Nolan's Evolution (10 page)

"So please indulge us. Tell us about Raina." These words came from Emmanuel. That cruelty was still in his eyes and Nolan did not trust him.

Nolan hesitated. "She's a beautiful person. I'm not sure how much Joseph has told you but I've never been one to give into the draw of relationships, or into attractions. I always befriended mortals and enjoyed their company. I've never had one affect me like Raina." A slow smile parted his lips. "She's been my one true temptation in life. She's the reason I'm here."

Isaac laughed softly. "So, you're running from the little mortal? Joseph has told us that she is quite the beauty. Not in the mortal sense, but her aura is like none other. She is selfless this Raina?"

Nolan smiled. "Yes, she is quite selfless. I wish I could say the same about myself."

"You running was a selfless act," Isaac assured him. "You know in our kind that not all of us can be so self-deprecating when it comes to temptation. Our senses are heightened our emotions sometimes uncontrollable. I myself have had to judge many an immortal for giving in to what you ran from."

Joseph gave a grunt of an agreement.

This caused Isaac to look toward him.

"What say you? Do you take Nolan's act as unselfish?"

Joseph's warm brown eyes lifted and sincerity could be read across his face. "Oh yes. I am this boys changer and I've known him all of his immortal life. He has always stayed to himself, resisted any kind of temptation thrown his way. Until this girl became a part of his life. He talks about being unhappy when he became an immortal; she brought him happiness."

Isaac drew in a breath and nodded as if suddenly understanding it all. "And now I see she brings you unhappiness. Have you not considered petitioning for her immortality?"

"No!" Nolan growled and shook his head vehemently.

Isaac cleared his throat, ignoring the growl. "Have you asked her how she feels about that?"

"Raina needs to live a life; a real life.”

"Do you despise your own kind that much Nolan? It seems to me that she cares a great deal about our kind. I've listened to Jonathan. I've listened to Joseph. She definitely would be a great help to us." Isaac stopped to think for a moment. "But we don't know if her effects on you are because of her mortality or if it is a true gift that Raina has."

Nolan kept his silence. He just wanted to get on with this. "When does my training begin?" He changed the subject.

"We have another healer here. The man that Joseph said that you should meet? He is here. You will not be the only one in the studies. We want to see if each healer is the same or if different healers have different gifts. You will get to know him well. He has been an immortal for over three hundred years now and has had lots of experience. We are hoping that he will provide you with the knowledge of that experience. I believe you will learn a great deal from him."

Isaac stood then and reached his hand out to Nolan.

Nolan took it and felt the firm squeeze to his fingers.

"You will do well, Nolan. Now, go rest. Your training begins tomorrow."

That had been a month ago. Nolan had met the other healer and he liked him. True to Isaac’s word he did learn a lot from him.

Outside of studies they ate together. They talked together. And the kinship was forming. Nolan didn't feel so freakishly alone in his gifts. He began to accept some of what had been gifted to him. Joseph knew this would happen.

Had he been waiting for this opportunity? He knew Raina was a catalyst. He knew Raina had opened up so many other emotions that allowed him to be at the point he was right now. Is that how he knew to add the healer to his life? He’d even brought this up to Joseph, but Joseph assured him he had not known of the other healer beforehand.

Nolan, shook off the first day revere and walked down the hall toward the kitchen. He could do with a good strong cup of coffee.

As he neared the kitchen, he heard voices. They were muffled, so muffled his strong hearing could not decide who they belonged to. By the time he'd reached the doorway and realized who the voices were it was too late to turn back around. Jonathan he could deal with. It was Elenora's presence that he did not want to deal with now.

"Well now, there's my handsome boy." Her dark eyes traveled from the top of his head all the way down to the tips of his shoes. "You're looking good, Nolan. This training seems to be suiting you."

Nolan gave a polite nod and went for the coffee. "Good morning," he greeted. He didn't want to be too unpleasant.

"I didn’t just come to socialize,” she purred. ”I do need you for something. I have a financial venture that's come up and I want to know if it's a good investment." Elenora sidled up to him. She tugged playfully at his T-shirt and gave them a winning smile. "Do you think you can help me?"

Nolan took a deep swallow of coffee from the cup he had just poured. He shook his head trying to hide a smile. "Unfortunately no, I can't help you. Our Sovereignty has decided that I must remain here and my focus should only be on healing. So I have to say no."

Jonathan smirked …he didn’t even try to hide his reaction. He patted the top of the sister’s head. "Poor sister. Guess I have to find a poor and highly susceptible man to hit on. Nolan's off-limits." He seemed to relish those words. "Well, it looks like you lost again…if not to Our Sovereignty than to pretty little Raina. I'm sure Nolan agrees with me." He gave Nolan a knowing smile.

Jonathan would always be team Raina.

Nolan gave Jonathan a glance. Sometimes he hated that his friend could read his thoughts and knew his feelings but in this he quite enjoyed it. He let Jonathan know with his own thoughts that he completely agreed.

"Yes, well little Raina is not here is she? So who's the winner now brother?" She set a hand on her hip and gave her brother a haughty look. She also reached a hand over to caress the length of Nolan’s arm.

Nolan took half a step so that he was out of her reach.

Jonathan shook his head. "Certainly not you sister. Because you know I can read thoughts. And I can guarantee that you are not in his." Jonathan gave his own haughty look back.

Nolan chuckled. “Well, I hate to leave this riveting conversation, but I have work to do.” He gave a nod, turning about to go find his fellow healer. They'd be starting training soon. He was actually excited about today's training. He'd found out that they were going to be bringing in an actual ill person. Previously they had just used other immortals but to use a mortal would be a different kind of healing. A mortal didn't heal as quickly as the immortal. They couldn’t handle as much of the power either. He had learned this especially while healing Raina. He’d been so gentle and she had responded so well. Yes, he was looking forward to working with mortals again. His step lightened as he started down the hall.

