Things That Should Stay Buried - Casey L. Bond Page 0,50

if that were to happen?”

He knew my answer, saw it in the purse of my lips. I wanted to think it was merely self-preservation, but knew it was so much more than that. Not that I wanted to tell Kes how I felt. I wasn’t exactly sure myself.

“Be careful, Lark,” he warned. “Aries isn’t human. He may seem like it at times, but he’s not. Don’t forget that.”

“I thought you respected him?”

“Oh, I do.” Kes stood up straight. “I respect him, and more importantly, I respect what he is. And you should, too. Don’t lose sight of it or pretend he’s something he’s not.”

13

Another Guardian knocked at my bedroom door. Kes opened the door to reveal a woman with vibrant orange hair and piercings as far as the eye could see. Her nose was pierced, as were her brows, the entire lobe of each ear, and a sparkly stone hung in the hollow of her belly button.

She wore a black leather mini skirt with shredded fishnets and combat boots. I felt a twinge of jealousy; I wished I looked more like her. Stronger. More confident.

The two whispered and Kes thanked her for coming to him.

Kes closed the door. “There’s someone asking to see you. He’s in the crowd.”

“He, who?”

“She didn’t get his name, but he’s around your age, so I assume it’s someone from home.”

I jumped up and walked toward him, but he blocked the door, holding it closed.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

He pinched his lips together. “It could be a trap.”

“Or it could not be a trap…”

“How would anyone know you’re here? With Aries?”

I rolled my eyes at his overprotectiveness. “There was a huge crowd yesterday, and Aries and I stood outside for hours. Maybe he saw me but couldn’t get close.”

He nodded. “Just in case, I’m calling more Guardians to stand by as we greet the person.”

I shrugged. “Sure.” It didn’t matter to me who he brought, and more Guardians were never a bad thing. I pulled at the ends of my hair as he held the door open for me. “Do you think I should cut my hair?”

“Yes,” Aquarius answered slickly as his golden, sculpted form sauntered down the hall.

I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t asking him.

He smiled. “Your hair is lovely, but now that Pisces, Taurus, and Gemini know what you look like, even without seeing or sensing the mark, they’ll use the knowledge against you. They’ll search for women who have your shade of hair. So, dye it. Cut it. But don’t leave it exactly like this,” he elaborated.

I hated to admit it, but he had a point. They’d all seen me. If I dyed my hair darker or cut it off, at least I would look different. The whole point of being tattooed was to help me become anonymous. Kes said it gave me a slight advantage, and I could use every tiny benefit I could grasp.

Was this his way of telling me he could be trusted, by suggesting something to help me hide from his kind?

“Where is Aries?” I made an effort not to say it eagerly or in a panicked tone. I tried to keep my voice level. Bored, even.

But Aquarius smiled knowingly anyway. “He is in his chamber.”

I hadn’t seen his room yet. I couldn’t help but wonder what it looked like. Whether it was sparsely decorated like most of the empty rooms in this castle, or if his belongings were as mysterious as he was.

“I have to return to my territory. Leaving it unguarded now that I’ve made my stand with Aries is unwise,” Aquarius said, staring at me. His golden lids blinked over gilt eyes.

“Be careful,” I warned him.

He grinned and thanked me, bowing slightly at the waist. “I can see it,” he said as he stood up straight again.

“See what?” I asked, looking to Kes for a Zodia-to-human translation.

Aquarius chuckled. “I can see in you, what Aries sees.”

“Which is…?” I asked, quirking a brow.

“A layer of bitterness beneath the sweet. Just like the finest of poisons.” He smiled slyly. “I sincerely hope none of them suspect you.”

The way he looked at me was disconcerting. It left me unbalanced, shaken to the core. Like he was looking into me and not at me.

“Thanks for saving me. I never thanked you,” I told him.

He gave a half smile. “A word of advice: Don’t be what they expect when you are so much more.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond, but he disappeared in a blink, taking the