Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure, & Magic

by SM Reine

  “It started the night of Lony’s accident,” I explained.

  Cane stiffened and his expression turned stoic. Neither of us wanted to remember that night, so I pushed on, telling them everything; the vision that sent me into the coma, the sensing of people’s emotions, Jinx’s explanation about my strange empathy…I even told them about Lucy and her tumor. Bryan nodded like a light had been turned on recalling that I’d mentioned Lucy to him before.

  “So, I think somehow when I felt your pain, I was able to not only block it from myself, but to push it back entirely. And the energy that I felt flowing out of me and into Bryan and Cane, it was like I was giving them a piece of me…my life force or spirit or something. I know it sounds corny, but it’s the best I can come up with.”

  When nobody said anything, I took the emotional temperature of the room. Bryan, Monica and Aaron all had a mixture of awe and skepticism to varying degrees. I still couldn’t reach Cane, and his hard expression was unreadable. I grew more nervous in the silence. That’s it! They all think I’m crazy or lying or...both!

  Finally, Monica said with a little laugh, “Cady. You want us to believe you’re some sort of a psychic doctor or something?” She snorted in disbelief, but I could sense from the nervousness pooling in her direction that she believed me and that belief made her profoundly uncomfortable. She glanced at the guys to judge their reactions. Seeing something akin to acceptance on their faces, she continued, “Come on! I mean, how is it even possible?”

  Surprisingly, Cane came to my defense first. “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes —and felt the healing first-hand —I would’ve thought it was crazy too, but…” he paused. “I believe you, Cady. I have to.”

  “Same goes for me,” Bryan agreed, patting my arm and grinning. “What you did last night? That was freaky, but I wouldn’t be here right now if you hadn’t saved me.” He tipped my chin up with his finger and met my eyes. “Thank you, Cady.”

  For a moment, I basked in the rosy glow of his appreciation.

  Aaron shook his head in disbelief. He tapped his fingers nervously on the back of his chair.

  “I remember when you and Lon were little. You were so...I don’t know…connected? Before you learned to talk for real, you had your own language that only the two of you could understand. I don’t think you fully gave it up until you went to kindergarten. I used to get so mad that you wouldn’t let me in on your secrets. The way you would just instinctively know what the other was feeling all of the time made me think I was stupid or something.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he held his hand up to stop me.

  “What I’m saying is I knew you and Lony had this connection your whole lives. I guess I can see how your auras or minds or whatever would have reached out for each other at the time of her death. That had to have left a lasting effect on you. And since I don’t have a better explanation for what happened last night, I have to believe you too, Sis.”

  Monica looked a little bit defeated but didn’t say anything else.

  “I’m exhausted, but I should probably get up.” I said, stretching my arms out in front of me to loosen up my shoulders.

  Aaron nodded. “I want to talk more about this, but I’ll let you rest up for now. Oh, and Dad called a bit ago. He’s coming over in a little while to talk to us about something.” He patted my foot, placed the chair back under the desk and walked out, giving Cane a playful shuck to the bicep as he passed.

  “I’m going to go change,” Monica announced. She hopped off the bed and picked up her wrinkled party dress from the floor. She gave it a sniff and shrugged. “Bryan, I have to be to the airport by three. We should go soon.”

  “Okay,” he replied and she slipped out the door.

  Cane’s mouth hardened into a line and he stepped toward me. As soon as he stepped into my range, my mouth dropped open in shock. His eyes burned with an inner heat that I’d never seen in him before. That heat rolled up and down my bare arms.

  Noticing my reaction, Bryan’s eyes darkened and his grip on my hand tightened. Cane either didn’t notice or didn’t care, because he continued to move closer, his hot gaze burning into mine. My heart was speeding, and my body suddenly felt feverish. Bryan rose to a standing position. His suddenly protective stance looked ridiculous in the too-short jogging pants.

  “Can we talk?” Cane asked softly, his eyes never straying from mine. “Alone?”

