by Rae Else
His emerald eyes were suddenly turned in her direction, lighting upon her. Their cool prickle crossed her cheeks and he smiled. She felt a rush of warmth run through her in contrast to the cool touch of his gaze. Her heart seemed to miss a beat. She wanted to keep looking at him, wanted to be near him. Her gaze ran over him, winding through his hair, down his cheek and skirted his neck, hovering at his collar bone. She smiled, watching his Adam’s apple rise as he swallowed. He felt her stare as much as she did his.
She was surprised at herself, but something had changed. Being forced to watch him, sandwiched between two nymphs, had woken her up to how stupid she was being. How much she was denying her own feelings. The truth was … she wanted him.
One of the girls kept flicking her hair over her shoulder, intent on getting his attention. El grinned when the arete huffed as Luke didn’t answer her. He was still captivated by El. As he turned back to the girl, El smiled. This had clearly not been her cousins’ intention when they’d set the nymphs on him. Separating her and Luke had brought out the feelings that she’d been suppressing. A thrill ran through her at the thought of being near to him after dinner. What would happen? Even though the meal dragged, El’s heart skipped as she pictured being close to him, moving in so that she could feel his chest, running her hands up around his neck, drawing his head down until their lips met.
When dessert was served, Helena stood up and struck her glass, the crystal reverberating about the room. A hush fell over the hall.
Helena smiled. ‘Thank you all for coming. It is lovely to see so many of you here. I’d like to say a few words. Firstly, I’d like you all to raise your glasses to celebrate the return of my beautiful and accomplished, great-great-granddaughter, El Carras. Happy Birthday, my dear! May the gods bless you with longevity and good fortune!’
As everyone raised their glasses and toasted to El, Helena’s gaze fell on her. She had rechristened El with the name of Carras, to make her value known before the family. Helena’s eyes sparkled as if she was looking at a prized possession: one that she clearly hoped would go up in value with the passing years.
‘Secondly,’ Helena announced, ‘in light of these festivities, I have decided to mark the occasion with a tournament. Tomorrow we shall hold games. Those due to compete have been informed and the rest of you, I am sure, will be at the arena at ten o’clock tomorrow morning to enjoy the entertainment.’
El looked around the top table at the eager expressions. She wondered if they knew that, if things went the way Helena desired, one in their midst would end up dead. Eirene’s pallid, forlorn expression was stark amongst her zealous cousins.
When arete began to move out of the hall to the terrace, El was one of the first to exit. Leaving the room, she knew that Luke was following: his gaze wandered along her back, sending a tingle of pleasure down her spine. She anticipated what it would feel like to have his hands resting there instead.
She sped up, wanting to get somewhere more private. Shadows stretched along the walls as she passed through the gently lit courtyards. A tremor of excitement swept through her at the thought of sneaking off, her heart drumming as she hurried down the stairs.
She moved around the side of the whitewashed church, its wide frame affording some seclusion. The light had faded, and she leaned back against the wall, looking out as the night drew down over the water.
Luke came around the side of the building. ‘The games … Helena’s not making you compete, is she?’
She’d forgotten that Luke wouldn’t know. El touched his arms, leaning closer to him. ‘No.’
His brow gathered. ‘Eirene explained your family tree, about the games being held in the hope that the full power will manifest itself … in her.’ His preoccupied expression told her that Eirene had informed him and Alex of the rest: that one day, El had a high likelihood of possessing the full power.
She didn’t want to talk about it … didn’t want to think about it. Instead, she encircled his neck as she’d imagined.
She had caught him by surprise, but a hungry light gleamed in his eyes as his lips claimed hers. His hands caught her up, running through her hair, trailing down her back. Kissing him was exhilarating, reminiscent of hurtling into the sky, the ground receding suddenly until … she was floating.
Their lips finally parted.
‘The way those guys kept looking at you – that was torture. Especially that idiot, Laius.’ He caressed her cheek.
‘You know Laius?’
