by Jaymin Eve
An auburn-haired girl broke away from the crowd and pretty much sprinted for me. Well, she took two steps, tripped over something on the floor, and sprawled across the ground.
“Shit!” she cursed as she pushed herself up with two hands. “This is why I don’t run,” she moaned. Before she could pull herself all the way up, a huge dude scooped her into his arms.
I let my eyes rest on the guy. He was definitely a Daelighter. Dark-haired, flashing dark eyes, symbols on his head just like Chase and Xander. One of the overlord minors, I would guess.
He was gorgeous and intimidating, but he held the girl in his arms with great care.
“Emma, babe, you really have to stop falling down. You’re giving me anxiety.”
Emma and this overlord were clearly in love. He held her like she was precious, cradling her close, his gaze locked on hers. She had one hand resting against his face as he moved closer to us.
Behind them was another pair. The chick was tall and blond, the guy shaved-headed and menacing, and they too were in love. He had a hand on her back; she was leaning into him.
I took another step back, my eyes darting between the three secret keepers and their mates.
“Ava?” Maya was off Chase’s lap now. She took a step closer to me. “Is everything okay? Come and meet Emma and Lexen, and Callie and Daniel.”
She waved me over, but I took another step back.
“You’re all couples?” I asked, trying to keep the upset from my tone. “How?” Why hadn’t they told me that part before now?
The love in the room was overflowing everywhere, but I didn’t understand how it could be possible. It made me question the strong warmth in my chest whenever I looked at Xander. What was going on here?
Emma, back on her feet now, crossed the last few steps to stand before me. She was smiling brightly, although there looked to be a flash of worry in her eyes as well. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she started. “I’ve been waiting such a long time for the four of us to be together.”
I swallowed roughly, trying to find some moisture. “I....” God, what the hell was I going to say? This was just getting too weird for me. “It’s nice to meet you as well.”
Because I was hyperaware of Xander, I noticed him stand. He was out of his chair and before me in a heartbeat.
“Stop panicking,” he said bluntly. “Yes, the secret keepers and the overlords are connected. The eight of us are part of fate’s plan, but that doesn’t mean you and I have to follow the trend. My world is not for you. There would be no way for you to survive. All you have to focus on is finding the stone. Once we do that, the council is going to figure out another way to hide it. They’re going to try and break the link you four have to it. This should all be over then.”
Callie, the blond secret keeper, gasped. “I didn’t know that was the plan.”
“We got word last night,” Daniel said. “The new treaty is in the works now. The humans have agreed that this way of hiding the stone does not work. There will be no more secret keepers once this is all over.”
They continued to talk over each other, discussing everything that was going on, but I could not get past what Xander had just said. There was a fated bond between the secret keepers and the overlords, one that had created these strong relationships I was seeing. But he didn’t want to even acknowledge that with me. I was not for him. Not for his world.
Not for his world.
He hadn’t moved, still standing before me, those ocean eyes locked on me.
“Excuse me,” I said coldly, pushing past him. I needed to get out of here before I screamed or cried. The emotional crying thing was a real bitch when I was trying to hide how much his dismissive words had hurt me.
Why the hell had they hurt me? I didn’t know him or care about him, but rejection was always a bitch.
He didn’t move. “Get the fuck out of my way,” I said, keeping my voice toneless. The curse word should be enough for him. “I need some space.”
He took a step back and I sucked in a quiet breath. “Where’s the bathroom?” I asked Maya, who was close by.
“Just down the hall,” she said, pointing. “There are a few bathrooms back there. Feel free to use whatever one you want.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
I could feel eyes on me as I hurried off, but I didn’t look back.
Chapter 5
My breathing was ragged as I moved quickly toward the bathroom; my face felt very flushed. When I got inside the first generic white, tiled space, I closed the door and leaned back against it.
Eventually I made my way across to the sink and mirror, letting the towel drop to the ground. My hair fanned out around me, dry and wavy from the ocean. Other than that, I was a mess: barely clothed, salt and sand across my skin, eyes wild and greener than usual.
It was hard for me to believe that I had woken up this morning with the same life as always, and within a matter of hours everything had changed. I didn’t even know who I was anymore.
I stood there for a long time, trying to calm myself. Hiding in the bathroom all day sounded like the best idea ever, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen. They wanted to get back to Overworld. They wanted to find this map I possessed. Basically, all of their family talk could be construed as “we need you, so we’ll keep you around for a bit.”
There was a light knock on the door then and I swung around. “Yes?” I said shortly.
“Hey, it’s Emma.”
“And Callie,” another voice added.
“And Maya,” she finished.
“We’d just really like to introduce ourselves, explain everything,” Emma chimed in again.
Knowing I couldn’t avoid them forever, I decided it was better to get it out of the way.
“Sure, come in,” I called, leaning back against the sink.
I couldn’t get comfortable of course, so when the three girls trooped in, I was shifting left to right like there was a sea urchin on my ass. I forced myself to stop fidgeting because they didn’t need to know how awkward I was.
The room wasn’t huge, and with the four of us in there it felt downright small. Emma was the closest; she stopped right before me. I didn’t feel uncomfortable, though; she maintained just enough personal space.
