Shades of Atlantis (36 page)

Well , then, she said, grinning, you need to take him for yourself. You have to show the Guardians the way to live with humans in a world where neither is afraid to explore their potential. Show them we can be a family again. She made it all sound easy; the knot in my stomach had disappeared, and my heart didn’t pound in the slightest. Then it hit me, and my eyes widened.

What did you say to Ben?

She placed her hands lightly in her lap. I simply explained to him that Caleb was also a victim of circumstance and he has suffered in his efforts to protect you because he loves you.

And that worked? I exclaimed, shocked. That quick?

Absolutely.

I raked my fingers through my hair and inhaled deeply. That’s your gift, isn’t it? I examined Annice’s exquisitely serene face, and she laughed lightly. You help people to see things more clearly when they’re confused? She took my hand again and looked at me with sparkling eyes, confirming my suspicion with a silent smile.

We had barely entered the kitchen before Caleb enveloped me in his arms. I returned his embrace eagerly, holding myself tightly to his chest, listening to his heart thump loudly under his skin. I sighed, relishing the strength of his body and his warmth all around me again. He kissed the top of my head and stroked my hair tenderly.

Are you feeling better, my love?

I am now, I murmured into his chest.

He eased himself away from me, placing one finger under my chin delicately to raise my face so our eyes met. I love you. The conviction in his voice was unmistakable and comforting in this madness. He brushed his lips over mine, and I responded, twisting my fingers through his hair and pulling him closer to me, reveling in the feeling.

Eh hem, Samuel murmured.

I pulled away abruptly, breathless and a little embarrassed. Sorry, I muttered, aware of my flaming cheeks.

Joshua, Annice, and Samuel were standing on the other side of the room, watching us. Joshua grinned at my embarrassment, and Caleb’s parents simply smiled joyfully at us. Caleb didn’t move from my side, and he kept his arm tightly around my waist.

Take no notice of my parents, Triona. After all, I’ve learned my behavior from them, Caleb teased cheerfully.

Annice beamed an adoring smile at Samuel, and he moved closer to her, placing a light kiss on her shoulder. Joshua rolled his eyes clearly, like Caleb, used to their tactile expressions of affection. Ben came back into the room; he looked tense and a little guilty.

Are you okay? he asked.

Yes, I assured him. I did feel much more positive; that was a handy trick Annice had up her sleeve.

He didn’t move any closer, probably because I was still clinging to Caleb with one hand around his waist and the other over his heart.

I’m really sorry, he said, his green eyes glistening at me and his brow furrowed.

I felt stupid and immature now for the way I had stormed out of the room, causing more stress for everyone. As if I didn’t cause enough stress already just by existing.

It’s fine, really, I said breezily, trying to ease his guilt. I was shocked, but it’s sinking in — slowly. His expression eased a bit. Have you called Lewis and Carmel since you arrived? I asked.

Not yet, he said. I was just about to. I wanted to talk to Amanda first, let her know everything is — I haven’t been a very good — He trailed off awkwardly.

Boyfriend? I offered.

Ben’s eyes fell to the floor. I heard Caleb’s breath quicken, and I gave his waist a slight squeeze. My parents had set a precedent with their relationship by being together regardless of the Council’s rules, and there was no way anyone was going to stand in the way of Ben and Amanda. They would have to go through me first. I glanced up at Caleb and across to Annice.

I’m going to call my aunt and uncle, I said slowly, but first I’d really like someone to explain exactly what my future part is in all this.

Let’s all take a seat in the living room before we begin, shall we? Annice suggested.

Caleb led the way, holding tightly to my hand. He sat down on one of the couches and pulled me down beside him. Ben sat next to me, and the others sat across from us on the other couch.

Samuel looked to Ben, and asked, Shall I begin with what we know? Ben nodded. Caleb put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. I smiled at Ben; his body language seemed to suggest he was a lot more relaxed than when he arrived.

