by Alex Temples
“Yeah, I guess I do, but we aren’t here to talk about my love life. Actually, I’d rather hear about yours.”
I raised an eyebrow suggestively at him and he flashed me a devilish grin.
“I don’t want to depress you or anything. It really wouldn’t be fair. You haven’t been laid in what, three months?” The teasing note in his voice told me I’d effectively distracted him from Aiden.
I snorted. “You’re so rude.” I rolled my eyes. “I suppose you’re still sampling delicacies all over town?”
“Fuck yes I am. We’re too young to settle down, Brin. Why not enjoy life to the fullest while we’re still in the condition to do so? Not all of us have the privilege of being immortal.”
I stretched like a cat, taking in a deep breath. “Yes, you’re probably right.” I said with a nod. I settled back into the cushions, taking a sip of wine as I did.
“So, what is it you need to give me that you couldn’t talk about on the phone?” He leaned in, curiosity bright in his eyes.
Ah, yes. Down to business.
I reached into my pocket where I’d stowed the list of descendants. Pulling out the crumpled paper, I laid it flat on the table, smoothing its’ crinkled edges and sliding it across the table. I couldn’t help but glance around. I’d been plagued with the feeling of being watched ever since I’d landed in D.C.
Tomas reached forward and pulled the paper toward him. He glanced over it with interest and then looked up at me.
“Hit list?”
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
That earned me a smile. Then his eyes grew serious as he waited patiently for me to explain myself.
“I need to locate these people.”
He raised an eyebrow, considering me. Then, the picked up his glass of wine and took a sip.
“Okay. Are these friends or enemies?”
“Potentially friends. Honestly, I don’t know for sure, but I’m hoping so.”
I sighed, rubbing the back on my neck and frowning. “Tristan -I told you about Tristan, right?”
He nodded.
“Tristan thinks these people may have a way of helping us.”
I hesitated. The less he knew the better. It wasn’t as if I didn’t trust him. I just worried that telling him too much would make him a target. While I knew he had no problem protecting himself against mortals, I didn’t want to drag him into my messy world and expose him to all the boogiemen that lived in it these days.
Tomas was quiet. He read between the lines. I could see that he wanted to know more. Finally, he nodded.
“Okay. I understand. I’ll do what I can to get locations for you without drawing too much attention.”
I smiled, relief flooding through me. We exchanged a wordless glance, and having taken care of business, we set ourselves on enjoying each other’s company.
Tomas had ordered the entire menu. At least it felt like it. We dined on octopus, squid ink pasta, smoked eggplant and roasted tomato with whipped goat cheese. As if that weren’t enough, we finished the meal by gorging ourselves on a paella filled with chorizo, rabbit and shitake mushrooms. It was pure heaven.
After two bottles of wine and several loaves of fresh crusty bread, I finally convinced him he’d done his job. I’d put on at least five pounds.
Tomas dropped me off outside my house. He waited until I had turned on the entry light, unlocked the door and waved at him before he drove away. The house was dark and quiet, save the dim lamp I’d flicked on. Oren must still be out with friends.
I took a few steps into the room and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Someone was in my house.
*
Aiden stepped into the light. My face went white. I stood, speechless, staring at him. All the words I’d been storing up for when I was finally face to face with him had fled my mind.
He wore dark jeans that hung low on his lips. A dark blue shirt stretched across his chest, highlighting the hardness of his body. He was fashioned like a soldier, his muscles sculpted and powerful, the kind shaped by hard work. His hair was a bit longer than when I’d last seen him, dark and slightly shaggy, setting off his deep blue eyes. He had a chiseled jaw and full lips and he was wearing an unreadable expression, watching me, as if waiting for something.
I had nothing to say. I just stared, drinking in the sight of him, unable to summon the anger that had been consuming me the past few months.
He had left me. He’d run. I knew what happened had hurt him, but it had hurt me too and I hadn’t run. Someone had to stay and pick up the broken pieces, had to make sure no more innocents died.
