The Elder Mother (Riftkeepers Book 4)

by Carrie Whitethorne

  “I don’t know. I froze…I don’t think I’m ready,” I lied. It wasn’t that. Not at all. It was him. He was the reason I was here. He did this to me. He took everything from me.

  Furious tears streaked down my cheeks as I stood before Elian, fists clenched.

  Elian looked at me, his deep brown eyes full of kindness and understanding as I fought to hold in my emotions. “Seren, it’s okay. At least now we have a starting point. Come on,” he coaxed, placing an arm around my shoulders and giving me a gentle squeeze. “Let’s get you home.”

  I allowed him to lead me to the car. Glancing back along the dark street as we turned the corner, I vowed to myself that I would have my revenge. I wasn’t there to avenge The Mother. I didn’t want my home back. I wanted to slaughter Kern as he’d slaughtered me. And Elian would help me do it.

  Seven

  Elian

  She didn’t speak to me again that night. We travelled home in silence. She left the car in silence. She sat for a while on the balcony in silence. She didn’t even say goodnight when she went to bed.

  I didn’t press her for any further answers, allowing her to think I’d believed her lie.

  That demon had affected her so negatively, he’d rendered her completely useless. According to Taran’s notes, The Mother’s weapon couldn’t be shut down. She existed to destroy them, to shatter them with a single thought.

  No, there was more to it. They knew each other. I’d heard everything they’d said; my heightened senses had picked up every word. He was the beast that had killed her, I was certain. His calm confidence, despite who she was, astonished me. The only explanation for that could be that he had some emotional power over her. I didn’t blame her, not at all. I couldn’t imagine coming face to face with my own murderer.

  The best I could do was give her time, work with her to overcome this barrier, and help her to reach her goal. After that…I didn’t dwell on it. The tree was a smoking ruin. She had nowhere to go. Whatever Taran had planned for her, it was none of my business.

  I sat out on the balcony wondering what to do next. She’d be fine the next morning, I was sure, but how would I get her back out there after that? I hoped her confidence wasn’t too badly knocked.

  I heard her bedroom door open, the kitchen tap run, and her bedroom door close. I wasn’t surprised that she didn’t want to eat. Even my appetite had diminished.

  I listened at her door for a moment before going to my room. I had no idea if she was asleep or not.

  “Goodnight, Seren,” I said quietly, closing my bedroom door.

  There was no sound from her room the following morning. By ten o’clock, I decided to check that she was, in fact, still there. I made tea and toast and knocked on the door. A mumbled response confirmed her presence and I let myself in.

  “I’ve brought you some breakfast,” I said cheerfully, setting the mug and plate down on the bedside table.

  She lay with her back to me, the duvet not quite covering her bare shoulder, her hair a tangled mess on the pillow. I crouched by the bed and asked, “Are you hiding in here all day, or are we going to do something constructive?”

  She tugged the duvet higher in response. “Fair enough. Try to eat something. You know where I am.”

  I left the room quietly and heard the rustle of the bedding as she turned over to watch me go.

  I spent the morning on the sofa, staring at the television. I’d much rather be out, but wouldn’t leave Seren alone, not as upset as she was. I couldn’t think of anything I could say or do to coax her out of this depression she was in. To physically get her out of the bed certainly was not an option, given she was clearly sleeping naked.

  One o’clock, I knocked again, delivering a bowl of soup and glass of juice. I took her empty mug and cleared plate with me as I left, not bothering to speak.

  “Thank you.” I heard her say softly as the door swung shut behind me. I smiled.

  Six o’clock, I’d had enough. I showered, changed, and knocked on her door. “Seren?”

  “What?”

  “Can I come in?” I hated talking through a closed door and tried not to let my annoyance show.

  “If you must.”

  She was sat up in the bed, duvet pulled up to cover her bare body. Her brows rose as she noticed my change of attire. “You look nice. Going somewhere?”

  “Yes,” I said, picking up one of her magazines and flipping through the pages. “We’re going out. Put that on.” I dropped it on her lap and left the room, hoping she would join me.

