Unbound (22 page)

I
noticed that Elora’s midnight-blue eyes contrasted perfectly with her
chocolate-brown skin.

“I
can’t imagine why,” I said. “I’m truly the least interesting person here.”

 
Her chuckle was like a purr from a giant
cat. “Trust me, Rachel, no ordinary mortal has ever shown up with Eaden before.
And we notice who he shows up with.” She said this with a knowing look that
caused Mara to groan and roll her eyes in agreement.

Holding
back my own groan, I realized that Eaden had cultivated something like
rock-star status among the Sisters. My green-eyed monster, now fully alert,
twitched his tail and growled somewhere deep in my belly. “Wonderful,” I said. “Nothing
I like more than being noticed.” I made a mental note to speak with Eaden about
just what kind of girl they would have expected him to bring here.

Entering
the main hall under heavy stone archways, I was struck by how much the interior
of the building resembled an old church. Tall, vaulted ceilings arched
gracefully overhead and met with colossal pillars stretching down to the floor
like sturdy legs. Our feet echoed on the bare stone floors as we crossed
through and entered a long, narrow corridor, indirect light shining softly on
the tapestries that lined the walls. My eyes wandered to the image of the
nearest one, with dark edges coalescing into brighter and brighter threads. At
the centre, a brilliant white stag stumbled, frozen in the throes of defeat,
dark red blood flowing from the spear that impaled him. The young woman sitting
on her heels beside him was weeping; her hands clasped together as if in
prayer.

Swallowing
thickly, I tore my eyes away from the raw grief of it and asked, “Is this a
convent?”

Mara
made a face. “Do I look like a nun?”

 
“No, you really don’t,” I laughed,
glancing at her multiple piercings and body art.

Elora
shot Mara a reproving look. “Ignore her, Rachel. There’ve been loads of times
in the last few hundred years that the Sisters of Cailleach have pretended to
be part of a religious order. It’s no accident that Nanog looks like a church.”

“Witches
have never been very popular among mortals,” Mara said, “Your kind likes to
burn us.”

Elora
went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “In order to avoid persecution we take on
other identities to disguise the true nature of
Tír na nÓg
.”

Turning
around, I looked back at the women who congregated in various parts of the
grand hall. They looked more like college students than witches or nuns. “What
are you supposed to be now?” I asked.

Mara
chortled, but kept silent.

“We
are formally known as the Sisters Spiritual Retreat and Wellness Centre,” Elora
said solemnly.

It
took a second. “You’re a spa?” I asked, incredulous.

“Elora
gives a great manicure,” Mara chimed in helpfully, and then grimaced as Elora
smacked her in the arm.

Elora
shrugged. “It’s as good a disguise as any these days.” She looked around to see
if anyone was close enough to overhear. “But really, can you imagine Sannah
giving someone a facial?”

“Or
a massage?” Mara’s mouth twisted in amusement.

Our
giggles trickled down the hall behind us as we walked through another archway
and up a flight of stairs.
 
Catching
my breath from laughing, I held my stomach and then groaned as I climbed, my
legs burning with increasing intensity with every step.

“I
could use a spa right now,” I said. “My legs are killing me.” Horseback riding
was clearly not something my body was accustomed to, never mind that I was
still recovering from my near-death experience the night before.

“Your
wish, my command,” Mara announced. She stopped in front of one of the doors at
the end of the hallway. Billowing steam floated out into the corridor as she
pushed it open.
 

“Showers,”
she said with a wink. “Enjoy.”

Elora
and Mara continued down the hallway alone.
 

“Wait,”
I yelled after them. “Where do I go when I’m done?”

Mara
turned back towards me. “Right,” she said. “Catch,” She threw something at me.
Without thinking, I snatched the shiny object out of the air and stared in
dismay at the old-fashioned brass key that now lay in my palm. The number eighteen
was emblazoned on one side. The hair on my neck prickled and built into a
shudder that wrenched down my spine. The universe had a wicked sense of humour.

Minutes
later, my unease vanished as I stepped into the hot shower, my sore muscles
finally letting go of some of the tension of the last two days. I took my time,
letting the water stream over me to drown out some of the more worried thoughts
running through my head. Almost forgetting where I was, I found myself humming
and then quietly singing, enjoying the acoustics as the sound bounced back and
forth between the wet tiles on the floor and walls. Only when my fingers had
begun to prune did I finally step out.
 
Wrapping myself in one of the thick cotton robes that lay folded on the
wooden bench, I pushed my aching feet into a pair of plush slippers and
shuffled off to find Room Eighteen, my clothes bundled in my arms.

After
ten minutes of wandering, I ran into a few of the sisters I recognized from the
greeting party. Taking pity on me in my soggy, sorry state, they pointed me in
the right direction, which, of course, was one floor up from where I’d been
searching. Gratefully, I climbed another set of stairs, all the while promising
my poor legs they would get to rest very soon.

The
key ended up being unnecessary. The door was unlocked and slightly ajar.
 
Heart starting to pound, I cautiously
pushed it open and found Eaden standing by the open window, his face nearly
hidden in the shadows; the dark room lit only by the torches flickering
outside.

 
“I didn’t think it was safe for you to
sleep alone tonight, given the circumstances,” he said quietly. I couldn’t read
his expression.

Mildly,
I wondered if he was more concerned about protecting me from Sabas or Sannah.

“I’d
rather not sleep alone,” I said, although in that moment I meant something
entirely different.

He
cleared his throat, exhaustion seeping into his voice. “I’ll sleep on the
floor.”

