The man at the head of the table stood. Others around him backed up in deference. He stepped around the chair and in the blink of an eye, he was flying just above her, as white as Gran and her own bird form. Her mouth fell open. What the hell was going on?
"Meet Mr. Fellows. The only son of the Fellows family. I've raised him since he was a young one. His parents also passed, but they left him most of their estate. He doesn't live here full-time, but I sent word last night of your arrival." Shara smiled.
"How could . . ." Priya gulped back astonishment. Had her mother's journal been wrong? "I don't understand. Why would everyone say I was the last?"
"Because you are the only white female firebird any of us have seen in a very, very long time, my dear," Shara said.
Mr. Fellows stepped out of his bird form and slid his hand over hers. "Please, call me Richard." He pulled her hand up to his thin lips and kissed the back of it.
He was plenty attractive, with a smooth jawline, high cheekbones, and broad shoulders. His dusty brown hair was slicked back in waves around his ears. His hazel eyes sparkled as he watched her. But she felt nothing. The man didn't cause any kind of reaction from her body. No heat, no desire . . . just curiosity, mostly. Had he known her mother at one time? She had so many questions and not enough answers. Priya wasn't sure what to say or if she could manage words at all. Her entire world was upside down.
Richard pulled her toward the table. A young lady moved from a seat beside his into one farther down the table. He moved the chair out for Priya, encouraging her to sit. She did. Mainly because she had no idea what else to do.
"Have you eaten?" Richard asked as he seated himself.
She nodded, felt stupid for nodding, then answered, "Yes. Capri brought me some breakfast earlier."
"Wonderful. Then we can get right down to the good parts. Getting to know each other." Richard took a sip out of whatever was in his clear glass goblet. She hadn't paid much attention to what was on the table until then. His lips were stained a faint pink as he drew the glass away, setting it back down with all the grace she'd expect from someone like him, someone so obviously privileged.
"Excuse me, but uh . . . get to know each other? I don't think I understand." Dread pooled in the depths of her stomach, like a giant glob of this-isn't-going-to-be-good. The other people in the room just stared awkwardly at her as if she wasn't doing something she was supposed to be doing. Only Priya had no idea what it was they expected her to do. Gads! Was it hot in here or just her? Their constant watchfulness made her fidget in her chair as she waited impatiently for someone to answer her question.
Richard looked over at Elder Shara, his eyes conveying some question, though Priya wasn't sure about what. The others whispered to each other in tones Priya couldn't make out. As each second ticked by without an answer, her discomfort grew.
"She doesn't know, Elder?" Richard's voice came out honey smooth, but Priya had the impression he wasn't very happy.
"She has just barely arrived, Richard. I've had no time to impress upon her all the things she must know in such a short amount of time. The Blood Moon is nearly upon us and we had lost all hope until Capri found her. When she showed up, it wasn't as if I didn't want her to know, but the poor dear was running from a shadow hunter."
Richard's cool gaze moved to Priya and warmed. "Is this true? You were being hunted."
"Yes, but I—"
Richard slammed a fist on the table. "Did you catch him?" His attention turned back to Shara.
She glanced at Priya and then back to Richard. "The poor girl is in shock as it is, must we relive this so soon for her?"
Priya couldn't stand it any longer. She needed to know what in the world was going on. She stood abruptly. "Look. It's a pleasure to meet you all, and I really don't mind being toted around and shown off . . . I mean, I get it, I'm white, most aren't. I'd be shocked by me too if I were in all of your shoes. I'm just baffled that I managed to find so many of my kin. Could you all just cut the crap and tell me what in the world is going on? I've had it up to here," her hand reached her head, "with things I can't understand in the last two days. Just put all of us out of our misery and tell me what's going on." Her voice came out a lot steadier than she'd thought it would. Though confronting the table might not have been the best move on the board.
Richard and Shara both looked at her, surprise etched on their faces, and then Elder Shara finally spoke.
"Priya, you are to be wed to Richard."