So, Samuel began. It’s all very simple, really. Easy for him to say!

Dagda believed mixing our blood was the way forward and that shared souls were not confined to the Guardians, Samuel continued. He was murdered by those that became the first members of the Council, so he was right about his own kind turning against him. At the time of his death, a queen with the gift of foresight wrote the prophecy, foretelling that in the future, human and Guardian blood would be joined and that in time, all life would be changed. He glanced at Annice, who smiled back. We’ve always believed the papers in the hands of the Council were incomplete, as have others. The papers Ben brought with him are proof that the prophecy is not about an end to Guardians or humans, simply a new beginning, a new race combining both. The Council has used propaganda and fear throughout time

Yes, I interrupted impatiently. I know. Our father was a human and fell in love with my mother, but she wasn’t human, and the Council forbade relationships that combine the bloodline of both and hung a death sentence over everyone’s head if they considered it. Except they didn’t know about our parents, and they should be alive because there is a super-secret bloodline of Guardians whose birth records were kept by humans along with an extra special bonus prize missing pages of a prophecy. That means some of the Council have been keeping secrets, and it was them and not humans who killed the king way back when. I guess we just hit the jackpot when our parents were burned to death in the wreck of their car

Wow. Easy, Triona, Ben suggested sternly, looking almost embarrassed by my outburst. I glared at him. Ben’s eyebrows shot up almost into his hairline. He silently shook his head and pressed his lips together, registering correctly that it was not a good idea to interrupt me right at that moment.

So, I continued my recap with a bitter edge I couldn’t seem to rid from my tone. Caleb, Joshua, and Seth arrive in Camden, and Caleb here, I glanced up at him to see that he was frowning, decides that instead of telling me everything from the beginning, as soon as he knew we both wanted to be together, and letting me make my own decision about whether he was worth the risk, that he should barter his life for a few short years with me.

Now, I am the first born and Ben is the second of a race of super beings who carry a royal bloodline, and the Council still expects Caleb to pay his debt to them. Have I got everything?

Not exactly, Samuel said with an amused smile that faded quickly once he began to speak. Bres was the first one who was part Guardian, part human. He was a cruel man who betrayed our people and brought down our society. You are the first since the war that sent Guardians into hiding and the first since the queen wrote the prophecy. I remembered the story about Bres. I’d thought it was completely irrelevant before. What do I do now?

Caleb placed his hand over mine, which had begun slide up and down my thigh, and held it still.

You have to live, Samuel continued solemnly. But that’s the issue here.

The Council has had power for so long, and they enjoy it. They have many convinced that the prophecy is dark, that the idea of human and Guardian blood blended poses a threat beyond imagination. The war and Bres’s betrayal almost wiped us out, and they have convinced most that another mixed-race like him would finish us off.

Including Seth, I thought.

For now the law stands, Samuel said. Humans and Guardians are not allowed to be mated, and the Council will want to eliminate any threat to their control. You need to announce your blood right and claim your rightful place as queen.

I raised an eyebrow quizzically. How?

Ben shifted around in his seat beside me noisily, clearly wanting to add what he knew. Samuel nodded, gesturing for him to speak.

There’s a magic stone. He was almost shaking with excitement.

Of course, I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. There would be, wouldn’t there.

Well, Ben went on, disregarding my comment. It’s a stone cast with an enchantment by the first Guardians and it was used to announce the birth of the first child from a family in the royal bloodline. It will scream if you touch it, and all the Guardians everywhere in the world can hear it.

You can’t be serious. I looked at all the sober faces around me. Caleb squeezed my hand but otherwise sat still and silent. Fairies, gods, magical stones — what next? Where is it? Do you have it? I asked, exasperated.

Annice smiled at me graciously despite my attitude. No, you will need to return to Atlantis. The stone is called Lia F·il, Stone of Destiny. I recognized the name, like when Caleb had told me about Atlantis; it triggered some distant memory of my mother.

