A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1) (36 page)

Joanna’s cheek warm with a blush. “Well, thank you for saying.”

Ariya placed a smile on her face. “So, have you two set a date for the big day?”

Joanna and Rich exchanged glances before looking at each other.

“Actually tomorrow,” Rich said with a wide smile. “We want this to be a small private affair.”

“A small private—” Jace said with wide eyes. He threw back his head, laughing. “Not for the regent in the House of Lycans. I’m sure your Uncle won’t hear of it.”

“There is a matter we wanted to take care of.” Rich’s gaze fell to the floor for a moment before he looked at Joanna.

With a nod, she excused herself and he leaned down to give her a soft kiss.

“Go on,” she said, smacking his rear. “It’ll give us girls some time to get acquainted.”

Joanna slipped her arm around Ariya who turned to give Jace a curious gaze as they disappeared into the crowd.

Rich grabbed a full glass and passed it over to Jace. “Here, you look like you could use a little bit of this for the question I’m about to ask you.”

“Oh, this sounds good.” Jace threw back his head, swallowing a big gulp. “Ah, animal blood. This must be heavy. Okay, hit me.”

“I want you to be my best man, Jace.”

Jace leaned against the brick wall nearest to him. “Wow. Best man—I’m—I’m speechless. You’re not going to ask Michael? He’s like a father to you.”

“Actually I was hoping he would oversee the ceremony. And I mean it. I want it to be a small thing. No big deal.”

“And what does Joanna think?”

Rich shrugged. “She agrees. We want to get it over with so we can start a family.”

Jace’s mouth fell open. He had to stop himself before he dropped his glass. “What?”

“We want to start on the heirs to line up the next regents.” He chuckled, beaming like a little schoolboy.

“I should say so, well congratulations on sealing the deal. I’ll be there tomorrow.”

“The Ashen Twilight House. Nine p.m., sharp.”

Jace nodded. “Got it. So, I have to ask. Is this the reason you’ve been so distant and, ah, well let’s just call a spade a spade—so pissy lately?”

Rich snorted as he held his hand up toward Ben to order his favorite drink. “Yeah, that’s the very reason. I had to make sure everything was in order with the eastern divide of the House of Lycan before I could talk about it. Besides, she had doubts being betrothed to a Lycan regent with another house.”

“Wait a minute—she’s—”

“Oh, she’s Lycan no doubt, but it’s a big thing to her. She’s a private person and was nervous about being in the spotlight like this.”

Jace followed his best friend’s gaze over to Ariya and Joanna chatting in the middle of the dance floor as they moved to the music. Both exuded a glow and he took pride in the fact that his best friend would be settling down to share his life with the woman he loved.

“Whoa,” Rich grabbed his glass from Ben. “I know that look. Things not going well with Ariya?”

“Nah, it’s not that.” Jace thoughtfully ran his fingertips along the rim of his glass. “Okay, well, part of it is that—I don’t think Julian should have let her stay and watch us work. I mean, I understand he needed her help and all. At least she could’ve waited outside. I think it’s made her a bit freaked and I don’t know how I feel about her seeing that side of us. Plus, Julian didn’t want to offer her protection before and now all of a sudden he wants her help?” He shook his head and scoffed. “I don’t know, man. I feel as if he’s only using her abilities to his advantage considering the fact that he doesn’t want her in the house.”

“Well, I’ll say one thing.”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“At least you got over that whole Steve thing.”

Jace’s body tensed at the name and the phone call he shared with Rich after he took out the football player. “Yeah, says who?”

Rich shrugged as he took a drink. “Look, the things I knew about him that his father covered up daily could actually fill a baseball field. Yeah he was one of my kids, but you had to do what you have to for survival and to save the life of another. We all had to do it for centuries now.”

“I could have stayed home and had one of my bottles.”

Rich nodded. “And yet you chose not to. And who knows, maybe you saved another life in exchange for his.”

Jace sighed as he looked at Ariya across the way. Perhaps he was right. The girl could have died if Steve continued to fight her in a drunken rage that night. From what he remembered, the hit caused a bruise but no permanent damage. If he had continued to slap her in the same place, she would have surely lost her hearing in that ear.

“Have you asked Julian about Ariya since you brought up the transformation?” Rich said, bringing Jace out of his thoughts.

Jace shook his head. “Not at all. It’s been on my mind a lot though. He’s right though, I’ve never borne a Nightwalker before. She would be the first.”

“Do you love her?”

Jace’s gaze shot to Rich with surprise at the question. He shook it off with a laugh. He hadn’t used that word in his mind or let it fall from his lips despite what his heart may be feeling. “What do you mean? Love? You’re getting pretty presumptuous there with that word, my friend. I know you’re getting hitched and all but that doesn’t mean you and Joanna have to play cupid with us.”

Rich held his hands up in surrender. “Okay hold the phone. I know the great Jace Archane doesn’t entertain this crazy notion of love and all. How does she feel about the possibility of being turned?”

“I haven’t talk to her about it.”

