by Kelly Oram
My voice trailed off. Russ cocked an eyebrow at me when my cheeks turned pink. “He thinks…?”
“He said you have a soft spot for me. He thinks you’d have a hard time not trusting me because I might be connected to Dani somehow. Tonight he basically asked me to exploit that connection to try to get close to you, but I know what it’s like to have people only be your friend because they want something from you, and I won’t do that to you. That’s why I’m telling you what he said. I would like to be your friend, but I’ll understand if you can’t trust me, either. Regardless of whether you ever do or not, I refuse to try to persuade you to do anything. It’s not my business.”
“Thanks for that, I guess.”
“That’s just me, though. Preston and Caleb are beyond loyal to their pack and the resistance. Anything you say in front of them is going to go straight to the resistance leaders.”
Russ had been watching me with amusement, but his smile turned hard. “I’m sure it has already.”
I cringed. “Sorry about that. But Cynthia’s probably pretty safe. I don’t think she’d say anything if I asked her not to. I don’t really know about Ethan. I’m not sure if he’s involved with the resistance. He’s probably just always going to do whatever he thinks is in my best interest.”
“Yes, I am,” Ethan agreed as he came back in the living room. “And I don’t think it’s in your best interest to leave you here alone all night with him.”
I sighed. For someone who hated me, Ethan sure had a lot in common with a jealous boyfriend. “Do you think it’s better that I stay here completely alone, then?”
Ethan grimaced, confirming my suspicions that giving me a night’s peace wasn’t in his plans.
“I have a guest room for you and a couch for him at my place.”
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I thought he’d demand to stay here. “You want me to sleep at your house?”
“I think you’d be safer if whoever just tried to kill you didn’t know where you were.”
“Dinner was eventful,” I said in response to Russ’s questioning look.
Ethan elaborated. “Another magic attack, same as before.”
“Andrew again?” Russ asked, confused.
Ethan looked very unhappy when he said, “I’m not sure. If Andrew’s really suffering from a fixation, there’s no way he’d order another hit, and a witch tied to him through an immortal blood bond wouldn’t go against his wishes. But the attack was the same—except smarter. There was only one spell and it was a very fast acting one. Whoever cast it knew magic wouldn’t work on Grace. I’m also pretty sure they knew I’d feel it coming, which doesn’t make sense unless it was the same witch who attacked before, because I’ve never told anyone I could feel magic except you guys.”
“That’s not normal?” I asked.
Ethan shook his head. “I’ve heard that actual angels can feel magic, but the nephilim don’t have that gift. Same with the telepathy thing that we can do, and Preston was right about how fast I was tonight. No regular nephilim could have reacted that quickly. I’m starting to wonder if being a warrior means I’ve been blessed by the angels.”
“Dude,” Russ said. “That’s kind of badass.”
Ethan glanced at Russ and if I didn’t know Ethan was incapable of appreciating humor, I would swear his lips twitched as if he were fighting a smile.
“Yeah, well, I’m not invincible, so go pack a bag, Grace, before whoever wants you dead figures out a way to get past me.”
I headed for the stairs but stopped when Russ said, “Your parents are just going to be okay with you bringing home a couple of strays?”
“It’s just my mom, and I’ll think of something.”
“Here’s a thought,” Russ said. “You could tell her the truth. That you’re bonded to a girl being targeted by a homicidal witch and stalked by an obsessed vampire, and that you’ve been ordered by the resistance to befriend the wayward warlock’s potentially powerful son.”
Ethan’s face flushed with rage. “I do not answer to the resistance!” he hissed. “I sympathize with them, but I have not joined them.” Faster than my eyes could follow, Ethan was standing toe to toe with Russ. His voice sounded more dangerous than I’d ever heard it when he said, “I will not swear fealty to anyone. Ever.”
Ethan and Russ got caught up in a staring match that I thought would never end. After an eternity, Russ finally smiled. “Yeah, no one tells me what the hell to do, either.”
