Unseen (The Heights, Vol. 1) (44 page)

It was a just request—the vampire had
seriously abused a being outside of her race. According to Treaty
law she should be punished, and Rhyse would allow Logan to carry it
out.

Additionally, Rhyse would investigate the
‘boxes’ and prosecute anyone who broke the law and any house mother
who allowed it to happen.

Rhyse had become apathetic, believing the
system worked because no one was complaining. How easy it was to
forget those who couldn’t complain, not to
him
. Even if they
could, in his arrogance, he wouldn’t have listened. This and many
other things would change, but he had to move slowly. In an
inflexible world led by immortal beings, quick action often had
unintended consequences.

Of course, if he were to act directly against
the Treaty and his oath to it, he would be unable to help Addison
or
their world.

He went upstairs, giving Logan some time to
himself, understanding the need because he’d so recently felt it.
Addison had chosen to sleep on the side he normally occupied, or
perhaps she’d moved there over the course of the night.

As soon as he slipped under the blankets, she
pressed into him, wiggling until her body was curled into his. He
pulled back the hair covering her face and looked at her for a
moment, before putting his head on the pillow and closing his
eyes.

While he may not be able to stand beside her
in the times to come, he
would
sleep beside her.

It was already close to noon when Addison
went to the library, knowing that if Rhyse wasn’t in bed with her,
he would be there. He seemed most at peace in front of the
fire—either in the library or in their bedroom. He motioned her
over to the chaise and placed her between his thighs.

“I miss you when you are not near me.”

She leaned back against him, watching the
flames. They were both silent for a while, but it was a comfortable
silence, a satisfying one. Nothing existed but the strength of his
body behind her, the softness of the couch under her, and the heat
from the fire in front of her. Pretty much the best place she’d
ever been.

“Has Logan’s head exploded yet?” she
asked.

“Not yet.” He wrapped his arms a little more
tightly around her, as if he expected her to disappear any second.
“I will put more restrictions in place for the houses, Addison. No
one should be wiping minds without approval.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “You should go
to one of them and see what they’re like with your own eyes.” Once
Rhyse understood what was happening, he wouldn’t walk away. He
hadn’t walked away from
her,
even after all the grief she’d
caused him. And would probably continue to cause him. Once he saw a
view of the Heights from closer to the bottom, he’d come around.
“You know, look but don’t touch. Ask questions.”

“I intend to, my love. I intend to.”

She tensed in his arms. “What did you
say?”

His lips brushed her ear as he chuckled. “I
said that I intend to. Twice, I believe.”

“What was the…ah…the other thing?” She wanted
to look at him but couldn’t. Because if she’d misheard or he’d said
it accidentally, she’d turn bright red and he’d know.

“Hmm…the other thing. I am not sure I
remember.” Okay, no big deal—he’d misspoken. She misspoke all the
fucking time.

Actually, he probably called
all
his
lovers ‘my love’ because it was basically the same word—just one
less letter. When he nuzzled her neck, she tilted her head to give
him better access. Exposing her neck to a vampire was about as
idiotic as falling in love with one. And here she was doing
both.

His lips moved to her ear. “Are you perhaps
thinking of when I told you I love you?”

“You didn’t say that.” And she didn’t want
him to.
Lie
. As much as she feared it, hell yeah, she wanted
him to. Of course, she’d also thought that would happen around the
same time she got her old life back—never.

“Did I not? Well then…” His whisper floated
to her. “I love you.”

“Fuck. Off.”

He flinched. “While I confess my ignorance, I
do not believe that is the normal response.”

Not now. Not ever. It was one thing to
want
him to feel the way she did, but totally different to
know he did. Especially with all that had happened and with all
that
would
happen.

No, he was confused and once they cleared it
up, he’d take it back.

She flipped around to face him, her knees
where her butt had been. “You can’t be serious.”

“Why not?”

