Dark Matter (18 page)

He sent another one my way for me to be
quiet. Try as I might I couldn’t get my mouth to work. I glared at
him, and suddenly I was cross-eyed. I lifted my uninjured hand and
gave him the finger. My fist closed tight. If I didn’t stop it I
was going to end up twisted like a pretzel. Then just like that I
was released, and he was near the door.

I spun around to shout at him, but I
was off balance. I caught myself on my injured hand and yelped
expecting pain to burst up my arm, but my hand didn’t hurt
anymore.

I clenched my fingers into a fist and
released them twelve times. Not even an ounce of stiffness
remained. What had he done to me?

I was summoned about an hour later. I
had been primped in record speed. Lysanne had been in a frenzy
trying to get me ready on time. I hadn’t dared an attempt at
small-talk even though it would have eased my shredded nerves. She
had blinked a glittering gown onto my frame seconds after she
dowsed me with a fae shower. My hair was swept up into a
complicated array of twists and curls with strands of jewels woven
throughout.

I didn’t know why Lysanne was
bothering. Didn’t she know that Tabitha was blind? And it wasn’t as
if Heath cared anymore.

She was puffing perfume onto my throat
when the pageboy came for me. Even he walked stiffly as if his
whole career as a pageboy rested on him getting me safely to the
Great Hall. But he didn’t lead me there. I was taken to the
east-wing arena.

The place was decorated as if for a
wedding. I cringed at the thought.

In the middle of the lawn, enormous
roots and flowering vines jutted out of the grass in a complicated
archway. A lattice work of the same vines crisscrossed overhead
creating an intimate feel. Even from here I could smell the heady
aroma of roses. The columns were covered in ivy and the whole place
looked like an enchanted garden forgotten by time. It was beautiful
and terrifying just like most everything fae.

The pageboy turned toward me. “Wait
here.” He hurried away as if his feet had grown wheels.

I stood there for a few moments with my
eyes closed just breathing in the heavenly scent. That was when I
heard the hushed tones of angry voices. I glanced around, but I
didn’t see anyone. I followed the sound even though I knew it would
be better for me if I just stayed put.

I kept checking behind me just in case
someone else arrived. For some reason, I felt like a kid trying to
eavesdrop on my parents. The sounds clarified into words the closer
I came to the wall, but I couldn’t see a doorway.

I heard Heath’s voice raised in
apparent anger. “Why did you bring him if you had no intension of
tying them together? You ask too much of me.” Had she brought Jett
after all?

Tabitha’s normally wild voice was calm
at the moment. “She has to think she has a choice. I will not
remind you of the pledge you made when you accepted your calling as
lord of fire. I would think you would want what is best for your
realm.”

“
She doesn’t even like me.
Our union would be doomed from the start. Will you not
reconsider?”

“
Levi is not
ready.”

Heath wanted to dump me on to Levi?
Over my dead body.

Their voices lowered as if they knew I
was listening. I leaned closer and put my ear to the
stones.

The wall disintegrated under the touch
of my fingers, and I went sprawling into a tiny room. Heath groaned
the moment he saw me.

“
How good of you to join us,
Rayla,” said Tabitha.

“
How dare you discuss my
future without me.”

She laughed, but it wasn’t the violent
sound I had associated with her. It was actually pleasant and
soft.

I tried to retreat when she came
closer, but the wall was back blocking my escape. When I focused on
drifting out of the room my mind suddenly went blank, and I
couldn’t remember what I had been doing. She reached out and took
my hands into hers.

Her cold fingers held mine lightly. “I
fully intended to fill you in on everything. I know you had hoped
to choose from Luthais and Ammon, but I am afraid that may no
longer be possible.”

I gritted my teeth trying to control my
temper. “Don’t you get tired of telling people how to live their
life?”

She tilted her head as if she was
considering my question. “I do actually, but that is neither here
nor there. I do what I must for my people.”

“
Well then, you shouldn’t
blame me for doing the same.”

She stepped away from me. It wasn’t as
if I was going anywhere. Her pale face flushed with color. “I know
what you see when you look at me, little one. I am a tyrant who
takes pleasure in the pain of others. What you don’t realize is
that there is good reason for all I do.”

“
If that’s true then you
won’t mind explaining to me why you pushed me into a corner the
last time we were together. You seemed to be enjoying my pain quite
a bit then. If I’d had more time I would have been able to decide,
but you wouldn’t even listen.”

The muscles in her face hardened. “I
thought if you were forced to choose you would make the decision
closest to your heart. I had no idea you would flee. The truth of
the matter is I don’t see much when it comes to you.”

“
Are you saying you never
actually intended to make me bond with Jett?”

“
Your connection to him was
unmistakable. It was stronger than the other two.”

“
You’re
delusional.”

She gave me an incredulous expression.
“I may be many things, but delusional isn’t one of them. You see,
most Elementals come to us already attached to the lord they will
be bound to. Just like your friend Jessica. She and her bondmate
are enjoying a peaceful union. You have been different from the
beginning, and it is not because you are the nexus.”

Heath made a strangled sound. I had
nearly forgotten he was with us.

“
What’s wrong?” I asked. He
was staring at me as if he had just discovered a new species. His
expression was eighty percent fear, twenty percent
wonder.

He tried to compose himself, but he
wasn’t doing a great job of it. “Please, forget I’m
here.”

Tabitha laughed and shook her finger at
him. “Keeping secrets does no good, Heath.”

“
What’s going
on?”

