“I don't want to notice you aren't a kid. I don't want to break my promise, Ree. But I want…” He swallowed audibly, his heart thudding under her hand.

Tilting her head so their noses brushed, she edged closer to him. When his hand moved to her waist, electric shocks radiated out from his fingers to wash over her body.

“What do you want?” she asked quietly, her voice husky.

“I just want you.” His lips skimmed over her cheek and then moved slowly to her mouth. He pulled back just a little and looked into her eyes, so many emotions in his expression. Not wanting for the moment to pass, she placed her free hand on the back of his neck and titled her head upwards in invitation. His warm lips brushed over hers gently and his hand tightened on her waist. His breath was warm and his lips were gentle but purposeful as he tested the waters. When his lips parted hers for a deeper kiss she moaned gently. Never could she have imagined it would be like this, with fire racing under her skin. His fingers on her waist softly massaged small circles, making her shirt bunch up and he brushed the skin of her waist. Her breath caught, and his hand slid under her shirt onto the small of her back. Their kiss took on a new intensity, her body desperate to be as close to his as possible.

Lost in Paden, nothing else in the world existed but this moment for Ree. She had wanted him – to touch him – for so long the relief of finally kissing him was almost painful. He pulled away from her mouth and she made a sound of distress, but he simply moved to nuzzle her neck before placing delicate kisses on her cheek and forehead. Then he was back, his lips soft and hungry for hers. The edge of the counter pressed into her back as he leaned into her, but she didn't care; only touching Paden mattered. His heart was pounding under her fingers with an intensity she hadn’t known she could inspire. Somehow through the fog her mind noted that their heartbeats matched; they beat in unison. While wrapped in his arms, she had found the one place she truly belonged.

Someone cleared their throat from the door way, and Ree jerked her head back, startled. Paden’s face was a war of emotions. Shock, pleasure, and guilt washed off of him in waves. His breathing was heavy, and he obviously took a moment to compose himself before responding.

“What do you want, Roland?” asked Paden.

Ree's eyes widened and blood rushed to her cheeks. She peeked under Paden’s arm to see the Dark One leaning nonchalantly against the kitchen door.

“Sorry to interrupt this beautiful moment, but Sophie is looking for Ree. She was supposed to come back for her training.” His smirk was firmly in place and Ree suspected it was one of his personal defenses. Somewhere in her heart she knew it was her fault his walls were up in full force. “And we still have weapons training tonight. If you feel up to the challenge, that is.”

Paden turned away from Ree; his back was stiff and his stance was angry. She stepped away from the counter, sad such a beautiful moment was ending on such a sour note.

“What does that mean?”

“It means, that if you are finished acting like a horny teenager we have work to do.” Roland drew himself up to his full height.

“That is not what I was doing,” Paden snapped.

“No, I get it. You were just capitalizing on what I started earlier, hmm?”

Ree sucked in her breath, her face on fire. A deep growl vibrated through Paden's shoulders and he threw himself across the counter. There was only a moment of hesitation before Ree erected a wall between them with her power.

She hadn't seen Roland move, but he was pressed against the energy, staring at Paden with disgust. “Don't try me, young one. You aren't ready yet.”

Paden snorted and looked at Ree over his shoulder. She knew what he wanted, and she wasn't about to give it to him. Shaking her head, she faced Roland and did her best to look stern and commanding. She had to do something to stop the situation before it escalated.

“We’ll be out in a minute, Roland. If you see Sophie on your way to the training room, tell her I’ll be there soon.”

Roland's mouth dropped open for a moment and then he chuckled. He stepped back to the doorway and leaned against it.

“Alastriana, you aren't quite ready to lead this little group, so forgive me for not obeying. I promise to behave, but I must take the young blood with me,” he replied. To his credit he didn't sound snide or condescending. “Besides, I am thinking you don't have enough time for a private conversation. I can hear the others coming this way right now.”

Even without enhanced hearing the sound of the others running through the hall was hard to mistake. They rushed past the Dark One and barely stopped short when they saw the glimmer of the power in front of Paden.

“What's going on?” Bryce demanded. His eyes darted between Paden and the Roland, obviously sensing that was the real problem.

