“I can when he wants something,” Jason argued. “I'm not about to become the High Council's errand boy. Not only that, but now that he's no longer bonded to Kayla, I'm not sure I trust him when it comes to you. Father has concerns about him as well. Our family isn't prepared to align with his until we're sure of his intentions and agenda. Until then, it's better if you keep your distance.”
Ariana laughed at the absurdity of his comment. “I swear, I'm amazed you and Father ever find time to come out of the study. Every time I turn around, you're in there strategizing and analyzing something else. It hasn't been that long since his bond with Kayla was severed. I'm sure Alec's still adjusting. Besides, we're friends. Nothing more.”
She lowered her gaze, making a point to keep an eye on the ground in front of her. It was better than allowing Jason to know she was trying to hide her true feelings on the matter. There had been a time when she'd thought, and even hoped, Alec felt something for her. But when nothing ever came of it and he met Kayla, she realized her infatuation with Alec was pointless. Instead, she'd focused on burying her attraction for the council leader and on being the friend he sorely needed. After everything he'd been through, Alec deserved to be happy.
Jason took her arm and took an unexpected detour, steering her down an empty side hall. He stopped suddenly, glancing around to make sure they were alone and said in a low voice, “You're wrong, Ari. You need to remember Alec is one of the few people who knows something about your abilities. He would have pursued you a long time ago if Kayla hadn't come back into the picture. We don't know his intentions, and I don't like his newfound interest in you now that they’re no longer bonded.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about, Jason?”
“Father and I have been discussing potential bondmates for you. He warned me to keep Alec away from you. He's still too new to his position, and we need to make sure he's nothing like his father.”
Ariana jerked back at his words, shock and anger roiling through her. “Are you serious? Regardless of what you and Father have plotted, I won't be bought and sold. I will never enter into any bond unless I determine it's right for me and not just some sort of coup for power.”
Jason reached for her, but she pulled away from him and snapped, “I'm not as fragile as you all would like to believe. I've agreed to many of your requests for my own safety, but neither one of you shall ever dictate how I live my life.”
Jason clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut. “Dammit, Ari. If you were different, it wouldn't matter as much. You could have the freedom to live your life however you want. But you have the power to change the entire direction of our family and race.” He opened his eyes and sighed, rubbing his temples as though warding off a headache. “You know it's not a coincidence we're twins. You were given this rare and precious gift that leaves you vulnerable, and my talents are designed to protect and defend. Maybe it's because of my talents or the fact you're my sister, but the need to protect you is just part of who I am. How can I do that if you won't let me?”
Ariana looked away, wondering if he was right. Was she trying to force him to go against his instinctual nature because she wanted to rebel? Guilt flooded through her, and she took a step toward her brother. He was in pain, both physically and mentally. She sighed knowing she couldn't change her nature any more than he could change his.
Placing her hand on his arm, she enveloped him in a soothing wave of healing energy. His shoulders relaxed as it washed over him. There had to be a way to make him understand.
“Jason,” she began, weighing her words carefully, “there's a difference between protecting someone and being overprotective. You're right in that I'm more vulnerable than others, but I try to minimize the impact by keeping my abilities suppressed whenever possible. I'm extremely grateful you're willing to protect me when it becomes more than I can manage. But please remember, I'm also an adult. In many regards, I'm your equal. You need to let me live my life and make some mistakes.”
Jason took her hands in his as his forehead creased with worry. “And what if your old teacher was right? What if one of those mistakes fractures you and we can't bring you back? It's not just a matter of you being my sister, Ari. You're too important to risk losing.”
Ariana couldn't make any promises, and he knew it. They couldn't be sure of anything. Her father and teacher had poured over thousands of records trying to find out more information about her talents and how to circumvent the problems associated with them. Historical records were limited, and whoever held the pen always controlled the message. What if their perspectives were skewed and she was living her life based on a lie?
She was just so tired of living in a gilded cage. Every day seemed to wear on her a bit more. It couldn't be wrong to want to stretch her wings and fly.
As though sensing her reluctant acceptance of his words, Jason dropped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. “I love you, Ari-bella,” he whispered, using his childhood nickname for her. “I'll try to give you some space, but I can't stop worrying. I don't want to lose you.”
Her objections melted away, and she nodded. It was impossible to keep arguing with him when he was speaking from a place of love. Jason only wanted what was best for her; they just had different ideas on what that entailed.
Ariana looked away. “Let's just get this meeting over with and go home.”
His relief blanketed the air, and Jason took her arm once again. As he escorted her back down the corridor, her footsteps felt more weighted than they had when she first entered.
When they approached Alec's offices, a smart-looking older woman stood and gave them a brief bow. “Master and Mistress Alivette, please, go right in. Master Tal'Vayr is waiting for you.”
“Thank you, Sheila,” Jason murmured and opened the door.
Ariana took a few steps inside and paused, not bothering to hide her surprise at the motley group assembled within Alec's office. Kayla was sprawled out on one of the couches surrounded by tablets and building diagrams, while Sergei leaned against the nearby wall. Brant, an Inner Circle Shadow and Alec's half-brother, stood on the far side of the room listening while Alec spoke quietly to him.
