Free Aaron's Revenge by Kelly Ilebode Page B

know. I am sorry also.” Chavali hesitated, knowing that the mini truce that they just formed was tenuous at best. Reaching out her hand, she cupped the side of his face.
    Aaron felt his skin crawl at her touch. Keeping his face impassive, he remained silent.
    “ I know you want answers. I will give you some. They will come here to Echo Lake, and it will be bad. You and I need to figure out how to find a common ground. I am not asking you to like me, but I need you to respect me, Aaron. Together, maybe, we have a chance in the first round, but not if we are always walking on eggshells around each other.” Pausing, she gave him time to take in her words before she continued.
    “ I know that you don’t believe it, but you can trust me. Maybe over time I can prove that to you.”
    She did not remove her hand until she saw Aaron nod, sliding it back under her head. She really was not asking for anything that he could not give.
    “ How many are coming, Chavali?”
    “ I don’t know. I can tell you that when I was held in her lair, she would always send out mini search parties. There is always a period that they have to communicate back to her. The time frame depends on the distance. I had communicated with her the day I shot my arrow at you. She is not expecting to hear from me again for another three days, so that gives us a little time to prepare.”
    “ But if you communicated with her, then why the spartum?”
    “ Because she doesn’t trust anyone. And honestly, I think she would have killed me if she knew I was half human. She doesn’t know I am a half-breed.”
    “ You said that before. What does that mean?”
    Realizing that she never told him of her turning, she rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. “Dita told me that my mother was an ancient fabled creature and my father a powerful warlock. Both of them fell madly in love and formed a union. My father really wanted a child but for years, they were unsuccessful. He figured that because they were two separate entities from two different worlds, they would not be able to conceive a child without help. Or so my father thought. So, with magic, he cast a spell unbeknownst to my mother and she became pregnant.
    “ She was not happy learning she was to have a child, but knew that she could not kill the baby inside her or she herself would be killed. I didn’t understand that part. Her way of fixing what she considered to be a problem, apparently, was to deliver me and then promptly give me away to the first Celt she saw. Dita believes, as do I, that she had assumed I was killed by them. Obviously, I was not. This is why I am now half human and half vampire and something else.”
    “ Is that even possible?”
    He flinched as she turned her head on the pillow with a frustrated expression.
    “ Okay, I deserved that. I am sorry. It’s just that I have never heard of half vamp and half human.”
    ” I know. Me neither. And no, I don’t know what that means. I do know that I am not a gypsy as you so want to label me, but by all accounts, you could call me a full-fledged witch. When I met Dita, she did a really good job teaching me both the light and dark arts. I used to think I was ok, until I ran into a witch’s coven in England. They played around with me a bit, but when it got really serious, I put them in their place. It was then that the witches and I all realized how good I really was. Needless to say, they no longer wanted me around either.”
    “ Ouch.”
    “ You deserved that and you know it.” Chavali smiled, turning back on her side and stared him down, looking incredibly serious again. “I really need to see that book in the morning, Aaron. If that is from Dita, it may have some answers for us.”
    Aaron shifted away from her and she knew instinctively he was hiding something. “Please tell me everything she said.”
    Resigned, Aaron spoke softly. “She said that you would be coming. She did not give me your name, and I am not