‘Unfortunately. He was a few years ahead of me at the academy I went to.’
‘Where did you go to school?’
He looked perplexed that she wanted to talk about his education. ‘Uh, Switzerland.’
‘And Laius went there too?’ El said with surprise. ‘Isn’t that a coincidence?’
‘Not really – there’s only three arete academies that specialise in manipulation and elemental training – set up in territories outside of any line’s jurisdiction: neutral.’
‘Oh, I see.’ She felt again how removed she’d been from what most arete had experienced. She wondered what it would have been like going to an arete school, whether she’d have met Luke sooner. Other thoughts crept in. Had he dated anyone before? He’d had a lot more opportunity to meet someone than she had over the years. A shadow fell over her expression.
‘What is it?’
An embarrassed smile crossed her lips. ‘I was thinking of how jealous those stupid nymphs made me.’
He grinned.
She thought back to Robin in Egypt too. ‘It’s not the first time I’ve been jealous of a girl looking at you. You and Robin … I mean, Natasha, seemed close.’
He looked confused but then said, ‘I get it – Robin Hood because of the green – nice. But no, nothing happened.’ He stroked her cheek. ‘It’s cute that you’re jealous though.’
She laid her hands on his chest possessively. A flush of pleasure coursed through her as she kissed him again. He smiled against her lips, his hands falling to her shoulders, her skin tingling beneath his touch.
‘I wanted to kiss you ages ago, El. I would have but … I thought there was still something between you and Dan.’ His eyes held hers.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. She leaned back against the wall and looked out at the sea. ‘I still care about him … and I always will. In some ways, he’s like a brother to me.’ She flushed. ‘Not in a weird pervy Greek god kinda way, but he means a lot to me. Besides,’ she added, ‘I could never feel that way about him again. Not after he lied to me.’
Luke’s eyebrows scrunched together. ‘But I hurt you too. Can you forgive me, really, for what I did?’
El tensed. Luke had lied to her when they’d first met: got her to come to the Order meeting, causing her to become Louisa’s prisoner. But he’d been duped too. He’d been in the dark about the Order’s true nature.
‘I can, and I do. I trust you … I trust you more than anyone.’
She met his bright eyes, surprising herself with the intensity of feeling. She felt safe with him, the safest she’d felt in a long time. Perhaps the safest she’d felt with anyone. Her jealousy had made her aware of how much she wanted him physically, but there was more to it than that.
‘The truth is,’ she continued, ‘I’ve been holding back because I’m afraid. Afraid of trusting again. But I know this is right.’ She smiled. ‘Talus told me about two types of time: chronological and another one, called kairos – the right time. I get what that is. The right time is here. Now. With you.’
His expression softened as he took her hands. ‘I swear I will earn your trust every day that I’m lucky enough to be with you.’
She blushed. His words felt old-fashioned and solemn. She’d never had a boyfriend before. He was already kissing her again as if the vow needed to be sealed. His hold took on an urgency and she answered it with the same passion. They were entwined in one another: arms, lips, tongues.
A low cough sounded. Whe
n they looked around and found Talus standing behind them.
‘If you could take your rendezvous back to the house, it would make my job of ensuring your safety a lot easier.’
She grinned and snuck past Talus, still holding Luke’s hand.
Luke stopped her in the courtyard. Talus sighed as he wavered further back in the shadows. Luke drew an envelope out of his pocket and passed it to her. She raised her eyebrows questioningly but tore it open, lifting out a silver bracelet. A charm glinted on the chain: a cross-legged, turbaned man, playing a flute. A snake unfurled from the basket in front of him.
‘Happy Birthday,’ Luke whispered.
She smiled and admired the charm: the man’s turban and beard, the Cobra’s hood. She thought of the snake charmer in Eirene’s room. ‘Thank you. It’s lovely. But where did you get it?’ Had he got Robin or Jim to get it while they’d been travelling? It seemed so unusual.
‘I always carry it with me. Usually on my keychain … it was my mum’s.’
