Kian’s countenance softened as he looked at me. He uncrossed his arms in an effort to reach out for me, but stopped after detecting Mrs. LaMotte’s angry stare.
“I want to.” He nervously glanced sideways to Mrs. LaMotte before leaning down, his lips curling into a half smile. “We have chemistry and there’s no denying it.”
Heat flooded my face as my mind replayed the kiss. He was right, there was chemistry between us, but was it enough?
Mrs. LaMotte coughed.
“Thank you for bringing me home, Kian,” I paused and returned his smile. “You have certainly given me plenty to think about.”
His playful grin burst into a full smile that lit up his entire face, causing me to lose my breath. It was the first time I had ever seen Kian smile more than a little tilt of the lip. His full lips thinned as the smile grew, causing dimples to form on both cheeks.
“Let me see your phone?” he asked, reaching out his hand. My hand replied without any conscious effort on my part. “In case you need me, I’ll be close by until the situation has been resolved.” He shifted his angry glare to Mrs. LaMotte a final time before exiting without another word.
I released a breath through pursed lips.
“Be careful with him,” Mrs. LaMotte cautioned. “I don’t like that he’s not committed to a family and how he has planted himself in your life. It’s suspicious.”
“I will, Mrs. LaMotte,” I answered.
She clucked her tongue and shook her head. “I’m afraid it’s already too late. I’ve seen that face before, but this time I refuse to stand on the sidelines.” She lowered her voice and I had to strain to hear the rest. “History will not repeat itself.”
My face must have shown my confusion, but Mrs. LaMotte chose not to elaborate. Instead, she shooed me out of her office before reminding me to get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s meeting.
The entire walk back to my room was full of dread.
I did not want to discuss Kian anymore tonight. All I wanted was a long, hard sleep to reset the hormones in my brain so I could think with a level head tomorrow. Between my long lost grandfather attempting to kidnap me and Kian whisking me away from danger and kissing me senseless in an alley, I was spent.
Luckily, Rebecca was passed out across my bed when I snuck into our room. Without a second thought, I threw myself into her bed and sleep found me as soon as my head landed on the pillow.
Kian was leaning in for another steamy make out session when a scream from across the hallway pulled me from my pleasant dream. Rebecca and I jumped out of bed, scanning our room. The vibrations from my Talent flowed from my center and stretched to fill my body.
“What was that?” Rebecca asked, raking her fingers through her short hair.
“I’m not sure. Wait here and let me go check.” Rebecca nodded and I crept toward the door. My fingers only just brushed the handle when the door flew open.
Two bodies dressed in black from head to toe rushed in. Unlike the men at the party, these were not armed with physical weapons, but I felt their Talent pulsing beneath their skin, pushing to get out. The pull of their Talent was strong and I knew it would be difficult to get away.
Both men were focused on me when I felt the syrupy pull of Rebecca’s Talent flowing from her body.
“Becca. No!” I urged. She ignored my pleas and focused on the man closest to her. While my back was turned, she lowered the neckline of her shirt, allowing her ample cleavage to spill out of her top. She popped out one hip, slowly gliding one of her fingers from her lips, down her neck sensually and stopping at the edge of her shirt.
The attacker focused on Rebecca, and his possessive gaze climbed over her entire body. His breaths became ragged as his lust took over. She had her hooks in him and he was no longer an issue.
“Shit,” the other man hissed, before drawing his arms into a fighting stance. He regarded Rebecca with disdain. “Sirens.”
“Over here, jackass,” I yelled. He shifted his angry glare back to me.
“Come with me, girl, and I won’t hurt you.”
“Leave now and I won’t hurt you,” I mocked. The goon flung himself at me, and years of training kicked in. Without thought, my body moved like a graceful dancer’s. I ducked out of his way and kicked the back of his knee. He cried out before turning around with surprising speed, but nowhere as fast as Kian would have moved. Whatever his Talent, he hadn’t used it yet, even though I felt it pulsing under his skin.
