In the chaos of everything going on around her she’d forgotten about Christmas. It felt like an odd display of normalcy to decorate for any holiday when the world could be destroyed by the Shediem in a matter of weeks, or possibly months. Christmas was just another reminder that her mother was still a captive in Sheol, and that her best friend as well as Blaze’s sister, whom he still believed to be dead, were there too.
Yet the warmth that seeped into her heart chased back the horror of her circumstance, at least for a moment. It was always a happy time for her. No matter where she and her mother lived, a tree, lights, and Christmas music and movies were a comfort. On the weekends, the house would be filled with the sweet, sugary scent of cookies.
And this strange house smelled of cinnamon and peppermint. A crackling fire danced in the hearth, though the mild sixty degrees it currently was outside made Emma think the fire was magical. Her entire chest ached.
“What day is it?” she asked. She knew it was December, but she’d lost track of the days.
Blaze put a hand on her shoulder as Gwyndoline cheerfully replied,“December 19th.”
The ache grew, squeezing her lungs tight. Christmas was in just six days. I’ll get you home, soon, Mom. I promise. And we’ll have Christmas together, even if it’s the middle of summer.
“If you guys are still here, we’ll celebrate Christmas altogether.” Gwyndoline looked to Gertie while she spoke, and Constance scoffed from the doorway across the room.
Emma pushed away her sadness, focusing instead on the task at hand. Blaze straightened, giving Constance a loaded look. Words seemed to pass between them, unspoken.
“Why don’t you show them to their rooms, Gwyn?” Constance said at last, looking even more sour than she did when she first spotted them.
Gwyndoline nodded, smiling, before heading into the hall. The bare wood-paneled walls were made more festive by the multicolored lights strung up at the top, and it seemed to occur to Emma that Gwyndoline was likely the one who had decorated the house. Candy canes hung from doorknobs of each door they passed. On the right was a large kitchen with mouthwatering aromas wafting out.
“Once you guys are settled, we can fix you up a late lunch,” Gwyndoline said, likely hearing the grumble of complaint Emma’s stomach gave.
At the end of one hall, Gwyndoline produced an iron skeleton key and handed it to Blaze. She refused to meet his eyes, even when he thanked her, only giving a stiff nod. To Sergei she gave instructions on the shower—how the nozzle didn’t register hot water quite right and that he’d have to fiddle with it—and where to find fresh towels. She ignored Axel altogether, though he didn’t seem the least bit bothered. Then she turned and began leading Emma and Gertie away.
Emma watched Blaze pause at the door, casting a small smile toward her. Axel looked at her too, cocking his head to the side. His expression was curious but she couldn’t fight the shiver his gaze had caused. Even when she turned to hurry after the two older women, Emma felt eyes on her back.
Down another hall Gwyndoline paused outside a door to the left. She extended the key to Gertie, though Emma hadn’t seen it in her hand a moment ago.
Gertie’s eyes were sad as she took the key.“Thank you, Gwyn.”
Gwyndoline threw her arms around Gertie’s neck. “I’m so happy to see you,” she whispered.
Emma suddenly wished the wall would swallow her up so she didn’t have to stand awkwardly in the hall while the two women shared a much-needed moment.
She turned away, looking for some way to busy herself so they could talk. Instead, she caught a glimpse of blond hair and blue eyes lurking around the corner. Emma stalked toward him.
“Axel?” she called.
She rounded the bend and halted—the hall was empty. She stood, rooted to the floor by an unfurling sense of unease.
The room was elegant, yet small and simply decorated. A fake, half-sized Christmas tree lit up the back corner nearest the bed Gertie had claimed. A large window was opposite the beds, giving a view of thick shrubbery and very little light. With a sigh Emma tossed her bag onto one of the two single beds covered with thick, floral quilted comforters.
Gertie paused her bustling around the room.“You all right, darling? You look spooked.”
Emma nodded, trying to muster a smile, though she imagined it looked as fake as it felt.“I’m just worried about Axel.” Gertie nodded in agreement, and Emma happily changed the subject.“So, tell me about your sisters. Constance doesn’t seem happy that we’re here.”
