living covenant 03 - eternal covenant (19 page)

Aric tightened his arms around my waist in the canvas chair we shared. “Zoe might have understood to keep things to herself if you told her what she was,” Aric pointed out. “Did ever consider that?”

Mom nodded. “We worried … a lot … when Zoe announced she was going to Covenant College,” she said. “We knew what that could mean for her. Destiny has a way of finding people, though, and we figured Zoe would find her place in this world. We had to let her do it on her own.”

“She definitely found her place,” Kelsey said. “She was downright famous on campus.”

“I think you mean infamous,” I corrected.

“And how did you two meet?” Pemberley asked, inclining his head in our direction.

“I saw her in the University Center one day,” Aric answered. “She was beyond cute. Then I talked to her … and she was beyond mean. I still knew there was something different about her. We kept running into each other, and eventually we figured out what she was.”

“Did you ever consider leaving her?” Pemberley asked. “You’re a wolf. Your father is high in the hierarchy of the council. I would think they had big plans for breeding you.”

I shifted on Aric’s lap. “Is that true?”

“No,” Aric scoffed. “I’m sure the council wanted me to marry one of my kind, but I knew that wasn’t going to be feasible. Once I met you I knew what I wanted, and I wouldn’t settle for anything less.”

“I can vouch for that,” Paris said, giggling.

“As can I,” Rafael added.

“What about you?” Pemberley asked, directing his attention to Rafael. “How did you get involved?”

“I met Zoe at a party,” Rafael answered. “She was on a deck by herself – and she would not zip her lips – so I decided to glamour her. I wanted to feed and run. She wouldn’t glamour, though. In fact, she accused me of infringing on her personal space. I was understandably intrigued.”

“I’m getting a vibe from you two,” Pemberley said, clearly over his distaste of Rafael and eager to hear gossip. “Did you date?”

“I don’t want to talk about this,” Aric complained.

“We did not technically date,” Rafael said, locking gazes across the fire with me. “We spent time together and there was a short span where I thought maybe we could find a way to work something out. It didn’t take me long to realize that wouldn’t happen. Even then, she loved her wolf. I respected that. Besides, we had other things to worry about by then.”

“Covenant College was always teeming with action,” Aric explained. “Zoe was in the center of that action. During the year we were apart – I like to think of it as the dark times – Rafael stuck close to Zoe to make sure she wouldn’t be caught without backup.”

“Yes, that was a wonderful year,” James said. “You were extremely withdrawn and morose. Your mother wanted to put you in therapy.”

“He was depressed,” Helen said, rolling her eyes. “He didn’t tell us what was happening, and I thought Zoe broke his heart.”

“Zoe did break my heart,” Aric said, tickling my ribs. “I broke hers first, though. I don’t like thinking about that time. But things worked out.”

“Zoe was a mess that year,” Paris said. “She only perked up when she decided to torture the Academy douches.”

“Yeah, I’ll never forget when you put that spell on the house so none of them could get in and that Paul guy didn’t realize what was happening and made out with Tally on the front porch,” Kelsey said, laughing at the memory. “We started messing with Paul through the window, and he was getting more and more frustrated, and then Rafael walked in when we were licking the window. He didn’t think we were funny.”

“Is that true?” Aric laughed, smirking at the memory.

I instinctively reached over and grabbed his hand, sharing it with him.

Paul, who looked like as if was caught in a tarantula’s web, moved his gaze so it leveled on my face. I waved at him gaily.

“How many tongues do you think Tally has?” Kelsey asked.

“If Paul’s face is any indication, I’m guessing a good five or six,” Paris said, not bothering to hide her smile as she waved at Paul, too.

“You don’t even know him,” Kelsey said.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not fun to mess with him.”

Kelsey tilted her head from side to side, considering. “Oh, let me try.” She pressed her face against the window and stuck her tongue out, licking the glass.

Paris and I dissolved into giggles.

“Oh, what are you doing now?” Rafael had entered through the back door, ever silent as usual.

“We’re watching the newest Academy cadet try to get in through the front door,” I said.

