Genesis

by Christie Rich

Wariness settled in his eyes. “I’m listening.”

  I cleared my throat. How best to say this without getting him all riled up? “I know you don’t really want me.”

  He sat there, eyes wide, for all of a second before he spoke, “I may have—”

  I waived him off. “No. It’s okay. I feel the same about you. I like you just fine, but I don’t feel the sort of connection I would need for me to want to be your bondmate.”

  His already unpleasant frown deepened into a scowl. “You haven’t given this much effort.”

  I shrugged, trying my best to be nonchalant about the whole thing. “Tell me you feel differently.”

  Lips pursed, he let out a ragged huff. His voice came out pinched. “I am trying—”

  “You shouldn’t have to try. That’s my point. Connections should be seamless. I don’t want to be unhappy, Taylor.”

  He shook his head, his face unreadable. “This doesn’t sound much like a proposition to me.”

  “I was getting to that. You see. I don’t just want to make the best decision for me. I want to do what’s right for everyone. I think that for me to do the most good for fae and human alike, I need to be completely invested in the relationship I ultimately commit to. I don’t know if that’s possible with how little time I have to get to know all of you, but I want to make sure I am doing the right thing. I don’t want to mess this up. I know the prophecy says—”

  His face went cold before he interrupted me. “If you are here trying to get me to disclose the details of the prophecy, you are wasting your time…and mine.” He pointed out the gigantic stack of papers on his otherwise orderly desk. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I have matters to deal with.”

  I flipped a hand in the air. “You know that’s not why I’m here. Don’t think for one second I’ve forgotten you are still in my head. I need to learn how to keep you and everyone else out!” My voice had risen a few octaves, so I made sure to calm myself before I spoke again. “I could help you, Taylor, and your people. What would you really gain by bonding with me other than a pain in the neck?”

  He sighed. “This is about more than just power, Rayla. Despite the congenial façade the courtiers wear in public, we are on the brink of war. Some within my realm are hoping for just that. We need leadership.”

  I leaned on my arm, hoping he would explain, but when he didn’t, I asked, “Why are the houses at odds? I don’t understand. You said yourself that you all have everything you could want here.”

  He raised his dark brows in clear mockery. “We live on the bottom of the ocean, for starters.”

  I laughed, and instead of giving me another scowl, he smiled. Wide even. My laugh turned into a bit of a giggle. “It doesn’t seem that bad.” After all, I had mistaken the water above for sky.

  “It isn’t really, especially compared to some of the realms, but the idea we have to live here is the problem. You asked me why the water doesn’t come crashing in around us; well, certain Uldranians have been assigned to the task of keeping the water at bay at all times. I guess you could say it is their job.”

  I sucked in a harsh breath, my mind tripping over this new tidbit.

  “Not to worry, my dear. Your fear of drowning is comical. If you only knew the power you possess. If you could glimpse a fraction of what I see in you, you would laugh yourself.”

  I wasn’t laughing now. That was for sure. This was no freaking joke. How would he feel if he was in a new place with all new people and just found out he could die in the next second if a few people fell asleep on the job?

  He let out a boisterous laugh that filled the room, the sound hitching my breath. “It doesn’t work that way. You do have the imagination.” He stood up. “Come with me. I wish to show you something.”

  I followed him into a courtyard below the main estate. Off in the distance a large pond glittered in the diffuse light. My whole body tensed when he took me to the water’s edge. Was he going to test his theory? I could swim, but I wasn’t that great. I tried to wait patiently for him to do something.

  He just stood there, gazing out over the water, his eyes showing a pain I had never seen in him. Was I wrong about Taylor? Did he feel deeply yet didn’t show it?

  He reached a hand toward me, and I placed my fingers between his, wondering what this was all about. With sudden stealth, he pulled me next to him, his neck craning around behind us as if to make sure we were alone. Not a moment later, he breathed into my ear. “From here, we drift.”

