《Oblivion (Guardian Angel #4)》


 Page 1

    Chapter One


    ¡°Block it!¡± Lyric yelled at me as Xavier¡¯s fist came down hard. I turned slightly, but it was too late, and before I had the chance to block it, the iron fist connected with my chest and I flew backward, hitting the hard gym floor, back-first. Within seconds, Xavier was leaning over me.


    ¡°Ruby, are you all right? You were supposed to block it!¡±


    For his sake, I pretended I imagined the chuckle that fell from his lips. I groaned and grasped my chest while it burned with lack of oxygen. I really felt like I was getting the hang of this guardian thing. Obviously not.


    ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± I said and promptly climbed to my feet.


    I ran the palms of my hands over my pants and subconsciously, my gaze dragged over to a pair of deep green irises. They burned in the sockets of his devastatingly handsome face and my heart gave a wild kick as Eli pushed off the gym wall and strode over to me. He looked as good as ever and his frustration was coming through loud and clear, but I wasn¡¯t focusing on the way his brows furrowed or his lips pursed. I was focusing on the way he wore his guardian uniform. It distracted me. Maybe that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t been able to block every kick successfully? Eli¡¯s uniform wasn¡¯t any different than anyone else¡¯s uniform, but the way it clung to his arms and chest¡ªdrool. I shook my head slightly, trying to clear it. What was wrong with me? Ever since Eli and I, you know¡ªdid it¡ªI¡¯ve been non-stop thinking about it¡ªwanting it. We¡¯d done it a few times now, but the need never stops. I wanted to experience it with him over and over and over. A warm flush rolled over my body and I dragged my eyes from Eli to Lyric. His dark eyes watched me with a clear, disappointed gleam. Poor guy, he¡¯s been trying to teach me an intricate block for the past week now and I had yet to block a punch successfully.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m done today,¡± I said breathlessly. ¡°My butt hurts and I have a headache.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky our time is up, Ruby. Practice that block. I expect it to be damn near perfect by next week or you¡¯re on your own.¡±


    I nodded and Xavier and Lyric left the gym. It was too hot in here. I lay down on the mats to cool down. Moments later, a beautiful pair of deep green irises blocked my view of the ceiling.


    ¡°Four.¡±


    I stared up at him, confused. ¡°Four what?¡±


    ¡°You were knocked on your ass four times today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, if I didn¡¯t have you lingering in the background distracting me, then maybe it would have only been once.¡±


    His frustrated expression melted away and he put his hand on his chest, feigning insult. ¡°I was distracting you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I scowled at him, biting back a smile. ¡°You always distract me.¡± As if he didn¡¯t already know that.


    His lips twitched upward, molding his mouth into a breathtaking smile as he got down onto his knees and brought his face closer to mine. Every muscle in my body tensed, preparing for him to touch me and I tried to ignore how the close proximity affected my breathing.


    ¡°Would you rather me not come to your training sessions?¡±


    I scoffed playfully. ¡°And miss out on all the chastising and being told how much I suck afterwards? No way.¡±


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never said you suck and I definitely don¡¯t chastise you. I merely tell you what you do wrong and what could be improved.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you train me?¡±


    He pulled a damp lock of hair off my forehead and tucked it behind my ear. ¡°Because Mr. Aleksandrov doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. He¡¯s still mad that we went behind his back and I chose to save you over Mila.¡±


    I frowned, thinking back to that night. Eli ran his fingers over my cheek, keeping me in the present and not the past. It affected me in so many ways. I was still having nightmares about it six weeks on. I looked into his eyes, and what beautiful eyes they were. There was just something about the raw power that emanated from them that captivated me.


    ¡°You know what today is, right?¡± Eli asked.


    His green eyes brightened and it reminded me of an excited puppy. Oh crap, is it his birthday? Wait, is it my birthday? I searched my brain. No. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s either of those. He exhaled and chuckled at the same time. ¡°I knew you¡¯d forget.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me.


    ¡°Okay fine, I forgot. What¡¯s today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you to visit your mother¡¯s resting place.¡±


    I rolled onto my stomach and propped myself up onto my knees. I remembered. Eli promised me he¡¯d take me to see my mother¡¯s grave. He did give me a date, but I¡¯d forgotten it and I guess that date was today.


    ¡°That¡¯s today?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°If you¡¯re ready in half an hour, we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    I dove at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and squeezing hard. I¡¯d never been to my mother¡¯s grave before, things always came up, but I was free now.


    Free.


    For the first time in a long time, no one was after me. Eli wrapped his strong arms around my waist and held me tightly against him. My body recognised his as soon as they touched and I tried not to tense, but I couldn¡¯t help it. My body craved his and I could tell his body craved mine, too. It had been a while since we were this close. Lately, Eli was pulling double shifts, leaving him with only an hour¡¯s sleep on most days. Today, however, he looked fresh and alert. I pulled back slightly and his gorgeous green gaze raked over my face before settling on my lips. I needed no further invitation and I crushed my lips against his, kissing him with wild abandon, uncaring that someone could walk in and see us at any moment. To my surprise, he kissed me back¡ªdesperately¡ªlike we weren¡¯t going to get another second alone together. So quickly we became lost in some amazing world where only our love existed. There were no haters and no one that wanted to cause us harm. It was just us.


    I groaned as Eli nipped at my bottom lip and pulled away.


    ¡°We should probably stop.¡± He rested his forehead against mine.


    My body screamed NO at him, but my brain knew he was right. Aleksandrov did ban us from being alone together and someone could walk in at any minute. It wasn¡¯t the most subtle place to make out. Eli stood up and pulled me to my feet.


    ¡°Go get dressed and I¡¯ll come get you later.¡±


    His fingertips brushed my arm and we walked separately out of the gym.


    I ran as fast as I could back to my house. I liked the sound of that¡ªmy house. I lived here, this was my home. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a nice pair of black, heeled boots. I stood in my room with no shirt on, staring down at my options. A red top doused in tiny sequins seemed too ¡®club-goer¡¯ so I threw it into the ¡®no¡¯ pile. I could wear a white tank top and a black sweater, but it did seem quite warm outside, so I opted for the button up royal blue blouse and decided to bring a thin black coat with big black buttons along just in case we were out late. I tucked my guardian whistle into my shirt and looked myself once over in the mirror. I was dressy, yet casual, and I liked it. I straightened my hair so it sat dead straight against my back and when I was happy with myself, I stepped out onto my porch. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Eli, forty yards away and walking towards my house. He looked good. Granted he always looked good, but today he looked extra good. He wore dark, loose jeans and white sneakers. His black sweater was tight against his chest and his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, showing off his strong forearms. I stepped off the porch and walked toward him. As he got closer, I noticed his hair glistening in the sun. He¡¯d recently showered and obviously dried his hair with a towel and left it to sit. It had been a while since I¡¯d seen his hair so dishevelled and I liked it.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked me, his eyes surveying my outfit.


    He liked what he saw, too.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I replied, biting my bottom lip. It was hard for me to stop myself from smiling like an idiot.


    He took my coat and we walked side by side. ¡°Are you nervous?¡±


    ¡°Not really¡­¡± And I felt guilty for not being nervous. ¡°Should I be?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°No one else can tell you how you should feel. Everyone¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I feel so¡­ heartless being happy to see my mother¡¯s grave.¡±


    Eli squeezed my hand briefly before letting his arm drop back to his side. I looked at him and a lazy smile spread across his mouth. ¡°You are a lot of things, Ruby Moore, but heartless isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    Our shoes scuffed over small pebbles as we made our way to his black Audi that was parked in his driveway. Usually guardian angels parked their cars in the Sage parking lot, but every now and then, if they had places to go, they¡¯d park in their driveways.


    We climbed into the car.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I was in your car,¡± I said, feeling the interior.


    The last time I was in his car was the night when we drove from Mount Kuuce to Gerald Harbour¡ªthe night Eli almost died. Eli shot me a cheeky grin that exposed his perfect, white teeth. ¡°Then let¡¯s make the most of it, shall we?¡±


    The same warm flush that overcame me in the gym made a reappearance. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±


    Eli must¡¯ve noticed my usual skin tone had taken on a slightly pink hue and his green eyes flared with pleasure. I placed my coat over my legs as the car hummed to life.


    We rolled into a small town and I glanced around. Lake Thanton. The last time I was here, my stepdad murdered my mother and turned me into vampire. That night was easily the worst night of my life. The town hadn¡¯t changed much in my few years¡¯ absence, if at all. Yet, it seemed completely foreign to me. Eli placed his hand on my knee while his other steered the car through the town. I peered sideways at him and his eyes seemed clouded in thought.


    ¡°We have to be back at Sage by two p.m.,¡± he said, glancing at me.


    I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here long. I¡¯ll just pay my respects and then we¡¯ll go.¡±


    Before long, we pulled up outside the Lake Thanton cemetery that was situated on the outskirts. It wasn¡¯t a very flashy cemetery. The concrete walls that surrounded the place were all chipped and cracked. The iron gates that remained open creaked gently in the wind. The creepiness of the cemetery alone was enough to make me change my mind and head home.


    ¡°Do you want me to come with you?¡± he asked, no doubt sensing my unease.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± I replied, sliding off the leather seat and onto the white gravel that crunched beneath my feet. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want his company, I always want his company. I just felt like this was something I needed to do on my own and I¡¯d hate to ruin his sweater by crying all over it. I pulled my cell phone out of the side pocket of the car door and slid it into the back pocket of my jeans. Eli unclipped his seatbelt and his black sweater tightened over his torso as he turned in his chair to get something from the back seat. He pulled a thin cloth off of a beautiful bouquet of tulips and handed them to me.


    ¡°When did you get these?¡± I asked, totally awed by the gesture.


    ¡°I went into Sage town yesterday and I came across them. I remembered you telling me a while ago that they¡¯re your mom¡¯s favorite, so I thought I¡¯d surprise you with them.¡±


    I brought the purple bouquet to my nose. I was expecting some kind of overwhelming stench, but they had a pleasant, minimal fragrance.


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he interrupted. ¡°But I wanted to do it for you.¡±


    I gave him a sincere smile and closed the car door behind me. Not many people were visiting, not that I expected much for a cemetery this size, and I nodded warily at an old groundskeeper who waved briefly at me as I entered the area with rows and rows of tombstones. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯d never thought to come here sooner. Perhaps I felt guilty because I survived and she didn¡¯t. Maybe I still felt guilty.


    I followed the third row in, taking in the names one by one¡ªMcDonald, Samson, Jones, Miller and finally Moore.


    Meredith Moore ¨CBeloved Wife & Loving Mother. 1979-2011


    Seeing her name on the tombstone felt unreal, like I was dreaming. I saw her die. I remembered the way her eyes were void of any life, any light, but I never went to her funeral or saw her get buried, so to me it felt fake¡­ like she wasn¡¯t really gone. I sat down crossed-legged on the freshly mown grass and freed a tulip from the bouquet. I twirled the stem in between my thumb and index finger. I cleared my throat and laid the single tulip on the chunk of cobblestone at the base of her tombstone.


    ¡°Hey, Mom¡­¡± I glanced awkwardly over my shoulder. God, this is weird. I¡¯d never spoken to a slab of concrete before. Was I doing it right?


    ¡°I know it¡¯s been a while, forgive me. It¡¯s been a pretty rough journey since¡­that night¡­ and I haven¡¯t had a lot of time¡­for anything normal.¡±


    I pulled another tulip from the packet and laid it gently next to the other one. A lump formed in my throat as I came to terms with what I was doing. I was sitting at my mother¡¯s grave. My bottom lip began to ache as I caught it between my teeth and chewed on it, fighting the urge to cry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°If only I knew I was part Heelian¡ªif only you¡¯d told me, I would¡¯ve been able to save you.¡±


    I removed the rest of the tulips from the packet and laid them nicely around her headstone. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to gather myself. I felt so vulnerable and depressed being here. In my mind I couldn¡¯t grasp the concept of my mother lying in a wooden box beneath me. What I wouldn¡¯t give to have her console me in my times of need.

 Page 2

    ¡°Ruby?¡±


    In a flash I was on my feet and crouched low, ready to fight. In front of me, Aunt Jen dropped her small bouquet of tulips and they landed on the freshly mown grass. I turned my sights to Camilla, whose pretty eyes stared at me like I was some kind of wild animal ready to attack her. In my chest, my heart hammered against my ribcage like a jack hammer on concrete and I felt sick. I felt like vomiting over every square inch of grass in this cemetery. After all these years, they looked exactly as I remembered. Camilla¡¯s strawberry-blonde hair was tied up into a messy bun and she wrapped her arms around her waist, clearly uncomfortable with this whole thing. Aunt Jen flicked her short, caramel brown hair over her shoulder and her big brown eyes surveyed me in disbelief. I wanted to run from them, not because I didn¡¯t want to see them, but because I was afraid they¡¯d reject me.


    ¡°Ruby¡­ you¡¯re¡­ you?¡±


    Tears welled in Aunt Jen¡¯s eyes and I straightened my stance. We stared at each other for a few long, painful seconds then I opened my mouth to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯m so¡ª¡±


    Camilla turned on her heel and stormed off, cutting my apology in half. Her blue, summery dress flailed out behind her and I watched until she disappeared behind a lining of trees by the parking lot. Aunt Jen cheerfully sobbed, letting a few tears fall onto her cheeks. She lurched toward me and pulled me into a tight hug. I inhaled deeply, fighting against my own flood of tears. I remembered the last time I hugged her. All I could smell was her blood and all I could feel was the overwhelming urge to taste it. Now, all I could smell was her frangipani perfume. I squeezed my eyes shut, happy that I¡¯d never have to feel like that again.


    ¡°You¡¯re so¡­ alive. How is it possible?¡±


    I pulled away from her. ¡°The night of my birthday, I was taken back to Sage Sanctum and they brought me back¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been there ever since?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story.¡± And she had no idea.


    ¡°I have today and tomorrow off. How long are you in town for? Come over for lunch and see if you want to stay the night. You room is exactly¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in town for long,¡± I interrupted, fiddling with my fingers. ¡°A few hours, tops.¡±


    I wanted to end this encounter quickly and I hated myself for thinking that way. Aunt Jen¡¯s gaze flicked over my shoulder.


    ¡°She¡¯d love to,¡± a familiar deep voice said.


    I turned to face Eli. He stood a few yards behind me, arms crossed over his chest. Thank god he wasn¡¯t wearing his uniform. That¡¯d freak Jen out regardless of how nicely it clung to his arms and chest or how deliciously sex¡ª


    ¡°Ruby?¡±


    I glanced back at Aunt Jen, embarrassed that I¡¯d missed what she said. ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    Her ¡®holy crap¡¯ kind of tone made me smile. I couldn¡¯t imagine any human to be immune to Eli¡¯s godly good looks. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eli De Luca,¡± he said, interrupting me and stepping forward to shake my aunt¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Ruby¡¯s.¡±


    I smiled politely at them both, knowing very well that Eli and I are a hell of a lot more than friends.


    ¡°Eli, this is Aunt Jen.¡±


    Eli flashed her one of his swoon-worthy smiles that exposed all of his white teeth. I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s still standing after that, even my knees felt a little weak.


    ¡°So, you two can come to lunch?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered over the top of me. ¡°We¡¯re due back at two, but I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t hurt to be a little late.¡±


    I glowered at him and he returned my glower with a smile, which made me even more frustrated. He knew how I felt about keeping my loved ones safe and this was not keeping them safe.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled, then,¡± she said, bending over to pick up her flowers.¡°I¡¯ll pay my respects and then meet you in the car park. You can follow me to Bridgewater.¡±


    Bridgewater was forty minutes from Lake Thanton, a distance I now found inconvenient. Eli and I walked away from Aunt Jen and my mother¡¯s grave, and made our way back toward the parking lot. Before we got there (and we were well hidden behind a huge oak tree) I punched Eli in the arm. Hard. He barely flinched.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, still smiling at me.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± I demanded, my voice low and deep.


    ¡°She¡¯s your family. I feel like you should spend some quality time and let her know what happened to you two years ago so she doesn¡¯t blame herself.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re putting them in danger.¡±


    Eli leaned against the tree, his green eyes dancing in amusement. ¡°Danger from what? Hank is gone. Lucian is gone. No one else is after you. They¡¯re safe.¡±


    He was right¡ªas usual¡ªbut I wasn¡¯t so sure. I ran my fingers through my hair, clearing out some of the knots that had formed.


    ¡°What are you really scared of?¡± he asked.


    I glanced up at him and he folded his arms across his chest. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    His green eyes narrowed, forcing me to sigh in defeat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve them. I left them.¡±


    ¡°Ruby, it wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ask me how many times I¡¯ve called them since being revived. Ask me how many times I¡¯ve visited or even asked about them.¡±


    He kept his eyes locked onto mine as he flexed his long, tanned fingers against his arm muscles, saying nothing.


    ¡°None, that¡¯s how many. I¡¯m selfish and I¡¯m not worthy of their love.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worthy of plenty of love. So you got caught up in life¡ªa very complicated and hectic life¡ªbig deal. They¡¯re your family. They¡¯re not going to hold it against you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you didn¡¯t see Camilla¡¯s face. She hates me. We were best friends and I treated her like she meant nothing to me. She¡¯ll hate me even more when I tell her that I have another best friend at Sage.¡±


    He placed his hands on my shoulders. ¡°Camilla will come around. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d rather spend this short time with you rather than avoid you. Trust me, I know.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡±


    He nodded and pulled me into him. The side of my face pressed firmly against his hard chest. He smelt so good, like ocean and a fresh spring forest rolled up into one. The dread of not being accepted back into Aunt Jen and Camilla¡¯s life lessened and it was all because of what Eli said. He always could make me feel content, no matter the situation. If it wasn¡¯t for him, god knows where I¡¯d be right now.


    Chapter Two


    Eli was wrong.


    The sound of a slamming door echoed through the house. Camilla was still pissed.


    ¡°She¡¯ll come around.¡± Aunt Jen smiled, placing her handbag on the kitchen counter. She ran around the kitchen, pulling out ingredients for salads, pasta and who knows what else.


    ¡°So, tell me how you two came to know each other.¡±


    What the hell was I meant to tell her? ¡®Eli kidnapped me from my bedroom on my birthday, but don¡¯t worry¡ªif he hadn¡¯t come, I would¡¯ve been staked by Darren or torn apart by another vampire.¡¯


    ¡°We met at Sage,¡± Eli said, looking sideways at me and sensing my unease. ¡°Ruby was enrolled there and I was her guardian angel.¡±


    Aunt Jen stopped cutting the spring onions and stared at him. ¡°I knew it! I knew you weren¡¯t human¡­ I mean, you sure don¡¯t look human.¡±


    I arched an eyebrow at her as Aunt Jen flushed and flicked her caramel hair over her shoulder, clearing her throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you look like an alien or weird or anything¡ªyou¡¯re handsome, much more handsome than most human men with your flawless skin and hard¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay, Aunt Jen,¡± I interrupted, saving her from her own embarrassment. Eli smiled politely as he watched Aunt Jen lose her mind over him.


    She clasped her hand over her lips and laughed through the baps between her slender fingers. I¡¯d never seen Aunt Jen so overwhelmed. A pink flush flared through her cheeks as she giggled like a school girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she gasped. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to objectify you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Eli chuckled, pulling a knife out of the block to help Aunt Jen cut vegetables.


    ¡°So, are you two bonded? Is that what they call it? Forgive me. I only know what Meredith told me. Things might have changed since then.¡±


    ¡°Things are still the same, but Ruby and I aren¡¯t bonded anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. What happened?¡±


    I shifted nervously in my seat. I didn¡¯t want Aunt Jen to know of the horrible things that I¡¯ve done. I knew she wouldn¡¯t find killing vampires a horrible thing, but I still didn¡¯t want her to know that side of me. She knew me as the gullible, scared little girl who couldn¡¯t stand up for herself. Not the goddess/heelian that has killed countless vampires¡ªmy stepdad included.


    ¡°Long story short, she wasn¡¯t being targeted specifically after Hank was killed, so they ended our bond.¡±


    I thanked him with a nod of my head for leaving out the parts about our romance. I don¡¯t think I could stomach a butt-load of questions about that on top of everything else. Thankfully, Aunt Jen didn¡¯t ask any questions about Hank or his death and I was glad. I¡¯d be happy to never speak his name ever again.


    I watched as Eli and Aunt Jen bonded over cooking. I felt normal for a change, like I was bringing a boyfriend home to meet my parents for the first time, but something was missing. I couldn¡¯t sit here and enjoy myself without Camilla. Knowing she was upstairs purposely avoiding me hurts and I felt bad because this is exactly how she must have felt when I hung up that morning in the cell.


    I left the kitchen and headed to Camilla¡¯s room. My nerves ate at me and I played all of the things she¡¯d probably do to me over and over in my mind¡ªslam the door in my face, punch me, or swear at me. None was better than the other, they all sucked. Despite my apprehension, I knocked softly on her door, but there was no answer. I opened it slowly and stepped inside. Camilla lay on her bed with her back to me.


    ¡°Cam?¡±


    ¡°Go away, Ruby.¡± Her voice was soft, yet demanding.


    ¡°I want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to say.¡±


    I closed the door behind me and approached the pink double bed she laid on anyway.


    ¡°Look, I know I hurt you. I shouldn¡¯t have hung up on you when you called me years ago and I should have made the effort to get into contact with you, but I couldn¡¯t. I was in a really bad place, Cam. I had so many people after me¡ªdangerous, evil people that would use anything against me. I was afraid that if I contacted anyone I knew, they¡¯d be taken from me.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make you any less selfish.¡±


    Frustration pricked at me and I folded my arms tightly across my chest. ¡°You don¡¯t know the whole story.¡±


    I¡¯d been through too much and sacrificed enough to know that I wasn¡¯t selfish. She¡¯d understand if she went through even half of the stuff I went through.


    ¡°What story can change the fact that you ditched us after everything we did for you?¡±


    I stormed around her large and surprisingly clean room to face her. Her violet eyes narrowed in on me.


    ¡°You talk as if I chose to leave you. I was taken, remember?¡±


    She exhaled in annoyance and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve been off having the time of my life? I¡¯ve been stuck in a school in the middle of nowhere with people that don¡¯t even like me. I¡¯ve been fighting vampires that want my blood and I¡¯ve been in love with a guardian angel, which¡ªas you obviously don¡¯t know¡ªis illegal in my world. I¡¯ve done horrible things¡ªI¡¯ve killed vampires and people have died because of me¡­life was¡ªis¡ªhectic, but at the end of the day, when I¡¯m alone and the craziness dies down¡­I always think of you and Aunt Jen. Life hasn¡¯t been a walk in the park for me. Every day I live is a day that I had to fight for. I haven¡¯t been having fun, Camilla. I¡¯ve been trying to stay alive.¡±


    Her face showed no emotion and her eyes remained closed.


    I exhaled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What more can I say?¡±Silence.


    I walked to the door and as my hand reached out for the cool handle, she spoke.


    ¡°Is he the guardian angel you¡¯ve been with?¡±


    I turned to face her and cringed. I really didn¡¯t mean to say that to her. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Camilla rolled off the bed and launched herself at me. I stumbled backwards as I took on her weight.


    ¡°Wow. Way to go, you whore!¡±


    I smiled at her. Camilla has never been one for emotional conversations, so I guess this was her way of saying she forgave me.


    ¡°So we¡¯re okay?¡± I asked. Just to be safe.


    ¡°We are far from okay, but this is a start. I missed you!¡± She pulled me into her and I almost cried. I missed Camilla so much.


    She let me go and sat on her bed, patting the empty space beside her. ¡°Tell me about being away from this crappy town. I don¡¯t want to hear about the creepy vampires and death, just the good stuff.¡±


    I told her about my elemental magic and what I could do. I told her about my other best friend, Mila, and to my surprise, she barely batted an eyelid. Hunter, Mr. Aleksandrov, Xavier, and everyone else had their part in my story, too.


    ¡°Will I ever get to meet them?¡± she asked when I finished telling her.


    ¡°I doubt it. They stay at Sage full time, but who knows. Maybe fate will throw us a curveball and we all will come together.¡±

 Page 3

    She wrapped a warm arm around my shoulder. ¡°Do you have to leave today? Can¡¯t you stay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but the rules are pretty strict and god knows I¡¯ve broken enough of them.¡±


    Camilla took me by the wrist and dragged me from the room.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not staying for long, so it¡¯s a good idea for all of us to hang out together, and besides, I can¡¯t perve on Eli all the way from up here.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re as bad as your mother.¡±


    Wide smiles were plastered on Eli¡¯s and Aunt Jen¡¯s faces when Camilla and I walked into the kitchen, happy and chatting.


    ¡°I knew you two would make up,¡± Aunt Jen sang, dropping Feta cheese into the salad and putting it in the center of the table. Camilla grabbed plates from the cupboard and set them out on the small, circular table. I grabbed clean glasses and sat them beside the plates. I pulled the jug of cold water from the fridge and filled the cups up before dropping into my chair.


    ¡°So,¡± Camilla breathed, dropping into the chair. ¡°How long have you two been sneaking around?¡±


    The water I was drinking went down the wrong pipe and I ended up spluttering everywhere like an idiot. Camilla erupted into laughter and I looked at Aunt Jen, who stared at me wide-eyed. Awkward. I looked to Eli to save me, but he had a cocky smile on his face, clearly enjoying every second of my discomfort.


    ¡°You two are involved?¡± Aunt Jen asked, incredulously. ¡°Isn¡¯t that illegal in your world?¡±


    When I finished my coughing fit, I opened my mouth to explain, but I just didn¡¯t have the words. Eli put down his knife and leaned against the sink.


    ¡°What Ruby and I share is very¡­complicated. Our world is stuck in the dark ages. They believe that I¡¯m not ¡®pure¡¯ enough to be with her.¡±


    ¡°They contradict themselves, a lot,¡± I cut in.


    Eli nodded. ¡°What she means is, although her title is guardian, they still treat her like a goddess.¡± Camilla looked at me quizzically and I shrugged. ¡°I love her¡­and we will be together freely, eventually. But for now, I¡¯m content with what we have.¡±


    Aunt Jen and Camilla sighed, infatuated with Eli¡¯s declaration. He smiled at me and a tell-tale blush sprang to my cheeks.


    ¡°Well,¡± Aunt Jen began, taking slices of cooked chicken off her grill. ¡°You have our support, now let¡¯s eat.¡±


    As we ate, the clock struck twelve. Our time was running out and I hated it. I wanted to stay here forever. Eli sat across from me, and under the table he entwined his legs with mine. I was happy. Aunt Jen and Camilla seemed to really like him¡ªeven if they were a bunch of creeps. Lunch conversation was heavily filled with all the things I¡¯d missed since being away, including Kyle¡ªand Camilla¡¯s brief dating period with Darren. I gritted my teeth.


    ¡°You can do better than Darren Jolter, Cam. He¡¯s such a douche bag.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, Bridgewater isn¡¯t exactly filled with Elis.¡± I rolled my eyes and Eli laughed. ¡°You had to go to the middle of god knows where to find him. All I have are Bridgewater boys.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Aunt Jen exhaled, seeming quite offended. ¡°They aren¡¯t that bad.¡±


    Camilla took a sip of her water and placed it back on the table. ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you¡¯re dating the manager of the bar down the road.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I searched my mind, trying to remember who managed the bar. If I recalled correctly, he¡¯s a tall, scruffy looking man that always wears tight business clothes, never in a shade lighter than black. ¡°Bob? Bruce? Barry?¡± Names rolled off my tongue as I tried to find one that suited the face.


    ¡°Bryant,¡± Aunt Jen interjected. ¡°He¡¯s a gentleman and he¡¯s very interesting.¡±


    Camilla rolled her eyes, exhaling dramatically. ¡°In his spare times he¡¯s a DJ and goes by the name DJ BryBry.¡±


    Laughter explodes from around the table and Aunt Jen looked anything but pleased.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. So he has a few childish hobbies, who cares? He¡¯s handsome and he¡¯s fun.¡±


    ¡°Aw, it¡¯s okay, Aunt Jen. I¡¯m just glad you no longer have to go see a movie with that creepy guy just to get blood for me.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± she agreed, smiling widely. ¡°Life is good.¡±


    After lunch, we sat around the lounge room talking. Well, Aunt Jen and Camilla were talking, sharing all of the embarrassing stories of me as a child with Eli, before my mother died. I loved it. I was having the time of my life and when the clock struck three, Eli rose to his feet, thanking them for their hospitality.


    ¡°We¡¯re late and it¡¯s going to take another four hours before we get back to Sage.¡± Eli pulled his phone from his pocket and I glanced at the screen. He had so many missed calls from Mr. Aleksandrov. I grew worried. Eli was going to be in a lot of trouble for this.


    ¡°It was a pleasure to meet you,¡± Aunt Jen said, pulling Eli into a hug. She winked at me and I rolled my eyes. ¡°Hopefully, we get to meet again in the future.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Camilla and Eli hugged briefly and he stepped out of the house, giving me a few moments alone with my family¡ªmy only family. Tears suddenly rolled down Camilla¡¯s cheeks, causing her mascara to run.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry!¡± I sobbed as few of my own hot tears burned down my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you¡­¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m going to miss you, but you gave me your number and I promise I¡¯ll call you regularly.¡± She nodded and Aunt Jen stepped in front of me, pulling me tightly into her. She planted kisses on the top of my head.


    ¡°We love you, Rubes. We never stopped.¡± She pushed me away, but kept ahold of my face. ¡°You¡¯re welcome back here anytime. We¡¯ll always have room for you¡­and him, if he¡¯s ever in town.¡± She gave me a tight smile and giggles erupted from my throat. I turned from them and exited the house. In the driveway, I saw Camilla¡¯s pink Barina and I cringed inwardly. Those were the days¡­I couldn¡¯t say I missed that. Eli leaned against the passenger side of the car on the phone. His brows pulled together as he listened to whoever was talking¡ªMr. Aleksandrov, probably. He hung up and watched me intently, clearly upset with something. I turned around and Aunt Jen and Camilla were holding each other, crying like babies.


    ¡°I love you guys.¡±


    ¡°We love you, too.¡±


    I walked away from them toward the car. My feet felt heavy¡ªlike I had bricks in my shoes. I didn¡¯t want to go. Eli opened the door for me and I turned around one last time. Hot tears dropped onto my cheeks and I waved goodbye climbing into the car. Eli beeped a few times and then sped off down the road.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked when I was absolutely certain he was pissed off.


    He scratched his brow. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m trying to make sense of it.¡±


    ¡°Sense of what?¡±


    He sighed, squeezing the steering wheel with both hands. His knuckles went white before he flexed his fingers, allowing the blood through. ¡°Apparently, there¡¯s a problem with the serum.¡±


    My stomach dropped. ¡°What is it? Is Hunter okay?¡±


    I waited as Eli worked his lip between his teeth. His frustration relaxed me. Hunter couldn¡¯t be dead. If he was, Eli would no doubt be a little happier than he was now.


    ¡°As you know, Hunter is pretty much back to his old self and they¡¯re thinking of releasing him this weekend¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°Well, today, he¡¯s been showing signs of¡­separation anxiety.¡±


    My brows furrowed. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°He refuses to tell anyone anything about it, but they believe he¡¯s sired to you.¡±


    I relaxed in my seat. ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous. It doesn¡¯t work like that.¡±


    ¡°Think about it. When someone is turned into a vampire, the vampire forces venom into their bloodstream. With Hunter, your blood¡ªmixed with whatever else, was forced into his body, so it¡¯s very possible.¡±


    I crossed my arms over my chest. It just didn¡¯t sound believable to me. How could he be sired to me? I didn¡¯t create him, I just bought him back.


    ¡°How am I not sired to Mila, then? She used her blood to bring me back.¡±


    He exhaled, running his hand over his face once. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They¡¯re looking into it. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say you were only half a vampire. Hunter was a full vampire and it wasn¡¯t just goddess blood that went into him, it was Heelian blood, too.¡±


    I was trying to think of something¡ªanything that made sense, but it all seemed so complicated.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Eli caressed my thigh through my jeans. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. We always do.¡±


    We drove for hours. We didn¡¯t speak about the Hunter-sire thing and we wouldn¡¯t again until we had more to go off. We were deep into the forest now, with only an hour left to go until we reached Sage¡¯s gates. Daylight was gone. The sun had just disappeared under the horizon, leaving an inky mess of dark navy blue and pink. My attention flicked from the sky to the flashing indicator light in front of Eli as he pulled over to the side of the road.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, suddenly nervous about being out at night.


    ¡°I want to kiss you before we get to Sage,¡± he said, putting the car in park and pulling up the handbrake. There¡¯s no doubt we¡¯ll be ushered to Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s house to explain our absence as soon as we arrive.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that spread so effortlessly across my face. I leaned toward him, placing my hand on his cheek. His skin was warm and smooth under my hand.


    ¡°Maybe I should be the one kissing you. You did an amazing thing for me today.¡±


    I moved my thumb up and down slowly as his deep, green eyes pierced my soul. I unclipped my seat belt and pressed my lips to his. Almost immediately Eli pulled away, unclipped his seat belt, and flicked a switch beside his seat so it slid backwards. He grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me onto him. It was so unexpected that I gasped loudly. Thank god the car was spacious, otherwise I would¡¯ve gotten stuck somewhere between my seat and his. I straddled him as his lips travelled along the outline of my jaw to my ear and then down my neck. Goosebumps erupted as my senses reeled out of control and the windows began to fog up from our labored breathing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always tried to be careful with you, but that¡¯s not what I want right now.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat as he spoke against my burning skin. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    A cheeky smile tugged at his lips and lust tore through me, exposing every nerve in my body.¡°I want to show you just how damn irresistible you are to me.¡± He kissed my bottom lip, softly.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say you¡¯re stalling our return to Sage.¡±


    He laughed once. ¡°Maybe. I hate not being able to have you whenever I want. It frustrates me.¡±


    Today, Eli had been so playful¡ªless reserved. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever seen him so careless about rules and I was going to take advantage of it. I was usually the one eager to break the rules. Now it was Eli. Oh, how times had changed.


    ¡°You have me now¡­¡± I said, running my hands through his dark hair and bringing my mouth closer to his. ¡°We¡¯re alone.¡±


    His eyes were smoldering at me with a darker intensity than I had ever seen before. They locked onto my lips for a second before I pressed them against his. He didn¡¯t respond at first and I knew it was because he was thinking¡ªhe was always thinking. He¡¯d already come as far to tell me he wanted me, why stop now? I bit down on his bottom lip, causing him to gasp, and then I ran my tongue over it. A tight groan released itself from Eli¡¯s throat and it was obvious that this was exactly what he wanted. Our tongues intertwined in a dance as his hands trailed impatiently up my slim hips and then past my narrow waist before resting on the buttons of my shirt. Becoming quickly annoyed with them, he tore my shirt open, sending buttons everywhere and exposing my yellow, lacy bra. I pulled away from him and scowled at the wide, cocky smile plastered on his face.


    ¡°What? I said I was frustrated.¡±


    ¡°I know, but you just ruined my¡ª¡± His warm hands went into my shirt and wrapped around my waist, pulling me tightly against him and cutting my words off with a hard kiss. His hands traveled up the back of my neck and into the base of my hair. He tugged it hard and I gasped as a new wave of sensation flooded me. Sex with Eli had been great¡ªbetter than great. It¡¯d always been loving and tender, but this time¡­this time I could tell it was going to reflect our more animalistic nature and I was excited in more ways than one. Eli bit me. Nipped at me. His hands moved quickly, roaming everywhere, squeezing and pinching. The whole time we sighed each other¡¯s names and swore under our breaths. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable place to be intimate, and after a while you kind of run out of creative ways to get comfortable, but it was an experience I¡¯d never forget. It was unforgettable, just like he said our trip would be.


    Locating clothing was difficult and it took a while, but we managed¡­eventually. I slid back into my seat as he adjusted his. I slipped my coat on and used the big, black buttons to seal it shut. The shirt I was wearing was ruined and because of Eli, it had no buttons¡­ not the worst way to destroy a shirt, I suppose. The warm back of Eli¡¯s hand caressed my cheek and I leaned into it.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been chastised for breaking rules. I¡¯m kind of looking forward to it.¡±

 Page 4

    He released a deep, smooth laugh and I was grateful that I could draw such a beautiful sound from him. We drove deeper and deeper into the mass of trees. I glanced out the window. There were no stars in the sky tonight, just a dense layer of clouds. I¡¯d be okay with it raining. Nothing could ruin today, not even the rain. It might even ease me into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


    ¡°You took her from the school? Do you have a death wish?¡± Lyric snapped at Eli.


    Eli and I stood opposite Mr. Aleksandrov, who rested his head in his hands, with his elbows firmly on the table. It appeared that our disappearance had caused some kind of mass panic.


    ¡°Relax.¡± Eli¡¯s voice was deep and demanding. ¡°She was with me, nothing would have happened to her.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a nice gesture,¡± Mila interjected, pulling Lyric¡¯s angered gaze on her. ¡°Ruby hasn¡¯t seen her mother¡¯s grave before today. She deserves that after everything that has happened to her.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Xavier said, glancing at Mila with a subtle gleam of hope in his eyes.


    Poor guy still hadn¡¯t been able to tell Mila how he felt, and as far as I knew, she was still dead against dating a guardian angel¡ªemotional baggage and all that. Lyric¡¯s dark, chocolate gaze fell onto me and I hugged my coat tighter around me. I had a nervous feeling that they¡¯d ask me to take it off. Wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing? I don¡¯t think me or Eli had the ability to talk our way out of that one.


    ¡°What are you doing, Eli?¡± Lyric asked, shifting his attention.


    Eli¡¯s jaw tightened under his skin.


    ¡°I fail to see how that¡¯s any of your damn business,¡± I snapped, stepping in before Eli got a chance to.


    ¡°Ruby,¡± Eli warned me. I rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Inside me, my blood simmered. Why was I getting treated like I didn¡¯t deserve a break, after everything I¡¯d done?


    ¡°We went to see her mother¡¯s grave and have lunch with her family. We were back just after dark. No harm done.¡±


    Lyric scoffed and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. Tired bags hung under his eyes and I could tell he just wanted to go to bed. ¡°Since when did you become the reckless one?¡±


    Eli¡¯s brows pulled together and he stared at Lyric with a glare so dark it made me a little fearful.


    ¡°All right, all right,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov exhaled, pushing off his desk and rising to his feet.¡°The main thing is you¡¯re back now. I know that Ruby¡¯s title is guardian, but she still has goddess blood coursing through her veins, not to mention that she¡¯s the only chance at curing vampires the council has. They would have my head, your head, and everyone else¡¯s head if they knew you took her away today.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Eli replied casually.


    ¡°I also told you that you two,¡± he pointed a long finger at us. ¡°Aren¡¯t meant to be alone together.¡±


    I felt heat pool in my cheeks, knowing exactly why he put that rule in place.


    ¡°If the council knew about what happened or is happening between you two, you can kiss your guardian life and Ruby behind. Shape up, Eli, because you didn¡¯t work so hard for everything you have now just for the council to take it away.¡±


    He nodded without a flinch. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov continued. ¡°As a result, you¡¯ll be doing the late night shifts indefinitely, starting tonight.¡±


    Eli nodded again, but I protested. ¡°It isn¡¯t his fault. I was the one that wanted to go.¡±


    Eli glanced sideways at me with a warning look. He didn¡¯t want me to take the fall for him.


    ¡°He should have known better,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov countered.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    He raised his hand to silence me before falling back into his chair.


    ¡°Sadly, this isn¡¯t the worst thing to happen to me today.¡± He exhaled and closed his eyes briefly. ¡°The council knows that Lucian broke into the school. It got back to them and they¡¯ve requested hearings.¡±


    I stiffened, and beside me, Eli did the same.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mila asked before anyone else could. Even Lyric looked frightened.


    ¡°They want to know exactly what¡¯s going on here. I¡¯m trying to pass it off as nothing now that the students are back and resuming their classes. I have a group of wizards and witches living in the school, protecting it with extra charms, but they aren¡¯t satisfied with that. They heard about Eli choosing Ruby over his charge and they heard about the success of the serum. They want us to travel to the council city and participate in a series of hearings.¡±


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t go?¡± I asked.


    Mr. Aleksandrov chuckled. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. Pack your things, we leave in two days.¡±


    He rose from his chair and his grey robe flailed behind him as he stormed from the room.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I exhaled. ¡°That sucks.¡±


    Chapter Three


    The next morning, I stood at the base of my bed packing my clothing into a purple suitcase Mila had lent me. She was doing the same thing as me this morning. It turned out that the council wanted ALL of us to go¡ªMr. Aleksandrov, Mila, Lyric, Xavier, Eli, Hunter, and me. Aaron and Sera were the only ones neglected from the request. Not that it mattered, they were out on a mission, somewhere. On my porch, a woman cleared her throat. Last night, while we were sleeping, elite guards from the council were sent in to keep an eye on things and to make sure we got there safely. I rolled my eyes. Basically, they didn¡¯t trust our guardians so we weren¡¯t allowed to use them. It was annoying. Low voices filled my house and not a second later, Xavier and Lyric¡¯s heads peered into my bedroom.


    ¡°You¡¯re still packing?¡± Xavier chuckled, like it was the funniest thing he¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going.¡± I held up a short sleeved shirt and a thick jumper. ¡°Do I pack for hot weather or cold weather?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Both¡­I guess.¡±


    I exhaled and threw them both into my suitcase. ¡°What are you guys doing here, anyway?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for training.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s happening today?¡±


    Lyric snorted. ¡°What kind of question is that? Of course it¡¯s happening. We train in rain or shine.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re leaving tomorrow¡­I have to pack.¡±


    ¡°Pack later. Put your uniform on and let¡¯s go.¡±


    Somehow, Lyric was more anal about training than Eli was. Eli¡­I hadn¡¯t seen him since we left Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s house last night. He was probably sleeping now. I wished I could sleep. Last night was filled with endless nightmares¡ªlike every night since the attack on the school. I just couldn¡¯t get away from it. With a heavy sigh, I pulled on a fresh guardian uniform, tied my hair into a high ponytail, and met Xavier and Lyric on the porch. They stood opposite the elite guards with their back to them. It was weird seeing the exact same uniform in two different colors. I preferred the black uniform. It looked more badass.


    The elites followed us off the porch and I glanced at them awkwardly over my shoulder. They kept their heads high, watching the world in front of them. One of them was a female, the other, male, and they looked eerily similar¡ªno doubt brother and sister. Both had brown eyes and dimples regardless of their facial expression and the male on the left was taller and wider than the girl.


    Some of the guardians we passed on the way gym watched us. It was clear nobody liked having the elites here. I sure as hell didn¡¯t. They represented uncertainty¡­ and everything else I was trying to stay away from.


    Training went smoothly. I was a little disappointed Eli didn¡¯t come and watch me like he usually did because today I managed to block every punch and kick that Xavier threw at me. It was awesome. The elite guards stood against the back wall¡ªwatching, always watching.


    ¡°You did good today, Ruby. I¡¯m very impressed.¡± Lyric said, bringing me a small bottle of water. I gulped back a mouthful and it hurt my chest. I was definitely exhausted.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I panted, closing the lid. ¡°I was really trying.¡±


    ¡°I noticed. Maybe I should have elite guards around during our training sessions more often. It seems to be the only thing that makes you focus.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I was just making a statement. I might be small and girly, but I can kick ass when I want to.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± the female elite guard called from across the room. I wasn¡¯t even aware they could hear us.


    I turned to face her and her thin lips smirked at me as her brother chuckled.


    ¡°See what?¡±


    She shrugged, smugly. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can kick my ass.¡±


    My brows pulled together. ¡°Why would I want to fight you? That¡¯s not what you¡¯re here for.¡±


    Her long legs stretched out in front of her as she made her way over to us on the mats. Her brown eyes narrowed in on me, her distaste coming through loud and clear in her scowl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m not going to hurt you¡­much.¡±


    I arched an eyebrow at Lyric and he returned my look with the same confused expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight you,¡± I half laughed, half spat.


    A wry smile played on her lips. ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    In frustration, I clenched my water bottle tighter in my hand. ¡°Definitely not.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    I stepped forward, but Xavier grabbed me by the elbow, stopping me from taking another step. I kept my eyes locked on hers as he spoke.


