Bound by Destiny

by Stephanie Yarns

  “Take all the time you need.” He took her hand and pressed her fingertips to his lips. “I’ll wait for you.”

  A warm softness filled her, and she stepped forward, pulling his head down for a gentle kiss. “Thank you.”

  He rested his forehead against hers for a moment. “You’re most welcome.”

  Stepping back, she closed the glass between them. She turned and headed to the wooden bench in the corner. After a deep breath, she entered the number for her mother’s phone. Would she answer? What time was it there anyway? Did she know about the accident?

  After a ring, there was silence before she heard a hiccup. After that, there was a soft, “Hello?”

  “Mom? It’s me, Eve.” Her mom was crying. Did she know what happened? How could she?

  “Who is this?”

  “It’s Eve. I don’t mean to be calling so early.”

  “My daughter was murdered,” her mother’s voice had changed. Ice couldn’t be as cold and despite the warmth of the space, she shivered. It was only then that she registered what she had said. Murdered?

  “No, mom, I was an accident, but I’m fine. I’m okay.”

  There was silence on the line. The seconds seemed to tick by like years.

  “Prove it.”

  Eve’s mind went blank. How does one prove they were still alive? Memories. Unfortunately, none were coming.

  “You have the hiccups,” she said frantically. “You get them when you cry.”

  “Try again.”

  Her brain unfroze and the words spilled out. “Daddy would call you his lucky clover, because of your eyes. Before he died, he said he was the luckiest man on earth because he had two clovers,” Eve’s voice broke, but she kept talking. “You made me carry a vial of sugar around with me whenever I wasn’t home. You said it was to use against the faeries. I told you that you were the only mom that would make them something one needed protection from.” Her eyes watered. “You gave me a locket. Inside the locket was pictures of you and daddy. But you said that cold iron was precious and to me, it didn’t matter if it was or not, I had my parents with me always.”

  “Eve?”

  “Yes, it’s me.” The tears were flowing now but she smiled. “I brought you home a prism and you stared at it until daddy took it away.”

  “My baby girl.”

  “It’s me. I’m alive.”

  #

  Alex watched her through the glass and could only imagine what she was going through. He could see her tears, but her smile was there. Her shoulders shook, though from crying or laughing, he couldn’t tell.

  She nodded, shook her head, waved her hand around, as animated on the phone as she was in person. It didn’t matter that the other person couldn’t see her.

  He hadn’t been dead long, compared to the others and he still held on to the habits of life. Would time make him as stone-like as Sebastian? As curt and callous as Gideon could be? Hearing Sebastian laugh was something new to Alex. And it was her that did it. It was Eve that brought out that spark of life. How would Gabe react to her? That would be something interesting to see.

  Eve’s expression changed and he focused on her.

  “Mom?”

  “Yes, baby?”

  “I have a question.”

  “What is it?” The concern in the voice coming from half the world away wrapped around Eve. She had to admit it. She missed her mother.

  “Why did you think I was murdered?”

  “An acquaintance told me.”

  “But Mom, they never found the car and I was two states away. Why would they say it was a homicide?”

  There was silence on the other end.

  “Mom?” she made her voice stronger than what she felt. “Strange things are happening. Why did you think I had been killed?”

  “What do you mean by strange things?”

  Eve gave a little laugh. “There is no way I can explain it. Not without you thinking I belong in a hospital.”

  “Baby, tell me what’s going on.”

  “Nothing bad, just weird,” Eve lied through her teeth.

  “I’m coming home,” her voice was firm.

  “No, mom, there’s nothing you can do. And besides, I’m not in Iowa.”

  “Tell me where you are.”

  She almost did. Almost told her the state, anyway. And while her mom was safe, she didn’t want to just invite people over to this… different… household.

  “Let me talk to these people and I’ll let you know tomorrow.”

  “People? Are you safe? Let me know what? When I can see you? Are you being held somewhere?”

  Her laughter was louder. “Yes, I’m very safe. You can sleep easy tonight. Or… eh… whatever time it is there.” She took a breath. “I love you, mom.”

  “I love you too, my sweetie Evie.”

  Eve laughed at her old nickname. “We’ll talk about a plan tomorrow, okay?”

  “I’ll call you.”

  Eve hit the ‘end’ button and dropped her head. Relief from hearing her voice fought with the guilt for letting her think she was dead and left her emotionally exhausted.

  She wondered what the others would say about her meeting up with her mother.

  #

  Alex held her hand as he led her back to the others.

  He hadn’t said anything, for which she was grateful. There was so much on her mind. Why did her mom lie? That was the real reason she stopped herself from telling her where she was. She was going to see her. It was just the where and how that was in question.

  The room was silent when they walked back in. Eve looked around, already knowing Fallon was gone.

  “My mom thought I was murdered,” she said when Gideon turned to her.

  He frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “You don’t see. Supposing the police found my car in the river. At best, when they investigated, it would have looked as if I rolled down the embankment into the water.” She stiffened against the tremors. “At worse, a hit and run. There is nothing in my life that would make anyone believe anything but an accident.

