Unbound (23 page)

He
squinted suspiciously. “You would give me your word?”

Thinking
quickly, I tried to decide what would be reasonable to promise. There was no
way I was ready to relinquish the physical part of our relationship entirely.
Not when I had just begun to understand how good that part could be.

“I
promise to keep my hands to myself,” I said, not meeting his eyes. After all, I
hadn’t needed to touch him at all tonight, had I?

He
crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll need more than that.”

“Fine,”
I said, exasperated. “I promise not to start anything that you have no
intentions of finishing.”

“Better.”
Pulling his sweater over his head, he tossed it on the chair beside the bed and
kicked his brown leather boots off.

“Move
over.” Stretching out beside me, he curled his arm so that I was able to
snuggle up against his chest. The smell of him was both comforting and
arousing. A combination I had never even considered compatible before
this.
 
Then again, I had never been
in bed with a man before, either.

Breathing
deeply, I let myself relax into him, my limbs heavy with the toll of the day.

 
“How long will we stay here?” Our dire
circumstances seemed very remote in this comfortable space, but I knew we had
come to
Tír na nÓg
for a purpose.

“Tomorrow
we’ll meet formally with Sannah to ask for the assistance of the Sisters.
 
We’ll know more then.”

“Can
Amun track us? Can he tell that I’m here?” I was still trying to understand
that I was like some sort of magnet, pulling absolute strangers across great
distances towards me. But it would be nice to stay here for a day or two. To
feel safe with Eaden for more than a moment.

“Perhaps,
but not easily. He will be able to tell you are in the highlands, but not
where, exactly. The Sisters have a lot of practice at hiding from prying eyes
and
Tír na nÓg
is not without
defences. It has existed for a very long time, due in part to the fact that it
is not easy to expose.” He ran a hand over my slightly damp hair. “Are you
frightened,
mo cridhe
?”

“Yes.”
I admitted truthfully. “But not in the same way I usually am.”

“How
so?” His tone was light, but I knew that he was invested in my answer, that he
would blame himself for my fear.

“When
I was scared before, everything felt so out of control, I was terrified that if
something bad were to happen again, I’d fall apart.” I considered what had
changed. “Now, well...bad things have happened and I’m scared, of course, but
I’m also still here and still ready to face whatever is coming next.” I sighed.
“Does that make even make sense?”

His
arm tightened around me reassuringly. “Perfect sense. You’re stronger than you
thought you were.” His voice dropped lower. “You may have realized it sooner if
I hadn’t always been rushing in to protect you. “ He sounded reproachful.
“Amerlyn was right, as he usually is.”

Of
all the people that I had seen Eaden interact with, he seemed to reserve the
greatest respect for the old man. Their relationship seemed deep-rooted, based
on something long-standing.

“How
did you meet Amerlyn?”

There
was a pause. “He was my tutor.” I could hear fondness in his voice. “I was sent
to study with him when I was 16.”

“Before
you knew you were immortal?”

Eaden
chuckled. “Before I knew, yes. But Amerlyn knew from the start. He is a member
of the Council.” He turned his head towards me in the dim light. “It wasn’t
just luck that he had room to take on another student, the opportunity was
engineered for me. I was tutored by one of the most famous philosophers in
history.” He sounded almost as if he were that wistful young boy he must have
been, so very long ago. “Amerlyn was the one who arranged my service with
Artuir
. I will be grateful to him for
that most, amongst all the other things for which I owe him thanks.”

As
tired as I was, I suddenly understood what Eaden hadn’t yet said. I couldn’t
help the wonder that crept into my own voice. “Amerlyn…is Merlin, isn’t he?”

“None
other.”

My
smile was one of wonder as I struggled to connect the pieces in my head. “So,
Amerlyn is a magician?”

“He
prefers philosopher, or even alchemist – not quite so pompous.”

My
own love of Arthurian legends conjured a tall, stooped man in a pointy hat, who
made birds appear from his cloak and turned ill-mannered children into stoats.
Not at all like the wizened, amiable gentle man I’d met this afternoon. I tried
to remember as much as I could about Merlin from a childhood spent immersed in
books.

