CHAPTER 11
After showering quickly, I get out and put some clothes on, waiting patiently for Abigail to come so I can warn her about the seer stones.
I have to tell her to make sure she remains hidden on the day and to tell her family to go into hiding.
I also don’t want to stay in their room on the off chance my magic manifests tonight.
I know the chances are slim, but if they did, I was unaware of what to expect and if the change would be noticeable.
Silas sits expectantly at the table, waiting for me to join him. Taking my seat at the small table, he leans back, watching me. I suddenly feel nervous under his watchful eye, and I know he can hear my heart racing, pounding in my chest.
“You’re staying?” I ask, hoping he won’t confirm my fears. He crosses his arms over his chest.
“That depends.”
“On?” I ask, fidgeting with my fingers under the table.
“How truthful you are being?”
I dart my eyes to him and my heart rate skips a beat. His eyes darken and I can tell he hears the change in my heart rate.
“Why are you nervous?” he asks, and I instantly stop fidgeting and go to pick up my fork, only then realizing how bad my hands are trembling. “Are you going to answer?” he says, raising an eyebrow.
“You may not like my answer.”
“Doesn’t matter, I want to hear it,” he says, reaching for his fork and twirling pasta around it.
“You make me nervous,” I tell him truthfully. He nods in understanding before bringing his fork to his lips. He chews before speaking.
“Eat,” he says pointing to my plate and I quickly scoop some up, chewing slowly. We eat in silence and when he is done, he sits back watching me. I go to put my fork down when I see him shake his head.
“Eat all of it,” he says, and I sigh before forcing in another mouthful. “I have been thinking…”
I fight the urge to spit out something sarcastic. “About?”
“Why you suddenly changed this afternoon and figured, you had a reason.”
I shake my head even though I am actually trying to please them so I can have the freedom to sleep in my room and be away from them.
“Don’t deny it; this morning you were pissed then you seemed fine. Then when I walked in with Abigail, you got nervous, your heart rate beating erratically.”
I try to come up with an excuse he won’t question. “I want to know what you are hiding.”
“I’m not hiding anything,” I answer quickly and the pain that lie causes makes my throat constrict.
“So, you won’t mind sleeping in our room, then.” As soon as the words leave his lips, my heart rate spikes. I wouldn’t be able to slip away, they would wake to the slightest of noises.
“So, I will ask you again, what are you hiding, Elora?”
“I’m not hiding anything; I just want to sleep in my room.
” I bite down on my tongue, fighting the answer on the tip of it.
My mouth fills with the coppery taste of my blood.
I watch his eyes darken and he moves, standing before placing his hand on the table beside me, towering over me and bringing his face closer to mine.
“If I find out there is an ulterior motive to your actions, you will be punished, Elora. You won’t like my punishment. Understood?”
I nod, looking away, but Silas grips my chin forcing me to meet his intense gaze.
His eyes search my face for any deception.
He then takes a deep breath, moving closer, his lips almost touching mine.
His intoxicating scent sweeps over me and I lean in instinctually when I feel his lips brush mine.
I snap my eyes open, and I can feel him smiling against my lips.
He kisses me, and I don’t pull back, instead, allowing him to kiss me.
Part of me hates him, yet another part of me craves his touch.
A never ending war in my head between what I know is rational and what is the mate bond.
Both blur to one and create a war within me.
I kiss him back and he groans, slipping his tongue into my mouth, brushing mine softly as he bites my bottom lip, making me moan against his lips.
He quietly chuckles at my reaction, pulling me to him, and all rational thoughts go out the window as I kiss him harder.
His hands go to my backside before he lifts me.
My body doesn’t even feel like my own as I wrap my arms around his neck to keep from falling.
Then I feel the brick wall against my back, his lips hungrily devouring mine before moving to my chin and down my neck.
I exhale a breathy moan at the feel of his hot mouth nipping and tasting my skin.
My fingers tangle in his messy hair, pulling him closer, loving the feel of his lips on my skin.
Then the door swings open, and my eyes dart toward it.
Abigail walks in, only to turn and rush back out at what she just walked in on, and I’m grateful it made him stop.