I blocked each punch effortlessly, but the more blows he threw, the more aggravated I became. Being on the defensive wasn’t my style. My eyes skirted for an opening to switch the power dynamic. I was tiring out too fast.
It had been months since I had been to the gym. I was beginning to regret it.
A spark danced between our crossed arms when he jumped out of reach. With my gaze still locked on his, I leaned forward to hold my side to try and catch my breath. Next thing I knew, I was thrown onto my back. His knees pressed into my hips and his hands held mine away from his body. He wasn’t taking any chances with my Talent.
The lines around his eyes crinkled and I knew he was smiling under his ski mask. My favorite part when fighting a new opponent was the moment when I realized that they underestimated me. I kept eye contact with him as my lips curled in icy contempt. His demeanor transformed from triumph to panic as my smirk unnerved him. His grip loosened in response as he searched the room for the cause of my smile.
Before he could process what had happened, we had rolled and I standing crouched for another round. He released a guttural scream as he ran for me, arms outstretched with every intention of using his Talent on me. Electricity danced along his fingertips and I smiled in triumph. I knew exactly how to fight someone with his Talent.
Two steps before his hands would meet with my body, I crouched and slammed into his knees, flipping him over my back. A loud crash sounded as he flew through our window. His screams filled the void of the night before a muffled thump silenced my attacker forever.
I spun around ready to fight some more, but Rebecca was sitting on her bed filing her nails as the second attacker sat at her feet looking up at her with adoration, hands tied behind his back.
“Took you long enough.” She smiled.
“My charms are easier to resist.” I shrugged my shoulders and threw myself down on the bed.
“Move. MOVE! Ladies, get out of the way!” My head lolled to the commotion at the door. My muscles roared in protest at the subtle movement. Throughout the entire fight, I hadn’t noticed the crowd gathering outside our door. Mrs. LaMotte’s panicked face burst through the door, her hand clutched over her heart as her keen eyes explored the room. They darted from the man at Rebecca’s feet to my disheveled appearance to the broken window.
“Is everyone okay?”
I pointed to the window. “Everyone but the guy splattered in the courtyard.” Mrs. LaMotte shifted back and forth on each foot, the movement soothing her nerves as I struggled to sit up. Fatigue weighed heavy and I vowed to start training again. “It looks like my grandfather decided to ignore the law.”
“Yes,” she agreed.
A commotion spread throughout the girls in the hallway and I groaned. There was no way I would be up for another fight tonight.
Madison threw herself into our room with Kian close behind. My mouth formed a perfect O at the unexpected guest, but she ignored me. “Go back to your rooms and lock your doors,” Madison demanded as she slammed the door shut.
Kian’s gaze narrowed to crinkled slits as he took in the room and landed on the man sitting at Rebecca’s feet. He stepped toward him, but Rebecca held up her hand. “Stop! He’s under my trance. Don’t touch him or it will break.”
Madison sat next to me. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
I guffawed. “Maddie. You live two floors down and on the other side of the building. I’m surprised you even heard the commotion.”
She nodded curtly and I turned my focus to K
ian. “Why are you here?”
He rubbed his hand on his neck as his ears turned red. Was Kian embarrassed? I felt the smile spread as I took him in. Kian rocked back and forth on his heels and swung his restless gaze across the room, not focusing on anything in particular.
Yeah. He was embarrassed.
“I.. um.. I never left the property.” His eyes shifted from me to Mrs. LaMotte.
“What?” Mrs. LaMotte’s voice rose as she stepped toward him. He lifted his hands in mock surrender and then spread them out in front of him as if to say, look at this.
“I was right though. They came for her. It’s not safe here!”
Kian was right. My grandfather had in fact broken Caelian laws and invaded an orphanage. My presence at Saint Vincent’s would endanger the lives of the other children. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to leave.
