by Anna Santos
“We are busy,” I grumpily replied.
“Doing what?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.
I palmed my face, not believing her question.
“You didn’t,” she burst in anger, pulled the door back, and almost pushed me over when she entered. She shook, upset, staring at Aria’s innocent face. Her clothes had become a mess, but her dress was on now. She must have fixed it while I was at the door.
“We were just kissing,” Aria explained.
I felt uncomfortable since I didn’t want Camille to understand that I had totally lost control, and I couldn’t restrain my desire for Aria. I was fighting the urge to order Camille out of the bedroom and resume what I was doing before she so rudely interrupted us.
“Kissing,” she repeated, and by the look on her face, she wasn’t buying it.
I sighed, exasperated. I was a big boy. I didn’t need adult supervision.
Camille scolded Aria, “You are fooling around while your parents are missing, probably frightened to death because your former mate decided that he wanted to see you. What is wrong with you?”
“Damn it, Camille!” I growled.
“My parents are gone?” Aria questioned, but it was an emotionless inquiry as if she was speaking a foreign language she didn’t fully understand.
“Yes!” Camille gasped, sitting next to Aria and staring at her empty eyes. She took her hand. “Aria, fight the angel, you are in there. You can’t let her take control of you like that. You have to be strong and remember who you are. She’s just a part of you, not everything. Don’t forget your humanity.”
I folded my arms, sighing at her words. Everything was perfectly fine until she meddled with things that didn’t concern her. It was temporary. Aria would eventually merge the two personalities and arise stronger from that.
Camille continued to talk to Aria, “Do you remember your Mom and Dad? The people who took care of you and gave you life?”
“Yes, there is nothing wrong with my memory,” Aria replied.
“They are in danger. Philippe will only tell you where they are.”
Aria turned her gaze to me. “Did Philippe kidnap my human parents?”
I nodded.
She got up, fixing her unzipped dress.
Camille turned around to face me with angry eyes. “Damn you, Cedric!”
“She is my mate,” I defended myself.
“She is not herself,” she claimed. “If you were not my prince, I would smack you.”
She was exaggerating. Aria’s angel was the voice of her true feelings and yearnings. Besides, we were in heat. If we didn’t mate soon, we would both go crazy.
“Cedric is my mate, Camille,” Aria intervened, fixing her hair and turning around, so I could zip up her dress. “We weren’t doing anything I didn’t want or ask for.”
“We’ll talk again when you come back to your senses,” Camille said, apparently not convinced. “I’ve been in your shoes, so I know perfectly well that you can be yearning for it now, but you may be extremely upset tomorrow when you realize what happened. You are my friend. I know you. That is more than I can, apparently, say about your mate,” she added as an afterthought and exited our bedroom.
Camille’s words upset me. She was being too harsh on me. I couldn’t say no to my mate. I was also experiencing yearnings, and I couldn’t think straight when I was kissing Aria. Of course, I knew Aria. How could she say I didn’t?
“If Philippe did something to my parents, I’ll be really mad at him,” Aria said as she placed her arms around my neck. “Now tell me you love me.”
My heart drummed fast at her request. I lowered my face to hers and whispered, “I love you.” Then, I pressed my lips against hers.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
PHILIPPE
I felt extremely nervous and I shouldn’t be. I was in my limo, rubbing Aria’s violin case while waiting for Cedric to bring Aria to meet me in the middle of nowhere.
I didn’t approve of the meeting place. It was far from the city and really isolated. Nevertheless, I wanted to see Aria. The fear of an ambush wasn’t going to drive me away. Alas, Cedric was not known for being on time.
I hoped she would like my surprise and my gift. I thought she might be missing her violin since I knew it had a sentimental value to her. I was also expecting her to be mad at me. I was counting on that, so she would meet with me.
Finally, I heard the noise of two cars coming on the dark, dusty road. I exited the limo, followed by my two bodyguards, and I watched the cars coming our way. The sun would come up in two hours. It was dangerous for me to be here, but I couldn’t sleep if I didn’t see Aria that night.
The cars parked in front of mine and before the engine was off, I saw a door open. Aria came out, glaring at me while shortening the distance between us. I motioned my men to hold still and let her come. When she stopped, and I could see the red of her lips and the anger in her eyes, she slapped me hard across the face.
“What the hell did you do to my parents?” she shouted, cutting right to the chase.
My face stung when I turned to face her again. I licked the left corner of my mouth, looking for blood, but there was none. She had a really strong slap, and I deserved it. It was kind of cool that she was this feisty and upset with me. I smirked, making her more rattled.
“Well?” She waited for me to answer, putting her hands on her waist.
My brain took time to process the sight of her white dress that favored her hair color. She looked so gorgeous that my chest hurt. Yet, the drawing patterns on her arm, matching Cedric’s, caught my eye. The moonlight seemed to be drawn to them. I was sure they meant that Cedric had done something to Aria, and she was no longer human. I could smell on her the angel’s scent and it was causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up and not in a good way.
