Forged in Stone (13 page)

“No complaints?” I raised an eyebrow. “You complain about it constantly.”

“Ok, I do. But that’s only to annoy you guys.”

Ainsley laughed. “James was right about one thing.”

“Oh yeah?” This I had to hear.

“I like Charlotte. You told me I would.” Ainsley seemed content and more relaxed.

Charlotte smiled. “I knew you had a soft spot for me, James.”

“You two are eerily alike. It scares me a little.” I looked over at Ainsley. She rubbed her eyes. “Do you think we can save the rest of the meeting for tomorrow? Call the rest of the Guard then?”

“Yes. We’ll put out extra security.”

“Do you still want someone to look at your ankle, Ainsley?” Charlotte asked.

“Not tonight. It already feels better. I think if I stay off it, it might just heal.”

Charlotte smiled, and I knew she had something to do with Ainsley’s ankle feeling better. “Let’s get you set up then.”

“Set up? Like in a room?”

Charlotte nodded. “Ready?”

“I promise you will be safe here.” I looked her right in the eyes. “And I will see you first thing in the morning.”

“Where are you going?” Ainsley froze.

“Home. It’s not far from here.”

“Wait. Can’t you stay here too? In the castle?”

“Absolutely. James can stay in the room next to yours.” Charlotte gave me her trademark don’t argue with me look. She didn’t need to. I wanted to remain close to Ainsley.

“Got a bandage wrap, Liam?”

“Yeah, walk with me. Let’s let Charlotte get Ainsley settled.”

I nodded.

“Can you stop in before you go to sleep?” Ainsley asked quietly.

“Of course.” I’d have agreed to anything in that moment.

I
was in a castle
. I was in a giant medieval style fairytale castle, and I wasn’t dreaming. I gave up on that idea when I twisted my ankle. The pain was all too real.

I’d thanked Charlotte about a thousand times when she showed me up the sweeping staircase and down the hall to an absolutely beautiful bedroom. A huge wood bed was situated in the center of the room, but it didn’t take up even half the space. A roaring fire was set up in a stone fireplace.

“This is one of the modernized rooms.” Charlotte grinned. “My mom had installed one modern bathroom. When I became Essence I had another three changed.”

“Oh wow. I hadn’t thought about that.” At least I’d be able to use a normal bathroom.

“There are lots of things I love about Energo, but the lack of modern plumbing isn’t one of them.” She nodded toward a closed door. “It’s right through there.”

“Ok, thanks.”

“I think we’re close in size.” Charlotte opened the door to a large armoire that housed some formal dresses. “These should fit you.”

“Thanks so much. I have my bag too.” Someone had dropped it off in the hallway.

“I know you have your own clothes, but if you don’t mind, it would be better if you blended in.”

“I don’t mind, but are you sure you are okay with me borrowing your stuff?”

“Absolutely. Any friend of James’ is a friend of mine.”

“You really care about him.” I watched her face for any sign of her hiding things. She seemed so genuine, and I wanted to believe her words were real.

“I do.”

“Is it because he’s your Guardian?” Somehow her answer mattered. If she trusted him, then my trust seemed more rational.

“No.” She shook her head. “It’s because he’s proven himself to be a great friend. I can’t imagine life without him, and I wouldn’t be alive if he hadn’t saved me.” She wiped away a tear.

“Are you okay?”

“Sorry. Pregnancy hormones. I was thinking about a time when I thought I had lost him.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say, so I took a moment to respond. “I take it he gets himself into dangerous situations a lot?”

“Yes, that time he’d been protecting me.”

“Oh wow.” It wasn’t hard to imagine James as the hero. He’d already saved me.

“Yeah. He takes his job seriously.”

“He seems down on himself though.”

“James?” She asked with surprise.

“Yeah, underneath his confident shell.”

She nodded. “It’s because of his dad. He’s convinced he has to prove himself, but what he doesn’t seem to accept is he’s already proven himself. He’s a good guy.”

“I don’t know what to believe.”

“But you like him?” She sat down on the end of my bed.

“I do, but I shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Where do I start?”

She laughed. “Anywhere you want.”

“I barely know him. He’s from a different world. He kind of kidnapped me.”