  “I don’t have enemies. Hell, I don’t know enough people to make enemies.” She blushed slightly. “The only thing, and it not a big thing, was that I would go out a lot, in my younger years, and I wasn’t exactly sure who I went home with a lot of the time.” She held her head high but no one judged her.

  “You mother knows something about this,” Gideon said finally.

  Eve nodded. “I want to see her. She told me she was coming home, but I told her I wasn’t there, and no, I didn’t tell her where I was.” She glanced around her. “I think I’ve caused enough problems for you.”

  She took a breath but before she could speak, Gideon spoke for her. “She can come here.”

  The breath turned into a laugh. “I was going to ask if one of you could go home with me.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Alex said. “If not a little difficult because of the whole daylight thing.”

  “It would be easier for her to come here,” Gideon said, giving Alex a small grin. “After we get this sorted out, we can probably arrange a flight for you to accompany her and retrieve some of her belongings.” He paused. “It’s been a little while since we used the helicopter.”

  Eve laughed. “Of course you have one. But what, no plane?”

  He made a non-committal noise and Eve just shook her head.

  “So, yes, please extend to her our invitation. If you can have her arriving in the evening, that would be best, but without explaining why, that might pose a problem. Should her arrival time be during the day, we can send Essie to pick her up.”

  “I want to be there when she lands,” Eve said.

  “But—.”

  Sebastian broke in. “Eve will be fine with Essie.

  “Did someone say my name?” The older women wheeled in the familiar trolley. There was only one dish on it.

  Eve looked at it and asked, “Is it easier with everything out in the open
now?”

  Gideon stroked Eve’s cheek. “Most of it is out, and yes. However, quite terrifying at the same time.”

  She looked up into his eyes. “I can relate.”

  He laughed and turned away. “Essie, we told you about the danger to the house.”

  “Aye, sir, ya did.” Essie faced them and Eve was surprised at the smile on the grandmotherly face. It was pure wicked delight.

  “Well, we have one more request, if we may.” Gideon glanced at Eve before looking back to his housekeeper.

  “Ask,” Essie’s voice changed, became more forceful, not quite as cheerfully Irish.

  Eve blinked. The bouncy, elderly image in front of her blurred for such a fraction of time, she doubted herself.

  “Eve’s mother will be joining us. There is a possibility that her flight will land during the day. Should that occur, would you offer your protection to her when she leaves to pick her up?”

  Essie? Protection? From what? Wouldn’t that be the other way around? While Essie didn’t look anywhere close to being on death’s door, she was still an older woman. Sebastian’s hands covered her shoulders and gave a brief squeeze.

  Essie looked at Eve as if judging her, the gleam in her blue eyes now intense instead of friendly. Eve’s arms crossed her chest as she gripped Sebastian’s hands.

  “Yes. I will. She is strong.” Essie looked back to Gideon. “I require payment.”

  “Of course.” He unbuttoned the cuff of his cream-colored shirt.

  Sebastian’s hands tightened on her and he turned her to face him.

  “What’s going on?” she asked softly. Why did he have to roll his sleeve up?

  He lowered his head and whispered, “Essie is different from us, but similar at the same time. We’ll tell you about her later. You need to know, especially if she is going to watch out for you.” His hands spanned her waist, holding her tight.

  She thought back to Gideon’s words. Everyone in this house is different. So, Essie wasn’t human, obviously. But if she wasn’t a… she still couldn’t make herself say that word… then, what was she? Her lack of knowledge about mythology was going to bite her. But who knew that it could be real? Just the word ‘myth’ implied something made up, a fantasy. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on Sebastian’s chest. Different, but similar.

  “Is he bleeding because of me?” she asked, feeling the guilt rise inside.

  “He’s not doing anything he doesn’t want to do,” Sebastian said with a chuckle.

  What was this world she found herself in? Alice in Wonderland had to be real as well, because she had somehow fallen down the rabbit hole.

  “Sebastian is correct.” Hands cupped her shoulders, pulling her back against a firm chest. Gideon’s breath caressed her flesh as he nuzzled her neck.

  Liquid heat curled in her belly, guilt vanishing beneath a wave of desire.

  Someone cleared their throat, then she heard Micah’s voice. “Guys, get a room.”

  Sebastian slid away from her and she wanted to throw something at the red head. Lust aside, she was enjoying the feeling of safety that surrounded her as she stood between them.

  Gideon dropped a kiss on the side of her neck while sliding his hand down her spine. She shivered and he laughed against her skin. Taking her hand, he tugged her, making her follow him until he sat, pulling her across his lap.

  “So, having settled that, we need to discuss security here.”

  Eve heard him but was having a hard time focusing through the need in her blood. A need that grew with every stroke of his thumb over the small of her back. When did he get his hand underneath her sweater?

  “Stop that,” she whispered as she twisted, looking back at him.

  “No.” His grin was dark, and his arm tightened over her legs, keeping her in place.

  She rolled her eyes at him before looking away and he laughed.

  “Now,” he said, “during the evening hours, you can do as you wish, provided one of us are close. We’ll do everything we can to not burden or overwhelm you. After the threat has been dealt with, you won’t have to suffer from our presence any longer.”

