High Society - Page 55

“Fine,” he said on a third yawn. “You have your stakes?”

I patted my holster through my skirts. “Never leave home without them.”

“Good girl. Yell loud if you need me.”

“I will.”

I waited until he climbed the steps and then pushed the front door open. The sound of cricket song could be heard from the porch, but otherwise it was quiet and peaceful. The sky was blanketed by a thick layer of clouds, bringing the promise of rain. The acrid tang of it hung in the air.

A pair of hands gently gripped my waist from behind. Enoch placed a tender kiss on my neck, nuzzling into it, and then wrapped his arms around me as I leaned back into his touch. I wasn’t sure I could ever get enough of his kisses, of his touch.

“I apologize for Terah’s behavior. It won’t happen again.”

I sighed, disappointed that the calm serenity of the night was shattered. “That’s what Asa said the night she came into my room uninvited and hid in the corner, in the shadows. And that’s what he said again after I was trapped inside the burning room, when Titus asked her for help and she walked away. She’s not going to stop, Enoch, and it doesn’t matter how many times you or Asa order her to leave me alone, or how many times you say she won’t hurt me again, she will try.”

“What would you have me do?” he asked, his grip tightening.

“Nothing. There’s nothing you can do, Enoch. You aren’t Terah. You can’t climb into her brain and give her a command to stop. She’s not one of your sires. And you sure as hell can’t promise she’ll leave me alone.”

“She gave her word –”

“Which means absolutely nothing,” I interrupted, whirling around to face him. “Terah does what she wants, when she wants to do it, with no consequences whatsoever. She’s out of control, which is why I don’t understand why you continue to defend her.”

“Because I understand her,” he replied. My mouth gaped open, and he rushed to clarify. “Let me explain before you jump to conclusions. I’m not defending her actions, but my sister does not process things the way that Asa and I do. She’s always been more emotional, and felt things more deeply, more profoundly than the two of us have. It’s something she’s struggled with her entire life, something she struggles with every day, and will continue to battle until she dies. She can’t help how she is, any more than I can. I suppose I can be empathetic because I know what it’s like to feel unbalanced.”

I held my tongue. Although he claimed he wasn’t defending Terah’s actions, in the end, he justified them, which was a defense in and of itself. It reminded me of the time she attacked the sailor on Enoch’s ship. She killed the man while he slept, and what did Enoch do? He threw the man’s body overboard, like that somehow erased what she had done. Terah never faced the consequences of her actions, but that was about to end.

Enoch could either stand by me or choose to defend her, but he couldn’t do both.

“I think I need some fresh air,” I said, pulling out of his grasp and walking down the porch steps. When he started to follow, I added, “Alone.”

Chapter Fourteen

Eve

I walked into the garden and strolled through the pathways. The sun had set, but it wasn’t fully dark. Twilight was one of my favorite times of the day. Sometimes, Maru would tell me to grab our dinners and meet him on the roof. He liked to watch the sky and comment on every hue, but burnt orange was his favorite. I wondered if I would ever make it home, and if I would ever see Maru again. Not only did I miss him, I worried about him. He wasn’t safe in the Compound. He wasn’t safe anywhere near Victor or Kael.

Once I ducked into the short maze of tall hedges, I pulled out a stake, removed the vial of holy water, and then slid it back into the holster. The small glass vial warmed in my palm.

I smelled her scent before she stepped out from between the formed vines.

“Do you want to know why I did it?”

“Did what? You’ll have to clarify, Terah, because you’ve been trying to get at me since I landed, and I’m not sure which ‘it’ you’re referring to.” I turned to face her. Her hair was still golden brown, still beautiful and shiny and perfect, but hatred marred her face.

“I thought you were trying to hurt him again.”

“Are you honestly claiming that you were protecting Enoch? From me? You expect me to believe that?”

“I was protecting both of my brothers from you.”

“Both of them?”

“The other Eve was obviously up to something. How do we know you weren’t given the same command she was? How do we know you aren’t biding your time to get him to turn you? You might be luring them into a trap they won’t even know they’ve stepped in until it’s too late.”

Suddenly curious, I asked, “What exactly was 1776 doing?”

“The same things you are with Enoch, only she focused on Asa. She didn’t want anything to do with Enoch.”