Under an Onyx Sky (Elemental Enchanters Series Book 4) (16 page)

The next morning, Xavier released Ava. She was weak and hungry. She probably looked worse than she felt.

Xavier escorted her to her room. “Get cleaned up,” he said, his tone much softer than the previous days. “We’ll go have breakfast.”

She nodded, though she didn’t want to go. She didn’t feel like being around anyone. She wanted to sleep. But she needed to eat.

Ava closed the door and went straight to the bathroom. She turned on the shower faucet and peeled off her clothes. She wiped the fog from the mirror and recoiled at her awful appearance. Her copper hair was so matted and frizzy. Her gray eyes were worn and puffy like she’d been on drugs. She didn’t look eighteen. More like twenty-eight.

She wanted to punch her reflection. What had she become? She didn’t even know who she was anymore. She’d been lost to the emotionless creature that dwelled inside her. Maybe Melissa was right. Focus on something good to get her through the days. But every time she thought of Gabriel, it just made her sadder.

Ava took her time showering; letting the water console her as it had many times. She thought about Gabriel and wondered if he was with Eve. She hadn’t seen him since the night of the first massacre, which had been weeks ago. She missed his smile, his beautiful eyes, and feeling his arms around her. She longed to hear his voice or feel his soft lips against hers. She needed him, but she would have to persevere without him.

Dressing in a simple white button down shirt, black leggings, and boots, Ava was ready. As she reached for the door, she saw a tall man walking toward her with confidence. His hair was white-blond, and his eyes were a vibrant green. He looked too young to be a leader, but Enchanters’ ages were deceiving. His lips were set in a wicked grin. They weren’t in her room. She didn’t know where they were. And Ava wasn’t Ava. She recognized the man though. Devon Maunsell.

“It’s done,” Devon said. “She’s dead.”

“Good,” Ava answered with a deep throaty voice. Havok’s voice. It was another vision. “And the child?”

“Mila left her crying over Luci.”

Havok took a deep breath and felt a twinge of sadness. “Ava won’t cry for her mother forever. Once she learns the truth, she’ll hate her mother.”

Devon shook his head. “Mila could’ve taken the girl. She could grow up here. It’s better than us coercing them to join us.”

Havok clenched his teeth, the anger tensing every muscle in his body. Devon always questioned his authority. “I’m sorry, but are you in charge?”

“No sir.”

“I didn’t think so. And until I can take over this dreadful body, we cannot take them. I am not strong enough to train six Elementals, and neither are you.”

“Forgive me, but do you think Savina and the Elders are?”

“You don’t know the power that the Elders possess. You are an arrogant fool if you think you can defeat them. We lost quite a few soldiers when they attacked us, or have you forgotten?”

“No, I’ve not. It’s been a few years, but I could never forget that. Caprington will be ready for you when you return.”

“Good. And how is my son?”

“Xavier is fine. He misses you.”

Another twinge of sadness. “Tell him I will see him soon.” His chest tightened, and his stomach coiled. He clenched his teeth.

“Are you okay, sir?”

“I’m fine,” he said, trying to catch his breath. “I must go. He’s fighting for the body again.”

The scene blurred, and Ava blinked her eyes until her vision cleared. She was still in the doorway of the bathroom, clutching the frame. Was Havok thinking about the day her mother died? She stilled when she realized she had completely missed the anniversary of her mom’s death. She wasn’t sure how to feel about it though.

Letting Havok’s rage take over had made her lose all track of time. Or maybe just being in Caprington did that. She added up the time in her head and realized she’d been there for more than two months. It was now May, and she had wasted so much time.

Ava thought harder about the vision she just had. Had Havok mentioned Xavier being his son? Was that true? There was no way he could be Havok’s son. Havok would be powerless if that was the case.

Ambling through the little village in the early May morning was nice, and something Ava could appreciate. The sun was warm, and when she drew in a deep breath, she inhaled a strong lavender and floral scent. It was a beautiful day, quite the contrast from the dark that Ava had been in the last month or so.

“Hey,” she heard Xavier say from behind.

She turned around to face him. “Hey.” She wasn’t sure why it was so awkward between them. “Mind if we venture out into the city?”

Xavier smirked. “Let’s go in my car.”

“Okay.”

When he pulled up to get Ava, he wore sunglasses and his car was ostentatious. He tried to look cool, but it didn’t work. It didn’t have the same sexy effect on Xavier like it did when Gabriel drove his fancy car. She slid in the passenger seat and they took off.

The city was impressive with its tall-glassed buildings. It was very modern, and there was a bit of history mixed in.

“Chinese sound good?”

“Sure.” She couldn’t believe she was riding in a car with Xavier Holstone. But this was necessary in order to get him and the other Cimmerians to ally with them.

“How are you feeling?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I’m okay, I guess. The last month has been kind of a blur.”