Despite himself, Rafael seemed curious. He moved closer to us so he could look out the window. “Why was Kelsey licking the glass?”

“We’re just trying to see if we can agitate him,” I said.

“Is it working?”

“You’ve met me,” I said. “If I was trying to agitate you, and you had no choice but to stand there and take it, would it work on you?”

“Good point.”

Aric heartily chuckled. “I’m glad you had fun while I was wrecked without you. I’m also glad there’s no nudity in these memories of Rafael.”

“That’s one of the things I still regret,” I said, earning a dark look from Aric. “Come on. Are you honestly saying you’re not curious to see if his … thing … looks different? It might have horns or something.”

Rafael was mortified, while Aric barked out a hoarse laugh.

“I can honestly say I never considered it before, but now I’m pretty sure I’m going to have nightmares,” Aric said.

“I don’t have horns,” Rafael hissed.

“I don’t believe you,” Kelsey said, sipping on her whiskey sour. “You should probably show us.”

“Someone cut Kelsey off,” Aric ordered. He extended a finger in Rafael’s direction. “Don’t you dare show us.”

“I’ll do my best,” Rafael replied dryly.

“How did things end at this college?” Pemberley asked. “How did you two get back together after breaking each other’s hearts?”

“I couldn’t live without him and decided to forgive him,” I said. “While I wasn’t thrilled with what he did, part of me understood that his first loyalty was to his pack.”

Aric pushed my hair away from my face and studied my profile. “And I decided I would not let her go for anything and turned my back on the Alpha Chis,” he said. “In truth, I kept a secret for a fraternity of wolves, not a pack. I would’ve given serious thought to picking Zoe over my pack, but I would’ve done it. Leaving the fraternity was easy.”

“And what happened after that?” Pemberley asked. “I’m a sucker for a good romance story.”

“Zoe saved me on the lawn of the library,” Aric said. “She burned a woman alive and sent a powerful message that night. It wasn’t powerful enough to give her a peaceful year, but her legacy was etched in stone that night.”

“I remember,” Rafael said. “You outsmarted everyone and had glowing blue eyes for a time being.”

I shuddered at the memory. “I thought I was going to lose Aric all over again after that, I admitted. “It’s not as though we could go out in public if those eyes stuck around.”

“You were never going to lose me again,” Aric said, sincere. “As for the eyes … well … they were definitely odd. I had plans to make you wear sunglasses indoors. I figured that would solve all of our problems.”

“Luckily my eyes were back to normal when I woke up the next morning,” I said.

“That’s right,” Rafael said, leaning forward. “You corrected your problem in sleep. I forgot about that.”

“Why is that important?” Paris asked.

“I’m not sure it’s important as much as it is intriguing,” Rafael answered. “She fixed her own eyes in sleep. She also manifested this new power, which is purely mental, in her sleep. If I’m right, I don’t think Zoe is using this power to its full potential. Not yet, at least.”

Aric shifted beneath me, and I realized he knew what Rafael was getting at.

“I’m confused,” I said. “What do you think I can do with this power?”

“I can’t be sure, but I would like to try a few things,” Rafael said.

“Like what?”

“For starters, I want to see if you can affect others with memories,” Rafael said. “I want you to try with Kelsey, who is human, and Paris, who is a witch. I would also like you to try with me.”

“Why not me?” Pemberley asked, his nose out of joint about being left out.

“I think Zoe will manifest with those she trusts first,” Rafael said. “I’m not sure she’ll be able to do it with others. I think she can do it with Aric because she trusts him more than anyone. What that will mean for others is still up in the air.”

“I’m not sure I want her to try with anyone else,” Aric said. “It might put her in a vulnerable place.”

Aric and Rafael locked gazes, something unsaid passing between them. Finally Rafael shook his head. “You don’t want her to try with someone else because right now you have something that is yours only,” Rafael corrected. “You have a special bond, and you like that bond. You’re worried that if Zoe can do it with others it will mean that bond isn’t as special as you believe.”

“That sounds a little pathetic,” Aric said.

