Out of the Mountain (30 page)

“Wow, that’s amazing,” I said honestly. I had no idea.

“Yes, it would seem that way. Believe it or not, I was being groomed to follow in their footsteps. Much to their chagrin, it just didn’t come easily for me. I wasn’t as smart, and it took a lot more work on their part to make me appear that way. The older I got, the more I grew to resent them and myself. I wasn’t happy.” He shook his head as if to shake off a bad memory before continuing.

“I took to one too many vices before I tried to pick a fight with Silas one night, drunk off my ass and high on some cheap drug. I didn’t even know who he was at the time. I was a spoiled rich kid without a care in the world, but somehow he saw beyond that. He said he had seen the desperation behind my eyes and decided to help me out. He threw me in the cells for a night, and when I sobered up he had a long talk with me, really challenged me to reevaluate my life.

“The guard was recruiting their new group of novices the very next week, and I joined. My parents almost imploded. It was beneath me, they said; I was meant for a greater purpose! I finally realized I would never be good enough for them and stopped trying to be. I’ve never been as happy in my life,” he said, eyes serious in a rare moment. My heart ached for him.

“Their loss,” I said truthfully, and he smiled at me.

“Look where I am now, spending time with a real live princess in the palace. I should write them and let them know,” he jeered, and I laid a hand on his.

“Just because you weren’t successful in the way they wanted you to be, doesn’t mean you aren’t successful.”

“You’re quite the smooth talker,” he joked, breaking the serious mood. I was glad he had opened up to me briefly. I was happy to know him even a little better.

“I have my moments,” I agreed.

“Now tell me what that book is about.” He tried to sound interested and failed, we both laughed at his attempt.

***

After dinner I was feeling pretty content with my day so far. I had actually had spent the rest of the afternoon explaining the book to Malachi and could tell he was thoroughly interested in the ending. I took it to my room to finish and swore I would discreetly tell him the ending later. I thought about how little I really knew about all the people who surrounded me, and guilt seeped in. We had been busy since my arrival and hadn’t exactly had free time to mingle, but maybe I should have put forth more effort? The concept of evolving friendship was still new to me. I was only ever used to being an acquaintance. I wanted to be more, to have more than that in my life.

Decision made, I invited the novices to an impromptu meeting in the barracks and grilled them on their lives. I learned that Briony was an only child and she lived with her grandmother because her parents had died during the war. Luca had twin baby brothers, and his family lived in the farming district close to Briony’s. Their parents had been best friends; they had grown up together.

Peyton and Genevieve were also neighbors who lived in the lower housing district. They each had younger siblings and had been inseparable since they met in school. They were complete opposites, but it seemed to work for them thus far. Griffin was from the industrial district. He had five younger sisters and did his best to help his single mother support them. Jonah’s parents were scholars; also an only child, he had spent as much of his life with his nose in a book as I had. Finley’s parents were explorers. They traveled to far lands and were mostly absent from his life.

As I listened to stories of their childhoods, I realized just how much this camaraderie really meant to me. I shared my story with them and answered questions as well as I could. I had always been on the outside looking in. I never fit anywhere, and here with them . . . it almost felt like I did.

My sides were hurting from laughing in earnest at a story Luca was telling of the time he dared Briony to shift into her fox and run into her grandmother’s hen house when they were children. Her grandma had beat her hide before they scrambled to collect the terrified hens. Luca felt guilty and tried to take the blame, which resulted in his own beating and chores for both of them for a week. They cleaned that hen house from top to bottom.

“I haven’t looked at eggs the same since!” Luca bellowed.

Rowan appeared in the doorway, and we all abruptly stopped, straightening our positions, awaiting some sort of chastisement. He frowned at our reaction almost as if he felt guilty.

“I have only come to escort the princess to her room. Curfew is soon,” he explained, and I stood, quickly making my way to the door.

“I’ll see you all in the morning!” I waved happily as I allowed Rowan to escort me out of the barracks. I sighed sadly as I heard the animated laughter pick up again as Briony began to tell her side of the story. I began walking away, sad that I wouldn’t get to hear it.

“I apologize for pulling you away,” Rowan said softly, surprising me.

