Nephilius - A Walker Saga Book 5 (13 page)

“You care about him, don’t you?”

I spun my head to find Ria beside me.

“I recognize that look,” she continued.
“There was someone that I once looked at the same way.”

Was she
talking about one of the beasts? Because I wasn’t sure how I felt
about that. She noticed my expression and grinned. “He was
humanoid, like us, appearing during my vision quests. One day he
just stopped.”

Her voice was low, hurt lacing each
word.

“You never found out who he was?” I grasped
her hand briefly, squeezing it.

She shook out her chestnut hair. “No.”

We stood
silently, until Brace started to make his way back to
me.

“
I’ll see
you inside, Abbs.” Ria left me then. I watched her for an extra
moment, before Brace reached my side and distracted me.

“
Sorry about
that,” he said. “I thought he’d been lost like my sister and
mother. I’ve missed him.”

It was amazing the life he’d lived, and I
wondered if Cerberus had formed such a bond with me because of our
mutual ties to Brace. Or if it was as Josian said: we needed to
find the animals because of the impending war.

“Tell me what else happened in pixie land,”
Brace said.

And then, before I could stop myself, I
ended up sitting on the grass, Brace next to me. I filled him in on
everything that had happened. He was just so easy to talk to, and I
missed sharing my life with him. Losing a loved one is not just the
loss of their physical being, it’s also losing all the little
moments. And knowing there won’t be any new memories. No new
fragments of joy that make life worth living. Because let’s face
it, there’s not much to get you through each day if you’re
alone.

While we spoke the flowers had spilled out
half on my lap and half on the ground in front of me. I never took
my hands off them and Brace never took his eyes off me.

“So Colton said you needed me to fight on
Nephilius.” He switched to a new topic after we’d exhausted pixie
land. “Just like old times, finding the half-Walker females.”

It was strange the way Brace remembered the
worlds and our journey through each one, but only bits and pieces.
The lalunas seemed to have taken certain memories, and then it was
as if his mind just kind of glossed over these gaps and joined
everything together.

“
Is going to
Nephilius going to be a problem with your new
princeps’ duties?” I sat up straighter, waiting for his
answer. I couldn’t stop thinking about him going back to the
Abernath world and Magenta.

He grinned, the flash of white pearly teeth
tantalizing. “Things are running as smoothly as I could hope, for
now anyway. I’m looking forward to the distraction.”

“
I just hope
it’s not too hard to find the half-Walker.” I brought my knees up
higher so I could rest my elbows on them.
Flowers scattered further. “And that you don’t get hurt, of
course.” I shifted my eyes to the side.

He grinned even wider. “I’m not
worried.”

At least his confidence hadn’t gone
anywhere.

“So, since we can’t leave until tomorrow, I
was wondering …”

I faced him as he trailed off.

“Well, maybe, you’d like to have dinner with
me tonight?”

I coughed. “Like … a date?”

He laughed. “Well, that’s very Earthling of
you, but yes, that’s the general idea.”

I opened my mouth to refuse. It wasn’t a
good idea; he already owned my heart and soul. Spending too much
time with him was going to end in trouble. But then I saw the worry
in his eyes, the slight thought that maybe I didn’t want to go on a
date with him, when there was nothing else in the world I wanted
more. I couldn’t hurt Brace again. My heart was still raw from
breaking the bond and I would never forget the anguish in his voice
when he’d realized what I had done and that there was nothing he
could do to fix it. I’d go on this date and I’d take the dual joy
and agony of being near him. It was my duty to ensure that no more
pain befell Brace.

“I’d love to go to dinner with you.” I let
the quiet words free. And the satisfied joy in his gaze was more
than reward for my pain.

“I’ll be back at nightfall,” he said,
getting to his feet. He hesitated before leaning over and laying
his lips briefly against my cheek.

I almost gasped, or screamed or cried. But
thankfully I did none of those things. Instead I smiled and nodded.
Brace left via a doorway.

