The Marked Son (Keepers of Life) (18 page)

“That is for you to find out,” the councilman said.

Faldon bowed deeply. His job prohibited him from refusing; even if they wished him to hunt down his best friend, he’d do it. It was his duty as their sage.

Kera’s father and the rest of the men filed out, but the lead councilman fell back, an air of seriousness infecting even his slow blinking. “You must be quick. The longer we delay, the more risk we incur. If he’s one of us, we must act quickly.”

“I’ll find out what I can,” Faldon said, though he didn’t sound pleased.

When he finally closed the door on his guests, his face revealed an unexplained sadness. He went to a trap door situated in the middle of the floor and tossed it open. As he descended the steep stairs, he called out, “Bodog! Bring me the scrying stone.”

The fingers gripping Kera’s hand loosened, so her body materialized. The council knew about Dylan. Kera touched her forehead in an effort to suppress her rising alarm. It rose, anyway.

Lucinda cheerfully hopped onto the table, crossed her long, lily-white legs, and combed her hair with her fingers. “Troubles come, troubles go, that’s all us love struck, miserable souls need know. You’ve been a naughty girl, haven’t you?” Her smile broadened. “How delicious.”

Kera frowned. “Must you sound so pleased? Don’t you have
pux
to eat, or bunnies to terrorize?”

“If they catch him, they will give him the mark. And that will be that.” The
lutine
wrapped a lengthy strand of stark-white hair around her fist and leaned forward, eagerness transforming her face. “I live to see how you extract yourself from this mess. Will you continue your rebelliousness, or heed your duty? The fate of the kingdom lies on your shoulders.”

Kera’s cheeks burned, and she ground out, “Look elsewhere for entertainment.”

With a final glare at Lucinda, Kera left Faldon’s house.

All she needed was one last moment. One last touch. One last memory of happiness before her life became a never-ending series of misery and loneliness. Though she wished differently, the answer wasn’t as difficult as Lucinda would like to believe.

She was a daughter of Teag, a daughter of life. She only had one real choice.

Marked

When next I open my eyes, a face stares back at me from outside my window. Startled, I roll off my bed, scraping my bare knee along the mattress frame. Cold, hardwood floor meets my bare chest. I notice a tiny rip in my Lucky Duck boxers along the waistband.

I really like these boxers.

A groan escapes as I pick myself up and look out the window again. The darkness is broken by the glow of Kera’s face. Her pale beauty is frightening—in an unbelievably perfect way.

I grab the pants I’d worn the other day, all rumpled and stiff from air drying on the floor, and pull them on as I stumble to the window. With a quick shove, it opens. Outside, it’s stopped raining. The air, thick with the scent of mud, pushes into my room. I pop the screen out, and hold out my hand to help Kera climb in. Once she’s inside, she presses her lips to mine.

Nothing feels better than touching Kera. I hold her close, feeling her heart beat behind her ribs. The heat of her hands on my chest is impossible to ignore as I kiss her, teasing her lips, and ultimately torturing myself until my control is almost gone. I pull away, putting my forehead to hers, and silently count to ten. Counting to a hundred wouldn’t help. Holding her intensifies my feelings of recklessness.

I can’t let go.

I pick her up. You’d think her dress with its yards of material would be a problem, but it isn’t. Not for her. She wraps her legs around my waist and rakes her hands through my hair. I place my head on her chest and close my eyes. The rapid beat of her heart matches my own. The scent of her is as heady as the feel of her in my arms.

“You smell like summer and—” The scent pulsing under her skin teases me with every breath and touch, building until I recognize the burnt sugar taste of how she feels. “—sadness.”

She captures my lips with hers and slowly slides down my body until her feet touch the floor. Our kiss deepens, her embrace turns desperate. Her kiss fills with misery. The room turns too hot, too claustrophobic. I can’t think. I try pushing her away, but she clings to me. Her breathing quickens, and she shivers within my arms. I sense real fear in her. Though she protests, I finally manage to step free. One, two, three steps back, separate but still connected. I can’t stop staring at her, wanting her. She’s like…

A drug.

What’s happening to me? I’ve suddenly become one of those obsessive creeper guys that end up following a girl around school, just staring at her like I’ve never seen a beautiful girl before.

But I haven’t. Not like her. Not in the flesh.

