by Bea Paige
“It seems this is becoming a habit,” he says, his face lowering ever closer to mine. I don’t think I am breathing now.
“You looking after me, I mean.” Ezra’s hand moves down, his palm smoothing against my throat, lowering to my collarbone before finally resting between my breasts. I know he can feel the pounding of my heart beneath his hand as much as I feel it trying to escape my chest.
“Your heart is strong, it beats so loud. It is good to hear, Accacia…”
“Why?” My chest heaves under his touch and my skin burns beneath his hand. We are caught, Ezra and I, within this web we have weaved about one another. I’m not sure which one of us is the captor and which the prey but whatever this is forming between us, something is different, the barrier is not so impenetrable now.
“Ezra, what are you doing?” I ask gently, not understanding what is going on. Him blowing so hot and cold is confusing me. He loved his wife Thalia, he refuses my blood because of her, because of the love he has for her. I understand why. I understand his pain, I’ve felt the rawness of it. Witnessed it first hand as it tore him apart not an hour or more ago. So why is he looking at me the way he is?
“You are alive, here,” he says, his mouth barely an inch away from mine.
“Yes,” I reply.
“I never thought…” His breath is warm against my mouth, as the top of his nose brushes against mine. Neither one of us can look away. With the lightest of touches his lips graze against mine. “Thank you,” he murmurs against my mouth. “For everything, Accacia.”
A rush of air, followed by the entrance of Eldon, has Ezra scowling once again. He sits up.
“Jael has sent word, the fae king has brought the trial forward. Rhain and Devin are being sentenced this afternoon. If you want to save your friends, then you must leave now.”
Ezra leaps up from the bed. I follow him.
“Where’s the map?” I demand.
Avery walks up behind Eldon. “It is here,” he says, handing over a dry piece of parchment with a detailed drawing upon it.
“Map?” Ezra snatches the parchment from me. I snatch it back.
“Yes, there is a map that will lead us to an inn within the fae city. A man called Solomon will be waiting for us there, he will take us to Rhain and Devin.”
“Well a map is all good and well, but how do we get to the city without being…”
“There’s a secret pass,” I cut in.
Ezra narrows his eyes at me. “You seem to have this all well planned out.”
“You can thank Clover for that. She’s the one who arranged it all.”
“She’s sleeping. How can she have arranged anything?”
“Don’t underestimate what Clover can do, she is a very determined woman,” Avery says with a proud smile.
“Enough of the talk. We need to go, now,” I say, looking between the men. “Rhain and Devin need us.”
“Looks like Clover is not the only one who is determined,” Eldon says, a smile curving his lips. He steps towards me and takes my hand in his, pressing a kiss over my knuckles. A kind of strangled noise comes from Ezra’s throat. I glance at him. He is staring daggers at Eldon, a muscle feathering in his jaw. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was jealous.
“We will take care of Clover until you are able to meet again.” He lets go of my hand and steps back.
I nod. “You’d better, or you’ll have me to deal with.”
“Understood,” he says.
I turn to Ezra, my voice softening. “Can you manage?”
“I will,” he responds.
“What if you have another episode?”
“There are two more bottles of blood left. I will drink them when I need to.”
“But it’s getting worse…” My voice trails off. I know that no matter what I say, it won’t affect his decision anyway. He will still be the same, stubborn Ezra.
“Then I will deal with it.” Ezra crosses his arms, and I know that he is done with discussing the matter. Avery is watching us both in amusement.
“What are you grinning at, pretty boy,” Ezra says, snarling.
“Nothing, absolutely nothing.” Avery chuckles, walking from the room.
Ezra and I follow him. We take the lift back down to the ground floor. There are a few other fae people milling about as we pass each floor. They look at Ezra and me with curiosity but do not say a word. Avery raises a hand, does some strange hand movement, and they all turn away, busying themselves with whatever it was they were doing before they noticed us.
“The secret pass is beneath the tree. Only a handful of fae here know of its existence,” Avery says, stepping off the platform. We walk alongside him, heading back outside. There isn’t anyone about on the ground, the fae preferring the safety of the tree, it would seem.
“You do not trust your people?” Ezra asks.
“It is not that we do not trust them. We wish to keep them safe.”