  I opened a beer and waited.

  I opened a second beer and began to think I should prepare her something to eat and leave her to it.

  After thirty minutes, I heard her door open, and I looked over my shoulder. She’d copied the image in the magazine to perfection. Her hair hung in loose glossy curls around her shoulders, framing her beautiful face. I tried to ignore the tight jeans and low cut of her top as I smiled. “Ready?”

  “Where are we going?” she asked, tilting her head.

  “To find some colour,” I announced, leaving the sofa and holding out a hand.

  She crossed the room and took it without a word.

  I led her down the stairs and out of the building before speaking again. “You look lovely, by the way.”

  “I’m glad you approve,” she said with a smirk.

  I chuckled, relieved at her improved mood. “We’ll get something to eat, then go for a drink, okay?”

  She shrugged, keeping a firm grip on my hand as we made our way into the city centre.

  We arrived at the small restaurant just in time for our booking. A waiter led us to a table and handed me a wine list.

  “Any preference?” I asked, scanning the options.

  “No,” she said, looking around the room. “I’m sure whatever you choose will be fine.”

  I ordered the wine and waited for the young man to leave us. “Feeling better?”

  “Not really. Thank you, for taking care of me today. I do appreciate it. I’m sorry for being so…” she looked away.

  “No need to apologise. I can’t begin to imagine what this has been like for you. Take all the time you need to adjust, Seren. I’m here to help,” I said, hoping to reassure her. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel pressured. “As I said, we aren’t on a schedule. We’ll do this at your pace, okay?”

  Before she could answer, a phone began to ring. Looking at her feet, Seren frowned, retrieving her small bag. “Is that me?”

  “Must be.”

  She opened the bag and glared at the phone. “Oh, no…”

  “Answer it,” I urged, curious as to who could have her number.

  I noticed her nails were painted to match the midnight blue of her top as she pressed the answer icon and raised the phone to her ear. “Brad…hello. No, I, erm…yes, I found him. No, no, I’m still here. I’m afraid I’m busy…” She looked at me and grimaced.

  I held out my hand and she passed me the phone. I winked as I said, “Brad? Yes, I’m Seren’s friend. No, no, she’s fine. We’re just having dinner and catching up. Thanks for seeing her safely home. Yeah, I appreciate it, mate. Yeah, cheers.”

  I ended the call and handed the phone back. “He sounds nice.”

  “Yes…he was,” she said guardedly. “But once I felt his intentions, it made me uncomfortable.” She stuffed the phone back into her bag and dropped it at her feet as the waiter arrived with the wine I’d chosen.

  We sat in silence while he poured and gave us our menus. I tried not to stare at her, so I fiddled with my glass.

  “You choose,” she said, picking up her wine and taking a sip. “I’m really hungry, so anything is fine.”

  I smiled and read out several options. She settled on a Caesar salad.

  “You’re really hungry, so you’re having a salad?” I asked, folding the menu and sitting back.

  “There’s always dessert,” she said with a half-smile.

  After a pleasant meal, we mo
ved on to a bar. I left her in a booth while I bought drinks and returned to see her watching a young couple, a grin on her face.

  “What’s up?” I asked, handing her a glass.

  “Nothing, just watching,” she answered, frowning at her glass. “This has to be the most unnaturally coloured drink I’ve seen in my life. Lives…”

  I barked a laugh and took my seat opposite. “It’s a cocktail. Tequila sunrise. Trust me, you’ll like it.” I watched as she took a sip through the bright pink straw hanging over the edge of the glass.

  Her brows rose. “Mmm!”

  “See. Knew you’d like it,” I said with a smug grin. “What were you watching them for?” I nodded to the table nearby.

  “I like seeing it,” she said, taking another sip of her drink. “This is really nice,” she added, enthusiastically.

  “There are plenty more of those,” I grinned. “Seeing what? Couples?”