  The skin along my forearm and neck prickled as I felt Bryan’s hackles rise. He didn’t need to be an empath to feel the intensity of Cane’s emotions, so plainly written as they were on his face. A cool tendril of jealousy wrapped itself around my waist and snaked up my spine.

  I needed a moment of distance from both of them. “Can I have a minute to get dressed?” My voice came out breathless, and I hoped the boys didn’t notice.

  Cane dipped his head in a brief nod. “I’ll just be in the hall.”

  Bryan didn’t move; he just stood watching Cane leave the room. Without Cane’s heat, my body shivered under Bryan’s possessiveness. Honestly, it made me a little frustrated with him.

  “You too,” I said. “Out.”

  “Oh. Of course.” He smiled as some of the light returned to his eyes. He placed a quick kiss on my head and headed for the door. He stopped before the door and turned to look at me. “If you don’t want to talk to him alone, I can stay with you.”

  I rolled my eyes and sighed. “I’ve known Cane forever. Stop acting all jealous.”

  His brows shot up in a combination of surprise and amusement. “Me? Jealous?”

  Laughing, I tossed my pillow at him. “Get out!”

  He caught the pillow, hugged it to his chest and shut the door behind him as he left.

  As drained as I was, I couldn’t tamp down the itchy energy in my limbs. There were things that I needed to work out —starting with my new ability to heal people. And as much as I dreaded it, I knew Cane wanted to talk about that kiss. The warmth in my cheeks at the memory came from deep within me, causing my pulse to gallop. Where are these feelings coming from?

  I whipped my covers back and got out of bed, holding onto my headboard until the room stopped spinning. When I was ready, I crossed to the dresser and began yanking out clothes. My skin beneath the t-shirt was tinged brownish-red and I knew I’d have to shower before going anywhere. I’d slept in my bra and the elastic bit into my skin in angry red welts. Replacing it with a cotton sports bra, I put the t-shirt I’d slept in back on for the time being and pulled on a well-worn pair of jeans. I glanced at myself in the mirror. The pretty curls from the night before were matted and stuck out at random odd angles. I ran a brush through as well as I could before steeling myself to face Cane.

  I assumed he wanted to apologize for his behavior the night before, but judging from the scorching vibes he had been throwing off, it would probably be a lie. He didn’t regret that kiss, and truth be told, neither did I. What is wrong with me? I like Bryan Sullivan, not Cane Matthews!

  I closed my eyes and took ten deep yoga breaths in an attempt to clear my head. It didn’t work.

  “Cane,” I called, knowing he was close by. “You can come in now.”

  With my hands folded behind my back, I leaned against my dresser for support. A few seconds later, the door knob turned. Cane stepped inside and shut it behind him again. With tentative steps, he approached me as if I were a wild animal about to bolt. My heart raced under his forceful stare and the hair on my arms stood on end.

  “Since you can feel what I’m feeling, I guess there’s no point in hiding it,” he said softly. “Don’t worry, I know where things stand with you and Bryan. He’s a decent guy. Not good enough for you, but…” He shrugged and gave a sad grin.

  “Cane —”

  He stood in front of me now, so close I could smell the woodsy scent of his soap. He placed the tip of his index finger to my mouth. “Wait. I have something I want to ask you. Do you remember the first time we met?”

  Honestl
y, I didn’t. I know we hadn’t gone to the same junior high school, so it must have been sometime in ninth grade. I shook my head.

  The ghost of a smile touched his lips. “I didn’t think so. I’ll have to tell you about it sometime when your boyfriend isn’t pacing outside the door.”

  The thought of Bryan should have put a damper on the swell of heat rising in my chest, but it didn’t. With Cane this close and his feelings for me so clear, I could do nothing but succumb to my echoing response. I clenched my hands together tighter to keep from reaching for him, from wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders, twining my fingers through his honey-colored hair and pulling him to me. My lips parted to speak, but no words would come.

  Cane leaned in closer and spoke in a whisper. “I’m not sorry I kissed you, Cady. I want to be. I mean, I wish I hadn’t been drunk, and I wish you had been a more willing participant —“

  “You didn’t think I was willing?”

