I stepped closer to the half Fae, half Warlock mongrel, who drew me like a warm fire in the deepest winter.
He had shoulder length black hair that shined in the day light, and he was so tall and broad I felt like a virtual pixie next to him.
I walked as close as I could, until we were only breathing distance apart. He stared into my eyes and I searched out his soul.
He was damaged, and hurt... and stunningly loyal. Strong... beautiful... in a way only a soul could be.
He glanced away, then stepped back, effectively breaking our connection. He was aware of what I was doing which in itself was rare.
“Stop.” He said.
I couldn’t. I pushed harder, wanting to know more about the man in front of me. “You’re a half breed and yet... they trust you to be the captain of the guard?”
His gaze snapped back to mine. “I will do, what they will not.”
“You’re ruthless?” I asked, desperate to know. I didn’t know why I was desperate. I didn’t know why this was so important to me.
“Yes.”
My breath caught in my throat and yet heat pooled, deep in my belly.
I’d never been with a man. I couldn’t have. I’d been a captive in my mother’s realm, and to her whim. Yet my body wanted him, craved him, yearned for his touch.
I forced myself to step back further, both shocked and amazed at the strength of my attraction to him. Perhaps it was the Fae character in him that I had a weakness to? I had to go home and do some research. Maybe I’d contact Bella, somehow, and see what she knew. If anyone had information I could trust, it would be her.
Matlock stepped forward, annoyance twisting his features. “I must go, Ava. But thank you for stopping by. I’ll get in touch as soon as I have a date for your trial.”
I swivelled around and tried my best to focus on my father. “Thank you so much. I appreciate your help in everything you’ve offered to do. I’m staying with Mallory. She owns the café with the pastries and the window sparkles. The Black Cat, I believe.”
Matlock smiled. “I know her. I went to school with her.”
“Oh... okay.”
I backed towards the door I came in, and Tavlor walked over to stand beside my father. His body guard and protector.
“Thank you again.”
I opened the door and zipped through the portal back to the intersection realm, before once again emerging in the Anneal realm, the magical realm where Mallory was.
I managed to hold it together until I was outside the Council building and once again breathing fresh air. Once there I closed my eyes, and put my hands over my mouth to stifle the squeal that rose and burst from my lips.
I grabbed hold of the locket hanging around my neck. My mother’s opinion shouldn’t matter. I shouldn’t entertain anything she had to say when she could have told me all of this earlier, when she was alive, when she insisted on me not going to visit Dad, she could have explained.
You shouldn’t have told him so much, Ava.
I growled in response. Of course, she would lecture me. Why wasn’t I surprised?
“Mother, stop worrying so much,” I snapped. “He’s going to help me find a job, and a home, and everything’s going to be okay.”
You don’t understand Ava. The tests they’re going to put you through are going to expose the power inside you.
I practically threw the locket across the room. I needed my mother’s voice out of my head. Even now, it was all about her. I had power she needed me to contain. I did something wrong again. I went against everything she worked so hard for. I was a failure – again.
I was tired of not living up to her ridiculously high standards, even in death.
It was time to be me... whatever that meant.
Chapter 10.