by Kade Cook
“Now, that would be ludicrous,” she jeers playfully.
Shane arrives at the Arts Center to take Gabrian home. Though he normally waits for Gabrian at the front door, he finds himself being drawn to the back of the building. He cuts to the side of the rugged stone structure and continues to edge his way to the back of the building until he reaches the courtyard. Once he sees what waits for him, he understands the lure.
Gabrian and Matthias are engaged in a sparring match. They are surrounded by a wall of solid granite blocks assembled meticulously halfway up the trunks of ancient willow trees, keeping watch with lonesome solemnness over all those who would walk among them.
Watching quietly from the corner wall, not wanting to disrupt their practice, Shane observes closely while Gabrian delivers three quick punches to Matthias’ face and torso, then blocks a left hook powered forcefully by Matthias in order to gauge her speed. She grabs his arm, pulling him forward into a chokehold to the throat, and sweeps her left leg under his right, clearing its weight from beneath to land him flat on his back on the ground.
Shane smiles, impressed with her speed and the fierce agility in her attack. He finds himself enthralled by the amount of power she wields and how incredibly beautiful she looks doing it.
Gabrian smirks at Matthias as she reaches down to help him up, and he grabs her by the arm, pulling her down hard. He flips himself to hover over her with his hand in a position to rip her throat out. “Never let your guard down.”
She looks at him and frowns, realizing she got too confident, and it can mean her life in real combat.
Seeing her disheartened, he softens. “Don’t be discouraged. Every person, no matter how strong they may seem, all have their moment of weakness.” Then with his finger, he gently brushes away a strand of hair that has fallen across her face. “Even I have my weaknesses.”
Matthias grins at Gabrian, keeping his hazel brown eyes locked on her ice blue irises. Gabrian’s pulse quickens at this touch. She looks away from him and gasps. Her eyes flare in a spur of wildness that stirs within them—biting her lip—confused by this strange feeling now whirling in the center of her stomach. Guilt floods her as she immediately thinks of Shane. She pushes herself out from underneath him and gets up, smiling uncomfortably.
Matthias looks down at the ground for a moment then raises his head to look at her. “I am sorry, I should not have been so forward. I have made you feel uncomfortable. I don’t know what came over me.”
She blushes but grumbles at herself for feeling bad. Shane despises her and ignores her most of the time, so why should she feel guilty when another man—a very handsome man at that—shows her attention? He is Boragen, a Borrower just like her. There is no judgement in his intentions.
“No. Please, don’t apologize. I just was not expecting that.”
“I think you have managed to wrap yourself up in so many layers of invisibility and defense, you have lost yourself under it all,” he says, quickly getting to his feet. He glances down at the grass on his clothes and brushes it off.
“I have become accustomed to putting up walls because of what I am, of what I have become.” She kneels down to pick at the grass, deflecting his eye contact. “I am consumed by trying to learn how to control this thing that I am.”
Matthias walks over to her and squats down beside her so that he is face to face with her. “Your gift does not get to determine what you are or who you become, Gabrian. You do,” Matthias says as he takes her hand in his own.
Gabrian knows deep down he is right. She is strong, intelligent...
“And beautiful,” Matthias says, reading her thoughts. “Something tells me that you have been so caught up in self-loathing the last little while that you may have overlooked that part.”
She blushes as he touches the side of her cheek with his fingers then moves in closer, and it dawns on her that he is about to kiss her. Her heart races, and her fingers begin to burn. Matthias’s intentions radiate off him like fire, and Gabrian feels the heat from his lips as they briefly touch up against hers.
“Hm! Hm!”
She pulls back from Matthias, hearing an agitated voice behind her and recognizes it immediately. Her porcelain skin begins to brighten with a rose hue as she feels the heat of embarrassment flood her face, but she meets Shane’s fierce glower and stares back at him, straight in the eye, not faltering.
