I whirled around. Zach stood there with a pained expression in his eyes.
My hands flew to my mouth as I fell to my knees. I paid no attention to the jolting pain when they slammed against the cold concrete. I ignored the pool of blood that oozed slowly toward him. Even though I had considered it, I never actually believed he was one of them. My words were whisper light. “You can’t be fae.”
“You have seen this man before?” Luke accused from behind me.
Zach turned toward Luke, every bit as lordly as the rest of them. “I have been courting her, as is my right. You have all seen the only place her mark could have been.”
I bristled at him, standing. “Is that what you call what you have done to me?” I jerked my jeans up my thighs then thrust my finger inches from his nose. “You are a blasted liar.”
He stepped toward me. “Rayla—”
“Don’t.” I backed away from him, hitting into something solid. I looked up only to see Finn’s amused expression. Moving away from him, I glared at the group. “You’re going to have to take my word for it. I never had a mark.”
Zach shook his head fractionally as if to say, “Don’t be so stupid. I’m trying to get you out of this.”
Luke laughed triumphantly. “In that case, you could belong to any one of us.”
I shivered. I didn’t want this life.
Zach didn’t look affected. “She is mistaken. She was young when she got her scar. She may not have noticed the subtle difference in her skin. I will prove to you that she is mine.” With that said, he started toward me.
What was he planning to do? He smiled, broad and wolfish. I had seen that smile before. I had been wrong. Jett hadn’t been the man in the woods. Zach held that honor. Oh crap. What was I going to do? He could control me anytime he wanted.
I looked away, not able to take the intensity of his gaze. Maybe I did belong to him?
Without a word said, his soul brushed up against mine. I fought as hard as I could. My heart leapt at his approach.
Why was I fighting this? He was my world.
No. He wanted to take my world from me. He wasn’t my sweet boyfriend. He was a fae lord. I had to remember that.
I yanked my sweater over my head the second before he reached me. I needed the barrier between us. He leaned into me. My pulse trumpeted in my ears. The room began to spin. I put my hand on his chest to stop him. He laughed, strong and sure.
Oh, heaven help me, I couldn’t resist him. I smiled, rocking to my toes to get nearer. He was too far away. With sure movements, I ran my hands up his chest and around his neck. I couldn’t wait for him to claim me, so I pulled his face closer.
His lips worked mechanically against mine. His restraint made me growl in protest. I wanted more, but he pulled away.
The room and its occupants came into focus again. Even Roger looked away when I tried to connect my gaze with his. I couldn’t think straight. What had I just done?
“As you can see, gentlemen, I have this firmly under control.”
Luke approached us. His jaw was tight as he spoke. “Why have you waited so long to step forward? You know the rules.”
Zach spread his hands. “I meant no disrespect. I didn’t expect her to be mine. I only came because I had to.”
“This proves nothing,” Jett said, his tone hoarse with anger.
Zach moved behind me, pulling me against him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered before he shoved his hand under my shirt and caressed my scar.
Agony shot into my torso and spread throughout my body. I convulsed as though I had grabbed a live wire. When Zach released me I crumpled to the floor, not strong enough to hide my pain this time.
Zach turned to Jett, his breath labored. “Are you satisfied now?”
Jett nodded, anything but pleased. “You have two days to get her life settled.” He stormed out of the room with Luke and Taylor on his heels.
Two days until what? I thought back to what I had read. Zach had to take me to the fae realm to perform the bonding.
“I am happy for you, brother,” said Finn as he clasped Zach’s forearm. “It has been a long time.”
Zach nodded giving Finn a curt smile before he swept me into his arms. Did he really expect me to just go with him? He walked toward the entrance of the tunnels. They were a hundred times less creepy than they had been in the dark, but they still held enough of an eww factor to keep me from being thrilled about where we were headed. I refused to take another step into that place even if I wasn’t the one walking.
“There is a perfectly good door over there. Use it,” I said.
He didn’t even glance at me as he continued forward. “I don’t want to.”
“You are such a jerk,” I hissed. “I will never forgive you for this.”
He raised a brow, glancing at me amusedly. “Never is a long time.”
“So?”
He laughed and shifted me in his arms. His hand rested leisurely on my thigh.
I stiffened. “Put me down. I can walk fine on my own.”
“No.”
