DAEMONEUM

by Laney McMann

  “They have a bigger version of this, you know? If you’re set on a MINI. One with four doors.” He kissed her again, a slow, lingering kiss that sent goosebumps across Kade’s skin.

  “Can we talk about it later?” she breathed, running her hands underneath his jacket onto bare skin.

  “Mm hm.” He unzipped his coat and tried to shrug it off, but hit his head on the ceiling of the car, one arm stuck in his jacket sleeve. He tried to shake it out and lost his balance, bracing himself against the side window with his other arm. “Ow. Dammit.” He shook his arm. “Seriously, why is this car so small?”

  “Is your arm still hurting from the fight with Kyle?” Kade helped him pull his sleeve off and shoved his coat under her head as a pillow.

  “A little. It’s fine.” He rested his weight on top of her, half crushing her, his legs crammed up against the back window. “Here,” he moved over, “why don’t we switch positions.”

  “All the windows are fogged up.” Kade sat up as much as she could and took her own coat off. “It’s getting hot.”

  “I’ll crack a window.” Cole shifted onto all fours, leaned forward to start the engine, and careened into the side of the front seat with his head.

  Kade died laughing. “You’re too big for my car.”

  “Isn’t that what I’ve been saying?” He didn’t look at her, only peeled himself off the seat with one hand and started the car with the other. “I think I’m stuck.”

  “Hahahahahaa.” Kade popped the trunk from the inside, hopped out, opened the driver’s door, and laughed harder. Cole was somehow wedged between the seats.

  He smiled his cocky-ass grin. “Just help.”

  “You are so damn cute.” She tilted her head, staring at him, before moving the front seat, releasing him.

  “Thank you.” He pushed forward and crawled out the driver’s door, stretching and arching his back, rotating his shoulder.

  Kade’s gaze traced the hard ridges on his bare stomach as his shirt pulled upward.

  Cole’s smile returned, the shit-eating grin she loved, and he rushed her, picking her up in one fell swoop off the ground. “Where to now?”

  “The bunker? No one’s home. School doesn’t get out for a couple more hours. Leave my car at my dad’s house, and no one will know we’re at the Brotherhood.”

  He kissed her and set her on her feet. “Let’s go.”

  Warden Caelius straightened the papers on his desk and shelved the various leather-bound books he’d been researching over the last week. A knock resounded on his door. “Enter,” he said and turned to face his invited guest with a cordial smile.

  “Mr. Phillips,” the Warden shook Jake’s hand and gestured for him to take a seat in one of the chairs facing his desk. “I’m so glad you could meet with me today and on short notice.”

  “Is everything okay, sir?” Jake sat up straight in his chair.

  “Yes, yes, all is fine. I just need to have a quick chat. It will not take long.” Warden Caelius smiled warmly and took a seat behind his desk just as a second knock on the door had the man rising to his feet again. “Enter.”

  Lindsey walked into the office.

  “Ah, Miss Abernathy. It is nice to see you. Please, have a seat.” He gestured toward the only empty chair.

  Lindsey took her seat with a sidelong glance. “Jake.”

  “Lindsey.” He gave a quick curt nod.

  “Splendid,” Warden Caelius said, taking his own seat again. “You already know one another. Of course you would, but, well, let us get on with it. As you are both aware, we had the most unfortunate situation of losing Alex Hampton recently.”

  Jake bowed his head.

  The Warden felt for the boy. Jake and Alex had been close friends. “A tragic loss, truly.”

  Jake nodded without comment and looked up.

  “In light of the situation, I am in the position of having to choose a Beta to work alongside you.”

  Jake’s face drained of all color, his wide blue eyes shifting toward Lindsey.

  “I have chosen Miss Abernathy.” He gestured toward Lindsey who glanced at Jake with an expression similar to the one Jake had given her. An expression Warden Caelius could best describe as somewhere in between shock and dread. When neither spoke, he clapped his hands together and said, “Well, I hope the two of you will get along. You are both very talented and skilled fighters. I am confident this is the best choice for the Kinship as a whole.”