Gertie didn’t respond for several moments, rifling through her bag until she pulled out a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. She sighed.
“Constance is our older sister. Gwyn and I are twins. And Constance acts the way she does because Spellcasters are really only loyal to each other. We’re meant to stay together, within our covens. But well…I didn’t. I chose to serve a family of Giborim who took me in.”
Emma couldn’t help her curiosity. “Why? Why go work for Blaze and leave your sisters?” Perhaps it was the fact that she didn’t have any siblings that she wanted to know. Not that working for Blaze was a bad thing, but she couldn’t imagine it was very exciting.
“I wanted to be a cook, not a magician selling spells and potions to whoever offered the most. With Blaze I still get to practice my magic and be a cook.”
Emma nodded.“Did you grow up here?”
“Yes.” A small smile curved the older woman’s lips. “And before you ask, no, I don’t miss it.”
Emma glanced down. “Can I ask…I noticed Constance didn’t have a…a familiar. Do you have one? I’ve never seen you with an animal.”
A flash of pain crossed Gertie’s features, causing extra creases to appear. She sat on the edge of the bed and Emma followed suit, guessing this would be a long conversation.
“Constance is one of the only Spellcasters to be born without a familiar. She was often very jealous of Gwyn and me.”
Emma frowned, but before she could ask the question loaded on her tongue, Gertie said,“My familiar died when I was just a girl.” She paused and swallowed hard, her eyes shining.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked,” Emma said.
Gertie shook her head. “It’s all right. It’s not a secret.” She took a shaky breath.“One time when we were kids, it snowed. A pond that used to exist not far from here froze over. Gwyn tried to walk out to the middle of it and fell through.”
Emma gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth.
“Naturally I jumped in to save her. The water was so cold it forced Tobias to try to come to my aid.” A tear slid down her cheek. “He was just a kit. Just a wee thing. I pulled Gwyn out first but I was trapped under the ice. Constance came to save me at some point. By then my Toby had already drowned trying to pull me out.” Her voice broke toward the end, but she pushed on.“He was scratching at the ice. He was so desperate to get me free that he didn’t try to find a way out.”
Emma’s eyes burned with threatening tears.“I’m so sorry.”
Gertie gave her a wobbly smile.“The pain of losing a familiar never goes away. Not ever. It’s like losing a piece of your soul.”
She didn’t know what to say. An apology seemed painfully inadequate.
With a huff, Gertie brushed away her tears.“Now.” Her tone became serious.
The pause while she seemed to grasp for the right words made Emma’s heart thud against her ribcage painfully.
“I know you didn’t have no silly spasm in that meeting.”
Emma opened her mouth to argue but Gertie held up a hand to silence her.“Girl, everyone can sense the Shediem in you. Ever since you got back, it’s undeniable. You don’t leave with a faint trace of it and come back feeling like a general or greater unless something happened. There’s a piece of one inside you.”
Her eyes widened.A Shediem inside her? She was possessed?
In anticipation of offering any response, her lips sealed shut. A flash of panic ruptured through her
. If Gertie knew she was under the Shediem’s thrall, what would happen to Gertie?
The Spellcaster’s lips twitched. Emma’s silence had confirmed something, though she didn’t know what.
She sat forward, placing her hands on her thighs, and she suddenly felt like Gertie was trying to see in her eyes what was affecting her.
“Are you currently in pain? That shouldn’t trigger anything.”
Emma breathed deeply, waiting for the strike of pain in her shoulder, but it didn’t come. Slowly she shook her head.
Gertie nodded as though she had expected that answer.“All right, let’s try… Do you know who your father is?”
The bite was instant, and Emma winced.
Gertie smiled.“Gotcha.”
Emma’s eyes widened. Had her admission of pain told Gertie that not only was her father a Shediem, but also that he was the Shediem responsible for giving her the Mark of Fallen Flame?
“Honestly, I don’t understand how that boy hasn’t figured it out already.” Gertie shook her head, getting to her feet.“Matters of the heart are never straightforward though, are they?”
