Genesis (40 page)

Valen sucked in his cheeks, his brown
eyes alight with that same fury I’d seen in him earlier. “Very
well, Elemental.” He paced around her. “Anything else you want to
add before we start.”

“
Yes. I do.” She lifted her
face to the congregation. “You think yourselves superior to humans,
yet you act just like us. From what I have seen of your
realms
you are no farther
along than we are when it comes to generosity,
caring…love.”

“
Love,” spat Valen. I’d seen
this from him before, although, he had maintained a much more
placid façade when he spoke to me. “You know nothing of love,
child. You risked your world simply because you were attracted to a
man.” Faine blushed to her hairline. “In fact, your own mother
refused to let you find love. Isn’t that so?”

She nodded, her eyes shining with an
indignant rebellion. “She was wrong.”

“
You will see in time that
we are right. Love has no place in politics.”

Zach stepped forward. I blinked at the
disturbing image of him as he was then and now. His hair was long
like the rest of the men, pulled back into a leather thong. His
face was just the same only then he wore his glamour. Dark and
alluring, couldn’t even begin to describe this man. A muscle in his
strong jaw jumped. “I am ready.” He looked like an Ammon—all
warrior with no room for softness.

Valen smiled. “Then we shall
begin.”

The double vision hissed away from me,
and I was left with my own reality. Zach stood two feet away from
me. My head throbbed with a new intensity.

Attempting to calm myself, I took a
deep breath. I could get through this. I had to manage.

Off in the distance a man parted the
crowd, coming to stand no more than ten feet away from me. My heart
constricted into a fist. Heath. Why was he here? Wasn’t this hard
enough? I licked my parched lips, wanting to run to him, wanting to
defy everyone here for the man that I loved. My pulse was a wild
thrum pounding in my ears.

Zach’s eyes softened with compassion.
“It will be all right, Rayla.”

I couldn’t catch my breath no matter
what I did. Two men—only one me.

This wasn’t going to be all right. How
could he say such a trivial thing to me?

My head was going to explode from
thinking about this if I didn’t get away. I backed up. Something
solid blocked me. I turned. Nicco gazed down at me. If I hadn’t
known better, I would have thought he felt sorry for me. He
shouldn’t show emotion like he was. Guards weren’t supposed to do
that.

Nicco guided me forward, and I noticed
other guards at the ready. I could drift now, but where would I go?
Running wasn’t an option; besides, it was time I kept my promises.
No matter what had happened between Zach and Faine, it didn’t
matter now. She was gone, taken to whatever afterlife awaited
her.

Zach was my friend, and I trusted him.
He’d done so much to try to help me through this process. What
right did I have to think he wouldn’t help me now?

I swallowed and placed my hands into
his. With all the determination I owned, I gazed up into his loving
eyes. “I’m ready.”

He nodded, waiting for Tabitha to get
on with it. I barely listened while she went through the ceremony.
So many questions rattled in my mind, not the least of which was
what Zach was going to expect from me once we were bonded. He
squeezed my hand and shook his head slightly.

Blast the fae. How many people had the
ability to read my mind? I wasn’t allowing it. I knew I wasn’t. I
believed they couldn’t hear my thoughts, but something clicked. The
council could read everyone’s mind. I shut my mental gushing off
and focused on Zach’s amazing blue eyes. I liked his hair better
this way, all disheveled and sexy. No. I wouldn’t think of him like
that, at least in the few moments I had left to be me. Once this
was over, I would no longer have the tie to Heath that corroded my
mind.

I glanced at Heath. The sadness in his
eyes made it difficult to keep my tears away, but I had to. “I love
you,” I thought to him. I allowed one more thing to slip between
us. “I’m sorry.”

He turned away and vanished into the
crowd. Had he expected me to insist he bond with me? Had he
expected me to risk the entire human race not to mention his soul
for our love? I swallowed my grief, turning my mind to the task I’d
agreed to…the task that would save my planet…the task that would
save the man I loved. I kept telling myself this was the right
thing. I was doing the right thing, so why did my heart split when
Tabitha finished and Zach pulled me into his arms.

His lips brushed mine. I wanted to pull
away, scream at the top of my lungs at the heavens, but I
wouldn’t.

I couldn’t.

I turned my mind backward to a time
where this man had consumed my thoughts, remembering his kind smile
and loving embrace.

When the elements swirled around us, I
allowed them in—I allowed him in completely. In that moment, I gave
everything I was to him, hoping it would be worth it.

“
Rayla,” his voice flitted
into my mind. “It is almost finished. Only a few more moments and
we can leave this place behind us.”

That sounded good. I could use some
peace in my life. I could use some rest.

When Zach pulled away from me, my lips
tingled for more. My traitorous lips. I closed my eyes waiting for
the moment I would become someone else, someone incapable of
feeling love for Heath because I was now Zach’s
bondmate.

It never came.

He hugged me to him and lifted me into
his arms. I rested my head against his chest and hid my eyes from
the world.

My cheek vibrated when he spoke. “If
you will all please excuse us, we will be on our way.”

The crowd cheered, the booming sound
making my pain ten times worse. Why hadn’t it happened? I’d given
my all. I hadn’t held anything back, yet, I still ached for
Heath.

Why? The question lingered in my mind
as Zach carried me out of the castle, as he set me gently on my
feet under the tree with the shimmering orange leaves, and as he
drifted us away from this horrible place to my new home.

The world finally stopped spinning, but
my head still throbbed as if I had been clobbered with a bat. Zach
tilted my chin back, running his finger across my forehead. “I
thought that bruise had healed.”

