A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight Series #1) (43 page)

“I do hope my son’s time has not been wasted on frivolous pursuits of the flesh. Else I will be disappointed greatly.”

Here we go. Jace sighed as he felt his father closing in behind him. Gerard Archane was a handsome serious man. His strong angular face fashioned a trimmed beard, dark like his shoulder length hair. Deep blue electric eyes widened as he settled on Jace’s half finished painting. He folded his arms in front of thick chest clad in a blue tunic and robe.

Jace felt him circle around him. His thick boots tapped against the ground as his gaze darted from the model to the painting. Finally he stopped next to Jace and looked down at him.

“Your services are dismissed for the day, kind sir,” Gerard said to the teacher. “I thank ye.”

The teacher nodded and held his hand out. The girl broke from her pose and quickly grabbed her clothes which she held over her body. As she passed by Jace, she gave him a thin smile and a wink.

Jace felt his body warm from his father’s gaze. Down the hall, the servants ushered the girl and the teacher to the door while she quickly finished dressing. Jace had to stifle a chuckle at the idea of the half dressed woman racing
across the open grounds away from the Castle of Twilight, their home.

He braced himself for the inevitable blowout but felt the tension deflate as his father pulled up a wooden stool next to him.

“I fear your passion lies not with the arts, my son.” Gerard said with a sigh. “But with the means to its creation.”

“To a point, Father.”

“To a point? Jacinus, I cannot afford to allow you to wallow in such frivolity. You are the heir to this land and ye must learn more than art to rule it.”

Jace froze at the thought of his present situation. He liked the idea of painting a woman’s body, no doubt about it, but he still needed to create.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to rule, but now he would give anything to just paint and live on his art. He wouldn’t dare make this desire a verbal declaration for fear of shocking his father into a fit of insanity.

“Laird Archane,” one of the servants entered the drawing room and held her hands clasped out in front of her. “A man has arrived. He asked for you.”

“What is the name of
this stranger?”

“I know not, sire. A hint of fear cornered her face as she awaited their answer.”

Jace and his father brushed past the woman toward the front foyer. The castle was a modern size, much smaller than their home in
Inverness
. When they first moved in, Jace had to wonder if there was enough room for all the families of the home. After settling in for a day, it felt more at home than the
Plume
Castle
de Provence they left behind.

Jace stopped behind his father once he saw the tall man in the door. He didn’t look like a traveler or a soldier. If anything, he looked like a royal with his long robes of velvet and a crown of jewels atop his straight ebony mane. His pale skin glowed and Jace had to mentally tell himself to close his mouth and not stare
too hard. He was beautiful. A word he only saved for ladies of the court, but there was no other way to describe the creature before him.

In his arms he held a cloaked figure like a weightless doll. Despite not seeing his face, Jace remembered the boots his father had specially made and sent to his brother Julian before they moved.

“Julian!” Gerard said, as if reading Jace’s mind. He raced over to his brother and uncovered his face. “What have y’done to ‘im?”

The man moved to the nearest room and set Julia
n down in front of the fireplace. Jace knew his Uncle was a tall man but he appeared like a young man of his age in this stranger’s massive arms.

“Sophie,” Gerard called one of the servants. “Fetch the physician this instant.”

“That won’t be necessary, Laird Archane,” the tall man said. “There are some things I would like to explain to you. And, if possible, an offer that will change your life forever.”

* * * *

Jace’s head buzzed and his body ached with a dull pain that shot throughout his limbs. Voices filled the air and he felt the crowd of curious onlookers crowding around the scene.

“Nothing to see here, folks, move along.”

He couldn’t quite identify the voices that took command. He tried to open his eyelids, but they were heavy like stacks of bricks over his eyes. The area within the night was a rush of misty of images glazed together. Two blurred figures approached him, the gravel and rocks of the pavement crunched beneath their designer boots. The sound was heightened in his mind as were the thunderous beats of hearts surrounding him. Humans. They had to get out of there fast. He felt his body lifted up into the back seat of the nearest car. Even if he wanted to fight back, he had no strength left.

“Yeah, it’s me,” he heard a voice from the passenger side. “We got him. We’re heading over now and bringing up his car in the rear. We should be in soon.”

The soft roar of the car engine lulled Jace to unconsciousness. He couldn’t sense any danger or dark foreshadowing ahead. Still what had happened to Ariya? Where was she taken? Could he get to her in time? He struggled to sit up but his head reeled. Finally he slumped forward and gave into the darkness.

* * * *

“I met your brother during my travels. His nobility has been revered by many. He is known as a great military soldier from here to France and even greater leader. I suppose it is because of these traits that a man chose him to share a special gift. And also why I would like him to become a leader for a very special group of people.”

