Above the fireplace is a painting of five people sat around a table with large chairs behind them that stretch up to the ceiling. I walk closer, looking up at the people in old-fashioned white clothes, who I don't know...except for one. Storm sits on the far right in his seat, his head is held high. His hands are holding his axe on the table, and the detail of the painting is so perfect. I pull my gaze to the other four people, two women who look like night and day. The woman sat next to Storm has black hair piled high in a bun; her face is cold and expressionless. The other woman has white hair, except it falls down her shoulders in curls, and she seems nicer from the smile she wears. The other two men in the painting give me shivers. They both have red hair, a deep dark red, and matching red glowing eyes. The women have strange white and black eyes. Actually, they all look creepy.
"Storm has a strange group of friends, doesn't he?" Seth says from close by, though I never heard him even come into the room. I look back as Seth sits down on the sofa, and I watch carefully for his mood as I choose to sit on the other sofa. I know I should give up and leave Seth be, because he clearly doesn’t like me, but for some reason I just want to find out the reason why. What I actually did to make him hate me.
"Why do you dislike me so much?" I ask him. "Our date was a disaster, yes, but you actually got to walk away in the end, and I had to find a healer!"
"It's not about the fucking date, Karma," he huffs. "And I really have said sorry quite a few times about that night. If you hadn't disappeared, I would have gotten you a healer."
"I thought I'd cut my losses and fix myself on my own. I mean, that flying pig did knock you out and—"
"Maybe someone shouldn't have made a bet with a leprechaun that pigs couldn't fly," Seth remarks, but we both are smiling by this point, and I can't help but laugh, which sets him off as well.
"So, what is it that makes you hate me?" I ask, wanting to get to the bottom of this whole thing.
"You think I hate you?" he asks, looking confused.
"Well, yeah," I reply.
"I don't hate you. I liked you after that date, and I would have demanded a second chance at that date if you were human. I hoped you would have a good life, not a fucked up one like you now have. I hated when we were given your name," he tells me and takes a deep breath. “I hate how the people that locked us in here clearly wanted to get to you and make sure we never told a soul about you. Karma, I hate that you are trouble, but actually, you are alright.”
"Seth..." I reply, not having a clue what to say about that.
"Don't worry about replying, I really don't want to hear it. I'm not the nice guy you need in your life," Seth angrily comments, the moment we seemed to have just had instantly gone and replaced by his usual attitude. He walks to the door, and I almost regret the words that leave my lips.
"I liked our date. I never forgot it like every other date I’ve ever had. I wished you were human too." Seth pauses under the doorway to look back, and I can't process what the emotion is in his eyes. Without another word, he disappears, and I'm left wondering what exactly just happened between us. I wouldn’t say we are now friends, but we are a little less than strangers that had one date. I walk through the entrance hall and into the empty kitchen, seeing the study door behind is open. Even though I should know better, I walk to the study door and push it open a little more, seeing Storm reading a book on a chair.
“You can come in, little Karma,” Storm says, making me jump. I sheepishly grin as I step into the room, seeing the shelves on each side of the walls that have books on them. “These are all the books that people have brought in with them. Though I’ve read every one of them, and people borrow them from time to time. Any chance you brought a book in?”
“No, I didn’t,” I say with a sigh, knowing a book could make this place all the more interesting. I’ve never been a big reader, not like Mads is, but whenever I need cheering up or to get lost in another magical world, I’d ask Mads for a book recommendation. That’s when Mads’s nerdy side came out in full force as she found her Kindle.
“If you could have done, what book would you choose?” he asks. “I find this question very interesting. Your choice of book will tell me a lot about you.”
“Honestly?” I say, leaning against the door. “I’d find a book on magical prison break outs and how to successfully do them.” He laughs in surprise at my answer, and I grin.
“You are unexpected, little Karma. Like a breath of fresh air,” he tells me, and I’ve never cared much for simple compliments, but Storm makes them seem that much more.
“Thank you for taking me out today. This place, it is nothing like I ever imagined or heard about. Everyone out there thinks the prison is full of heartless monsters in cages,” I explain to him, straightening up as I lock my eyes with Storm’s. “This place…the only heartless thing is the walls. I wish everyone outside could know that.”
“Maybe one day…though I’ve given up hope I will ever see outside of here again,” he says, and for a second, I see the desperation in his eyes. The sadness. “Will you tell me everything you like the most about outside?”
“Sure,” I say, moving to sit on the chair Storm waves a hand at. I don’t know how many hours I sit in Storm’s office, telling him about the outside world the best I can. It feels like I’m reading him a book, ironically one that we are both stuck reading forever.
Chapter Twenty-Three
"Ouch, what the effin' hell was that?" I screech as I wake up, rubbing my very sore arm. The dim light from the glowing sphere illuminates Kit's face as he sits on my bed, his star-like skin reflecting off the light in the room like a mirror. He is licking his teeth while I rub my arm where I can feel blood pouring down. It feckin' hurts.
"I swear I am going to stop feeding you if you keep doing shite like this. I want to keep my hair, and no more biting!" I demand, feeling exhausted, so I know it couldn't have been long since I went to sleep. Kit doesn't give a shit and points at his mouth, which is creepier than usual as I can see my blood on his teeth. "Fine! I will go and get you food. I swear I'm never being a parent if kids are as evil as you are!" I shake my head at his bigger smile, like he is finally happy now, before I climb off the bed. Kit never used to eat this much food when we lived at home, but this week, he seems to think he needs more than just breakfast and lunch like he used to have. I pick up my hoodie, pulling it over my thin top and shorts, before quietly leaving my room.