    ¡°Ruby,¡± he said, his voice low and gruff. ¡°Ignore her. You don¡¯t want to do anything drastic before your hearing.¡±


    I glared at her. She seemed hostile toward me and I had no idea who she even was. I pulled my elbow free from Xavier¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my problem. I don¡¯t like you. You¡¯re cocky, stubborn and stupid. I hate that you¡¯ve been given the title guardian. You¡¯re not and you never will be.¡±


    Okay, now I was pissed. I took a step forward, prepared to accept her challenge, but Xavier¡¯s hand found my elbow again. I yanked my arm free. ¡°You know nothing about me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. Your name comes up regularly in the council meetings.¡±


    The gym door opened, but I didn¡¯t take my eyes off the random elite girl. I didn¡¯t have to. I¡¯d been in enough situations to know exactly who stepped through that door. Eli had some strange sixth sense, I swear.


    ¡°Ruby?¡± Eli asked cautiously.


    I didn¡¯t answer him.


    ¡°This girl is crazy.¡± Xavier informed him. ¡°She¡¯s trying to fight Ruby.¡±


    The girl¡¯s lips twitched at the comment, but here yes didn¡¯t dare dart from mine.


    ¡°And why are they still in the same room?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m finding this really interesting.¡±


    Eli exhaled in annoyance before coming to stand next to me. He wasn¡¯t wearing his guardian uniform, just a polo t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair was dishevelled¡ªalmost sleepy. He looked good from the corner of my eye, but I didn¡¯t turn to get a better look.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± he asked and I swear he was implying that I was the one who started it.


    I could feel Eli¡¯s eyes watching the side of my face, but I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the girl.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even started,¡± I growled through clenched teeth.


    The girl chuckled, straightening her stance. ¡°You better do what your angel says.¡± Then she turned away from me, leaving me feeling disrespected. She had the nerve to challenge me and then thinks she can just walk away? No. The plastic bottle creaked in my grasp as my fingers twitched. Without thinking it through, I cocked the bottle behind my shoulder and threw it at her. The plastic sailed through the air before colliding with the back of her head. The boys in front of me gasped, and beside me, Eli stiffened. His arm shot out and firmly grasped my forearm. He yanked me toward him, partially tucking me behind his body. The girl whirled around abruptly¡ªher nostrils flaring as she bared her teeth. She was pissed but I couldn¡¯t help myself. I smiled at her.


    ¡°You little bi¡ª¡± Her brother grabbed her by the arm, stopping her from launching herself at me. I didn¡¯t even notice him come toward us. I was too busy watching her.


    ¡°Not now, Faith,¡± her brother stated. ¡°Asking for a friendly spar is one thing. Fighting her for no reason is another thing entirely. You don¡¯t want to upset the council.¡±


    ¡°She threw her freaking bottle at me, Tate!¡± Faith snapped as she looked at her brother. Her face seemed vulnerable and I wondered how old she was¡ªat least twenty-two. When she realized her brother wasn¡¯t going to change his mind, she straightened her stance once again and brushed off her uniform.


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet you outside when you¡¯re finished here.¡± Her brother strode from the gym and Faith followed, but not before her long index finger brushed over Eli¡¯s forearm. Oh, hell no! I started forward, but Eli¡¯s arm gripped me tighter, forcing me to stay put.


    ¡°You should be spending your time with a real guardian.¡±


    Are you kidding me? In a huff, I shook off Eli¡¯s arm and stepped out from behind him. His hand pressed firmly against my stomach, preventing me from stepping any closer to her. Faith winked at him before she exited the building. I stepped away from Eli¡¯s hand and placed my hands on my head, forcing myself to take deep, controlled breaths.


    ¡°Man, that girl has some serious issues,¡± Lyric said. ¡°She¡¯s cute, though.¡±

 Page 5

    We all turned to look at Lyric and his dark eyes surveyed us. ¡°What? She is.¡±


    I glanced at Eli, whose frustrated gaze bore down on me. His jaw tightened and relaxed as he worked its muscle. Without an order from Eli, Lyric and Xavier left the gym. Was Eli angry at me? What the hell did I do?


    ¡°Why¡¯d you throw your drink bottle at her head? She was backing off.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°She made me mad.¡± His eyes flared with anger and I scowled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, she started it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to create more problems for yourself. You¡¯ve grown so much. Don¡¯t bring yourself back to that level.¡±


    I threw my hands up in exasperation. ¡°Ask Xavier or Lyric. She started it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who started it, but Faith is an elite guard. They¡¯re called elite guards for a reason. Don¡¯t get yourself hurt.¡±


    In my chest I felt my stubbornness rise. ¡°I¡¯m not weak and I¡¯m not afraid of her.¡±


    ¡°I never said you were.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Eli and I stood staring at each other. My fingers flexed and relaxed at my sides. I was glad I didn¡¯t get into a fight, anyway. I was exhausted after that training session.


    ¡°You should be spending time with a real guardian,¡± I mimicked in my best bitch voice.


    Eli laughed and twirled a lock of hair from my ponytail around his index finger, before letting it drop.


    ¡°You¡¯re cute when you¡¯re jealous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Okay, fine. Maybe a little.¡± He stepped closer to me, running an index finger down my forearm. ¡°I don¡¯t like her touching you.¡±


    The way he smiled at me made me feel like an idiot. He took me by the wrist, bringing my hand up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on my fingertips. His eyes watched me and a familiar pulsating feeling filled my stomach. ¡°Don¡¯t stress about those things,¡± he said, releasing my hand. ¡°You are the only one I want.¡±


    He turned from me and walked toward the door. I followed closely behind, my fingers still burning from his lips.


    The walk back to my house was awkward, to say the least. Faith made it her mission to walk too close to my back. Every time I felt her breath on my neck, I¡¯d purposely stop and she¡¯d run into me, growling in frustration. Eli shot me an unlimited amount of warning glances during the walk and I took them all with a smile on my face.


    When we arrived at Eli¡¯s house and I saw there were no guards on his porch, I realized I was the only one with guards.


    ¡°Why am I the only one being babysat?¡± I wondered aloud.


    Faith scoffed like it was obvious. ¡°The council wouldn¡¯t put it past you to do something stupid.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    With a tight, sympathetic smile, Eli trotted up his steps and into his house. I barely got to see the door shut before Faith nudged my shoulder, forcing me down the road. When we reached my house, I stormed up my steps and slammed the door behind me, letting them know loud and clear that they were not welcome. I leaned against the door and scanned the room. From where I was standing, I saw a clear plastic bag on my kitchen counter and I ran over to it. Inside, there was a deck of cards, two novels, and a crossword book with a pen sticky taped to it. There was also a note from Sera.


    Ruby,


    Here are the things you requested for Hunter.


    We¡¯re back now and heard about the Council hearings.


    Good luck.


    Sera.


    I smiled. Before Sera and Aaron went on their mission, I asked them to bring back some supplies for Hunter. It was kind of a sorry gift, I suppose. I hadn¡¯t been down to visit him since I ran from there weeks ago. I¡¯m scared of him and what he¡¯d say to me. What if he hated me now? I grabbed the plastic bag and pushed packing my clothes for the hearing to the back of my mind. Hunter probably had no idea we were leaving tomorrow, to wherever the goddamn council was, and I also wanted to talk to him about the sire thing¡­I didn¡¯t feel any different. Would he even tell me if I asked? The people that have been studying him said that he refused to answer any of their questions or participate in any of their tests. Why did I think he was going to treat me any differently? When I stepped out, the elite guards were on my tail again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have packing to do?¡± Faith snarled at me and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pack later.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Tate asked.


    ¡°To see a friend.¡±


    When I started heading into the forest, getting closer to the protection border, they became more suspicious.


    ¡°Ruby, what the hell are you doing?¡±


    I sighed as I ducked underneath a low hanging branch. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m going to see a friend. You¡¯re not scared, are you?¡± I asked, unable to keep a snicker from my voice.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Faith snapped. ¡°It¡¯s daytime, there¡¯s nothing out here.¡±


    ¡°You seem certain.¡±


    ¡°And you aren¡¯t?¡±


    I shrugged, glancing over my shoulder and smiling at her. Her eyes were narrowed in on me. ¡°Look around you, we¡¯re in a forest. There are plenty of snakes and spiders that will kill you as quick as any vampire.¡±


    My smile widened as blood drained from her face. I was satisfied that I¡¯d managed to make her uncomfortable. We walked for a while and I smiled every time I heard her gasp and squeal behind me.


    ¡°You have a friend waiting for you in the middle of a forest? You really are a shady character,¡± Tate chuckled nervously.


    ¡°It must be that vampire boy,¡± Faith added. ¡°The one that they supposedly brought back from the dead.¡±


    I ignored them. Talking about Hunter with strangers wasn¡¯t on my to-do list today and soon enough, we came to the entrance of the underground holding cells. I couldn¡¯t believe they were still holding him down here. He wasn¡¯t a vampire anymore and deserved the same amount of protection as everyone else.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± I told the siblings.


    ¡°That¡¯s not happening.¡± Faith almost chuckled, placing her hand on my shoulder and applying an unnecessary amount of pressure. ¡°Where you go, we go.¡±


    I shrugged her off and turned abruptly, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. I was getting really tired of her following me around and telling me what to do. She was almost as bad as Eli was when I first came to Sage.


    ¡°Yeah? Well, I¡¯m going down into this tunnel.¡±


    ¡°Tunnel?¡± Tate asked, his eyes flitting nervously to its entrance and back. I noticed his chest rise and fall a little quickly. He swiped at the thin layer of sweat on his forehead. He was claustrophobic. This was going to be too easy.


    ¡°Come with me if you want,¡± I stated casually. ¡°It¡¯s awfully dense and tight down there. You might have to crawl toward the end."


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    Faith turned to her brother, her green eyes glowering at him. ¡°Like hell we are. Don¡¯t be such a sook, Tate.¡±


    ¡°You can go, but I¡¯m waiting right here. Besides, where can she go? There¡¯s only one entrance and exit.¡±


    Faith watched her brother for a few long seconds before exhaling and turning her attention back to me. ¡°You have fifteen minutes and then I¡¯m coming down to get you. Got it?¡±


    Without a word, I whirled on my heel and entered the tunnel. It was actually quite spacious, but I wasn¡¯t lying when I said it was dense. I could feel little beads of sweat form on the back of my neck and when I reached the bottom, I peered through the mirror to see what kind of mood Hunter was in. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning on his jean-clad knees with his elbows. Although I couldn¡¯t see his face, he seemed bored. His black hair was getting long and it tumbled across his forehead. He impatiently flicked it away before his blue eyes swept over to the mirror, making my stomach drop. He was looking right at me, his face pinched in frustration. Did he know I was here?


    I stepped away from the mirror and over to the door. A loud clank reverberated through the holding area as I pushed the door open. I kept my gaze on the dirty, concrete floor as I closed it behind me and I dragged in a deep inhale through my nose before turning to look at him. His blue gaze flitted to my face and my heartbeat sped up. His eyes were heavy, sleepy, and dark bags hung underneath them. He looked as tired as I felt.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I managed to say and the corner of his lips twitched.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    I stepped closer.


    ¡°De Luca doesn¡¯t want to come in and say hi?¡±


    His bitter tone startled me. ¡°I came by myself,¡± I told him. ¡°And I brought you a few things.¡±


    I studied his expression and watched it shift from annoyed to relieved.


    ¡°Can I sit?¡± I asked, gesturing to the bed.


    He nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. Slowly, I made my way over to the bed and sat down.


    ¡°You didn''t have to bring me anything. I''ve gotten used to counting the cracks in the concrete wall.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a lot more fun.¡±


    I pulled a red deck of cards from the bag. ¡°Do you want to play?¡±


    Hunter glanced at the cards and then at my face, like he was trying to understand what I was doing exactly. His blues eyes darkened and his lips straightened into a thin line.


    ¡°Did they send you? To see if I¡¯m sired to you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°I¡¯m here of my own accord. As a friend.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I thought that ship had sailed. This is the first time you¡¯ve visited me since that day.¡±


    He was referring to the day I got out of the hospital months ago. Back then, Hunter¡¯s emotions were all over the place because he¡¯d been transformed back into a god. He demanded things I couldn¡¯t provide and I had to leave. I couldn¡¯t handle it. He was right. I hadn¡¯t returned since then and maybe that was awfully ¡®unfriend-like¡¯ of me.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve been dealing with a few things of my own¡­between training and Eli and now the elite guards,¡± I exhaled, dropping the cards back into the bag. ¡°As selfish as it sounds, I really haven¡¯t found time for anyone else, but I¡¯m here now, right?¡±


    He turned his body toward me and all of his muscles were tensed. ¡°Did you say elite guards?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We have to go to a hearing in the council¡¯s city. We leave tomorrow and the elite guards are here to make sure I don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    His blue eyes flared desperately, widening into full circles as he launched himself to his feet, startling me. ¡°You¡¯re leaving? You can¡¯t leave! You can¡¯t leave me here!¡± His chest began to rise and fall rapidly as he paced the room, his shoes scuffing the rough concrete. After a few minutes, he stopped pacing and leaned his forehead against the far wall, tapping his knuckles in an uneven rhythm.


    ¡°Hunter, you¡¯re comi¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ruby, I¡¯m connected to you,¡± he interrupted me. ¡°You left with Eli yesterday and I couldn¡¯t breathe, my chest hurt and I freaked out¡­I don¡¯t want to go through that again. You have to convince them to let me go with you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t look at me when he spoke and I kept my gaze fixated on the back of his head.


    ¡°How do you know I left with Eli? It could have been Mila or Xavier.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I know when you¡¯re around him¡­I feel everything.¡±


    Oh. God. No. Surely, he didn¡¯t mean everything. He turned to face me, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. His face was sullen and uncomfortable. I felt warmth rush to my cheeks and an uncomfortable heat seared down my neck. ¡°You mean you feel¡ª¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡± He emphasized the word, making my stomach turn.


    Well, the visit definitely took a turn for the worst. I certainly didn¡¯t want to rub that part of mine and Eli¡¯s relationship in Hunter¡¯s face. It surely couldn¡¯t be something he enjoyed feeling.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I muttered.


    He shrugged. ¡°I can put up with all of that, mostly because I like to feel you happy, but I can¡¯t deal with not being near you¡­It¡¯s torture.¡±


    Aching for a change of subject, I said, ¡°I was about to tell you that you¡¯re coming with us. The council wants to see you, too.¡±


    Hunter with drew his hands from his pockets and ran them roughly through his hair. ¡°Oh¡­¡± His eyes widened again. ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone what I just told you, Ruby. If they know I¡¯m sired to you, for sure they¡¯ll keep me locked up longer, please.¡±


    I rose to my feet, rubbing my sweaty palms along my pants. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that. Eli will find out I came here today and he¡¯ll ask questions about you. I can¡¯t lie to him.¡±


    I dropped the plastic bag onto the unmade bed and Hunter took a step toward me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to lie. I¡¯m asking you to withhold the truth for a little while, that¡¯s all.¡±


    I exhaled. ¡°I can¡¯t and I won¡¯t keep it from Eli, but I can try and keep it from Mr. Aleksandrov.¡±


    He pondered it for a little while before replying. ¡°Good enough.¡±


    He stepped closer and his arms shot out, pulling me into a hug. The touch of his skin shocked me. It was so warm. So alive. I smiled. I did that. I brought him back. When he pulled back, he kept his hands firmly on my shoulders.


    ¡°What time are we leaving tomorrow?¡±he asked, his mood skyrocketing from depressed to excited.


    ¡°First light, probably.¡±

 Page 6

    ¡°So I¡¯ll see you then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I guess you will.¡±


    I realized my fifteen minutes was probably coming to an end and I didn¡¯t want Faith to witness any exchange of kind words between Hunter and I. She was sneaky and I don¡¯t like sneaky.


    ¡°Now that I know we¡¯re connected, I¡¯ll try my hardest not to make you uncomfortable¡­it¡¯s not fair to you.¡±


    I felt it was appropriate to refrain from any kind of sexual activity while Hunter was connected to me¡ªnot just for his sake, but mine and Eli¡¯s, too. The time we spent together didn¡¯t need to be broadcasted emotionally to a third party¡ªespecially Hunter who, let¡¯s face it, would kill to be in Eli¡¯s position. No pun intended.


    A cocky smile spread across his lips. Of course he¡¯d really like that suggestion. ¡°If Eli didn¡¯t like me before he certainly isn¡¯t going to like me after you cut him off from se¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± I interrupted, placing my hands on my hips. ¡°I get it.¡±


    He laughed and it was so full of life I even flinched a little.¡°I appreciate the offer, but I don¡¯t want you to change anything because of our situation.¡± He pursed his lips together before blowing out a breath of air. ¡°I know how happy you get when you¡¯re with him and it¡¯s the only time I feel happiness¡ªtrue happiness through our connection.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not willing to have an audience when we¡­you know.¡± I felt stupid just saying it.


    His blue eyes surveyed me with amusement and it was the first time in a long time that I saw the old Hunter. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± I said, turning away from him.


    ¡°Ruby¡­¡± His voice stopped me in my tracks, forcing me back around to him. ¡°I never thanked you for bringing me back¡­ so thank you giving me a second chance. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m ever going to be able to repay you.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to repay me. I¡¯m the reason you were in that situation in the first place. All the things you did will fade away. I hardly remember anything from when I was a vampire¡­it¡¯s all hazy, like a bad dream.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of bad dreams¡­¡± he muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets again. ¡°Six weeks is a long time to thrive on so little sleep.¡±


    He knew? Of course he knew. His emotions were linked to mine, so every time I was torn from sleep and about to vomit with fear, so was he.


    ¡°If the past is anything to go off, the nightmares will pass. These ones are just taking longer.¡±


    The disapproval in his exhale came through loud and clear. ¡°Eli doesn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t plan on telling him. He doesn¡¯t have nightmares¡ªno guardian has nightmares.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re different than us. They¡¯re raised differently¡ªtaught differently. You can walk around in their uniform and call yourself a guardian all you want, but you¡¯re still one of us. If you tell him, he¡¯ll help you through it.¡±


    He was right, I knew that, but if I told Eli that I was having nightmares, he¡¯d get all worried about me and he already had so much to deal with. Pulling double shifts wasn¡¯t easy¡ªfor anyone¡ªand it wasn¡¯t like he could spend the night with me to keep me company.


    ¡°There¡¯s too much going on right now, Hunter. I can¡¯t tell him. I¡¯ve thought about it a million times and in no scenario can he help me.¡±


    Hunter¡¯s eyes narrowed while his jaw clenched imperceptibly. He wasn¡¯t happy, but there wasn¡¯t anything he could really do about it.


    ¡°I have to go, but I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    He gave me a tight smile and I exited the room. I was relieved to see the waiting room empty when I stepped out of Hunter¡¯s cell. I¡¯d hate for Faith to know about my nightmares. Especially since she seemed to want to make my life a living hell. God knows why. Before this morning I had no idea who she was. Faith, however, seemed to think she knew all about me. I walked as fast as I could up the tunnel, and when I stepped out into the fresh air, a blast of cool air whipped instantly through my hair. I smiled at Faith as I raised a hand to my face to push a few wayward strands away from my eyes.


    ¡°Good doggy.¡± I chuckled darkly at her. ¡°You stayed. Do you want a treat?¡±


    Her fists clenched at her sides as she glared at me from under her lashes.


    ¡°Relax.¡± I laughed, stepping closer to her. ¡°I¡¯m only playing with you.¡±


    She opened her mouth to speak, but a snapping twig caught our attention. It was a guardian angel in an all black uniform, cradling a rifle close to his chest. His golden hair glistened slightly in the sun as the wind tossed it around a little. It was strange¡­ seeing a guardian with a gun.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡± he asked, sauntering closer to the opening of the tunnel.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He began to enter to the cave.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Faith asked him and he almost sank into himself. He seemed awed that someone like Faith was talking to him and I almost gagged. She was an elite, and apparently normal guardians admired elite guardians.


    ¡°I¡¯m checking the door,¡± he replied to her in a tone that sounded more like a question than a response.


    She flicked her head at him and he disappeared into the darkness. Faith¡¯s attention fell back onto me and she smiled. ¡°Would you look at that? Your own people don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s protocol. I¡¯m sure the door gets double checked after ever visit.¡±


    With that annoying smile still in place, she said, ¡°Whatever makes you feel better.¡±


    The walk back to the house was quick, and thankfully neither Tate nor Faith spoke to me. As soon as I was inside, I slammed my door with a wide smile, knowing that I was officially alone with my own thoughts. Having people tail you around was exhausting¡ªespecially when one of them was constantly on your ass about everything. I strolled through the house, enjoying the silence, and entered my bedroom. My gaze fell onto all of the clothes spilled over my mattress. I really didn¡¯t want to pack, and I threw myself onto the bed, landing awkwardly on the piles. Surely it wouldn¡¯t hurt to close my eyes for a little while? My chest felt heavy even after I dragged in a deep inhale through my nose and let it out through my mouth. I was completely drained and all I needed was some time off my feet.


    ¡°Ruby?¡±


    My eyes shot open and my heart slammed against my ribcage as I sat bolt upright. I blinked quickly in an attempt to force them to adjust to the dark. What the hell? Had I fallen asleep?


    The lamp flicked on and its dull light illumined the room. I squinted while my gaze traveled up the black guardian uniform in front of me and over a full set of lips before resting on a pair of green eyes. Seeing him eased my rapidly beating pulse.


    ¡°You scared me.¡± I ran a hand over my face and then raked it through my hair. My hair was soft today and its strands slid effortlessly through my fingertips.


    He stepped forward, glancing down his nose at me. ¡°You weren¡¯t at dinner and I was worried.¡±


    His words warmed me. I loved that Eli was always so attentive.


    ¡°I fell asleep, apparently.¡± I yawned and there was a dull ache in the bottom of my spine from sleeping on such an uneven surface.


    A soft smile played across Eli¡¯s lips as he watched me. An unsettling, guilty feeling rested in the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°I visited Hunter today,¡± I blurted out, dropping my sight to the second pile of clothes on my bed. I kept my eyes down and he leaned over, his biceps tensing as he pushed most of my clothes off the bed and onto the floor. My little purple suitcase was buried somewhere underneath the mess of fabric and when I looked up at him, he seemed unapologetic for it. He sat down on the bed next to me, his legs placed firmly on the floor. I shuffled along the mattress until I was right next to him.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said, with no trace of frustration or disappointment on his face. ¡°Faith told me.¡±


    Of course she did. I never thought I¡¯d say it, but I was looking forward to going to the council¡¯s city. Perhaps then they¡¯d call off their dogs¡­Faith was really starting to get on my nerves.


    ¡°Faith.¡± I sighed, falling backwards on the bed. I shoved my hands under my head and Eli turned his body, looking at me from over his shoulder. I could see him hiding a smile and I glowered at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re really enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He shrugged, leaning back and propping himself up on his elbows. He was so close to me and I tried to keep the glower on my face, but the clean, crisp smell of the cologne that emanated from him was distracting¡ªhe was distracting. He chuckled under his breath as his finger curled under the hem of my shirt and he drew little circles on my hip bone.


    ¡°I don''t enjoy Faith toying with you, but I enjoy seeing you deal with someone who wants something that¡¯s yours. It sucks, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    I let out a slow, controlled breath, not wanting him to see how badly his touch was affecting me. ¡°Yes.¡±


    His warm finger slid across my skin to circle my belly button and I caught my bottom lip between my teeth to keep from giggling. I was very ticklish, especially in that area. His hand smoothed out, gliding over to my other hip and my eyes stayed locked on his as he gripped me and pulled me against him.


    ¡°I meant it when I said you have nothing to worry about. I¡¯m yours.¡±


    His voice was low and smooth. It filtered through my flesh and ignited my blood, making my skin tingle. He angled his head and my breath caught in my throat as he pressed his tantalizing lips against mine. My body responded immediately, like our kiss was some sort of chemical reaction. I shivered as Eli ran his tongue along my bottom lip, coaxing me into opening my mouth. I did without hesitation. There was something nagging at me in the very back of my mind. Something I was supposed to do, but conveniently couldn¡¯t remember. It wasn¡¯t until Eli¡¯s hand slid down my waist and over my hip before hooking his thumb underneath the hem of my pants did I remember. I pulled back abruptly, clamping my hand down on his wrist and biting my bottom lip. How was I going to tell him about Hunter? Eli looked at me and his lips twitched into a confident smile.


    ¡°I sent the elites to dinner. It¡¯s just us.¡±


    He leaned in again and I pressed my hand to his hard chest, preventing him from making contact with his lips¡­ boy, were they nice lips. I shake my head. Focus! ¡°It¡¯s still cutting it close. I can¡¯t give Faith a reason to ruin my life or yours.¡± I sighed. ¡°Anyway, this isn¡¯t just about her¡­It¡¯s about Hunter.¡±


    I fought the urge to cringe as Eli¡¯s previously vibrant green eyes darkened. He removed his hand from my shirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, he¡¯s sired to me.¡±


    ¡°And you believe him?¡± His tone wasn¡¯t accusing or sceptical. It was casual, like he was trying to be understanding. I nodded.


    ¡°He knew you and I were together yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Not a difficult assumption. We¡¯re almost always together.¡±


    I sat up and Eli mimicked my movement.


    ¡°No, he knows we left Sage and he knows we¡­¡± I left my sentence for Eli to finish in his own mind.


    ¡°Knows we what?¡±


    Crap, now I have to say it. I felt heat flood to my cheeks. ¡°You know, in the car.¡±


    Realization flashed over his countenance. ¡°Oh¡­right. He knew?¡±


    Eli tried to hide a smirk, but he couldn¡¯t, and I nudged him with my shoulder.


    ¡°Let me guess, he asked you to stop spending time with me because he can¡¯t handle it.¡±


    ¡°No, it was quite the opposite, actually. He doesn¡¯t want me to stop.¡±


    He laughed once, his smug expression falling. ¡°I don¡¯t know which is worse.¡±


    I reassuringly ran my hand over his shoulder and into his hair, letting the short strands slip between my fingers.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving tomorrow to see the council, so we should probably cool it for a little while, anyway,¡± he added and I leaned in close.


    ¡°For a little while,¡± I repeated, kissing his soft cheek.


    We admired each other for a little while longer. We touched and kissed, but didn¡¯t take it into heavier territory. Eli wanted to, though. Every move and look he gave me told me he wanted to go further, but I couldn¡¯t. Not until the connection between Hunter and I was sorted out.


    When we heard the scuff of heavy boots on the porch, we decided we didn¡¯t want to be in the house anymore and Eli was adamant about me eating dinner, so he forced me from the house with the promise of Caesar salads with the ¡®most delicious¡¯ cherry tomatoes. Faith and Tate followed closely behind us as we made our way toward the dining hall. Eli assured me the students had gone to back to their dorms and I prayed that was the case. It was weird. I didn¡¯t associate myself with the other students here anymore. I felt older¡ªwiser, even.


    Two teachers I didn¡¯t recognize sauntered from the hall and passed Eli and I with a nod. Once inside, we chose a table in the far corner, away from the eager ears of the elites. Eli disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a salad topped with cherry tomatoes just like he promised.


    I could feel Faith¡¯s dark eyes on my face while I ate. Every now and again I¡¯d look up at her and she¡¯d be glowering at me from under her thick, black eyelashes. Eli was talking about tomorrow. Apparently, I¡¯d be traveling with Mr. Aleksandrov, Mila, Hunter, and Tate. He¡¯d be travelling with Xavier and Faith.


    ¡°The setup is a bit weird, don¡¯t you think?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Weird?¡±

 Page 7

    I shrugged, popping a juicy tomato into my mouth. ¡°Yeah, our car is packed full, but there¡¯s plenty of room in yours. Besides, how¡¯d the elites get here? Shouldn¡¯t they take their own car?"


    I watched as he brought his water bottle to his lips and took a quick sip. He smiled, wiping the back if his hand across his mouth. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a little weird, yeah, but you didn¡¯t expect Mr. Aleksandrov to stick you and me in a car alone, did you? We¡¯re only driving for a two hours, anyway. The rest will be by plane.¡±


    I choked on my own saliva. ¡°Plane¡ªas in airplane?¡±


    Hell no! I couldn¡¯t go on a plane. The thought of being so high up made me sick.


    ¡°You¡¯re scared of being in the air?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. If the plane falls, we are all dead. Eli, I can¡¯t go on a plane.¡±


    He screwed his lid back on his bottle. ¡°Okay, so I¡¯ll let Mr. Aleksandrov know you¡¯re anxious and he¡¯ll sort something out.¡±


    ¡°Like alcohol?¡± I perked up. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to need at least one whole bottle of vodka to¡ª¡±


    ¡°First of all,¡± he interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re tiny, one whole bottle of vodka would probably kill you, and I¡¯m one hundred percent sure Mr. Aleksandrov won¡¯t give you alcohol.¡±


    I slumped into myself. ¡°No fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure being trapped on a plane with the Elites and Hunter will be fun enough.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. If the anxiety from being in the air wasn¡¯t enough, I also had to deal with being in very close proximities with Faith, Hunter and Eli. Maybe I should sneak some vodka on the plane¡­


    Chapter Four


    I can hear him laugh a dark, cold laugh and it pierces my flesh, sinking straight to my bones and chilling me from the inside out. No. It can¡¯t be. I killed him¡­Lucian is dead.


    ¡°Ruby,¡± he calls, his voice echoing through the darkness. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you.¡±


    A jolt of fear courses through me as I frantically search the dark room. It¡¯s pitch black and all I have are my hands to guide me. I keep them outstretched in front of me, waiting to run into a wall or a piece of furniture. I feel myself breaking into a cold sweat as full-on panic bubbles inside of me¡­I¡¯m going to die.


    ¡°W-what do you want from me?¡± I ask, my voice quivering.


    I stop walking and spin slowly in a circle, continuing to stare anxiously into the blackness.


    ¡°What do I want from you?¡± He laughs once and I flinch. ¡°I want to take your life, like you took mine.¡±


    I¡¯m slammed from behind and a scream tears from me. The wind is forced from my lungs as I¡¯m crushed against the concrete beneath me by a cold, hard body. Suddenly, the lights come on in a flash, leaving me squinting into the sudden brightness. The smell of decomposing wood fills my nostrils.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d kill you in the dark, did you?¡± He chuckles. His chilling breath freezes the hair on the back of my neck. ¡°No. I want to see the fear in your eyes. I want to hear you cry.¡± He lowers his voice until it¡¯s barely a whisper. ¡°I want to taste your tears.¡±


    His hands curl around my arms, squeezing with devastating force and I gasp as he flips me onto my back. Pain splits my head in two as it crashes into the concrete. After a few seconds, I open my eyes. The minute movement sends a headache surging through my skull. My heartbeat instantly skyrockets until it¡¯s violently slamming against my ribs. Looking Lucian in the face again is terrifying. I grit my teeth and clench my jaw against an onslaught of tears. I won¡¯t cry for him.


    One of his hands releases me as he reaches behind him and produces a stake from his back pocket. I eye the thin, sharp weapon as he draws it to my chest and teases the button on my shirt with its pointed tip. I grimace every time it scratches against the plastic button.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you with this stake,¡± he tells me. I swallow harshly.


    His black, soulless eyes glare into mine as he presses the tip of the stake into my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go slow,¡± he growls. ¡°I want you to feel every single jolt of pain that I¡¯m going to inflict on you.¡±


    He presses harder and I feel my skin begin to stretch and give way under its point. A pain-filled groan escapes my lips as I thrash underneath him.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I beg, letting my tears fall.


    I try harder to push him off me, but he doesn¡¯t budge. I cry out as I hear a distinct crack and pain flares sharply through my chest. A rib? I can¡¯t tell. There was too much pain going on in that area. I squeeze my eyes shut, not giving Lucian the satisfaction to read my emotions.


    Suddenly, the pressure in my chest is relieved and my eyes shoot open to see Lucian fly through the air before landing hard on his back. Strong arms seize me and pull me to my feet. Instinctively, I hunch over, grasping my chest. Two fingers slide under my chin, tilting my face up to the bright light and I squint, trying to see into the face of my savior. The tall figure leans to the left, blocking out the harsh light and relief floods me as my gaze rests on a pair of green irises.


    ¡°Eli?¡± I gasp, melting into him and resting my cheek on his chest.


    He¡¯s here. He¡¯s going to save me.


    I pull my face back as something wet and sticky rolls down my cheek. A dark liquid stains his black shirt and I reach up to touch it. When I withdraw my fingers, I see they¡¯re covered in blood. Panic tears through my veins, stealing my breath. I snap my neck to look at Eli¡¯s face and he doesn¡¯t seem to realize he¡¯s bleeding profusely from his chest.


    ¡°Eli, you¡¯re bleeding,¡± I tell him, my voice quivering.


    ¡°So are you.¡±


    I glance down at my white button up shirt. Blood has drenched the entire front of the fabric and continues to spill, leaking sticky blood down my stomach.


    A blood curdling scream rips from me as a burning pain shoots up my arm, on my bicep. Eli¡¯s face cringes and he hunches, grasping his own arm. I look at my arm and almost faint at the sight of the thin chunk of wood that¡¯s protruding from it.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this interesting.¡± Lucian chuckles, yanking the wood from my arm. I cry out, dropping to the floor.


    Eli copies my movements and blood trickles down his arm, from the exact same place as mine.


    ¡°It seems whatever happens to you, happens to him.¡±


    I can hear the cockiness in Lucian¡¯s tone and it infuriates me. I jump to my feet and whip around to Lucian. I grab the stake from his hand and kick him backwards. He stumbles, barely, and instantly zips forward, taking the stake back and slamming it into my shoulder. I scream¡ªEli groans¡ªand I immediately fall to my knees.


    ¡°Beg for me to stop, Ruby,¡± Lucian growls in my ear.


    I shake my head, refusing to give in to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± Lucian huffs.


    His black leather shoes clap against the smooth concrete floor as he slowly makes his way over to Eli. Gritting my teeth, I crane my neck to look at Eli. His face is pinched in pain as his hand clasps his shoulder. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong. Why won¡¯t he fight Lucian? Why isn¡¯t he talking?


    ¡°It seems physical pain doesn¡¯t bother you. Congratulations, you can¡¯t be tortured.¡±


    I watch him as he kneels behind Eli. My breathing is shallow and every large breath I take sends a new world of pain around my body. Eli¡¯s green eyes flick to my face and he watches me blankly. There¡¯s no emotion on his face¡ªno pain¡ªand tears begin to stream down my cheeks. It¡¯s all so weird, so strange.


    Lucian cocks his arm back and I throw myself forward. ¡°No!¡±


    He thrusts his arm towards Eli¡¯s back, sending the stake through Eli¡¯s chest. Pain spreads up my spine, forcing me to the floor¡ª


    I shot up out of bed, grasping my chest and raking my hand through my damp hair. My chest rose and fell in a deep pant and I watched as my blanket fell off the edge of the bed. I exhaled and dropped back onto my pillow. I was home¡­it was all a dream. I was never going to get used to this nightmare thing. Was it ever going to stop? Normally, I dreamt about running through a forest, desperately trying to find Mila and Eli. Most nights I found them, only to watch them be slaughtered in front of my eyes. Other nights, I was killed before I could reach them.


    I turned my attention to the window. The sun was barely up, coating everything in an eerie, dull light. Outside, I heard Tate clear his throat. I had to give it to them. The elite guards definitely had dedication. I rolled onto my side, trapping my hands underneath my pillow. My breathing began to slow, taking the light sheen of sweat with it. I wish Eli was here with me¡­I wanted to snuggle into him. He made me feel safe and that¡¯s what I wanted right now.


    To feel safe.


    I handed my suitcase to Lyric and he lifted it over his head before sliding it into the car. I ran my hands over my face, desperately trying to wake myself up. I hardly slept a wink last night and after the nightmare, I didn¡¯t want to.


    I heard Faith yawn and I glanced over my shoulder as she stretched her arms high.


    Hearing her and Tate chat outside my door in low tones all night didn¡¯t help much, either.


    ¡°Sleep well?¡± Hunter¡¯s familiar voice filtered through my ears and I snapped my head to the left, meeting his bright blue eyes.


    A smile spread across my lips. It was nice to see him out in the fresh air¡ªand in the sun. It made everything I went through to bring him back worth it.


    ¡°You know I didn¡¯t.¡±


    With a sympathetic smile, Hunter¡¯s eyes raked me. ¡°Nice dress.¡±


    I glanced down at the light purple dress I was wearing. Mr. Aleksandrov and Eli suggested I keep my guardian uniform at home. While we were in the presence of the council, I would have to act like a goddess. Funny, considering I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever acted like a goddess. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Hunter¡¯s gaze drifted over my shoulder. ¡°Who¡¯s the elite guard?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°That is Faith.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s cute,¡± Hunter added, stuffing his hands into his pockets.


    Lyric slammed the back of the car shut and leaned in to me. ¡°Told you.¡±


    I shoved him out of the way, my chest hiccupping with a giggle. ¡°What is wrong with you two? She¡¯s a total pain in my ass.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Ruby, you don''t like her because she called you out on your unpredictable behavior.¡± Lyric chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s not tru¡ª¡±


    ¡°And because she has her sights on Eli.¡±


    I frowned, my lips straightening into a line and Hunter¡¯s eyes widened as a mischievous smile spread across his lips.


    ¡°Ruby Moore has competition?¡± He laughed. ¡°This trip should be interesting.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as a figure behind Hunter caught my attention. I glanced over his shoulder, spotting Eli as he approached. His eyes squared in on the back of Hunter¡¯s head before flicking onto me. Oh boy¡­this was going to be awkward. Eli and Hunter hadn¡¯t spoken to each other since God knows when, and I¡¯m pretty sure the last words they exchanged were anything but pleasant.


    ¡°Good morning, gorgeous,¡± Faith greeted Eli and I clenched my jaw as she strolled up beside me like we were old friends.


    Lyric took his leave and climbed into the car to wait for Mr. Aleksandrov and the others. Hunter looked at me, highly amused by Faith¡¯s greeting, and I narrowed my eyes at him as Eli slowed to a stop beside Hunter, giving me a tight smile.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he replied, glancing at the ground.


    Faith looked around the circle, eyeing us all like we were some strange form of entertainment.


    ¡°Tense¡­¡± She chuckled and I fought the urge to roll my eyes again. ¡°You must be Hunter,¡± she said, stepping toward him. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you¡­¡±


    Faith¡¯s brown eyes flicked between Hunter and I. ¡°You know, you two could be brother and sister¡ªthe black hair and blue eyes¡­it¡¯s kind of creepy actually, considering you two are¡­whatever you are.¡±


    Frowning, I glanced at Eli. His lips twitched at the corners as he fought a smile. Of course he¡¯d find the obvious incest comment humorous.


    ¡°What do you want, Faith?¡± I sighed, shifting my weight onto my left leg.


    She raised her hands, exposing her palms to me in some sarcastic gesture. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get to know the crew.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to be around long, so don¡¯t bother.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Neither are you if you keep breaking the rules.¡±


    I turned my body toward her and Hunter abruptly shuffled between us.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t push her,¡± he told her. ¡°She has anger issues.¡±


    I shoved him, slightly. ¡°I do not have anger issues.¡±


    Since when did I have anger issues? I¡¯d come a long way since my first year at Sage and the unfortunate events of Mount Kuuce. I liked to think of myself as more¡­grown up. I was level headed now and I made appropriate decisions, or at least I did until Faith showed up. I hadn¡¯t been in a girl fight since Raina¡ªnot my proudest moment, I¡¯ll be the first to admit.


    Faith¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°A lover¡¯s quarrel, how sweet.¡± She beamed at Eli. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of built up sexual tension over here. You might want to step up your game before Mr. Handsome steals your girl.¡±


    Eli¡¯s jaw tensed imperceptibly and suddenly, keeping my composure became difficult. What a Goddamn pot stirrer!


    Eli cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest. His black shirt clung tightly to him, accentuating the strong, muscled ridges of his bare forearms.


    ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken my casual relationship with Ruby for romance. We are friends and colleagues. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±

 Page 8

    Even though it wasn¡¯t true, it still hurt hearing those words fall from his lips. Hunter chuckled once under his breath as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against his body. I bit my tongue against a scowl. Could this morning get any worse? I dropped my gaze to the ground, looking everywhere but at Eli¡¯s face.


    ¡°You heard the angel. She¡¯s not his.¡±


    I sank my teeth into my bottom lip and let Hunter hold me. I had to play along. Although a lot of people knew about Eli and I, no one had acknowledged it out loud. It was still against our laws and we weren¡¯t above them. Faith¡¯s amused smirk widened into a wolfish grin.


    ¡°My mistake,¡± she said, stepping closer to Eli.


    I gritted my teeth and dragged my eyes to his face. He wasn¡¯t looking at me¡ªonly at Hunter. I didn¡¯t know if anyone else could see the way his green eyes burned darkly behind his lids¡­but I could and it hurt me to make him feel that way.


    ¡°I was under the impression you two were¡­nevermind.¡± Her face almost brightened. ¡°This trip just got a lot more fun.¡±


    I watched her hand glide over his forearm before she turned on her heel and walked to his car. When she climbed into the passenger side and closed the door, Hunter removed his arm and stepped away from me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you two talk¡­or whatever.¡±He opened the door and climbed into Lyric¡¯s SUV, leaving Eli and I alone.


    Choosing not to comment on the strange things that just happened, I said, ¡°Please tell me you have some vodka stashed in one of your pockets for me. Or something equally as potent.¡±


    Surprisingly, he smiled at me. All traces of the previous conversation gone. ¡°No, sorry, I don''t.¡±


    I slumped against Lyric¡¯s car. ¡°Then this really is the suckiest day ever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll all be over soon.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t know if that means for better or worse¡­¡±


    His alluring green eyes dulled and his smile faded. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure something out, regardless of the outcome.¡±


    I felt a twitch curve my lips. Knowing that Eli was in this for the long haul made everything seem more bearable.


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    He stepped closer, giving me a reassuring smile. ¡°Do you even have to ask?¡±


    I inched closer to him and my fingers itched to reach out and touch him. Just one little touch, that was all I wanted¡ª


    ¡°I put you two in separate cars for a reason,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov snapped, startling both Eli and I. He stalked around the car, his grey robe flailing out behind him. ¡°Go. Now. We¡¯re running late.¡±


    He opened the passenger side door, climbed in, and slammed it behind him. Soon after, Mila and Xavier appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°Jeez,¡± I said to Mila. ¡°What¡¯s his problem?¡±


    She shrugged, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ears. She looked a little green in the face today, but I kept the observation to myself. ¡°He¡¯s a little on edge today. He¡¯s not a big flyer.¡±


    Poor guy, I couldn¡¯t blame him. ¡°Me either.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± Eli said, reaching out and squeezing my arm briefly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you two when we get to the runway.¡±


    Xavier and Eli marched in their identical uniforms over to Eli¡¯s car. They climbed in without a glance over their shoulders and the car soon hummed to life.


    ¡°This is going to be a long trip¡­¡± Mila sighed.


    I nodded. ¡°Yep.¡±


    She angled her body towards me. ¡°At least we¡¯re all going through it together.¡±


    I managed a smile. For once, I was about to go through something life changing with all of my friends. I wasn¡¯t alone, not anymore.


    We drove for an hour before I got sick of the same old sights whipping past my window. According to everyone, the runway is another hour from here. My stomach churned and I patted it soothingly. I decided to skip out on breakfast this morning. After my dream, I wasn¡¯t up for food.


    I adjusted my position, shuffling lower in my seat, and peered sideways at Hunter. His face was pale and he nervously pursed his lips together.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked him, letting my gaze drop down to his fingers that fidgeted with the silver button of his checkered shirt.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied without looking at me.


    ¡°Nervous?¡±


    He angled his head, smiling minutely. ¡°Anxious, mostly. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done normal things.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get the hang of it¡­¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Eventually, but right now my main focus is not puking everywhere.¡±


    I cringed, shuffling closer to my door. Hunter smiled widely at me, clearly pleased by my sudden discomfort.


    ¡°Lyric, maybe we should stop and stretch our legs,¡± I suggested, calling over the back of the driver¡¯s seat.


    I was not getting puked on today, especially not in this dress.


    ¡°All right, it looks like Eli is pulling into this service station, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes and then we¡¯re back on the road,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov added, crossing his arms.


    When the car rolled to a stop, I couldn¡¯t get out quick enough. Hunter followed, and when his feet were planted firmly on the ground, he closed his eyes, taking deep, slow breaths and his pale/green hue faded.