I slide my hand down my face and swallow hard. If I allow myself to get attached…

I can’t. She’ll leave me. Everyone does, and I really, really, really don’t want her to leave me. My cheeks flush. I’m heading for disaster. I should pull over and stop this right now, but I can’t, and that twists my gut into a billion knots. I take another step back.

She makes to follow me, and I hold her off by thrusting out my palm. I can’t afford to lose control. Not with the fear that’s inside me, and the crazy vibe radiating off of her. “What’s wrong?”

She stops. A yearning so strong whips through her and into me. “I had to see you once more before their plans come to pass. It’s my fault, Dylan. I tried to come to you sooner, but my father—” Tears flood her eyes. “My father and then Navar put his men to watching me.”

“What’re you talking about?” The clock flashes 12:08 a.m. I’ve been asleep for more than fifteen hours.

“When everyone went to sleep, I slipped out. They
know
,” she wails. “My father. The council. They know about you.”

I take another step back, needing the space to keep a clear head. The fear on her face sends a flash of apprehension through me.

“They should want you to join us, only they don’t. It makes no sense.”

A bitter laugh escapes me, and the tension that had been building suddenly dies. She’s not saying anything new. No one wants me. No one ever has. Even my grandparents will turn against me. It’s only a matter of time. “That’s the story of my life.”

It’s like she doesn’t hear me. Her brow crumples. “When you were ignorant about being a
first
, it was fine. They had no knowledge of you, and you didn’t understand the power at your fingertips. Not until I showed you. And now that you know and they know—” Her voice grows tight and her gaze snaps to mine. “They must feel threatened.”

“Threatened? By me?” I shake my head. “That’s stupid. I’m not dangerous. What do they think I’m going to do? Take over their world?”

I laugh, but Kera doesn’t join me. Her gaze widens with horrified clarity. “That is exactly what they think.”

My smile instantly fades. “That’s not funny.”

“I agree.”

This can’t be happening. She has to be wrong. “So, how’d they find out about me?”

“I can only guess. Maybe they sensed the power in you that your world doesn’t possess.”

“Who exactly are
they
?”

“The council. Somehow, they know you can do things few can do. And—”

“That’s ridiculous,” I say. “I did exactly what you did.”

“—once they are afraid, they will stop at nothing to neutralize that threat.”

“I’m telling you, I didn’t do anything.”

“You must have,” she insists.

“Like what? All I did was act like an idiot. We all did.”

“We?” Her voice clouds with fear. “Who was with you?”

“Jason and Leo.”

“The humans? You showed humans what you are?”

What is she going on about? She’d seen them, and not once did she say to keep the new me a secret. “They won’t tell anyone. They’re not like that.” But even as I say it, a small flicker of doubt emerges.

“What did you show them?”

“Stupid stuff. We jumped in the trees and surfed on the ground—you know, like you showed me. Once I figured out how to control everything, it was no big deal.” Not until I’d suddenly run out of energy. My body still doesn’t feel a hundred percent.

I debate telling her that, when a knock sounds at my door. Grandma’s hushed voice calls from the other side. “Dylan? Are you awake?”

The door begins to open. My heart pounding, I rush over and wedge my foot against it, hiding the bulk of my body so that only a sliver of my face shows. “Easy there, Grandma. You don’t want to see what’s on the other side of this door.”

Behind me, Kera’s climbing through the window. When her gown catches on a nail, she panics and begins tugging on the fabric, with no success. No way will Grandma understand why there’s a girl straddling my windowsill after midnight, dressed like a character out of a Dickens novel.

I peer into the darkened hallway and see Grandma wrapped in her robe. A blush heats her voice. “Oh. I was in the kitchen. I couldn’t sleep and I heard you…” She turns to go, but then quickly spins around. Her pale blue eyes pierce right through me. “How are you feeling? Any side effects?”

“No,” I say too quickly, and then calmer, “I’m good. Thanks.”

“Do you need anything? You haven’t eaten all day. You must be hungry.”

I’ve just found out not only am I not popular in this world, I’m even less popular in Kera’s. Food is not a priority right now, and that’s saying a lot. I’m always hungry. “No, that’s okay. I’m good ’til morning.”