 
“Why does he look so much older than
you?”
 
Amerlyn looked nothing like
the immortals I had met thus far. Sabas was older than Eaden and yet looked
just as young.

“Amerlyn
didn’t achieve immortality until he was in his sixties – which, for the
era he was born, was very old indeed.” He paused. “You’ve heard of the Holy
Grail?”

I
nodded and tried not roll my eyes. Eaden would have little knowledge of my
devotion to specific books, watching me as he did from outside of the walls
where I’d lived.

“The
Grail is far more ancient than Arthurian legends would indicate. It precedes
Christianity and all of the symbols that it came to stand for with the birth of
Christ. Amerlyn devoted his life to finding it and eventually he succeeded.
Unfortunately, by the time he found his long sought-after fountain of youth,
his own youth had passed him by.”

I
felt confused again. “Isn’t your immortality genetic?”

“It
is for me, as it is for others like me, but the original source of our
immortality, far back in time, came from what is now called the Holy Grail.
Immortals are the ancestors of the first humans who found the source –
the origin of eternal life – and then hid the truth. There have been very
few who have discovered its existence since that time. Amerlyn was one of them.
He was able to use the knowledge he’d accumulated in his lifetime to grant
himself immortality and then later to create the solution to our existence.”

I
knew what sort of solution he meant. “The
Mafte’ach
.”

He
stroked my hand softly with his thumb. “You’ve descended from the Grail, in a
very real way.”

“But
what is it?” I knew the Cup of Christ was considered only a symbolic
representation of the Grail, but could not understand what it was that had
given Amerlyn access to his own immortality and had enabled him to engineer a
race of mortals who opened death’s door.

Eaden
shrugged; looked apologetic. “I truly don’t know.” His mouth twisted slightly.
“You must remember, Rachel, that in the end, I’m little more than a
Bellator
, a foot soldier. I was never
meant to understand the complexity of my own condition.”

We
were quiet for a time. Although I tried to think of words to reassure Eaden
that he was much more than what he had just described, I failed miserably and
so, stayed silent. In no way had my years on earth prepared me to challenge the
ideas of a man who had lived long enough to witness the shift of the
continents. The thought itself threatened to shatter my tenuous hold on
reality, so I quickly moved to more solid, albeit just as disconcerting,
ground.

“Why
did Sannah call Amerlyn grandfather?”

I
could tell he was instantly more guarded. “A bit of a nickname, really. Sannah
is the descendant of the children of Amerlyn and Vivian, one of the first to be
called the Lady of the Lake. She is the many-times great-granddaughter of their
union.”

I
bit my lip. “Does that mean that Sannah is the current Lady of the Lake?”

Silence
and then quietly, “Yes.”

My
ex-boyfriend was a skinny college kid majoring in economics. Eaden’s
ex-girlfriend was a powerful sorceress. Perfect.

“Rachel?”
His hand rubbed my shoulder after a few moments.

“Mmmm?”
I didn’t want him to hear the jealousy I knew would color my voice.

“I’m
sorry you had to find out about her that way tonight. Sannah can be difficult
at times.”

“I
noticed.”

He
sighed. “We were together for a short time, before you were born,” he hastened
to add. “It was convenient for both of us. The restrictions placed upon her
because of her position are not entirely unlike my own.”

“You
don’t have to explain.” In fact, I really wished he wouldn’t. I didn’t need to
know anything more than it was over. More information just made the terrible
pictures in my head all the more vivid.

His
voice was gentle. “I’d like you to understand that it was very different from
what you and I share. Sannah and I were little more than temporary companions.”

I
could tell he was trying to make this as easy on me as possible.

Suck it up, Rachel.

His
hand brushed my cheek. “I have great respect for her, but we weren’t in love.”

I
remembered the loss I had read in Sannah’s eyes. I wasn’t sure she would be
able to say the same thing. Feeling slightly ashamed, I realized it was
terribly unfair to be hurt by Eaden’s relationship with her. The man was 1,500
years old. Did I expect him to have no past?

