Set In Sparks (Morningstars Book 2) (7 page)

The doors opened and Maya stepped out in a blood red gown. Kaden dropped to his knees on the steps in front of her, his bloody daggers clattering to the floor while he bowed his head as if he was waiting for absolution.

Maya stared down at the twins, her jaw set. She felt everything Jaden felt: fear, doubt, worry, anxiety, and even hope, but there was absolutely nothing coming from Kaden.
As if he didn't exist.
It scared her like nothing ever before had.

Her gaze found Jaden and he looked like a ghost. His cheeks were ashen and his eyes wide in morbid fascination. She knew exactly how that looked, standing there in the moonlit night in the red dress she and Cany had decided on earlier. She had meant to stay inside, but Ryder planned on taking her to see Cany's parents along with them, something Maya hadn't protested. Staying at home was not high on her list of things to do as she knew she needed to move, to be busy.

Maya needed to avoid thinking.

“Little Star,” Kaden whispered and confusion slammed into her, making her gasp. Whatever had been wrong with Kaden just a few seconds ago obviously no longer was wrong. “What did I do?” he then added barely perceptible. Maya took another step towards him and Kaden raised his hand.

“Do
not
touch her,” Jaden called out and then stood by her side in the blink of an eye. “Are you okay, Kade?” Her mate's tone was cautious, yet Maya could hear the worry laced into his voice.

“I'm kneeling here as if I need to be judged. What did I do?” Kaden asked again and then looked up at them, self-loathing burning in his eyes. Maya wanted to touch him so bad, it was a physical task to keep herself from reaching out.

She looked from the guy that appeared to be more a fallen angel and less a broken warrior towards the man that hopefully held all the answers in his palm. Maya couldn't say how to proceed, but Kaden wouldn't budge until he had answers and it was clear on Jaden's face that he was lost. He was the one following orders, not giving them. He always had been the perfect little fighter.

“Inside, now,” she finally decided, making sure her voice left nothing for discussion.

“I don't think Kaden should be around you,” Jaden remarked the same moment his twin stated something similar.

“I think Kaden shouldn't be anywhere but with us. I don't have any freaking idea what just happened, but I will not let him run around covered in blood, with wounds that don't heal nearly as quick as they should when neither of us has any idea what's wrong. I wouldn't do it to you, handsome, and I won't do it to him or any other warrior showing up on my door step like that,” she declared, looking at both of them. They just nodded and Maya knew that she needed to tell Jaden about the bond between her and Kaden as soon as possible. Taking his hand as they turned to walk back inside as she tugged him back.

“We'll meet you in the kitchen,” she told Kaden, finally reaching out to gently touch his shoulder. It surprised Maya to realize that this almost instantly eased some of the tension running through his body. “I'm not afraid of you, Kaden.” The outrage was palpable in her voice and he gave her a weak smile, doubt swirling like a dark cloud through their connection.

Once they were alone, Maya turned to her mate, moving as close as she could. First, she needed the contact, and second, she didn't want to speak any louder than necessary.

“That wasn't Kaden coming to my door,” she started, finding no other way to get to the topic. Jaden just cupped her cheeks, kissing her deeply. His worries were eased with that one kiss and Maya was glad about that, even though it felt as if this would be her last kiss ever with him. Nervousness twisted her stomach into a knot until she wanted to puke.

“Hey,” he whispered, curling his fingers around her chin so she'd look at him again. “Just spit it out already.”

Maya swallowed. The fear of losing him almost made her chicken out, but then she steeled herself. She was the Queen and if she didn't have the guts to do what needed to be done, who would ever save her race?

Jaden saw the resolve cross Maya's face and he
knew
that he wouldn't like what she was about to say. At the same time he couldn't help but be glad that finally he'd know what had been bothering her for months.

“I love you, Jaden, more than you could imagine. The last few months with you were ...” She trailed off, shaking her head as a wistful smile crossed her lips. As tears entered her eyes, he gritted his teeth, wondering if he'd be able to keep a promise if he had no idea what was coming at him. He had sworn to himself that he'd never again break a promise he had given her and he wanted to stand by that no matter what.

“Don't,” she pleaded as if she guessed what he was about to say. Maya placed her lips on his finger, making him shiver. Why did that feel so much like a goodbye, it made him want to run before it got it that far?

“Just say it,” he urged another time.

“It wasn't Kaden coming to the door. In fact, I only felt
you
coming to the door when I should have felt you both,” she whispered, leaving the sentence hanging between them. Utter heartbreak came from her and she no longer stood close to him while Jaden's mind still worked through the implications.

He and Maya were mated, so of course she'd feel him, but she and Kaden didn't have a bond. “How?” he asked and she didn't need clarification.

