Blood Debt (Touched Series Book 1) (15 page)

The ceremony was remarkably short.  It mirrored every other wedding I’d ever attended until the very last announcement was made, “The two joined here today
are now one in our kingdom’s eyes
.  W
elcome them into our
home.  Should one perish before the other, remember Hylonome’s sacrifice when Cyllarus was lost in battle against the Lapiths.  Neither will now breath
e
without the other.”

Not having a clue who Hylonome or Cyllarus were
,
I made a mental note to do some research.  Will’s words echoed in my mind from the other night – that he and Gretchen had been on the outs when he met my mother – everything I’d heard since then sounded like that wasn’t really an option.  I’d give it some time then ask Gretchen a little more.  As thrilled as I was to finally have someone to call “Dad,” I still wasn’t convinced he was for real.  Sure a living, breathing person, you bet – but I
had a nagging feeling that something
still
didn’t feel right
. 
This final s
tatement
of the wedding vows seemed ominous, unwavering
. 
I wonder
ed
if I was taking this vow too literally
.

I didn’t have long to consider the vows or what my father had done
twenty-three
years before – because within minutes a full
-
blown party erupted.  The men
who
had introduced themselves to me in the house
,
Chris and
Gus,
and a slew of others after the ceremony
each t
ook
his
turn with me on the dance floor.  Although a lot of fun, it wasn’t the best venue to get to know potential
husbands
or even potential
boyfriends
. 

The dance floor had been assembled in a wooded area with
lights
beautifully strung from the trees.  I staggered off the makeshift dance floor after my sixth partner had
cut
in,
introduced himself, told me about his lineage.  I decided to find one of my obviously absent brothers, thinking it might be more fun to dance with one of them over a desperate Centaur looking
for a wife
. 

I felt a hand wrap itself around my forearm and pull.  The shock of being pulled forward
made me stumble
a
s
I
end
ed
up eye
-
to
-
eye with my mother’s jilted ex-fiancé
.  My
mouth gap
ed open
,
and my eyes
were wide
.  He hissed, “Well, aren’t you the little
Homecoming Queen
?”

Chapter 12

My eyes narrowed
,
and I didn’t try to camouflage the venom in my voice, “Get your hand off me before I remove it.”

Although his grip loosened, he didn’t release my arm.  “Show some respect, you wretched little . . .” He didn’t finish his sentence as Will was suddenly standing beside us, eyes blazing.  He kept his words to himself but stared at
Kyle
– as if the two men
were both considering their next move. 
  When
,
after
a full minute
,
no words were spoken
,
you could nearly cut the air with a knife and fork.  Finally
,
Will’s eyes fell to Kyle’s hand
,
still wrapped around my forearm. 

Kyle’s voice was full of hate,
“She may belong to you
, Will
, but
remember that
I choose her fate.”

Will’s response was strong and commanding,
“Kyle, I told you I would be willing to mee
t with you and discuss the debt owed to you.
  You choose nothing.”

Kyle’s grip tightened
on my arm a
gain
,
and I couldn’t imagine what was going though his mind
, “I’m sure we’ll come up with something that is mutually beneficial.”

These two would have continued to talk about me like I wasn’t actually there if I’d let them.  I wrenched my arm away from Kyle’s hand, put my back to Will and glared at Kyle while I spit out, “I owe you nothing.  My mother made a choice more than two decades ago that you weren’t good enough for her.  Get over it already.”

I could still feel the burn on my forearm from his grip
as
Kyle returned my glare
.  In a calm, hateful voice he said
, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

My adrenaline was coursing through my blood when I nearly shouted,
“I know that if you had been half the man you pretend to
b
e, you’d be my father.  Instead you’re trying to intimidate me and my father – it’s not going to happen
,
Slick.” 

The words were no sooner out of my mouth
when
I felt my feet lifted off the ground and wind against my face.  I saw nothing but a blur of trees and bushes for
five
full
seconds
until
I was gently put back on the ground.  The sensation had been so
foreign
my senses couldn’t give me a good explanation of what had just happened.  My feet
were
firmly back on the ground, my body upright
,
and two warm hands were on each of my shoulders.  I looked up into the eyes of the person
who
had flown with me at ground level
.  It was the third time I’d seen those light blue eyes tonight
: 
Drake stared down into mine.  His hands on my shoulders were warm
; h
e was close enough that I drank in his cologne.  I recognized the scent immediately
- Calvin Klein’s Eternity, the same fragrance I bought for Daniel
.  I
t was my favorite. 

His eyes
held me for longer than they should have
: 
he must have realized when his gaze quickly dropped to the ground
.
 