  “Yes, sir.” Jake seemed to snap out of whatever comatose had befallen him and stood up, shaking the Warden’s hand. “I apologize. I’m just still … in … shock about Alex.” He turned toward Lindsey. “I’m happy to have you as my Beta.” He made a strange noncommittal kind of nod before taking his seat again.

  “I agree,” Lindsey said. “Warden Caelius, thank you for this opportunity.” She stood and shook the man’s hand as well. “I didn’t see this coming, but I appreciate your faith in me, sir. I won’t let you down.”

  “Splendid.” The Warden smiled wide. “This decision will be noted in both of your files, and I will alert your Lead, Ms. Thatcher, that this decision will take place immediately. Mr. Phillips, I am sure you have several details you would like to go over with Miss Abernathy.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “If any difficulties arise, please inform me so that we may work toward a viable solution.” He gestured toward the office door. “You are both free to go.”

  “Thank you, sir,” they said in unison.

  The first time Kade had seen the Ward in Rome—the Primordial’s government building on the Mortal Plane—she’d been in the infirmary in a hospital bed with bruises on her throat and her arm in a sling. Besides being attacked by Dracon, and witnessing his death, her memories of what the Ward looked like were kind of vague. She remembered Cole telling her it looked similar to the Vatican only smaller in scale. Her memory of Warden Caelius, however, was vivid. She’d woken up in the infirmary to find him sitting in a chair next to her bed, silently reading Shakespeare.

  He was an older man with white-gray short hair, a very kind smile, and eyes that reminded her of Cole’s. He’d explained that her mom and dad had died in a car accident when she was a baby and the father she’d known all her life was actually her uncle. Between that and the fact that the father she knew was also Dracon, one of the leaders of the Devil’s Children, Kade had found it all hard to absorb.

  Warden Caelius had given her a few days after the attack to recuperate and adjust to the shock before they discussed her future within the Primordial fold. But soon after she’d moved to her apartment in the underground, she’d found her Astrum necklace on the nightstand in her bedroom. Since then, the Warden had become a frequent presence in her life, checking in on her regularly and checking in with Plumb as to her well-being. Something Cole seemed to swell with pride about. Kade wasn’t sure why.

  She was basically all on her own after her father’s death; it only made sense that the Warden would be keeping tabs on her. So, it shouldn’t have surprised either her or Cole when they walked into the underground bunker apartment to find Warden Caelius sitting on the couch.

  “Ah, hello,” the older man said, eyes twinkling, as he flipped through channels on the television with the remote.

  Kade said, “Hi,” a little too exuberantly and dropped the keys on the floor. After all she and Cole had just skipped school, not to mention they’d been making out in her car in the mountains. She had come to respect Warden Caelius over the past couple of weeks and liked him tremendously. She was sure guilt marked every inch of her expression.

  Cole, however, crossed the room with a huge smile on his face and embraced the man as he stood up from the couch. Cole was so rarely affectionate with anyone, except for her, Kade wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  “How is the hand?” the Warden asked.

  Cole held it out, palm open wide, red marks everywhere, and pulled up his jacket sleeve. “Still the same.”

  “It is movi
ng. I suppose that is normal from what I have researched. It should fade with time.” The man inspected it with a wrinkled finger. “Does it hurt?”

  Cole shrugged. “It burns sometimes.”

  Kade raised a brow. “Good to know,” she said. “Mine’s been burning, too.”

  “Hello, Miss Sparrow,” Warden Caelius said. “And how are the lines on your hand? Gotten any larger?” He held his hand out for Kade who placed hers in his.

  “No, I don’t think so, just burning a little.”

  “Ah, I see. Looks the same as before. No movement. You’re still carrying your fusionem crystal, I hope?”

  She withdrew it from her jeans pocket. “Always.”

  “Good. Your fusionem crystal is as much a part of you as our crystal is a part of all Primori. Keep it safe, protected, as we discussed. We do not want it falling into the wrong hands.”

  “It’s safe.” She slipped it back into her pocket.

