Page 3 of The Aether

“Spoilsport.”

“Besides, she’s engaged to Sebastian Drake.”

“An arranged marriage in this day and age is barbaric.”

“Just because their parents encouraged the match doesn’t mean it’s arranged, Al,” Damian said with a light laugh. But amusement was the last thing he was feeling.

Two months ago, he’d strolled onto the Drakes’ estate in search of their butler, Leopold. On the far side of the back lawn, Damian had encountered Vivian, who’d been admiring the giant oak just outside the forbidden garden that held the Enchantress entombed.

She was ethereal with her long platinum hair, peaches-and-cream complexion, and large silver-blue eyes. The white sundress added an air of innocence, as did her bare feet, and she looked like a virginal sacrifice for the gods.

One glimpse, and Damian had been a goner. His lungs had ceased to draw another breath, and his heart had left his chest to settle in the palms of her delicate hands to do with what she will.

Only she didn’t know it.

Their first meeting was nothing short of disastrous, however, and her impression of him had been blackened by his sudden irrational fear that his mother, Isolde, might escape by using Vivian. Unfortunately, that fear had been disguised as temper.

“What the hell are you doing?” Damian snapped.

She gasped and drew her fingers back right before touching a plate-sized matte-black rose, whose vine—unnoticed by her—had inched down the side of the stone wall. When she didn’t answer, he ordered her away from the garden. Of course, she didn’t run away fast enough for his liking, and he used his magic to give her slow-moving ass a boost.

Her second gasp was more indignant and distracted him momentarily.

It almost cost Damian his life.

The deadly vine barreled toward him at a blinding speed, and had he not caught the movement in his peripheral, he’d have been a human shish kabob. With a fisted hand, he halted time and stopped its forward motion. Drawing on ancient family power, he decimated the vine with a fiery blast, channeled the wind to gather the ashes, and dumped them on the cursed side of the wall.

Time snapped back with a resounding pop.

Keeping his gaze locked on the stone ledge, he addressed Vivian over his shoulder. “Go! And send the senior Drake to me immediately.” When she again didn’t react fast enough, he bellowed, “Move, woman! This is life and death.”

She hissed a breath and disappeared with the faintest glimmer of light in her wake.

Belatedly, he realized he hadn’t been able to hear her thoughts, which was highly unusual. As the Aether, he was subject to everyone’s inner dialogue, magical and non-magical alike. The idea that hers might remain a mystery to him was intriguing.

Resentment flared in her eyes when she returned with Sebastian and his father.

“I only required one,” Damian told her with raised brows and a slight smirk.

Sebastian’s immediate unease tickled his mind, and Damian stalked forward, invading the man’s space.

“Why didn’t you warn her, Drake? That garden is off-limits to everyone. No exceptions.”

“I wasn’t in that garden. I was on this side of the wall,” Vivian retorted, an underlying challenge in her cold tone.

One Damian was happy to accept.

He spun to face her, pinning her with a stare.

But she didn’t react with fear or caution, as expected, and her pointy chin shot up in defiance.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked silkily.

Her sense of self-preservation finally kicked in, and she shot a questioning glance at Sebastian.

“I asked you a question, woman.” Crossing to her, Damian used his fingertip to draw her face around to his. Mentally, he shrugged off the little voice taunting him, telling him he wanted all her attention for his own. “Do you know who I am and what I’m capable of?”

His voice had been whisper soft. Seductive in a way he’s sworn it would never be. But she appeared immune to his spellbinding charm, and the impact of her frosty gaze punched him right between the fucking eyes.

---