjoy every bite.” He smiled at her, and it made my insides melt.
“Well, I better go,” he said. “I’ll see you around, Emma.”
“Yes, I’m sure I’ll be running into you soon. Have your friends eaten?” I asked. I really didn’t care about them, but I thought it was a nice gesture. As much as I wanted not to like Ethon, the power of the bond wouldn’t allow me to. It filled my heart with compassion, and desire, which kept me from pushing him away.
“Yes, they have eaten and they’ve also come back for seconds.” Ethon rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m sorry Miss Lily. They couldn’t resist your sinfully delicious food.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that. It just means I’m doing my job, and doing it well.” She laughed, and her laughter became contagious.
“Well, ladies, I wish you both a good day,” Ethon said with a crooked grin. He then turned and headed out the door.
I held my breath and waited for the dizziness to subside, and in a few moments, the pull of the bond released and I started to feel normal again.
Holy crap on a cracker.
Miss Lily started working on making me a plate. With her eyes still on her work, I heard. “It seems you have a few boys on your tail.” She quickly glanced up and smiled.
My eyes widened. “You have no idea, Miss Lily.”
“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea. I may only be the cook here, but I work in the central area of this house. I see and hear almost everything going on. I know the truth about the residents in this house, and haven’t been told anything directly.”
“I know they aren’t of this world, but I also know they are good and wouldn’t bring harm to anyone who didn’t deserve it. I just keep my mouth shut and do my job. I’m not paid to get into anyone’s business, and I don’t go looking for it.”
Miss Lily’s eyes suddenly fixed on mine. “I overheard them talking about the Immortal Bond. Now, I know it’s not my place to speak, but I thought that I’d give you a little feedback. I have a gift of seeing people’s auras.”
“Oh, I’d love your feedback.” I leaned in closer to her.
“I’ve come into contact with both boys and both of them have good, healthy auras. I’ve known Kade for a while now. He is a good person, and would be a great choice. He would give his life for you. On the other hand, I also have a feeling Ethon would do the same. I know where he comes from, but the aura around him is not evil. There are some dark edges, but we all have those.”
“What I’m trying to say is don’t close your heart. Don’t make a decision based on what you see. Make the decision based on what your heart tells you. You have a very good heart, Emma, and a very strong, bright aura. When the time comes, I know you will choose correctly. Either boy will make a fine catch. Hell, if I were younger, I’d take one off your hands,” she rolled with laughter.
“I wish you could. They would be lucky to have you,” I said, winking at her. “If I was a guy, I’d swipe you up in a second. You have the key to a man’s heart – through his stomach.”
“Oh, my dear child. You are too kind. I don’t envy you one bit. You are like a caterpillar in a cocoon, waiting for your time. Every trial and every tribulation is molding your destiny. One day, you will emerge as a beautiful butterfly.”
“Thank you, Miss Lily,” I said. “I do feel like I’m in a cocoon right now, but am terrified I will never be released.”
“Oh, you will, dear. You will.” Miss Lily, handed me a hot plate of food. “Just believe in yourself.”
I took in a deep breath of the hot food. “Oh my goodness. I haven’t had a hot meal in…well, since the last time I was here.”
“Oh dear child, you better get your skinny butt in there and eat! No one will starve on my watch.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I said. “Thanks so much for the advice.”
“Anytime, child. Anytime,” she said, shooing me toward the dining room.
Chapter 4
As I walked toward the dining area, I could hear boisterous voices. I wondered what I would be walking into, and if I really wanted to put myself in the middle of a debate. Whatever. Right now, they knew just as much as I did.
I sucked in a deep breath and proceeded with my plate. As soon as I entered the room they all stood and started clapping and whooping.
“There’s our slayer,” Dominic cheered, waving his fork in the air.
“Emma, I heard you kicked some Hellhound ass,” Alexander added. “Damn, I wish I was there to see it.”
“She freaking saved my life, and I’m not ashamed to say it. I have a whole limb because of her,” Dominic announced.
I blushed and didn’t know what to say. I hated being the center of attention and it felt completely odd. I liked being invisible.
I noticed Kade’s beautiful, beaming face at the end of the table, and decided to head toward him. I quickly walked past the guys, blushing. They held out their hands and I smacked them with high-fives.
“Emma, you have to teach me some of your moves,” Thomas said, his eyebrows wiggled.
“Can you all just leave her alone,” James butted in. “Just let her eat in peace.”
I liked James, and never really had the chance to get to know him. He was the oldest of the bunch and Alaine’s Guardian. From what I knew, he seemed to be knowledgeable and very helpful. He was close with Alaine, so he must be a pretty awesome guy.
