"I can’t read it," he said as though he was confounded.
"But?" I'd heard the 'but' in his tone.
"It's old, the branding is. This isn't from the Guild."
"Of course it is. I don’t let just anyone write brands on my skin Ryder. And every brand is supervised by Alden to ensure it is correct."
He didn't reply, instead his fingers traced over the invisible ink that he shouldn’t be able to see at all and he hadn't asked me to turn the ink on for color, which meant he could see it plainly. "You can read it as is."
"Only this one, the others are undetectable unless you allow them to be seen. I'm going to take a gander that it was intended to be that way deliberately."
I turned over until I was lying on my back and looking up into his eyes. He didn’t push the answer out. Instead he waited for me to decide how much I wanted to tell him about it. I inhaled his scent and let it rush through me relaxing the tension the day had caused on my nerves. "The brands with the exception of the one on my neck were placed on me with ink designed by Alden. It's enchanted to react with our powers. It's supposed to keep us grounded from the lure of the Dark Arts. Since we only just started messing with them a few years ago he decided to use us."
I watched his mind run through the implications, the knowledge sinking in that I hadn't been branded by normal ink ever. He lifted his eyes and scanned my face before saying anything. "You didn’t have ink before thirteen? I thought all the Witches receive ink before then…So you had nothing but the stars?"
I flinched remembering why I had them. They were for my parents, one for each with traditional black ink defining the burns into the true stars on the front of my shoulders. "Correct, I didn’t need any ink at first and then we received the white ink."
"Can I try something without you freaking out Synthia?" He asked watching my face.
"Do I have to be naked for it?" I countered narrowing my eyes watching his mouth turn up into a beautiful mischievous smile.
"No, but I have to touch you. I want to see if the brands protect you from me when activated. Or if it affects me at all."
I swallowed past the uneasiness that flared to life inside my stomach with his words. "You want me to invoke my powers while you try to use yours on me. What if we end up forgetting who we are like we did last time?"
"I didn’t forget who I was Syn. I knew exactly who I was and who I was with when I lost control."
My body responded to his words, even as my breathing grew labored. "I can't be with you Ryder, it's not allowed while I work for the Guild."
"To have sex?" He asked narrowing his eyes again.
"No, I can have sex. Lots of sex, with lots of people. Just not of the Fae variety. I'm not sure I could ever be with any Fae. Besides, what if something happened and I got pregnant? I mean, the Guild has us on mandatory contraceptives designed for us, but something could always happen and none of the Fae accepts Changelings not to mention—I wouldn’t wish me as a mother for any child." I was rambling so I stopped when he noticed.
He smiled forlornly, "The Horde does," he answered flashing his smile back to full force.
"Yeah but their King is missing and unless I'm mistaken the Vampires are changing sides already. Your side to be precise, which means he's either gone or he's in play."
I watched his face shut down going completely emotionless. "You watch too many conspiracy movies Synthia."
"Be that as it may, Vlad called you Sire tonight Ryder."
"I’m a Prince, besides, I'm higher on the food chain than he is and I’ve earned their respect."
I tilted my head and considered it. It could have been, or it could have been that Vlad was leaderless and seeking out a new alliance and Ryder being Dark Fae would be the closest to the Horde. Unlike the Light Fae, the Dark Fae got along with the Horde. "Could have been, yes."
"I have no plans of making any new alliances."
I nodded and then shrank back as his hand came out to rub against my palm sending a tremble through my entire body. His thumb traced over the small scar on the palm of my hand softly.
"How easily can you summon your powers Synthia?" He inquired never taking his eyes from mine. I should be running from him instead of indulging him.
I didn’t answer him, instead I invoked them and watched the white glow light up in his eyes. His smile faltered as he moved closer, lying down lengthwise beside me until our faces were inches apart. He was the most sexual male I had ever encountered in my life. He oozed power from his pores. I shouldn’t trust him. And yet I trusted him more than I thought I did.
