by Lori, Rae
Then she awoke. Always at that part, she awoke. Perhaps it was a good thing. She didn’t want to feel the impact of her body slamming against the ground. Nor did she want to test the theory of how it would affect her real consciousness.
Why was she dreaming of the elemental when they had destroyed it?
After many nights of calm, peaceful dreams this came.
She had tried to recapture the lost time she had left behind and she hoped to regain what little innocence that still cornered her mind. Before leaving, she already saw her family brutally murdered one by one. After she entered the mortal realm, she was introduced to the near death and acts of blood and flesh that Jace had introduced to her.
Jace—
What must he think of her now? She was sure he must have already found the ring. As time passed in the mortal realm, she wondered if he believed she wouldn’t return. After all, she never gave him an answer to his question and leaving may have destroyed whatever was brewing between them. He was still surrounded by death’s curse and she hadn’t made it any easier on him.
Death was a way of life in the mortal realm and the heightened whimsical nature she felt in this realm always felt like an arm reaching out for her. Since arriving, she had wanted to wrap herself in its sweetness before it was safe to see him once again.
Ariya pushed the sheets off and leaned over the side of the bed, putting aside the nagging feeling that something may be wrong. It wasn’t too long ago her townspeople held a ceremony to officially crown her as their Queen. She felt uneasy taking such a position. After all, she had just come of age and the past several weeks were enough to force her into maturity faster than she had imagined.
Slowly she slid off the silken sheets and stood. She immediately missed the cushions that cradled her body every time she rested within its folds. It felt like unimaginable bliss itself for the emptiness of the palace—except for the ladies in waiting and the Aziza Amazon guards—made it lonely. If she could go back to her own room knowing her family was still in the home and Shya and Rhea were just a few feet away in their own homes, she would gladly give this all up in exchange for their warmth and love again.
Outside, night was still upon the grounds of the Aziza. Through her window Ariya could see the moon; pale, glowing high above the velvet sky. The sweat that had formed on her body cooled as it evaporated in the air. Her wings fluttered to life, shaking off the dampness in between the soft cloudy gossamer gown clinging to her warm body. The long hem around her ankle shuffled behind her steps as she went into the hall. The palace stood as it had before the elemental. With the help of Cidra, the guards and the Aziza of the surrounding lands things were on their way back to the way it had been. Her family plaque, a gold slate with their visages carved in the metal, was erected above the front door. She stepped outside onto the balcony and looked over the dark forested grounds. A soft wind blew the trees swaying back and forth. As she walked among their grounds earlier that day, the rustling trees and stalks of grass whispered to her of what the elemental had done in its path of destruction. Her hands formed into fists at her side. She had to remind herself it was someone else who caused this. Someone behind the elemental, not the creature itself, according to the book from the library. In essence, the elemental was only doing its master’s bidding. Yet who had called it? Who could have known of the Aziza’s existence?
Ariya peered up at the moon with these questions in her mind. She calmed herself down with the thought of Jace. The smell and feel of him that had come to give her comfort each night she slept in his bed. Strange how she felt more at home with him nearby, as if he himself was home. She knew the Aziza moon of Aido-Hweda was not the same moon of the mortal realm overlooking the Ashen Twilight house. It probably wasn’t even night time back in Phoenix. How long had it been for him? She couldn’t help wondering what became of Jace when she left him. Deep down, she hoped he wasn’t angry with her and would understand her actions for leaving. Did he miss her like she did him? Perhaps he felt the connection as she did the more time passed. She clutched her chest as she leaned forward against the railing of her terrace. He was a part of her heart. Now that she had shared her blood with him, she was a part of his. Would he remember if she were to return?
* * * *
Jace walked along the quiet street with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat. He would have to return home later that evening. Class would start in a few hours but first he needed to feed. His body pulsed with need. The past few weeks he had done the same thing. Wandering the streets in search of an unsuspecting female to indulge in. Not since Shelly had he brought any back to his home. The thought of it reminded him of Ariya. Only her presence was now welcome within his walls. He cursed himself for not moving on. She had obviously forgotten about him since she left or else he would know how she was doing and what happened.
Jace gently shook his head to rid his thoughts of her. Right now wasn’t about her. It was about him and the task at hand. He had narrowed his feed to only certain women now who were near the end of their lives and ready to give into the sweet rapture of death.
A distant howl broke out in the evening air breaking into his thoughts. Rich was nearby hunting among the dark shadows in his true Lycan form. He had been walking around with his mind in a daze for the past few weeks and Jace only got to see him a few days in between his trips in and out of town. He wouldn’t speak about what he was up to and Jace had a hard enough time trying to enter his thoughts. The Lycan probably cloaked his thoughts on purpose. Still he promised the share his news soon and if Jace had learned anything in his life it’s that patience is much less taxing than banging your head against the wall. Things come in time.
