“Been there, done that,” he said, breaking the silence. He studied the cracked lampshade with feigned interest. “The Betrayers killed me. Drained me with Similitude. I used to be a Keeper. I’m what’s called a Working Watcher now. In training.” He faced her. “I exist in the Watchers’ realm. It was eighty-five days ago.”
Propping up on one elbow, she frowned. Her damp locks tumbled over one exposed shoulder. “So, you’re not only not human, you’re a ghost?”
Fully erect, he rearranged the bedspread around his midsection and scowled, burying his desire to take her in his arms, to scrape his teeth against her delicate skin. “Do I look like a ghost? Or feel like a ghost?”
Her eyes flashed. “You must want revenge.”
No. She doesn’t miss much. “Anyone would,” he said, as casually as he could. “That’s not why I’m here.”
Her expression unreadable, she leaned forward. “What if you got the opportunity?”
He wouldn’t lie. She was too smart for that. “It’s all I’ve thought about, since I’ve been in the Watchers’ realm. And I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” He blew out a gust of breath. “Okay?”
Her eyes keen, she studied him. “Fine.” She gestured to the Vitality stone and the Similitude, sitting on the nightstand. “If the Similitude drained you, how can you expect to handle it safely?”
Dev’s gaze rested on the stones. “Whenever we handle the stones, we impart energy to them. And the stones retain traces of that energy. It’s like they have your fingerprints on them. But those ‘fingerprints’ aren’t enough to hurt me. The Similitude has to be in a Betrayer’s possession, be working in conjunction with their dark energy, to do damage.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve often wondered if people have those traces of energy within them, somehow. And that’s how I’m able to get impressions.” She shrugged a shoulder. “At my apartment, you said they can’t get too close to the Vitality. That it’s too potent. How does that work?”
Dev thought for a moment. “Let me start at the beginning. I’m guessing, from your background, you probably already know that energy is all about balance, and proximity. Betrayers, Keepers, and humans are all in a vicious energy cycle. The Betrayers are the ones who set it in motion, and keep it going. They feed from the dark energy that emanates from negative human emotions and violence. They incite the things that create dark energy, and in essence, create a way to replenish themselves.”
“That dark energy. That’s what we felt after we got back to the room. Go on,” Meda urged.
“The Watchers monitor the Betrayers and humans, and transmit Compulsions to the Keepers. When the Keepers carry out those Compulsions, the Betrayers feed from humans’ dark energy, and they absorb some of our Vitality energy. We can’t stop it. But it’s not enough to hurt us. I told you how they crave our Vitality energy, even that small amount, like an addict does heroin. They’re only able to absorb that small amount because it’s too potent.”
“Normally,” she interrupted. “With the Similitude, nothing’s normal, is it?” she asked softly.
He toyed with the cord for the window shade. “No,” he answered. Nothing was. “The whole thing goes back about a century. The Keepers and the Watchers used to live together, in the Watchers’ realm. As you know from your human history, someone always wants to control all of something. The power, the money. In our case, it was the energy. In the Watchers’ realm, there’s a quarry of Vitality stone. On Mount Verdant. A group of Keepers decided they would take over the quarry, overthrow the Watchers. It’s the source of our stones, for all Keeper clans.”
“All?” she asked.
“There are Keeper clans all over the world.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow.”
“The rogue Keepers tried taking it by force, and looted many of the Vitality stones in the process. It was Keeper against Keeper. Many died. The Watchers, along with other loyal Keepers, were able to save the quarry. The remaining rogue Keepers who weren’t killed were banished, and crossed to the human realm. Those Keepers and their descendants became known as Betrayers. The loyal Keepers attempted to recover as many Vitality stones as they could, but it was too late. The Betrayers hid some. No one knows how many, or where.”
Sitting straighter in the chair, he rolled his shoulders to ease the ache in the small of his back. “The clan has books of the clan’s recorded history, called Scrolls. I’ll show them to you when we get to the network.”
Her eyes lit with interest. “I’d be honored.”
Touched by her response, Dev continued. “Banished, the Betrayers weren’t connected to the Watchers and Keepers anymore. Without that connection, the Vitality stones they had were just stones, with no power. Betrayers were forced to adapt, to survive. To compensate for that loss of energy.”
“And that’s when they started preying on humans.”
“Exactly. With Similitude, they wouldn’t need humans anymore. They could go straight for the proverbial jugular. Keepers. And then, Mount Verdant.”
“There’ll be no one left to guard humans,” she said dully, repeating what he’d told her at the apartment. “Life as we know it will end.”
“Yes.” He frowned. She shouldn’t have to know this. Yet she had to understand the gravity of the situation. He hated that he’d been the one to do it. “I’m sorry.”
Rubbing her eyes, she met his stare. “I think I understand why humans were meant to forget,” she mused.
He did too, and never more so than right now, seeing her face. As her protector, he would do what he could to assuage her fears. “The trouble Betrayers cause for humans is the basis for the Compulsions that Watchers transmit to Keepers. In their realm, they keep an eye on situations in ways I can’t even fathom, and I spent time there. Keepers have always been here, on Earth. Since the Betrayers took up residence, the Watchers have stationed more here. Full time. If they hadn’t, things would be out of control.” He eyed her carefully, gauging her reaction. “Maybe that’s enough for tonight.”
