Awakening (23 page)

“Apparently,” Auberon answered wryly, working with his brother to make the words form. “It should prove quite enlightening.”

“Read it,” Adam ordered softly, watching the concealment spells fighting to keep the words hidden even as he held them at bay. Thoughts of Celeste filled his head; he worried about her as she continued to avoid his attempts of reaching her. When she walked out of the restaurant she had looked shell shocked, contemplative. She definitely had a lot on her mind and even as she desired distance he had kept an eye on her. She was never completely beyond his protection even if she wasn't aware of it.

“Hold the wo
rds steady, Adam,” Auberon urged, keeping the archaic words in focus as they swirled about trying to remain hidden.

Forcing himself back to the matter at hand,
Adam doubled his efforts until four lines came together. “Read, Auberon.”

“
Authura maylise frazha
,” he began in the Ancient tongue, laughing as he heard Adam growl behind him. “Very well:

A Queen will be born after the Heavens open up

When the Goddess arrives, the time will come

A mother’s love, a final gift from beyond the grave

She will be
found, a light in the darkest night

"Interesting,” Auberon commented, leaning back in his chair, studying the words. It was apparent that the '
Heavens opening up'
was in reference to Beck Lewis, the Angel made flesh. “The timing is right, Adam.”

“I know,” he murmured, sitting down next to Auberon and letting the concealing spell return; he got what he was looking for. Celeste was born approximately three years after Beck; and with the recent birth of the Goddess…. His brows furrowed as he considered the last two lines, “Her mother is dead, which is within the
realm of the prophecy, but humans cannot come back to life.”

“It is intriguing,” Auberon agreed, leaning back in his chair regarding his brother. Concern etched fine lines around
Adam’s mouth. He was worried about the girl, her reluctance to accept what he offered; her ability to defy a direct order. Knowing it was far-fetched, he had to say, “Perhaps Celeste is not destined to be the new Queen; perhaps she is just a harbinger of things to come. Maybe she is not the wrinkle Mother fears.”

“The thought has crossed my mind,”
Adam admitted. “But what good would it do? She is but one person, a human at that, as you have so often pointed out; how can she be a part of this?”

“Stranger things have happened,” Auberon reminded him. “The Cosmos have a way of thwarting the best-laid plans and if nothing else is said of Mothe
r’s plans, they are best-laid.”

Adam
’s lips formed a wry smile; they could only hope Celeste was nothing more than a pawn. But she was hiding something from them; she was able to hide a great deal from him. He was unable to enter her thoughts and read her mind and he had never had the ability to influence her decisions. Maybe he was weakening; maybe feeding from her made him lose his powers. Yet he still had all of his abilities when dealing with other beings, other humans; in fact, they were… stronger. “She’s changing me, Auberon.”

Auberon stared at his brother as
Adam sat there, lost in his thoughts. Curiosity gnawed at his innards; what was it about Celeste that drove his brother to distraction? What would it be like to bite her, drink of her, to experience the bliss of drinking her blood without consequence? She was definitely a wrinkle but she couldn't possibly be a Queen; she was human. However, her behavior was odd; she fought them as if trying to protect something and suddenly he knew. “Adam, could she be carrying a Queen?”

“
Maybe,” Adam answered, shaking his head, truly at a loss even as the thought had crossed his mind at least a dozen times since he last held her. “If she is she must be terrified. I don’t know why she wouldn’t tell me, though.”

Auberon laughed at his brother’s unaccountable naivety. “She knows enough about us to make her justifiably afraid
but she does not know that we are on her side; that we are not part of the Hive anymore.”

“I should find her and tell her,”
Adam said, distractedly. He was eager to see Celeste, to hold her in his arms; to alleviate any of her fears and shelter her.

“Whatever spells that
the Fates are using to protect her are powerful, Adam, but they cannot last forever,” Auberon said casually. “The Monoliths will discover her whereabouts eventually; even the Fate’s shielding spells are limited. She is in grave danger, especially if she is to be the mother of a new Queen.”

“I know,”
Adam mumbled, needing to find her, keep her safe. Abruptly, he stood, knocking over the chair as he made his way to the door. There was not enough time and she was too stubborn for her own good. As soon as he grabbed the handle, the door flew open and Celeste stepped into the room, her eyes widening in surprise. “Celeste.”

"I need to talk to you," she blurted, the words spilling from her mouth in a rush.
She turned her head and saw Auberon sitting there and her cheeks flushed red and she took a step closer to Adam. As if she perceived Auberon as a threat.

Standing, he bowed
his head in deference to her obvious nerves. “I shall leave the two of you alone for a few minutes.”

"You don't have to leave," she said qui
ckly, guiltily, even as she moved closer still to Adam.

"I do," Auberon murmured, exchanging a look with Adam. He
paused when he reached the door, his eyes closing in ecstasy as he smelled the metallic air surrounding Celeste. Opening his eyes, he looked down and saw the line of blood on her arm, tempting him; damning him. “You are bleeding.”

Adam
’s concern twisted his face as he carefully lifted her arm as his eyes locked on Celeste’s and they immersed themselves in one another. Running his tongue along the red path, ecstasy darkened Adam's black eyes and Auberon felt lust swirling in his own gut. Closing his emotions off, Auberon cast a final glance at Celeste, wanting… more. Wanting and not allowing himself to want, he walked a few steps and vanished as Adam raised his head, the wound healed and forgotten.

