5. Chapter 5
5
K ade pulled out one of the barstools in the kitchen and gestured for her to sit down. As she sat, he slid the room service menu in front of her.
“Please choose whatever ye’d like and I’ll call it in for ye.”
She turned a few pages, noting things that were too fancy for her liking. Hell, she couldn’t even pronounce some of the dishes. After turning quite a few pages, she found the kids’ menu. “I’ll just have the kid’s pancakes with bacon, please.”
“That’s all ye want?” Kade asked, seeming surprised.
“I don’t even know what half the shit on that menu is, and a simple breakfast sounds good. I appreciate your kindness, but I will pay for my meal. I can give you money when you take me back to my car.”
He gave her a look that said she was sorely mistaken, then picked up the phone on the wall and pressed a single button. “I’d like to place an order for room service. Aye. Two short stacks of pancakes, two orders of bacon, hash browns, scrambled eggs, extra butter, extra syrup, and an unsweet iced tea.”
“No, no, no, I can’t afford tha—” Kelly tried to say.
Kade just cut her off, talking to the person on the other end of the line. “Aye, that’s correct, that’ll be all. Mm hm, thank ye.” With that, he placed the phone back on its receiver and looked at her. “I would never let ye pay for a meal while yer under my care. Eat what ye like and leave the rest, but I refuse to see ye starve.”
“I’m not starving. I do just fine for myself, thank you very much!” she almost yelled at him.
“I dinnae mean to offend ye, lass. I jus—”
Fabian cut him off, clearing his throat. Kelly groaned inwardly. Apparently this was going to become a thing: Kade would open his mouth and say something offensive or push a bit too much, and Fabian would try to save him from himself. She hoped to be far away from all of this before it got too annoying.
Kelly shook her head at them both. “Look, I don’t really care at this point. Can we get this show on the road and start talking before the food gets here?”
“Why are ye in such a hurry?” Kade seemed offended.
“Because, unlike you, I have to earn a living. Last night’s fuckup dashed my hopes of making a decent living any time soon, so I need to get back out there and find more leads. Please just tell me about what you all are, what I may or may not be, and how it all affects me so I can get on with my wonderful life.”
“Ye have no need to make a living as ye did yesterday,” Kade said gently. “What ye are, what ye can be, means ye can start a whole new life.”
“I don’t want a new life! And I don’t want to be known for what I am, I want to be known for who I am.”
Fabian chimed in then. “You two should take a break. After Kelly’s food arrives, I can explain most of the background to her. Kelly, I assure you Kade’s lack of understanding of your situation does not translate to a lack of compassion. He is just extremely inept at showing it.”
Kade huffed, and Kelly felt the slightest amount of his power pass over her. Fabian just shook his head at Kade and clasped his hands in front of himself, apparently back on guard duty.
Kade took to staring at his hands in deep thought, so Kelly made her way over to the couch and turned on the TV. 90 Days to the Altar came on, and she couldn’t bring herself to change the channel. A Russian woman was fighting with her American fiancé over family traditions and how to raise a child. Kelly couldn’t help but take comfort in the fact that this was one problem she didn’t have. Sure, making ends meet and getting the next meal was tough, but she didn’t have to make someone else happy or worry about whether he would appreciate who she really was.
Kelly had had many boyfriends over the past few years, and they all ended up leaving sooner rather than later. None of them were okay with her prowling the streets at night and looking for stories. Sure, they said it was about safety; women shouldn’t be out on the streets alone in the middle of the night, it was too dangerous. But when she offered to let them go with her, there was always a reason why it wouldn’t work out.
They said they loved her, they showered her with gifts, and they took her to nice restaurants. Eventually, though, they all started asking the typical questions: Are you sure you have to go work tonight? Why do you care anyway? Why do you think you can change the world? Why don’t you just go back to the newspaper? And so on…
Her last boyfriend, David, had backhanded her when she’d said she wanted to go chase her lead instead of spend a special night with him. She’d wasted no time getting the hell away from him. He’d come by the gym once after she left, only to be confronted by Dom. Kelly had never been more thankful to have Dom as a friend than she was in that moment. She still owed him for that; maybe she’d take him up on that beer this week and buy him a couple rounds.
