Touching Fire (Touch Saga) (14 page)

His hand rested lightly over mine
, his long fingers making mine seem tiny. “I don’t care what they are, I won’t let them hurt you.”

I frowned at him. “You’re not listening to me. They won’t hurt me because they think I’m one of them.
It’s all reversed here. You can’t protect me. I have to protect you and I can’t…” I trailed off and scrubbed at my face with both hands.

“Hey.” His arms came around me and I was drawn into his chest. “What is it?”

I raised my head and forced myself to meet his gaze. “What if coming here was a bad idea? Running from Garrison was a cakewalk compared to this place and these people. It feels like we went from one bad situation to an even worse situation and … I’m so scared I won’t be able to keep you safe.”

One hand went to the back of my head. The fingers combed through my hair. His lips pressed into my temple. “
Ashton would never let anything happen to you.”

I shoved him away. “You’re not listening to me. Stop telling me I’ll be safe, because I already know I will be.
That’s not even arrogance talking. It’s solid fact. I’ll be fine. But if anything happens to you … God, Isaiah, I don’t even know what I would do. I can’t even…” I tore all ten fingers back through my hair.

“Why do you keep thinking something will happen to me?”

“Are you serious?” I muttered. “They attacked you today only a few feet away from where I was. Had they not brought you into the dining room, I would never have known.” I gentled my voice. “Okay, look, you want to keep me safe and alive, right?”

His eyes narrowed with wary distrust and his eyebrows furrowed. “Yes…”

“How do you suppose that will happen if you die? Without you, I die. I’m not being melodramatic here, but seriously
…
I’m bound to you. I need your blood, in which case, I need you to live.”

His eyes remained slitted, but they sparked with anger. “You keep thinking I’m just going
to lie down and let myself die.”

I shook my head. “That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that I need you
to not take these people for granted. They won’t be easy like Garrison’s men.”

“I know that.”

“Okay. Good!” I speared my hands onto my hips and grinned at him a little. “You know what we should have done? We should have gone to Mexico.”

Some of the heat vanished from his eyes and his lips curved. “Mexico?”

“Yeah, why not? Garrison would never have found us there. We could have lived on some beach, sipping things from coconut shells.”

He laughed.
“Well, that can be our backup plan.”

I raised
eyebrows in mock surprise. “We have a backup plan? Since when? I feel like such a fraud now.”

He flicked my nose.
“This won’t be forever. We
will
stop running one day.”

I heard the longing in my sigh. “
Can’t that day be today? I’ll even settle for tomorrow.”

His warm hands framed my face as he guided it up to his lips. The kiss lightly brushed my forehead. “
Soon.”

I pulled back and glanced around us. “You know what’s really strange?” I waved at the empty corridor. “This place is enormous. It’s literally a castle, yet there’s no one here. Where are the servants and guards and whatever else castles have?”

“Did you not see the forty foot wall surrounding this place?” Isaiah teased. “I doubt anyone can actually get in to attempt a takeover. And aren’t servants told not to be seen?”

I eyed him. “You’ve really thought this through, huh?”

He tapped a finger to his temple. “It’s always working.”

I scoffed, rolled my eyes and elbowed him playfully. “You’re such a dork.”
I glanced at the doors around us. “What do you think is in all these rooms? More monsters?”

“
Spiders, most likely,” came a voice from behind us.

Chapter
11

Celia moved toward us with the liquid grace of a dancer. Shadows and light bounced off her with every lithe stride. Her beige skirt swirled around her long legs, barely making a sound. Her golden cat eyes went from me to Isaiah and back.

“
Forgive me, I did not mean to eavesdrop.” But her grin suggested otherwise. “We had an appointment this morning to tour the grounds,” she reminded me. “Or would you rather postpone?”

I had completely forgotten about my promise to go sightseeing with
her. She clearly hadn’t. I kind of felt bad.

“No, I’d love a tour.”

Celia smiled that feline smile of hers and I wondered, not for the first time, if she was born with such sharp teeth. I also wondered if she had a tail beneath that skirt. I wasn’t sure how to ask politely, so I didn’t.

“Isaiah.” She swept her gaze over my shoulder to where he stood. “Would you care to join us?”

Isaiah and I exchanged glances.

“Is he allowed?” I asked. “Ashton told him to keep out of sight.”

Celia seemed to think about this a moment before pursing her lips. “Perhaps, after the incidents this morning, it would be best if that’s what you did. I’m sorry, Isaiah.”

Isaiah seemed distracted a moment before answering. “
I don’t like you going anywhere on your own, not after what happened yesterday.”

“She will be with me,” Celia assured him calmingly. “I give you my word that I will keep her safe.”

