True Fate (31 page)

"You okay?” she asked watching his jaw work.

"Yeah, I'm just curious what are you doing
here if you aren't willing to risk anything? You had no way of knowing I was
going to be here. So what gives?” he asked her.

“Darragh and I were given this assignment over a
year ago and my loyalty is not an issue! I am just not willing to risk jacking
everything up and pissing off Lilith. At this point I’m more concerned with
what she’d do to you than to me! I am not in the least bit afraid of her. You
are the only thing she can take away from me now. Do you understand that?”
Avery asked with her eyes on fire. The passion with which she spoke had Eric
doing a double take at his fierce love.

"What can we tell her friends that we won't
get into deep crap with Lilith for disclosing?” she asked annoyed.

"At this point I'm not risking any lives
here, not theirs or ours. But in order for them to understand our vigilance,
they need to know the seriousness of the situation.” he said as sternly as he
could. "If you want out of this, I will get you out. Just say the word.”
he paused and chanced a look at the now seething Avery.

“I never said I wanted out of anything but
somebody has to think around here and where she is concerned your brain turns
mush! What the heck is up with that anyway?” she asked crossing her arms
tightly across her chest.

Ignoring what Avery had just implied Eric moved
to stand directly in front of her. He ran his fingers over his prickly scalp
and sighed loudly meeting her eyes. "I love you Avery, I really do but I
have a job to do. I take this seriously and I'm unselfishly carrying out what I
need to do to get the job done. It’s not for Lilith, it's for a future. I know
Lilith is brutal, but I also know she wants us to get this girl to her aunt in
one piece. I'm willing to do what I have to do to follow through with this. I
need to know I can trust the people around me." he told her now staring at
the floor.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are
you saying you don't trust me?” she asked in disbelief eyes wide. "Are you
freaking kidding me?” she added standing to her feet.

He stood and grabbed her by the elbow and tried
to turn her. She shrugged him off. "Avery.", he said barely audible.

"No! Look, you're not the only one invested
here! Nia could be the key to the change we've all been waiting for! But
seriously, what's up with Lilith wanting to help her? Am I the only one who
thinks that's a bit shady?” she asked with a raised voice. "Think about
that for a minute! I am not going to let her have you again. You aren't the
only one who plans on seeing this through. And yes, I don't trust Lilith as far
as I can throw her phony behind because she's freaking evil! I know that and
you know that! Hell everyone knows it!” she screamed glad she'd put out a
bubble when this conversation began.

"I know she's off, okay!” he said throwing
his hands in the air. “Why do you think I was imprisoned? Tell me? I promise
the reasons you think aren't the truth.” Eric said more forcefully than he
intended.

He walked closer to her eyes pleading, softening
just a bit. "I betrayed her Avery.” he said slowly.

"I tried to overthrow her and I failed, but
her feelings for me are the only thing that kept me alive. She bonded me to her
in my sentencing. I felt it! She doesn't have a clue that I know, but I have
all along. She wants a puppet, and as long as I have to pretend to be loyal, I
will.” he said searching Avery's shock filled eyes.

"She knows I loathe her. I told her myself,
but she knows that she owns me too. I can't do anything about it for now and I
don't know how to get my life back! I'm working on it believe me, but you gotta
trust me." he said moving closer and placing a hand on her heated cheek.

He took deep a breath and she did too. She nodded
with tears escaping her bright green eyes and turned to kiss his palm. She
looked at him and spoke softly. "Okay, fine, whatever you decide, whatever
decisions you make, I trust you. But I won’t take you distrusting me lightly.
There is no one and I mean no one on this planet that you can trust more than
me. You doubt me, you doubt us and that’s bull." Avery said with every
muscle in her body tensed.

Eric sighed and looked at her apologetically and
leaned into her pressing her to the wall. He took control of her lips before
she could react and claimed them for his own. No questions no explanations just
the feeling of what they shared pulsing between them like an electric current.

Avery pulled back breathing heavily and Eric
smiled at her crookedly. I trust you Ave, I will never doubt you again.” He
said with conviction. Avery nodded and dazzled him with a bright smile.

"One question though. What do we do about
our promise marks?” she asked sagging into his chest finally. "If she sees
them she may not let us leave.” she said with her head spinning slightly.
"I can't lose you again.” she whispered.

"I'll figure it out, I'm working on that
too. Don't worry.” he said kissing the top of her head.

###

"I have to go soon.” Darragh said
reluctantly. He'd brought Savannah up to speed and now he was out of time.
"Come with me, so I can introduce you to Nia and her friends.” he told
her.

She nodded glancing at the bathroom, "In a
moment."

Standing slowly Savannah walked to the bathroom
shakily and placed both hands on the counter after splashing water on her face.
She'd never stopped going to dreamscapes but she had no need to transport. It
had been a long time since she had and she forgot how sick it makes you at
first and how disorienting it can be. She had come to enjoy travelling like a mortal
and it helped her to blend in anyway.

Always certain Lilith had a price on her head
that only few knew about she stayed off the radar as much as possible. She had
to kill a hunter last year that had attacked her and she got information out of
him beforehand but it was very little. Normally you can't just kill their kind
but she's not normal. She can summon a soul stone, any soul stone as a matter
of fact. As for getting a true name out of someone, well she has other
abilities that give her access to that fairly easy. That's the main reason
Lilith fears her and chooses not to take audience with her.