“I know. I’m glad you’re back to normal. I hated seeing you like that.”

Ava bit her lip. “If the Elders took all of us when we were young, why didn’t you all come after us?” she asked. She couldn’t wait to hear his lie.

“Havok wasn’t strong enough.”

Ava knew it was because his soul had resided inside Colden’s body for years playing Jekyll and Hyde.

Xavier pulled up to an upscale Chinese restaurant. The valet attendant opened Ava’s door, and she got out.

“Little much for lunch, don’t you think?”

He shrugged. “It’s good food.”

Once they were seated, Ava hugged herself. She felt out of place and underdressed. “It feels like everyone is watching us.”

“It’s because we’re in the army.”

“Yeah. I’m sure a lot of people hate me now.”

“That’s not it. No one but us knows what happened the last month. You can relax.”

Ava didn’t realize she was so tense, but she let out a breath and relaxed a little.  “How do you feel about all of this?”

“What? You or the massacres?”

“The massacres.”

“I don’t know. I’ve been doing this for years. I’ve become desensitized to a lot. It doesn’t even faze me. Which probably makes me sound like a complete ass.”

“No. It just sounds like you’re tired. And maybe it’s becoming too much.”

Another shrug. “Maybe.” The waitress brought them water. Xavier ordered for them both, which annoyed Ava, but she acted like it was a sweet gesture.

“I gotta say. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you.”

“Yeah, you too.”

He smiled a little.

“Even after all I’ve done?”

He nodded. “I know that wasn’t the real you. It was hard seeing you go down that path, but I’m glad you came out of it. I like you, Ava.”

“So when is our next massacre?” She needed to change the subject. She didn’t want to hear about how he liked her.

He shifted in his seat. “For you, not for a while. Call it probation if you will.”

“What do I do until then?”

“Practice. Have fun.”

“Is there a library? Maybe a bookstore around?”

“Yeah. We have several. I know the castle and village make it seem like we live in a small mountain town. But we’re more advanced and have a city for all of our modern life needs. It has everything you can imagine.”

“You hardly ever seem to come here. Any of you.”

“We come here often. Just when we want to get away. The city is so different than the village and the castle.”

“It feels brighter.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“Well, let’s go to a library after lunch.”

“Sure.”

The waitress brought out several dishes and completely covered the table. Ava wondered if they had the right order since it was enough to feed an army.

“It’s a lot of food, but that’s how it’s served.”

Once the woman finished placing the plates on the table, Xavier smiled. “Looks good, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” He rubbed his hands together and picked up the rice bowl. He got excited about food almost like Colden did. Ava tried not to think about Colden, but it was hard.

Xavier scooped some rice onto her plate, and then picked up a small dish with what looked like crispy chicken nuggets in an orange colored glaze. He plopped two nuggets on the rice. “This is crispy orange chicken, and this.” He lifted another plate that had calzone-like pastries on it. “Is Egg Foo Young. It’s an omelet with all kinds of stuff in it. Eggs, ham, bamboo shoots, sliced cabbage, and shrimp. Very tasty.” He forked one onto her plate and went down the line. “This is Zhaijangmian. It’s a noodle dish with mixture of ground pork. And of course we have pot stickers.”

Once her plate was full, her stomach growled. “It looks amazing.”

“Enjoy.”

She tasted each dish, each varying from sweet to sour to savory. The chicken had a perfect crisp to it. The vegetables were cooked to precision, and it all tasted so good.

“Why do you hang out with me and no one else?”

“Because I like you.”

“Aren’t people upset that you hang out with me?”

He shrugged. “I don’t care.”

“Hasn’t that caused a rift?”

“If it has, I know how to remind them what’s important.”

“Oh.”

“Anais and Eve get a little huffy at times, but they’re cool once you get to know them.”

“I like Anais. I don’t think Eve will ever like me, and I’m not sure why.” She knew exactly why, but she couldn’t tell Xavier.

“You’re not missing much. She’s too wrapped up in Gabriel to care about anything else.”

“Why is that?”

Xavier shrugged. “He’s a ladies man, I guess. I don’t really know him. He was here before I got here.”

“You weren’t born here?”

“No. Are you ready?”

“Yeah.”

So Xavier wasn’t Havok’s son. Then what was the vision/memory she had had?

Once Xavier got his car back from the valet, they drove to a large two-story building. It was a bookstore, but the way it was built reminded Ava of an old library. Perhaps at one point in time it was.

She was almost giddy with excitement. It was something to take her mind off her crazy new life and everything that had happened recently.

As she browsed in silence, Xavier trailed behind patiently. She still couldn’t get over how much he’d changed. Or maybe he’d always been like this, but had to appear dangerous and evil. He’d wounded her several times, and here they were book shopping as if they were old friends.

“What is it about books that you love?”

