Denai Touch: Excalibar Investigations Series

by Tiffany Shand

  “Why? Do you think of me as your sister or something?”

  “Or something,” he replied and removed the ice pack.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as he pulled away the tissues.

  “Taking care of you.” Jason held his palm against her forehead calling on his elemental energy.

  The gash over her forehead closed and faded, just as colour returned to her skin making her look well again. He gently caressed her cheek, brushing away any lasting sign of injury. Feeling the energy burning between them, their eyes locked for a moment. They were so close he could easily have bent down to kiss her. Realising what he was doing, Jason quickly pulled away and rose to his feet.

  Cate sat up and frowned. “How did you do that? I didn’t know you could heal people.”

  “I can’t – well, not the same way Ian can. I just gave you some of my energy and enhanced your natural healing ability. Feel better?”

  She smiled. “I feel wonderful — you really are full of surprises, Talbot.”

  You have no idea, he thought. “Well, now you know. Good night.” He turned to go.

  “You don’t have to hide things from me. I’m your partner and friend — you know you can tell me anything.”

  If only that were true, he thought sadly. “We can’t tell each other everything.”

  “Why not? Most people can’t hide anything from me. I know you’re more than you seem to be,” Cate paused. “I was able to compel Colbane tonight. It scared me,” she admitted. “I know I can compel ghosts, see them and summon them, but I’ve never been able to compel a vampire, especially one as powerful as Colbane,” she hugged herself. “Sometimes I wonder what I’m turning into.”

  Her powers were really growing rapidly. Jason turned and went over to sit beside her, slipping an arm around her shoulders. “You don’t have to be afraid of your powers.”

  “Denais compel the living and Denai mediums compel the dead. No one has ever been able to do both. You’re afraid of what my powers are becoming, you might be immune to my magic but I know you,” she said. “Sometimes I wonder if my powers are too much for me to handle — that one day they’ll push my body too far.”

  “Don’t say that. You wouldn’t have been given these gifts if you couldn’t handle them. That I do know.”

  “Your eyes are glowing,” Cate said in surprise.

  “What?” He instantly jumped up. Crap! He turned away briefly and blinked a few times.

  “Your eyes just glowed.”

  “Er – maybe you’re tired and thought you saw something. My eyes don’t glow.”

  “I definitely saw them. They do that when you get angry sometimes.”

  “Must be an elemental thing — besides, I’m not angry.” No, he was definitely feeling the opposite of angry. Fuck, Talbot, you really need to be more careful. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he told her.

  Jason fled to the safety of his room and sighed. Gods above, it was getting harder to control himself around her. Get a hold of yourself. You know damn well you can never be with her. He groaned and cursed; his feelings had almost given him away.

  Damn, he had more restraint than this. Centuries of living had taught him how to contain his emotions. He had learned everything he needed to not appear more than he pretended to be. But gods be damned, he seemed to lose all control around Cate.

  But no matter what, Jason knew he’d never stop wanting her. He loved her, despite knowing he could never have her. There was no future for them, he could never truly be with her without revealing what he really was and if he did, it would only put her in danger.

  Stripping down to his boxers, he slipped on an old, grey T-shirt and climbed into bed. Staring up at the ceiling and hearing Cate in the shower, he clenched his eyes shut and tried not to imagine her naked body under the hot stream.

  He really needed to move out. Being around her every day was hard enough, but living under the same roof was proving to be torture. The situation was only meant to be a temporary solution until he found a new flat, but instead he’d ended up staying for almost six months.

  If she was sick of him, she would have asked him to leave long before now. He’d meant to find somewhere else, but somehow couldn’t bring himself to do it. The truth was, this was the first place he’d ever truly felt at home and comfortable.

  Most of his six thousand plus years of existence, he’d spent moving around, travelling, fighting wars, and working. He’d never allowed himself to put down roots and settle anywhere for fear they would find him. Living that way often made him restless if he stayed in one place too long. Yet he’d been in Faliaster for ten years since becoming partners with Cate and now he couldn’t imagine ever leaving.

  This had to stop! He had to put an end to this once and for all. Tomorrow he’d start looking for a place of his own and a new woman — anything to get his mind off of her.

  Cate climbed into bed, surprised that, for once, she felt strangely energised. Normally, she was drained and exhausted, sometimes with a killer headache. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ever felt this good. Well, except when she’d been with Finn, her Celtic demigod ex-lover. She and Finn had slept together for a few weeks before she finally ended it. The sex had been good, especially when his energy had recharged her powers, but she’d never really felt anything for him. When he declared his love she’d known it was time to go their separate ways. She knew she could never love him; things had only ever been physical between them. Nope, she’d done the love thing once and didn’t want to feel the heartache ever again.

  Being at the mercy of someone else’s emotions often made it hard for her to tell who was feeling what. At least Finn had been immune to her powers, or at least harder to read than most people, which was what had partly made the sex so much fun for a while, until he’d started to want more.

  Cate hadn’t really got on with him outside the bedroom, they didn’t have anything in common, and hand holding was something she’d never felt comfortable with since it only made the person more open to her.