Russ sounded like he respected Ethan a little more than he had five minutes ago. Ethan’s eyes narrowed, but then they softened the tiniest bit and miraculously he returned Russ’s grin. “My father’s a bastard, too,” he told Russ. “Come on. My mom has a weakness for strays. She’ll make you homemade peanut butter cookies.”
And just like that, they were friends.
Boys. I will never understand them.
Ethan lived two blocks away from me. For the last six years we were practically neighbors and I never knew. Atherton Prep takes in kids from all over the D.C. metro area. The odds of any two students living in the same neighborhood had to be slim. When he saw my incredulity, he got defensive. “My mom inherited it, okay? Before I was born. I had nothing to do with it.”
“I wasn’t accusing you. I’m just surprised. It’s an awfully big coincidence.”
“I doubt anything’s coincidence with you.” Ethan’s face turned dark as he stepped out of his car. “Please, you guys, don’t say anything to my mom about Grace and me.”
“I think you should tell her,” Russ said as we headed to the front door.
Ethan dropped his voice and gave Russ a pleading look. “I can’t,” he whispered.
Russ had the decency to lower his voice to a whisper, too. “She could probably help us. Ask her about warrior bonds. This bond was appointed to you for a reason. She’s got to know more than she’s told you.”
“There’s more to this than you understand, okay? She’s had a rough life and this would probably break her. I’m trying to protect her.”
Russ backed off immediately, but I couldn’t. “But you need to know this,” I said. “If you really want to protect me, how can you if you don’t know what you’re protecting or why? If your mom has answers, we should ask her. I’m sure she’ll understand. She’ll know it wasn’t your fault.”
“That’s the problem. She’ll think it’s hers.”
“How could it be her fault?”
“Just don’t say anything, Grace!” Ethan yelled, finally losing his temper.
I shut my mouth.
Ethan continued to glare at me for a few more seconds until the porch light came on. “Ethan?” a groggy voice asked as the front door opened. “What’s going on? It’s eleven thirty.”
Ethan’s mother was quite the surprise. She was pretty, even having been roused from sleep, but she wasn’t anywhere near the beauty Ethan was. She looked almost nothing like him. She had really thin copper-tone hair that if taken better care of might be able to pass for a very rich shade of red. She was only a few inches taller than me and didn’t have the slender build of her son. She wasn’t overweight—just had enough meat on her bones to make her curvy in all the right places. Her eyes, unlike the stunning blue of her son’s, were a dull brown, and looked tired, as if life were aging her a little faster than most.
“Sorry we woke you up, Mom,” Ethan said. “We kind of have a situation and I was hoping my friends could stay here tonight.”
“Oh!” Ethan’s mom sounded surprised but not the least bit upset. She opened the door wide, saying, “Well now, who’ve we got here—” She tripped over her words when I stepped into the porch light. “Oh, Ethan! Is this her? The one you’ve been protecting?”
Her face was so bright with pleasure that I blushed.
“Yeah,” Ethan muttered. I couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed by his mother’s enthusiasm or just unhappy to have to introduce me. “This is Grace.”
Ethan’s mom’s eyes began t
o sparkle with a layer of moisture that made her laugh. “Oh, dear,” she said reaching up to wipe her tears. “I’m afraid I must be embarrassing Ethan terribly, but I am just so happy to finally meet you.”
I had no idea what to think. I couldn’t imagine Ethan has been chatting me up to his mom for the last six years. I doubt he’d told her anything but my name and the fact that my dad had hired him to be my security detail. I couldn’t fathom her emotion. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but, finally?”
“Call me Leslie, Grace. Please. I’d like to hold off that ma’am stuff as long as possible, if you don’t mind.” I nodded and Ms. Dunn was finally able to curb her excitement a little. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “It’s just Ethan’s practically moved out lately and I was worried he’d never bring you around to meet me. He doesn’t talk much when he is home and I’ve been so curious.”
“I’m sorry I’ve taken up so much of his time lately.”