She thought for a moment. “No matter what’s happening in my life I can always turn to a book and lose myself in it. I like knowing that I’m not alone in my experiences or feelings.

“Maybe I should start reading.”

“Why do you say that?”

Xavier shrugged. “Escaping reality sounds like fun.”

Ava turned to him. “You don’t seem very happy.”

“We weren’t really raised to live happy lives if you haven’t noticed. We kill first and have fun later.”

“What’s something you’ve always wanted to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well think about it. In the meantime, how do we pay for these?”

He cocked an eyebrow at the large stack of her books. “Are you planning on being anti-social?”

“No. I can read fast.”

“We don’t pay, but they have to mark it off their inventory.”

“Oh.”

After dropping the heap of books into his car, they walked around the city exploring the different shops. It almost reminded her of home.

Night had fallen, and Xavier and Ava were riding around the city. The lights illuminated the sky in a blue and white glow. It was beautiful.

“One thing comes to mind that I’ve always wanted to do,” Xavier said.

“What’s that?” she asked as he pulled into a swanky hotel. The valet opened the door. “I don’t think—.”

“It’s okay. I promise it’s not what you think.”

She hesitantly got out of the car and followed him inside. The interior reminded Ava of the extravagantly lavish hotel she had stayed in on the first night of the journey to Caprington. Crystal chandeliers. Velvet curtains. Marble floors.

As they headed for the front desk, they passed a bachelorette party, which surprised Ava. Anytime she saw something normal in Caprington, it took her out of her element. She never thought it would be a place where everyday occurrences happened. But the Cimmerians lived their lives like anyone else.

When they approached the front desk, the lady behind the counter greeted them with a sweet smile. He asked for a room, and as soon as the lady gave him a room key, he grabbed Ava’s hand, pulling her toward the elevator.

“What are we doing?”

“Something reckless, and if we get caught we’ll be grounded.”

“Grounded?”

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. They walked in and he pressed the top floor.

“Yes. Whenever a member of the army gets grounded, it means we go to jail for however long. We don’t get tortured, but we have to work off the sentence.”

Ava froze. “By doing what?”

He shook her arm, as if to unfreeze her. “It won’t be like that at all. We could be forced to do any number of things. Clean up garbage in the city. Clean the castle. Sit in a jail cell with others.”

“That doesn’t sound as bad. I can handle that.”

The elevator chimed again, and they walked out onto the rooftop with a pool and a bar.

“I’ve always wanted to skinny dip.”

“You picked a public place for this?”

“Yeah. You up for it?”

“I don’t know. People are clearly going to see.”

“There’s like four people up here and they’re all at the bar staring at the TV.”

“I’m not drunk.”

Xavier tilted his head and rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He thought for a moment. “There is something else I’ve always wanted to do.”

“Like what?”

He pursed his lips. “I want to show you first. I promise it’s not like this.”

“Okay.”

They left the hotel, and headed toward the castle. Xavier drove fast on the bridge, and Ava stared at the city lights in the side view mirror. He wound his way through the village and up toward the castle, but veered onto another road bypassing their home. The road wound through the mountain, and Ava was impressed with how well the car managed the climb and hugged the curves. Since they left the city, it was much darker in the car and too quiet. She couldn’t believe she’d spent the entire day with Xavier Holstone. The same man who knocked her unconscious. Kidnapped her and her friends and hid them in an underground cellar. Tortured her in her dreams.

But as she looked at his profile, she saw someone different. Just an ordinary man looking for a good time. Something fun from the intense life he led. An escape.

“Have you ever let yourself go like this before?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Have you ever thrown caution to the wind and just lived life?”

“Not really.”

“Doesn’t anyone else like to rebel? Or let loose?”

“I guess. I don’t really have many friends because of my…” He hesitated. “Rank in the army.”

“I can see that. Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

She didn’t have anything else going on, so she relaxed in her seat and endured the crazy twisting road ahead. The view was incredible though, getting better the higher they climbed. The snow on top of the mountain peaks glowed in the dark and farther out, she could barely make out the waterfall. But she recognized it. She had almost died when she forced the water from falling over so that the Elders and everyone could pass safely. Aaron had wanted to go around, but Ava was determined to get to Caprington as soon as they could. She remembered how unforgiving the water had been as it almost drowned her.

She shuddered, and turned her attention to the mountains.

As Xavier drove, Ava wondered what had happened to the vile man he once was. Or maybe because she was part of them now, he could be himself without feeling the need to threaten her. Though for years, she thought he was always so cruel. It was hard for her to see this new side. She hated it because it made her want to kill him less. Although, the new Xavier could never make her forget all of the things he’d done. Forgiveness wouldn’t come easy. Then again, hadn’t she been just as vile and evil lately? She’d tormented her friends, massacred two entire cities, and got her friends shot. She was no saint.