  He sucked in a quick breath and looked at me with eyes blazing green and gold. The hope he felt at my question was like ice water on my growing passion. I was with Bryan. I couldn’t let Cane hope for more. It was never going to happen. I slipped out from where he had me cornered and put several feet of separation between us.

  “I-I just mean,” I stammered, eyes trained on the carpet between us. “It wasn’t all your fault. I seem to recall taking my time in pushing you away.”

  Neither of us said anything for a minute. I didn’t need to see his face to feel the weight of his eyes pinning me where I stood. I couldn’t look at him. I feared if I did, I would launch myself into his arms. Where in the hell are these feelings coming from? Finally, he cleared his throat.

  “I better go.” The twinge of reluctance in his statement was palpable. “You should get some rest today.”

  He took a step toward me, but when I flinched, he stopped. A spark of something flashed in him and I immediately understood —he thought I was afraid of him.

  “If you need anything, I’m only a phone call away.”

  With that he crossed the room and drew the door closed behind him.

  I flopped down on my bed, drawing the spare pillow to my chest and pulled the covers up to my neck. My mind spun in a million different directions. Please let me be wrong, I silently pleaded. I couldn’t have read him right. I rolled over and curled my knees up to my chest. Even worse was my response. I could barely admit it to myself, but there was no denying it. The feelings that swelled up inside me the night before when Cane pressed his lips to mine were the same ones that I felt when Bryan kissed me and held me close. Did I really have feelings for both of them, or was I reacting to something inside them? Is any of it real? Did Cane really care about me or was he confusing his former feelings for my sister? Ugh!

  What was the good in knowing peoples’ emotions if I couldn’t determine the thoughts and motivations driving them?

  Remembering Bryan was still here, I got out of bed and made for the door. He stood with Monica and Aaron at the bottom of the steps in the foyer. He still had on my brother’s t-shirt, but he’d put back on his pants from the night before. When he saw me, he came up the stairs and wrapped me into a big hug. I tipped my head back to look at him. His eyes were so dark the pupils blended with the irises, but they shone so brightly, I could see my guilty reflection staring back at me.

  “I have to take Monica home so she can gather her things. Are you all right?”

  Beneath that calm, Bryan-feeling, I could sense a bit of that lingering jealousy and a bit of embarrassment over allowing me to notice it. The warmth winding its way around me was him concentrating on his affection for me. He knew I was aware of his emotions, yet he tried to hide them from me anyway. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  “I’m fine,” I replied. “Just tired.”

  I plastered on a smile that I hoped did not appear fake.

  “Okay,” he said, giving me a quick peck on the lips. “I’ll call you tonight.”

  “Bye, and have a good flight,” I called as he and Monica left out the front door.

  My headache was mostly gone now, but every muscle in my body hummed with fatigue. As much as I wanted to hang around the house brooding about my love life all day, there was a much more important matter to attend to. Holy crap! I can heal people???

  I took as quick of a shower as my exhaustion would allow. Not bothering to dry my hair, I descended the stairs, heading for the front door.

  “Hey, Bug,” my dad’s voice called from the living room. “Don’t go anywhere yet. We need to talk to you.”

  I entered the room to see my parents sitting beside each other on the couch clutching hands, not in a romantic way, more like Mom was clinging to him for strength. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater and her hair was brushed. If it weren’t for her too pale skin and lack of makeup, she would’ve appeared almost normal again.

  Aaron sat in the recliner, his knee bouncing nervously. While not as volatile as most of my class rooms were, the emotions feeding into me were varied and jumbled. My belly knotted up with Mom’s fear and embarrassment. My chest ached with Dad’s concern and love for his family. And my shoulders tensed with Aaron’s uncertainty. The combination made me want to hurl. Instead, I sat on the arm of my brother’s chair, aligning myself with him.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  My parents exchanged a look before my mother’s gaze became engrossed with her shoes.

  “You both know that your mother hasn’t been herself lately,” Dad said, rubbing Mom’s arm supportively. “I know you’ve been worried about her.” He heaved a sigh before continuing. “We’ve talked it over and your mother has agreed to get help.”