Wiggling
out from under his arm I rolled onto my stomach to face him.

The
look of concern he gave me was heartfelt.

“It’s
okay that I’m jealous,” I reassured him. “It’ll keep me on my toes.”

I
pushed myself up to kiss him, and still mindful of my promise, did not move
past the sweet kiss to light the fire I know was smouldering beneath the
surface.

With
a contented sigh, I snuggled back up beside him.

“Just
so long as you understand,
mo cridhe
,”
I heard him say as sleep crept over me. “There will never be another after
you.”

Some
part of me was bothered by this statement, made uneasy by what it meant, but I
was so tired. I let my disquiet fade from my awareness. And then I slept.

The
room was dark when I awoke. Groaning, I peered at the place my alarm clock
should have been to see if I’d overslept. Vertigo slammed into me as my spatial
universe flipped upside down and backwards.

I
was not in my bedroom.

Within
a few panicked heartbeats, my brain caught up to my senses and I recognized the
dim outline of the small guest room I had fallen asleep in last night. Eaden
was gone and had left no sign of himself behind.

With
shock, I noted the small suitcase Sarah had given me on the plane was now
sitting beside the bed. How on earth…? No point, Rachel, I thought, brushing
the question from my mind. If I tried to puzzle out half of what had happened
in the last few days, I might give myself an aneurism.

Yet
Eaden truly forgot nothing. Apparently I’d already grown so accustomed to such
pampering that I hadn’t even questioned where my clothes were. I laughed out
loud as I realized that a short time ago I had argued with Eaden about my dry-cleaning
bill.

Of
course, that was before I knew that a shadowy group of immortals hoped to use
my stem cells to create a race of mortal puppets. Whether or not I felt
beholden to Eaden for a few dollars paled in comparison to the degree to which
I was relying on him now to keep me safe. To keep me alive. There was no use
pretending I could manage by myself in these strange circumstances. I hadn’t a
clue.

Throwing
back the covers, I padded over to the heavy curtains and pulled them apart,
squinting as the daylight assaulted my eyes. The darkness had been so complete
during our arrival last night that I had no clear sense of the landscape
surrounding the old castle. I was shocked by how green everything was here. Not
just one shade, but hundreds of shades of emerald, jade, olive, and lime.
 
Moss carpeted the trunks of the trees
outside my window so completely that they seemed to be dressed in verdant
cloaks to match the leaves that adorned them. Staring out at the lush woodland
that bordered the property, I wondered just how far we had travelled yesterday,
through the highland fog. The landscape in front of me looked so different from
the rocky brown hills we had left behind.

Easily
seen from my second-floor window, a narrow lake spread out and away, nestling
between two coarse hills. Loch, I corrected myself, not lake. Its murky depths
were concealed by the light that danced and sparkled on the choppy surface. I
spotted a few young women moving about the grounds singly and in pairs, looking
more like friends out for a stroll then wiccan priestesses.

Turning
away from the window, my heart leaped into my throat as I registered that I was
not alone. Flashing me her best she-devil grin, Mara sat on the edge of the
bed, bouncing up and down impatiently. A few words I rarely use sputtered out
of my open mouth before I managed to clamp it shut.

Her
eyes lit up. “That was fun. Are you always so easy to spook?”

Something
warned me not to give her more information than she needed. Visions of Mara
jumping out at me from behind closed doors and curtains flitted through my mind.
I could live without Mara’s idea of fun for the next few days.

I
cleared my throat. “Just tired, I guess.” Turning to avoid her gaze, I opened
the suitcase and began to rifle through it.

“Late
night, huh?” Her tone was wicked.

I
groaned inwardly at providing her with that piece of ammunition.

“It
sounded pretty wild.” The smirk in her voice was unmistakable.

Horrified,
I whirled to face her, the blush I couldn’t see setting my face on fire. What
on earth had she heard?

“Oh
relax,” she said, exasperated. “I promised Eaden a long time ago I wouldn’t
listen without his permission.” She raised an eyebrow and frowned. “It isn’t
ethical,” she said seriously.

