Chapter Twenty-Four
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Liam felt as if he were flying, as they kissed.
There had been more urgent matters to attend to since he’d arrived back at the house. Even as he’d helped clean and bandage Vall’s wound he could not help but stare at her, aching to comfort her, to pull her close to him and ease her panic. For weeks now, all he’d thought about was kissing her—until the moment arrived and he found himself paralyzed by uncertainty.
She’d made the decision for him, though.
He wove his fingers through her hair—perfect in its amber color, like leaves changing in the autumn light. He pulled her in closer, breathing her in, the smell of the forest itself—fir trees and damp leaves and wood smoke.
Their eyes met with an intensity that startled him, as if she wanted nothing more in the world. The look was enough to set him on fire. She was breathtaking in her strangeness, even in the dim light he could see her beauty so clearly.
For weeks since he’d met her, he’d been brushing aside the quiet voice in his head that told him there was something between them, something about her that called to him. He had silenced it, because he’d seen their lives moving along opposite paths—her duty to watch over the valley and his inevitable return to Seattle.
Now everything had changed.
For once in his life, Liam was free to make his own choices, to act on the whims he’d long silenced in his pursuit of a fulfilling career. For once, he could do things just because he wanted to, and my god did he want to kiss Iona. Her lips were sweet and soft, their kiss timid, but Liam didn’t mind. It was everything he’d imagined, and more.
It was slightly awkward, in the tight space of sofa with their bodies angled forward, but he turned towards her, putting a hand up to cradle her delicate jaw. She leaned into him, a soft, content sound from her throat urging him on.
Her cheek bumped his glasses, and she moved to draw away with a muttered apology—but he pulled her back towards him.
“It’s okay,” he said, and he breathed a laugh as their lips met again.
Liam was vaguely aware of the small sounds in the house around them, the crackle of the logs in the wood stove and the ticking of a clock somewhere nearby. Iona leaned in closer as her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. Timidly, her tongue slid along the edges of his lips, and he could hardly suppress the smile. He felt his own self consciousness melting away, allowing himself to focus all his attention on her. He let his hand slide down to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. She let out a surprised sound, and he released her, worried he’d hurt her.
But as he pulled away and he took in the flushed cheeks and the red fullness of her lips, he felt his grin grow wide. Unconsciously, his hand went to his hair and raked through it, though he missed touching her as soon as his hand left her side.
“I hope that was alright,” he said, now feeling a bit sheepish. He’d let himself get lost in her, and took care to reign himself back in.
“It was acceptable,” she said, voice husky but even toned. Iona blinked back at him, and panic settled in Liam’s stomach until a sly smile spread across her face. Liam couldn’t help but notice the flush to it, a perfect compliment to her fiery hair and verdant eyes. She looked down at herself and the amusement faded. “I enjoyed that, of course… but it’s been a rather long day, and I should change, I think.”
Liam straightened, attempting to pull himself together. He did notice then that she was still covered in dry blood. Some of it had smeared on her cheeks and up her arms. He remembered, too, that Vall slept just on the other side of the door, and their reunion was about more than his feelings for her. The realization dampened the mood.
“You’re right, this should wait.” He resisted the urge to fidget in the strange tension in the air between them. They’d kissed, but there was so much still left unsaid. Reluctantly, he returned to the business at hand. “I think I have some clothes that will fit you, and I’ll run you a hot bath. Then after we can talk about Andrew and his crew—I have a new plan to run by you.”
***
Iona had, if possible, become more skittish with him after they’d kissed, but was delighted when he filled the old ceramic bathtub with hot water. She’d chosen a clean set of pajamas from the clothes that had been left behind, and as soon as the bathroom door had closed, he heard her sigh dreamily to herself. It was a delightful sound that had him resisting the urge to pull her back into his arms. With a sigh of his own, he left her to it.
While she was occupied, he pulled off his own bloodied clothes, piling them on the floor of the master bedroom. He eyed the blood curiously—what would he find, if he studied it in his lab? What similarities would it share with his own? He had gone through life getting blood tests and none had flagged anything interesting. The possibilities kept him occupied while dressing. The more he learned of the Acernae, the more questions he had.
