by Eve Newton
It is still dark outside, the rain falling softly, the slight breeze blowing the curtain through the partially cracked window. Cole is already up and in the bathroom. I catch my breath and then, I lose my temper. The bed starts to rumble underneath me as the ground did last night and I can hear the rattling of the ornaments.
I open my mouth and shriek at the top of my voice, “RRRRRRRRRREMIEL!” The windowpanes threaten to splinter, and Cole rushes out of the bathroom, steadying himself against the tremor I am causing. The door bursts open and everyone else rushes in to see what the problem is, in various states of awake.
“Liv, what the fuck?” Cole shouts above the roar of the wind that has blown the French doors wide open, letting in the rain, that is now lashing down. I am standing in that stupid Alice dress, with my hair whipping up around me as I call G.I. to my hand. I am finishing him once and for all. He has violated my dreams for the last time.
“Show yourself!” I yell at thin air and I’m sure everyone thinks my marbles have scattered, as I stand there in all my blazing glory, brandishing the sword with an ethereal finesse I wouldn’t claim to have, had you asked me before this moment. It is quite possible that I have gone loopy, as this is one of those Power rushes that has come out of nowhere and for no real reason. Yes, he was in my dream, trying to coax me into staying, but I know better now. It was a silly Wonderland dream, no harm, no foul…and yet. Why am I so angry? The prickle down my shoulder and arm distracts me enough to lose the rush as it is bordering on too painful to bear and I let the sword go, to the relief of every creature in the room. Gripping my right shoulder, I hiss and see that everyone is staring at me in horror. It takes me a moment to understand why, but it hits me as the claws I had been raking down my own arm reaches my fingertips and I run out of flesh to gouge.
“Shit,” I mumble, expecting my fangs to have dropped as well, but they haven’t. I am not all Vamped out. Only my left hand has a set of claws, that actually aren’t even Vampire claws now that I look at them. More like five, black, razor sharp claws. Talons, rather than claws. Oh, crap. Am I turning into some sort of Bird freak now? I turn hastily to the mirror and to my relief, I look like me, but my Dragon eyes have made an appearance. Oh, not so much a Bird freak then, as a partial Dragon Shift. My bad.
“You are so dead, the next time I see you! Do you hear me?” I yell and I hear the loud rumble coming from all over. “Such fun!” he exclaims. “Whatever next?”
“Rah!” I make a noise of frustration and stamp my feet. I notice the returned book to my bedside cabinet and sit heavily on the bed to pick it up. It is completely intact, and I am at least grateful for that. My treasure is unharmed.
“Liv?” Cole ventures after what seems like an hour.
“Yes, my love?” I look up at him and he approaches me cautiously as if I am a rabbit about to bolt.
“Are you calm now?” he asks as he sits on the bed next to me.
I put the book carefully down and pat it. “Yes. I am perfectly fine.”
“No, don’t use that word,” he chides me. “When you say ‘fine’, you are anything but.”
“All right then, I am perfectly calm,” I say through gritted teeth.
He takes my hand and holds it tightly, stroking my arm with his other. “You sure? That looked like it hurt.”
“It did,” I admit, and he squeezes even tighter.
He turns to everybody else, all of them just standing around, not daring to speak. “Leave us,” he says in a tone worthy of my sire and they do as he asks, probably more stunned by my outburst than anything else.
“He has taken to dressing you up as Alice?” he asks as the door closes quietly.
“Yep.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No. It was a perfectly civilized dream.”
“Why did you hurt yourself?” he asks me in a soothing tone, as he would a fragile teen prone to self-harming. Christ, the man has a soft touch. He should have been a counselor.
“It was that prickling. It got worse. It felt like a million needles attacking me from the inside out. I wanted it to stop.”
“What prickling?”
What prickling? Did I not mention it before? I honestly can’t remember.
“It’s nothing,” I sigh, not really wanting to explain it now. “You are going to be late. You should go.”