“It was nothing. A misunderstanding,” Ree said blithely. She dropped the power and walked toward the door, doing her best to not meet anyone’s eyes. “Sorry I upset everyone. I have to meet up with Sophie for my training.”

“I’m already here.” Sophie said walking into the room. Other than the dark circles under her eyes, there was nothing to announce she had fed Roland a short while ago. “And I'd like to know what is going on, as well.”

Ree knew she looked like a deer caught in headlights; she could even feel her palms start to sweat when everyone focused on her.

“The young lady was angry at me for making jokes. No harm done as long as she will accept my apology.” Roland bowed his head at Ree.

“Ree?” Melanie asked quietly. Her eyes held a thousand questions. Ree shook her head to try and deter any more questions. She faced Roland and gave him a forced smile.

“I accept your apology Roland.” He held out his hand to shake and she responded in turn, only to have him brush a kiss over her fingers instead. There was a soft growl from behind her, and she silently begged Paden to behave. It was upsetting enough that Roland had witnessed her first kiss. She didn't want to have to give anyone else an explanation of what had happened. Some secrets a girl should get to keep for herself.

She glared at Roland and walked out of the room to forestall any more questions. She could hear the others following her out of the kitchen, but she refused to look behind her to make sure Paden and Roland were with them.

Chapter 26

“Are you going to tell me what really happened?” Sophie asked as she closed the office door.

Ree grimaced and kept practicing making the flames jump in the fireplace. She could still feel where Paden had touched her, and the fire seemed to understand. Sophie sat down next to her and waited patiently for an answer.

“Roland was angry we took so long before coming back to train,” she said and hoped that would be enough to satisfy the older woman. “And Paden took offense.”

“Roland does not get angry very easily. Though, he does seem to be having a hard time getting along with your Paden.” Ree saw a slight smile curl the corners of Sophie's lips. “Have you considered the possibility that Roland might be jealous?”

“Why on earth would he be jealous?” Ree asked, startled.

“Roland usually treats the Alastriana with respect, and keeps his distance. Yet, he has gone out of his way to be near you. Even allowing you to train with the others.”

“This is the last battle. He has as much invested in winning as the rest of us do,” Ree pointed out. Sophie shrugged.

“That’s true. Though I’m sure it doesn't help to see how Paden feels about you,” Sophie continued. “The gods play dangerous games and stack the odds the best they can.”

“I literally have no idea what you mean by that.” Ree shook her head. “I need a manual or something. Is there a book I can read to help figure this stuff out? Why should it matter how Paden looks at me? And what do the gods have to do with that?”

“The Alastriana and her Guardian are always tied together in some way that makes them close. For me, Tria was my sister-sister. For others, they are friends, cousins, lovers. Sometimes even soul mates.” Ree gasped and the flames in the fireplace flared.

“Soul mates?” Interest colored Ree’s words. “Is there really such a thing?”

“Oh, yes. They often incarnate together, but not always.” Sophie grabbed another bottle of juice out of her fridge and sat down on a sofa.

“Incarnate?” Ree asked confused.

“Yes, reincarnation is not a myth. In fact, some of the Alastrianas have been cycled more than once.” Sophie took a long swig from her bottle and recapped it.

“Are you saying the gods would send soul mates as an Alastriana and her Guardian?” Ree looked at Sophie, disgusted. “That’s cruel.”

“I know of only one case where they did just that. It was to ensure that no matter what, the Guardian would do everything in his power to protect the Alastriana.”

“Wouldn't they do that anyway?”

“Yes, but there is a special connection between soul mates. It allows them to go beyond their normal strength to protect the other.” Ree could almost understand the logic of such a heartbreaking ploy.

“Did the soul mates survive?” Ree asked, hoping to find a way to honor their sacrifice. She wondered if Roland and her sister had been soul mates. It was such a tragic thought that she felt her anger with him dwindling away.

“It doesn't matter now. The only thing you need to focus on is the task at hand.” Ree shook her head in frustration.

“Why do I feel like you guys are hiding so much? I have yet to get a direct answer from you on just about anything. Seriously, I think I can count on one hand the times you’ve answered a question where I wasn't left with eighteen more questions. Do you guys train for that? Have a seminar on the weekends?” Ree flung herself back so that she was lying on the thick carpet. “You are so frustrating.”

