Daylight, a Timeless Series Novel (4 page)

“I don’t think so, Daniel. She’s hidden herself long enough. Heck, she even tried to end her miserable life, coward that she is.”

My eyes flared, and I spun around, my hands shaking.

“You know
nothing
, Maes.” My teeth began to grind together.

“I know that you’re afraid.”

“I—I was…I
am
broken hearted.” Why was he doing this? “Can’t you let me grieve Colt’s death?”

“You don’t have time to grieve, you—”

“Stop!” Callon bellowed.

He stepped forward, glaring at Maes. His knuckles were white from gripping
a kitchen knife. Daniel moved closer to me.

Maes stood immobile, the veins in his neck bulging. Suddenly he began spouting words in French, his hands flailing around, before he stormed off, slamming the door behind
him.

Callon’s eyes met mine for the briefest moment, before he
turned and continued cooking as if nothing had happened.

“It’s okay, Chey,” Daniel whispered. “Maes has been going on like this since we got here.”

I folded my shaking hands together in my lap. An unsettling feeling bubbled in my stomach, and suddenly I leapt up, running from the room. Maes’s words had hurt, but every one had been true. I wasn’t a leader who could stand up to Marcus. I was a coward who couldn’t face reality. The darkness stirred again, and I held a hand to my chest. How much more till I was pushed too far over that edge?

Daniel appeared, and
I stopped mid-stride. He blocked my way to the exit, his blue eyes unsure.

My body trembled. I was once again hurting those around me. I turned away from him as other footsteps neared.

Callon moved closer. His usual confident step staggered as he drew me into his hold. “I’m sorry. I should have stopped Maes.”

I collapsed into his chest, my fingers gripping his shirt. “I’m tired of failing,” I murmured.

“You’re not a failure. I am.”

Now Callon was taking the blame for me. No, this wasn’t his fault. It fell solely on my shoulders. I’d allowed the shadows to creep in. I’d allowed myself to believe that I could be with Colt. I was the one who ran away… This wasn’t because of
Callon’s doings. This was because I was being stubborn and didn’t want to listen.

Callon pulled me into the sitting room near the fireplace. I looked up to see that Daniel had already started a fire.

“I know the darkness is frightening, Cheyenne,” Callon said softly as he grasped my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. “But you can’t have shadows without light. You just have to find it.”

My vision grew hazy for a moment
, and a slight smile emerged from my lips as Colt’s image began to form before my eyes.

Chapter 3

That familiar feeling rustled within me and I sat up, gasping. A fierce chill ran over me. I pulled my legs to my chest
, wrapping my arms around them.

“Hey, it’s all right, Cheyenne,” Daniel croaked as he appeared at my side
, looking like he just woke up himself. “You fell asleep on the couch.”

I was still in the
sitting room.
Footsteps approached from the hall, and I turned. Callon paused, glancing at Daniel. Callon gave a slow nod and moved closer.

“Did you have a bad dream?” he asked.

I looked away. What had happened? Last I remembered, I was sitting with Callon and Daniel and then began having memories of Colt…somehow I fell asleep with no dreams till now. But wait, it wasn’t a dream. It was a
feeling
. It was that unknown something inside me wanting to wake again.

“Sweetheart, you have to tell me so I can help,” Callon cooed softly. His hand rested on my forearm.

Tell him what? I didn’t know how to explain it. This wild presence inside me wanted its release again like on the mountainside.

“
Cheyenne, look at me.” He lifted my chin and forced my eyes to meet his. “It’s okay. But I can’t help unless you speak.”

Daniel shifted uncomfortably.

“I’m fine,” I whispered.

“You’re shaking, Cheyenne,” Daniel said, his voice quivering. “I—I just want to help.”

“I know.”

“Time will heal all wounds, Cheyenne
. You just need time,” Callon said.

I shook my head. Time would never heal this wound;
I could only hope it would make it bearable.

I looked beyond Callon’s shoulder and watched the morning light stream through the terrace doors. Sunlight was what I needed. “I want to go outside.”

“Let’s go.” Callon stood, extending his arm.

I followed him and quickly
walked out to the terrace. The morning air was crisp and clean, and I inhaled deeply.

“Over here,” Daniel chirped
with false cheer, and I went to the chaise he’d moved closer.