“No, I’m not leaving you. Certainly, not while your eyes are all freaky and you are still dressed up as some kind of horror movie Alice.”
I look down at myself then and I look an absolute fright. Literally. I am smeared in my own blood, all down my arm, all over my dress where it had sprayed over me. My face is white, my hair is a mess, my eyes are my own but now two bloodshot peepers and my dress somehow is torn. I must have caught it with my Dragon talon thingies. I laugh, a hollow sound that makes him flinch. “Yes, I can see why you are concerned about me. I am a mess. But really, Cole, I am fi…erm, good. Please don’t worry about me.”
“Oh, I’m worried. Especially as I am now not going to see you for two days.”
“I promise that you don’t have to worry. CK will make sure I am taken care of,” I say quietly.
“I know he will,” he sighs. “Liv, this isn’t working for me anymore,” he says, standing up suddenly and pacing, running his hand through his hair in agitation. It sticks up adorably as it is still wet from the shower and all I want to do is run my own hand through it to flatten it, so he can do it again. “You going off for two days, not seeing you. I can’t do it anymore. There has to be another way.”
I shake my head. “We have already seen what the other way is, Cole. I don’t think that I can cope with being piggy-in-the-middle while you two duke it out over me.”
“This just isn’t working for me anymore,” he repeats desperately and drops to his knees in front of me. “Please, Liv. We must find another way. Use that brilliant brain of yours to come up with another plan. Please.”
I take his face in my hands and smile sadly at him. “I’ve tried. Believe me, I have tried to think of alternatives. There isn’t one.” Or at least not one that either one of my men will agree to. I take this opportunity to run my fingers through his hair and he closes his eyes.
“There is,” he says. “And I will find it.” He stands determinedly and turns his back to me to get dressed. I watch him, wishing he had stayed in his towel just a little bit longer. “Please change,” he mumbles. “I can’t bear to see you so fragile.”
My heart breaks at his words and I do as he asks. I whip the dress over my head and pull on my robe, covering up the blood stains. I check my hand to make sure the talons have retracted and thankfully they have now. That was quite disturbing. I tie my hair back naturally as I am loathed to use magick at the moment. Don’t ask me why, I just need something to be normal for a few minutes.
He turns and smiles at me. “It’s better,” he says. “Please try and destroy that thing while you are away. I can’t stand it messing with you anymore.”
“You and me both,” I say as I kiss him. “I am going to miss you.”
“Don’t,” he says against my lips. “It just makes it harder to let you go.” Which he does and steps back. “I will call you later. I’ll be at Claridges.”
That makes me smile. “Claridges? Didn’t peg you as the posh type,” I tease.
“When in London…” he says with his gorgeous half-smile.
“Indeed,” I say.
“I love you,” he whispers as he picks up his bag and without waiting for me to say it back, he leaves. I just stand there for a few minutes, unable to move.
I hear muted voices coming from the corridor and move a tiny bit closer to the door, using my Dragon-hearing Powers to eavesdrop.
“Look after her,” Cole says gruffly.
“You know that I will,” CK says, slightly offended.
“I mean it,” Cole says more forcefully. “If anything happens to her…”
“I won’t let it,” CK interrupts him but softens his tone as he sa
ys, “I promise you; I will protect her with my last breath.”
There is a long pause and Cole sighs, “I know you will.”
“Don’t be concerned, my boy. Protecting her is what I do,” CK says so softly, I almost don’t catch it.
And then there is silence and a knock at the door.
CK pushes it open without waiting to be bid, and he stares at me.
“Don’t,” I say as he opens his mouth to speak. “I have already had it from Cole, so just don’t, okay?”
“Okay,” he says and shuts his mouth. Now that is a first, worthy of note. “But seeing as we are all up and about, how about you go and get cleaned up and we can leave?”
I nod as it makes sense and I know he is eager to get this show on the road. Well, no, eager is the wrong word, anxious is better. I have to say my own anxiety level goes up a few notches as I get showered and changed. This is just going to be a very weird morning and I have no idea what to expect. I don’t think any of us do.