“Sure,” Ezra says, unconvinced. “Yet here you are, showing us the secret pass. Two complete strangers.” He turns to me. “Do you not think that’s a little odd, Accacia?”
I roll my eyes at Ezra. “Not so long ago you were asking me to trust these men, and now you’re questioning their motives? You sure know how to confuse a girl,” I snap. Ezra’s cocks an eyebrow at me.
Avery grins. “Accacia has a point.”
“Besides,” I continue, “Clover is my friend. She wouldn’t do anything to put me in danger. So, no, I don’t think it odd. I do, however, think you have serious trust issues.”
Ezra blanches, making him look even more sickly. “I do not have trust issues. I’ve just been around a lot longer than you, Accacia. I see things a little differently.”
“Yes, I know that, but it doesn’t mean you’re right.”
As we step outside into the light of the fireflies, Avery takes a sharp left. We follow him around the side of the tree. Almost half way around he stops in front of a tall gap where the roots of the tree make an archway before joining with the trunk. There is a hollow where the trunk dips in slightly, almost like a cave in a cliff face.
“Where’s the secret pass? This doesn’t lead anywhere,” I say.
Avery opens his palm. Resting on it is a tiny green flame. When I look closer it is, in actual fact, a firefly. It hovers just above Avery’s palm before launching itself into the air, heading straight toward the tree. It disappears through a gap that has suddenly appeared. I can see its green glow hovering just beyond the entrance. More fae magic.
“Well, I suppose this is goodbye. Thank you, Avery,” I say, holding my hand out to shake. He winks at Ezra, before planting a kiss on my lips. It is a platonic, no passion kind of kiss, but it seems to have a strange effect on Ezra.
“Back off fae,” he seethes, yanking at Avery’s shoulder.
Avery raises his hands in mock-surrender. “No harm meant.” His eyes sparkle with mischief.
Ezra mumbles something distinctly rude under his breath, but Avery is completely unperturbed by it.
“Before you go, take these,” Avery says, as two long robes appear in his hands. “You don’t look much like fae, the colour of your eyes is a big giveaway. If you haven’t already noticed, ours are all green.”
“All of you?” I ask, taking one of the robes and pulling it on. It has a large hood that when pulled on, completely overshadows my face.
“Yes, all of us.”
“Won’t we stand out even more with these on, don’t you have any sunglasses instead?” I ask.
“What are these sunglasses you speak of?” Avery cocks his head to the side, a puzzled expression on his face.
“Never mind. You’re certain this is a suitable disguise?” I press, wanting to be sure.
“This is what they wear in the city. Though, I prefer to be unencumbered by clothes.”
“I can see that,” I laugh, glancing at his bare chest.
Ezra puts the robe on, keeping the hood off his face for now. “Let us lea
ve,” he says abruptly. “There is no more time for niceties,” he adds, ushering me forward.
I place a hand on Avery’s arm. “Remember what I said.”
“We will protect her with our lives, you have my word, Accacia.”
“Okay.” I let go of Avery’s arm and step into the entrance. A few paces into the darkened tunnel I turn, expecting to see Ezra directly behind me. Instead, Avery has Ezra by the arm and is talking animatedly to him. Ezra looks none too pleased. They both catch me watching them. Ezra snatches his arm away, striding towards me.
“What was that all about?” I ask.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” he responds, avoiding eye contact.
“Fine,” I say, feeling the web between us becoming more tangled still.
Chapter Twelve
The firefly flits down the tunnel ahead of us, its wings making a sound not unlike crickets chirping. The smell of the soil is pungent, the walls of the tunnel curve around and above our heads. It is warm beneath the earth and I feel a drip of sweat slide down my back. Every now and then I see the green, pulsating light of a vine twisting in and out of the dirt as we make our way through the tunnel. It is the same green light as the firefly in front of us, the luminous green of the trees in the Forbidden forest, the stunning eyes of the fae and those of my best friend Clover. It is a colour I shall not forget in a hurry.
“Did Clover say how long it will take to get to the fae city?” Ezra asks.
“No, she didn’t.”
Out of the corner of my eye I see him swipe a hand over his face. We have only been walking a few minutes and he looks horrendous, the green glow making him appear sicklier still. I pull up sharp. “What is it, Ezra?”
