by Rye Brewer
Would it be the same for Jonah and me? Would we ever have time to be happy together?
No sooner did I have that thought, than I became angry all over again. Jonah pushed me away.
I flipped the page and decided to keep those thoughts at bay.
I felt Raze’s presence before I saw him; I could sense him walking toward me. I looked up and almost cheered when I noted my backpack over his shoulder.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times,” I whispered as I took it with shaking hands.
“No problem. At least I did something to help you.”
My heart sank a little. “I really am sorry. I mean it.” I touched his arm.
“Yeah, well, as long as you’re taking care of yourself.”
“I’m trying to. This will help,” I said as I lifted the pack onto my back. “Hey, you haven’t seen my sister have you? Or heard anything about her?”
“No. What, you don’t know where she is?”
“It isn’t that. I was only wondering if you heard rumors, that sort of thing.”
He shook his head. “Nah. I mean, nothing worth paying attention to. You know how people talk. I figured she was with you.”
“Yes and no,” I answered. I’d find her back at Jonah’s place. I bit back a sigh. And hopefully not run into him. Though a part of me wanted to. Then again, another part of me wanted to punch him for abandoning me.
It was better to leave it there with Raze. I stood on tiptoe to give him a peck on the cheek.
He gave me a sad little half-smile when I pulled away.
“I’ve gotta go.” I squeezed his arm once before hurrying away, pulling the hood over my head again, prior to going back into the darkness.
The mist had stopped and the air was dry. Good thing, too, since I needed to use the tools in my backpack and couldn’t do it easily in the rain.
In minutes, I made it to a building a couple of blocks from the Bourke high-rise. Was Jonah up there? My heart raced at the thought, but that wasn’t the time.
I had work to do, so I pulled out the special boots and gloves I used for climbing and pulled them on in the darkness between the two buildings before I started my climb to the top. The special rubber I wore created a suction effect, letting me grip even the most slick of surfaces. It was forty floors to the top, and I made the trip in just a few minutes—not as convenient as an elevator, but I couldn’t have everything.
Once I made it to the roof of the building, I made a plan for how I’d get to the Bourke roof. I needed several lengths of cable and the grappling hook, so I pulled them from the pack along with my trusty silver blade and sheath.
It felt right, tightening the leather holster around my waist. I slid another, thicker blade in there alongside. Just in case. I didn’t feel so naked anymore, once I had my weapons safely in place.
The backpack would be safe in a tight space between two air duct vents, so I stashed it there before getting ready to make my sojourn. I’d be crossing high above two busy streets to get to where Jonah’s clan lived.
Not like it was my first time, but I could never calm the rush of adrenaline just before I prepared to swing the rope above my head, and toss the hook to the next building. There was always a chance the hook wouldn’t catch, or the cable would snap. Then where would I be?
A grim smile made its way to my lips, perhaps in defiance of the situation.
As always, the hook caught on the lip around the building’s roof. I pulled it to be sure it was tight, then hooked my handgrips to the cable, and held on as I kicked off the edge of the roof to glide to the other side. It was as close as I would ever get to flying.
I repeated the process to get to Jonah’s building. Most of the windows were dark, making me wonder where the clan was. Usually all lights were blazing away.
Fewer eyes on me, I told myself as I glided across to the rooftop.
I tucked the hook and grips in a dark corner. The roof was empty, the wind whipping through my hood, and roaring in my ears. I was about to slip through the glass doors to the penthouse to do a little looking around when a portal opened.
Out of freaking nowhere, a freaking portal. Damn the luck.
I looked around, frantic, then ducked behind the chimney just before two figures stepped out.
I held my breath.
One of them was tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular build. His deep auburn hair caught my eye.
Behind him was Jonah.
My breath hitched this time. I hoped it hadn’t made a sound that preternatural ears could capture.
It took every bit of self-control not to scream Jonah’s name.
He was safe, for the time being.
That had to be enough for me. If I could just touch him, just hold him for a second. My arms ached for him.
But no. I couldn’t let the other vampire know I was there. He was a powerful one, too, based on the aura around him.
It was stronger than any I had ever seen, and almost pure, deep indigo.
Who was he?
I bit back a gasp.
Could it be Fane? It all fit. A powerful vampire traveling with Jonah. But why were they still traveling together?
They exchanged a few words before Jonah left him alone, vanishing into the stairwell.
The powerful vampire paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, muttering to himself.
Like he was nervous, almost.
Fane? Nervous? Over what? Maybe it wasn’t Fane, after all. Fane wasn’t afraid of anything, or so the legends said.
Minutes passed, before Jonah reappeared with Philippa.
To my surprise, she threw herself at the vampire, arms around his neck. Who was he, and why was she acting that way? He pulled himself away from her. Things got heated—of course they did, with her involved.
I couldn’t help smirking a little. She looked like she was telling them both off, but I couldn’t pick up a single word, not even with my vampire super-hearing, thanks to the wind blowing it all away.