He looked at me, silently asking.

I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

After walking Isaiah to his room and making him swear on my life that he would lock the door and not open it for anyone but me, I left him. With every step I took separating us, the heavier the burden in my chest became. I prayed he would be safe until my return. I also prayed Celia would keep her word and this would be a quick tour.

“
I have been anticipating our time together since your father first told me about you,” Celia said, cutting into my woolgathering.

“
How long ago was that?” I asked.

“Your father and I have known each other for … well, quite a very long time.
But I was not aware of your mother, or you, until very recently.”

“
A man of many secrets, huh?”

A ghost of a smile quirked her lips. “Yes
, but that was nothing I hadn’t always known. It’s what had always drawn me to him. The mystery.”

“How long have you been with him?”
I kept my attention on the carpet beneath our feet.

“
It will be six years this spring.”

Six
years ago, I was eleven. That was just a little over half my life. So while Mom and I ran from Ashton’s mistakes, he was off starting a new life.

I had to swallow the bitter
taste filling my mouth. It’s always good to know where you stand in someone’s list of priorities. Especially when they are supposed to love you.

“And he only recently told you about me?” There was no concealing the resentment in my tone now.
“You didn’t think that was strange? He lied to you through your entire marriage.”

“I was upset,” she confessed with a slight nod. “
But to some extent I understood why he did it.” Tawny eyes dropped to mine. “How could I hate a man trying his best to protect his family?”

“He didn’t protect me,” I said. “My mom did. Isaiah did. My dad stayed in this enormous palace while I was nearly killed.” I stopped walking and faced her dead on. “He got remarried to another woman while my mother died. We clearly have two very different ideas of the same man.”

I expected impatience or maybe even disagreement, but there was sadness in her eyes. “I could defend him, Fallon. But I know you will not believe me and I do not blame you. Trust is never something easily given. It must always be earned. I only ask that you allow Acheron the chance to earn yours.”

The woman was good.
I had to give her that. She almost had me fully convinced.

“I
’m trying,” I said. “That’s why I’m here, to hear his side of the story.”

She reached out with her slim hand and lightly brushed a coil of hair off my cheek. Her bow shaped mouth turned upwards in a kind smile. “
You are very brave, Fallon. Not many could hold it together under such tenuous circumstances. Your mother must have been an incredible woman.”

I pressed myself together tighter. “She was.”

Celia lowered her arm, but continued to study me. “One day, I would really like to hear about her from you.”

I started in surprise. “You want to know about her?”

“Of course. She is such a large part of you and Acheron. But only when you are ready.”

I didn’t know what to say. I wouldn’t have faulted her for not wanting to even hear my mother’s name, let alone hear her entire story. It should have won me over, but I couldn’t help feel wary
and confused.

“Come.” She touched my arm lightly and nudged me onward.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked as we found our way to the stairway.

“Of course,” she said.

“I’m sorry if this is impolite, but what are you?”

Tawny eyes rolled in my direction, but there was only amusement in them.
“I was born in Ira and before I married Acheron, I was Bane legacy.”

Bane. Bane.
I knew that word.

“That’s what Archer is.”

She nodded. “Yes. Actually…” She faced me with a very sly grin on her face. “Arcarius is my brother.”

Had I not already been standing still, I would have fallen over. “What? How is that possible? You’re so normal … and nice!”

Celia laughed. “True he is not my twin brother, but he is my brother and an acquired taste.”

I put my hands up to stop her from talking.
“Wait. You have a twin, too?”

“Those born to the legacy, do.”

“I don’t understand what that means,” I said with a slight shake of my head.

“The legacy consists of child
ren born from the direct line of the monarchy.” When I continued to look confused, she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “Okay, take Arcarius as an example. He is a direct descendent of Quain. Our mother was Quain’s wife and thus he was not born from a child of a Sire, but is a direct heir of the Sire himself.”

“Whoa!” I grabbed her without thinking. “Wait.
If he’s your brother, then would that mean that Quain is your father?”

Her eyes continued to twinkle with laughter despite her very
kind attempts not to laugh at my slow uptake.

“
You would be correct.”

“Wow…” I pressed fingers into my throbbing temples. “
I don’t even know where to go with this. I feel like I should offer you my sympathies or something.”

She
raised a brow. “I suppose this would not be the time to inform you that Arcarius also has a twin…”

I clutched at my chest dramatically. “I think I need to sit down.”

Chuckling, she slipped her arm through mine and started down to the foyer. “Isleen, I assure you, is nothing like Arcarius.”

“
So tell me about Quain. Yeah, what’s the deal with him? Why is he such a jerk?”