  “I long for the day,” she said with a laugh. It was a joke, but his thumb grew still. She glanced back at Gideon. He wasn’t smiling. “I was kidding. And what? You don’t want me gone?” His lips curved, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. His fingers walked further up her spine.

  “I’ll show you what I want. Later.” He winked at her and she released the breath she didn’t know she was holding.

  She felt the heat in her face and turned away.

  “Okay, that was nighttime.” What she wouldn’t do to make her voice stronger… “What about during the day? I’m not exactly nocturnal.”

  “That is what we were discussing during your phone call.” Sebastian met her eyes from across the table. “You are most likely not going to be happy with our suggestion.”

  “I woke up in your room,” Eve said. “This is why.”

  He nodded.

  “So, until this is over, I have to spend every day with one of you.”

  Gideon felt her muscles tense beneath his fingers. “It’s the only way we can protect you, Eve. While Sebastian and I can spend a few minutes in the sun, the others can’t. The windows also provide an entry for someone wanting to harm you. I won’t allow that.”

  “So, the best you can come up with is this?”

  “It’s just to sleep, Eve. That’s all.”

  She gave a short laugh. That was all it was with Sebastian, and they ended up doing the deed. But that was her fault, wasn’t it? How many times did he deny her? She already knew that Gideon wouldn’t turn her away. He all but promised that. But that didn’t mean she had to fuck them all, right? She could fight the attraction.

  They were doing the best they could with limited information. It wasn’t their fault that she put Sebastian in danger. This was all on her. Every bit of it. They saved her life only to end up tied to her for God only knew how long.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, leaning into Gideon, resting her aching head on his chest. His arm circled her waist, still skin on skin. “I have no right to complain. It’s just… I’ve lived alone for so long. I’m not used to this.” She waved her hand around, unable to put her feeling into words. “You all are trying your best in a difficult situation.”

  “As long as we live, it’s nice to have something new to do,” Micah said.

  She laughed softly. “I doubt Sebastian feels that way.” She lifted her head and looked into green eyes. “Your mark won’t kill you.”

  “You don’t know what I feel.” Sebastian reminded her.

  She glanced to him and gave a slight nod. “Touché.”

  “So, where did Fallon go?” she asked, putting her head back on the warm chest of the man that she was probably going to sleep with later.

  “Does it matter?” Alex asked.

  “I think so,” she said. “He’s an ass, but he helped me.”

  “Well, he probably won’t ever be a roommate to you. He was quite… disturbed… at the idea.” Sebastian smiled softly. But there was a sadness in his eyes that bothered her.

  “Does this thing upset you?” she asked, sitting up on Gideon’s lap.

  Sebastian shook his head.

  It would be so much easier if she could feel his emotions. “Why are you sad?”

  “You would have to ask Fallon,” he said.

  “Well, I would, but every time I see him, he is being scary or an ass.” Or arousing, but she didn’t need to mention that to them.

  “He’ll come around to you,” Gideon said. “It’ll take some time because of what happened to him, but don’t give up on him.”

  “If you say so,” she said, leaning against him once more, snuggling deeper into the curve of his arm.

  “Sleepy?” His other hand stroked the side of her face, brushing her hair back.

  “A little.” She closed her eyes at his touch. “But I like hearing you guys
talking. I feel… included, I guess.”

  “Well, you know our dirty little secret now,” Alex said. “You’re more than included.”

  “Thank you.”

  Voices flowed around her and she drifted off.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Pure blackness surrounded her when Eve opened her eyes. Her saving grace, the one thing that kept her from screaming was the warmth that curved around her back. Was it Gideon? Sebastian? There was a slight bit of embarrassment in that she didn't know who's bed she was in.

  Did she know them well enough to tell by touch? She turned, moving gently so as not to wake whoever she lay beside.

  She reached up and stopped twice before she got up her nerve to continue. Her fingers brushed warm flesh. The arm over her tightened for a second before relaxing again. She waited a moment, cursing the lack of any source of light. Nothing happened, so she continued until she felt the softness of his hair. Slowly, she ran her fingers through it. Longer than Sebastian's, the slight waves tickled her palm.

  Gideon.

  She took a deep breath then froze when his voice came out of the black.

  "Figure me out?"

  "Yeah." She gave a shivery laugh.

  "Does this mean I can touch you now?"

  "I told you. You never have to ask me that." The words were barely out of her mouth when she found herself on her back, his hands in her hair, and his lips on hers. She could feel herself sink into his kiss, his body pressing down on hers as he covered her.

  His skin was easy to find in the dark and she ran her palms down his back. His groan filled her lungs and she flexed her fingers, lightly digging her nails into the flesh. She felt his shudder as it traveled the length of his body and she laughed against his lips.

  "You're a little evil, aren't you, beautiful?" He nipped at her jaw and then he was gone.

  "Gideon?"

  "Get undressed." She couldn't get a location on his voice. It seemed to come from everywhere.

  "I can't see." She held her hand in front of her eyes. Nothing.

  "You don't need to."

  "But—"

  "Do you trust me?" There was a touch of worry that stroked her, and she was quick to answer.