I
couldn’t hold back an appreciative chuckle at her impression. “That’s pretty
good,” I said.

“Thanks.”
She looked pleased at the compliment and then held her hand up. She cocked her
head slightly. “Eaden wants you to hurry up.” She paused and then scowled. “Oh
fine,” she muttered. “Eaden has asked that you join them downstairs as soon as
you are able to,
please
.”

She
stood and stretched her hands towards the ceiling. “Don’t keep them waiting too
long. You’ve already got Sannah on edge.” She winked.

“I
do?” I couldn’t imagine Sannah being anything but composed. She radiated
self-possession.

“Uh-huh,
I think you threw her a little last night. She wasn’t expecting a mortal to
challenge her so openly.”

My
stomach dropped a little, remembering my bold stare. “Normally, I wouldn’t
have.” I sighed. “But nothing is normal any more, is it?”

She
laughed and shook her head at me. “You’re
Mafte’ach
.
Your boyfriend is an immortal. You were never normal, Rachel. That was just an
illusion.” Her tone softened. “Be quick,” she reminded me and ducked out of the
room.

For
a few moments I sat on the edge of the bed, clothes still held loosely in my
hand, considering her words, and then with a sigh, hurried to get ready.

*
         
*
         
*
         
*
         
*

After
asking directions from a lavender-eyed Sister, I entered the Great Hall with
the distinct impression that I’d interrupted a heated discussion. Although
Eaden and Amerlyn both rose to greet me, and Sannah nodded politely in my
direction, the tension remained palpable.

With
my footsteps echoing on the hard floors, I took the seat beside Eaden at the
large, solid stone table. The austere hall was filled with Sisters. Several sat
with us at the table and more were clustered about the room, their
kaleidoscopic eyes watchful. A red-headed young man sat across from me.
 
His eyes widened slightly and he looked
towards Eaden as I settled in, an open grin spreading across his honest face.

At
the head of the table, Amerlyn’s welcoming smile was benevolent. “Thank you for
joining us this afternoon, Rachel.”

I
fought hard against a blush as I imagined how long they had all been waiting
for me. Although Eaden’s face was carefully neutral, he looked tired and I
wondered how much sleep he may have actually gotten last night. His short hair
stuck up wildly on one side and I clenched my hands, resisting the urge to
reach up and stroke it down. Something told me that would not help matters at
all where Sannah was concerned. Feeling my gaze, he turned towards me with a
reassuring glance, his eyes intimate, despite the formal setting.

Amerlyn
cleared his throat. “Perhaps the best way to begin will be with a brief summary
of our current circumstances.” He inclined his head respectfully at Sannah who
sat at the opposite end. “With your permission, of course, Lady.”

Receiving
a curt nod, he proceeded.

“Immortals,
although extraordinary in many ways, are still human. They are simply not
equipped to deal with some of the repercussions of eternal existence. Some of
you will know that a very long time ago, I collaborated with the Council of
Ancients to help them find a solution to the problems posed by immortality.”

Amerlyn
looked around the room slowly and regarded his audience seriously.

“My
work, my research, resulted in the creation of a new breed of humans. The
Mafte’ach
. Genetically, they are very
similar to immortals, but without the specific genetic structures that
eliminate cell deterioration. Through genetic manipulation over the course of
centuries, I was successful in creating a race of humans who closely match
immortals. Like immortals, the
Mafte’ach
have always been male, for the simple reason that their genetic partners would
more closely resemble each other. Until, of course,” Amerlyn’s eyes settled
upon me significantly, “Rachel was born.”

He
addressed the group. “Rachel was the first female
Mafte’ach
to survive birth. All other female foetuses were not viable.”
His green eyes were kind. “You are an anomaly, child, and the Council has long
been intrigued by you. From the day of your birth, the plan was always to allow
Eaden his exit and then to study your genetic code to understand what made you
viable when others before you had died.”

Eaden
sat rigidly in his chair; his eyes were hard, guarded.