  “I thought she already was seeing a therapist,” Aaron said.

  “She is, but we think she needs more help than an outpatient program can offer her.”

  Mom didn’t seem to notice that they were discussing her as if she weren’t in the room.

  “What are you saying?” I asked. “That she needs in-patient treatment?”

  “I-I’m going to check myself into a rehab facility today,” Mom answered. My gasp had more to do with how difficult it was for her to admit that than any real surprise on my part.

  “We’ve found a place in Minnesota that can offer her support for her substance abuse problems as well as grief counseling. I’m driving her up there today.”

  “How long are you going to be gone?” Aaron asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

  “For as long as it takes,” Mom whispered, gazing beyond us out the window.

  “I’ll be moving back home temporarily while your mother’s gone to keep an eye on you both. I know you kids have had a lot to deal with on your own for these last weeks, but it’s time that we pull together as a family and get through this.”

  I struggled to block out the swirl of emotions in the room so I could assess my own thoughts. Part of me was glad that my mom was getting help. I knew it was the right thing. But another part of me boiled with frustration that Aaron and I were expected to find our way back to normal life on our own, while she was allowed to completely flake out. We didn’t have the luxury of self-pity; we had school. And what about the crap I’d been living through these last weeks? My parents had no idea about the emotional rollercoaster I’d been on. Okay, so I hadn’t exactly told them about it, but they hadn’t thought to ask either.

  I looked down at my brother sitting next to me, and the wind went out of my sails. Soft gray smudges spread under his eyes, dimming his inner light. I opened myself to him and felt the sadness and worry lingering in him as if it had taken up permanent residence. I’m as bad as they are, I thought. So wrapped up in my own problems, I haven’t been there for Aaron. I rested my palm on his shoulder and silently vowed to be a better sister.

  “I’m glad that you’re getting help, Mom,” he assured her. “Don’t worry about us. Cady and I have each other’s backs.”

  Dad nodded as if that settled everything. “
Well, Julia, let’s get your bags in the car and head out. It’s over three hours to Rochester.”

  Mom stood and crossed to hug us, but I shirked away and went back up to my bedroom. I sat on the bed trying to understand why I was so angry with her, why I couldn’t let myself feel sorry for her. Guess sympathy doesn’t automatically come with empathy.

  I lay back on my bed and covered my eyes with my forearm. The sounds of my parents gathering Mom’s luggage from the bedroom down the hall echoed through the plaster walls. Just as I thought they had gone back down the stairs, a soft knock rapped on my door.

  “Can I come in?” Mom asked, stepping inside without waiting for permission.

  “Can I say no?” I sat up, my head dizzy from the movement. Man, I was exhausted. Not sleepy, just spent. I tried to block out her feelings, but I couldn’t do it anymore. Her guilt and pain and sorrow seeped around my shields, demanding my attention. The emotions weakened me further, so I dropped the blocks, letting them flood over my mind in defeat.

  “Cady, I know you are worried about me —”

  “I’m not worried, I’m pissed off. Big difference.”

  Mom sat down on the bed next to me and tried to put her arm around my shoulders, but I shot to my feet, putting distance between us. I couldn’t let her touch me. I had enough of an emotional storm brewing on my own; I didn’t want direct contact with her to drag me into her pity-party, invalidating my own feelings.

  “Arcadia—”

  “Will you please stop that? Stop using that mother-voice on me. It’s not going to work, all right?” I paced back and forth in front of my closet.

  “I am your mother,” she said, her voice rising with indignation.

  I paused mid-stride and faced her. “Really? Some mother you’ve been lately. Tell me, while you were wallowing away in your bedroom like some Victorian-era heroine, did you even think about the two kids that you left to fend for themselves?”

  I hated myself even as I was doing it, but something snapped within me, and I let it all out. “Who do you think paid the bills this month? Dad did. Who has been making excuses for you when your office calls, or the clients that you have abandoned? Aaron, that’s who. Who has been making sure there is food in the house? Me.”