“Where can I go where they won’t find me? I refuse to put anybody else in danger.”
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. I observed each person in the room, as each shook their head in defeat except Kian. He met my gaze with determination. “I think it’s time you had a heart to heart with your norm friends.”
“No. I will not put their lives in any more danger than it already is because they know me. They have no Talents to defend themselves with. How could you suggest I go to them?” His disregard for their safety poured water on the ever-present fire that burned when he was near.
“They’ve been keeping secrets from you, and those secrets could save your life.”
Anger burned in my chest, pulling my Talent into my body in a violent surge. My muscles ached as I forced down each breath in order to suppress my Talent. “How. Dare. You.” I growled. “You don’t know them.”
“The alliance. Your friends are involved with the Human-Caelian Alliance.”
“I know. They have been involved since they found out their brother was Caelian. I’ve been to their parties. It’s where you walked into my life.” My voice rose with each sentence and I clenched my fists, willing my Talent to stay put with each inhalation.
“The Human-Caelian Alliance has two parts. The visible part raises money, protests discrimination, and lobbies the government for law reform. And then there is the underground. A highly organized military operation that hides humans and Caelians who have been targeted by organizations like the Koenig family.” He paused, allowing his revelation to sink in.
Madison spoke up first. “How do you know about the underground alliance?”
“I was offered a position.” Mauve eyes darted before fixing on me. “That is why I was at the party. I was to meet with their group, but I was distracted.” His eyes sparkled as his lips curled into his signature smirk that made my knees go weak.
“No offense, but why would they want you?” Rebecca asked. Her brow was sweating as she struggled to keep the man at her feet in her trance.
Kian turned to Rebecca. In a blink he procured a zip-tie and had the man secured to the bedpost and gagged with one of Rebecca’s dirty t-shirts found on the floor. Rebecca gasped in relief as she sunk down onto her pillow. Her eyes were heavy from the drain on her Talent, but she kept them on Kian. “Well?”
He shrugged and averted his eyes. “I have insider information on both the Human Purist Coalition and the Order of Caelum.”
“You grew up in the Lane family,” Mrs. LaMotte stated. Her penetrating gaze softened as if she understood Kian on a different level.
The Lane family were known for their involvement with the religious group the Order of Caelum. The group was mostly harmless, as they believed the meteorite was sent from God to force the evolution of mankind and bring them to a new state of existence, ultimately bringing mankind closer to God. In the last 20 years, the religion had spread among both norms and Caelians alike.
“I didn’t grow up in an orphanage like most Caelians. I lived with both of my parents until I was ten, and then chose to live with my norm grandmother. My mother is Laura Lane, head of the Lane family council, and my father is the Caelian Liaison of the Order of Caelum. My parents’ religious beliefs are fundamental to their politics. After my grandmother passed away, they offered me a position on the council, but when I expressed my doubt, they kicked me out of the family.” The pain behind his eyes was raw and I could tell he hadn’t dealt with the hurt of his family abandoning him. He closed his eyes and sighed. I decided to change the subject.
“How do you have insider information on the HPC?”
“As you know, HPC is a radical organization whose goal is to eradicate Caelian life on this planet,” Kian answered. His shoulders sagged as if he were carrying a heavy weight. “My first independent job was contracted through a private corporation. I was asked to go deep undercover within the HPC. They believed the organizer of the HPC had stolen corporate secrets to sell in order to generate more income. The HPC are not as organized or financially stable as the families or even the Order of Caelum.”
Kian stopped when he noticed my body shaking as I struggled to control my emotions.
“Are you okay?” Kian asked. He minced his way up to me with his hand outstretched as if I were a rabid dog.
“My Talent is under control, Kian. I’m just angry.” Kian rested his hand on my arm, but I didn’t want to elaborate. A part of me didn’t want him to know about Liam. What if he walked away after he learned that people in my life die?
