Runes (6 page)

As the doors closed between Evangeline and Sean, the image of the twisted anguish on his face had her quaking like a sapling in a storm. The wind’s pitch had changed from a roaring gale to a shriek. She stumbled through the city streets, the rush of traffic assaulting her ears. It was too loud, amplifying her pain. Suddenly, the curb rushed up at her. Her knees struck the concrete, her palms scuffing the rough surface and tearing her skin.

“Hey, baby, you okay?” a male voice asked, making her scramble to her feet and run. Her breath sobbed in her lungs, and tears blinded her. She ran six blocks to the house of an acquaintance, beat on his door and begged to borrow his truck.

With keys in hand, she slammed herself inside the truck and sat shaking, tormented by Sean’s loss. That he’d told her he was in love with her made it all the worse.

An hour later, she was forty miles away, rushing away from Sean, boot ground against the accelerator. The battered old pick-up skidded to the shoulder, and Evangeline fell out the door, sobbing and retching. Gravel dug into her knees and a cold rain ripped at her clothing. Tears and snot streamed down her face and she trembled inside like she needed a fix. She folded her arms around her stomach cramps.

Will Cochran’s words revolved through her foggy mind, filling her with longing and fear.
Once you set eyes on me you’ll see for yourself, but until you do my voice will hurt you.

She was heading into Will’s arms
.
It seemed surreal. In the past hour, he’d told her that not only was she part of an elite group of people walking the earth—immortals, no less—but she was destined to be his mate.

She thought of the visions that had haunted her for months—Will’s searing touch, his low voice reverberating in her mind, and the lovemaking he said would bind them permanently. She shivered uncontrollably at the thought, fearing she was going mad.

An hour later she climbed from the truck like a zombie. Inside the gas station’s dirty restroom, she studied her ravaged complexion in the mirror. But, if she spoke his name she could enter his mind.

Her face crumpled anew. What was Sean doing now? She imagined him revisiting the spots of his apartment where they’d spent the most time together. Watching old movies on the long sofa or lying in his bed, talking about his various Tae Kwan Do trophies. He was in love with her, and she’d never needed anyone more than him at that moment.

Except for Will.

Her hands trembled so badly that water sloshed over her thermal T-shirt, which happened to be Sean’s. Longing for Sean ate at her core. She hugged herself tightly and let her sobs erupt.

She could call him on the telephone. She refused to carry a cell phone and now cursed herself for her stubborn defiance of technology. Sean had laughed at her, but after a few weeks, his cell never left his dresser. Armed with a scalding coffee, a king-sized Hershey bar, and a pack of cigarettes, she returned to the truck. Now, she wished above all else that she could hear Sean's rich, sexy voice spilling over her.

* * * *

The truck sped down the interstate, hitting every bump and pothole from Chicago to Barre, Vermont. In the old truck, the shocks were shot so it tossed Evangeline around like she was on a carnival ride.

What the hell was she doing? She’d just torn herself from the only man she’d ever loved to travel across the country in hopes of speaking to the real version of the voice in her head. This was a man who’d fucked her sister, and God, the pain stabbed Evangeline’s chest. That Jessa had run her fingers through that shaggy auburn hair or kissed a path down his chest to his sexy tattoo made her want to floor the engine and run over something. She shoved the chocolate bar into her mouth in four bites, and chewed the enormous amount as she mulled over this horrible thought.

The ache for Sean returned with a vengeance. A dark, pulsing pain in her chest which brought instant tears to her eyes. She clung to it, letting it burn her gut like a swig of her favorite vodka. If all she had left of Sean was pain, she would hold it close.

“What if I can’t live without Sean?” she asked herself quietly. As she passed a sign for the Vermont state border, her fingers tightened with resolve upon the steering wheel.
Well, Evangeline, you’re about to find out.