The hold on Emma’s lips released instantly, and she sucked in a long breath.
Gertie smiled sympathetically. “Honestly, I expected something like this.” The Spellcaster strode toward her, laying a hand on the shoulder that throbbed with phantom pain.“Don’t worry, baby girl, Sergei and I will figure it out. Now do you want to shower first, or shall I?”
“Uh…” Emma stammered, “I’ll shower quick.” She started toward the bathroom with her things, happy to have a moment to herself.
Once she was dressed and Gertie had disappeared into the bathroom, a rapping sounded at the door. The soothing warmth she’d felt approaching helped loosen the knots in her stomach, and she threw open the door, smiling.
Blaze stood on the other side, looking like a modern Adonis with jeans and a T-shirt. His black hair was still damp from his own shower. But his stormy grey eyes and the slight crease between his brows made her smile disappear.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
His eyes took in every inch of her, assessing her for injury. Emma puzzled silently, noting the rigid set of his shoulders and the way his fists clenched and unclenched. His expression cleared suddenly, and he shook his head.
“Nothing. I wanted to see if you wanted anything to eat.” His smile was stiff. “Gwyndoline was kind enough to set out a tray for us.”
Emma nodded. Looking one direction, then the other, she whispered,“I’d be careful, though. They might be poisoned.”
Blaze laughed softly, the last of his strange behavior fading. He took her hand in his, leading her down the hall. The physical contact sent a thrill through her. It seemed far too intimate to hold hands so publicly, but Blaze didn’t seem to pay the gesture any mind.
He stopped, spinning her to face him.“Are you going to be all right tonight?” When her brows furrowed, he added, “The nightmares. It’s a strange place; it’s likely to trigger something.”
She shrugged.“I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
His steel gaze searched her face. “I can talk to Gertie. It’s probably best that she’s warned so when you wake up screaming, she doesn’t think you’re dying or anything.”
She bit her bottom lip. If Gertie spoke to Blaze—which Emma knew she would—Blaze would be able to guess at Emma’s strange behavior, which would only bring up more questions she couldn’t answer yet.“I’ll tell her.” She secretly wished Blaze could stay with her, but she knew it wasn’t appropriate, especially when they were guests.
Blaze’s fingers wound tighter around hers, giving her a light squeeze. Emma tried to smile, but the closer they got to the kitchen where voices emanated, the more her heart stumbled over a beat. Most everyone knew there was something going on between them, but any displays of affection were forbidden by his kind. Axel had seen them kiss, but it was different now. The way he’d watched her made Emma think he’d changed his mind about being okay with the two of them.
In the back of her mind, she wondered if Blaze would still hold her hand when they got back to Seattle. It was foolish to hope for it, she knew. The consequences for their relationship, especially at a time like this, could be detrimental. She let the hope that had blossomed and warmed her chest chill. Nothing had truly changed. She couldn’t let his people reject him—not when they needed him most.
Constance was absent from the gathering inside the dining area. Gwyndoline laughed cheerfully at something Sergei said when they entered. Gazes followed them and their clasped hands, but no one remarked on it. Sergei smiled down at his plate that still had a few crackers and slices of salami, making Emma’s cheeks heat.Axel was seated in the corner, leaning against the wall. Emma avoided looking in his direction, hating how uncomfortable she felt every time she was in a room with him.
Blaze released her hand so they could sit at the table, both of them reaching for the trays of food. Beside her, she felt his warm gaze on her face, and she smiled.
“What time are we heading out tomorrow?” Axel asked, interrupting the lull of silence.
Emma looked up, stopping midchew. His gaze was fixed on her. Focused, yet relaxed.
It was as if he wanted to rattle her. To make her feel like she was going crazy. Maybe she was. Perhaps she was paranoid.
What if he simply sensed “the Shediem in her”—as Gertie had said—and was reacting like a hunter did when it smelled prey? Axel knew Emma was involved with his brother. It seemed only right for him to want to protect Blaze.
