Redemption (4 page)

The entire time, Gage is cool and confident.
Giving each one his focused attention and panty-dropping smile. No
doubt a lot of these girls are going to dream about him
tonight.

I roll my eyes internally, and by the fifth
stop, I decide just to continue walking to my lecture. He lets me
and doesn’t follow.

Thank goodness Deacon is nowhere around.
Unless that’s what Gage wants…me to trust him so Deacon can swoop
in. At the unpleasant thought, my eyes dart around wildly,
searching for signs of danger.

“Come on, blood of Eden, we’re going to be
late.” McKenna’s hostile voice filters through my thoughts.

I turn in surprise to face her. “Wait,
you’re in this lecture?”

She smirks. “You didn’t think we’d let you
hang out with the traitor alone, did you?”

“No. But. You? Philosophy?” I question,
knowing how she hates to be challenged or asked questions. And
let’s be honest, isn’t that the entire point of Philosophy?

“It’s a prerequisite, so let’s go,” she
orders with a harsh tone and a flip of her blonde hair.

“Fine.” I retort and walk into the lecture
hall with her in tow.

3
Land of the Leprechauns

Gage never showed up
during my class. No surprise there. I’m wondering why he’s even
bothering at all. Then again, maybe I’m just so used to having
Asher around whenever I need him that my relationship with Gage is
normal and generally how it is supposed to work.

McKenna, on the other hand, has been
breathing down my neck for the last hour. My gut tells me that she
isn’t going to let Deacon surprise her again, like he did in
London. I’m pulled from my reverie when her cell phone goes
off.

“Wait here, blood of Eden. If you move, I’ll
stab you,” she demands, answering her cell.

“Wouldn’t want that, would we?” I roll my
eyes before turning away from her.

My eyes scan the campus, looking for Gage.
Instead of the gargoyle, they land on someone watching me from
behind the bench that sits under the oak tree. I keep my focus on
the bizarre man as I readjust my messenger bag on my shoulder. A
sense of cold dread glides over me like a breeze and my body
releases a small shudder.

The stranger is extremely tall, maybe around
six feet. His deep, almost black, eyes contrast against his pale
skin and raven hair. He’s wearing all black. Military boots, cargo
pants and a black hooded leather jacket that’s slim fitting and
cuts off at the waist.

The unfamiliar man is also wearing
fingerless black gloves and holding a large weapon that looks like
a samurai sword. It’s so large he’s using it as a cane.
What the
hell?

The dark pools of his eyes call me, luring
me to him. I watch with fascination as his lips turn sinister. With
the flick of a wrist, he releases thousands of black snakes,
angrily focused on me with their yellow eyes, slithering on the
campus grass like a sea of black water. They’re hissing as they
race toward me at an incredibly fast pace.

Frozen, due to my unhealthy fear of the
spineless creatures, my eyes go wide at the sight. The snakes slide
over one another in an attempt to get to me faster.
Holy
shit!
Finally, I get a hold of my horror and decide to turn
back to McKenna, who I can still hear talking on her phone to
Keegan as if nothing is happening.

Suddenly, large arms wrap around me in a
tight grasp and I open my mouth to scream. The hand attached to the
solid arm covers my mouth, forcing me to fight the hold in a
panicked state. I don’t have my daggers and that was my first
mistake this morning.

Gage’s voice is at my ear. “Easy, love.
What’s wrong?” His tone is low and calm.

I squeeze my eyes shut then open them. The
snakes and strange man are both gone.
What the fuck?
My
heart rate is pounding in my ears as I begin to tremble in Gage’s
arms.

He turns me around and holds my upper arms
while he dips his chin to look into my terrified eyes and pale
face. I swallow the bile crawling up my throat.

“What happened?” Gage asks in shock at my
fearful state.

“S-Snakes,” was all that managed to come
out.

His eyes scan the area then land back on my
face before pinching his brows together. “You’re going to have to
help me out here, love. I don’t see anything.”

My heart is racing in my chest as I inhale,
trying to form words. “A guy…in black…and thousands of snakes.
Black with yellow eyes.” Not quite as articulate as I would have
liked.