My body refuses to listen to the rational part of me.
Silas groans against my neck before releasing me and setting my feet on the floor.
“Remember what I said, Elora. I don’t want to punish you, so if there’s anything you want to confess, you know where our room is,” he says before walking out.
A second or so later Abigail enters and we say nothing for a few seconds, wanting to make sure he is gone. Abigail goes to the door with the tray in her hand on the off chance he is waiting and listening outside. She turns to look at me, giving me the nod to say he has gone.
“So, what happened?” she whispers, her eyes glued to the door. I pull her over to me before going in and turning the shower on just in case they are listening.
“You need to get out of here; you need to tell your mother to take your daughter and run,” I tell her. She looks at me confused, the tray shaking in her hands from her worry.
“Why? Do they know?”
I shake my head and explain about the seer stones and what they do. Her face turning from confused to horrified.
“I can’t leave, I am not permitted past the gates while Silas is here.”
“Have you got a phone?” I ask and she shakes her head.
“I might be able to borrow one, but what am I going to do? If they find me, they will hunt them down, anyway,” she says hyperventilating. I rub her back, trying to calm her as her breathing becomes heavy.
“Did they say what time?”
I shake my head. I told her everything I know. I wish I had more information to give her but that is everything.
“I need to go; I need to figure something out. Come find me if you hear anything else,” she says running from the room. I turn the shower off, creeping out to my bedroom, only to find Dragus leaning on the doorframe making me jump in fright.
“Geez, you scared me,” I told him.
“What happened to Abigail, she looked upset?” he says.
“Nothing, she just wants to speak to her family, she misses them and was a little upset,” I tell him, and I am shocked I didn’t feel the urge to tell him more, shocked that I lied and it didn’t cause pain, but more shocked I actually could lie. Dragus nods, stepping into the room.
“I am just here to see if you will change your mind about staying with us.”
I shake my head, and he sighs.
“Tomorrow?”
I look away, and he moves forward, gripping my arms and gently rubbing his hands up and down them. “You will stay tomorrow; the Dragon heat could start at any time, Lora; you need to think this through. You should be with us.”
“I don’t agree to being marked, Dragus,” I move away from him.
“You don’t have a choice. When will you see that we won’t lose you.”
I can feel myself getting angry. They keep trying to force my hand but I don’t want this. Why can’t they understand that?
Dragus growls when I don’t answer, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him.
Ignoring his tantrum, I hop in bed, climbing under the covers mentally and physically drained.
Sleep comes easy to me but staying asleep not so much when I am awakened.
At first, I think it is the Dragon heat as I feel myself burning up, yet it isn’t uncomfortable.
More like a light buzz spreading over me.
Reaching for the small clock beside the bed, I look at the time: 10:03 PM.
I gasp at the realization. I feel a wave of something delightful rush over me, when the room fills with purple light, blinking like a beacon in the dark. Casting shadows throughout the room.
Sitting up, I stagger to the bathroom, my entire body has pins and needles.
An unnerving feeling takes over me as I move and am forced to my knees.
My legs go limp under me, my entire body feels like it is becoming engulfed in the purple lights.
The feeling rushes over my skin making it glow subtly.
That’s when I realize the blinking light isn’t a light at all, but my eyes burning brightly.
My eyes throb in my head, making me scratch at the light as it becomes blinding and all I can focus on.
The pulsing moves over my entire body, literally feeling every cell in it pulsating to its own beat.
The beating gets stronger and all-consuming.
I feel a shudder that pains me. I bite into my arm to stop from screaming when suddenly I feel the beating getting stronger and stronger; then it bursts out of me.
The entire room is blasted with light, and it vibrates throughout my body.
I scream and it is muffled by a hand. Cool hands go over my mouth, muffling my agonized scream until it burns out and I collapse on the floor.
Waking up, I see Marian kneeling beside me. She brushes my hair from my face.
“Marian?” I ask, confused. She nods, smiling down at me sadly.
“Hello, Elora.”
“Did they hear?” I ask, panicked. She shakes her head.
“No, I got here in time thank the heavens.” Sitting up, my head is pounding. “What happened?”