by Deanna Chase
Justus loomed in the doorway with a cold stare that could have obliterated mountains, turned diamonds into ash, and shattered statues.
And I stood like one.
There was a tic in his jaw as he made a mental note of my disheveled hair and crumpled outfit. Crossing my arms, I attempted to be casual.
“I was just getting ready for bed.”
I just didn’t mention with whom.
That might explain the fact I had only one boot on and my shirt was unbuttoned, but when his eyes roamed across the room and I saw what they locked on, it wouldn’t explain why my panties were lying at the end of the bed.
Nor Simon’s leather coat lying on the floor, for that matter.
Simon came up behind Justus. “I hope you mopped up that parking lot with his arse. Bastard had it coming.”
Justus pivoted to face Simon, turning his back to me. I glanced at the sheets, which were now in disarray. Sheets that were always neatly tucked and straight since the day I moved in now looked like a horse had trampled across the bed.
“You. Kitchen. Now.”
Simon peered over Justus’s shoulder apologetically. Justus was not my father and we were not teenagers. Simon was a man of at least a hundred years and as I stood there I couldn’t get over the fact that he wouldn’t stand up to Justus—maybe shut the damn door in his face—and tell him to take a walk.
I closed my eyes for a moment in embarrassment. When I opened them again, Simon was gone. My Ghuardian could not look at me; he got that blank look that I wasn’t able to read. I noticed that his nice shirt had spatters of blood on it, and regretfully I wondered what happened to that nice grey suit jacket.
I was looking at the panties and he was looking at the leather collar on the bed.
“Go to sleep, Learner. We skip training tomorrow.”
Chapter 20
The next morning I stayed in my room. I hardly ever drink but when I do, I have neither self-control nor foresight enough to appreciate just how hellacious I will feel the next morning. Overall, I didn’t feel too bad, but my stomach was still turning somersaults. Part of that had to do with the way the night had ended.
It was afternoon before I decided to face the music like the mature adult I was supposed to be, but it was difficult considering how I’d been treated. Don’t get me wrong, I like Justus, he’s a very strong individual with the manners of an orangutan. But my father, he was not.
I’d spent too much wasted time overanalyzing the events of the previous night and quite frankly, I’d had enough of this silly bullshit. Perhaps a night with Simon would have been an inevitable regret, but I would have liked the choice.
Of course, I never slept with anyone on the first date so part of me was glad it was interrupted—the same part that made it easier to be pissed off at Justus.
The fact that Simon had tucked in his tail and run didn’t help matters at all. I could have been mad at him for taking advantage of a situation—but in his defense, he was equally as drunk.
But he must have known the effect that binding would have on me, that it would remove all choice. Once Simon poured himself into me, there was no going back. I never imagined anything could feel so intense. In fact, hours later I could still feel his light. I hated that, because I didn’t know if what I felt for him was real or conjured up by our exchange.
I scooped his leather jacket from the floor and straightened the sleeves when something caught my eye. Turning the shoulder, I saw teeth imprints in the material. The evil part of me wanted to laugh, but all I felt was embarrassment; it would be a constant reminder of this night. I threw the jacket over the back of the leather sofa in the main room and paused, noting the silence.
“We’re in here, Learner,” Justus called out from the dining room.
I never had to announce my presence around Justus; he had a way of sensing my energy even when my shields were up.
They were both sitting at the table wearing poker faces; Simon’s hand wrapped around a short crystal glass, memorizing every angle. I had the feeling they had been there all night from the looks of the table scattered with six fast-food bags—some empty—and wrappers all over the place. It looked like a war room and they were eating their way to a strategy.
I reached for a bag and sat down with one foot up on the chair as I pulled out a sack of room-temperature fries. I wasn’t sure what to think, I half expected that Justus would have kicked Simon out. Maybe they were sharing stories, maybe Simon was telling him all about how I was in bed. My eyes narrowed, but he never looked up from his glass.
“I’ve told Simon about how you were made.”
I brushed the salt from my fingers and leaned back, interlocking my fingers over my knee. I didn’t like my personal business being discussed as table conversation.
“Since when is my business everyone’s business?”
I redirected my focus to a painting behind Justus. It was a maiden in a stream. A man held the sun in his right hand and reached for her with his left. Her hair was soft waves while his was wild, more like licking flames of fire. I often looked at the painting while we ate, wondering what the artist was really trying to depict. The woman wasn’t even looking at the man, who was completely enraptured by her. What the hell was a guy like Justus doing with such a thought-provoking painting?
“Last night after you two left, I got a call from the Council.”
I looked between them. “And?”
“Your Creator has come forward. He is requesting our presence tonight.”
The blood moved away from every extremity in my body, including my head, and for a moment, I thought I was going to have a close introduction to the floor. I leaned forward and came close to losing the fry I just ate.
“What does he want?”
Justus was stoic and looked at me with dead eyes. “To claim you.”
“I don’t want him anywhere near me,” I said as I shook my head. “You’re my Ghuardian, can’t you do anything?”
“I have no authority over your Creator. He’s coming to collect you, and you will go with him.”
“Just like that?” My anger snared like a drum as I leaned across the table and pointed my finger angrily on the wood.