Savannah summoned her weapons and with a snap of
her fingers had an entirely new outfit. She was dressed in her hunter blacks
now. She attached her weapons and slipped on her onyx ring and they quickly
faded. Concealed until she needed them. She took a deep breath, "Here goes
nothing.” she said to her reflection. She just knew Avery was going to lose it
when she saw her.

She opened the door, "I'm ready but whatever
happens with Avery just let it be. Okay?” she said warily to Darragh.

He just smiled, "You have my word on that.”
he agreed and opened the door to his room, she sighed heavily and followed him
out the door. They walked across the hall and Savannah took a deep breath,
Avery was not going to be necessarily happy to see her but she couldn't help
that now.

###

Avery felt a twinge and went to the door almost
feeling drawn there. She looked out the peephole to see Darragh and Savannah
walking towards her.

"Holy crap!” she said and yanked the door
open. "What the heck are you doing here?” she spat at Savannah and Darragh
just came through the door nodding a hello at Eric, who was standing there
wide-eyed.

"Can I come in or have your manners left you
Avery?” Savannah asked sarcastically.

"Whatever." Avery said stepping aside
and glaring at Darragh with arms crossed.

"I'm here to help.” Savannah told her with
hands raised in mock surrender.

"Oh, really well that makes up for your
abandoning me when I needed you. Thanks.” Avery huffed out.

"Avery you know I had to go. Lilith left me
no choice. She knows how I feel about her and that I'm powerful enough to do
something about it. Why do you think she leaves me alone? Seriously! How old
are we?” she said looking around the room.

"Look we are going to leave you two to talk,
we don't have long though. So make up or make peace.” Darragh said motioning
for Eric to follow.

Eric nodded and kissed Avery on the cheek.
"It's nice to see you Savannah.” he said to her in passing.

"Thanks we will talk later, Ri... Eric.”
Savannah said almost forgetting to call him by his new name. That'd definitely
take some getting used to. The guys headed out to Darragh's room to have a
conversation of their own.

Savannah turned to Avery, "I really don't
know what to think. Why are you really here? Boy, Darragh must have offered you
top dollar.” Avery blurted.

Savannah looked her in the eyes and saw the hurt
that mingled with her anger. She could push deeper into Avery's mind but she was
certain that would upset her far too much. She quickly banished the thought,
for now.

"Darragh summoned me to a dream and asked if
I would help him. He fears someone is trying to track Nia. And if she's the one
well then he's probably right. Also he wants me to train her in the elements
and see how powerful she really is," she explained.

"Well I guess we could use your help, did he
transport you?” she asked.

"Yes. I haven't travelled that way in a long
while.” Savannah answered. She took a deep breath, "Avery please, we have
time to mend this. It's what mom and dad would want right?” she said hating to
bring their parents into it. Avery cringed at the mention of their parents,
they had disappeared long ago, but were said to have been found two days later,
deceased. No one knows what happened to them and it has never sat right with
Savannah or Avery.

"I guess but you have a hell of a lot of
making up to do. When Rian was taken I had no one! Do you understand that? NO
ONE!” Avery said.

"I... I'm sorry Avery. I found out about
that six months after it happened. I wasn't exactly up to speed on the matter.”
Savannah tried to explain.

Avery scoffed clearly not buying Savannah's
story.

"I couldn't go back.” she whispered.

"What?” Avery asked a bit stunned.
"What do you mean you couldn't?” she asked going to stand directly in
front of her older sister.

Savannah cleared her throat. "Lilith is
scared of me because I possess powers very few of my generation do. There's
even fewer in your generation. I confided in her when I was stupid enough to
think she was my friend. Power changed her Avery, as my powers developed I
could see her fear and feel her jealousy. When I looked into her mind, I knew,
she tried to pretend and she plotted against me. I had to leave. She was trying
to decide whether to let me live.” she said pausing to let it sink in. Avery
moved back and sat on the sofa behind her feeling like reality was suffocating
her. She hated Lilith but that was growing into something more with every word
Savannah spoke.

"I confronted her and told her I was
leaving. She said she couldn't let me leave and I told her I wouldn't let her
stop me. I made the water in her glass hover then turn into a frozen stake and
without touching it I held it at her neck. I let it fall because it wasn't what
I wanted. But in that moment she knew, she knew she couldn't stop me so she
agreed to let me go. Telling me I could be a free Guardian and Hunter at my own
discretion.
 
She gave me a stipulation
though, I had to leave right then, and she made me swear not to return. I had
to give my oath.” Savannah said staring at the carpet.

"I found a way to break that though but it
requires her blood. I just have to get her to come near me and her stupid
stipulation will be history.” Savannah said as she sat next to Avery, who took
in all of the information she had just been given, and weighed it. She had the
answer that she and Eric were looking for and they had access to her but they
would have to plan this out in detail.

"I sent word to you because I had no other
option. I was bound by the oath not to tell of my reasons, but my abilities
allow me to override that part of it now. Avery I'm sorry I never meant to
leave you. I just had no choice.” Savannah explained with pleading eyes. Avery
searched every part of Savannah's mind looking at her and weighing if this was
true.