Author's Note: I know, I know. I am a terrible writer. I am sorry, I've been pretty much preoccupied with some serious things that I had to get under control in my life. So, I really hope this chapter will make up for it. I hope you enjoy it. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Gemma Doyle or Twilight.

*~*Chapter Seventeen*~*

My head spins as I enter my room. Kartik wants me to meet with him tonight in the stables and I honesty am not sure if I should. I'm not sure if I should see Kartik at all. There's just something about the idea of being with him alone in the stables past curfew that seems so…forbidden?

I scoff, Of course it's forbidden. He's a Mortal and a boy!

If either my grandmother or aunt catches me with him, I'll be in big trouble. Then my father will be furious about hearing this but worse, Edward will be so upset. Although I would never really want anything to do with Kartik, I don't want Edward to think of me cheating on him. I know that I can never do that to him, but he wouldn't know that at all—and for all I know Kartik would just piss him off and make Edward think otherwise.

I sigh and make my way to my closest to find clean clothes. Once finding them, I walk to my bathroom to freshen up—being out with horses is one thing, but smelling like one, not good. After being nice and clean, I put on my new clothes and towel-dry my hair. Walking out of the bathroom, I advance towards my bed just to toss myself onto it. I pretty much plan on skipping dinner; I am not in the mood to eat. All I can think about is Kartik.

I have no idea what to do. I really want to just stand him up tonight at the stables, but then a part of me also wants to go and find out what he's planning on telling me. I just hate how he can do this to me. I don't really know him that well, but I can tell that he's already playing mind-games with me. In India he was so amazing when he rescued me. Did he really rescue me? Now he's acting like a cocky, self-centered jerk. Do I seriously want to deal with someone like him?

I look up at the ceiling, just thinking back to the stable. I'm not sure what to do about Kartik at all. There are some things about him that I just want to figure out: who he is and why he's so interested in protecting me. That is usually the job of my Warrior but now Kartik wants to be my Guardian. But I'm still curious about from what he's trying to shelter me. He did not answer me last night. He was worried about something and said it was too dangerous to be spoken of at that time. I want to know what that danger is and why I need to be safeguarded by him instead of my Warrior, Edward.

I growl to myself, When the hell will it be past ten so I can get the hell out of here and talk to him?

I turn onto my side that faced the window and thought I saw a dark figure out of the corner of my eye. That figure seemed strangely familiar. I shoot up and look at the window, but see that nothing is there. That was odd. Why did I believe that I saw Kartik in my room? Perhaps I'm thinking too much about him. I should just give it a break and take a nap before I decide to meet up with him—since I will be up late. I just hope Aunt Piper isn't even there to hear what might happen between us. Although, I doubt we'll do more than just converse…right? I mean Kartik and I would never do anything with each other. He knows I already have a boyfriend and should know that I am and always will be forever loyal to him.

But those dreams…I never stop thinking about them. Thanks to those dreams of Kartik and myself kissing and almost going all the way makes me think that they might have some sort of meaning to them, like there was something behind them. It isn't difficult to see that Kartik is very attractive but I doubt he'd want such a plain girl like myself. He just looks like the type of guy every girl wants to have for all the naughty business they'd think of doing—which I'm sure he'd gladly agree to do as well—and for nothing more.

Just the thought made a cold chill run down my spine. What if Kartik doesn't want to just talk to me tonight at the stables? What if he…wants to…take me? I shake my head. I'm not that type of person to even agree to let a boy who isn't in love with me or in a very serious relationship with to have sex with me. And I know it'll be just sex that he'd might want. There might not even be any intimacy at all. Which is why there is a difference between sex and making love. Sex: loveless. Making love: there actually is intimacy and love between two people.

"Oh, God. I've been spending too much hearing Carrie and Violet argue that for two years," I groan to myself.

That's it! I'm just going to sleep for a bit before I head out to see Kartik. Or maybe I can just sneak out of here and be in the stables. I'm sure Aunt Piper wouldn't care about that at all. I get up, walk to my mirror, and check if my hair is dry enough for me to step out. Once seeing that, I slip into my hoodie, put on my Chuck Taylor's, and head for the window to sneak out. I know I am on the top level, so I use my magic in order to help me create a ladder so I can safely go down. I rush over to the door, lock it, run back to the window, and carefully make my way down.

When I feel the soft grass under my left foot, I hop off the ladder and quickly sneak over to the stables. My heart pounds with nervousness and excitement for what I am doing. The stables are empty and quiet of any human sounds. All I'm able to hear were the noises of the horses nickering and grunting. I do not see any sign of Kartik being in here at all. I walk over to the tack room and grab a brush, thinking that grooming my aunt's horse would help ease me until Kartik showed up. Upon reaching Persephone's stall, I open the door and see that her head was stuck in the metal rack that held fresh hay. She picks her head up and sees me. I offer a small smile and gentle pets while she chews away. Having the mare relaxed, I get to work on brushing her. I love how relaxing it is to groom a horse. I can't get enough of smells, the sounds, and enjoy hearing the gentle noise the brush makes against the mare's slick coat.

At the faint edge of my attention, I hear a faint resonance of the stall door. Assuming it to be one of the horses doing something, I ignore it and continue getting lost in brushing Persephone. A voice comes from the other side of the stall door; "I thought I told you to meet me here past ten o'clock."

Scared and screaming, I turn to see that it is Kartik. Angry that he startled me, I ask, "What the hell is your problem? Can't you just say 'hello' like a normal person?" I put down the brush and fold my arms.

"Hello." I don't respond; I remain the same. He sighs, "I thought I told you to meet me here past ten o'clock."

