“Thanks, Kaeleigh, but I’m really fine out here,” he said with a bit of a sad smile. “Plus then I’m in the middle and can hear if Chel needs anything. Just call for me if you need me, I’ll be here. I’ll always be here.” And with that he lay down, crossing his legs at the ankles and putting his hands behind his head before closing his eyes. Kaeleigh sighed and headed to the big bed to try to get just a little bit of rest before who knew what kind of hell broke loose.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Kaeleigh woke with a start, desperately sucking in air trying to catch her breath. Her skin sticky with sweat, she wiped her hair from her face, looking around the now darkening room that she had fallen asleep in, gauging her surroundings. Alone. She was alone, but she had the distinct feeling she was being watched. Walking silently around the room, she felt a bit foolish because she was in fact alone. Wondering what time it was, she wandered to the window on the opposite side of the room from the bed. The feeling intensified the closer she got to the window. There was nothing out there that she could see, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. Suddenly there was a knock at her door and Finn peeked his head in.
“Kae? You okay? I thought I heard you,” Finn said quietly once he saw her silhouette standing in front of the window with the fading evening light behind her. He walked over to where she stood and put his hand on her shoulder. “What is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Kaeleigh looked back out the window. “I felt like someone was watching me, but I could still be spooked from the dream I had.”
“Look at me, Kaeleigh,” Finn said, almost whispering like he was afraid of spooking her even more. Slowly Kaeleigh turned around, not meeting Finn’s eyes. He reached out and lifted her chin so their eyes met. He saw how scared she was. He sighed and pulled her into an embrace.
Kaeleigh let him pull her close. She didn’t realize how shaken she was by the dream—no, nightmare—she had just had. Pieces of the dream flashed before her even as it was starting to unravel. As much as she didn’t want to remember it, she knew there was something important that she was supposed to hold onto, perhaps something needed to know in this place. She remembered something about Daegan losing control and giving in to the darkness that was ensnaring him little by little. And there were green eyes. In fact, the same ones she had seen out the window! Kaeleigh sighed as much in frustration of losing the importance of the dream, as in having the dream in the first place. She stepped back from Finn but was able to meet his eyes this time. “I’m okay, Finn, just a bad dream. I can’t even remember most of it now.” She turned back to the window, frustrated.
“But you want to? Remember it, that is?” Finn asked, confused.
“I feel like there was something important that I was supposed to catch in it, but it slipped right through my fingers the moment I tried to grasp it.”
Finn stepped up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. “If it’s truly important, it will come back to you when you need it most.” His confident tone gave her comfort. She reached up and placed her hand on top of one of his to thank him, but he instantly laced their fingers together, keeping her from retreating from him once again.
Kaeleigh stilled, but in that moment she needed comfort and Finn was there offering it. She relaxed back against him and didn’t pull her hand away, giving him this momentary comfort as much for her as for him. She just hoped it wouldn’t hurt him in the end. Once again confused about their relationship, she tried to step away from him without him feeling like she was pulling away. But he knew. The flash of disappointment in his eyes seared her heart and she wanted to embrace him and make it go away, but if she did, he would be hurt and maybe not the only one. She couldn’t do that to him.
Finn wasn’t having it though. He gripped her hand tightly, not willing to let go yet. Kaeleigh’s startled eyes found his, “Finn...” But he cut off what he knew would be a refusal with a pulse-defying kiss that startled her and sent a fire through her veins. It wasn’t the slow testing kiss, the kind that asked permission, but the kind that comes deep from within a person out of passion and perhaps desperation. Nevertheless, it accomplished his goal of getting her attention and making his intentions known.
Kaeleigh broke the kiss, breathing deeply, not pushing him away but taking a step back, keeping her arms extended and her hands on his chest. Focusing, she looked up at him. He was as much out of breath as she but he was confident, masculine, and unwavering in his physical proclamation. She, of course, had noticed how handsome Finn was with his sandy brown, shaggy hair and his soft hazel eyes. He always had a way of being there for her. His strength, protectiveness, and even his moodiness was something she had always counted on. Kaeleigh, not able to find words, stared into the depths of his eyes seeing the tenderness, the passion, and the love—the love he had for her, the love that burdened his soul for some time—unveiled to her for the first time. As soon as she recognized it for what it was, her eyes widened. Finn shut it down, stepped back from her, and left the room before she was able to say anything. He seems to be making a habit of that.
