Tempered (A Daughters of the People Novel) (Daughters of the People Series) (20 page)

“Ignore her. She
likes to fuss.”

“Yeah?” Colin
eyebrows veed down over hot blue eyes. “Maybe she should fuss about something
else.”

“Don’t hold your
breath.” Aaron picked up his tablet and stylus and flipped to another page. “You
need me for something?”

“Hawthorne wants
you to come home. She’s sending a private jet out.”

“Is she, now? I
guess you’ve arranged it already.” Since his input wasn’t even needed,
apparently. Yet another thing he and Hawthorne would straighten out when he got
back. The high-handed treat-Aaron-like-a-child crap had to stop. “Can I at
least go by my flat and pick up some more clothes?”

“On the way to
the airstrip.”

“And not a
minute before,” Aaron muttered. “My sister’s coming in tomorrow with her kids.”

Colin’s
expression went blank and flat and cold. “You’ll have a day with her. That’s
the most I could give you.”

Well, at least
there was that. “Thanks.”

Colin turned on
his heel and marched out of the room as silently as he had come.

“Colin, wait.”

The bodyguard
paused, half turned toward Aaron.

“Will my family
be safe after I’m gone?”

“We’ll leave
someone to watch until this blows over, but yeah. Should be.”

Aaron sighed out
his relief. “Ok, then.”

Colin nodded and
slipped into the hallway, leaving Aaron alone with his work. A day more, two at
the most, and a nice visit with his family under tighter security than the
President enjoyed. Some holiday this one had turned out to be, and Thanksgiving
was still days away.

* * *

Ruby paced
around Hawthorne’s office, making a continuous round between the fire burning
brightly in the wood heater, the room’s entrance, and Lali, who sat on the floor
in front of the coffee table, coloring quietly. Hawthorne observed her
granddaughter walking the loop from one point to the other, her tread silent on
the antique rug protecting the wooden floor. Occasionally, Ruby would pull out
her phone and check it with a frown, other times with the small, secretive
smile of a woman contemplating her lover.

It was a feeling
Hawthorne knew well. Since Aaron’s departure days before, she had mooned over
him like a young girl in the throes of her first love. As reports came in from among
the People about young Upton’s capture by the Daughter India Furia, of his
rescue by his fiancée, Indigo, and of the turmoil the kidnapping had caused,
Hawthorne found her mind drifting at inconvenient moments to Aaron. Was he
safe? Were Colin and Brigid protecting him adequately?

Did he miss her,
long for her, dream of her?

Ruby marked off
another loop around the room.

“You will wear a
path in the floor if you continue,” Hawthorne said. “Have a care for it, if not
for your own footwear.”

Ruby shoved her
cell phone into the front pocket of her jeans and dropped onto the sofa.
“Happy?”

Hawthorne
regarded her evenly. “It is unlike you to demonstrate such restlessness.”

“Got a lot on my
mind.” A muted beep came from Ruby’s phone. She dug it out and flipped it open.

“A young man,
perhaps?”

Ruby’s fingers
flew over the tiny keyboard of her cell. “Butt out, Nana.”

“Since your own
mother is no longer here to monitor your actions…”

“Forget it.”
Ruby slid her phone shut and speared Hawthorne with a flat gaze. “I can handle
my own love life, thank you very much.”

“I neither
stated nor implied that you could not. However, as your elder, it is my duty to
arrange the best match possible, for your happiness and well-being, and for the
connections such a match might bring to our line.”

Ruby rolled her
eyes and muttered, “And you wonder why Levi doesn’t come around.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind.
Don’t you have another granddaughter to bug?”

“I do not bug,”
Hawthorne said stiffly. “I monitor.”

Ruby laughed.
“Monitor. Right.”

Hawthorne’s cell
rang. She sent Ruby a stern look, a reminder that their conversation would not
be forgotten, and answered the call. “Hello, Yvette.”

“We have a
problem. A couple, actually. The PI you hired to dig into Isolde’s past was
found not long ago, knocked unconscious a few blocks from his home.”

Hawthorne’s
fingers dug into the arm of her chair. “How seriously was he harmed?”

“His wife has
him at the hospital now. Says he’ll be fine.”

“Do you have
knowledge of who might have injured him?”

“Not yet, but
probably Isolde, if not someone allied with her. She’s been making noises...” A
car roared by on the other end of the phone, throwing the line into a hiss of
static. “Sorry. I’m outside the hospital now, waiting to see him.”