He stops, facing me. “There are things we must discuss, but now is not the time.” He winces, unable to hide the sudden pain he feels.
“You don’t have time. You’re dying, or have you forgotten that?” I say, unable to keep the anger from my voice.
“I… argh!” he cries, stumbling back against the wall of the tunnel. The full force of his pain is back sooner than either of us expected.
“Accacia!” He bends over, his body convulsing. A scream rips from his throat. His hand fumbles inside his leather satchel, but the bag falls to the floor and I hear the distinct sound of glass smashing.
“No!” I rush forward, bending down to pick up the bag. Not thinking, I put my hand inside and feel a sharp sting as a piece of broken glass slices along my middle finger. “Shit!” I say, pulling my hand back quickly. The cut is deep and runs from the top of my finger to the base, stopping above the ring that had appeared on my hand only a few days ago. I watch as a long drip of blood falls to the ground. Ezra slides down the wall, his face ashen, deathly. It is worse this time, so much worse. I see the life draining from him right in front of my eyes.
“I don’t have much time,” Ezra says, looking up at me. “Give me the rest….” His words are lost to the hacking cough that overtakes him.
“The bottles have broken, Ezra. There is no blood left,” I say, helplessly.
He attempts to grab the bag, but he’s so weak that he falls onto his side. I drop to my knees beside him. Above the firefly is circling our heads frantically, flitting backwards and forwards in a panic.
Ezra groans on the floor, clutching at his chest. The skin on his face seems to have shrunk, the bones of his cheeks have become sharp, the shadows beneath his eyes dark. His lips are cracked and dry. Even his clothes look as though they don’t fit him properly anymore. The once fit, strong man has been reduced to skin and bone in a matter of seconds. A tear slips from his eye as he looks blindly at me. They are no longer stormy, just the grey colour of death. There is no life in them now, no anger, no pain, none of the dark looks or the heated gazes I’ve come to expect. Nothing but a fading light. A light I am desperate now to hold on to, even if he isn’t.
I stare in shock, caught for a moment in the horror of his rapid decline. It’s happening so fast. I have to do something, anything. I look at my finger, at the blood oozing from it, then back at Ezra’s face. He is mumbling incoherently, the words unintelligible, barely audible. I shut my eyes against the tears that are threatening to fall. There really is only one choice I can make. I will not lose him. He can hate me for the rest of my life, for the rest of his, but I will not watch him die.
“I’m sorry, Ezra,” I whisper, before resting my bleeding finger against his lips. For a moment he stills. His whole body is like a corpse in a morgue. Then I feel the gentle suck of his lips as they draw my blood into his mouth. A noise escapes his throat as the deathly grey of his eyes brightens. I swear I can see the storm clouds brewing in them once more, swear there is something igniting within them. I keep looking at him, aware now that silent tears are tracking down my cheeks. Ezra releases a deep moan, opening his mouth wide over my finger until it has slipped fully into his mouth. I feel his tongue swirl around it whilst he sucks and pulls on my finger. It throbs, the feeling is both painful and erotic. My gaze is drawn to his lips, how my blood has reddened them, then to the skin of his face as it brightens rapidly, colour blooming on his cheeks. I look back up at his eyes and blanche at the fire I see burning in them. I attempt to pull my hand away, but he lets out a low growl, bringing his hands up and holding it fast. He sits up, pressing his back against the wall, all the while still drawing on the blood. My finger is numb now. I feel no pain, just a dull throb in a place I never expected to feel. I have to press my lips together to stop a moan slipping from my mouth.
I watch, fascinated as Ezra’s body begins to fill out once again. The broad width of his shoulders, the strong defined muscles of his arms and legs returning as if they had never disappeared. He is as handsome as he was the first time I met him standing in my kitchen. Stunning, powerful and completely terrifying.
“Ezra, that’s enough,” I say gently. Our eyes meet, and I am caught by the hidden depths of emotion I see passing through them. I know if I were to let myself, I would fall into them and never come up for air. Ezra’s hands fall away, and I pull my hand from his mouth. It is almost completely healed. I take a steady breath.
“I had to do it. You were dying.” I wipe at the tears that still persist in falling. “I couldn’t watch you die. Please understand.” He remains staring at me, saying nothing. The silence is suffocating. Ezra raises a hand to my face and wipes at my wet cheeks.
