Hade was entering his manhood and the Dark Wizard had raised him as his own, loving him and passing on his family heritage. When it came to be known that boy was not his true heir, the Dark Wizard could not kill him. He called upon The Cleanse and begged for them to purify his son. The process nearly took his life, and after days of suffering the painful separation of his gifts, Hade went mad. When his cleansing was complete and he was released, he took his revenge. He gutted his father, took the heads of the clan’s council members, and set fire to half of the tents in the village. His one kind act during his rampage was releasing the Seer. He broke the shackles and ran his blade through every man still standing that had defiled the Seer, and when all was said and done, the clan was broken and weak and with willing hearts they turned to Hade to be their leader.
So that their lives would be saved, The Cleanse honored Hade’s request and forbid a split from ever being performed again.
Faith believed that The Cleanse was mistaken in their hasty decision. As she read the tale her heart ached for the young man, but she felt that if he had been older and stronger, he would have survived with his mind intact, saving the clan from its massacre.
If Josef was who she believed he truly was, then Faith knew she had stumbled upon the missing piece to the puzzle of Hunter and Talia being together.
When she finally approached Josef’s door, her heart thumped in her chest as fear tried to engulf her. Teasing a new charge and bedding him for play was one thing, walking into the dwelling of a possible member of The Cleanse was another. Before she could knock, the door swung open and on the other side of it Josef stood, a knowing smile across his lips.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said and gestured for Faith to enter. She did so timidly and when the door slammed behind her, she was unsure if she would ever be allowed to leave. Her hands instinctively covered the flat of her belly, her desire to protect her unborn daughter now always in the forefront of her mind.
“Please rest easy, Faith. I’m not going to harm you—or our daughter.”
Faith’s eyes widened in shock and she opened her mouth to speak but no words would come. No one but her friends had known about her condition or her dream of the raven-haired girl. Josef’s knowledge frightened her and she immediately felt the need to run, but before she could reach the door, Josef stood in front of it, back pressed against the wood, and she heard the distinctive click of the lock being pushed into place.
Tears welled in her eyes but anger also boiled through her blood. She released a bolt of her gift in attempt to stun him long enough so that she could escape, but as the bolt slammed into Josef’s gut he absorbed it, not even flinching in pain. In desperation she flung countless bolts, one after the other at him and when she had finished the onslaught, he still stood, uninjured and unfazed by her attack.
Feeling trapped, Faith backed up into the corner of Josef’s room, trying to forge a plan of escape. As she stood, back against the wall, she watched as he slowly glided toward her. His aura reeked of madness but within his eyes, hidden behind his dark intent, Faith saw desire. Confusion filled her but she still stood guard as he neared. When he reached the foot of the bed, Josef stopped and sat, never taking his eyes from her.
“I can tell you that most everything you think you know is true, with exception of my intentions.” The tone of his voice was oddly soothing and Faith found that she was captivated by him. “Will you sit with me and allow me to share my tale?”
Without hesitation she nodded and slowly walked over to sit beside him, fear no longer trembling throughout her body. When she sat, Josef smiled over at her and a little piece of her heart melted. He was a handsome man, youth still lingering on his face, hidden beneath the wisdom that lived there. His eyes were gray like a winter storm and his pale-brown hair cut short and clean. His smile held the innocence that Faith had long ago lost and as it curled at his lips, tiny wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes, hinting at his true age. She openly stared at him, drinking in his beauty, and when he cleared his throat to regain her attention on his words and not his face, a small giggle escaped her mouth. She nodded for him to go on and continued to stare.
His voice was a little shaken as he continued.
“Near three moon cycles ago, I had a vision…I saw a flaxen-haired beauty roaming the halls of Windsong, behind her a trail of flowers blooming and soaking up the light that came from her. As she turned to look at me, her crystal-blue eyes wept and behind her appeared the Shadow Witch. Black tentacles grew from the ground around the woman and as they engulfed her, the Shadow Witch let out a laugh that shattered the glass of the windows. Behind her, curled up in an alcove, a woman dressed in white with short raven hair had her arms wrapped around a small bundle. When she shifted her body, I saw a newborn child peeking out of a blanket. She had a small thatch of raven hair on her head and gray eyes, like a storm, were staring back at me.
When my vision passed, I went to my elders…I am, well now, a former member of The Cleanse.”
Faith sat in silence, waiting for Josef to continue, but he suddenly looked ashamed and unsure if he should.
“Go ahead,” she encouraged. “I think you will find that I have committed too many sins in my life to justify being quick to judge others their missteps.”
“Fair enough. As I said, I went to my Elders. When I shared the details of my vision, they thanked me and sent me off. None of them intent on reacting or sending help for the woman in the Keep, none of them even caring that the blessing of a child had graced one of the charges. Later, when I pressed the issue, I was told that any troubles at the Keep were no longer the concern of The Cleanse. The Keep was a wasteland of unwanted gifted and any trouble they brought on themselves was theirs to endure alone. I tried to reason with them, beg for the life of the newborn, but they simply replied that any mongrel that would be born to the wretched of the Keep was not worth saving.