She swallowed, suddenly even more unsure about this meeting and wondering if something else was happening. The last time they'd all been in a room together had been during the attack on the towers.
Ariana looked toward Alec, tentatively reaching out to sense the mood of the room. Alec glanced up and smiled, his eyes filled with genuine warmth at the sight of her. She couldn't detect any outward signs of stressors, but Alec had always been good at hiding his feelings, even from her. She wouldn't dare risk prying further, even if the thought was tempting.
Alec crossed the room and approached her, making her breath catch at the sight. From the moment she first saw him, she'd been captivated. Her reaction wasn't any different now. He was tall and athletic, with a swimmer's physique that made her wonder if he might actually offer her a challenge in a race. Instead of wearing his golden hair cut short or tied back like many others in the towers, he left it just grazing the top of his shoulders. It was an erotic and sensual statement that he didn't give a damn what others in the towers thought.
Alec nodded at Jason before taking Ariana’s hands in his. He bent down and kissed her cheek before sending a small pulse of light, teasing energy over her. Alec's power was distinctive and alluring, one of the things that had first attracted her to him. She couldn't help but respond with her own welcoming metaphysical embrace.
Alec's smile deepened, and he gave her hands a slight squeeze. “Thank you both for agreeing to come here.”
Jason huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Not like we had much of a choice. When the High Council leader says jump, you jump. Your position is going to your head a bit, my friend.”
“Jason,” Ariana admonished. She turned back to Alec, but the High Council leader merely grinned. Without releasing Ariana's hand, he tucked it against him an
d drew her closer. “I see your brother is in his usual solicitous mood. As such, he can fend for himself. However, it would be my pleasure to offer you a drink. Would you like something?”
“Try the scotch,” Kayla called out without looking up from her diagrams.
Ariana smiled up at Alec. “I suppose I'll try the scotch then. Perhaps with a splash of water?”
“Wise choice,” Alec agreed and led her over to the bar area.
Jason followed and grabbed a bottle from the opposite side of the bar. As Jason began fixing his drink, he and Alec began arguing good-naturedly about the qualities in crafting a superior beverage. Ariana glanced over to where Sergei was standing nearby and met his intense gaze. She gave him a shy smile, and he winked at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
Deciding to take the opportunity to say hello to him while her brother and Alec were still engrossed in their debate, she walked over to him.
“Hi,” she offered with a wide smile. “I wasn't expecting to see you here. I hope we didn't interrupt anything.”
Sergei arched an eyebrow and trailed his fingers down her arm. “You are never an interruption, solnyshka. You brighten the room just entering it.” When she shivered at his touch, he chuckled. “You are much more appealing than any business.”
Her face flushed in response. Before she could say anything else or ask him about the foreign word he'd used, the door opened and a ghost from the past stepped in.
“Well, fuck,” Lars muttered, sweeping his gaze over all of them. “I didn't realize it was going to be a blasted party in here. Alec, don't you ever do any work?”
“When it suits me,” Alec replied and gestured to the audience. “I believe you know everyone here.”
Jason picked up his drink from the bar. “So Lars finally decided to join the rest of society and climb out of his cave?”
Lars's eyes narrowed. “Ah, Jason, if I had known you were going to be here, I probably would have stayed where I was.”
Jason laughed and moved forward to shake hands with the former exile. Lars clapped him on the back and then his eyes fell upon Ariana.
“Ari,” Lars whispered, his eyes softening as he gazed at her. She hadn't seen him since the tower attack, and even then, it had only been for a few minutes. So much had happened that night. When he hadn't sought her out after it was over, she'd thought it best to give him space. But now he was here, and the memories came rushing back.
Ariana's eyes welled with tears as she rushed over and threw her arms around his neck. Lars pulled her into his embrace, nearly crushing her, and buried his face against her hair. Emotion and memories flooded through her, and she felt his raw pain like a sharp stab wound in the gut. The image of Anne, his younger sister and her childhood best friend, surfaced in her mind. She stifled a sob at the almost debilitating sense of accompanying loss.
“Lars,” she murmured against his chest, “I'm so sorry.”
“It's all right,” he whispered.
But it wasn't all right. She could feel his pain like a dark chasm threatening to consume him. Power bloomed within her, and with it, an almost desperate need to ease his suffering. Without stopping to consider, Ariana gathered the energy threads around them and weaved them together in a complex pattern. She enveloped Lars in her energy like a powerful caress, and he pulled her even closer, inhaling deeply as though memorizing her scent. As her cool energy rushed over him and began strengthening the precious and treasured memories, his breath hitched. The more painful memories were diminished, muted by the love-infused energy she wove around them.
She would never remove the darker memories completely because without some level of pain, you couldn't appreciate the better ones. But she could alter his focus and help him heal. He'd been suffering so much and for so long. When the tension in his body slowly began to dissipate, Ariana once more surrounded him with another healing wave tempered with love, comfort, and understanding. As Lars tightened his arms around her, she felt his rush of heated air energy meet hers. He understood what she was doing and was gifting her with an infusion of gratitude and affection. She threaded her power with his, strengthening and fortifying both of them with their combined emotion in a tribute to his lost sister.