I pushed away from him, but he tightened his grip. “I don’t want to be anywhere near you.”
His gaze was locked blindly forward. “Too bad.”
He held me in silence, setting a steady pace as he deftly maneuvered the tunnels. I couldn’t keep track of the twists and turns he took, but I vowed to never come into this place again. All I had to do was wait until he got me out of the catacombs, and I would run.
He looked at me sharply. “Oh, Rayla, when are you going to learn?” he said as though he had read my mind.
I turned away from him. “Don’t talk to me.”
“You are acting like a child.”
I harrumphed. “Why didn’t you just take me in the woods? Why did you put me through this?” I couldn’t hold back my sobs any longer. He’d been manipulating me this entire time. Did I even have real feelings for him?
He set me on the ground. His fingers caressed my cheek as I slid to the dirt. “You scold me for giving you a choice?”
I swatted his hand away. “I never had a choice when it comes to you!”
He moistened his lips, smiling down at me. “Point?”
I scrambled to my feet and walked away. “You are so arrogant.”
He caught up to me effortlessly. “It is one of my biggest weaknesses.”
“You’ve been compelling me this whole time.”
His eyes turned sad. “You questioned too many things, and I didn’t have time to win your trust. You would have trusted me eventually on your own. That is how compulsion works. I couldn’t make you do something you wouldn’t be willing to do on your own.”
I glared at him, not knowing what to say to that. He smiled wickedly as he let me move ahead of him. When I came to a fork in the tunnel, I went left.
He laughed. “Wrong way.”
I stomped past him, shoving at his chest.
I ran.
“Rayla, don’t be stupid.” Zach shouted.
I rounded the corner. His growl echoed around me.
So he was angry. I didn’t care. I hadn’t been able to really run for a long time, and I put my whole effort into it. The dank air notwithstanding, I loved the feel of my bones quaking when my feet struck dirt.
Zach was near. His voice was clear in my mind, demanding that I stop. He was trying to take over my body as he had before. To my surprise, I shattered every compulsion he used on me. I refused to let him in. I looked back to gauge my lead. When I turned around, I ran straight into a wall. I was stunned for a few seconds.
I leapt to my feet as he closed in on me. My chest heaved wildly. “Stay away from me.” I hadn’t been able to say it as forcefully as I wanted to.
He shook his head, panting. “Don’t make me take you, Rayla.”
Oh, no. My name on his lips was the key to my will. I glared at him, brushing dust from my jeans. “No matter what you do, if you use force, you will not have the real me.”
Fury crossed his face briefly
before being replaced by defeat. He leaned against the wall. “I know. I tried. I was hoping you would want me first. I’ve done a great job, haven’t I?”
Gasping, I bent over, placing my hands on my knees. I looked at him coldly. “I am not going to feel sorry for you!”
He reached his hand out toward me, chuckling lightly. “I am not asking you to. Sit. Let’s talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you. You – you – ” I struggled to find the right term. “Mondodismic bastage.”
He folded his arms across his chest, cocking his head. His eyes shining, he laughed. “You’re not even old enough to have seen that movie. But don’t you mean ‘bastard?’”
I straightened in defiance. I watched whatever was available at home to fight the boredom. Besides, I liked that show. I narrowed my eyes. “No. I said what I wanted to.”
He smiled warmly as he towered over me. “That is not a word.”
“Well, it should be!”
“You’re weird. You know that?”
“Right back at you.”
“Good one.”
I glared at him, but I didn’t have a comeback to offer. I looked at the dirt instead.
He grasped my hand, smiling sadly. “Please. Let me explain some things to you before you pass judgment.”
I eyed him warily, pulling my hand away. He tensed until I slid to the floor opposite him. He sighed visibly as he lowered to the ground. He hugged his knees lightly.
A damp lock fell to his forehead. “If you had any idea how hard this has been for me, you might not be so condemning.” He gazed at me through his lashes, heat clear in his eyes. “I wanted you the first moment I saw you, but then I realized you were not alone. I did the only thing I could. I waited for the right moment.”
“You disappeared because Cassie was with me?”
His tone was soft. “We are not allowed to claim an Elemental in front of humans.”
Oh. This wasn’t his first time around the Elemental track. The thought of him being with someone before me shredded my insides. I began drawing the mighty pegasus in the soft dust.