I step back into the bedroom to find CK sipping tea outside with my book. When will everybody learn, it isn’t for reading?
“You decided to read it?” he asks before I can snap at him to close it and return it to me.
“No,” I say forcefully. “It was misplaced and now it goes back where it belongs.” I take it from him.
“Misplaced?” he asks curiously.
“Long story.”
“You should read it. You can always replace it if it gets damaged. There are other first edition copies around. I myself have one.”
“I have read the second edition. This does not get read. I cannot replace it; it is the sentimental value.”
“Ah, I see. It is one that you acquired at the time and it has come through the years with you.”
“Yes. I thought you knew that?”
“That was the year you left London to go to Russia. I didn’t see you again until 1894,” he reminds me.
“Yes, I remember. How did we manage to go so long between seeing each other?” I muse out loud. “I just couldn’t do that now. Even before we got closer.”
He takes my hand and kisses it. “That was all you, my sweet. Had it been up to me I would have followed you around the world.”
“Now that is a big fat lie,” I reprimand him. “I can count on both hands and feet, how many times I asked you to come to America with us when we left the Continent, and after.”
“If you had asked me because you wanted to be with me, I would have come,” he says simply and I look away, not wanting to go down heartbreak road this early in the morning.
“I suppose we should go,” I say instead, and he tenses up as he puts the cup down.
“Yes, I suppose we should.” He stands and helps me up. He looks at me for the longest moment and says, “Aefre…” but I put a hand up to his mouth and shake my head.
“Don’t say it. Whatever it is you want to say, leave it until after.” He nods and I add, “There is also something I want to ask you. Please try to remind me later.”
“Of course,” he says and escorts me back into the bedroom.
“I’ll take this down to the library and then we can go.” I hold up the book.
“Allow me,” he says as he wraps his arms around me and Teleports us to the library. I place the book in the empty space where it belongs and turn as we are joined by Cade and Sebastian.
“Ready?” Sebastian says, aiming for nonchalance but failing somewhat.
I nod briskly and he takes Cade by the arm and Teleports them both to Ponte. I take CK’s arm and he hesitates. “I’m sorry,” he whispers before he follows them with me clinging to him, not really wanting to let go.
We land in the Grand Entrance Hall, joined by Nico and he and Cade flit off together, heads bowed, discussing something of the utmost importance that he doesn’t even look back. I am glad though, because now he won’t see me disappear with Sebastian and it is one less lie, I have to tell. As they turn the corner and disappear, Sebastian holds his hand out to me. “Shall we?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say quietly and turn back to CK, who is looking as pained as I feel. I pull him close and whisper in his ear, “Tonight, we will do the ritual again, okay?” I want to give him something to take away from this parting that he can look forward to, something that will take his mind off me going off with his best friend and charge.
“Yes,” he whispers back to me as he tangles his fingers in my hair to hold me close to him. “I am going to sweep you off your feet. It will be the most romantic night of your life,” he adds with a smile that is practically forced, at our inside joke and I take his face in my hands.
“That is a tall order, sir. You had better get started on your planning,” I say.
He relaxes then, a tiny bit, as he chuckles. “Lucky for you, I have already got everything I need to please you.”
“All I need is you,” I say as I kiss him sweetly before I pull away and step back. I turn swiftly and let Sebastian lead me away, not wanting to look back.
As you may have come to realize by now, I am pretty good at compartmentalizing my life. Every little piece has its own little place. A vault, if you will. I close one and open another. It makes it easier to go from one person to another. Cade once asked me how I do it and other Liv was also interested to know, how I can turn my focus so intently from one to another.
He leads me down the bottom floor of the castle and turns into the right wing. As we turn the corner, I ask him, “Where exactly are we going?”
“To my bedroom,” he says as he takes my hand.
“You have a bedroom here?” I asked, surprised, but then feel a bit foolish, because of course he does.
“Yes, don’t you?” he says with a smile.