"Your eyes don't match when they light up," he whispered resting his head in his hand while his elbow sat on the bed.
"So I've been told," I whispered fighting to keep my voice from trembling. His close proximity was playing hell on my hormones. My hand shook where his thumb still played over the sensitive flesh, which was weakening my willpower with every slow stroke.
"You ready Pet?" He inquired looking a little too eager.
"For your little science project?" I asked making sure we were on the same page.
He grinned wolfishly before he leaned over close enough that I could smell the mint on his breath, as if he had come here planning on kissing me. "Something like that, I need to see how this thing works. I know it doesn’t work against me completely, but we need to test it."
If I'd been using my brain I might have asked why, but Mister Sex Incarnate was inches from my lips and the only thing I could think of was what he had been doing to Claire in his office and how I had wanted to trade places with her, which was crazy.
When his mouth found mine it wasn’t a crushing kiss, or hard. Instead it was tender and firm as he tested me. When he touched me it was electrical, like standing next to a live wire while sparks flew from it to land on you and yet you were trapped in place by its beauty. That was the only way to describe his touch and kiss. It scared me. It was intense—more than I had ever felt with Adrian.
I knew the instant he pushed his Fae powers on me. Everything else faded away and my only need was to take him. "Ryder," I said with my voice filled of need.
"Do you want me to stop?" He asked pulling further away as he pulled the magic with him.
I swallowed but pulled him back down. "Did you get what you needed, for the science thing?"
His eyes lit up and he shook his head as more Fae magic pushed into my mind. It was painful at first but gone instantly when his lips caressed mine. I moaned and pushed against his mouth with need for him, hot and fierce, that I was afraid I'd be left in a pile of ash if he didn’t continue and give me more of him. When he pulled away I cried from the loss. "Ryder."
"What's your name?" He demanded in fiery voice filled with lust.
"Syn. Now shut up and kiss me Ryder."
His lips tugged in the corner before he kissed me again, more demanding this time, his hand cradling my neck as he moved over the top of me and ground his erection against my pelvis. More power filtered in and he kept asking my name or other questions as I answered and demanded more of him.
My body was an inferno, my center saturated with the proof of his sexual allure and power he held inside of himself. My body willing, my mind was still intact enough that I knew who I was and where I was. I shook with it, my hands found his head and pulled him back down as his knee slid between my legs and pressed against my core.
"Do you want me to stop? I need to know, because if we go too much further Pet, I’m going to bury myself deep inside of you." He asked pulling away from the kiss.
"I…" I didn’t know, for the first time in my life I wanted to tell a Fae yes, that I wanted him. And only him.
"I want to feed from you so fucking badly, Syn. I need to part your legs drive my cock inside of you, I want to see you as you come on my cock."
His words penetrated my brain like a knife through an eye socket. "No, Ryder I can't."
"Can't, or won't Syn?" He growled in frustration.
I was about t
o answer when a soft knock sounded from the door. Ryder was up and fixing his erection against his jeans before I could say anything else. My eyes latched on to it as it stood proudly against his navel. I licked my lips wanting to ask him to stay, but not knowing how to. I knew where he'd go after this. I could see his hunger burning in his eyes.
"You keep saying you can't and it's a lie. You won't. You hide in the fucking past. You're not living Syn, you're just going through the motions of it. You want me, I can smell it—you need it as much as I do right now. The difference is, I can admit to what I want—you can't."
I gulped in air and fought for something to say while he waited, watching me struggle internally. He snorted and turned for the door. "Wait, Ryder I—"
"Save it," he interjected cutting me off. "I own you Syn, so know this. While you're under my roof and my protection, the only release you will get, is from me. Not by your hand or another's, when you can grow the fuck up and admit to me what your body already knows—well you know where to find me."
I watched him turn and walk out of the room as Larissa and Adam walked in wide eyed.
"Oh hell Syn, your lips are kiss-me-silly swollen," Larissa said with wide shocked eyes.