“Brin.” He said in a husky voice.
Hearing his voice undid me. Silky smooth, a rumble in the darkness. It coated me, washing over me until I was drowning in it. It was a plea, a prayer, and a question, all wrapped into one. Emotion surged through me like a tornado, and suddenly I was compelled by the need to touch him, to know that he was real.
I launched myself across the room, dropping my purse and keys on the hardwood as I leapt into his arms.
Aiden grunted with surprise, pulling me to him and lifting me off the ground. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, buried my face in his chest, and began to cry. My body shook with an overload of emotion. I couldn’t speak. I just clung to him, breathing in his scent- spice, and pine, and the salt of the ocean.
He pulled tighter, his arms supporting my bottom. He breathed a sigh of relief, stroking my hair with his rough hands and crooning to me like I was an injured animal.
I didn’t want to spoil the moment. I had stored up anger and resentment for the past few months, even felt moments of hatred for him for abandoning me. Now that I was in his arms, all I could focus on was my need to possess him.
I raised my head to examine his face, my fingers brushing over his jaw, stubble rough under my touch. His eyes burned into mine. We gazed into each other’s eyes, drinking each other in until he bent his head, and his mouth took mine.
I met his kiss eagerly, passion flooding me. He tasted of salt, desire and regret. I didn’t dwell on the last. I’d seen the regret in his eyes. I knew he was sorry for leaving me, though he couldn’t muster the words. It didn’t matter. We didn’t need them. Suddenly, he was in my head, as he had been when we’d first made love.
Brin. Oh god, Brin.
No. Not now.
I felt his hesitation, and then acceptance. We wouldn’t talk now.
Now was not a time for words.
He carried me up the stairs to the second floor and we crashed down onto the bed, pulling clothes off as we went. Aiden rained kisses down my face, pausing to stare into my eyes. With his gaze, feelings of love and belonging washed over me. Intense blue eyes burned into mine and I stared back, drowning in the depths of him.
Dammit. I loved this man.
I kissed him then, nipping at his lip as I did. I guess the anger was still there. Emotions battled inside me. We rolled around the bed, exploring each other, caressing and kissing and immersing ourselves in each other.
His chest bore new scars that hadn’t been there since I’d last seen him. One cut a deep diagonal line across his chest. Another, smaller than the first, marked his left shoulder. I raised my eyes to his in question.
He stared silently back, his eyes darkening to black.
Not now. His voice filled my mind.
Right. Not now. We wouldn’t tarnish this moment by dragging our enemies into it.
I nodded in silent concession and then lowered my head and kissed his shoulder, then his chest. Then my lips drifted lower. I took him into my mouth, and my tenderness dissolved into lust. The taste of him filled my mouth and fire blazed through me. His hands guided me as I climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. Our movements were jerky, frantic. We were possessed by the need to get lost in each other.
Strong hands gripped my hips, guiding me firmly to where he wanted me, and then I moved over him, taking him inside me. As I did, I went blind wi
th a pleasure that threatened to swallow me whole. We moved together, our bodies glistening with a light sheen of sweat, rocking in an age-old rhythm and for the first time in many months I no longer felt alone, adrift in the universe.
We were one. We were a united front.
We made love the first time hard and fast, re-claiming each other, re-assuring each other this moment was real.
The second time, Aiden flipped us over, laying me gently on the bed and then making love to me slowly, tenderly and with a reverence that threatened to bring tears to my eyes. Our bodies spoke the words our lips could not. I love you. I’m sorry. I want to live in this moment forever. Our lovemaking was slow and languid, and we gazed intently into each other’s eyes.
The third time we made love, it was as if it were for the very first time. We explored each other, teasing, playful, slowly bringing each other to the brink of madness. We moved together as one, riding on waves of ecstasy, until the world exploded around us and we collapsed into each other, finally sated.
I curled up beneath Aiden, our limbs twisted together in the way of lovers, and finally, we slept.