Her eyes resolute, she repositioned herself on the bed. “No. You’ve come this far. And I’ve spent a lifetime seeing and experiencing strange things, with my father.”
Damn, she was resilient. Impressed, he continued. “Haenus Vickery was the Betrayer brood master in Pittsburgh until three months ago. He was the one who finally discovered a way to render Similitude from one of those stolen stones. He drained me. Stole my Vitality stone, which has no doubt since been rendered into Similitude.” The admission, the memory, threatened to choke him. With an effort, he contained his rage. “Nick Geary is the clan leader of the Keepers in Pittsburgh. His mate, Libby Klink, killed Haenus about a week after I died. She stopped the drain of the Similitude by channeling the energy of her human anxiety, along with the Keeper and Betrayer parts of herself, through her Vitality stone.”
Meda gaped. “She’s part human?”
“Yes. We believe it’s one of the reasons she was able to defeat Haenus, strangely enough. Since then, the Betrayers haven’t drained anyone else. And it’s because they don’t know how she killed him,” he emphasized. “Only that she did. As far as we know, Libby is the only one who can stop it. The Keepers have tried to find another way, but nothing’s come close. And because the Betrayers aren’t draining anyone, they haven’t been able to confront the real deal, so there’s really no way for them to know for sure. For obvious reasons, we need to find a better, more reliable way. A different way.”
Meda plucked at the blanket. “Yeah. A different way,” she said.
“Meda? What is it?”
“Nothing.” Her expression remained guarded. “I was just thinking. Trying to take it all in.”
He frowned. What isn’t she telling me? “So, to make a long story short, there’s some amazing things energy can do, when used in creative ways. The Watche
rs’ realm is loaning me its energy, so to speak, while I’m here. But there are limits to what energy can do. There always are. To keep the balance, that’s why only seven days.” And the clock was ticking. “I figure the Watchers gave me the job since I’m so . . . close to it.”
“We have to find a way to create what killed you.” She pulled at her bottom lip with her teeth. “You’re right. It’s dangerous.”
“But that’s what we, as Watchers, as Keepers, do.” He lifted a hand. “I’m going with my gut here. Along with finding a way to render the Similitude, I’m thinking we can also find a way to stop it, other than Libby’s way. Solve one, solve the other. Right now, we have some leeway. How long will it be until the Betrayers try again? Just me being here is risky. And they know I’m here. They have to have a pretty damn good idea why. Nick is counting on me. He’s my best friend.”
Meda twisted a lock of hair around her finger. “You mentioned a warehouse?”
“Curtis is working on it. Nick’s brother. We can’t do testing in the Keepers’ network. I’m not sure of the consequences. I won’t endanger other Keepers.” He sighed. “It comes down to this. As long as the Betrayers don’t know that Libby’s channeling of her anxiety is the one way we have to stop the drain of Similitude, we’re safe. Finding out how to create the Similitude is the first logical step in fighting this war.”
“It makes sense.” Meda seemed to mull that over. “Tell me. What all do you do, as a guardian of humans? I mean, I saw what you were able to do tonight, with Walt and Phyllis. It’s like, you’re in the right place at the right time.”
“That’s it exactly.” How ironic, for a man who’d spent the better part of his life doing the exact opposite. “We stop bullying. We thwart terrorist attacks. We prevent theft and other crimes.”
“It’s an awesome responsibility,” she said, her tone filled with admiration. “And it must be hard. Rewarding.”
“It is.” He missed it. Terribly.
“And yet, there’s so much suffering in the world.”
“Unfortunately, we can’t be everywhere, all the time. It’s not possible. We do have awesome abilities, but they’re not perfect. There are limitations.”
“You said before that the Vitality would keep us connected. What exactly does that mean?”
“It means your energy is fused with mine, and my clan, in and out of our network. You’re one of us. For the moment.”
“I didn’t get the Compulsion.”
“No. I wouldn’t expect you to, even being connected. That you felt the foreboding, I’m going to credit to your ability.”
“And without it, I’ll forget you?” she asked softly.
Dev paused. “Yeah.” He couldn’t bear to think about it. She’d forget him. But he’d never forget her. The fact she’d be assigned a Keeper for the rest of her life—one of his choosing—wasn’t something he cared to discuss either.
Because it wouldn’t be him.
Twisting a corner of the sheet, she raised her eyes to meet his. “I don’t want to. Forget,” she whispered.
All manner of energy swirled around them in this tiny motel room. “I don’t want you to forget.”
She licked her lips, cleared her throat. “What does it mean, you’re as close to human as you can get?”
“It means I bleed, as you know. I age. Not as quickly as humans do.” His heart wrenched, pulsing with things he had no business feeling. She was human. He wasn’t. And still he blathered on. “I don’t get sick. I don’t need sleep the same way you do. It means I feel, the same way you do.”
She regarded him silently. “What is ‘Dev’ short for?”
