He doesn't hide the screen as he opens the message, offering me a glimpse of the last message in the thread.
Kael: I need your help, brother. What you want, I can't give you. I need help. I need you. She's too guarded, too protected. I want to do you justice, but now is not the time.
My eyelids shutter as I consider Jude’s message. Nothing good is going to come from this, but if I know anything, it’s that darkness will find you whether you like it or not. This might be the first time I’m openly inviting it in, but it’s not the first time I’ve faced it, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Jude: You know where to go. Be there at ten in the morning. We’ll reconvene. Maybe the little weapon is waiting for me, but I can’t say I’m not disappointed in you, Kael.
6
KAEL
Standing in my bathroom, staring at my haunted reflection, I want to look away.
It's almost amusing to hear the folklore among the human world about vampires who are not blessed with a reflection, and I often wonder if that stems from the pain and heartache of a vampire themselves. One, just like me, who was unable to bring themselves to look in the mirror to begin with.
But I do now.
I stand before myself in full assessment.
My eyes, although a different color, replicate my brother's. My nose is my father's, the slight crook most don’t notice, and my lips are my mother's.
Once upon a time, family and bloodline meant everything; now, none of that matters anymore. I’mcreating my own family. One centered around a scythe, one who may not reciprocate my thoughts, but that doesn’t matter. She’s the glue holding Rion, Thorne, and me together, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. My shoulders roll back as I recall last night.
Seated on the sofa, my hands clasp together in my lap as I look up at Elodie. She stands tall and confident, yet the nerves that vibrate from her are undeniable.
“It's okay, Elodie,” I promise, the word ‘enchantress’ on the tip of my tongue once again, desperate to bring her back to the badass that she is. But since we've got an audience, I keep it to myself.
Rion, Thorne, and Ocean watch in silence.
Thorne has already figured out what needs to be said and has written it down on a piece of paper for Elodie to read, while Ocean has lit a few candles around the room. She says it fuels her magic, but I'm sure the Veilstone would work just fine without it. Not that I question it. As long as we get the end result, nothing else is important.
“I’m nervous,” Elodie whispers, and I offer her a small smile, ghosting my hand over her leg as she stands before me.
“I know, and that's okay.”
Fucking her in that display room was reckless, especiallysince we haven’t had our big conversation to see if we're possibly back on track. But I had to take my opportunity.
There might not be another.
Maybe it’s a good thing that we didn't have some earthbending conversation to go with it, because now I would probably be trembling right along with her.
When she still doesn't move to place her hand on me, I reach for her, doing it on her behalf. Her fingertips are cool against my skin as my t-shirt lies on the sofa beside me, while I await her mark.
She sucks in a breath, and I nod, watching as she curls her free hand around the Veilstone.
“Do it, Elodie,” I say, and she cocks her brow at me, likely questioning the imbalanced control, but the sparkle in her eyes is exactly what I am looking for.
Clearing her throat, she nods, and the room plummets into even deeper silence before she speaks.
“Kael Forrester, I, Elodie Blackwood, am now your master. I reign supreme, and your actions are mine. Your responsibility is to keep me safe at all times from anyone or anything. You must do what is possible for us to succeed. You must not place me in a vulnerable position. Your protection is required at all times in my presence or not. When we come face to face with our enemies, and we watch them fall to their demise, my power over you will be no more.”
Warmth glows over me as she exhales, and I know it's taking root.
Blinking back to the present, I stare at my reflection once more, but this time, I lift the hem of my t-shirt until I spy the small mark that wasn't there before. No bigger than a pea in the crevice under my arm, just like a forgotten freckle.
Her mark. Her seal.
