Faith Revisited (9 page)

34

Madelyn Ford

Chapter Four

A soft sigh of relief escaped Faith's lips when Bale and the other males had left her alone with Hope. The more Bale had scowled, the more uncomfortable she'd grown. Now, as she tensed under Hope's watchful gaze, Faith almost regretted Bale's exit. Her sister's eyes narrowed, and she winced, wondering what the look on her face had revealed. While Faith could not claim to having ever experienced the “twin phenomenon,” Hope always seemed to have the ability to read her as if she were an open book.

“Now that your guard is gone”—Hope began with a trace of sarcasm—“why don't you tell me how you are really feeling.”

While Hope was leaning casually against the wall, there was nothing relaxed about her tone.

“I told you, I am okay,” she replied, an unintentional defensiveness creeping into her voice.

Hope pushed away from the wall with a snort and strode toward the bed, but then flopped into the only chair occupying the room. “Really,” she drawled, one perfect blonde eyebrow arched in disbelief.

Faith could only nod. Hope was suspicious about something, and she wasn't going to give her sister any more ammunition than necessary until she figured out what her twin was angling after.

Leaning back in her chair, Hope silently studied her a moment. “The doc dude said you could go home in a couple of days. Think you'll be up to it?”

Glancing away from Hope, Faith replied, “I feel good…strong. I'll probably be ready to hit the road tomorrow.”

“Must be some blood that guy has,” Hope replied mockingly, “seeing as how it normally takes at least a week to recover…and you suffering from demon poisoning on top of transfiguring.”

“Must be,” she agreed evasively, continuing to avoid Hope's narrowed gaze.

The bed dipped under the additional weight as Hope sat on the edge and grasped her twin's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. “What is going on here, Faith?”

Faith struggled under Hope's probing gaze, feeling her face redden. She didn't know how to explain the unease she felt or what she feared was the cause behind it.

“I need to get out of here as soon as possible, Hope,” Faith finally admitted softly. “I do not know what will happen if I stay too long. Already there is a strong sense of dependence.”

“Dependence? That is an odd choice of words.”

“It's what it feels like. I crave his presence this very minute, and I fear it will only grow worse.”

The Watchers: Faith Revisited

35

“What the hell would have caused such a thing?” Hope asked, horror lining her face as she grasped Faith's hand, squeezing tightly.

“I suspect the reason for having more than one individual donate blood during a Transfiguration is to prevent this from happening,” Faith said, giving voice to her suspicion.

“Why wouldn't we have been told of such a thing?”

Faith shrugged. “I am sure it will pass once I begin feeding from others. But there is something else.” Faith paused, wondering if she could even actually admit to what she had done.

“I had sex with Bale,” she finally confided.

Hope's eyes widened in disbelief. “Don't get me wrong. He's hot…like un-fucking-believably hot. But that's just not like you, Faith.”

“The aftereffects of Transfiguration were like nothing I'd ever heard described. We've been told the blood would resemble a favorite flavor…and it did. The richest mocha latte imaginable.

But his scent—on his clothes, the sheets—had me desperate. And not just for anyone. It had to be Bale.” Faith glanced down at her hands, embarrassed by what she was going to reveal next. “I practically attacked him,” she added in a whisper.

“And I'm sure he put up a hell of a fight,” Hope added with a smirk, and Faith sighed softly.

“For once, can you not be such a sarcastic bitch?” she asked without rancor.

“All right,” Hope replied, grinning broadly, not the least offended by her twin's comment.

“I've never heard mention of anyone needing sex after transfiguring. Are you sure there isn't something wrong with you? Or him?”

With a groan, Faith rolled her eyes. “Can you really see Dad explaining that to us?” she asked with a derisive snort. “Shit, he probably still lives under the delusion that we are both virgins.” She grinned when Hope snickered.

“Good point.” Hope's gaze rested on the empty side of the bed, and the smile slid from her face. “So what do you plan on doing about you know who?”

Faith's amusement fled out of the room right behind her sister's. “Nothing, other than getting the hell out of here.”

“Are you sure you shouldn't move to another room? Feed from one of the other males?”

Faith shrugged, glancing away from Hope. She knew the answer should be “hell yes.” But she couldn't get the words past the lump in her throat, because the thought of leaving Bale made her nauseated.

Hope studied her quietly for a moment and then nodded her head. She seemed to grasp that Faith no longer wanted to talk about Bale, because she asked, “Was the Transfiguration as horrible as we've been told?”

Faith considered her words a moment. While she was unwilling to lie to her twin, she also did not want to frighten her. Hope had at least a year to fret over her own Transfiguration, which was a long time to dread something you had no control over.

“I really only have vague memories of the whole thing. But yeah, I think it was. I remember fire, as if I was so hot my skin literally felt like it was burning. Whether it was due to the poisoning or transfiguring, I don't know, but I feel as if I should be thankful I don't recall the worst of it.”

“Oh, the joys I have to look forward to,” Hope mumbled.

36

Madelyn Ford

With a weak smile, Faith silently agreed, but with nothing worthwhile to add, she changed the subject. “Any chance you can get me some clothes?”

“I've heard mention of a chick who lives here. I'll see if you can borrow something from her.”

Overcome with an odd sense of jealousy, Faith bit her lip, unwilling to dig for information concerning this female. It certainly would not help her current situation to demand answers. It would only advertise the fact that she was feeling possessive of a male she had no business expecting anything from.

“Good. Now, how about I get you something to eat? You must be starving.” At Faith's vigorous nod, Hope grinned and jumped to her feet, jostling the bed in the process. “Then I'll just go down and bother the boys.”

The eagerness in her voice brought a smile to Faith's face.

Hope paused, her hand on the doorknob. “Wait until you see this place. It's like a medieval castle downstairs. Very cool.”