    ¡°Much better.¡± He sighed, leaning back against the car.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get a bag of chips, you want anything?¡±


    He shook his head, causing his now longish hair to tumble into his eyes. He swatted it away as I turned towards the entrance. Being a guardian angel was good. Aleksandrov paid me weekly, and although it wasn¡¯t as much as the other guardians, it was nice to have.


    As I stepped through the door, my sandal caught on the mat and I stumbled into the store. The annoying bell rattled louder than it should have, drawing a few pairs of unfamiliar eyes. Heat flared through my cheeks as I straightened myself. I gave them all an uncomfortable smile before abruptly turning down an aisle. I ran my fingers through my hair and inhaled deeply.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I exhaled. ¡°Food time.¡±


    I pulled my dark hair over one of my shoulders and leaned down to grab a packet of cheese and onion chips.


    ¡°Potato chips for breakfast?¡±


    The deep, smooth tenor startled me and I jumped, knocking a few random things off the shelf above me. Damn it, this morning just wasn¡¯t working in my favor. Eli and I bent down to pick up the objects at the same time¡ªthankfully it wasn¡¯t anything breakable, only a few packets of traveler¡¯s tissues.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I didn¡¯t eat before we left,¡± I told him as he took a packet of tissues from my hand. I rose to my feet and Eli put the items back on the shelf. I turned on my heel, making my way over to the chocolate section.


    ¡°They sell sandwiches, you know.¡±


    I smiled. Look at him being all concerned about my health.


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted.¡± I said, picking up a Snickers bar. ¡°I need sugar.¡±


    Eli stepped past me and straight over to the large coffee machine. I strolled up beside him. I forgot he liked coffee¡­My mind reeled back to the days when he¡¯d take me to the cute little bakery in Sage town. God, we¡¯ve come such a long way since then.


    I watched him prepare his coffee. He made it black, skipping the milk altogether.


    ¡°Wow, you must be as exhausted as I am.¡± I laughed, nudging him.


    His lips curled with a small smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck in a car with Faith.¡± He grasped a packet of sugar and ripped off the top. The crystal-like specks scattered across the black liquid before dissolving. ¡°I need all the coffee and sugar I can get.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s that bad, huh?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He sucked a speckle of sugar off his thumb.


    I tried hard not to stare at his lips and the way they wrapped around his thumb, but my eyes darted of their own accord.


    ¡°She¡¯s worse,¡± he added, drawing my attention back to his eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t help the smile on my lips as he attached the lid to his cup and brought it to his mouth for a sip.


    ¡°I¡¯d much rather have you in the car with me, hell, I¡¯d even switch her out with Hunter at this point.¡±


    I laughed once. ¡°Be careful what you wish for. Hunter is so close to puking everywhere it¡¯s not even funny.¡±


    ¡°Is he sick?¡± Eli asked as we rounded the corner to the counter.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s just adapting. Being in the car is giving him motion sickness.¡±


    Eli slipped his coffee onto the counter and I pushed in front of him, quickly sliding the money onto the counter.


    ¡°Ruby, what are you¡ª¡±


    I raised my hand, silencing him as the cashier gave me my change. I turned on my heel.


    ¡°Consider this my apology. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t be stuck with Faith and have to resort to ridiculously dark coffee.¡±


    His frown melted into a heart-warming smile and he reached around me, pulling our things off of the counter. He handed me my chocolate and chips, keeping the coffee for himself.


    We walked side by side to the door and before we reached it, Eli tugged me behind the ATM machine. My breath hitched in my throat and I almost dropped my chocolate as he pressed me hard against the machine. My eyes fluttered shut on instinct as his mouth descended upon me, molding perfectly with mine. As quickly as he kissed me, he pulled away, leaving me breathless.


    ¡°Consider that a thank you.¡± He stepped back. ¡°And because I like your dress.¡±


    Oh so casually, he drew the cup to his lips and walked off with his free hand stuffed into his pocket. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. How the hell was I meant to survive a second with the council if Eli¡¯s walking around all daring and reckless? An elite guard could have walked in and seen us. I felt my brows pull together. I don¡¯t think Eli cared if we were caught.


    I pushed off the machine and a movement in the top corner of my eye caught my attention. My gaze settled on a security mirror and the cashier was watching me. He seemed flushed¡ªalmost embarrassed¡ªwhen I peered around the machine to look at him. I pursed my lips together, awkwardly biting back a smile before ducking out of the service station. As I rounded the car, Hunter stepped in front of me, blocking my path.


    ¡°Find what you were after?¡±


    I arched a brow and shook my chips and chocolate in front of his face. ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°And Eli?¡± Hunter¡¯s eyes flared with a gleam I couldn¡¯t decipher and I frowned, confused.¡°Either, cheese and onion potato chips arouse you or Eli¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay, Hunter,¡± I snapped, lowering my voice. ¡°So we kissed. Big deal, I¡¯m only human. I can¡¯t stop my feelings when these things happen.¡±


    I pushed past him and climbed into the car. Mila was asleep against her door and I quietly dropped into the middle seat next to her, careful not to wake her with the sound of my chip packet. Hunter climbed in after me, and when the door was closed, Lyric drove off.


    Hunter leaned in close to my ear and I tried hard to ignore him as I ate my chocolate.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said in a low tone and then fell back against his seat.


    I sighed. Things were already getting difficult and complicated and we hadn¡¯t even arrived at the council¡¯s city yet.


    I tried not to make a scene when we arrived at the small strip of concrete and I tried not to make a scene when I saw the small jet plane, but when I stepped out of the car, I couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. My palms were slick with nervous sweat and I wiped the back of my hand across my forehead. I really hoped the sick feeling in my stomach would go away, but it only grew worse as the luggage was taken from the car. I drew my fingers to my mouth, chewing my nails nervously and surveyed the small plane. It had a long, slim body, a wide wingspan, and two small jets that I was certain wouldn¡¯t help the plane go anywhere. I had no skill in being able to predict the future, but I was confident I was going to die today.


    ¡°Jesus, all that apprehension is making me sick¡­¡± Hunter groaned, strolling up beside me.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I replied, dropping my fingers from my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve never been in the air before.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine after a while. It¡¯s no different to being in a car or a bus.¡±


    I leaned against the car, watching everyone load into the plane. ¡°¡­except I¡¯m fifty thousand feet up in the air, maybe even higher.¡±


    He laughed, nudging me with his elbow. ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡±


    ¡°Ruby! Hunter!¡± Xavier called from the bottom steps of the plane. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Hunter flicked his head toward the plane, sending wild strands of black hair everywhere. ¡°C¡¯mon.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± I grabbed his arm. ¡°Surely there¡¯s another way to get to the council. We can drive or catch a boat?¡±


    ¡°The council lent us their plane. If there was another way, I¡¯m sure they would have given us options.¡± Hunter laced his fingers through mine and slowly began inching me closer to the plane. ¡°C¡¯mon, or Mr. Aleksandrov is going to get even more pissed off than he already is.¡±


    I took no notice of the sweat that formed in between our hands or what we looked like to other people¡ªespecially Eli. My only focus was on the huge, white machine in front of me. When we made it to the steps, I stopped abruptly, taking a big, deep breath.


    Hunter let go of my hand and I stepped onto the first step, ignoring the way my hands and my knees trembled.


    ¡°Only five more to go¡­¡± he said and I could feel the warmth of his breath on my neck and the sudden pressure of his hand on my hip.

 Page 9

    He was very close¡ªtoo close¡ªand I was too distracted with calming myself to even care. I took another step and then another.


    ¡°Last one.¡± Hunter informed me as I reached the top.


    Then, I stepped into the plane. When I was inside, I froze, unsure of what to do next. It wasn¡¯t until I felt smooth waves of calm sweep over me that I was able to move again.


    Hunter¡¯s thumb ran over the top of my hand and he smiled down at me as he stepped past. ¡°You did it.¡±


    I smiled back, suddenly at ease with being on a plane. The hard part was over and now Mr. Aleksandrov was keeping it that way. Hunter strolled down the slim aisle and dropped into an empty seat in front of Mila. Xavier and Lyric were chatting over a magazine in the very back corner and Mr. Aleksandrov had his eyes closed. He was so still, I¡¯d have thought him dead. Right up the front, in a cozy two-seater. sat Faith and Eli. His green irises looked up at me through dark lashes and I dropped my gaze to the floor. I wanted to sit with him¡ªto talk to him¡ªinstead I sauntered up the aisle to the vacant seat beside Mila. I felt guilty that I let Hunter hold my hand and stand so close to me, but it wasn¡¯t like that. It wasn¡¯t even for comfort, I just needed assurance. I needed help.


    Hunter peered through the gap in the chair at me and gave me a tight, sympathetic smile. Exhaling, I fell back into my seat, raking my teeth over my bottom lip. How the hell was I going to manage this? Hunter could feel my emotions. He knows when I need help and reassurance. Eli can¡¯t feel my emotions¡­and I can¡¯t talk to him¡ªnot with Faith around, anyway.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Mila asked, handing me a big packet of Malteasers.


    I glanced down at the tiny chocolate balls and I just had to have one. I took the packet off her and kicked off my shoes. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°I saw you outside¡­¡± she lowers her voice to a whisper. ¡°With Hunter.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°Can we talk about something else?¡±


    That was something I did not want to get into right this second. She shrugged. ¡°Like what?¡±


    I popped a Malteaser into my mouth and the creamy chocolate melted onto my tongue, leaving a delicious ball of hard malt behind. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°How about girl stuff¡ªnormal girl stuff. You¡¯ve lived with humans and went to a normal school. What do they talk about?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Boys, mostly, and music¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°No, they also talk about parties, the mall, movies¡ªyou know, all of the stuff we can¡¯t be involved in at Sage.¡±


    Mila brought her jean-clad knees up to her chest. ¡°Do you find it strange that we¡¯ve been friends for so long, but have never really had a normal conversation about boys or music?¡±


    ¡°In our world there are more important things, Mila. We¡¯re not as simple as everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re on a plane for the next few hours¡­let¡¯s have a normal conversation. Let¡¯s pretend we aren¡¯t part of some weird secret society. Let¡¯s be normal girls with normal problems.¡±


    I smiled, popping another Malteaser into my mouth. ¡°And what are your problems?¡±


    ¡°Gabriel¡­mostly.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Gabriel?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t heard that name for a while. The last time I saw him he was blaming me for Hunter¡¯s ¡®death¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I did something bad, Ruby.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    A pink flush illumined her features and she looked away from me.


    ¡°Like what?¡± I repeated, emphasizing each word even though I knew exactly where this conversation was heading.


    Her eyes flicked onto Mr. Aleksandrov and then she leaned in extremely close.


    ¡°Sex,¡± she whispered.


    The bag of Malteasers slipped from my hands and I shot forward. I swiped at it in an attempt to catch it before it hit the ground, only I made it worse. As my fingers grasped the bag it tipped, sending little balls of chocolate shooting down the aisle. The packet landed on the floor and I quickly grabbed it. With an almost empty packet, I straightened myself in my seat and looked up. Various sets of eyes were on me as people craned their necks around their seats. I smiled awkwardly. ¡°Sorry¡­they slipped.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Faith said, rising from her seat beside Eli and placing her hands on her hips. ¡°Trash the council¡¯s plane. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind.¡±


    I laughed once and Eli peered around his seat at me, caution clear in his eyes. Feeling rather defiant, I tipped the remaining Malteasers into my hand, scrunched the red plastic and let it fall to the floor. Faith¡¯s brown eyes narrowed and I smiled at her before turning back to Mila.


    I couldn¡¯t believe she had sex with Gabriel. I leaned in close to make sure no one else heard me.


    ¡°You had sex with Gabriel? When?¡±


    She glanced down at her hands as she entwined them nervously. ¡°A while ago.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been so busy and you always seem so tired. I didn¡¯t want to bother you¡­¡±


    I sighed, leaning back into my chair. I had been a little preoccupied over the past few weeks and I take full blame for that.


    ¡°Was it your first time?¡± I asked, curious to hear her answer.


    She choked on a giggle, like I asked a stupid question. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± I gasped, my mouth falling open. ¡°When was your first time?¡±


    ¡°When I was fifteen.¡±


    My hand shot up to cover my mouth. Fifteen? Jeez, did I know Mila at all? She seemed so innocent and naive with her long blonde hair and big blue eyes. Sex wasn¡¯t even on the agenda for me until I fell in love with Eli. Sex without love? I don¡¯t think I could ever commit to that.


    ¡°What about you?¡± she asked me. ¡°How old were you when you did ¡®it¡¯ for the first time?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you that.¡±


    ¡°Ruby, come on. We¡¯re meant to be sharing things¡ªwe¡¯re meant to be normal, now spill the goss.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Nineteen.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re¡ªoh. Oh!¡±


    A strange embarrassed smirk contorted my lips and my eyes watered as a scorching flash of heat tore across my face. Mila¡¯s hand shot up to cover her mouth and she laughed into the palm of her hand.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± She dropped her hand and lowered her voice to the quietest whisper I¡¯d ever heard. ¡°With Eli?¡±


    ¡°Mila, stop,¡± I demand, my chest hiccupping with a nervous giggle.


    ¡°When? Where? How was it?¡±


    ¡°We are not having this conversation right now.¡± I cringed, angling my head so my long, black hair worked as a curtain between us. I know I asked her those questions first, but having them thrown back at me was embarrassing. Mila couldn¡¯t contain her excited giggle, drawing attention to us. I slumped a little into my seat, focusing on my chocolates.


    ¡°Fine, you win for now, but the moment we¡¯re alone you have to tell me everything.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. There was no way I was going to tell Mila everything. I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to. Mila was my best friend, but I couldn¡¯t risk anyone finding out the extremely intimate details of our relationship.


    Mila made herself comfortable again, pulling out a magazine from beside her chair. Every now and then she¡¯d peek sideways at me and smile widely. I tried my hardest to ignore her, but eventually it got too much and I moved down a row, dropping into a seat next to Hunter. He was asleep and stretched out in his chair, resting his head against the window. I pulled my legs up, tucking them comfortably underneath me and closed my eyes. Maybe I could get in a few minutes¡¯ sleep before we reach the council.


    ¡°If we both fall asleep would that mean we¡¯ve slept together?¡±


    My eyes shot open and I turned my head toward Hunter. He was looking at me and his lips curled into a cocky smile. Then he reached over, plucked a chocolate from my hand, and ate it.


    ¡°I was kidding, relax.¡± He chuckled, sitting upright in his chair.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± I asked him, changing the subject.


    ¡°About seeing the council?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Yeah¡­who knows what they¡¯re going to do to us.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°You think they¡¯ll do something to us?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re flying us all the way to their ¡®secret¡¯ city only to talk? Nah, I get the feeling you, Eli, and I aren¡¯t walking out of there.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to kill us?¡±


    He shrugged again. ¡°We¡¯re detrimental to their way of life. Before you came along, life was simple. Go to school, learn who we are, and how to use our powers. After that, you either work the lame jobs they have for us, help the guardians against the vampires, or live a normal life in protected human communities until we die. Now, vampires are breaking into schools, targeting specific people, and your blood can cure vampirism. Not to mention you¡¯re messing with a law the higher power made a very, very long time ago.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°And what law is that?¡±


    ¡°Us mixing romantically with guardian angels.¡±


    Oh. That law.


    ¡°Granted, the council didn¡¯t make that law originally, but they still uphold it because it makes sense and they¡¯re conditioned to it.¡±


    I sank into my chair with a loud exhale. To be honest, I¡¯d heard so much random stuff about our way of life I wasn¡¯t sure what was what anymore. It changed every week¡ªI¡¯m allowed to do this. I¡¯m not allowed to do that¡­it¡¯s too much and I can¡¯t keep up.


    I jumped as the distinct sound of Eli clearing his throat next to me pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up at him and his eyes were only on Hunter. Hunter exhaled in response to Eli¡¯s silent question and rose to his feet.


    ¡°I suppose I can switch with you. Consider it my compensation for not killing me when you had the chance.¡±


    I smirked at Hunter¡¯s comment, but Eli didn¡¯t.


    ¡°If I had it my way, you¡¯d be dead.¡±


    ¡°Eli,¡± I growled under my breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Ruby,¡± Hunter responded, slipping past me. Before he left, he leaned down, bringing his mouth by my ear. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll thank you for saving my life later, when Mr. Feisty Pants isn¡¯t around.¡±


    I slapped my hand over my face, dragging it over my eyes, nose, and finally the subtle rises and dips of my lips before I let it fall into my lap. Kill me. Now.


    Eli¡¯s body was taut and rigid as Hunter stepped past him with a smile. Eli dropped into the seat next to me, refusing to get comfortable. Before I spoke to him, I peered around the corner of my seat at Mr. Aleksandrov. My curious stare is met with one of his purple irises. And in that single open eye, he sent me the clearest warning I¡¯d ever seen. He needed to relax. I wasn¡¯t going to make out with Eli here in front of everybody. We had some control over our urges. I turned back to Eli but he didn¡¯t even look at me. I watched him as his jaw clenched and his fingers gripped the seat.


    ¡°You let him get to you,¡± I whispered, shifting my body to face him.


    He snapped his head in my direction, his eyes flaring. ¡°You let him get to me.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±What the hell did I do?


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re an enabler. You encourage him with your smiles.¡±


    ¡°He was being nice. I was appreciating the gesture.¡± Eli still hadn¡¯t looked at me, so I allowed myself one little touch of the back of his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t let this come between us. It¡¯s not worth it and we already have the world working against us.¡±


    Eli sighed and I watched his frustration melt away. ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry. It¡¯s this whole thing¡ªthe council, Faith, Hunter¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to explain anything to me. I understand.¡±


    He rested his head against the headrest. ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Sure, you¡¯re stressed and tired. It makes you moody and it¡¯s okay.¡±


    He watched my fingers gently stroke the back of his hand. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t feel much better than I do.¡±


    I shrugged, still neglecting to tell him I¡¯d hardly slept since Lucian invaded the school. ¡°I¡¯m doing all right¡­right now I feel a little anxious.¡±


    ¡°Because of the flight?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Because I want to touch you more than this¡­and I can¡¯t.¡±


    The corners of his lips twitched as he fought a smile. ¡°I love you,¡± he muttered, low enough for only me to hear. ¡°So even a touch this small satisfies me.¡±


    My heart swelled in my chest and now I was the one smiling. ¡°Are you always so sweet?¡±


    ¡°For you? Always.¡±


    We both laughed and Eli glanced over my shoulder. His smile faded and he turned his attention from me to out the window. I glanced over my shoulder to see Faith glaring at us. Subtly, I retracted my hand from Eli¡¯s wrist and straightened myself in my seat.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be one big pain in the ass while we¡¯re there, isn¡¯t she?¡± I murmured and he laughed once under his breath without looking in my direction.


    ¡°Big time.¡±


    I shifted in my seat, preparing myself for a nap. If I wasn¡¯t allowed to touch or talk to Eli, then all I had left was sleep. The last thing I wanted was to fall asleep in front of everyone, afraid I¡¯d have a nightmare, but since I was beside Eli, maybe he¡¯d make me feel safe. I closed my eyes and not a second later, I fell asleep.


    Chapter Five


    His ice cold grip cuts off my circulation and his cool breath blows icily over my face. My chest burns due to lack of oxygen and my fingernails ache from desperately clawing at his arm. No matter what I try¡­no matter how hard I kick and thrash and gasp for air, Lucian won¡¯t let me go.

 Page 10

    ¡°Ruby?¡± Eli¡¯s voice echoes through the darkness.


    I choke out a help and Lucian¡¯s steel grip tightens.


    ¡°Ruby?¡±


    I jolted with a gasp and strong arms seized mine, keeping me in place.


    ¡°Ruby?¡± Eli¡¯s husky, concerned voice filtered in through my ears and my blurry vision began to clear.


    His was the first face I saw. His brows were furrowed in a worried frown and his eyes were hard and stern. Then I recognized everyone else. They all watched me, concerned with the way I was acting. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have fallen asleep and I guess having Eli beside me didn¡¯t help soothe me, either. Faith and Tate were the only ones who looked at me like I was an idiot¡­and maybe I was. I mean, nightmares? Really? What am I, twelve?


    ¡°Awkward¡­¡± I mumbled. ¡°You¡¯d think no one here has had a nightmare before.¡±


    Hunter snickered, earning a glare from Eli.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked, when he looked back to me. ¡°You were gasping for air¡­¡±


    I noticed Eli was in my personal space, practically leaning his whole body onto me, but nobody else seemed to bat an eyelid at his position and I had to be careful not to seem affected by his close proximity.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I emphasized the words.


    ¡°Hunter told Eli to wake you up¡­¡± Mila wondered aloud. ¡°It was almost like he knew you were going to freak out.¡±


    ¡°I saw her shifting in her seat.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I figured she¡¯d want to be woken up, and besides, we¡¯ve landed, anyway.¡±


    It was then I realized the plane had stopped and the quiet hum of the engine had disappeared.


    ¡°We¡¯re here?¡± A new wave of fear washed over me. What was the city going to look like? Was the council mean? Was I going to make it out of here alive? Questions formed in my head by the dozen and I had no answers. I was going in blind and I could only hope everything would turn out okay.


    Straight from the plane, we were ushered into a dull white room. Only four people maximum could fit in each room, so we were split up and thankfully, I was put with Eli, Hunter and Lyric, which did anything but ease my tension.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose either of you know why we¡¯re sitting in a tiny, empty room?¡± Hunter asked Lyric.


    Next to me, Lyric shifted on the bench, dropping the foot he rested on it to the floor. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine, pal.¡±


    Hunter and Eli sat across from Lyric and I. The room was so small, our knees almost touched. It was funny seeing Eli and Hunter so close together. Both had their arms folded over their chests and both had very obvious ¡®less-than-pleased¡¯ looks on their faces. I choked on a laugh and shot my hand up to cover my mouth.


    ¡°I guess this would be pretty amusing to you.¡± Hunter deadpanned as he shook his head at me.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s kind of funny.¡±


    Lyric chuckled his agreement as the door jarred and eventually opened. Whatever I found funny about this situation was sucked out the open door and was replaced with legitimate fear. Why were we being treated like prisoners?


    ¡°Treat all of your guests this way?¡±


    I kicked Hunter in the shin and he responded with a flinch, mouthing the word ¡®what?¡¯ with his lips. I didn¡¯t want this to be any harder than it has to be.


    ¡°We don¡¯t usually have guests, so yes, we treat all of our guests this way,¡± the tall man responded. He was an elite guard, I could tell by his uniform. Although it was exactly like Lyric¡¯s and Eli¡¯s, it was white, tight, and miraculously clean. He turned his jade eyes on me and I stared back. I didn¡¯t want him to know that I was intimidated by his strong jaw and intense face.


    ¡°We all have rules to follow here.¡± He looked at Eli. ¡°And we make sure people follow them.¡±


    I guessed everyone knew who we were¡­and what we¡¯d done over the past few years. This trip was going to be oh so fun. Not.


    The elite guard checked over his clipboard, flipping pages and scribbling notes. ¡°The other half of your group is in the city waiting for you to join them¡ª¡±


    I jumped to my feet, ready to go.


    ¡°They¡¯ve all passed their examinations.¡± A coy smile curled his lips. ¡°And since you so nicely volunteered, you¡¯re up first.¡±


    I heard Eli shift in his seat, inching closer to me and I inwardly cringed. This was definitely not the time to have him hit protective mode. I began to stutter, taking a tiny step back.


    ¡°What kind of examinations?¡± Lyric asked, rising to his feet as I sheepishly slipped back to my seat.


    ¡°We pat you down, take your clothes, and examine the fabric for any dangerous items that can be used to cause harm to our officials.¡±


    ¡°You want us to get naked?¡± Hunter clarified and I felt my cheeks heat up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a metal detector thing-o or any other method that doesn¡¯t require us to take off our clothes?¡± I wondered aloud.


    ¡°No.¡±Oh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Lyric volunteered, stepping toward the guy. ¡°While I¡¯m gone, you three should decide who¡¯s going next. The sooner we get out of here, the better.¡±


    And just like that Lyric was gone and the door was sealed shut again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go next.¡± Hunter sighed and those three words were the only ones said until the man came back and took Hunter, leaving only Eli and I in the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it,¡± I muttered, sliding forward on my seat.


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s necessary.¡±


    And it was. I wasn¡¯t getting into the city without getting naked, and if I didn¡¯t get naked, they¡¯d think I was hiding something.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be quick, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± he added for extra comfort. It didn¡¯t really do much.


    Shortly after it was my turn and Eli was right, it was quick. The examiners didn¡¯t make me feel dirty as two sets of gloved hands ran over my bare skin, and when they put my clothes into a small microwave-looking machine, they didn¡¯t watch me standing naked in the corner, instead, they watched the three minutes count down without a glance over their shoulder. When they handed me my clothes back and I slipped into them, I could finally breathe again.


    I hoped I was blowing this whole trip out of proportion, just like the examination, and I hoped the next few days went as easy as that examination did. When I leave here, I want to feel like I stressed over nothing.


    Chapter Six


    I lay in bed, tapping my fingers on my arm, waiting for my alarm to sound off. After the examination yesterday, we were shown to our rooms and forced to stay. On the way there, I tried hard not to gape at the beautiful stonework on all of the buildings. They were tall and wide, and made of a smooth, tan stone I had no knowledge of. Whatever it was, I wanted my house to be made from it.


    The city wasn¡¯t big and the set up was simple. As we stepped through the large stone gates and into the city, we were greeted by a lavish garden. The garden was in the center of the entire city¡ªlike Central Zoo¡ªonly without the animals. Directly in front of the entrance and the garden was the court house. It was intimidating and it loomed over us, casting a shadow on everything. Surrounding the garden were large hotel-like buildings. One was for Gods and Goddesses, and the one across from it was for guardian angels. The council¡¯s city did not give off a homey vibe and the stiff atmosphere was strong. This place wasn¡¯t meant for long term visitors and I couldn¡¯t wait to get out of here.


    Beep! Beep!


    I kicked off my blankets and rolled off the bed. My head was foggy, having only slept for three hours. I was too consumed in thoughts of the first hearing today. Thankfully, it was Hunter who had to go first, but that still didn¡¯t ease my trepidation and I felt bad for him. He¡¯d been locked in an underground cell for a while now and the last thing he should do is defend himself in front of a bunch of judgmental councilmen.


    I threw off my sweatpants and slipped into a nice black pencil skirt. It felt weird dressing so formal¡­I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I had. I threw on a nice light pink blouse and brushed my hair, deciding to wear it down. When I was finished, I almost didn¡¯t recognize myself. I felt so¡­normal. Funny, given the circumstances.


    Inhale. Exhale, I told myself.


    I reminded myself how to breathe a lot lately. If I didn¡¯t, I was sure I¡¯d stop and pass out. The nerves were definitely eating at me today. I could feel them, swirling in nauseating rhythms, threatening to turn up last night¡¯s meal of lamb and steamed vegetables.


    A knock on the door suddenly jolted me back to attention and all thoughts of vomiting disappeared. I turned from my distressed appearance in the mirror. I wonder if I¡¯m the only one so stressed out?


    I opened the door and was met by Eli¡¯s handsome face. He didn¡¯t look tired¡ªnot like I was certain I did, anyway. His eyes were alert, his skin fresh and clean, and his hair was slightly damp from a recent shower. Of course he looked good. He always did.


    ¡°Morning,¡± he smiled. ¡°How¡¯d you sleep?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d I sleep?¡± I shifted my weight onto my left leg and he slipped past me and into the room. I shut the door and leaned against it, facing him. ¡°Look at the size of the rings under my eyes. I look¡ª¡±


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he cut in. ¡°As always.¡±


    I smiled, despite my urge to lean in his face and make a show of my dark circles. ¡°You¡¯re sweet. As always.¡±


    I sauntered over to him, unable to stop my own legs. He saw my intent clearly, but didn¡¯t back away a step. He looked so good in his crisp, black uniform, seeming all serious and professional.


    ¡°Ruby,¡± he warned, but it didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I let my fingers trail his firm stomach, over the dark fabric.


    ¡°We have to talk¡­¡±


    I pushed myself up onto my toes, and feeling rather daring, I kissed his full lips. Without hesitation, he kissed me back, and it was invigorating. It sent tingles through my body, setting fire to my blood. It was unquenchable¡­or at least it was until his hands gripped my shoulders and he pushed me away, keeping me at arm¡¯s length.


    ¡°This is serious.¡±


    I searched his face and it betrayed no hint of playfulness. I sagged back, flattening my feet on the ground. ¡°Fine.¡± I tried to hide the disappointment from my voice and failed. ¡°What is it?¡±


    I turned from Eli and strolled barefoot over to a red velvet couch. I wasn¡¯t a fan of velvet, it seemed too ¡®fake¡¯ for my tastes, if that made any sense at all.


    Eli hadn¡¯t moved from his spot, but his face had taken on a more thoughtful expression. I studied him while he thought about what he was going to say. I knew it couldn¡¯t be too bad. Nobody kicked my door down while I was sleeping or trapped me in handcuffs, so what Eli had to say to me couldn¡¯t possibly that bad¡­then again, worse things have happened.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do this here.¡±


    My brows furrowed momentarily before straightening out again. Oh. He means us.


    ¡°Right,¡± I muttered, remembering the reason why we¡¯re here.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best we limit interactions and conversations also.¡±


    I edged forward on the couch, panic slowly bubbling in my chest. ¡°I get the whole ¡®no being intimate¡¯ thing, but I can¡¯t even talk to you now?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°You can talk to me as long as it¡¯s about something goddess/angel related.¡±


    I felt my chest tighten as dread burrowed through my stomach. ¡°But I need to talk to you.¡±


    Sensing my unease, Eli crossed the room with large strides and knelt in front of me, taking my face in his large, warm hands. ¡°I promise you, it¡¯s only for a little while.¡±


    I shook my head, suddenly blinking back tears. What is wrong with me? Had I become so dependent on Eli¡¯s comfort? I loved him. That I knew for a fact, and the mere thought of being without him is painful. I needed him now.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t do any of this without you.¡±


    Heat radiated into my flesh from his thumbs as they glided over my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll be here for you every step of the way, but I can¡¯t be here for you¡­not in the way that I want to be. Not here.¡±


    I inched closer to him. ¡°And once we¡¯re out of here?¡±


    His bright, beautiful gaze dropped to my lips as he moistened his own. The minute movement caused my chest to rise and fall rapidly.


    ¡°I¡¯m all yours.¡±


    His words echoed through me¡­ all mine.


    I sat in my chair, nervously tapping the tips of my fingers against my thigh. I tried hard not to be intimidated by the extravagant court house, but I was. Its size exceeded any normal court house I¡¯d ever seen by forty feet. Above us, sculptures of people emerged from the stone ceiling, like they were trying to grab at us.


    ¡°For the third time¡­¡± Hunter exhaled, slinging an arm over the back of his chair. He grimaced as another pang of anxiousness rolled though me. I was making his hearing harder for him, but there was nothing I could do.


    ¡°I was turned into a vampire by Lucian and I was saved by Ruby¡¯s freak heelian/goddess blood.¡±


    ¡°So, the serum we created worked?¡± Cesare spoke.


    He sat behind the classy oak table, in the center of the row of six council members. The strange gold and white hat he wore was bigger than the others and he was the only one that asked questions and disputed Hunter¡¯s story. His assertiveness and obvious aggression placed him in the leadership role. He knew what he was doing and saying, every question seemed strategically placed to find holes in Hunter¡¯s story. He found none¡­because what Hunter said was the truth.

 Page 11

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Hunter deadpanned.


    ¡°And you¡¯d say you feel one hundred percent? There were no¡­side effects?¡±


    I flinched at his words and Hunter clenched his jaw a couple of times, undoubtedly trying to work out how to approach the question. After a few long seconds, he smiled.


    ¡°Well, I do have a tiny, itchy bite on my ankle¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Cesare exhaled, not willing to see Hunter¡¯s cheekiness through to the end. ¡°While your story holds strong, I¡¯d like to see it for myself. If this serum does indeed work with no side effects like Mr Reeves here is claiming, then we need to adjust our weapons accordingly. We could save many lives, shifting the balance back in our favor.¡±


    The stained glass windows I didn¡¯t notice before darkened, blocking out the sun, and I felt apprehension ripple through the room¡ªor maybe it was just me. A loud snarl grabbed everyone¡¯s attention as elite guards dragged in a vampire. Thankfully, it was caged behind the thickest bars I¡¯d ever seen and I watched as minimal smoke seeped from the cage¡ªfrom the feet of the vampire¡ªas he stood on silver bars. He cowered from the silver, desperately trying not to fall against it as they carted him along. I didn¡¯t recognize him¡ªnot that I was expecting to¡ªand he wasn¡¯t faring to well. His skin was chalky and almost transparent, his eyes as dark as volcanic glass. My hands began to shake, drawing Eli¡¯s attention. I threaded my fingers in an attempt to stop them, and it worked to a degree. I glanced around the room. No one seemed to be shocked that the council had a spare vampire in a cage lying around. How many more did they have?


    ¡°Ruby,¡± Cesare¡¯s voice startled me and I jumped in my seat. ¡°If you¡¯d be so kind as to donate a little more off that¡­¡®freaky¡¯ blood of yours.¡±


    Hunter snickered and I shot a glare at him. I looked at Eli, who sat next to me, and he gave me a subtle nod of the head. It was all the reassurance I needed. If he thought it was okay, then it had to be.


    I rose from my chair and stepped out into the aisle. I took one step and my heart raced so hard I was worried it¡¯d rip a hole through my chest. All eyes were on me and it scared the hell out of me¡­since when did large crowds make me nervous? The closer I got to the vampire, the more I noticed. His nostrils flared as it took in all of the delicious smells. Saliva leaked from his mouth, leaving red rashes in its wake as the drool burned the skin as it rolled off his chin and onto his naked chest. Before I got too close, the elite guard (the same one from the holding room yesterday) extended his palm to me in a motion to stop. I stopped. From the pocket of his jeans, he produced a small syringe and stepped forward. I extended my arm and looked away. Please, for the love of God, don¡¯t let this vampire become sired to me. Please let it only be a freak, one off accident. A small pinch was felt in my arm and as my head spun a little, I regretted skipping breakfast. The elite guard only took a small sample and it was over before it really began. I stepped back as he reached for his back pocket again and pulled out a small vial. He tipped the vial upside down and stuck the needle in, extracting some of the serum. It mixed with my blood in pretty swirls and soon the syringe was ready for use. I took a few more steps back as the elite guard approached the vampire. The vampire didn¡¯t move. It was too weak and confused to try. The elite slammed the needle into the vampire¡¯s back and its loud, blood-curdling screech filled the air. We all gasped. Some of us screamed. He threw himself around his cage, burning himself on the bars every time. My hands shot up to cover my mouth¡ªthis was cruel. Sure, he was a vampire, but this wasn¡¯t okay¡­was it? Slowly, the vampire¡¯s skin began to fill out, turning more ¡®human.¡¯ He fell to the floor and suddenly, the bars didn¡¯t hurt him anymore. I heard others rise from their seats, but I didn¡¯t take my eyes off the transformation in front of me. He was turning. It was working. I saved him¡­I could save a ton of lives.


    The vamp¡ªkind of human¡ªguy shook his head. His entire body shuddered on and off as he curled in the fetal position. We waited and watched, expecting something to go wrong, and when it didn¡¯t, everyone began to talk with excitement. My chest tightened, I needed to get out of here. I couldn¡¯t register it with all the excitement. It was like it filtered into my ears and then stayed there, locked just behind the eardrum. It hurt¡ªthe pressure hurt. I contemplated leaving. I did what they wanted me to do. As I turned, the man in the cage began to sob. I pivoted back around to him, suddenly feeling an urge to take care of him. I stepped forward and his soft sobs turned into howling cries.


    ¡°Help me,¡± he cried. ¡°Please, I trust you.¡±


    I stepped closer and a hand wrapped around my forearm, yanking me back. I didn¡¯t even glance over my shoulder. I was too fixated on the broken man in front of me. His eyes were brown¡ªa light brown¡ªlike toffee, and they provoked so much emotion in me. I couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. It wasn¡¯t like this with Hunter. He couldn¡¯t affect me, but this guy, he made me feel strange.


    ¡°Watch yourself, Ruby,¡± Eli said and I pulled out of his grasp.


    The man screamed some more, clenching his insides. I looked up at Hunter and he watched us, completely transfixed.


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± I asked the ex-vampire, loud enough for only us to hear.


    ¡°It hurts!¡±


    I dropped to my knees, careful not to get too close. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon. It will feel better soon, I promise.¡±


    He shook his head, slowly at first, and then more vigorously. ¡°No. No. No.¡±


    I searched my brain, trying to find the right words to soothe him. As I sat, dumbfounded and unsure, his skin began to bulge, like there were hundreds of M & Ms under his skin. The bulges grew bigger and bigger. They lit up like torches were being shined from underneath his skin¡­and all I could do was watch, wide-eyed and frozen. Heavy hands grabbed my shoulders and dragged me back; I let them. The man¡¯s nice eyes stayed fixated on mine as his face began to mutate and twist. With one last, unexpected shriek, he exploded into a million pieces. Blood splattered my face and my clothes¡ªI guessed it got a few other people too, because a myriad of screams followed the explosion. The council members were on their feet, and again, all I could do was watch. It was like a grenade had gone off right next to me. I couldn¡¯t hear properly and everything moved slomo. I glanced at Hunter, who was standing, resting his hands on his head. His bright blue eyes were wide and absolutely terrified. Why didn¡¯t that happen to him?


    I was too dazed, horrified, and shocked to realize the next set of events that unfolded. One minute I was sitting on the floor covered in someone else¡¯s blood¡­the next I was yanked to my feet and passed around before eventually being shoved into Mila¡¯s arms. I blinked once, twice, no, three times before I finally came back to my senses. Eli, Xavier, Lyric, and Mr. Aleksandrov formed a defensive line in front of me. I looked past them at the elite guards that slowly advanced on us.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be reasonable,¡± Eli demanded. ¡°We have to ask questions before we start arresting people. Surely there has to be something different in the works here.¡±


    Cesare¡¯s large, heavy wooden chair scraped against the floor and all attention was diverted to him. ¡°I was promised a working serum. Miss Moore¡¯s blood was mixed with the serum exactly how it was last time. Unless,¡± his dark stare bored down on Mr. Aleksandrov. ¡°You¡¯re keeping something from me.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov shuffled forward. ¡°I can assure you that the very detailed account of events Mr Reeves told you is accurate.¡±


    ¡°Then why, oh wise higher power, do I have blood and guts all over my courtroom and you have a full functioning ex-vampire?¡±


    The crowd in the room sat still and quiet, patiently waiting for Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s miraculous response¡ªand it was miraculous. I sure as hell didn¡¯t think of it.


    ¡°Before he was turned, what species was he?¡±


    ¡°Human.¡±


    Quiet, eager whispers filled the room.


    ¡°That seems to be the only obvious difference between Hunter and your¡­blood and guts, here. Perhaps humans can¡¯t handle the blood.¡±


    Cesare pondered Aleksandrov¡¯s words. It made sense to me. Humans had no idea about our world. They weren¡¯t magical or special¡­it makes sense for them not to be able handle it.


    ¡°I want the use of the serum stopped until we can be sure. I don¡¯t want blood and guts to be sprayed over the streets. We can¡¯t risk exposure. In the meantime, we¡¯ll take more of Miss Moore¡¯s blood for testing.¡± He glanced up and down the table, at the other council members. ¡°Agreed?¡±


    They murmured their agreement.


    ¡°In the coming days we have Mr. De Luca¡¯s hearing. Until then, enjoy your stay. Tonight we¡¯re having a party in the great hall and I expect all to be in attendance.¡±


    Chatter filled the room as the council left and amongst the excited hurry to get out and get ready for the party, our tight knit group stared at the ground¡­we were going to be here longer than we needed to be, weren¡¯t we?


    Once again, my body began to shake¡­Eli turned to look at me and I saw the vampire¡¯s blood splattered over his skin, too. He stepped forward and I pushed off of Mila. I needed him to hold me, to console me, and he wanted to do it. I could see it burning fiercely in his eyes, but Mr. Aleksandrov stepped between us, keeping me from his warm embrace. My chest deflated.


    ¡°This is neither the time nor the place,¡± he uttered under his breath.


    Eli and I never dropped eye contact, not until Hunter¡¯s arm slung around my shoulders. I glanced at his face and it reflected the unease I felt. Mila joined Eli, the both of them ignoring the blood that seemed to soak into my skin. Although their hold didn¡¯t soothe me like Eli¡¯s did, it was all I had and I appreciated it.


    Chapter Seven


    I rushed into the bathroom and threw up for the third time since Hunter¡¯s hearing. It was like all of my stress was finally crashing down on me¡­and gushing out of my stomach like Niagara Falls¡­I know. Gross, right?


    ¡°If you get any vomit on that dress, Ruby, I will kill you,.¡± Faith growled through the wood and I rolled my eyes. Of course the council stuck me with her.


    Were all elite guards so unpleasant to deal with? I didn¡¯t even want to go to the stupid party and I was clearly not in any shape to attend, but Cesare requested that we ¡®all¡¯ be there and every single one of us were brought expensive clothing. The gorgeous fabrics set the tone for the party and I guessed it wasn¡¯t the casual dinner party I¡¯d originally assumed. It also turned out that our outfits were pre-chosen for us. Mila was draped in a stunning royal blue chiffon gown while I was stuck in pink, and not a nice pink, either. It was the kind of pink you see spewed over an infant girl¡¯s room.


    I sat back from the toilet and wiped my arm across my mouth. I felt disgusting¡ªeven worse now that I was all glammed up and forced to party. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I liked pink, but I didn¡¯t like this particular shade. Maybe I was just being fussy because I felt off¡­I couldn¡¯t describe how strange I felt. It was like I was connected to the vampire-human for the slightest moment and then, when he exploded, it felt like my stomach had been squeezed and all of my breakfast threatened to slip up my throat. Worse than that, I felt kind of empty, like I¡¯d lost a tiny part of me. Is that weird? Who am I kidding? Of course it is.


    Three loud bangs rattled the wooden door, startling me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Ruby?¡± Mila called through the wood. ¡°Are you all right? Do you need me to hold your hair back?¡±


    I smiled despite my current miserable state. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be right out.¡±


    I gripped the toilet seat, more worried about losing my balance than the germs, and pushed myself to my feet. I stumbled over to the sink and washed my hands before brushing my teeth. As I stared at myself in the mirror, I felt a little better. It reminded me of me and I was strong, independent, and capable of great things. I can overcome this. I flicked my long, dark hair over my shoulders and ran the palms of my hands down my dress. I guess I liked the dress¡­or at least, I liked the style. It was tight around the breasts and waist, like a corset, and it was covered in tiny pink beads. From the waist, it flowed in beautiful light fabrics, expanding slightly, like a princess¡¯s dress would. I smiled at the thought.


    I opened the door and Mila smiled at me. She looked beautiful. Her hair was tied in a relaxed braid down to the side and only the smallest glistening white gold and diamond jewelry adorned her ears and neck. She looked so¡­ethereal and innocent. If only.


    I glanced at Faith, who was leaning against the large bay window, clutching a half empty glass of red wine. Of course she wore the tightest, sexiest, most slim fitting dress I¡¯d ever seen. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t on duty tonight. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me she was dressing that way to get Eli¡¯s attention and it made my palm twitch. The thought made me sick and she noticed. Her lips curled into a smug smirk and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Faith chose this dress for me. While I dressed like a child, she dressed like a woman and the difference was painfully obvious.


    ¡°Cute dress,¡± she said in that ¡®you¡¯re an idiot¡¯ tone. You know what I¡¯m talking about. We¡¯ve all heard it.


    Just to spite her, I smirked and did a little twirl. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I strolled toward the door, filing Faith to the back of my mind. I had more important things to worry about like, I don¡¯t know, trying not to throw up.


    They went above and beyond when it came to decorating the hall. Everything was white¡ªas were most things in this city¡ªand all of it was trimmed with silver. It was beautiful. From the fogged glass windows, to the large white tables cluttered with shiny cutlery, from the charmed ceiling that feigned snow to, finally, the gigantic frozen ice sculptures of swans that lined the wall. It was mesmerizing and I was suddenly certain that I was never leaving here.

 Page 12

    ¡°Ruby?¡± My entire body tensed at his voice. I could feel it making its way across my skin, leaving tingles in its wake.