Liam went back to the living room, where he spent a few quiet moments tending the fire and adding more logs. It was nearing ten o’clock then, and the long day had begun to wear on him, despite the near electric feeling their kiss had left him with.
He had surprised even himself with his directness. Not that he lacked experience—he had dated a bit in both high school and college, and even had a few serious partners throughout that time. But it had been years—at least two, since he’d so much as kissed anyone. He’d always been rather timid, and nothing about him was unique enough in the city for anyone to bother approaching him. He had been so unsure of her feelings for him, despite what Zev implied—but it was true, and she had been the one to want him. That had caught him off guard.
Perhaps a part of him had worried that she was not—strictly speaking—human, and that she might not be capable of such things or feelings. But if the story his mother told him accomplished anything, it was to inform him that the differences between himself and Iona were much less than he had originally thought. Though the story told him the Acernae were absolutely capable of love, and a great deal more than that.
It was getting late, but Liam still wanted to review the information he and Annie had gathered, and tell Iona of his plan to force the loggers out of the forest for good. So he stood again and set a pot of tea to boil on the stove.
By the time Iona emerged from the bathroom, her hair wet and tangled around her tiny horns, he’d set two cups of steaming herbal tea on the coffee table and cleared the couch of bloodied towels.
She stood awkwardly in the hallway, wrapping her arms around herself, clad in a long t-shirt and flowing flannel pants. Nothing fit her tiny frame, but it did warm his chest to see her clad in his old clothes.
“You look… clean,” he said, then cursed himself for saying something so stupid. He gave her another sheepish smile, and thread his fingers through his hair. But Iona only smiled sweetly at him, then thanked him for the clothes and the bath.
“I feel much better,” she told him, the sincerity plain in her expression. Then her eyes caught on the mugs sitting on the table, and the papers Liam left scattered there. “What is all this?”
Liam went to her, gently taking her hand in his and leading her over to the couch, where they sat together again. He handed her a cup of tea, and then walked her through the documents and various bits of information that Annie had dug up. He told her everything they’d learned about Andrew, and Wilkenson Logging, and his plans to use the information by taking the story to the press.
She sat near to him, inching closer as he spoke. Once or twice, their hands had bumped into one another as they reached for the same page, or set their mugs down to close together. Her face went pink, but she didn’t shy away from it. Every so often he would catch her watching him with such an overwhelming intensity it nearly cost him his train of thought, the trust and adoration in her eyes so plain.
“You plan to bring them down by publishing a story in a newspaper?” Iona asked. Not a doubtful question, but one of genuine curiosity. Liam could forgive her skepticism—after all, not being immersed in the culture of business, such as it was, she wouldn’t have any idea the implications something like that could have on a business like the one Andrew ran.
“I know it sounds a bit lame… but I like to think that people are genuinely trying to do the right thing, you know? We all know this stuff happens everyday, but sometimes a story like this comes to light, and we like to make an example of it. Like it makes it easier to prove to ourselves we’re good people by punishing those who get caught. Law enforcement’s real shit at this kind of thing, so the press is kinda the only power we have left. At least, that’s what Zev always tells me.”
Liam was reminded of the job he’d left behind and his stomach twisted. Would the masses care about that? Would they be surprised and outraged to know the truth? What Sarah and the lab were doing was not ethical. It went against everything Liam stood for. Leaving had been his own individual protest, but they would simply replace him and the world would keep on spinning.
Before he could get lost in the enormity of his uncharacteristic cynicism, he noticed Iona staring at him. The plan seemed to please her, and when she spoke, her questions turned to the execution.
“Is this enough for the story, do you think?”
“I hope so. Along with the videos and photos I have of the carnage, Annie has a contact willing to run it.”
“I just worry for Vall—they barely survived today, and the machines are so close to their tree. Will it post soon enough, do you think?”
Liam frowned.
She was right that they had little time to waste, and he didn’t know the timeline for how these things worked. He pushed his glasses down and rubbed the spot on the bridge of his nose where they usually sat .
The wound Vall sustained had been alarming. Liam knew, on some level, that the Acernae were not invincible—Iona had told him their life forces were tied to that of their respective maples. But a wound that severe, caused by an accidental swipe of the trunk by the cutting blade… he shuddered to think what might happen if the tree was truly destroyed.
