“Uh, maybe I should go,” Jo said, getting up. “I didn’t mean to make it sound like you all are horrible people.”
“No, wait.” Calder took her hand. She sucked in a breath, closing her eyes, dark lashes fanned against her tanned skin for a moment.
“It’s not you,” Calder said.
“Then what is it? He looked so upset.” Jo sat back down. Their eyes locked as he took a blanket from the pile of supplies and wrapped it around her. The way they looked at each other, it was as if they were in their own world, blocking out the chaos around them.
“It’s a complicated situation,” he replied, his eyes darting nervously to Tristan.
It suddenly hit me how much Tristan’s self-proclaimed fiancée looked like the dark warrior angel, Ari. They had the same features and arrogant expression. They carried the royal position as if others around them were there to serve. My brain whirled making the connections.
“The angel, Ana . . . she had a circlet marking across her forehead. She’s a throne too. You all know each other, and she knows your father.” I paused, struggling with the truth. “She is your fiancée.”
Tristan’s lips thinned, his jaw jutting out as he clenched it. His sapphire eyes darkened as he glared into the fire.
“Was his fiancée. May I explain?” Calder asked Tristan.
Tristan nodded his head slightly.
“You speak of Ana and Ari,” Calder continued. “They are of the House of Sariel. They were born of the same womb.”
“Twins?”
“Yes. The twins and the other thrones were raised together.”
“You all were friends,” Jo said.
“Friends,” Tristan scoffed. “We were. For a while . . . Val, Zac, Ari, and Ana. Until Father and Ana’s mother”—he let out a frustrated breath—“thought it would be a good idea to have Ana jilt Zac at the binding ceremony and bond her to me instead.”
Jo shivered under the blanket. “Binding ceremony? What’s that?”
“It’s similar to marriage for humans,” Calder answered, his voice growing softer as he spoke. “The bond is permanent because it’s the binding of souls, our life source. It’s forever.”
Ana had been Zac’s fiancée. That explained the way he acted when she showed up. But why would she do that to Zac? Zac was so sweet and kind. I could never betray someone like that, and then make it worse by throwing myself at his best friend right in front of him? That was beyond cruel. What kind of person did that?
“You were friends with her? I don’t understand,” Jo said, giving Calder a puzzled look. “She dissed you back there? She called you untouchable? What the hell does that mean?”
Calder suddenly grew quiet. He turned away, looking into the fire.
“It’s not a word we like to use,” Tristan jumped in.
“Then why did she say that?” Jo glanced at Calder with concern.
“Where we come from, guardian angels are considered imperfect.”
“I thought angels were supposed to be perfect,” I said.
Tristan smirked. “Have you met me? And Val? And . . . well, not Zac. He’s as close to perfect as an angel can get. We are far from perfect. We have flaws too.”
Jo sat up straight, her dark eyes blazing. “If all angels have flaws, then why pick on the guardians.”
“Because we spend most of our time near humans. It’s our job.” Calder’s voice was low as he spoke.
“And what’s wrong with that?” Jo and I asked in unison.
“Nothing,” Tristan said. “That’s the point. But some angels, like my father, think lesser beings should serve us, not the other way around.”
Calder stood up suddenly, his face filled with emotion. “If you don’t mind, I’ll head to the stream and see if I can catch some fish.”
“You don’t have a fishing rod,” Jo said.
“I’ll manage.”
“I’ll go with you.” Jo jumped to her feet, reaching out to grab his arm, stopping him.
He gazed down, watching as she slid her hand down his arm and twined her fingers with his. His eyes slowly lifted and filled with wonder. It was as if he couldn’t believe she’d still want to touch him.
What kind of life did Calder have in Heaven? He couldn’t really believe he was as lowly as what some angels thought of him, could he?
“You don’t have to,” he said.
“I think I do,” she said softly.
Their eyes locked for a moment. Thunder clapped in the distance and lightning flashed across the sky.
“Okay,” he said, finally giving in.
Tristan shook his head as he watched them disappear through the trees. “It won’t end well for them.”