“Nonetheless, I believe that’s how you feel,” Rafael said. “Zoe doing it with you first proves you have a special bond. Her powers are growing, though, and this could be one that will protect her. Do you want it to go unexplored?”

“I … .” Aric broke off, unsure how to answer. “Fine. You’re right. If she can manipulate the thoughts of others, that could save her down the road. She has to try.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” I countered. “We can keep it between us now. I think I would feel weird doing it with someone else.”

“I think Rafael is right,” Aric prodded. “I won’t put my ego ahead of your safety. You need to try.”

“Do it with me first,” Kelsey said, hopping to her feet. “Show me a memory.”

I chewed on my bottom lip. Did I want to do that?

“It’s okay, Zoe,” Aric whispered. “We’ll always have the dirty ones just for us.”

I rolled my eyes and made a face but straightened on his lap. “Hold out your hand, Kelsey,” I instructed.

Kelsey smiled and did as instructed. Everyone leaned forward to watch as I took her hand and closed my eyes.

Kelsey’s mind differed from Aric’s. It wasn’t as comfortable or familiar – and she had a strange clown fear hiding in a corner that terrified me – but when I finally kicked open the door to her memory I felt overwhelming relief, followed quickly by abject giddiness.

“I figured,” Kelsey mused, digging into the can of beets again. “My dad is a cop in Detroit. I told people you weren’t a suspect, but you know how girls are. When they’re threatened by someone, they make up horrible things about them.”

“Why would they be threatened by me?” I queried.

“Because,” Kelsey replied simply. “You’re different. When people are different, that makes other people – boring people – look at the different person and wish they could be like them. When they realize that they can’t be like them, they start to covet what that person has.”

“People covet my life?” That couldn’t be right. My life was a mess. “Why?”

“Because things just seem to happen that launch you into the spotlight,” Kelsey rambled. “Your roommate dies and people see you getting attention for it. You get stalked by a killer and saved by the hottest guy on campus and people wish that had been them. Then, when you come back from summer vacation and that guy is all over you, well, then people just get outright jealous.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” I said. “My life is not something to be jealous of.”

“You think that because you see all the flaws,” Kelsey replied sagely. “People don’t see the flaws when they look at someone. Don’t get me wrong, they’re willing to make up flaws when they dislike someone, but they never see the real flaws. They never see the things that haunt someone. They ignore those.”

Huh. “You’re pretty deep,” I said. “I wasn’t expecting that. You’re wrong, though; people aren’t jealous of me. They’re afraid of me.”

“Why would they be afraid of you?” Kelsey scoffed.

“Because I’m different,” I answered quietly. “You said that yourself. People fear things they don’t see in themselves.”

“You want to be different,” Kelsey was insistent. “Trust me. Five years from now, the faceless masses will be stuck in cubicles and following set life plans. They’ll be married with two-point-five kids and living in the suburbs. You’ll be more than that.”

“You seem pretty sure of that,” I laughed.

“I see greatness,” Kelsey shrugged. “I recognize it when I see it.”

“Oh, yeah?” I couldn’t help but like this Kelsey. Maybe I should keep her drunk all the time. That was an interesting thought – although I would probably go broke with the effort. “How do you recognize it?”

“I see it in the mirror every day,” Kelsey smirked.

I couldn’t help joining in with her laughter when she dissolved into giggles. “I bet you do.”

Kelsey suddenly sobered. “Just be careful,” she warned.

“What do you mean?”

“When people see greatness, they try to squash it.”

“Good to know.” Apparently Kelsey was a philosophical drunk. At least she wasn’t a weepy drunk.

“I can’t believe you just showed me that,” Kelsey said, squealing as she jerked her hand away. “I can’t believe you considered keeping me drunk because you thought I was bitchy.”

“You were bitchy,” I argued.

“That was kind of neat,” Kelsey said after a moment, glancing around. “My brain feels tingly. I felt like I was in Zoe’s body watching myself from far off.”

“This is really intriguing,” Pemberley said. “Kelsey isn’t magical, yet Zoe took only a few moments to get through her barriers. I think we should try the vampire next. He should have stronger mental barriers.”

“I can’t help thinking that’s a dig,” Aric said.