Sophie rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Come on, were going outside for more training.”

“Can't we stay in here? It’s so much warmer in here,” Ree whined. She knew she was being unreasonable, but she was tired and had so much going through her mind. She also didn't want to risk being dumped in the fountain.

“Up, you big baby! We have work to do,” Sophie held out her hand and pulled Ree to her feet. The younger girl sighed and stretched.

“Okay, but I'm really going to gripe if you hit me with any freezing water.”

Once they were outside, Sophie had her juggle several objects while doing their special dance steps. It was no longer a strain for Ree to lift and move things. She barely even thought about calling the power. Instead she focused on trying to keep from being clumsy, which was a huge task in its own right.

They worked for hours moving things and dodging things, using shields to block things that were thrown at Ree. After a while she collapsed onto a bench and pulled her sweatshirt off to use as a pillow. She stared up at the dark sky and watched thick clouds roam over the stars and moon.

“I want you to tell me how this normally works. Do we hunt down the Dark Ones? Do we have a scheduled battle with the Big Bad Dark One? Do I need to run up and hit him in the face with a glove and declare a duel? What?”

Sophie sat on the ground in front of her and leaned against the bench. She picked up a few pebbles from the ground and ran them through her fingers like a worry stone. She shook her head and laughed at Ree.

“As funny a mental picture as that is, please don't run around hitting anyone with gloves.” She opened her palm and the pebbles floated in a lazy circle before drifting to land on the ground. “To answer your question: each battle is different, as is the Dark One, and that is the true challenge. Dark Ones that were originally human can be killed several ways, though none of them are easy. Fire, a stake through the heart, and beheading will kill the Dark One. If the Dark One is one of the originals brought by the Dark Gods then it is much harder. They are immune to fire, and a stake will not kill them, though it will slow them down. The only sure way to kill them is by beheading.”

“And yet the gods send me to kill them? The small, pathetic human?” Bitterness laced through her words.

“It is your power that makes it possible for them to die. With practice you will be able to hold the Dark One so they cannot escape. The Dark One that will be their champion will be much stronger, much faster, and much harder to kill. And you are the one that must finish him off. You can use your power like a weapon, or just get close enough to kill him in one of the more physical ways. But it must be you who delivers the death blow.”

“How do you use the power to kill them?” Ree sat up and brushed the loosehair that had escaped her ponytail away from her face.

“You gather as much power as you possibly can hold, more than you have ever held before, and thrust it into their hearts.” Pushing off from the ground, Sophie stretched, touching her toes and bending this way and that. “You’ve already done it once, even if it was an accident. Thankfully, he was very new and hadn't fed at that point. So even though your attack wasn't organized or controlled it still worked and saved the two of you.”

“I feel like I’m walking into all of this blind,” Ree said. “Nothing is easy or clear. Just a big, convoluted mess.”

“Well, maybe you can write a manual someday.” Sophie laughed. “I think we are going to call it a night. We are both tired and need to rest.”

Ree yawned as if on cue and headed toward the house. Her friends were heading out the door and it looked like they were going to be working with their swords while running. They were a complete contradiction to watch as they laughed and joked while gracefully carrying their weapons. Weylin ruffled her hair and she shoved him playfully.

“Remember, pointy end toward the enemy, Wey,” she teased.

“Don't worry; I know how to use my sword.” Weylin waggled his eyebrows, and she made a gagging sound. Paden laughed at Weylin, but kept walking without saying anything. Feeling a little taken aback she watched him head in the direction of the others that were waiting on the trail. Not wanting to take offense for no reason, she decided to try and talk to him before she went in to shower. She jogged toward him, but he was moving with the fast, graceful gait of the Immortals.

“Hey, Paden,” she called to get his attention. He didn't stop, but there was a small hitch in his step. She slowed and came to a stop, watching him walk further away. There was no way he hadn't heard her, his new super hearing was too good. Her stomach clenched in hurt and anger. So, he was back to ignoring her. Infuriated, she stomped into the house and slammed the door behind her.