The Secret Trinity Unearth (17 page)

In my heart the moment had passed. Thinking about my stalker nearby gave me the creeps, sending the familiar chill of his presence down my spine. I pulled away from Liam’s perfect lips. For all I knew the next time the house would come crashing down before he let me be with Liam.

“Liam…” I began, suddenly feeling emotionally exhausted.

“Come on, I should take you home,” He said instantly knowing where I was headed, and then he exhaled with disappointment.

“It’s just not exactly how I pictured this happening. I am having a hard time relaxing after that,” trying to reassure him it was me not him. He kissed my hand, got up from the couch to retrieve his sweater, and I did the same.

Chapter 23: Spill

We did not say much to each other in the car ride back to my place. My mind was consumed. How could I protect Liam and my friends from something I didn’t understand, from something supernatural? I felt hatred rise thinking of the man who was coming between us, ruining my life.

There was no doubt that Liam was protective of me. I had seen it in his eyes when he fought with Doug. If I told him now I was afraid that he would try to go after this lunatic. Liam’s a fighter, but what chance would he have against someone who can manipulate the earth? Fear shot through me at the thought.

We arrived at my apartment and I asked him to stay the night. I didn’t want him to go back to his house. Now that my stalker knew where he lived I was afraid of what would happen if I left him alone. Kayla and Morgan were in their room asleep. We climbed into bed, but over an hour later I was still wide awake.

The last few months of my life had been a blur of chaos. I carefully disentangled Liam’s arms from my body and went out to the living room. What was my stalker after? He had plenty of opportunities to hurt me and yet he never did. I could not understand what he wanted, and why he had now become such a consistent presence in my life.

I was sitting on the couch with my head in my hands, trying to fight it, but soon a complete and utter dread sank in. I had put everyone I love in danger, Kayla, Morgan, and now Liam. I didn’t know what to do.

“Ari?” Liam’s voice was right next to me. He sat beside me on the couch putting his hand gently on my back. I had not heard him come out of my room, and my head shot up from my hands to look at him. In the glow of the muted television he saw terror in my eyes. “Ari, what’s wrong?” His eyes scanned over the living room like he would find the source of my anxiety and crush it.

I gulped hard, “Liam I have to tell you something.” I could barely hear my own whisper, and I hesitated to continue.

“Please tell me. I want to help you,” he urged. I turned to face him on the couch, “That’s the thing, Liam. You can’t help. I understand that what I am about to say sounds absolutely insane, but some crazy, strange things have been happening to me.” I took a deep breath, “supernatural things,” I concluded. I tried to read his face before I went on he only nodded for me to continue.

“There is a man who has been stalking me, for a while I think, and…he…he somehow has the ability to move the earth without touching it. Now he has followed me here to Ireland and I am afraid I have put everyone I love in danger. He is the reason your house was shaking like an earthquake tonight.”

I dropped my eyes waiting for Liam to run away from the whacko he thought he loved, but instead he tilted my chin up to meet his gaze. His dark eyes smoldered with anger and I didn’t know why.

“Why didn’t tell me about this sooner, Ari?!” His voice came out sharper than I expected, causing me to flinch.

I struggled to speak, “I...I didn’t think you would believe me. I have seen it with my own eyes and I still can’t believe it.” I did not understand his reaction.

“This changes everything,” he groaned and dropped his hand from my chin.

“I know I can’t imagine what you must think of me. I will understand if you want to leave.” I could not cover the quivering lips as the tears began. He laughed hollowly and I looked at him wide-eyed with shock. Of all the things I expected he’d do, that was the last reaction I had anticipated.

“Ari, you misunderstand. I do not think you are crazy, and now that I know an Eartha Fae is watching you, I am not letting you out of my sight.” He smiled and brushed my cheek lovingly.

“What did you just say?” I could barely speak or breathe. I thought I was going to faint.

He stood up from the couch and went to the kitchen. He filled a glass with water and came back to sit beside me, holding out the glass for me to take. But I didn’t take it. I just stared at him.

