At that point I realized the heat of the shower had probably made things worse as Draven’s voice was pulsing in and out of clarity. Perhaps I was severely dehydrated. Whatever it was, I wasn’t feeling too good at all and each second was making it harder for me to hide it. I leaned over the counter and splashed my face with cold water, sliding my hand around to cool the back of my neck.
“Everly,” I heard Draven say, surprised by how non-aggressive he sounded.
I brushed my hair back and looked at the space between Draven and the rest of the doorway. I zeroed in on it, walking slowly over in an attempt to get past him and find the bed, but five steps from Draven and I was a mess. My vision turned black for a second, long enough for my feet to stop moving under me. I stumbled to the side, reaching out to catch myself on the wall. Draven rushed in and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling my body to his before I tripped over myself and hit the ground. My muscles tightened against his touch. I was uncomfortable knowing it was just my towel between us.
“Get off of me,” I said in a smaller tone than I’d wanted, pushing pathetically against his chest. I’d dismissed the feelings I felt about him the previous day, chalking it up to fear and distress.
Draven’s hands moved to my face, clearing my wet hair away to see my eyes, but I defiantly turned from him.
“Stop,” I pushed, but he held me firm, one arm still tight around my back.
“I healed your wounds, but I can’t replace the blood you lost,” he said. “You need rest.”
He slowly let me go and walked out into the bedroom once I found my footing. I followed cautiously, navigating my way to the bed, moving the dirty sheets aside so I could sit down on a clean place.
Once sitting, things came back into focus. I watched Draven walk to a small table by the wall where someone had placed a metal pitcher and some glasses. He poured a glass full of water and walked it toward me. Stubborn, I pushed his hand away, nearly spilling the water all over the floor. He tried handing it to me again and I snatched it from his grip and threw it at the wall, shattering the cup into pieces. A fury was rising in me and it wasn’t hard to realize it was more directed at myself than anyone else. Still, it wasn’t as if Draven didn’t deserve my ire.
“I can take care of myself,” I insisted.
I was consumed by anger over the idea that Taurus was wrongfully executed. Fury over how much Tek managed to hurt me. Frustration over the idea that Draven was the only comfort in that painful darkness when everything had fallen apart. Sadness that I had nowhere to run. No one to turn to. I barely had myself at that point. I was breaking faster than I could pick up the pieces.
Draven took a long, deep breathe. His fists clenched as if he was itching to hit me. Stupid as I was, I stood and scowled challengingly up at him. Maybe I was a glutton for pain after all because I couldn’t seem to stop inviting it.
“Hit me,” I dared, stepping toward him until my chest was almost touching his. “See if you can outdo that bastard from the camp. Come on. I’m curious which of you is worse. Why’d you even come for me? Because I’m your Ashling bitch or because some asshole thought he could rile you up? I mean, he was going to kill me. Rid you of your burdens. Was it because your property was damaged or was your pride hurt? Or did you just need something to do in the middle of the night and you thought burning a rebel outpost was—”
“I was going to burn that camp down anyways,” Draven said. “What makes you think I was there for you at all?”
“Then I guess I imagined you calling my name, huh?”
“You need to drink,” Draven said more calmly than expected.
“What do you care what I need?”
“Drink and eat or I’ll shove both down your throat.”
“Fuck you, Draven. Just because you forced your mark on me doesn’t mean you own me. No one owns me.”
He took a few seconds before his lips curled into a crooked grin and he reached out, grabbing the hair at the base of my neck. Draven’s grip pulled me toward him, my head craned back as if he really was going to force feed me. I gave him a defiant look through my exhaustion, but my body was useless for any attempt to break free from him. I stared him hard in the eyes and as he stared back, I felt the heat of his gaze on my cheeks as if he was an open flame. In his eyes, the red and orange glow moved slowly, like vapors behind a glass barrier, pulsing with life. I found myself unable to look away. Fear wasn’t a factor anymore, which scared me.
