The Heart's Ashes
Page 167

“Seriously?” I raised one brow. “The government are in on it?”
“No. Just a few people within a certain branch.”
“Oh, okay.” I nodded.
“Yeah, we get their assistance in personnel, weapons, all sorts of things, in exchange for our assistance with the mediocre human issues, you know, terrorist attacks and stuff.”
“Oh right, the mediocre issues.” I nodded again, more sarcastically than the last time. “So, how’s the genealogy research going?”
“Well, I traced back as far as your ancestors in the early eighteen hundreds, but there’s really not much before that. I did find one thing though.”
“Why do I get the feeling this is bad news that you think is good?”
She laughed. “Your mother’s grandmother is still alive.”
“Really? But…she must be ancient?”
“That’s just it.” Morgaine smiled. “She’s nearly a hundred-and-ten years old, Ara.” The smile widened. “I think we found another Lilithian.”
“Do you think she knows what she is?”
Morgaine shook her head. “If your mum didn’t, I’d say the chances are slim.”
“So, is she in any danger then, will Drake come after her?”
“Doubt it. She clearly never triggered the change.”
I thought about that—about how easy my life would’ve been if I’d never met vampires. Well, easy in comparison to this. I’d still have lost my mum, still be miserable and grieving. But it’d be normal. Except, I’d never have known David. Hm. Guess this running from death-hungry vamps is better.
“Ara?” Morgaine waved a hand in front of my face. “You in there?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” I chuckled then looked up at Emily, who perched herself near the bench, pretending to be reading a magazine, but so obviously not. I grabbed Morgaine’s arm and dragged her behind the wall a little. “What’s up with Em and Mike?” I asked. “They seem a little…”
“Hostile?” She grinned. “Yeah. Emily wants to talk to you, actually.”
“Why?”
“Wants your advice.”
“Morgaine, you’re not giving me much here. Advice on what?”
“She’s thinking about breaking it off with Mike.”
“What?” I practically yelled.
“I can hear you two,” Emily called from the kitchen.
We stepped back in. “Em? Why? Why would you want to…” I lowered my voice and looked over at Emily’s closed bedroom door, “break up with him?”
“I’m tired of fighting for his attention, Ara. He doesn’t love me. It’s simple.”
“But, have you talked to him?”
“Mike won’t talk to her about it,” Morgaine said.
“He’s just been really distant.” Emily glanced at her door again when it opened slightly, Mike’s loud phone-voice invading the room.
“Serious?” I rested my hands on my hips. “I didn’t even realise you guys weren’t okay. I mean, Mike’s been so normal and fun—I didn’t notice he was down.”
“Exactly.” Morgaine’s face lit with resolution. “He’s not, and he doesn’t seem to care that Emily is.”
“Oh.”
Mike walked back into the kitchen. “Okay, Aaron. I’ll see you Tuesday. Bye.”
“All good?” Morgaine said as she took the phone back.
“He’s got five guys he thinks might be good for Queen’s Guard.”
“Yeah?” Morgaine bounced on her toes once.
“Yup. I’m leaving tomorrow to meet ‘em. Wanna come, Morg?”
“Yeah. Hell yeah.”
“What about training?” I piped up.
“I’ll leave instructions with Em or Eric.”
I’d rather Eric than Em. “Okay.”
Mike nodded, resting his hands on his hips, then looked across the kitchen at Emily.
“I’m just gonna…” Morgaine let her sentence trail off to where her finger pointed, then walked away.
Maybe I should follow; I looked back at Mike—he was gone, already standing behind Emily where she leaned on the bench.
“What is it, Em?” he asked so softly he could be speaking to a child.
“I can’t compete, Mike.” She folded her arms and dropped her chin to her chest.
“Compete with what?”
“With her!” I practically felt her pointed finger stab me.
Mike spun Emily around, lifted her to sit on the bench, then stood between her legs. “Emily. There’s no competition. Ara has always been my friend. It’s the same with you and David.”
“Uh-uh. No way. David and I are nowhere near as close as you two.”
At least Mike and I don’t share blood!
“What do you expect, Emily? I was gonna marry her.”
“So you keep saying.” She looked down at her lap. “And that means I have to come second for the rest of my li—well, for the rest of eternity?”
Trying so hard not to clear my throat or cough to break the awkwardness, I took a few inching steps toward the exit, wishing I’d followed Morgaine.
“You know that’s silly, Emily, and I’m sorry you feel that way, but what more can I do?”
“Nothing,” she said, her eyes tearing. “It’s okay, Mike. We just…we aren’t meant for each other.”
What?” The word burst out of him. “Why?”
I stopped by the wall and made myself small, unable to walk away now, not when my two best friends were taking a one-way roller-cart to disaster.
“All I wanted was for you to love me. That’s it.” Her voice quavered and broke. “But you can’t even do that.”
“What makes you think I don’t love you?”
“You never say it, never laugh with me, have fun with me—all you ever talk about is Ara and her cool new powers.”
“Emily, I—” He looked at me, his hand over his chest. “I love Ara. I absolutely love her with all of my heart—”
Oh, boy. Things Guys Shouldn’t Say, For Dummies. I rolled my brow down to my fingertips.
“But you—” he touched her face, “—I love you with all of my soul. There is no comparison. Don’t you know that?”