“I did nothing to your parents,” I answered as I stepped forward and held on to a lock of her hair. I focused on it, noticing how it was softer than silk and seemed to emit some sort of glow like a ray of sun. “They are perfectly safe. You have nothing to worry about.”
Pulling my hand away, she asked, “Why did you imply that you hurt them?”
The touch of her skin on mine sent shivers down my spine. Yet, it felt different. I was fascinated by her, but there was something that warned me to be cautious.
I confessed my motives, “I wanted to see you.”
Fisting her hands as her eyes shone with unshed tears, she said, “But they are gone! No one knows where they are.”
Aria loved her parents. I knew it would be her weakness and didn’t want to keep her suffering any longer.
“I didn’t hurt them,” I assured as I put a finger under her chin and made her face me. Her eyes made me vulnerable, and I had to force myself to disobey my necessity to hold her close and kiss her. I knew that Cedric was watching us. He had come out of the car the moment Aria walked my way. He even smirked when she slapped me, but he was not enjoying seeing me touch her.
Frowning, she asked, “Do you know where they are?”
“I do.”
Shreds of hope flickered in her eyes. They were weirdly amber. “Where?”
“They are here, in Paris. I brought them here so you could be with them. You miss them, don’t you?”
She lost her ability to speak. She just stared at me for a long time. Perhaps she didn’t believe me. There was an unsettling quietness in her gaze that troubled me. Something was different about her, and I couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
“Aria, I swear I did nothing to your parents and that they are safe. You can see them tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I would…like you to join me tomorrow for a date,” I whispered, feeling shy all of a sudden as I put my hair in place.
“A date. Why would I go out on a date with you?”
I swallowed hard. The coldness in her question wasn’t left unnoticed.
“You can see your parents if you come and jo
in us in attending a ballet performance at the Paris Opera House,” I explained, hoping her love for music and her curiosity about the Opera House would be enough to make her say yes. There were also her parents in the equation. They were just an excuse she needed to tell Cedric, so she could meet with me the next night. I knew it would be a really good reason for her to spend time with me. I could show her the things she had always dreamed of seeing in Paris. I was betting the prince was not letting her out of his hideout, and he would never understand her as well as I did. After all, she was meant to be mine for several reasons. One of those reasons was that we both loved classical music. I knew how to put a smile on her face and make her eyes shine with happiness, if she would let me.
“You want me to join you and my human parents at the Opera House. In the Palais de Garnier,” she whispered slowly as if she was decoding my words.
I smiled and nodded, putting my hands in my pockets. I was feeling a bit more relaxed because she was biting her lip hard enough, conflicted between refusing to go and giving in to her curiosity to join me.
“Would you rather go to the Opera Bastille? They are performing La Bohème there. At the Palais de Garnier, we are going to watch a ballet performance. Do you like ballet?”
She nodded and continued to stare at the night behind me, biting her lower lip. I noticed how a nice shade of pink covered her cheeks.
“Will Mom and Dad be there?” Her eyes fixated on my face.
I nodded.
“Are you lying, Philippe?”
“I swear I am not.”
“Okay. I’ll tell Cedric,” she said, turning her back to me.
“Aria, wait,” I asked, holding on to her hand. She took her hand from mine as if I was poison. That made me sad. At least, she stopped to look at me, waiting for me to speak again. “I have something I want to give back to you.” I indicated to one of my men to go to the limo and bring her violin case. “Besides, I want to make it clear that this invite is just for you to attend. I don’t want Cedric with us. Your parents don’t know anything about what is going on. They think you are safe because of the lie you two told them. They believe I’m your friend. You want them to stay away from all this supernatural stuff, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“So, I’ll send a limo to get you at 7 p.m., be ready,” I said, holding out her violin case.
Her eyes shone momentarily when she noticed what I had in my hands.
“Will Cedric let you come?”
“I guess...” She shrugged.
I was unsure about what that meant. She wasn’t acting like herself. “Aria, is Cedric treating you badly?”
“No, why would you think something like that?” Narrowing her eyes, she added, “Cedric is my mate, he loves me and I love him. He would never treat me badly.”
I should be upset by her words, but I wasn’t. Somehow, they seemed hollow and lacking the feeling they should have. I frowned at the absence of tenderness in her eyes. They used to be brighter, and she used to get flustered when she talked to me, even when she told me she didn’t want me and hated me. Yet, there she was—her heart beating normally with no trace of hate or love. It was like she was under a spell or enthrallment. When vampires compel people, they act that way. They become emotionless with no trace of a soul in their eyes.
“Can I have my violin back?” she asked, with her eyes on the case.
I made the movement to give it to her.
“Thank you,” she whispered, hugging it as if it was a teddy bear that would keep her safe in the dark on a scary night.
“I was sure you would be missing this. So I brought it to you. Do you want me to bring you anything else?”
Snapping her gaze to me, she questioned, “Did you touch my stuff?”
I grinned at the spark in her eyes. For a brief moment, there it was, the emotion in the form of concern. “I have all of it at my place.”
“Why?”
“I…wanted them to be there for when you’d decide to leave Cedric’s house.”