*
When I woke up he was gone. I should have been surprised, but I wasn’t. He was wrapped up in something he couldn’t tell me about. I’d sensed it last night, and he knew as much. We’d laid in each other’s arms unspeaking. He knew he was going to hurt me again. I’d tried not to see it, because I wanted to focus on the present, to enjoy the time we had together.
A note rested on my night stand. I picked it up.
Brin - Please keep yourself safe. I regret I can’t tell you anything, other than to assure you we’re on the same side. I will return when I can. – A
I tried to muster anger, but I didn’t have the energy. We’d made no promises to each other. I didn’t have the right. Besides that, I had bigger problems than my dating life.
Rolling over on my side, I buried my face in a feather pillow and went back to sleep, knowing dawn would come too soon.
Chapter Nine
“Dammit.”
I’d killed the cells I’d been growing. Is this how today’s going to go? Needing a distraction from both Aiden and my fae problems, I’d begged Neil for work. He’d happily dropped a dull but necessary project on my desk.
Unfortunately, it was off to a crappy start. I’d have to grow new cells before we could start the next phase. Frustrated, I pushed the tray away and stood, hands on the counter as I stared at the gray tile. I’d arrived at the lab not long ago to discover most of the staff were out at a conference.
I sighed.
I used to go to conferences. Of course, that was before the fae entered my life. What I wouldn’t give for a boring weekend of poster sessions, breakout groups and mediocre buffet food.
My heels clicked on the tile, the sound echoing across the empty room as I made my way to the computer station in the corner. I began entering my notes, copying data from the notebook I carried around into Arcata’s electronic system. After a few minutes, I felt the tension in my shoulders melt away. It seemed an odd activity for relaxation, but I loved working with data. Give me a good spreadsheet, and I’d be content for hours. Organizing anything was relaxing. I liked order. Order was something I’d had quite a lot of in my “before” life. Everything neatly organized into little boxes. It wasn’t always exciting, but I knew what to expect.
It was ironic really, that just before Aiden entered my life, I’d been looking for a way out of the boring and ordinary.
Hmm. I’ve certainly kissed boring and ordinary goodbye.
My lips twitched with amusement as I saved my spreadsheet and exited the system.
Looking around the room I wondered what to do with myself for the rest of the day.
Maybe I should look at that damn book again.
We’d had no luck with it lately. Tristan was convinced there was something more to it than the genealogy charts, which from the dark fae’s standpoint wouldn’t do much to further their cause. Sure, they could hunt down all of the Keeper’s descendants and kill them, but it seemed like an awful lot of unnecessary work. Their goal was to find the four treasures. Killing a bunch of half-magics didn’t further that goal.
I wandered in the direction of the pit, lost in thought. The smell of coffee wafted out of the break room, luring me in. At the University, we had the kind of coffee you ordered from a catalog. The break room had one of those ancient industrial coffee makers with two glass pots – black for regular, orange for decaf. I used to get into the office at 6a.m. and my first stop was the kitchen, where I’d hit the button the coffee maker and brew two pots of coffee, both fully leaded. What the hell was the point in decaf, anyway? The coffee we brewed was murky black and tasted like hell. You had to add half a bottle of syrupy creamer for it to be drinkable, but it delivered the necessary jolt of caffeine. That was all one could expect with the slim budget and amenities offered by a publicly-funded institution.
Arcata was different. Instead of a grimy white fridge held together with duct tape, this breakroom had a shiny, stainless steel fridge with an ice maker. An ice maker. This was luxury to me.
The marble countertops gleamed, reflecting the florescent lights. White café tables with sleek, acrylic chairs were scattered throughout the room. A glass front cooler in the corner hosted a variety of complimentary snacks. Arcata wanted their employees to stay in the office all day.
I’d read articles about how tech companies in Silicon Valley did this – provided food and amenities to their staff to encourage productivity. I’d hadn’t understood it then. Now I did.
