He almost smiled. "There you go again. Why? Why do you keep helping me?" There were a million answers on my lips, everything from It's the right thing to do to I don't know. Instead, I said, "Because I want to."
This time, I got a true smile from him, but there was something dark and introspective about it. He shifted closer to me again. "Because you feel bad for this crazy guy?"
"You aren't going to go crazy," I said firmly. "You're stronger than you think. The next time you feel that way, find something to focus on, to remind you of who you are."
"Like what? Got some magic object in mind?"
"Doesn't have to be magic," I said. I racked my brain. "Here." I unfastened the golden cross necklace. "This has always been good for me. Maybe it'll help you." I set it in his hand, but he caught hold of mine before I could pull back.
"What is it?" he asked. He looked more closely. "Wait... I've seen this. You wear this all the time."
"I bought it a long time ago, in Germany."
He was still holding my hand as he studied the cross. "No frills. No flourishes. No secret etched symbols."
"That's why I like it," I told him. "It doesn't need embellishment. A lot of the old Alchemist beliefs focused on purity and simplicity. That's what this is. Maybe it'll help you have clarity of mind."
He had been staring at the cross, but now he lifted his gaze to meet mine.
Some emotion I couldn't quite read played over his features. It was almost like he'd just discovered something, something troubling to him. He took a deep breath and, his hand still holding mine, pulled me toward him. His green eyes were dark in the candlelight but somehow just as enthralling. His fingers tightened on mine, and I felt warmth spread throughout me.
"Sage - "
The power suddenly came back on, flooding the room with light. Apparently, with no concern for electrical bills, he'd left all the lights on when he went out earlier. The spell was broken, and both of us winced at the sudden brightness. Adrian sprang back from me, leaving the cross in my hand.
"Don't you have a dance or a curfew or something?" he asked abruptly, not looking at me.
"I don't want to keep you. Hell, I shouldn't have bothered you at all. Sorry. I assume that was Aiden texting you?"
"Brayden," I said, standing up. "And it's okay. He left, and I'm just going to go back to Amberwood now."
"Sorry," he repeated, moving toward the door with me. "Sorry I ruined your night."
"This?" I nearly laughed, thinking of all the crazy things I contended with in my life. "No.
It'd take a lot more to ruin my night than this." I started to take a few steps and then paused.
"Adrian?"
He finally looked directly at me, once again nearly knocking me over with his gaze.
"Yeah?"
"Next time... next time you want to talk to me about something - anything - you don't have to drink to work up the courage. Just tell me."
"Easier said than done."
"Not really." I tried for the door again, and this time, he stopped me, resting a hand on my shoulder.
"Sage?"
I turned. "Yeah?"
"Do you know why I don't like him? Brayden?" I was so astonished he'd gotten the name right that I couldn't voice any answers, though several came to mind. "Because of what he said."
"What part?" Seeing as Brayden had said many things, in great detail, it wasn't entirely clear which Adrian was referring to.
"'Historically inaccurate."' Adrian gestured at me with his other hand, the one not on my shoulder. "Who the hell looks at you and says 'historically inaccurate'?"
"Well," I said. "Technically it is."
"He shouldn't have said that."
I shifted, knowing I should move away... but I didn't. "Look, it's just his way."
"He shouldn't have said that," repeated Adrian, eerily serious. He leaned his face toward mine. "I don't care if he's not the emotional type or the complimentary type or what. No one can look at you in this dress, in all that fire and gold, and start talking about anachronisms. If I were him, I would have said, 'You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.'"
My breath caught, both at the words and the way he said them. I felt strange inside. I didn't know what to think, except that I needed to get out of there, away from Adrian, away from what I didn't understand. I broke from him and was surprised to find myself shaking.
"You're still drunk," I said, putting my hand on the door knob.
He tilted his head to the side, still watching me in that same, disconcerting way. "Some things are true, drunk or sober. You should know that. You deal in facts all the time."
"Yeah, but this isn't - " I couldn't argue with him looking at me like that. "I have to go.
Wait... you didn't take the cross." I held it out to him.
He shook his head. "Keep it. I think I've got something else to help center my life." The Golden Lily: A Bloodlines Novel
Chapter 15
I FELT SO BAD for Brayden the next day that I actually called him, as opposed to our usual texting and e-mailing.