She tried to ignore any further looks from Axel the rest of the meal. Sergei shared stories of Russia at Christmas time and the traditions he’d been raised with, distracting them all with their own sense of nostalgia. Emma ate way too many gingerbread cookies, feeling the dull ache that her mother’s absence brought. The traditions Sergei was used to were likely the ones her mother had also been accustomed to.
It was fascinating to think that her mother had grown up in a completely different country. She spoke a different language and understood the history of Russia better than Emma ever would. It made sense when her mother would make borscht every so often, though Emma had been convinced that it was just a way for her mother to get her to eat more vegetables when she was small.
Then it was Gertie’s turn, sharing how Gwyndoline’s magic showed up six months before her own. Gwyndoline smiled fondly at Gertie as they went back and forth with pranks they played on each other, on their parents, and on Constance. Their grandmother had been coven leader, and Constance had taken over less than a decade ago, Gwyndoline revealed.
Gertie’s smile vanished then.
Constance stalked into the room a moment later. As if she’d stood right outside, listening.“I know why you’re here, and if you think I’m going to fight in your little supernatural war, you’re wrong. My coven will sit back and watch you lot tear yourself apart, but we won’t choose sides.”
Gwyndoline’s face flushed at her older sister’s harsh words. The room was deadly quiet.
Blaze rose to his feet slowly, staring Constance down.“When the Shediem try to claim the Earth as their new home, you’ll just let them enslave or slaughter your coven? Your sister?” His voice was like rolling thunder through the heavy silence.
The woman’s bony chin lifted in defiance. “Of course I’ll protect them. But this fight is not ours. The Shediem may look like monsters, but you Giborim put yourselves on pedestals while you take whatever you want and seek to control the lives of everyone around you, even your own kind. The Spellcasters are forbidden from marrying humans by your laws, not ours. Anyone that goes against your precious rules is either forced to obey or killed.”
The rush of heated words was colored with emotion— emotion that Emma thought belonged to experience. Had Constance loved someone and been forced to stay away from them?
“You’re not wrong,” Blaze said. His eyes met Emma’s and held it for a moment; her heart leapt in r
esponse. “But letting the Shediem win won’t bring about change. The Giborim were always meant to protect the humans and keep the supernatural hidden. But if we win, we can stand to make some changes. None of us should have to live in fear of discovery or be forced to give up love when we find it.”
Constance folded her slender arms across her chest and glared at Blaze a few moments longer.“I won’t ask my people to die for you or for anyone else.”
Gwyndoline turned in her chair to look up at her sister. “I call a vote.” Threaded in her words was a hint of magic Emma could feel.“Tomorrow afternoon.”
The older woman’s jaw tightened, and her thin lips knotted in disapproval, but she didn’t fight it. Perhaps she couldn’t. She simply pivoted and strode out of the room with a huff.
Gertie loosed a breath from across the table and shot her twin a grateful smile.
15
Emma
Night fell while their group drank hot chocolate and spiced cider together in comfortable company. Or mostly comfortable company, anyway. Constance
didn’t return, and Emma could tell that Gertie and Gwyn were affected by it. Still they laughed and sipped their beverages. For a few moments, Emma smiled too. She felt whole.
After yawning for the third time in the space of ten minutes, Blaze stood and offered her his hand. She accepted it, letting him pull her to her feet. Everyone smiled and bid each other goodnight. Axel stirred from his seat, having fallen asleep, but he simply nodded to Blaze before they left.
At Emma’s door, Blaze tugged her around to face him before sliding a hand around the nape of her neck, then pressed his lips to hers. The kiss lingered, warming her entire body.
“Goodnight,” he said, their faces barely an inch apart. She swallowed hard, not wanting him to go.“Goodnight.” He hesitated as she pushed the door open, but when he didn’t
rush inside and insist on staying, she closed the door. Emma climbed into the bed and switched the light off. She settled down under the covers, her stomach knotting itself. Without Blaze, she wasn’t eager to sleep. No matter what horror awaited her, Blaze would not be there to comfort her once she woke. And Levaroth would likely not be there to help face them.
The Throne of Broken Bones (Weapon of Fire and Ash Book 3) Page 13