* * * *

Evangeline drove the pickup truck down the long lane leading to an enormous mansion. Dawn was hours away, but the horizon wore a belt of dark grey that promised a clear, bright sky. She stopped the truck, and the emergency brake screeched as she set it. Heart pounding, she stepped out and hunched her shoulders against the cold air. Faced with the brick building, the enormity of her actions struck her. She was far from Chicago and the life she knew. The life she’d created with Sean. With a pang, Evangeline thought suddenly of her guitar. A gift from Sean for her birthday three weeks ago. He’d scrambled from bed, fresh from lovemaking, and revealed the acoustic behind the closet door.

“Sean,” she’d gasped, her eyes filling.

He lifted it carefully and placed it into her hands. “Happy birthday, Evangeline. What do you think?”

She gave a soft sob, overwhelmed. “It’s awesome. Amazing. How did you know it was my birthday?”

“I know a lot you never told me, baby,” he said, his dark eyes aglow. And then her fingers had taken over, and the words of a new song bubbled into the air. She’d never even told him she loved him.

Evangeline carefully removed the guitar from the bed of the truck, and following an innate sense of purpose, set off down a cobbled walk around the side of the mansion. A large outbuilding loomed before her, and she made for the door, guided by pure instinct. The door silently opened inward, and Evangeline set down her guitar, felt along the wall and flipped a switch. Her breath caught.

Granite sculptures of various size and shapes, from simple obelisks to glorious classical figures surrounded her. She walked around the space, weaving through the lovely sculptures. She paused to trail her fingers over the flowing garments of a female figure. The pleats and folds were cool, telling her it was indeed rock, but her eyes told her otherwise. The figures looked as if they could step from their stone pedestals, drop their garments, and climb nude into a bath.

With a weighty sigh, she knelt beside her guitar. The locks of the case sounded like shots in the quiet space, and she tipped back the lid to reveal the glossy wood instrument. Her tears fell unchecked as she lifted the beloved piece into her hands. She sat cross-legged with her back against the wall and played.

The words rose without thought, and the notes bound her tight to the spell she wove. It was a song of loves gained and lost, of pain and need, of joy and sorrow. She sang for Will to hear her ‘Call’, for Sean to believe her sadness, and for her own heart, torn between the two. And as the last strains drifted into the air to mingle with the dancing stone dust, she looked up directly into Will’s glowing eyes.

Like someone bewitched, Will quietly followed the path leading to the art studio. He quivered uncontrollably at the taste of Evangeline on the very air. His vision was coming true. He would open the studio door, and she would be there, huddled in a corner playing her guitar. He’d been told the visions were glimpses into the future, but he’d been reluctant to believe them.

Her throaty voice fell on his ears. His brain reeled at the enchanting sound, and his heart tripped with excitement. Heat enveloped his body, which urged him to go forward, to claim her body and share her blood, binding them forever.

But first he had to be sure.

The cold of the stone and concrete space greeted him at the door, along with the low rasp of Evangeline’s voice mixed with tears. Directly ahead of him, a granite muse barred his way. He circled her only to be met by another. Will touched its hand in passing, but would not be thwarted. Their stark faces would never repel him from Evangeline. Nothing could. Not even her love of Sean.

Stepping through the forest of granite sentries, he emerged a few feet from his immortal mate. At the sight of her, his heart soared, and he staggered beneath the joy even as his fists clenched. They’d never spoken face to face, but he burned for her. For weeks he’d made love to her in his visions, and his nighttime dreams, but now that they were inches apart, he knew he must move slowly. While his body told him to lift her into his arms and search for the nearest bed, she must first get accustomed to him.

Her voice stopped, and he realized her song had ended. She stared up at him, and a shiver of electricity passed between them. He was struck by the brilliant hue of her irises and could nearly smell the blue spring hyacinths they resembled. But her eyes swam with tears.

His footfalls were swallowed by silence as he inched closer. Abruptly, she set aside her instrument and scrambled to her feet. Her hands splayed against the wall behind her as though seeking an escape.

“Please don’t be frightened,” he heard himself say. Instantly the barrier crumbled and her mind melted into his blissfully. His head fell back, and his eyes hooded with the desire gripping him.

“
Will,”
she said aloud, but he also heard her in his soul. And then he was striding toward her, catching both of her hands in a single one of his, pressing his love into her very pores. Her face tilted upward.