    Beside me, I felt Mila disappear and I turned to face Eli. My mouth fell open when I saw him in his well-fitted suit. He rolled his shoulders forward, adjusting the fabric before smiling sweetly at me.


    ¡°Y-you look great,¡± I stuttered, letting my eyes completely drink him in. An all black suit that hugged him just right and the black tie went well against the formal white backdrop of his shirt. ¡°At least it¡¯s not pink,¡± I added in a mutter.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like your dress?¡±


    I pulled at the loose fabric, letting it slip through my fingertips. ¡°Yeah, I like it¡­not the color, but the cut is fine.¡±


    He stepped forward before hesitating and taking his steps back. It sucked. I wanted him to touch me or hold me, to do something! I couldn¡¯t bear not being able to stand near him.


    ¡°I love your dress¡­Faith picked it.¡±


    My jaw clenched ever so slightly and I placed my hands on my hips. ¡°Of course she did. While I¡¯m dressed like a ten year old flower girl, Faith is wearing a dress that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Leaves little to the imagination.¡± Eli smiled, his green eyes flaring. ¡°Unfortunately for her, I like a little mystery.¡±


    ¡°Mystery?¡±


    He angled his head and licked his bottom lip. ¡°Well, there has to be something underneath all of that fabric.¡±


    I stepped closer, as if a rope had snagged my waist and forced me forward.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t her dress the most adorable thing you¡¯ve ever seen?¡± Faith giggled, sliding in next to Eli and stopping me in my tracks. I gritted my teeth and stepped back.


    ¡°Adorable is for children.¡± Eli sighed, apparently bored. ¡°Beautiful is more appropriate for a woman her age.¡±


    My lips twitched as Eli fought his own smile at me. Faith rolled her eyes at his words, and to make matters worse, Hunter strolled up beside me. I glanced sideways at him and he looked fantastic, too, in an all charcoal suit. It really accentuated his bright blue eyes. He smiled smugly at me, like he read my thoughts, so I snapped my attention from him and back to Eli and Faith. Eli and Faith¡­it¡¯s annoying even thinking their names in the same sentence.


    ¡°How about dancing?¡± she suggested, her eyes widening with excitement. ¡°You two would look amazing together.¡± She sighed, slinging an arm around Eli¡¯s. ¡°Young love.¡±


    Screw this. ¡°Are you kid¡ª¡±


    Hunter snagged my arm, pulling me into him and away from Faith. A few feet away, his arm slipped around my waist.


    ¡°Can you believe her?¡± I growled, folding my arms tightly over my chest. ¡°She loves to torment me and there¡¯s only so much I can take before I lash out¡­again.¡±


    Hunter swung me around, taking one of my hands in his while the other firmly planted itself on the small of my back.


    ¡°Who does she think she is and why the hell does she hate me so much? Fine, so I broke a couple of rules. Big deal! It doesn¡¯t affect her.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s jealous.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m prettier than her?¡± Wow. That sounded a hell of a lot more self-absorbed than I intended.


    ¡°Jesus, vain much?¡± He chuckled and I nudged him. ¡°She¡¯s jealous because you aren¡¯t governed by rules like she is. I bet she wishes she was you¡ªnot only because you¡¯re pretty and funny, but because you actually live. Do you think she¡¯s ever lived?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°And Eli? Why does she want him?¡±


    Hunter¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve been asking myself the same question.¡± I paused in my step, but he pulled me along. ¡°Enough of that,¡± he muttered, not wanting to dwell on the topic. ¡°And ease up on the naughty talk. Do you know how uncomfortable it is not to be able to control how your own body works?¡±


    I cringed. ¡°Too much information.¡±


    ¡°You think I want to admit that Eli arouses me when he arouses you?¡± He shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s disturbing.¡±


    I giggled, I couldn¡¯t help myself. The mere thought of this conversation happening was funny enough.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Hunter pulled me closer until his body was pressed against mine. Through his suit, I could feel the heat of his body and it was surprisingly comforting.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been sick?¡± Hunter mumbled and his chest vibrated against mine. I peered over his shoulder, watching for Eli and Faith.


    ¡°Yep, since the vampire exploded.¡±


    We swayed a few times before he spoke again. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be scared¡­Lucian is dead.¡±


    I flinched. ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡± I sounded a hell of a lot more defensive than I wanted to.


    ¡°What you experienced today wasn¡¯t in relation to the serum being injected into the vampire¡­you weren¡¯t connected. It was because you saw a vampire and you panicked¡ªthrow in an explosion of blood and guts, and boom, we¡¯ve got vomit.¡±


    I thought about his words. He believed it was ¡®panic¡¯ related¡­maybe it was. I hadn¡¯t vomited since I left my room and that was a plus. I¡¯d hate to ruin Hunter¡¯s suit.


    ¡°You will never have to fight another vampire again. It¡¯s over.¡±


    I wanted to believe his words but if there was anything this world taught me it was never say never. I was trained now to expect the worst. Every time I thought things were over, something else popped up. Not this time. I wanted to be ready if something else springs up out of the blue.


    I spotted Eli a short distance away, dancing with Faith. She¡¯d managed to drag him out to the dance floor and the sight angered me. Hunter sighed.


    ¡°They¡¯re just dancing. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s going to take her back to his room.¡±


    I watched them sway and she smiled away, but his mind seemed elsewhere. Then, his eyes fell on me and I wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure, but saw the warning in them. Strangely, as we locked eyes, I felt my stomach stir pleasantly. It was then I also realized Hunter was trailing his fingers up and down my side. I heard his breathing quicken on my neck and I just knew he thought I was feeling this way because of him. Truth be told, no one had ever made me feel this way but Eli¡­and I don¡¯t think anyone else will.


    I did nothing to still Hunter¡¯s wandering hand. Why? Because I was punishing Eli. What for? I had absolutely no idea. He hadn¡¯t done anything to hurt me and yet, I was hurt. I was hurt he wasn¡¯t willing to risk getting into trouble for me when I was so willing to risk it all for him. We could run away¡ªwe¡¯d spoken about it a million times, but each time we had reservations. It wasn¡¯t like it wasn¡¯t doable, Mum and I had done it for years. Nobody chased us. Nobody bothered to even worry about us¡­and it had me thinking, would anyone really care if I did it again? Our society doesn¡¯t hold us to these communities. They tell us it¡¯s safer and it¡¯s because they¡¯re charmed, keeping the vampires out, but I didn¡¯t want to be safeguarded. I wanted to live¡ªto be free of all of the restrictions that came with living in these communities. Truthfully, I had no idea what it was like to live in a community outside of Sage, and if it was anything like Sage itself, I¡¯d rather not.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Hunter asked, still caressing me.


    ¡°That I want to run away.¡± I chuckled at the end to lessen how serious I really was.


    ¡°I know the feeling.¡± I felt him tense slightly. ¡°You know, as crazy as it sounds, when I was with Lucian, it was the only time I felt truly free. When we weren¡¯t¡­looking for you, I was able to go and do and see whatever I wanted.¡± He exhaled. ¡°It was amazing¡­since my return I¡¯ve been locked in an underground cell and dragged to a city with walls taller than the trees.¡±


    ¡°Story of our life, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I heard the sad smile in his voice and he cleared his throat. ¡°Hey, if you do manage to get away, don¡¯t leave us behind.¡±


    I stopped swaying to the soothing music. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Mila, for starts, and me. You can¡¯t leave Xavier behind¡ªor Lyric¡ªthey crave more too, you know?¡±


    I never thought about anyone else¡­only of Eli and I. It made me mad. How typical of me.


    ¡°Tell me, what is ¡®more¡¯ exactly?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Normality is more.¡±


    For once, I actually agreed with the words that were coming out of Hunter¡¯s mouth. I pulled back to look him in the face. His blue gaze surveyed mine, then they moved south to my lips.


    ¡°We can¡¯t all be together forever, you know that, right?¡±


    His stare flicked back to my eyes. ¡°I know that, but in the meantime, all we have is each other.¡±


    I nodded¡­because it seemed like the only thing to do.


    ¡°You look absolutely amazing tonight, by the way.¡±


    I fought a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And I have a very strong urge to kiss you while Eli watches.¡±


    I tried to pull back from him, but he was too strong, holding me tightly against his body. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± I warned. It was one thing to dance, but to kiss, that would be unacceptable.


    He laughed, pulling me even closer. ¡°Relax, I wouldn¡¯t do that to you.¡±


    As he forced me to sway with him again, I began to relax. My muscles retracted, softening my limbs, and when I moved my feet, Hunter quickly closed the gap between us, rushing forward and crushing his soft, warm lips to mine. I snapped away from him like bare flesh to a flame and he let me go, allowing me to put space between us. My lips were heavy as I glared at him. He wasn¡¯t mad, in fact, he was rather pleased with himself and his face showed it. He ran his index finger across his bottom lip, smiling down at me.


    ¡°Sorry, I just couldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity to piss off Eli De Luca. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    I looked past Hunter to find Eli, but all I saw was a confused Faith as she glanced around the room.


    ¡°Are you insane?¡± I snapped, grabbing a handful of my dress and pushing past him.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He called after me. ¡°Certifiably. Someone once said ¡®brilliance is impossible without a touch of insanity.¡¯ Remember her?¡±


    I clenched my jaw as he threw my own words back at me. How dare he! I was a different person back then. I was young and stupid¡­nothing I did or said made sense.


    I pushed through the sea of dancing couples and out the other side. I only just saw Eli¡¯s back disappear out the back double doors before he was completely lost from view. I marched after him, unsure what the hell I was going to say when I caught up with him.


    When I stepped out into the cool night air, I saw him, leaning against the stone fencing of the courtyard. No one else was out here¡­just him and me.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not out here for the air,¡± I muttered, strolling past perfectly groomed hedges and over to Eli.


    ¡°Sure I am. The air is the only thing preventing me from causing a scene.¡±


    He lifted the small glass of wine to his lips and took a huge gulp of the red liquid. I leaned my backside against the stone, keeping my sight straight ahead and not on Eli¡¯s darkened face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, nervously pulling at the fabric on my dress. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting him to actually¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Eli straightened his posture and turned around, leaning his back against the stone, too. ¡°I know you never intend for these things to happen. The blame doesn¡¯t lie with you, but with him.¡± He took another sip of his drink and handed the glass to me. I took it and slammed back the rest.


    ¡°One day there isn¡¯t going to be anyone around to stop me from hitting him and when that day comes¡ª¡± Eli shook his head and even smiled a little.


    I cringed at the sound of Eli seeming so vengeful, but I understood. I was his and Hunter wanted to destroy that¡­although, it wasn¡¯t without provocation on my part, I suppose.


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame him for all of it,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Sure I can.¡±


    I set the glass down on the white stone and stepped in front of him, taking his hands in mine. ¡°C¡¯mon, Eli. You¡¯re a man of reason. I¡¯m at fault here, too, you just don¡¯t want to acknowledge it.¡±


    Hi brows furrowed as he visibly tried to push the thoughts away. ¡°Am I losing you already¡ªand to him, of all people?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I panicked, stepping closer. ¡°You¡¯re not losing me¡ªyou never will. I love you. I want to be with you and only you, forever.¡±


    Eli¡¯s face firmed, taking a more demanding expression. He pulled his hands from mine and the brief emptiness stung until his warm flesh engulfed my face and pulled me closer to his. ¡°I will not share you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never ask you to.¡±


    Even in the dim light I saw his eyes burning brightly. They fell to my lips and he leaned in closer, contemplating the taste of them. He inched further and further, quickening my heart and making my palms sweat. The world around me fell away, leaving only him. And I wanted him¡­I wanted him so bad.


    The distinct sound of a female clearing her throat brought me crashing back to reality. Eli and I froze before slowly turning our heads in the direction of our interruption. Relief flooded me when I saw Mila standing next to us, her face drawn into a frustrated pinch.


    ¡°You two have a lot nerve to be out here alone together,¡± She scolded us in an urgent whisper. ¡°Eli, unhand her and go back inside before Faith decides to come out here looking for you.¡±


    Eli removed his hands from my face, but I grabbed them and forced him to stay put.

 Page 13

    ¡°Screw Faith,¡± I growled. It suddenly came to my attention that I was a very jealous person¡­¡°Eli isn¡¯t hers.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but she¡¯s been assigned to keep an eye on him just like Tate has been assigned to keep an eye on you.¡±


    I dropped his hands. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°My uncle is the higher power. He¡¯s privy to certain information.¡± She turned her gaze on Eli. ¡°Go before someone comes out here.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, Eli grabbed his glass and sauntered off. When he completely disappeared from sight, Mila stepped forward.


    ¡°Ruby, please, I¡¯m begging you follow the rules, just this once.¡± Her face seemed strained¡ªher panic coming through rather clearly. It made me nervous and all of my instincts flared.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you scared?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the bane of their existence. An annoying fly that won¡¯t go away. They¡¯ll take any excuse they can get to lock you up forever. We don¡¯t know what they¡¯re capable of, but we know they¡¯re serious. One slip up and we might not ever leave here.¡±


    I angled my head, not believing her words. ¡°Nice scare tactic, Mila, but they aren¡¯t going to keep us locked up here.¡±


    She laughed once. ¡°And if they do? Who would know? How can someone rescue us when ninety-nine percent of them don¡¯t even know this place exists? You have a history of running away. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to convince someone that¡¯s what you did again.¡±


    I sagged a little, defeated. She was right. I was risking the well-being of all of us. Here, Eli was a no go zone. ¡°I¡¯ll stay away,¡± I grumbled.


    She stepped forward and slung an arm around my shoulder. ¡°A few more hearings and a couple of blood donations and we¡¯re homeward bound. Okay?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Right.¡±


    Chapter Eight


    Eli¡¯s hearing was a lot more aggressive than Hunter¡¯s. They spent less time recounting the events of the last few years and more on the relationship between Eli and I. It seemed to be a hot topic, even though it had nothing to do with my freaky blood or how the vampires breached the charms of the school. Eli kept his cool, giving no indication of the emotions he really felt for me. I only hoped I could do the same.


    ¡°You seem attached to Miss Moore,¡± Cesare speculated aloud.


    Every now and then eyes would flick to me and Hunter would shift forward in his seat, blocking them from view. I knew he was trying to help me¡ªto make this easier on me, but I was still mad at him for the kiss. What he did wasn¡¯t cool and Eli and I hadn¡¯t really spoken over the last couple of days because of it. I hoped Hunter felt every pang of despair I did.


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± Eli shifted in his seat, adjusting his light blue t-shirt. It hugged his muscular arms and hard chest. Half the time Hunter had to keep clearing his throat to prevent me from drifting off into Eli land.


    ¡°You have nothing negative to say about her?¡±


    Eli nodded his head. ¡°Sure, there are a lot of things she needs to work on and improve, but you¡¯re not really asking for that, are you? You¡¯re asking me to disrespect her in front of all of these people, but I won¡¯t. She has saved my life and the lives of others many times. Regardless of her shortcomings, she deserves nothing more than absolute respect.¡±


    Cesare shifted in his seat. ¡°I see the glimmer in your eyes, Mr. De Luca. You¡¯re very fond of Ruby, are you not?¡±


    ¡°Very fond?¡± Eli asked, his sceptical tone hurting my chest for some strange reason. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. She stirs more grief than anything else.¡±


    The room chuckled, charmed by the love-hate relationship Eli had painted. He was very good at playing someone who wasn¡¯t in love with me and it kinda hurt.


    ¡°One would say that the relationship between you and Miss Moore has seeped past the boundary of professional.¡±


    Eli frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± He was a good liar, I¡¯ll give him that. However, I could see it in Cesare¡¯s old-ish face, he wasn¡¯t fooled.


    ¡°When the two of you met, Ruby was?¡±


    ¡°Seventeen, turning eighteen.¡±


    ¡°Ah, young¡­naive¡­impressionable?¡±


    ¡°On a good day I can¡¯t get her to do what I say, so impressionable isn¡¯t the word I¡¯d use.¡± Again, people laughed.


    ¡°And what word would you use?¡±


    Eli raked his fingers through his hair, his eyes flicking to me. My heart rate sped up under his scrutiny and my palms began to sweat. The air began to heat up and I wondered if he felt it, too.


    ¡°Independent.¡± He looked back to Cesare. ¡°She does whatever she wants to do.¡±


    ¡°Which brings me to my next point, since Ruby¡¯s return to Sage Sanctum, she has caused more trouble than anybody, ever. You are a respectable angel, Mr. De Luca, but you¡¯ve let her get away with so much, things no sane angel who liked his job would allow.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m concerned her beauty and her charm have rendered you defective.¡± I shifted forward in my seat, ready to leap to his defense at any second.


    ¡°Defective?¡± Eli pondered the word out loud, seeming rather offended. ¡°You¡¯re aware I¡¯m not a machine, right? I let Ruby get away with more than I should have because she hasn¡¯t been brought up in this society like everybody else. It¡¯s too late to ingrain our beliefs in her. She¡¯s been through a lot, all of it traumatizing. She has seen things, horrible, disgusting things¡­you try controlling someone after they¡¯ve been exposed to so much darkness. They¡¯re tough and strong and they don¡¯t take anything from anybody. I¡¯d love to see anyone of you do a better job with her than I did.¡±


    Cesare frowned, unimpressed with Eli¡¯s response. I was impressed. I was biting back a smile and gripping the edge of my seat. He could pretend we weren¡¯t an item all he wanted, but I could feel it in his words. As soon as Cesare asked the wrong question, he defended me. Cesare shifted in his seat, leaning back and looking smug. ¡°There are two sides to every story and until we hear Ruby¡¯s, you are to be transported to the holding cells. The ban on guardian angels and goddesses might not be our law, but it¡¯s a law we have upheld for a very long time.¡±


    My chest tightened. They weren¡¯t serious? I shot up out of my chair, but Hunter grabbed me, pulling me back down before anyone saw.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± he demanded, his fingers digging into my arms. ¡°Are you trying to get arrested?¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡± I growled under my breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get him out, Ruby,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov cut in, leaning across Mila and putting a hand on my leg. He was using his emotion control magic on me. I felt my anger and my panic wash away, replaced with a soothing calm. I stopped thrashing in Hunter¡¯s arms and when he let me go, I relaxed in my seat. Mr. Aleksandrov didn¡¯t remove his hand from my knee and I watched, totally at peace as elite guards handcuffed Eli and took him away. He didn¡¯t look at me once as they pulled him through a wooden door behind the council stand and I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want him to see me so relaxed and calm about it because I know deep down I was anything but.


    Mr. Aleksandrov rose to his feet, removing his hand from me. I began to feel more agitated and angry, but Aleksandrov was limiting how much of it I was feeling. ¡°Even when Miss Moore¡¯s hearing is over and you still decide an inappropriate relationship has occurred, surely there¡¯s some loop hole. She¡¯s not a fully blooded goddess.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s enrolled and has been attending Sage Sanctum as a goddess, has she not?¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov chuckled. ¡°Hardly. The vampire/heelian/guardian angel sides to her have definitely hindered her learning progress and technically, she¡¯s the same as Mr. De Luca. She¡¯s one of my guardians.¡±


    ¡°An unnecessary announcement on your part, Ivan. You seem to hold a soft spot for this girl and Eli De Luca. Strange, considering he chose to save Ruby over your own niece. Would you be defending him if Mila had died?¡±


    Anger flared in me before disintegrating.


    ¡°I hold no animosity towards Ruby or Eli. He chose to save her over Mila because he and Ruby have a deeper relationship. Prior to then, Mila and Eli hadn¡¯t really spent time.¡±


    ¡°He was her guardian.¡±


    ¡°Correct, but although she was bonded to him, Mila had many other guardians there to protect her.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve also taken their punishment into my own hands. They are aware now that favoritism won¡¯t work in this line of work. I also feel the need to add that you can¡¯t lock up and banish Eli on assumption. Your laws don¡¯t allow it and even if you found some loophole in that, I should remind you that in order for the accusation to stick, the higher power must have physical proof of a breach. I have seen nothing that would even hint that Ruby and Eli have engaged in any unlawful behavior.¡±


    My chest swelled at Mr. Aleksandrov. He held his own, putting his foot down and showing them all that he deserved to be here. They made no mistake making him the higher power, although I got the feeling that they definitely regretted it. Oh well, that¡¯s what you get when you manipulate people to get things. The council chose Mr. Aleksandrov as higher power to get to me and my blood. They didn¡¯t realize how close we were, and despite our differences, Mr. Aleksandrov was family.


    ¡°And,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov added, like he suddenly remembered something else. ¡°If Ruby and Eli are found guilty of a forbidden affair, I, as higher power, will lift the law on guardian angel and goddess relationships. I may be sitting down here in the crowd, but do not forget my place on the board. I hear it¡¯s an important one.¡±


    A sharp intake of air was inhaled at once throughout the court house. I was worried if I took a breath, there¡¯d be no air left to breathe. Cesare and the rest of the council remained still, looking at Mr. Aleksandrov as if he¡¯d told them he was a vampire. Like a sudden train horn, everyone protested at once, screaming their disapproval. They leapt out of their chairs and began to rush at us. Hunter snatched my arm and yanked me to my feet. I reached out for Mila, who reached out for Aleksandrov, but he brushed her off.


    ¡°You three go, I¡¯ll sort this out and look at getting Eli out of the holding cell.¡±


    Mila stopped and looked at her uncle. He smiled at her, completely unfazed by the screaming mob at his feet. Ten people on the edge of the crowd saw us trying to leave and came at us, thankfully, Hunter got a random side door open and pulled us out before they got to us.


    We slipped through random halls, trying to find a way out and back to our building. We got nothing.


    ¡°Where are they? Put them all in a holding cell!¡± I heard someone shout.


    Mila yelped and pulled out of my grasp. She opened a small cleaning cupboard big enough only for her and pointed to another across the hall. With a nod, Hunter and I ran to it and dived inside just in time for the angry group to pass. Our breathing was loud and fast as we panted out our anxiety.


    ¡°You¡¯re freaking me out, will you stop feeling so¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m so anxious. Mr. Aleksandrov pissed off an entire city and now they want to lock us up! You try feeling so calm about life then,¡± I snapped in a harsh whisper. God, why couldn¡¯t I have pushed Hunter into the single cupboard and locked myself in here with Mila?


    ¡°I would if your emotions weren¡¯t taking control all of the time.¡±


    I exhaled and then tried to take steady breaths. I didn¡¯t know how long we were going to be in here and already I felt the air was thin. After a few quiet, tension-filled minutes, Hunter spoke. ¡°Since we¡¯re going to be locked in here for a while, I guess now is a good a time as ever to apologize for last night. I shouldn¡¯t have kissed you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I let my head fall back against the wall. ¡°Are you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was an ass move on my part, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I felt your emotions. I felt how conflicted and hurt you were about Eli and I felt you when he looked at you and I got jealous. I wanted him to feel how I felt for a split-second.¡±


    Oh boy. ¡°I love him¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you do.¡±


    I brushed my fingers along my arm. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt him like that. You can fight with him and you can torment him in any way you want¡ªexcept that way. You can¡¯t use me as payback for him. If I lose him¡­¡± I choked on my last word and quickly swallowed a sudden sob. ¡°I can¡¯t lose him. Not ever.¡±


    Hunter slid down the wall until his knees rested against my shins. ¡°Tell me why.¡±


    It was simple. ¡°Because he¡¯s everything to me. We¡¯ve been through a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°And we haven¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Sure we have.¡±


    ¡°Yet, you don¡¯t feel the same way as me? At one point, I could have sworn you did.¡±


    I closed my eyes. I cared for Hunter. When Eli was gone, he was all I had. He¡¯d helped me lots of times, and if Eli wasn¡¯t in the picture, then Hunter and I could¡¯ve been something. But he was a friend, and if there was anything being in love with Eli taught me, it was the different levels of love. Comparing how I felt about Eli in the beginning pales in comparison to how I felt about him now. I would even go as far to say that I ¡®liked¡¯ Eli back then, not loved. Being in love with Eli taught me that I never loved Hunter¡­at least not in the way I loved Eli. I mixed up my loves. I loved Hunter as a friend¡ªhell¡ªas family, but it wasn¡¯t the same thing. Close, but no cigar. The kind of love that I have for Hunter is the same love that I have for Mila. I would do anything for them. I would go above and beyond to make them happy and keep them safe, but I would die for Eli. I would give up everything I live for and everything I own just to see him smile. It didn¡¯t make sense, but I was used to that. I rarely made sense.

 Page 14

    ¡°I love you, Hunter b¡ª¡±


    The door was pulled open and my stomach dropped into my intestines. I squinted into the sudden light and my stomach managed to pick itself back up again¡ªit even filled with air and floated into my heart, giving it a kick. It was Eli and Mr. Aleksandrov. They were okay, and more importantly, no angry mob was after them.


    ¡°The council wants to do your hearing now, Ruby,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov said.


    ¡°Me? Now?


    He nodded. ¡°Watch what you say, they¡¯re looking for anything to condemn you, do you understand? You need to prove there¡¯s nothing going on between you and Eli. It¡¯s the only way I can help the two of you.¡±


    With a swift nod, I exited the cupboard, not missing the way Eli glared at Hunter. Of course he had to be let out of jail to find me locked up in a cupboard with Hunter, the guy who¡¯d kissed me the night before. I glanced sideways at Hunter and the way he looked at me was different. Like we were hiding a secret from Eli¡­and I realized the only thing Hunter heard me say was ¡®I love you, Hunter.¡¯ He didn¡¯t hear the ¡®but¡¯ I was going to put on the end of it. I was interrupted before I got to add the clich¨¦ ¡®as a brother¡¯ to the end. He thought I loved him like that. He thought I loved him like I loved Eli¡­this wasn¡¯t good and this wasn¡¯t going to end well.


    Crap.


    ¡°You have no physical attraction to Mr. De Luca?¡± Cesare asked.


    I was really getting sick and tired of this courthouse. ¡°Do I think he¡¯s hot?¡± I asked, shrugging. ¡°Sure, he¡¯s hot, but I¡¯ve never crossed the very visible line that separates our species.¡±


    ¡°Not once?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not even once.¡±


    The crowd murmured and I analyzed them. Some believed me. Some didn¡¯t. They didn¡¯t matter, though. It was the council I had to convince.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that it¡¯s convenient that the higher power wants to change the relationship laws after Mr. De Luca¡¯s hearing? Perhaps he¡¯s worried his best angel is going to be banished?¡±


    ¡°Convenient? No. Smart? Yes. Mr. Aleksandrov knew he could never bring it up randomly. It had to be brought prior to his announcement. It seemed like the right time.¡± My palms began to sweat, my heart picking up in pace.


    ¡°Do you think relationship laws should be changed? Would it affect you directly?¡±


    I knew what he was fishing for¡ªa reaction. He wanted me to pour my heart out and to technically admit my feelings for Eli, but I wasn¡¯t going to. If I was the only thing stopping Eli from being locked up in a cell and banished, then so be it.


    ¡°I think they should be changed.¡± I looked at Eli, who was frowning, and Hunter, who was glowering at me. ¡°The law is outdated, created by a jealous and selfish man. And no, it doesn¡¯t affect me because I have someone else.¡±


    The onlookers gasped and I felt my stomach turn. Damnit! This is why I don¡¯t improvise. I make drastic decisions to get out of tough situations.


    ¡°Hunter and I have been together for a while now.¡± I avoided Eli¡¯s face, but I could feel his eyes burning into me. The shock reflected on Hunter¡¯s face would have been hilarious if I wasn¡¯t depending on him to back me up. Sensing my unease, his lips curled into a smile, a fake smile, but one nonetheless.


    ¡°It¡¯s plausible. I saw them kissing last night at the party,¡± a council member muttered.


    I looked at Cesare, who seemed to be having trouble believing me. He watched me, running his index finger over his bottom lip.


    ¡°I find it strange Mr. Reeves didn¡¯t mention anything about your relationship in his hearing.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask him directly. So, yes, we are in love.¡± It took every fiber in my being not to cringe. I was killing Eli, I just knew it.


    ¡°Perhaps Mr. Aleksandrov has his own agendas for changing the law,¡± I suggested. ¡°Whatever they are, they have nothing to do with the relationship between Eli and I. We are friends and colleagues. Nothing more.¡± I sighed, preparing my next bitter words. ¡°Never have been, never will be.¡±


    Cesare shifted his stupid hat thing. ¡°Nobody wants the law changed. To do it would upset the masses. We¡¯d have riots and a rebellion on our hands.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s chair creaked as he pushed himself to his feet. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the problem with locking yourself up in this big city, councilman. A lot has changed and our people seek leadership. Ruby is a big figurehead outside these walls. They sympathize with her. They love and respect her and wouldn¡¯t hesitate following her to the end of the earth.¡±


    Cesare snapped forward in his seat, startling me and the first few rows of spectators. ¡°Are you inciting the beginning of a rebellion, Ivan? Are you and your team of loyal followers threatening to become a bump in our otherwise smooth system? We will not tolerate treason.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov, appearing less intimidated than the rest of us, chuckled. ¡°Nobody is prosecuting anybody for treason. Remember now, who knows you exist? As far as everyone is concerned, I am the sole ruler. You have been shown that Ruby and Eli aren¡¯t having an inappropriate relationship, which tells you that I¡¯m not aiming to have this law removed just to protect them. I want to be a different leader than Lucian. I want to offer people more freedom to choose. They live in fear of death, or worse, being turned into a vampire.¡± He paused to let his words sink in. ¡°More intimate relations between angels and gods will improve performance. How can you protect someone you have minimal emotional attachment to? That¡¯s why Eli chose to save Ruby over Mila. Emotional ties.¡±


    ¡°So your argument is; if we allow guardians and gods/goddesses to be intimate, it will lessen the fear in us and increase the performance in our angels?¡±


    Ivan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s one of my many points and theories.¡± The spectators murmured their disagreement. ¡°But I think this is a discussion best shared during my private hearing tonight.¡±


    Finally, I began to see the end of the tunnel. My hearing was coming to an end and I, thankfully, wouldn¡¯t be having another.


    ¡°Before we go¡­¡± Cesare turned his steely eyes on me. ¡°You should know that you¡¯re skating on extremely thin ice. You risk everything we have sworn to protect. Everything bad that has happened to your friends¡ªevery death, every attack, the school break in, here¡ªit¡¯s all because of you.¡±


    My eyes narrowed at him. He said it to me like I wasn¡¯t already aware of that. I knew it¡­and I¡¯d never let myself forget it.


    ¡°You are reckless.¡± Oh, joy. There was more. ¡°You are unstable and you are a magnet for disaster.¡±


    I took a deep breath, one that caused my chest to tighten, and let it out. It wasn¡¯t his words that ate at me¡­it was the cold way he said it.


    ¡°I¡¯d throw you out of this society myself if I wasn¡¯t so petrified of you exposing us.¡±


    I feigned a genuine smile. ¡°What lovely parting words. They¡¯re so moving I think I¡¯ll get them tattooed on my neck.¡± I pushed myself onto my feet as chatter filled the room, signalling the official end of my hearing.¡°I had fun, too. Let¡¯s do it again sometime.¡±


    I turned to step away, but his voice forced me back to him. ¡°You grip life like it actually means anything to you. It will come back to bite you. Even your past doesn¡¯t stay dead.¡±


    The way he said it, like he knew something I didn¡¯t, unnerved me and I stared at him. I didn¡¯t know what I expected to see in his face¡ªan explanation maybe? He didn¡¯t smile. He didn¡¯t look smug or proud, but he managed to burrow under my skin.


    ¡°Ruby?¡± The clear sound of warning in Eli¡¯s voice drummed through me and I whipped my head in his direction. He stood next to Hunter, both right by my stand and both looked ready to pull me off the stand at any second. I could be a little reckless at times, I¡¯ll be the first to admit that, but I wasn¡¯t about to beat the hell out of Cesare, regardless of how desperately my fists wanted me to.


    I turned back to Cesare, who was now looking at the two men. ¡°Don¡¯t let her drag either of you down.¡±


    My jaw clenched instinctively and I heard the metal latch on the stand gate rattle.


    ¡°Wow, aren¡¯t you a bright ray of sunshine,¡± Hunter deadpanned from the sidelines. Despite my better judgement, Hunter¡¯s remark made me smile. His voice was far away, meaning the warmth hitting my skin from the body next to me was Eli. Of course.


    Cesare flicked his parting shot toward me. ¡°You two have the same attitude, I see. That must make for some rather intense arguments.¡±


    ¡°We do just fine,¡± Hunter replied. ¡°Come on, Ruby, the sooner we leave this court house, the sooner we can get out of this lame city.¡±


    Cesare kept a close eye on us as Eli and I stepped down from the stand. I glued myself to Hunter¡¯s side the minute my shoes touched the ground, threading my fingers through his for extra measure. I didn¡¯t look sideways to gauge Eli¡¯s reaction. I wanted to. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry and that I panicked. I was no good at improvising, he knew that.


    The minute we stepped out of the court house, I let go of Hunter and looked at him, worried I¡¯d offended him. To my surprise, he smiled down at me. Whether or not it was real, I had no idea.


    ¡°So,¡± I exhaled. ¡°That was a fail. Sorry.¡±


    Hunter scoffed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Eli agreed. ¡°The only purpose of that hearing was to belittle and bully you. I¡¯ll be speaking to Mr. Aleksandrov and appealing for another hear¡ª¡±


    I gripped his arm, cutting him off. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What happened in there was unfair and unprofessional.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re forgetting the main thing.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s done and I never want to do it again.¡± I stepped closer. ¡°Let Mr. Aleksandrov handle it from here.¡±


    Eli surveyed me for a little while before finally nodding his head. He didn¡¯t agree with me, I could see it in his eyes. He wanted to defend my honor like the gentleman that he was and I loved him for it, I really did, but it wasn¡¯t his place. I knew it had to be let go and although Eli wanted to take on the entire council for me, it was unnecessary. No matter what I said to the council, they¡¯d continue to treat me like I¡¯m evil.


    Eli walked with Hunter and I until we reached our assigned building. He also left us with a rather dispassionate farewell. I mean, I wasn¡¯t expecting him to kiss me or anything¡­but I was hoping he would. We had to talk about my impulsive decision to make Hunter my boyfriend at some point. Both Hunter and Eli needed to know that it was only to save our asses and help Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s cause. Mr. Aleksandrov was changing the laws to help Eli and I, for the most part, anyway. We were going to end up together regardless of what anyone else said. The other reasons he had for lifting the ban I had no knowledge of. I also knew it was for Mila, too. A while ago, she claimed she was going to avoid guardian angels all together, but I knew better. Passing the law was also a good thing for Xavier. He was head over heels for Mia and I¡¯d witnessed them flirt on a couple of occasions now. I had yet to tell Mila about Xavier¡¯s feelings out of fear of scaring her off that and I had my own chaotic live life to sort out, before I dared dabble in someone else¡¯s.


    Hunter opened the large double door and we entered the building.


    ¡°Eli was right, you know,¡± he said as we strolled side by side up the spacious hall. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a hearing. That was a witch hunt.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Yeah, well, it is what it is.¡±


    ¡°You know I have your back¡­no matter what, right?¡±


    I glanced sideways at him and his sincere blue eyes watched my face. ¡°I know you do.¡±


    He smiled, confidently. ¡°And it¡¯s because of that, I won¡¯t be offended that you assumed I¡¯d be okay with being your fake boyfriend.¡± He nudged me playfully in the ribs, making me laugh.


    ¡°Please, it¡¯s not like you drew the short straw. Anyway, I trust you, which is probably the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever said.¡±


    ¡°Quite possibly.¡±


    Hunter walked me all the way to my room. Before I entered, I turned to him. I still had one thing I needed to make clear.


    ¡°About what I said in the cupboard earlier¡­¡±


    He raised his hand to silence me. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I know what you meant.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t love you, I do, but not¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªin the same way you love Eli.¡±


    I nodded, apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Hunter opened his mouth to say something, but the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat cut him off and forced us to spin around. Tate, the elite guard, sauntered up the hall. He seemed to be on patrol and I found it convenient that he was walking past my door after my hearing.


    ¡°Will I see you tomorrow?¡± Hunter asked and the light, loving tone in his voice didn¡¯t pass me by. I blinked at him, until I realized what he was doing. We were boyfriend and girlfriend¡­right.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Hunter stepped forward, until my back was pressed firmly against the door. I narrowed my eyes at him, warning him not to push it. To my surprise, he stopped and his gaze fell to my lips. I looked at Tate, who was watching us with great amusement. It put me in a really hard position. My ¡®boyfriend¡¯ wanted to kiss me¡­would it be weird to turn him down? I inhaled deeply and exhaled it at the same speed. My next set of actions made my heart ache and guilt flood my chest¡­I crushed my lips to Hunter¡¯s mouth and shoved my fingers in his hair, raking it roughly and urging him closer to me. Maybe I was being a little too dramatic, but we were young. We were meant to have a sexually charged relationship consisting of nothing but passion and lust, right? At least, that was what it was like between Eli and I. We couldn¡¯t be gentle anymore. Every touch, every taste, consumed us. My head buzzed just like it did when we kissed the very first time, after I ran from Sage to save my cousin from Hank. Hunter kissed me then and I liked it¡­I liked it now, too, but not in the same way. It was different now. This was wrong now. I pulled back and quickly opened my door. The lusty haze that glazed over Hunter¡¯s face didn¡¯t pass me by and out of panic, I slammed the door in his face. I sighed and slumped against it. What a messed up way to end an ¡®I love someone else¡¯ conversation¡­

 Page 15

    I had to tell Eli.


    Chapter Nine


    I had that same dream again. The one where Lucian is hurting me and every mark is being reflected on a silent Eli. He¡¯d bleed and I¡¯d scream¡­over and over, it was a never ending cycle, only this time I wasn¡¯t forced awake by Lucian, but Mr. Aleksandrov and Eli. I opened my left eye first and surveyed the both of them. They were dressed and alert, seemingly frustrated with me.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± I heard Mila groan in the distance. ¡°I was worried you were dead there for a second.¡±


    I pushed myself to a seated position and peered through the darkness. Shadows lingered in the living room and I assumed everybody was here.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, wiping the back of my hand over my eyes. I was still tired. I could feel the tiredness hanging from my eyes like heavy bags of sand.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov stated firmly, arousing panic in me.


    I shoved off my blankets and jump from the bed. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t even fall.


    ¡°Why? What happened? Is there something wrong?¡± I reached for a pair of jeans on the floor and slipped them on underneath my light pink nighty. I was ready to fight my way out of here if I had to.


    ¡°Nothing is wrong. They¡¯re satisfied with the information we¡¯ve given them and they have enough of your blood to do experiments alone. Get dressed. I want to be on the plane in twenty minutes.¡±


    I relaxed a little. ¡°So there¡¯s no angry mob after us?¡±


    Even in the dark I caught Eli¡¯s lip twitch. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Lyric chuckled from the living room. ¡°I¡¯m shocked, too.¡±


    Once I clarified that we were, in fact, leaving on our own terms, I was able to pack my things in peace¡ªand in record time, too. Twelve minutes it took for me to shove my things into my suitcase and leave my room. I ignored the looks of distaste on Faith and Tate¡¯s face as we passed them in the hall. I smirked at her and even stepped a little closer to Eli. Call me stupid (or awesome) but she needed to know Eli wasn¡¯t available to her. Ever.


    We walked in silence all the way to the plane, neither of us wanting to jinx our departure. Once we were on the plane and in the sky flying back to our homes, we were able to let go and be happy. Everyone was smiling and I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯d seen any of us so cheerful. Eli even sat next to me on the plane.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad that¡¯s over.¡± I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder.


    ¡°Me too.¡± The tips of his fingers danced along the outside of my thigh and I swear it heated the fabric. ¡°I can¡¯t wait until we get back to Sage¡­to have you sleep in my bed with me again.¡±


    He placed light kisses against the top of my head and I was so calmed by it, I almost drifted off to sleep. Almost. I would have if the pilot¡¯s voice hadn¡¯t spilled through the speakers.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to make an emergency stop in Fellmont.¡±


    I stiffened in my seat as panic seized me. As soon as it hit, it washed away, replaced by a calm hum that rolled through me. Mr. Aleksandrov was trying to keep everybody calm and it was working. I mean, the pilot didn¡¯t sound stressed and at least we were still flying. It was as I thought those words that the plane began to shake. I gripped Eli¡¯s knee, squeezing it firmly.


    ¡°We¡¯re experiencing a few problems,¡± the pilot told us. ¡°But we¡¯re dropping in altitude as I speak and we¡¯ll reach a field in Fellmont in exactly six minutes. I suggest you fasten your seatbelts.¡±


    Eli reached across and fastened my seatbelt before doing his own. I looked around the plane, everyone else had put their seatbelt on and were casually reading books or listening to music¡ªexcept Mr. Aleksandrov, whose fingers dug so hard into the armrests I was afraid he¡¯d tear the leather or break his fingers.


    ¡°Shit.¡± I swore, earning a sideways warning glance from Eli. ¡°We¡¯re going to die.¡±


    He laughed once. ¡°We¡¯re not going to die.¡±


    ¡°We are.¡± I twisted in my seat. ¡°Kiss me.¡±


    His eyebrow cocked. ¡°What? Ruby, you¡¯re being a little dramati¡ª¡±


    I lurched forward, crushing my lips to his. Screw waiting around to die, and if I was going to die, I wanted Eli to be the last one I kissed, not Hunter. His lips were soft and I ran my tongue along the bottom one, tasting it. I felt that Eli was tense underneath my mouth, but I didn¡¯t stop, and almost a second later, he returned my kiss. The plane shook and rattled again, forcing me to kiss him harder and harder. Only the distinct sound of Mr. Aleksandrov clearing his throat was enough to still our passion.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to focus,¡± he hissed. ¡°I can¡¯t with all of the noise you two are making, and honestly, we¡¯ve barely been away from the council for two hours. You couldn¡¯t wait?¡±


    Eli cleared his throat and shifted back in his seat while I found myself smiling at Mr. Aleksandrov. He could talk all he wanted, but he supported Eli and I, and I loved him for it.


    We made it into Fellmont without a scratch (despite the extremely rough landing) and hired cars at the airport to take us to a small motel a few towns away. According to Lyric, we were still quite a long way from Sage. It didn¡¯t really bother me. I was just happy we didn¡¯t have to spend another second in that stupid, nameless city. The motel was called the Sleepy Hollow and wasn¡¯t exactly five star¡­or four star¡­or even three star, but it would have to do. Strangely, there was only one other car in the parking lot besides ours, and yet most of the rooms seemed to be taken. Getting rooms right next to each other was impossible, so we ended spread out all over the place¡ªonly Mr. Aleksandrov and Hunter were roomed side by side. Mila and I shared a room at the far end on the ground floor. Eli insisted he stay with us for protection, but Mr. Aleksandrov was quick to say no, worrying about his niece¡¯s exposure to certain sexual acts. I bit my tongue. First of all, I would never do anything like that with someone else so close by. Secondly, I couldn¡¯t anyway because I was still bonded to Hunter, and thirdly, Mila has been sexually active long before I have been, and yet she was the one revered as ¡®innocent.¡¯ How ironic.


    Eli, Hunter, and Xavier had room thirty-two on the second floor in the middle. Hunter managed to get his own room, and situated perfectly between all of us was Mr. Aleksandrov.


    My phone buzzed as I lay my head down on the pillow and I grabbed it off the bedside table. I wasn¡¯t tired. I¡¯d already slept tonight, and usually an hour or two was all I normally got most nights anyway. Beside me, Mila was already out cold. I smirked and opened the text message.


    Did you lock the door?


    My smirk turned into a full blown smile at Eli¡¯s text. Of course he¡¯d be worried about me. I replied:


    Lock the door? Why on Earth would I do that? This motel seems so safe and secure. Don¡¯t worry about me.


    I hit send and let my sarcastic text simmer for a little while. Eli would be contemplating how to get out of his room, past Mr. Aleksandrov, and over here right about now and the thought was amusing¡­but he needed his sleep. When we got back to Sage, who knew what kind of shifts Mr. Aleksandrov would have him doing. I texted him again.


    Kidding. The door is locked, the windows shut, and the curtains drawn. We¡¯re safe and sound.


    Not a second later, I get a reply.


    You are too sarcastic for your own good. I got dressed and put my shoes on already. Before I take them off, are you sure there¡¯s nothing else I can do there?


    I had so many responses to that text, so many requests, but I let them fall to the back of my mind.