“You were about to die.
I
was about to die.” She moved a few steps, the velvet of her dress brushing against the marble of the floor. For a short moment darkness descended over the room and it wasn’t the material coloring the floor red, but Maya's blood, dripping from a cut on her back.

“Jaden?” He shook his head, clearing it of the horrible images. There it was, white marble, red dress. “Are you okay? You were freaking terrified just a second ago,” Maya whispered, moving closer, yet hesitant to touch him. He reached for her hand, kissing her palm.

“You were about to die,” Jaden prompted, his mind a clutter of thoughts. “And stop playing games. Just say it straight,” he instructed.

“The moment she and you bonded, I got a tattoo. That in return led us to believe that she could have my blood. It was just our luck, because otherwise you and her would be dead.” Maya closed her eyes as Kaden came back in the room, obviously losing his patience. “It wasn't her fault. She fought me tooth and nail and she made it clear to me that she loved only you, but still, she almost died. Jaden, there was no heartbeat. I couldn't let her die.” There was a plea in Kaden's voice. His twin needed him to understand, and finally Jaden did.

“You are half way mated,” he stated, but Maya instantly raised her arms in a gesture of protest.

“No, we are half way blood-bonded, not mated,” she insisted and Jaden could see her flinch as pain crossed his brother's features. “You are twins. One person. You are exactly the same. This is a flux of nature, of fate.”

“You didn't glow with him or we'd have realized that before,” Jaden mumbled, trying his hardest to find a way out of what they were saying.

“It was only your blood and mine mixed that made my body recognize Kaden as belonging to you ... to us. It's the cruelest of jokes fate can play on anyone,” Maya whispered, sounding hallow. It was how he felt.

“It wasn't her fault. She didn't want any of it. Neither did I. But she'd be dead now and you'd be alone. I couldn't have you break over her death,” Kaden interjected and Jaden looked from him to Maya. They stood in a fucking triangle and wasn't that just damn ironic?

“I can't lose you,” Maya sobbed, her slender hands shaking. “And we can't fight about this now, because I said earlier that wasn't Kaden kneeling on my doorstep.” Jaden almost laughed out loud. He couldn't help but feel betrayed and sadly beaten. It was as if his body already had resigned to what it knew as the truth here: Maya had wanted Kaden from the beginning and, wonder of all wonders, she could have him. Jaden needed to get out.

“She fucking loves you, brother! It's not her fault. She got thrown into this damn hellhole fate calls a love triangle the same way we did. You don't think we'd do everything to take this back?” Kaden asked, moving in his way as if his twin guessed that Jaden was about to storm out.

“Maybe you should have thought about that before taking her damn blood,” Jaden snarled and then was startled as his twin just laughed darkly.

“I haven't had blood since before you and her fulfilled your mating. I wouldn't ask her for it and I sure as hell don't think she'd ever give it to me, either.” Jaden wasn't sure he heard right, even when the evidence was clear in his face: His twin's wounds still weren't healing. He definitely needed blood.

“Touch him,” Jaden barked. He needed to see it with his own eyes.

“Won't work, I don't see you and her glowing, either. Never did,” Kaden replied, sounding exhausted. He didn't have a right to sound like that. No one was about to take
his
Origin from him.

“Jaden.” Maya's voice was weak, hopeless. It almost sent him to his knees. “He stayed away because of it. He has been with other women because of this. He tried everything. I tried everything. All we have left to do is kill him ourselves or let him vegetate through the centuries. Either way, giving him my blood is not an option because...”

“ ... Staying away would be so hard then? Or do you actually have honor and feel bad sleeping with two guys at once?” Jaden taunted, knowing that he was being unjust. He couldn't help it though. He felt betrayed. The worst part though? He didn't feel betrayed by Maya or Kaden.
 

He felt betrayed by fate for having given him the most amazing Origin, only to take her away for someone far better suited.

Kaden felt his blood boil. No matter what Jaden thought he knew or didn't know, talking to Maya the way he did was
not
an option. He took a breath, but Maya shook her head.

“Please, don't.” His body almost instantly went into lock-down. An Origin's plea had never before affected him, but he had seen it work on Jaden. Grinding his teeth, Kaden lowered his eyes.

“Impossible,” Jaden gritted out, but his voice was filled with disbelief. “I gotta get out.”

Kaden didn't need to have a bond with Maya to know she was destroyed on the inside as Jaden brushed past her and vanished out the door.

“You gotta stop him, Maya. Don't let him go! He's your mate. Don't let him be stupid,” Kaden fussed.

“That what you love you need to let go. Only if it returns is it truly yours,” she replied, her voice flat. She hugged herself and Kaden wanted nothing more than to hold her, but he knew it was no use.