Bound to Blackwood (53 page)

Thorn took a deep breath, determined to calm himself. Their new bond meant he felt all of Lena's sorrow, worry and fear as if it were his own, and right now, he was in as much danger of drowning as she was.
For the love of Faerie, get a grip, Thorn!
 

He reached out a tentative hand and gave the man as hard a shake as he dared. Heath really did look as if he could disintegrate at any moment, but he didn't stir.
Damn it.
 

He tried again. “My Lord?” he said as he gave the guy's shoulder another shake. He may be the old man's King, but Thorn had too much respect for Heath to call him anything other than by his well-deserved title.

Heath took a wheezing breath as his colourless eyes fluttered open and he stared wide-eyed at Thorn. “Your Majesty!” he said in a husky voice as he attempted to sit up straighter. “I apologise. Drake should have woken me.”

Thorn patted the old man's shoulder. “Please, My Lord, do not concern yourself. I dismissed Drake.”

“Your Majesty, your visit should have been announced! It is not correct for you to have to wake me!” he said, his voice full of alarm and dismay.

Thorn sighed. “Please, My Lord. My visit was unexpected and I was not invited. We have more important things to discuss.” Thorn felt Lena's distress immediately, and his heart constricted. He pushed more strength her way. She had to get through this.

Heath relaxed a little in his chair and nodded, which scared the crap out of Thorn because the slightest movement looked like it could cause the old man serious damage, if not finish him altogether.

It was then that Heath first noticed Lena., who had sat back on her haunches. “You were here before, I believe,” he said. Heath nodded again as he continued to study her. “A woman warrior.”

“A woman Steward, My Lord,” Thorn replied.

Heath's pale eyes left Lena to meet Thorn's intense stare. “Steward of the Watch? The Order hasn't had a Steward in over a millennium.”

Thorn heard Lena gulp and shot her what he hoped was a reassuring look. “Our Keeper was gravely injured. Lena was the obvious choice.”

Heath simply nodded.

They sat in silence for a while. Thorn struggled with how best to tell Heath that the woman kneeling at his feet was the daughter he'd waited an entire lifetime to see again. Faerie only knew what Heath and Lena were thinking, but Thorn could see that both of them were lost in their own thoughts.

So which was best — softly-softly or just rip that plaster off?

Softly-softly was favourable, given Heath's health, yet it was clear the guy wasn't long for this earth and softly-softly might take too long. Whatever he chose, it was going to be pretty traumatic. Thorn sighed. He had no idea what he was doing.

In the end though, the choice wasn't his to make.

“You and I have met before,” Heath said to Lena.

Lena felt her brow knit as she looked up at the old man. “Yes, My Lord. I was here two months ago, with Kaden,” she whispered as she shot another glance at Thorn.

Thorn just shrugged.

Heath wheezed a laugh. “I am old, but this,” he tapped his temple, “still works perfectly well.”

“I don't understand,” Lena replied.

“Two months ago notwithstanding, you and I have met before.”

Lena stopped breathing. She stared at Heath, not daring to move. His pale eyes were bright and alert as he looked at her, but he didn't say anything more for the longest time.

“I wonder that I didn't see it before,” Heath whispered.

“See what?” Lena croaked.

“You have your mother's eyes.”

Lena's jaw went slack.

Pale, pink tears welled in Heath's eyes. “That is what you came to tell me, is it not?”

Lena nodded, her throat beyond dry. “How did you know?”

“I think the question is: how did I not know when last we met?”

It was a fair question, but since no one else knew then either, Lena didn't have an answer for him.

Heath leaned forward in his chair, bony, arthritic hands clutching the blankets covering his legs. “I wonder that I didn't see it. The hair is different, of course, but the eyes. I should have seen you,” he said.

What the hell was she supposed to say? He was her father, her biological one at least, but she didn't know him. Apart from what Kaden had told her, she didn't know anything about him. To her, he was an old man whose life had been destroyed by loss and grief. She screwed her eyes shut as regret seeped into her heart. Her own disappearance had been the root cause of all that pain.

“It's not just the eyes.” Heath's voice cut through the darkness in her mind.

Lena's eyes snapped open. “What?”

Heath leant even further forward, studying her so intently she found she wanted to look away. The old man tilted his head as he looked at her and she shifted on her knees, disliking the scrutiny. He narrowed his eyes at her making his stare seem all the more penetrating, as if he was looking into her very soul.

He pointed a gnarled, bony finger at her. “Something has changed in you.”

Lena felt her eyes widen, and then, because she couldn't help herself, she shot a worried glance at Thorn. He just nodded at her, which was no bloody help at all. The gentle, loving caress of his soul against hers was, however, exactly what she needed. She switched her attention back to Heath. Her father continued to look at her but his stare had softened and a smile crept across his wizened face.

“Why are you smiling?” she asked.

Heath wheezed a laugh.

“What's so funny?” she snapped.

“Lena!” Thorn growled a warning.

Heath raised a shaky hand. “It's alright, Your Majesty. She may have her mother's eyes, but it seems she gets her temper from me.”

Lena opened her mouth to reply, but as Heath's words sank in, her voice failed. Instead, she found herself staring up at her father in amazement.

Heath waved his hand in dismissal. “I know it may not seem like it now, but I didn't become Shield Bearer by being nice to everyone.”