He struggled. God, if only he could drop a kiss to those pale pink lips and taste her. His eyes devoured her features. Small and delicate—like a China doll. Her bones would feel like spun glass if he cradled her face. And oh, to do just that. A lightning strike of raw emotion wrenched his heart. The shiver rolled into Evangeline. He felt the sizzle of her mind in his mind and reveled in their close link. Her face tipped up.

“It’s true,” she whispered, awed. “My soul knows you.”

Her words were a punch to the gut. At last, the hole in his life closed, filled by Evangeline, his immortal mate. He exhaled sharply and squeezed her shaking hands. They were more delicate than he remembered from the ‘Making’, and silky smooth. His thumb searched upward, stroking her wrist. Her pulse leapt crazily beneath his touch. Gently, he caressed the column of her throat with his eyes. Her immortal tattoo drove him mad with desire. The things they would feel through this intimate touch drove him forward faster than he wanted, but he couldn’t stop himself.

He gripped her slight waist and swayed her into him. The music of her breath played in his ears. Her palms pressed against his chest and he froze, searching her mind. Did she intend to push him away?

“No,” she said, answering his thought. Her voice carried through the room and dizzied him. “Just… Will… don’t you see how much I need you?”

Her words were fire to kindling, and he was instantly aflame. With a growl of desperation, he scooped her off her feet and dipped his mouth to her tattoo. The shock sent their minds reeling, but he brought her so near they were one again. His mouth touched each tiny rune and star, and moved up her throat. At her ear, he paused to whisper, “You beautiful, beautiful woman. My mate. Mine. Feel it? It’s us.”

A cry escaped her, and she threw her arms around his neck and ground her body against his. “I feel it, Will. Oh, God, won’t you. . . ?”

He briefly tasted the final star at the corner of her eye before she grabbed his jaw and kissed him. At the first contact of their mouths, they went completely still. Though their shaking wouldn’t cease until their blood was shared, it eased. She stopped breathing.

I want you,
he said into her soul, raising another shiver from her. He cupped her face, angled her head, and thrust his tongue into the sweet recesses of her mouth. For long minutes they searched each other, kissing and nibbling. The feel of her in his arms roused his tenderness, but his body demanded more.

Yes,
she begged him.
Please stop this shaking.

Dragging his mouth from hers, he stared into her gaze, fighting for control. He forced his fingers to relax and gently released her. She stumbled backward, confusion stamped on her features.

At once her burning blush and angry tears stole all sense from Will, and he yanked her back to him. Against her throat, he rasped, “We can’t continue. You need time, Evangeline.”

Time to recover from her love for Sean. But he couldn’t keep an image of her mortal lover shuttered from her mind, and he saw the instant she read it.

She straightened as if she’d been stabbed, lifted her hands to his chest, and shoved him away. Her heat left him and his arms fell limply to his sides, aching at the sudden emptiness. He watched her submerge herself into the sea of granite sculpture.

She tripped through them, her obvious anger hastening her steps, which were as graceful and complex as a minuet. Returning to face him, she drew up before him with eyes blazing.

He reached for her, but she sidestepped him. He jammed a hand through his hair. How to proceed with her? A light rain pattered on the roof.

“You understand about 'The Calling'?” he asked.

Her blue eyes flashed. “Yes.”

“And. . . that I made you immortal?”

Again her eyes flashed, brighter with tears. “That, too.”

“So you understand that we cannot disregard this link,” he said, striding across the room, his body screaming for her. If he didn’t distance himself from her, he’d grab her and take her, and damn the consequences.

Near the small wood-burning stove, he stopped and looked at her again. Her short hair lay in flat waves against her head rather than her usual spikes, giving her a soft, ethereal appearance. Her mouth fell open with a sigh, inflaming him further.

She nodded that she understood.

“To finish the imprint, we must share our bodies and blood,” he said, seeing her wince. “But I refuse to lay a hand on you unless you tell me the truth, Evangeline.” His voice sounded harsh to him.

“I don’t lie, Will. And never to you.”

He suddenly realized every preconceived notion about her had been struck down by a glimpse of her true self. Sweet and caring and his.