I shivered. It really was out there.
He chuckled. “So you did see Styx. I’m sorry about that. I lost control of my illusion when I saw you. I have never felt a pull like yours. It is indescribable.”
I let out a scornful scoff. “You poor guy. This must have been really hard for you to bear.”
He lowered his gaze from mine. “It really has been.”
I stood up. “Let me take care of that for you.”
He was next to me momentarily, his hands at my elbows. “You cannot escape me. Don’t even try.”
I stared at him defiantly. “So I’m just supposed to give myself to you? Is that what you want?”
He smiled roguishly, running his fingers lightly up my flesh. “It would be nice.”
“Yeah, well, too bad for you.”
He took my shoulders in his big hands. “Why do you fight your feelings? I know you love me.”
I gazed up into his starry eyes. “How can I be sure those emotions are actually mine and not another compulsion?”
His jaw tightened. “I have not taken advantage of you in any way.”
“You and I obviously have a different definition of that.”
He squeezed my flesh lightly as though he was measuring the pressure carefully. “I have let your emotions progress unassisted. You should know the difference.”
I did. I just didn’t want to admit it. He nudged me gently with a slight compulsion as though he was trying to remind me just what he could do.
“Zach—”
“You will listen to me. I have given you more leeway than any other Elemental I’ve had. Don’t look at me that way. I can’t help what I am.”
I stared insolently at him. “You could try. You don’t have to claim me.”
“If I don’t, one of my brothers will.”
“But I thought you said—”
He shrugged. “They will not fall for that long. You are different. I don’t know how. Jett was probably right. You might be the Nexus.”
His fingers moved on my skin. I sighed then stiffened. “What is it exactly?”
“You already know that Elementals are chosen at birth. Every living thing is made up of the basic elements, but there is always a dominate element that dictates how we will be. Even humans have this trait.”
“I don’t understand.”
He looked at the ceiling and sighed. “Haven’t you ever thought someone was solid as a rock or a breath of fresh air? Where do you think those adages came from?”
I bit my lip. “I haven’t ever thought about it before. So the Nexus has an equal amount of each element?”
He picked at a broken tile on the wall. “That is what the prophecy says.”
“What prophecy?”
He glanced at me briefly. “It is sacred. I cannot share it with you.”
Disappointment flooded through me. I had hoped to clear up the question that had me really nervous. “Do you know someone named Ainessa?” I still had no idea how she fit into this.
He lifted my chin up so fast I practically got whiplash. “How do you know that name?”
“Cassie told me.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. It fell into place perfectly, of course. “If my sister is here, we are in serious trouble.”
I blinked. “Your sister?”
He glanced down the tunnel. He threw his head back, covering his eyes, and groaned. “It’s a long story. Sh—crap. I hadn’t expected her to be this bold.”
He was not going to get me to soften-up just because he was trying not to swear. “What are you talking about?”
He kicked the wall. “If she is here, there can be only one explanation: She has convinced the counsel to let her try a bonding.”
I made a choking sound. He leveled his gaze to mine.
“You should be worried. She is sadistic to the core and will use you in ways you can’t even imagine.”
“What can we do?”
He smiled broadly. “Bond with me now—before she can get to you.”
“Here? But I thought—”
He shook his head. “It can be done. It would be better to be in Faeresia first.”
“What is bonding, exactly?”
He smirked. “You really don’t know anything, do you?”
“Yeah, rub it in. Rayla’s clueless!”
He placed a wary arm around my shoulders. “I know this is hard on you. I’m trying to make it easier. I promise. I can’t believe your mother abandoned you.”
Frowning, I scooted away from him. “She died! It isn’t like she had an option.”
He pulled me back against him. “She could have made sure that you at least knew what you were. There are steps that are taken. We didn’t even know you existed until you appeared in Utah. I was the first one that sensed you. We are still trying to figure out how they concealed you.”
I didn’t want the fae anywhere near my home. “What do you mean?”
“A team will be sent to investigate soon.”
I gasped. “You can’t let that happen. My whole family lives there.”
His expression turned confused. “We aren’t going to hurt them. We are not the monsters you have imagined. Give me a chance.” He dropped to one knee and reached for my hand. “Make me the happiest man who has ever lived. Bond with me?” His smile was charming, roguish.