“As soon as you
have, please phone me with a report.”

“Yes, Maetyrm.”

“You said there
were a couple of problems.”

A deep breath
sounded over the line. “Right. The other problem. Olivia the Good was found badly
beaten near the house where Bobby Upton was rescued.”

Hawthorne’s gaze
shot to Ruby. She and Olivia had attended school together some four decades
earlier. After graduating, Ruby had gone on to work for Hawthorne whereas Olivia
had taken a position with the Daughter Miriam, the representative of the line
of Marnan on the Council of Seven. “Has any connection between Olivia and the
Eternal Order been established?”

“She’s not
talking, not about anything, including the name of the person who apparently
tried to take her out.”

Not an
unsurprising development. “Please apprise me of any developments.”

“I will.” A soft
whoosh sounded, and then relative quiet. “What about the other? Would you like
for me to have someone take up surveillance on Isolde?”

“No, I shall see
to that myself.” Who better than family to track down an errant niece? “Have a
care, Yvette.”

“I will,
Maetyrm. I’ll call as soon as I can.”

Hawthorne
disconnected the call and stood. “Gather a bag for Lali. I have errands and do
not wish to leave the two of you alone.”

“I know where we
can go.” Ruby slid off the couch and ruffled Lali’s hair. “Come on, little bit.
Time to go play with the cousins.”

Not long after,
Hawthorne followed Ruby to the home of another of Hawthorne’s granddaughters
and saw Ruby and Lali safely inside. On her way out of town, she dropped by the
hospital near Tellowee, staying only long enough to inquire of Rebecca Upton
into her son’s well-being.

Nearly two hours
after leaving her own home, Hawthorne parked her SUV at the curb near Isolde’s
residence, an imposing Greek Revival situated more than half an hour away from
Tellowee in the Betty’s Creek area. The building and its meticulously
maintained landscape were dark save for a lamp glowing dimly through the
curtained living room windows. She stepped out of her vehicle and closed the door
quietly. Nothing stirred that shouldn’t, nor was the neighborhood unnaturally
quiet.

She made her way
to the door and knocked gently, alert for any sign that someone was at home.
Light footsteps arose from the interior, and she backed away from the door,
allowing plenty of room for Isolde to appear on the other side.

Isolde’s
husband, Mathias Zellinger, opened the door and grinned at Hawthorne. The years
had been kind to him, casting only a few wrinkles around the sharp intelligence
of his nearly black eyes, leaving his erect posture untouched. “Hey. Long time
no see.”

She lifted her
cheek for his perfunctory kiss. “You appear well, nephew.”

“And you are
simply stunning.” He stepped back and waved her in. “I hear you have a new man.
A good one, I hope.”

“He is, indeed.”

“But you’re not
here about that, I’m sure. Isolde’s not home, but you’re welcome to come in and
wait for her.”

Hawthorne
followed him into the living room and sat on the hand-embroidered seat of a
delicately fashioned wooden chair. “I have come to discuss Isolde with you,
Mathias.”

“Oh?” He smiled
easily and dropped onto the loveseat across from the fire dancing noisily in
the fireplace. “Who has she offended this time?”

“I wish it were
only a matter of someone finding offence with Isolde’s blunt tactics.” She eyed
him steadily, gauging his manner, the relaxed slope of his shoulders, the
openness of his expression. “Has she mentioned the Eternal Order?”

“She never has,
though I’ve heard it from a couple of others over the years. I thought the
Order was a myth.”

“It is a closely
guarded secret, one known only to the eldest of the People and a handful of
others. Has Isolde had many visitors lately, strangers in particular?”

“No, but you
know her. She rarely brings work home.” Mathias leaned forward and braced his
forearms atop his thighs. “What’s this about, Hawthorne?”

“Isolde may be
working at cross-purposes to the People.”

“No.” He shook
his head, an emphatic gesture that was both immediate and precise. “She’s
always been devoted in her duty. You know that.”

Hawthorne nodded
once. “Indeed. It has come to my attention that her devotion may not be as
wholesome as it appears. Are you aware of the Eternal Order’s purpose?”

“To stop the
Prophecy of Light from being fulfilled.” His wide mouth tilted up at one corner
into a rueful grin. “Even young children know that.”

