Legacy of Secrets 01-Cursed Secrets (17 page)

“I have a few requests before we start this. If I can’t leave here without a babysitter I need to make sure some things are taken care of.”

“You aren’t a prisoner, Lia. As soon as you know how to protect yourself, you can go anywhere you wish,” Austin looked at Christian suspiciously.

“Regardless, I want to make sure my grandparents are protected, too. I need to be sure they don’t get swept up in this mess. Then, I need to be able to find somewhere to run. I don’t care if it’s in the woods, but I’m not giving that up too. It might be the only thing keeping me sane. Lastly, I want to be able to get some things from my house so I’m not recycling the same outfit the entire time I’m here.”

“I can arrange that. We’ll go to your house in a few days and pack some things. Austin can use a protection spell on the house and we can scout the trails for a decent route,” Christian affirmed.

“You’re in good hands, Lia,” Austin said as he stared at me. The implications behind his words scared me. I cleared my throat and sputtered a nervous thank you.

“So what else should I know about The Elders? If they’re supposed to be the most important beings in our world, I need to get a bit of an education before I go barreling in.”

“Well, there is definitely a lot to learn, but you just need the basics for now. We can begin with who the Elders are and what they do.” Austin pulled a leather bound book from his bag and untied the delicate string. Inside the notebook were drawings, letters, cryptic symbols, and formulas. He set the book on the coffee table, handing the formulas to Christian. He flittered from the room and back again in less than a heartbeat.

“Okay, here we go. The Elders were formed when the different races were taking part in what seemed like constant war. Everyone wanted a claim to territories, hunting grounds, sacred grounds, and above all, freedom. There were many more creatures back then and the power struggle was ruthless. Every culture was in jeopardy of perishing. It was very bloody and
very
barbaric,” he hung his head as he pushed through the pages.

“You talk like you were there,” I laughed and sipped my drink. Austin stared at me with an amused expression.

“Wait a minute, you’re telling me you
were
there? You were a part of this stuff?” he nodded still amused, “How can that be? You look no older than I am?” I gasped.

“Those of us with great power are gifted in ways you couldn’t imagine. The Fates have been good to me,” he smiled again and my stomach fluttered.

“The who?”

“The Fates,” he answered like I should have known what he meant.

“Okay that’s wonderful, but who are The Fates?”

“Have you never studied Greek mythology?” he sighed, “The Fates are a group of women who can determine a number of things. They can predict how long a person will live, the path they will choose, the decisions they have made or will make. All of which forms the core of a person’s soul. Whatever is foretold usually comes true. They really are magical creatures. They can party like the rest of us, but have wonderful powers. Anyway, they favor some of the most powerful and tend to influence good fortune,” he smiled widely as if there was a joke that no one else knew about.

“Okay, so The Fates gave you immortality? How can they have that power? Aren’t there rules to things like that?” my eyebrows furrowed and my lip hurt from chewing on it.

Christian crossed the room and sat beside me, “Of course we have rules, but it’s not what you think. Please, calm down. Do you need something stronger?” he motioned to my glass.

“Yes, please,” he sped away and came back with a short glass filled with ice and a dark brown liquid. I sipped gingerly, welcoming the burn.

“Better?” he asked with a smile.

“Much, thank you. Would it be too much to ask of you to sit next to me? I’m not feeling too well,” I asked softly.

“Fine,” Christian said glancing up at Austin who looked clearly baffled.

“Shall I continue or do you two need some privacy?” he mused.

Christian’s jaw flexed, “No, continue”.

“As I was saying, The Fates gift some of our kind, but there are certain things that a subject needs to do in order to receive such good fortune. Those deeds change for each person. The Fates test the person’s intent, ability, usefulness, honor, integrity, and above all their soul. You cannot be gifted with immortality unless your soul is free of wickedness. Those of us who have been gifted have proven our worth and therefore the gift remains.”

“So they can take it back?”

“They can, if the subject acts from evil. The Fates don’t like to reverse the gift, but it can happen. It rarely does, but some have tested their boundaries in the past.”

“Okay, so The Fates determine things about people and events surrounding them. I can see why The Elders want their company. You started to explain they were formed during the wars, but how were they chosen? I mean, with all of that chaos, there couldn’t have been a vote. Not to mention everyone hated each other.”

“The Elders were already leaders of their people. They ended up being drawn together because of the great losses in the races. Currently there are five; many races have gone extinct.

“The Lord of the Weres is Cerdic. He has lived for thousands of years and is incredibly wise. His word goes above all others and has been the leader since the beginning. He is also probably the most kind. The Countess of the Fae is Raisie. She’s a darling creature with incredible knowledge. She’s been gifted with the ability of sight.”

“The sight of what?”

“She can see your whole life up to the moment she met you with one touch. She is incredibly useful, but her power is limited. She cannot tell where you’re headed, only where you’ve been. I think you’ll like her. On the other hand there’s Kalonice. She’s the dictator of the bunch and also the Queen of the Vampires. She never looks for the good in anything and would probably kill her own grandmother if she weren’t already dead. She might take some convincing.”

“What exactly am I to do when we go?”

“We can’t answer that. The Elders will determine what is to be done when they call for you.”

“Then how do you know what to prepare me for?” I challenged.

“Because, darlin’, I’m as close to The Council as you’re gonna get,” he retorted and my cheeks flushed.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to hunt. I’ll be back shortly. Will you be alright while I’m gone?” Christian shifted his focus to me.

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“He’s afraid you’ll disappear. Either that or you’ll like me better than him,” Austin winked and I stifled my laughter.