Left standing in front of the window, shaken and baffled, Kaeleigh tried to calm the odd flutters that she had never had around Finn before. What do I do with that? Almost oblivious to her surroundings, and understandably so, she had that mysterious feeling that there were eyes watching her again. Peering out into the courtyard below, she couldn’t see much of anything since darkness had now fully fallen. Torches led out to what must be where the stables were, but other than that... nothing. Striking a glance at the large tree right in the center, she could see glimpses of shadows and light playing tag from what light the torches gave. Without warning, her eyes locked onto another pair of eyes—glowing green and gold and refusing to let hers go. She couldn’t help the familiarity of those eyes, but they were unlike any she could remember seeing.
Blink. The connection broke as instantly as it began. Oddly, Kaeleigh felt more shaken from the absence of the eyes than she had from seeing them in the first place. Confused, she stumbled away from the window to Chel’s door. First she knocked, then quietly opened the door to find Chel sitting up in the bed with a grin on her face.
Kaeleigh couldn’t help but smile. Her friend was going to be all right. She didn’t realize the huge relief that she longed to feel in just seeing Chel. She ran to the bed and jumped up on it with her. “Are you okay, Chel?”
Taking a deep breath, Chel gave her a small yet disappointed smile. “Yeah, I’m good, but I wasn’t able to do it, Kaeleigh. It hurt and I was a chicken.”
“Are you kidding me? There is no way you are chicken! I can’t even imagine thinking about shifting my entire body into something else.” Kaeleigh patted Chel on the leg. “You’ll get it no problem when you are ready.”
Chel smiled at Kaeleigh’s confidence, then gave a different kind of smile, this one a bit sheepish. “Hal was really great. He was patient and tried to talk me through it. I feel bad wasting his time.”
“And cute too, right? Right?” Kaeleigh prodded, seeing the glimmer in her friend’s eyes. At Chel’s laugh, Kaeleigh added, “I’m pretty sure he didn’t see it as a waste of time, by the way.” Kaeleigh winked. “So what happened?”
Chel was about to elaborate but didn’t get the chance when there was a pounding on the outer door to their suite, followed by shouting and brutish grumbling. Kaeleigh’s heart sped up at the sound of what could only be the brooding noises of a particular Ferrishyn arguing with Finn, whom she didn’t realize was back in the room since their kiss. The thought of that made her cheeks flame at having to face him again, and then add the dynamic that was Daegan into the mix and it was a volatile eruption of manliness. Oh, this is going to be awkward. Kaeleigh sighed, drawing Chel’s confused stare her way, but then the door to Chel’s room shook from a short knock.
“Everyone decent?” came Hal’s voice through the door. In the background a muffled deep timbre said, “It doesn’t matter, they need to be. It’s time to go!”
>
Nice. Daegan appeared to be in a special mood tonight. Finn peeked his head in, looked briefly at Kaeleigh, then at Chel, and nodded his head. “I tried to keep them out so you two could talk, but they’re a bit pushy tonight.”
“They nothing,” said Hal as he poked his head in next. “I was polite.” Then he looked at Chel intently as if he was evaluating a patient. Apparently approving of what he saw, he gave a nod and slight smile accompanied by a flirtatious wink.
Still unseen, an irritated voice came from behind the door. “Tell them.”
Hal looked down at the floor then over his shoulder at Daegan and gave a little glare. “It will still be the same news in ten seconds, there is nothing wrong with brief pleasantries.” A muffled, although now slightly distant, grumble of assent came as if Daegan had gone to another part of the main room, perhaps to sit down. Hal rolled his eyes, and Chel gave a girlish giggle, for which Kaeleigh had to do a double take and added her own eye roll.