Chapter 24
Priya shifted to her phoenix form, her tail feathers a bright, glowing white edged with blue, a color she'd never seen herself use before. She squawked at them, more like a screech, but her frustration with all of this had ripped off the seal on any emotions trapped within and Priya flapped her wings as hard and fast as possible. She zigzagged through the open windows and straight back to her mother's room. Her room. There was too much to deal with. They acted as if her life wasn't her own to do with as she pleased. How could she marry someone she didn't even know? Add it to Gran's death, what she'd learned in the journal, and Doulzen—her mortal enemy and a man she couldn't have . . . She hated this week!
She stumbled out of her bird form, fire singing the bottom of her jeans, though she couldn't care less. She tied and untied her hair. What could she do? Did she really want to confront Shara, to see if there was any truth in the journal page? Was it possible someone was playing a trick on her and the page wasn't really her mother's? Perhaps it hadn't even been there. Had she imagined it? Dreamed it in the night, so desperate to feel closer to her kin? Too much, too soon.
She ran over to the baseboard. The secret drawer slid out easily and the page remained. It was real. Part of her already knew she was trying to reason things that couldn't be reasoned. The entry was her mother's. She pushed the drawer back in, then walked over to her nightstand.
Little hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
There was someone in the room with her.
Priya turned. Doulzen emerged from the shadows in one corner of her room. His presence was palpable, though he looked wrong without his ever-present hat and trench coat. Priya's heart skipped. How had he gotten into the aerie?
"You refuse to see me after all I've done?" He stalked toward her, closing the distance. Priya backed up until the backs of her knees hit the edge of her bed, forcing her to sit or fall.
"Refused? I didn't know you were here, Doulzen. I didn't think you could even get in." The dark look in his eye made her pulse jump. "Are you going to kill me now, shadow hunter?" Priya had no means of self-defense, nothing to really stop him. If she called for help, who would hear her in such a large place?
His silver eyes slid over her body. She could feel them as they scanned her neckline, her breasts. He leaned into her, forcing her to lie back on the bed. His hot breath was on her cheek as he sucked in ragged gasps. She'd be damned if the sound of his harsh breathing didn't turn her on. Would he kiss her instead of killing her? Doulzen brought his head up, his lips barely above hers. "I have given everything for you, my power, my very being, and you refuse me."
"I swear—" She swallowed. Her nipples tightened against the heat of his flesh through her shirt. Her core was wet for him. Her body betrayed her every thought of a shadow hunter. How could she be attracted to someone who killed her kind? The thought seemed to steady her. "I didn't even know you were here." What would he do with her? What did she want him to do with her? That simple question left an ache between her legs she was sure Doulzen could soothe. She should be worried they'd come for her after her abrupt exit from lunch, but with Doulzen pressed so close, she didn't care.
There was an edge to the man, something far more primal . . . more instinctive in him than before. Something had changed and despite not knowing what it was, she didn't feel threatened. Aroused was a far better word for what was going through her body. By the feel of his erection against her, she was pretty sure he wasn't planning on killing her.
Too much
had happened, her brain wanted her to slow down, to try and figure out what was happening, between the crap with Doulzen and then Richard, but her body told her head to fuck off. Her heart thundered in her chest, and she gasped when he shoved his hips between her legs and pushed against her. Her body craved more, wanted the barriers between them gone. The little voice in the back of her head was no match for the overpowering urge to get closer to him.
Doulzen's hot mouth came down on hers and she moaned, closing her eyes. Why did this kiss feel so damn good, like she had a craving for chocolate and was suddenly drowning in it? The smell of him, sensual musk, manly, but with a hint of earth. Her hips pushed up to meet his as she opened her lips to him, letting his tongue penetrate her. He was rough and all consuming, as if he couldn't get enough. The world disappeared except for the intense heat pulsing from both of them.
He pulled back from the kiss. "I want you."
She writhed beneath him.
"Open your eyes, Priya."
She did as she was told. Doulzen's hooded gaze met hers. His jaw clenched when she bucked her hips against him again.