"I was bored, is that a crime?" I mutter irritably.

"Only if you get caught," he says.

"Well, I didn't. For all I know everyone is too busy trying to get through with their own evenings to worry about me." I walk out of Persephone's stall and over to a stool across from it.

"I would think that the Princess would always have some form of surveillance." He closes the stall door and leans against it.

"I don't. That is something I would not allow to happen to me. My father knows how much I detest it." Although I wish he had listened to me about not wanting to have any special treatment while being here.

"Do you always ask Daddy what you want?" he smirks—a look that I'm starting to recognize as a test of my civility.

"I don't always go to him for what I want. I'm not like one of those spoiled kids."

"No, you're just the princess of a realm that I'm not too familiar with. But you also happen to be a very rich, very spoiled, and very bratty little girl."

I get up from where I am sitting. "I am not a bratty little girl! You don't even know me to start badmouthing me!"

"I do know that you are in fact a witch with two very different types of magic that can possibly save or destroy a realm that I'm trying to stop you from entering." He stops, cutting himself short.

I can't help but have a dumb-blonde answer, "What?"

"Nothing, I have said too much." He tries to make a run for the door, but I sprint ahead of him and block his path.

"You said you were going to tell me. And I want to hear all of it," I demand, oddly surprised that my voice didn't tremble at all.

"Right now, I have nothing to say." He stares down at me, looking menacingly to back up his words.

"No way, you are telling me everything. Right. Now." I walk up closer to him, despite the fact that he is half a foot taller than me, I do my best to glare back at him.

He takes hold of both my upper arms and slams me against a wall. I feel the back of my head meet the hard wood. I let out a whimper from the pain and see that his face is a good inch away from mine. "Listen well, Miss Brooks. I am fully aware that you are witnessing visions. You need to stop having them and to stay away from the realms."

I look at him, confused about what he's telling me. "What are you talking about? I don't know what the realms is."

"It is a place far too dangerous for you. You have absolutely no idea what you are dealing with."

"Then what is it? I want you to tell me everything, Kartik. You said that you were, I want to know what the 'danger' you are speaking off is about."

He sighs, letting go of my arms, "The danger I am speaking of is that a new force is trying to take over the realms."

"And that has to mean something to me?" I'm tired of his riddles and never-ending secrecy.

"I was given word that a group your world is fully informed of is behind it. And only you are the one to either stop them or ally yourself with them," he explains.

"And I will not be informed of who this group is?"

"Actually, that is for you to figure out on your own." He steps back some, keeping his gaze on me.

"Well, how am I going to figure that out?" I ask.

"All in good time."

I'm about to say something until I take in the way he is staring at me. I can't help but to feel a blush creep up to my cheeks. His eyes begin at my face and slowly moves his gaze lower: past my chest, my torso, all the way down to my legs. Just the idea of him taking me in is so uncomfortable right now. I start thinking back to last night; how he said that our histories were linked in some way.

"I want to know something," I say.

"What is it?" he asks, shifting his eyes upward.

"What did you mean…by saying our…histories are linked?" I ask, feeling very nervous all of sudden.

He meets my eyes with an almost playful gleam mixed with a hint of lust. "You remember when I told about how our ancestors were lovers?"

I nod hesitantly, "Yes…"

"And how history is to be repeated?" I nod. "It is because of them, our histories are linked. We are not linked in blood, but in a predestined fate to in fact fall in love with each other. And continue what they couldn't accomplish."

I feel my breath hitch, "You and I…are meant to…f-fall in love?"

"Yes." His voice becomes strangely low as he steps towards me.

My breath starts picking up as I try to back away from him but I feel my back against the wall again. "Th-there c-can't be anyway for…us to be together. It's impossible."

He stands in front of me once more, gently takes hold of my upper-arms, and stares into my eyes. "Nothing is impossible, Miss Brooks. You and I are both human, both a man and woman, and there is no denying that you have an undeniable attraction to me."

"I never said anything about that," I breathe.

"You don't have to," he murmurs, "I can see it in your eyes. And for all I know, you probably even dream of me."

I let out a shallow breath, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know very well that you know what I'm talking about. You are quite fascinated by me, Miss Brooks." He slowly rubs circles on my cheeks with his thumbs.

I try to pull away from him but his grip is a bit too strong. My heart quickens. Kartik, who is so much stronger than I am, is being so gentle with me as he studies me. While he does this, I do the same. I look at his dark brown eyes, so full of what appears to be lust. His face, with high cheekbones, straight nose, and strong jaw. My eyes drift to his mouth—the mouth that I always think about since those dreams. His lips, the perfect shape of a bow, it's so difficult to not think about my dreams…and difficult to not lean in and really feel them against my own. I start looking at the rest of him: his built chest, his sculpted arms…I can almost make out his taut stomach through his shirt.

Kartik catches me staring. "See? Even now you are starting to think of me in certain ways."

After hearing him say that, I start thinking of Edward. I pull away from him with all the strength I have and rush over to the stable door. "I will not be a part of this history. I don't want anything to do with it or you."

"Try to ignore it all you want, Your Highness. But you will still be a part of it, whether you want to or not."

"Believe me, I don't. And I don't want to even be or have anything to do with you." I storm out of the stables and rush myself back to the ladder under my window. I climb it, desperately wanting to see something safe and familiar. I'm so relieved to be back in my room. Just want anything to forget about Kartik.

I do not even pay attention to anything else as I close the window and lock it until I hear a voice from behind me.

"Where were you?"

I know, I'm terrible for leaving a cliffy but that's what I'm best at :) Please review! They seriously make my day, and I've been having too many bad days as of late :/

So, please review and leave as many comments as you'd like :)