House Of Legions (The Angel Descendants book 1)
Chapter 45 (Clare)

"I have to go greet the Elvan before they leave, the effects should last till morning." He winked at her and walked away.

She looked around the people staring openly at her. She wanted to talk to them, but the looks they were giving her told her to do otherwise, turn and run.

The place was darker without the fire, as people moved around, most wearing brown leather pants and t-shirts, discarding their robes at some time. They walked with sheaths on the waist, swords protruding proudly out. She scattered her eyes across the bayou, able to see the glint on the water bed, reflecting the protective shield.

She looked up at the sky and saw that the seals had been put up and the place was lighting up slowly, but that was not what caught her breath, it was when she dropped her sight and saw a pair of eyes. The rich golden hues belonged to the Caster, who she saw staring at her when Nathan and she passed him to walk to the lake. There was something familiar about him, but she brushed it off, now she wished she hadn't.

The eyes stared back at her, it gave her a shiver. She thought of Kalbreal, but he was an Angel, this was a Caster. Instincts had her look more closely. Her eyes blinked twice, just to be sure she wasn't imagining things because the person was gone. she looked around, but nothing, poof, gone. These people were strange, it was hard to believe she had been one of them, especially harder to believe she had been raised a Lightwatcher for ten years.

The Caster who did the ceremony held his hand out and shook hers. It had been half an hour, wandering in the bayou, before she turned, when some strange person called to her, she turned and saw everybody lined up to hug her. She thought it was weird at first, but realized that they didn't know her body rejected the Gazool, if they had, she gathered these fake welcomings wouldn't be so false or welcome.

She considered what Nathan told her and played along, hugging the people. Finding the whole thing so much easier because of what Nathan had done to her. She felt different, more like a buzzed out high different, and for the first time since her mother passed away today, she didn't feel sad or entranced by a faceless man. Only peace, as if she said it aloud, a voice whispered, a mere breath from her neck, "how do you feel?"

It was Kalbreal, she smiled at him, she could've replied with dizzy, high, good, peaceful, a little overwhelmed, but instead, she crooned, "Don't tell, Angel-boy wants a hug too."

He paused at the thought, taken off guard by her boldness, "No, I'll pass."

She teased, "You're not going to change your mind? the offer is closing. What's it gonna be Angel-boy?" She waited, then shook her head in mock horror, "Your loss, offer's sealed."

"Maybe if you offer me something more lucrative than just a hug, like a touch of those gorgeous breasts."

Clare stared at him, in shock, her mouth making a big oh. Her cheeks turned crimson when she saw the knowing look he gave her.

His ginger and black hair was so straight down his neck, and shone in the glistening night, especially now that the seals were back up in the sky. She thought about his question, and a smart come back, but she kept coming up blank, opening and shutting her mouth.

She wondered if he saw what the mystery Caster did, but she knew that he couldn't, nobody could, his hand was in the robe, surely Kalbreal was just bluffing, not even her brother could've seen it. The eyes that stared at her, told her differently.

"Where were you?"

"Around." His demeanour straightened, so quickly as the playfulness left him, "Your presence is requested at the chambers of descendants."

"The what? Where's that?"

Nathan was behind her in an instant, she was certain she saw him leave, but she didn't see him return. He walked a little in front of her, almost to shield her, "We just lost our mother, the Garde can wait until sunrise."

Kalbreal flinched, and then he laughed. In that, was a beauty, it was loud, as it transformed his face into what one may consider a god. Angel-boy was gorgeous, even though his sudden happy mood was in complete contrast to the seriousness that was so obviously sketched in his eyes a minute ago. Kalbreal had to state the obvious, "I was just messing with her, What's with you."

He pushed comically at Nathan, who grabbed Kalbreal's hand and gave him a brotherly hug, which surprised Clare since his touch had only burnt her. She had the blister marks on her finger to prove it, yup, it hadn't healed. Apparently, Caidrian forgot to mention that they didn't heal from Angel burns, "How are Casters able to fly guiders, I thought they're Angel birds."

Kalbreal stood next to Nathan, the Angel was taller than she led herself to believe. Clare was sure she remembered him not having so much height, considering she was supermodel tall herself, he was at least a foot taller than her brother, a bare few inches shorter than her mystery man.

Nathan laughed, starkly, "He's a special type of Caster, and you're my sister, his name is..."

Kalbreal blurted, "His name isn't your concern, leave it be Nathan."

Nathan was as confused as she was, as to why Kalbreal didn't want her to know, "It's just a name man, it's William."

She smiled and squeezed him tightly, 'William' how heroic she thought.

Kalbreal looked upset, but Clare didn't care. Prying information out was like removing a thorn from your foot, you had to keep digging.

Kalbreal was good to look at, his stares very seductive, but parts of her chose to see past that, she knew he was an Angel and he probably had some power of temptation but she was not going to allow herself to be played with, she needed to tread carefully, and William, her faceless William, if Nathan knew she was crushing on him, she doubted he'd be so giving.

Nathan kissed her head, "He's not as bad, once you get to know him, I promise, Kalbreal is known for his charm, but remember what I said."She laughed, and looked at her brother then Kalbreal, his orange pupils softened after meeting hers',

"I don't doubt that." She turned her attention to her brother, "What did you do to me, I feel so different, I almost forgot my mother's death, what will happen to her body?"

Nathan replied, but not before his eyes darted at Kalbreal, and Clare could tell that both men were hiding something, "They'll burn it tomorrow and drop her ashes in the Saltril lake."

He pointed at the water, eyes on it, she wondered how many thousands of Lightwatcher's ashes had been dropped in the lake over the years. It made her heart soar, but she felt it ease as soon as it began, "how long does this feeling last? What's got you so happy? Wanna share?"

"Temporary I'm afraid, I'll do it again if you like, I asked one, well more like my fist did the talking," He smirked as if in thought, "one of the Garde to do the same thing to me."

She smiled and shook her head, Nathan was turning out to be trouble with a bold T. She saw it, by a hair's breadth when Nathan and Kalbreal exchanged furious glares, it was almost annoying, that they try to get along for her sake, she despised the falseness, "When do you plan of telling me what's going on, I might not remember much but I'm certain you both know more than you claim."

Nathan turned his head, she could see people still hanging around, talking, Shapeshifter's laughed a few feet away, "Not here, Orderian is everywhere."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