“Hi,” she said softly, her blue eyes soft and kind-looking. “I’m so happy to finally meet you.”
She held her hand out and I didn’t hesitate in reaching forward to grasp it in greeting.
“Sorry for bailing,” I said quietly. “It’s just been a really weird day. Usually when that happens I escape to the ocean. Being stuck inside … it makes me a little insane.”
She squeezed my hand briefly, and in the same moment Callie touched her shoulder, and Maya moved in close enough for her arm to brush against Emma’s.
The four of us gasped. Mine was because a buzz of what felt like electricity had just zapped through me and was still running up and down my arm.
“You all felt that, right?” Callie asked. I immediately pegged her as being a little reserved. Her eyes were gray and guarded, but not unkind.
“Yep,” Maya said as she nodded. “Holy crap, that was stronger than when we all went into the network.”
The buzz seemed to be increasing, and I was about to mention something to Emma when she wrenched her hand out of mine. “Sorry,” she said breathlessly, “but I was afraid we were going to blow up or something. That was intense.”
My chest heaved up and down as I tried to breathe and process what had just happened. “What was that?”
Before anyone could answer, a heavy knock on the door had us all jumping. “Everything okay in there?” asked a deep voice. I was pretty sure it was Lexen, but I couldn’t be sure. “We heard you all gasp.”
Emma cleared her throat before answering. “We’re all fine. We’ll be out in a minute, Lex.”
There was no sound for a moment, and then I heard his footsteps leaving. Emma straightened and said, “I knew there was going to be a
strong connection between the four of us.” She looked between us. “The secret keepers are connected on a basic level, the same way we are connected to the four overlords.”
“I noticed that,” I cut in dryly. “It’s actually one of the reasons I ‘needed some air.’”
Maya chuckled. “Been there, done that. I was running off for ‘air’ far too frequently when I was first initiated into this world. When I realized that there seemed to be a common theme of secret keepers being soul mates with Daelighters … I didn’t really handle that information too well.”
“So, the three of you are all...?” I trailed off.
All of them nodded.
“Lexen’s dragon soul chose me as a mate. They only have one in a lifetime,” Emma said.
“Daniel tied our souls together when Laous killed me,” Callie added. “So now I have to stay around him and the House of Imperial land or my soul starts to fade.”
I blinked at her. “Uh, killed … what?”
She smiled, which turned her face from pretty into breathtaking. “Yeah, it’s a fun story, but suffice it to say I’m doing great now. I’m very happy with my fate.”
She looked like she was doing great, definitely not like someone who had been killed recently. Her platinum blond hair was thick, her skin was glowing, and she looked healthy and fit.
“I’m really glad Laous didn’t succeed,” I told her sincerely. I wasn’t sure if it was the electrical shock we all generated, or whatever bond they were talking about kicking in, but the kinship I suddenly felt was very real ... and a little scary.
“I’m glad too. Missing out on knowing Daniel is something I don’t even want to think about,” Callie told me. “Not to mention finally finding a family with all of you.”
It warmed my heart to be included like that. I could tell she meant it as well, and my stupid emotional tears were trying to surface. Forcing them down, I turned to Maya. “You and Chase ... you’re bonded as well?”
She nodded, her long, wavy, purple-streaked hair tumbling across her shoulders. “Yes, he is from a land where the trees are gods, pretty much. They tethered our souls together. It’s a forever sort of bond.”
My throat felt full, my chest felt tight, and I was trying to figure out if I was about to have a full-on breakdown. “Xander,” I spluttered, shaking my head. I couldn’t get any more words out, and suddenly Emma was wrapping me up in a hug.
“Don’t worry about Xander,” she whispered to me. “He is part of our group, the same as you are, but it doesn’t mean that you two have to be together. That’s not how it works. You’re free to make your own choices.”
I sort of snorted, and when she pulled away I quirked an eyebrow at her. “You three had a choice?”
“Yes,” Callie said without hesitation. “The connection to our guys was there from the start, especially for me and our soul-bond. But I chose to be with Daniel. We could have just stayed friends. Or allies.”
Maya distracted us then when she attempted to jump up to sit on the sink. She was so tiny that her butt just skimmed the edge and she tumbled down. Callie managed to grab her before she hit the floor.
“Dammit,” Maya groused. “This is why being short sucks. Especially when I’m surrounded by all you supermodel types.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Girl, I’m so far from a supermodel.” I waved my hand at her, letting them all see the scars. For some reason I knew they wouldn’t judge me. That was rare, and I really hoped I wasn’t wrong.
“That’s from the shark?” Emma asked, wide-eyed as she reached for my hand.
I nodded. “Yep, just a baby one, thankfully.”
Maya and Callie both leaned over for a closer look.
“The scars show how badass you are,” Emma said as she stepped back. “Don’t ever doubt how gorgeous you are. You’re probably the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a supermodel. No one cares about a few marks on your hand. You are perfect.”
“How tall are you?” Callie asked. “I rarely meet women taller than me. It’s a nice change.”
