A nagging sensation of guilt resurfaced in the room, or rather, in her mother-in-law. It was the same guilt she’d sensed in her earlier. “You’ve always been something, Heaven. There’s never been a minute you’ve been anything less.”
“You’re kind to say so, Delia, but—”
“No buts.” Unable to hold her gaze, Delia glanced at her parents and then the floor as she worked her lips together. “I know you thought otherwise, but you made it into that art program.”
Heaven scoffed at the notion, but when she sensed the guilt in Delia grow, she realized her mother-in-law was serious. “How do you know I made it?”
“Because,” Delia said, tapping her finger against her cup as she averted her eyes. “I’m the one who sabotaged your acceptance.”
CHAPTER 14
A steady thump echoed in Heaven’s ears as she listened to her heartbeat. Each thud accentuated Delia’s words in her mind, leaving her in a wake of confusion. Dylan’s arms wrapped about her, keeping her on her feet, but the weight of the words made her head continue to spin.
“Did you just say…how did you even know I’d applied for the program? You said you and Mom lost contact over the years.”
Delia nodded slowly. “Yes, but my husband kept tabs on you, all of you. I overheard him talking to someone on the phone about your scholarship. When he found out it was approved, he volunteered to sponsor you. He knew if you were in the program, you wouldn’t come looking for Dylan, but it would also give him an opportunity to make sure you never did. I overheard him on another call plotting your death. He’d planned to kill you while you were abroad.”
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Dylan mumbled against her shoulder.
Delia flashed him a sympathetic gaze as she nodded. “Once I found out, I called the program the next day and pretended to be his assistant. I told them that he’d reconsidered sponsorship and set it up for someone else. You can imagine Nate’s surprise when he found out you were in town.”
Heaven didn’t have to imagine. She remembered the way he stared at her when they met at Dylan’s. The way he raked his eyes over her, making her skin crawl. “How did he find out I was in L.A?”
“The newspaper,” Dylan chimed in. “Scott called him after I found the paper with our picture in it. He’d already seen it and he wasn’t happy.”
“Were you surprised to see me too, Delia?”
“No.” A smile lit up her mother-in-law’s face. She set her cup on the table before walking over to grab Heaven’s hands. “I knew you were coming.”
“How?” Heaven asked, but the spark in Delia’s eyes said it all. “Oh… Your cards.”
“They showed me you were coming.”
“Wow.” The heat of Dylan’s mouth faded from her shoulder as he raised his head and stared at his mother. “That’s why you insisted I have a reading the morning of Kyle’s wedding.”
“Yes. I wanted you to see that love was coming your way.”
“Unbelievable,” He grumbled the words and released Heaven from his embrace. Several strides placed him across the room, not far from Layne. Like his friend before him, he’d placed a significant amount of space between himself and Heaven—space he felt would keep her safe from his irritation.
“The amount of secrets you have never ceases to amaze me, Mom.”
Delia released Heaven’s hands and followed him, though her steps were hesitant. “I’m sorry, Dylan. I wish I could have told you about this. I wanted to so many times, especially when you told me that you were dreaming of her again.”
“That’s what pisses me off.” He kept his back to her, facing the wall of cabinets. “I don’t understand how you could keep those secrets when you knew how much it hurt us to be apart. You should have told me. You should have trusted that I’d do the right thing and wait to find Heaven. Instead, you stood by and let Dad make me forget her.”
“I tried to stop him. That’s why I gave you the locket. It had a special ability to keep you two linked regardless of what your father used against you.”
Heaven touched her hand to her chest, feeling the locket underneath her sweater. She wrapped her fingers around the chain, tugging it up until she worked the necklace free. Now it made sense why he’d given it to her.
A memory she’d lost years ago played through her mind. They’d stood together under a willow tree, wrapped in each other’s arm. Pain had plagued his eyes when he told her their time together was ending. She remembered the way the locket felt in her hand when he gave it to her, telling her it would help her cope with the separation.
An overwhelming amount of emotion came with that realization. It swept over her, as well as Dylan. He turned to meet her gaze. The anger once knitting his brows had fallen away. And though he’d meant the words for his mother, his eyes held hers with each step he took. “You knew I’d give it to her. That’s why you said give it to the girl that steals your heart and your breath.”
“Yes,” Delia whispered. A notable amount of relief resonated in her voice. “That locket has been used for the same purpose for years. It kept my parents linked during a time they were apart. I was surprised that it didn’t work.”
Dylan stopped in front of Heaven, just shy of the kitchen table. He pulled her close and trailed his fingers over the curve of the heart. Regret played in his eyes, regret she knew he felt for the time his father stole from them. She didn’t enjoy the thought, or the one that hurt her even more—knowing she could have prevented it.
“I think the necklace would have worked if I’d had it over the years. The night Dylan said goodbye, I put the locket in my journal, which I left at Chelsea’s house. I didn’t get it back until I went to L.A.”
“That explains why we forgot,” he said, cupping her face in his hands. “But it doesn’t explain how we started dreaming of each other again.”
“Soulmates always find a way.”
