“Parental?” I made a very unladylike snort. “Yep. It’s her job.”
My mind and body were on autopilot as I found myself making a beeline for the hospital exit. And Zane grabbed my arm just as we had exited the hospital, pulling me to a stop. Then he reeled me a little closer. The look on his face was enough to know that it wasn’t for endearment, as he scrutinized me.
“Are you planning on taking off on your own again?” He demanded.
I thinned my lips, still angry, but not with him. “Honestly? I want to.”
His face became taut, and he didn't let go of my arm.
“But no,” I continued, “I’m not going to.” I clenched my fists, hoping that some of the anger would dissipate. It didn’t. I looked at him pleadingly. “But I really need to find a way to release some of this anger.”
"Text your friends to let them know what happened, and to text us back when they need a ride back to Underhill. And then I will find a way for you to burn off some steam."
I suddenly felt ashamed. I had taken off again without letting my friends know, even if it was rage directing my body. I really needed to find a way to work through my anger, I thought as I texted them that Myles was my challenger, that he had attacked Sera, and that Zane was going to help me with my anger.
Instantly I received messages back about coming with me, but I told them that they needed to be with their parents, and to text back when they were ready to be picked up. It took a few text messages to convince them that they needed to be there and I needed to be elsewhere. Also, more than a few convincing them that I wasn’t going after Myles. I understood their skepticism, but I was hoping that informing them about everything was proof enough that I had learned some sort of lesson.
And at the mention of the word "lesson," Zane's way of burning me through my anger was to make me incredibly exhausted physically and mentally. When we got back to the house, we headed downstairs to the basement again for more sparring. This version of sparring focused on strategy instead of power, keeping my body and my mind busy. The idea was to see how many times I could land a touch or a tap while he evaded. I was just grateful that he didn't make me meditate, which would only give me time to think about how I should be out hunting Myles instead.
Then after sparring, we did more weapon training, which in the beginning, only made me more angry and frustrated. My aim was still sloppy and not being perfect was fueling my rage. So, Zane had me switch to an actual weapon beyond a stake.
It was a beautiful modern bow and arrow. The bow was crafted with extra pulleys on it to give the archer less worry about pulling it back, and more about the focus of the arrow. Although, it did seem to go further when it was stretched back more. I actually loved using it. With Zane standing close and positioning my arms and fingers, it made using it simple.
And his close proximity seemed to ebb my anger, along with the soothing in his voice as he gave me directions. I had fallen into a trance, listening to his husky accented voice, pulling back the wooden arrow, focusing down the arrow from the corner of my eye to the target, and then releasing. And then all over again. That was so much better than mediating and throwing stakes.
He, at one time, had his hands on my arms and hands, positioning me; now he was standing slightly off to the side, just watching me. I found his company quite comforting and natural; as if that’s how we were supposed to have always been. Not sparring, not fighting, not yelling at each other; just together
I was so attuned to the rhythm and the repetition that when my phone went off, my arrow shot wide of its mark and my heart banged against my ribs. A wry smile formed on Zane’s lips before it disappeared.
I pulled out my phone to see that Meredith and Nate needed to be picked up from the hospital.
“I think our time is up,” I rasped, my throat being rough from disuse for a while. I also suddenly felt drained when I was brought to the present, having been so at peace and focused for some time.
Zane was still standing not too far from me, without an expression on his face.
"Not necessarily," he said. "I can have Anahita pick them up, and we can use the remainder of the time to continue."
For reasons that I couldn’t explain my stomach fluttered at the thought that Zane wanted to continue being around me. He wasn’t barking at me that I was doing something wrong. He wasn’t criticizing me or telling me what I should be doing better. This simple, quiet period had made our time together feel intimate. And I really wasn’t sure I wanted to give that up, but I wouldn’t pawn my friends off on someone else. And I wasn’t going to punish my friends with a surly Anahita if she picked them up, because she would be.
“I can’t.” I hesitated. “They’re my friends.” I tried very hard to keep the disappointment from lacing my voice, and I still failed a little.
A hint of a smile ghosted Zane’s face again. “I’ll pick them up. Why don’t you go find something to eat upstairs. After all, I do believe it’s dinner time in your world.”
I gave him a small nod, and he took a step toward me and bent his head down. I almost thought he was going to kiss my forehead until he paused and reached to take my bow instead.
I blushed thinking about how I had misinterpreted his intentions, and how I wouldn’t have stopped him if he had closed the distance to kiss me. I turned quickly on my heel and began putting the unused arrows back in a quiver as Zane slowly stepped away to put the bow back.
When I was sure my face was back to normal, I turned to give him the quiver, and he was right in front of me again. The only thing between us was the hefty leather quiver, and I sucked in a breath surprised by his closeness and the confident, relaxed expression on his face like our intimate moment once before. His features had softened, making him appear younger than I had previously thought. It also made him more handsome. I could feel my heart pound rapidly, and the flutters began to extend lower, making me feel warm and anxious at the same time.