"Tell me what you want." His words came out dark, tempting. Priya knew once she answered, life would never be the same. The pull toward him was so strong. Not that she hadn't felt it before, but here, with him now, it was magnified, almost unbearable. She needed him to touch her. She needed his skin.
"I want you."
That was all the confirmation he needed. Her shirt came off in two pieces, along with her bra. His lips found a nipple, sucked, and Priya pulled him into her, wanting more. His tongue flicked over it, sending the most wonderful zing through her, and her back arched. His hands fumbled with her jeans, but he managed the button, then the zipper. He nipped at her nipple before pulling his heat away.
Priya whimpered. It was all she could do at the loss of his mouth against her. She helped him pull her pants down. Her hands found the edge of his shirt and pulled. Muscles tensed and relaxed again as he removed the rest of his clothes and Priya stared at his beautiful form. He wasn't ripped, but muscular and lean. A light dusting of hair covered his chest and trailed down to his hardened cock. It bobbed as she looked him over.
When she met Doulzen's eyes, they were dark with desire. He gripped his shaft in his hand and pumped once, twice. As if gauging her reactions to him. But she ached to have him . . . wanted him inside her. Priya beckoned him with a finger.
Doulzen pushed her flat on the bed. He trailed light kisses down to one breast, then sucked a nipple into his mouth. She gasped at the sudden sensation of heat and suction. His mouth trailed farther down, tickling her side, kissing her stomach, and then his hot breath fanned over her clit and she spread her legs for him.
He groaned and grabbed ahold of her hips. His fingertips dug in, pinning her where he wanted her. His slick tongue lapped over her clit and she arched into it, wanting more, needing more. She throbbed, she ached. Again, the slick sensation encircled her nub over and over. His tongue lashed at her faster and faster and she tried to move with him, but he kept her hips firmly in place. Priya fisted the hair atop his head, she was so close. He just needed to keep going. She held him to her and bucked, not wanting the lapping to end. Her head fell back to the bed and she writhed, her body ready to jump over that edge to bliss.
Doulzen jerked away as the bedroom door burst open.
Chapter 25
"Shadow hunter!"
It was Richard's voice. Reality crashed into Priya as guards came running into the room.
"Get out!" Doulzen didn't seem to care they were there for him. Shadows started to cling to his form, throwing a graying darkness over the room. He turned to the guards, blocking their view. Priya pulled the blankets up to her chest and backed against the wall, unsure if she should fight or stay back. Something had changed in Doulzen. She wasn't afraid of him or the change, but she was afraid for others. He had kept such a cool head when faced with the scarab before, but here . . .
He pulled a bow from the shadows, complete with a nocked arrow, and pointed it directly at Richard.
"Let Priya go, shade." Richard's voice boomed in the room.
She looked up at the sound of flapping. Shara, in her bird form, descended on the scene, flying through the open door. As soon as her talons touched the floor, she immediately changed to human.
"How dare you defile a pureblood! I will have your skin for this." Shara nearly hissed the words, her face reddened.
"Stop!" Priya found her voice. The whole room fell silent, and all eyes turned to her, including Doulzen's silver ones. In the small window of opportunity, Shara flung something at Doulzen. He twisted and the shadows scattered. The object hit the floor, glinting greenish yellow in the light. It was a piece from a scarab. The guards attacked Doulzen, kicking him and punching until he fell to his knees, his eyes still watching her.
Priya didn't know what to do, but Doulzen had done nothing wrong. He hadn't harmed a single person in this place that she knew of, he hadn't harmed her when they had traveled together, and in the lab, even knowing that Capri was a firebird, he'd saved her too. Priya didn't see him as a shadow hunter or a bird killer. She saw a man she truly wanted to get to know. A man who had been there for her during these last terrible days.
She flung the covers off and called on her bird form. The feathers slipped out of her skin. The guards continued to beat at him, but his eyes never wavered from hers. She flew to his aid, shielding his body with her own. A couple men got a kick in before they realized what was happening, and then they stopped.