  “And how are you holding up otherwise?” He let go of her hand and patted her on the shoulder, as Cole sat in the armchair.

  “Better, I guess. You know, all in all. It’s been … a lot.”

  “Yes, it has been. I am sorry for that. And school? Is everyone being respectful? Following orders?” He lifted a white-gray brow like he already knew the answer. “Keeping an eye out?”

  “Yeah. Lots of eyes. School’s okay, I guess.”

  “Children can be cruel, I am afraid. It is one of the unfortunate aspects of youth.” He sat on a stool at the kitchen’s bar. “And your attendance?” He glanced between the two of them with a curious but kind gaze. “How is that?”

  Cole sighed. “It was my idea. I’m sorry.”

  “No,” Kade eyed him, “it wasn’t. It was mine. I’m sorry. It was careless and stupid, and …” She glanced at the Warden. “And I’m sorry. You’ve been really kind to me. This isn’t how I wanted to repay that.”

  “We just haven’t been able to spend much time together,” Cole said. “It was my fault. I know better.”

  “I know better, too,” Kade added.

  The Warden gave a warm smile. “It was careless,” he conceded. “I was young, too, once. And in love. I understand the need of freedom, and you have had very little in your life, Kadence, but as I have told my . . .” he glanced at Cole. “Does she know?”

  Cole shook his head. “No.”

  “Know what?” Kade asked.

  The Warden went on, “As I have told my grandson,” he gestured at Cole, whose golden cheeks reddened, “I had forgotten what it meant to worry about a child until recently. Being a grandfather, I found it agreeable to have the burden somewhat removed. Now, with no fault to anyone, I find that my worry has returned.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Kade repeated, half stunned. “I …” She glanced between them. Their eyes were similar, she’d noticed that when she’d met Warden Caelius in the infirmary after the attack, but … Cole’s grandfather? It made sense in the grand scheme of things. Their mannerisms were similar, too, now that she thought about it. “It won’t happen again,” she said.

  “Good. This information is between us,” he said. “Very few people know Cole is my grandson, for obvious reasons.”

  Kade nodded. Cole would be a target.

  “In light of certain new … developments, however, I think it pertinent you do know this about us.” The Warden clapped his aged hands together and stood up from the stool. “I also feel that, although it is unwise to alert the rest of the Primordial of your relationship at this time,” he gestured between her and Cole, “or to the fact you are an Anamolia, we can indeed make it known that I have placed Cole in charge of your … well-being.” He smiled. “Because of your father’s, or rather, your uncle’s death, it would not be uncustomary that one of the Alphas would be put in the position of overseeing you. It has occurred more than once in the past. And since Jake Phillips has recently suffered a loss as well, Cole would be the obvious candidate regardless of common house affiliation.”

  “Thank you,” Cole let out a breath on the words as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. They could at least be seen together as friends now, eat lunch together, talk at school without worrying about the stares, and ride in the same car without worrying about being seen.

  “That does not mean that I will allow you two to go gallivanting off together, mind you, but I believe it will lighten the amount of hiding the two of you are likely feeling you to have to endure, and therefore might lessen the temptation of flight.”

  “Thank you, as well.” Kade sank down on the couch. “We didn’t mean for you to worry.”

  “The young never mean to worry parents, it is simply a byproduct.” He smiled. “I will alert the Leads of the common houses that you are officially under Cole’s watch, as they are already aware of Giselle. How is Giselle while I am speaking of her? Is living together suitable?”

  “Um, yeah, it’s okay. Giselle is …” Kade searched for the right word.

  “Demanding?” the Warden chuckled.

  “A little,” Kade confessed.

  “Yes, Giselle has always been a handful. She is a strong girl and a good fighter. We are fortunate to have her.” He entwined his hands. “At any rate, back to your situation. We will need to continue to leave your car at your uncle’s house. I hope you do not mind my referring to him as such,” he said, speaking to Kade.

  She shrugged. “That’s what he is, or was. I don’t mind.”

  He nodded and continued, “Your living arrangements here at the Brotherhood will still need to be kept private, something I hope we can remedy soon.”