“Thank you,” I mouthed as I passed him by.
He tipped his head and smiled. “They’re just excited. They haven’t had this much excitement in over a century, especially from a girl who can fight as well as any of them.”
I shook my head. “It wasn’t me. It was the suit and the dagger. Their magic did something to me and made me do things I never thought I could do.”
James looked at me with a certain glint in his eye. “There is a lot you need to learn about immortal objects. They are magical, yes, but their magic feeds off of the user. It
might have aided you, but that’s it. What you did came from inside of you.”
I didn’t know what to say. I was dumbfounded.
“Thank you,” I said.
Kade pulled out the seat next to him.
“Thanks.”
“My pleasure,” he grinned. “So how was your sleep?”
“Too good. I almost slept the whole day away.”
“You should have. Sleep helps the healing process. You look ninety-nine percent better than yesterday.”
“Tell me about it. I don’t know how you could look at me, let alone touch me last night.”
There was silence and a loud clearing of a throat. Looking over, I saw the familiar glare from Malachi across the table.
“It wasn’t like that,” Kade assured him.
“Yeah? It better not be. You two need to be supervised. The last thing I need is for my boy’s new mortal ass to be buried out back by Alaine or Samuel,” he grumbled.
Dominic yelled from the other side of the table, “Hey Emma. You can tell those smelly ass demons to crawl back to the pit from whence they came.” They all started laughing.
“Yeah, we can handle Lucian on our own. We don’t need them,” Alexander added.
“And screw that freaking bond,” Dominic sneered. “Our boy Kade is a million times the Angel that Devil-boy will ever be.”
“Used to be,” Kade corrected. I could tell by the tone of his voice, he was a bit miffed. I could totally understand him feeling inferior to Ethon, but I wasn’t going to make my decision based on that.
“Well, they better keep their distance, and stay in that damn tower. The last thing we need is the enemy inside, watching, and learning everything about us. They could be working with Lucian for all we know. This could all be a set up. Our defenses are already down with them inside,” Dominic huffed.
“It just means we need to stay on high alert, and make sure Emma and Alaine stay safe,” James added. “They are our main priority.”
“That means no going outside unattended,” Malachi said, shooting a glance at me.
“I don’t have a death wish,” I answered.
“Good. If you absolutely have to go outside, you’d better make sure we know about it, and you have someone with you,” he added.
“Emma’s friends will be visiting in a few days, so you will all have to be even more watchful,” James noted.
He didn’t sound too happy about it, and I didn’t expect him to. I knew having Lia and Jeremy here would really complicate things. They already had enough stress watching Alaine and I. Adding Jeremy and Lia to the mix was an added strain. But I knew my friends. They would be happy staying indoors watching movies and eating popcorn.
“You have two friends coming?” Dominic asked with a raised brow.
“I do, but one is a dude,” I chuckled. “And they are off limits. I don’t want them involved in anything remotely dangerous.”
“Emma, are you kidding? They are coming to the worst possible place for danger,” Dominic said, shaking his head.
“Well, they need to feel like there is no danger at all. That will be our mission this week,” James stepped in again. I was really beginning to like him. He was a true leader. “Alaine will brief you all soon.”
“Don’t worry, Emma. They will be safe. Four days will come and go very quickly. You never know when you’ll get another chance to be with them, so make it count,” Kade said.
“Thank you,” I breathed.
“Alright guys, let her eat,” Kade scolded.
“Fine,” Dominic jested. “I’ll bug the slayer later.” He smiled, and then pushed back his chair and exited the room.
“It was nice to finally properly meet you,” James said, getting up from the table. He came over and held out his hand, and I shook it. “I hope we will get a chance to talk more.”
“I’m sure we will, and thanks for sticking up for me,” I said.
“A pleasure.” He smiled and followed the rest of the guys out.
“See you guys around,” Thomas called out.
“Yeah, see you later,” Alexander repeated.
“Bye,” I said as they walked out.
Malachi was the only one left, finishing the last scoop of corn.
His chair squeaked as he pushed it backwards. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you two.” He then turned with his plate and walked out.
“Love you too, Malachi,” I teased. I heard him growl and it made me laugh.
Kade and I were left alone. “Okay, eat,” he said.
I picked up the piece of chicken and bit into it. It was crunchy, but the inside was moist and juicy. I moaned as the flavor hit my mouth.
“Good huh?”
“Oh my goodness.”