"She's more than that baby," Adam responded when I couldn’t find the words. He was holding her hand and I wanted to cry. I'd never have that again, the love they felt for one another. It would be forever beyond my grasp.
"So, what's up with you and Ryder anyways?" Larissa asked floating in to sit on the bed while she dragged Adam with her.
"Nothing," I lied and felt a pinch of regret for doing so. "I'm immune to him apparently, well mostly. He can't turn me into a mindless zombie, but I do feel his powers, just not on a level I should."
"That mother fucker tried to turn you FIZ? I'll fucking kill him!' Adam was enraged and off the bed in seconds taking long strides to the door.
"I asked him to, well sorta." I said quickly to stop Adam from getting his ass handed to him, which I was pretty sure Ryder would do right now if disturbed with Claire and his damn desk.
"Wait, wait a minute. You hate the Fae. What the hell is wrong with you?" Adam demanded coming back over to sit on the bed beside Larissa.
I blew out a deep breath, "This brand on my neck, it's not for the Fae Adam. Ryder doesn’t know what it says and I’m pretty sure he's older than dirt."
Adam narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "What do you mean it’s not for the Fae, what the hell did Titus put on your neck?"
"No idea, but we need to figure it out—and soon." I replied shaking my head.
I tried to remember what Titus had said while tattooing the ink and gave up. I licked my lips nervously and spoke low so only those inside the room could hear me. "I have no birth certificate according to Ryder, you don’t either Adam. There are no pictures of me inside my parent's house before I was six months old."
"I was left at the Guild so no surprise there, but there has to be some pictures of you as an infant—well unless you were an ugly baby."
I snorted at his response since it pretty much matched the one I had given to Ryder. I considered my option and then turned to look at Larissa. "If Adam cut it off, you could heal it right?"
"Oh hell no! We cannot just cut it off Syn, have you lost your mind?" Larissa said turning a light color of green.
I rubbed my eyes, tired from everything I had dealt with today. "Adrian is alive," I mumbled knowing that was what they had come in here for.
"Technically he's—Ow!" Adam whined and rubbed his ribs where Larissa had just elbowed him. I barely contained a smile as he continued to do so.
"I know, how could he do that to us? I mean, he actually got turned into a Vampire I can't believe it! And he was all over you. He thinks he can come back in here after we buried him? Seriously, the guy is going to send my ass to counseling!" She shouted in her best outraged voice for my benefit.
"If you want I can grab my notebook and a pen and you can lie on the couch?" I teased her.
Adam laughed and lifted his green eyes up to meet mine. He wasn’t fooled by the jokes I was using to deflect the conversation at all. "He doesn’t deserve you, he left us. All of us, he left the coven to become more powerful Syn."
"Yeah, I get that. But, why? He was already powerful." I replied thinking it over.
"No idea, but now that Larissa has fed her curiosity of why Ryder was inside your room and no voices could be heard from the door…I bid you goodnight," Adam smiled as Larissa glared at him before he walked out and closed the door behind him.
"You can't be with Ryder, ever Syn," she said hastily.
"I know that, he was trying to figure out what the brand on my neck was for. Just don't worry about it. It's my ass, not yours. Why are you so worried about me, when you have Adam?" I asked deflecting her statement.
"I've liked him since we were little, I just need to see where this goes," she moved her hair behind her ear and smiled sadly.
"I'm doomed, I think I should become a nun," I smiled trying to lighten the mood.
"We're both going to hell, but at least we will be there together," Larissa said grinning.
"Not anytime soon though," I joked halfheartedly.
If we didn’t catch this killer, it might be sooner than later.
Twenty Two
The next few days were difficult, but we'd managed to settle into a routine of sorts. My coven worked out in the morning together as we always had, while Ryder and his men disappeared to wherever it was they went to during the days.
Communications were short and kept to a minimum. I trained with Ryder and Zahruk who seemed to be his second in command. I'd even managed to hold a tea cup in the correct way. Who knew there was an actual right way to hold a flimsy little china cup? Today, I was being instructed on how to dance. By Ryder himself.