Celeste watched as Auberon walked out the door, wondering
how she was going to tell Adam what she had to tell him. With a slight frown, she walked over to the window and sighed. How did she plan on broaching this subject and was she really prepared to die should Adam prove to be all-too-
Apocritum
? Her stomach tightened in apprehension as her body temperature dropped to deal with the stress. Great, she was going into hibernation mode, leaving her vulnerable to attack. Then his hands were on her shoulders, his mouth by her ear, his breath on her neck. With another sigh, she leaned back into his embrace and felt at home, “Adamanteros.”

“Celeste,” he murmured, the heat of his hands seeping into her cool flesh, the taste of her blood fresh in his mouth. “I’ve missed you.”

“It’s barely been two weeks,” she murmured, letting herself melt into his embrace, trying to hold onto her worries and fears; if not for herself then for her baby. With that, her body stiffened; they had much to talk about and it was time to lay out her worries. “I'm frightened, Adam and I'm afraid of telling you what frightens me."

“
Tell me, Celeste,” he implored as her body tensed further and he could feel the fear coming off her body in waves; strong enough that she was unable to mask it. It was killing him knowing that she suffered and he couldn't help her until she told him. “Talk to me, Celeste; tell me what scares you.”

Turning around to face him, her brain tried to convince her lust-filled body that being with
Adam right now might not be such a good idea. What if she was wrong and she was flying towards her death? Did she have a choice? There was no one else she could trust. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, not missing the way Adam focused on her mouth. Softly, she asked, “Why are you researching prophecies?”

“
Our Mother is concerned,” he said, bending his head and meeting her eyes, seeing the tears glisten as she stared up at him, wariness in her posture as if she was getting ready to run. "She wanted Auberon and me to check out a wrinkle."

Inhaling and slowly letting the breath out, her pulse racing along her throat, she rasped, "Am I the wrinkle?"

His hands were warm, comforting, on her shoulders. There was no malice in his touch, no hint that he planned on using those beautiful hands to choke the life from her. “I bit you.”

“Several times,” she expanded, her free hand pressed against her stomach, as much from nerves as from protecting the life that grew in her. Would
Adam be her savior or her executioner? Why did she have to have such a strong compulsion to tell him when she touched the little box? “But I'm human.”

He chuckled, rich and warm, “
Yes but you don't change when I bite you; we have to be prepared for any repercussions.”

“What if there are none?” she prevaricated, looking down and avoiding his probing eyes. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to prevent the heat that was burning her cheeks, knowing that she was blushing. If only she could concentrate on how she felt just being in his arms once more; how safe she felt. What if it was an illusion? “What if you just get the pleasure of feeding from me as often as you desire and there are no consequences?”

“There are always consequences, sweetheart,” he murmured gently, running his hand along her jaw, touching the smooth curve of her cheek. Her body was still so tense even though it was slowly relaxing. If only she could trust him with her secrets.

“But what if the consequences are more than I can handle?” she whispered, closing her eyes and
wondering if his touch would turn violent; hoping…. God, hoping for so much. Would these be her last moments on earth?

His voice lowered to a rasp as he asked, “
Celeste, what are you hiding?”

Slowly, hesitantly, she raised her head and her eyes met his. He didn’t look at her as if he meant to harm her; no, he looked concerned. It was time to take that final leap; if only she knew if she was going to be landing in water or quicksand. Chewing on her lower lip, she glanced around the empty room, suddenly wondering if it was bugged, if
the other
Apocritae
were aware of their conversation; if
the Queen
could hear. Swallowing against the lump of fear and doubt, she whispered, “Not here.”

“Tell me what it is,” he urged, his gaze drifting down to her abused lips before returning to her wary hazel eyes
.

“
I'm afraid, Adam,” she whimpered, her eyes pleading with his, desperate to confide in him, desperate to keep her peace.

“Celeste,” his voice was low,
comforting but she felt his need for answers. "You can talk to me here; it's safe."

“
Are you sure this room isn't bugged?” she whispered, resting her forehead against his chest, hearing the steady thump of his heart. How could he make her feel so safe, so secure, when he could be the end of her existence?

Her pulse in her throat was racing and her whole body tremble
d as she hovered on the edge of the cliff, not knowing if Adam was going to pull her back to safety or push her over the edge. Taking her hand, he led her to a comfortable couch a few feet away. “This room is where Auberon and I discuss many things that would enrage the Queen,” he explained softly. With sincerity burning in his black eyes, he lowered his voice and continued, “The two of us have taken many precautions to ensure privacy within these walls and nothing you say will go any further, Celeste. You’re safe here. You're safe with me.”

She sat down on the couch, her hands twisting in her lap. Gently, he curled his body around hers,
physically protecting her from the world. Gathering her in his arms, he whispered, “Tell me, my love. Whatever it is, I will protect you.”

She looked up at him with liquid eyes, hope warring with fear, “Really?”

“My life is yours,” he said softly, passionately, brushing her lower lips with his thumb as he held her eyes and willed her to believe him. “Tell me, Celeste.”

Closing her eyes, she leaned forward, her lips against his ear, and in a
hushed voice, she rasped, “I’m going to have a baby.”

“A baby?” he
croaked, his arms clenching around her.

She squeezed her eyes shut
as she waited for the fates to decide her future, whether or not it was going to exist past the next heartbeat. After a long moment, she slowly opened one eye, just enough to peak at Adam and see the longing and sorrow on his face. His eyes were closed in what could almost be described as a painful expression, yet she didn’t get the feeling that he was in pain.  “Adam, she's a Queen; I know she is.”

He opened his eyes and h
er breath caught at the look of apprehension in his eyes. Tilting his head to the side and studying her face, his expression worried her. He started to raise his hand to cup her cheek but his hand was trembling and he quickly dropped it back to his lap. Holding her eyes, he leaned his forehead against hers and exhaled. “I was afraid of that.”