A throat cleared. Hal stepped into the room, standing straight, as if about to make a royal announcement. “The meal for this evening has been changed.” He looked away for a moment, giving away his unease at the new plan. “Maleina has decided to make it a more formal event and has invited some of the elite, if you will, to introduce you to... although I think it may be more of a showing you off and snubbing those invited kind of situation.”
“Why would she do that?” Kaeleigh asked, suddenly feeling queasy. She stood up from the bed and walked closer to the door. If she was honest, she hoped to get a glimpse of Daegan to gauge his reaction to all of this. She was not disappointed; when she caught a brief shot at his face through the partially opened doorway he seemed agitated and the scowl on his face didn’t help any. He snagged her eyes, giving her a look with a subtle message that she didn’t understand. He turned briefly and went to stand near the window where she and Finn...well, where she had been staring out not that long ago.
Speaking of Finn, she looked to him next. He had been staring at her while she watched Daegan but he gave her a confident smile. She was so afraid that kiss may have ruined their friendship. Could they ever be like they were before? Although she realized that they hadn’t been like they were before in quite a long time now. Things had been changing with them and she wasn’t sure how to handle it, afraid she may have already messed everything up. What did she feel for him—really feel for him? What did she really feel about Daegan—such confused emotions that went from hot to cold in a matter of seconds. She didn’t know from one minute to the next if she was angry with him or beginning to feel a crack in his armor opening up to her and tugging at a hidden spot deep within her soul.
She was brought back to the present by Hal answering her question. “I do not know what she intends this evening for, but—and I can speak more freely with you about this—I don’t have a good feeling about it. With you being out in the open, with the different members of our territory coming, I think she intends to see if you’re worth a bid.” He spoke with a hint of embarrassment and looked over at Chel every so often and then back to Kaeleigh.
“Wait... did you say a ‘bid’?”
Hal nodded slowly.
“What does that mean?” Kaeleigh asked, starting to get louder as the anger began stirring within her. She clenched and unclenched her fists repetitively trying to remain calm.
Before answering her, Hal looked back at Daegan, leading Kaeleigh and everyone else to do the same. Daegan had begun pacing in a tight space, looking like the agitated warrior that he was. For the first time, Kaeleigh noticed his formal attire similar to Hal’s, with loose pirate-type flouncy shirts, but unlike the vest Hal was wearing with it Daegan had on a long dark brown jacket with the collar sticking up and tails trailing behind him. Across his chest and back was a black leather strap of sorts cradling his very wicked-looking sword that she had seen him use with lethal precision. Matching dark pants were tucked loosely into his almost knee-high boots that weren’t even fully laced.
Daegan rubbed his face then ran his hands roughly and repetitively through his hair now chaotically sticking up on top, then hung his head and rolled his neck. He then shook his head and rolled his shoulders back like a boxer about to enter the ring. But his face... his face looked like he was in anguish. He was barely even aware of the rest of the room, let alone that they were all staring at him.
“Something’s not right,” Halister said, concerned. He walked up to Daegan unafraid, and started to grab his shoulder, but Daegan, lightning fast, swung back and began to strike Hal when at the last minute Daegan’s eyes met Hal’s and he pulled the punch just as fast as it had started. Clearly distraught at what he was about to do, Daegan quickly stepped back and almost stumbled over the chair behind him.
“Man, are you all right? What’s going on?” Hal said as he stepped out of Daegan’s reach, his eyes wide and startled.
Daegan shook his head, obviously trying to clear it but having a hard time doing so. “I... I don’t know,” he stammered, “it’s never been like this... getting worse.” He turned his back to us and gripped the back of the lounge chair, his knuckles turning white from the intensity.
Kaeleigh, though shaking slightly at the energy that was rolling off of him, focused on him, trying to see anything that might help. She didn’t know if she could do it, but then dark, blackish threads of energy entwined with an evil red wispy thread running through it, similar to what she had seen before but so much stronger. It made her cringe, but she couldn’t help but be drawn toward it. Something in her wanted to tame it, to sooth the energy. Not knowing what she was doing, she slowly and cautiously moved closer to him, not wanting to spook him as he seemed out of control.