I then scooped up some mashed potatoes. It was like a glorious cloud of buttery goodness which melted in my mouth. The corn was so sweet, and in no time my plate was clean. I didn’t even realize how fast I’d eaten.
“Do you want more?” Kade chuckled, breaking the silence.
“No, thank you. I’m full, and that was embarrassing,” I giggled. “I knew I was hungry, but didn’t think I’d eat like a T-rex.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, wiping my mouth.
He took my plate and placed it on his, then stood and pulled my chair out.
“Always a gentleman,” I chimed.
“I try,” he replied. As we made our way into the kitchen he asked, “Do you want to take a walk with me? I have something I want to show you.”
“Outside?”
“Yes.”
“Sure,” I answered. “Aren’t we supposed to let someone know?”
“You’ll be with me, and believe me…they’ll know. There are eyes all around this house, and they see everything. Well, mostly everything.”
Kade walked over to the sink, rinsed the dishes, and loaded them into the dishwasher.
“You don’t have to do that, sweet boy,” Miss Lily said.
“I know, but you shouldn’t have to either.”
“Oh honey. It’s part of my job. Besides, it keeps me busy, and I enjoy it. I truly do.”
“Miss Lily, that was the tastiest meal I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you, dear. You just made my day. I’ll see you at dinner,” she winked.
As we made our way out, Kade extended his arm, and I locked mine around his.
It didn’t matter if the overwhelming pull of the bond was present. Whenever I was close to him, my insides twisted and my pulse raced. I felt happy.
There was just something about him from the first time we met. But now I know there is more than the bond connecting us. For one whole year he watched over me, making sure I was safe. That alone made my heart grow fonder.
He led me outside, and I was surprised at how warm it was, despite the darkness. It was, in my mind, only a few weeks ago that it was the dead of winter. Now we were headed into spring. The thaw started early, and the grass was already starting to show some color. Even the trees were filled with buds waiting to burst into bloom.
The air was colder today, because the sun was hidden behind a dark veil of clouds.
“Which way would you like to walk?” he asked.
“I have options?”
“You do. Left or right?”
“Let’s go right.” I didn’t want to go left and pass the tower. I had a feeling Ethon and his goons would be watching. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
I tightened my grip on Kade’s arm, and he smiled.
“So what did you do for four months while I was gone?” I questioned, trying to make small talk and fill the quiet.
“Oh, mostly worried about you. The rest was just trying to heal and recover.”
My heart ached, knowing he must have endured the worse kind of pain imaginable. I knew what a burn on the finger felt like. It hurt like heck. But to have that excruciating pain all over your back times one thousand… it was unthinkable. “I’m so sorry you had to go
through that,” I whispered.
“I’m not going to lie. It was pretty miserable in the beginning. But I managed to get through it by picturing your face. I wondered what you were enduring in the Underworld. I focused on healing quickly so I could get back to you. You helped me get through the worst part of the pain.”
I didn’t know how to respond. My heart swelled to the point of bursting.
“Is it alright now?” I swallowed.
“It is. There are hideous scars, but—”
Before he could finish, I pulled his arm, stopping him. He turned to me and I buried myself in his chest. His arms wrapped around me.
“I’m sorry. It was because of me. You shouldn’t have turned around. I had the suit and you would have been fine.”
“No. I wasn’t going to take a chance with something I wasn’t one hundred percent positive about, especially when it came to your safety.”
I sobbed and he held me.
“Hey, no crying,” he said.
I felt like a sap. I didn’t want to cry, but it seemed like I was doing a lot of it lately. My emotions were going haywire. It didn’t help that I was surrounded with darkness. But I needed to suck it up and be strong. I just hated the fact he had been in so much pain, and I wasn’t there.
I quickly pulled myself together and wiped my tears. “So where are you taking me?”
“I’ll show you,” he said, taking my hand, and leading me around the house. As we rounded the corner, I had a crazy feeling of déjà vu. Towering in front of us was the labyrinth, covered in shredded plastic.
Anxiety flooded over me. A sense of doom hung in the air. Those creepy clouds were not helping the matter.
The labyrinth represented terror. It was the place which started the last series of ill-fated events: Caleb being kidnapped, the war with the Darkling, meeting Lucian, Kade becoming mortal, traveling into the Underworld, and all the pain and death which came with the journey… including my bond with Ethon.
“Has the secret entry been sealed?”
“Yes. Alaine had it filled in completely. There is no way to get in or out. The barrier covers the house and the labyrinth. The only things not covered are the cottage and tower, so we won’t have to worry about the Fallen.”