  “Love. It makes this worth it,” she gestured to herself, waving a hand from the top of her head and down to her waist. “Knowing that they’re still driven by it; that they’re capable of it. That for all their advancements, they still need it to function.”

  I frowned. I wondered if we really did need someone, if we did need to be paired off to achieve happiness. “We don’t need it to function, Seren. Some of us are perfectly happy on our own.”

  She raised a sceptical brow and made a noise through her straw as the glass emptied.

  “Wow…I’ll get you another.”

  I glanced back at her as I headed for the bar. She was watching them again. I wondered if it would have been a better idea to give her some space. Find some company of her own choosing rather than being shackled to me. With a fresh drink, and some shots neatly arranged on a tray, I returned to our table. She eyed the tiny glasses warily.

  “What are those?”

  Lips twitching in amusement, I placed the tray on the table and took my seat. She took her glass and thanked me.

  “Shots.” Before she could ask, I lifted a glass and downed the contents then placed one before her. “Your turn.”

  She took a shot glass and sniffed the contents before dutifully tipping her head back and draining it. The look of disgust on her face as she slammed the glass down made me burst with laughter.

  “Oh, Elian, that’s foul!” she sputtered, coughing and grasping her cocktail to wash the taste away. “Why would you do that?”

  “Fun. You’ve two more,” I chuckled, raising another. She shook her head in disbelief as I drained that and followed it with the third. “Come on, down the hatch.”

  “This is what you do for fun? Drink this filthy stuff? I fail to see what’s fun about it,” she grumbled, drinking her own in quick succession. “Augh…”

  I watched her wipe her mouth with the back of her hand and drain her Tequila Sunrise. “Another, or shall we go somewhere else?” I asked, still smirking.

  “No more of those…shots, thank you,” she said with a sour expression, then looked to the door. “I don’t mind. It’s nice being around people for a change. Here is fine, or you can show me some other ale houses.”

  “Bars,” I corrected, finishing my drink. “Come on. We’ll move on.”

  As we left the bar, she linked her arm through mine and allowed me to guide her through the city. The sun had long since set, the city taking on its other persona: bright lights, loud music, and groups of people moving from bar to bar. Seren drank it in and I enjoyed seeing her reaction to the change.

  “You were right,” she said as we stopped by the water feature outside the train station. She gazed up at the steel structure, admiring the cascade that flowed over the shiny surface. “The city is beautiful. Thank you for showing me.”

  I leaned against the low wall of the fountain, facing her. “You’re welcome. It’s nice having someone to show it to. What would you like to do now? We can go home, or go to a club?”

  “What’s a club?”

  “Dark, loud, and there’s dancing,” I explained. I didn’t usually bother. When I drank with friends, we stuck to bars, then went back to the apartment.

  “Then let’s go to a club,” she said, sounding excited.

  I chose a smaller place where I knew the door staff. I was relieved to be recognised and allowed to jump the queue, giving me the opportunity to find a small table close to the dance floor.

  Seren, mesmerised by the many lights and groups of people, waited for me to go for drinks. I brought several back, unwilling to spend the rest of the night at the bar when it became busy.

  “More strange concoctions?” she shouted over the music.

  I raised a bottle in mock toast to her and took a drink. She chose one of the blue bottles and sipped through a straw. “That’s really nice”

  Her attention was drawn by a group of young women making their way onto the dance floor. I sat back and watched as Seren studied their movements. She was captivated for a long while before she remembered I was there. “Sorry!”

  I shook my head. “It’s fine. You okay?”

  “Yes! I’m enjoying myself, thank you! I really need to…” she tilted her head.

  I turned in my seat and pointed her in the direction of the ladies’ toilets. She smiled her thanks and I watched her go. It occurred to me that I’d looked for too long when she glanced back and smirked. I turned around and finished my drink.

  Lost in my thoughts, I was halfway through my second bottle before I realised she hadn’t returned. Berating myself, I put down my drink and looked around. I found her in seconds, in the middle of the dance floor, and I felt my heart beat faster. She could certainly dance. I gaped as I watched, her hips moving in perfect rhythm to the music, her arms raised above her head as she swayed.