The shadows of my vision haunted my dreams and the stormy gray eyes of the infant tugged at my heart. I saw myself in them and when it was made clear that no one would send aid, I turned my back on my brethren and came here.”
Faith could see that the weight of his decision had been a heavy burden to bear. His vision had called him to a prison that the gifted had turned their backs on, and if the Keep were to be saved, he would do it alone. Warnings of caution pricked at the back of her mind. Josef might have been honest that he had once been a part of The Cleanse, but Faith was positive that there must have been more to the story. She had never heard of anyone walking away from them with their gifts intact. Actually, she had never heard of anyone walking away from them. She knew of tales involving those who had been forced out, stripped of their gifts and memories and left to their own devices for survival, but to walk away unpunished was unheard of.
“Faith, I will share with you all that you need to know. However, I am allowed to keep certain secrets. It wouldn’t be fair if you knew all there is to know about me while I know very little of you.”
“I suppose…”
“May I?” Faith flinched as Josef reached a timid hand toward her stomach, but seeing that he meant no harm she removed her hands that had been firmly in place and allowed him to touch her. She could feel the warmth of his skin through her dress, his touch gentle as he spread his fingers out and pressed the flat of his palm against her.
“When I came to you, the night that we…did you know? Did you welcome me into your bed so that you could give me a child?”
“Yes.”
Josef’s answer had stung her ego. It was hard for Faith to allow others in for it seemed like every time she tried, there was always something that caused her to pull back. The fact that Josef had only been with her to fulfill one of his visions made her heart feel heavy. Her sentencing at the Keep was a lonely life. She bounced from bed to bed, always searching for the one who would finally love her, but in the end she was always alone, unloved and unwanted, tears falling in secrecy as her heart broke over the idea
that she was so completely undesirable. Not even the father of her unborn child had truly desired her.
“I see.” Faith abruptly stood, walked away from the bed, pulled her emotions back and moved forward with the sole reason she had come here. “Can you perform a split?’
Confusion danced across Josef’s face. “I don’t understand. Do you know what her gifts are already?”
“Not for my daughter, idiot, for Hunter. Are you capable of performing a split or were you truly just one of The Cleanse’s minions and not really one of them?”
Josef stood and walked toward her, his brow wrinkled as he reached out to her. “Faith, I am just being honest. I did respond to your advances because of my vision, but I was happy to. You are a beautiful, amazing woman and I am proud to be part of the child growing in you.”
“So, you are unable to perform the split then?”
“Please, can we discuss this? I’ve obviously hurt your feelings and that was never my intent.”
Faith fought back tears as she continued to back away from Josef’s advances. There were far too many scars on her heart as it was and she was in no mood to make room for another.
“You did not hurt my feelings. I’m quite thankful for your honesty, Josef, because it makes things easier. I now know that I do not have to worry about an endless pursuit to gain my favor, only for me to time and again turn you away. I prefer to keep my options open and with the amount of men in this Keep, I have plenty. There is no need for me to settle simply because your seed happened to find a home in my belly. Now, if we are done, tell me—can you perform a split?”
His jaw set firm and hurt in his eyes, Josef nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. Come with me. I need you to save my friend from himself.”
Chapter Sixteen
After Faith had left to go find Josef, the remaining four continued to search through piles of books. None of them were really sure what else they were looking for, but the air in the library had become thick with tension as the night grew closer. Talia feared that her friends had taken on a battle that could not be won and she wondered if she should simply retreat back to the Veil, saving them all the heartache of what loomed ahead. It felt selfish to desire to stay at the Keep so that she could be with Hunter, but she had been alone for so long that the idea of leaving him caused her physical pain.
Curled up in a large gray cushion chair in front of the old fireplace, she took in the library around her. It was grand in size for sure, but it was nowhere near as breathtaking as it had been under the thriving light of the palace. Where ornate furniture used to be, in its place now were simple wooden tables and chairs that were rickety and aged. With each new book that was placed upon a table, creaks echoed throughout the room and the possibility that the table might collapse under the weight was a real probability. Upon the walls tapestries had once displayed breathtaking works of art, luxurious curtains had been hung around open windows and candelabras had hovered in the air, bringing forth ample light. It had always been warm and welcoming and more often than not, one could find a musician playing the harp or fiddle up on the balcony.
The library of the Keep was a different beast all together. Heavy gray curtains adorned the barred windows, there was not a stitch of art on the walls, and single-flame lanterns were scattered around the darkened room, barely providing enough glow to see the scripts within the books. The air within was cold and smelled of mildew and dust and the fireplace that gave off the only real source of heat looked as though it might crumble into a pile of brick dust. The only thing that seemed to be the same was the selection of books. Countless shelves that stretched to the highest rafters were filled with more books than a single person could read in a lifetime, and ladders were placed at various locations so that one might be able to climb to top of the shelves and fetch whatever leather-bound book they were after. Within the despair of the Keep, however, the library did not appear to be a place that was frequented. There was a thick layer of dust that had settled on most of the room and only a portion of it had been disturbed by recent visitors.