“Devlyn.” He laughed half-heartedly. “It means brave. Or misfortune. Take your pick.”
Seeming to absorb that, her eyes locked on his. “So. I have to know.” She exhaled a breath. “Did you see me naked? When you were hanging out on my fire escape?”
The image of her, stepping out of the shower in her apartment, and slipping into nothing more than a T-shirt, burned in his brain. Her nipples erect. The fabric skimming the tops of her thighs. Her sweet ass exposed. “I’ll never tell.” His lips twitched in humor.
Blushing, she smiled, delighting him, and lowered her eyes. Rearranging the blanket around her, she lay down. “I think we better get that sleep.”
Rising, he collected the stones from the nightstand and set them on the table. He flipped off the light, but returned to the chair, not trusting himself to lie in the bed with her. Meda, despite her tough talk, had a shy side. Another layer. And it made her impossibly sexy. She was, in every sense of the word, fascinating. From the tattoo on her hand, to her graceful limbs, to her razor-sharp mind, to her unique ability.
No way was it a coincidence the Watchers had sent him to find her. He’d figured all along something in her father’s research, or a process he’d been working on, could be used to learn how Similitude was created. Now he felt strongly that her ability—a distinctly human ability—was the key to his Compulsion. Just as it’d been with Nick and Libby. He had no idea if or how the Vitality stone would continue to affect that ability. Working together was the only way to figure it out.
Meda received impressions through touch. He marveled at that. Except not from him.
And the gods help him, he wanted to touch her. Too much. A kiss from Meda was like a mere sip of top shelf whiskey that lingered on his tongue, and heated all the way through.
Minutes passed. He listened to the rain pelting the windows, the roof. “Are you asleep?” he asked.
The sheets rustled. “No.”
Twisting his frame in the chair, he peered into the darkness. “How did you get that scar?”
“What is this?” she mumbled. “Truth or dare?”
“Sure.” He’d indulge in boyhood fun.
“I’ll tell you.” She paused, and the mattress creaked as she rolled over. “Another day.”
“I’ve only got six left.”
“Then it’ll be one of them.”
His eyes, adjusting to the darkness, settled on her bundled form. “Okay.” He rested his feet on the other chair. “If I got scars, I’d have them all over me,” he muttered.
Wasn’t it those scars that’d led him here, to this moment? If it wasn’t for his death, he’d never have met Meda. Never have had a reason to meet her. And because of his death, he could have no life with her. It was enough to drive any man, Watcher, Keeper, or human, crazy.
He was here to carry out the Compulsion of his life. Not get involved with a woman. A human woman at that. He’d turned her life upside down. And she’d paid him back with more of the same. They were connected, all right. And not just by the Vitality stone.
She might have a different guardian next week. Right now, the job was his. And he’d fulfill his duty. Slouching as low as he could in the chair, he refused to sleep until he heard Meda’s breathing slow to an even rhythm. He listened to her for five minutes, then ten. An hour turned into two.
Dev’s last thoughts were of Meda, curled next to him.
And of his hands around Abel’s throat.
The day’s first light woke him, and he squinted in its dim glow, streaming through the cracked shades and across the bed, the rumpled sheets. The shapeless blanket.
He leapt from his chair.
Meda was gone.
CHAPTER 13
“Meda!” Dev yelled her name, not expecting an answer. He fumbled for his jeans, and yanked them on. Fear pulsing in his veins, he raced to the door, wrenched it open and dashed into the parking lot, gravel biting into his bare feet.
Where the hell could she have gone? He scanned right, left. Had she taken off? Were the Betrayers somehow involved? No. He’d have known. Wouldn’t he? He gulped. He had to find her. That he’d somehow known she wasn’t i
n the room, felt the absence of her energy, of her, even before he’d seen the empty bed was almost as disturbing as the fact he didn’t know where she was.
The memory of her beside him, her lips beneath his, sucker punched him. In the mere hours they’d spent together, her energy seemed to have melded with his, inexplicably.
Heedless of the unforgiving pavement, he sprinted across the parking lot to a grassy area at the far end of the motel. He tracked across the ground, damp from rain and dew. Clouds hung low to the ground. Truck traffic reverberated from the nearby highway. He breathed in air, ripe with last night’s storm and the promise of more of the same. The sun’s first rays brightened the horizon.
Screeching to a halt, he nearly sank to his knees.
Meda.
About twenty yards away, she sat in the grass beside a picnic table, her legs tucked beneath her, eyes closed.
Meditating.
Relief and anger warred in him. What was she thinking coming out here alone? And not telling me where she was going? Worse, how the hell did she get out of the room without him knowing? If he hadn’t already made it crystal clear she was to go nowhere without him, he soon would.
He pressed a hand to his bare chest. They needed to leave, get to the city, the network. But he stood silent, reluctant to interrupt the morning ritual she so desperately needed for her own sanity. He’d chastise her later.
The sun bathed the landscape, traced a line of gold around the silhouette of her nose, her chin, her lips. Her hair glowed amber, like dark night yielding to day. An image of her, straddling him, half dressed, hit him full force.
Thoughts of taking her here in the dewy grass had his pulse thrumming in his ears.
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