I opened the door of the cooler and sighed when the cool air hit me. Cups of fresh-cut fruit, cubed cheese and vegetables were arranged on the first shelf. The second shelf had whole fruit – apples, oranges, grapes. Nestled next to them sat a bowl of hardboiled eggs. Further down, there was an assortment of salads, sandwiches, hummus with pretzels, and neatly wrapped brownies, cookies and cups of yogurt and granola. Luxury.
I debated the fruit cup, but decided on a slice of banana loaf before wandering towards the coffee maker. It was one of those big, silver monsters with a rack next to it. You selected a little cup from the rack, whatever flavor you wanted – hazelnut, French roast, donut shop, and so on. They even had teas.
I plucked an Ethiopian blend off the top rack and popped it in. A minute later, a steaming cup of amber coffee awaited me. I stirred in a couple teaspoons of half and half.
Maybe Arcata wasn’t so bad. Though it is way too quiet in here. Am I the only one in today?
I scooped up the coffee and bread and wandering down the hall towards the pit. I punched my pin number in and pressed a digit to the fingerprint scanner. A feeling of unease rippled through me.
I glanced behind me, but the hallway was empty. Shining gray tile and white walls stared back at me. I shook my head, brushing the feeling off and stepping into the pit. The green room settled my nerves. I inhaled deeply, relaxing as the scent of orchids slipped over me. They’d started blooming yesterday.
When I’d first arrived, the room was solid green. Now, purple and white flowers blossomed across the walls. The great swatches of color made it feel even more like an oasis. The sound of trickling water soaked into me, and I embraced the soothing balm of serenity it imparted, letting out the breath I’d been holding. I felt safe in here.
After polishing off the banana loaf, I brushed the crumbs from my fingers and took a big gulp of coffee, stowing it on a small table before entering the lower pit.
No sense is spilling coffee on the ancient documents. They’d survived decades. I wasn’t going to be the one to ruin them. Besides that, I’d never live it down if Oren found out. Sometimes I thought my brother valued historical items more than people.
We’d found an old chest of photos in the attic of my new house a few days ago. When I’d tried to carry it to the trash, he’d looked at me like I was about to kill a puppy. He’d snatched the chest and spent the rest of the evening in th
e library downstairs, gently thumbing through photos, a look of reverence glistening in his eyes.
They were echoes of the past. How could I even think of destroying them? He’d argued.
I’d given in, promising not to go near them, but he’d taken the extra precaution of tucking the chest safely in his room where I couldn’t get to them.
After finding the pages I was interested in, I sank to the floor, settling the old stack of paper into my lap. These pages had a story written on them, one that, according to the translations Lupita had emailed over to us yesterday, spoke of several “saviors of man.”
Nia and Tristan had shrugged it off as irrelevant, but something about the way the story went on about the saviors of man had caused me to pause. It read as if these saviors were people, but I wasn’t so sure. Couldn’t an object save a man too? I knew it was a long shot, but I was almost certain there was something about the four treasures in this document. It would explain the dark fae’s interest.
Nia argued it was impossible. Only the good book referred to the four treasures, she’d said. That was what they’d always known, it had to be right.
I’d nodded silently, struggling not to roll my eyes. The scientist in me heard echoes the echoes of other voices in her words. Everything was impossible until it wasn’t. As a scientist, I appreciated the fact that each generation “knew” different things than the next. In the middle ages, people knew that evil spirit were the cause of fever.
Every year, scientists discover things that re-define our reality. Just because no one had discovered it before, didn’t mean this document didn’t have information on the four treasures.
I stared down at the first page, examining the vines sketched along the margin. In one area, they twined together, forming a circle, and then twisted down to fashion a thick stem. I leaned loser, excitement flooding me.
It almost looked like a cup. Wasn’t one of the treasures a cup? Oren was always going on about the deeper meaning of ancient drawings. Last year, he’d immersed himself in studying stained glass windows. Every Friday my father and I had listened patiently to him as he went on about how the imagery shown in the window panes of churches from the mid-evil period had been a way of communicating with an illiterate populace. They told stories and imparted political messages.
