Yield (26 page)

After the ceremony, Ames, Caydon, and Lily stood beside me like a Lord of the Rings moment.  To me, we looked hilarious. 

I turned to kiss Ames on the cheek making sure I looked the part.  I didn’t want to rush things.  (Yes I did.)

My lips on his cheek, I felt his hand stab my stomach as if tickling me.  I wanted to laugh, dance, and scream out in pleasure.  Reaching up to whisper something naughty in his ear, I momentarily left my own thought processing to mark where the pain was entering my body. 

A knife was in my side pressing into my ribcage. 

“If you want her alive, you
’ll let us go.”

What the—

Randor was drawing me away from Ames.  My feet thudding over the dirt.

“
You can’t have her after you’ve ignored her for eighteen years.  She deserves better.  I’ve been there, watched over her.  Kept her safe.  I know what Em needs, how she feels.”

I can
’t understand him fully because he’s covering my nose and his fingers are inching towards my mouth.  I can tell he’s proclaiming some kind of unrequited love for all the years he was stalking me next door.  Thinking back on it now, he
was
over at my house every day.  And not always with my parents.  I just never considered it creepy since my stepfather was his friend.  All bets were off when he tried to kidnap me
again
like the other knucklehead alpha wanna-be’s of this realm. 

Honestly, he wasn
’t horrible.  He has his priorities kind of out of whack, but he means well.  The knife in the side doesn’t make it easy to think this.  Nor the stupid name he kept calling me.

“Caydon charged me with her care.  He was going to give Em to me.”

Did he just say what I think he did?  I couldn’t shoot eyes at Caydon with him so far away from my dragging point. 

“Uh, no.  Wasn
’t me, bro.  Try again!” Caydon backed away two steps.

His hand left my mouth and traveled to my neck.  If I could have predicted he would continue choking me as part of this love declaration, I
’d have killed him myself if Ames didn’t lose his grip on reality first.  I screamed out at Randor, “You can’t say things like that.  And if you,” I coughed out between his fingers squeezing harder on my Adam’s apple.  “If you think I would just be yours, then you and Joshlin, not Caydon, have another thing coming.”

This would be a good time to own magic again.  As if hearing me, Mrs. Clark swooped in and pushed her old lady skills in by forcing his knife sideways.  Piercing my skin through the white gown, the blood didn
’t take long to show.  Ames went ape.

I can
’t rightly say I know what happened next without saying one thing: Love really does conquer all.

Randor tackled me to the ground.  My mouth muffled still, I felt myself turn blue from panic and lack of oxygen.  My eyes felt bulged with pain. 

And then it was gone like a second long hurricane wave of air whooshing above.  Heaving out hard, painful breathes I rose to my elbows and saw Randor six feet away on his back across three broken chairs with a tiny knife in his neck.  The only thing that could have thrown him that far was magic, not the herb doused knife.  I eased seeing the knife was barely in as he pulled it out.  The sleeping herb works fast because Randor was out the second he yanked it free.  I shot my eyes to my grandmother for confirmation, but her mouth was drooped in as much surprised as mine.  Ames grandmother didn’t look like an angry mama bear who just threw a man six feet.  I did what I always did of late, I looked to Ames. 

Smug, male pride rang across every inch of his sweet alpha face.  His body was shaking as his hands rose toward Randor and knocked even farther back.  A split second later
his little mini knives came out again, but when Randor continued to lay there unmoving, he replaced them. 

Ames kept his magic.  I wasn
’t sure before, but I knew now.

Like a delayed green light, Ames looked back at me.  Fear, panic, and awed pride started to swell inside me.

“I have something I need to tell you.”

He better believe it.
  And I wasn’t a dumb blonde.  I was right about the emotions.  He could still read them.

I fixed my glare on the Oh so gracious Mrs. Clark.  I had a feeling she had something to do with this.

When I told Emma everything about what my grandmother left out from her, she forgave me and my grandmother all too easily.  How she saw past the heartache of things I wished to keep her from and still love me was astounding.  Neither of us could figure the real truth from the lies.  The two grandmas were a deceptive bunch.

I was in awe of her and told her so a dozen more times before we left her realm.  Caydon took a dozing Randor out of the picture before any of us could do anything else.  Others were tending to Emma
’s injuries and asking her about her lost magic and her mother’s.  My grandmother was surrounded as well being treated like a lost goddess in time.  I was thankful this day didn’t end in a war zone like my father.  I can’t really understand now that I’m of age what his motives were for attacking Emma’s realm.  The greed card just doesn’t add up.  I can’t help but wonder if my birth had something to do with it since he was made to think his daughter was destined to die by my very existence.  A husband, father will do anything to save the ones he loves.  Even destroy a friend. 