On the other hand, Zev also said that the story would mean the end of Andrew’s career. That fact had been weighing heavily on Liam’s mind. There was no doubt that Andrew needed to be stopped, but Liam wondered if the total destruction of Andrew’s career was too steep a price to pay for what he’d done. So far nothing had stopped Andrew—but maybe, if he knew what Liam had planned, he might change of his own volition.
Iona let out of a yawn so profound that Liam was actually concerned. Deep shadows had formed under her eyes, her skin pale. She had worn herself out, keeping an eye on the loggers and fretting after Vall.
“I think you need sleep,” he observed, then stood and lowered a hand to help her up. “There’s another bed, in the room where Vall is sleeping.”
Iona stood with him, but frowned slightly as she glanced at the door. She looked back at Liam, a hint of something in her eyes he might have called mischief if she hadn’t looked so thoroughly exhausted. “I don’t want to disturb Vall, who must rest, and heal.”
It took a moment for him to realize what she was implying. Liam’s pulse quickened, warmth flooding him. “No, we don’t want that. Besides, I bet you’re pretty shaken up after today.”
“Yes! My nerves are quite frayed, indeed.”
“The bed in my parent’s old room is bigger.” He could not help the smirk that crept across his face.
“Hmm, I believe it would be suitable.”
“Would you want to…?”
“Yes,” she breathed without hesitation. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Liam laughed, taking her by the hand and leading her to the room. A lamp bathed the room in low light, and the bed looked warm and inviting from the doorway. It was void of anything that made it feel like home to him. In his mind, though, it still belonged to his parents. The room contained so many ghosts of its past. Especially the bed itself, which his parents had shared, and Tove and his grandfather before them. Brian had built the bed from lumber felled from the property, the very trees Tove and her kin sought to protect, and the ones Liam was tethered to now.
Liam pulled back the flannel sheets and climbed into the bed with a contented sigh. Iona lingered a moment longer, before joining him. She laid on her side, curling her arms and legs tight into herself, careful to maintain a few inches of space between them. Close, but not touching, their eyes met and held one another’s.
He studied her irises and their beautiful coloring. A deep, lush green, but as he looked closer he noticed the flecks of amber laced throughout. Her hair was still damp, splaying across her face. Liam reached up with a careful hand and brushed the loose strands back, tucking them behind her ear. His gaze lingered on the small horns that peeked out on either side of her head.
“May I?” he asked, voice soft in the quiet room.
Iona nodded and a timid smile danced in her eyes.
He ran a gentle finger across them, feeling their bark-like ridges with a bit of wonder. They were quite small, nothing like Tove’s grand and arching horns. Her eyes closed at the touch, and he wondered if there were nerves there.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, voice low.
“I’m thinking I could draw you right now.”
She smiled at that, her eyes still closed.
Liam thought again of his early life in the valley, and wondered how the hell he’d not realized he was tied to the forests sooner. How they called to him while he tried so hard to ignore it. He’d come so close to throwing it all away, but he knew better now.
Here, this house, this forest, was where he belonged.
He belonged with Iona.
“It’s like I’ve known you forever, since I was a boy sitting under your tree. It’s like you’ve been with me all along,” he whispered in the dim room. His voice was hushed and solemn as he uttered the deepest truth reserved only for this wild and reckless day, and the intimacy of their sharing his parents’ bed. “I was afraid, before, to let myself feel the way I do for you. But I’m tired of being afraid. I know what I want now, and that’s you. And this life, whatever it might look like.”
He shuddered under the weight of his own admission, looking back at Iona. Her eyes remained shut and her breathing had evened out in sleep. For a moment, he regretted that she’d missed the words, since it was likely they’d never come out so smoothly again. Affection chased the thoughts away and the sight of her peaceful sleep settled him, tamping down the recklessness that he’d been riding all day.
There was so much he wanted to say to her, to talk about this strange new relationship that grew between them, but the day had drained her, and those conversations could wait. It was most important to him that she rest. He smiled down at her, then reached over to turn out the light.
Yes, Liam was exactly where he belonged.
Gently, he pulled her closer to him, wrapping an arm around her and listening to the steady rhythm of her breath, her heart beating peacefully in sleep.