  Kade nodded, unsure what remedying her living situation might mean. Where did she even belong? Nowhere.

  “All of your uncle’s assets have been put in your name,” the Warden picked up a brown briefcase off the floor and opened it, “and everything has been taken care of, as I told you it would. We will decide how to proceed with the house, if you would like to sell it, or keep it, but we can discuss that later. It is yours, either way. You have a trust fund set up for you by your parents before they passed. It will be available to you when you turn eighteen.” He placed a large leather folder on the counter. “All of the documents are in here. Do you need anything?”

  Kade stared at the folder, but didn’t move to touch it. Trust fund? Everything was hers now? The house?

  “Kade?” Cole moved from the armchair to sit beside her on the couch. “You okay?”

  “It’s just … final.” She let out a breath. She was alone now. Officially alone.

  “I am sorry for your losses. Truly, I am,” the Warden said. “Until you are eighteen, or until graduation rather, you are under my charge. I know we spoke of Plumb handling your guardianship previously, but I feel I am better suited. I hope that is all right. If not, we can certainly—”

  Kade was up and on her feet across the room with her arms around the man, tears streaming down her face before he could finish his sentence. “I’d like that. Thank you. For everything.”

  He patted her back. “You are welcome, child.”

  Untangling herself, she stepped away. “You and Cole have the same eyes,” she blurted out with an unsteady laugh.

  The man glanced at his grandson. “Yes. We do.”

  “Um, Grandfather?” Cole stood up. “Kade’s car …”

  The man lifted a white brow. It was the same expression Kade had seen on Cole’s face so many times. He was her guardian now, she thought. It warmed her heart in a way she couldn’t describe and made her want to hug the man again.

  “It’s not the safest car for her to be driving in the mountains on all these narrow, snowy roads,” Cole said. “It’s too small for one thing, and—”

  “I agree,” the Warden said, glancing at her. “Kadence, what are your thoughts?”

  “I …” Words weren’t forming. She was speechless. She’d just gone from being orphaned by a madman to having the Warden of the Primordial race as her guardian. And now he was asking
her if she wanted a new car …

  He grinned. “I apologize. This is a lot, as you already said. If you feel the same way Cole does, you let me know, and we’ll get you a different car. Something a bit more suitable to the mountainous terrain. If not,” he shrugged, “I understand that, as well.”

  “Okay. Thank you.” She nodded awkwardly.

  He patted her shoulder. “Both of you behave, please,” he said on his way to the front door. “If you need anything, Kadence, just ask. Oh, I almost forgot.” The Warden removed a credit card from his own wallet and handed it to her. It had her name on it. “For gas, or clothes—whatever you might need.”

  Kade had her arms around him again. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much.”

  He patted her once more with a gentle smile. “You do not have to say anything. I am pleased this has turned out to be a favorable situation. And one more thing,” he said to Cole, as Kade let him go. “I have just made it official. Lindsey Abernathy will now serve as Jake Phillip’s Beta.”

  Cole burst out laughing. “What?”

  “I just informed the two of them a little while ago.” The Warden had a small grin Kade wondered if he was attempting to hold back because of her.

  “Did that go … okay?” Cole asked with a massive grin.

  “Well …” Warden Caelius glanced at the door knob in his hand. “Let’s just say I believe there will be a long transition period.” He grinned and walked out of the apartment.

  Chapter 7

  Giselle stood outside of Lindsey’s dorm room in the Kinship, staring at the closed door. Steeling herself, she knocked once. She heard a shuffle on the other side, and Lindsey opened the door, standing in the threshold wearing navy blue sweatpants and a white tank top with her hair in a long dark ponytail. She didn’t speak.

  “Hey.” Giselle glanced down.

  “Hey.”

  “So, I ran into Kade in the hallway after you left,” Giselle began,

  “And?” Lindsey’s tone was flat.

  “And I realized something.” She glanced up. “All this time, since I was young, I’ve called myself the black sheep, the Primeva with bad blood born into the pristine Primori fold … and …”