Ryder had said to pick out something suitable to dance in, so I was relieved when Larissa showed up holding an ice blue dress and shoes. It was backless and soft, not something I would normally wear, but I was limited on choices. I slipped into it and stared at my bare feet.
I slipped on the matching shoes and decided to leave my hair down and slapped on some light make-up. Zahruk knocked and opened the door and nodded, before offering his arm so we could head to the room in which we'd be dancing in.
Adrian had never wanted to dance, the other night couldn’t be considered since all I had done was move my feet while he had held me. I'd been too stunned to do much more than that. I just had to train for one more night and then I'd been promised we'd be allowed out, even if only for a few hours. Adam and Larissa had both begged to go to the Guild's Samhain party.
I peeked around Zahruk's wide shoulders to watch as several couples twirled around the dance floor. Surprisingly Adam and Larissa were one of those couples. I smiled as I watched them glide smoothly to the music and wondered how I could have missed the relationship. They looked happy together, complete.
"Coming in, or do you plan on hiding behind me all day?" Zahruk said with a wide grin that lit all the way to his vivid blue eyes.
"I don’t dance—not like that anyways," I mumbled looking around the faces, stopping when I realized I was looking for Ryder.
I stepped forward into the room and everyone stopped as the music halted. Zahruk herded me towards a set of chairs that had been set up. I was told to take a seat and watch. Easier said than done as Claire and Ryder came in smiling together from where I had just entered the room myself.
Ryder was dressed in the casual clothes he normally preferred, white long sleeve shirt with low slung jeans. His hair was wet as if he'd just come from a shower, his eyes flickered to me briefly before going back to Claire's perfect chocolate depths.
Claire gave me a haughty look before she said something to Ryder as he allowed her to curl up against him and the music started up. I swallowed down the foreign feelings that rushed up and fought to control my mind. Why should I feel anything if Ryder had his mistress in his arms and they were curre
ntly dancing slowly to music?
I bit my lip and looked away from the happy couple to the door as more of Ryder's men walked in wearing white T-shirts and jeans. Muscles and tattoos pulsing against their bulging bronzed perfection showing through them. I almost bit my lip off as Adrian and Vlad walked in close behind them.
What the hell were they doing here? I sunk lower in my chair trying to become one with it. No such luck. Adrian walked over and sat beside me as Ryder detangled himself from Claire's clutches, leveling a glare on us.
"We need to talk Fancy Face," Adrian said without looking at me, as he watched the couples still dancing.
"No we don’t."
"I need to explain why I did this, so you can make peace with it," he continued.
I watched as Ryder's men gathered in a corner pulling out folding chairs and sitting in them, some were straddling them while others pulled out two and sat in one while kicking their feet up. Were they expecting a show? Great, more people to witness my disgrace.
I watched as Ryder came over and held out his hand while Claire did the same to Adrian. I stood meeting Adrian's turquoise gaze while I accepted Ryder's hand and allowed him to pull me across the floor to stand between some of the couples that had paused for us to join in. He placed his hand on the small of my back. His other held my hand as we waited for the song start. We didn’t have long to wait.
The music started even as the butterflies played with my insides, his eyes locked with mine as the song started up slowly. David Cook's The Time Of My Life came on, the music filling the room around us. I stumbled when he moved and apologized until I caught the smile on his lips. "I can't dance Ryder. You never said anything about dancing when I signed the contract."
"Take off your shoes," he countered, already releasing me and bending over to take his own footwear off. I watched him as others did the same and eventually I ignored the brilliant blush that crept up to my cheeks and did the same, stepping out of the borrowed strappy heels.
Ryder smiled and I stared at him, he was shockingly beautiful and ethereal. Like a lion, you wanted to touch him but knew by doing so he'd consume you, body and soul. I swallowed and held my hand up for him to take it.