“Adam would never have allowed this—I trusted you! Did you even try to keep me, or was this the release you were looking for?”
He flinched as though he had been slapped, but it didn’t matter. I bolted out of my chair and ran to my room. Justus and Simon filled the doorway as I was shoving clothes into my bag.
“I’m leaving.”
“He’ll find you, Learner. You can’t run from this.”
“The hell I can’t! Maybe I’ll find someone else to take me in who actually wants me!” I screamed as I hovered over my bag, frozen like a statue, arms straight down and fingers wide open. I was charging up and I knew if I didn’t find a way to level it down I was going to regret it.
“Justus, you have to try with the Council, they don’t know the circumstances. You can plead your case before he makes his claim,” Simon urged.
“With Merc on the Council, there’s no way this will be unanimous.”
“Look at her—you can’t do it! She’s not ready; he’ll use her. Look how he brought her into our Breed, if that isn’t proof enough for you. He’s not going to release her.”
“Eventually, he will give her independence.”
“No, Justus, he won’t. Ever.”
“All Creators tire of the care they must give and grant freedom.” Their voices were argumentative and growing in volume.
“He’ll keep her, Justus.”
“What makes you so sure?”
I sat against the wall, curling my arms over my knees.
“Do I really need to answer that?” Simon folded his arms and looked at him directly. A heavy silence fell before he continued. “I’m quite certain in all these months you have tapped her energy. You know she is a Unique.”
In that moment, I realized Justus hadn’t really known
for certain everything that transpired between me and Simon last night, but now he knew that we had exchanged. He looked at me, disheartened, but I didn’t care. My knuckles were white, my lips dry, and worst of all, as much as I wanted Adam to come take me away from all of this, I knew it would only put him in danger.
Justus suddenly raged out with a fury like I had never seen. “I am powerless, Simon, this is law. I cannot stop him!”
The air crackled as he faced the wall. Simon moved to my side, cupping my hands in his. I felt a calming sensation pouring into me, and Justus knelt beside him.
“Don’t make me go,” I pleaded. “I’ll die; I can’t go with him.”
Justus and Simon exchanged a look and nodded.
Everything went black.
***
I was sitting on a large, polished black rock by a crystal blue river. Tall pine trees bent to the whisper of the wind. A few yellow butterflies flitted about. I heard the splashing of the water as it ran over the rocks and the sunlight shimmered on its surface. It felt peaceful, and yet… not real.
“It’s not real.”
Justus stood by the edge of the water with Simon at his side.
“How did you hear what I was thinking?”
“This is not the real world. This is the link between the waking world and the subconscious. It is the in-between we sometimes call the Grey Veil.”
“How did we get here?”
He stepped up and found a spot on the edge of the flat rock, running his fingers in the water. “Not all Mage have the ability to do this and I don’t have time to explain. I needed to show you how to get here. Anyone you have shared your power with can join you here, provided they are shown.” He gave a slighted look at Simon who spun around and started pulling at the pinecones that spiraled from the branches above.
“But I don’t know how we got here.”
“You do, Learner, you felt the pull. You can do it alone, we just had to show you the first time, but you never forget the feeling and how to summon it. It’s like sitting on the edge of a slide right before you slip down and give yourself to gravity.”
I laughed unexpectedly as I wondered how Justus knew what a slide felt like. This was a man from probably the middle ages and I couldn’t imagine him at the top of a slide.
A strand of coppery hair blew around my neck into the sunlight. I snatched it, looking carefully.
“Always liked the gingers.” Simon winked.
“Sometimes how you see yourself is reflected here. But I can see you are still conflicted.” He tugged at my hair to bring to my attention it had darkened to an almost black shade. “You continue to drift between both reflections of yourself.”
Justus set a plan for us to meet nightly so I could provide him details about my maker. He hoped to find a loophole to get me out of his custody. Even if I was to go with my Creator, Justus would remain my Ghuardian as he is afforded a certain amount of rights by the Mageri.
But not enough. Not nearly enough.
Chapter 21
My hands remained tucked in the pockets of my jacket so I could feel the dagger hidden in the lining. Justus didn’t know about it and I sure wasn’t going to tell him. I lifted the knife from his wall when he was showering and found a way to conceal it in the lining. I might not be able to kill my Creator—but I wasn’t going down without a fight.
The engine clicked off with a turn of the key; it was the same spot as before, when I first met the Council. I recognized the broken-down stone wall off to the right.
“Let’s just get this over with.” I was angry and pushed myself out of the car, storming past Simon.
I was pissed off because I felt betrayed by someone I thought cared about me. I was never really sure how he felt, but Justus had to have had some kind of loyalty to me because he offered himself as my Ghuardian. Didn’t that mean something?
The Council stood in a semicircle, but my eyes were glued to the shadow before them. His long black hair fell across his shoulders. Two hands grabbed each of my forearms. Never did I feel more like a reluctant bride being forced down the aisle.
The elder of the Council waved his hand to motion us forward; Justus and Simon complied, pulling me along. My Creator suddenly spun around in a fluid motion as if he were turned on by a switch.
“Progeny,” he said delightfully.
