Ember (35 page)

“Candra promised herself to me as part of a deal to protect the covenant and prevent war. I propose—” Draven turned to Candra again and took her hand, raising it to his lips and softly pressing his lips to her heated skin keeping his eyes locked on hers. He winked before he let her hand go. “—as a gesture of goodwill between us, to politely back out of the bargain we made, in an effort to move on from the past, to a future where we can once again stand together and call ourselves one family.”

“I don’t understand,” Candra murmured under her breath, looking to see a relieved, hopeful smile on Brie’s face.

There was a stunned silence throughout the room, and many eyes were on Sebastian, trying to gauge his reaction to Draven’s declaration. She held her breath, waiting for what felt like an eternity. The room seemed to slow, and the crowd disappeared into a hazy mist. The only thing she could focus on was the hesitation Sebastian displayed when his head lowered and his fists curled in by his side. The loud metronome thrumming in Candra’s ears measured time that continued to stretch out before her. Draven’s wing brushed against her bare back, sending shivers down her spine. Without looking, she knew he was pulling them in flush to his body before they would disappear to nothing.

Candra had no idea what would happen next if whatever plan Draven was acting out went wrong. She swallowed thickly against the escalating ache in her lungs begging for air, and her hand bunched the fabric of her dress by her side.

Suddenly Sebastian’s head shot up. Simultaneously his eyes locked on Candra’s, and he took the first of his indomitable strides through the crowd toward them. She released the breath she was holding in a long slow exhale, not wanting to alert anyone to the fact she really had no idea what was going on between these two. She had no idea what had happened to change things so drastically from the time she left Sebastian until the ball. Sebastian’s fierce gaze didn’t waver as he approached and stopped beside her so that she found herself once again wedged between them.

“Draven is right,” Sebastian said resolutely, shocking Candra.

The world appeared to have shifted on its axis—or she had slipped into an alternate universe of opposites where these two could actually agree on anything other than hating each other. A tremor shot up her arm when the back of Sebastian’s hand grazed hers in what would look completely accidently to the observing eye, but Candra knew better.

“It is time to let history rest. We’ve all lost, and if we refuse to learn from our mistakes, we will continue to lose. I, for one, have lost enough.” With that Sebastian turned his body toward Draven and reached his outstretched hand in front of Candra.

There was a long moment’s pause, in which she felt like her stomach might turn itself inside out with nerves. She watched Sebastian’s hand hold steady and sure until Draven also reached in front of her, taking it firmly in his, and an immediate chatter broke out in front of them.

“Thank you, brother, for trusting me,” Draven said earnestly.

“Thank you, brother, for still having faith in me to do the right thing,” Sebastian responded.

Candra left them there, holding hands in their little mutual admiration society. Her relief was palpable. She hadn’t realized until that moment what an incredible weight had been on her shoulders, and tears began to blur her vision. She was practically giddy as she charged toward Brie and was engulfed in her arms.

“What happened?” Brie asked in a tear-choked voice against Candra’s hair.

“I have no idea, but if you haven’t already decided to redesign my room as an art studio or gym, I think I’d like to come home tonight.”

Brie’s light laughter was muffled by a quiet sob. Over her shoulder, Candra could see blurred images of Gabe and Lofi speaking to Ananchel, of all people, and for once Ananchel and Lofi didn’t look like they were about to kill each other. They didn’t look like they were suddenly best buddies and still stood with their bodies angled awkwardly away from each other, but it was a beginning. All around them Watchers from both sides mingled, some observing with a guarded hesitance and other reaching out to each other, perhaps speaking for the first time since the Watchers had come here to earth. It seemed, after all this time, all it took was for someone to make the first move.

Candra saw Ananchel approach wearing the same non-threatening expression she wore at the Philip’s party, and she pulled away from Brie, letting her go to Gabe. Candra finally realized one of the things that made her uneasy about Ananchel was spot on: she did know things Candra didn’t all along.

“You know, I wasn’t lying when I said your father and I were once friends,” Ananchel said with a grin. “I knew him during the time before your birth until Brie came into your life. He was a good man.”

Candra tilted her head, waiting for Ananchel to finish. She still couldn’t see a time when Ananchel and she would be friends. Ananchel’s particular gift didn’t sit well with her.

“Perhaps one day I will tell you about Payne as I knew him.” Ananchel shrugged noncommittally, and with a last smile turned and walked away.

Candra felt a hand on the base of her back and twisted around to meet Draven’s sheepish half-smile. “I understand if you would prefer not to, but I think it would be a good idea to get this evening underway to its intended purpose. I would be greatly honored if you would consent to the first dance with me.”

Candra looked around to find Sebastian. He was in the middle of being ambushed by Lofi and Brie while Gabe looked on with amused concern. She felt butterflies of excitement break out as it dawned on her that their situation had suddenly, drastically changed, and a fraction of a second later hot blood began to flood her cheeks and mild panic gripped her for the same reason. What if Sebastian didn’t want her now that he could actually have her? He didn’t come to say goodbye despite promising he would. He was planning to leave, to give up on her.

“Candra?” Draven called, bringing her attention back to him.

Candra smiled and took his offered hand, allowing him to lead her to the center of the floor just in time for the piano music to begin again. It was beautiful and mellow, with almost a dreamlike quality to it. Very soon several other couples joined them in dancing, and soon after, several more. Candra moved easily with Draven, perhaps because she didn’t have to think, just allow him to lead. Of course that had its drawbacks too, because she wasn’t paying complete attention to him, and every time he twirled her round, she searched for Sebastian in the crowd. He was still taking animatedly to Lofi.

“I owe you an apology again,” Draven admitted, shifting his hand at her back. Strangely, although she was still attracted to him, she didn’t feel any of the need to be closer to him or the raw sexual energy that had once existed between them.