She turned toward me, her pale eyes
intent on mine. “He didn’t actually believe you were the
Nexus.”

Chapter
Thirteen

She had to be mistaken. Heath had been
pursuing me for one reason only: power. Even though I had tried to
romanticize his intentions, he had made his motivations clear. I
was sure that was why he had come on to me so strongly in the
beginning. I had also assumed it was why he didn’t want me anymore.
I figured he had glimpsed what was inside of me and was either too
afraid to continue or underwhelmed.

Tabitha shot a strange expression my
way. “Is that what he told you?”

“
I can speak for myself,” he
said, folding his arms over his chest as if the gesture provided a
measure of protection.

I gave him a mock smile. “You said to
ignore you.”

He shook his head at me. His beautiful
eyes pierced mine. “I said to forget I was here. There is a
difference.”

On whose planet? “Only if you are using
a compulsion.”

Tabitha cleared her throat. She had a
slight smile on her lips as if she was amused by our bantering.
“Rayla, there is something you should know. The longer you wait to
bond with someone the harder the process will be on
you.”

I didn’t like where this was headed and
from the look on his face, neither did Heath. “Harder but not
impossible,” I replied firmly.

“
Correct,” she said.
“However, that is not our only concern. You are vulnerable right
now. Your power is unfocused and volatile. If the wrong person were
able to bond with you, the consequences would be disastrous for all
of us: humans and fae alike.”

“
And by the wrong sort of
person, you are implying Ai—”

“
Don’t say her name,” Heath
said, lifting a hand to cover my mouth.

I tried to move, but he caught my face
between his hands. Tempting as it was to bite him, I kept my teeth
to myself. “Got it already,” I tried to say, but it sounded all
wrong.

He gave me a small smile and lowered
his hand then backed away from me nonchalantly.

Tabitha’s expression was as serious as
I had ever seen it. “Heath has made known to me what happened
between the two of you. I have attempted to reassure him, but he is
not willing to take my word for it. I called you here to perform a
demonstration.”

Great. This was getting worse by the
second.

“
You see,” she continued. “I
believe that particular courtesan was able to access a small part
of your power while you and Heath were otherwise engaged. She was
able to compel him because of the bond you two shared.”

What bond? Was she really
implying—

“
There are different levels
of bonding,” she said, interrupting my thoughts. “Heath, why don’t
you show her?”

I gazed up warily at him as he moved
closer to me. My heart stuttered and my breath caught. He hadn’t
been this close to me since that fateful day outside the castle
walls. He tilted my chin higher. His lips captured mine and
lingered in a light embrace as if he was hesitant to take it any
farther. He pushed my hair off my shoulder and cradled my neck,
nestling his fingers against my scalp. His tongue tasted mine,
exploring, pulling away, exploring again. Pretty soon, I stopped
paying attention to what he was doing and focused more on how it
made me feel.

Even though I hadn’t meant to, I
relaxed into him, fully enjoying his closeness. Bright light
pierced my eyelids. When I opened my eyes the room was aglow with
illuminated particles in every color imaginable as if someone had
thrown a dusty curtain open in Rainbow Bright’s house.

Heath took that opportunity to pull me
even closer. I was lost in the moment and didn’t protest. I felt as
if we were dancing again. His body and mine had fused into one
being. I wanted to stay like this forever. I wanted the world to go
away and leave me alone with this amazing man. I wanted
to….

Zings of electricity slithered over my
skin. Heath screamed, falling to his knees, clutching his scull
between his hands, looking at me with accusing eyes as if I was the
cause of his pain.

I whirled toward Tabitha who wore an
innocent expression like an Olympic gymnast wore a leotard. “Stop,”
I hissed, but Heath continued to scream.

“
Make me,” she said
evenly.

I walked over to her and decked her
where she stood.

So maybe assaulting the religious
leader of the Fae had been the wrong choice, but it had worked. The
moment she went sprawling, Heath stopped his horrible screaming. I
bent to check on him, but he was unconscious.

I glanced over at her. She was rubbing
her jaw with a stunned expression on her face.

“
What did you do to him?” I
asked.

“
I should be the one to ask
you that question. I hadn’t done anything except enter your mind. I
was about to have him lift you into his arms and carry you to the
archway outside when he started screaming.” She crouched near
us.

“
But why did you say to make
you stop if you weren’t actually doing anything?”

“
I thought you could feel my
presence.”

Lame excuse if you asked me. There was
more to this than what she was admitting.

I pulled Heath’s head onto my lap and
checked for obvious damage. Had I hurt him without knowing what I
was doing? He’d never want to come near me again.

Maybe that was for the best. I had
gotten carried away again. What was it about him that made me lose
all inhibition?

“
What do you mean by that,
Rayla?” Tabitha asked.

I sighed. “It’s silly really. I made a
promise to myself that I would never lose control with a man until
I am married.” I tried to hide what had happened with Brody, but
the thoughts flowed out of my hidden compartment faster than I had
time to fortify it.

“
I see,” she said. “Has
anything like this ever happened before?”

“
Not that I
recall.”

She let out a long staggered breath.
“It was probably just a safety mechanism. The elements could have
felt your resolve slipping and helped you out.”

Had my resolve slipped? How would I
know? I had been too wrapped up in enjoying him.

Heath’s eyes blinked open then focused
on me. He still looked dazed, but he was also pissed. He sat up and
scooted away from me. “What the hell was that?”

“
I…I’m sorry,” I said
lamely.

He gaped at me. “Why did you blast me
like that?”