Lena couldn't help but smile. “No, I suppose not,” she replied with a small laugh as she relaxed a little.

“Now, no daughter of mine should spend too much time kneeling before anyone. Why don't you both take a seat?”

Thorn was on his feet in a blink of an eye, ready to help Lena up. Faerie knew, if it had been anyone else, she'd be telling them where to go, but it was Thorn, so of course she let him. Such a simple gesture made her giddy. She rolled her eyes at herself for being so pathetic.

Thorn pulled two chairs over so they could sit facing Heath.

"There now. That's better," Heath said with a smile.

"Why did you say something had changed in me?" Lena asked.

Heath's smile widened as he looked at her and then Thorn. "Whether you like it or not, daughter-mine, your soul is alive now. I think that is why I can see you when I couldn't before. Your true self is here for the world to see, and if I'm not very much mistaken, you are filled with love."

Lena's first thought was one of denial, but she could feel Thorn within her, his soul trembling with tension, as if he was waiting for her to do just that. She knew full well that if the roles were reversed, the slightest hint of denial from him would break her heart. She reached for their bond. Her soul was indeed more open. Thorn had laid her bare and there was absolutely no going back.

"How did you know?" She normally guarded her emotions carefully. That someone who hardly knew her could see her, surprised and worried her.

"I am your father, Eden."

"Lena, please call me Lena."

Heath conceded with a nod. "Lena. I am your father and we share a blood bond. Weak as it is with the passing of time, I may not have felt it had it not been for that love lighting your soul."

Suddenly full of love for the man who should have been in her life all along, Lena reached over and took Heath's hand in hers. "I am sorry I did not come sooner."

The old man shrugged as if the lost centuries were insignificant. He brought his other hand down on top of hers and rubbed his crooked thumb across the back of her hand. "Dearest Lena. You were always a Princess to me, but now you shall be Queen. What father could ask for more?"

Chapter 39

Kaden coerced them all into sorting out the mess in the den. They'd been at it for hours and Kaden showed no sign that they were about to be cut some slack, so Ryver was kind of glad that Thorn and Lena had returned.

They all heard Lena stomping down the corridor. They all recognised the heavy footfall that followed her.

"They're back then," Mercury said.

"Seems that way," Ryver replied.

The rest of the guys stared at the door, waiting for something to happen, but the two sets of footsteps passed them by, carrying on down the corridor towards the kitchen.

"Huh, maybe they're hungry?" Phoenix offered.

Ryver's mouth twitched as he listened to Lena's thoughts. His smile got wider until a hearty laugh sprang from his lips.

"What's so funny?" Kaden asked.

Ryver struggled to contain his amusement. "They're not headed for the kitchen," he laughed. "Lena's headed for the drinks store in the pantry."

"What? Why?" Mercury chipped in.

"She's looking for the tequila," Ryver replied.

"That's never a good sign," Mercury said.

"I take it the meeting with Heath didn't go well?" Kaden asked.

Ryver, still smiling, replied, "Oh no, the meeting went fine, brilliant, in fact."

"What's so fucking funny then?" Kaden asked again.

"Lena's just realised that being Thorn's mate also means being his Queen," Ryver told them. "And she's really not happy about it."

Ryver looked up at Kaden and watched a smile spread across the guy's face. "Never thinks about the consequences, that girl."

"Does this mean she'll be wearin' a dress, and a crown and stuff?" Mercury asked with a wicked grin planted on his crooked face.

"Oh yeah. I can really see that happening!" Kaden said.

Snorts and chuckles spread through them all ‘til their laughter echoed around the House. Ryver heard Lena's mind screaming at him. "Guys, guys! She's coming!"

They ignored him.

"Guys, I mean it! She's…"

The door flew open. "Here," Lena finished for him, with a growl.

Oh bugger.

Anger boiled in Lena's head. They were laughing at her. She knew it. "What's so fucking funny, Ryver?"

The smile fell from her best friend's face as he looked away from her and stared at his feet instead.

She threw her arms wide and beckoned her brothers. "C'mon guys, share the joke!"

Mercury, Phoenix and Sky joined Ryver in inspecting their footwear. It was Kaden who spoke up, but what he said wasn't anything she could have predicted. The Keeper of the Watch stepped forward, a small smile still gracing his lips. "We were deciding how best to congratulate you, My Lady."

Lena narrowed her eyes at him as more anger flashed through her. The heat of her rage was made all the worse by the fact that Kaden mocked her. "Fuck you, Kaden. Fuck all of you," she spat.

Kaden's ice-blue eyes remained calm, but she caught the clench of his jaw. She also saw him swallow whatever anger she'd caused, because that tell-tale tic soon disappeared. He took another step forward. "I mean it, Lena."

"Yeah, right."

Kaden sighed. "Always so damned stubborn"

"Well, apparently, I am my father's daughter."

Kaden nodded. "True enough." He stepped forward again, so he was almost within touching distance. "I wasn't trying to insult you, when I called you
My Lady
."
 

Lena arched her brow at him. Then, her brother-in-all-but-name did something incredible. He dropped to one knee in front of her. As soon as Kaden's knee touched the floor, the others behind him followed suit.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, taking a step back.

Lena felt her eyes widen as Kaden closed his right fist over his heart and bowed his head. "As my sister, you already have my bond and my love," he said.

"Get up," she whispered, not liking where this was going.