At the description, Gage examines the quad
one more time while my eyes flick behind him and meet McKenna’s.
She’s looking at me as if I’ve gone bat shit crazy.

“I’m not sure what you saw, but there’s
nothing there, love. Not anything I can pick up anyway.” He turns
again to McKenna and she shakes her head back and forth, agreeing
with him. “Are you sure you didn’t, maybe, imagine something?” he
asks carefully.

“I know what I saw, Gage!” I say in a
somewhat loud voice.

He just watches me in disbelief. “Well,
whatever it was, it isn’t here now.”

I just stand there as humiliation washes
over me.
Crap. Maybe I did imagine it all.
I haven’t slept
well since Asher left and it’s possible that my mind is playing
tricks on me.

I swallow the dread I was feeling a few
minutes ago. “Yeah, okay.” I give in, wishing that Asher were here
because he would believe me without question.

Gage just studies me. “Let’s get out of
here.” He nods his head toward his car.

“I can’t do that. It’s my first day back,” I
say weakly. “I have one more class.”

“What do you think you’re doing, traitor?”
McKenna snips at Gage.

“Sure you can,” he says, ignoring McKenna.
He takes my elbow dragging me to his car.

“For fuck’s sake,” I hear McKenna seethe
behind us.

This time, he opens the door for me and
doesn’t let go of me until I’m completely in and settled. My eyes
follow Keegan and McKenna as they head toward their car to
follow.

Twenty minutes later, my heart rate has
returned to a semi-normal level as Gage drives us into a wooded
park near campus. I’ve never been here before but a lot of students
come here to hike, bike, run, and spend the day on the trails. He
shuts the car off and just sits back in a comfortable manner,
giving me the space and time I need to pull myself together.

It’s actually pretty refreshing. Usually
after one of my panic attacks, Asher’s hovering with questions.
Having some space is good. New. Energizing. After a little bit,
Gage turns to me and ends my internal rant.

“Ready?” he asks.

“For what?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he gets out of
the car and heads to the trunk, pulling out two gym bags. Since he
didn’t prompt me to join him, I manage to drag myself out of the
car and meet him before raising a curious eyebrow when he hands one
of the duffle bags to me.

“Running gear,” he says while tipping his
chin toward the bag. “How long has it been since you last ran
outside of the training room?”

I don’t even recall, if I’m being honest.
“How do you know I run?”

Gage gives me a sly smirk. “I pay attention,
love. You can change in the car. I’ll change out here,” he offers
while reaching for the belt on his pants.

I avert my eyes, wondering what I’ve gotten
myself into with Gage then return to the car to change. Once I’m
dressed, I meet back up with him near the trunk.

It takes me a moment to center my thoughts
because I’ve never actually seen Gage in anything other than black
dress clothes. He’s still in black but now it’s running shorts and
a tank that shows off his arm muscles, which are just beckoning me
to run my fingertips over them.
Damn, he’s hot.
Focus,
Eve.
I lift my eyes and meet his gaze. Unlike Asher, Gage
doesn’t acknowledge my gaping. My guess is because he’s used to
women throwing themselves at him.

“So you just carry my running gear in your
car these days?” I tease.

He smirks. “I figured you might want to run
on trails at some point. It doesn’t help that the St. Michaels keep
you locked up in that training room. No wonder you’re seeing shit,
love. You need fresh air and to run free, outside.”

“Even though you just made me sound like a
dog, I appreciate the sentiment,” I retort.

He pulls his brows in confusion before
releasing a light laugh. “Sorry. In no way did I mean to compare
you to a dog. But, if you want, I can throw tennis balls and have
you fetch them for me.”

“Nah, I’m good today. Thanks though.” I
offer a small smile. I like this side of Gage.

“Fair enough. Let’s hit the trail,” he
commands.

I stand rooted in my spot nervously. “Asher
really doesn’t like me being out in the open.”

The statement is lame. I know it. Gage knows
it. However, historically, it’s been proven that my luck is shit
when outdoors.

Gage just stands in deep thought for a time.
“You can’t hide forever, love. You’re no safer in the house than
you are out here. Regardless of what your dark prince says, you
need to start living again. Besides, you’ve got me. What could
possibly happen?” he asks in an overconfident tone, motioning his
hands down his fine-looking body.