“You never stopped, did you? Your parlor tricks and messing with my head?” Candra said reproachfully.

He grimaced and ducked his head, looking at her through his thick black eyelashes. “A gentle push, nothing more. The attraction was there. Forgive me?”

Candra’s stomach curled in a little from the whirlwind of emotions spinning through her. “I honestly don’t know if I can. How can I trust you after all of this? You tricked me, and you made me choose between Sebastian and the many Watchers in this room.”

“That may be my biggest regret in all of this,” he lamented, bringing his hand from her back up to tenderly brush a strand of hair from her face. “There is a bigger picture here, Candra. I saw an opportunity to bring everyone together again, finally, and I took it. I knew Sebastian was following you from the time he first saw you, and I knew I could use that as leverage, but Sebastian is stubborn.” He raised his eyebrow and grinned. “He had to be pushed to his limits.”

“You mean you used me. You pushed us together by placing yourself as a challenge to him, and both of you danced around each other like peacocks shaking your tail feathers and puffing out your chests.” Candra pouted, looking down.

She felt his finger under her chin lifting her face to look at him again. Draven was smiling, but he was sad too. His jaw clenched when he frowned. “I admit that was my initial plan as soon as I confirmed for myself you carried Payne’s blood, but it quickly changed. I developed feelings I didn’t expect, and tonight I found myself in the unfamiliar position of being unsure. I didn’t want to let you go.”

He turned her again, and she saw a flash of Sebastian standing with his back to the wall, observing them with interest. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyebrows pulled down, and his eyes tightened as if he was contemplating something.

“But you did let me go,” Candra corrected him. Part of her still needed confirmation.

“What use is a caged bird?” He smirked. “However, if you were to choose to stay with me of your own free will…?” He cocked an eyebrow in question, and Candra swallowed nervously, reminding herself she was no longer under obligation.

She had grown used to the idea of being with Draven, even resigned to it. He had his good points and his bad ones. He was complex and charming, and if she had met him under any other circumstances, she probably would have considered him. But this wasn’t other circumstances, and the truth of it was her heart wasn’t in her possession anymore. It wasn’t hers to give away. Candra sighed deeply and smiled up at Draven, deciding to leave his question unanswered. She was sure he knew the answer before he asked it.

“I don’t think I can be compared to a bird. I don’t have wings.”

Draven chuckled and shook his head. “No, you don’t. You have something infinitely more impressive and a lot easier on your wardrobe,” he joked.

“What is it, that thing that happened before?” Candra asked curiously.

He pursed his lips for a moment, thinking, and then shrugged. “I have no idea. I wish I did. I know you are special, Candra, but I don’t know why or how yet. I think we shall all simply have to wait and see.”

Wait and see was hardly an explanation, but she didn’t have time to question him further because Sebastian appeared by his side, tapping his shoulder. It was all very refined and dignified, yet she noticed a couple of the people around them waiting with bated breath for Draven’s reaction. Candra was sure it was to their relief, because it was to hers, when Draven released her with a quick nod and a smile, backing away and gesturing with a wave of his hand for Sebastian to take his place. The entire exchanged happened without a single word spoken, and then Sebastian swept Candra into his arms and twirled her across the floor like they were the stars of an old black and white movie, making her giggle.

He slowed them down, beaming a full, toothy white grin. “You have no idea how good it feels to make you laugh again.”

Candra darted her eyes away, feeling the blush rise in her cheeks.

“What is it?” Sebastian asked, pulling her closer to him.

The butterflies in her stomach danced with joy, and her heart picked up pace just being close to him, and the very idea that it would be over soon made her eyes sting. Candra decided to man up and be straight with him.

“I’m still not sure what just happened here, and I’m sort of worried about your intentions toward me. You never came to say goodbye.”

Sebastian forced out a breath through pursed lips, which blew across her face. The warm smell of salt and spices enveloped her—the scent of home. Suddenly she was a little dizzy. It was a good thing Sebastian was holding her so tightly.

“I didn’t know Draven was going to do that, but he was right, as much as I hate to admit it.” His lips turned down into such an adorable little boy frown that Candra couldn’t help smiling. “The reason I didn’t come to say goodbye was because I came here to plead with Draven, beg him if I had to, to let you go. Truthfully, I didn’t think he would.” He stopped for a moment, and gold reflected in his concerned eyes. “There are things we should discuss. The future won’t be easy. We’ve been fighting for so long…” He trailed off sadly.

“I’ll help you,” Candra offered and then added. “That’s what friends do, right?” She was secretly hoping he would tell her they were more than friends, but instead he smirked.

“It hasn’t always been easy being your friend.”

“You’re no picnic yourself,” Candra retorted, disappointed at being placed in the friend box.

Sebastian sighed again, running his hand up her back, under her hair until it met bare skin and then scraped lightly across it with his nails, a very sexy, un-friend-like look in his eyes. He sucked the corner of his bottom lip between his teeth. Electrical charges pulsed over Candra’s flesh, leaving goose bumps where he touched her.

“Really, right now all I want to do is cling onto you like the creepy stalker you know me to be, lie out on the roof of the townhouse, just you and me, and maybe even ask you out on a proper date,” he teased, twirling her again.

Candra hadn’t noticed he had guided them over to a secluded corner of the room. “And as for my intentions, I can assure you they are entirely dishonorable.”

“Really?” Candra grinned like a fool, knotting her fingers up into his shirt under his jacket. How did she not notice before now how good he looked in a suit, despite his hair still being a golden disarrayed mess?

“Yes, really.” He smiled, keeping one hand at her waist and trailing the other over her shoulder and across her collarbone. She closed her eyes as he stepped closer until their bodies were pressed together in a way that was entirely dishonorable in public.