“It’s OK. I know you’re just doing what you think is right,” I admitted, wishing for one night I could be normal.

“It is a lot of responsibility to bear the title of nobility,” he intoned, and I shrugged in defeat. He was right. It was a lot of responsibility.

“I am glad you have bonded with the others. I enjoy seeing you happy.” His voice was a near whisper, an admission in the darkness as we made our way back to the palace.

“What else makes you happy, Rowan?” I wondered aloud, but I received no answer.

***

Morning came early, and I was braiding my hair in the mirror when Farran popped into the bathroom, startling me. I knew what he was going to ask before he even opened his mouth.

“I’m not telling you where it is.”

“Please, Vivi, the curiosity is killing me!” he groaned. He had tried to convince me multiple times this week to allow him to see the necklace again.

“Figure out a way to disarm it somehow. I’m not letting that witch harm you in any way,” I said, finishing my braid and turning a scowl on him that he returned fully. He looked even more pale and sickly. I tried to bring it up, but he brushed me away every time. The everyday magic use was draining him.

“You heard her,” Rowan rumbled as he entered behind Farran. He yelled in frustration before quickly disappearing.

“Ready?” he asked, looking at me in the mirror.

“You know it,” I replied following his lead.

We entered what I had taken to calling the “ritual room” and saw a still-grumpy Farran and Adelaide. I hadn’t seen much of her this week, and I sensed tension in the air when we entered. Rowan barely acknowledged her, and I tried not to smile. Trouble in paradise?

“All right, hurry up. I haven’t got all day,” Farran grumbled. I frowned unhappily at him. His grumpy behavior wasn’t normal. He started the spell, and Adelaide held the dagger out but gasped when she saw my thigh. I blushed.

“It’s part of the blood magic, a sacrifice of sorts,” I told her as her eyes roamed my leg.

“At least you made a cute little pattern with them.” She sounded condescending, and I’m sure she meant to.

“Thanks. It was Rowan’s idea,” I replied, unable to help myself. Her hand on the blade tightened. OK, not the best idea to goad someone who was holding a weapon. She didn’t move, though, as I angled myself to make another precise mark.

When Farran told her to put her hand on the cut she hesitated, and for a second I didn’t think she was going to complete the exchange. Finally she sighed and pushed her hand against my outer thigh a little too hard. I involuntarily gasped at the sting of pain it sent through me. I looked at Rowan, who was seething. When the exchange was finished, she slumped.

“You should be more grateful to Vivienne, instead of allowing petty jealousies to cloud your judgment. Do not harm her again,” he barked at Adelaide as I exited the room. I froze just outside the door.

“I’ll gladly let her have you to show my gratitude. I was finished with you anyway,” she hissed.

“You did not have me to begin with,” he grumbled, walking out the door and spotting me still standing there. He shook his head and led me to the bathroom to clean my wound, as had become routine. As he was bandaging my leg, a stray hair fell into his face. Without a thought I brushed it back from his eyes.

His hair was silky and thick. I had to fight the urge to burry my fingers deeper into it. He leaned against the counter, hands on either side of me with his eyes closed and turned his face into my palm. I shuddered with pleasure at the concession and gladly rubbed the stubble of his jaw with my thumb. I couldn’t stop myself as my hand slipped back into his thick mane, and he leaned into me closer. Before I knew what was happening, his face was at my neck. He inhaled deeply, his nose brushing my neck, and chills ran across my skin in anticipation. The small contact had sent my heart racing in my chest. When his nose ran along my jawline, I practically turned to jelly, wrapping my arms around him to support myself.

He stiffened at the action, and when he tried to pull back, I tightened my grip. I could feel every tense muscle in his shoulders and neck through his thin shirt. I took a turn at taking his scent in and was almost drunk on it when my lips fell on his neck. He jumped, trying to pry my arms from him and defuse the situation, but when I wrapped my thighs around his waist, all attempts at escape were lost. He groaned as his arms wrapped around me, pulling me tighter to him as his lips left a trail of fire down my neck. I arched my back, trying to give him better access, but the angle was odd, and he seemed to notice it as well.