I placed my hands on Draven’s chest, trying to keep some kind of barrier between us, but all that did was put the beat of his heart right against my palms. It was slow and even, like something that should be in a massive beast and not a man. It reminded me what he was, more than his inhuman eyes and his sharpened canines.
My heart was a mess of flutters and skips that started to worry me. My skin was ashy and pale. I hadn’t seen myself in the mirror yet, but I could imagine the dark circles beneath my eyes. I was a rabbit who thought she could antagonize a wolf and get away with it, and now the wolf was looking me hungrily in the face.
The silence stretched between Draven and I for a torturous amount of time before his expression turned lax and pensive. His hand slowly loosened from my hair and fell down the crest of my shoulder and over the rough scars that descended down my back. He did so gently. His eyes traveled down my face to my lips and suddenly I was left wordless, both in mind and in tongue. Time stopped...and then he stepped away, regaining his composure, and cleared any expression from his face. Perhaps it was part of his plan to keep me confused and at a loss. To keep me wondering while he continued his cruelties behind the guise of compassion.
“One of the ladies will bring you food in a bit,” he said as he turned to the door to leave.
“What happened to force feeding me?”
He didn’t answer. I watched him disappear around the corner, leaving the door cracked behind him, and was left frozen and uncertain. My heart skipped again and, angry at its inconsistency, I walked to the tray where the pitcher was and poured myself a glass of water, avoiding the shattered glass nearby.
As I took a few sips and let it wash through my battered insides, I placed my other hand on my chest in an attempt to slow my pulse. Staring at the off-white wall in front of me, I began to feel a lingering presence in my veins that I didn’t want to admit was there. It was alive. A heat like a million little sparks that kept dancing in my blood. Somehow, despite the weakness in my limbs, inside my core I was alive, and suddenly feeling stronger than I had in months.
22
Draven
. . .
I walked with purpose through the halls of the building, eager to get outside where the air was open and fresh. Inside, I was feeling stifled and irritated. Saving her might have been a mistake. Everly Ghlass had proven herself more trouble than she was worth, and she’d rooted her presence like a weed.
How could I have been so foolish? How did I think things would work after I marked her? Now, with talk that Taurus was innocent of the crimes I’d killed him for, things were a lot more complicated. Unsure what to believe, all I could do was let things play out, but doing that seemed only to push me closer to Everly.
While I walked, my heart thumped against my sternum as if to remind me who I was. I wasn’t human. I was better than that. I was more than human and Everly Ghlass was...something I didn’t understand. Someone who wouldn’t leave my thoughts. Perhaps I should just break her sooner rather than later. Then again, her wild spirit was the reason I couldn’t break her. Not yet. I should have let her die. I should have let that baggage go in that Falcon camp, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Every contradicting thought was just adding to the cacophony in my head.
I growled quietly at myself when I reached the first floor and walked out into the midday sun. It was warm and bright, but a horizon flooded with black clouds was rolling in to wash that light away. I made my way to the stables, walking across the vast yard of grass to the pens where the horses were grazing peacefully. I stopped at the
wooden fence, looking at the small herd for a while until Jericho began his slow canter toward me.
Jericho was the largest of the group with a solid build. No one would ever guess he was born lame. He came to the fence, his nostrils opening to my familiar scent when I stroked his velvety nose with the backs of my fingers. I raised my hand to his ears as he hung his head over the fence to greet me and then moved to stroke his thick neck. His grey coat was coming in thicker, anticipating the winter. It was long enough now that I could bury my fingers in it as I pet him.
“How is it an animal like you is better company than a human?” I asked him under my breath.
“Because Jericho can’t talk back,” I heard a voice say.
I rolled my eyes, recognizing the tone before I saw the face that went with it. Turning, I saw Ares walking toward me, feet silent on the soft grass. He was in a knee-length, white coat, his pale hair swept back from his face with only a few strands out of place in the breeze. He raised his brows at me like the stuck up Draakir aristocrat he was. Why Valerio ever made him the regent was beyond me.
