Though they were only a few feet apart on the bed, it was like they were worlds away from one another. I linked them, and without me, they were nothing. I didn’t particularly want them to be close, but I didn’t want them to always be at odds either. I really didn’t think that would ever change.
I stepped lightly on the stairs as I made my way up to the main floor. Many of the candles had long since burnt out. I blew out the ones that remained lit as I followed them back to the front entry. My purse sat right where I’d left it, with Kale’s gift inside. My curiosity climbed.
I sat in a chair near the front window, my purse in hand. The blinds were drawn, but the brilliant glow of the sun beyond cast shards of light upon me. Taking the carefully wrapped box out, I turned it over a few times. Maybe it was nothing of extreme value. Perhaps I was over thinking this.
With a deep exhalation of breath, I tore off the paper and opened the box. A small note fell out into my lap, but before I could read it, my gaze landed on the silver cross pendant displayed on a bed of cotton. It was breathtaking.
It was old, possibly Elizabethan old. It had a slightly medieval look to it. There was a small black diamond in the center. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen. It had to be the oldest, most valuable item I’d ever held.
I picked up the note, finding it scrawled in Kale’s careful handwriting. It said only: It used to be my mother’s. Now it should be yours. Happy birthday.
Stunned didn’t even begin to cover it. Tears pricked the back of my eyes. A swell of emotion quickly overwhelmed me, and I choked back a sob. Kale had just given me his heart in more ways than one. I hadn’t asked for it, but here it was, lying in a box on my lap.
He had asked nothing in return, knowing that I couldn’t give him what he so freely gave to me. Staring into the box, running my fingers over the sleek silver cross, I knew with my whole being that I couldn’t love him. And yet, I knew that I did. So why did it feel so bad?
Chapter Twenty-Three
I couldn’t lie to myself. I was totally freaked out. As I got out of the car and stared across the street at the old church, an uneasy feeling gripped me. A shiver slithered down my spine. I didn’t like this one bit.
Shya had asked me to come. He was elusive but indicated he had something he wanted me to see. I shielded hard, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention. Some things inside that church had never been human. I could feel them.
I glanced at Kale, seeking some kind of reassurance. His presence was a great relief. I wasn’t sure I’d have had the courage to walk in there alone.
In the car on the way over, I’d tried to thank him for his gift. I wanted to say so much more, but none of it was right for the situation. He’d waved me off, effectively keeping the conversation from taking a personal turn. That was likely for the best.
“Remember, we’re just here to observe.” Kale fell into step beside me as we crossed the street. “No matter what you see here, don’t get involved and don’t draw attention to yourself. Trust me. The less anyone knows about you, the better. Oh, and shield tighter than that. I can feel your apprehension.”
“Why did I agree to this again?” I muttered beneath my breath.
“Because you have power that puts you in a class all your own. It’s a good thing. It gives you leverage. Just use it carefully.”
I fell silent, slipping into stealth mode. The wolf inside was on full alert as I paid keen attention to my finely tuned senses. The scent of car exhaust lingered on the air. I saw no obvious sign that the church was occupied. As we drew closer, the atmosphere grew stifling with a strange energy I couldn’t identify.
I toyed with the idea of turning back before it was too late. Once I stepped foot through that door, I wouldn’t be able to change my mind. I couldn’t shake the feeling that what I was about to encounter inside was going to strip away the last of my remaining illusions regarding the world I lived in.
Kale was calm, his walk confident. This wasn’t new to him. He cast one last look my way before reaching for the handle of one of the large, double wooden doors. A brief shadow of uncertainty flickered in his eyes, and then it was gone. I got the distinct feeling that he would have preferred me not to be there. It did nothing to ease my concern.
The inside of the church was smaller than it looked from the outside, almost cozy. It was dark, the only light provided by the glow of the moon beyond the stained glass windows and one lonely light over the altar.
I followed Kale’s lead, slipping into the darkness at the back of the church near the door. He was deathly still. I stood close, leaning into him more than I meant to. I might have been a bad-ass with the vampires and werewolves, but when my gaze took in those at the front near the altar, I was scared.