“You will get to know him. You are in that different world now, but is it really all that different? And he didn’t kidnap you to hurt you. He brought you here to protect you.”

“Does he like me?” The words were out without thinking. I knew there was something brewing between us, but I couldn’t avoid some doubts that he was this way with other girls too.

“Like you? That’s the understatement of the century. Or more than a century. He’s crazy about you.”

“Will I get home?”

“Eventually? Yes. Tomorrow? No.”

“That’s honest.”

“I try to be. I know what it’s like to feel out of your element. I was terrified my first night here. Not only was I in a new place, but I found out that everything I thought I knew about my family, and in some ways myself, was a lie.”

“Yeah, I don’t have those other things, but I know what you mean.”

“You will get home, and we’ll get to the bottom of this. You are officially under our protection now, so no one will hurt you.”

“Thank you.”

“For?”

“Being so nice to me.”

“You are a guest in my home, and a friend of James’.” She smiled. “But I’ll let you sleep.”

“With all the modernization there’s still no electricity?” I pointed at the large sconce on the wall. She’d left a lit small lantern next to my bed.

“No. I couldn’t bear to do that.”

“Are there matches or anything to relight the lantern if I need to?”

“Yes.” She showed me where a box of matches waited in the nightstand drawer. “But you shouldn’t need these because the lantern will last through the night unless you purposely blow it out. And James will be right next door. He isn’t a sound sleeper. I am sure he will be in here in a second if you need him.”

“Is that supposed to be reassuring?”

She laughed. “Eventually you’ll learn to trust him.”

“You say that with such confidence.”

“I can tell these things.”

“Because you’re the Essence?” I still didn’t really understand what she was, but I’d seen her freeze water with her mind. She was definitely something more than a regular human.

“Partially, but also because your feelings are obvious. The chemistry between the two of you is intense.”

“So I wasn’t imagining the electricity?”

“Not at all.” She stood up. “Sleep well.”

“Thank you, you too.”

“Thanks.” She walked out the doorway and closed the door behind her.

I
dug
through my bag and pulled out my toiletries and a t-shirt. James hadn’t packed me pajamas to sleep in, but then again I hadn’t given him much time.

I eyed the closed door. I didn’t see a lock so I took my t-shirt and toiletries over to the door I assumed led to the bathroom. I grabbed the candle and hobbled over to the bathroom door.

The bathroom was modernized in that it had plumbing, but the claw foot tub and porcelain sink made the bathroom appear to come from another era. I couldn’t complain. At least the toilet would flush.

The thought of a bath sounded fantastic, but I was afraid of making myself that vulnerable. Sleeping would make me vulnerable too, but I wouldn’t be doing that naked. I used the bathroom and considered my next move.

I pulled off my sweater, fully intending to change when I noticed the dirt on my neck. I was going to have to take a bath.

I turned on the water, hopeful it was warm, and it was. I let the tub fill with the warm water. I squirted in some body wash I found on the counter to create some bubbles and finished undressing.

I winced as I stepped into the tub, but the soothing warm water made it worth putting weight on my ankle. I closed my eyes and leaned back. I took long, deep breaths, trying to relax.

It didn’t work. My eyes flew open. I’d gotten in the tub without checking for a towel. The thought of getting out of the tub into the cold without a towel chilled me. Despite the modern plumbing, the heat left something to be desired.

I tried to forget about the towel and enjoy the bath until I thought of something worse than getting cold. If someone walked in I’d have absolutely no way to quickly cover myself. I seemed to always find a way to take a bad situation and make it worse.

A loud knock on the door made my fear a reality. “Ainsley?” James called out my name from the doorway.

I groaned. It wasn’t his fault. I had asked him to stop by. “I’m in here.” Maybe he’d be the solution to the towel problem.

The door to the bathroom opened. “Oh, hey.” He looked at me and then away, and then back at me.

“Could you do me a favor?”

“Does that favor involve helping you with a bath?” He grinned.

“It involves you finding me a towel.”

“Oh. I can help with that too.” He walked out of the bathroom and returned a minute later with a plush white towel. “Anything else I can help you with?”

