Those were both good points, and Mathias wanted to believe they were true—he'd been in the direct path of the explosion, and hadn't perished, so it wasn't impossible.
This also wasn't the only time Maddox had to survive without his help. Seventy years ago, he'd been helpless to free her from a forced entombment, but she'd escaped confinement anyway. That aside, Heliger and Chandra were capable, and likely to show up momentarily to tell them all was well.
So he focused his attention on Isadora when she yawned, then snuggled her cheek against his chest.
Quirking a brow, he asked, “Comfortable?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “You're very warm.”
She sounded so vulnerable—and trusting—that his heart lurched in his chest. The feeling brought to mind the attack she'd suffered in Sutrelle, and how he'd wished she would've sought his protection instead of Heliger's.
Now she was, and despite how fulfilling the simple act was, he muttered, “You trust me enough to sleep in my lap?”
Though he couldn't quite see her face, the smile was in her voice when she groggily replied, “You won't hurt me.”
I wish that were true, little fae. Eyes sliding shut, Mathias let the back of his head hit the wall, riddled with uncertainty. The connection they seemed to share was growing stronger by the minute, yet he couldn't trust it, had no guarantees, and couldn't let himself hope, even if it felt his very life depended on it.
Still, he could pretend, for just a few moments, that all was well, and tightened his hold on the fae before resting his cheek to her crown. In turn, her fingers slowly loosened their hold on his shirt, proving she'd drifted off.
And in five thousand years, nothing had ever felt so perfect.
Isadora fit against him so well it made his heart ache to think their connection was truly impossible, bringing to mind their time at the Spire, and the question of her arousal. Regardless of its meaning, why would it happen if there could be nothing more between them? Is keeping this one bit of good fortune really too much to ask?
Mathias didn't know as much about Isadora as he would've liked, but all he could think about was confirming she was more than he ever would've dreamed by getting to know her better—and it wasn't simply a matter of what she was feeding that desire.
Certainly, the idea of having a fae lover was attractive, but he'd been no more drawn to her sisters earlier that night than he was to anyone else. No, Isadora herself was turning out to be the real temptation, her enthusiasm and gentle nature as appealing as her blood or physical attributes would ever be.
At the thought, he inhaled deep against her hair, finding so much more than enticement in the scent of her blood. There was also life, serenity, comfort.
Like being home.
Speaking ancient Greek to ensure she wouldn't understand if she was actually listening, he murmured sincerely, “If you were mine, sweet fae, I'd treat you like a queen.”
“Am I interrupting?”
Heliger's soft voice broke through his thoughts, the question asked in the same language, and Mathias glanced up to see the magician standing only a few feet away, staff in hand.
Shaking his head, he replied, “No, I'm just engaging in a dangerous bit of wishful thinking. But before you ask, have you found any sign of Maddox or Stephan?”
“That's why I came down, to tell you we found them a few minutes ago, alive and well. The blast knocked them unconscious just as it did Chandra and I, but they were fortunate enough to awaken in a sheltered cave within the rock formation nearby. So Chandra teleported them both home to New York.”
Mathias exhaled a heavy sigh of relief, deciding they were definitely fortunate if the blast had knocked them far enough back to be sheltered by the nearby rocks at sunrise—which actually seemed strange. The blast knocked them into a cave?
It was hard to fathom how that was possible. Still, he was grateful just knowing they'd survived, offering Heliger a sincere, “Thank you.”
Inclining his head, the magician knelt before them, staff disappearing from his hands in asking, “So what's this wishful thinking you were doing?”
Glancing down at Isadora, who was still sleeping soundly in his lap, Mathias answered honestly, “I'd meant to tell you before, but I didn't get a chance. The night I saved Isadora, I discovered a lover's blood link.”
At that, the magician seemed surprised. “Truly? A blood link to a fae?”