I have to admit I've liked my first week here, and damn does it feel nothing like a prison. Storm somehow finds somewhere or something new to show me in the day, Killian has taken over the kitchen, and Seth helps Coxen with the gardening. Jade is a typical cat, she eats and sleeps most of the day, though I really think she is awesome. I was scared of coming into this place, when in reality, it’s pretty amazing. It’s still a prison with walls you can’t escape, but Storm really makes this place alive. I’ve watched how he makes the sun and light spheres everywhere, how he creates rainclouds to go across the prison every other day, and his powers are insane. If this is how powerful he is when the prison dims his gifts, I don’t want to see what he would be like outside.
After slowly closing my door, I tiptoe down the corridor, holding onto my arm as it starts to really sting. I go down the stairs, mentally wishing I hadn't already run out of biscuits, before heading into the kitchen, where I jump when I see Killian sitting at the table. He has a pencil in one hand, a light hovering low as he sketches on a notepad. I go to step away, not wanting to disturb him, when he notices me, and I have to pause. His eyes drift over my bare legs— I thank Jade for finding us razors—all the way up until he meets my eyes and clears his throat.
"It's not like you to be up in the middle of the night. Everything alright?" he asks, and I notice how he turns the notepad over like he doesn't want me to see as I walk closer. He seems to just notice my arm when I go to talk, and he speaks first. "What happened? Let me look." I don't have a choice really as Killian pulls the chair in front of him out, and I slide into it, trying to ignore how my legs press against his as he faces me. I am totally ignoring how warm and comforting he feels.
"Do you remember my little secret that was in my bag?" I start off asking Killian as he takes my arm into his hands and pushes up my sleeve. In the light down here, you can see a pair of sharp teeth marks near my wrist where blood is dripping onto the floor. Killian looks at me in confusion before he remembers my little goblin friend.
"What is your goblin called again?" he asks.
"Kit, and apparently the stress of moving here is making him emotionally eat more food. I get it, but he is being rude about telling me he wants midnight snacks," I say, and Killian chuckles with wide eyes. Killian’s expression changes from humour and surprise to something else in a second, leaving me paused in this moment as he holds my arm. There is just something about Killian, far more than just his good looks that draw me to him. We always seem to be so comfortable around each other, like we have been friends for years. I don’t ever hesitate with anything I say around Killian. I just know he won’t judge me or hate anything I say. Seth and Storm make me nervous around them, like I have to think about what I need to say next. Attractive guys have always had that effect on me though. That’s what is so strange about Killian; he is so gorgeous, just like all gods are, yet I feel at home around him.
"Close your eyes," he softly tells me, and I pull a face, not knowing if I want to do that. The last time a guy told me to close my eyes in a seductive way, my brothers had made him do it, and they poured ice cold water over me. The little dipshits. Dammit, I miss them though. "Come on, you know by now that I'm your friend."
"You do make me pretty good food," I cheekily say, and he only smiles at me in an agreeing way and tilts his head to the side. "Fine, fine." I take a deep breath and close my eyes, feeling Killian placing his hands over the bite mark on my arm. I flinch from the sting of it being touched. After a few seconds, warm golden light shines brightly, or as brightly as I can see through my closed eyelids. I can't hold in my curious side for long, and I open my eyes just to see what the light is. My lips part in wonder as I see that every part of Killian is glowing gold, his eyes the brightest, and he is extremely beautiful.
I look down, seeing swirling gold waves covering my arm, which his hand is on. There is no pain anymore; there is nothing but light and the pure beauty of it. The gods and the many powers we all can have might make some of us evil, but there is also so much light to us. The glow slowly fades from all of his body until there is nothing but his eyes glowing. They too eventually fade, and Killian moves his hand off my arm after clearing his throat. Registering there is no pain, I quickly look down and see there is nothing but dried blood on my arm. I look up to thank Killian, only to frown as I see the bite marks are now on Killian's wrist instead. He took my injury from me.
"I can heal myself, and they will be gone in the morning," Killian dismisses my frown and lets my hand go to cross his arms, discreetly hiding the marks. As much as it is a sweet thing to do, he didn’t need to. I have boosted healing, but it takes a good week, considering I’ve just taken the bandage off my hand from my burn. If he can heal himself in a day, that is pretty impressive.
"Wait, you didn't have to do that," I say, finding myself moving closer and placing my hand on his arm. Killian tenses ever so briefly before looking at my hand and letting his gaze travel to my face.
"I know," he replies, and it's such a simple response, but the way he says it is anything but simple. I shake myself out of it, swiftly standing up.
"Thank you, though you shouldn't have," I mutter, and he smirks when I look back at him. "I should get some food for Kit before he sneaks into Seth's room and bites his grumpy arse."
"Seth is complicated and certainly deserves a goblin bite on his ass. I'm not sticking up for my dickhead brother, but he lost his human wife a few years ago. We didn't ask for an immortal life with crazy powers, and all Seth wanted was a normal life with a family. Something permanent when we never had anything permanent other than each other growing up. I won't tell you more, but just give him a chance. You were the first and only date since she died," he tells me, and damn do I feel bad for judging him so harshly. I couldn’t imagine growing up not knowing what I was, especially without my family. They both didn’t have anyone, and for Seth to lose his wife, that must have been horrible.
"Really?" I end up whispering on instinct, even though I fully believe what Killian is telling me.