“I have two,” I say with a laugh.
“Well one and a half,” he says, and I concede that is a fair point.
“You seem to be out in the back of nowhere,” I say as we continue down the corridor to the back of the castle.
“Not exactly,” he says as he stops at a very recognizable, heavy, wooden, studded door.
“Oh,” I say and freeze. “Your bedroom is in the North Tower,” I state.
“Yes,” he says. “Is that a problem?”
“No,” I say, determined not to make it an issue.
“We can find somewhere else,” he says, sensing my hesitation. “I understand if you…you know…towers…” he trails off, not really knowing what to say.
“It’s fine,” I say and open the door. I ascend the stairs slowly but steadily. I conquered this fear and I won’t let it come back to bite me now.
He follows me silently until I reach the turret door, then I step back to let him open it. Not out of wanting him to be chivalrous, but as it is his bedroom, I am not comfortable with just making myself at home and barging in.
He opens the door and ushers me inside. I take it all in quite quickly, scanning my eye around the room. It is a smaller, round version of CK’s room. Well, of what used to be CK’s room, but is now heavily influenced by all of my stuff he brought over from New York to make it “ours.”
“Nice,” I say and step further in. My eye catches the view from the windows, and I am drawn to it. It is spectacular. I kneel on the window seat and he joins me. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” he says.
“Yes,” I say.
He takes my hand and pulls me off the seat and leads me to some sketches and paintings on the wall next to the windows. He points to one that looks as old as I am and says, “This is what it used to look like.” He points to the next one. “And this one a few centuries later, and so on.”
I study them closely and note the vast difference in the landscape over the years. “Wow,” I say. “That is amazing. Did you do these?”
“Yes,” he says almost shyly.
“Impressive. What other talents are you hiding?” I ask, then flush as his eyes light up mischievously.
“I am dying to show you,” he says as he brushes my hair behind my ear. Even
though I can sense his eagerness to get started, he still says to me, “We can go at your pace. I know this is awkward for you. Especially here and especially as he is waiting for you.”
“Yes,” I say. “It is awkward. I would rather have been here of my own free will.” Not to mention I am just a little bit worried about the fated baby.
“Liv, you know that I don’t mean you any harm. It was an empty threat to get you here.” He chews his lip as I take that in. “Please don’t leave now.”
“I won’t. I am here now, and I can feel our connection,” I say, holding up my hand for him to do the same. “I am still trying to process the depth of this.”
“Me too,” he says as he takes my hand in his and pulls me towards him. He dips his head from his far superior height and hesitantly kisses me. Sparks fly as I deepen the kiss, and he walks me back to the bed, shedding me of my top and skirt in the process.
“I knew it,” he says, twanging the strap of my lacy thong before he rips it off me, breaking the tension.
“I aim to please,” I say to his delight.
I kick my shoes off as I unbutton his shirt and he undoes his pants and lets them drop. I feel a pang of nervousness out of nowhere and mentally shake my head at myself for being ridiculous. He kicks his own shoes off as well as his jeans and I run my hands up his very impressive chest and over his shoulders to shed his shirt. He stiffens as it drops to the floor and my hands run down his back. “Relax,” I say to him with a small smile. “I know, remember.”
He smiles back and mutters, “Habit.” He lets me take his hand to pull him onto the bed.
“Let me see,” I say as I shuffle around, and he sits down and lets me examine his markings as if it were something to be endured. They are so very like the ones that she had, except for the obvious Light Fae/Dark Fae leaves versus thorns. They start to swirl as I touch him, and he gasps in surprise. “Do you feel that?” I ask him.
“Yes. You are making them move?” he asks in surprise.
“Yes, has that never happened before?”
“No, never. I keep trying to convince myself that you aren’t who we think you are, but the reasons just keep coming that you are.” He turns suddenly and kisses me again, trailing his own hand down my back to make my Dragon flutter in pleasure. “I want both to take my time with you but also just to fuck you senseless,” he says as he breaks away.
