Gold: A Bandia Novel Part 30

"You were supposed to choose me." Portia says, tears streaming down her cheeks. She turns and runs down the path until she disappears into the darkness.

And then it starts to pour.

I run inside. The giant wall of windows is now a battered mess of shards of gla.s.s. Rain comes in through the broken panes, but at least I'm sheltered from the worst of the deluge. Austin and Blake still stand outside, illuminated in their own G.o.dly light, silver and gold. They watch the path where Portia disappeared.

I hope Blake is right about Portia. She may be a bandia, but she's also a person. Like me. She can still decide to fight with her family instead of against them.

Blake turns to Austin, letting the tip of his sword fall to the ground. Austin drops his sword and lifts his chin in a short nod.

A truce of sorts between the boy I love and the boy I might've loved, if things had been different. I don't mourn for what could have been with Blake. I haven't for a long time. Maybe Joe is right, and together we could've changed things. It's too late now. Because when I look at Austin, even in this form, I don't see a G.o.d h.e.l.l bent on reclaiming the earth. I see the boy who did what he thought he must to keep me alive. The boy who waited a thousand years to see me again. Who trusted me after I gave him every reason not to.

People will die in the battle tomorrow. I might be one of them. But I will fight for what I love. I will kill for it. Maybe that makes me a bad person. I hope not. Because I couldn't change it if I wanted to.

My heart is full.

FIFTY-ONE.

I'm up at dawn. I should probably be resting, but it's not like I can sleep anyway. I make my way to the barn and set to work grooming Panda.

"Couldn't sleep?" Mick stands outside the stall. He's wearing the same black duster from last night. He's even paler than usual.

"You either?"

"Guess not."

I run the brush along Panda's neck in soft strokes.

"How's the ballroom?"

"A little wet, but nothing that can't be repaired. The new windows are already on order. She'll be good as new in a few weeks." He watches me, like he's trying to get inside my head. h.e.l.l, he probably could get inside my head if he wanted to. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're still here." I step under the stall guard and come into the barn aisle. "I thought you wanted me to stop the war." He leans a shoulder against the stone wall. "Joe is worried about you and Austin, but I can't help but wish him happiness. No matter how problematic."

"Austin's happiness is problematic?"

"It prevents you and Blake from ending things peacefully." Mick reaches for Panda's bridle, pulling it down from the hook near her stall. "Let's go for a ride." Neither one of us says anything until we are both mounted and halfway down the road that cuts through the pasture. Mick turns Tally toward the ocean, away from the trail to the ruin. "The Gathering will be near the gateway. Low tide coincides with the sunset tonight. Liam will want to take advantage of the magic hour between day and night."

"Tonight then." At least I'll have the whole day to look for the necklace. To arm myself for battle.

We ride in silence until we reach the edge of the switchback trail down to the rocky beach below. "The bond was Danu's way of forcing Killian to love her, but it backfired. Quite spectacularly." Mick says as he pulls Tally to a halt and stares out at the ocean. "She didn't need to bind Killian's soul to her. He loved her already. He just wasn't ready to face it."

I've met Killian in the spirit realm, and I'd already come to the same conclusion. Killian loved Danu. "If he loved her, why couldn't they make it work?"

"Killian was sworn to rid the world of magic. The bond did more than bind his soul to a G.o.ddess, it gave him magic of his own. Killian was furious."

"He forgave her."

"Eventually. But Danu didn't return to Ireland after she bound Killian to her. She took his rejection hard, and stayed in the spirit realm for nearly a quarter century.

Killian had no choice but to move on. Even so, Killian and Danu survived the bond better than anyone since." He gathers the reins, increasing the contact on Tally's mouth.

"Until you. You know about the prophecy?"

"The seventh iteration of the seventh generation will bring an end to the war. It's supposed to be me." Danu had told me as much. "But no one seems to know how I end it.

Or even who wins."

Tally stamps the ground, ready to move on. Mick reaches down and pats Tally on the neck, but holds him steady. "We try to antic.i.p.ate. But we don't know the future."

"You've been with Austin all this time. Even when he couldn't travel to this world, you've protected his place here. But Joe is with the Sons. Why?"