I yanked my hand away. “Wouldn’t you just like that?”
He jumped to his feet. “Don’t be stubborn.”
“You have a lot of nerve.”
“You wouldn’t like me much if I didn’t.”
I laughed. “Who said that I liked you?”
He pulled me into a light embrace. “I don’t care if you deny it. I know how you feel about me.”
“Is that right?”
He grunted. “Would you shut-up already?”
I had to get the last word in before his lips rea
ched mine, even now my anger melted away. I trusted Zach. I didn’t know why. It made no sense, but I did. If I had to spend an eternity with a fae, I could do worse than him. I hadn’t given up yet, but I didn’t want him to know that. “Only if you do.”
He brushed my hair from my face. “You’re impossible.”
I smiled impishly. “You should consider that a bit more before you willingly take me for five hundred years.”
He laughed. “Good thing it probably won’t be that long.”
I stiffened. “What do you mean?” I hated to admit it, but I wanted him to claim me. He was like breathing oxygen. I had to have it whether I liked it or not.
He let go of me and looked away as though he couldn’t face me. “Every Elemental is different. I’d only have you that long if you will live to be a hundred. The bond lasts for five of your lifetimes.”
My heart broke with each word he said. How could I let my feelings for him grow? I would be devastated when he released me no matter how many years I spent with him. I would be destroyed if he left me right now. “How do you know when it is time to return someone to the human realm?”
He wouldn’t turn around. “The power fades toward the end. When it is gone, we bring our bondmate back to live her true life.”
I could barely get the words out. They were gravel against my throat. “Have you loved any of them?”
He turned. His gaze locked with mine. I would find no apology there. “Yes.”
I should have found comfort from his revelation, but it only made my pain more unbearable. I stiffened. “How many have there been?”
His voice lowered to a whisper. “Does it matter?”
I stomped away. He followed but didn’t say anything.
I wandered in silence for what seemed like hours. When I reached a dead end, I whirled on him. “Are we ever going to get out of this hades hole?”
He pulled his hands from his pockets and shrugged. “I thought you might need to get some energy out.”
I spun around in circles looking for the right way to go. “Where is the exit?”
He leaned up against the wall casually with his feet crossed. “Are you talking to me again?”
I didn’t even bother looking at him. “No.”
He grunted. “Then I’m not telling you.”
I glared at him. “What is this place, anyway? I’ve heard about the tunnels, but we have to be a long way from Notre Dame by now.”
His hand scrubbed at his forehead. He pulled at his jaw. He pursed his mouth into a pucker and then a grimace. He sighed heavily as though he was bored. “The Order used to hide Elementals down here before the compact was signed. It was quite pathetic. As if we didn’t know what they were doing? We stepped in when they started experimenting.”
I shuddered. “How long ago was that?”
His expression turned grim. “During World War II. There had never been a need for an official understanding before then. I hated that time. There was so much carnage in your world already. We couldn’t allow them to continue their useless endeavors.”
My voice was shrill when I spoke. “But why do you even need Elementals? You have power of your own.”
He pushed away from the wall, coming closer. “It is the only way we can determine who will rule without war breaking out between our nations. We have a tenuous relationship, at best.”
“You still haven’t told me how the bonding works.”
He grinned. “You caught that, huh? I had hoped you had forgotten.”
“Why?”
“Rayla, you are special. It is possible that you wrecked your mark in that accident, but it isn’t likely. I am beginning to believe you have all of the elements within you. If we bonded, your power would converge with mine.”
“Grace already explained that, but what aren’t you telling me?”
He gazed directly at me. “I would be stronger than all of the lords combined. I would have more power than any of our current kings. I would essentially be the first high-king in fae history.”
I gasped. “You could control the world.”
His gaze was steady. “Yes.”
“Mine too?”
“Yes.”
My mind was whirring. I couldn’t get the questions out fast enough. “Would I be as strong as you?”
“You would have the potential to be as powerful, but you would not have the practice that I have.”
“And if I bonded with someone else?”
“They would have your power.”
The full force of his statement slammed into me. I would be creating a sovereign king, or queen if Ainessa had her way. I couldn’t allow that to happen. She sounded awful. There was something else that was bothering me. “How is the bond created?”
“Through intimate contact.”
I cringed at the thought. My stream didn’t flow that way. “Is your sister gay?”