Suddenly, all three of them hid in the shadows of the other side of the chimney I was hiding behind.
I held my breath, frozen in place.
What would they think if they found me spying?
Not that I meant to. It wasn’t my fault they showed up just as I got there.
Philippa stormed off into the penthouse, leaving Jonah and the other vampire on their own.
What a surprise, she was upset about something.
Jonah looked like he wanted to follow her, which of course was what she wanted because she loved attention so much.
The other vampire threw up a portal.
No!
I didn’t want to lose Jonah again so easily. I wanted to jump out and tell him not to leave me. I couldn’t do that.
I had to watch while he stepped through the portal.
It closed right away, and in seconds it was like there had never been one at all.
I was alone again.
4
ANISSA
I waited for a while to be sure I was alone before stepping out from behind the chimney.
Philippa wasn’t coming back out. I wondered what they said to get her so upset.
Not that it ever took very much.
Philippa was lurking around, angry. Nothing new there. If she was in the penthouse, I wasn’t about to go inside. I knew everything I had to know, anyway—Jonah was off in another place, doing what he needed to do.
Well, maybe not everything. Sara, I thought with a silent sigh. I did wish I could get a look at Sara, maybe talk to her. Find out if she was happy or at least safe.
But, no, it was too dangerous to risk running into Philippa, having her tell Jonah that I was there—loose from my father’s grasp where Jonah thought he’d securely ensconced me.
I pulled out my gear and went back to where I’d left the cable attached to the roof when the faint sound of voices caught my attention.
I looked back toward the doors just in time to see my
sister step outside. There she was, as though she had heard me thinking about her.
She looked beautiful, better than she had in ages. There was no trace of the pain or torture she’d been through in Marcus’s prison. Her smile was radiant, her skin looked smooth and fresh, her eyes were bright and clear.
Maybe that radiance had to do with Scott, standing next to her. It was obvious how crazy he was about her. She seemed to blossom under that attention.
No, it was deeper than that.
The aura I noticed around her before was just as strong as ever. She held her head high and carried herself like a queen. That confidence was something new. That strength. Yes, she’d been brave before. That was what got her imprisoned. But that was desperation. She did it for both of us. That wasn’t the girl I was looking at now.
I wanted to call out to her—the urge was strong enough to make me cover my mouth with my hand to shut myself up.
There was so much I wanted to tell her, but there was no way she would she be as happy as she was just then if she knew the truth about our mother and our half-brother.
She might even want to come with me and I couldn’t run the risk of her getting hurt.
They finally went inside, and I waited to be sure they wouldn’t return before zipping over the street to the building across.
I traced my steps until I reached the building I had climbed earlier. My backpack was still waiting for me, and I replaced the grappling hook and grips. I was just zipping it up when a hand clamped over my mouth.
My eyes flew open, and I instinctively tore the hand away just enough to open my mouth and bite down.
My attacker cried out in surprise and pain, and I whirled around to fight—
—until I recognized who was standing in front of me, shaking his hand, wincing in pain.
“Allonic?” All the fight left me. “What are you doing here? And since when do you sneak up on me like that?”
“I wouldn’t have done it if I knew I would lose a finger,” he muttered.
“I didn’t bite you that hard.”
“You have fangs, in case you forgot.” His eyes glowed bright.
His gaze seemed to cut through the darkness and burn straight into my very soul.
“Sorry, I guess. You didn’t have to surprise me like that.” I looked around—he was otherwise alone. “So? What are you doing here? Isn’t it dangerous for you to be out here? You don’t exactly fit in.” Even in New York, I doubted he would escape unnoticed with his supernatural amber gold eyes and long robes.
“It’s not difficult for me to pinpoint your relative location. It might have to do with the blood we share. The portal I used led me to this rooftop—just in time to see you gliding over here.” He shook his head with something that looked like a smile. “That was pretty impressive.”
“You think so?” I couldn’t help feeling a little pleased with myself that somebody like him would be impressed with me. “What’s so important that you took the chance of coming here to find me?
“I have news.”
Hair stood up on the back of my neck. News wasn’t necessarily good—in fact, as of late it was generally not good at all. “What is it?”
“Our mother wants to see you.”
I wished I could be completely happy about that. Who didn’t want to see their mom after years of thinking she was dead? All that time, longing for her, wishing she was with me. And I still wanted her. Part of me was still a little girl who wanted her mommy.
Then there was the part of me that had other things to worry about. Like Jonah, who had dropped me off with my father like a piece of baggage he couldn’t be bothered to carry around. Like where he was going with that other vampire, and why I couldn’t tag along.
I was worried for him, traveling around with that other vampire doing who knew what.
Like Sara, who’d changed, who was a woman I barely recognized now.
I shook my head. “I want to go. I want to see her. I do. But there are other things I have to take care of first.”
He scowled. “Like what? Isn’t seeing her what you wanted?”