I continued to sit there, staring down at my
flowers, trying to scrape together the pieces of my heart.

Two huge heads dropped into my lap. Cerberus
surrounded me in warmth and slobber. Like so many things in the
Walker world, his scary and brutal outside hid the center of a
softy.

With a sigh, I knew it was time to head
inside. I needed to store my pixie book until I could find someone
to translate it, and I needed to get ready.

“Come on,” I said to Cerberus. “You can help
me choose an outfit.”

There was no way I was going on a date with
the man of my dreams and not looking as hot as possible. No
way.

The nerves were attacking me as I waited
patiently in the white room. And by patiently I mean I’d chewed my
nails off, stubbed my toe due to excessive stomping around the
room, scared Cerberus off with my cursing, and had to run upstairs
to change my outfit eight times.

Finally the
sun started to sink in the indigo
sky of
First World. I took a deep breath, smoothing my palms down the
front of my jeans. I’d decided against a dress, not knowing where
we would be going that night.

Instead I wore tight fitted black jeans
tucked into ankle-high black heels. I had on an emerald green top.
It was low cut across my breasts, displaying my visible marks. My
blood-red curls hung freely down my back, and the only jewelry I
wore was my locket and the emerald earrings Lucy had given me for
my eighteenth birthday.

I had no bag, because I had no need for one.
There was no identification I needed besides my Walker marks, and
they were always there.

I knew Brace would not be late, and sure
enough I could see through the windows a doorway appear down near
the sand.

“
Are you
sure about this, Aribella?
” Josian
appeared at the room entrance. He’d been as annoyingly nervous as
me all afternoon. “I can make up an excuse.”

I shook my head. “No, in a strange way I’m
kind of looking forward to it. Brace and I never got to do the
dating, get-to-know-each-other thing. I want this moment.”

“You must be careful not to touch him under
the light of the moonstale.” Josian seemed excessively agitated.
“Remember the lalunas’ warning.”

“I remember,” I said. How could I
forget?

“You look beautiful.” Lallielle’s teary
voice interrupted us.

I turned, grateful to be ending the current
conversation. I didn’t want to be reminded any more of the reasons
I couldn’t be with Brace. The world already sucked enough.

“Are you ready? Brace is at the front
door.”

I nodded, stepping around my father – who’d
decided now of all times to act like a loony – and took Lallielle’s
hand. She gave me a kiss on the cheek before ushering me over to
the huge double front doors. My parents faded off, but Cerberus was
suddenly next to me. Either he was worried too, or he wanted to see
Brace as much as I did.

I opened the door.

He was just standing there, the setting sun
at his back. And he was beautiful. I’d said it a million times.
Brace was almost too perfect looking, but in that moment he’d never
been more devastatingly gorgeous. He was clean shaven. His black
hair had just enough length on top to be stylish. He was wearing
black pants, his standard sturdy ass-kicking boots, and a simple
fitted, long-sleeved white shirt. It was more Earth modern fashion
than he normally wore. And for a moment we were just two ordinary
people. No responsibilities, no energy powers.

Of course, then a two-headed dog shoved me
aside to jump onto Brace and knock him straight off the porch and
onto the grass. He landed on his back.

“Shit!” I said, following them off. “Are you
okay?” I couldn’t help but laugh.

Brace was attempting to ward off Cerberus’
enthusiastic greeting.

“Cere,” I said, snorting out my laughter.
“Give Brace a moment here.”

Finally I
managed to drag the thousand-pound puppy away. Luckily he wasn’t
even in his largest form. Brace pulled himself up. His white shirt
was crumpled and grass-stained. He looked down and then back at me.
And
we both lost it. Our laughter brought
my parents out, but Lallielle dragged Josian back in as soon as she
realized it was us. Josian shouted for Cerberus and the big black
beast took off into the house.

Brace and I were sprawled on the ground. It
seemed natural to simply lie back, side by side. And before I could
move he reached out and took my hand. Such a simple gesture as he
threaded his fingers through mine. I should have pulled away, but
lying there on the silky grass and staring up into the darkening
sky, watching the stars and planets appear, it was a perfect little
moment.