He reached out, and I thought he was going to take the quiver from my hands, but instead, he moved a stray hair away from my face that I hadn’t even realized had fallen from my ponytail, and accidentally brushed my cheek, trying to place it behind my ear. My eyes closed from his soft touch, and I found myself leaning into him.
When I opened my eyes to see his expression, it was sheltered as his head was tilted down. Long eyelashes and laden eyelids hid any emotion his eyes may have conveyed. But his mouth was close. And even though breathing was probably a habit, I could feel his breath against my bottom lip. My body was pulling me closer to him again, and I was just about to drop the quiver and bring my hand up to cup the back of his neck-
My phone buzzed again, bringing both of us back to reality. Zane took the quiver from my hand and stepped away immediately. I cringed internally, mentally beating myself up about forgetting about our previous close encounter and how that erupted in disaster. I couldn’t understand why I was so drawn to him. It was like some invisible magnetic that seemed to pull me toward him every time we got close.
“Why does this keep on happening?” I questioned aloud, not necessarily to Zane, as I glanced at my phone.
From the text, Meredith and Nate wanted us to bring them food because the hospital cafeteria food sucked. I snickered.
“Why does ‘what’ keep on happening?” Zane inquired, bringing me back to the moment just before the text.
I evaluated him for a second. I wasn’t sure if he was playing dumb or perhaps I had misinterpreted his intentions again, but I suddenly felt exhausted. Whether that was from the games I thought he was playing or how this session made me feel so content and focused that I was just drained, I didn’t know. In truth, it was probably from both.
“Why are we drawn to each other?” I blurted.
He shrugged a shoulder and avoided my eyes. “You’re part of the Mundus Noctis now. You are drawn to those from our world.”
I didn’t buy it. After all, I wasn’t drawn to Mick, even if he was devastatingly handsome; and I
felt so revolted even thinking of Finn in any way that wasn’t fatherly.
“So, you’re saying that I’m suddenly just going to be throwing myself at every male creature who is part of the Mundus Noctis?” I tested.
A look crossed his face so quickly that was so mixed with emotions that I couldn’t read the meaning behind them: a flash of anger in his eyes; then hurt, and sadness. All to be covered with a mask of indifference in seconds. It was enough to know that there was something else between us that I didn’t understand and he wasn’t telling me.
He turned on his heel and quickly walked out of the room. Yeah, I was pretty sure now that he was full of shit. I narrowed my eyes at his back before following him out. I didn’t yell at him or say anything. I just followed him as he continued to hurry up the stairs, heading for the garage, and grabbing a set of keys before entering.
He turned around quickly, anxiety riddling his face as it looked like he was struggling with his emotions, and pointed at me, keys in his hand.
“I need you to stay here,” he pressed.
I crossed my arms. “Why?”
"I need to know that you are safe." And then he turned back around and hurried to the garage.
“My friends want food!” I shouted after him, hearing the bang of the garage door shutting behind him.
Zane might have been a couple hundred-year-old vampire in a twenty-five-year-old body, but he had more mood swings than a teenager.
“Stupid child,” I grumbled, turning around and noticing Finn for the first time in the kitchen.
He was very stoic, but looking a little uncomfortable in the kitchen, as he observed me.
“Are you hungry?” He asked nervously.
“Are you going to actually cook?” I teased.
He squinted his eyes at me before suddenly grinning. “Probably not, but I am great at ordering food.”
“Then I could eat,” I smiled back.
“What do you want?”
“Surprise me,” I replied before remembering that my friends were hungry. “Could you order a little extra for Meredith and Nate? I yelled at Zane that they wanted food, but with his mood, I have no idea if he’ll pick up any.”
“Okay.” He grabbed the phone to dial. “Why don’t you relax in the family room. You look a little tired.”
I nodded. “I feel a little tired.”
I walked into the family room, not really paying attention to where he was ordering from or even really what he was ordering, and sat down on the couch. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep on the couch.
✽✽✽
Meeting up with Flora again wasn’t as I had expected. The scene in the field under the tree by the river had become a stage setting with a dull light shined on me. Everything around me was too dark for me to make out; almost as if my Venatrix powers had left me. The only way I knew that we were in the field was that I could see and feel the grass directly under my feet. And when I saw Flora, I wasn’t quite sure it was her as shadows hid most of her features, even as I was standing next to her.
“Why is it so dark here?” I searched out the silhouette that I barely recognized as Flora.
“Finn just recently put heavy protection on Underhill. It has taken everything I have to meet with you one last time before your battle.”
“So this is it? I won’t have another night?”
“You may.” Her voice was nonchalant. “But I won’t be able to reach you again until Finn has decided to ease back on the magic.”
“And if I ask him to?”
She laughed. "You can try, but Finn won't. He won't risk losing you."
“And who am I to him?” I scoffed.
“You should ask him-”
“I did,” I interrupted.
“When the time is right, my little warrior, ask again. Currently, you are the heir to your father’s kingdom. A Fae princess. You are very important to followers of your father.”
“That means nothing to me here,” I stated annoyed, rolling my eyes.