“Because…because…” Damn words. Damn vocal
cords. Damn—

He kissed her, one hand at her neck and the
other on her jaw, holding her still until he decided to let her go.
“The correct response is either: ‘thank you’ or the far more
preferable: ‘I love you, too.’ ‘Fuck off’ is not a suitable option.
Therefore, I would like to try it again. Are you ready?”

“I’m not sure.”

“‘Thank you’ or ‘I love you, too.’ Pick one
and say it.”

She nodded. It was kind of like pulling
petals out of a daisy and saying ‘He loves me, he loves me not.’
Except he’d already picked the last petal and now it was her turn.
But the metaphor still held true, because even though she knew
which one she was going to end up with, she didn’t know which one
she’d be able to say. Of course she loved him, but admitting it was
entirely different.

It was too early—they hadn’t even known each
other that long. And most of that time she’d been hoping he would
die and he’d been planning to kill her. So, she was pretty sure
that made love something that shouldn’t be brought up for another
couple of months…or years. Possibly decades. Who knew what was next
for either of them?

She’d never been in love, so maybe what she
was feeling was shock or a hex or something, and maybe
he
was delusional.

“Why?” she blurted.

“‘Why’ is not one of the options, either. And
I believe
I
was to start.”

“Why ‘love’? Couldn’t it be something else,
like, an
eventually-it-might-be-possible-but-we-should-give-it-time-and-think-about-it-a-little-more
kind of thing?”

He let go of her and fidgeted. Oh powers, the
vamp fidgeted. “Say ‘thank you’ and be done with it.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Rhyse, that’s
not what I meant! I’m just worried we’re moving too fast.” Not
something she would’ve thought would be common in immortal beings,
but there was a
lot
she didn’t know. He’d just made a
mistake, confused love with a temporary crush-and-lust kind of
thing. “When was the last time you were in love?”

“Right now. There has never been another
time.” In his entire life and afterlife he’d never loved
anyone?

“Well…well, that’s not good.”

“It is neither good nor bad. I am in love now
and am content to be so.” He paused. “Whether or not you return my
affections.”

She did. That was the problem. But being
afraid of it and not believing it weren’t the same thing. Sure, it
was totally inconvenient and made everything ten times more
complicated, but was there any legitimate reason not to admit it? A
cost she wasn’t seeing?

No.

She looked into his eyes. “I’m pretty sure I
love you, too.”

He froze for a moment. Then another. Then
long enough to make her worry. And
then
the corners of his
mouth curled, little by little, until he wore the largest and most
beautiful smile she’d ever seen on anyone. It was a surprise, but
not nearly as surprising as what he said next.

“Fuck. Off.”

He took her mouth and didn’t let go, leaning
into her until she was horizontal. The movement continued until her
back pressed against the rug and his body pressed on hers. He
peeled her clothes off slowly, cursing under his breath when
something proved more difficult to remove. She raised herself up to
help him undress. It was a struggle to hold each other’s lips and
get his pants off, but they did it.

He wrapped his arm around and lowered them
back down. Slowly he entered her, so careful, so…loving. A single
admission changed them, making everything better and more
meaningful.

“Say it again,” he whispered, thrusting
deeply.

“Fuck off.” She laughed until he silenced her
with another thrust.

“It is a good thing you are worth all the
trouble, Vitae.”

“I love you.” Moaned and promised by both of
them as they came. Together.

Addison stared at herself in the bathroom
mirror for a really long time, arguing with her reflection.
Silently, of course, because the alternative would prove how crazy
she was. Not to mention that Rhyse would hear and then there’d be
an even bigger argument.

That stupid vision and the oracle’s crazy
rambling about it being her time hadn’t made any sense back then.
Unfortunately, now it did. The witches were onto something. If
they’d been just a little less psychotically deluded, their plan
might have worked.

A complete flip of power.
Addison
didn’t need that, the
seers
didn’t need that. All they
wanted was freedom and the right to choose whether or not they
wanted to be part of the Heights. And maybe get more vacation time
and sick days.