“These tears you cry, they are for me?” he asks gently. The cadence of his voice is soft, warm, a far cry from the starkness I am used to.
“Yes.”
“Why do you cry tears for me, Accacia? I’m pretty sure I do not deserve them.” His lips lift slightly, a half-smile, uncertain.
“Because you think you do not deserve them, because you believe you deserve to suffer, because I think of Rhain and Devin and the grief they would feel if you died, because your wife Thalia and your daughter Roseanna would not have wished this for you.” He flinches at that, but his eyes remain fixed on mine. “Because I want…” I falter, unable to continue.
“Yes?” He is looking at me so intently I can barely breathe.
I swallow. “Because I want you to live, because I need you to live… For yourself, for me,” I whisper softly. It is true, just as it was with Rhain when we underwent the Claiming, so it is true with Ezra now. These men, these vampires, have settled under my skin and I cannot part with them.
“Then I will live… for you,” Ezra says. I feel the breath leave my body as he rushes to his feet, pulling me up with him. He places a chaste kiss on my lips, then pulls back.
“Ezra, I want you to know…”
“Shh, I understand.”
His reaction is not what I am expecting. I expected anger, hatred even, but understanding? No, that isn’t what I thought would happen.
“There’s no time right now for me to say all that I wish. First, we must save my brothers. We will deal with everything else later, okay?” he says.
I nod my head. “Okay.�
�
Ten minutes later we see a light at the end of the tunnel. The firefly flits out into the brightness, gone, its job complete. Ezra lays a hand on my arm. I stop to face him.
“Pass me the map. I can memorise the route.”
I pull it out of the deep pocket of my robe and hand it to him. He studies it, running his hand along the route, nods his head, then pockets it.
“You ready?” he asks.
“No,” I say, laughing nervously.
He steps closer to me, his hands reaching behind my head, drawing me close. He presses his lips against the spot just beneath my ear, as though he knows instinctively that this is the exact place I love being kissed the most.
“When this is over, and we are all safe, you and I will have that talk.” He steps back, pulling the hood up over my head. I can barely see out of it, so I am pretty sure no one can see my face beneath it either. I watch him pull the hood up over his head, then he holds his hand out. I take it, and we walk into the unknown together.
Chapter Thirteen
We emerge beneath a wooden bridge. The same purple hued water that I saw when we first entered yesterday flows beside us. I can see strange coloured fish swimming beneath the surface. A yellow frog with sparkling blue eyes leaps from a lily pad and into the stream. Beside the opening of the tunnel, the green firefly rests on a petal of the most beautiful red rose I have ever seen. It is huge, the size of a side-plate. I reach up to touch it, my fingertips grazing against the smooth velvety red of the petals. The firefly lifts off and disappears into the air. “Isn’t this the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?” I say, pulling the flower to my nose. The smell is divine.
“Not the most beautiful, no,” Ezra replies, his eyes smouldering. I feel my cheeks flush, but I don’t look away.
“Shall we?” he says after a moment.
I let the flower go, the scent lingering in my nose. “Okay.”
We walk out from beneath the bridge and up the mossy embankment. A gravel pathway leads to a gateway between two bent trees. Their trunks are twisted and gnarly, their branches joining together, curling around one another to form an arch above our heads. Ahead of us the pathway appears to lead into more forest, but I am not convinced. There is magic here, I can almost taste it. Ezra pulls on my hand and we walk through the gate. The moment we step inside, a city unlike I’ve ever seen unveils itself before us. There are dozens of buildings carved from white marble. Tiny green veins run through every surface, just like the vines that run through the earth beneath us, above us, and all around us. The buildings differ in size, but they are all beautiful and they all sparkle in the light. Trees grow out from every available gap, their canopies spreading out above us forming a natural roof. Abundant flowers trail across every surface. Some I recognise, like the white jasmine and purple clematis, some I don’t. But all are beautiful and alive. Lavender sprouts up from the floor in patches, and all around us fireflies swarm, lighting up the place in a multitude of colours. There are fae everywhere, the majority of whom are wearing robes not dissimilar to our own. Some have their hoods drawn up like us, others have theirs pulled back. Avery was right to lend them to us, no one gives us a second glance.