As the red and coppery lights began to g
low on the horizon, I stared out at the lake, watching the mist retreat from the dark surface, dancing its way back into the forest. It would stay in the background waiting for night again, not unlike what was inside me. Always lurking, waiting…

The sun lingered across the treetops
, and the streaks of light now glistened off the water. Warmth finally touched my cheeks, and I closed my eyes. A peace began to flow over me, and I realized Daniel had moved closer as well.

I was back—here if only for the moment—if only for the day.

“I’m going to be all right,” I murmured.

Callon squeezed my hand as I continued to soak in
the light.

“
Do you want to tour the place?” Daniel piped up. “You only saw a small bit yesterday.” There was still that uncertainty as he brushed the hair from his eyes.

“I don’t want to overwhelm you.” He pushed his hands into his pockets.

I smiled. “I’d love to.”

The playful
grin that I loved about Daniel emerged, if only for a moment, allowing me to glimpse a small bit of happiness. Quickly he pushed it back down and replaced it with worry.

“How about we start from the
front?” Callon asked.

I nodded and headed after them into the house. We passed through the main sitting room, connecting to the long gallery
, and then out the enormous entry doors. I didn’t bother to look back as we strolled down the large stone porch with a fountain circling it. We stopped, but the long gravel drive continued, disappearing into the lush trees.

“Turn around,” Daniel said.

I did as he asked and was shocked at the sheer size of the home.

“Welcome to the O’Shea Estate,” Callon said.

“It’s a bit overwhelming,” I muttered. I couldn’t remove my gaze from the gray stone. It wasn’t anything I could have imagined. Acres of green fields flanked both sides, before they disappeared into the forest beyond. “So it belongs to all of you?”

“It belongs to me,” Callon replied. “To you and me now.”

I looked down at the gravel beneath my feet…
you and me
. Not Colt, Daniel and himself, but he and I. I swallowed, and pushed back the tears that wanted to flow. There would never be anything belonging to Colt again.

“Cheyenne?” Daniel jumped closer.

I faintly smiled, trying to give them some optimism. I should focus on the estate. I needed a distraction, and this would serve well.

The stone terrace we’d passed over earlier ran around the entire front of the house.
It was dotted with small seating areas and stone benches. To the left were the large windows that opened up to the main sitting area inside; to my right lay a second wing.

As we moved
down the gravel drive, I took into account the details of the landscape. Every bush had been hand-trimmed, and the grass was manicured with the most precise detail. Even the flowerbeds were spectacular. How many workers oversaw these?

“I’m very particular,” Callon
commented, as if he knew what I was thinking.

I lifted a brow. “I’d never
have known.”

A small smile emerged as he reached for my hand.

“You have no idea,” Daniel said, the first time he teased in a while.

“Come on
,” Callon said.

We headed back to the main entrance
, and I couldn’t help but wonder where the black entry doors came from and how they got them here. I felt so slight and small standing before them. They had to be at least ten feet tall.

I followed Callon inside, and
my gaze fell upon the hallway. It was filled with beautiful tiles that I hadn’t noticed earlier.

“
They’re from a local quarry,” Callon explained. “It’s called Connemara marble.”

“It’s stunning.” I said. The lighter and darker shades of brown blended together seamlessly. If was
as if an artist had meticulously perfected each one with a fine brush.

My eyes
took in the stairs. The handrails, spindles, and stairs were made of the same material with a red oriental carpet runner trailing down the center.

Daniel suddenly appeared to my right
, and I caught sight of another room with glass doors and bookcases. A library.

He
pointed to the top of the stairs, and I followed Callon up. A small bench sat below a scenic oil painting. I paused, studying it. Somehow it was oddly familiar.

“It’s the lake you can see off the terrace,” Callon
explained. “We used to swim in it in our younger days.” He remained still, as if lost in some far off memory. I watched as his jaw tightened and brow furrowed before he looked away from the scene and faintly smiled. “It was always cold, but we didn’t seem to mind.”

Guilt
y I’d brought up a painful memory, I pointed down the hall. It was my turn to distract him. “How many rooms?”

“Fifteen
bedrooms.”

My eyes widened. I’d never been in a home with fifteen bedrooms; never been in one with more than
four
. But this was a manor, not a home. And it was ours now.

“How big was your family again?” He’d told me at one time, but I just couldn’t remember
clearly.

“Big.” Another smile perched on his lips, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“And how many wives did your father have?”