I
heard the words, understood what they meant. Some part of me even appreciated
the respect he held for my virtue, as out dated as that was. But it had been a
very long, very terrifying day, and I was tired of waiting, tired of being
scared and unsure. I closed the door behind me without taking my eyes off of
him.

“No,
you won’t.”

He
shifted slightly from the window, hesitant. Maybe even confused. Most likely,
he had expected to soothe me, reassure me, keep me calm. It was unlikely he’d
anticipated this sort of demand. Luck was on my side. Surprise the best ally I
had.

My
eyes adjusting to the darkened room, I saw that his jaw was clenched tight, his
arms stiff by his sides.

I
took a step towards him.

He
held himself completely still.

Undaunted,
I took another step, and then another. Close now, I could hear his breathing,
rough in his throat. Closer still, his eyes locked on mine. Heedless of the
pleading look he gave me, I reached down and tugged at the belt that held my
robe closed – some distant part of me both impressed and aghast at my
uncharacteristic behaviour. I saw need flash in his eyes before he could mask
it, his desire barely contained under the surface, propriety held in place by
only the thinnest of threads.

His
hand clamped down on my wrist to stop me. Looking down, I noted with great
satisfaction that he was trembling. Unperturbed, I moved my other hand down
with the same purpose.

The
thread broke.

My
head snapped back as he crushed his lips against mine, both arms pinned to my
sides. His mouth never leaving mine, Eaden turned me so that my back pressed up
against the wall, and then raising my hands over my head, ran his mouth down my
neck, one free hand now twined in my hair.

My
breathing ragged, my head swimming, I felt my legs tremble and knew that if he
weren’t supporting my weight entirely, I’d be unable to stand. Having received
exactly the reaction I had been hoping for, I let go of my expectations, let go
of sense and reason. For the first time in my life, I was so fully present in
the moment that both my past and my future disappeared entirely. Responding
with the same kind of hunger I’d seen in his eyes, I was instantly off my feet,
the bed now beneath me as his lips continued to explore my throat and my
collarbone, my hands still held securely above my head. Nerve endings tingling
beyond my wildest imagination, I became aware that Eaden was wearing entirely
too many pieces of clothing for my liking and that my own robe was still tied
snugly about my waist.

“Eaden,”
I whispered.

“Mmhmmm?”
his reply was muffled; his mouth buried in my neck.

“Help
me take your sweater off.”
 
My voice
was incredibly unsteady.

“Why
would I want to do that?” he asked, punctuating each word with a kiss on a
different part of my skin.

“Ummm...”
It was hard to concentrate, particularly when his teeth found my earlobe and he
began to nibble.
 
“Because we can’t
have sex if you keep all of your clothes on.” The rational part of me knew this
wasn’t technically true, we could, I supposed. But I wanted to feel his skin
against mine. Needed to, in fact.

“We’re
not going to have sex.” His lips were pressed into the hollow of my throat and
I was beginning to feel like I was on fire. The words took a few seconds to
penetrate my lust-addled brain.

“What
are you doing then?” I struggled to connect the delicious sensations that were
being generated by his mouth with his last sentence.

He
pulled back to look at me, his face hovering close to mine; his smile
heartbreaking in the dusky light.

“I’m
teaching you a lesson,” he said and proceeded to kiss me in a way that made my
whole body tremble.

Still
not clueing in, still delirious with desire, I gasped when his mouth left mine
and went in search of my other ear.

“What
kind of lesson?” I breathed.

His
lips were was soft as they tickled the other side my neck. “When I give my word
to someone, it’s theirs forever. I’ve promised to keep you safe, Rachel, and I
will.” He stopped kissing me and gazed intently into my eyes.

“I
know,” I said, eager to get back to the kissing.

“And
I promised you we would do this right,” he said. “I don’t break my promises.”

“I’m
pretty sure you’re doing it right,” I said.

He
laughed quietly and then with an audible groan, flipped over onto his back to lie
beside me on the bed, his hands behind his head, his eyes on the ceiling.

With
a sinking heart, I realized he meant it. My heart still pounding frantically in
my chest, I brought my hands down to cover it, willing it to slow down a
little.

“Not
here, not now,
mo cridhe
.” He rolled
onto his side to face me, propping his head up on one elbow. “I will not make
love to you with the hounds of hell nipping at our heels.” His smile was
ridiculously alluring. “When this is over, when you are safe, we’ll finish what
we started here tonight.”

“I’m
really not sure I can wait that long.” I said. Although my heartbeat had slowed
somewhat and my breathing was easier, my whole body still felt electrified.

His
voice held only a hint of regret. “I’ve waited a very, very long time for you,
Rachel.
 
Trust me when I say that
anticipation will only sweeten the reward.”

“Okay,”
I said, doubtful. “But I really don’t think it can get much better than this.”

His
smile was nostalgic. “It doesn’t,” he kissed me softly. “And it does.”

Returning
his kiss, my nervous system jumped back into action, my body evidently in deep
denial that his refusal was genuine.
 

But
he would not be caught off guard again tonight. Grinning, he rolled away and
gracefully somersaulted backwards to his feet.

“Prude,”
I said, feeling disgruntled and more than a little unsatisfied.

“Temptress.”

Struggling
to sit up, I stared at him woefully. “You’re not really going to make me sleep
alone, are you?”

His
expression softened. “You won’t be alone, Rachel, I’m right here.”

“That’s
not what I meant.”

He
shook his head. “This isn’t easy for me, either. Do you have any idea how
difficult it is for me to say no to you? Any idea how much I want you?” He
frowned. “Your eagerness only makes you more irresistible.” He sounded like
this was a bad thing.

“What
if I promise to be good?” I said, eyes as wide and innocent as I could make
them.