“Well, there’s your mistake, Jace. Talk to her about it. Ask what she thinks and go from there.”

“What if she’s against it? I’ve never turned anyone before.”

“So you see the consequences of your actions and the pros. One thing’s for sure above all—”

“And what’s that?”

“She almost gave her life for you, she was prepared to and she almost died in the process.”

Jace looked back at Ariya laughing with a joy he hadn’t seen in awhile. The smile lit her face up and, if it was possible, she was even more beautiful. Tonight when he fed he couldn’t get the wish out of his mind for Ariya to be in the streetwalker’s place.

Since Ariya came into his life, he would be content with finding a new woman each night even though he would never kiss them. Nor would he fully indulge in the pleasures of their body. Somehow he just couldn’t bring himself to it with her image floating in his mind. He would feed and move on, knowing there was someone else out there for him.

Since her return, he felt at ease once he peeked in his dim candlelit bedroom and saw Ariya sleeping soundly. His body yearned to take her in his arms and relish in the taste of her, but he couldn’t. She wasn’t like the other woman he knew. Perhaps that was the problem—she wasn’t a Nightwalker. She didn’t suffer lifetimes of bloodlust nor was she used to taking lives so brutally. If she were to become a creature of the night, he wasn’t sure if he could live with the idea. She was a Fairy and although she studied up on this world, she was still innocent to its true nature.

“No,” Jace said, bringing the glass to his lips. “I don’t know if I could ever go through with it anyway.”

* * * *

Ariya watched Joanna slide backwards onto a groove jutting from the back wall. The tall Lycan patted the empty area next to her.

“Thanks for keeping me company,” Joanna said, settling on the table. “I’m not really comfortable in a big party atmosphere.”

Ariya climbed on the table. “I don’t blame you,” she said with a soft exhale. “Small and cozy is where it’s at.”

Joanna leaned back, eyeing Ariya with pride.

Ariya caught her expression and smiled. “I’ve learned the speech patterns a little here and there.”

“Well, I would agree with that particular assessment. No matter what language it was in.” Joanna angled her head again to look at Ariya. “May I ask a question?”

Ariya shrugged. “Sure.”

For a moment, Joanna slowly licked her lips in thought, carefully choosing her words. “Well, I don’t want to sound rude or anything but I know you’re not mortal.”

Ariya laughed. “Nope. I’m an Aziza, actually. I guess we fall under the title of Fairy according to the mortal legends.” She leaned forward then fluttered and unfolded her wings for emphasis.

“Very nice,” Joanna nodded. “Must save time and travel.”

“You would think so,” Ariya looked over at Jace engaged in his conversation with Rich. She felt his eyes on her moments ago and fought the urge to figure out what he was thinking. Whatever it was, it had to be something serious.

“How long have you and Jace been together?”

“Oh! Jace and I aren’t—”

“Come on, that wasn’t a friendly goodbye gaze you shared earlier.”

She shrugged. “Well, we’re not, really, anything concrete.”

“Do you want to be?”

Ariya looked back at Jace with the question in her mind.
Good question.

A slow urban beat pulsated through the club. Ariya watched in awe at the dark silhouettes of shadows moving to the sound. The dance reminded her of the ceremonial dances of her home. The rhythmic drums fueled her people’s energy, controlling their bodies like the strings of soulful marionettes. Only this dance was more heated. The women’s bodies wound around their men in a mock ritual mating dance. She felt her skin warm as she viewed their intimacy on full display.

Between the moving bodies, Jace’s face stood out. His bright blue eyes watched her with intent and she had to wonder what went on behind that wall he put up between them.

She leaned back toward the stone wall behind her, feeling the slight flutter of her wings.

“Oh yeah, there’s something there, all right,” Joanna chuckled before taking a sip of her drink.

Ariya turned to protest when she felt a figure close in on her. Jace stood with a thin smile on his face and his hand out toward her.

“Shall we?”

She smiled, slightly embarrassed. “I haven’t danced in so long, I’m still getting used to it again.”

“Don’t worry.” He reached down and helped her to her feet. “This dance, the way your body moves with passion, is something you never forget.”

Ariya turned and faced Joanna who winked to give her support.

He was right. Once she moved, it was as if she had danced only yesterday. It was as if no time had passed since she had practiced their dance before the coming-of-age ceremony.

Jace led her to the middle of the floor. Ariya slipped her hand on Jace’s shoulders and reached for his hand with the other.

“No, no.” He took her other hand and put it on his opposite shoulder. “Stay loose,” he said, his voice soft and sensuous as a whisper. “Let your hips speak for what your heart feels.” Slowly he slid his strong hands down her body and to her shapely hips, guiding her. “That’s it. Feel the music. Let it guide you.”

Ariya allowed the sounds, smells and feel of the club to overtake her body. She moved on her own, swaying side to side in slow motion. She turned around in the dance and pressed her body against his. She could feel his hand gently caressing her thin, translucent wings as he moved up her neck. He interlaced his hands with the mass of dark, tight curls splayed across her shoulders.