“I know how you hate talking back, brother,” he commented, placing a hand on the fence beside me.
“What do you want?” I asked him flatly.
“Lukan filled me in on what happened with the Falcons. Not exactly the subtle cleanup I was imagining.”
“There were complications.”
“He told me about those as well. Bane is taking a few days off. The blow Everly dealt was a bit harsh. I trust she is alright?”
“She’s fine.”
Ares smiled faintly and gave the statement a nod. “Good. And the prisoners? Lukan said there were captives.”
“They’re fine, too. Lukan took them to the hospital this morning. There was something in their blood making them weak, but we don’t know what it is yet. Maybe you should head over there and find out,” I suggested with a subtle glower.
“Oh, but I have a reason for my visit.”
“And what’s that? You came all the way out where there’s dirt that could stain your white suits. It must be important.”
“That camp was the least of our worries. There’s a group that’s been moving inward. Hundreds strong. Many of them are known slayers and extremists. Others are rebels and outlaws. Has Everly said anything about the people in the camp? Did they say anything to her?”
I thought of Taurus and his unlikely, but possible innocence. “Nothing we can use,” I said.
“You know Taurus was a member of the Falcons at some point. They’re dishonest people. Perhaps Everly knows more than she’s saying. Now would be the best time for her to come forward with any information. Perhaps she should come to the city with me now.”
“They hurt her, Ares,” I said, those words bitter on my tongue. “Nearly raped her. I doubt she bears any connection to them aside from knowing Taurus. So she’ll stay here until she recovers.”
My mind went back to what Everly said about Valerio. While I was reluctant to believe Taurus was guiltless, I was thirsting for an explanation. I looked at Ares and sighed.
“I’ll talk to her,” I said vaguely.
“Will she cooperate? I can’t imagine she likes you very much considering everything that’s happened. Some time away might—”
“I wasn’t planning on giving her a choice,” I said, pushing myself off the fence. He seemed displeased, but that was nothing new.
“Come now,” Ares said. “Reading minds is against our own rules. Rules Valerio put in place. I know you dislike the woman, but if she really was hurt, perhaps it’s best to give her a break.”
I thought about the things I’d found out about Taurus when he was imprisoned. I delved into his memories and found him to be a killer, but that was where I stopped. I never went further, but perhaps I should have. It was Valerio’s idea to stay out of other people’s heads, human or Draak. If I had dug deeper, perhaps I could have seen more. The idea of peeling Everly’s mind apart was both tempting and appalling, as most humans couldn’t withstand a dissection like that.
“Enough about her, I suppose,” Ares said, breaking my train of thought. “I can make excuses to the media for a while longer. The real issue is the resistance itself. I need those zealots gone. Or at least controlled. I got a call from Rikard Selike.”
“Hmf. The old rebel leader?” I asked. “I thought he retired from his pointless ventures years ago.”
Ares shook his head. “He was apparently just laying low. He already got word about you destroying the camp and rather than threatening an attack on the city, he wants to meet. My guess is he wants money or land. None of these ‘rebels’ really believe in their cause. They just believe they’re entitled to things they don’t have. So, I plan to shower them with luxuries at a gala next week and talk.”
“Is there a reason you’re explaining this to me? Diplomacy isn’t my thing.”
“I know. I’ll do the talking, but I want you and Lukan to be there. I’ll have others present, a large amount of human council members, and of course Rikard won’t hesitate to invite at least a dozen of his Falcons.”
“What am I supposed to do? Glare at them?”
“Actually, yes.”
I took a deep breath, already bored. “As long as I don’t have to wear a tie.”
“Anything will do. Just leave the leather coat out of it, please.”
Ares took his leave toward a white car parked in the driveway while I started back toward the manor. Just inside, Lukan was standing by the grand stairwell, leaned up against the railing and waiting for me, as if he had heard my entire conversation with Ares. I stopped, holding his silver gaze.