“Yes, which is why I was so resistant to her presence in Sutrelle, and agreeing to assist in freeing her sisters despite knowing how easily she could help the realm. It's necessary to keep space between us, or I may end up killing her.”
The magician didn't comment at first, his expression contemplative as if taking the words to heart before asking, “Are those marks on her neck your doing?”
“While I was unconscious, yes. She claims I grabbed her and took only enough to heal, then stopped.”
“Interesting,” Heliger drew out.
“What?”
“It sounds like instinct drove you,” he explained. “Her blood has a connection to yours, and something in you knew she wasn't to be permanently damaged.”
Grumbling, Mathias gazed down at the beautiful woman resting in his arms, admitting, “I wish I could believe that, and the mere thought that I can't angers me. After so many tens of centuries, I'd given up on ever forging a blood bond with a lover, only to find someone I can't have. Turning her is out of the question, and I wouldn't want to if even if I could.”
Proving he understood the sentiment, Heliger nodded. “I've heard fae don't survive the blood exchange. But how do you know turning her is necessary?”
Uncertain, Mathias inquired, “What do you mean?”
“I mean the purpose of a vampire's blood bond is to tie mortals to them for eternity,” he started. “Humans, elves, even Dok'aal, neither are inherently immortal, but a fae? Isadora is already an eternal being, and doesn't need a blood bond to live on. So who's to say how much danger she'd truly be in?”
Waving a hand between them, he concluded, “Without exploring this connection, you'll never know for sure.”
Staring at the magician, Mathias was stunned—but only at himself. The prospect of being with Isadora as she was never crossed his mind, and he almost felt asinine for overlooking it. Still, he'd been so adamant about avoiding the fae and ignoring all thoughts of having her as a lover that he hadn't considered the possibility.
So perhaps his oversight wasn't so surprising.
But for as appealing as the idea was, he couldn't stop himself from eyeing the magician skeptically in stating, “I expected such talk from Maddox, not you, old friend.”
As if amused by his own sentiment, the mage grinned for once. “Perhaps I've simply grown weary of dealing with your solemnity, and I'm sure Maddox would agree.”
Finally, Mathias chuckled, supposing Heliger was right. He also posed a good question in motioning at the sleeping fae.
“But do you have any idea how Isadora would react to learning of your blood link?”
Exhaling low, Mathias replied, “In the Spire last night, she was aroused by my impulsive advances.”
“Truly? I thought fae only experienced physical desire if they've found a suitable mate.”
“That's what I've heard as well, though she passed it off as being a rare occurrence. Still, I was about to leave for this ruin, so she may have believed it was the wrong time for a confession.”
“That's possible, and if she's truly found a suitable mate in you, keeping a distance may cause her as much harm as you fear being with her would bring.”
Mathias tensed, having not thought of that. Mates were typically inseparable—even a lover's blood link could be detrimental to a vampire before the mortal was blooded. So what would a separation do to a fae?
Would she go into a deep depression? Become sick with grief?
The mere idea was as intolerable as the prospect of causing her physical harm, bringing him back to the concept of be
ing with her without turning her, which was making more sense. If she already possessed a natural connection to him, and was already immortal, wouldn't blooding her be unnecessary?
For the first time since this began, a spark of hope ignited. All Mathias needed was to know this fae wouldn't suffer due to his nature, and if that was possible, if he could find some semblance of happiness while making her happy in return … .
What I wouldn't give to have something more … .
Still, it seemed wrong to let that spark flare. Not only was he still uncertain, after all the grief suffered from losing so many children and the longing he'd endured from isolation, it would be foolish to get carried away just to be hurt all over again. I couldn't handle another letdown.
“Mathias?”
Isadora's groggy voice interrupted his thoughts just as she looked up with bleary eyes, then smiled in spying Heliger. “What language were you two just speaking?”
“Ancient Greek,” the mage answered. “I was explaining that Maddox and Stephan are safe, and Chandra took them to New York.”