“No.” She paused. “But it will mean something in the future.”
I snorted in disbelief and dug my toes in the grass.
“You told me Obscurus couldn’t reach me,” I accused, suddenly remembering what had happened earlier.
I heard her sigh, but I couldn’t see her expression. “I didn’t expect his tenacity. However, he still hadn’t come after you in his true form.”
“So will he?” I asked, suddenly feeling scared, knowing what that mist of darkness could do in my dreams and seeing how it took over Jesse in real life.
“Now knowing how much he covets your rare genetics, I suspect he might try to come after you in person. However, since he is the king of the Scelesti, he cannot leave his throne unsecured. So by the time he does-”
“I’ll be strong enough to defeat him?” I supplied hopefully.
She tsked me for interrupting her again. “Your path should be so entwined with the Casti that his shadow won’t even be able to get to you.”
“And this trial? I am assuming from what you have told me that I make it through.”
I heard the exasperation in her sigh.
“Caden, you will live through your first trial,” she admonished. “As long as you-”
I didn’t hear the rest, as a loud voice that I had never recognized broke through my sleep and my dream.
"Erie High School was hit by a tornado this morning, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. However, no one was seriously hurt or killed. But, the high school will remain closed for the next couple of months, as they begin to repair it. Students will be transferred to Franklin High School in the neighboring city to continue their coursework on Monday and remain there until Erie reopens after winter break."
I opened an eye to see the news on from a television mounted on the wall across from the couch where I was laying.
“I forgot that there was a TV in this room,” I mumbled, throatily. I hadn’t even realized it was a tv when I had first entered the room. It was actually framed to look like a framed painting. I guessed that there was a special screen saver or something that was on it to give the appearance of just a mounted painting.
“Yeah. Who knew,” Nate replied.
I looked behind me to see him and Meredith sitting on the other couch. Looking beyond the room, I saw Zane and Finn in the kitchen. Finn was fumbling around in some take-out bags from the Chinese restaurant from down the street. And I noticed that Anahita hadn’t made an appearance yet, as I observed my surroundings.
“Good dreams?” Meredith asked.
“Eh,” I shrugged. “Why?”
“You have a little bit of drool.” She pointed to the corner of her mouth, showing me where it was on mine.
I wiped my mouth and sat up. “Flora visited.”
The room and the kitchen suddenly got quiet. Nate clicked the television off with the remote, and I heard Finn and Zane walk closer to the family room, stopping just before the entrance way.
“And?” Finn probed with a slightly surprised expression on his face.
I stared at him. "Well, Flora said that you put more protection on the house. She could barely get through."
He grunted. “More wards.”
“I don’t know what that means,” I replied.
“It’s magical protection from this world,” Meredith explained. “It prevents anything from getting through unless you allow them to.”
My attention snapped back to Finn. “So you really can use magic from this world too.”
Finn didn’t say anything but shrugged nonchalantly.
“No wonder why druids hate you,” Nate’s voice held a note of awe.
“What else did she say?” Zane impatiently demanded.
“That I have time before Obscurus comes after me in person. And that I will win this trial as long as…” I suddenly remembered that she hadn’t finished and the dream had come to an abrupt end when I heard the tv.
“As long as?” Zane growled.
> “I don’t know,” I panicked. “The tv woke me up!”
“Well, go back to sleep!” Meredith encouraged.
I groaned. “Even if I could, Flora can’t come back. She used all her energy to get through the wards.”
“Caden, I think you got this. Mr. Myles is a newborn. You have taken on a few vampires way beyond their Newborn status,” Nate assured me.
“Actually, your Mr. Myles is unfortunately quite smart,” Zane frowned. “Newborns are the most dangerous. Their strength is doubled when vampires are first created. Without the ability to reason or have feelings beyond hunger, it allows their strength to take over. They really are monsters in the beginning. If he wanted to get ahead on the Scelesti chain of command, becoming a Newborn vampire and then challenging an unclaimed would lead him to Master status quite easily.”
I gave Zane a bland look.
He tried to look apologetic, but he was also worrying his bottom lip with a fang. “I think it would be ideal to-”
I interrupted him with a death glare before he could finish. “If you tell me to go downstairs and continue training, I swear, I will stab you with a stake while you sleep.”
My stomach let out an audible gurgle as I smelled Pad Thai, steamed dumplings, fried crab wontons, and an assortment of other take-out goodies in the kitchen.
“I am hungry,” I continued, angrily. “I am going to eat with my friends. I’m going to enjoy their company. And then, we can discuss what we are going to do.”
He challenged me with sternness in his gaze before he turned on his heel and headed to the basement. I saw the tension in Finn's face as he struggled with his own emotions, but he didn't say anything, going back into the kitchen to get plates.
“Dinner is ready,” Finn responded gruffly. The struggle within messed with the inflection in his voice.
Meredith giggled, whispering to me, “take-out, huh?”
“I don’t think he has ever cooked a day in his life,” I whispered back, getting up from the couch and following the group into the kitchen.
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