Page 36 of Of Fate & Forbidden Desire

“For Tilly,” she said back, her shoulders shaking with the effort she was putting in to keep them ramrod straight under my intense stare.

“Ladies,” the blonde one interjected, drawing both of our attention to him.

“Stay out of this Jace,” the red head growled.

At the same time I snapped out, “What?”

Why would he feel the need to state we were both ladies? It was pretty obvious. Jace—as the red head addressed him— paled and held up his hands in surrender, before quickly turning on his heel.

“I’ll leave you to it, just don’t destroy the room,” he said, glancing over his shoulder with a wry smile, before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

“Who the hell are you?” the red head, who’s name I still hadn’t bothered to ask for, shouted at me, leaning a little closer.

“Dina,” I told her, slightly distracted from my anger at her question, before asking one of my own, “how do you know Tilly?” I asked in a slightly less angry tone and moved out of her personal space.

“She found us, not the other way around, and I don’t really know her.” The woman answered. Her voice was firm, no trace of a lie. I scrutinised her, my mind racing over all the reasons Tilly would have brought them here to the Coven, it couldn’t just be because they needed help. We didn’t take in any old stray magical creatures.

“What did you do?” I found myself accusing, and watched as my words got a rise out of her.

“Nothing!” She shouted, before continuing with a more sheepish look, “well I might have used magic.”

“What the fuck,” I mumbled, more confused than ever. It must have been powerful magic to have drawn Tilly’s attention away from the rogue. Running a hand through my short hair, I pulled on a few strands, trying to ground myself as I asked my next question, “just who the fuck are you?”

Instead of answering the woman shrugged, like it was no big deal or it was as Tilly had said; she genuinely had no clue how to answer, and began nervously pacing. I watched, wanting nothing more than to shake her, as she went to the window and looked outside. “How do you keep it all from them?” she asked, changing the subject.

“What?” I asked, genuinely not understanding her random question.

“The humans.” She explained further, “All they see are run down mansions, how do you do it?”

“Witches,” I found myself saying, watching as she watched the people below in fascination, reminding me a little of the wonder Charleene’s eyes had shown on seeing Hampstead for the first time. “You really are clueless aren’t you?” I asked, unable to help myself from groaning again at the complications she was bringing to mine, and by extension, Charleene’s life. Frustrated, I ran my hands through my short strands, as she watched me instead of the street below.

“Guess I am.” She answered in a sad, sarcastic tone, returning her gaze to the street outside and letting loose a sigh. “I have no idea who I really am, I dream of fantastical things, I can shoot elements from my hands…well sometimes I can,” she said, staring down at her hands, a small frown marring her brows. “All of you seem to know more about me than I do, but none of you can tell me anything without hurting me.” I watch her shoulders hunch under the weight of what she’s telling me and pity floods through me when she turns her water gaze to meet mine over her shoulder. “Can you imagine how that feels?” I couldn’t tell if her question was for me or rhetorical so I remained silent, watching her like a hawk. “Of course you don’t,” she scoffed.

How can she really know so little about herself?I wondered silently, pacing the room.And what did she mean by us not being able to tell her anything?My mind whirled with each new question and even though my anger over them being here had not fully dissipated it was certainly cooling slightly.

“When will Tilly be back?” she said, interrupting my thoughts and turning towards where I paced. Her eyes narrowed a little and I suddenly felt like she could read my mind as I grew even more frustrated at Tilly.

“When she is,” I told her, waving my hand vaguely through the air without so much as a pause in my stride. She seemed almost a little too eager to have Tilly return, “Why?” I found myself questioning aloud.

“Because I need answers,” she said evasively, her eyes jumping about the room. “You know what I am.” she stated, meeting my dark eyes.

“Yes.”

“You know I don’t.”

“Yes.” It was like a game of twenty questions with the most boring answers,where was she going with this?I asked myself, tilting my head to the side.

“I need help.” She all but whispered in a broken and frustrated tone, “Tilly says there’s a young witch that might be able to help.”

Her words are like a bullet hitting me in the heart, but instead of giving away any of my own feelings I just nodded and remained silent, trying to get said feelings back under control.

“Tilly always says too much,” I growled, the need to protect Charleene from everything rearing its head, making me want to snap this confused, sad Fae’s neck. “But I’m sorry, we can’t help you,” I told her. Succinctly severing any thoughts or hopes she may have had pertaining to my little witch.

My little witch?Where had that thought come from, Charleene wasn’t anyones, or little, and after my antics she certainly didn’t belong to me. I’ve already forgotten the Fae behind me as I stalk towards the door, but her enraged voice had my feet freezing.

“Can’t or won’t!?” She shouted, seconds before flames erupted, blocking me from leaving through the door.What the hell does she think she’s doing?I briefly wondered as my own anger roared to life. Spinning, I used all of my vampire speed,until my face was almost smashed against hers, barely refraining from the desire to headbutt her.

“Can’t.” I seethed, my nostrils flaring both in anger and at the scent of charing wood. “Charleene can’t control her emerging powers, so she can’t help you with whatever you need her for. She’s got enough to worry about without your problems as well!” My words made the fire behind me roar louder, and when I glanced behind me, the flames leapt higher. “I won’t let you hurt her,” I threatened, my voice no louder than a whisper as my eyes narrowed into slits. This was who Tilly wanted to travel with us to Scotland? An unstable Fae? I didn’t want Charleene in the same hotel as her, let alone in the same car.

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