He sighed, “Please love, have a sip of water. You are going into shock.” I somehow willed myself to move my hand and took the outstretched glass. I took one sip and set the glass on the coffee table in front me never taking my eyes from Liam’s. I continued to stare, waiting for an explanation. He fell back into the couch and combed his hand through his hair.

“I wanted to wait to tell you, Ari. I didn’t think you were ready. I wish you would have confided in me sooner. Eartha are dangerous. He could have hurt you or worse.” He shook his head warily.

“How did you….who are…” was all I managed to say. He looked at me with slight pity.

“I know it is a lot to take in. That is why I was waiting for the right time. I knew you were one of us, but I could tell you have been struggling to come to terms with it and I didn’t want to push you. You see, there are things of this world that are special, like you said, supernatural. We look and behave like humans, but we have abilities that are beyond human.”

He eyed me waiting for my reaction. I gulped down a scream because I had fully absorbed one word from that explanation, and it snatched the air right out of my lungs.

“Did you say
we
?” I choked out. Liam pressed his lips together and nodded. He leaned forward on the couch and held his hand spread eagle above the glass of water on the coffee table.

I followed his eyes to the glass, and to my disbelief, the water started to rise up from the glass swirling like a mini tornado. The water spun faster as it continued to lift out of the glass, leaving it empty. It whirled until it formed a water sphere hovering under Liam’s palm. Now we weren’t even touching, but I could feel his buzzing energy coursing through me.

The force was so powerful you could see an aqua glow coming from his hand as he manipulated the water sphere. Then just as quickly, it stopped, and the water splashed back into the glass, spilling over onto the coffee table. I stared at him in awe, and he just shrugged with an innocent grin on his face. I swore in that moment my heart stopped beating.

“Excuse me,” was all I could whisper, and I walked to the living room window that overlooked the street. I opened it as wide as it would go, sticking my head out into the night air. I sucked in a few deep breaths, letting the cold air sweep over my head and neck. I actually looked down wondering if I could survive the fall. At that moment all I wanted to do was jump out the window and escape this bad dream from which I couldn’t wake up.

Deciding that I would definitely break my leg, or more likely break my neck, I reluctantly retracted my head and shut the window. I stayed there for a few moments resting my forehead on the cold glass as I prepared myself for what was going to be a life changing conversation. Finally returning to the couch beside Liam, I waited. His face looked as if he was suppressing amusement at my reaction.

He raised one eyebrow, “Should I continue, or will you faint on me?” I clenched my jaw and nodded. I did not find this at all amusing.

He sighed, his face turning more serious, “You are one of us Ari. You are Fae, or what Americans more commonly refer to as, fairy.” Now I wanted to laugh, but Liam had said it with such certainty the sound caught in my throat.

“What?” I felt the denial growing inside me, “I can’t be a fairy. I’m short but not that short. I don’t have wings, and I can’t be something that doesn’t exist! I’m just…just Aria.” My mind strained to grasp onto logic, but Liam only shook his head.

“Or, what we call an Aira of the Aira Fae, which if I’m not mistaken is your name spelled backwards. I did not think about it until I realized who you were. Quite clever of your parents, don’t you think?”

I stopped, thinking about what he just said. “But…” I tried to continue my objection, and he sighed.

“This isn’t Peter Pan, Ari. Fae are like anyone else, only with extras.” He stroked my hair waiting patiently for this to soak in. Minutes later, pushing aside all of the denial of how ridiculous this was, I was ready to talk.

“How did you know I was a…different?” I asked. I could not manage to use the word.

He smiled, “Lots of reasons. I had never met a female Aira Fae before, but I have read a lot about your bloodline and once I got to know you, you fit it to a tee. Your daydreamer tendency, which was evident the first day we met, that was what first drew me to you,” he chuckled recalling my embarrassing moments in Music Appreciation.

“I notice you are calmer at night and stare at the stars often to relax your nerves, which has to do with your abilities. Even though faint, because of my own senses I could tell your energy source was different somehow than humans.” I shrank at the way he said humans, like they were some other species that I no longer belonged to. He continued on unaffected by his own words.