“That is part of
it, yes, but the overall goal is and always has been for the People to retain
their immortality. If the Prophecy is fulfilled, all Daughters become mortal…”

“And not just
the ones who submit.” Mathias sat back with a frown. “You know, Isolde never
said so, but I always got the impression she resented the loss of her
immortality, resented me for tempting her.”

“She is a hard
woman, Mathias,” Hawthorne murmured.

“She is, but a
good one. I know what people say about us. No,” he said when Hawthorne made to
speak. “I’ve overheard enough to know. In spite of what anyone thinks, we have
a good life together.”

“As anyone would
wish.”

His gaze drifted
to the flicker of the fire’s flames. “You think she’s up to something.”

“I have reason
to believe so, yes.”

“Does it have
anything to do with this young man who was kidnapped?”

“Perhaps.”

His soft laugh
held a touch of melancholy. “Until I met Isolde, I never knew women could play their
cards so tight to their chests.”

“It is the price
of being a Daughter.” Hawthorne rose and gazed down upon the man who had given
his heart to her niece, the cold-hearted progeny of Hawthorne’s only sibling.
“Isolde may not return home, Mathias. Prepare yourself for such an
eventuality.”

His features
seemed somehow older than the ones that had greeted Hawthorne upon her arrival.
“Whatever you think she’s done, I hope you remember how much I love her, how
much I still need her. Be kind to her, Hawthorne.”

“If I can. For
your sake, if not for hers.” She touched her lips to his and then to his
forehead. “Farewell, my kindred. I shall speak with you soon.”

Mathias slumped
onto the loveseat, alone in the shadows cast by the cheery fire. Hawthorne saw
herself out, sparing all of her sympathy for her niece’s husband, and none for
Isolde.

Aaron counted
down the days until his return to Hawthorne. His sister came in with her
children, and Colin, a man of his word, gave Aaron a full day to enjoy his
family. As much as he loved them, he was anxious to get back to his own family,
the woman and child he’d left in Georgia who had wormed their way so stealthily
and quickly into his heart.

After saying
goodbye to Ma and his sister and her kids, Aaron was hustled out to a waiting
SUV for a quick stop by his flat, his patience thinning at the forced rush by
his bodyguards. He unlocked the door and stepped into an echoing foreign land,
sterile and emotionless compared to Hawthorne’s home, filled as it was with the
warmth she carefully hid and with Lali’s bright laughter.

He’d never
thought to grow old in this space. As he looked around, that thought echoed
inside his mind. Someday, he would remarry. It had always been his dream to
meet a woman who captured his heart, a woman who would willingly give him the
children he’d always wanted, who would let him love her with everything he had.
Someday, he’d planned on outgrowing his bachelor life and moving on to another
home, a bigger one with a yard and a garden and a family to love.

Someday had been
building since the moment he’d seen Hawthorne pick up her stick in that ring.

His heart
expanded in his chest, filling him with the endless possibilities of a life
with her. If she would have him, if he could understand her past and accept it,
or what she believed of it, would she want to make a home with him? Would she
welcome him there, share her family and the life she’d made? Would she open her
heart to him?

He packed
quickly as he contemplated the future. A couple more sweaters, another set of
cords. His favorite pair of hiking boots and a ragged denim jacket that needed
either a good mending or to be thrown into the rag pile.

The last item to
go into his overstuffed suitcase was the drawing he’d made of Hawthorne at
DragonCon. Beautiful Hawthorne bathed in the light of a lamp, her sensual
curves hidden beneath the sheet. He rubbed the dust off the frame with his
thumb, traced the line of her cheek, then slipped it carefully into the folds
of a sweater.

It was a relatively
quick trip by air between San Francisco and Atlanta, then a long drive north to
Tellowee. Aaron obeyed Colin and Brigid, allowing them to move him around like
the puppet he was, subject to the whims and whimsies of Hawthorne’s heart.

And at last, the
SUV pulled into the driveway of her home, headlights flashing in the dusky
twilight against the wood and rock siding. The front door banged open, and Lali
flew through it and down the stairs. Aaron pushed out of the car and dropped to
the ground in front of her as she went skidding down the sidewalk, caught her
up and buried his face in the wispy sunshine of her hair.

“Puppy! You came
back.”

“Course I did,
kiddo. Told you I would, didn’t I?” Damned if he’d leave her again, though.
“You’re stuck with me.”