“That's good,” Isadora remarked in obvious relief. “But why not speak in English?”
“Sometimes we lapse into the old languages without realizing it,” he excused, expertly directing her away from asking more questions by stating, “I hear fae are masters of language.”
She giggled. “You could say that, and if you keep speaking ancient Greek around me, I'll pick it up in no time.”
That explained her proficiency in Italian, and Mathias was too intrigued not to inquire, “How many languages do you speak?”
“Uh,” she drew out, brows furrowing. “I'm not sure, actually. I don't lapse into a language unless someone's using it with me, and if I don't know it, I just listen until the words become clear.”
My clever fae. At the thought, he exhaled low. It wasn't the first time he'd had such possessive thoughts about Isadora, and knew making an issue of it wouldn't help.
Instead, he listened as Heliger remarked, “You shouldn't have any trouble learning the native language of the humans in Sutrelle, then. Some are fluent in English, but most speak a form of Slavic that's evolved along a different path than what humans speak in Terra.”
Isadora looked intrigued to hear this as Heliger next addressed Mathias by asking, “Speaking of Sutrelle, when did you intend to return?”
“The sooner, the better,” he muttered, knowing a long discussion was coming with the rest of The Five, who were going to be extremely baffled to learn Sylva's pendant once belonged to the Grand Priestess.
The thought also served as a reminder that he'd yet to inform Heliger and Isadora of what happened the previous night, and the fae was quick to point it out.
“Wait, I can't leave until I know what's happened to my sisters. Did you see them last night, Mathias?”
With a deep breath, he nodded in preparation to offer an answer. There was much more to explain than the fate of Isadora's sisters, after all, and it was questionable where to start if only because he still wasn't sure what, exactly, was going on.
But one thing was clear—whatever Sylva Abbott had done, and wherever she'd gone, only a fool would believe they'd seen the last of her.
— TWENTY —
Though Mathias' answer was relieving, the explanation that came with it was unexpected—and certainly distressing.
“I did see your sisters, and they're fine,” the vampire started, sounding confident enough to be reassuring.
Still, Isadora couldn't relax without details, asking, “Are you sure? I mean, do you know if they're free?”
“They are. Sylva announced that their duties would be fulfilled once they unlocked this ruin, and directed them to teleport out of the area, probably to avoid the blast.”
Hearing this, a loud sigh escaped Isadora's lips. At last, she could stop worrying that her sisters were in danger, and the thought had her arms winding around Mathias' neck in a tight hug.
“Thank you!” she rasped sincerely.
Mathias tensed as if her embrace was unexpected, but she didn't stop there, turning her head to kiss his cheek in gratitude before climbing out of his lap to offer Heliger the same grateful display.
The somber magician almost seemed amused, stating truthfully, “You're welcome, Isadora, though it seems we did little to aid them.”
“I don't care. It doesn't even matter if they remember anything that's happened. As long as they're free and well, I'm happy,” she remarked, releasing him from her hug at the same time Mathias stood from the floor.
Yet, for all her relief to know her sister's were free, her contentment soon faded in spying the expression upon the vampire's face. Something in his silver eyes was uncertain, perhaps even disbelieving, and it set off a few warning bells.
At the Spire, he'd been so casual after learning the source of Sylva's abilities. Hearing the witch possessed a pendant containing divine power only seemed to annoy him, but now, she'd almost say he looked shaken, and couldn't imagine what happened last night to cause such a response.
“What's wrong?” Isadora asked, stepping toward him without thinking.
Yet he didn't seem to notice, gaze traveling between her and Heliger in stating, “I'm not sure. I now know why Sylva stole the Staff of Factions, or at least, a part of the reason, but I can't believe … .”
“Believe what?” she urged as he trailed. “Why did she steal the staff?”
Plainly enough, the vampire answered, “Apparently, one of the gems encrusted in the crown served as a key to this ruin. Where it came from, I don't know, but I'd wager it was purposefully hidden in the staff to keep this ruin locked.”