“Impeccable timing.” Matthias huffs and rolls his eyes at Shane’s interruption. He rises from the ground, making himself as large as he can in Shane’s presence.
Gabrian rises with Matthias. “I will see you tomorrow,” she says to him softly then kisses him quickly on the cheek as she walks away toward Shane, heading for the front of the school.
Shane’s blood boils with rage as he watches the exchange between Gabrian and Matthias. Matthias grins at him with a triumphant sneer.
Gabrian walks past Shane who is ready to launch himself at her instructor. “Leave him alone,” she threatens him calmly, shooting him a deadly glare with her narrowed eyes—warning him to heed her words. “This does not concern you! Let it go!”
Shane feels a slight twinge of hurt as she dismisses his feelings. “I don’t think that he is a good choice for you,” he says, following behind her.
“Oh really, and why is that now?”
“Because I don’t like him.”
“You don’t like anyone. Besides, you do not get to choose who I include in my life anymore. That is an option that you reneged on a long time ago. So drop it and take me home. This conversation is over.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
Dinner is Served
GABRIAN JUMPS INTO the shower as soon as she returns home, trying to wash the sweat and dirt off of her body from combat training with Matthias. She smiles at the thought of what it would be like if she and Matthias were to become close. Before today, she had never really thought about it, but now that he has made it clear that he wants to be more than just her instructor, she has to admit she is intrigued with this new direction of her training.
There is a knock on her bedroom door, and she is jarred from her daydream.
“It is open,” she says as she brushes her long black hair, trying to remove the tangles.
The door opens, and Shane peeks his head in only far enough to lean against the door casing. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she says in return, continuing to brush her hair without looking over at him.
“Do you want to get out of here tonight?”
“What?” Gabrian stops brushing. She looks over at him through the mirror—her face flat and her mouth ajar—struggling to find an emotion that fits. She sets the brush down and turns to lean on the back of her chair to stare at him, caught off guard by his suggestion.
“I was thinking that maybe we could take a jaunt over to my place tonight. I have been neglecting it pretty bad lately, and to be honest, I am starting to get a little ‘cabin fever.’”
She finds herself grinning at his meager attempt at humor, shaking her head at his pun. “But Rachael is already making supper.”
“Yeah, I saw that. But between you and me, I swear that girl has definitely got something against cooking meat. All she eats is rabbit food, and right now, I could really go for a steak.” He grins in hope that his pleading will tip the scales a bit in favour of some meat.
“You do know that she is a vegan, right?” She raises her brow and looks down her nose at him mockingly, then lets her mouth curl up into a toying smirk.
“Well, now I do.” Shane lets his eyes jump over his shoulder to look in the direction of the vinegary-smell wafting up from the kitchen, then scratches the back of his head, messing the already chaotic curls. “That might explain the no meat thing.”
Gabrian smiles. Rachael has been wonderful to stay with her and take care of her, but she understands that her vegan meal plans are not exactly a hit with the present company. “Yeah, I could go for a steak.”
“Great!” he exclaims, clapping
his hands together before wringing them excitedly—his mouth watering at the thought of charred steaks on an open flame. “Get dressed, we are out of here.”
“What about Rachael?” Her lips bunch together in a heartfelt pout, looking at the floor for a moment then returns her gaze to the man standing at her door. “I feel bad about her going to all the trouble of cooking.”
Already turned and heading for the stairs, Shane stops and gives a wide grin—shrugging his shoulders, his eyes gleam in the overhead lights. “So invite her.”
Gabrian is surprised by his thoughtfulness but laughs, getting the feeling that he really just wants to go home. They ask Rachael to join them, but she sees the way Shane has been watching Gabrian lately and declines their invitation.
“Thanks, but I think I will just stay in tonight.
“Are you sure?” Gabrian asks. “You do so much around here, come and relax. I promise his cooking is way better than his manners.”
Rachael rolls her eyes and laughs. “I will take your word for it. Maybe next time.”