“Of course, and it still is, but she did keep me waiting for a long time.”
“She had her reasons.”
“And I have mine. She’ll have to respect that and wait just a little bit until I get things in order.” I chewed my lip. “Do you think she’ll understand? I mean, you’ve spent a lot of time with her.”
“I think she will. Though you can’t blame her for being impatient. She’s wanted this for so long.”
An idea hit me. “I think I know a way to make things go a lot faster.” I smiled.
He read it right away. “Oh, really? You want me to help you now, after you almost bit off my finger?”
“Because you snuck up on me, but that’s not the point. The point is, Jonah’s doing something and I think he needs help. He dropped me off with my father and disappeared.”
“I’m sure it was for the best. He wants to protect you.”
“I want to protect him, too. Why does it only go one way? Just because I’m a girl, he thinks I need his protection and I’m not allowed to know what he’s doing? Allonic…”
I looked away, across the hundreds of rooftops.
Jonah was out there, somewhere, far away. “I love him. If he’s doing something important, I want to be there with him. I need to be. Do you know anything about it? Anything that would help me?”
“I can’t tell you. I’m sorry. I’m a memory keeper—there are certain things I’m not allowed to divulge.” At least he looked sorry when he said it.
I could believe he meant it.
“I thought it was at least worth a try.” I slung the backpack over my shoulder. “See you sometime… eventually.”
He sighed, rolling his eyes like I would imagine a put-upon brother would. “Wait a second. Don’t go alone.”
I looked him up and down. “Oh? You want me to wait? You want to come with me now?”
He shrugged. “Yes, if I can’t help you in any other way I want to at least make sure you’re not alone. Our mother would want me to.” Again with that put-upon look.
I bit back a smile.
“Thank you.”
For the first time, I felt like he was really my brother.
Maybe it was the way he mentioned our mother.
I wished I could hug him but wasn’t sure how comfortable he’d feel with that.
5
PHILIPPA
I paced back and forth, back and forth, muttering under my breath as I wore down the flooring in my room.
They think they can leave without me?
They thought they could leave me there like I didn’t matter? Like I wasn’t good enough to go with them? Like I wasn’t valuable?
I didn’t know if I wanted to tear something apart, or cry, or both.
All those years without a father and it was like no time had passed at all. He always used to tell me how smart I was. He would even come to me every once in a while and ask if an idea he had sounded good to me.
And yet, otherwise, I was just a girl.
Jonah and Gage were the oldest boys. It had long been predetermined. Jonah would lead the clan and if he couldn’t, Gage would. They got most of our father’s attention. The three of them would go off to talk about clan business while I sat at home with nothing to do.
They got to have all the fun and all the attention.
I got to be pretty.
Lucky me.
I would never forget the way he’d pushed me away from him, like I wasn’t allowed to hug him anymore.
He was Fane.
I rolled my eyes.
Was being Fane so much better than being Dommik Bourke? Did it mean he wasn’t our father anymore? Like blood didn’t mean anything? Or all the memories we’d made together?
I should’ve demanded they let me go with them. I should’ve forced them. I should’ve ripped them both apart. I should’ve done something, anything—it would’ve b
een better than feeling the way I felt just now. Like I didn’t matter.
Somewhere else in the suite, I heard Scott talking.
He would give good advice. He always did.
I only wished I could tell him about Fane, or our father. Or Fane.
I didn’t know what to call him anymore. No matter the name I used, I couldn’t give up what I knew. But I could still tell him I saw Jonah and that he was well, and going after Gage.
I laughed to myself; Jonah thought I was just going to sit home and wait for him?
No way would I let him go alone, especially when I had already seen Gage for myself.
I could still remember how anguished he looked and sounded when he told me Lucian set the Great Fire.
I wished I had asked Fane about that before he pretty much patted me on the head and told me to go play with dolls.
The sensible part of me spoke up: No, that wasn’t what he did. He told me to lead the clan, which was still a big deal.
I couldn’t do just lead the clan. I had other things to do, like finding Gage. I would have to rely on Scott. He could lead.
I walked out to the main room and looked around. The fire was still burning, and the lights were on, but the room was empty.
“Hello? Scott? Where’d you go?”
I turned to go down the hall to his room.
Sara was just coming out.
“Hey.” She didn’t look mousy and nervous the way she used to. She even looked glad to see me, like we were old friends.
She had picked the wrong time to act that way. “What are you doing, walking around here like you own the place?”
“What?” She stopped short and her eyes went wide. “I was just talking to Scott.”
First, I lost Jonah to her sister Anissa, and now I’d lost Scott to Sara. She was one of the reasons I felt separated from Scott. It was like he was somewhere else, in a different world, all because of her. He had no time for what he needed to prioritize on.
I felt so alone. It was all her fault. If I were to go looking for Gage, could I even trust Scott to run the clan while she was in the picture? Would he be able to focus his attention on what was really important?