“When are we going to talk about the other night?” His tone was much lower than normal and I could see he was restraining anger.
“The sleepwalking? I didn’t think we needed to. I mean, there isn’t really anything we can do about it. Thank you for stopping me from leaping to my death.” I laughed. “That could have been awkward.”
He sighed. “That’s not the part of the night I want to talk about and you know it.” When I stared in confusion, he moved forward to stand in front of my bed. He leaned over and placed one hand on the footboard of the bed and the other around the pole.
“You’re going to stay in denial then?”
“Denial, about what? Stop being cryptic and just tell me what you mean!” I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. I racked my mind thinking about past few nights and the only things I could think of were the fight with Liam and my sleepwalking.
“The kiss.” He growled more than spoke.
My mouth widened in surprise. “How did you find out that Liam kissed me? Did I talk in my sleep or something?”
“He what?” Ashes eyes blazed until they looked like fire pits and his hands tightened on the bedpost.
“Oh, you didn’t know? That what kiss are you talking about?”
“Ours.” If I was shocked before, I was now astounded.
“We haven’t kissed.” My hands began to lightly shake when I remembered my dream from the other night. It was right smack in the middle between my nightly reminder of my past and the visit from the demon.
“We kissed the other night when you woke up from your nightmare.” He blew air out and his eyes lightened. His hand brushed through his hair and a short laugh escaped his lip. “Figures. I spend all this time fighting my need to kiss you and when I finally give in, you don’t even remember!” He moved backwards to sit in the chair near my desk. He leaned his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands.
My heart broke. I thought the kiss had been a dream and now I find out I really kissed Ash. I wasn’t certain how I felt about it, but I could see that he was shaken. I moved forward, knelt down, and pulled his hands from his face.
“I thought it was a dream. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s my own stupid fault.” He stood suddenly and almost knocked me over in the process. I darted towards the door and flung it open.
I followed quickly behind him. “Ash just listen to me. It’s okay. I’m not angry and it’s my fault too.”
He stopped suddenly on the stairs and turned to face me. His crimson eyes settled on mine and I saw that the veins surrounding his eyes were blazing red. He wasn’t angry; he was furious.
“Your fault too, huh? So, why is it okay for you to kiss me in your dreams, but not when you’re awake?” His fangs lengthened, which only occurred when he was threatened or the one doing the threatening.
“That’s not what I meant. I only meant that you kissed me and I kissed you back. I just didn’t want you to be angry with yourself.” I tried to touch his face, but he grabbed my wrist in an iron grip.
“Yes, you did. Why did you?” His smile turned mocking.
“Why did I kiss you back?” How was I supposed to answer that? I started panicking.
He used his grip on my wrist to pull me down the steps, until I was on the step before him. “I don’t know. I was scared and I needed you.”
“You needed me? Did you need Liam too? Or are you just going to start making a habit of kissing all the men in your life?”
That pulled me back. I was shocked and hurt by his accusation. However, I was mostly horrified by the realization that Ash was pulling away from me. I could see the connection between us shattering. It was a bridge I relied on ever since I came to live with him and Maye. I knew I didn’t make it easy for people in my life. Ash had always been my safety net. He made me feel safe and the natural bond between us saved my life. He was the one person I could not live without.
“It’s not like that. I don’t know what is happening between me and Liam. What happened between me and you was different.” Ash let go of my wrist and turned to leave. “No, don’t go!” Tears welled in my eyes and began to fall. Ash looked up to see them and his face drastically altered.
He moved back to his previous position and tilted my chin to brush away my tears. “That’s not fair. You know I can’t stand to see you cry.” His voice became a soft melody.
“I love you. I don’t want to lose you.” I grabbed his face and pulled it to mine. He tried to pull away from my kiss, but I protested. “Let me try.” His original protest evaporated at the touch of my lips. He ground his to mine and turned to push my back against the wall.
I had issues with claustrophobia, but with Ash, I was fine. He melded his body to mine and I pushed to be closer still. Feelings I never acknowledged came to the surface to break free. A low growl came from deep in his chest and he grasped my thighs to pull me higher. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed harder. I moaned, and he stilled.
I opened my eyes to see him staring at me. “Are you kissing me because you want to or because you’re afraid you’ll lose me?”
My mind was foggy and it took a few minutes to process what he asked. During that time, Ash lowered me to the ground and let go of my thighs. He put some distance between us. “Well?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I enjoy kissing you, but I never really thought about you in that way before. I didn’t know it was an option.”
He groaned. “Okay, well now you know.” He smiled, and leaned towards my face. Instinctively, I raised my face to meet his kiss, but he moved away to kiss my forehead. “Let me know when you figure out what you want.” He pushed away from the wall and jogged down the steps.
I stood in place and attempted to evaluate my feelings. Confusion didn’t even begin to weigh on how I felt in that moment. I wanted to run after him and make him finish what he started, but then I thought about my kiss with Liam. What was wrong with me? Why did I keep kissing people and who did I want to keep kissing?