Shane reaches up and grabs the keys from the hook by the kitchen door. Gabrian looks at him in surprise. “Not taking the shortcut tonight?”
“Nope, not tonight.” He remembers how much she seemed to love taking the boat the last time she visited the island so he decides he could at least do that for her—however insignificant the gesture is. Shane and Gabrian jump into her mom’s car and start toward Northeast harbor, headed for the island.
SHANE PREPARES TWO thick steaks for them he had picked up at the General store after they disembarked the Sea Queen and left the dock. In a few moments, he manages to whip up what seems like a full course meal. She only picks at the sides but devours her steak that Shane slapped on the barbeque just long enough to say it was on there. It is perfect.
“Is that all you are going to eat?” Shane says, noticing Gabrian’s lack of interest in anything other than the meat.
“That is all I need,” she explains to him. “Now that I am maintaining my energy intake with more consistency, my body only craves a bit of protein now and then to keep it happy and functioning.”
“Huh,” Shane says, hesitating briefly before he loads another heap of potatoes onto his plate. “Fine, suit yourself.”
She watches him eat in silence, not knowing what to say or what she should talk about. They have not exactly been close since their accord—civil, yes, friendly, not so much.
Her eyes jaunt around the cabin, still completely in love with it, but her heart begins to ache as her mind plays back how different things were between them the last time she was here. Though she will never admit it, somewhere tucked deep inside her heart, she will not let go of the hope that Shane might once again see her the same way Matthias does now.
She has not tried to read his mind since the night he saved her from the fall off the cliff. The poison he displayed toward her then was enough. She did not care to know what he thought of her now.
They finish the remainder of their meal in partial silence, only making idle chitchat, and both of them feel awkward that they are all alone without distraction. Gabrian gets up to help him clear the dishes from the table and take them to the sink.
Shane sets down the plates and rests his hands on the top of the cupboard, staring out the front window into his yard then sighs loudly.
“Look, this is stupid.” He exhales and gathers his courage to continue. “I am bound to you until your last dying breath, and that means we are going to be stuck together for a very, very long time. So maybe we should go out on a limb here and try to make the best of this. We could at least try to be more civil toward each other.”
Gabrian turns the tap off before the soapy water reaches the top of the plates. She reaches in and fills her hand with the thick mound of bubbles. She rests for a moment and gazes out the window, thinking about his words, and debates the outcome of her own thoughts. Her face lightens and her mouth grows into a peculiar impish twist. Quickly raising her hands up to her left, she smashes him gently in the face with her handful of suds.
“I...am perfectly civil. Maybe you should give it a try.” She covers her mouth with her wet hand, trying to stifle her laughter from his Santa-like resemblance.
Shocked by her actions, Shane immediately scoops up a handful of soapy warm water and throws it in her direction, splashing her. She jumps back. Her face dripping with warm water, she calmly reaches for the tea towel on the cupboard and wipes her face. After she is done drying off, she grabs a salad bowl from the counter in front of her and fills it with warm water. Sliding over the cupboard curtain below her, she pulls out a small wooden stepping stool and drags it out in front of her. Grabbing the bowl with her hands, she turns and steps up on the stool then proceeds to raise her arms over her head, still holding the bowl.
“You would not dare.”
Gabrian tilts her head and the grin widens. “Wouldn’t I?” She quickly flips the bowl over Shane, dumping the full contents of it on his head.
His eyes observe the state of his clothes as he looks down, completely drenched.
“Now you are in for it,” Shane warns her playfully, grabbing the bowl out of her hands and rushes to the sink to fill it with the warm soapy water. Gabrian squeals as she darts toward the middle of the room, headed for the stairs to try to escape the onslaught of her doings, but Shane flies across the room, quickly catching her halfway up the stairs and drenches the back of her body with the bowl full of water.