“Don’t you dare be sorry about that. Ethan explained what happened the other night. It’s nothing short of a miracle that you have accepted the truth after what you went through. I’m honored that my son can help keep you safe.”
I managed to keep my jaw from hitting the ground, but I couldn’t hide my shock entirely.
Ethan’s mother laughed. “I’ve waited a very long time to meet a human that can accept us for what we are. You give me hope for this world, Grace.”
Ethan cleared his throat and his mom jumped after following his gaze to Russ. “Oh! Forgive me. I’m being so rude. And you are?”
“This is Russ Devereaux,” Ethan introduced them while Russ shook his mother’s hand. “His dad got into a bit of trouble with the council and has disappeared, so he’s sort of homeless at the moment. And Grace’s dad is out of town until Thursday, but she shouldn’t be home alone right now. Is it all right if they stay here tonight?”
“You poor soul,” Ms. Dunn pulled Russ into the house. “Of course you’re welcome. You can have the guest room after Grace’s dad comes home, and stay as long as you need. For now, the sofa in the family room pulls out into a bed. Ethan? Will you find some blankets and a pillow for Russ? I want to get Grace situated. The poor thing looks exhausted and she should really be off that foot.”
Ethan nodded and then gestured for Russ to follow him down the hall.
Ethan’s mom showed me the way to the guest room, which thankfully involved no stairs because the house was one story. It was probably still close to the same size as mine and every bit as grand, but it had a much homier feel to it.
The guest room was nicely furnished. The queen-size bed looked especially fluffy and inviting. I sunk down onto it as Ethan’s mom flittered about the room, setting clean towels and things in the attached bathroom.
“Thank you for this, Ms. Dunn. It’s very kind of you.”
“Didn’t I say to call me Leslie?”
I blushed. “I’m sorry. My father would kill me if he ever heard me address an adult by their first name.”
“Oh, all right,” Ms. Dunn said, laughing. “I suppose it’s better than ma’am, anyway. Do you have everything you need to get ready for school in the morning? Do you need an alarm clock?”
“I can use my cell phone,” I said. “I should be fine. Thank you again. I really hate to intrude like this, but Ethan insisted. He’s been a little crazy since people started trying to kill me.”
Ms. Dunn shut the door to the bedroom and then joined me on the bed, sighing heavily. “He’s been so worried about you. He hasn’t said anything of course, he’s been stoic as ever, but a mother can tell these things. I think it will be good for him to have you here while your father’s away.”
“He does need a good night’s rest,” I agreed. “I’m sorry I’ve caused him so much trouble.”
Ms. Dunn sighed again. “Don’t be. If this is what it takes for him to finally accept his destiny, then it’s good for him.”
I was so surprised by this comment that I nearly fell off the bed. “His d-destiny?” I stammered.
Ms. Dunn gave me a smile so knowing it was almost a rebuke. “You’re a very special young lady aren’t you, Grace?” she said as she softly pushed my hair off my face and combed its length with her fingers. It was a very motherly gesture and a show of affection I haven’t received since my mom died.
My eyes fell shut and a few rogue tears escaped down my cheeks. Ms. Dunn reached up to wipe them away, and when her fingers grazed my cheek she gasped. At first she pulled away from me, but then reached up and cupped my face in both of her hands. “Very, very special,” she whispered after a moment. “I always knew you would be.”
“I’m different,” I said. “I’m not so sure about special, though.”
“Oh, yes you are,” Ms. Dunn said, pulling back so that I could look in her eyes. She took my hands in hers and squeezed them. “Ethan is special, too. Just like you. I’m so glad that you’ve finally found each other.”
I pulled my hands out of Ms. Dunn’s. “Oh no! I’m sorry if you thought…I mean, Ethan and I aren’t…”
I couldn’t manage to finish the sentence, but luckily I didn’t have to. Ethan was standing in the doorway, watching us. “How long have you known?” he asked his mom.
I tried to gauge how upset he was, but I couldn’t. His mom had called him stoic, and that was really the perfect description of him right then.
