Maybe Fate: A Novel (New Adult Paranormal Romance) (20 page)

I
said nothing, I just stared up at him intently.

Leaning
away, Ethlyn rubbed at his neck. “I wasn't explicitly told not
to tell you, but I have a feeling if I did, he'd be very angry. I
really wish I could say it, Gale, but... making him upset would
probably get me killed.”

“
Twaelin
can't die,” I said bluntly.

There,
that was real surprise on his hard features. “Nethiun told you
that
,
too? Tsk, he's got no regard for anyone but himself.” Sticking
his hands in his pockets, he looked down at me once more. “Fine.
Yes. But we don't come back if we're destroyed. Not unless the
source of our energies brings us back. We're part of them, they can
do as they want with us.”

Gaping,
something finally clicked with me. “Are you both slaves to the
guys above you?”

Ethlyn
hesitated, but it was enough of an answer.

The
wind seemed much colder suddenly.

“
That's
terrible,” I whispered.
Do
they have any freedom, then? Or, if their life is really at the whim
of their creators, are they forced to obey them?

“
It's
not so bad,” he said softly, entirely unconvincingly.

Contemplating
the tilt to his eyes, how he seemed to have trouble looking my way,
I took a small step forward. “Listen,” I started,
struggling to know how to word my thoughts, “if you're being
commanded to watch me, or follow me or whatever, like Nethiun is...
I get it, fine. You guys are being told what to do. But even so, I
need you to do something for me.”

“
What?”
he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Taking
a deep breath, I grit my teeth and fixed him with the most
intimidating glare I could. “I need you to leave Becky alone.”

“
Oh?”
he asked, his smirk growing. “Jealous of the attention she's
getting?”

Pointing
at him fiercely, I kept my voice level even as my face burned like
the sun. “Keep away from her. You're clearly sticking around
Becky as an excuse to be near me, for whatever reason you won't tell
me. She's my friend, I don't want her getting hurt.”

His
shadow fell across me, one arm pressing onto the wall beside my
head. He was too close, too velvety as he spoke. “You're smart
enough to understand I can't stop keeping an eye on you. So let's
make a trade. I'll leave Becky alone, if you,” he said, voice
dropping an octave, “let me hang close by instead.”

My
heart felt like it had taken up residence in my mouth, making it
hard to speak. “You—what? You're asking for me to... to
just let you...”

Those
gold eyes burned right into me. “Date me, yes.”

Why
the heck would he want to date me?

Does
he want to date me?

It
could all be a ploy, all a big fake show... but isn't that what I
would want? If I agreed to date him, would he really leave Becky
alone? Maybe it would be a smart move... if it lets her be safe,
keeps her out of this giant mess, shouldn't I consider it?

But
could I even go through with that? That first night, at the club, I
did kind of fall over him and how hot he was, I could pretend easily
enough that I... that I...

The
way he was smiling down at me was turning my insides to water.
No,
no what am I thinking? Doing this would just make ME the one that
hurts Becky. If she saw us walking around hand-in-hand, it isn't
like I could explain it away to her as 'keeping her safe' or
something.

No,
there's just no way. This can't happen.

Trembling
down to my knees, I wrenched my gaze away. “No, I won't agree
to something like that. I can't! Don't be ridiculous.”

I
saw a flicker of something akin to being insulted. “It's a
simple exchange. You get what you want, I get what I want.”

And
what does he want, to do his job? Or more?
That
idea didn't help the bubbling in my chest. “No, I won't.”
Ducking under his arm, I brushed past Ethlyn, standing in the middle
of the grassy short-cut. “I couldn't handle hurting Becky, did
you not consider her feelings at all?”

“
You're
the one asking me to keep away from her, Gale,” he said with
scrutiny.

He's
right, I just... I don't know what to do anymore.
Flustered,
I tugged at my sleeves. “You can't ask people to agree to that
sort of stuff.”

“
Humans
go on dates, begin relationships, all the time! Just like this, they
ask them out!” He sounded like he was trying to debate with
me.

“
Well,”
I mumbled. “Humans do that, okay. But someone like you
shouldn't be.”

The
twaelin flinched, as if my words had hurt him. “Someone like
me, you say.” Glancing upwards, to the stormy sky above, he
went quiet.

