Things That Should Stay Buried - Casey L. Bond Page 0,63

share their blood, knitted together under a zodiac sign. They would never know what it felt like to have their heart clawed out by a sudden upheaval, or their life shredded in the blink of an eye.

“I think maybe it’s time we come up with a way to distract Aries for a little while so I can give you some space to yourself,” Kes suggested, his eyes sliding to mine meaningfully. “Time to explore the castle, perhaps?”

Pisces flashed into my mind.

“I’d be close enough to help if anything happened,” he quickly added.

The clues must be in the castle somewhere, and a little space would be amazing. I smiled. “What do you have in mind?”

He gave a sly grin. “Something you won’t particularly enjoy, but is both inevitable and necessary…”

Kes went to grab my shoulder, but I feigned left. “Nope. I’m walking.”

I recognized the determined glimmer in his eye a moment too late. He rushed me and before my back hit the rocky hillside, we were gone. I screamed the instant his hand cradled my head, already anticipating the body-shredding sensation from being teleported.

I was still screaming when I reappeared in my room, expecting to land on the floor, but Kes held me upright. I swatted him repeatedly, reminiscent of a full-on girl fight. “Don’t do that again!” I yelled, punctuating each whap. “It hurts!”

Suddenly, Aries burst into the room and his eyes locked on Kes.

Ugh. Testosterone is the worst.

He ran so fast, I couldn’t have stopped him if I wanted to. Barreling into my brother, he gritted out, “You hurt her.”

“I’m fine, Aries. He’s my brother. We fight. Get over it!” I yelled as the two wrestled. Kes grinned at Aries, a challenge on his smart mouth.

“And who nipped her neck, Aries? Who bruised her flesh?” he goaded, grunting as he rolled the Zodia onto his back.

Aries’s eyes flicked to my neck and suddenly I missed my hair. I covered the bruise with my hand. “My neck is none of your business,” I sassed.

Kes’s eyes flicked to the door. He smiled victoriously, almost cruelly. “You have a visitor.”

Hovering in the doorway was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Her dark chocolate hair fell in silken waves so shiny, I was convinced I would see my reflection in it if I walked close enough. Her dress, if you could call it that, consisted of intricately knotted fabric strips that crisscrossed together at the waist, back, and shoulders. It covered her modestly, despite the small holes exposing tiny slivers of flawless skin. Her eyes were big and brown like a doe’s, and if her lashes weren’t fake, I hated her. She was model thin, and so feminine it put my sweaty running gear to shame.

Her rose petal lips parted in shock. “Aries?” She looked between him and Kes and then between Kes and me, immediately dismissing us and turning her full attention to the aggravating Zodia on the ground. Kes and Aries parted, each straightening when they stood to greet her.

“Virgo,” Aries said, bowing deeply to her.

Virgo! my heart thundered. The woman whose lover was torn to pieces…

Aries led her away and Kes and I walked to the door, watching her gauzy dress flutter behind her. “They’ll be busy for a while,” Kes advised.

“The distraction?” I whispered.

He nodded. “I’ll stay near enough that you’ll be safe, and I’ll come for you when she leaves, so don’t go far. And don’t ask for more information from me. I can’t give it.”

Aries and his Guardians were sticklers to their word, which was as refreshing as it was frustrating. Before I met them, I was convinced no one kept their word. Promises were meant to be broken. Vows were shattered. A person’s word meant nothing, really. Some people used lies as currency. Look at Washington, the corruption capital of the world.

I took off down the hall in search of Aries’s section of the castle. If there were clues, he’d keep them close.

I looked through room after room, each one empty, the hearths dormant and cold. Having all this unused space seemed infinitely wasteful, so I was somewhat mollified when I found scattered belongings in a few. I knew it must be Guardians who had claimed a space so close to Aries. He wouldn’t trust anyone else.

I climbed another staircase and checked each room as I passed by. Then another staircase. And another. I was absolutely and unequivocally lost, surrounded by the same dark stone and no way to distinguish one hall or staircase from