Still furious at Kyle, I didn’t have
much time to
process what had just happened.  “What did you do that for?  Better yet, what did you just do?  Where are we?”

“Camille . . . I’m sorry . . . I was listening.”

“And?”

“
You aren’t accustomed to our ways
.  Y
our words might as well have been a sword.  Kyle would have struck you down on sight.  I just moved you out of his way.”

“You moved me? 
How?  Can you fly?”

He shook his head and chuckled, “No, I can’t fly.  I ran, but it feels a little like flight, doesn’t it?”

“
Where are we?”

Drake
abruptly
let go of my shoulders
.  H
e must have remembered the no touching policy.  “A mile to the west of your home.”

“A mile?”  I couldn’t shield the disbelief from my voice, “So you just snapped your fingers and we’re suddenly
a
mile
away?”

Drake shook his head, “I didn’t snap my fingers
. 
I just told you,
I
picked you up and
ran.”

I couldn’t believe he had done that, and I wasn’t pleased that he had scooped me up while I was trying to make a point with Kyle Richardson.  “Why would you do that?  I was in the middle of a conversation.”

“I’m not sure.  I was. . .I was worried what he might do to you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

Drake shook his head, “Not against a Centaur.  We’re all warriors
. 
I had to get you away from him.”

“But why?”

“Centaurs are unpredictable when they’re angry.  I couldn’t let him lash out at you
. 
I didn’t know if your father would be fast enough to stop Mr. Richardson.”

I knew Drake had the best of inten
t
ions
.  H
e believed I needed his protection and gave it to me willingly, twice.  I hadn’t asked for his help either time.
  I didn’t even know I need
ed
his help the second time.
  I couldn’t help but acknowledge that his fast action definitely kept me from being a bloody mess earlier
,
and maybe even a second time at the hand of Kyle Richardson.  “Well, thanks.”  I stretched up on my tip toes and gave him a kiss on his cheek.  

Drake took a step back from me and placed his palm over the side of his face, cradling it as if I’d just slapped him.  His eyes looked like blue saucers as I made a mental note that it’s not okay to shake hands
or
kiss a betrothed Centaur’s cheek
as a “thank you
.
”
 
He didn’t need to say it;
I could see how badly I’d offended him written all over his face.
 

Before he had the chance to chastise me for yet another “Camille misstep,” a
nother blur to my right appeared
: 
B
rent
with
a worried look on his face.  “Good save, Drake.  But you’d better get back.  You don’t want Bianca to find out you swooped in and saved Camille, twice.  I
’ve
got
her
.”  Drake nodded and took a
nother
step away from me.
  He glanced at me again
;
it looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind at the last second.  I watched him lower his head and disappear into the night.

“Okay, B
rent
, what the hell is going on?”

“I think that’s pretty obvious.  Dad was trying to work a deal with Kyle
Richardson
to come to terms on your blood debt
,
and you pretty much sliced the guy wide open and started shoving big fat salt pellets into
his wounds
.  Good job, Camille.”  His words were harsh but
his tone was
amused.

“So is Will . . .
,
I mean
,
is Dad . . . pissed?”

“Shocked is probably a better description.  I doubt you’ll be included in any of their discussions anymore.”

“Level with me, B
rent
.  Is what
my
m
om did that big of a deal?”

B
rent
’s humor drained in that instant.  “Yes.  Choosing a partner is sacred.  You don’t get to choose and then change your mind.  I think Mr. Richardson is a certifiable jackass
,
but
your mom
broke one of the seven tenants.  It is fully within his right to collect a blood debt.”

“
I keep hearing that, but
humor me: 
what
,
exactly
, is a
blood debt
?”

B
rent
motioned to a rock planted on the ground.  I sat down
while
he squatted in the grass beside me.  “A blood debt happens when someone in our society has been so incredibly wronged it affects their blood line.  In human terms it is closest to
premeditated murder. 
If I had wronged another Centaur and owed a
blood debt
, it would literally be a death
sentence for me. 
Lucky for you, t
here are so few
female Centaurs
in the world that no one would collect it against a woman.  But your mom really did wrong Mr. Richardson
.  I
t was within his right to take the life of someone in her family.”
  If I had to pay a blood debt for my mom, could one of my brothers be forced to pay it?  I shuddered at the thought.

“But, that was
over
twenty years ago
.  W
hy now?”

“I wish I knew, Camille.  When Dad pulled us all together and told us
the whole story,
no one could believe that he hadn’t exacted his revenge when it all happened.  Maybe he didn’t because your mom went into hiding or something.  It doesn’t make sense
.  R
eality is that Dad will do everything he can, but
,
ultimately
,
it’s up to Mr. Richardson.”