A knock on the door announced the arrival of her meal, and she jumped up to make her way to the kitchen. Her stomach was growling and her salivary glands were in overdrive by the time Kade placed a plate in front of her. She’d never been so hungry in her life.
Kelly carefully slathered butter over each pancake and then smothered them in syrup. She was about to take her first bite when a thought came to her. “How did you know I like extra butter and syrup on my pancakes, and unsweet tea for that matter?”
“I told ye, I had ye followed,” Kade answered coolly.
“To the point that you know what I order on Fridays? You’re really something, you know that?”
“Me? Ye spied on me and my people, and ye planned to infiltrate our building to find out more about us so ye could expose us to humans, and I’m the idiot? Nae, lass, yer right there with me when it comes to being sneaky and calculating. Can we stop this shite and move on to more important matters? Ye never seem to tire of arguing, do ye?”
“I do not,” Kelly started, and then stopped. “Okay, you may have a small point,” she admitted, suddenly staring down at her hands.
Kade genuinely smiled at her. “Please, eat. Then we can talk Arcane things.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. Kelly ate like it was her last meal, or maybe her first in a very long time. It had been ages since someone had offered her an entire meal. Sure, she got herself pancakes on Friday mornings before she turned in, and when she went to lunch with her dad, she had a full meal, but she didn’t let him see that she was hungry or he might start asking questions. She always ordered a salad to appear health- conscious and never finished the whole thing, just so he would think she was well-fed.
Kelly ate the entire meal, every last bite. As she finished, she grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth, finding Kade and Fabian staring at her in amazement.
“What?” she asked.
Fabian spoke with a hint of humor in his voice. “I have never seen someone eat so passionately. It was not even a gourmet meal.”
“It was good, and I was hungry.” Kelly felt the blood rushing to her cheeks.
Fabian held up his hand. “I do not mean to embarrass you. I, for one, am glad you enjoyed the meal. It is rare to see humans truly enjoy things; they always seem to be rushing on to the next thing and cannot focus on the here and now.”
“Why didn’t you guys eat?”
Kade answered casually, “Fabian ordered food while ye were sleeping, and I typically refrain from eating um, normal food.”
Kelly almost pulled a facepalm. “Oh…right.” Of course he doesn’t eat normal food, Kelly—he’s a frickin’ vampire! her inner voice screamed at her.
“Lets go sit on the couch and talk.”
“You want to talk more than a gossiping high-schooler,” Kelly said with a laugh.
Kade didn’t appear to appreciate her humor. “I want to explain to ye what ye are so ye can make an educated decision about yer future. I dinnae live here, and I can’y stay in the US for much longer, as I have business to attend to.”
“If your other matters are so pressing, don’t bother with me. You can go. I’ll figure things out. Always have, always will.”
“Fuck, woman! Ye’ll drive me to the moon with yer attitude. I’ve taken mercy on ye in my building and possibly spared yer life, I brought ye back here and made sure ye slept safely, I’ve provided food for ye, and I’m offering to explain a lifetime’s worth of information to ye to help ye make what is possibly the most important decision of yer life. Can we please have a civil conversation? Despite yer apparent hatred for men, and my lack of knowledge when it comes to women, I am trying to help ye; I’m not the bad guy.” The exasperation was clear in his voice, and it made Kelly feel bad for being so defensive with him.
She sighed. “I’m sorry. It has been a long time since anyone has done anything for me simply out of kindness. Everyone always wants something in return or makes it clear that I am a burden, and I don’t want to burden you. I’ve caused you enough trouble.”
“As I’ve said already, I could have stopped yer plan long before ye made it to us. It’s nae trouble to feed ye and talk ye through a few things.”