I roll my eyes. “I don’t know, Gage. What
could happen? I mean, maybe this is what you want. Me, out in the
woods, alone, so Deacon can get his hands on me,” I state as a
matter of fact.

His eyes connect with mine before he nods
his head in understanding. “I get it. You don’t trust me, but Asher
seems to believe that I can keep you safe, and you have faith in
him.”

“Right. Okay then, let’s go for a run.” I
turn toward the path but Gage’s quiet voice stops me, forcing me to
spin back toward him.

“Why do you trust Asher so blindly and me
not at all?” Gage asks almost inaudibly.

I pause for a moment, taken aback by the
question. “He’s never given me a reason not to trust him. You, on
the other hand, are like a game of chess. There are no ulterior
motives where he is concerned.”

Gage smiles but it’s forced. “That you know
of.”

“Your issues with Asher and his family, over
Camilla, are not my affair.”

“He has lied to you on multiple occasions,
and yet, you just accept him at face value?”

“Asher has twisted the truth, but it’s been
done for my protection.”

“So he tells you,” Gage states coolly.

I sigh. “Yes, Asher has told me some
untruths. I can assure you though each one was done strategically
and with thought only of my safety. I’ve never been thrown, on
purpose, into harm’s way with him. It’s his life’s mission to
protect me. Do I blindly give him my loyalty and forgive his
missteps? Yes. That’s how unconditional love works, Gage. As
someone who was once mated, I know you know this.” I hold my
stance.

Gage runs his fingers over his lip in
contemplation. “Unconditional love? Are you saying that you’re in
love with him?”

I go rigid.
Shit. I need to watch what I
say and to whom I say it. Crap.

“If that is the case, love, it isn’t
allowed. You’re his charge. The prince is under oath. I would have
thought you learned your lesson at the council trial,” Gage
offers.

“Asher hasn’t broken his oath. I might feel
that way for him, but he hasn’t said he feels that way for me.” I
back peddle.
Crap. I have to remember not to trust Gage.

He lets out a large bark. “What do you
really know about Asher St. Michael?”

“Everything I need to,” I respond.

“Then you are more naïve than I originally
thought.”

“Are you suggesting I don’t really love
him?” I cross my arms and narrow my eyes.

“The bond makes you think you do, that you
can’t be without him. It’s why you’re suffering now. The mood
swings, the crawling of your skin and the constant ache from not
having the energy hum. It’s all part of the bond. Not love. What
you have is infatuation and desire, perhaps even a crush. I’m not
so sure you’re in love with him though.” His statement is lined
with incredulity.

At Gage’s sentiment, my heart drops. “You
know nothing of what I feel for Asher. Don’t presume to. You’re
assigned to protect me, not school me in matters of the heart.”

Gage just studies me before his face
softens. “It’s not your fault, you know. A mate link is normally
done after you fall in love. Then you’re bonded. Michael and Asher
took away your free will to make that decision. Ironic since
they’re both fighting a war in which the end result would allow
mankind their free will. They’ve tied you to him and you don’t even
know that you’re a prisoner. Not a soul mate.” His voice is
gentle.

My anger rises with his insinuation. “I am
not a hostage. I would bleed out for him, without thought. Even
despite the connection, I know that without Asher, I’m nothing.
It’s easy for you to speak of love when you’ve built walls high
enough around your heart that you forget what true love is.
Sacrifice. Shelter. Loyalty. When that person becomes the only
reason for your existence. Destiny or not, Asher is my forever.
When I close my eyes, I see he and I at the end of this journey.
Everything that I feel, it’s all for him.”

“You suffer this way for him, knowing that
he can’t give you a family? A mundane life?” Gage questions. “There
will be no children, love. Asher is the prince of the gargoyle
race, soon to be king if he fulfills his protector assignment. Do
you think the gargoyle line will embrace a human queen, one that
their king spat on their traditions and oaths to take? He’s broken
vows to his people, ones they will not easily forgive. Even for the
daughter of Heaven.” His intonation is mild, but firm.

“I don’t know, Gage. I want him. Only him.
Forever. Everything else is just details.”