Page 21 of Anywhere

I leaned on the top of the car and stared at Rook. “Ya know ya talk a lot a shite when ya haven’t spent a single day here since ya was born. Dis island is no’ yours. Ya never came ta visit. Never met yer family dat lives here. Didn’t come ta meet yer potential unions, and ya never cared ta know nothin’ dat was goin’ on until yer arse was forced ta come. Ya turned your back on us and then me. Dis island dinnie owe ya anythin’, and neither do I.”

The car ride back to Injebreck castle felt like it took years as we sat in silence. As soon as he got out of the car, I pulled away, then made the mistake of glancing in the rear-view mirror. Rook was staring at the back of the car, his eyes a mix of confusion and something I couldn’t figure out. My hands tightened on the wheel.

“He’s gettin’ in ya head. Ya need ta stop thinkin’ ‘bout him,” I grumbled to myself.

Yet the stupid connection was trying to make me feel guilty for leaving. It was trying to make me forgive him, want him, fall for him. I could feel it all like thin threads stretching from my body to his and vice versa.

“Ahh!” I smacked my hand on the steering wheel, which had been receiving a lot of abuse lately. “I dinnie fuckin’ want ya! Git out of me head!”

No, I wouldn’t even contemplate if we could work. The look on Rook’s face when he said he wanted to try was similar to the look I made when I ate soap by accident.

The small car streaked towards the pub. I needed a break from the tension that was Rook, and more than that, I needed a release. By coming here, I could take care of my needs and see how Caitlin was doing. My fucking cock felt like it was going to explode with the power and need coursing through my veins.

A pairing was supposed to be a happy time. Instead, I was stuck with a guy who wanted nothing to do with me. I was more torn up and confused about what I wanted than ever before. The stupid connection could make me want Rook, but it didn’t seem to help block my love for Mari. I thought those feelings were under control, but the triad becoming real was stirring up all I’d forced down. What a way to fuck with my head.

I parked the car, leaned over, and grabbed my stash, but I just stared at the brightly coloured pills.

“Fuck,” I swore and tossed them back into the compartment. The last thing I needed tonight was anything mind-altering. I got out of my car, looking around at the modest stone homes in the distance and the horse-and-buggies in the parking area. This place may not be the fancy lifestyle Rook was used to, but this was my home, and I loved everything about it. Rook could have his screaming fans and travelling from city to city every night.

I looked down at my family ring. My father had left me this ring. It had been his father’s and my grandfather’s before that. I stared at the cobra head embedded in the side of the metal. My father had told me that he loved me. He’d seen me. Mari saw me. But Rook… he saw his ticket out of town when he looked at me. He hadn’t said it outright, but I knew why he was here.

Caleb and Rook’s brother, Devlin, talked all the time. Rook was forced to come here. He wasn’t given a choice. All the guys were taking bets on how long it took before we caved or killed one another. That wasn’t the life I wanted for myself. It couldn’t be what my parents wanted for me. I wanted to be with someone who saw my value and respected me. I deserved that much from this life.

Rook and all his sexy temptation could go fuck himself.

Elewyen

Rage filled me as I stared at the remnants of the burnt village. The ghost-like horror and despair floated off the charred remains like a kiss of death. I stood among the thick trees on the edge of the small village and stared at the black car with the white stripes. Cars were rare. They were only driven by those who lived in the stone castles. So whoever was here was someone of importance to the island. I’d never seen one of them before. Azula had forbidden me to venture too close to the castles, and she had been in such a panic about it that I’d finally agreed.

My mind filled with images of the guy with the midnight black hair who had stepped out of the metal bird only to get into a similar car. A shiver raced up my back thinking of the man who made my skin warm.

As I turned to walk away, I heard yelling and caught the hint of movement near the edge of the bluff. The ground slanted away from where I was standing, and there was no clean line of sight. Slipping into the trees, I raced across the rough terrain of rock and tree roots until I was far enough along that I could see more of what was happening.

There were two people. I couldn’t see much of either of them, but they were not happy with one another. The yelling was too far away to catch, but the odd bit of a word that I heard in the breeze was full of anger.

The two figures began making their way up the slope from the cliffs, and I quickly backed deeper into the shadows of the trees. There was no way to know if these two had anything to do with the murders and the village being destroyed. It also couldn’t be a coincidence that someone with a car from the castles was here before the bones of the dead had cooled.

They walked among the village and bent down. I wasn’t sure what they were looking for or at from this distance, but when one of the guys stood up and turned to look in my direction, I had to grab the tree for support. It was the guy with the midnight hair from the flying metal bird. He was even more handsome than the first time I’d seen him. His eyes were so blue they reflected the colour of the sky. The second guy walked to the car, and as he did, my heart sputtered to a complete stop as his gaze scanned over the trees.

It felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I’d never felt such witchcraft before. What were these men? What power did they hold, and why did it affect me? More importantly, had they been the ones to come here to hurt these people? They disappeared into the car, and soon it was flying past where I was hidden.

For the tiniest glimmer of time, I caught sight of the two men up close. Air became solid in my lungs. My eyes trailed the car until it was out of sight, and like a rope stretching and snapping, my chest released, and air flooded my lungs.

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, trying to push down the unusual reaction to the men. The loud squeak and chattering beside my ear had my eyes snapping open and looking at Barry.

“Aye, yer no trustin’ ‘em eitha?” I shook my head. “Naw, I’za no trust ‘em. I’za dinnie like menfolk much at all.”

His little tail swished as he twisted his head to the side with my words.

“I’za no mean ya, so dinnie be givin’ me dat look.”

Sliding my hand in the pocket of my cloak, I pulled out a couple of berries. Barry took the offering, stuffed it in his little furry cheek, then begged for more.

“Naw, ya eat dat first, then ya cannie have more.”

Popping a berry into my mouth, I made my way down the path toward the main trail, but when I got to the fork in the road, I stopped. Looking one way and then the other, I knew I should go to the left, but everything in me screamed that I needed to follow the car.

“I’za gonna regret dis. I’za see it happenin’ now,” I mumbled and handed Barry another piece of fruit. He poked me in the cheek with his wee nose. “Ya know, yewza pest,” I grumbled. For such a small travel companion, he sure could pack the food away. “I’za startin’ ta tink yer only usin’ me fir da food wit da bitter winds on da way.”