“Fae tend to be drawn to the arts and are highly skilled at them, dance in particular for you. The night I saw you dance in the studio you were radiant. I almost felt the waves of energy emanating from your skin, which I suspect is an indication you will have flying abilities.” Liam stopped short when he saw the expression on my face. He studied my eyes and one side of his mouth curled into a smile.

“From the look on your face, I am guessing you already know of this ability?” he sounded pleased. It was surreal to hear someone else talk about this in such a matter-of-fact manner when I could never bring myself to accept it.

“I have,” I gulped, “defied gravity…only a few times though.” Admitting this out loud for the first time in my life made me feel dizzy.

Liam’s smile spread to show all his teeth, “That is wonderful. I’m shocked that you have levitated once, let alone multiple times, and to use such a powerful skill with no training is incredible.” He took my hand and kissed the top.

“That is not a lot of evidence. So I daydream and dance, that does not explain how you knew for sure.” I asked, still confused.

He nodded, “You’re right, I did not know with certainty until the night of the house party when I fought with that vile Doug.” His eyes narrowed when he thought of Doug, and I squeezed his hand silently asking him to continue.

He cleared his throat, “On the sidewalk when we were about to kiss, I realized you saw a vision of Morgan and Kayla in your mind, as if someone had taken a snapshot and shown you where they were. You actually saw them, didn’t you?” he asked, and I slowly nodded to answer his question.

“I had heard of tracing, but that night when you went looking for the girls, I realized I had witnessed it for the first time. You acted as if you saw them right in front of you and your energy level changed instantly. It would have been indiscernible to most Fae, but I felt something switch on in you, something fiery, and then you took off knowing exactly where to go. You
traced
,” he concluded and relaxed back into the couch.

“And what are you?” I asked. I had so many questions my head was spinning.

He looked at me slightly surprised, “I have water abilities, as you saw from my demonstration,” gesturing his hand to the water glass on the coffee table. I tried to remain calm.

“Why do you know so much about all this, and I know nothing?” My voice stung with resentment.

“Many Fae do not know of their gifts, or even that they are not regular humans. I am sure your parents gave you up so you could live among the humans, in safety.” I had been so wrapped up in the realization of my abilities that I forgot to ask until now.

“Why is this Eartha Fae stalking me? What does he want?” I felt completely depleted.

“Well, if you know of his earth elemental magic, he has obviously made contact with you in some way. What has he told you?” Liam pressed, and I thought for a moment. What did I really know about my stalker?

“Not much. He mostly creeps around in the shadows watching me. I have never even seen his face. He knew that I have abilities and he used his around me, to scare me I think. He is jealous of you and told me to stay away from you. All I know for sure is that six years ago, he was watching me as I was drowning and did nothing to help as I slipped into a two day coma. I never want him near me again.” Liam’s eyes looked at me with pain and then he squeezed them shut as if he couldn’t bear it.

“You almost died and this Eartha has been lurking around you for over six years!?” He asked with closed eyes. I could feel worried anger emanating from his body. I realized I had never told Liam about my near death experience. I think he was right. I should have confided in him much sooner. I hesitated but continued.

“Yes, that is why I don’t understand what he wants. He just stalks me, following me everywhere, and now all the way to Ireland. It doesn’t make sense. Why didn’t he kill me when he had the chance?” Liam slowly peeled his eyes open and thought for a moment, taking in my question.

“The Eartha Fae are our greatest enemy. Their bloodline is violent and evil. Since the beginning of our kind, Eartha Fae have fought against us in territory wars. They believe themselves to be gods, and that they should rule the earth because of their earth elemental magic. You are an Aira Fae, which is rare, and a female Aira at that, almost unheard of. There are very few of your kind left. I was beginning to believe you were just a legend. If he was stalking you, he must be waiting until your gifts have fully developed to see what you can do for them. They have captured many other Fae, and turned them to their side. He wants to take you and use you against us in the war.” He sighed with regret.