“It’s okay, go,” I shooed him. He nodded and disappeared.

“He’s too serious. He needs to lighten up, don’t you think?” Austin asked, pouring himself a very large drink.

“He wasn’t always that way. Not until after Josiah showed up. You would think I was the one killing people from the way he treats me now,” I huffed and took a big gulp.

“Well, he’s just a vampire. They’re incredibly emotional creatures, not to mention rather boring.”

“Let’s not talk about him alright? I just want to concentrate on the information I need for this. So you were saying about Kalonice?”

“She’s a devious one. The others can keep her in check when it comes to The Council, but her kingdom is another story.”

“In other words, she’s not nice?” I smirked.

“Not at all, no,” he smiled, “You really are quite beautiful. I bet you hear that all the time.”

“Actually I don’t, but thanks. So moving on from the vampires, whose left?” I asked uncomfortably.

“Alright then, there’s Nolyn the Trylle Prince. He’s sickeningly kind, but ruthless. Most trylle kingdoms live independently among humans now, but all have their own liaisons.”

“What’s a trylle?”

“Trolls. Not the type you normally think of. They’re similar to what Elves were. I guess you could say they are what the Elves used to be before they died off. Our scholars if you will.”

“Trolls, huh? This is more in depth than I thought,” I rubbed my temple. The alcohol made me feel fuzzy and it was harder to control everything. The air started to fizzle and Austin’s eyebrows went up.

“What?” I asked defensively.

“Is that coming from you?”

“Is what coming from me?”

“It feels like I’m floating in seltzer water. There are only two of us here and I know it isn’t me. Do you mind if I come closer? I’d like to see if I can pin point the source,” he asked crossing the room to stand in front of me.

“Alright, what do you need me to do?” I stood, too.

“Just stay still and continue with the thoughts you had a moment ago. Put your hands up to meet mine, only letting our fingertips touch. Try to keep yourself as relaxed as possible.”

When my fingers touched his, I felt a slight heat spread over me. It was nothing like when I touched Christian, but it definitely wasn’t a bad sensation. My heart beat a bit oddly as I tried getting used to him.

“Your energy is much stronger than I anticipated. I should have known from the force of the manifestations, but this really is something else.”

“Is that bad or good?” I peeked through one eye at his smiling face.

“It’s good. You have potential,” another loaded response. I sighed and withdrew my hands.

We stood a moment, staring at each other. What’s his purpose? Christian obviously trusted him, but I was afraid he may have chosen the wrong person. Austin was full of innuendos. He made me nervous. However, spending time with Austin would be refreshing, someone I wasn’t trying desperately
not
to fall in love with.

“So, after the Trylle Prince who else is there?”

“Last, but certainly not least, is my Queen Saina. She comes off a bit rigid at first, but her intentions are always in good favor. She doesn’t like to see the bad in people unless it is proven beyond doubt. It definitely helps that you are allied with two sects. You’ll have Saina and Cerdic fighting for your acquittal. It won’t make the others happy, but all you need are for three to vote your way. Majority usually takes it.”

“I thought that you said Cerdic’s word was what determined the ruling?”

“True, but they still must vote. Cerdic doesn’t cast his vote with the others. You will need for two of the others to vie in your favor. Once we figure out exactly what you can do, I’ll be able to judge more easily which way this might go.”

“How long do we really have? This isn’t going to be a trial by fire is it?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“No of course not. The Elders trust that I will report back to them weekly until I’ve gathered intel on you. Of course, they haven’t a clue I’m helping. I’d be in big trouble. It’s our little secret, darlin’,” he smiled wide and it was hard for me not to smile back.

Christian burst through the door looking wild. My heart raced. He’d been gone too long and I didn’t even notice. Something happened and no one was there to help him. I started hyperventilating. The inky blackness suffocated me beyond control. He grabbed me and rushed to the door, pushing me into the night air.

I shook so hard my bones hurt as I vomited. I couldn’t think; couldn’t speak; I couldn’t even scream out as the bile burned my throat. I just sat there praying it would end.

“Is this what normally happens?” Austin asked him.

“Never this bad. Something was probably bothering her. What am I saying? Of course she was bothered. We’ve hit her with so much information over the past few days. I would be overwhelmed too.”

“I’ve never felt anything like this. It’s almost like she sucks the energy out of everything. It’s like a vacuum.”

“Yes, I feel it too. Could you grab something for her to drink?” Austin left and Christian continued rubbing my back attempting to soothe me.

“I’m sorry,” I choked out in between heaves.

“Shh, don’t worry. It’s okay. We’ve been through this before.”

I sat up, “No, I’m sorry for letting you go alone. I’ve been so mad at you I didn’t think about anything else. Something happened out there and no one was around to help you. He came back, didn’t he?”

“He did. Don’t worry about that right now. You’re safe. We’re going to put up the protections tonight so he can’t get to you. I won’t let him hurt you,” he pushed the hair from my cheek.

I turned away and hugged myself. It hurt too much when he acted that way. As much as I wanted to feel his tenderness, I was afraid of it. He didn’t want me because of what I would turn into. The problem was that I didn’t care that he was a vampire; I would have died a million times just to be with him for a day.

“Here’s your drink love. Christian, would you mind if I took over from here? I want to see if I can get anything from this. I won’t do anything crazy, I promise,” Christian nodded and removed himself slowly. The air grew thicker with my sorrow.

He hesitated at the change but I waved him off. It was useless to hide the suffering. He no longer held safety for me. I’d lost the happy feeling. Austin wrapped his warm arms around my shoulders and I leaned into him. I couldn’t hold back the sobs and buried my face in his shirt.