She leaned back
and patted her hands against his cheeks. “We misseded you.”

“I misseded you,
too.”

Hawthorne and
Ruby waited on the porch outside the open door. Aaron’s gaze met Hawthorne’s
and he forgot the chill of the November air, forgot the rushed almost-holiday
with his family in California, forgot everything but her and the promises they’d
made to talk about her past, and about love.

He rose, taking
Lali with him, and strode up the walkway, up the stairs and across the porch, rushing
toward the woman who’d become such a huge part of his life in such a short
time. He shifted Lali onto his hip and held out his other arm, and Hawthorne
walked into it, curling herself into him and around him and through him, her
scent, the smile shining in her stormy eyes, her warmth and grace. She lifted
her mouth to his, a sunflower blooming into the sun, and he kissed her, taking
everything she was and would be, and giving her everything in return.

Footsteps
thudded gently on the porch behind him. Colin cleared his throat and said,
“Hawthorne laughs?”

“I know,” Ruby
said. “Freaky, right?”

Aaron huffed out
a laugh. “What is it with these guys? Have they never seen you get emotional
before?”

“Only rarely.”
Hawthorne’s hand slipped to his waist and squeezed. “Come. We have much to
discuss and little time.”

He followed her
inside and set a squirming Lali down. Hawthorne grasped his hand in her slender
one and led him to her office, shutting the door behind them. As soon as she
did, he pulled her into his arms. “I missed you.”

She leaned into
him and toyed with the button resting over his heart. “If you had not left, you
would have had no reason to miss me.”

He clamped down
on his patience. God above, she was persistent. “Ma needed me. The holidays are
always hard on her, have been since Pop died.”

“Your safety…”

He cut her off
the best way he knew how, by hauling her as close as he could get her and
capturing her luscious mouth in a hard kiss. Her nails scraped into his chest
through his flannel shirt and she opened, blossoming as she had on the porch.
His sunflower. He gentled the kiss, savored the quick darts of her tongue on
his, the breathy catches in her throat as passion rose. It filled him, bringing
a solid heat to his blood that punched through his reason and
demanded
.

He drew back,
touched his lips to the sensitive skin behind her ear. “Is there a lock on that
door?”

“Ah.” She tilted
her head and skimmed her hand up, cupping his nape. “No one would dare enter
this room without my permission.”

“So, you
wouldn’t have any objections to getting naked right now, would you?”

She threaded her
fingers into his hair, and it was all he could do to rein in the need that
spiked through him. “That would be unwise.”

“You said nobody
would come in.”

“We must be
circumspect…”

He licked his
way down her throat, and her voice hitched and softened.

“Aaron, please.”

“Please what?
Please take you? Please make you come?”

He shoved her
sweater up, yanked her camisole out of her jeans, and found the smooth silk of
her skin.

She hissed in a
breath and shivered. “Your hands are chilled.”

“Sorry.” He
pulled his hands away and dropped her sweater with a sigh. “Nothing a hot
shower won’t fix. Join me?”

“I cannot, much
as I would enjoy having you there. Isolde has disappeared. I must find her, as
quickly as I can.”

He drew back and
met her gaze, still heated from the kiss. “What happened?”

“It is nothing
with which you should concern yourself.”

“Yeah?” He
backed away from her and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. A hard
knot of anger wormed its way through the heat they’d shared. “Here’s the thing,
Hawthorne. I want to be with you, all the way with you. I thought you wanted
that, too.”

“I do.”

“Then you need
to quit treating me like I’m not capable of understanding what’s going on. I’m not
a kid.”

“I never thought
you were.”

“Really?” He
speared her with a heated glare. “Well, here’s a way to prove it. Tell me what
happened.”

She blinked, a
singular drop and lift of eyelids over her stormy eyes. “You are not ready for
the truth, Aaron.”

“Am I not?”

“Until you
accept me…”

“Haven’t I
tried?”

Her voice went
flat. “Not hard enough.”

He sighed and
jabbed stiff fingers through his hair. “Ok, you’re right. We were supposed to
clear this up when I got back.”

“Time works
against us, as it has for days now.” She slid her arms around his waist, rested
her head against the beat of his heart. “You must trust me a while longer.”

Her scent
tickled his nose and raised a fresh rush of heat. “I’ll try.”

“Do not try,
Aaron. Accomplish. My niece is a dangerous woman. We must all guard ourselves
now.”