She’d almost forgotten anyone else was with them until Delia answered. Caught up in the look of love in his eyes, she knew it didn’t matter how much time his father took from them. They had their future. They’d make the most of each day ahead.
As serene as the moment was, the enjoyment didn’t last for long. Movement in her peripheral drew her eyes back to her Keeper. “I don’t mean to interrupt,” Layne said as he shifted his weight to the other foot, “but I have a couple questions. When is this going to stop? When will Heaven be safe?”
Despite his insistent need to avoid eye contact, she noted the irritability in his voice, as well as the way it made her face prickle with heat. His desperation to avoid her grew easier to sense and harder to ignore. If it didn’t hurt so much, maybe she could overlook it.
At least Delia helped deter her thoughts, yet her words didn’t provide any comfort. “She won’t be safe until the ones who wish her harm are drawn back to the path of light or they’re killed.”
“You keep saying they,” Dylan said, stealing a glance at his mother. “Do you think someone besides dad is involved?”
“Yes, I do. The high-ranked members of The Fallen may have gangs underneath them, doing most of their dirty work, but they conspire in pairs. I guarantee there is someone working with him. I just don’t know who it could be.”
“Great,” Layne grumbled, jerking himself into an upright position. He stepped away from the counter, making his way toward the dining room. The pulse of his energy mixed with panic and desperation.
“Layne?” Delia called to him. “What’s wrong? Where are you going?”
He continued grumbling under his breath, never really giving her an answer, but the thoughts tormenting his soul came out in a complaint. He hadn’t intended anyone to hear, though Heaven was able to discern a few words, a few disturbing words.
“We’re so fucking screwed.”
* * *
Layne paced the wooden planks of the back deck as a woodpecker knocked in the distance. The rustic scenery behind the cottage did little to divert his thoughts. He came to a stop near the steps, re
membering how he’d stood in the same spot yesterday, avoiding Heaven’s watchful eyes.
He peered over his shoulder, gazing over at the edge of the patio table. It was there that Heaven cut him off, preventing his retreat into the house. She should have left him alone. Then he wouldn’t have kissed her. Again.
Damn it.
Why did he let her do this to him? Why couldn’t he control himself whenever she was near? If Dylan found out what he did…
“Stop it,” he growled.
He needed to get a grip, needed to figure out how he was going to get his shit together and control his abilities. He’d be protecting the most powerful Seeker, after all.
What in the hell? How could God want him to protect such a gift? Heaven needed someone dependable and loyal, someone good in his heart and soul. She needed someone like Dylan to be her Keeper. He would have succeeded with the role, just like he did at being her perfect soulmate.
While it would have saved him the frustration that being her Keeper caused, the thought of not being in her life overwhelmed him. His chest grew tighter, forcing his lungs to work harder. If she knew how much the thought scared him… Who was he kidding? She probably already knew.
The fire in his soul began to peak as he thought about the kiss again, how it turned the fire into an inferno the moment their lips touched. He willed another flame to form within his palm, like the one that formed between his and Heaven’s.
Nothing happened.
He inhaled a deep breath, remembering the minty scent of hers. His mouth watered at the thought of tasting her tongue. It coupled with the itch in his hands, the itch he had to touch her soft skin.
A bead of sweat formed at his brow. The beat of his heart thumped with so much force he felt his pulse in his hand, as well as a blazing tickle. Any second, a flame would form. It would dance about in his hand, mimicking the one inside his soul.
He closed his eyes, allowing his Seeker to consume his thoughts. She did, easily. The sound of her laughter, the warmth of her smile, the constant tug of her soul on his…every thought engulfed him, just like the flame.
His hand burned with so much intensity, he swore he’d touched a hot poker. He opened his eyes and stared at his palm, amazed to see the flame imprint, matching Heaven’s, glowed cherry red.
A tendril of fire shot up a few inches. It wavered in the wind each second he continued to stare, giving him a sense of satisfaction. He’d drawn forth a flame without the aid of another flame, like the torches at the beach house in Jamaica. There was also the candle that aided him in setting the curtains on fire not long after he’d arrived.
The current results didn’t last long. As the confrontation with Dylan replayed in his mind, the flame flickered out. Even the mark returned to its normal, faint brown.
Just like all the times in Jamaica, when he felt he was getting somewhere with his abilities, Dylan managed to hinder his progress.
“Layne?”
His muscles tensed at the sound of Delia’s voice. He knew the solitude wouldn’t last. Someone always came looking for him. Thankfully, it wasn’t Heaven this time. He couldn’t imagine facing her right now. Not that he wanted to hold a conversation with Dylan’s mother either, but she wasn’t giving him a choice. He hoped she hadn’t seen the flame in his hand or how quickly he lost control of it.
“What can I help you with, Delia?” He didn’t fully turn to meet her eyes. If she’d come to check on him, he’d do what he could to relieve her worries and send her on her way. The sooner he could go to his room, the sooner he could lock the door and avoid his friends when they returned.
Clicking continued across the deck as Delia drew closer. She didn’t stop until she was standing beside him, clearing her throat to gain his attention. He caved and gave her what she wanted.
