Dark Matter (19 page)

“
It wasn’t on purpose,” I
huffed.

He looked over at Tabitha as if for
help. She just shrugged.

She stood up and offered a hand. I
accepted, still a little shaken from what had just
happened.

I hadn’t really felt her in my mind
just like Ainessa, but I was beginning to wonder if Ainessa was
more powerful than Tabitha. The thought made my insides frost
over.

There was a strange sort of electrical
burn that hung in the air and it was making my stomach churn.
Tabitha waved her hand in front of me, and all I could smell now
was vanilla.

A sneeze escaped me, followed by
another then another. She tried again. Now the scent of fresh cut
melons clung to my senses. My mouth began to water.

“
We’d best get this over
with,” said Tabitha.

“
What do you mean?” I asked
hesitantly.

“
After a bit of negotiation,
Heath has agreed to bond with you.”

Blood rushed away from my face and pool
in my belly. I had known that was the reason I had been summoned
here, but I still couldn’t believe she was expecting me to just
bond with whomever she saw fit to inflict upon me.

“
My child, I’d hardly call
what I just witnessed a punishment.”

I flinched but still looked at both of
them. Heath appeared content with the situation. What exactly was
he getting out of this deal? Knowing him, it wouldn’t be a small
thing. “What did he ask for?”

Tabitha shook her head. “That is not my
secret to reveal.”

I turned toward him with a questioning
look. He just raised a brow. “Like I’d tell you that.”

“
What do I get out of the
deal then?”

Heath lifted his chin. “Protection.”
When I gave him an incredulous look he added, “And training. You
need to learn how to focus your energy.” He rubbed his temples
gingerly. “That hurt, you know!”

I glanced away from him. Even though he
probably wouldn’t believe it, I didn’t want to harm him. I just
wasn’t sure I trusted myself to be bound to him. Jett had already
told me that a bond could be overridden by a stronger connection so
I wasn’t really worried about being stuck with him for the rest of
my life in the fae realms. What bothered me was I didn’t really
know how I felt about him. What if I came to realize I wanted him,
but he didn’t want me in return?

Tabitha cocked her head as if she was
studying me. “What is it you desire, Rayla?”

Words like happiness and my family
crossed my mind, but my thoughts landed on something more important
at the moment.

“
That is not
wise.”

I steeled my expression even though I
knew she couldn’t see it and said, “I don’t care. Those are my
terms.”

Heath gave me what was supposed to be a
cursory glance, but I could tell his curiosity was eating at his
insides. He looked away from me when I didn’t elaborate. He’d find
out soon enough anyway.

Tabitha didn’t ask if I was sure of my
decision after that. She went to ordering servants about. A feast
was on its way and the arena was in full bloom.

Cassie passed under the cathedral
entryway with a bewildered expression. She walked up to me and gave
me a quick hug. “You look beautiful, Rayla.”

“
Thanks. Right back at you,”
I said, leading her over to the archway. “You’re just in
time.”

She took my hands between hers. “Finn
explained everything to me. This may not be your dream wedding, but
it looks like the fairytale we always talked about.”

It was. I’d made sure of that. Birds
chirped overhead. Doves to be precise. Soft music played in the
background, a collection of her favorite Chopin pieces. Beautiful
women in exotic gowns waited eagerly in the audience accompanied by
dashing men with bored looks on their faces.

She gazed up at the glowing roof that
looked like a summer’s sky and said, “I just wish that you loved
him.”

“
That’s not the point today,
Cass.”

She looked at me with wide questioning
eyes, “Why not? What’s happened? You seem different. Don’t tell me
you actually want to bond with him now?”

Just then Finn entered the room dressed
to the nines in traditional Ignisian garb. He had on a bright green
belted tunic with a fur overcoat. His trousers were formfitting and
were tucked into long brown leather boots. His hair was set free
just for the occasion and flowed down his back in thick waves. Two
braids hung from over his temples. His tawny eyes landed on Cassie
and a slow smile parted his mouth.

She looked from him to me. “Why is Finn
so happy?”

I laughed. “He’s about to bond with the
most amazing woman in the world.”

She gasped, “Are you saying…really?”
she squealed. Her eyes filled with tears making them as bright as
the dome above us.

I nodded, trying to keep my own tears
at bay and pushed her under the archway. She looked back at me with
wonder in her gaze.

Heath strode past me, touching my
shoulder. “This is a good thing you have done.”

I smiled wider than I had in months. My
heart felt as if it would split from too much joy. Tabitha stood in
front of Finn and Cassie. She glanced at me as if giving me a
second chance to change my mind. I shook my head fractionally. She
shifted her attention to the two people that deserved
it.

“
Bonding is the highest
honor a fae can accept. May your strength magnify your house and
all that dwell within. May your union be unbreakable. May you grow
together as the vines of the valley and the roots of the earth. May
your hearts beat as one.” She bowed her head. The whole
congregation followed. “May the creator bless your
union.”

I did as everyone else, glancing at
Heath for guidance. He had a slight smirk on his mouth and I
wondered what he was thinking.

A hush settled over the crowd as Finn
took Cassie’s hands in his. He brought them delicately to his lips
and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Before I could blink, Cassie
was in his arms. He kissed her so intimately I should have turned
away but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The room grew brighter
as amber light gathered around them like fireflies dancing on the
wind. Cassie pulled him closer and the glow intensified until I
couldn’t look at them anymore. It was like gazing into the sun on a
cloudless day. Suddenly, a shockwave ricocheted outward, blowing
loose curls around my face.