  The only one she’d ever held hands with comfortably was Jason and he was the only guy she enjoyed spending time with – aside from her brothers.

  She thought back to how he’d healed her earlier, how her skin always tingled when he touched her yet she never felt anything from him.

  Why had his eyes glowed like that? She’d noticed it before, but he always seemed to brush it off. Elementals eyes didn’t shine in that way – at least none she was aware of. Deep down she knew there was something he was hiding — especially the way he could control more than one element — yet she’d never confronted him about it. No, she’d let him tell her about it when he was ready.

  Curling up, she closed her eyes and it wasn’t long before sleep claimed her.

  Cate was standing in an unfamiliar room filled with bright sunlight. Looking down, she saw she was wearing a long, flimsy, blue robe that was so sheer it was practically see-through. Silver combs held back her long, auburn curls as she stood waiting.

  She turned and walked out onto the balcony, feeling the smooth tiles beneath her bare feet. The light of two suns blazed overhead, the island stretched out until it met the shimmering azure sea. The smell of jasmine and the ocean filled the air as she looked down on the golden sands below.

  Was this to be her home? It was beautiful, but she didn’t know how long she’d be here. Fear settled in the pit of her stomach. She had been chosen; she’d bring the god’s anger down on her and dishonour to her family if she refused.

  Cate had no idea what her husband looked like or even his name. Some people said the Elemental Gods were scarred and disfigured by the very nature they controlled. What if her husband was a hideous beast, like some of the Demonkind she had seen slain by her people? The thought made her skin crawl.

  Leaving the balcony, she walked back in and looked around the room with its white-washed walls. The room was empty, save for a huge four-poster bed made from the finest dryad oak. A
nother gift to her husband, no doubt.

  What if she displeased him? She had heard that some of the gods had cast their brides aside because their beauty was not perfect enough. She glanced at the door, wondering if it was too late to flee.

  Walking to the door, she felt the air behind her crackle with energy. Turning, she saw a tornado of swirling blue light and felt as if she were in the presence of nature itself.

  “Are you leaving?” a voice asked.

  She was unable to detect any emotion from the voice and silently prayed to the goddess that she hadn’t angered it. “No,” she said finally, still staring at the spinning entity. “Won’t you let me see you? Or am I to be married to a floating cloud?” Cate heard a rumble of laughter or at least she hoped it was.

  The tornado turned into a floating wave of energy that twirled around her; she felt as if hands gently caressed her face and neck, pushing her hair aside. “You are so beautiful.”

  “I’m sure you say that to all your brides, only to cast them aside soon after.” Goddess, her grandmother had warned her she should hold her tongue; it often got her into trouble. “Forgive me. I have a habit of speaking my mind when I shouldn’t.”

  This time she definitely heard the sound of laughter. “I like a woman who speaks her mind, but you are wrong,” he told her. “You are my first bride and I want you to be my only wife. I have been longing for centuries and now you are mine.”

  “But I’m no one special.”

  “To me you are everything, Cate.”

  “How do you – never mind. The gods are all knowing.”

  He chuckled. “So we would like everyone to believe, but I know you for we have met before in my dreams. That is how I knew you were mine.”

  The light continued to dance around her. “Will you let me see you now or am I to be ravished by the wind?”

  There was a blinding flash of light as a figure of a tall, powerfully-built man formed in front of her. He towered over her; his hair was midnight black and cut short to frame his face. Muscle rippled over his warrior’s body; he was bare-chested and wore loose fitting trousers, and intricate blue tattoos curled down his arms, along with strange symbols of stars and moons.

  Breathless, she looked up to see a face of sheer, masculine beauty. But what was most astonishing about him was his swirling silver eyes, resembling pure Silveron, that sparkled like the stars.

  “Does my human form not please you?”

  “No – you’re perfect.” Just looking at him made her mouth go dry and she grew damp between her thighs. Any fears she had melted away. “I know your face — you’re the one who has haunted my dreams for as long as I can remember.”

  He smiled and reached out to take her hand. “I won’t force you to be my bride, Cate. If you wish to leave then go now. I will make sure no dishonour comes to you or your family.”

  She felt overwhelmed by his words and shook her head. “No, I want to stay here with you.” She laced her fingers with his. “You haven’t told me your name.”

  “My name is Jadam, but everyone calls me Jason.”

  “Then you will be my Jason.”

  He leaned down, gently brushing his lips against hers. She returned his kiss uncertainly, afraid she would do something wrong. He kissed her slowly at first, savouring the sweet taste of her. He’d waited so long just to hold her like this.

  She felt as if she had been waiting all her life just for this moment. His arms came up around her waist; she linked her arms around his neck, pulling him down so she could deepen their kiss.

  Suddenly, the bliss inside her dream abruptly vanished as she saw Tasha emerge from the shadows.

  “Find it for me.”

  Cate felt Tasha’s vice-like grip clamp around her throat, strangling her. She choked, unable to breathe as images started hitting her like bullets to the head.

  “Cate!”

  “No, no, no!” she screamed, struggling against the stranglehold.

  “Cate! Cate, wake up!”