Give me strength. I cannot resist this perfect woman.

“Why did you come?” he asked.

Her brow wrinkled. “I came for you. Because you’ve been driving me mad for months, and I can’t bear to be parted from you anymore.” She almost sobbed.

“And what about Sean? You’re in love with him,” he said, choking.

He felt her heart plummet. Spinning on the heel of her boot, she paced away. He watched the ramrod set of her back and felt her muscles quiver within his own. At the foot of the female figure nearest the door, she collapsed in sobs.

In five steps he’d reached her.
Don’t turn me away. Let me show you how much I can love you.

A moan broke from her chest. Her slender arms lifted to him, and in a heartbeat he’d shouldered her duffle and scooped her against his chest, navigating the gallery with her and her guitar. He turned for the door and escaped with her into the night, down the cobbled walk to his friends’ home, and up the back stairwell to his bedroom there.

* * * *

Will paused in the doorway of his bedroom suite to let his eyes adjust to the dim glow of the moon coming through the long windows. He made out the shape of the bed. He felt Evangeline stiffen and set her gently on her feet. He switched on the small table lamp that cast long, spidery shadows over the cozy room.

He saw it through her eyes. Thick shag carpeting of rust orange, modular furniture, a low platform waterbed and graphic art prints. Their eyes met and she twisted away, suddenly shy. Avoiding his gaze, she put her duffle bag on the wooden chest at the foot of the bed and unzipped it. She rifled through it, extracted a black hoodie, and yanked it over her head. Will now noticed that she wore a man’s T-shirt. Probably Sean’s. He ground his teeth but worked to control his expression, to keep it neutral, so as not drive her away.

He stared at that black hoodie, wishing with all his heart she’d let him warm her rather than cloak herself in thick cotton. At once, he was filled with the heaviness and despair he’d felt the past two days when she’d refused to let his voice inside her. He rubbed a hand over his jaw, the stubble chaffing his hand, and her eyes shot to his.

Will searched her gaze, beginning their lovemaking. He saw into her soul and recognized her goodness. She was a part of him as completely as if she’d been crafted from his rib.

He caught her sleeve between two fingers. She went still, her head turned aside, tormenting him with the proximity of her tattoo.

What can I do to ease you?
he asked into her mind, raising her shudder.

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“Will you sit and talk with me?” He cast a look about the room and recklessly chose the bed. He drew her down beside him.

Long minutes ticked by while she stared at her hands. The waterbed undulated as he shifted his weight, and the hum of the central heating reached his ears.

His mind worked furiously. He’d torn her from Sean with obvious repercussions. Did she resent Will because he had changed her life? Maybe she couldn’t love him now and was simply resigned to their connection. The shaking of her head was so minute, he barely detected it.

“What does that mean?” he whispered into the deadly calm.

“The things you’re thinking aren’t true. At least not totally,” she amended, turning her gaze to his.

He could barely stand being so near to her, and yet, unable to touch her, to smooth her dark hair, or probe her full pale lips. “Explain.”

“I don’t resent you, Will. I chose to come. I choose this path. But you’re right in thinking it’s going to be difficult for me because of Sean.” The despondent sag of her shoulders crushed him.

“Evangeline,” he said slowly. “Let me hold you.”

The instant the words left his mouth, she shot into his arms. He gathered her close, and she curled into a ball on his outstretched legs with her head tucked beneath his chin. He felt the burn of her tears dropping onto his chest. Automatically, he stroked her tattoo to grant her calm. She gave a stuttering sigh and grew weighty in his arms like a child dropping off to sleep.

He caressed the rune and star pattern climbing her throat and splayed his fingers into her hair.
No matter what, I want you, Evangeline. I can be patient. I can wait
. He said these things, and despite how powerfully her body and blood 'Called' to him, he knew to his surprise that he could truly wait.

* * * *

The sun rose over the lip of the land, casting its harsh orange glow through the tall windows. Will had spent hours watching the sky change from black to midnight, to dark violet, and finally the lovely pale blue that made him think of Evangeline’s eyes.