It took Ms. Dunn a minute to respond, but when she did I could hear the relief in her voice. She was glad to finally have the secret out in the open. “I’ve suspected it for years,” she admitted. “What teenage boy spends all his time and energy training to be a warrior and has no interest in dating?”
Ethan’s eyes widened and then quickly darted to the ground.
His mother drudged on relentlessly. “You never talk about girls. You never go to any of the dances. You’re almost seventeen and you’ve never been on a single date. You’ve never kissed anyone. You never even seem to care.”
I gasped in disbelief, and then wished I hadn’t when Ethan turned bright red and began kicking the carpet with his foot. To make matters worse, Russ was behind him and laughed. “Dude, for real?”
Ethan shrugged, still refusing to look up.
“But you’re so gorgeous!” I blurted without thinking. “You’re smart and popular. Every girl at school would kill to go out with you and you know it.”
“I just didn’t feel like it,” Ethan grumbled. He looked like he didn’t understand it any more than I did.
“It’s part of the bond,” Ms. Dunn explained.
The tone in her voice suggested she was about to teach us all a lesson. Ethan sank to the floor and looked up at her expectantly. Russ took a seat too, excited to hear the lecture.
Ms. Dunn looked at all our desperate faces and smiled. “In a true warrior, the drive to protect is so strong it pushes aside all other needs.”
For the first time since all of this started, I felt truly sorry for Ethan. “Are you saying Ethan will never be able to love anyone?” I asked.
I risked a glance at Ethan and he was watching his mom, just as curious of her answer as I was.
“It won’t always be that way,” Ms. Dunn reassured her son. She took on a distant quality in her face as she smiled at him. “When a warrior falls in love, his love is as fierce as his loyalty. Warriors are some of the happiest creatures in existence.”
Her eyes came back into focus and she smiled another very knowing smile at me. “Don’t worry, Grace. Ethan’s time will come.”
Something about the way she looked at me made me uneasy. “So,” I asked, desperate to move the conversation along, “it doesn’t bother you that I’m only human?”
“Only human?” Ms. Dunn asked, startled. “Of course it doesn’t bother me.” She stopped then and frowned at her son. “Is that why you never told me?”
“I never told anybody,” Ethan said, speaking up in anger. “How could I? The clan shunned you for loving a human. They barely tolerate me. If they found out I�
��m bonded to a human, they’d be angry and they’d blame you. They’d say it was because my father was human.”
I felt my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. Ethan’s father was human? He’d failed to mention that. I glanced at Russ, and he looked every bit as astonished as I was.
“They’d throw me out of the clan completely and the guilt would kill you,” Ethan continued.
“It wouldn’t.”
“It already does. I can see it in your eyes every time I talk about the clan. You feel guilty for the way they treat me.”
“No!” Ms. Dunn said fiercely. “I am angry at the clan for the way they treat you, but I don’t feel guilty about anything I’ve done. I love your father, and I love you. No matter what the clan does or says, I would never change any of it.”
“But how can you feel that way after everything that’s happened? How can you love him? He knocked you up and took off!”
Ms. Dunn’s eyes filled with tears. When she could finally compose herself she said, “I wish you had told me about this, Ethan. I wish you’d come to me when it first happened. You could have been spared so many years of heartache.”
Ms. Dunn reached beneath the collar of her shirt and lifted a chain over her head. There was a small medallion hanging from it. She held the necklace out to Ethan.
“What is it?” Ethan asked, making no effort to take the trinket from her.
“It’s yours. It’s your family crest. Your father had it specially made to match his when you were born. He asked me to give it to you and explain everything once you came into your bond.”
Ethan was on his feet now and slowly took the chain from his mother. “Explain what? How could my father even know about warrior bonds? He was human.”
More tears escaped Ms. Dunn’s eyes as she shook her head. “I’ve wanted to tell you for so long, but I wasn’t ever sure you’d really bonded with someone, and your father made me promise. He said warriors weren’t supposed to know their destiny beforehand, that it could affect the bonding process.”