“Are they in danger? Why did you let them leave?” I reached for the dagger, ready to run after them.
“Calm down. That’s not what I meant. I would never let any harm come to Calder or your friend. At least, not any I can prevent.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He’s getting too close to her, and he likes her—more than he should.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“Besides your friend being mortal and him immortal?”
The firelight danced on his perfect face. The fire crackled as our eyes met. Sitting this close to him wasn’t a good idea.
“Good point.” A point I should remember, yet I found myself moving closer to him.
“This is my fault.” Tristan pulled back and let out a heavy breath. His face twisted, and he dropped his head, digging his palms into his eyes. “I never wanted any of this. Not the war, being a throne, and definitely not Ana. All I wanted was to see Zac happy, even if it was with Ana. None of us understand what he sees in her.”
“Oh, Tristan.” I placed my hand on his arm.
He sucked in a breath at my touch, dropped his hands from his face, and turned to me. “I don’t deserve your comfort. I left Zac. Did you know that?”
Before I could answer, strained words spilled out.
“I stood next to Zac at the altar. He chose me to be witness to the most important event of his life. I was supposed to be there for him. But what did I do when Calder came for me? I left. I left my best friend. The moment I stepped into Father’s quarters, I saw Ana with her mother and my father. They were all waiting for me. She’d never intended on binding herself to Zac.”
“You didn’t know.” I took his hand in mine. It was as warm as his heart.
“I think I did. I knew Father was having meetings with Sariel weeks before the ceremony. I should’ve confronted Father the first time he met with her. I should’ve warned Zac that Father was up to something. But it was too late. Sariel and Father made an agreement hours before the ceremony for Ana to be bound to me. Ana looked me straight in the eye and said it was the best thing that could happen for the both of us. The only thing I could do was walk away. When Zac found out about the agreement and that Ana was all for it, he . . . he stayed with me. And I don’t know why.”
His blue eyes swam with emotion. His face was raw, open. I could see the deepest part of his soul, and it took my breath away.
“I know why,” I whispered. “He sees in you what I do.”
“What? A blind fool who only cares about how much his signed photo goes for on eBay?”
I squeezed his hand. “A loyal friend who would do anything to protect the people he loves, a person willing to fight for what’s right, and to give up everything for it.”
He shook his head. “You don’t see the real me. Don’t you get it? I refused to have any part of it. I played the rock star magician. I didn’t do anything to help Remi or Val. They did everything behind the scenes.”
“You were protecting your friends.”
“What makes you say that?”
“What you said back at the camp. Your father wants you on his side. You pulled yourself out of the equation to protect your friends.”
“No, that’s not—I mean, you shouldn’t . . . you don’t have to do this.”
“Do what? Tell you the truth? I’m telling you what I see. You’re a good person, Tristan, and a loyal friend.”
“I thought you hated me after what happened in Red River.”
“I don’t hate you.” My voice lowered. “I don’t think I ever could.”
His eyes lit up, and I felt it again. The pull. Was he doing it, what Zac called the Erga?
“I wanted to go back,” he said softly.
“I know.”
A gentle breeze blew. His delicious scent mixed with the wood’s, creating an intoxicating fragrance. My head swirled at the warmth of the fire and how close he was. This wasn’t Erga. This was different. This was the sun kissing my skin.
“I want to make this right again.”
“I know.” My heart raced as he leaned forward.
“How can you be so forgiving?” He brushed a loose strand of hair off my face. “So soft,” he whispered under his breath.
“There’s nothing to forgive. In the end, we want the same thing.”
My breath hitched as his thumb stroked my cheekbone. He leaned forward, his dark lashes lowered as he gazed at my lips. “What’s that?”
“To keep our loved ones safe.”
His warm breath hit against my lips. “I want that too.”
There was a cracking of leaves. I looked up over Tristan’s shoulder.
Val.
I expected her to charge at us like she had at the Hoover Dam Bridge. I expected to see nostrils flaring as she came at me, ready to tear me a new one.
Instead, her lashes fluttered as hurt filled her tiny face.
Then I understood why she hated me so much.
She was in love with Tristan.