He nearly groaned as he realized that he was being followed and it wasn't Jonathan following him. It was her… that she devil. "I really need to get to my meeting." Nolan continued without even looking at her.

"I haven't been here all these weeks and I haven't seen you once. I've missed you. I hate that I’m being ignored."

"Well you will have to get used to it. I can't be at your beck and call now! Besides, you have your way! I'm not around Raina. I don't understand why you feel the necessity to claim me. I have never given you one ounce of encouragement to be as you are with me. Elenora I will never be yours." He glared at her with those silver eyes, unflinching anger showing in them. "And you've made damn sure that I can never be hers either."

Elenora blinked in surprise. Nolan rarely raised his voice for any reason. She wondered if this training was a pressured him. She didn't like being yelled at especially by him.

"Well there's no reason to be testy Nolan Gregor! Why must you be so mean to me?" She shook her head at him. "You forget my dear that I still have a few tricks in my pocket. You act as though she's immune to danger because I signed some silly contract."

"You say that so flippantly as though we don't have some sort of law or way of retaliation Elenora. In case you haven't noticed I happen to have great favor with those who could see to your discipline. So don't even think of harming her. I will know who did it." He turned toward her in the hallway and again set her with that silver glare. "I stay away from her now for her protection. The only place I want to be is with her. So if I will give up my time with her in order to protect her do you think I will allow anyone else to hurt her in any way? Try me. You will be utterly disappointed."

Elenora rolled her eyes. "What do you see in her? She's not even that pretty, Nolan. She's rather boring if you ask me."

Nolan scowled. "She's far lovelier than any person I have ever known. And you don't know her if you call her boring. I don't have to explain my attraction to her. I don't have to stand here and tell you how far my devotion goes for her. All I have to say to you is that she has something you never had and never will have. The ugliness in you prevents that."

He knew he was being unkind but he really didn't care. The pressure he was under now, the sadness of not being with her, the emptiness… he really had nothing to lose. "Now, why don’t you just hop on your little broom and get on out of here? I don't have time for this." He turned and marched off before she could even give a reply.

He was in a foul mood when he entered the room where their meeting would commence. He set his coffee down a little too firmly splashing coffee on his own wrist. He swore under his breath and glanced over at the other healer. He fell into his chair and rubbed his face tiredly. "Sorry, just ran into someone I rather would have not seen ever."

Nolan's fellow healer gave them smile. "Oh so you saw her?" He already knew the story behind the she-devil and Raina. He shook his head sadly. "Some people just will never learn. But you're beyond that now, Nolan, to let her distract you. Don't let her worry you. Thanatos is taking care of Raina."

Nolan glanced over with surprise. He hadn't realized his concern over Raina was so obvious. He gave a sheepish grin. "I'll try not to worry about her but it's probably the most difficult thing I've ever done. She has a penchant of getting herself in trouble when it comes to concerning herself over me."

"I know how my girl can be too. It's funny how fragile those little mortals seem. But she has surprised me more than once."

Again Nolan was surprised. He studied the other healer for a moment and tilted his head. "You mean your wife...she's mortal? I… I would have never guessed. How does that work?" Nolan silvers looked completely confused.

"Yes, she's a mortal and it works quite well actually, thank you very much." The other man chuckled softly to himself. He could see why Nolan would be mortified.

Nolan seemed to be stuttering over the words running through his mind. He took a breath and his brow furrowed. "How do you marry someone, live with someone, love someone and you don't…" Nolan grimaced and looked over at his friend to make sure he hadn't offended him.

"Well, I married her in a church…wedding gown tuxedos the whole nine yards. We bought our house together, that was a fun venture. Love her quite easily; not sure how to answer that question. And I don't know what you mean by and you don't..." A look of amusement crossed his eyes. He definitely knew what he meant by don't. But he wanted to hear Nolan say it.

Nolan's cheeks flushed. Was he really going to make him say it? He drew in another deep breath and bit his tongue for a moment. "You can't really be with her. You can't make love to your wife. What kind of marriage is that? What if you can't control yourself? I mean, I know what it's like to be around Raina and I can separate myself from her because we don't live together. I'm not married to her. If you have managed to accomplish this... be with the woman you love and not touch her… make love to her… you deserve a reward, a metal, a trophy. That or you're… somewhat of a freak?" This last part made Nolan laugh.

              The healer just stared at him with an unbelieving smile. "You think I abstain from my marriage bed?" He chuckled. "No, I do not abstain. I very much enjoy my wife." He lifted his brow to Nolan as if expecting the questions that were about to come. He felt amusement at the younger immortals utter confusion.

Nolan was beside himself. The look on his face was priceless to his companion. He stared back unflinching and opened his mouth to say something but nothing would come out. He closed it, his teeth audibly clamping together. He glanced over his shoulder, as if he was expecting someone to be watching them listening to them and ready to jump on the other immortal sitting beside him.

What he was saying was blasphemy to the immortal. He heard Joseph's words running through his head… You can befriend a mortal, you can be kind to immortal, but you do not take it any further.

"You seem lost for words, my friend. Do you not believe me?"

"H… How?"

"With pleasure of course." He laughed again at Nolan's face. The grin he had couldn't be wiped away

"I'm really lost," Nolan whispered. "What you're saying you do, you could be hurting her. Doesn't that weigh on your conscience? Don’t you care about her life? If something were to happen to her do you know how much trouble you would be in?" The fervency in his eyes was real. The frustration at his friend’s nonchalance, was real.