    The possibilities are endless¡­but no. There¡¯s nothing else you can do that would make me any safer than I already am. Get some sleep. I love you xo.


    I waited with my phone in my hand and received his last text before I put it away.


    I love you, too, but you already know that. :)


    I smiled at my screen and dropped my phone against my chest. Its warmth was felt through the thin sheet and I closed my eyes. Soon, things were going to be normal again. Soon, I could spend my days with Eli like I used to, and hopefully, sometime in the future, we could be together¡ªactually together. I loved him¡­I loved him so damn much.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Mila whispered, sitting up and shaking me.


    I ran my hand over my sleepy face. Apparently, I¡¯d fallen asleep. Strange¡­I felt like I only closed my eyes for a second. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Mila¡¯s breathing was quick and nervous.


    ¡°It was probably a rat. Have you seen where we¡¯re staying?¡± I yawned and rolled myself onto my side, closing my eyes again. I didn¡¯t bother searching the floor or the bed for my cell phone. I would in the morning, when I was fully awake and alert.


    I heard a creak and felt Mila tense. ¡°Ruby¡­call someone.¡±


    The thought of waking anyone up over a small creak was absurd. ¡°Mila, we¡¯re fine. Will you just go back to¡ª¡±


    CRACK! The thin, plywood door snapped open and Mila and I dove off the bed. Whoever it was, they were fast. Within seconds they had me by the hair and against the wall. My heart slammed into my ribs and I almost became paralyzed with fear. Almost. I thrust my knee up and connected with the flesh between the legs of my attacker. He dropped me and hit the floor with a loud thud.


    ¡°Run!¡± I screamed at Mila and she crawled her way to the door. I dove over the hunched man, seeing the open door so close to me. Before I reached it, he grabbed my legs and I went crashing to the floor again. Mila stopped crawling and looked to me.


    ¡°Go!¡± I demanded ¡°Go get help!¡±


    She jumped to her feet and took off, leaving me to fight the intruder. All I had to do was stay alive and keep him here until help arrived. He was strong, much stronger than a human, but not as strong as a vampire. He pressed me into the floor so hard my ribs hurt. He reached up, grabbing a fistful of my hair and pulling hard. My scalp burned and tears flooded my eyes. Somehow, I managed to snap my elbow back and connect with his ribs. He let go and I shuffled out from underneath him. I flipped onto my back and drew my knee to my chest before letting it go, right into his face. I heard him grunt as his nose cracked and a warm, sticky liquid dripped onto my other leg. He recovered quickly, launching at me like a tiger and punching me right in the mouth. I immediately tasted blood as my lip split against my teeth. My head rolled in my skull and I was dazed. I couldn¡¯t think straight or bring myself to use any of my powers. Fingers curled around my throat and squeezed until I couldn¡¯t breathe. I grabbed his wrists, desperately trying to pry them off me, but he was stronger than I was. My vision began to darken¡­I was dying. I thrashed against him, my movements becoming weaker and weaker. It wasn¡¯t until my hands fell by my side in defeat, did I truly accept my death. My eyes were closing bit by bit and when only a sliver of vision remained, my attacker was thrown off me. Air flooded my throat and made my head spin. I rolled onto my side as my airways opened up again. Warm, strong hands seized me and I watched Lyric slam his fists into the unknown man. Whoever was pulling me, pulled me around the corner of the door and I felt the concrete scrape the skin on the back of my legs, but I didn¡¯t feel the pain. I was in shock¡­my body was tightly wound and yet, I couldn¡¯t move it.


    ¡°Ruby?¡± Xavier asked. He removed his hands from underneath my arms and sat me against the wall. He knelt in front of me and tapped my cheek a few times. All I could do was look at him. I was so close to death¡­my body knew it too, and it tried to remember how to function again. Xavier¡¯s finger tapped along a very sensitive spot on my lip and I winced, recoiling from his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. You¡¯re going to be all right.¡±


    Nobody stuck their heads out of their rooms to see what was going on. No one had called the cops or even cared that there was a brawl going on in the same complex they slept in. Was this what the world had fallen to? No one helped anybody for fear of getting hurt themselves? I could¡¯ve died¡ªand Mila, too.


    I was snapped back to attention when Lyric dragged an unconscious body out the door. Straight after, it wasn¡¯t Xavier¡¯s face that was in front of me, it was Eli¡¯s. He gripped my face, but I didn¡¯t say a word. I cringed at the pain as he ran his finger over my bottom lip. I could feel it swollen already, but he didn¡¯t care as he pulled me into him, crushing my body to his. Just like that, my body began to move again and I wrapped my arms around him, holding him as tightly as he was holding me. Then I began to cry. I didn¡¯t want to, but it was like I had no control over my body. It all came flooding out, crashing over me like a raging tsunami. I was meant to be safe. I wasn¡¯t expecting someone to rush me in my sleep and I panicked. I couldn¡¯t fight the intruder, not like I was taught to. I could have died¡ªI almost did. I fisted Eli¡¯s shirt, gathering the fabric in bunches and pulling him closer to me. He was talking to me, words I couldn¡¯t hear through my own shock. He stroked my hair, and the soothing movement significantly reduced the tightening in my chest. Soon after, I was lifted and cradled in his arms like a defenseless baby and God knows I felt like one. I hadn¡¯t felt so useless, not since I first arrived at Sage years ago. What the hell was I doing? Why did I act like I was on the same par as Lyric, Xavier, and Eli? I swallowed and the movement made me cringe. As my shock wore off, I noticed my body rock as Eli carried me away from my room. Questions began to formulate in my brain one after the other. Who was it? What did he want? He wasn¡¯t human, that much I knew.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I woke you,¡± I said to Eli, completely relaxing in his arms.


    I didn¡¯t want him to be disappointed with me¡ªLyric or Xavier, either. They put so much effort into teaching me. They wasted so much time trying to make me like them¡­and they still had to come to my aid.

 Page 16

    ¡°You¡¯re sorry you woke me?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You could have been killed. You have nothing to be sorry for.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not disappointed?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    My stomach dropped.


    ¡°In myself. I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach the entire flight. I should have listened to it and stayed with you and Mila, against Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s orders.¡±


    Of course Eli found a way to blame himself for this predicament. He always did.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± I said.


    ¡°If this isn¡¯t my fault, then it¡¯s not your fault, either. Our decisions did not create this outcome.¡±


    I nodded despite the nagging voice in my head, telling me I wasn¡¯t good enough. Eli squeezed me tighter.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Eli carried me all the way to his room, bypassing Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s room altogether. I didn¡¯t say anything because I didn¡¯t care where we went as long as I was with him. Then it hit me and I gasped.


    ¡°Mila!¡± I shifted in Eli¡¯s arms, but he refused to drop me.


    ¡°Mila is fine. She¡¯s with her uncle.¡±


    I shifted again, trying to break free, but he only pulled me harder against him.


    ¡°Eli, where are you going? What are we doing? We should be with them trying to figure out who it is and what they want!¡±


    He opened his room door. ¡°And we will once we¡¯ve both calmed down and had some rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had rest. I want answers.¡±


    Eli sighed as he carried me into the room and dropped me on the bed. His room was much bigger than mine. Instead of one double bed, the room had three small single beds, and the thought of men as large as Lyric, Xavier, and Eli squeezing into them was amusing. Eli turned and shut the door, locking us in the room together¡­alone.


    ¡°If we go there,¡± he glances at my lip. ¡°I will kill him, Ruby. You might be calm, but I¡¯m not.¡±


    Eli stood before me, all of his muscles taut and ready to go. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give him some space to gather his thoughts.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I exhaled, shuffling back on the bed. ¡°We¡¯ll stay until you¡¯re ready to go.¡±


    He yanked his shirt over his head exposing his seemingly never ending ridges of muscle. Dedicated. That was the only word I could really use to describe him.


    ¡°In bed,¡± he ordered, stalking towards me.


    I shuffled back and slipped underneath the blankets. He joined me, keeping the lights on. His arms surrounded me and he pulled me closer, so close I could smell his clean skin. I closed my eyes and let his warmth envelop me. Eli¡¯s hands went to my sore throat, massaging it slightly. I opened my eyes and his intense green stare was on my face.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to bruise.¡± His fingers trailed up my throat and gently stroked my lip, making me wince.


    ¡°You should see the other guy,¡± I joked and Eli chuckled.


    His smile faded quickly and he cleared his throat. ¡°You¡¯re done fighting, Ruby.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to defend myself?¡±


    ¡°Of course I want you to defend yourself, but only when you absolutely have to. I should be there to defend you, always.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not my guardian angel anymore.¡±


    Eli scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve always been your guardian, bonded or not.¡± He leaned closer, pressing his warm lips to my forehead. ¡°And I always will be.¡±


    ¡°Screw everybody else, huh?¡±


    I felt him smile against my skin. ¡°Screw everybody else.¡±


    When I awoke sometime later, I was pressed hard against Eli¡¯s naked torso. It was nice¡­and warm¡­and a million other things. It even made me smile. I peered around the room, the light was on, still, but even with that I could make out the dimmer lighting around the edges of the curtains. It was morning, almost. The sun wasn¡¯t fully up yet, but I was wide awake. I pushed gently, but firmly against Eli¡¯s shoulders, trying to pry myself from his grasp. His arm muscles tensed and air was forced from my lungs. Holy hell, he was strong in his sleep as well. Instinctively, I dug my fingers into his shoulders and held my breath against the ache that throbbed in my ribs. With a heavy exhale, Eli released me and twisted onto his back. I slumped back to the mattress, sighing in relief. For a second there I thought he was going to crush my bones into dust. I rolled onto my side and pushed the blankets off. I waited a few seconds to make sure I didn¡¯t wake Eli before I slid off the bed and tip-toed across the room. I opened the door and slipped out without a glance over my shoulder. Eli wouldn¡¯t be too happy waking up and finding me gone, but I had to go see Mr. Aleksandrov and the others. I hoped in the time Eli and I was gone, they¡¯d extracted information from the intruder.


    I didn¡¯t bother knocking on the door when I reached Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s room. I just let myself in and was immediately met with tired, aggravated faces. Ignoring them, my eyes zeroed in on the man tied to the chair in the middle of the room. Most of his shoulder length black hair hung in stringy lines over his face, covering it from view. I stepped closer and he snapped his head up. My fist closed in reaction and my entire body tensed¡ªalmost cramped. He was in bad shape, swollen and bruised everywhere. Dark shadows hung under his inflamed eyes, making his strange yellow irises pop and even the black fabric of his shirt couldn¡¯t hide the fact that it was covered in blood.


    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± he chuckled, sending chills down my spine. It was familiar¡ªlike Hanks or Lucian¡ªonly this guy was clearly not a vampire. ¡°Finished with the angel?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, ignoring his unappreciated question.


    ¡°Forget it, Ruby,¡± Lyric sighed, running his hands over his face. ¡°We¡¯ve been at it for hours. He isn¡¯t going to tell us anything.¡±


    ¡°Not true.¡± The intruder laughed. ¡°She¡¯s here now and I¡¯m suddenly feeling very chatty.¡± He ran his tongue over his lip, lingering on his own split for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m the guy that was hired to kill you. Surprise.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, trying my hardest not to let him get to me. ¡°Obviously.¡±


    He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes zeroing in on my lip. ¡°I got you good, didn¡¯t I? I have to admit,¡± he sagged back into his chair. ¡°You can take a punch.¡±


    I snapped forward, surprising myself, even. I reached out for him to claw at him or pull his hair or do something completely the opposite to the tact the angels were trying to teach me. I got within arm¡¯s reach of him before an arm snagged me around my waist and pulled me back.


    ¡°Hit him later,¡± Lyric warned me, turning his body and angling me away from the creep. ¡°We need him conscious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him! Let¡¯s see how he likes it,¡± I growled, trying to fight my way out of Lyric¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d like it very much,¡± said the intruder. ¡°What do you say, one on one?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to f¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ruby!¡± Mr. Aleksandrov snapped and I stilled immediately. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever heard him sound so mean. ¡°This is a very serious situation and I¡¯d appreciate it if you kept your lid on until we get more information from him. He¡¯s talked more in the last five seconds than he has the last few hours. If you do anything to disrupt this progress I swear to God, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    The door opened and cut Mr. Aleksandrov off. We all froze, expecting police or something as bad, instead we got Eli¡ªa pissed off Eli. He glared at me, not very impressed that I¡¯d left him before he woke up. His eyes then squared in on my lip and his eyebrows pulled together even more, his lips pursing tightly. I guess I was looking pretty bruised this morning. Everyone watched as Eli stalked across the room, reaching the creep in merely two strides. He grasped the guy¡¯s blood soaked shirt and drew him in. Suddenly, I was freed as Lyric turned his attention to Eli, but Eli was too fast and punched my (almost) murderer in the face. Both Lyric and Xavier rushed Eli, pulling him back. Mr. Aleksandrov was on his feet, yelling. I fought the urge to block my ears as the four of them raged at each other. I scanned the room for Mila and saw her ankle before it disappeared behind the bathroom door as she slammed it.


    Calm swirled around the room and the argument died down, even the imposter felt a more relaxed about his situation. He shouldn¡¯t have, because if no one here killed him, I would.


    ¡°There better be a good reason for all this noise. I was trying to sleep.¡± Hunter yawned, running his hands over his face as he stepped into the room and kicked the door shut behind him. He dropped his hands and his brows furrowed when his stare landed on Eli, Xavier, and Lyric, who were seconds away from wrestling each other on the floor.


    ¡°So this is what you guys do when I¡¯m not around?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Whatever floats your boat.¡±


    He chuckled to himself before finally looking at me. His smile faded, worry taking over his features. He stepped forward, cupping my chin and tilting it up to look at my neck. I swallow hard. He poked it and I winced back, slapping his hands away.


    ¡°What is wrong with you? That hurts!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s real? What the hell happened?¡± He glanced around the room again and Eli glared as Hunter¡¯s accusing stare landed on him. ¡°You have quite the temper.¡±


    ¡°Only towards you,¡± Eli growled in response.


    Hunter peered past me at the guy in his chair who was smiling smugly. Hunter¡¯s jaw clenched, and like Eli, he launched forward and punched the guy in the face¡­multiple times. Forgetting Eli, all three boys grabbed Hunter and yanked him away, all while Mr. Aleksandrov swore under his breath and shook his head in defeat.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Hunter pulled away from the others and stepped closer to me. ¡°I thought you were having another nightmare. It felt the same.¡±


    I snapped my head in Eli¡¯s direction and the way his eyes narrowed in on me caused my heart to race. Damnit, Hunter!


    ¡°Another nightmare?¡± He paused. ¡°How long have you been having nightmares?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have nightmares.¡± I exhaled. ¡°Okay, so that was a lie. I¡¯ve been having nightmares since the night Lucian breached the school¡­I can handle them, it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve been handling them all on your own?¡±


    Hunter turned to Eli. ¡°She¡¯s had me.¡±


    Eli wasn¡¯t impressed and I watched his jaw clench imperceptibly. Crap. Could this get any worse?


    ¡°Two?¡± The intruder laughed once, licking fresh blood from his cut. ¡°I didn¡¯t pick you to be that kind of girl.¡±


    I gritted my teeth until my jaw ached. ¡°You don¡¯t know a damn thing about me.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± he retorted, mimicking my tone. ¡°Kill me, go ahead. If you don¡¯t, they will.¡±


    ¡°Who will?¡± I asked, stepping closer. ¡°Tell me so I can fight them head on.¡±


    He shook his head at me, smiling wolfishly. ¡°You can¡¯t kill them. They¡¯re above you. All of you.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov paced the room. ¡°I knew it.¡± We turned to face him. ¡°Last night after my hearing, I knew Cesare was up to something¡­he made a subtle joke about the plane¡ªabout running out of fuel. He planned this.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± I protested, placing my hands on my hips. ¡°Cesare jeopardized our ride home so we ended up here? What are the odds that we¡¯re in the exact place he wants us to be?¡±


    The odds of us being in the same place Cesare assumed we would be after the plane landed was slim and it was painfully obvious that he was obsessed with protecting our race against ¡®exposure¡¯ to humans. He wouldn¡¯t risk it.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Eli agreed. ¡°And the council wouldn¡¯t risk such a big commotion.¡±


    ¡°Tell me¡­¡± The stranger shuffled in his seat and cleared his throat. ¡°What makes you so sure you¡¯re not alone here?¡±


    ¡°The other rooms are taken. The guy at the counter said so,¡± I countered.


    His smile widened. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what a trucker hat and a fake moustache can achieve.¡±


    Confused, we all glanced at each other. Eli turned and stalked from the room. I followed him and watched as he kicked the doors of the surrounding ¡®occupied¡¯ rooms in. Some played music. Others, television¡­but all of them were empty. I watched Eli closely and every time a room came up empty, my chest tightened a little more. Eli, however, was the perfect picture of calm. Not once did he betray what he was really feeling deep down.


    I stepped into the room again, avoiding everyone¡¯s eyes. Mr. Aleksandrov must have sensed my apprehension because a thicker wave of calm washed over me. Eli gave Mr. Aleksandrov and extremely subtle shake of his head when he entered and I felt the warmth from his body radiate onto my back as he approached me from behind.


    ¡°We¡¯re alone,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov said aloud and an uncomfortable silence filled the room¡­before it was broken by a dark chuckle.


    ¡°Told you.¡±


    ¡°Why would they kill me?¡± I wondered aloud. ¡°They need my blood.¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°Your blood means nothing when you¡¯re threatening our way of life by inciting a rebellion.¡± His lips twitched. ¡°You stepped on the wrong toes, Miss Moore.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov replied, strolling right up to the stranger. ¡°The council have tried to silence the wrong people, and if they want a fight, a fight is what they¡¯ll get.¡±


    ¡°If you go head to head with the council, Ivan, then you¡¯re a bigger fool than I thought.¡±

 Page 17

    ¡°I don¡¯t deny it.¡± Mr. Aleksandrov turned his back on the man. ¡°Eli, take care of him. The rest of you, leave.¡±


    Eli stepped forward while Xavier fetched Mila from the bathroom. She kept her gaze on the floor, avoiding the frightening face of our attacker and exited the room.


    I didn¡¯t leave¡­because Eli was ordered to kill someone and I wanted to support him. That¡¯s what lovers do, right? Support each other?


    ¡°Go, Ruby,¡± Eli ordered.


    I straightened my posture, my legs turning to concrete. I¡¯d like to see him try and make me leave. ¡°No.¡±


    An unnoticed Hunter snatched my arm and pulled me toward the door. I moved, too, so much for cement legs. I struggled against him, but it was useless, and soon after I was shut out as Hunter locked himself in the room with Eli.


    Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s last words before he walked down the hall echoed throughout my mind. ¡°They won¡¯t be long. We need to get out of here and fast. On the way you can explain what Hunter meant by ¡®feeling¡¯ your nightmares.¡±


    Chapter Ten


    Never in a million years would I have thought Mr. Aleksandrov would be okay with stealing a car and yet, here I was staring at a black SUV and preparing myself to climb in. Funnily enough, he was the one who suggested it. It seemed I was the only one who felt bad about stealing a dead man¡¯s car. Yep¡­dead. Eli had killed the intruder while I waited outside the room in the silence. I heard no sounds of struggle or pain seep through the wooden barrier, not even a squeak. When Eli opened the door, I saw the man sitting lifelessly in his chair. There was no extra blood or indication of any kind that Eli had killed him¡­but he was dead. Everyone else seemed okay with his death, so why was I the only one feeling so bad? He wanted to kill me and I still held a sliver of sympathy for him. Eli brushed past me on the way to the car and I grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn to me. He was mad and it was evident by the way he avoided my eyes. I peered at the car and saw Mr. Aleksandrov watching us through his side mirror. I angled my body so he couldn¡¯t see my face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you,¡± I said, referring to my nightmares. ¡°I was only thinking of you, not myself. You were pulling double shifts¡ªI barely saw you. I didn¡¯t want to add to that.¡±


    He watched me, raking his teeth quickly over his bottom lip. ¡°Will you ever stop keeping things from me?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t keep¡ª¡±


    ¡°You kept it from me,¡± he snapped, leaning forward. ¡°You always do. What do I need to do to get you to be open with me? Do I have to annoy you? Kiss you without your consent? Do you want me to be more like him?¡±


    ¡°No, Eli, I don¡¯t want¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then what? What can I do to make you realize that I¡¯m a hell of a lot stronger than you think I am? I was pulling double shifts? Big deal. I¡¯ve been pulling double shifts since I started this career. I¡¯ve been fighting and killing for years. I¡¯ve had the nightmares, I¡¯ve experienced them, and I can help you. I can be there for you, but you choose to neglect me.¡±


    I shifted my weight uncomfortably, nervously fingering the button holes in my shirt. Why did it always sound stupid when he said it? I also knew if I told Eli of my nightmares, he¡¯d have taken my guardian uniform and stripped me of my title. He¡¯d want to prevent me from experiencing Lucian all over again.


    ¡°And if I told you, would you have stopped training me? Would you have intervened in my training?¡±


    He didn¡¯t even have to think about his answer. ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°See, you don¡¯t make it easy for me to tell you things. You take control of the situation immediately without taking my feelings into account.¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t take control of the situation, you push it until it spirals out of control. You have a faulty gauge when it comes to stress and pressure. You think you can handle a lot, but you can¡¯t. You¡¯re not made to. If you told me it was because of sleep deprivation that you were having a hard time in training, I wouldn¡¯t have let Lyric push you so much.¡± He stepped closer. ¡°When I came to your room last night, you were panicked, you held me so tightly you ripped the collar of my shirt.¡± He tugged on the collar and the back of it was ripped¡ªI didn¡¯t even notice. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you so scared in your life than you were last night and he wasn¡¯t even a vampire. You¡¯re breaking under the stress, Ruby. You need help.¡±


    I scoffed at him. ¡°I need help? I am doing just fine thank you.¡±


    ¡°Why do you always have to be so stubborn?¡± he growled, seeming less like the Eli I¡¯m used to. I hadn¡¯t seen him so agitated since the hospital after I¡¯d fled Sage in my first year. ¡°You¡¯ll be your own undoing and when you finally collapse, you¡¯re going to have no one there to help you.¡±


    I flinched as every muscle in my being tensed and somehow squeezed my heart. What did that mean? He wasn¡¯t going to be there for me? Forever wasn¡¯t on the cards for us anymore? Eli noticed my tautness and his features softened. ¡°I can¡¯t be there if you¡¯re not going to share everything with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll leave me?¡± I whispered, almost missing it myself.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d never leave you, but I don¡¯t have to. You¡¯d push me away, just like you are now.¡±


    The thought of not having Eli even for a split second sucked and the familiar feeling of panic constricted my chest. To fight it off, I launched forward, wrapping my arms around his waist and squeezing him against me. I would never buckle under the stress as long as I had him. The stress could be bucketing down but he was the support beams holding the roof off of my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing,¡± I mumbled, tears threatening my eyes. ¡°Help me.¡±


    He slid a finger under my chin, tilting my face to his. He ran his thumb in quick soft strokes and it warmed me. ¡°Talk to me,¡± he muttered. ¡°That¡¯s all I want from you.¡±


    I nodded, my eyes never leaving his captivating stare. His gaze flicked to my lips and then back to my eyes, seeking permission. Only Eli would ask his girlfriend (or whatever I was) for permission to kiss her. Always the gentleman.


    He lowered his mouth to mine and my breath escaped me in sudden quick pants as I watched his lips get closer and closer. As they¡¯re about to touch, to make everything better, Lyric honks the horn, making the pair of us whip in their direction. In the side mirror, I see Mr. Aleksandrov smirk. Ass.


    ¡°Not on my watch,¡± he called.


    Eli slipped out of my grasp and took hold of my hand. ¡°C¡¯mon, you can make it up to me later when you tell me all about your nightmares.¡±


    He tugged me into step beside him and opened the back door. There was barely room for us all, but we managed, even if I did end up sitting with one butt cheek on Mila and one half of my torso on Eli. It could have been worse, I suppose.


    Forgetting everyone else, Eli laced his fingers through mine and squeezed. As strange as it sounded, everyone seemed so calm regardless of the events that occurred only hours before. We were strong. The council was nothing compared to the evil we¡¯d already faced on numerous occasions and as long as we had each other, we¡¯d come out on top.


    We drove for hours. Not a couple of hours, a lot of hours from morning until dusk. Mr. Aleksandrov gave Lyric the directions while the rest of us slept in the back. By the ¡®rest of us,¡¯ I meant everyone except me. I didn¡¯t want to sleep. I was too wired and worried to even think about resting. I was on the lookout for signs, trying to get a rough idea of where we were going. I had no idea where we were, but Aleksandrov seemed to know the sparse, rough roads well. I heard him tell Lyric that we were going to be okay and that he knew people in this area. How accurate that was, I had no idea, and it wasn¡¯t until we rolled into a small town that was filled with old people did I begin to believe him.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± I wondered aloud, leaning towards the window and unintentionally digging my elbow into Eli¡¯s stomach to get a better look. He awoke with a jolt and I pulled my elbow back.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    He ran his hand over his face and shifted in his seat so I could get a better look.


    ¡°Gods and goddesses aren¡¯t the only ones with communities, you know, and I¡¯m sure the council has no idea this place even exists.¡±


    I unclipped my seatbelt and followed Eli from the car. My entire body sighed in relief as my muscles finally stretched and softened against the bone. I twirled on the spot, taking in the cute little town. It was like I stepped into a time machine and went back twenty years. It was quiet and there were barely any cars.


    Mr. Aleksandrov straightened his grey robe and ushered us toward a small motel. ¡°All of you stay put until I speak with Gwydion.


    I perked up at the sound of his name. It had been so long since I¡¯d seen his chubby, pug-like face.


    ¡°Gwydion is here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to find out, but I can¡¯t have you lot walking around the place and making people suspicious. Get a room and wait for me.¡±


    Without resistance, we booked a room in the motel and gained a few strange stares from the old people who worked/lived here. We waited a very, very, very long time for Mr. Aleksandrov to come back, and by the time he did, everyone was ready to sleep again, especially me¡ªwho didn¡¯t sleep the first time.


    ¡°All right, we¡¯ve been granted a stay of three days maximum and given only two rooms. I was hoping Gwydion would be here, but unfortunately, he has other stuff he¡¯s attending to and we¡¯re on our own. For the time being, keep your heads low and don¡¯t aggravate the locals while I figure out what our next move is.¡± He rubbed his hands together and exposed a little silver watch from under the sleeve of his robe, checking the time. ¡°They take curfew very seriously in this town and everyone should be in bed by eleven p.m. So, you have eight minutes before lights out.¡±


    We all glanced at each other, feeling like inconsiderate teenagers, and I wasn¡¯t deaf, I heard every stomach in the room rumble at the thought of skipping dinner. We¡¯d skipped breakfast and lunch already. Our stomachs were fed up and we groaned out disappointment.


    ¡°Breakfast,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov said. ¡°I promise a big breakfast.¡±


    With a defeated sigh, Lyric and Xavier took a pillow from the couch each and lay on the floor while Mr. Aleksandrov and Mila unfolded the strange orange sofa bed, leaving Hunter, Eli, and I sitting awkwardly on the queen sized bed, resting against the headboard. The three of us shuffled down and pulled back the blankets.


    ¡°My people have been kind enough to let us stay here, but they do not want to be involved in the council¡¯s business.¡± We blinked at him, dumbfounded. ¡°In other words, Ruby cannot share a bed with you, Eli.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t share a bed with him? In a room with four other people? I opened my mouth to protest, but he raised a palm to silence me. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you have already. It will not happen here.¡±


    We looked sideways at Hunter, who chuckled cockily as he pulled his shirt over his head. I arched a brow as he slid under the covers and got as openly comfortable as he could.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a complete fool, Hunter. I know about you younger adults and your hormones. You will not be sharing a bed with her, either.¡±


    Eli laughed once under his breath and I gratefully slipped off the bed and joined Mila on the couch. Hunter put his shirt back on, much to Lyric and Xavier¡¯s amusement, and both he and Eli slipped under the covers. I should have found it funny, the both of them sharing a bed, but I didn¡¯t. I wanted to be held by Eli just like this morning.


    ¡°Ruby, can I speak with you a moment?¡±


    I regarded him curiously before I slipped from the couch and stood out in the hall with Mr. Aleksandrov.


    ¡°Hunter is sired to you just like we thought, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    There was no point in lying so I nodded my head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    I shifted my weight onto my left leg and crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°You had him locked in an underground cell for months. He didn¡¯t need any more tests performed on him.¡±


    ¡°Being sired to you is a very important side effect. It needs to be tested.


    What if it progresses into something else or affects how either of you operate?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± I ran my hand over my face. ¡°Look, I¡¯m really tired. Can we talk about this some other time?¡±


    Even under all of his facial hair, I saw his jaw clench. ¡°I guess some other time will have to do.¡±


    He whipped around and went to his own room¡ªthe room he had all to himself. With an exasperated sigh, I headed back to my room. I flicked the lights off before everyone¡¯s curious eyes could fall on me and climbed back into the sofa bed.


    ¡°You know,¡± Hunter said, his voice disrupting the long silence. ¡°If you two girls wanted to explore your ¡®young adult¡¯ hormones, I¡¯m sure no one here is going to mind.¡±


    Mila and I groaned while the rest chuckled¡ªI think I even heard Eli laugh.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± I grumbled, punching my pillow a few times to make it puffy. ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    They didn¡¯t go to sleep and it bothered me for the first few minutes. They spoke about things I didn¡¯t really care for, like football and spiders, but once I had my eyes closed for a solid period of time, sleep took me and all conversation fell from thought.


    Damp leaves attached to hard branches slap me in the face. My nerves are electrified, like I¡¯m holding an umbrella over my head as I climb to the very tip of a tree during a lightning storm. My legs ache¡ªthe burn matching my lungs. I can¡¯t breathe¡­but I can¡¯t stop. If I stop, he¡¯ll catch me and I don¡¯t want him to catch me.

 Page 18

    ¡°Help me!¡±


    I flinch, keeping my head down as Mila¡¯s scream assaults my ears. I remind myself over and over that it¡¯s not real¡­it¡¯s him, Lucian, playing tricks on me. He wants me to forget that I¡¯m running from him. He wants to use my friends against me, to catch me, but I won¡¯t let him, not this time.


    ¡°Ruby!¡± she squeals, sending violent goosebumps over my body. ¡°Please!¡±


    Her voice sounds desperate¡­like she¡¯s in pain. I falter and stumble forward. It¡¯s not real. It¡¯s not real. I draw myself to full height, drag in a shaky breath and push on. It begins to rain and I lick my lip as a drop falls on it, to moisten my cracked skin. I recoil from the copper taste¡ªblood. I purse my lips together and lower my head, pushing myself to my limits. There¡¯s nothing driving me¡­I¡¯m thirsty, hungry, exhausted¡­but my fear of Lucian spurs me on. Not a second later, I hear a shrill, evil laugh and then slam into a rock-like figure. My head spins and I fall back. Pain crepitates over my skull and I grit my teeth against the instant headache. I keep my eyes shut, refusing to look at him. I shake my head profusely, wishing he¡¯d just leave me alone.


    ¡°Please,¡± I whimper, letting my head roll to the side. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll decide when you¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    I feel his hard, cold fingers grip my arms and squeeze.


    My eyes shot open and the feel of Lucian¡¯s hands on me didn¡¯t go away. I gasped and tried to sit up, to get away from the pressure on my arms that was meant to be fake, a figment of my imagination.


    ¡°Ruby,¡± a familiar voice whispered. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Eli¡¯s voice soothed me and I brushed the hair that stuck to my lips off my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± I exhaled, breathing a little easier.


    I felt the need to say it aloud, to convince myself that Lucian was dead and he couldn¡¯t hurt me or the ones I loved anymore. I shivered and Eli removed his hands from my arms. The minute movement was enough for me to get a better grip on my reality. Safe. My reality was safe. Without a word, I shuffled over on the couch to make room for him. My back pressed firmly against Mila¡¯s, but I was sure she wouldn¡¯t mind. Eli waited a few seconds before giving in and slipping in beside me, and I barely waited for him to get comfortable before I pushed myself into his arms. We didn¡¯t speak for fear of waking anybody else up. I wasn¡¯t ready to speak yet, anyway. Eli wanted to know all about my nightmares, but what could I say? I saw Lucian every time I closed my eyes and that was the extent of it. I closed my eyes, but didn¡¯t dare fall back asleep as he trailed soft kisses along my forehead. Strangely enough, they seemed sympathetic. Instead of analyzing it, I pressed into him and enjoyed the company. This was the first time since having the nightmares that I¡¯ve had any kind of support and it felt nice. I wanted to savor it and get a feel for having Eli there for me. I thought him knowing would make things harder, but he was doing such a good job and I don¡¯t know how I coped without him before now. I needed him. I always did.


    Chapter Eleven


    I opened my eyes and squinted around a brightly lit room. Instead of being in the sweet comfort of Eli¡¯s arms, I was in Mila¡¯s. I glanced over my shoulder at her face. Blonde strands stuck to her face and shook as she breathed through her nose. Yep¡­Mila was most definitely spooning me.


    ¡°Well, this morning just got awesome.¡±


    I snapped my head up and spotted Hunter leaning against the wall, playing with a rubber band. He twirled it around his finger and smiled mischievously at me.


    ¡°Spooning. I like it.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and dragged myself out of Mila¡¯s grip. She inhaled sharply and expelled it with a heavy yawn. She arched her back like a cat and pulled a pillow over her face. I didn¡¯t blame her. I looked around the room. Eli and Xavier were leaning chatting by the far window, but Lyric was gone. The second I thought his name, the door opened and all I could smell was bacon. It smelled so good my mouth pooled with saliva and my throat burned at the thought of eating it. Mr. Aleksandrov and Lyric brought in two large platters adorned with bacon, eggs, sausages and toast. On the other, many variations of fruit sat, just waiting for me to taste them.


    Mila shot up out of bed and made a break for the bathroom. Without a word, she dived through the door and slammed it shut. We looked after her, the lot of us puzzled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Mr. Aleksandrov asked me and I shrugged my shoulders.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    We sat around the sofa bed, chatting and laughing¡ªmost of the discussion consisted of us making fun of Mr. Aleksandrov and this strange little town. Whatever the conversation, I was just thankful no one brought up the night before or the council. As I sat and watched everyone eat, I had this strange sense of belonging tug at my heart. What if we don¡¯t fight the council? I frowned at myself. What if we run and never look back?


    ¡°I just hope you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Lyric said, pulling me from my thoughts as he bit down on a piece of toast. ¡°Your decisions affect all of us and no offense, but we are all too young to die.¡±


    ¡°What do you propose we do then, Lyric?¡± Mr. Aleksandrov responded.


    ¡°I say we go back to the council and tell them we¡¯ve realized how pushy we¡¯ve been and leave everything as it is.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re holding that much honor to the council? They¡¯ll kill us where we stand. Do you honestly believe they had no idea Lucian was a vampire? I guarantee you they knew the day he was turned. They left him in power because he shared important vampire information. Lucian was using them to further his cause as much as they were using him.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov was right. How ¡®honorable¡¯ could they be if ninety-eight percent of our population didn¡¯t even know they exist? Up until a couple of months ago, we only knew of Lucian, the higher power. Beyond him, there was nothing. Gods, goddesses, guardian angels¡ªall of us¡ªwere taught that the higher power ran everything.


    ¡°We could run,¡± I added. ¡°We could stay off their radar and just¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ be normal.¡±


    I ignored the way everyone stared at me like I¡¯d suggested we take the whole council on naked.


    Mr. Aleksandrov shook his head. ¡°We¡¯d never get away with it and I¡¯d never abandon Sage Sanctum.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan then?¡± I demanded, getting frustrated. I wanted a plan. I wanted to know what the hell was going to happen next. I was way too anxious to live minute by minute.


    ¡°We move inland, today. Gwydion has a cave-like house a few miles from here. He assures us we¡¯ll be safe there.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°And then we stay there until I can find a way to expose the council.¡±


    Now it was my turn to stare at him like he was crazy. ¡°You want to expose the council? Are you insane? People would freak out!¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°The people have us. We¡¯re better leaders than the council will ever be. Who hides from their people?¡±


    I pushed my plate away and crossed my legs on the floor. ¡°We can¡¯t run an entire species. We¡¯ve barely finished school.¡±


    ¡°Thousands of people already trust us. We¡¯ve started something we can¡¯t back down from. All of this, Hank, Lucian, and now the council, it¡¯s all connected and we can¡¯t give up now. We started this and we have to finish it.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov stood up and brushed crumbs off his new, dark blue robe. ¡°Finish up. We¡¯re leaving in half an hour.¡±


    He turned on his heel and left the room. After his exit, the rest of us sat around and picked mindlessly at our plates.


    ¡°We¡¯re all going to die. You guys know that, right?¡± Hunter announced.


    None of us answered him¡­ partly because we knew he was right.


    I was beginning to hate traveling, especially in cars. I swear the last few years of my life have been spent driving in a car. We were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by dense forest and a long, never ending road that stretched out in front of us and refreshed to meet the horizon every mile we drove. On the plus side, we didn¡¯t all have to squeeze into the one car. Eli, Hunter, Mila, and I took one car and Mr. Aleksandrov, Lyric, and Xavier took another. I relaxed back in my passenger seat, ignoring the mumbling conversation between Mila and Hunter in the back. I heard Gabriel¡¯s name a few times and decided that was a conversation I didn¡¯t want to drop in on.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how far away we are?¡± I asked Eli as I stared at the rear of the other group¡¯s car.


    ¡°No clue.¡±


    He tapped his fingers in rhythmic beats along the steering wheel and Hunter laughed under his breath. ¡°Did you see the people that lived in that town? Out of their heads, the lot of them. I don¡¯t trust anyone that wears a robe in summer.¡±


    I opened my mouth to reply with some witty retort when suddenly, Lyric slammed the brakes on his car and the tires squealed against the tar, piercing my eardrums. I heard Eli swear and Mila scream before our own car screeched and slammed to a halt. I was thrown forward in my seat, only to be caught by my seatbelt before I crashed back into my chair and winding myself. I felt Eli¡¯s hands on me immediately, touching my hair and my shoulders.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, his green eyes wide and worried.


    I nodded as I rubbed my already sore throat and ignored the way my bones seemed to vibrate inside me.


    ¡°We¡¯re good back here too, thanks for asking,¡± Hunter groaned, unclipping his seatbelt and opening the door. Following his lead, I got out of the car and opened Mila¡¯s door. She was pale, beyond pale, and shaking like a leaf.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± I asked, working myself up over her shock.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she breathed, her voice breaking. ¡°I think so.¡±


    She slid from the car and hooked her arm around mine as I pulled us both over to Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s vehicle. No one was in it. They were standing at the front, looking at whatever it was that caused them to slam their brakes. It was probably a goat or whatever animal was common around these parts. I kept my eyes on the road, trying my best to keep my shaking legs from buckling. It wasn¡¯t until I felt Mila being yanked from me and Eli squeezing me behind him did I realize something wasn¡¯t right. Despite Eli¡¯s protective grip, I shrugged him off and peered around him. If it were a cartoon, my mouth would have detached from my jaw and slammed into the road. No. No, it¡¯s not possible. If I was shaking before, I was absolutely quaking now. I dragged my eyes over him¡­ his tall, bulky body, clean but pale (almost blue) skin, and long, dirty blond hair that stopped at his shoulders.


    Tay.


    I began to step backwards, but Eli¡¯s hand planted itself on the small of my back.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible,¡± I heard Mr. Aleksandrov mutter. ¡°I saw his dead body.¡±


    ¡°I killed him,¡± Eli added. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Care to fill us in?¡± Lyric mumbled, earning a groan of agreement from Xavier. They weren¡¯t at Sage when Tay was. They had no clue what he put Eli and I through.


    ¡°Long story short¡­¡± Mr. Aleksandrov pointed at Tay. ¡°He was an ex-guardian of mine who went a little crazy and Eli killed him.¡±


    ¡°Well, no offense, De Luca¡­¡± Hunter chuckled nervously from behind us. ¡°But you obviously didn¡¯t do a good enough job.¡±


    Eli growled over his shoulder. ¡°I tore his goddamn head from his body. I couldn¡¯t have killed him any better than that. Trust me, he¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Surprise.¡± Tay laughed, clapping his hands together. The sound was so real, so lifelike, that it made us all flinch. ¡°It seems you guys have been up to a lot since I¡¯ve been gone.¡±


    He stepped forward and I felt the whole group tense. He stopped. ¡°What, no welcome back hugs?¡±


    ¡°Eli,¡± I whispered. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    He took a little while to answer me, but when he did, it took away any shred of confidence that I had. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°There are some things that are even bigger than you lot and you¡¯re all going to die.¡±


    And then he disappeared right in front of our eyes. Vanished into thin air, like a ghost.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov said under his breath. He stepped forward, running his hands through his hair. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    We stared at him, waiting for him to further explain whatever the hell he was talking about. He stopped and smiled at us. It was a creepy, beaming smile, one that made me extremely uncomfortable. ¡°This could work.¡±


    ¡°What could work?¡± Lyric asked, the shock of what he just witnessed still showing through his voice.


    ¡°Someone is using a necromancer.¡±


    Hunter scoffed. ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°A necromancer. A powerful being capable of bringing back the dead and I¡¯m willing to bet everything I own that it¡¯s the council. ¡±


    ¡°Really? You think the council would do that? That¡¯s a little farfetched.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Necromancers were wiped out, but it¡¯s possible the council has one¡ªjust like Lucian had a heelian for his own personal use.¡±


    I frowned at the mention of my father¡ªcorrection¡ªmy sperm donor. He tried to kill me.


    ¡°They went so far as to hinder our flight home and take over a motel to kill the one thing that can cure vampirism. Trust me, they¡¯re aren¡¯t afraid of being farfetched.¡±


    Eli pulled me into him and held onto me like he was afraid I was going to disappear like Tay did. ¡°What do we do now? They clearly know where we are.¡±

 Page 19

    Mr. Aleksandrov¡¯s smile widened. ¡°We go to them.¡±


    Everyone protested at once. Was Mr. Aleksandrov going insane? Since leaving for the council, he¡¯s changed. He seemed a hell of a lot more impulsive now. He stepped back, raising his hands to silence us. ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but this could be our only shot to expose them.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to expose them?¡±


    ¡°Because our people need honesty. They need to be led by someone who puts the people¡¯s best interests first. Those who run an entire society behind someone else¡¯s face are weak. They¡¯re afraid of the backlash because they know what they¡¯re doing is wrong and would much rather someone else be blamed for it.¡±


    ¡°Why the sudden interest in changing the world, Ivan?¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov slumped into himself, his eyes quickly flicking to Mila before raking over the rest of us.


    ¡°Uncle,¡± Mila warned, and I looked over my shoulder at her. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed with¡­ anger or embarrassment? I couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I questioned. I pulled away from Eli before I glanced back to Mr. Aleksandrov.


    ¡°I need a team,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov muttered, running his hands over his face. ¡°They¡¯re not going to help me unless they know, Mila.¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡± I was getting annoyed now. I didn¡¯t like Mila hiding things from me.


    Tears welled in her eyes and rolled over the brims before wetting her cheeks. ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­¡± She swiped at her eyes before whipping around on her heels and storming off.


    I wasted no time in following her. The past few weeks she¡¯s seemed fine¡ªhappy, even, so what could be making her so upset?


    ¡°Mila?¡± I called after her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I grabbed her wrist and Mila lurched forward, snatching her arm from my grasp and vomiting all over the road. I jumped back, cringing before I leaned forward and gathered her hair.


    ¡°Leave me alone,¡± she groaned when she was finished and pulled away from me again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you alone,¡± I told her, following her to the second car and out of sight of everyone else. She sat on the hot road, leaning against the tire. She dropped her head onto her hands and her shoulders began to shake as she cried. Why was she having such a hard time dealing with all of this? I never once stopped to think about how this was affecting her. She¡¯s always been a lot more¡­ fragile than me.


    ¡°Ruby,¡± Eli uttered from behind me, but I ignored him. I needed to talk to Mila, alone.