I found the spot and sighed. “Is
someone beating me up in my sleep?”

He laughed. “You needn’t
worry about that now.” He might as well have puffed out his chest
with the arrogance radiating from him when he said his next words.
“
I
will be with
you.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his
theatrics. Zach didn’t deserve to be treated poorly just because I
felt like my world had gone vertical.

He reached out and clasped my shoulder.
“Not to worry, Rayla. I realize you need time.”

My whole body sighed. I expected him to
be angry that I still cared for Heath, but I should have known
better. Being that way just wasn’t who he was. “So, you were only
kidding about sleeping with me?”

Instead of the light response I
expected, his expression hardened, his voice falling to a low
timbre. “I will not allow you to be alone at night. Too much hangs
on our relationship.” He squeezed my shoulder gently. “I will give
you time to adjust; but know this, even if you don’t feel it, you
are tied to me now.”

I nodded, looking away from his intense
stare. “I understand. Thanks for being reasonable.”

He sighed. “I’m just going by
experience, Rayla. If I had my way we would have a different agenda
for this evening.”

My entire body heated, desperate for
what he was offering.

How could I do that? I should be
spending this night with Heath. My husband. I should…

I stopped myself when Zach cringed.
“I’m sorry, Zach.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me
forward. “It’s okay. But don’t expect me to be happy about
this.”

“
Fair enough.”

We set into a comfortable pace through
the trees. I’d been in Eirie before, yet nothing looked
familiar.

“
It was dark,” Zach said,
clearly addressing my thoughts. “And your mind was on other
things.”

Why did this have to be so complicated?
Back then, there was only one man for me, and I had him now. Could
I ever find my way back to that place? I gave him a half smile. “I
guess so.”

Eirie was the most ordinary realm I had
seen in human standards. If it wasn’t for the slight glow in the
air and the phosphorescent veins on the plants and trees, I might
have mistaken the place for Ireland. I’d only ever seen pictures of
the moss covered land, but I was surrounded by green so bright it
should have had its own name.

Maybe it did? Suddenly I wished I had
my laptop and internet access.

“
It is the same place,
Rayla,” said Zach, interrupting my musing.

“
What?” I glanced around
again, taking in the calming atmosphere. “Are you trying to tell me
I’m in Ireland right now?”

“
In a manner of
speaking.”

“
Whose manner of speaking
might that be?”

He laughed and the sound soothed me.
“Mine, of course.”

I stopped, wanting to really see this
place. The trees were so alive I wouldn’t have been surprised if
they took a breath. From what I remembered, at night they morphed
into magical creatures lurking in the darkness. The ground under my
feet was nearly black, the soil was so rich. I knew a few farmers
that would give their left arm for a field of this
stuff.

I faced Zach, giving him a questioning
look. “Why is your land different than the others?” He shrugged.
“What I mean to say is the other realms incorporate the opposite
element…” I’d answered my own question. Space encompassed all
elements.

He gave me a smile, and my heart leapt
in response. “You are correct. Most are envious of Eirie, but we
have our own problems to attend. Have no doubt. You will soon see
what I mean.”

Okay? I was pretty sure most of those
problems involved his sister. “Is it safe to talk here, Zach? I
have so many unanswered questions.” I gave him a pointed frown.
“I’m hoping now that you have all my power, you will finally answer
a few of them.”

He grinned at me. “Tired of my
mysterious air, are you?”

I smacked my lips together. “More than,
actually.”

“
There is much you
misunderstand about the bond, and one of those things is that I do
not have your power. I merely have access to it.”

“
But I thought—”

He took my hand, and my skin danced
under his warm fingers. “Let’s get settled first. Fexlie is nearly
upon us, and just try to get a word out once she starts her
jabbering.”

A tiny voice squeaked out in the
distance. “Talking me up again, I see, Master.”

Zach grimaced. “I’ve asked you not to
call me that at least a million times.”

She winked, the shimmering tone of her
skin blending in with the background then shifting to a stable
blue. She stuck her tongue out at him then flashed her golden
smile. “It will take at least a million more for me to listen to
ye.” She shook her tiny finger at him, which soon became nothing
but a blur to my weary eyes. “Now, hurry up. We’ve been waiting
half the day already.” She zigged away from us, her green hair
flowing behind her like a cloak.

Master indeed. She’d only spoken a few
sentences and it was already clear who was master in this place.
Zach laughed.

Fexlie stopped midflight and zipped up
to him, a glittering trail of color following behind her. She
pursed her tiny lips and flicked the tip of his nose.

“
Ow!” He barked.

She gave him a pleased smirk. “You had
that coming. Now stop dawdling. We have an entire hall filled with
people waiting for you two.”

We followed her, snaking through the
trees toward a clearing. Bright light filtered between the leaves,
making me squint already.

Zach stopped me before I got a good
look at the enormous building way off in the distance. He looked
down at me, something not quite definable lingering in his eyes.
His fingers feathered along my jaw line, and I shivered.

His face was only inches from mine. If
I leaned in at all, our lips would touch. I stepped
back.

He shut his eyes tight and turned away
from me. “My people have prepared a small celebration in your
honor. I know you are tired, but I would appreciate it if you
would—”

I rested my hand on his upper arm. “Of
course. I will do my best to appear happy.”

His eyes fell to the ground. “Thank
you.”

I squeezed his arm. “I will also do my
best to make this work, Zach. I care about you, but I just
need—”

He nodded. “We should get going. Fexlie
will send the giants after us if we don’t hurry.”