“Her boyfriend was killed by the HPC.” Madison answered the unasked question and then added, “In front of her.” I flinched as the memory resurfaced, but I refused to let it to take hold. It wasn’t the time to trudge down that path.
“Liam,” Kian whispered as comprehension dawned on his face.
“So you’re telling me that Michael and Lacy are active enough in the HCA underground to hide me from my grandfather?” The group stared at me as I quickly changed the subject. I met their stare with defiance, daring them to bring up Liam again.
“Yes, and judging from his protectiveness last night, I suspect it won’t take much convincing to get Michael to agree.” Kian crossed his arms and schooled his face to show no emotion.
“You’re right, Kian. Michael loves Sadie and he would do anything for her,” Rebecca piped up, smiling sweetly at me. Kian’s eyes bulged for a moment before returning to their indifferent state. She knew what she was doing and I didn’t appreciate it. I didn’t want to insinuate that anything was going on between Michael and me. I opened my mouth to explain, but Madison beat me to it.
“He loves her like a sister.”
“None of this matters,” Mrs. LaMotte angrily interrupted. “We need to figure out a way to get Sadie to the underground before another attack. Next time we cannot be sure of her safety or that of the other students.”
“First we need to contact Michael and find out where to meet,” Kian spoke up. He ran his fingers painfully through his hair and sighed in frustration. “But I don’t know how to get you there without your grandfather knowing. It’s obvious that you are being tracked.”
Voices rose as they tried to come up with a viable plan to get me out of Saint Vincent without the trackers finding me. Instead of adding to the noise, I sent a text to Michael requesting sanctuary with the HCA underground. A part of me was still in denial about the depth of Michael and Lacy’s involvement, but my heart knew it to be true. They were devastated when Liam was murdered and joining the underground to help other Caelians is exactly what they would have done to honor Liam’s memory.
My phone chimed. Michael had returned my text with an address, along with a text that he would personally be waiting for me. They had been expecting me to reach out to them.
I sighed and looked around the room before focusing on the man tied to Rebecca’s bedpost. He blinked owlishly as his mind began to clear from the lure of Rebecca’s Talent and began to study me with piercing scrutiny. When he noticed my attention, his eyes crinkled in amusement. None of the others noticed him as they presented idea after idea. With each suggestion
, he would close his eyes for a moment in concentration. Then he would look at me with smugness, shaking his head as if to tell me that it wouldn’t work.
I had an idea forming in my head and I knew it would work, but something about this man made me want to keep my mouth shut. I kept watching him. Then it hit me.
“He has mind speak. This guy is telling someone everything we say.”
Kian was in front of the man in an instant, and the crunch of his fist meeting the man’s face reverberated throughout the room. Purple blossomed on his cheek at once and blood pooled on the floor beneath his swollen face. I cringed when I saw how his nose was turned in the wrong direction and thought how lucky the man was that he was knocked out cold and didn’t feel the pain. Kian had made sure that the man wouldn’t relay any more of our conversation to whomever was on the receiving end.
The others were in various stages of shock, but none of us were disgusted enough to reprimand Kian. Kian shook out his hand and gave me an apologetic shrug and I understood where he was coming from. I too had hurt someone by letting my emotions go unchecked and allowing my Talent to leak.
I nodded at him and turned to the group. “Now that that is out of the way, I have an idea and I’m positive it will work, but we have to take care while we’re still inside the school. We don’t know if any of the students are sympathetic to the Koenig family.”
Mrs. LaMotte nodded. “There are a few students who have expressed interest in joining the Family Koenig when they are of age.”
“What is your plan?” Kian asked.
“We need to sneak John into my room.”
Chapter 14
“Brilliant!” Madison exclaimed.
I pulled out my phone and began typing, ignoring the glare from Kian. “I’ll text him. He knows how to get in here; it will be like old times.” A smile tugged at my lips when Kian grunted and moved to look out the window.
The Caelian Cycle Boxed Set Page 11