Soul (Chaos #1)

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

I stared at my email, chewing on my fingernail.

I once had a strange night that changed my life forever. The cups refilled themselves, and the drink was so strong that I dreamt of many things. I still do. That night gave me enough inspiration for a lifetime of stories.

V.G.L.

That settled it. V.G. Love had gone through something like my experience. And it sounded as though he had never gotten over it and had learned to channel what he had seen into something more creative. I decided to reply.

I had a strange night, too. They've come back for me. What would youdo?

I couldn't sit there, waiting for a reply, so I went out for a run, all the time wondering who V.G. was. What had he seen? Had he escaped like I had? It was hard for me to reach out, even through email. The fae had consumed me, and every day, I felt the pull a little tighter.

I ran faster until Realtín's constant whining wore me down. I headed back home and spent the evening asking Grim questions, desperate to understand their world, to involve myself in it. As if he realised what was happening, he told me as little as possible and nothing good.

I was due to go back to work the next day. I had gotten into trouble for missing a shift, but it was the first time, so my manager had been fairly lenient. I wasn't going to give anyone an excuse to sack me, though.

"Where are you going this time?" Realtín asked as I rummaged for a clean uniform.

"Work."

"It could be dangerous," Grim said.

"I have to work. I need the money. And I want to run without you two moaning at me to slow down. My course starts again tomorrow, so get used to me going outside."

"That's not a good idea," Brendan said from right behind me.

"Jesus!" I spun around and slapped his arm. "Don't scare me like that."

He narrowed his eyes. "You hit me."

"Baby."

He had me pressed against the wall quicker than I could blink. "If I had allowed my bodyguard to follow us in, you'd be very dead by now. If the wrong fae witnessed that, I would have to kill you myself just to prove a point, so watch your mouth." He glanced at Realtín and Grim. "Even the smallest fae are dangerous, so be more careful around the important ones."

He let me go and stepped away as if nothing had happened. I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

When he turned to me, his green eyes were sad. "I promised not to hurt you, Cara,but you need to learn the rules. My world is far more dangerous than yours. You can't be seen as an equal in any sense of the meaning." He looked at Grim. "Instruct her, or loyalty will kill her before a betrayal can get to her." He doubled over with pain, grunting noisily.

"Are you okay?" I asked in spite of myself.

Drake looked at me with violet eyes. "He's right. They'll hurt you for disrespect, or rather, they'll use it as an excuse." He reached out but dropped his arm before touching me. "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

I shook my head. "He didn't try. But why was he even here?"

"Your run caused some drama and angst amongst the watchers. Brendan didn't realise just how often young human women leave their homes unattended these days." He smiled. "He's pretty old-fashioned."

"Can he hear us? When he goes away, can he see and hear what you do?"

His smile grew wider. "Only when I let him. Right now, he's blind and fighting furiously to return. I'll be gone soon, but it was worth it."