"Priya, child, get away from the shade. He's bewitched you somehow." It was Shara who spoke to her. Priya shifted back to human and stood naked, tall, between them and Doulzen.
"Bewitched? Seriously? He's had days to bespell me or any other thing he wanted to do, but he didn't. He is not the monster you say he is. I'm not sure if any shadow hunter is. Tell me, Elder, what happened to my mother? Did my father really die at the hands of shadow hunters as I was told? Who are you? Because you are not the orange yellow of the others."
"Priya, come, let's put some clothes on you. Step away. I'll help you."
"Like you helped my mother? Don't touch me!"
"What in the skies are you talking about?"
Angry tears slipped from Priya's eyes. She needed to know the truth, needed to know what had happened. "I found a journal entry. What did you do to her?"
A switch seemed to flip in Shara's face as her eyes grew clear and cold. Her stance straightened. She no longer appeared frail, welcoming, or blind. She sneered. "Take the shade!" She pointed, but the guards didn't move, unsure of what to do next. Richard's gaze swung from Priya to Shara.
"What was on the journal page, Priya?" Richard asked without moving his eyes from Shara.
"Come now, Richard. You know me." Shara's voice turned sweet, sickly so.
"She captured my family. I'm a Sullen. The last remaining, I think," Priya said. She shivered, realizing she was still naked. No one seemed to notice as all eyes had turned toward Shara and Richard. "Don't harm Doulzen, and I'll show you the page."
Richard nodded.
Priya walked over to the wardrobe, then slid a T-shirt and another pair of jeans on. She cleared her throat as her cheeks heated. People had begun to stare. She rushed over to the wall and pulled out the page. As she handed it to Richard, she sought Doulzen's gaze. He still kneeled on the floor, watching her. His chest was bruising, his lip bloody. Richard threw pants at Doulzen.
"Oh, screw it. She's right." Shara paced closer to Priya. "You could have had it so good. But you screwed that up. Now I'll just have to do things the hard way." Her eyes turned gold. "Felice remgaurdium."
The guards fell to the ground.
"Felice remsorice." Shara opened her mouth. And kept opening it.
Horror struck Priya as Shara's mouth opened wider and wider. Richard fell to the ground. The slip of paper floated away from his form. He pulled at his neck. A white foggy mist streamed out of his
mouth and was sucked into Shara's. Her face began to change. The wrinkles reversing. Her hair brightening, her skin turning young. Gads! She was taking his life and using it to make herself young.
Before Priya could do anything, she heard a sharp crack, like a rubber band snapping. An arrow made of pure shadow hit Shara in the arm and she stumbled back, caught off balance. Her mouth closed faster than a crocodile snapping on its prey. Richard landed in a heap on the floor, eyes closed.
"Shade! You will pay for that."
Doulzen didn't say anything, just notched another shadow arrow and let it fly. It tagged her in the leg. "You will be the one paying today."
"Priya! Priya, listen—" Another arrow flew through the air and tagged her in the shoulder. She was effectively pinned to the ground. "I only ever wanted what was best for your family. I meant you no real harm. You don't understand what it's like to be the last of your kind, to not fit in."
"Yes, I do." Priya walked over to Shara.
Shara seemed to think briefly and then spoke again, "He will kill you. It's what he does. You are food."
"And what were you going to do with me? I see already what you had planned for Richard."
"I only wanted to live."
Priya didn't want to listen to her pitiful excuses. No, she yearned to know why she hadn't grown up with her kin, why her mother had died. "What did you do to her?"
Shara's eyes widened. "I swear I didn't do anything. She took her own life."
"Why?"
Shara didn't say anything.
"Why!" Priya screamed, rage consuming her from the inside out.
"Because I was using her and the rest of your family to keep myself young. A white phoenix is the key to immortality." Again her face changed in the snap of a finger and she smiled. The shadow arrows slipped inside her body as if she were absorbing them into her. "Foolish little bird. You can't kill me." She shifted into her yellow bird form, shining so brightly Priya had to look away.
Dark Burn: Fated & Forbidden Page 11