She gaped at his thoughtfulness. ‘Luke, this is too much—’
‘Don’t be silly.’ He smiled. ‘May I?’
She held out her wrist as he fastened the bracelet for her. Hand in hand, they reluctantly returned to the terrace. The rest of the evening passed far more pleasantly than earlier. Although they didn’t get any space to kiss again, El experienced a glow every time Luke’s hand was on the small of her back. His touch was comforting amidst the flirtatious tones and looks she drew.
Outside El’s room, they kissed each other goodnight, wordlessly agreeing that now wasn’t the time to take things further, not with El’s graeae chaperone still lingering at the end of the corridor. But when El fell asleep that night, she imagined that she was snuggling into Luke’s chest again, smiling as she remembered the feel of his lips.
- Chapter Sixteen -
Fortune Teller
‘Still silent?’ A gruff voice slunk through the shadows, sending a chill down El’s spine.
Flame erupted in the dank space: a confined room with soot black walls and stone floor. The firelight threaded through the air in a snake-like wave, casting its glow on a man, blindfolded and slumped forwards. His arms were splayed out behind him, chained in ancient looking manacles. His shoulder-length hair fell forwards, obscuring the rest of his face.
‘Silence won’t save you,’ the voice rent the air again. The fire forked into two streams of flame encircling the manacles. The man’s muscles bulged in his arms as he clenched his fists, heat infusing the metal. As the coils of fire enfolded his wrists, the skin on his arms and hands started to blister. He trembled as a guttural cry escaped him, resounding through the space. The man threw his head back as he screamed in agony. El’s heart pounded as she took in Dan’s contorted face, bathed in sweat and pain.
With her heart pounding, El awoke in a tangle of sheets. She sat up, gasping for air. Her brow was damp as if she’d been the one tormented by fire.
Flicking on the lamp, cold light suffused the sheets and walls. The image of Dan in that black-walled dungeon was still before her as if seared into her mind. Her heart struck furiously and she tried to calm herself. It was just a dream. A dream. Nothing more.
There’d been a voice, but she couldn’t remember what it had said. It was a dream like no other she’d had: the vividness, the terror. It had all been so palpable … as if she’d been there … as if it was real. Even the nightmares she’d suffered since the Olympia paled in comparison. Blind panic seized her. What if it was more than a dream? What if Dan was in trouble? She and Janos had a strong connection: had she glimpsed something of the future?
Damp sweat clung to her skin making her feel cold. She hurried out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts, stashing her camping lighter in a pocket. She shoved on a T-shirt and hoody and laced up her boots. They were clunky but would be quieter than flip-flops.
Her mind was racing. She had to see Janos to check that Dan was okay … and if he wasn’t? She would damn well go find him, wherever he was. With this realisation, she halted outside Luke’s door. They might have to leave quickly. She didn’t know how yet, but if Dan was in trouble she’d find a way. She needed to get Luke up.
She opened the door as quietly as she could, shutting it behind her. The blinds were drawn and the room was pitch black. She tiptoed towards the window and opened the shutters, allowing a trickle of moonlight to give shape to the furniture. El crept towards the bed, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She’d fallen asleep thinking about kissing Luke, now she was sneaking into his room. She came to the edge of the bed and listened to his even breathing. This definitely wasn’t part of the fantasy she’d played out as she fell asleep. The first time she was in Luke’s room should not be to tell him that she’d dreamed about another guy.
She didn’t want to startle him so whispered, ‘Luke, Luke.’
He didn’t stir. She knelt on the bed, leaning over him. Her heart drummed faster as she looked at his bare shoulders. Immediately the memory of his hard chest against her flooded her. A lovely rush of anticipation filled her as the urge to kiss him took over. What was wrong with her? Now wasn’t the time. She shook the thought aside and observed his peaceful face. She could see that his eyelids were twitching. He must be dreaming; his eyes moving behind his closed lids.
She touched his arm and nudged him. ‘Luke, wake up.’