“Ok.” He
tightened his arms around her. She was right. Love and trust went hand in hand.
If he loved her as truly and deeply as he suspected, it only followed that he
had to trust her to know what was best, at least when it came to her family.
Lali was one thing. For her, he’d fight and argue, but for Isolde? No.
Hawthorne had to take the lead there. “Ok. What do you want me to do?”

Her shoulders
relaxed under his embrace. “Stay with Lali. Mind Colin and Brigid a while
longer and allow them and Ruby to protect the two of you while I track Isolde.”

“I can do that.”
And he would, by God, even if it killed him. “When are you leaving?”

“Tonight, as
soon as I can.” Her breath sighed against his skin through his shirt. “I should
have left two days ago, would have if you had been here.”

“I’m sorry. Ma…”

“No, Aaron. Do
not apologize for loving your mother. A son who eschews his family is a sorry
man indeed. I would not have you act thusly.”

“Then why did
you try to keep me here?”

“Because it was
not safe.” She eased back and cupped his jaws in her hands. “Kiss me once more
before I leave. I have missed you terribly.”

“Terribly, huh?
You sure about the naked thing?”

“Quite positive,
love.” Her lips tilted into a gentle smile and her eyes went soft and dreamy.
“Though perhaps a little petting would be permissible.”

“Happy to
oblige,” he said, and did for long moments as their soft murmurs competed with
the crackle of the fire to fill the room.

An hour later,
Aaron slumped on the edge of Hawthorne’s bed, quietly watching her gear up in a
turtleneck, cargo pants, and a leather jacket over sturdy work boots, all flat
black in color. She tucked a black knit hat into a jacket pocket, dropped a
compass and other gadgets into the leg pockets of her pants, and armed herself
with enough weapons to take down a small army. Once her jacket was zipped up,
she shrugged on the holster for her sword and slid it into place across her
back.

“Is all that really
necessary?” he asked.

“You have not been
around the People long enough to know the capabilities of an immortal
Daughter.”

“I’ve been
around you.” And he knew enough to know who would come out the winner if he
went at her with a weapon. “How bad can Isolde be?”

Hawthorne loaded
a clip into a heavy, lethal-looking handgun and slid the top part back with a
loud snick. “As a warrior, her skills nearly match mine.”

He huffed out a
disbelieving laugh. Another woman who could fight the way Hawthorne did, with
liquid grace and lightning fast reflexes? He’d pay to see that.

“Scoff all you
wish, love. She is not one to ignore.”

“I didn’t think
she was.”

Hawthorne
leveled a stern gaze at him. “Remember that caution should you ever face her.”

“That’s what the
babysitters are for.”

“They are not
babysitters.” She stepped into the space between his open thighs and rested her
hands lightly on his shoulders. “And you will mind them whilst I am away.”

He dug his
fingers into her waist and rocked her forward, bumping her hips against his,
right where he wanted her to be. “See? Babysitters.”

“When I return,
we shall talk and build trust, and you will learn to defend yourself. Your
bodyguards
will not then be as necessary as they are now.”

He laughed,
couldn’t help it, and would’ve pulled her onto the bed with him if he didn’t
know exactly how many weapons she’d tucked into the nooks and crannies of her
outfit. “Come back to me soon.”

“As soon as I
can,” she promised. “Care for Lali, will you? She has so few who love her.”

“You’re wrong
there, sweetheart. Everyone loves that sweet little girl.”

“All save
Isolde.” Hawthorne touched her forehead to his. “Care for yourself as well. I
have no wish to begin building trust with another man.”

A hot shaft of green
envy shot through him. Hawthorne with another man? Why would she even bring
that up? “I don’t particularly want that either.”

“Good, then. It
is settled. Stay within the boundaries of the house and follow Colin and
Brigid’s instructions. I shall return as quickly as I can.”

He accepted her
kiss, took his time exploring her, ended it gently. She slipped away,
disappearing through the entrance to her room, and he rubbed a finger over the
vee of his furrowed brows. How worried did he have to be? Hawthorne could
handle Isolde, no doubts there. No, what worried him was what would happen
between now and then, and after, when she tried to explain her past and his
knee-jerk skepticism reared its ugly head.

Lali bounced
into the room, smiling as she skipped, and scrambled into his lap. “Why is you
sad, puppy?”