    ¡°Not right now,¡± I told him without glancing over my shoulder. ¡°Mila? Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Ruby.¡± I snapped my arm up, showing him the back of my hand. Eli snatched my hand and lowered it. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    I gaped at Eli over my shoulder and he seemed annoyed by the revelation.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not possible,¡± I said, looking back at Mila. She was crying harder now, her body rocking with her sobs. ¡°Right?¡±


    She looked at me, her eyes narrowing into annoyed slits. ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be pregnant right now!¡±


    ¡°Whose?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you three guesses, but you¡¯re only going to need one.¡±


    Gabriel. I took a minute step back, pressing myself against Eli. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not possible,¡± I whispered. ¡°He¡¯s a guardian angel and you¡¯re a goddess. We can¡¯t procreate.¡±


    ¡°And who told you that?¡± she snapped. ¡°Whoever it was, you can now call them a lying son of a bitch because I am pregnant¡ªnine weeks¡¯ pregnant.¡±


    I looked at Eli, absolutely panicked. We hadn¡¯t been so careful the last couple of times we¡­ you know¡­ ¡®did it.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s extremely rare, but there have been some cases where it has happened. The higher power¡ªor the council¡ªhave always taken care of it.¡±


    The way he said ¡®taken care of it¡¯ sent shivers from my head to the tips of my toes.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why Mr Aleksandrov is so adamant about changing the laws? For Mila?¡±


    Eli nodded. ¡°We have to go back to the council.¡±


    ¡°And if they kill us?¡±


    His thumb brushed up my arm and began circling my elbow. ¡°We¡¯re dead, anyway.¡±


    Chapter Twelve


    Stupid cars. Seriously. I was getting sick and tired of these four wheeled machines. On the plus side, Mr. Aleksandrov told us that his plan was to expose the council before they had the chance to kill us. That was it. The specifics were still unknown. According to him, we were dead anyway, so anything we tried was worth a shot.


    Mila didn¡¯t talk to anybody, even though I gave up my front seat to be near her. For hours she sniffled and wiped away tears, behaving like she was all alone on this thing. She wasn¡¯t alone. For example, we were on our way back to the motel we were attacked at to grab the attention of the people who sent the attacker so we could go back to the council¡¯s city and find a way to expose them. All of this was in support of her.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± I whispered, leaning into her. She looked at me like I was an idiot. Fair call. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t have told anybody, either.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to sort this out, okay? We¡¯re going to clear the law and then you and Gabriel can¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is no me and Gabriel¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know and I haven¡¯t spoken to him since we¡­¡± She covered her face with her hands. ¡°I can only imagine what I look like to you and everybody else, and Xavier probably hates me, too.¡±


    I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in. ¡°Xavier doesn¡¯t hate you. He was more shocked than anything. We all were, but we¡¯d never judge you, Mila. Ever.¡±


    I ignored the curious nagging in my stomach that urged me to ask why she cared what Xavier thought about her. Now was not the time to pry into her love life¡­ I hardly imagined it to be a topic she¡¯d want to discuss right now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this,¡± she cried, shielding her face from me again.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay, Mila. It¡¯s not the end of the world.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the end of anyone else¡¯s word but mine. I hope they kill us when they see us.¡±


    I frowned. Well, then¡­ wasn¡¯t she just a bright ball of sunshine. She¡¯s in an emotional state, I reminded myself. She doesn¡¯t mean it.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get through this¡­ and we¡¯re going to help you.¡±


    She shrugged out from underneath my arm and angled her body away from me. It hurt, but I couldn¡¯t hold it against her. I sighed and slumped into my seat. What if the council lifted the law and Mila didn¡¯t want to keep the baby¡ªor worse¡ªwhat if they refuse to lift the ban? We¡¯re dead anyway, I suppose. From the front seat, Hunter groaned.


    ¡°Ease up on the negative feelings, you¡¯re making me nauseous.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. I couldn¡¯t shut off my emotions. It was impossible. ¡°Deal with it.¡±


    I peered out the window and watched the tall, thick trees roll past. Most trees were bare, exposing long awkward branches as they prepared themselves for winter. I loved winter. It was my favorite time of the year¡ªor at least it used to be, before Mom died.


    I don¡¯t know how long it took to get back to the place we¡¯d fled from¡­ I slept on and off for the most part. I dreamt, too, but whenever it turned dark, I was awoken by Hunter squeezing my knee from the seat, and although I appreciated the exit from my nightmares, Eli didn¡¯t. For the most part, I avoided his gaze that occasionally flicked to me. I wonder if we told the council about the sire bond, they¡¯d keep us alive a little longer, or maybe, they¡¯d find a way to break it. Of course, I¡¯d probably have to offer them something in return, like a lifetime supply of my blood or something equally as ridiculous. All I knew was, there was no way I could live like this. Hunter, knowing all of my emotions, experiencing them, was starting to bug me. Someday soon, Eli and I will be together¡­ and I can¡¯t have Hunter around if I want it work. For a while, I was confused about Hunter, and truth be told, I thought I loved him¡­ but looking back, I knew it wasn¡¯t love. He was there for me when Eli was gone. He offered me comfort when I needed it and he encouraged me to be young and stupid, to have fun, and that awed me. Then, he was taken from me. That was the most confusing period for me¡­ I thought he was dead. I was heartbroken because I¡¯d lost the one person who has never tried to change me. After my Mom¡¯s murder, after my transition, after Hank¡­ I was damaged. I needed love and wanted attention. I see that now. What I felt for Hunter pales in comparison to my love for Eli. I would do anything for him¡­ to be without him would be hell, and to feel anyone else¡¯s lips on my skin would be a mere graze to the tsunami of tingles Eli¡¯s sent over me every time we¡¯re intimate.


    The car rolled to a stop and the air in the car suddenly became thick with apprehension. Although we put up a tough front, none of us wanted to die. We kept our eyes on the deserted motel. There were no cars¡­ nothing.


    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t know we¡¯re he¡ª¡±


    Hunter¡¯s words are cut off by a blinding light coming from the forest in front of us. I shielded my eyes with my forearm and attempted to peer past the white lights, but got nowhere.


    ¡°They know we¡¯re here,¡± Eli muttered, opening his door.


    I shot forward in my seat and gripped Eli¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not going out there,¡± I ordered, but he slipped away from me and out of the car.


    ¡°I am, but you¡¯re not. Stay here and let us handle it. All of you.¡± He flicked his keys to Hunter, who caught it, just. ¡°If anything happens, get them out of here and keep them safe.


    Hunter nodded, but I wasn¡¯t going to take that so easily. ¡°Eli¡ª¡±


    He shut the door and I reached for my own. I wasn¡¯t going to go anywhere without him. As my finger curled around the handle, the door locked and I snapped back to Hunter.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you lock the door?¡± I demanded, pulling a little harder on the handle. I ran my free hand along the door, looking for a button that I could pull to unlock it. Nothing. What kind of death trap was this machine? No manual locks, really? ¡°Unlock the door!¡±


    Hunter shook his head. ¡°Sorry, gotta keep you two safe. De Luca¡¯s orders.¡±


    ¡°Since when do you care what Eli says?¡± Mila barked, unclipping her seatbelt. ¡°You¡¯ve never done what he¡¯s said before.¡±


    ¡°I happen to agree with him on this one and besides, we both care about the safety of you two.¡±


    ¡°Us two?¡± Mila scoffed. ¡°Yeah, right.¡±


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re really letting your pregnancy emotions and hormones run rampant today, Mila. Turn it down a notch.¡±


    I growled. ¡°If you don¡¯t let me out of this car, I¡¯ll show you rampant emotions.¡±


    Hunter smiled back at me over his shoulder, his blue eyes glistening. ¡°I¡¯m sure I could take anything that you dish out.¡±


    I looked back through the window. The bright lights were gone and all I saw were at least seven elite guards with guns pointed at Mr. Aleksandrov, Lyric, Xavier, and Eli. I shoved the tips of my fingers into my mouth and began to chew on my already blunt nails. Minutes passed and the guns weren¡¯t lowered. I expected them to shoot at any second, Hunter did too, I could tell by the way his finger tightened around the keys.


    ¡°What do you think they¡¯re talking about?¡± Mila whispered, inching closer to me. She was scared, and judging by the way my hands shook, I was, too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    They spoke for a length of time and every couple of minutes I tried my luck with the door. Sadly, Hunter never unlocked it. Quick butterflies fluttered around my stomach and their wings dug into the sides, slicing me with their anxiety inducing tips. The elites could pull their triggers at any second and I¡¯d lose half of the people I loved most. Then what? Hunter would take the wheel and we¡¯d run? Even if that were to happen (touch wood) I couldn¡¯t leave. They¡¯d have to shoot me, too, because I couldn¡¯t live without Eli¡­ I cringed. The mere thought of it was unbearable.


    For a moment, my entire world stilled as an elite guard, the one standing in front of the rest, raised his gun directly at Eli. Eli barely flinched¡ªin fact¡ªhe seemed a hell of a lot calmer than anyone else. No one moved. I heard the keys jingle as Hunter singled out the ignition key. My entire body was tense¡ªso tense my muscles began to burn.


    ¡°Hunter,¡± I said, my voice dead calm¡ªmuch calmer than I felt inside, anyway. ¡°Unlock my door.¡±


    ¡°Ruby¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t unlock my door and something happens to him, I¡¯ll blame you for the rest of my life.¡±


    That was wrong of me to say. I knew I would never hold Hunter accountable for whatever happens tonight, but he didn¡¯t. I never took my eyes off the large gun pointed at Eli¡¯s face to gauge Hunter¡¯s reaction, but I could feel his stare burning into me. Not a second later, I heard the car unlock and guns were pointed in our direction as the indicators on our car flashed twice. Eli turned his head. He was mad. I saw his eyes thin and his lip purse. He was an idiot if he thought I¡¯d just sit here and do nothing¡­ on that thought, what the hell was I going to do now? All of the attention was on us.


    ¡°I hope you have a plan,¡± Hunter murmured, clearly unnerved by the situation.

 Page 20

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Ruby has ever had a plan¡­ for anything,¡± Mila added far too dryly for my liking.


    ¡°I did have a plan and it was successful.¡±


    ¡°Successful?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the doors are unlocked¡­ my plan ended there.¡±


    Hunter chuckled nervously. ¡°You should probably think up another one¡­ and quick.¡±


    I curled my fingers around the chrome handle and pushed. Everything was quiet and all eyes were on the car as I slipped from it. I shut the door and it seemed to echo. Eli¡¯s stare penetrated me and strangely, it had me regretting my decision to leave the car. On second thought¡ªno¡ªno, it didn¡¯t. There was no way Eli would have stayed in the car. No way. I put more weight into my legs, making me feel more confident.


    I shouted to the man still holding his gun firmly in Eli¡¯s face. ¡°Didn¡¯t your mother ever tell you not to point things in other people¡¯s faces? You might take one of his eyes out.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d be lucky if I only take his eye,¡± he responded with a sardonic smirk.


    ¡°Shoot his foot.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I like his eyes. They¡¯re pretty.¡±


    While the elites laughed, Eli scowled. He shouldn¡¯t be so mad. I was only buying time. Mila and Hunter were right, I didn¡¯t have a plan, but if I kept talking, the others would think I did. Giving them a false sense of security was better than what I really had planned¡ªabsolutely nothing. Eli could tell that I had no plan and I hoped he was the only one.


    ¡°The council wants us to go back,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov announced.


    ¡°And what have you decided?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not up for debate,¡± the head elite interrupted but I ignored him.


    ¡°Mr. Aleksandrov?¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov shifted in his robe, pulling more of the fabric around to the front. ¡°Get Hunter and Mila. We¡¯re going back.¡±


    Helicopters. We were flown back to the council in helicopters. I wasn¡¯t one to complain (much), but the helicopters were definitely not as flashy as the jet we arrived in the first time¡ªor as smooth. For appearance purposes, I sat next to Hunter and threaded my fingers through his, as a normal girlfriend would. I would have been able to really sell the boyfriend- girlfriend thing if Eli and an elite guard weren¡¯t sitting directly in front of us. This time, our flight to the council was different, not just cosmetically, but emotionally, too. The first time, there was uncertainty. We didn¡¯t know what was going to happen. This time, we were all certain we were going to die, which posed the question, why didn¡¯t they shoot us on sight? Why were they bringing us back? We were right where Mr. Aleksandrov wanted us to be, but suddenly I wasn¡¯t so sure and the ¡®running¡¯ idea definitely felt like a better plan right now. I didn¡¯t want to spend my last moments holding Hunter¡¯s hand¡­as bitchy as that sounded.


    The flight seemed to be over before it started and I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing because I felt nauseous being so high up, or bad because our problems were only just beginning. My palm was slick with sweat and mixed with Hunter¡¯s, but neither of us let go. In front of me, Eli leaned forward and watched the floor while his elbows were planted firmly on his thighs. He seemed a lot more distressed now than he had been with a gun pointed in his face. He glanced up at me then with a clear look of sympathy in the gorgeous depths of his eyes. I frowned as I studied him¡­ what did he have to be sorry for? Hunter cleared his throat and Eli¡¯s gaze shifted to him, hardening into a look of distaste. Hunter laughed once under his breath before his fingers twitched around mine. Out of principle, I took my hand from his and folded them tightly across my chest. Now was not the time for Hunter to gloat. The helicopter landed and my seatbelt bit into my stomach as we landed with a jerk.


    ¡°Time to go,¡± The ¡®head¡¯ elite guard said, reaching forward and unclipping my harness. The gesture made me feel like a child and I didn¡¯t appreciate it.


    ¡°Would you like to hold my hand and escort me off of the helicopter as well?¡± I asked, earning a warning glance from Eli. God, he was good at those. I didn¡¯t want to be snarky, or at least, I didn¡¯t intend to be, but there was only so much I could take before my defense mechanism kicked in.


    ¡°If you want to be a child.¡± He grinned. ¡°I could always drag you by your hair kicking and screaming.


    ¡°You could try,¡± interrupted Eli, freeing himself from his chair and standing up. Eli was only slightly taller than the elite, but a hell of a lot more intimidating. The elite¡¯s lips pulled tighter.


    ¡°Here I was assuming the boyfriend would defend her.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. They were going to turn every little thing that Eli did into an act of undying love.


    Beside me, Hunter shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be romantically involved to defend a woman¡¯s honor. Besides, he¡¯s already started and I¡¯m not going to stop him.¡± Hunter rose to his feet and extended his hand to me. ¡°I¡¯ll help you out.¡±


    I forced a smile and put my hand in his. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I ignored both Eli and the elite and focused solely on the stable patch of grass as Hunter led me from the helicopter. On the field fifty yards down, Mr. Aleksandrov, Mila, Xavier, and Lyric stepped down from their helicopter. I sagged in relief. Thank God they¡¯re all okay. I looked around the open field. Large light posts lit the grassy area, practically turning night into day. I didn¡¯t mind it too much, I¡¯d rather see everything than nothing at all. Hunter squeezed my hand as Eli strolled up beside me.


    ¡°They¡¯re taking us straight to the court house.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The council wants to know where we went and why we fled.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not serious? They know exactly why.¡±


    Eli nodded. ¡°We told the elites everything. They claim the council had nothing to do with it.¡±


    I opened my mouth to reply, but the elite interrupted me. ¡°Move. Cesare has no tolerance for tardiness.¡±


    I continued as if I never heard him. ¡°The elite that tried to kill me. He referred to the council.¡±


    ¡°Prove it, the elite demanded. ¡°You didn¡¯t even get a name and the council is not going to take your accusation lightly. If your attacker was an elite, that means Mr. De Luca here killed one of his own. That is not acceptable, nor is it the first time he has taken matters into his own hands.¡± The elite leaned a little closer, his face softening. ¡°Watch what you say in there. What happens next will depend on every single word that leaves your mouth.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Be careful, you actually sound like you¡¯re trying to help us.¡±


    He drew himself to full height. ¡°People like you and your little group. You¡¯ve all been through a lot and I admire that¡­ in a way. Other elites? Not so much.¡±


    He turned away from us and started forward, towards the beautiful stone buildings. At night, they had an alluring golden shine to them, and it made me wonder why. Why did they go through so much trouble to build such a majestic place if no one outside of this city was meant to see it? It seemed to me to be a huge waste of effort.


    The elite didn¡¯t allow us to wait for the others, who were making their way over, so we didn¡¯t. We kept on walking, hoping something¡ªanything¡ªwould help us out of this mess.


    Unlike last time, we weren¡¯t subjected to any frisks or assessments. We were dragged right into an empty courtroom. No spectators. No bright lights. Only the council, us, and the elite guards that brought us here. I sat between Eli and Hunter and I fought the urge to press myself against Eli for comfort. My empty stomach began to churn as the council filtered into the room from a side door. Their faces were neutral¡ªnot angry, not thoughtful, not even guilty, and if I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d believe them if they said they had nothing to do with the attack.


    They sat in their chairs, dressed in their business attire. They looked like they belonged in a modern office, not in this ancient courthouse. We sat for a small eternity analyzing each other. Mr. Aleksandrov was the first to speak. He cleared his throat and rose to his feet. I swallowed hard, anxiously waiting for the outcome of this situation. There were only two options¡ªdeath or life¡ªand quite frankly, I wasn¡¯t liking the odds.


    ¡°Councilmen¡ª¡±


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Cesare said, purposefully cutting Mr. Aleksandrov off. ¡°I hear you ran into some difficulties.¡±


    I gritted my teeth.


    ¡°Yes, our trip home was¡­ eventful.¡±


    ¡°Your actions are shifty, Ivan. You ran, disappeared off the face of the Earth after your hearings.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov chuckled, shrugging off Cesare¡¯s implying tone. ¡°We didn¡¯t run because you refused to change the relationship laws. We ran because we were attacked.¡±


    ¡°My elites tell me you ran from one little intruder?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the intruder we ran from. We ran from the threat he delivered.¡±


    Cesare ran his skinny index finger across his lip without a flinch. ¡°Threat?¡±


    ¡°I really hope you weren¡¯t behind the attack, Cesare.¡± The tips of my fingers began to ache and I realized I was digging them into my seat. ¡°Your plane ran out of fuel. We landed by a lone motel that had no one in it and yet it was all set up perfectly. A lot of thought and planning went in to what happened.¡±


    Cesare shifted forward in his seat. ¡°We are very busy people, Ivan. So we didn¡¯t agree on something, that is no reason to kill you¡ªbesides, we need the girl.¡±


    ¡°You had absolutely nothing to do with the attack?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So then why are we here? Why were there guns pointed at us upon our return to the motel?¡±


    ¡°Our elites handle situations however they deem fit. You disappeared off the grid. Our elites treated you how they¡¯d treat any suspicious persons.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov shrugged. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here because I wanted to make sure you¡¯ are finished with this ¡®law change¡¯ business. I can¡¯t have the higher power running around behind our backs.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov shook his head. ¡°I want to further my cause. I want to give you proof that changing the relationship laws has nothing to do with Mr. De Luca and Miss Moore, and therefore detaches me from the cause and makes my application for change acceptable.¡±


    Cesare smirked. ¡°And how are you going to prove that?¡±


    ¡°Hunter Reeves and Ruby Moore will get married here, within the month.¡±


    My whole world froze. What did he say? I glanced at Hunter and he looked as shocked as I did. I attempted to push myself to my feet, to object, but Eli grabbed my arm, stopping me from completely straightening my body.


    ¡°Go with it,¡± he uttered under his breath. I looked at him and he had the same sympathetic look on his face now as he did in the helicopter. Mixed in with that sympathy was desperation, desperation for me not to mess this up. He was in on it? This was their plan? To marry me off?


    ¡°Miss Moore,¡± Cesare called my name and caught me off guard. I whipped my head in his direction. It was so quick, I almost pulled a muscle. ¡°You look surprised.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I cleared my throat and swallowed. ¡°I-I am surprised.¡±I pulled my arms free from Eli¡¯s grip and turned from him. My hands began to tremble and I balled them into fists. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that our wedding plans were going to be made public.¡± I growled the last few words at Mr. Aleksandrov, who watched me calmly.


    ¡°So you do want to marry him?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even hesitate and my absolute devastation towards Eli helped me sound calm and confident. ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°If they marry, then Ivan has proved his detachment and his application would be viable,¡± the tiny, curly haired woman next to Cesare said.


    To me, it made no sense. Lucian created the law because his wife cheated on him with a guardian, but Mr. Aleksandrov can¡¯t break it because he¡¯s attached to Eli and I? I inwardly scoffed. Politics.


    Cesare pondered the thought and when his eyes fell back onto me, they even flared a little, like he knew something we didn¡¯t. ¡°Fine. Ruby and Hunter can marry within the month, here in the city, but then and only then, will your application be accepted.¡±


    My insides deflated. Well, shit.


    Chapter Thirteen


    ¡°Are you angry?¡± Mila asked as I slumped against a wall in the main sitting room to my new ¡®lovers¡¯ suite. Not only were they forcing me to marry someone I didn¡¯t want to marry, but they were also making me spend every night with him and I checked every room in this suite¡­ there was only one bed. I found myself blaming Mila for this. Because of her strange love/hate relationship with Gabriel, she was now carrying his illegal child and I was getting married to the wrong man. I sighed, clearing my head. I couldn¡¯t be mad at her. She¡¯d done so much for me, it was only fair I do something drastic in return.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± I searched for the right word, but came up with nothing. ¡°¡­tired. I want to go to bed.¡±


    Everyone sat awkwardly in the living room, avoiding eye contact with me. I preferred it. If anyone looked at me wrong, I¡¯d probably lose my mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this,¡± she whispered to me.


    Mila turned from me and lifted her arms in a display of dramatic tiredness. ¡°Ahhh,¡± she yawned, rubbing her face. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. Bed? Please?¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov and Xavier jumped to her aid.


    ¡°It is quite late. We can go over our game plan in the morning.¡±


    They left. The lot of them¡ªexcept Eli and Hunter, of course. I didn¡¯t move from my position on the wall.

 Page 21

    ¡°You¡¯re on the couch,¡± I grumbled to Hunter and his face contorted. Perhaps the waves of anger I was sending out were too much.


    ¡°No problem,¡± he replied, his voice heavy with frustration. ¡°And don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m the one that orchestrated this. I¡¯m just as surprised as you are.¡± He stepped toward the door. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a cigarette, while I¡¯m gone, you two can talk about how this was all Eli¡¯s idea.¡± He slammed the door and I flinched, turning my attention to Eli.


    ¡°This was your idea?¡±


    He pushed off of the couch and stepped closer to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We needed to come up with something to buy more time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to let Mr. Aleksandrov give me away? Just like that?¡± Tears threatened my eyes. ¡°This cause we¡¯re working towards, it¡¯s never going to work, Eli.¡±


    He cautiously made his way over to me. ¡°It¡¯s going to work. It¡¯s going to take a while, but it¡¯ll work.¡±


    ¡°But in the meantime you want me to marry someone else? To kiss and sleep in a bed with someone who isn¡¯t you?¡±


    A sad smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. ¡°No, but I don¡¯t have a choice, this is for the greater good. You and I, we¡¯re all about the greater good, we always have been, and when it¡¯s over, we can be together.¡±


    I sagged into myself and he caught my chin in his hands, tilting it up to face him. ¡°I will take you back, Ruby, I promise.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t make me go through with this. It¡¯s not fair on any of us¡ªespecially him.¡± Hunter loved me, like, loved me loved me, and this was going to affect him¡ªespecially when it¡¯s all over and I go back to Eli.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair on anybody, but if we don¡¯t do this, our love can¡¯t survive. We¡¯re going to suffocate and burn out. I need this to work.¡± He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me softly. ¡°I¡¯m extremely close to burning this entire society to the ground and rebuilding it on my own terms, starting with you. Save me from doing that. Save me from putting everyone we love in danger just to have you.¡±


    I stepped closer to him and his warmth enveloped me. I felt my stance shifting, preparing itself to agree with whatever he wanted. ¡°We¡¯re going to hurt people.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a good chance this is going to backfire on us,.¡± I whispered, my lips grazing his.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    My gaze flicked to his and there was so much emotion in his eyes. They glistened and smoldered at the same time. ¡°If not for love,¡± I swallowed, looking back to his lips. ¡°Then what else?¡±


    It was a saying I kept at the back of my mind since first falling for Eli. What else did I have to fight for? My life? They could take it without a fight if it meant living without him.


    No plans were made for two whole weeks and I spent most of my time in my room while Hunter was out and about, doing God knows what. Eli and Mila visited from time to time, but I didn¡¯t really have much to say to them. I felt miserable daily and night time wasn¡¯t any better. My nightmares had gotten worse¡ªand seeing Tay made it worse. No one had told the council about Tay¡¯s reanimation for fear of their involvement in it. Mr. Aleksandrov told us to forget about it and said it was an issue he would address after the wedding. To me, seeing someone who was meant to be dead alive was a much bigger issue. I resorted to calling Hunter into the bed, too. He was there to help me through most of my nightmares, waking me up when they got too dark and even holding me while I cried. I wanted Eli there with me, but that wasn¡¯t an option. All I had was Hunter¡­ and as the days progressed, my nightmares dimmed. I could wake myself up before I got in too deep and even managed to avoid waking Hunter most nights. Eli knew we now slept in the same bed and the look on his face when I told him would haunt me forever, but I couldn¡¯t do this alone. I needed someone. I needed support. When I explained this to him, he came around a little, but not without a very serious, very threatening conversation with Hunter, who seemed to be more amused than intimidated. At the end of the day, Hunter and I needed to be careful. I wouldn¡¯t hurt Eli like that, not in a million years, but Hunter was one to go after what he wanted, regardless of the outcome, and he¡¯d risk getting seriously hurt by Eli to achieve it.


    Since sharing a bed with Hunter, his morale was boosted. He woke up happy every day and went to sleep with the same smile on his face. He had his tricks every now and again that would irk me, but I expected nothing less from him. One night, he¡¯d turned the heater on in the room and attempted to ¡®sweat¡¯ me out of my clothing. I got down to a tank top and bed shorts before I finally caught on. When I shared my frustration with everyone else in the morning, they found it funny¡ªeven Eli chuckled, claiming it was clever. It most certainly was not. That night, I made him sleep on the couch and forbade him to touch anything with a switch. He still insisted it was worth it.


    The next afternoon, I was strolling down the hallway back to my room from the courthouse. I picked out flowers, red and white roses. I liked roses, they were pretty and always smelled pleasant. I opened the door to my suite and naked flesh bombarded my senses. Hunter was half naked, wrapped around another female, who was also half naked. They froze and looked at me. I felt my skin burn with embarrassment. I¡¯d never walked in on people in such compromising positions before. I slammed the door shut and backed away. Crap. Somehow, I was going to have to act like a betrayed fianc¨¦. There was an angry feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn¡¯t decipher and if I dug deep enough, I was sure I could feel jealousy, too.


    The door was yanked open in front of me before I was able to get a grasp on my story. I smiled. Yep¡­ I actually smiled at the pair of them as they stepped out into the hallway. She was pretty, at least, with her long blonde curls and big, green eyes.


    ¡°Hey.¡± I exhaled, fighting the urge to face palm. What the hell am I doing?


    The fear in her face melted away and she quirked an eyebrow at me. ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡±


    ¡°Mad?¡± I forced a laugh, making Hunter¡¯s brows furrow. ¡°I¡¯m not mad. We have a special relationship, right, Honey?¡±


    I ran my hand up Hunter¡¯s warm chest and it felt wrong on so many levels.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± She drew out the word, making me feel like a complete psycho. She backed away from us cautiously before whirling on her heel and fleeing the building.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how we¡¯re going to play this? We have an open relationship?¡±


    I pushed past Hunter and into the room.


    ¡°That¡¯s not love,¡± he shouted, slamming the door behind him and making me spin around. ¡°I felt you were mad, but you didn¡¯t show it. What is wrong with you?¡±


    I frowned at him, confused. ¡°You¡¯re upset because I didn¡¯t show that I was mad? You brought another girl in here. I can¡¯t exactly flip out and call the wedding off. An open relationship was the only way that I could save the situation. As long as you don¡¯t do it again, we¡¯ll be able to keep it under wraps.¡±


    He narrowed his stare and I felt my pretense crack.


    ¡°You want me to be mad? Fine! What the hell were you thinking? We¡¯re meant to be getting married! You can¡¯t go around burying your tongue in random girls¡¯ mouths whenever you feel like it.¡±


    He smirked as he crossed the room and poured himself a glass of wine from the bar.


    ¡°You know what? I am mad. I¡¯m mad because if words gets around that you¡¯re banging all of the women around here, Cesare will see right through our plan. You and I are meant to be madly in love, remember?¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you so high and mighty?¡±


    I folded my arms. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°What, you think I didn¡¯t know about his visits?¡±


    He spat the word ¡®his¡¯ like it was poison on his tongue and I gritted my teeth against the urge to comfort him. Why was I feeling guilty? I wasn¡¯t actually with Hunter and he knew I loved Eli.


    ¡°His visits aren¡¯t what you think. I need to talk to him, and besides, you know how it is between him and I.¡±


    Hunter scoffed, placing his glass on the bar. ¡°Of course, the epic romance you two have got going on.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Tell me, do you happen to spend most of the conversations on your back?¡±


    I flinched. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    He shrugged.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t been intimate in a while.¡± My attitude kicked in. ¡°Unlike you, I have self-control.¡±


    His blue eyes darkened and suddenly I regretted my words. ¡°I sleep in a bed with the girl of my dreams and haven¡¯t pushed for anything. You know nothing about my self-control.¡±


    A gasp of air fell from my lips as he stormed past me and out the door. I started forward a few steps and dropped onto the couch. How¡¯d this get so complicated? Hunter was confusing our fake relationship for a real one. It had been progressing by the day and I¡¯d done nothing to stop it. I encouraged it¡­ but in my defense, I didn¡¯t have a choice. Or maybe I was making up excuses to dismiss my behaviour. Asking Hunter into my bed because I was scared? What was that? I needed to nip this in the bud. I needed to redefine the lines surrounding our relationship and I needed to do it as soon as possible.


    I was awake when the door opened and Hunter stumbled in, hitting everything in his path. I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled the blanket tighter over me when he collapsed onto the bed. A second later a warm arm wrapped around me, pulling me closer, and I could smell Bourbon, I think. It exuded from him. I wanted to talk to him and demand some kind of explanation for what he said to me, but the rational part of my brain was telling me to let it go.


    ¡°Hunter?¡± I asked, forgoing my attempt at feigning sleep.


    ¡°Mmm?¡±


    ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± Not that I needed an answer¡ªI could smell it all over him.


    ¡°Just a little.¡± The slur in his tone gave me a good estimate of exactly how much he¡¯d drank.


    I threw my blankets off. ¡°C¡¯mon. I¡¯ll help you into the shower.¡±


    I could only imagine the smile on his face right now. With a loud sigh, he rolled away from me and climbed to his feet. He swayed momentarily and I quickly made my way over to him, wrapping an arm around his waist to keep him steady. We stumbled over to the bathroom and I turned the shower on. Hunter raised his hands above his head, making my brows knit together.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    He arched an eyebrow. ¡°Now you undress me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I placed my hands on my hips. ¡°You can do that yourself.¡±


    He lowered his hands and turned around. ¡°Fine, then I¡¯m going back to bed.¡±


    The thought of inhaling cigarettes and spirits all night disturbed me. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it, but don¡¯t get any funny ideas.¡±


    He mocked offense. ¡°Me? I¡¯d never.¡±


    Hunter lifted his arms and I pulled his shirt over his head, exposing a slim build with muscles carved out perfectly.


    ¡°Take a picture, it lasts longer.¡±


    I shoved him, embarrassed that I¡¯d been caught staring. ¡°Don¡¯t be a sleaze.¡±


    He smiled, sleepily. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one staring.¡±


    Hunter dropped his arms and glanced down at the buttons to his jeans, suggestively.


    I backed up a few steps. ¡°Oh no, no way. You¡¯re on your own there, pal.¡±


    He turned around with the intention of heading back to the bedroom. ¡°Okay, fine!¡± I sighed, throwing my hands up.


    He faced me again, smiling victoriously and his blue eyes studied my face as I hooked my fingers around the button to his jeans.


    ¡°Can you not look at me while I¡¯m doing this?¡±


    He laughed once. ¡°And miss this? Not a chance.¡±


    I squeezed my eyes shut as his pants fell around his ankles.


    ¡°Are we done here?¡±


    ¡°Open your eyes and see.¡±


    I extended my arms and pushed past him, my eyes shut so tightly they started to ache. I didn¡¯t dare open them until my toe connected with the corner of the bed. When it did, my eyes shot open and I dived onto the bed, swearing and clenching what felt like a broken toe.


    ¡°Hey, Rubes!¡± Hunter called from the shower.


    I swallowed hard, hoping it¡¯d take down the angry tone with it. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Can you get me a towel?¡±


    I paused, not wanting to go back in there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the hot water has fogged up the glass. You won¡¯t see anything.¡±


    Reluctantly, I rolled off the bed and was relieved when it didn''t hurt to put additional pressure on my toe. I grabbed a fresh fluffy towel from the cupboard and took it into him.


    What. A. Liar. My eyesight was bombarded with naked flesh¡­ naked backside flesh to be specific.


    ¡°Hunter¡ªJesus Christ!¡± I shouted, holding the towel high to block his ass from view. He looked over his shoulder at me and his lips curved into a smirk.


    ¡°Oops, did I forget to shut the door?¡±


    I held the towel high enough to block his butt cheeks from view. I wanted to throw his towel into the water and run but that wouldn¡¯t achieve anything. He clearly had enough confidence to walk around the room naked if he really wanted to. He shut the shower off and turned toward me. I was thankful I had the towel positioned so it blocked everything that sat in the frontal region.


    ¡°To bed?¡± he slurred again, swaying slightly.


    ¡°First, put some clothes on, and second, you¡¯re sleeping on the couch.¡±


    His cocky facial expression straightened out and he seemed offended for the briefest moment before his smile fell back into place. ¡°You sleep on the couch. I¡¯m the one that¡¯s mad at you.¡±

 Page 22

    I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°You¡¯re mad at me? You were the one who fake-cheated on me, almost ruining our fake relationship.¡±


    ¡°I stormed out.¡± He stumbled forward and I raised my hands, ready to catch him if he fell. He didn¡¯t. ¡°So that makes me the angry one. You¡¯re on the couch.¡±


    Drunk Hunter was irritating and probably inclined to be more dramatic when we argue. ¡°Fine.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll have the couch.¡±


    I turned from the bathroom, snatched my pillow from the bed, and dragged myself over to the couch. It wasn¡¯t cold enough to use a blanket, so I propped the pillow and dropped onto the couch, stretching out like I had all of the room in the world. Not far from the couch, I heard Hunter drop onto the bed and sigh. I knew I had to talk to him, to tell him that I wasn¡¯t as invested in this as he was, but now wasn¡¯t the time. What was the point? He¡¯d forget it all by morning, anyway. The time would come when I could clear the air between us. He needed to know that when this was over¡­ I would go back to Eli and we would be together. Who knows, maybe we¡¯d even get married. I smiled at the thought. After everything that we¡¯ve been through, that would be a dream come true.


    ¡°I think grey is a better choice for him to wear,¡± one curvy woman snapped at the other.


    ¡°Grey? Really? He¡¯s getting married, not going to the office. A midnight navy will work best with his eyes.¡±


    Hunter and I sat at the table across from them just watching them bicker. One of them had yet to turn and ask Hunter what he wanted to wear to his own wedding. More and more people began to filter through the gates of the council¡¯s city¡ªpeople that were previously aware of the council and wanted to help with the wedding. Despite my first assumptions of having a small wedding in front of the council, it seemed it was going to be a hell of a lot more complicated than that.


    ¡°How about a normal, plain black?¡± I suggested and the look they gave me scared the hell out of me.


    ¡°Black?¡± They both began to laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hunter said, nodding his head. ¡°I like black. I want a black suit.¡±


    The two arguing women banded together and turned their frustrations on us. They looked similar and I wondered if they were sisters. Both had bright red hair, whipped up in elegant curls an inch from their skulls. ¡°Black won¡¯t work. We want a light shade, it¡¯ll work best with your dark hair, bright eyes and light complexion.¡±


    Hunter shrugged. ¡°The council might have hired you both to help us, but we can do this all on our own.¡± They leaned away from us, almost as if they were poisoned by Hunter¡¯s words. ¡°If you want to be involved in this, then you will listen to what we want. Understand?¡±


    They nodded, sadly. ¡°Black, it is.¡±


    In a huff, they gathered all of their fabric samples that were laid out on the table and collected all of their strange shade palettes. Without a look in our direction, they left the room. I exhaled and collapsed on the table, dropping my head against my arms. ¡°This wedding is going to be the death of me, I swear.¡±


    Hunter slapped my arm as he pushed up from his chair. ¡°You¡¯ve been through worse. A few more weeks and our part in this whole thing is over.¡±


    I glanced at him as he strolled across the room to the bar. ¡°Do you think the others are doing anything?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Well, they wanted to come back to find evidence against the council. Have they? If they have, no one has told me.¡±


    He poured the runny, honey-looking liquid into a short glass. ¡°To be honest, I think they¡¯re just waiting for the application to pass.¡±


    I pouted. ¡°Do you think the council is up to something?¡±


    Hunter sipped at his drink. ¡°Yes. We all saw Tay¡­ he was real. It might not be the entire council, but Cesare is definitely up to something.¡±


    ¡°What can we do about it?¡± I asked. ¡°If they¡¯re not going to help us out of this mess, then we should do it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°And what do you propose we do?¡±


    ¡°Snoop around Cesare¡¯s room tonight, after our engagement party.¡±


    His eyebrows arched, surprised by my suggestion. ¡°That¡¯s a bold risk, even for you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sit around and do nothing. If they¡¯re not going to help me, then I¡¯ll help myself.¡± I pushed my chair back. ¡°I can¡¯t pretend that I didn¡¯t see Tay, the dead guardian. If the council is using a necromancer to bring back the dead, then they need to be stopped.¡±


    Was I the only one not willing to let that go?


    ¡°If it¡¯ll make you feel better, I¡¯ll keep everyone busy at the party tonight and you can snoop around Cesare¡¯s office. You know where it is, right?¡±


    I nodded. His room was on the top floor in the building behind the courthouse. I smiled. ¡°You¡¯d do that for me?¡±


    ¡°I find it extremely creepy that the only way I can make you smile is by telling you to break the rules.¡±


    I leaned forward on my elbow. ¡°It¡¯s not breaking the rules if no one finds out about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it still counts.¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡ªand hey, don¡¯t tell Eli or anyone about what we¡¯re going to do tonight. They won¡¯t be too happy about me risking everything.¡±


    Hunter placed his almost empty cup back on the bench and sauntered toward the bedroom. ¡°I¡¯d be the last person you¡¯d have to worry about when it comes to telling De Luca anything.¡± He glanced over his shoulder at me. ¡°Anything,¡± he emphasized, winking, and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Always inappropriate,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so stuck up.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You found that funny, I felt it.¡±


    He shut the door and I relaxed into my chair. I looked at the funny knife and fork clock above the kitchen sink and when I saw the time, my blood began to rush around my body. Two hours until our engagement. Two hours until I¡¯m forced to gush over Hunter in front of Eli. People will expect love and kisses and dancing¡­ I wanted to be confident in the fact that I could do it, but I wasn¡¯t so sure. Do it for Mila. Do it for your future. If I wanted a real future with Eli, I was going to have to invest in a fake future with Hunter first.


    Chapter Fourteen


    As I stepped into the courthouse, I was blown away by the sheer extravagance of it all. It was perfect. It was everything I would have wished for if I planned my own engagement party. I took comfort in knowing that the two psycho planners actually listened to my likes and dislikes, and apart from the large swan ice sculptures on the tables, they did pretty well. I felt like a million dollars in my ombre plum dress. It had a low back that was sheer until the hips, leaving the rest to be embellished by beautiful plum colored stones. It was fitted, hugging me tightly everywhere except the feet, where it flowed off into a small train. Originally, I wanted to wear blue or red, but was told that I didn¡¯t have the figure for red or blue. Whatever the hell that meant.


    ¡°You ready to put on the show of a lifetime?¡± Hunter mumbled, his hand dropping low to my hip.


    I exhaled, gripping my clutch tighter and fidgeting with my guardian whistle that hung around my neck. ¡°Let¡¯s have them eating out of the palm of our hands.¡±


    As the surprisingly large crowd turned to face us, Hunter pulled me in, pressing his firm lips to mine. My stomach fluttered and I felt him smile as my lids instinctively shut. He was going to enjoy this. Despite his insisting mouth, I pulled away, playing it off as shyness. The crowd loved it and I kept my stare at my feet, not wanting to lift it and see Eli¡¯s face. People I¡¯d never met before stepped forward to congratulate us, forcing my attention from the floor. It didn¡¯t feel right accepting their congratulations, especially since we didn¡¯t know them. At my wedding, I expected to be surrounded by people I know and love¡­ not strangers. When I looked past my never ending line of congratulators, I saw the bar, and by the bar, I saw Eli staring into a glass of wine. I excused myself and pushed through the people, making my way closer to the bar. As I walked, I thought of ways to apologize for the entrance and came up with none that I knew he¡¯d accept. He¡¯d take all of this on his shoulders, blaming himself for it. It was his only downfall.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said as I approached him.


    I stood still as he lifted his gaze from his glass to me. I didn¡¯t budge as his gorgeous, green eyes drank me in inch by inch.


    ¡°You look stunning,¡± he replied, smiling a little sadly. ¡°Not that that is new information from me.¡±


    I chuckled. He was right. Eli told me that I was beautiful in one way or another every day. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I admired his charcoal suit¡ªall of it was black¡ªeven the under shirt and tie. The whole ¡®dark and mysterious¡¯ get up really suited him.


    I waved my hand at the bartender and pointed to Eli¡¯s drink. Within a couple of seconds, I had what he was having.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± I laughed, grasping the stem and pulling it closer. Eli¡¯s infamous warning stare was fixated on me. ¡°If I¡¯m going to fake my way through tonight with you in the room, I¡¯m going to need at least a dozen of these.¡±


    He groaned, looking away and taking a sip of his drink. ¡°Me too.¡±


    I raked my teeth over my bottom lip a few times before blurting out: ¡°I feel like I don¡¯t see you anymore.¡±


    ¡°We saw each other at breakfast,¡± he countered, avoiding my eyes.


    Obviously. We all eat breakfast together every morning, but that wasn¡¯t what I was getting at. ¡°You know what I mean, Eli.¡±


    The bartender stepped closer as Eli was about to open his mouth. Instead of talking, he drank his wine until the bartender returned to a safe distance.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be seen together, Ruby. In order for this to work¡ª¡±


    ¡°What to work?¡± I snapped under my breath. ¡°What exactly have you guys been doing the past few weeks? Have you got any new information? What about Tay?¡±


    I jumped as Eli shot forward out his seat, bringing his lips closer to my ear. ¡°Now is not the time.¡±


    Before he could walk off, I gripped his forearm, keeping him in place. ¡°Now is the perfect time. I need to be kept in the loop or I¡¯m going to go crazy. Please,¡± I pleaded with him. ¡°Please tell me you have something, anything, so I don¡¯t have to go through with this.¡±


    His features softened as he looked down at me. He allowed one of his fingers to stroke my thigh and someone could have looked over and seen his finger stroking me, but I didn¡¯t care. I needed it. I needed him. Eli pursed his lips before shrugging out of my grasp.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡±


    He stormed away, disappearing into the sea of strangers, leaving me feeling more alone than I had ever felt in my life. I grabbed my glass and began to slam back the wine until Hunter showed up and took my near empty glass away from me. A few drops rolled down my chin and onto my dress, thankfully the drops blended in to the plum.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be drinking those if you¡¯re going to be invading someone¡¯s privacy later.¡±


    Right. I was going to break into Cesare¡¯s office.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to get drunk,¡± I told him, neglecting to mention the fact that I¡¯d thought about it. ¡°I was just taking the edge off.¡±


    ¡°Stay away from De Luca, stick with me and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this exhaust you?¡± I asked, flicking my hair over one of my shoulders. My head spun and I suddenly wished I¡¯d eaten something before showing up. ¡°All of this faking?¡±


    His lips twitched. ¡°I have a reply to that, but not one that¡¯ll make you feel any better.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not pretending, Ruby. For the moment, this is real for me.¡±


    I frowned and glanced down at my hands, but his fingers caught my chin and he tilted my face back up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ruin this. Have fun.¡± He smiled. ¡°We¡¯re getting married and I¡¯m one hell of a catch, so smile.¡±


    I felt so sorry for him. Here I was, moping about complaining about him and this whole situation when he was happy pretending it was real. I needed to be grateful. I wasn¡¯t the one who drew the short straw. Once this was over, I had nothing to lose.