Amerlyn
regarded him with compassion. “
Abusus non
tollit usum,
Eaden. As unpleasant as this truth is for you now, this was
understood by the Council, and yourself, at one time.”

Sannah’s
clear voice rang out, cutting through the sudden stillness like a rapier.
“Which was exactly my earlier point.” She raised an eyebrow at Eaden. “The
girl
was always meant to die, whether by
your hand or another’s. What right would the Sisters of Cailleach have to
interfere with a decision that you, yourself, had once abided by?”

Eaden’s
voice was thick with anger. “There is much more to this, as you well know,
Sannah. Do not oversimplify the matter to meet your own ends.”

Sannah’s
eyes flashed. “Excellent point, Eaden, let’s speak more of those who believe
that the ends justify the means.”

Amerlyn
held his hand up to stop them. His tone was placating, but firm. “If I may?”

Deferring
to him immediately, the two of them fell silent.

 
“Eaden is correct in pointing out that
there are several factors that have complicated the original arrangement.
First, perhaps because of the unusualness of the match and by his own accord,
Eaden has developed strong feelings for his
Mafte’ach
,
for Rachel. Feelings which I now understand are mutual?”

All
eyes turned to me. The hushed silence seemed louder than the raised voices of a
few moments past. Hiding my shaking hands under the table, I addressed Amerlyn
directly.

“Yes,”
I said. My voice was surprisingly steady. It was all I could do not to look at
Eaden. Not to turn to meet the gaze of the woman whose eyes scorched me like
burning embers.

He
nodded.
 
“Consequently, a short time
ago, Eaden requested to withdraw his claim and attempted to persuade the Council
to wait until Rachel died of natural causes before investigating the unusual
circumstances surrounding her birth. An act by which I’m sure he thought to
spare Rachel from her fate. Formally, the Council agreed with his decision. It
would have been unethical and unkind to ask him to proceed. Unfortunately, not
everyone on the Council was willing to wait for her natural demise.
 
Thus, Sabas was sent under the order of
Amun to hasten that outcome.”

It
may have been my imagination, but the room seemed to darken at the mention of
Amun. The hushed rustling of the Sisters provided evidence that this name was
not unknown, but unwelcome.

“The
second factor we must consider was most unexpected. We have been able to
determine that when Sabas was close enough, he felt Rachel.”

More
rustling and now a few hushed whispers were exchanged.

“Since
her arrival in Scotland, I have been contacted by a few of the immortals who
happened to be within the area and they have confirmed the same fact. Stuart is
one of them.” Amerlyn gestured at the young man with flaming hair across from
me, who waved, looking uncomfortable. “For reasons we do not yet understand,
Rachel is not only Eaden’s
Mafte’ach
,
she is becoming accessible to them all.”

His
words settled over the room. “You are something of a skeleton key, young one.
You fit all the locks.” He looked utterly charmed by this fact, as if sharing a
wonderful secret. “Consequently, the Council has been deadlocked for two days
consecutively with Amun’s proposal that Rachel be apprehended immediately. His suggestion
has been met with enthusiasm and with fear. If we are able to replicate
Rachel’s genotype, this may mean a new breed of
Mafte’ach
– a breed who is not only at the mercy of any
immortal wishing to exit, but is also susceptible to indiscriminate mind
control. Quite literally, the Council now faces the decision of whether or not
they should breed humans who have the potential to be overtly manipulated by
any immortal in existence.”

I
already knew this, already understood the implications, but still my hackles
rose, facing again the dangerous circumstances I found myself in.

Amerlyn
looked across the faces gathered in the Great Hall. “Amun’s proposal
contravenes the ethical standard by which the Council has long operated. As
with any ecosystem, there is a delicate balance between benefit and disaster
and there are many who fear that balance will be destroyed.”

He
paused for a moment to let the impact of his words sink in.

My
life or death seemed inconsequential from this perspective; it was my very
existence that was problematic.

With
her sharp-edged poise, Sannah broke the silence. “Although I appreciate the
dilemma that has been posed for the Council, I’m uncertain what it is that you
feel the Sisters can offer in this situation.”