Page 37 of Of Fate & Forbidden Desire

My words seemed to break something inside the girl as her flames disappeared, leaving nothing but scorched carpet in their wake, and her face crumpled before she turned back to the window. I almost missed her next words, “No-one will help us.” She hiccuped, scrubbing her hand across her cheek and I realised she was crying.

Great dum-nut you made the highly volatile Fae cry,my mind snarked at me and I already regretted my next words before they even left my mouth, “Well I didn’t say that now did I?” My voice rang calmly through the room, making her pause and her shoulders tighten.

“What?” she asked, a note of caution making her voice wobble. She turned slowly, making even more pity flood through me at the tears still falling down her cheek and that pesky conscience piped up again.

“We’re going to search for Charleene’s Coven,” I went on, not really wanting to invite her along, but knowing Tilly would just command it of me anyway. Walking back to the now flame free door I paused, staring back, appraising her before issuing my next demand, “You’re coming with us, be ready at 8am.” I said, slamming the door closed behind me.

Chapter Fifteen

Can you really know yourself, if you have no clue about your past? -Charleene

Last night had given me much to think about concerning my life, my past, the family I’d never wanted to know and Dina’s feelings for me. Getting back to the hotel I’d been quiet, thinking over the implications of what I’d learnt, even excusing myself to go to bed early. However, after getting changed and tucking myself into the ridiculously comfy bed, sleep eluded me. I was still awake, with my back to the door, when Tilly returned. I kept my breathing slow and steady when I heard Dina’s steps approach my still open door and should have probably made it known I was still awake, but I was interested to hear what they would discuss without me there.

I was still flabbergasted by her words, she’d admitted she was falling for me, but her kind’s laws were forcing her to push me away. My heart hurt for how conflicted she was between her duty and her heart. I’d always thought that when I fell in love it would be simple, but I was beginning to see that it was messy and unkind. Tears had tracked unbidden down my cheeks on hearing how she truly felt, my heart hurt for the pain this situation was causing us both. As I listened more to their conversation, sleep had slipped further away and I’d still been mulling over their hushed conversation into the early hours of the morning.

So it was no surprise that Dina had already been gone by the time I woke again, I assumed she’d gone to inform the Fae of our plans, like Tilly had commanded. It was late afternoon when Dina finally came storming back through our door, muttering angrily beneath her breath. Offering her a small smile, I continuedreturning the growing stack of books to their shelf. When the silence grew too heavy I decided to break it, “You ok?” I asked.

“I suppose so, how are you feeling this morning?” she responded, turning my own question against me as she continued pacing.

“I feel strange,” I admitted before trailing off, not knowing how else to sum-up all I was thinking, “So Scotland.” I tried again to find a topic of conversation for us and stumbled, not knowing what else to say.

“It’s going to be a long drive,” she muttered almost under her breath, giving me a whiff of smoke as she paced past me.

“Why?” I asked, not letting on that I knew the cause of her anger and what was going to be happening from eavesdropping last night.

“I don’t understand why they have to come with us, that woman is an accident waiting to happen.” Dina grumbled more to herself than me, but I listened anyway.

“They can’t be that bad?” I sympathised, trying to be diplomatic.

“She set a door on fire in a temper tantrum, all because she can’t control her magic.” Dina explained, meeting my eyes. My face paled slightly at the thought of sharing a car with someone who could conjure fire out of thin air.

“I would like to meet them, properly I mean.” The words came out without me thinking too much about them, and from the look that crossed Dina’s face it had been the wrong thing to say.

“You’re not going anywhere near her, she’s too dangerous!” Dina snapped, taking me aback with the anger emanating off of her. Lifting my hands in surrender, I started planning how to slip out of the suite anyway,they couldn’t be as bad as she was making out. Were they?

With my thoughts busy making a plan, we lapsed back into silence. Dina continued pacing and muttering every now and then.

“Do you think the hotel would mind if I borrowed a book?” I found myself asking, as I selected another classic; Pride and Prejudice, from the shelf.

“What?” Dina said distractedly, glancing over atme.

“If I start reading this book can I borrow it?” I repeated.

“I don’t know, but if not, they can always charge me for a new one,” she said, the barest hint of a smile turning her lips up, when I squealed in delight and grabbed the book. Almost running to the sofa, I let the afternoon pass us by and got lost in the world of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy.

My eyes were gritty and dry when they opened, long before the sun rose. It was much harder to convince myself to slip out of the nice warm bed with the early morning chill biting at any exposed skin. I hopped more than walked to the ensuite bathroom, rubbing at the rising goosebumps on my arms the whole way. Stepping under the warm shower spray was like heaven, easing out my tense muscles, while warming me up and making me feel slightly more awake and human. Dressing in my comfiest pair of jeans and my favourite t-shirt that told the world exactly what I thought of it, I grabbed my phone.

Was five in the morning an acceptable time to order breakfast?I wondered, staring at the message icon that was still on the screen. Lily had been messaging me since I’d left York, but not knowing what to say most of the time, I’d been sporadic in replying to her. Leaving her newest message unread, I sauntered into what I was beginning to call the living room of the suite. It seemed funny giving it a name now that we were leaving again. Dina was nowhere to be found and her bedroom door was thankfully shut. Leaving the note I’d written last night for her, I tiptoed with my hightops in hand to the door. Not knowing how hard it would be to sneak past a Vampire with uber sensitive hearing, I mostly, just hoped that she was otherwise distracted.

Successfully making it to the door without her coming to see what I was doing and closing it quietly behind me, I let out the breath I’d been holding and slipped my feet into my shoes. Clutching one of our two keycards in hand, I forced myself to walk slowly to the lift before calling it and riding it all the way downto reception. I didn’t know where in the hotel room 203 was, I realised, stepping out into the deserted reception area.

It still took my breath away how the giant chandelier sparkled. Cautiously approaching the long reception desk, I waited for a member of staff to arrive, constantly glancing over my shoulder at the lifts. Expecting Dina to appear at any second and foil my plans to meet the Fae woman who’d helped me that night under the bridge in York. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but I still remembered her kind smile and the way she’d grabbed me when my feet had frozen.

“Is everything ok Miss?” a young man dressed in the hotel’s smart back uniform asked, startling me and making me yelp before I got myself back under control.

“Yes, thank you. Is there anywhere that I can get coffee at this time?” I asked the young man who quickly came to see what I wanted. “I know that it’s early.”

“We can make you anything you need, Miss.” Julian—his gold name tag told me— responded politely, not mentioning the early hour or my being down here.

---