It was as if I were looking into my own eyes, even our hair was nearly the same color. Then he smiled.
“Murderer!” I yelled, lunging forward but restrained by those annoying hands.
He gave me a look of isn’t that a shame, turning his mouth down as Merc spoke up.
“What is this accusation she brings?”
“This, Council,” he said, wagging his finger, “is why I did not immediately claim her. I was not confident that she was… stable.” He tapped his forehead for emphasis. “I have come to find that since her transition, she developed a mental block due to my miscalculation. The Learner has no memory of the consensual act.” He flicked his hand as if he were talking of a child.
“Liar,” I hissed.
Justus squeezed my arm, stopping some of the blood flow. “Council, if you would permit.”
“You may speak,” Hannah said.
“We believe this man has committed a crime, although our laws do not define it, nevertheless it is unjustifiable. She was taken on death and I do not feel the Mageri would advocate this.”
There was a muttering.
“Let us not forget the meaning of why we are present, Council. I, Samil, am hereby claiming my rights to this Learner, to teach her the ways of our heritage, to fortify her with my experience until she is fluent and—”
“Enough, Samil.”
The woman, who looked like she could have been any upper-Manhattan attorney, waved for silence. “Speak out of turn once more and I will personally see that the pillory makes a comeback.”
My shoes crunched on the frost-covered grass, fingers twisting together like ancient roots, and I remembered the dagger. Sliding my right hand discreetly into my coat, the cold feel of the handle motivated me.
My Creator waved his arm in my direction. “Council, she has been altered. I demand compensation.” He turned his gaze to meet mine. “And they have armed her.”
As he spoke the last word I knew they would seize my weapon.
I flashed at him and plunged the dagger into air. Samil flashed and when I turned to strike again, I was thrown to the ground.
Novis, the young man with the spiked hair, removed the dagger from my hand with blinding speed. He kept me pinned with a forearm across my neck as Samil brushed his hands along his coat, looking insulted. God, his pompous attitude angered me even more and I struggled against Novis in vain.
“Look at her eyes,” Novis said.
Silence fell.
What they were looking at was something that happened under extreme conditions, the pinpoint pupils of my eyes turned a metallic color that was more noticeable when it was dark and they were expanded.
“What have you made, Samil? She is not like us.” Novis placed his thumb on my forehead in the same manner he had done once before. He was testing me—summoning the power within me. Was he measuring? Well he could measure my fist up his ass if he didn’t get himself up off of me.
I pulled back.
A sweet rush of perfumed energy whirled within my being—ancient energy—before the contact was broken. Novis gasped and rose to his feet. He stepped back in line with a peculiar expression that he quickly erased. Merc brushed back his blond hair and lifted a meaty arm to point his finger straight at me.
“She has broken the laws in front of the Council, Novis. She has attempted to take the life of her Creator.” It wasn’t just an observation—Merc was placing an accusation against me.
Simon approached quickly with his head lowered.
“Council, I implore you that I would offer my services, what you would ask, if she be spared her life and continue to be kept under Ghuardianship. Her make
r forced her into being without a choice. She has not yet been named within the Mageri. Can a law be broken of a society you have not yet fully entered? Please do not punish ignorance.”
I glared at him and I could tell he saw me out of his peripheral. I flicked my eyes back to the Council and noticed they lightly touched fingers while facial expressions changed, as if they were communicating. Another moment passed and Hannah finally spoke up.
“We have come to a decision. Simon, as you so offered your services, we will collect for our leniency. However, we cannot deny her maker his rights. For her life, we will require one service from you upon our choosing.” Simon bowed his head with respect.
“Learner,” she continued. “Rise to your feet.”
I did so, without grace or speed, but with my dignity intact.
“Show us the mark of your maker.”
Scratch dignity.
Justus nudged at me to do as commanded, but I never told him where my mark was. Brushing the dirt from my hands, I looked at her directly.
“I have a mark; you don’t need to see it.” I licked my lips and gulped.
“It is but required that you present the mark of your Creator so that we may act as a witness; it must be properly documented in our books that you are his progeny.”
“I’m shy,” I bit out through clenched teeth
Her eyes narrowed at my disobedience, but she wasn’t backing down. Justus shoved at my shoulder and his eyes were unwavering.
I began to unbutton my jeans when Novis spoke up.
“Hannah.”
She rolled her eyes and waved her hand. “Fine. Learner, come with me.”
She led me to a private area in the woods and what I showed her was sufficient. When we rejoined the group, they were all standing in silence.
“I have seen the mark, she is Samil’s progeny. Samil, you will now present the Learner to us. Speak her name, for once it is heard she will no longer be an outsider among the Mageri.”
Samil stepped forward as a victor in a battle—his long, wild hair obscuring his face.
“But first, Samil, you will know that we have made a decision to your fate as well. These are unusual circumstances, which we have not seen, and not all the facts appear to be disclosed. We will release her to your charge. However, in seven days there will be an open challenge that will entitle any other to stake their claim on this Learner. As she was not given the choice to be Mage, we will allow fate to decide.” Hannah paused and her thick brows nearly met, giving the appearance of a goddess who could strike fear with a mere glance.