I turned next to Caydon.  Checking that Emma was occupied with the curious people from both our realms, I found my way to him.  He knew by my expression what I was going to ask before I got there.

“Randor isn’t lying, but it isn’t what you think.  I didn’t give her to him.”  Caydon glanced at Lily who was bent over asking as many questions to Emma as anyone else.  “He expressed how much he cared for her years ago.  I granted him all the freedom of staying close to her and making her as comfortable with her abilities as he could afford and not get caught.  He took that way past the point of protection.  I only realized how obsessed he became when he attacked you on the highway.  He took what I said and made it into something else.  A year ago, before you were sent by Joshlin to retrieve her for his own disgusting purpose,” he slowed his last words, “he told me he would watch over her when she came here.  I didn’t hesitate then to allow it.”

I didn
’t know he knew so many of the details.

“Yes, I knew.  I had you tracked as well, friend of mine.  You and I have always been silent enemies, just quietly ignoring the obvious.  I hope that changes now.  I really don
’t like having an assassinating heir of the goblin king watching my back.  I know what you’re capable of.”

I gave a hurried look in Emma
’s direction to see she couldn’t hear the current conversation.
              “That is not my life anymore.”

“Evident by that fact that my brother is still alive.”

I studied Caydon’s unsaid words in between the lines.  He knew I could snap back to that life if I wanted, but I didn’t want to.  “You were saying about Joshlin.”

“Randor said to me that he would save her from you.  I commanded him to step aside and let me take care of it, but he refused to listen.  I made the mistake of thinking it wouldn
’t hinder my plans.  I knew Emma would end up here, I just didn’t consider what she would have to go through first.  I was arrogant and proud of what I had, not wanting to be upstaged by her presence.  I was angry I was losing the only girl I loved and I wanted Emma to hurt like I would.  I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

Caydon and I followed the guard
’s hold on the fully awake cursing Randor at the entrance of the holding cell her realm kept near the guard’s room.  Our realms’ were made so different.  Joshlin built ours, Emma’s father maintained theirs.  Since ours was destroyed in the conflict, everything had been remade.

“If I
’d known Randor would attack her today, I’d have knocked him out myself.  Like I said, I thought I was doing right by sending him in years ago.  I saw it as a bonus that he fell for her hoping she’d do the same with him and make it easier.  It wasn’t the best decision on my part.  And I’m sorry.”

What
’s done is done.  I didn’t kill a man today.  Emma was safe.  Emma would be mine.  No point in dwelling on what’s not to be.

I clapped my hand down on Caydon
’s shoulder, “If the times I’ve apologized for all my wrongdoings were a part of the law for giving back, I would have to say I have a lifetime to serve.  Someone reminded me recently that I haven’t room to judge when my own haunts rise around me at the worst of moments.  I think we both need to focus on what gifts we did bring about despite our own stupidities.”  I couldn’t help but look at the very girl whose wisdom made me think so heavily.  She was my light in the darkness I’d fed on for so long.

As if reading my mind, Caydon clamped down on my opposite shoulder with his own hand, “I know exactly what you mean.”

Emma was watching us now.  I shook Caydon’s hand and hurried needing to be closer to her.  She asked me questions about what just took place with Caydon.  I told her the need to know information about Randor to explain his behavior and reserved to tell her the rest later.  I didn’t want her to hold a grudge on Caydon until she could reason why he did what he did.  I didn’t like the truth of what he said, but understood his motives with severity.  

I asked the grandmothers to join us for a dinner t
hat night and both graciously did. Their telling of events that led up till now kept our entire realm in a stupor.  The fact that these two women knew each other all this time and not their own flesh and blood irked me.  But they were never honest to begin with.  Their misleading facts were not even decipherable laid out on a table in order.  It was better to keep enemies close at hand so I played the part I needed to.

Caydon and Lily celebrated with us before leaving
early
from the party.

Before he left, Caydon told Emma what a wonderful queen she would make.

Her words to the four of us, “What a wonderful team we make!”

She was determined to make us a democratic society.

When the food ran out, I watched Emma entertain the group still with us.  After midnight now, I had a few plans of my own.

Nothing would stand in our way now.