Jace leaned against the wall as he smelled a figure nearby. Sweet, blood and a rapid beating heart cornered his mind, raising the hunger deep within. Then a tall lithe figure came into his view. The rapid pumping blood flowing throughout her body would be perfect and more than inviting to flow straight through his lips and into his veins and heart. He would take her right now among the building’s shadows. He would bring her to the edge and ecstasy of death as he consumed her blood. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to indulge in this stranger. Instead, he watched her like a predator would his prey. With a sigh, he pushed off the building wall and continued walking back toward his apartment. Tomorrow he would try again, but for now he would indulge in a cold glass from his fridge while he prepared the teaching guide for tonight’s art lesson.
* * * *
Upon dawn’s light of morning, Ariya had changed into a thin white gown wrapped around her shapely body like a cloud. The dream had returned again and this time she saw the ancient battle mixed with a very modern setting. Something was brewing back in the mortal realm concerning the Ashen Twilight House. She tried to push it away with the idea that Jace and the other immortals would handle it, but the feeling only grew stronger. Now that things had settled back to normal here at home, it was safe for her to cross realms once again.
Ariya sent word to her chamber maiden to find Cidra for her. The guard would understand once she explained the situation. Things would be well here in the meantime and once she pinpointed the problem and nipped it, she could return as promised. Perhaps not alone, if all went really well.
Moments later, she met Cidra in the long hallway leading out to the front door.
“M’lady Ariya you called?”
“Yes, Cidra. I wanted to let you know I’m leaving for a while.”
Her dark chocolate eyes widened in surprise. “May I ask for what reason?”
Ariya placed a gentle hand on her friend’s arm and smiled. “Cidra, when we were children playing outside do you remember when I couldn’t control that tiger? I thought it was resisting my powers and I was afraid to move much less try to contain it.”
Cidra’s worried expression disappeared as she smiled with nostalgia. She nodded. “I do remember. I couldn’t stop screaming and I thought I was going to die, but you said not to worry. It was a
s if you received a sudden reassurance of life and power that overtook your senses—”
“And extended it to the beast,” Ariya chuckled. “Although I was frightened, I knew deep down that I could contain it if I tried hard enough.”
“What are you saying, Ariya?”
“I’m saying I have a feeling some friends of mine may be in danger and I need to warn them. I want to leave our home and our realm in your care. I trust you to watch over it in my family’s honor. I trust you with my life, Cidra.”
Ariya pulled her friend in for a hug and held her tightly.
“When will you return?” Cidra asked once they parted.
Ariya stopped near the front gates and turned back. She now felt as if she belonged between two realms. One of her past; her world and her culture; the other of a possible future with a man she couldn’t stop thinking about.
Ariya walked back to Cidra and pulled her in for another hug. She would take their friendship and strength with her as she crossed over and keep it locked safely in her heart. Cidra’s thin yet sturdy frame slightly taller than Ariya settled in the hug. The question lingered in her mind as thoughts of Jace returned to her. “I can’t say an exact time but I will try soon.”
With that, Ariya turned away and exited to the forest hoping to get to the bottom of this mystery with the help of the houses.
Chapter 10
The sun was high in the sky when Ariya made it back to Phoenix. Before she crossed into the mortal realm, she made sure to change into a soft dress that hid her wings well. Jace had told her they were living under the mortal’s eyes and she didn’t want to take any chances of them seeing anything strange. Since she wasn’t too far away from Jace’s apartment, she decided to take a walk near the Ashen Twilight House to kill some time before nightfall. The shadows of the trees danced across her face, causing her to squint as she looked around the streets. The downtown residential area was busy near the long stretch of road, but not on the street she walked along, thank goodness.
She spotted the large Victorian house down the street among the smaller houses. She figured the House of Blood must still be in slumber. She looked up toward the sun and surmised the time was most likely late afternoon. The mortal children must be out of school by now which would mean Vex and Rich would be off their coaching jobs. She wondered what the House of Shifter Elves would be up to this time.
As she crossed the street to the Ashen Twilight house, she looked up and saw a dark figure standing at the terrace shielding his eyes as he looked out at the city below. Ariya squinted a little. A chill shot through her spine once she realized who it was. Julian! She shook her head slightly to make sure she was seeing straight. It was Julian, dressed in a dark robe. A look of pride and satisfaction crossed his strong, handsome face as he looked at the sky. A barrage of questions cornered her mind starting with how and why. Was he always wandering about during the day like this? For how long, longer then the time she’d been absent? If so, did he tell anyone? Did Jace know?
Just then, as if feeling her presence, he looked down right into her eyes. The smile upon his face disappeared only to be replaced by a look of wonder, concern and possibly fear if she could decipher it correctly from where she stood. Ariya’s body suddenly bolted to life and she turned to run away from the preternatural house. She would ask Jace later when she saw him. For now, she would wait until nightfall before using her wings for flight.
* * * *
A lifetime seemed to pass before night finally replaced the day. Ariya was surprised she remembered where Jace’s apartment was, and Ashen Twilight House for that matter. After all it was rare she left the interior for fear of the elemental sensing her. Nevertheless the aura she sensed off Jace would reach across the globe if she willed it enough. Her body warmed at the thought and she couldn’t help smiling.
