Part 18 (1/2)
”My mind won't let me. I can't condemn someone based on what they are. My dad tried to fix me but he couldn't, and that's why I was such a disappointment to him.”
”Fix you? You're not broken ...”
”To him I was.”
Eli closed his eyes and his chest rose and fell.
”I wish I could be as calm and as forgiving as you,” I admitted.
”It's not without effort.” He rolled over and rested his head on his hand. ”You're talking about Hunter though.”
I was? I hadn't intended to, but I guess that's what I was referring to with my comment.
”I just can't stand being near him. It freaks me out.”
Eli rose to his feet and extended his arm to me. ”Do whatever makes you comfortable but remember he was your friend. He was there for you when I left, when you had no one else. He's probably feeling just as alone as you were, if not worse.”
I stared at the ground. Eli was right, he was there for me, but since his transformation I'd been so horrible to him. A warm index finger ran along my jaw line, tilting my face upwards and forcing eye contact.
”Don't forget that although he's a friend, he's still dangerous, Ruby. You're a G.o.ddess and a Heelian, both are irresistible to a vampire ... be careful.”
I nodded, but Eli didn't remove his finger from my face. Instead he surveyed my lips and my eyes.
”A penny for your thoughts?” I asked, using his line on him.
His lips curved into a slight smile and he bit his bottom lip in an attempt to hide it. G.o.d I love it when he does that.
”In my day it was customary to ask the father for permission before you court his daughter.” Our attention flicked toward the opening to the castle back gardens and a skinny, old man was leaning against a weathered wall.
”Dad?”
The old man took a few steps toward us. They said he was addicted to vampire bites but he looked normal to me. I pictured him skinny with wrinkly, sun-deprived skin. I imagined him all hunched and sickly, like the woman in my cell when I first arrived at Sage Sanctum.
”Your prolonged absence means you forfeited that right a long time ago,” Eli stated.
My eyes didn't stray from the man that looked too much like me. Our facial structure was the same, from the high cheek bones and blue eyes down to the full lips and long legs. Mithras's long dark hair was tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck.
”Ahh, little Eli. You're all grown up, I see.”
They knew each other? How did Eli know my father when I'd never even met him?
”Perhaps you could give my daughter and I some privacy?”
”Not going to happen,” Eli growled defensively.
”If you have to say something to me, then you can say it in front of my guardian angel.”
”Oh goody,” he mumbled sarcastically. ”Lucian wants me to train you on how to control your sun power.”
Eli's jaw clenched. He didn't like that idea any more than I did.
”No thanks. I'd much rather fight a vampire with my bare hands or use my elements.”
Mithras chuckled. ”Stubborn, just like your mother.”
He took a few steps closer and Eli stood slightly in front of me, s.h.i.+elding me from the stranger that was my father.
Ugh. What did my mother see in him? I'd known him barely five minutes and I could already say he was ignorant, c.o.c.ky, and bossy.
”I don't think it wise to come between me and my daughter, Mr De Luca.”
”He's already told you that you forfeited any parenting rights a long time ago,” I stated dully.
His hands began to glow. What was he up to? He pushed his hands towards Eli and a blinding light shot out from his palms. I felt Eli tense as he braced himself for the impact. I didn't know what would happen to Eli but I wasn't going to risk it. I dove in front of him and the light hit me instead. At first it burned and a scream tore free, but when the initial burn was over, my body welcomed the rest, absorbing it like a plant absorbs water.
”Ruby!”
Blinking, I focused on Eli's face. He was leaning toward me, his hands gripping my shoulders ”Are you okay?”
”I - I'm fine.”
My eyes flicked over to where Mithras had been standing. He was gone. Slowly my vision began to falter. The sharp lines of the world began to blur.
”What's happening?” I groaned.
Two strong arms wrapped around me but it wasn't enough to pull me away from the approaching darkness.
Possessive and Jealous My head was pounding hard against my skull before I even opened my eyes. When I did, shapes and colors blurred around me. I squinted and slowly things became clearer. I was in a strange room. My eyes focused on a big painting. Immediately I recognized it as one of the Latvian ones Eli had in the living room of his house at Sage. The only place I had seen those types of paintings here was in the sitting room.
”Where am I?” I moaned.
”Wakey, wakey. You're in the sitting room.” The cold, empty voice flowed through me, chilling my spine and sending a s.h.i.+ver down it.
”Ruby, are you all right?”
A blurry face loomed over me. I blinked a few times and the blurry lines became visible. Dirty blonde hair dangled just above my face. It was the witch girl.
”I- I think so,” I mumbled, sitting up. Her hand rested on my shoulder, preventing me from sitting up fully.
”You need to lie down.”
”Where's Eli?” I asked.
”He's upstairs. I heard that you met your father. He's something else, isn't he?” Lucian laughed.
”He's out of control! He tried to hurt Eli but I stopped him.”
”You could have gotten yourself killed, or worse, you could have ruined the plans I had for you, and over a silly guardian angel.”
”You talk as if they're worth nothing.”