Kelly didn’t really have anything to say to that, so she just got up and sat on the couch. Kade followed her and sat at an angle next to her with one knee folded on the couch and an arm over the back. Fabian also came over, but he sat much farther away on the other side of the couch.
“If it’s all right with ye, I’d like to explain what I can, and then ye can ask any questions that ye may have. Fabian can help me fill in anything I miss.”
Kelly nodded and hugged her knees to her chest.
“Right then. I’ll start with yer part and how ye came to us, and then we can go into the history of the Arcane. The Star Plaza is the North American regional headquarters for the Arcane government, the Council. There are special protections on the tower to make it appear normal to humans, and they keep all people, even Arcane, from seeing us come and go. That building is only known to those who need to know about it, and it is under the highest level of protection possible. The fact that ye were able to see it and notice its differences, not to mention see us entering and leaving, means that yer not only Arcane, yer extremely powerful. No one has ever seen the Star Plaza in its true form, nor have they seen us around it unless they were allowed to by the Council. I saw ye there the first night ye came, and every night since when we’ve happened to be there at the same time. The power ye felt roll over ye when I looked at ye was my way of testing things out to see how much ye ken, and the sparks in yer fingers are yer response to the power in the building.”
He paused for a moment, looking at her as if to make sure she was okay. She just nodded slightly because she was pretty sure she couldn’t speak at the moment.
“That spark ye feel in your fingers means yer a mage. In human terms, ye might be close to a wizard. Ye have the power to create and wield magic, or ye will after ye go through yer bonding. Mages are born mortal and dinnae come to their powers until they are bonded, usually sometime in their forties or fifties, when the Council deems them ready. Through bonding, become immortal. The males of yer race are called Warlocks. Each mage or warlock is bonded to a single element—earth, air, fire, or water—and some have special gifts such as necromancy or timekeeping. If ye decide to study to become a bonded mage, I can pair ye with a mentor to guide ye through yer studies and bonding. Yer a bit behind the curve, but ye should still consider it because there is something special about yer power. I am offering to provide ye with a place to live as ye study, and I will cover any expenses for yer training.”
When her eyes went wide, he clarified, “I dinnae expect an answer from ye now. I’ll give ye a few days to decide. Now, moving on to other Arcane, I’m just going to give ye a brief rundown. If ye want to ken more about fae, Fabian can tell ye at another time. Other races of Arcane are vampires, shifters, gods, and demons. There are also Witches, but they are mortal and aren’t really Arcane. They just use some of the spells created by mages, and their talents are passed down through family. Shifters are very rare–most Arcane never meet one–and the gods haven’t shown themselves in ages. Mages, warlocks, fae, and vampires are the most common of us. Demons walk among us, but they mostly meddle in small matters, and ye would never ken of their presence unless they wanted ye to.”
He paused to check on her again, and Kelly just nodded. Looking for something to do, she reached for her tea and took a sip to break the awkwardness of the moment. She was at a complete loss for words.
“Some details on vampires, since most of the human ideas of our kind are a bit off: we’re immortal, and we dinnae typically prey on humans. Most of us drink blood from banks now, and it’s rare for any of my kind to kill a human. When our eyes turn black, ye best look away, as we’re likely using mind-control on ye. Some of us have special abilities, like mages do. All of us are extremely strong and have heightened senses. There is more, but I feel like that’s enough for now.”
Kade paused again, and Kelly brought her hands to her face, rubbing it as if that would clear away the fog in her mind—only to stop suddenly when her hand met the massive bump on her forehead. She’d forgotten about that. Vampires, mages, warlocks, fae, demons, gods …it was all too much. Just as she felt she was about to lose it, something bumped up against her leg, followed by a meow. Like it was second nature, she reached down to pet the little one, and he butted his head against her, begging for more attention. She smiled.
“Clyde tends to help in difficult moments.”