LIAM
It wasn’t difficult to locate Savannah’s aura, but it was surprising to find her in a bookstore designated for witches who participate in the dark arts. Most pagan stores were owned by humans and contained spell books that would never work. However, the stores owned by witches tended to have books by real witches. On occasion, a store would be designated for ordinary humans, but would have a back room or a basement for real witches. The Black Raven was the type of pagan store that masqueraded as an ordinary store. Inside it contained spell books that were as useful as a magic wand. However, behind the desk was a hallway that led to the actual store. It contained everything a practicing witch would need and was dominated by books on the dark arts.
I found Savannah sandwiched between bookcases designated for demonic spells and one for vengeance. I briefly wondered which of the two she favored when I saw her move towards the section about demons.
“Did I miss something? When did you go from despising the dark arts to shopping in a store dedicated to it?” Her startled reaction was rewarding.
Savannah smoothed her hair away from her face, which was a feminine trait that announced that she cared what I thought of how she looked.
“Um, hi. I couldn’t find what I am looking for at my covens’ library.” She shuffled her feet and avoided looking at me.
“Why are you looking for a book on demons? Isn’t that a little out of your league, princess?”
“I was reading my mothers’ journal and discovered that the royal lineages are descended from Nephilim, but that the Cross family also fed on the blood of demons.” She shrugged. “I got curious.”
I could feel that she was holding something back, but it was never a good idea to push someone who was standing on a cliff. “You learned about that, huh?”
She blinked in confusion. “You knew?”
I laughed. “Of course, I knew. My whole coven knows. The Cross family wasn’t just part of the Meadow falls c
oven. The Cross family was the founding family of the Sacred Moon coven too.” Her brow furrowed. “Sacred Moon is my coven.”
“Oh. How come my coven never told me then?”
“I would guess that the Cross family never told them. It’s not exactly something they would be accepting of.” She nodded absently and looked down at the book in her hand.
“If you want to know more about it, you should talk to the elders in my coven. They could tell you anything you want to know. They could tell you more about your parents too.” Savannah nibbled on her lower lip, while she considered my offer.
“How much do they know about my parents?”
“After they left the Meadow falls coven, your parents joined mine. When my coven discovered some of your parents’ intentions, they were removed from our coven. You were born while your parents were still a part of the Sacred Moon coven.” That startled her.
I pulled the book from her grip and paged through it to see what she was researching. The book detailed information about fallen angels and how demons could increase a witch’s power.
“Are you curious about fallen angels or increasing your power, princess?” I raised my eyebrows and she rolled her eyes.
“Nice.” She attempted to grab the book back, but I held it out of her reach.
“You want the book and I want an answer. Care for a compromise?” I rested against the bookcase with the book held high over my head.
Savannah moved forward with her eyes locked on mine. “Well, I don’t know.” She leaned her body into my chest. “What type of compromise were you thinking of?” She smiled, tilted her face, and when I leaned in to kiss her, she grabbed the book and danced away. “On second thought, I don’t think a compromise is in order.”
“Proud of yourself, princess? Using sexual wiles on me to get what you want.” I sighed. “That’s typical of a woman.”
“Hey!” She smacked my arm with her book and looked at me shyly. “Do you really think that your coven could tell me more about my parents?”
It didn’t take long to convince Savannah to meet with my coven. I waited while she purchased her book, and she rode with me in my car to the estate where the elders lived with my mother. It was a generous estate. The main house was a miniature model of a lord’s estate from England with an adjoined barn that seemed out of place.
Savannah gazed around in wonder at the inside of the hall. “This is where you grew up?”
I followed as Savannah walked from room to room in amazement. When she neared the study, she stopped at the sound of voices from within. From the tones, I knew my mother was one of the parties inside and I guessed from the other voices that a handful of the elders were arguing with her.
“Don’t worry Princess, it’s just my mother.” I walked in front of Savannah and opened the door. “I see you’re up to your usual; nagging everyone in sight. Is there any way I can convince you to take it easy on poor Savannah’s ears?”
My mother turned at the mention of Savannah and her face brightened. She exchanged a proud look with me and hurried over to take Savannah’s hands. “I have heard so much about you! My son won’t stop talking about how wonderful you are!” She smiled.
“You got all that, from me talking about the little minx being immune to my charms?” I winked at Savannah and walked over to the others.
I introduced Savannah to the members of the coven. My mother managed to convince Savannah to stay for dinner and spent the entire time trying to charm her. It seemed to be working, because Savannah's color brightened as the day wore on. After dinner, the elders left to pursue their own activities and my mother motioned for Savannah and me to follow her back to the study.
“My son tells me you have some questions.”
My mother sat in the only chair, while Savannah sat on the love seat. I didn’t want to make Savannah uncomfortable and choose to stand near the fireplace. Silently, I allowed Savannah to lead the conversation.
“Yes, I recently found out that I have the blood of angels and demons in my veins. Is that true?”