Mick pulls on the reins, turning Tally back toward the barn. He brings one gloved hand to his eyes, dabbing the corners. "Joe is strong. He can withstand watching so many die. It's harder for me. With Austin, I figured I was safe."

"Safe?"

"The losses add up. It is the way of things when time pa.s.ses for everyone but you. We have to guard ourselves or we'll lose sight of the greater good. Joe has closed himself off from emotion, but I haven't always been able to do so. Serving a G.o.d made it easier to stay detached. And if I did let myself get too close, at least Arawn would not die." He looks down at the ground.

"Except now-"

Mick kicks Tally into a gallop and takes off across the field.

Panda surges forward, but I hold her back. I let him go.

FIFTY-TWO.

I have at least eight hours to find the necklace before sunset. I walk out to the bluff and look out at the sea. I couldn't see in the dark, but something, someone, took it from me. Who? Portia would've taken it if she could. No. She was the one who pulled me out of the water. Whoever took the charm was below me, I'm sure of it.

The fuath are the most likely culprits. They like s.h.i.+ny things, the older the better. But whoever took it didn't care if I drowned in the process. Braden wouldn't let me drown, would he?

Everything seems so far away. A millennium separating me and my power.

I don't hear Austin walk up behind me, so it's a surprise when he sits down on the wall beside me. I turn my head so that I can see the hint of his crooked smile forming at the corners of his lips. "Mick thinks the Gathering will coincide with the sunset."

"It is a magic hour. The tide will begin to rise as the sun touches the horizon." Austin's gaze flits to the bare spot at the base of my neck. "Did you not find the charm then?"

It's a rhetorical question so I don't answer. I look out to the sea. "If Portia comes to her senses and fights with the Sons, they can defeat Sherri and Liam. I can try to forge a peace with them once they see I'm on their side of this." Or not. It's the best I can do under the circ.u.mstances. Austin reaches for my hand. I let him take it. "I won't be able to stay away. With my powers restored, the gateway's pull is strong."

I haven't thought of running since Austin went missing yesterday. We have to fight if we have any real hope of being together.

"No matter what happens, know this." Austin watches me, but he doesn't say anything more.

"Know what?" I press.

He takes a breath. "I have wanted you since the year one thousand and nine, when you were a mystery girl from the future who kissed me like I had never been kissed. I waited for you for over a thousand years. I've loved you even longer. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"I thought you fell in love me when I flipped a quarter into your lap."

Austin laughs. "That too. I've already said too much. My past is still your future." The way he talks about his past as my future is almost wistful. Sad.

I lean my shoulder into his. "My future is our future."

His smile is warm. His hand comes under my chin, raising it just enough for his lips to cover mine.

When he pulls away, I'm breathless. "If you're going to kiss me like that," I say, "I think it might be a good idea for us to move off the edge of this wall."

Austin stands and holds out his hand. As I take it, he pulls me the rest of the way to him. "Better?"

I nod into his chest. "It might be even better if we were somewhere more private."

"Are you asking to come to my bedroom?"

"Actually, I was thinking of asking you to come to mine."

He raises his eyebrows. "Were you?"

I kiss his neck, letting my lips trail up to his ear. "It's closer."

He tugs my hand and leads me across the yard. He pulls me through a back door into a foyer shaped like an octagon. As soon as the door closes behind me, he presses me against the wall and kisses me. His chest rubs against my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, his hips rub against my hips, his tongue invades my mouth and pushes closer, closer, closer.

My hands reach for his hair, his neck, his waist. He groans into my mouth as his hands slip beneath my s.h.i.+rt. His fingers dance along my skin, each touch a brand that marks me as his.

He moves his mouth to my ear, his hot breaths stoking the fire higher. "If we don't find your room soon, I'm going to embarra.s.s us both by getting naked right here in this hallway."

"I know for a fact that you have nothing to be embarra.s.sed about."

"A fact?" He kisses a trail from my ear to the v of my s.h.i.+rt. He undoes one b.u.t.ton. Then another. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

I have never heeded Austin's warnings and today is no exception. Not even when we're breathless with my bare back pressed against the cold marble floor. Not later when we're safely s.h.i.+elded by the soft duvet in my bed. Not when he kisses me softly and tells me that he loves me. He has warned me that this will end badly, but I give Austin exactly what he asks for. I give him everything.

FIFTY-THREE.