Finn stepped in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and trying to get her to look him in the eye. “What are you doing? Kae, he is not stable, something is wrong with him.” When she didn’t respond to him but kept looking at Daegan like a fly drawn to those blue lights that they can’t seem to understand will kill them, he shook her a bit, though not violently. “Are you listening to me? You can’t get any closer,” Finn said, practically shouting at her.
Kaeleigh looked up at him with her big green eyes. “I think I can help him, Finn. I have to try, look at him,” Kaeleigh pleaded with him as she tried to side step him. “He needs... well, I don’t know what, but something! I feel it in here.” She put her hand to her chest. “I have to try.” She pulled out of his grasp and was suddenly standing at Daegan’s back.
Daegan stiffened at her presence, but he didn’t lash out or try to strike her so she took that as encouragement to continue.
“You can’t save me from this. It’ll pass, just let me be,” he rasped hoarsely as though he hadn’t used his voice in a long time.
“Let me try, Daegan.” Kaeleigh spoke softly to him knowing he could hear her.
He tilted his head slightly toward her, but still held himself incredibly still, afraid of himself and his control. His arms had started to shake from his grip on the back of the chair. Kaeleigh was surprised it was taking this much abuse from his grip. She took a hesitant step toward him along his side so he could see her. She had learned from Chel’s parents that you should never corner a scared animal as they may lash out uncontrollably, and that was how she was treating this situation.
Seeing her out of the corner of his eye, he hung his head and began breathing deep in through his nose and out through his mouth. Going on instinct, Kaeleigh reached over and put her hand on his arm. His already tight muscles bunched as he flinched at her touch. She pulled away but very quietly he rasped out, “No... please”—his face was so tight—“it... it hurts.” He barely got the words out. In fact, Kaeleigh realized that he didn’t get them out at all. They were in her head—he was in her head—although she didn’t think he meant to be; that’s how out of sorts he was. Her heart broke for him. Her own energy stirred within her as she put her hand back on his arm. He began to relax under her grip, and the relaxation then spread through his
entire body. Realizing she had closed her eyes, she opened them to find Daegan staring directly and unabashedly into hers with clarity, relief, and even a bit of wonder.
“Better?” Kaeleigh asked tentatively.
Daegan nodded slowly. “For now. What did you do?” He noted that her hand was still on his forearm.
Kaeleigh ignored him as she stared at his shoulder, where one of his markings was near where he was injured back in the forest. There was a strange vibration of energy and a wisp of darkness snaking out slowly from the marking. It felt wrong. He watched her as she moved her hand up to his shoulder. It was hot. She could actually feel the vibrations, like tiny ants racing under his skin back and forth. There was a crack and she tried to pull her hand away but couldn’t. She felt the fear, not just her own or even that of Daegan’s, but... someone else’s.
Flash. Kaeleigh held her head as an image appeared of a very angry Maleina with cords that were more like snakes or vines connecting Maleina to Daegan. It wasn’t much and it was there then gone again. Kaeleigh couldn’t breathe. She felt a pulling on her stomach, then realized Finn had a grip around her waist and was trying to pull her away from Daegan. The connection broke and in that instant air flooded back into her lungs. Daegan jumped back from her as if she was the one that had burned him. Unexpected fear and anger flamed in his eyes. Then there was shouting.
“What did you do to her?” It was Finn. Kaeleigh moved in front of Finn to keep him from lunging at Daegan—not that she could really stop him if he actually tried. Although maybe she would at least provide a stumbling block to buy some time. She just didn’t want to be there when it happened because at this rate, it probably would happen sooner than later.
Daegan looked at Finn with disgust then at Kaeleigh and back again. Regaining his stiff composure as if nothing had just happened, he looked at Hal. “Tell them what they need to know, then bring them down when they’re ready. Don’t keep Maleina waiting.” He turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Veiled Shadows (The Age of Alandria: Book Two) Page 18