She jumped when she heard her phone ring.
Holding onto the blanket wrapped around her, she hurried to pick it
up before the ringtone woke up Rhyse. He was face down on the bed,
one arm on her pillow, right where she’d left him.

He had a seriously nice ass.

She didn’t recognize the number, but it was a
San Francisco area code. These roaming charges were going to clean
her out.

“Hello,” she said quietly. Rhyse rolled over
and lifted his head. He seemed to be getting really good at
sleeping. And eating. And her.

“Is this Addison?” a woman asked.

“Hang on.” She made an okay sign to Rhyse and
then covered the phone. “Don’t listen. It’s rude.”

“Do not make any plans for this evening,” he
said, closing his eyes. “Or any other.”

Things were getting weirder and weirder. Not
that long ago, her life had been semi-normal. Then she almost died
a few times, and now she was shacking up with the being she’d tried
to kill and who’d wanted to kill her. Who knew what was going to
happen tomorrow?

“Who is this?” she asked after she shut the
door behind her and went downstairs.

“It’s Parker. We met—”

“I remember. How are you doing?”

“Better. They want me back at work
tomorrow.”

“Oh. That…” Sucks.

“Can you talk right now? In private.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you hear that the entire San Francisco
witch coven died in a fire? Again.” Sure she had, just like she
could hear the subtext in Parker’s voice.

“Yeah.” Had she even spoken an entire
sentence? Rhyse was all the way upstairs behind a closed door but,
if he chose to listen, he could. “Totally crazy. Do you want to
meet?”

“Yeah.”

“Just you though, right?”

“For now. But…I know others who will want to
be involved if you can do this.”

“You mean, if
we
can do this.”

“There’s only one leader in the prophecy,
Addison.”

“Prophecies are bullshit. We make our own
futures, and I can’t do this alone.”

“There’s just one thing…” Parker paused.
“It’s awkward.”

“So is this uncomfortable silence. Just spit
it out.”

“I don’t mean to be a dick, but are you still
with the Prime? I mean, is that part of your plan?”

Part of her plan. Was he? “No.”

And that was the moment. The moment Addison
realized Logan had been right—people would know and they wouldn’t
trust her. She couldn’t climb out of Rhyse’s bed every morning and
expect people to work with or listen to or believe in her. They
would never be free without her or someone like her, and how many
people were unlucky enough to be like her?

The seers had lived within the confines of
the system for hundreds of years, no one brave enough or stupid
enough to step up and say, ‘This is how we’re going to do it.’ Time
and a lot of dead rogue seers proved nothing would change unless
they
did. With an organized legion, working against and
within the system, part of the prophecy might come true.

Logan was right about something else,
too—she’d never led anyone anywhere. But that fucking oracle said
this was Addison’s time. Even her mom said it. And she believed
them.

“Addison?” Her name was said in stereo. Once
by the woman on the phone and the other by the being she loved who
stood buck naked at the top of the stairs.

“He’s…” she said to Parker. Then she looked
at Rhyse and forced a smile. “No problem.”

Addison knew what she had to do, what she had
to tell him, and that knowledge felt like a spear running through
her heart and lungs. She set up a meeting with Parker and said a
quick goodbye. Then she went upstairs and into Rhyse’s arms.

“Is everything all right?” he asked softly, a
deep look of concern on his face.

“Take me to bed. Make everything feel all
right.” Because afterwards, nothing would be.

He studied her for a moment. So intently, she
questioned how strong her shield was, that he'd gotten through and
knew what she had to do. He kissed her and carried her to bed.
Until their bodies separated everything felt
better
than all
right. It felt perfect. Sadly, being tucked into his chest, his arm
around her, didn’t stop her mind from starting to churn. Pull away
from him. Leave him.

Because this was her time. But it wasn’t
theirs
.

“Rhyse?” She whispered because she was
chicken-shit and speaking louder was impossible. Maybe he wouldn’t
wake up at all and she could sneak out without saying anything.
Coward
. And she actually thought she could lead a war
against the Heights?