  I wasn’t the only one looking. Irked, I watched a guy, no more than nineteen, sidle up and grasp her around the waist. She didn’t appear to be alarmed, but made a point of moving away, so I maintained my distance as an unfamiliar feeling simmered in my chest. She continued to dance, paying no heed until he grasped her again, this time with more force. Her head snapped up and panic filled her eyes as she pushed the guy away. The feeling in my chest erupted in a burst of fury, and before I had time to consider my actions, I leapt over the railing surrounding the dance floor and landed beside them.

  “Seren.”

  She moved toward me, her arm instinctively snaking around my waist as I looked the guy in the eyes. “Fuck off.”

  “Alright, mate, shit…” he shouted as he backed away.

  I looked down at her and was met by her bright, green eyes. “Oops,” she mouthed before pressing her lips together. I couldn’t help but laugh as she grasped my hand and pulled me further into the throng of people.

  I didn’t usually dance. I couldn’t dance. But she moved in such a way as to make me able. She twisted and spun, never releasing her grip on my hand. Captivated, I moved with her, unaware of anything outside of the bubble she’d created there beneath the flashing neon. Unaware of anything but her. Until she stumbled.

  I caught her as she toppled, her arms instinctively wrapping around my neck. She burst into fits of girlish giggles as I righted her and checked her over. “You okay?”

  “Yes, I need a drink!” she called over the music, tugging me back to our table.

  “I’m hungry,” she said, draining her third bottle. “Is there anywhere to get something to eat?”

  I finished my own and held out my hand. She took it and I led her outside. “What do you fancy?”

  “Anything,” she slurred, swaying slightly as she walked.

  “Wow, how drunk are you?” I asked with a chuckle.

  She frowned, momentarily confused by the terminology. “I’m not…”

  “No…no,” I agreed with amusement. “Only one thing for that, though. Donner and chips!”

  She leaned against a shop front as she devoured the tray of food I’d bought for her. “Would you like some?” she asked, mouth full.

  “No, no, yo
u’re okay,” I smirked as she shovelled more of the greasy mess into her mouth.

  “This is amazing!” she muttered between bites. “What is it?”

  “Lamb, spices…” I offered, not sure if I should elaborate.

  When she was done, I put her rubbish in a nearby dustbin and headed for a taxi. She was so drunk she could barely stand, and I was forced to support her around the waist as she staggered.

  “I’m tired, Elian. Can you take me to bed?” she mumbled as I lowered her into the back of a cab.

  I managed to resist the retort that sprang to mind and gave my address to the driver, watching her closely as car rolled into motion.

  By the time we got home, she was fast asleep. I carried her up to the apartment and was about to lay her on her bed when she stirred. “Elian? Elian, I don’t feel very well…” she grumbled, pushing against my chest with a weak hand.

  “Shit…” I breathed, pushing open the bathroom door and wedging it with my foot. “In here.”

  I managed to get her to the toilet just before her stomach emptied. On her knees, she heaved into the bowl as I held back her hair.

  “Alright,” I said, rubbing her back with my free hand. “You done?”

  She shook her head and heaved again as I crouched at her side. When she seemed to have finished, I sat her back against the wall and gave her a cup of water to swish out the taste in her mouth. “Wow, you didn’t really need the food, did you?”

  Shaking her head, she pulled her knees up beneath her chin and whispered, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  Running my thumb over her bottom lip, I smiled. “Don’t be silly. I shouldn’t have force fed you tequila. Are you feeling a bit better?”

  She nodded, trying to get up, but her heels slipped on the tiled floor and she sank back into the wall. I lifted her, cradling her in my arms as I carried her to her bed. She rested her head on my shoulder and began to fall back asleep.

  I settled her in bed and pulled off her shoes before covering her over with the duvet. I watched her for a moment as she slipped into a deep sleep. Her lips parted, hair tumbling over her shoulder; she looked so peaceful, none of the concern she carried visible on her beautiful face.