“You take my breath away.” His words were
low. “And it’s not just your beauty, but the strength with which
you face every single day.”

I turned my head on the side to see him
better. He had done the same, so now we were practically face to
face. Our lips just an inch away from the other.

“I feel like I’ve had lifetimes with you
already, Abby. Do you know what I’m talking about?”

His
chocolate eyes
held countless questions.
He was confused, not understanding why the bond between us still
existed. The lalunas might have cut the cord, but what we had went
so much deeper than that.

I used my free hand to rub my temple, and
cover my eyes a little. My emotions were almost on overload. I knew
it was stupid, but it hurt that he didn’t remember that he loved
me. Brace was only just discovering me; I, on the other hand, was a
million miles in front of him. I remembered every second of our
love; the memories were a burned imprint.

“Let’s just go on our date,” I finally said,
removing my hand from my face. “I’d love one care-free night before
Nephilius tomorrow.”

His eyes
held mine, but with a nod he let me get away with my
def
lection, something he’d never have
done when we were melded.

“Just so you know.” Brace lifted his free
hand and with slow, deliberate precision placed it on my cheek. His
hand was huge. It covered half my face, before he traced it down to
grip me gently on the chin. “You’re not deterring me. I like a
bossy, complicated woman.”

He lowered his face, but I couldn’t let him
kiss me. Not right now. The wounds were too raw. Before he moved
closer I shifted our position and broke the moment. Brace’s
confidence wasn’t affected at all. In fact his grin turned so sexy
I almost lost my mind and dragged him to me. But in the end I
didn’t.

He helped me to my feet and I expected him
to open a doorway, but instead we started to walk into Angelisian.
I was surprised but kept it to myself. I thought I knew his mind
pretty well, but he still had his secrets. Angelisian, the small
city on the ocean where we had made our home base, was more alive
than I’d ever seen it. So maybe there was something special on in
the town tonight.

Brace still held my hand; he had not let go
of it for even a moment. And if I was honest, I might have been
desperately clinging to him.

“I wasn’t sure what you wanted to do
tonight,” he said as we entered the main center of the town. “I
know that we can walk to any of the worlds, but I think it would be
nice if we spent tonight closer to your home. I want a chance to
get to know you. We can have adventures later.”

“I’ve had more than enough adventures for a
long time, close to home sounds … perfect.”

He was perfect.

We ended up
in a tiny little restaurant, or whatever they called the equivalent
on First World. A woman around my height led us into a back alcove
area
. I rubbed my free hand over my face,
trying to hide my delight at the scene. It was open-roofed, the
stars visible, and just below this were these floating lights,
suspended somehow above the entire outdoor space. Soft music played
in the background. I so rarely heard music anymore. It was soft and
melodic, no words, but it created a surge of emotions within
me.

“My name is Larissa,” the woman said. “My
partner is gifted with the ability of song weaving.” She spun
around, her golden hair shining in the light.

“This music is just so beautiful.” My voice
cracked and to my horror a few tears welled in my eyes.

Brace’s jaw hardened as he turned and spoke
quietly to the woman. “Could you ask him to tone down the emotions
a little?”

With a nod and half-smile, Larissa left.

Brace reached over and, as he had done many
times before, wiped away the sadness from my face. Of course, he
didn’t remember he’d done it before. But I would never forget. I
swallowed and, as the music tempo changed to something a little
more upbeat, joy replaced the sorrow. Song weaving was starting to
look a lot like emotional manipulation.

We moved into the room. There were no
tables, just a rug and huge cushions surrounding a low table on the
floor. Brace led me across and we made ourselves comfortable. I
settled back on the cushions before opening my eyes wide and
leaning forward. White, pink and yellow flower petals had suddenly
started to drift down from the sky. I must have looked confused as
heck, my head swiveling to find the source.