It wasn't a bond in the traditional sense, but there were some ties forged of love and understanding that could be just as powerful.
Lars pulled back slightly and cupped her face in his hands. His blue eyes scanned over her with a look of wonder and reverence. “By the gods, Ari. Anna told me she suspected, but I had no idea. You are a gift beyond compare. I can't… I don't know how…”
“Shh,” she whispered, pressing her fingertips against his lips. “I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you sooner. I would have come to you if I had known.”
He dropped his head, pressing his forehead against hers. In a pained voice, he said, “I wasn't… I wasn't sure if some wounds are meant to be healed.”
Ariana reached up to touch his cheek, sending another wave of soothing power over him. “No, Lars, wounds should be healed, and they do, eventually. We all carry scars, but those are reminders. Anna wouldn't have wanted you to keep hurting and punishing yourself.”
“She loved you,” Lars admitted in a quiet whisper. “After we were exiled, we didn't speak much of the towers. It was too difficult. But you were one of the exceptions. I think it was the memory of your friendship that helped her get through the worst of it.”
Lars lifted his head to look into her eyes once more. A tear trailed down her cheek at the raw emotion in his expression. He caught it with his finger. “Don't cry, sweet Ari. Out of all of us, you should never have a moment of pain. You heal and give us peace, but what can we possibly offer you in return?”
She gave him a sad smile. “I don't have any secrets left, do I?”
“All women do,” he whispered and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “But I swear you will never need them with me. I won't ever betray you.”
Jason cleared his throat and put his glass down with a clank. “Well, Alec, if the point of this meeting was an ambush, I'd say it was successful.”
“Not so much an ambush as a necessity,” Alec replied quietly, not looking away from Ariana and Lars.
He walked over to Ariana and held out a glass of amber liquid. Somewhat shaken, she accepted the drink and took a sip, the liquid warming her from within as she swallowed. Alec had added a splash of water to the drink, and she quickly pulled on the water energy threads and used them to reinforce her fractured shields. Healing Lars had taken more out of her than she’d expected.
Lars frowned at Alec and gave Ariana another long look. He reached over to squeeze her hand, using the combination of touch along with his power to convey his gratitude. Sadness and longing were still within him, but it was different now, far less jagged and raw. With a reluctant sigh, he stepped away and crossed the room. He leaned against the wall, focusing on the outside world and what lay beyond the tinted window.
Ariana resisted the urge to go to him and soothe the remainder of those rough edges, knowing he needed time to reconcile his emotions with the past. That was the hardest thing she'd had to learn over the years: time was the most powerful healer of all.
“Ari,” Alec said in a low voice, drawing her attention back to him. “Thank you for helping him. I should have warned you, but I wasn't sure he would even come.”
She nodded and looked down at her glass, uncomfortable with being the center of attention. Everyone had kept her abilities quiet for so long, but it appeared more and more people were becoming aware of her gifts. Only time would tell if that was a blessing or a curse. For every person she helped, there was another who needed her. Her teacher had warned her about stretching herself too thin, but it was impossible to refuse someone in need.
Alec touched her hand, entwining his energy with hers and letting it drift over her in a gentle caress. “He wouldn't have asked for help on his own. I didn't want to see him suffer any longer, and I didn't think you would eith
er.”
She shook her head and glanced again at Lars. “No, I'm glad you asked me to come, Alec. There's been too much suffering and pain already.”
Alec's thumb ran over the back of her hand, and he smiled at her. At his touch, Alec's mental words formed in her mind. “Lars is right, Ari. You're a wonderful gift to all of us. I hope you know how deeply you're treasured.”
Ariana looked into his eyes and was taken aback by the intimacy in his gaze. Alec was normally extremely skilled at keeping his emotions hidden from everyone, but he was allowing her to pick up on some of them. She opened herself slightly to the energy threads surrounding him, and her mouth parted in surprise at the feelings of tenderness, affection, and desire emanating from him.
Clutching her glass, she took a half-step backward, confused by Alec's words and emotions. Her brow furrowed, and she glanced back and forth between Alec and Kayla, who was still lying on the couch watching them with a small smile. Ariana didn't understand Alec and Kayla's complex relationship, except that their bond had been broken. It was no secret Kayla was in love with Carl. For the past few months, they'd been traveling back and forth from the towers to the surface, usually together, alternating between focusing on the construction and underground river excavation.
Neither Alec nor Kayla seemed bothered by the fact they no longer shared a permanent bond. The two seemed friendly enough, but Ariana had never heard of a permanent bond being broken. No one had. Such a thing had never happened before. She couldn't help but wonder whether there were still residual feelings between them. But even if there weren't, Alec had never given any indication he felt anything more than friendship for Ariana.
Glancing down at Alec's hand still holding hers, she allowed him to sense some of her confusion and doubt through her energy threads. “I don't understand, Alec.”
Alec paused, his eyes widening in surprise and then he considered her for a long moment. “My apologies, Ari. I thought— I didn't intend to make you uncomfortable. Obviously, my choice of timing is poor. My only excuse is that I momentarily forgot myself and our present company. I hope you'll give me a chance to make it up to you.”
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