“I’m not sure what answer you would like, but yes it’s true.” My mother leaned back in her chair to study Savannah’s face. “I suppose you hoped it wasn’t true?” Savannah nodded. “In any case, I don’t see why it matters. All it means is that your line is extremely powerful. It doesn’t mean you’re demonic or angelic. You are a witch, pure and simple.”
“Why would they have chosen to feed on the blood of demons?”
My mother snorted. “Why would your parents or why did your ancestors?”
Savannah gave my mother and me a startled look. “You knew about my parents plan?”
“That’s what you really wanted to ask about, isn’t it?” She was silent for a moment, and then turned to me. “Liam, I think that we are going to need some refreshments if we are going to have this chat. Could you see to it?”
I walked from the room in a daze. When I came back, it was to find my mother telling Savannah about her infancy.
“I was there the night you were born. Your mother was so happy. She cradled you and I could see in her face that you were the most important thing to her.”
“I find that hard to believe. The mother I knew did not care about me.” Savannah looked up at my approach and her face reddened.
“That only changed when they began to pursue their plans to gain power. Magic can be like any other drug. The more you have, the more you crave until nothing can sate your craving and you’re willing to give up anything, to have more of it. Your mother loved you, but that love deteriorated in the face of her addiction.”
The housekeeper came in with a tray of cookies and tea. She set the tray on the coffee table and handed a cup of tea to Savannah and my mother. Savannah grabbed a cookie and nibbled on it absently.
“Can we not talk about her? Could we just talk about their plans for the demon?”
“Of course, but I don’t know very much about that. When we learned that your parents planned to summon a demon, capture it, and increase their power… Let’s just say we weren’t too keen on their plan and removed them from influencing our young.”
After that, my mother told Savannah embarrassing stories about my childhood and Savannah spent most of the evening laughing, which I was grateful for. We left my mother and I drove Savannah home. I pulled into the driveway and turned to Savannah.
“Is there any way I could convince you to go out with me again? Do something that doesn’t involve frustrating family members or demons?”
Savannah reached into her bag, scribbled on a paper, and handed me her phone number. “That’s my cell. Give me a call and I’ll give you an answer.” Her cheeks reddened.
“Is this a compromise?” I laughed, and tugged on a stray hair that was hanging in her face. “Alright Princess, I’ll give you a call, but you have to promise to answer.”
“A counter offer… I like it. I promise to answer or to at least call back, okay?”
She climbed out of the car and made her way towards the house. A panicked feeling built in my chest and before I knew it, I was out of my car and jogging to her. She turned when she heard my approach. “I forgot.”
“Forgot what?” She leaned forward, waiting for my answer.
“This.” I grasped her waist and pulled her into my body to claim her mouth. She started to speak, but my lips silenced her. It was a chaster kiss than I was used to, but I was aware of her house behind her. If her guardian was inside, I didn’t want Savannah to feel any embarrassment at trying to explain the kiss. I pulled away to see a surprised expression cross her face and watched as she touched her lips.
“Oh.”
“See you later, Princess.” I got in my car and drove home.
ASH
I looked out the window when the car pulled into the drive. I thought it was Maye, but I watched as Liam kissed Savannah. I wanted to rage at the touch, but turned towards the kitchen and forced myself to heat up a slice of apple pie. I took my anger out on the it
as I forked eat bite.
A few minutes later, Savannah came into the kitchen and hesitantly approached. “Hey.”
I looked up with a bite in my mouth and nodded. She walked forward, opened a drawer, and pulled a fork out. She came close and speared a piece of the pie to eat. I watched her, silently.
“I ran into Liam at the bookstore today.” She didn’t look at me as she said this. My hand tightened on the fork. “He brought me to see his mother and when he dropped me off, he kissed me.”
“You’re telling me this why?”
Savannah looked up and shrugged. “I didn’t want you to think I was hiding it from you.”
“Did you want him to kiss you?” I regretted the question the moment I asked it.
“I don’t know.” She moved to put her fork in the sink and turned to look back at me.
“It seems like you don’t know a lot of things lately. Like I said before, let me know when you figure it out.” I pushed the empty plate towards the sink and moved to leave the kitchen.
“Ash, he asked me to go on a date. Should I go?” I paused at her question, but I refused to turn to look at her.
“Do what you want. It’s not up to me.” I walked away and stayed in my room the rest of the night.
The next day I managed to avoid her at school and I went out with Griffin that afternoon. I came home to find Maye in the living room.
“I don’t know what is going on between the two of you and I don’t want to.” She came forward to kiss my cheek. “She came home this afternoon and announced she was going on a date since you don’t seem to care one way or another. She’s been in her room trying on every outfit under the sun. Did you really tell her you don’t care if she goes on a date?” I nodded.
“Well, then I have to tell you that was the most asinine thing you have ever said. We both know you care and once you see what she is wearing on this date, I have a feeling you are going to care even more.”
Caged in Darkness Page 10