Lukan stood with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a dark grey shirt, untucked and casually hanging on his tall frame like he’d just rolled out of bed. The look on his face was expecting, like he was waiting for me to fill him in on everything, despite getting the gist of it himself. I shrugged, letting out a long breath as I began to toy with the thumb ring on my right hand.
“The camp wasn’t the problem, was it?” Lukan said knowingly.
“Rikard just resurfaced,” I confirmed. “Ares is arranging a gala to get all the hot heads in one building for a little discussion.”
“That’s a mistake.”
“Any excuse to show off his wealth and stature. He’s hoping a few expensive gifts will put Rikard into retirement again. He wants us there for muscle.”
“He wanted to talk to Everly, too. He called me before he got here and asked about her first. I told him she was still healing.”
I furrowed my brow at the ideas Ares had suggested. “He thinks she knows things about the Falcons.”
Lukan inclined his head. “Do you think she’s involved?”
“Judging from what I saw at that camp, she’s not a friend of theirs. So Ares shouldn’t have need of her. The fact that he wants her in the city leads me to think he knows something we don’t.”
“That doesn’t seem right.”
“Either way, Ares is always up to something.”
“If he really does have a reason, why do you care what he wants with her?”
“Because our brother is a political artist, which makes him conniving.”
“And? You brought Everly here to toy with her in revenge against Taurus. Are you saying you care what happens to her now?”
“No. I couldn’t care less about her. I care about her involvement.”
It was a dishonest response. One I desperately didn’t want to be a lie, but something about finding her bleeding in that camp triggered things in me that I couldn’t shake now. The woman lingered in my thoughts like a pest and I found myself trying to convince myself to hand her off to Ares. I could release her from our bond and never have to see her again if I really wanted to. It would make things less complicated.
“Well, Ares still wants her to make a statement to the press,” Lukan continued. “But I guess this is bigger than that now. If he has plans to use her somehow in this situation
, I can’t imagine how glad you’d be to get rid of her. Especially after you realized last night that she’s not so easy to ignore.”
“You’re getting loose with your assumptions, Blue.”
“I don’t think so. She’s getting to you. You were quick to send her off to Ares yesterday because of it. You wanted her gone to continue like you always have. Without feeling like you have something to lose.”
“You are testing me, brother,” I said, dropping my voice.
“I’m aware of that. I’m testing myself. I’ve fought wars by your side. I understand you better than you think. You hold nothing close because you despise how it feels to lose. Now Everly is testing all of us because she’s not like others. She doesn’t fall at her knees in front of you, but she isn’t a rebel either. She’s just Everly.” He started walking towards the door on the other side of the foyer. “And you have no idea what to do with that,” Lukan finished, and turned and left the room.
Had the Draak not fought dozens of battles with me, his head would be through the wall.
The day passed slowly. I’d filled my time with numerous things to clear my head, but in the back of my mind I kept wondering when I’d see Everly back on her feet. By the time the sun was descending toward the horizon again, I found myself in a sitting area on the first floor in front of a stone fireplace, staring at the flames in deep thought.
I was slumped deep in a large leather chair, feet propped on a wooden step stool Keera and the other ladies used to retrieve books from the tall shelves. I wasn’t sure exactly where my mind was going at that point, but it was moving fast enough that it barely mattered what I was thinking. I could hardly keep track anymore.
I could still feel things that had recently passed like thorns in my side. The day Valerio died was the most graphic memory still, but the moment that pistol discharged in my hand and the bullet flew through Taurus’s head was close behind. Not because of the killing, but because of the look on Everly’s face when his blood splashed across her cheeks. Suddenly that vision wouldn’t burn out in my thoughts. It stayed lit and barely flickering, like a candle I couldn’t blow out. And it wasn’t the only thing.
Ash Bringer (A Storm of Fire: Paranormal Dragonshifter Romance Book 1) Page 16