  Her eyes flew open; Cate found herself back in her bedroom, with Jason on the bed beside her, his hands on her shoulders as he tried to shake her awake. There was a loud bang as furniture hit the floor. She was breathing hard, still feeling the tightness around her throat.

  “What happened? Are you alright?” he asked anxiously.

  Cate turned the lamp on and saw the concern etched on his face. “I – I think so.” she rubbed her neck, but there were no burn marks there. “I was dreaming.”

  She remembered her earlier dream, of seeing Jason standing there, but now his eyes looked their normal shade of grey, not the swirling silver. Everything else was the same. The only visible tattoos she knew he had were a Denai star on his right bicep and a crescent moon on the left, the symbol of a Mavis. She knew she’d better not mention the first dream; it was too weird to think about.

  “I think I had a vision, it felt like when Tasha forced me to use my powers earlier.”

  “What did you see?”

  “I’m not sure, it was all a blur. At least my head isn’t killing me for once.”

  “Glad my magic seems to have done some good. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Cate nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. How’d you know I was having a bad dream?”

  “You were crying out and the place was shaking. When I came in everything in the room was levitating – except for your bed.”

  “I didn’t know I could do that,” she said, biting her lip nervously.

  “Well, at least nothing seems to be broken,” Jason rose to his feet. “I could stay and watch you for a while if you want – just to make sure nothing else happens.”

  Cate hesitated, she was afraid of going back to sleep, but it wasn’t only because she was worried about having bad dreams. What if she dreamt about them again? “You shouldn’t have to lose sleep over me.”

  “I’ll probably just lie there worrying about you anyway.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, if it’s not too weird for you.”

  “Just stay and keep an eye on me for a while, then you can go back to your own bed.”

  “Okay.” He slipped into the opposite side of the bed as she lay down and turned the light off.

  Goddess, this is weird. She closed her eyes, but knew sleep would be a long time coming.

  As if sensing her unease, she felt Jason slip an arm around her and she moved closer, resting her head against his shoulder, just as sleep finally took hold again.

  CHAPTER 8

  The team set out early the next morning to start raiding the Thorn’s compound. Cate was feeling a little awkward around Jason, but tried not to show it, and he seemed a little distant too.

  “Hi sweetie.” Jade smiled brightly as she came into the courtyard where the rest of the team were already gathered.

  Some people could be so cheery in the mornings. It just wasn’t natural!

  “Morning.” Cate took a gulp of coffee.

  “Which building do you want us to take first?” Steve asked.

  “Start in the main building,” she replied.

  Jason was joined by a redheaded male that Cate recognised as Doug, a Werewolf and fellow Enforcer.

  “Is Mel going to join us?” Cate asked, referring to Doug’s Denai other half.

  “I think she had a meeting with the GM this morning, but she should be here soon,” he replied. “Congrats by the way.”

  “On what?” Did he think she and Jason were a couple now?

  “Becoming the Second, of course. Can’t say Mel will be as congratulating though. I think she feels sorry for you.”

  “Thanks, I feel sorry for me too. Jade, why don’t you and I start searching the upstairs of the main house?” she asked. “Everyone keep your comm links on and be vigilant. There’s probably a few traps around here.”

  Cate and Jade passed through the main house. From what they saw it appeared scarcely furnished; it had hideous dark red walls and mahogany floors throughout. After a quick scan t
o make sure the building was clear of any potential hazards, the two of them headed up to the first floor and into the largest bedroom, which they thought was Bethany’s.

  “You and Jason seem a bit off this morning,” Jade commented.

  “I was hoping to talk to you about that.” She turned away from a set of bookcases. “Something really weird happened last night.” She explained the dream she had about Jason and the following nightmare. “Then this morning we woke up in bed together, with our arms around each other. Talk about embarrassment.”

  Jade grinned. “It’s about time you two...”

  “We didn’t – I mean, we didn’t have sex,” she said in a low voice. “We just fell asleep together.”

  “In your bed and in each other’s arms. Hey, do you think maybe that dream was trying to tell you something?”

  “It was just a dream and a weird one at that. I’m not some kind of virginal sacrifice and as far as I know Jason isn’t a god. Nor is he in love with me.”

  “Ha, yeah right! Sweetie, I know you’re good at reading people, but Denai or not, anyone can see that Jason –”

  “Don’t start! I’ve told you a million times, we’re not a couple and nor would I want to be.”

  “Oh come on, you know him better than anyone, and you’ve been good friends for years. All you need to do now is take the next step.”

  “He’s my partner and…”

  “You can’t tell me you haven’t ever thought of Jason in that way. The guy looks like a god and has all that sexy male energy about him. Hell, even I drool over him sometimes.”

  “You drool over any breathing male!” Cate laughed.

  “The point is, you have a gorgeous guy who likes spending time with you and lives under your roof.”

  “He has his own room!” she protested.

  “Yeah, but you have to admit, you kind of liked waking up next to him, didn’t you? If that were me, I would have had my way with him and maybe tied him to the bedpost.” Jade smiled at the image. “Come on Cate, when was the last time you had sex anyway?”

  “I just haven’t taken a fancy to anyone lately.”