Talia sighed at the loss of what once was but found herself growing to love the Keep, even in all its dreary glory. The Veil had helped in that aspect. She did not need to reside in a glorious palace to be happy and the Keep was quite sufficient as a home. She just wished that her friends could see what she did. They saw the Keep as nothing more than a prison, a place where they had been dumped because they were no longer needed or wanted in the gifted community. It was a constant reminder that they were the ones that everyone else wished to forget.
“Can I join you?”
Talia was pleased to see Hope standing above her and shifted herself within the large chair to make room so that her friend could join her. It was a tight fit and Hope used part of Talia’s lap for her seat, but she welcomed the company. The two women were quickly wrapped in a comforting embrace, Hope leaning her head on Talia’s shoulder, and suddenly the library did not feel quite so dreary.
“I’m worried about Faith,” Hope whispered. “She’s been gone for quite some time and although she is capable of protecting herself, she tends to draw trouble where there may have not been any in the first place.”
“She’ll be fine. I know that you see her as someone who needs constant guidance, but when I look at Faith, I see a woman who knows what she wants and who will stop at nothing to get it. She is strong and intelligent and if for some reason she is unable to get the answers she seeks, I believe that she will walk away and only try again once she has figured out the right way to do it.”
“I see why Hunter loves you. He has been alone for so long, never willing to open his heart, but you have that odd ability to know just what others need and give it to them.”
Talia could feel her face blush at the mention of Hunter. She had been mortified when she looked up earlier still in the grasp of her climax and completely naked without Hunter anywhere to be seen, finding Hope with her arms crossed, staring down at her. She had never really been one for public trysts but her desire for Hunter had been ruling her emotions and when she watched him sneak behind the farthest shelf, she took her opportunity and ran to him. Stepping behind the shelf and finding him alone and hidden from prying eyes, she ached to be with him. The embarrassment of being caught had been almost been worth it, but the shame of her actions had flooded through her. Her selfishness for physical fulfillment would come with terrible consequences and she was thankful that Ian had stepped in, grabbed Hunter, and phased him away from her before it had been too late.
“Talia?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think we can defeat your mother?”
Talia laid her head against the high back of the chair, the weight of their upcoming battle feeling heavier and heavier as time ticked away.
“I’m not sure. If Ian is right and her gift is locked within the Diamond, then possibly. I admittedly do not know enough about her gift to say one way or another how it will go. All I know is that she believes that she is in the right—that locking me away in the Veil is the only answer. I worry that I’m being selfish. I don’t know why I was given a second chance at life, but I don’t want to lose it. I want to grab ahold of it and never let it go and I fear that my desire has clouded my judgment.”
“It’s not selfish to desire life. Yours was cut short because of another’s greed and it is a gift for you to walk free of the Veil. You should hold on to that gift as if it were the most valuable of all, and no one thinks less of you for doing so. We would all do the same if we were put in your position.”
“Dare I say that you have filled my dick with desire?”
Both women looked up to see Ian standing above them, his hand rubbing across the beginning bulge in his pants.
Talia could feel the growl of anger rumble in Hope’s chest as she pulled herself out of Talia’s arms. When she stood, she reached her hand in the air, slapped Ian across the face, and told him he was an ass before she stomped away.
“What?” His voice cracked with the rising pitch and he now rubbed the welt on his face instead of his dick. “Seeing two women together, it makes me all tingly inside.”
“Why do you do that to her?”
Ian sat in front of Talia on the floor in between the chair and fireplace, sealing off the warmth the flames had provided. She could see sadness in his eyes as he watched Hope walk to the other side of the library and sit, alone, at one of the tables covered with open books. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You push her away when you act like that. She loves you and all you do is purposefully make her miserable.”
“I do it so that she will not mourn me longer than she should,” he whispered.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Ian snapped his head around and shot Talia a mischievous smile. “You’ve got quite the naughty side to ya, dontcha?”
“Ian, I am not going to talk about it. What did you want, besides sending Hope off in a fit?”
His smile faded and was replaced by a wrinkled brow that made him look more like a grouchy old wizard rather than the playful boy he usually resembled.
“Your gift—it’s special right?” he asked. “Can it heal a broken heart?”
“Um—I’m not sure. I’ve never tried it but it’s possible. Why?”
Waving his hand in the air, the playful boy was back and Ian dismissed her worry. “Oh you know, just in case some day you get over Hunter and admit that you really want to be with me. He’s so sensitive, you know, he’ll need some healing or we’ll have to watch him brood for eternity over you.”
“I see. Well, I don’t think that’s something we’ll have to worry about. Ever.”
“Sure, sure. It’s best to keep it between you and I, right? At least until the battle is done.” Ian hopped back up on to his feet, shot Talia a wink and a smile, and then headed toward Hope, calling out her name and telling her all the different dirty ways he’d like to punish her for slapping him.
Blackstone, Tasha - Waking Beauty [Windsong Keep] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 12