Kade reached out to pet the cat too, and she couldn’t help but watch him. How was it that a vampire would have affection for a cat? None of it made any sense to her. As if he felt her watching, his eyes moved up from the animal and met hers. His were filled with questions and the slightest hint of tenderness.
After quite some time in uncomfortable silence, Kelly found her voice. “While I can accept most of this, in time, I don’t understand how I am some special, powerful mage. My parents are normal. My family is normal. I am normal!”
Fabian spoke then. “I can tell you that fate, and maybe even the gods, had a hand, but I will have to do more research to give you a solid answer. My… talent, if you would like to call it that, is to feel certain things and their effect in the past or future. It is very difficult to explain, but I can tell you that you were meant to find us, and you are important to the future of the Arcane. Should you choose to accept your heritage, you will change our world in ways you cannot begin to understand right now.”
She laughed at that. “Thanks, Fabian, no pressure. I really don’t see myself as the change the world type, though, you know what I mean?
“I do, but as you have seen in the past twelve hours, a lot can change, even in a day.”
There was no arguing that point, but it really didn’t give her much to go on.
“When you say it will take some time for you to find out more about my being a mage, how long do you think it will be?” she asked Fabian.
“To find the entire truth of the matter, likely a few months.”
“Forgive me for being a smart-ass, Kade. I know you asked me not to be this way, but I just want to get this all straight. Fabian has offered me his protection, but from what I can tell by the sun, I have about thirty-six hours left of that. You have given me a few days to decide the path of my future, yet I won’t really know if my protection or my future as an Arcane is even relevant for a few months because it’s going to take a long time to figure out who I am and why I never knew about it. Did I miss anything? Please tell me I missed something.”
Kade placed his hand gently on her knee. “I’m sorry. I ken it’s not much time for ye to evaluate things, but I can’y stay in the US much longer, so if ye are to leave with me, ye’d need to go with me in a few days. Fabian’s forty-eight-hour offer of guardianship is customary, and he can explain that another time; I think the two of ye have quite a lot to discuss, in fact.”
“Now I’m leaving with you? You didn’t mention that your offer included migrating to a different country. Fuck, man. Enough is enough. Please just take me back to my car so I can go on my way and make my decision. How do I contact you to let you know when I’ve decided?”
Kelly could barely control her emotions. This was all just too much. Kade seemed to think it was cut and dried, but she had built a life here, no matter how measly it seemed. Her dad was in Dallas too, and she couldn’t just leave him. Not to mention she wasn’t the type to take a free ride from anyone, if that was truly what Kade was offering; there had to be some strings attached somewhere.
Kade hesitated, it seemed like he wanted to add something, but instead, he only answered her questions. “Fabian will go with ye, to fulfill his promise of Guardianship. Ye may call me to let me know what ye decide. I’ll give ye my number.”
“I don’t have a phone.”
He did a double take but caught himself before saying anything offensive. “Right, well, ye can let Fabian know of yer answer. Fabian, I will pay ye for an additional thirty-six hours of Guardianship so that Kelly may have her time to fully contemplate her decision and still reach me with her answer.”
Fabian didn’t even flinch. “Very well, sir.”
Kelly just shook her head and stood up. “Kade, thank you for your hospitality. It’s going to take me some time to consider everything.” She turned toward Fabian and asked, “I assume you’re coming with me then?”
“Where you go, I go.” He stood with a smile and went to the dining room area to grab a coat.
“A trench coat? Even in December, Dallas isn’t cold enough for that.”
“Keeps me from having to use my power to hide the blades from humans.”
“Oh, right.” She didn’t know what else to say.
Clyde followed her to the door of the suite, meowing after her. She reached down to pet him. “Good bye, little one.”
Kade stood up, but did not walk toward them, as if he was glued in place. “Fabian, please watch over her,” he said, with slight pain in his expression.
“As promised, sir.” Fabian bowed slightly at Kade then. “Shall we?” He motioned toward the door.
Kelly felt numb, and barely registered her response as she gave it. “Yes.” With that, they left the suite, and Kade, behind.