The light regressed and that was when I
realized it was sinking into Cassie’s skin. It was the most amazing
thing I had ever seen. Her face tightened as if by surprise then
relaxed on an exhale. She smiled up at Finn with absolute love in
her eyes. “That was incredible!” She glanced back at me, but her
smile faltered moments before she collapsed in Finn’s
arms.

I screamed her name, racing to her
side, praying Tabitha hadn’t been right. Had I just killed my best
friend?

Finn shook her shoulders and slapped
her cheeks gently. Her body lay limp against him. I saw that she
was still breathing, but my stomach clenched and I gagged. I made
it over to the walkway before I lost everything I’d eaten that
day.

I glanced over to where Cassie had
been, but she and Finn were gone. The crowd was dispersing and the
hum in the room with them. After a moment Heath and I were the only
people left. This had been a disaster.

I couldn’t bring myself to ask the
question, but I didn’t have to. “She’ll be fine. Tabitha is
attending to her. She is the greatest healer we have.”

“
What happened?”

He shrugged. “If I had to guess, I’d
say Cassie’s body wasn’t quite strong enough to accept the bond,
but what do I know? She could have just fainted from
overexcitement.”

I hoped he was right. I would never
forgive myself if I had harmed my best friend. “Where did they take
her?”

He reached for my hand. “I’ll show
you.”

When we entered Cassie’s suite she was
resting against a pile of pillows. Her skin was paler than usual,
but her cheeks were bright pink as if she had just been pinched.
Heath shut the door behind us, locking out the group that waited
for word. He took two steps then turned around and opened the door
again. All I could hear were whispers, but the people were leaving
when he came back into the room.

I pulled a chair over to her bedside
and lowered myself onto it. “How are you feeling?” I whispered, not
really sure I wanted to know if it was bad news.

“
Quite a bit better.” She
squinted at me. “Why do you look so upset? Has something happened
between you two?”

I hadn’t even noticed Heath’s hand
resting on the back of my chair. We shared a glance, but I quickly
looked away. This day wasn’t over, and I had promised I would be
bound to him by nightfall. At least I had an idea of what to expect
now.

I gave Cassie a small smile. “You
scared me to death. I thought you were a goner, and I was going to
have to face Finn’s wrath without you to back me up.”

Finn laughed from over in the corner.
He was carrying a stack of clothes into the closet. I blushed at
the realization that for all intents and purposes Cassie was a
married woman.

As if she’d read my mind, she said,
“Would you two mind giving Rayla and me a few minutes?”

Finn looked confused, but Heath just
cleared his throat. “Let’s go get a drink. These two will have much
to discuss, I’m sure.”

He gave me a wink and joined Finn at
the door. Finn looked at Cassie as if he didn’t ever want to leave
her, and when I faced her she held the exact same expression, as if
they were already one soul.

The door closed softly and she sighed.
“Thank you, Rayla.”

“
I didn’t do anything,” I
said even though I knew she would never believe me.

She didn’t push the issue. Her features
brightened. “I still think I’m going to wake up any moment and
realize I’m just in my bed in Utah.” She fell back on the pile of
pillows dramatically. “I’m married.” The wistful expression on her
face shifted to horror. “What would my mom say?”

I laughed. Amy Lambert would be pissed.
She had been planning Cassie’s wedding since the day she had her.
She even had a Cathedral booked from now until eternity. She paid
the exorbitant amount gladly every year just to know her baby could
be married in the same church she had been. “You’ll just have to
have a mortal ceremony too. Who knows? Maybe you’ll start a
tradition.”

She chuckled, but her eyes filled with
tears. “I don’t know where my mom is, Rayla. Dad took her away when
all the ruckus happened at home. I can’t be sure she is still
alive.”

The thought made my blood turn to ice
in my veins. “Even he isn’t capable of something so
horrendous.”

“
You didn’t see him. It was
if I was looking at a stranger who occupied my dad’s body. He was
so cold toward me. I never want to see him again.”

“
You don’t mean
that.”

“
I’m afraid I’d kill him if
he came around again. He put me through hell and for
what?”

I just nodded gravely, not knowing what
else to say. Time to change the subject. “So are you scared?” I
asked feeling almost shy about the subject that had dominated many
of our conversations within the last couple of years. Cassie was a
woman. Twenty years old was plenty old enough to have sex, but it
was still a mystery to both of us.

“
A little, but I’m more
excited than anything. I’m going to get to wake up in Finn’s arms
tomorrow and more tomorrow’s after that than I can even count. What
more could I want?”

Children, I mused, but I didn’t say it
out loud. I wanted to see her this happy for eternity. I just hoped
I wouldn’t have to witness her smile turn to bitter tears of loss
when she was taken back to the human realm. I snapped those
thoughts off, determined not to focus on gloom.

“
I’d better let you get
ready. You have to promise to tell me all about it.”

She crossed her heart as I stood up. I
squeezed her hand and let myself out. I had my own preparations to
make. I just hope I had time to find Lysanne.

Chapter
Fourteen

I spotted Lysanne in the garden. It
seemed to be her favorite place.

“
Hi,” I said, sitting beside
her on the bench.

The fish were active today. They were
jumping out of the water trying to catch flies between their razor
sharp teeth.

She nodded at me, taking note of my
frazzled state. “I am surprised to see you here. I had assumed you
would be indisposed tonight. I should have made sure your needs
were met before I took my leave.”

I glanced at her. “Don’t apologize. I’m
fine. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions.”

“
Certainly,” she said with a
quizzical look in her eyes.

“
I haven’t actually bonded
with Heath yet, and I wanted to know if you have seen many
bondings?”