  Before I could get the question out of my mouth, pure matter closed in around me. My mind whirred. Where was he taking me? I could stop this at any time. I knew I could, but for whatever reason, I wanted to see what he was up to.

  We emerged at the edge of the woods. Familiar sights and sounds startled me, bringing a sense of dread I hadn’t expected.

  “Take me back,” I hissed immediately. Why did he bring me to St. Mary’s College? Didn’t he know Ainessa and the Order would be looking for me?

  He squeezed my fingers. “If you truly wish to understand me, this is the best way I know of to show you.”

  Okay?

  “Don’t worry; I would never let anything happen to you. We are concealed.”

  “How?” I thought Zach was the only lord capable of manipulating space.

  “I will explain the mechanics later. For now, please, trust me. You are too important to my people, nay, to the very existence of my entire race for me to be careless. You should know that about me by now, Rayla.”

  Yeah ‘cause we’d spent so much time together. I glanced at him, trying not to let my snarky thoughts show even though I knew he could still read my mind. His eyes pleaded for me to give him some leeway. Should I? I had gotten into too much trouble already by trusting so willingly, but I was asking him to trust me. How could I give anything less to him? I let my chin fall in a short nod and found myself pulled into motion.

  I remembered this part of campus. If we walked a couple of minutes east, we would end up at Le Mans Hall. I honestly never thought I would see this place again.

  The new school year must have already started because chattering girls were everywhere. I gave Taylor a panicked expression, but he didn’t react. After a few minutes, I realized he had to be telling the truth. No one noticed us even when we walked right beside them.

  Taylor was the kind of handsome that demanded to be admired. From his sensual mouth to his smoldering honey eyes to his perfectly muscled frame, yet not one person looked at him…or me for that matter.

  To my surprise, he didn’t take me to Le Mans Hall. We veered down a side path I was sure I had never taken. He led me into the trees without saying a word. I glanced sidelong at him, about ready to scream at him to tell me where we were going because I did not want to end up in the borderlands at the moment, when I heard singing. A woman to be precise.

  Her haunting voice propelled me forward on invisible wings. I found myself listening intently, hoping she would never stop.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it? It is what I miss most about her.”

  We turned a corner, revealing a clearing up ahead. Sister Mary Margaret, or, as I now thought of her, Lily, sat on a fallen log. If it weren’t for her silver hair, I would have mistaken her for a student trying to get some alone time. She was still very beautiful even though the fire of her hair had long since died out.

  Taylor pulled me closer to the woman that I had originally hoped would help me escape the fae, but now I was almost glad she hadn’t succeeded. My life had become much more complicated since I was taken to Lombarda, yet richer.

  I loved being in the fae realms. Despite my initial concerns, I hadn’t met a person other than Ainessa I felt was truly evil. I didn’t know if even she was all bad. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t stand the woman, but what would I be doing right now if I were in her place? If my only chance at happiness meant hurting other people, would I be strong enough to deny myself?

  “You are nothing like her, Rayla,” Taylor commented, p
ulling my mind back to the task at hand.

  “Thanks,” I said, wishing he would explain why he brought me here.

  He gave me a small smile before his eyes drifted back to Lily. “I come to see her every day.”

  I followed him down to the grass, taking in the deep, earthy scent of the morning. The dew seeped into my sweats, but I was too focused on other things to care about it. It would have been impossible for me to look away from Taylor. In one glimpse, I was witnessing more emotion from him than I thought he was capable of. He never looked away from Lily. It was as though he was studying every angle of her face, memorizing her in vivid detail.

  “Why?” I asked, my voice hoarse. Why would he want to torture himself like this?

  He lifted a shoulder lazily. “Not much time remains. She will be called home soon, and I will be without her for good.”

  Rustling sounded down the path. Taylor’s expression shifted from sadness to concern in less than a heartbeat.