“What’s the problem, Layne?”
“What makes you think there’s a problem?”
“Oh, I wonder,” she scoffed, eyeing him from head to toe. “Your exit was abrupt, but not as much as it was weird. What is going on with you?”
It was a day of uncomfortable conversations. Hell, in reality, the last few days were filled with them. Why not add one more to the list? “All that stuff you were saying about the Supremes and Heaven being powerful… Delia, I can’t even get my abilities under control. How am I supposed to protect her?”
“You’ve already protected her. You killed Marco.”
“That was one person, and I don’t even remember how it happened. From everything I’m gathering, I’m looking to face off with many people, possibly at once. Your ex-husband could be one of them.”
While he wouldn’t mind bashing in Nate’s face, he knew it wouldn’t be an easy battle. Nate was powerful and dark. Until Layne could control his abilities, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the man who wanted his Seeker dead.
“Why can’t The Regency take care of this? If they’re our authority, can’t they do something?”
She gripped the rail in front of them and gazed into the woods. “The Regency tends to stay as neutral as possible in affairs of soulmates, regardless of what path they follow. There is minimal criminal authority, though there is a confinement camp for certain criminal acts, such as murder. Unless Nate is caught trying to kill Heaven himself, they will not touch him until he succeeds.”
“He’ll succeed over my dead body.”
He didn’t realize he’d dug his nails into the rail until he noticed her staring at his hands. There was no way to control the anger he felt over the thought of someone hurting Heaven, but at the same time, he was hurting her by keeping his distance.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he took a step back, refocusing on the conversation. Thinking about her would drive him crazy. He could put his time to better use, like finding out more about Psi history.
“If The Regency isn’t here for justice, then what’s their purpose?”
“They govern soulmates, clean up our messes from the regular world, and protect our recorded history. All births, deaths, abilities, and events are recorded. The information they govern is collected and reproduced into books, like the one we have inside the house. They’re known as the Tome of Souls.”
“Is this something you buy at a Psychics-R-Us or…?”
He hadn’t meant to make her laugh, but she did. “No, but I love the idea of such a store. The book we have was given to us by someone who was once a part of the Regency. He left because he could not remain neutral to The Fallen. He gave the book to me when he found out that Nate’s son would marry the most powerful Seeker.”
As if this conversation wasn’t stressful enough, she had to remind him of why he’d left the main house—because of his doubts. “I can’t do this, Delia. I can’t protect her, not the way she needs to be. Dylan—”
“Listen to me.” Urgency rang in her voice as she turned to grab his arm. She applied some pressure until he looked at her. “I know there is a lot of tension between you and him, but you can’t worry about it. Heaven is your focus. She needs you to focus.”
Didn’t she understand it wasn’t that easy? Of course not. No one did because no one knew how he felt about any of this. No one really knew how he felt about Heaven, though Dylan was suspicious.
“I don’t want to lose my friend, Delia.”
“This is beyond childhood friendships, sweetheart. This is about life and death, for Heaven, for her child.”
“I realize that,” he growled, jerking his arm away. “I know how much is at stake, but what if I’m the misery that’s going to tear them apart? God knows I make Dylan miserable when I’m around.”
“You don’t make him miserable. He’s just…” She wrung her hands together as she struggled for a word, but the right one didn’t come. Finally giving up, she rolled her eyes and huffed. “We may be superhuman, but we’re still human. Dylan is like any man. Territorial. He will protect what he loves.”
“Tell me something I don’t know, Delia. I’ve lived with them for the last five month
s.” He turned from the rail and moved his foot down one of the steps. The maple tree came into view as he planted his butt on the deck, trying to get enough distance from her and the conversation. Every thought in his mind grew into a jumbled mess.
“No one ever said being a Keeper would be easy. The pull you feel can be overwhelming.”
He laughed at her words. Overwhelming didn’t come close to describing how intense it was. Heaven was his only thought, his only care in the world. That type of devotion went beyond friendship. If anyone tried to say otherwise, he’d call the person a liar.
When he met her eyes over his shoulder, something within them said she knew the thoughts going through his mind. “As much as you want to believe that what you’re feeling is wrong, you have to know that Heaven belongs to you too.”
“Excuse me?” He couldn’t have heard her right. Even if he had, what she said made no sense.
“She is your ward, Layne. You were born to keep her safe, and that right belongs to you. But the bond between a Keeper and Seeker is much more than that.” She moved around to his side, descending the wooden steps until she sat beside him. “Heaven will be your world. The raw emotion she evokes in you is what will fuel your purpose. She needs you to be her Keeper, but she needs more from your relationship, as do you.”
“I’m not sure what you’re implying, but I—”
“You want to know how to gain control of your abilities? Quit worrying about what everyone thinks, including Dylan. Work on your relationship with Heaven. Focus on that raw emotion and let it build.”
He already had, yesterday, when he’d formed a flame between their hands. It was the raw emotion that made it possible, the raw emotion that overtook him the second he brushed his lips against hers.
“It sounds like you and her have been talking behind my back.”
Dark green eyes danced over his face as she knitted her brows. “What is that supposed to mean?”