Then she charged out of the room, leaving Faith shaking her head. She almost pitied the males…almost.

* * * *

Her twin seemed to be doing remarkably well. Maybe too well. Something about it just didn't sit right with her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on the problem.

And her own Transfiguration loomed over her head. Maybe wishful thinking on her part, but she had always assumed because she was older, though only by three minutes, that she would go through the process first. That was how it should be. Now she was the odd man out, and that bothered her.

Then there were the males in this abbey. There was something about them that sent her radar spiraling out of control. And Faith's quick recovery only added to Hope's suspicions. It annoyed her that she owed Bale and Arak her gratitude, because she didn't trust them. And Faith's confession concerning Bale had left her even more disconcerted. If she weren't so afraid of getting reamed by her father, Hope would have already contacted him. But she and Faith were both desperate to get out from under his oppressive control, to live their lives as they saw fit.

With her Transfiguration complete, Faith now had her chance.

Lost in her own thoughts, Hope was surprised when the hallway gave way to an opening overlooking a large foyer. Two stone staircases adorned each wall, and Hope slowly began the descent down the set closest to her. A chandelier overhead caught her eye. It resembled those from a century past, when candlelight was still used to feed a room.

The two main walls were hidden behind large tapestries. The one farthest from Hope depicted a battle between two groups of angels. It was a beautiful design but did not hold Hope's interest. As her gaze traveled over the one closest to her, however, a gasp slid from her lips.

The scene was much simpler. A lone angel stood in a green field surrounded by floral splendor. His long blond hair flowed over his massive shoulders, partially hidden beneath a pair of white wings that curled protectively around his body. The ends of his white toga flowed around his ankles as if caressed by a gentle breeze. But he appeared to see none of the beauty The Watchers: Faith Revisited

37

around him. Instead, green eyes, the color of glittering emeralds, gazed longingly into a bright light.

Hope reached up and slowly traced a finger down his cheek. The anguish reflected in his gaze affected her like a punch in the abdomen. His sadness overwhelmed her. With a sudden desperation, Hope backed away from the tapestry. Scurrying down the remaining steps, she attributed her emotional response to everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours: the demons, Faith's injuries, and her own. Otherwise she was going insane, because for the briefest of moments, she could have sworn the angel's eyes had looked directly at her.

Anxious to get as far away from the foyer and that damn angel as possible, she traveled quickly through the abbey, paying attention to very little until she found herself in a monstrously sized dining hall. A large rectangular table rested in the center, surrounded by twelve wingback chairs. In two of the corners, arranged in a square, were identical sets of black leather couches and four chairs. Beside one was a large wet bar. A cursory glance noted it was well stocked with high-end scotch, vodka, and tequila. These males had expensive tastes.

They also apparently had an angel fetish. The walls in this room were also covered with scenes depicting angels. Hope sighed in relief when she found the angel from the foyer was in none of them.

With hands rubbing her arms, she moved toward the enormous fireplace, thinking to chase away the sudden chill, when murmured voices to her right caught her attention. She changed direction, quietly approaching a half-opened door. Hope could see Bale standing inside the smaller room and thought to gain his attention when she heard Faith's name. She abruptly slid off to the side to listen unobserved.

“I'm sure someone would be willing to take the little vampire off your hands, Bale,” a deep, husky voice said drily from farther within the room. “You don't need to take sole responsibility for her recovery.”

“Yeah,” agreed a second voice, this one slightly higher and filled with a teasing cadence.

“You've been guarding the female like she's the Holy Grail. I'd be more than happy to give up a little blood. Especially if she is as hot as her sister.”

An aggressive-sounding growl followed by a loud scuffle had Hope peeking around the corner. Bale had a brunet about six inches shorter than himself pinned against the wall, his forearm pressed into the other male's throat.

“Stay away from her,” Bale snarled, adding pressure to the male's throat.

The brunet managed to break free, though Hope suspected it was because Bale let him.

“What the hell is your problem?” he hissed as he righted his white T-shirt. “You've made it plain you want her gone. I was just offering to help you out.”

Another growl was issued from deep within Bale's throat. He took a step toward his companion when Remy stepped into view, moving between the two.

“That is enough,” Remy commanded, glancing over his shoulder at the brunet. “Faith is under Bale's protection, Kash.”

“Since when does Bale give protection to anyone?” Kash asked, his gaze narrowing as he glanced between Bale and Remy. His eyes suddenly widened in surprise. “Unless—”

“It's none of your fucking business,” Bale interrupted sharply.

38

Madelyn Ford

“While Faith is out of the woods, moving her right now could set her back days,” Arak stated. Hope could not see him, but she recognized his voice. “I've heard the exchange of blood is an intimate affair. She feels comfortable with Bale. Unless the blood loss begins to negatively affect him, I don't see the point in causing her undue stress.”

“So tell us, how intimate an affair is it, Bale?” asked the first voice mockingly. He stepped from the shadows, a smirk on his pale face and a brow arched in what appeared to be a challenge. He turned farther toward Bale, and Hope noticed a long, jagged scar that ran from his temple to his chin on his left side. His hair was golden in appearance and long, though she couldn't make out the exact length because he had it tucked behind his ears.

The one called Kash snickered. “I can guarantee it wasn't that intimate.”

Bale ignored Kash, keeping his eyes trained on the other male. “If you have something useful to add, then by all means, share it with us, Levi. Otherwise she is not your concern.”

“Oh, I have plenty to add. But I think I'll watch you sweat it out awhile. It's much more entertaining.”

“You are a useless prick,” Bale said, his teeth clenched, anger clouding his face. But he remained rooted in place.

“And you are a conceited bastard,” Levi retorted heatedly.