With two hours before the Gathering, it's my last chance to convince Portia to fight with us. After last night, Austin doesn't think there's much point. He may be right, but something Blake said stuck with me. He's seen inside her soul and he still wants to believe she'll do the right thing.

That has to mean that some part of Portia still loves her family.

Mick waits in the driveway with the big black sedan he used to drive me home from the airport. He nods at me through the rearview mirror as we slide into the backseat.

The pub is busy, nearly every table full of locals and tourists as they eat and drink and laugh, without a clue that a battle for control of the world is about to rage in their backyard.

Joe stands against the staircase, blocking anyone from going up or down. He shakes his head at Mick. "We've done all we can."

Mick stands his ground. "Don't look at me. I'm just driving my charge. You're the one who made sure he would fight. I'm not the one who restored his power."

"What if I was wrong?" Joe lets out a breath.

"Are you just now thinking that? Because the last thousand years have done little to allay my concerns." Mick grins.

Joe's lips curve into an almost smile. "I could do without the negativity." He puts his hands in the pockets of his black duster. "Samuel says the fuath are still undecided."

"They won't take a stand until there is a clear winner."

Joe nods and steps to the side, letting Austin and me pa.s.s. "Try room 217."

I glance at Blake's room. Does he know how soon the Gathering looms? Is he preparing to fight?

We stop in front of Portia's room. Austin taps lightly on the door.

Portia's voice carries from inside. "I told you to leave me alone."

Austin knocks again. Finally, we hear footsteps and Portia thrusts the door open wide. Her face registers surprise for the barest of seconds before she glares at me. "Do you want me to strike you down dead?"

"I want you to think about what you're doing."

"Do you? Because the more I think about it, the less reason I can think of to let you keep swooping in and destroying my life." Her voice quivers. Tears pool at the corners of her eyes. She nearly shuts the door, but I step inside her room before she can.

Her room is a disaster, with clothes strewn among the tangled sheets on her bed and scattered across the floor. The only surface that isn't cluttered with hair products and make up is a small table next to her bed with one small framed photo. In the picture, Blake has his arm around her as they pose in front of Wolfgang Hunters. Blake wears his signature smile, dimples out in full force. He looks happy, though there's no way to tell how he's really feeling. Portia looks happy too. They're beautiful together, and my heart aches a little when I look at Portia now, her eyes clouded, driven by hate.

Maybe they could have been good together once. If I hadn't taken off my bracelet at Austin's party last spring. If I hadn't claimed Blake as my own. Hadn't joined my soul with his. There's nothing I can do to change what happened. All I can do is try to have an impact on what happens next.

"I'm sorry," I say.

Portia narrows her eyes. "Sorry for what? That Blake loves you and not me? You really think I want your pity?"

"No. But I wish things had been different. Maybe they still can be."

Portia barks out a laugh. "How? My father will never forgive me. Blake hates me. At least Liam accepts me for who I am."

I take Portia's hand. "And who is that?"

Porta stares at my hand clutching hers. She doesn't squeeze back, but she doesn't pull away either. "I'm a bandia."

"No. The question is who? Who are you really, Portia?"

Portia's fingers tremble beneath mine. She jerks her hand away. "Get out."

I stand my ground. "It's your family. Blake wants to believe in you. I heard him say it. He could've killed you, but he didn't."

Tears stream down her cheeks. "He's an idiot. I'll kill him. I can't last another day feeling how much he hates me. How much he loves you. Every fiber of my being wants me to end this."

The words sting. Blake doesn't love me. How can there be love when there's no trust? But I understand what Portia is feeling. "You get to decide how it ends, Portia. You can fight with Blake or against him, but it's your call."

Portia pushes me hard in the chest, sending me backward. Austin catches me by the shoulders before I fall. She advances on me. "Exactly. You don't get to tell me what I should do. You don't get to tell me anything."

Wind swirls around her, sending her hair flying around her face. The picture on the table flies into the wall hard enough to crack the gla.s.s. Austin drags me toward the door, away from the maelstrom.

"Portia, please." My words are lost in the howling wind.

Austin pulls me out the door and slams it behind us. We both lean against the wall in the hallway, catching our breath.

"I think that went well." Austin looks at me sideways, his lips quirked in a smile.