A moment of silence between us grows as Grandma tries to hide her distress. I look back at Kera and see a woodpecker fly in and begin to peck at the nail. The moment feels surreal, like Kera should start singing or some crazy guy will grab her from behind and take her back to his shadowy kingdom. I turn back to Grandma, who frowns.

“What’s that noise?”

“I think it’s a woodpecker.” I cock my head, pretending to listen, but the only thing I hear is my impending doom. I’ve got to get rid of Grandma, but I can’t think how.

“It sounds like it’s coming from your room.”

“Yeah, it does. Um, so…”

I stretch out the word as long as I can, and her hands clutch the lapels of her robe, bringing the terry cloth together in a tight grip. Our eyes meet. I get the feeling she wants to say something and she’s building up her nerve.

“Yesterday,” she begins hesitantly, “you getting drunk. It wasn’t about your mother, was it? She loves you, Dylan. She may be confused right now, but I know she loves you.”

It would be so easy to blame everything on Mom, but I can’t. “It wasn’t about Mom. Really. I wasn’t thinking. It won’t happen again. I promise.”

“All right.” She eyes me through the tiny crack, and I can see the doubt and worry that shadow her face. “But if you need to talk, family is best. Those boys and what they have to offer, well, you’ll find no answers there. Only more problems.”

Great. My grandparents think I’m on the fast track to rehab. I nod and pour as much repentance into my voice as I can. “I know. Thanks.”

She leaves, though not before she gives me another sad, disappointed look. I hate that look. When I close the door, I hear a ripping sound, and turn to see Kera tumble out the window. The bird follows, voicing a strange squawk. I rush over and stick my head into the cool night air. Kera lies on the ground. Her deathly pale face stares up at me.

I snag a clean shirt and tug on my shoes—without socks—before vaulting over the window sill. I land next to her and help her up. “Are you all right?”

She pushes me away and scrambles to her feet. Her eyes are huge and fill with horror. “Your mother’s human?”

I step closer and cup her cheek. She feels feverish. “Kera, what’s wrong?”

“Our realms have been separate for so long, I didn’t even consider it. Your power. Its strength. But it can’t be.” She grabs my hand and pulls me close until our faces are only an inch apart. “Lie to me, Dylan.”

“What are you talking about? Why would I—”

She squeezes my fingers, her grip desperate. “Tell me a lie. Any lie.”

She’s acting odd. Okay, odder than usual. My grip tightens, and I stare into her eyes. “I want you to go, and I don’t ever want to see you again.”

When I press my lips to her forehead, she bursts into tears. Pulling her closer, I feel her shake. Her hand slips along my chest and my muscles jump beneath her fingers. I pull away. She doesn’t need to look far to see how she affects me. “It’s a lie, Kera. I’d die if I never saw you again.”

“I know.
Firsts
can’t lie. Don’t you see? You’re a half-blood. An abomination.”

The weight of her words sinks in and squeezes my heart. “What’re you saying? What’s really going on?”

Wiping at her tears, she hesitates for a moment before saying, “I’ve been such a fool. The
pux
. They were following
you
, drawn to your power even before you knew you had any. I told you they’re sly creatures.

“After I released them, they must’ve told the council, and now they know you’re a powerful half-blood, more powerful than you should be. Worse, you can deceive at will. The council has spent years upon years making sure our blood is pure. The extent they’ll go to in order to keep it pure is frightening.”

My jaw tightens, but I force it to move. “How frightening?”

“It’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. They’ve marked you for death, and now I understand why.”

“Death?” The word reverberates through my head.

A hoot from the woods makes Kera jump, and she searches the darkness. “Make no mistake. They’re coming for you, Dylan. We can’t stay here. Come with me.”

She pulls on my arm, dragging me toward the woods. I follow, but seriously… she’s got to be kidding. “Slow down. Can we please go back to that whole death thing?” I say, as she forces me into the woods. I can’t hide my doubtful smile. “Come on, Kera. You’re being a little over-dramatic, don’t you think?”

Secure within the protection of the trees, she spins around and glares at me. “This isn’t a joke, Dylan. We’re running out of time.”

This can’t be happening. How can she want me to go? Just because she thinks I’m in danger—that someone wants me dead—she wants me to disappear? It’s ridiculous. “You’re overreacting. I’m nobody. They’re going to figure that out, and then it’ll be fine.”