His hands were under me, lifting and turning, quickly pressing my back into the wall. The sensation of his movement while my legs were still firmly wrapped around him was tantalizing. His hands quickly slid up the back of my shirt, and everywhere our skin touched felt like it was catching fire. A soft moan escaped me when his lips finally found mine, and he responded eagerly to the sound. His tongue entering my mouth sent shockwaves to my very core. In a quick sweeping movement, my shirt was up and over my head. Before I could even protest, his mouth was at my chest, and I didn’t care about anything for a moment. When I felt his deft fingers at my bra I froze, and he noticed.

He let out a groan and tried to separate us, but I wasn’t having it.

“Just wait, OK?” I begged, hugging him around the neck, still tightly clinging to him. He turned back to the counter and slowly lowered me onto it. When I noticed his very evident arousal, I blushed full. He groaned at my reaction and bent down to put us eye to eye. He was beautiful with his hair disheveled and his eyes wild. I could see he was gearing up to say something that would mar this moment in my mind so I leaned in and slowly, gently pushed my lips to his again.
Please don’t take this from me.

“You are so very terrifying to me, Vinnie.” I heard the truth behind his words, but it was absurd to think that he would be afraid of me that I almost laughed.

“Right back at ya.” I smiled and received an up-close view of the dimple for my trouble. I couldn’t help myself. I quickly pressed my lips to it before it abruptly disappeared.

“Vinnie . . .”

“Can’t you just let me kiss you every once in a while?” I jibed and he sighed.

“This complicates things.” He gestured between the two of us.

“Do you want to be with anyone else?” I pushed him further.

“No.”

“Me either,” I said happily, and he frowned.

“But you should be, Vinnie. You are young! You shouldn’t limit yourself to one person who can’t give you what you need.” He drew back, determination filling his eyes. Why did he think he couldn’t give me what I needed?

“Can we just give it a try?”

“No.”

“No one has to know . . .” I whined, reaching for him as one of my bra straps fell from my arm. His eyes watched it fall. I quickly moved to pull it farther off, regretting my earlier hesitation with everything in me. His hand covered mine, firmly stopping it, and sliding the strap back into place.

“Vinnie, no one who would hide you would be worth your time, and you should never even entertain the idea of compromising yourself in such a way.” His eyes held mine and softened. I dropped my chin, embarrassment hitting me hard. Tears welled in my eyes, and I tried to blink them back. He tilted my chin up and hissed out a curse as he wiped my eyes.

“I just don’t understand,” I complained, hurt squeezing my heart. He winced.

“You can feel my emotions again, can’t you?” I whined, and he nodded. “Since when?”

“It has slowly been returning to me. I feel your hurt, I feel it all, and this is exactly what I was talking about. I cannot bear to be the one to cause you such pain.”

“Then stop denying me,” I groaned, and he chuckled darkly, looking deep into my eyes. I saw his indecision.

“If only it were so simple.”

“You have to understand where I am coming from, you give me so many mixed signals! It’s hard to keep up. Your mouth says one thing, your eyes say another . . .” I admitted, tired of this back and forth.

“I would very much like to get to know you better and for you to know me. Is that acceptable for now?” he asked timidly, and I smiled.

“Someday soon, you’re going to regret the time you wasted trying to resist me,” I joked, and he laughed.

“Come on, Vinnie, let’s get you to training.”

***

An hour later we were warmed up, muscles loose and ready to work with our actual weapons. It was daunting to look around our group and see the gleam of metal instead of the safety of wood. Rowan had paired everyone with a guard to fight against. I was terrified. I looked around at the groups; Briony and Malachi, Luca and Tamora, Finley and Tasmin, Griffin and Silas, Peyton and Marlowe, Genevieve and Willa, Jonah and Felix. My partner, of course, was Rowan.

Our task was simple: block whatever the guards threw at us. I don’t think I could ever truly be afraid of Rowan, but when he was instructing, he was more than a little intimidating. He stood with a sword in hand, honey-colored eyes gleaming in the sunlight. His hair was tied back from his face, and his jawline was as sharp as his cheekbones were high. I took in the full sight of him and before I could even let out a sigh, his blade was at my neck, and his beautiful lips were pulled into a tight line.