His eyes blinked open. ‘El…?’
She put a finger to his lips. ‘Something’s wrong. I’ll explain on the way.’
He blinked again, still waking up but nodded.
She walked to the door. He didn’t move.
‘Uh … Turn around a sec,’ he murmured.’
She flushed as she realised that he wasn’t wearing anything underneath the sheets. She turned around, a smile playing on her lips.
When he was dressed, they crept down the corridor, through the living room and unlocked the heavy, metal door. El pulled it shut as softly as she could. She flicked on her lighter, only allowing a small flare of light as they picked their way along the terrace and down the cliff’s staircase.
The rolling waves sounded through the darkness. They halted, sidling into the cliff to shelter from the sea breeze.
Sweeping aside the awkwardness about mentioning Dan, El spoke quickly. ‘I know it sounds silly, but I had a dream. Dan was in trouble. I’m worried that it wasn’t a dream. I mean, it was so vivid. It felt like it was happening. Yesterday, Talus told me that Janos and I have a particularly strong connection. What if I saw what Janos was seeing?’
‘You want to see Janos?’
She nodded. ‘Yia Yia said that she would let me know if Janos saw anything about Dan. But what if Janos saw it just now when I did? What if he doesn’t tell Yia Yia?’
‘We need to check,’ Luke agreed.
Away from the house, El risked some more light and let the flame ahead of her expand into a glowing orb. They moved around the bay, northwards. During her flight with Theon, she’d noticed that the northern building, Nomia, was built into the cliff. They should be able to get into it from the bay if they made their way around the shore.
The murk around them, suffused with the lurching waves, was disquieting. The shift of the soft sand beneath their feet mirrored the uncertainty El felt about what they were doing. What if she was wrong and it had been a dream? She was breaking Yia Yia’s orders by going to see Janos. But she didn’t falter. The thought that she was right scared her more than Yia Yia’s wrath.
The tide was coming in and soon the surf had reached them. The cliffs had become taller as they bore north, the limestone much more imposing. El increased the flames of the burning sphere ahead of them, finding an opening in the rock.
Luke followed her gaze as the orb swung towards it. ‘I heard that there’s a network of flooded caverns underneath the island. They’re sinkholes and go really deep. You need to dive to reach them.’
El moved the light back to the sandy shore ahead, imagining the dark, dank tunnels. A se
nse of apprehension flowed from the waterlogged passages.
They had been walking for half an hour when the end of the island came into sight, the bay curving around to the right. As they rounded the corner, El stopped, amazed. There was a sheer glass wall set into the cliff face, running all the way to the top. It was a shaft: an elevator. Glass compartments jutted out from the cliff, set upon arete-made outcrops which dotted the rock wall. They were connected by colonnaded galleries. The structure was built into the rock itself, like the main house at the other end of the island. A faint light emanated from somewhere close to the top of the cliff.
El pressed the elevator button and the lift doors opened. She got the weird sense that they were in a city, not on a deserted beach in Greece. As they entered, Luke pressed the button for the seventeenth floor: there were twenty levels.
He shrugged. ‘Let’s try to find where that light’s coming from.’
She nodded, her nerves mounting as the lift climbed.
When the doors opened, they stepped out into a long gallery, where leafy, green plants sat in terracotta urns along the wall. A low wall, set between columns, separated them from the sheer drop of the cliff face. As they crept along the corridor, El noticed that the wall disappeared, and steps led down as if into mid-air. A floating glass swimming pool lay below: one of the outcrops that they’d observed from the shore.
‘Your Yia Yia sure knows how to decorate,’ Luke whispered. His gaze skimmed the water and a stream rippled along the corridor ahead of them. ‘Janos will be guarded. We’ll have to be ready.’
El flicked her lighter back on and engorged the fiery sphere ahead of her, creating a stream of fire too. Light trickled down a staircase that led further into the cliff. They followed it up and tracked the glimmer along another corridor to a room facing out into the bay.
