Demon Day by Penelope Fletcher (best novels in english .TXT) 📕

“That thing will never haveyou,” he grated. “His time grows short.”

The thought of these two boys clashinghad my heart shrinking to the size of a raisin – all shriveled upand black. I still disliked the idea of Tomas being closed off tome forever. It seemed wrong, final.

“I would rather you didn’tsay things like that,” I said quietly. “Can’t you see that as muchas our bonding was unplanned so is this connection Tomas and Ishare?”

Gaze locked on the middle distanceBreandan was hung up on something else. “I only have myself toblame,” he murmured. He was frowning again, and I sighed as I usedthe pad of my forefinger to smooth the furrows. A tingle from thecontact ran down my body and my eyes closed briefly as I savoredthe feeling. “I was so anxious to get away from you I didn’t payattention.” He looked at me, apologetic. “Had I simply waited amoment more and focused on you rather than how inconvenient myfeelings were I would have known he was there. Had I taken you backto Temple he never would have had his chance to….” His eyes driftedclosed and he whispered, “Sometimes I wish he had been overcome andbitten you from the first moment he saw you. Had he spilt yourblood I would have known it and returned. Instead of seeking himout you would now be afraid. But our bond was still so new, and myhead was in turmoil–”

I cut in, waved my hand to bat awayhis words. “You were guarding the amulet of protection. Iunderstand. No harm done.”

The despair in his eyes washeartbreaking. How could he blame himself for something that wasnot even an issue? I understood there was bad blood between thevampires and the fairies, but Tomas had helped us – helped him. Ileaned forward. “I know you think you failed me.” I placed my palmto his cheek and made sure I held his gaze. “You didn’t. You neverhave and I fear you never will. That’s what makes your feelings forme so unbelievable, y’know. I don’t deserve you and I’m worried nomatter how hard I try that I never will.”

“Every day I like what andwho I am less and less,” he whispered more quietly than before,“because I know you wish for a different life. And I cannot give itto you.”

“You can’t change ourdestiny. I know that.”

His hand covered mine and he leanedinto my palm. His silvery lashes gleamed against his creamy skin.“But you also know that I cannot run from it. It is not in mynature though I know it is in yours.”

I swallowed. No, I could not run fromit, my destiny was a sphere of knowing I could never outrun. I wasthe Priestess and had to bring my kind back from the abyss lest therest of demonkind spiral out of control. Always did I panic andtell anyone who would listen that I could not, would not do it.Never did I sit up and take the control offered to me from allthose who would pledge to follow me. My fear was a blanket I hidbehind to mask the truth. I had no motivation to help anyone unlessit directly meant it would make Breandan happy. How sick was that?The only reason I did anything was to impress him … to make himproud of me.

How could I be this legendary being ifI thought solely about my own happiness, and that of mymate?

Breandan was strong. He faced allchallenges with grim determination and did not stop until he wasvictorious. He went into every confrontation on his own terms,certain that he would succeed. I was dragged into situationskicking and screaming like a child. Lochlann himself had said Ibawled like one. I flushed at the memory. Why had I not been readyto fight and avenge my friend? It should not have been Conallexacting payment for Lex’s life it should have been me. So now, tomake myself feel better I was attaching myself to Conall’s heels ashe chased Devlin across the region, using the Tribe’s need for thegrimoire as an excuse to out run my real responsibilities. Howshameful and self absorbed. Worse, I still could not find it in myheart to feel bad about feeling and thinking in such away.

“Is that is why you savedhim?”

“Say-say?” I asked tryingto pick up the conversational thread I’d dropped.

Breandan watched me with a curiosexpression. “You saved the vampire because you think his destiny isentwined with yours?” He no longer sounded angry or disgusted,merely confused, suspicious even.

I titled my head slightly, my hairfalling over my shoulder and into my eyes. “I saved him because Icare about him.” I thought hard on how I felt, what I felt. “Hefeels different to you.” I faint shudder rippled through me. “Iwon’t lie, he does scare me. He is … dangerous, I think. But thereis something that I can’t help but like about him. Even if mynature shivers at what he is, who he is appeals to me in a way youcan’t.” I looked guiltily down at my lap. The honesty was good, butit was embarrassing.

“The darkness,” Breandansaid matter of fact. “Compulsion.”

I pushed at my hair and blew out ashort breath through my nose. “It doesn’t work on us.” I was firmin this conviction. “He can’t manipulate me that way.”

“The blood tie makes youvulnerable to him in a way none of our kind has been to one of his.I cannot assure you what you feel is genuine. Only the gods knowhow he can bend or invade your mind.” His lips twisted. “Even if Icould lie to make you feel better I wouldn’t.”

“Does feeling drawn to hisdarkness make me bad,” I asked quietly, terrified of his answer. “Imean, Devlin is evil, but I’m not evil just for wanting to be closeto the dark. I’m not evil.” There was that heavy silence again. “AmI?”

Breandan said nothing.

I jerked up out of his hold, andmarched away from him. Pacing a small circle, I yanked at my hair afew times. What? Had I expected him to cuddle me, and tell me I wasperfect, and as innocent as newborn