Celia
smiled. “Quain is not the easiest of men to come up against, but he is honorable and your father’s dearest friend.”

I snorted. “You know, I’m beginning to question my father’s taste in friends.”

We hit the bottom landing and turned towards the doorway to the right. Celia’s heels clicked in an almost soothing pattern along the marble as we headed towards the dining hall.

“
Your father’s greatest sin has always been his drive to see progress.”

“You make it sound like a bad thing.” It was a joke, until she looked at me, her eyes eerily dark.

“Isn’t it?”

We said nothing for a moment as she showed me the dining area, even though I had already seen it, at least six different parlors, a smaller library and a lounge room, which looked suspiciously like a parlor, but I didn’t say so.

“Celia? What’s the passing?” I asked as we strolled down a long, sun bathed courtyard to another section of the castle.

She glanced at me. “
Superstitious nonsense.”

“But what is it? Quain mentioned it earlier in the library. It seemed like a big deal.”

She huffed, sweeping back invisible strands of hair off her brow with a dismissive flick of her fingers. “There is this ridiculous notion that every hundred years, our kind will be given a pass of sorts to a new world order. Those from the old region continue to believe that such a thing is possible, my father and Acheron included. Such nonsense. Believe me, more than a few hundred years have passed and I have yet to see a single change in events.”

“That does sound kind of stupid. But what does any of that have to do with me?”

“It shouldn’t.”

Shouldn’t
. Not
doesn’t
.

“But the way Quain was making it sound, I had a lot to do with it. In fact, he made a point of saying—”

“Don’t listen to them, Fallon.” Celia looked at me, her annoyance a bright glint in her eyes. “The whole matter is ludicrous. My father and Acheron should both be eternally ashamed for behaving like such morons.”

She didn’t say anything else
. We continued our journey in near silence, broken only by her pointing something out.

“
Did you know your father wanted to bring you home the night your mother died?” she said seemingly out of the blue at one point. “He was already at the main gates, ready to march into the mortal world.”

I glanced sideways at her.
“Why didn’t he? If I ever needed him, it was at that moment.”

She took me into a patio area overlooking the garden I could see from my terrace. It was more breathtaking up close, but I wasn’t given the chance to fully enjoy it, not with the train of conversation Celia had propelled us onto.

“It is so much more complicated than that,” she said with a touch of remorse in her tone. “Your world is a cesspool—”

“Hey!”

She ignored my outraged protest. “Of everything horribly wrong. It is the feeding ground for creatures you never want to see, not even in your worst nightmares. Unlike us, they have free rein to roam where they wish and are not bound by laws forbidding them from terrorizing mortals. But they are weak. Pathetic. To them, we are gods. They would not exist were it not for us. Because of that, they need us. They crave our essence.” Her nostrils flared and she looked scary as all hell. “Your father is the ruler of our region. For him to waltz into your world is suicide. His power calls to them and should they ever get their hands on him, Luxuria would cease to exist because all our powers and the powers that course through this region, are locked with him. Your father tends to forget this small fact when it comes to you. But I need you to remember.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“Because you are now marked.” She reached over and took a strand of hair off my shoulder. She tucked it neatly behind my ear. “You have been in our world and it has already begun to melt into your skin and fill your blood.” She dropped her hand away. “For every minute you spend here, the less your humanity will survive. It is why humans cannot live with us. They are not structured to exist on our plane. Eventually they will waste away and die. But you, you possess Acheron’s blood. It flows within you, protecting you, giving you strength. But it is also cursing you.”

I swallowed audibly. “What do you mean?”

Her eyes flashed and glittered, dark and frightening. “If you return, there will be nothing keeping you protected from seeing what your world is truly like. That veil over your mental eye—your human eye—has lifted and as you see them, they will see you. They will sense you. You may not be a Sire and may not possess the level of power Acheron does, but you are an heir and power is power.”

I’m not creeped out,
I willed myself to believe. But who was I kidding? I was so creeped out. There was no way I wasn’t going to have nightmares.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Her expression softened. “Not to frighten you. You need to know, Fallon. You need to know so you can be safe.”

She
told me no more as she led me back through the catacombs to Isaiah’s room. She touched my shoulder as we stood outside his door, looked into my face and said, “Welcome home, Fallon.” Then, with a gentle squeeze, she left.

Isaiah was sitting at the window seat, a book open in his hand when I pushed open his door and slipped inside. My brows drew together.

“I told you to lock the door!”

He snapped the book closed, tossed it onto the cushioned seat and rose to his feet. “Why does that sound familiar?”

I frowned at his teasing, remembering when we’d first met and he’d told me the exact same thing.