Heliger and Isadora remained thoughtfully silent before the magician remarked, “That's a likely possibility. But what of Sylva's pendant? Did you acquire it?”
“Yes, though I'm not sure what happened to it after—oh.”
His statement stopped when Isadora reached into her pocket to produce the item, holding it out to dangle from her fingers.
“I found it on the floor at the entryway. You probably dropped it while crawling inside the ruin to escape the sun.”
Exhaling low, Mathias took the item to regard ambivalently—and the expression was strange. Isadora thought he'd be relieved to know she'd found it, but instead, he seemed pensive, even uneasy.
“What's wrong, Mathias?”
As if her question had broken through some haze, he blinked and slowly shook his head, gaze still rapt to the pendant in answering, “I don't know. I can only say I haven't seen this pendant since I was still human … .”
A moment passed before the statement registered, and Isadora exchanged a confused look with Heliger. She never expected to learn Mathias was familiar with Sylva's pendant, or that he'd encountered the item so long ago, and couldn't stop herself from asking the most obvious question.
“What do you mean? You know who that pendant belongs to?”
“I know who it once belonged to,” he countered, allowing Heliger to take the item for inspection while continuing, “Sutrelle was once governed by a cult of oracles worshiping a goddess named Kalara. They were led by the Grand Priestess, a woman who'd shed all traces of personal identity to become the goddess' physical representation.”
Intrigued, Heliger pointed out, “I've never heard this before, nor have I ever heard of Kalara. But I know a Terran faction of vampires call themselves Kalar after some god they believe created them.”
Nodding, the vampire remarked, “That's the same deity, the Kalar simply erred on the details. As for the goddess, she has no Divinity Scroll, and I've never seen her mentioned in any text belonging to another deity. So it's not surprising if you haven't heard of her. In fact, I'm the only one of The Five who ever met the Grand Priestess, and … ”
Reaching up a hand to rub the back of his neck, Mathias added, “As a human, I believed Kalara existed wholeheartedly. But once I was blooded and learned more of the truth, I dismissed all I was taught, especially afte
r the Grand Priestess … ”
At that, the vampire trailed as if he had more to say, but decided it wasn't important and merely stated, “None of that matters now. I can only tell you she’s the original owner of this pendant, and she vanished nearly five thousand years ago. My sire had us conduct searches, but we never recovered a single trace of her, until now.”
Grumbling, he paced a few steps away and back, like a caged beast desperate for a way out of confinement. The notion proved he wasn’t thrilled to find this pendant, nor was he reluctant to explain why.
“But if Kalara was just a story the Grand Priestess made up for her own purposes, then why does her pendant possess divine powers?”
Thoughtfully, Heliger suggested, “Perhaps it once belonged to a deity history has forgotten, and this Grand Priestess acquired it through luck alone. Or she may have been a cordivus.”
Simultaneously, Mathias and Isadora cast a confused look at the magician as she inquired, “Cordi-what?”
“It's an archaic term for someone carrying the essence of a deity, like an avatar,” Heliger began, adding, “though I've also seen some texts use it in reference to a deity who's taken physical form.”
Mathias didn't seem to appreciate that explanation, and Isadora didn't have to wonder why. The possibility that this goddess once existed would trouble someone who'd decided it was all just a story.
Sadly, there wasn't much time for a lengthy discussion over the matter. Isadora still needed to prepare for a trip to Sutrelle by gathering her things. It was also imperative to cancel outstanding plans considering a single day in that world meant three weeks passing in Terra.
So she'd be gone a while—cultivating the land to recover from drought wasn't an overnight job, nor was it a prospect of her deal with Mathias she relished given recent developments.
After their encounter in the Spire, it was almost impossible to think of anything but getting closer to the vampire and learning more about the feelings he'd roused, particularly considering what he was.
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