For
a moment, we stood there together. The more I thought about how I'd
phrased myself, how Ethlyn's jaw was tight with displeasure, the
more I wanted to apologize.
Maybe
that was too harsh. He's sort of awkward, I think. I should try to
explain myself better, but—but he really was just asking me
out to help his own Master, wasn't he?

I
couldn't tell where the feelings began or the suspicion ended. Did
twaelin even
have
feelings?
Nethiun
had told me they could feed on the ones humans projected, were
twaelin lacking somehow?

All
the questions I had, and Ethlyn's petulant scowl didn't make him
seem open to hearing them.

Turning
back to me, he breathed through his nose. “You don't mind
Nethiun's company, but me, well. I guess I don't fit your
requirements.”

“
Wait,
that isn't—”

“
I'll
try to do it,” he said briskly, not meeting my confused stare.
Instead, he seemed busy studying his fingernails. “I won't use
her to get close to you. I'll continue my surveying, but on my own
terms.”

It
was hard to believe him, it was just too easy. “Seriously?
You'll leave her alone?”

“
Well,
I won't pursue her anymore. I can't promise she'll leave
me
alone, though. That girl seems infatuated with me.”

Frowning,
I knew he was right. Becky had already professed her budding love to
me, she wouldn't give up on Ethlyn so easily. “Tell me what
you'll do instead.”

“
Pushy,”
he chuckled. “Isn't it obvious? I'll keep pretending I'm a
student here. It's an easy enough way to keep tabs.”

“
Can't
you just do it like Nethiun does? Float around and just keep out of
my every day life?”

Ethlyn's
frown was deep enough that it dug deep furrows along the corners of
his mouth. “I'm not Nethiun, and I don't want to
be
Nethiun, so no. I won't play at being some figure in the shadows.”

But
why not?
Eyeing
him, I glanced back over my shoulder briefly. “You can't
promise me that you won't be alone with Becky?”

“
I
can do my best to not encourage her, but that's all.”

“
Fine.
Stalemate or whatever. I'm leaving now, if that's not a problem.”

Scratching
at his nose, he shrugged noncommittally. “Fine. Whatever.”

Watching
him, daring him to do anything other than actually let me leave, I
eventually spun on my heel. My arms, tight at my sides, didn't move
as I marched hurriedly from that space between the buildings.

It
was only when I made it to the bustling commons that I finally
breathed easier. I knew the public place was no more safe than
anywhere else. However, if the twaelin were keeping any sort of
guise up—as, at least, Ethlyn seemed to be—then it was
as good as a panic room to me.

I'm
more breathless over everything that just happened, less because I'm
scared of him, now. How weird, but I think... I think if he had
wanted to hurt me, he would have. In fact, Ethlyn was the most
forthcoming with information so far. He didn't play games like
Nethiun did.

Could
the gold-eyed man actually be right about the twaelin I'd considered
my savior?
Why
would Ethlyn lie to me? I guess, more like, why would he lie to me
anymore than Nethiun would? They both seem to want to follow me
around, but Ethlyn actually seemed worried for me.

I
didn't want to think that Nethiun was sinister, or that his
'Mistress' had less than stellar plans for me, but what argument did
I have against those things?

Sitting
down on the stone wall around the circular area, I hung my head,
listening vaguely to the sounds of students laughing, wandering,
enjoying life.

It
was a backdrop to a painting I was no longer feeling a part of.

Why
can't I do something about this, about... all of this? Back there,
when Ethlyn came after me and caught me, I felt so fragile.

Remembering
how he had called me bold, but commented on how the fear had been
coming off of me in waves, was humiliating.
What's
the point in pretending to be confident, when twaelin can just sense
my actual emotions?

Tugging
my fingers through my hair, I pulled roughly past the knots to free
them.
They're
too powerful, how do I stand up to things like them? What would I
even do if I could?

All
I have at this point is information. And, really, not much of that
at all.

Sitting
up fast enough that I threatened to give myself whiplash, I dug into
my backpack.
Wait,
that's right, Ethlyn gave me a name.

Unfolding
my wrinkled notebook paper, I stared down at the drawings, the names
in their precise curling letters that I'd traced so carefully.

There,
the name 'Queen of Dreams' stood out even with the pencil smudges.
This
is the twaelin that Ethlyn said was Nethiun's 'Mistress.'

That
word, that made my belly clench in a way I didn't grasp. Something
about it gave off an implication about the relationship between
Nethiun and her. A thing I didn't like at all.