    ¡°You must think so little of me¡­ stringing you along like this.¡±


    Hunter extended his elbow to me. ¡°It sucks, but I think any time spent with you is worth it.¡±


    I groaned, taking his elbow and slipping from the stool. ¡°Stop being nice to me. You¡¯re making me feel even worse.¡±


    He escorted me in the direction of Mr. Aleksandrov. Out from behind him stepped Mila, who was positively glowing. Her sky blue chiffon gown swayed around her with every movement, but despite her angelic look, there was unease in her features.


    ¡°Mila,¡± I gasped as we drew closer. ¡°You look¡ª¡±


    ¡°Pregnant? Oh God, I knew it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Mr. Aleksandrov snapped under his breath. ¡°You can¡¯t see a damn thing in that dress.¡±


    A surge of calm energy rolled over me and Mr. Aleksandrov took a deep breath.


    ¡°I was going to say amazing,.¡± I told Mila, biting a smile. Her pregnancy made her so testy.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She relaxed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You two are doing well,¡± Lyric commended us with a tilt of his wine glass. ¡°But Ruby, would it kill you to smile a little more?¡±


    Smile more? The nerve of him to ask such a thing from someone in my position. I took my arm back from Hunter and stepped closer to Lyric. I smiled politely as I took his glass of wine out of his hand and brought the cool glass to my own lips, finishing off its contents. As I swallowed the last drop, Hunter wrapped an arm around my waist, and pulled the glass from my lips. ¡°Easy, drunky pants. You don¡¯t need wine.¡±

 Page 23

    I let him pull me back a few steps. ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled sweetly at Lyric, who seemed less than amused.


    ¡°Make sure she doesn¡¯t have anymore,¡± Lyric ordered Hunter, before turning and heading back to the bar.


    ¡°Go mingle. Be in love. I want people to see excitement and happiness, nothing less.¡±


    To be honest, after our initial arrival, people seemed to forget who we were, which I expected. Even Cesare and the rest of the council who chatted in the back corner, drinking alcohol, seemed to forget where they were and what we were doing here. I preferred it that way. As everyone began to slip into wine-induced craziness, Hunter and I slipped out of a side door. Outside, the air was surprisingly warm, and I slumped against the courthouse¡¯s brick wall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to make it through the night.¡± I sighed, raking my fingers through my hair. ¡°I¡¯m suffocating in there.¡±


    Hunter stood in front of me, watching me, before reaching into his suit jacket and pulling out a small, silver flask. ¡°You can have one sip. I want you to be alert when you go into Cesare¡¯s room.¡±


    Truth be told, my head was already spinning¡ªnot too much¡ªbut enough to make me hesitate before taking the flask from him. One sip quickly turned into two sips. Three sips. Four. Our positions progressed from standing to sitting lazily against the wall.


    ¡°Seriously, I was scared.¡± He laughed, taking the final mouthful of whiskey.


    ¡°But you were a vampire, she was just a little old lady.¡± I chuckled, resting my head against my arms.


    Hunter was telling me the story of when he ran into an old lady in a parking lot and he scared her by accident. She proceeded to yell at him and hit him with her bag.


    ¡°She was insane and her bag was heavy. I feared for my life.¡±


    More chuckles shook my chest before fading away. ¡°I should probably get up and invade some privacy, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the night isn¡¯t getting any younger and the longer we leave it, the higher the risk of getting caught.¡±


    I pushed off of the ground, resting my back against the wall and using that to support my weight. Before the whiskey, I would have cared if my dress tore, but now, being my half-drunk self, I couldn¡¯t have cared less.


    When I straightened myself, I took a step and stumbled forward. Hunter snatched my arm quite roughly and I winced at the pressure. He pulled me into him, until his body was flush against mine. My heart raced at the thought of falling and when I looked at Hunter and he was staring at my lips, I knew his heart was racing too, but for an entirely different reason.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kiss me,¡± I muttered, feeing his breath blow across my cheek.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kiss you¡­ I want to, but I won¡¯t.¡±


    He held me in his arms for a few more minutes and I didn¡¯t do anything to free myself. If he wanted to hold me, he could, there was nothing wrong with that.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be careful?¡± he asked, loosening his grip.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    He let me go and I managed to take a step back, this time, without stumbling.


    ¡°You have fifteen minutes from now, and whatever you do, don¡¯t get caught.¡±


    With a swift nod, I paced away from him and towards the building behind the courthouse. My nerves began to erupt, filling every inch of my body with electrified currents. I was anxious, but at the same time, I was exhilarated. The hair on the back of my neck prickled, standing higher and higher with every step I took. This was going to work, or this was going to fail. I¡¯d prefer it to work, but the reality of it failing was just as high. As I stepped into the courtyard of Cesare¡¯s building, I expected to run into a line of elites, or any kind of security, really, but I got nothing. There was no one there to stop me from waltzing right through the door. So that¡¯s exactly what I did.


    There were a lot of rooms in here, a lot of rooms, and I had no idea what they were for. Elite bedrooms, perhaps? I marched up flights of stairs, not wanting to stick around to find out. I moved quickly, until my calves burned and my chest heaved. Remind me to catch the elevator on the way down, I thought to myself. I would have caught it up, but I figured the wait time for the doors to close would slow me down¡­ obviously I was an idiot.


    I sighed in relief when I reached the top and practically threw myself through the door and into the hallway. At the end was a single door. Room 345 ¨C Head Councilmen, Cesare Ramone. I stepped toward it, but a single ding from the elevator signalling someone stopping on this floor, froze me in my spot. Uh oh. I stood as still as stone, waiting for the doors to open and when they did, I had no idea what to expect. Okay, so that was a lie. I expected someone like Cesare or someone of equal authority to punish me for trespassing, what I did not expect was a pair of bright green eyes glaring at me from inside the lift. Eli marched from the steel case, his entire body tense and mad.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± he snapped, raking his fingers through his hair. ¡°What are you doing up here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for clues,¡± I countered, folding my arms. ¡°What are you doing up here?¡±


    ¡°I followed you. I had no problems watching Hunter feed you alcohol and trying to charm you, but when he sent you off toward Cesare¡¯s building, I had to step in.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t send me anywhere. This is my idea,¡±


    He stepped closer. ¡°What¡¯s your idea? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for evidence, Eli. I¡¯m looking for proof of their involvement.¡±


    His eyes narrow. ¡°Let¡¯s say you find exactly what you¡¯re looking for, what are you going to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± I said, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll take it to Mr. Aleksandrov and he¡¯ll expose them.¡±


    ¡°To who? How do we get out of here with the evidence?¡±


    Crap. I didn¡¯t think of that. He nodded his head smugly. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Finding evidence is all well and good, but we have to get out of here first. We have to build a base that will support us. One the council can¡¯t fight.¡±


    Everything he said made sense, but I was here already and I was going into that room with or without him. He could drag me from this building, but I¡¯d be kicking and screaming the whole way and I doubt he¡¯d want to deal with that.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Either come inside with me, or wait out here.¡±


    I pushed past him, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me from going any further. I angled my body so I faced him. He needed to see that I was serious. He needed to see that I wasn¡¯t leaving without the evidence that I was sure existed, or peace of mind that the council wasn¡¯t at fault.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane if you think I¡¯m letting you go in there alone.¡±


    I reached out and curled my fingers around the edge of his jacket, toying with it. ¡°So come with me.¡±


    He surveyed me¡­ he surveyed me for a while, and after a few long minutes, the blood under my skin began to heat up. His eyes brightened and there was no mistaking the look in his eyes. He shot forward, crushing his mouth to mine, and I stumbled backwards until he pushed me hard against the door. I kissed him back. I kissed him back because I missed him more than anything. I missed the feel of his skin and the warmth of his lips. I couldn¡¯t rein in my emotions and I just knew Hunter would be feeling them in full force. As I fiddled with the door handle, Eli¡¯s lips never broke from mine.


    With one swift turn of the handle, the door swung open and Eli and I almost fell inside. We didn¡¯t look around the room. We were too consumed in each other, in the feelings we hadn¡¯t shared in weeks. I wanted to hold onto him and never let go, and I didn¡¯t plan to let go, until we bumped into Cesare¡¯s desk, spiling some papers onto the floor. Eli and I flew apart, palms exposed to each like the other was a vicious animal.


    ¡°I¡¯m on official angel business,¡± I tell him, breathlessly. ¡°Don¡¯t distract me again.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m on official angel business. You don¡¯t distract me.¡±


    My lips twitched and I found myself staring at him again. He was watching me, too, and we started toward each other again, but before we could touch, the sound of paper being crushed under a shoe stopped us. We froze and glanced down. We¡¯d knocked papers off Cesare¡¯s desk and then ruined them.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± I whispered as Eli took a step back, freeing the paper from underneath his shoe. The previously crisp, clean sheet had a large footprint right in the center. ¡°Please tell me that isn¡¯t important¡­¡±


    I rubbed my fingers against my palm as it began to sweat. Eli bent down and grabbed the sheet of paper, treating it as if it was going to explode at any second. He turned it over and in big, bold letters it read:


    ¡®COURT PROCEEDINGS ¡ª WEEK COMMENCING¡¯


    and then it had Monday¡¯s date. Eli gave me a look, the kind of look that said ¡®This is all your fault.¡¯


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I snapped hastily. ¡°You are not pinning this on me.¡±


    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t have happened if you weren¡¯t so incapable of doing what you¡¯re told.¡±


    ¡°Me? This wouldn¡¯t have happened if you didn¡¯t suggest I get married.¡± I was done. I was sick and tired of arguing with Eli. It was all we did anymore. My bottom lip quivered as my head spun and tears threatened my eyes.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to help me?¡± I muttered, sounding more like a sad child than an adult. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you fighting harder to stop this?¡±


    It was then I knew how I truly felt. All of my bitterness wasn¡¯t because I was marrying Hunter. I liked Hunter, he was more like me than anyone else I knew. I was hurt and bitter because the one person that has literally taken on hell for me seemed to have given up.


    ¡°I am fighting,¡± he told me, avoiding my eyes. ¡°I fight myself every second of everyday. You don¡¯t think I want to kick the hell out of everyone and drag you from here under my arm?¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°You think I want to see you happy with him? Every time you kiss it¡¯s like a knife being thrust into my stomach and then there¡¯s that sad look you get in your eyes after it twists the metal deeper.¡± Eli stepped closer and I swallowed hard. ¡°I talk myself out of burning this place down every morning when I wake up and remember it¡¯s not me you¡¯re lying next to.¡± He reached out for my hand and took it in his.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one man I want to be experiencing all of this with¡­¡± I whispered, inching closer.


    His eyes brightened and his expression froze as he registered what I said. ¡°You want to get¡­¡± He skipped the word married, almost as if he was afraid he misunderstood me. ¡°To me?¡±


    I bit my bottom lip, stopping a smile. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever caught Eli off guard before. Not like I had now.


    ¡°Who else would I want to spend the rest of my life with?¡± My smile quickly faded. ¡°Unless, of course, you don¡¯t want to marry m¡ª¡±


    He briefly pressed his fingers against my lips. ¡°Shh.¡± My heart accelerated, immediately pumping blood too quickly around my body. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say it.¡± Eli smiled a full smile, one I hadn¡¯t seen in a while and it warmed my chest. I was messed up. Here I was, engaged to someone else, practically proposing to Eli. I shouldn¡¯t be held accountable for the things I say around him. He messed with my head.


    ¡°We need to start looking for something,¡± I muttered, feeling my body heat up under his gaze again. He sobered and quickly folded the sheet of paper, stuffing it into his pocket.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if he thinks he misplaced the court proceedings and assume it was us rather than have proof that someone was in his office. I¡¯ll burn the paper as soon as we¡¯re finished here.¡±


    Eli made his way around Cesare¡¯s desk, turning pages and opening drawers. Following his lead, I darted over to filing cabinets in the far corner and began flicking through them. I didn¡¯t find anything, at first, only lists of previous court hearing filed in alphabetical order. It was like that for six drawers and I was getting tired. Eli was silent so I knew he hadn¡¯t found anything, either. I was ready to call it off altogether, but then I found a few separate folders filed away in the bottom drawer, out of alphabetical order. I read the names, confused. Hank. Tay. Lucian. Meredith. There were a bunch of others I didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°Eli?¡±


    He was at my side in a second. He reached down and pulled out Tay¡¯s file.


    ¡°It has everything in here. Place of birth, blood type, cause of death.¡± He flicked through more and more before putting the file back.


    ¡°Do you think it has anything to do with seeing Tay again?¡±


    Eli shrugged. ¡°Maybe¡­ but it could also be research for the hearings.¡±


    He flicked through the rest of the names, his body growing tenser.


    ¡°Who are those other people?¡± I wondered aloud.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± he replied. ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡±


    All dead? ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Because I killed them.¡±


    I froze, watching only the side of his face. ¡°What do you mean you killed them?¡±


    He shut the drawer and pulled me to my feet. I got no response from him, even as he dragged me from the room and half pulled me, half carried me down the stairs. Eventually, with little help from me, we made it out into the clean night time air. My legs felt like jelly now, combining that with a floating head and you¡¯ve got one hot mess. Eli wasn¡¯t going to say anything to me by the look of it, so I wasn¡¯t in any rush to get back to the party. I stopped walking, kicked of my heels, and slowed my pace. To Eli¡¯s annoyance, he slowed his pace, too. He didn¡¯t say anything, just strolled at a forced leisurely pace in front of me. I could both hear and see the party still going in the courthouse in front of me, but I wasn¡¯t ready to go back there yet. As we passed a beautiful garden filled with small trees and beautiful roses, I decided to sit down on one of the large, white boulders.

 Page 24

    ¡°We need to get you back to the party before people start wondering where you are.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°Please, those people have no idea who I am.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, we can¡¯t be seen out here alone together.¡±


    I watched him closely as he stood in front of me. ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re thinking?¡±


    ¡°That we should¡ª¡±


    ¡°About the files, Eli.¡±


    He exhaled and glanced over his shoulder briefly. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. I think Cesare is using a necromancer. I also think the rest of the council is oblivious to it.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    He took a step or two closer. ¡°Well, the other files had barcodes along the base, one for every council member. The ones in the bottom drawer had none, meaning they haven¡¯t been put into the system.¡±


    Gee, how did I miss that? A great detective I would not make. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    Eli shook his head. ¡°I have no idea. Let me talk with Mr. Aleksandrov first and then we¡¯ll see where we can go from here.¡±


    I shuffled further back on the rock and crossed my legs.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re getting comfortable,¡± he said, almost smiling.


    ¡°I am. You go talk to Mr. Aleksandrov and I¡¯ll wait here, away from the circus.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t about to fight me. ¡°Fine. Stay out of trouble and I¡¯ll send Hunter back to get you.¡±


    Trouble? I was sitting on a rock by myself. I couldn¡¯t possibly get into trouble even if I tried, then again, stranger things have happened. Eli left, heading back to my engagement party. When he was gone, it felt a little cooler out here. Goosebumps prickled over my skin and I shuddered as a quick cool breeze blew over me. Perhaps I should head back to the party after all. I pushed off the rock and kept a tight grip on my shoes as I trotted across the grass. I barely made it a few feet when I heard the first choked sob from behind me. I paused, glancing over my shoulder. The husky cry sounded again and despite my better judgement, I turned back toward the garden.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    The hidden crier gasped and the closest tree ruffled. My shoes hit the grass with a small thud and my hand flew to my guardian whistle. I didn¡¯t blow it and I wasn¡¯t going to until I was certain it was something dangerous. Don¡¯t freak out, I told myself. It could be an injured animal. I raised the palm of my hand to the tree and felt power surge through me as the branches jostled. I wanted to scare whatever it was from the tree.


    ¡°If only you could do that the last time I saw you, maybe I¡¯d still be alive.¡± My insides froze¡ªI was certain even my heart stopped moving. No. Her voice was so real¡­ so exactly the same. I stopped moving the tree and watched the branches still. I waited for the woman to speak again. Surely I was imagining it.


    ¡°Ruby,¡± she cooed and I began to move, turning slowly. I saw her, inch by inch as my stare dragged over her living, breathing body. To me, it was exactly like looking in the mirror. People always said I looked like my mother, but I never saw it¡­ until now. ¡°Hello, darling,¡±


    This wasn¡¯t real. It couldn¡¯t be. ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°In the flesh, well, kind of.¡±


    She dissolved into nothing, like Tay had, but unlike him, she appeared again, this time closer to me. I gritted my teeth against an outward flinch and my vision blurred as tears threatened my eyes. ¡°It was you? Crying?¡±


    She smirked and even something so dark and calculated looked devastatingly beautiful on her. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her tight, black jeans. ¡°It was a tad bit dramatic, I¡¯ll be the first to admit that.¡±


    I inched closer. ¡°Why are you here? Who brought you here?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that, but what I can tell you is, I¡¯m not the same, Ruby. I¡¯m not here for a reunion or to wish you luck for your wedding.¡±


    I swallowed hard, backing up. ¡°Then what are you here for?¡±


    Baring her teeth, she launched forward, slamming her body into mine and knocking me to the ground. I wrestled against her, but I found myself feeling weak. I was crying¡ªtears wet my eyes, pouring down the sides of my temples and into my hair.


    ¡°Mom!¡± I screamed.¡°Stop!¡±


    Her skinny, cold fingers wrapped around my neck and she squeezed. I couldn¡¯t pry her hands away for the life of me and as my air flow was cut, I began to panic. My chest burned as I tried to force my lungs to expand, but it was no use. She had me and I couldn¡¯t stop it. I stopped pulling and pushing at her arms and reached out, clawing my hands around on the cool grass in search of my shoe. My vision faltered for a brief second, just as my index finger swiped the strap to my heel. I quickly hooked my finger around it and pulled it closer. With a half choke, half cough, I grasped the shoe fully and slammed it into the side of my own mother¡¯s head. The distinct sound of something hard hitting a human skull echoes through my ears, but I didn¡¯t have time to cringe. I shoved her off of me and rolled over before barely climbing to my feet. I gasped for air, greedily drinking it in, but it didn¡¯t feel like enough. I wasn¡¯t about to fight her, I couldn¡¯t. I blew my whistle and pulled my dress up, leaping the rock I was previously sitting on in a single bound. I had to put something between us. Mom rubbed the side of her head and exhaled in pain. ¡°Really? A shoe?¡±


    This sarcasm and dark banter wasn¡¯t her style at all. This woman wasn¡¯t my mother. My mother would never intentionally hurt her only child. She wasn¡¯t capable of it. Mom disappeared again before appearing directly in front of me. She didn¡¯t waste any time on her second attack and she punched me low, hitting me in the stomach. I barely flinched, too focused on her fist coming in from the left. I blocked and punched her straight in the ribs. I had to end this before she ended me. Mom swung from the right and I grabbed her fist tightly and yanked her into me.


    ¡°Ruby!¡± I heard Eli¡¯s voice, but I didn¡¯t look up. I couldn¡¯t. I had to finish this.


    I threw my arm and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around before kicking her in the back of the knees. She dropped to the ground, her knees digging into the grass, and I grabbed her head. To avoid witnessing killing my own mother, I squeezed my eyes shut and snapped her neck. The sound was nauseating and the way her head hung in my hands once I did it was sickening. I let go and took quick steps back. Eli was on me in an instant, ignoring my mother¡¯s limp body. I opened my eyes, but then closed them again for a brief second as he pulled me into him, squeezing me hard against his chest. I felt his chest vibrate as he spoke, but I heard nothing. I was in shock¡ªmy body wasn¡¯t working. I tried to move my fingers, but suddenly, I didn¡¯t know how. In the distance I heard lively chatter and Eli released me immediately, keeping a hand on my shoulder. The one subtle touch from him was enough to keep me from collapsing to the ground and I reluctantly dragged my eyes to the spot my dead mother¡¯s dead body was. Nothing.


    I glanced around, terrified that she was lurking somewhere, ready for round two, but she made no reappearance. The crowd of at least twelve swamped me, asking questions and demanding to know why I was crying. I took steps back, unable to find the words to tell them that I was fine¡ªeven though I was far from it. A set of hands slid around my shoulders and I lurched forward.


    ¡°Easy,¡± Hunter whispered, pulling me back into him. ¡°It¡¯s only me.¡±


    I relaxed, happy that the hands touching me were alive at least.


    ¡°She¡¯s had a bit too much to drink,¡± Eli said, casually, as if he hadn¡¯t witnessed me snap my own mother¡¯s neck. ¡°And she got a little lost.¡±


    The spectators¡ªnone of which I knew¡ªchuckled and poked fun at me like I was an idiot and involuntarily, my bottom lip started to quiver. Sobs built up in my throat, but I didn¡¯t dare let them fall.


    ¡°Perhaps you should take her to bed, Hunter,¡± Eli suggested, not once looking in our direction.


    I expected Hunter to say something sleazy and witty, but he didn¡¯t. He realized the seriousness of the situation and for that I was grateful. If he started up the whole Eli versus Hunter thing right now, I¡¯d probably have broken down completely. There is only so much one girl can handle. I let Hunter lead me away from the laughter and the place I killed my mother¡­ again. Hunter didn¡¯t push for answers as we walked. In fact, he didn¡¯t say a thing. We walked silently past the courthouse, and leaning outside against the brick wall was Cesare. I dragged my eyes onto him and he watched us closely.


    ¡°A bit too much to drink, Ruby?¡± he asked normally enough, but I heard the darkness laced in his words. If he was behind this, I was going to expose him. I was going to expose him even if it meant I had to marry every person on the planet.


    ¡°Wine isn¡¯t for everyone, apparently,¡± I muttered back, glaring.


    He smirked at me, and as far as I¡¯m concerned, that smirk was the declaration of war. If he wanted to take us on, then he better be prepared. Sure, he could fight us with our sand our nightmares, but that¡¯s all they were. On our side, we had the present and we had the future. He couldn¡¯t use those against us. He couldn¡¯t keep them locked in a file in his room.


    I was going to destroy him.


    Chapter Fifteen


    I spent a whole week moping in my room and Hunter stayed with me the entire time. It was nice having his company, but I wanted to be alone. I didn¡¯t even want to see Eli, and Mila was barely allowed to leave her room¡ªMr. Aleksandrov¡¯s orders. According to my calendar, I was getting married in a week. One whole week. It was too soon and yet, it couldn¡¯t come fast enough.


    I told Hunter about what we found in Cesare¡¯s room. He believed Cesare was in on it, but Mr. Aleksandrov was more concerned about Mila than anyone else. He wanted us to wait it out until his application was viable and then go in for the kill. He had plans of his own, Mr. Aleksandrov, and they were big ones. He wanted to expose the council and then become a part of it. He believed only someone as detached from our species as he is, would be able to run it without a conflict of interest. I agreed with him and I trusted no one more than I trusted Mr. Aleksandrov. He had no hidden agendas¡ªexcept for the one he currently had¡ªbut Mila was his family, and they were my family. We had to protect them no matter what, even if it meant sacrificing the things we want.


    It was night time and I lay awake in bed, as I often did. Hunter was sound asleep and I made sure I kept all of my movements minimal as I slipped from the sheets. I needed to see Eli. I hadn¡¯t since the night my mother attacked me. My hands began to shake at the thought and I quickly crossed my arms, trapping my hands in the pits of my arms. Now was not the time to think about that. It was over¡ªa trick¡ªa stupid mind game played only to distract me from my main purpose¡­ whatever that was. I guess my purpose in a nutshell was this; get married in order to lift the relationship laws, which helps Mila and Eli and I, get divorced, expose the corrupt council, and take over as rulers. I exhaled as I opened the door and stepped through it. Perhaps the plan was a bit farfetched¡­ I mean, overthrowing a group of leaders that have been in power for however many years? Extreme, much? I suppose that was just who we were. That¡¯s why this group sticks together like glue, because we¡¯re all the same. We fight for the good of everyone. In the beginning it might have looked like we were in it only for our own personal desires, but deep down, we all share the same future. We have the same passions and wants out of life. We want peace, happiness, and equality for all. If we win, everyone wins. If we lose¡­ well, I hadn¡¯t thought about that yet.


    I tip-toed from my building and over to Eli¡¯s. This was stupid and risky, I knew that, but when has that stopped me? Ever? Elites wandered the grounds, but none of them seemed alert. As I peered out from around the side of the courthouse, one elite was bouncing a tennis ball, keeping his eyes on that instead of his surroundings. He was alone at first, humming a cheerful tune until another elite walked up. They joked and laughed their greeting before stilling and chatting indistinguishably. They weren¡¯t paying attention at all. If they were paying attention, they would have seen me zip right past them and into the building Eli, Lyric, and Xavier resided in. I rested against the door, giving myself a few seconds to release the breath I¡¯d been holding.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I heard one elite guard say, and then a tennis ball rolled quickly past my feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re paid to stay alert, Tate, we can¡¯t afford to be slack with these people roaming about. Do you understand?¡±


    The man with the ball was Tate? I didn¡¯t recognize him.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you do.¡± I strained my ears and peered around the edge of the door. When my gaze rested on Cesare, towering over his elites, my stomach dropped into my intestines, making me want to vomit. What was he doing out so late? Only dodgy people are out this late. I glanced down at myself and shook my head. Scratch that, I wasn¡¯t dodgy. My only reason for being out this late was Eli, and I seriously doubted Cesare¡¯s little midnight adventure had anything to do with love. ¡°They¡¯re dangerous. They could kill us all and take this city while we sleep.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. Dramatic, much? We wanted equality, not cities.


    ¡°You¡¯re that worried? Why are you letting them stay if you believe they¡¯re that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Aleksandrov wants to prove me wrong, but I¡¯ve never been proved wrong in my entire life. I know there¡¯s something going on between Ruby and the guardian. I can see it. It¡¯s in their faces when they talk and in their eyes when they look at each other. They can barely keep it together now, imagine what the wedding will be like.¡±

 Page 25

    Tate chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling rather victorious tonight, Tate, so I¡¯m going to let you in on a little secret. Since a special friend of mine is proving to be useless with his special talents, I have to see to it myself that the wedding will not be completed. If I¡¯m lucky, the guardian will freak out and stop the whole thing before it begins; if not, I¡¯ll stop it.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this now?¡± Tate asked. ¡°How are you going to stop it? You were the one who agreed to it.¡±


    ¡°I agreed to it only to keep the rest of the moronic councilmen happy.¡± Cesare laughed once under his breath. ¡°I need your help, boys. I need you two to do something that is going to sound absolutely crazy.¡± His voice began to float off as they walked away. No! Come back! ¡°You¡¯re not going to like it, but it¡¯s necessary if our society has any chance of¡­¡±


    His voice disappeared. Gone. It faded away right when I wanted to hear it the most.


    Damn it! I left the door and headed down the hallway. My stomach churned. If that didn¡¯t prove Cesare guilty, then I don¡¯t know what did.


    To my understanding, Eli, Lyric, and Xavier were made to share a room and I tried my hardest not to wake them. I walked quickly through the silent halls. It was so quiet, I even heard my bare feet slap against the tiles. In no time, I found myself at his door¡­ but I didn¡¯t knock. Besides the Cesare thing, what would I say? After a week of silence I thought I had a lot to say to him, apparently not. I just wanted to be with him, to feel his presence. I fingered the whistle around my neck. If I knock, I¡¯d surely wake Lyric and Xavier too, but if I blow my whistle softly, I might only get through to him. I brought the cool, gold whistle to my lips and blew ever so softly. I waited a few minutes. Nothing. I blew my whistle again, a little harder this time and sure enough the door was pulled open and Eli stumbled out, pushing his remaining arm through the sleeve of his shirt and covering his toned stomach. He stopped when he saw me and blinked sleepily.


    ¡°Ruby? Is everything all right?¡± There was panic in his voice and strangely, it made me smile a little.


    ¡°No, not really. I have a lot to tell you, but first,¡± I replied, releasing my whistle. ¡°I¡¯m here because I wanted to see you.¡±


    He quickly glanced down the hallway before grabbing my shirt and tugging me inside. He shut the door behind me, then pressed his index finger to his own lips. ¡°Lyric and Xavier are sleeping,¡± he whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t wake them.¡±


    I nodded as he took my hand and led me through the lounge room and down a hallway. Their suite wasn¡¯t as big as mine, yet it had more rooms. Eli pulled me into his room and shut the door. It was a nice room¡ªclean¡ªEli couldn¡¯t sleep unless his room was clean and the color scheme was nice, too, chocolate and white.


    ¡°Do you want some water?¡± he asked, pulling a water bottle out from a drawer in his bedside table. Who keeps a water bottle in their bedside table? I shook my head and trotted over to his bed before climbing on and sitting in the middle. Exhaling, Eli pulled his shirt off and my mouth went dry as he sat down on the bed in his long, black sweat pants and lay down. He rested his hand on my knee and I dropped my stare to it, watching his thumb move soothingly over the cap.


    ¡°What brought you here?¡±


    I cleared my throat, managing to clear my head a little, too. ¡°Well, at first, I left my bed with the intention of joining you in yours.¡± I shifted my legs out from underneath me and crawled up besides Eli. I curled into his side, absorbing all of the comfort that I needed. I dragged my index finger over Eli¡¯s hard stomach, drawing small circles on his obliques. ¡°On my way to you¡­ I overheard Cesare talking to Tate.¡±


    I felt Eli tense. ¡°What did you hear?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really bad, Eli; we have to get out of here.¡±


    He shifted, rolling his body in my direction. Half of his body pressed onto mine¡ªhe was heavy¡ªand I know he was pinning me down on purpose.


    ¡°Tell me everything.¡±


    And I did. I told him everything and he took it a lot better than I expected him to. Then again, he always had himself under control and if he was scared, his face didn¡¯t betray it.


    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± I asked, praying that he¡¯d pull me from this bed right now and run with me. His green eyes surveyed me and I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.


    ¡°We wait it out.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°You still want to go through with it? He has something big planned. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I know it¡¯s big.¡±


    His fingers combed through my hair in an attempt to calm me. I felt like a cat¡­ a very, very, very lucky cat. ¡°What if he knew you were listening? What if he said those things to get a reaction?¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± I said. ¡°He had no idea I was there. None of them did.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? This guy is tricky. He brought back your own mother to kill you, thinking she was your weakness¡ªand he almost won. Don¡¯t underestimate him.¡±


    I sighed, not once looking away from his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die over this, Eli. If I have to, I¡¯ll be with you in secret for the rest of my life.¡±


    He smiled, sadly. ¡°That¡¯s no way to live, Ruby. We¡¯re going to be together, openly and no council leader, higher power or pretentious god like Hunter is going to stop us.¡±


    I smiled back as he leaned in and kissed me on the very tip of my nose. ¡°And even though I want nothing more than for you to stay here with me, I have to take you back.¡±


    I angled my face a little, moving my nose away from his mouth and leveling our lips. ¡°Do I have to go back right this second?¡± I uttered, trying extremely hard to mask my labored breathing.


    ¡°Maybe not this second¡­¡± His lips pressed against mine as he rolled the rest of his body on top of me, holding the majority of his weight off me. ¡°But soon.¡± He spoke against my mouth as he fisted a handful of my shirt and swiped my bottom lip with his tongue.


    Eli and I were silent but content during our little stroll back to my room. I was happy. Eli gave me the attention I desperately needed from him and it was enough to reaffirm that I was doing this for the right reasons. We were in love. We wanted to be together forever¡ªmarry, even¡ªbut we couldn¡¯t do that if this law was in place, and regardless of the risks, I¡¯ll fight for us because it¡¯s worth it. Our love was nothing to be ashamed of. It wasn¡¯t strange or unnatural. Love is blind. It knows no race, gender or blood type. In love, we are one and the same, just two souls wanting to connect on a deeper level and only those that have experienced true love know that it¡¯s worth fighting for.


    After tonight, I thought that would be it for drama until my wedding at the end of the week¡­ little did I know, tonight was only the icing on the thick drama cake I was being served and I was about receive the cherry to top it all off.


    It was afternoon in the council¡¯s city (a city I still didn¡¯t know the name of) and it was nice to be out in the fresh air now that the rain had let up. The sun had finally broken through the clouds and I wasn¡¯t going to waste a perfect opportunity to properly stretch my legs, so I walked. I walked around the courthouse and around various other buildings¡ªpurposely avoiding the garden my dead mother had come back to life in. I kept my eyes peeled, knowing that at any second I could be attacked. It was a sucky way to live and because I was so conscious of my surroundings, I missed out on all of the things that mattered. I couldn¡¯t tell you what the grass felt like or what colors the snowdrop flowers were¡ªwell, actually I could¡ªtheir name kind of gave it away, but still, I barely witnessed it for myself. I should go back, I thought. There¡¯s no point. I¡¯m not even enjoying myself. I stepped out from behind the corner of the courthouse and my gaze flitted to a female figure in a white elite uniform. She had a grip on her partner, pulling his face into hers. I smiled at the seemingly passionate embrace and surveyed the way his fingers dug into her shoulders. Then, he pulled her away, holding her at arm¡¯s length and staring intently into her face. Eli. My stomach sank¡ªno¡ªmy stomach leapt up, slamming into my heart and causing it to shatter. The painful shards stabbed into my stomach, deflating it, then it sank¡ªit sank hard. I turned away from them and headed back the direction I came. I walked slowly, so slowly I¡¯m sure if there was a zombie apocalypse right now they¡¯d think I was one of them. The image was burning brightly in my head, but I refused to believe it. Eli would never do that to me¡ªand with Faith, of all people. I strolled along in a daze, unable to shake what I saw. Eli would never put himself in a situation like that. He¡¯d never leave himself open to be kissed by someone else¡­ I didn¡¯t feel angry, only disappointment and jealousy. I should be mad, I should go back there and kick the hell out of the both of them, but I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t stop walking. I passed elites who didn¡¯t look twice at me before entering my building. Once inside, my eyes began to water and I clenched my jaw. Emotions started to flood me¡ªmaking my chest ache and my throat full.


    I ran the rest of the way to my room and pushed through the door. To my relief, Hunter wasn¡¯t there. I slammed the door and collapsed onto the couch, covering my face with my hands and I cried.


    I don¡¯t know how long I cried. Minutes. Hours. Days¡­but I do know that at some point the door slammed against the wall and I rolled over onto my stomach to avoid showing Hunter my cry face.


    ¡°Ruby? Are you okay? What¡¯s wrong?¡± He gripped my shoulders, much like Eli had with Faith and I cringed, shaking my head as he rolled me over.


    Then it all hit me. I hated myself¡­ I knew better than this. I knew better than to sulk about what I saw. To fix it, I should go see him. I should talk to him and get an explanation at least, but how would that make me look? Stupid? Insecure? Possessive? How would Eli take it if I accused him of betraying me? I grabbed a red, square pillow and brought it to my face. I wasn¡¯t one for crying¡­ not really, but I felt the need to at that moment and I did. I let everything out¡ªthe stress of the last few weeks, seeing my Mom and Tay, plus Mila¡¯s pregnancy, all of it hit me like a ton of bricks and there was nothing I could do to stop it.


    ¡°Ruby?¡± Hunter¡¯s voice was thick and strained. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ please tell me something.¡±


    I could hear the dread in his tone and immediately felt bad. He probably thought something was wrong with someone else. I spoke through the pillow, not wanting him to see my face. ¡°I saw¡­¡± I hiccupped. ¡°Eli kissing¡­¡± I hiccupped again. ¡°Faith.¡±


    Without warning the pillow was snatched from my face. I slung an arm over my eyes to conceal their puffiness.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I saw it all.¡±


    Hunter moved forward, sliding onto the couch with me. He scooped me into his arms, holding me tightly against his body.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not his fault, maybe she forced it on him.¡±


    It was plausible, but that didn¡¯t make it hurt any less.


    ¡°You should talk to him,¡± he added, caressing my temple with his thumb.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. If I go back there and they¡¯re together¡­ I¡¯m going to lose it, Hunter, and I can¡¯t risk freaking out. Not now.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±


    I sniffled and snuggled further into him. It wasn¡¯t a romantic snuggle, but one of support and comfort. Our faces were inches apart and his blue eyes were staring deep into my soul. I shut my (no doubt blood shot) eyes and focused more on my breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat. I chanted it over and over in my head and I think I dozed off at one point because when I came to, I felt Hunter¡¯s hand glide across my navel. Hunter¡¯s soft, cared for hands felt different on my body as opposed to Eli¡¯s rough ones. They were so soft I almost didn¡¯t feel them.


    ¡°I have to tell you something, but I¡¯m not sure if I should,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± I said, keeping my eyes closed.


    He exhaled. ¡°This can be interpreted two ways and I don¡¯t want you to automatically assume the worst.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I was in the guardian building earlier¡­ and I heard giggling coming from Eli¡¯s room.¡±


    I felt my heart still. ¡°He shares a room with two other men.¡±


    ¡°I know and I¡¯m not saying the giggles are because of Eli, I¡¯m just saying that something is happening in there¡ªI heard music, too.¡±


    I opened my eyes, seeing only a blue pair of irises. ¡°I can¡¯t lay here and do nothing. I have to sort it out one way or another.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    He pondered for a second. ¡°For the moment, stay here with me and when you¡¯re calmer, then you can go see him.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The room fell silent and we watched each other. I wasn¡¯t sure what vibe he was getting from me¡­ I was an emotional wreck, all of my feelings were numb, and for the few that I did feel, they were made up of only hate¡ªhate for Faith. How dare she put her hands and her mouth on him like he was hers? He wasn¡¯t hers, he was mine. I began to think about the night we shared¡­ it was loving and passionate and perfect. He told me he loved me, over and over¡ªwe even planned our wedding¡ªjust the two of us and our closest friends, we¡¯d have the ceremony, a small reception, and then we¡¯d stay on the beach for a couple of weeks just tanning, swimming, and plenty of love. Hunter must have mixed up my feelings of love and lust, connecting it to him and the way he was caressing me because a second later he kissed me. Hard. My eyes widened and I pressed my hands against his chest, pushing him off me.

 Page 26

    ¡°Hunter¡ªwhat?¡±


    He licked his bottom lip, confused. ¡°I thought-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t do this, not without talking to him first.¡±


    Hunter rolled off me, exhaling loudly. ¡°He¡¯s busy. There¡¯s music coming from his room¡ªand giggling. If you go down there you¡¯re just going to get hurt¡­ again¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Is it party music or romantic music?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°The music was quite slow¡­¡±


    My throat constricted for the second time today and I pursed my lips. Too many emotions raged inside me. I felt angry first, and it tore through my veins, tinting my vision. Eli was going to get a visit from me later and not a pleasant one. The second feeling was vengeance¡ªit was similar to anger. It filled my veins, making them white-hot. Faith would get a visit too, once this was all over.


    Hunter rolled off of the couch. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s have a drink and calm down.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t about to deny a drink. One or two would definitely ease my anger.


    Or not.


    I was onto my third glass when I decided I would pay both Eli and Faith a visit. It occurred to me in passing (in the form of a coherent and responsible voice in my head) that maybe I should have eaten something for breakfast and lunch before accepting alcohol. I didn¡¯t drink, not usually, so even a glass or two was enough to render me irresponsible.


    Hunter and I sat on the black stools by the bar. Most of the hour we sat there was spent in silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m not just going to sit here,¡± I grumbled into my glass, finally polishing off my third.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything drastic.¡± He sighed, twisting his body so he was facing my direction. ¡°Stay here and I¡¯ll distract you.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Board games.¡±


    I smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t have any.¡±


    ¡°Movies, then.¡±


    I arched an eyebrow. Do we stay in the same room? ¡°We don¡¯t have a T.V.¡±


    His blue eyes flared. ¡°Well, then we¡¯re going to have to improvise.¡±


    He slipped off his chair with his arms outstretched.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± I chuckled, darting off my chair and across the living room. ¡°We¡¯re not playing any physical games like wrestling or tag.¡±


    He cocked his head to the side, feigning innocence. ¡°Why not? Because you¡¯re afraid you won¡¯t be able to keep your hands off of me?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re implying that I¡¯ll strangle you to death, then sure.¡±


    He leaped forward, clearing the couch in one jump. The thrill of being chased kicked in and my heart crashed into my ribs as I circled the long corner lounge. Hunter ran around the couch, chasing me while I laughed my butt off. It wasn¡¯t anything crazy, but it was a nice distraction. Running while under the influence was difficult. My head was light, but my limbs felt heavy and if I swung them too hard in one direction, I began to stumble. As I reached for the corner, Hunter jumped onto the couch, reached over the back, and grabbed me, pulling me forward. In one swift move, he¡¯d pulled me from my feet and flush into him. We stumbled sideways on the large cushions before collapsing onto them into a panting heap. His laugh sounded in my ear, drawing my own from me and I looked into his eyes. That was all it took for him to kiss me again. For a second time, I was caught off guard by his lips¡­only this time, I didn¡¯t push him away. I let him kiss me¡­ I let him kiss me for two reasons. One, I had no real idea what the hell happened. We were running one minute and kissing the next, and two, I wanted to know how it felt to be kissed by someone you didn¡¯t love. I wanted to know how Eli felt being kissed by Faith. Hunter¡¯s tongue darted across my lip and I opened my mouth, letting him in. The sweet taste of the wine he was drinking tickled my tongue as his brushed against mine. I had no thoughts and no feelings. The only face I saw in my head was Faith¡¯s and the way she held my Eli against her. The image spurred me on, forcing me to kiss Hunter back harder and harder, trying to prove something and nothing all at once. It wasn¡¯t until I felt his smooth, cool hand brush over my ribcage did my brain cooperate with my heart and force me out of my daze. I snapped away from him like he was a hot flame and jumped up, almost falling over the back of the couch.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I breathed. ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Hunter exhaled and raked his fingers through his hair. ¡°You saw him kissing someone else. You have every right to get back at him.¡±


    I flinched. Get back at him? Is that what I was doing? Of course it was. I tapped my fingers along my bottom lip and stared down at my feet. ¡°I have to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to go down to his room and demand answers? You could blow this whole thing and the last month would have been for nothing.¡±


    My vision blurred as tears stung my eyes and the realization of what I did sank in. If Faith kissed Eli against his will, how could I truly blame him? But I¡­ I kissed Hunter back. That was my free will. I chose to kiss him.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± I sniffled, swiping a stray tear.


    ¡°Stay here with me¡ªscrew that¡ª¡±He pushed himself up onto his knees and put his hands on my thighs. ¡°Be with me.¡±


    I sidestepped him, moving away from his hands. ¡°Hunter, please don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why are you making it harder for yourself? Choose me. We don¡¯t have to try and change laws to allow us to hold each other in public. We can just exist together. It¡¯ll be easy.¡±


    I slumped into myself. He didn¡¯t get it¡­ it seemed no one did. ¡°That¡¯s what you don¡¯t understand¡­¡± I muttered, stepping off of the couch. ¡°Existing without Eli is anything but easy. Yes, I care for you. Yes, I let you kiss me and yes, I kissed you back, but I¡¯m in love with him¡­¡±


    Hunter shifted, his posture becoming tense and mad. ¡°And you¡¯re going to go down there and tell him what? That we made out?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t mak¡ª¡±


    ¡°My tongue was in your mouth and vice versa, sweetheart.¡±


    I whirled on my heel and stormed from the room¡ªnot because I thought he was wrong, but because I knew he was right.


    Outside Eli''s room there was giggles, music and whatever else, just like Hunter said. I felt sick and mad, it swirled around my stomach in angry churns. My hands shook and I entwined them briefly before knocking on the door. I knocked once, softly, but no one heard me over the bass of the music. I knocked again and again, until finally, the door opened. I was taken aback by the unfortunately familiar face.


    ¡°Ruby,¡± Faith cooed with a drunken slur. ¡°How nice of you to stop by, unfortunately this is an angel-only party.¡±


    I gritted my teeth and ignored the fact that she was only in her skimpy, black lace bra and white elite pants.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Eli. My wedding is in a few days and there are a few things I would like done for it.¡±


    Her eyes thinned. She wasn¡¯t buying a word of it, but despite her blatant disbelief, she turned and leaned against the door frame, allowing me a quick peek inside. The room behind her was full of rowdy angels who held cups of strong smelling spirits. I found it interesting. Eli wasn¡¯t normally into those sorts of things. She stepped inside and closed the door. I stared at the chocolate colored wood, unsure if she was going to come back or not. I wasn¡¯t going to turn around, not with a conscience as dirty as mine currently was. I needed to clear it, to tell Eli and let him deal with it however he wants. The door opened again and my breath was stolen from me as his curious green irises drank me in. He stepped outside, closing the door behind him.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in days and that¡¯s the first thing you say to me?¡±


    He frowned and exhaled. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve had a very¡­ trying day, to say the least.¡± He leaned closer a fraction and I held my breath. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡±


    When I didn¡¯t answer, Eli stepped past me and walked down the hall. Without a word, I followed. We stepped out into the air and instantly, I could breathe better. We walked for a little while, stuck in some uncomfortable silence and it wasn¡¯t until we approached the courthouse¡ªthe place I saw Faith and Eli kiss¡ªthat I began to talk.


