Chapter 21
Twenty-One
KELLAN
K ellan’s fist thudded loudly on the old wooden door three times, but there was no answer. Listening for any noise from within, he rapped again with more force. “Open up!” Whispering harshly, he scanned around behind him. The whispers directed at the girl the other day had been harsh and entirely not what he’d expected from them, so he’d tried to keep himself scarce and unseen for her sake. He’d wanted to give her some form of peace on her last day, and had done his best to not disturb anyone else in the community.
He had succeeded for the better part of the day, but only because he didn’t try to find the girl. Kellan imagined she’d probably been avoiding him. He didn’t blame her. Not after how her own people had treated her for bringing him here. He didn’t know what puzzled him more. The animosity toward her, or the fact she’d felt the need to save his life.
A life debt, she’d told him. He couldn’t fathom the thought of any human feeling that way toward one of his kind. Most wanted him dead. Human and supernatural being alike. And the lengths she’d gone to had been honorable. Strange , but brave. More so than most of the beings he’d met in his millennia. Especially since he’d been in service to the council.
When she didn’t answer again, he knocked louder this time, the sound reverberating into the night air as it echoed throughout the empty streets. Kellan cringed at the noise in the early morning air. He could tell by the look on the horizon that the sun was about an hour out from its daily ascent, and had planned on getting an early start to their journey. He wanted to get as far away from this community as he could, but he hadn’t wanted to wake any prying eyes in the process.
Kellan was met with silence once again. He waited a heartbeat before pressing his ear to the door. Listening. There was no one inside.
His boot connected with the door. With a loud crack it snapped off the hinges, splintering as it tumbled into the house, crashing to the floor before him. Stepping foot into the house, he took in the surroundings and was met with darkness. His eyes roamed over the room. At the barely furnished interior, despite looking heavily lived in. A rugged blanket was tossed haphazardly upon a worn gray couch, its cushions torn and fraying in several spots. Several candles lined the area, the wax melted and pooling at their base on each surface. The girl was nowhere in sight. He wandered further into the house, swinging open any door he could find in his quick search of the place. The rest of the home looked much the same as the first room. He didn’t linger in the bedroom, despite her scent being the strongest there. That familiar light, fresh floral smell. So strong, he could almost picture her laying in the bed in front of him. With a shake of his head, he slammed the door. Not a single weapon had been found during his search, and he froze.
Shit .
Retracing his steps, Kellan exited the building, walking along the side of the house to the covered overhang he spotted. The horse was gone. Shit, shit, shit! He had been so aloof all day, dead set on giving her time to say goodbye to her people, and she’d gotten away.
Kellan wasn’t quiet about the string of profanities that left his mouth, racing to the entrance of the community. Even after their conversation last night, she’d fled. Fucking humans!
The iron gates came into view, surrounded by the town’s Guardians, weapons drawn.
“You woke up half the town.” He couldn’t remember the names of the twins. Didn’t care to, actually. “You think you can just come here and destroy our homes?” The nearly identical bodies stepped toward him, long daggers held firm in each of their hands as they glared in his direction, the challenge in them clear. He would have laughed at them if he wasn’t in such a hurry to get out.
Ignoring them, Kellan’s eyes met those of the girl’s companion. “She’s gone.” Jace’s features fell, face paling at his news. Kellan almost pitied him. “Open the gates and let me pass.”
The man’s face hardened, hands clenching into tight fists at his sides. “She wouldn’t just up and leave. Not without saying anything to me. We spent the entire day together, and she didn’t mention a thing.” He muttered, more to himself than those around them.
“Are you humans really that stupid?” Kellan asked, readying his weapons for the trek ahead. He whistled low, knowing his mount would be waiting on the other side. To his right, one of the twins opened his mouth in rebuttal, and Kellan was quick to silence him with a hand. His conversation was with the leader. The girl’s… friend . “She left to protect you .” On instinct, his eyes formed into a tight glare, fixated on the human with the hindering connection to the girl.
Jace looked like a fish out of water, opening his mouth and closing it as he tried to find the right words to say. Finally settling, he replied. “What do you mean?”
“She ran to ensure no harm came to your home.” Kellan took a step forward toward the Guardians who retreated a foot back at his advance. Jace held his ground, his fingers clutched tight around the sword in his hand. “Let me out.”
“What, so you can hunt her down and kill her?” Aside from the girl, he may have been the only human to ever outright challenge him. Most had stared at him as if they’d intended to, but only this one had held his stance, refusing to back down. Kellan knew he cared for her. Probably a lot more than he was letting on.
“I don’t plan on killing her!” Kellan’s temper was flaring, voice coming out louder than he’d intended as he advanced another step. “Not anymore.”
“She knew you were going to kill her, and she still saved you.” Kellan watched the realization spread across his face as the man’s eyes widened, his mouth hung slightly ajar before schooling his features into something harder. Could see the hatred in Jace’s eyes at the thought of it.
“Yes. Now move aside so I can leave.” He could get by them all if he’d really wanted to. Even the lot of them couldn’t hold him back. But he had given his word that he wouldn’t harm them, and throughout his life had always made damn sure to never go back on it. Even if he so desperately wanted to. “Let me out before someone else does the job that I was supposed to.”
Jace barked orders without a second thought. The redheaded Guardian scrambled toward the large sturdy gate, motioning toward another to help push it open, and within moments, it was groaning open just enough for Kellan to squeeze through.
“Bring her home.” Jace said.
Kellan couldn’t do that, and he was sure the man already knew that.
“Just… promise me you’ll keep her safe. Please.”
His mount stood just outside of the gate, pawing the ground as he neared. He didn’t turn back toward Jace as he left.
That was a promise he couldn’t make either.