Tossing the bowl to the side, he reaches up and cups the back of her leg, holding her firm so she is unable to go any farther. They look at each other and both begin to laugh hysterically at the drenched messes they are.
The laughter is filled with hurt and relief all in the same. Gabrian slides herself down a couple steps, barely inches from his face and looks at him as her laughter subsides. A strange impulse comes over her, and she leans in, kissing him softly on the mouth.
Shane’s laughter stops, and his eyes widen with this unexpected gesture, but instead of pulling away, he leans forward and kisses her back, passionately and longing for her—hungry to taste the sweetness that lingers on her lips once again. His whole body feels like it is on fire and rekindles every emotion he has ever felt for her. They kiss feverishly, touching and pulling each other closer and closer until there is nothing left but damp cloth between them.
Without warning, Shane pulls away from her as his consciousness becomes aware of what is happening between them. He longs to hold on and embrace her with all his might, but anger washes out his desire for her. He is ashamed of his weakness for her and with himself for letting this happen.
“We can’t do this.” He winces, pushing himself away from her before stepping back down the stairs into the kitchen.
Gabrian remains still on the stairs with her hands over her face, feeling confused, hurt, and stupid for letting herself feel again. She raises her head and speaks in a monotone voice, devastated by his rejection. “Why not?” she drones out from beneath her hands then drops them lifelessly in her lap, staring at the wood stove in front of her—feeling as cold and empty as it looks. “Why is it so wrong to you?”
Returning to his stance at the kitchen sink, he stares out into the night, conflicted and in pain beyond all measures. “We are mortal enemies, Gabrian. It is already a conflict of interest with me being your Guardian. I really do not think me leading you on is going to help the situation.”
“Leading me on?” She edges herself down the stairs and starts to pace back and forth across the floor. Swimming in a fusion of emotion, she clutches her fists tightly at her sides. She swings them up hard and presses them to her temples briefly then lets them drop again—teetering somewhere between being furious and being crushed. “Is that what you were doing?”
He glances her way briefly but remains quiet, not knowing what to say.
“So your jealous performance that you had earlier today, was that just an act too?” She raises both her hands and runs the
m through her hair, feeling confused and frustrated. “So let me guess how it works for you. You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me either, is that it?” she snarls as her voice grows louder. She stops pacing and glares at him coldly. “I think you should take me home.”
“Gabrian...” he stutters, trying to explain but it only infuriates her more.
“Now!”
He nods in defeat then gently wraps his large fingers around her small slender forearm. In the few moments they are cloaked and drift within the Shadow’s Veil, Gabrian feels something strange. It is pain, but it is not coming from inside of her. It radiates from within Shane, and it feels heavy and draining—much like the suffering she has endured but different somehow.
She closes her eyes for a moment, and when she opens them, she is standing in the middle of her room. There is no light other than the dim glimmer coming from the small lamp she must have forgotten to turn off on her dresser. She wrenches her arm free and hurriedly steps away from Shane, wanting him to be gone and this night over.
“Gabrian, I...” He steps toward her, his eyes pleading and glassy as he reaches his hand out to touch her arm.
“Leave me alone,” she says softly, her lip trembling as the words slip out, and she moves back just enough to avoid his touch.
He looks up at the ceiling and grabs his brown messy hair in both of his hands. His body stiffens as he fights against himself to say something. He turns to look at her.
“Just leave,” she whispers.
He slowly walks to the corner of her room that harbors the darkest shadow and stops. He glances back at her, but she stands with her back to him. His heart sinks as he faces the shadow once more and slips into the Veil. Not drifting too far in, Shane stands close to the Shadow’s edge and waits to keep watch over her. Suddenly, he hears her cry out.
“I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t ask for any of this!” she screams, dropping to the floor on her knees as the sadness consumes her. Gabrian tucks her arms tightly around her torso and rocks gently back and forth, sobbing. “This is not how my life was supposed to be,” she whispers with a ragged breath.