Randor is the one who has been to her house all these years, sent by Caydon.  He only made a friend of her father for the gold.  The goal was Emma.  He’d been selling it on the stock market for years with her stepfather as the means.

Caydon never thought his brother would get so obsessed with Emma.  And it was almost too late when he did.  Randor threatening my life and Emma
’s was the line to cross all because of his infatuation with her. The story would be funny retold in the history books.

Randor has been building a small army for years too.   He is the reason so many were dead.  So some were warlocks trying to “take my title”, but many of the others were all him it turns out.  Other realm rogues paid off to “take me out”.    I knew he was some kind of messed up.  The dude was using Emma
’s stepfather for the gold for years and fronting it like he was there just for Emma. 

Randor said he is sorry in the end and Emma was so surprised.  The real shocker for her was the line he fed about being in love with her and that he knew she felt the same for years.  How she invited him in only because she was secretly in love with him and was waiting till she finished high school. 

He told her how he worked so hard to keep her safe from people like me who would come take her one day.  I couldn’t argue with that part. 

The truth hurts.

He said he never expected her to fall in love with me.  He thought he’d get to keep her for himself at the realm he was helping steal...married to Caydon, but sleeping in his bed loving him.  He was just warped.

This world is twisted.  I hoped to fix it a little in the romance department.  No one should be told who they have to marry or be with.  Falling in love was one of the best memories of my short life.  I couldn
’t imagine taking that from someone.  Especially for personal gain.

Ames just insisted that I wear none of the following: lace or beads.  When I gave him a simple yes answer, he questioned it.

“Why so easy to agree?” he asked standing in his bedroom while I lounged across his sofa.

“Because I want you to be happy.”

He seemed to analyze that longer than I expected.

“So what will it look like?”

Uh, huh!  “No way.  That is a surprise.  Any more requests while I
’m taking them.”

His eyes lit up and just as quick began to swim in a fit of lust.  I knew that look. 

“Other than nekkid!” I threw out.

He laughed at my slang, but his eyes still swirled with want.  I needed him to calm it down a bit for it wasn
’t helping my own ache for him.  I knew without a doubt I would love this man for the rest of my life.

“Whatever you chose is perfect for me,” his raspy sided voice rang out as he stumbled towards me.

“What about the setup?  Can we keep it simple like just flowers and people?”

“If you
’re there, I’m there.  I am not picky on what or who else is other than to make sure everyone of them know what’s mine.”  His recent perpetual grin was so tantalizing.

“Stay just like that,” I jumped off the sofa at him.  He froze but started to let the smile fade.  “Oh
, no.  Don’t stop the sexy grin look.  That’s what I’m coming for.”

That might just have made him grin wider.  What it did made me all the more eager to touch each dimple, kiss it, and bask in the warmth of his happiness.  Ames was a shuddering mess when I stepped back, but his eyes were filled with the love I knew he
’d never thought he would feel.  I couldn’t believe sometimes how far we’d come.

The days went by and Ames got more and more focused on refusing to leave me alone.  While I loved it, I knew some of it would be relieved when the famous wedding night arrived.  The goblin realm truly believed he would have me marked and safe from any other on that day.  While I did much research in both realms on the subject, asked Katelyn and several other girls, it was still farfetched in my opinion.  I tried stating the reverse scenarios as in “What if I remained in the human world?”

Ames would roll his neck over and just remind me that it didn’t happen.  I would still be drawn to him.  Whether it was completely true or not, he was ready to move forward in more ways than one.  Thinking it was really more like an alpha guy kind of thing for claiming his woman, I let it go.  It would happen regardless.  And Ames wasn’t the only one walking crooked all the time.  I was just as ready.

Of course, the two grandmas formed a small “act like our parent
’s” committee and sat us each down separately and then together to give us a talking too.  We were told we were really young (me) and that we could wait if we wanted.  We assured them we were ready and that being descendants of the goblin world seemed to make us different than most young couples.  The famous goblin’s kiss was magical in itself, but I loved him long before that.  When I tried to explain that, in the beginning, all I wanted to do was smack him around and take away his pain all at the same time, they both concluded that I was happily nuts.  They just didn’t get it.

The only weirdness coming my way was
how Ames’ grandmother reacted with the kissing part.  She seemed to quiz me heavily over it and suddenly wanted a play by play.   Blushing heavily at telling a “grandma” about my personal kissing experiences with a guy, who happens to be her grandson, was extremely nerve wracking.

I figured she was just going down memory lane.