  I watched the path, thinking it was just a bird or small animal. To my surprise, Adam Wilder from IPS rounded the corner. His face was flushed as if he had been running, just like the last time I’d seen him. That was before I knew what the lords had planned for me, before I knew I would never have a normal life.

  He heaved a relieved sigh when he saw Lily. “Sister.” He gave her a brief smile. “I hoped to find you here.”

  No longer the exuberant girl I had seen in the borderlands, Sister Mary Margaret stood, facing Adam with a guarded narrowness to her brown eyes. “What can I do for you, my dear boy?”

  Pulling a familiar device out of his pocket, he studied it for a moment then looked at her. “I have new evidence.”

  Evidence of what? On further inspection Adam didn’t look so great. He was skinnier and his blue eyes had become sunken and wary.

  “I’ve already told you I cannot help you in this regard. You need to move on with your life. Jessica is gone.”

  “She isn’t,” he insisted. “She can’t be.” Without taking his eyes from her, he turned on the recorder.

  A gravelly voice could be heard, barely, but it was discernible enough to make out the conversation Gibbit had with Ainessa in my room. It seemed like ages ago. Time was no longer measurable for me. Days seemed like years or hours depending on the circumstance.

  Sister Mary Margaret scowled. “How does this concoction of yours relate to Jessica’s disappearance?”

  He flinched when she said concoction, and his mouth turned hard. “She was working on a theory with me.” Adam hesitated, as if he was embarrassed to say what came next. “About otherworldly beings who live on Earth.”

  “Aliens?” asked Sister Mary Margaret. I had to give her credit. She kept a straight face.

  “Well, sort of.” He shuffled his feet uncomfortably and ran his fingers through his short hair, making it stick up like he had just gotten out of bed. His eyes suddenly hardened. “Why won’t you talk to me? She was your aid. You have to know, more than anyone, who might have taken her.”

  She gave him a soft expression and an even softer tone. “Jessica was a disturbed young woman. You have to accept that. Anything could have happened to her.”

  Adam’s hands fisted, his mouth drawing into a thin, white line. “I will find out what happened to her, with or without your help. Think of her parents. Jessica is their only child!”

  I should have never agreed to help Adam. I wasn’t sure how he got a hold of that tape. I didn’t remember giving it to him. I hadn’t had time. My fingers absently pressed the note I carried with me—everywhere I went now. I shouldn’t have kept it. Adam was better off not knowing what happened to Jessica. Even if he found out the truth, he would still be left without her. She would still belong to another man for more time than Adam would be alive. Sister Mary Margaret was right.

  He needed to move on.

  “This will not bring her back to you, Adam,” said Sister Mary Margaret. “Her parents have accepted that she is gone. You need to do the same.”

  He reached out, grabbing her elbow in what looked like a tight grip. Taylor tensed at my side. His lip curled back like an enraged lion ready to pounce.

  I squeezed his arm. “Give her a chance to take care of this.”

  He gave me a sideways glance, but he was focused on her an instant later. “How dare he touch her.” His voice had come out soft, but an unyielding tension made his statement reverberate in my mind.

  “I don’t think he’s hurting her.”

  Adam paled under the Sister’s bold stare. “Forgive me,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “I just need to know she’s okay. I don’t understand exactly what’s happening here, and I’m not trying to out anyone or any thing. But I will not stop until I’ve found her, alive or dead.”

  She patted his hand that lingered on her arm. “I am truly sorry for your loss. You have no idea how much I wish I could help you, but pushing this will only lead you to sorrow. Better to move on while you are still young. You have a life to live.”

  Any sparkle of life he had left fled his eyes. “Not without her.”

  I couldn’t believe how much this was affecting him. This was Jessica he was talking about. I shrugged. Maybe I could get the letter to him—mail it or something. He needed closure, yet, would it bring him solace? It was more likely to cause him pain.