Jace turned to his Uncle’s still body in the front room. He had suggested moving him in upstairs but was met with vehement protest when he mentioned the bright sunlight in the room. Instead, he was left downstairs for the maids to tend to him despite
this Daoine Oberon figure, as he introduced himself, protested that he was fine.

But he wasn’t. Jace could feel it. He couldn’t even tell if his Uncle was still breathing.

“Why did you travel this way to the
Highlands
? Surely you could handle this matter together.”

Daoine’s bright blue eyes turned toward the ground as he clasped his hands on his lap. “Members of our land are spread far and wide. Many are being taken. Held captive in the land of Wallachia, east from here. The ruler there, his name meaning son of the dragon, wants the ability to be stronger and continue to conquer lands many years after all other rulers have died. Our people won’t stand for it any longer but there are too few to fight such a man of power.”

“No,” Gerard said. “This riddle is of pure nonsense.”

Daoine shifted his weight in the elegantly imported chair until he found a comfortable position. “There have been many myths surrounding the supernatural. Many people have claimed to see things—creatures in the night preying upon their neighbors. Some of these creatures have malevolent desires but the majority needs a leader and a home to keep them safe from the mortal hunters.”

“And you confess to be one of these creatures?”

“Not necessarily.”

“A—mortal then?” Jace chimed in.

Daoine shook
his head. “No, Perhaps it is best if I illustrate by presentation.”

He stood and walked to the middle of the room. His soft, long robes were the only sound that broke into the quiet air. Once he turned to face them, his eyes glowed and he slowly descended
to his knees, transforming into a wolf, dark with a sleek shiny coat amidst the fallen velvet robes.

Gerard jumped to his feet and rushed to the sword hanging over the mantle of the fireplace. “What witchcraft is this?” he said, pointing the blade at the wolf.

The wolf creature turned his head as if summoning a force on his whim. The sword flew out of Gerard’s hands and toward the wolf, turning around with the blade facing Gerard.

Jace tried to figure out what was happening and if he had a chance to retrieve his own sword. He turned his head for but a moment, toward the direction of the weapon room, and when he turned to the wolf, it was gone. In its place was Daoine, his lithe body was naked and glistening against the dark robes he kneeled over.

“You will not bestow this wretched curse upon me!” Gerard said with his fists at his side.

Daoine stood in one movement, pulling the robes over his body as he moved to cover himself. “You will not be able to transform. Only my brothers and sisters have the ability. I was bequeathed a gift unto to me. A blood of three creatures, to sustain my immortality. One of these I bestow upon you to sustain your life as the years pass. I cannot explain what will happen in our futures, but I will be with you. All of you. As we gather our people into safety.”

Gerard walked to the room where his brother slept soundly. “My brother Julian. He is of their blood?”

“Yes.”

“You changed him?”

“No. An English soldier did.”

“Why?”

Daoine walked to Gerard and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Julian was dying after the battle with them. The soldier turned him. Perhaps to gain a leader, or a friend. Your brother was, in essence, not given a choice. But you will have one as you decide to join him or not. It will be your decision.”

Jace watched his father and Daoine as they looked upon Julian’s still body. They had nothing to look forward to for the rest of their days. Despite his strong exterior image, Jace knew his father hadn’t felt whole since Jace’s mother died. He had already felt the cold hand of mortality as it took the only woman he ever loved. Jace felt his father strengthen as his back straightened. A renewed power made its way to his face as he turned to Daoine at his side.

“Sophie. Please fetch Father Ranald for my last rites.”

* * * *

“What about me?”

The bright castle walls gave way to darkness once Jace opened his eyes. Modern furniture decorated the room of beautiful brown and blue accents and bedding. Jace took a few slow breathes realizing his surroundings. He immediately turned to check the time and felt the soreness of his body and face, remembering all the places he was kicked and punched earlier. He shifted under the tight bandages wrapped around his bare torso. He tenderly cradled his head as the memories of a long time past raced back to him, soon replaced with the one person he had come to care for above all.

“Ariya!” Then the present came to him. He and Ariya had been attacked that evening and Ariya was taken. After they—

Jace’s body froze as the full evening returned to him. That must be why he hadn’t healed right away. He had almost changed Ariya with the amount of blood he gave her, but her body rejected most of it—or did it?

She changed right before his eyes with the characteristics of a Nightwalker. Just how far had she transformed? Time would tell whether or not she would thirst for blood and suffer injuries from the sun’s rays. She had already claimed to have heightened senses.

Jace cursed softly. It was now more than ever that he needed to be by her side protecting her.