Ariya rounded the corner of Jace’s apartment complex and headed right for his door.
“No one’s home.”
She turned at the sound of the small voice out of the corner of the hall. An older pale woman with white hair looked back at her with curious coral blue eyes.
“Oh you just missed him. The young man who lives there left not too long ago. Probably to teach and then go out partying as young people usually do.”
“Oh,” Ariya tried to hide her disappointment. Might as well use the lady’s knowledge for good. “Do you by any chance know when he will be back?”
The older woman raised her thin shoulders in a shrug. “Not a clue. Although I must say.” She stepped out of the doorway, gently closing her door to behind her. Taking slow steps toward Ariya, she crept closer as if she held the secrets of the Sphinx. “There have been some strange noises coming from that apartment late at night.”
“Strange noises?” Ariya looked down at the older lady, pretending to be surprised. “What do you mean?”
“Well, he only leaves the apartment at night and then always returns right before dawn. During the day it’s as quiet as a tomb in there. I once tried to knock on his door one afternoon and nothing. It was still as night although I knew he was in there. And the other evening, I could have sworn I heard growling and knocking like a large animal was tossed against the wall.”
Ariya shifted her weight wondering what the lady was getting at exactly. “Interesting,” she said flatly.
“It’s mighty strange, if you ask me. I think he may be one of those vampire wannabe types whose body clock is all topsy-turvy. It isn’t healthy for a young growing man to restrict his lifestyle to the night like that.”
“Well, we’re all unique in our own way. Each having our own peculiarities that seem strange to the person next door.”
The older woman lifted a leery eye. “Perhaps. Perhaps. Just be careful, dearie. You don’t want to fall into some kind of trouble with the wrong crowd. You seem like a sweet enough kid.”
“I will be careful. Thank you for your concern.” Ariya watched the older woman walk back to her apartment. With a smile, she closed the door behind her.
Ariya took a breath as she felt her wings flutter behind her. She stifled a chuckle to herself. If she only knew. She took a seat down in front of Jace’s door and wondered what would happen if the Ashen Twilight House came out from hiding. Would they really be ridiculed and torn apart for their kind like the old lady warned? Or would they be welcome with open arms? From her studies she saw that most of the media revered vampires and other creatures of the supernatural. Contrary to popular belief there was a big leap from fictional ‘what if’s’ to proven fact of their existence. Like Jace said, the mortals didn’t have much of a good track record with beings that are different from themselves. Perhaps it would be best for her to keep a low profile.
She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her back against the door. She made sure not to crush or tear her delicate wings. Jace should be back soon, she surmised. For now, she would rest.
* * * *
Jace parked his Volga Roadster in the nearby carport and turned off the engine later that night. His nightly routine had turned into just that, a routine. And a boring one at that. Ever since Ariya left, he had been hoping to return to his life as before. Strangely enough nothing would allow him to settle back into his previous mindset after meeting her and the elemental. Perhaps he needed a vacation or something. He could visit the other houses around the world just to get a taste of something different. Anything to get her out of his mind.
He kicked open the car door as his cell phone rang from within his pants pocket. He stepped out as he reached down to retrieve it.
“Y-ello?”
“Ah Jace, it’s Rich.”
“Didn’t I just see you?”
Rich laughed over the line, a mixture of a grunt and a chuckle. “I forgot to ask if you can come to a special event I have planned for the evening after tomorrow.”
Jace reached across the front seat to grab his briefcase and art supplies, balancing the phone between his ear and shoulder. “And this you couldn’
t ask me while I was there?”
“No way, man. This is something that’s been kept pretty quiet. Since everything went through I thought I’d tell you personally. I just called Gael and he agreed to spread the word for me.”
“So what are we celebrating?”
“What part of surprise do you not understand?”
Jace snorted as he edged back out the front door with his items under his arm. “Right. Well, yeah. I’ll be there.”
“I just have to get a few things ready beforehand at my house, but meet me at the Torch around seven.”
“Will do.”
“Later, man.”
“Later.”
Jace headed up the short steps to his apartment complex. As he stuffed the cell in his pocket he wondered what could be up with Rich. The Lycan had been acting strange since they fought in front of Ariya. Since she left Rich had been keeping himself scarce with a project he wouldn’t divulge to Jace or Gael, no matter how much they tried to pry it out of him.
Jace froze, finally allowing his senses to replace the thoughts in his mind.
Ariya.
Her soft presence and sweet aura filled every corner of his mind and body. Was she really here? Or was his mind playing tricks on him? He continued around the corner toward his apartment and stopped once he saw the figure lying down in front of his door. Every essence of life within her, he felt. The slow breaths she took. The calm beats of her heart and the smell of her sweet blood pumping through her veins. He had to blink a few times to realize she was lying down just a few feet from him. Ariya was actually here.