“This is plenty. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Finding a towel wasn’t too difficult of a task.”

“Well thanks for that, but also thanks for everything else. For saving me.”

He sat down on a seat next to the tub. I should have been embarrassed about him being so close to me in the bath with only bubbles hiding me, but for some reason I wasn’t. Maybe it was that the only light came from my lantern.

“I only wish you had not run off, but I do not blame you.”

“My life is insane.”

“So is mine. Welcome to the club.”

“Did you find out anything else?” I moved my hand around in the water.

“Not yet. All I did was this.” He lifted his white cotton shirt to reveal his wrapped and taped up ribs.

“Feeling better?”

“Somewhat. How about you?”

“Much. I probably will regret this bath though.”

“Why?”

“Getting out of it.”

“You have help.” He smiled sheepishly.

“Yeah, no.”

“Would you prefer that I get a maid?”

“I don’t want to put anyone out.” I also had no idea who the maids were. At least I knew James.

“Then I guess you are stuck with me.”

“It’s going to be cold.”

“The fire is lit. That should help.” He shifted on the seat. “Let me know when you are ready to get out. I can either disappear or help you out.”

“Could you close your eyes and help me?”

He laughed. “You believe me to be that talented?”

“I hope you are.” I wasn’t looking forward to getting out with my busted ankle.

“I can close my eyes and hold out a hand so you can stand. I will hand you your towel, and then I will open my eyes and help you out.”

“Great plan.”

“You ready now?”

“I’m ready.” I pulled out the drain plug. I waited until James closed his eyes before reaching for his hand. I leaned on him and moved to standing. He held out my towel. I dried off quickly and wrapped it around me. “You can open them now.”

He opened his eyes and lifted me out of the tub. I expected him to put me down in the bathroom, but he carried me all the way over to my bed. “How is that for service?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Yes, because it was such a hardship to help a beautiful woman from a bathtub.”

“I mean with everything. If it’s true I’m in danger, isn’t this a lot to protect me?”

“I care about you. I care about your well-being.”

“Do you normally care this much about a girl you barely know?” I didn’t really want to hear the answer.

“I usually don’t care at all.” He sat down next to me on the bed. “You have an effect on me.”

“I do?” I smiled and looked away. “Oh. I left my shirt in the bathroom.”

“I will get it as well as your other stuff.” He jumped off the bed before I could stop him.

He returned holding my clothes as well as the lantern. He placed the lantern back on the bed stand. “Should I take this as my cue to leave?”

I found myself shaking my head. “Not if you can turn around for a minute.”

“I am capable of that.” He turned his back to me.

I got dressed quickly and slipped under the covers of the bed. The sheets were soft and luxurious. “Is your room really next door?”

“Afraid I will disappear on you?”

“I’m nervous.”

“Want me to sleep on the floor in here? Would that help?”

“What? You are offering to sleep on the cold stone floor?”

“I have done much worse.”

“Would you sleep on top of the covers on the bed? Or will you be too cold?” Once again words left my mouth without thinking first.

He laughed. “Are you inviting me to spend the night with you, Ainsley?”

“Not in that way.”

“You wish to use me for your protection.”

I nodded. “I do.”

“Those men scared you more than you admitted.”

“Terrified me. I thought. I thought they were going to—”

“And they would have. I am lucky I got there when I did.”

“You are lucky? I am the lucky one.”

“I would have never forgiven myself if something had happened to you.” His eyes darkened.

“It would have been my fault too.”

“Please don’t run away again. I will get you home.”

“I trust you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be asking you to sleep in here.” James had hidden things from me, but I needed to believe he’d brought me to Energo for a reason. I had to trust my gut instinct, and believe my pull toward him meant something. Otherwise I was just a stupid girl far away from home. He’d done nothing but protect me since we arrived, and he was clearly liked by Charlotte. My concerns over Nathaniel’s words disappeared.

“I know.” He patted the bed beside me.

“Wait.”

“Yes?” He kicked off his boots.

“Will anyone…. will anyone care?”

“Are you concerned about your reputation?”

“And yours. I know you care what Charlotte thinks of you.”

“They will understand. Why do you think Charlotte put me in the room next to you?”