“Too many,” Daniel chimed in.

I hesitated for a moment. “He wasn’t married to them all at once, was he?”

“No,” Callon replied.

“So what happened to them?”

“Some died by accident, childbirth or acts of war.”

“Childbirth and accidents?” I was about to add more, but thought better as the too-fresh memory of Colt’s death rose to the surface. It was a fact, Timeless could die.

Sympathy crossed over Callon’s face
, and he squeezed my hand.

I sighed
, dreading my next question.

“How many wives do you have, Callon?”

Daniel fidgeted and looked down the hall. Callon was staring at the painting when he finally answered.

“None.”

I swallowed, knowing it may be true, but not the whole truth. Once again, he was hiding the truth from me, but why? If I was to marry him, why did he continue to keep secrets? Didn’t he know this built a barrier between us?

“Do you know which room you’re
staying in?” Daniel jumped to my side, acting as a mediator.

I glanced back down the hall
and realized I hadn’t a clue. I could get lost in this place. “No.”

“This way.” Daniel pointed
, and I followed.

I counted the doors so I’d know in the future
. They all looked the same to me. We stopped, and Daniel slipped a pink tassel on the crystal handle. He smiled.

“
There. This way you won’t forget.”

My chest tightened. This was my Daniel, always looking out for me. I leaned forward and drew him into a hug.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

“I’d do anything for you, Chey. All you need do is ask.”

“Hmph, how pathetic.” A low French accent growled in the hall.

Maes.

“What’s it to you?” I stared down the jade-eyed monster before me.

Moments passed with no reply, but
I noted that Callon exchanged a dark glance with Maes.

“So you’ve seen the estate,” Maes stated. “It’s about time you came out of that room.”

My entire body began to tighten. My irritation was flaring, and that
thing
splayed too near the surface. It was as if I was ready to do battle, my anger suddenly growing at the hand that I’d been dealt. My fingers balled into fists, but before I could act, the hall vanished, and I was back downstairs.

“You don’t need to deal with him right now,” Daniel said softly
. He whisked me into the kitchen and pulled out a stool for me. “Here, have a seat and I’ll make you a sandwich since you didn’t eat last night.”

He opened the fridge door and began gathering his supplies. I watched,
taking deep breaths and letting the rage fade. As much as Daniel sympathized, he couldn’t understand what I was dealing with. None of them could.

I was adrift in a dark stormy sea with nothing to cling to. My light, my hope
, had all been crushed. Everything I’d ever loved had been dragged away from me and pushed below the raging waters, never to be seen again.

“Ham and cheese?”

Briefly broken from my thoughts, I nodded.

The only resolution in sight was Marcus’s death. That would mean this dark force inside me would have to be freed, but how could I even think of such a thing? I’d almost killed everyone by allowing it
out the first time. I pressed my shaking hand to my forehead, brushing my hair aside.

A plate slid before me. My hands curled in my lap as I stared at it.

“I promise I didn’t poison it,” Daniel forced out a chuckle.

“I know.” I picked up the sandwich and ate half before I couldn’t stomach anymore.

He packed up the sandwich and placed it in the fridge. “I’ll save it for you in case you get hungry later.” Hopeful eyes met mine. “I know I sound like Callon, but you’ve really lost too much weight, Chey.”

I stared down at my hands. I knew I’d lost weight, but I really didn’t care. Food had no taste anymore
. Nothing had flavor.

“I’ll try and eat more,” I
promised.

Daniel remained quiet for a few moments.

“We have a surprise for you.” He waved me towards the door. “Come on, you’ll like this.”

I remained still. What was he up to?

He turned back, waiting for me.

I sighed and followed him out
of the kitchen and onto the terrace. Irritated voices instantly drifted toward me, one French and another familiar tone that I hadn’t heard for a long time.

“Cheyenne!” Lilly cried out
. She hurried up the terrace stairs and wrapped me in her arms. “Sweetheart, we’re here. It’s all going to be better now.”

My heart pounded against my chest
. Dex and Lilly were here! But what had Callon told them?

Lilly’s black hair pressed against my cheek. “We’re so sorry.”

I began to shake, trembling from head to toe. The feelings I’d pushed away all came flooding back at once. Memories of Colt flashed before my eyes. Our last day together in the cave where he showed me the magical glowing stones, before I found out I was betrothed to Callon.