“You’re definitely beautiful,” Maya put in quietly. “Honestly, you didn’t see Xander in the boat because I could tell you were trying not to look his way, but he didn’t take his eyes off you the entire time.”
My heart swelled, and I realized the strength in a group of strong, confident women who weren’t trying to tear each other down. Support and encouragement. They were straightening my crown rather than trying to steal it, because they all wore crowns as well.
Until this moment I would have been that chick who said they preferred to have male friends. Dudes were chill; we’d surf together, drink together, and be mostly drama free. But I knew now that I’d been missing out by not having girlfriends.
“You three are … so nice,” I said, sounding like the biggest loser, but wanting to express my feelings anyway. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so accepted before.”
“We’re a team … a family,” Maya said, her voice wavering. “A bond that is beyond any normal human friendship. The four of us might not have been physically together for that much time, but our souls have been connected since birth.”
“When we all touched,” I told them, “I felt that. Whatever nerves I had about being in this world … they’ve almost completely faded away. I never would have believed it could happen like this … but here we are.”
The next knock on the door was not quite as heavy. I still jumped of course, because it felt like I was in a bubble in this room. A warm, sweet bubble.
“We have food out here,” Chase said. His voice I would recognize anywhere, it was so damn smooth. “Whenever you’re ready.”
My stomach growled in response, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten at all today. I had no idea what time it was, but it felt like hours since I woke for my swim.
“I could eat,” Callie admitted, laughing. “This soul-bond thing is kind of draining on me, especially when I’ve been away from House of Imperial for an extended amount of time.” She met my eyes then. “Are you okay to come out now? Because we can totally stay in here longer if you need more time.”
“I’m hungry too,” I decided. “Let’s eat.”
Emma clapped her hands and the other two threw indulgent smiles at her. “Emma is our cheer squad,” Maya told me with a huge grin. “Even though I’m the one who was the actual cheerleader, Emma is the one who rallies us all together.”
“She’s the best,” Callie added.
Emma’s cheeks went very pink and she waved them away. “I’m just all about showing people how much I care about them. I lost my family—I felt lower than I ever had. I didn’t think I’d ever be happy again. But I am.” Some of the joy filtered out of her eyes. “Even though I miss my mom and dad so much. God … so damn much. It still hurts to even think about them. I know they’d be so happy if they could see my new family, and that makes it a lot easier. Every day it gets easier.”
Maya let out a strangled sob. “We need to leave before I start bawling. It’s going to happen. I promise.”
I was right there with Maya; my eyes felt damp and hot. Thankfully as we all started to file out of the room, I managed to get my emotions under control. I also felt … better. Truly calm and content for the first time in a long time. Of course, the moment I came face-to-face with Xander—leaning against a nearby wall, staring in our direction—all the confused emotions from before smashed right back into me.
I need the ocean. It was the best thing to clear my head.
When he walked over to us, my chest got tight. I tried to figure out what he wanted. Wait, are those sweats in his hands?
“They’re going to be way too big for you, but I figured you might want some … pants,” he said, holding them out.
His eyes were filled with humor, and I was pretty sure he was checking out the long length of my bare legs. Reaching out, I worked very hard not to snatch the clothes out of his hands. I seriously didn’t want to wear his pants, but I also didn’t want to kee
p walking around in my underwear.
I quickly shimmied into them, tightening the drawstring as much as I could so they stayed up. “I have clothes,” I told him as I rolled the legs up a few times. “They’re at the lifeguard tower back in Lanai. They keep my bag for me when I go swimming.”
Xander shrugged. “You’re going to have to say goodbye to that bag for now. We can’t risk going to any of your normal hangouts.”
When I was clothed and upright, Callie reached out and linked her arm with mine. “It’s okay, we’re practically the same height. I’ll share until we can get you your own.”
Thankful for her intervention, I turned my attention in her direction. Together we moved over to the table. I could feel Xander’s eyes on me, but I was determined not to look back.
When we reached the food, Callie released me and I mouthed a thank-you to her. She just smiled. Trying not to act like a starving weirdo, I took my time looking everything over, when all I really wanted to do was grab as many things as I could and stuff them into my mouth.
“Swimming at the speeds we do burns a lot of calories.”
I knew it was Xander; I could feel the energy running between us. It had been there from the first moment in the water together. When he touched me it increased greatly, but I would be stronger than it. I knew now this was just a byproduct of the secret keeper thing. Nothing more. Wearing his clothes was literally the only time I was getting into his pants. End of story.
“I already know that,” I told him. “Generally I have to eat five or six full-size meals a day. Otherwise I lose a lot of weight.” Not to mention I was six feet tall—I had a lot of body to fill up.
“Take as much as you want,” Emma said, shooting everyone a look. “Let Avalon go first,” she told them.
“It’s okay,” I cut in. “Seriously, don’t worry about me. I don’t need any special treatment ... and it’s just Ava,” I added.
“I’m Lexen, it’s nice to meet you,” the dragon lord dude said. The gorgeous, intimidating, scary overlord.
“Nice to meet you, too,” I managed to chirp back.
“Daniel,” the shaved-headed one said. “Overlord of House of Imperial.”