It’s at Tenair, in Ireland, the Hill of Tara, Annice finished.

And then? I turned to Caleb, trying to read his expression, but he was so guarded, even more so now that he knew I could sometimes work out his feelings with the colors I saw, and there were no colors now. He gazed directly into my eyes, making my heart speed.

And then all the Guardians will know that neither you nor Ben pose any threat to us, Caleb said. They will know that the Council lied, that they perpetuated a lie, generation after generation, to stay in power. What other reason could there be?

I don’t mean to be Devil’s advocate here, Joshua said. I have as much reason to detest Zeal and Lucien as anyone here. But how do we know for sure? How do we know they haven’t just gotten it wrong? Everyone makes mistakes.

Samuel leaned forward to stare at the floor and sighed, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck. I’ve had my suspicions for a long time, as did my predecessor on the Council. There are too many clues in the papers that were in our possession, too much evidence pointing to it being incomplete: missing words and defaced pages, phrases that didn’t make sense. They were corrupted to make it seem dark. It was my life’s work examining the pages in our possession and studying our records. When I began to question them, I was told by Zeal and Lucien it was in my interest and that of my family not to challenge them, and they used Caleb to force my resignation. My compliance and Caleb’s life in exchange for the safety of a single human that was the deal we struck. I felt Caleb’s fingers tighten and bite into the flesh of my shoulder. His eyes were guarded, watching his father’s lowered head. I sat quietly, absorbing every word he said and ignoring the prickling of guilt in my chest. If I had known, if Caleb had just been honest with me, I never would have allowed him to agree to any of it. I should have pushed harder; I should have made him talk to me.

They know, Samuel concluded grimly. I have no doubt they know, and if they know, then so did the ones before them. They have to be removed. If there is no Council, there is no deal with Caleb. I stood, almost bouncing from the seat. Let’s go, then, I exclaimed, suddenly eager.

It isn’t quite that simple, Caleb continued.

What now? I grumbled

A ringing phone cut into our conversation.

Pardon me. Samuel excused himself from the room.

I threw myself back onto the couch, away from Caleb’s arm. Ben reached over and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to his side with triumph in his expression. Caleb glanced at me first and then at Ben before leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together tensely, graciously allowing Ben this one small victory over him.

Well? I prompted, waiting for someone to answer.

It was Joshua. It can only be done on a certain day, and that day is not today. He looked toward Caleb with sympathetic eyes.

More secrets, something still being kept from me. I turned to Ben, but whatever it was, he didn’t know. His colors flashed pure blue and then white. Total innocence.

All right, if that’s all we know for now — I waited, holding my breath and hoping someone would come forward with the details they were obviously hiding from me, but I was answered with a predictable silence. I acquiesced and released the breath through pursed lips; turning blue wasn’t going to get me answers. I think I’d like to call my aunt and uncle now.

I’ll take you into the study, Caleb said.

Hello.

Carmel? I asked, though it was obviously her. I just couldn’t believe how good it was to hear her voice.

Oh, honey, I’m so glad to hear from you! How are you? Carmel said, her voice thick like she was trying not to cry.

I’m okay. I seemed to be saying that a lot today. I hope I didn’t wake you.

No, you didn’t. Lewis — Lewis, quick it’s Triona, she shouted, causing a sharp pain in my newly sensitive ears. I held the phone a little farther away for a moment and then returned it to my ear.

Is she okay? I heard Lewis shout in the background, and I rolled my eyes.

I waited while Carmel filled Lewis in on my call so far. I was standing in the study alone, since Caleb had left to give me some privacy with my aunt and uncle. A heavy, dark, wooden desk sat in the middle of the room with an antique, high-backed, ruby leather chair. There were no family photos on the walls, as with all the rooms I’d been in, but hanging on the wall to the right of me, there was a single framed portrait of a young family in front of an old style house. The man was dressed in an old army uniform, the woman in a long pretty dress that belled out from the waist downward.