“She knew I’d ask you to stay?” I adjusted my pillow.

“She knew you might need me.” He lay back on the pillow next to me. “And she knew I would be checking on you.”

“Checking on me?”

“It is a good thing I did.”

“Otherwise I might be spending the night in the bath.” I laughed, but my words were somewhat true. Or I would have tried to get out and hurt myself more. James didn’t need to worry about me running. I could barely walk. “This is a beautiful castle. Did you really grow up here?”

“I did.”

“That’s cool.”

“Guess what room was mine?”

“Wait. Not this one?”

“Charlotte thought she was being funny by putting you in my old room.”

“Nice room.” I gazed around at it with new eyes. Had a young James really slept here?

“It is. The bathroom is new.”

“Yes, the modernization.”

He smiled. “So tell me, what do you think of my bed?”

“This was your bed too?”

“It was.”

“It’s nice. Big.”

“As far as I know, no one else has ever slept in it. Charlotte and Liam do not have too many guests.”

“And you never brought anyone over?”

He laughed. “I only lived in this room until I was seventeen. And a man does not bring a girl to his bed unless he plans to unite with her.”

“Unite?”

“Like your marriage but stronger. Unbreakable.”

I moved away from that topic as quickly as I could. “But you’ve been with women.”

“I have.”

“Oh. I get it. Just not in your bed.”

“Many men take that rule to mean any bed. I did not, but it is not something I am particularly proud of.” He looked away.

“You care.”

“Huh?”

“You actually believe men should be held to the same standards as women. Amazing. It took meeting a guy from a medieval society to find that.”

“We are not medieval. We choose to live the way we do.”

“Yet you choose to drink in Charleston dive bars?”

“Because I want to be anonymous. Something I can never be here.”

“Is it really that bad?” I rolled onto my side. “Charlotte likes you… and she’s in charge.”

“Yes, but that does not mean the rest of the people agree. They look at me as though they are convinced I will turn evil at any moment.”

“You won’t.” I ran my hand down his arm.

He pushed up his sleeve and placed my hand back down on his bare arm. “You are so quick to trust me now?”

“You do something to me when we’re close.”

“I do something to you?”

“Yes. You pull me in like a magnet or something.”

“Yet you chose to run away.”

“I was scared.”

“Are you scared now? You seem relaxed.”

I ran my fingers up and down his arm. “I’m better. I like being close.”

He smiled. “So do I, and I agree with you about the magnetic pull. I think it’s even stronger for me.”

“Yet I’m the one begging you to sleep next to me.”

“You didn’t beg. I would remember if you did.” He ran his fingers over the blanket covering my arm. I followed his lead, moving the blanket out of the way.

“Ok. I asked nicely with emphasis.”

He laughed again. I enjoyed his laugh, like the rest of him, far too much. “Should I blow out the lantern?”

“I don’t know.”

“You afraid of the dark?”

“Not usually.”

“They cannot hurt you anymore.”

“I know.” I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

He wiped away the tear. “You don’t have to play tough with me.”

“I’ve already admitted to being scared.”

“But this is more than scared.”

I nodded. “It is.”

“I will be right back.” He got off the bed and walked across the room. He pulled back the curtains enough to reveal the moon.

He came back to the bed. “Maybe that will help.” He blew out the lantern and lay back down next to me.

The moon did help. It cast just enough light into the room. “Perfect.” I nuzzled into the blanket.

“Good.”

“Will that light bother you?”

“Not at all. I sleep out under the moon when I can.”

“The moon is brighter here.”

“You noticed that, huh?” He brushed some hair back from my face.

“Amazing how perceptive I am.”

“You ready to try to get some sleep?”

“Yes.” I closed my eyes.

“Sleep well, Ainsley.”

“I like the way you say my name.”

“You do not say mine enough.”

“James.”

He covered me up with the blanket. My eyes were still closed, making the action feel almost intimate. “You should say it more often.”

“Do you have a nickname?”

“No. Do you?”

“Ains.”

“I prefer Ainsley.”

“Me too.”

“Then that is what I will call you.”

“Good night, James.”

“Good night, Ainsley.” He left a feather light kiss on my forehead.