    ¡°I told him to stop with the alcohol,¡± Eli growled under his breath. ¡°Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°I saw it¡­¡± I said, to change the subject.¡°I was walking by and I saw it.¡±


    I glanced sideways at Eli and he stopped walking. I avoided his eyes, dropping my gaze to the ground.


    ¡°You saw Faith and me?¡±


    Faith and me? Hearing those words come from Eli¡¯s mouth infuriated me and I glared at him from under my brow.


    ¡°Yes, I saw it. Were you ever going to tell me or were you going to party first and pray that I didn¡¯t find out?¡±


    He crossed his arms tightly over his chest. ¡°You think I¡¯d keep that from you? No. I would have told you at some point¡ªnot while we were here¡ªbut definitely at some point. She kissed me, I had nothing to do with it.¡±


    I believed him, yet I was grilling him, treating him like he was guilty, and I hated it, but every time I looked at his lips, I saw them attached to hers.


    ¡°This afternoon I saw you two kissing and then I was told there was giggles and music coming from your room¡­ I thought that you and Faith were¡ª¡± I sighed, dropping the subject. It was now or never. I had to face the music and tell him the real reason I was here. ¡°I can¡¯t hate you for it, it wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± I turned my body in his direction and looked back down to the ground. ¡°Not when I did something stupid to spite you¡­¡±


    ¡°You kissed him?¡± My mouth fell open. I didn¡¯t even have to confess. Eli knew.


    Eli had witnessed me kiss Hunter before, but it was all for show. This time, we were alone. There was no need for it¡­ I had wronged him. I immediately launched into panic mode.


    ¡°I saw you and Faith kiss and then he told me there was romantic music and giggles coming from your room. We started drinking and we kissed. I panicked¡ªI didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Eli¡¯s bright irises darkened as his expression turned murderous. ¡°You believed that I had Faith in my room alone?¡±


    I nodded and his jaw noticeably tightened. He stormed past me, toward my building, and I had trouble keeping up with him.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t his fault,¡± I whispered hastily under my breath, struggling to keep my pace. I had to keep my expression neutral, so the passing elites didn¡¯t assume anything. As we passed, they eyed us curiously, but didn¡¯t stop us.


    When we reached my room, he burst through the door without so much as a knock and Hunter rose from the couch, shirtless, and seemingly unfazed by the sudden intrusion. I quickly shut the door, concealing as much of the conversation from any potential passersby as I could.


    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic,¡± Eli growled at him, his fingers clenched at his sides. ¡°You¡¯re going to feed her lies and manipulate her just so she¡¯ll sleep with you?¡±


    ¡°Technically, we¡¯ve been sleeping together for months.¡± He sauntered closer. ¡°And I haven¡¯t lied to anybody.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, you sure as hell haven¡¯t told the truth.¡±


    Hunter took another step toward Eli and I realized how quickly this situation could get out of hand.


    ¡°We can talk about this,¡± I said in my calmest voice. ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene and ruin everything we¡¯ve come here to do.¡±


    They ignored me, of course.


    ¡°You feed her alcohol because you know she¡¯s not into you. You have no respect for her or anybody else. You know better than anybody that she¡¯d never willingly have s¡ª¡±


    Hunter chuckled. ¡°You think she¡¯d never sleep with me? You should have seen her twenty minutes ago when she was all over me, her lips¡ª¡±


    Eli lunged at him, punching Hunter straight in the face. I jumped, my hand flying up to cover my mouth. Immediately, his nose bled and I froze, staring wide-eyed. What the hell was I meant to do now? I couldn¡¯t control these two. They fought one on one and all I did was watch. I wasn¡¯t expecting it. Eli¡¯s fists slammed hard into Hunter¡¯s ribs and Hunter took them all before grabbing Eli¡¯s legs and taking him down.


    Faintly, I heard footsteps tear up the corridor and jumped again as our door was kicked in. Xavier and Lyric jumped furniture to pull the two off each other. Eli was on top, driving his fists into Hunter¡¯s face. How they knew we were here was beyond me. Three elite guards came in behind them and I quickly plastered a fake smile on my face.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I asked, forcing an innocent tone and a dumbstruck expression. ¡°Hunter likes to spar with the angels sometimes.¡±


    I glanced awkwardly at Hunter, who strolled casually over to my side. I almost cringed as he wrapped a blood splattered arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. It took all the strength I had to wrap my arms around his slim waist. Hunter ran his finger under my jaw and tilted my head up to face his. I peered sideways at Eli. His nostrils were flaring as he ran his tongue over the cut on his lip. His chest rose and fell in a heavy pant and while he was in pain, I had to force a smile. I looked back at Hunter. The second our eyes locked, his took on a cocky gleam and he pressed his lips to mine, getting blood on me. I could taste the copper and I wanted to hit him. Hard.


    ¡°Thanks, guys,¡± Lyric said as Hunter pulled away. Lyric helped the suspicious elites out the door. ¡°We¡¯ll take it from here.¡±


    He managed to get the door shut and when it clicked, I pulled away from Hunter, wiping my blood covered mouth on my jacket.

 Page 27

    Eli started for Hunter again. ¡°You son of a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eli!¡± Xavier shouted, diving in front of him and pressing his hands against this chest. ¡°You need to stop. This isn¡¯t worth risking all that we¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°All that you¡¯ve done?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Hunter, Eli, and I are the only ones who have sacrificed anything.¡±


    Lyric whistled loudly, so loudly it made us cringe.


    ¡°All right you hot messes, listen to me. You need to cut the crap. Do you know where we are? We¡¯re in the Goddamn snake pit and you want antagonize the snakes? You¡¯re crazy! The lot of you.¡± He shook his head.¡°This needs to stop. Eli, you can¡¯t fight Hunter over any of this. This is the plan that you and Aleksandrov came up with, remember? And Hunter, I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t go out of the way to piss him off. You¡¯re with his girl. At least try to be respectful, and Ruby, if you could keep the girl drama to a minimum, that would be great.¡±


    He opened the door and strode out. Following suit, (and without a glance in my direction) Eli stormed from the room with Xavier in tow.


    When they were gone, Hunter turned to me. ¡°Well, that was interesting.¡± His face was bloodied and swollen already. ¡°He hits hard, I¡¯ll give him that.¡±


    We were supposed to be getting married in two days. Two days! And now my ¡®husband-to-be¡¯ looked awful. I exhaled. I was in no mood for his light-hearted jokes. I stormed to the bathroom to locate the first aid supplies in the cabinet under the bathroom sink. When I returned, Hunter was leaning against the wall, still looking smug. I threw the box of supplies at Hunter and squeezed his nipple between my fingers when I got within reach. He winced and tried to pull back but couldn¡¯t go anywhere.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Hey, it wasn¡¯t entirely my fault, you kissed me back.¡±


    I squeezed and he winced. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that, I¡¯m talking about antagonizing Eli.¡±


    Hunter shrugged. ¡°You know I don¡¯t like to miss an opportunity to piss him off.¡±


    I let go of his nipple and he grabbed me roughly, pressing his body flush against mine.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kiss you today and give you alcohol in hopes of tricking you while you were vulnerable.¡± He gestured to the bed. ¡°This whole thing wasn¡¯t about trying to get you to sleep with me¡­¡±


    I nodded, still unsure how I felt. I pointed to the bed. ¡°Go sit down. I¡¯ll get a wet cloth.¡±


    With the wet cloth, I joined Hunter in the living room. He winced and gasped in pain as I ran the cloth over his swollen face and doused his cuts with alcohol. The whole time I tended to him, he stared at my face.


    ¡°Will you quit it?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s all for you, babe.¡±


    When I finished cleaning up his cuts and Hunter climbed into bed, I headed for the couch. I would not be sleeping in the same bed as Hunter tonight. No way in hell.


    ¡°I would have rocked your world, you know. It¡¯s not too late.¡±


    I turned to face him. He lay face up on the bed with an ice pack on his face.


    ¡°Just rest, Hunter.¡±


    Chapter Sixteen


    Hands touched me from every direction, pulling fabric, twisting my hair, and brushing powder onto my face. I wasn¡¯t paying attention¡­ I was just going through the motions. I hadn¡¯t seen Eli since the falling out with Hunter. I visited his room plenty of times, but Lyric always told me he was out. The city wasn¡¯t very big at all and yet, I couldn¡¯t find him no matter where I went. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out he was avoiding me. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I didn¡¯t even look like me and the thought depressed me. I¡¯d changed since being here and I didn¡¯t know if it was because (for the first time since my transformation) I had absolutely no control of my life. I was undertaking another transformation, but I wasn¡¯t sure if this one was going to make me as happy as the last one did. I had nothing to lose when I transformed last, but everything to gain. Now, I have everything to gain and everything to lose.


    A knock at the door pulled me from my stupor and some lady rushed to open it. I felt a scowl automatically fix itself on my face when Cesare stepped in, dressed to the nines in an all-black suit. He smiled devilishly at me, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to return it.


    ¡°You¡¯re marrying the love of your life,¡± he said, stepping closer. ¡°Smile a little.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the amount of makeup I¡¯m wearing doesn¡¯t allow me to smile. It cracks under pressure,¡± I replied dryly.


    ¡°I bet your makeup won¡¯t be the only thing cracking under pressure today.¡±


    The helpers carried on with what they were doing, completely oblivious to our conversation. ¡°No, if I¡¯m lucky, your fake demeanour will cave also,¡± I said.


    He clicked his fingers and the girls rushed from the room. We were alone and I suddenly wished I kept my mouth shut.


    ¡°I know you were in my office.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t know wha¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not lie to me!¡± he boomed, making me jump. I swallowed hard as he corrected a string of hair that fell into his eyes. His calm fa?ade returned and he crossed the room to the refreshment table by the bar. I didn¡¯t like having him here in my room, in my personal space, but he could do whatever he wanted. All of this stuff was his. He plucked a green grape off of its bunch and extended it to me. I shook my head. I wasn¡¯t about to cross the room and eat a grape out of his hand.


    ¡°This gown doesn¡¯t allow for much eating. Even a grape as small as that one will make these seams pop.¡±


    His lips curled. ¡°I like your sense of humor. It¡¯s refreshing¡ªirritating¡ªbut refreshing.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I have a wedding to get ready for,¡± I said impatiently. He had yet to revisit his accusation about the office invasion and I wondered if he¡¯d already forgotten about it. That wouldn¡¯t say much about his mental health.


    ¡°Ah, yes, the wedding. Tell me, who¡¯s giving you away?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°No one.¡± And I didn¡¯t want anyone to.


    ¡°Incorrect. Eli is.¡±


    I started to shake my head.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one that rescued you and brought you to Sage, is he not?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°And he is the one that has cared for you and looked after you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Victory was as clear as day when it spread across his face. ¡°Well, then. Mr. De Luca will give you to Mr. Reeves. That should be fun.¡±


    ¡°What is your problem with us?¡± I snapped, folding my arms. ¡°We¡¯ve done nothing to hurt you. I¡¯ve given you my blood and provided you with your cure. We¡¯re not the bad guys.¡±


    He popped the grape into his mouth. ¡°On the contrary, my love, you are the bad guys. You encourage people to break laws. You spread corruption and violence wherever you go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called freewill. People are allowed to do whatever they want.¡±


    Cesare shook his head. ¡°Not in our world. There are rules that must be followed. It¡¯s all about control, Miss Moore. If you let them think they have control, they¡¯ll abuse it.¡±


    Of course it all boiled down to one control freak of a man.


    ¡°It also keeps them safe and ensures the longevity of our species.¡±


    I glared at him. ¡°I think, under the right circumstances, we are powerful enough to take care of ourselves.¡±


    ¡°This society was created long before you were born, Ruby. Without the council, there would be no communities. There would be no schools to educate our children. Vampires would be running free.¡± He pointed at me. ¡°You have the council to thank for that.¡±


    Maybe I did have the council to thank. They set out to protect us and to keep us safe, but they¡¯ve succeeded with that, so when does it end? Why are they meddling with relationship laws if their sole purpose is to protect us from vampires? At what point does a movement become pointless? Why don¡¯t they back off and be happy when they¡¯ve achieved their goal? Why is it when they¡¯ve achieved their goal they find a new way to exploit it and its own followers? I find movements, much like this one, turn to poison over time. They lose sight of what they want and everybody else suffers.


    ¡°Lucian created the relationship law out of jealousy, not protection. He didn¡¯t care about our species.¡±


    Cesare shrugged his narrow shoulders. ¡°Ah, but Lucian had the approval to create that law a very, very, very long time ago and he had a lot of good points, too. The base line is, if you change one law, they think the others can be changed, too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, maybe they do need to be changed a little.¡±


    Cesare strode toward me, his face looking sunken and cold. ¡°Over my dead body.¡±


    We stared each other down for a few long seconds before he pushed past me and out the door. I exhaled when he was gone. Strangely, that was probably the longest, most normal conversation Cesare and I have had yet. My consensus? He was a total psycho. No doubt about it.


    I barely had five seconds alone with myself before another knock rattled the door. It opened and when Eli¡¯s handsome face peered around the frame, my stomach fluttered. It was a cute reaction his presence always provoked in me. His eyes drank me in inch by inch and all of the creases on his usually stern face flattened out, subtracting years from him. In that moment, he seemed so boyish. Like he was six years old and saw something he really liked.


    ¡°Wow,¡± was all he managed to say as he stepped in and closed the door behind him.


    I felt heat flood my cheeks and I looked away from him. ¡°Did Cesare tell you?¡± I asked, swallowing hard again.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I turned around, moving my legs minutely. The tight gown didn¡¯t give me much room. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯d never ask that from you, it¡¯s not fair.¡±


    He smiled slightly. ¡°I want to.¡±


    ¡°You want to?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m not going to let you walk down the aisle in front of all those strangers alone.¡±


    My eyebrows drew together. ¡°So you don¡¯t hate me?¡±


    He stepped closer, quickly closing the distance between us. He reached out and grabbed my bare arms before gliding his thumbs back and forth over my skin.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate you. I could never hate you, not over a kiss.¡±


    ¡°But it was wrong.¡±


    He shrugged, pulling me in so our bodies touched. ¡°Maybe it was, but you are still mine¡­ right?¡±


    I nodded without pause. ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Then I forgive you.¡± He kissed my forehead and my eyes briefly fluttered shut. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, hell, I don¡¯t even blame Hunter. I blame this place. It¡¯s changing us and we need to get out of here. Do what you need to do today; get married, kiss and dance, but the second it¡¯s over, we¡¯re out of here and I¡¯m taking you back.¡±


    My lips pulled up at the corners. He still wanted me, which made me the happiest girl in the world. Then I remembered Cesare and my face fell. ¡°I want nothing more than to be finished here¡­ but there¡¯s a good chance we aren¡¯t getting out of here¡­ ever.¡±


    Eli released my arm and tugged at a soft curl of my dark hair. Half of my hair was pinned, the other half curled and draped down my chest. ¡°Either way, in life or in death, we¡¯ll be together.¡±


    How could I not feel content after that? I wrapped my arms around Eli¡¯s neck and drew his face closer to mine. We didn¡¯t kiss, instead, we watched each other. Minutes passed, but neither of us moved. If things turned sour, this could very well be the last time we were alone together. The time was cut short as a quick, desperate knock on the door forced us apart.


    Eli cleared his throat. ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door whipped open and startled me. My heart rate increased as a flustered Faith stepped in. I clenched my hands into fists and stepped forward. Eli firmly planted his hand on my stomach and looked over at me, amused.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a wedding dress.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Relax.¡±


    Faith presented her palms to me, panting like she¡¯d run a mile. Strains of her hair stuck to her face and she swiped an arm over her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m not here to start trouble, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Everyone is in danger, it¡¯s Cesare¡ªhe¡¯s gone mad!¡±


    Eli dropped his hand from me and stepped toward a shaking Faith. He took her hand and pulled her further into the room. He looked to me to get the door and with a heavy exhale, I stepped over and closed it. I didn¡¯t trust Faith and I sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to let Eli trust her, either. He escorted her over to the couch and retrieved a glass of water from the bar. She drank it up before crushing the plastic in her hand.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked and I stepped closer to the couch.


    ¡°My brother, Tate, he told me¡­¡± She shuddered. ¡°He told me what Cesare plans to do.¡± Her face scrunched and her bottom lip quivered.


    ¡°What does he plan to do, Faith?¡± Eli asked calmly, trying to soothe her into explaining. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything until you tell us.¡±


    ¡°He¡­ He¡­¡± She inhaled deeply and let it out at the same speed. ¡°He¡¯s going to have the charm dropped, we¡¯re going to be exposed to the vampires.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t guarantee a vampire attack. There probably aren¡¯t any vampires around here.¡±

 Page 28

    She shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s made contact with them¡ªinvited them here¡ªand he¡¯s going to let them loose in the city.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t,¡± Eli said. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t kill his own people. He¡¯s obsessed with sustaining his species.¡±


    She shook her head again. ¡°Cesare told Tate everything. Tate is the one who¡¯s meant to open the gates at seven p.m.¡±


    I glanced at the clock. It was six. My body was a mixture of both tense and relaxed¡ªif that made any sense¡ªand I didn¡¯t know whether I believed her or not. She was pretty shaken up¡­


    ¡°Easy, tell Tate not to open the gates.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, he has to do it or Cesare is going to kill me. He¡¯s gone crazy.¡± She sobbed, tears spilling over the rims of her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s going to kill everybody to maintain control¡ªnot even the other council members know. They¡¯re going to die, too.¡±


    Eli stood up and began to pace. ¡°We have an hour to alert people.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t alert people,¡± Faith told Eli, panicked. ¡°Cesare will know Tate told me. He¡¯ll kill my brother¡ªplease, please.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± He paced the room for a few more minutes and the sudden fear of it being true began to seep into me. ¡°I have to tell Mr. Aleksandrov and the rest of them, at least. They can keep Mila safe.¡±


    I nodded. They were definitely a priority.


    ¡°Keep Faith here with you. I¡¯ll meet you at the altar.¡±


    I opened my mouth to protest, but he left before I could utter a single word. On the couch, Faith covered her face and began to cry.


    ¡°Why are you so scared?¡± I asked, walking closer. ¡°Fighting vampires is what you do.¡±


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, most of the time they keep us locked up in here. Only a handful of us have fought vampires.¡±


    I sighed, lowering myself into the seat next to here. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve never fought a vampire?¡±


    ¡°When I was eleven, my parents were killed. They were set on living a normal life, just like your mother was¡­ it backfired on them, just like it did your mother.¡± She sniffled. ¡°My brother was already an elite guard then and begged the council to take me in. I had nobody to look after me and I had no communities or schools close enough for me to attend. The council let him bring me here¡­ they looked after me, became my family¡ªCesare especially. I don¡¯t know what happened¡­ over time he became more closed off, more paranoid. I tried to tell him it was because he locked himself away in the city, but he didn¡¯t agree.¡± Faith shook her head and began to cry harder. ¡°He was family¡­ and now he wants to kill us all.¡±


    I watched her shoulders shake as she sobbed. I had no idea what to do. Comforting her seemed so strange¡­ Put your ego aside, you ass, I chastised myself. This is bigger than your pride. I breathed in deeply through my nose and expelled it slowly before placing my hand on her shoulder. She flinched and peered through her fingers at me. She seemed confused.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you scared?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot, so not a lot can scare me anymore.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll fight?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s never been in my nature to run or back down.¡±


    There was a knock on the door the second I finished my sentence and I twisted in my seat as the door opened. An unknown woman stuck her head in. ¡°Time to go.¡± She smiled, excitement dancing in her eyes.


    I stood up and straightened my dress before turning to Faith. ¡°You stay here. Lock the door and keep quiet. If all goes well, I¡¯ll come back and get you.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± she called, her voice shaking as I exited the room and the door was closed behind me.


    Eli¡¯s arm slipped around mine just as the music started. I glanced up at him and he smiled down at me like he had no care in the world. I was almost certain he wasn¡¯t going to make it.


    I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here. I thought you were going to miss it.¡±


    ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to be here,¡± he muttered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t make you go through it alone.¡±


    I looked forward and two large, wooden doors pulled open. ¡°Cesare wants you to freak out and ruin this,¡± I whispered so passersby didn¡¯t hear me.


    ¡°No matter what I do tonight, something is going to go wrong. If I stop this, God knows what will happen to Mila. If I don¡¯t stop this¡­ God knows what will happen to any of us, but we¡¯ve fought before¡­ we¡¯ll do it again.¡±


    A pointy finger stabbed into my back and I started forward. The room was filled with people that gasped at me. They smiled like they knew who I was and cared if I lived or died. I fought the urge to glare at them. They didn¡¯t know me and they didn¡¯t deserve to share this day with me. Where was my Aunt Jen? Where was Camilla or Sera and Aaron¡ªwhere was anyone that I knew? There weren¡¯t here. This wasn¡¯t my day. This was Cesare¡¯s. I looked down the aisle and at the very end stood Hunter. He was looking a lot less bruised today, barely noticeable. Makeup, I assumed. He stood smiling at me and I smiled back. I looked to his hands that twitched and clenched every now and again.


    ¡°Did you tell him?¡± I whispered.


    Eli nodded his head again.


    In the front row sat the council¡­ everyone but Cesare. Behind me, I heard the two large doors shut and I was certain a lock snapped in place, too. I looked at Eli, who gave me a small gesture of reassurance with his head. In the front row on the other side sat Mr. Aleksandrov, Lyric, and Xavier. Not seeing Mila was a relief. I just hoped they put her somewhere safe.


    As I approached the four small steps, I felt a cooler limb hook around my right arm.


    ¡°Well, this is awkward.¡± I snapped my head to the right and jolted backward. Hank. I yanked my arms free from Eli and Hank¡¯s and almost stumbled over myself to get away from him.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. The music cut off and the room exploded in curious chatter. Couldn¡¯t they see the faint blue glow around his body? Why weren¡¯t they running? Eli grabbed me, tucking me behind his body.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the father give the daughter away?¡± He extended his hand to me with a wry smile. He looked the same¡­ the same as he did the night I killed him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not my father,¡± I growled at him, refusing to step out from behind Eli.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Hank,¡± another voice called from the stairs where Hunter stood and he stepped away, petrified. ¡°Nothing can peel her away from Eli De Luca.¡±


    My insides turned as cold as ice. My mouth was dry and my eyes began to water. Surely this was a dream. This couldn¡¯t be happening¡­ not tonight.


    Lucian, in his crisp black suit, turned and smiled ruefully at Hunter. ¡°I see you returned the gift I gave you.¡±


    ¡°Curse,¡± Hunter replied, taking another step back. ¡°It was a curse.¡±


    Lucian grabbed the priest and a sickening crack crepitated through the room as he snapped his neck and he crumpled to the ground. The guests began to scream. I heard the benches scuffle across the ground as everyone panicked. The council launched themselves to their feet in an attempt to calm everyone down but there was too much panic. Nobody listened. They banged on the door, but it was locked from the outside. I didn¡¯t think it was ever going to open, but then I heard metal being scraped against the door and people backed up to make room for the doors to open. When they did, blood curdling screams tore through the room, almost bursting my ear drums. The people turned and rushed toward us, desperate to get out of the door behind the altar. As they rushed by, Eli shoved me into the fray and they carried me off.


    ¡°Eli!¡± I screamed. ¡°No!¡±


    My own screams were drowned out by everyone else¡¯s.


    I tried to fight against the insanely strong current of panicked people, but I couldn¡¯t. I was no match for them. The all squeezed into the next room, filling up the halls and crushing people against walls. I cried out as my hip slammed into a metal desk. I tried to pull myself up onto it, but my dress was caught underneath others¡¯ shoes. I reached down to my dress and tugged it. It didn¡¯t rip. I pulled until my arms hurt and my lungs burned from holding my breath. Nothing. My chest heaved as I began to cry. I didn¡¯t want to be stuck in here with these people. I wanted to be out there, helping the people I loved. I shook my head. Now was not the time to give up. They needed my help. I grabbed my dress and pulled one last time until the fabric tore ever so slightly. I crouched down, squeezing myself between the table and someone else¡¯s body. I hooked my fingers in the hole and pulled, tearing a huge hole in the fabric. I kept tearing until my legs were free. Then, in my stupidly high heels, I climbed onto the table.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I shouted over the cries and pleas to God. No one heard me. ¡°Hey!¡± Still nothing. ¡°Shut up!¡± I tried one last time. The room and halls turned quiet. ¡°Jesus Christ! Thank you.¡± I inhaled and exhaled, enjoying the silence for a few seconds. ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re all running scared!¡± I leaned against the window behind me and pulled off one of my heels. ¡°Some of you are angels¡ªthe rest gods and goddesses.¡± I removed the other shoe and dropped them both onto the table. ¡°Why are you so terrified? You have the ability to beat them. Sure, they¡¯re faster, hungrier, and meaner than you, but we have powers. We outnumber them.¡±


    ¡°You brought this on us!¡± someone in the back shouted. An uproar of agreement ensued and quite frankly, it infuriated me.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± I snapped, demanding silence again. ¡°I did not bring this down on you. Your leader did. Cesare is a selfish, power-hungry man. All of this is because of him and his inability to grow with his own society.¡± I paused and took a deep breath. ¡°I love my guardian angel.¡± Everyone gasped and I rolled my eyes. Please, it¡¯s not like it wasn¡¯t obvious. ¡°We¡¯re meant to be together and we will, but first, answer this question; what is more evil, me being in love with a guardian angel or Cesare massacring a whole city just to stop it? I love someone and Cesare believes stopping that is worth all of your lives.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the law!¡±


    ¡°But why is it the law? Who does it affect? Being with a guardian angel won¡¯t birth new vampires. It won¡¯t put anyone else¡¯s lives in danger and the world won¡¯t end. Give me a reason. If you can give me a good reason that I can¡¯t be happy, then I¡¯ll take the blame for this whole thing.¡±


    No one said a word and I smirked.


    ¡°Your own leader is using the one thing they swore to protect you from against you. They don¡¯t want us to be happy¡ªthink about it. We can use and manipulate the four elements of nature and yet, they don¡¯t let us. They want you to be weak and defenseless, then they hire these guardians and keep them under their thumb. Our lives are carefully structured¡­ and, most likely, so are our deaths. We need to go back out there and fight.¡±


    As I expected, I was met with resistance, but with or without these guys, I was going back out there. I turned around and opened the window. A fat guy with a long, brown beard launched forward and grabbed my leg.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid!¡± He barked at me, but I kicked free.


    ¡°I am not weak,¡± I told him, baring my teeth. ¡°I am not the kind of person that sits in a room and waits for my death.¡±


    No one was on this side of the building, thank God, and I sat on the ledge of the window and pushed off. It was only a foot or two drop and I landed safely. If I were wearing heels, I¡¯d have broken my neck six times. I had to find Eli, he was going to get a massive kick in the butt for trying to protect me. Surely he knew better by now. As I stepped around the corner to the front of the building, people were everywhere. Some dead. Some fighting. I stood still and watched the chaos. I watched throats being ripped from bodies by pointed teeth. I watched stakes and other random objects being shoved through chests and I watched fires rage violently. It was painful to see¡ªand familiar. So many times I¡¯d seen this exact scene and I was tired of it. A vampire zipped in front of me, startling me. Blood ran from his mouth and dripped onto his dirty, light blue shirt. His sandy blond hair had dried blood and mud all through it. He bared his fangs and lurched¡ªI crouched, preparing my counter attack before the vampire was stopped. His black, soulless eyes widened before he glanced down to his chest. I followed his line of sight and saw a hand holding his un-beating heart. My rescuer pulled his hand back through the corpse and the vampire fell to the ground. I glanced up to the person that saved me and was shocked to see Lucian. I took a wary step back as he dropped the heart. It hit the ground like a rock. He wiped his hands over his jacket.


    ¡°Vampires are strange, aren¡¯t they? Some turn to dust, some you have to cut into pieces, and some just die.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to chat with him. I did that enough in my dreams. I launched forward, jumping on Lucian and wrapping my legs around his waist. He grabbed me, trying to throw me off, but I clenched my thighs. He was dead. He didn¡¯t have the vampire strength anymore. The ground began to rumble and we both paused. Nothing happened for a few seconds¡­ until tons of people exploded from the courthouse doors. I smiled quickly before wrapping an arm around Lucian¡¯s neck and swinging around his body so I had his back. I squeezed as he clawed at my hands. Slowly, his movements became tired and slow. I squeezed harder and harder until we crumpled to the ground. I held onto him for a few minutes longer, just to be certain he was dead, and shortly after that, his body disappeared.


    Adrenaline coursed through my system as I watched fireballs and water balls being tossed through the air. Trees were being ripped from the ground and used to impale vampires. We were winning now, that much was obvious.

 Page 29

    I made my way into the courthouse in search of familiar faces. I scanned the room, and as an elite crouched low and took down a vampire, I saw Hunter in the back corner, defending his own against a small group of bloodsuckers. Beside him, with all of his fierce emotion displayed on his features, I watched Eli slam a piece of metal through Tay¡¯s back and out through his chest. Tay fell to his knees¡­ before turning into nothing. Before Eli could catch his breath, one of Hunter¡¯s vampires advanced on him, catching him off-guard.


    I sprinted over to them, ducking and dodging other fights. On the way, I passed an elite who thrust three stakes into a vampire¡¯s chest. As the vampire began to turn to dust, I retrieved a stake from his decaying body for my own use and ran up the four steps before jumping off the edge of the altar, landing right on top of a vampire. I drove the stake down through his spine and pierced his heart. As I fell to the ground with a pile of dust, Eli tore the head off of his own competitor and tossed it away like it was nothing. He started for me, but stopped when he saw Hunter not quite holding his own against the massive, seven foot vamp. I handed Eli my stake and pulled myself to my feet, dusting off the dead vampire. Eli ran up to Hunter¡¯s vampire and drove the stake through his back. The vampire froze and looked over his shoulder. He was way too thick for that one to pierce his heart. Eli took a quick step back and I ran to his side.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± I muttered, gripping his arm.


    The vampire snarled, and Eli grabbed me, pulling me down with him as the vampire whirled around and came at us. He held me under his body, tightly against him and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact. It never came. Instead, a large pile of dust rained down on us. Eli was first to move and he slowly released me. I peered over Eli¡¯s shoulder and saw Hunter standing there, twirling a stake.


    ¡°That was awesome!¡± he cheered, making Eli and I laugh nervously.


    That was too close for our liking and that vampire was way too big to fight bare handed.


    I turned to survey the room and watched as the last vampire had its heart ripped from its chest. Outside, people cheered and I knew then that we had won. We did it.


    ¡°How did you get them to help?¡± Eli asked, pulling me into him.


    I shrugged. ¡°I spoke to them, but they didn¡¯t seem too convinced when I left.¡±


    It all happened so quickly. One minute I was getting married, the next the courthouse was torn apart and everyone was in panic. Now, it was over¡ªalmost as soon as it began.


    ¡°We would have lost if it weren¡¯t for them,¡± Hunter added. ¡°So whatever you said to them to make them help, helped.¡±


    The three of us trotted from the courthouse and into the air outside. In the distance, thunder crackled, and sure enough, rain began to fall. It wasn¡¯t heavy, it was just right. Just enough for us to cool down. As I held Eli¡¯s hand, no one spoke, instead we looked at the sky, letting the drops moisten our skin.


    ¡°Ruby Moore?¡± A short white-haired woman spoke, drawing my attention. I didn¡¯t let go of Eli¡¯s hand. I wouldn¡¯t anymore. I recognized the woman as part of the council and instinctively, I inched closer to Eli. Her face was streaked with blood, whether it was hers or not, I had no idea.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said and I nodded my head.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cesare?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know¡­ he¡¯s here somewhere. We have elite guards combing the city now.¡±


    ¡°I hope he¡¯s going to suffer for the stress he¡¯s put us all through.¡±


    The woman nodded and smiled kindly. ¡°Yes, he will. Whatever punishment you see fit is exactly what he¡¯ll get.¡±


    Me? ¡°You want me to sentence him? I have no power to do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you the power to do that.¡±


    She turned and walked away, leaving us alone.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re going to give him hell, Rubes.¡± Hunter chuckled, pulling off his wet jacket.


    I will. He''ll get exactly what¡¯s coming to him.


    Chapter Seventeen


    ¡°It is with great honor that I offer Mr. Ivan Aleksandrov a place on the council.¡±


    The crowd clapped and cheered, wolf whistled and shouted. Mr. Aleksandrov, in his plum colored robe, strode across the stage to receive his award. It was a pretty award, small and gold, just perfect to sit on a table to display. Everyone was here to see the council open themselves up. Invitations were sent out to others like us to bring them into this no longer secret circle, and despite their fear of having the people reject them, they wanted to make our world a better place. Everyone was happy to learn about the council, they weren¡¯t bitter or mad, and that made me happy. It meant that our society wasn¡¯t all bad, and like any society, faction, or movement, there was always one person willing to destroy it all.


    Mr. Aleksandrov cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone. ¡°I feel very honored to receive this award today. The last couple of weeks have been anything but easy. Years ago, if you asked me if I¡¯d have done anything to change the way our society is, I would have said no. Back then, I was ignorant. I was happy being told what to do, but not today. Today I stand proud with a group of very special people. These people taught me that there¡¯s no such thing as black and white and that you should always strive to do the things that make you happy. Sage Sanctum makes me happy. Being a headmaster makes me happy, but I cannot make others happy locked up in the school. It is with great pride and happiness that I accept the seat offered to me and it is with great promise when I say that I will always work for our society, not against it.¡±


    He stepped away from the mic and everyone roared. My cheeks were threatening to split I was so happy for him.


    The white haired woman, Fauna, I learned her name was, stepped up to the mic. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Aleksandrov. Inviting Mr. Aleksandrov onto the council was a tough decision. The last thing we wanted was to overwhelm anybody with the thought of being governed by five people, but know that the government structure we have in place will not change. You¡¯re now aware of us, but that doesn¡¯t mean we have to get rid of the higher power all together. As council members, we are very busy and can¡¯t always leave the city, so, we¡¯ve decided to appoint a new figure head as higher power. This new person will lead you and work actively to keep you safe. This person is someone who has sacrificed a lot for this society. This person has proven themselves time and time again and this person is someone who I know, without a doubt, will do great things.¡±Fauna¡¯s friendly gaze fell onto me. ¡°Miss Ruby Moore, we are offering you the position as higher power, if you want it.¡±


    Again the crowd went crazy and my mouth fell open as I slowly rose to my feet. Beside me, Eli and Hunter clapped and cheered as I slowly walked up the stairs and over to the microphone.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I laughed nervously. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡± I looked down at the crowd, who watched me with big, awed expressions. What was I meant to say? I cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely floored that the council thinks me worthy of this position, but I¡¯m not.¡±


    The spectators sounded their disagreement, but I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to look after myself, let alone thousands of people.¡±


    Mr. Aleksandrov strolled up beside me and pulled me away from the podium. He moved me to the side where no one else could hear our conversation. ¡°You are ready for this, Ruby. This is what you were meant to do.¡±


    ¡°But I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You are a leader. You are strong and confident. These people need that. Together, we can change this world for the better.¡±


    His kind violet eyes flared, making excitement bubble in my chest. I bounced back to the microphone. ¡°I accept the role as higher power.¡±


    The council members rushed to congratulate me and pulled me over to the side of the stage as Fauna took charge again. ¡°We have too many people to thank for their efforts, too many to name at this moment, but there are four more men that I would like to acknowledge in front of everyone. Like Ruby, these men have fought hard for the truth. They suffered under the hands of Lucian and Cesare, but as of today, they will be guided by Ruby¡¯s soft hands and the hands of the council. In front of you all, I present Eli, Hunter, Lyric and Xavier, previous guardians of Ivan Aleksandrov, with white uniforms and offer them places on the elite guard.


    Elites came out holding freshly pressed uniforms and handed them to the boys. I was smiling now, watching smiles spread over their faces.


    ¡°We are aware Mr. Reeves is a god, but he defended this city like a guardian would. From this moment forward there will be no discrimination between species. Cesare has proven that it creates a poison within our society. We should not hate love, we should nourish it. Love is the base of all happiness, that, I truly believe.¡±


    My heart swelled and threatened to burst from my chest at any second. I barely had a second to look at Eli before he put his uniform down, jumped up from his seat and leaped the small stairs in two bounds. He crossed the stage in three steps and pulled me into his arms. I giggled, despite my nervousness.


    ¡°We did it.¡± He smiled.¡°We can be together.¡±


    ¡°We can.¡±


    Eli slammed his mouth to mine, drawing another round of rowdy applause. Finally we were together. Finally we were able to put our love on show and not be ashamed of it¡­ unfortunately, I had something else I had to take care of before I could allow myself to truly be with Eli. I had to talk to Hunter and find a way out of this sire bond.


    ¡°And lastly,¡± Fauna shouted over the top of the crowd. Eli released me. ¡°We have one last matter that needs to be cleared up.¡±


    In the distance, the sound of chains rattling drew my attention and I watched as the elites pulled along a little metal box with bars on the side. The spectators booed and kicked the metal carriage.


    ¡°Cesare, former council member. He is accused of many, many things, murder being the most prominent on the list.¡± Her tone turned dark and hateful. ¡°It¡¯s up to Ruby to sentence him however she sees fit.¡±


    I stepped up to the podium as the elites pulled an exhausted old man from the box. Cesare peered up at me through his dark hair and smirked. I narrowed my eyes at him.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± I said. Everyone protested my sentence and I raised my hand, silencing them. ¡°He has ruined many lives¡­ taken others. I¡¯m not like him. If I take his life, it makes me just as bad. So let him go.¡±


    The elites, Tate being one of them, removed Cesare¡¯s shackles.


    ¡°If the council approves my sentence, you are forbidden to leave the city. I¡¯ll have Mr. Aleksandrov bind you to this place and you can exist among your people, the people you turned against you, for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯re capable of ruling? You don¡¯t even have the stomach to kill me!¡± he spat. ¡°You¡¯re weak.¡±


    ¡°Choosing not to kill you makes me stronger, you fool and you can spend the rest of your life trying to figure out how.¡±


    I turned from him and sheepishly toward the council. ¡°Do you approve my sentence?¡±


    The whispered among themselves for a few minutes before giving me and the elite guards standing with Cesare a swift nod. ¡°Shackle him back up until Aleksandrov has bound him to the city.¡±


    Celebrating this small victory, I left the stage to talk to Hunter. I expected him to hate me, but instead, he forced me into a hug. It was a genuine hug, one that radiated how happy he was for me.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked when he pulled away.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be all right.¡±


    ¡°I wish it could be different, but he¡ªI¡ªwe¡ªthis is all we¡¯ve wanted.¡±


    He smiled and it was a little sad. ¡°I get it¡­ epic love and all of that. I know now that you never loved me.¡±


    ¡°Hunter¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me finish, I thought you did¡ªI was certain you did¡ªbut the more time I spent with you, I began to notice your patterns. You love me like you love Mila, Lyric, and Xavier. No one makes your heart race the way Eli does¡­ and I¡¯m happy for you. I really am.¡±


    It meant so much to hear Hunter give me his blessing. I thought it would be hell trying to get him to understand, but I didn¡¯t have to tell him anything. He felt it all. Hunter pulled back from me. ¡°I was going to show you after the wedding, but now seems a good a time as ever.¡±


    He rolled up his sleeve and exposed a small crescent moon shaped tattoo on the inside of his wrist. Beside him, Lyric leaned across and flashed me a glimpse of his sun tattoo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say I never do anything for you.¡± Lyric said, looking back to the stage.


    I gaped at him. ¡°You got bonded to a guardian?¡±


    ¡°Yep and since it started working, I haven¡¯t felt any of your emotions.¡±


    I tried really hard to hide my excitement. ¡°Really?¡±


    He nodded his head. ¡°I feel nothing.¡±


    I pulled him into me again, squeezing him as hard as I could. ¡°I feel terrible for being so happy right now, but I can¡¯t pretend.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t expect you to.¡± He kissed the side of my head. ¡°Now go, go run things.¡±


    I whirled on my heel and went to bounce away from him, but quickly stopped.


    ¡°We¡¯re always going to be a team, right? All of us?¡±


    Lyric and Xavier heard me and grabbed Hunter. Lyric tucked Hunter under his arm while Xavier smacked him in the sides. He tried to fight them off, but his laughter deterred any progress he might¡¯ve made.


    ¡°We¡¯ll always be a team.¡± Xavier smiled as they let Hunter go.


    I headed back up the stairs and straight into Eli¡¯s arms. I wanted to stay there forever and I would have if Mila hadn¡¯t shown up.

 Page 30

    ¡°Mila!¡± I screamed, leaving Eli and attacking her. I missed her so much. In a way, I missed them all so much. Mila was forbidden to leave her room or attend my wedding and it got to me. I missed her face.


    She hugged me tightly and I could feel her small bump pressing into me.


    ¡°How are you?¡± I asked, playing with her hair and stroking her arm. I wanted to know everything.


    ¡°I¡¯m better now.¡± She smiled. ¡°No more morning sickness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to go through with this?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I have to. This was something that I did to myself and I always take responsibilities for my actions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very wise of you.¡± I giggled, rubbing her belly. ¡°You¡¯ll always have me to help,¡± I told her even though I¡¯d never had any experience with babies.


    ¡°And me,.¡± Eli added.


    ¡°Me too,¡± said Mr. Aleksandrov.


    I pulled them all in for a hug. I didn¡¯t have a family outside of Aunt Jen and Camilla, but that was okay. I had these guys and these guys were my family. They defended me from the beginning. They risked their lives for me, forgave me when I wronged them and remained loyal to me. I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better family. Now it was time for me to repay my debt. I would bend over backwards for them and give them anything they wanted any day. I loved them all and I owed them my life. I smiled. For the first time ever, my life was finally mine to give and although it was far from over, I finally had control over it.


    Epilogue


    ELI


    I marched down the narrow corridor, determined to meet the necromancer that tormented us under Cesare¡¯s orders. It has taken eleven weeks for us to locate him and the information Cesare provided on his location, right before he took his own life outside the courthouse, wasn¡¯t entirely accurate. It affected Ruby the most to hear that Cesare had ended his life¡­ she blames herself, of course, but that decision was solely his. Before he died, he screamed about how sorry he was, how he failed everyone, and I felt sorry for him, I really did, but what he did was inexcusable. We, and by we, I mean Lyric, Hunter, Xavier and I, traveled for twelve days in search of the necromancer, and we found him, eventually, hiding in a shack by the beach four hours from here.


    The necromancer refused to tell us his name¡ªhe refused to tell us anything, actually. All he does is shout threats and promises to kill my friends, only to resurrect them just to kill them all over again. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s wide knowledge or not, but I don¡¯t take kindly to threats.


    I pushed open the heavy metal door at the end of the corridor and came face to face with the necromancer. I could see why Cesare chose him. He had a strange distaste for our way of life, but that isn¡¯t entirely his fault, I suppose. Our ancestors did (or were meant to) wipe out his entire species. It irks me how similar he looks to Lucian.


    ¡°Back for more, guardian?¡±


    I shook my head. I was only here to give orders. It occurred to me last night that I was never getting anything out of this man and I couldn¡¯t let him go¡­ he posed too much of a threat. At the end of the day, it all came down to Ruby and I¡¯d protect her above all else for the rest of my life.


    I looked to Tate, who leaned against the wall, bouncing a tennis ball. I¡¯d kill the necromancer myself for all of the pain he¡¯d inflicted on Ruby, but I didn¡¯t want to get any blood on my suit and I¡¯d never taint her body by touching her with hands that have recently killed.


    ¡°I want him dead.¡±


    I adjusted the cuff at the base of my sleeve and tightened my tie.


    Tate smiled. ¡°Yes, sir. Now get out of here, Eli. A bride is always late, but the groom should never be.¡±


    I smiled at Tate and nodded my head before turning around. I¡¯d hate to be late to my own wedding.