“But I live with Cedric now. We are mates,” she reasoned.
I arched an eyebrow at her words. Again the lack of sentiment behind them was troubling me. There was something wrong with her. She seemed distant and cold, and not just with the way she reacted to me. It was something else.
She kept stroking the leather in the case with a blank stare in her eyes.
I sighed, restless, wanting her attention. I wanted her eyes to be on me. “So what would you rather see, the ballet or the opera?”
“Whatever you want. I really don’t care,” she replied. “I should go back home. It’s late and I’m tired. I’ll tell Cedric about our date tomorrow. And I hope you are not lying to me about my parents. I will be extremely upset if you are,” she added, turning her back to me and leaving me without any type of regret.
My heart sunk and my eyes followed her figure with grief. I had no idea who that girl was, but it was not Aria. Not my Aria, at least.
I saw Cedric’s pleased face, and how Aria ran to his arms to hug him before she entered the car to leave. Cedric waved a goodbye with a satisfied grin as he entered the car, leaving me with my two men, staring at the dark and dusty road.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ARIA
I lay on the bed, mostly feeling bored while gazing at the tall ceiling of my new bedroom. It had a fancy princess bed and golden baroque furniture scattered around the huge place. There was a big balcony that allowed me to have a privileged view over the cliff and the woods where the big palace stood.
Cedric had taken me to his realm while he was taking care of some issues. He had left me in what he said to be my new bedroom. However, he was mistaken if he thought I was willing to stay here, withdrawn from the world and away from all the things I wanted to do and see in Paris. Besides, I had a date with my parents. I was supposed to meet them at the Paris Opera House, and I was really excited about it. I had even chosen the dress I wanted to wear. I've always wanted to go there and see all the amazing details in the décor. It was one of the most beautiful opera houses in the whole world. I was not going to lose that chance to attend a show and make sure my parents were okay, even if I had to endure Philippe's company.
For a change, Cedric was being overprotective and paranoid. Things were good between us, so I didn't understand why he had to complicate everything and become consumed with jealousy because of Philippe. I wanted nothing to do with that psycho vampire. I loved Cedric. He was my Prince Charming, my whole world, and my gorgeous boyfriend.
Finally, the door opened, and Cedric came in. Walking to me, he planted a kiss on my lips.
“Did you miss me?” he asked.
I smiled, grabbing him behind his neck and making him kiss me again. He fell over me and held me before I would get crushed under him.
“I guess you did,” he teased, nibbling my lower lip.
“Can we go home now?” I sighed.
“We are home. This will be our home for now.”
“We already had this conversation, Cedric. I'm not going to stay here, away from my own world, and be treated like a prisoner.”
“Aria, this is our home. We will be King and Queen of this realm, and the gargoyles will be our royal subjects.”
“I really don't care. I want to get back to Paris. I want my old bedroom back, and I want to live with the angels, with Camille. There’s nothing to do here. You can't really expect me to live in a haunted palace by day where all the living creatures are turned to rock until the night falls and then wake up from their spell. They wake up, and I go to sleep, is that what you want?”
Cedric sat down and pulled me onto his lap. “It’s safer for you to stay here.”
I laced my arms around his neck and played with his hair. “Philippe won't hurt me. Even if he tries, he will not succeed. I'm not a helpless girl anymore. And I want to see my parents. I have a date to see them.”
Cedric’s lips pursed together. “You have a date with Philippe, not w
ith them.”
“I have a date with my parents. Philippe brought them to Paris, and I want to see them and make sure they are okay. You can't stop me from going. And if you try, I'll be extremely disappointed in you,” I said, pulling him away from me and getting out his arms.
I wanted to growl at him in frustration. Who did he think he was to boss me around? I was no longer the helpless and scared Aria he had saved from drowning. There was a bad-ass angel inside my body, lurking in my mind to take over my thoughts and actions if I was in danger. I needed to know how to control it like Camille had told me. I needed to understand how to restrain the personality that wanted to take over. Regardless of that, I was perfectly capable of meeting my former mate to make sure my parents were safe, without falling for Philippe's charm. He meant nothing to me, even less now that my body was changing and my angel was awakened.
Cedric argued, “And if he tries to kidnap you and takes you away from me?”
I placed my hands on my hips. “Why would he try that? He wouldn't get anything from that. He is trying to win me over, remember? He won't do anything to upset me.”
I walked to the end of the bed and sat on the corner as I scratched the violet comforter. “I guess he’s smarter than you because you are upsetting me.”
I was aware that I was manipulating him. Yet, he deserved it since I was going out of my mind and couldn’t stand to be stuck here without anything to do. I wanted to go sightseeing, listen to music, use my computer, and take pictures. There was nothing I could do in the palace. There was no TV in this realm. No cellular coverage. I couldn’t be further away from civilization. My angel was also unhappy. I could feel her uneasiness and her desire to spread her wings and fly away. I had gone to the balcony far too many times. My wings were itching on my back, wanting to get out. But my fear of heights was preventing me from free falling my way out of there. I wasn’t too keen on having a heart attack.