  “I have a meeting with Alex Wayne later. Maybe he will help me. After all, his brother is missing too.” A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes before he straightened his back. “I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

  We all stood there, stiff as three corpses five days old, watching him leave. I had a feeling this was not just going to go away. The determination in Adam’s eyes was that of a man possessed. He would not give up. Even if his evidence could be discounted as faked, it would raise suspicion. It would also turn the paranormal investigation societies on their ear. How many people had he shown this to? With my luck it would end up on one of the TV shows that were so popular now.

  I missed watching those. The otherworld had always fascinated me. I had only been given a glimpse of what it truly was, but I was eager to learn more.

  As if she could sense us, Lily tipped her head toward the grass. “I know you’re here, you know. Why not show yourself?”

  I gasped, moving toward her. Taylor held me steady, shaking his head.

  “Don’t you want to really see her? Before it’s too late?”

  With more sadness radiating from him than anyone should have to bear, he shook his head. “It is forbidden. We are not allowed contact with our bondmate once she is returned to the mortal realm.”

  It hit me then, why this man had been so distant to me from the beginning. He was in love with Lily. Still. After all this time of her being away from him.

  I wouldn’t be able to do it. Looking at someone you love without being able to touch them, to laugh with them, to share your dreams with them.

  He really was torturing himself.

  His sad eyes studied her again. “I have loved before her, Rayla. Never this intensely, mind you, but the loss gets more bearable as time passes. I have allowed myself this one pleasure, but I have to move on. It is not healthy for me to be here. I do know that, but I find I cannot stay away.” He gave me a timid smile. “I could offer this to you. It would take time to develop a relationship, time for me to put her behind me, but I wanted you to see that I am capable of giving you what you need.”

  What I didn’t need was another complication in my life. I swallowed hard. I hadn’t expected him capable of deep emotion. He seemed sincere, yet how could I know for sure? I stared at him, capturing his attention. “What I really need right now, Taylor, is a friend.”

  His resultant smile gave me hope we could figure things out, to his advantage and mine. “So this is your proposition? An alliance?”

  I nodded, hoping he would bite.

  He turned back to watch Lily again. “I would do almost anything to be able to say goodbye to her. The right way. I was
foolish when I let her go. I wanted her to hate me, for her to find a man that could truly be hers. The truth is I doubt I will ever be rid of her.”

  I’d experienced Lily’s heartache right along with her when I read her journal. It was the only time I felt connected with her. She had been devastated. It didn’t take her long to join the sisterhood, and I fully understood why she had done it. How could she think about another man when she had already experienced the deepest love possible? I wanted to help them both. Somehow, I thought she needed the closure more than he did.

  “Uncloak me,” I whispered.

  His head whipped around so fast, I nearly laughed at him, but I kept a straight face to make sure he knew how serious I was about this.

  Distracted, he bit his bottom lip, not saying anything for a really long time. He would know what I had planned the instant I thought it, and for once, I was happy I didn’t have to explain myself.

  “I agree,” he said so soft I barely heard him.

  The air around me kicked up, swirling strands of my hair around my face.

  Lily let out a tiny scream before recognition glimmered in her gaze. She ran to my side, scanning the area as if for unseen attackers. “Rayla, what are you doing here?” She stepped back, studying me. “For a moment, I thought you were someone else.” Her tone exploded with worry. “You shouldn’t be here, child. Don’t you know you are being hunted?”

  What was new with that? I gave her a reassuring grin. “I’ve brought some protection with me.”

  Her whole body tensed, but her face flushed. Her breath came unsteady. “I was right? Wasn’t I?” She spun around as if trying to catch a glimpse of him. “I did feel him? Why does he not show himself?”

  Taylor stepped directly behind me. “Tell her it is against the rules, and she knows it.”

  I made a face at him over my shoulder. “He would really like to, Lily, but it’s against the rules. May I call you Lily, or do you prefer, Sister?”

  She ignored my question, speaking only to him. “Damn the rules, Taveon. I have days left, if that. I need to see you…one last time.” Tears streaked her cheeks. “That I may know you weren’t merely an elaborate dream.”