by Vella Day
“Your grandparents weren’t good people?”
“On the contrary. They were amazing, hard-working people, going about their daily lives. Then the town elders came to them and said they wanted the land my grandparents were living on—land they that owned.”
“That’s terrible. What did they do?”
“They fought back. Apparently, it was ugly.”
“I’ve heard that happens often on Earth. Big cities pop up, and if you don’t do what they want, you lose. Sure, they are willing to buy the land, but some things can’t be bought for money.”
“Wow. I’m glad you understand.”
She nodded. “What was the lie you were told?”
His lips thinned. “I was told my grandparents were mauled to death by some animals. My mom was about ten and had to be raised by other families.”
“I am so sorry. Is she still alive?”
“Yes, but I don’t remember her ever being happy. The death of her parents still traumatizes her.”
“She had you.”
He smiled and drank most of his beer. “She did, but then she became barren. I always thought it was the stress.”
“And your dad?” Tory shouldn’t have probed, but there was something about his story that touched her.
“He hasn’t been in the picture since I was about five.”
That was tragic. “Who are you trying to connect with here?”
“I’m trying to find some long-lost cousins.” He looked away for a moment, but then turned back to her. “Enough about my story. I should be cheering you up.”
She smiled. “I’ll be fine. I just need to figure out my next move, that’s all.”
Finn stopped by and slid the potato skins in front of her. Tory wasn’t in the mood to drown her sorrows anymore. Needing to pay and leave, she reached for her purse. She must not have been paying attention, because she knocked it off the counter. It fell, but before it could hit the floor, she’d actually caught it. “What the—”
Tory lifted the purse onto the counter, reached inside, and handed Finn her card.
“Nice catch,” Kai said.
Tory was equally surprised that she had. She had great reflexes, but they weren’t that fast. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure you’re okay. You seem particularly bothered.”
She forced a smile, because this guy was beginning to get on her nerves. “Like I said, I need time to figure out how to handle my boyfriend.” She wasn’t about to tell Kai that Kenton and she had only known each other for a short while.
With as much energy and cheer as she could muster, Tory ate her skins and polished off her drink. Once she finished, she faced Kai. “I should go. I hope you connect with your family.”
“Thanks. Can I walk you out?”
“I’m good.”
Before he made a big deal of it, she raced to the back, climbed the stairs to the roof and took off.
While Tory enjoyed talking to Kai—at least at first—something regarding the warping of time was happening to her. While she had no proof, she was beginning to think it had something to do with Kenton’s life light that was inside her. Until she could nail down what it was that was different, she’d keep her suspicions to herself.
Tory had just walked into her house when her cell rang, and her stomach instantly tightened. Who would call this late at night? She pulled out her cell from her purse. Oh, no.
“What is it, Mom?” Tory asked.
“It’s your father. He’s taken a turn for the worse.”
That made no sense. “Hold on. I thought you said he was just tired.”
“I thought that too, but even though he’s been sleeping, he isn’t improving.”
“Did you call Greer or Declan?”
“Yes, but they have no idea what is wrong with him.”
Tory wasn’t a healer. For some reason, her mind shot to those five dead people, along with the notion that these Gromleys were out for revenge against the original families who drove them out as well as the Guardians who had helped them. “What can I do?”
“Greer suggested I speak with Logan. I did, and he seems to think this might be an attack by the Gromley demons.”
“Oh, no. I’ll be right over. We’ll figure something out.”
“Hurry, dear.”
Chapter Fifteen
Had it been supremely stupid to enter Wings in his invisible form in order to spy on his mate? Yes, but Kenton had to see for himself what Tory’s state of mind was in. If she went to a bar to drink—alone—then she was upset.
When he spotted that stranger sitting next to her, he nearly lost it. If Finn hadn’t been there to keep an eye on Tory, Kenton might have pretended to stop by to grab a beer. Whether Tory would have bought his excuse was the big question.
Kenton didn’t stay long or get too close to either of them, because he couldn’t be sure if she could sense his presence—invisible or not. If Tory learned he’d been spying on her, the damage to their relationship would have been irreparable.
To make certain she remained safe from any demons, he stayed outside until he saw her take off from the rooftop. For his peace of mind, he teleported to her house and beat her there by several minutes. It was only when she landed and went inside that Kenton breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as he was about to teleport back home, Tory exited and took off again. Where in the realm would she be going at this hour? Either she had some secret rendezvous with the stranger, or something was wrong. In either case, he needed to find out.
While Kenton couldn’t fly, he could watch where she was headed and then teleport to that location. Repeating the process a few times would allow him to follow her. When Tory landed at a large home in an expensive neighborhood, he hid close by. He wasn’t sure who lived in the grand house, but considering its size, it might belong to her parents. Normally, Kenton would be fine knowing that she was visiting her parents, but the late hour concerned him. He somehow doubted she’d be talking about her problems this late at night.
As much as he wanted to cloak himself and teleport inside so he could listen, his moral compass told him to leave, that this was a private matter between Tory and her folks. Even if some relative didn’t live there, it didn’t belong to a demon.
Once or twice in the past when he’d been spying, he’d lost his ability to remain cloaked, and he couldn’t chance that happening again.
The dilemma was that if Tory, or someone she loved was in trouble, and she needed to get ahold of him, she wouldn’t be able to. Who would she call then? He mentally snapped his fingers. Finn. His shift probably hadn’t ended, which made what Kenton had in mind perfect.
If only he had a cell phone, things would be different. He hadn’t been lying when he said the reception in the forest was spotty. It was, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have one when he was in town.
Kenton teleported to the rooftop of Wings. He doubted anyone would question how he’d been able to reach the roof, considering he wasn’t a dragon shifter, but he’d have a smaller chance of being spotted this way.
Inside, Finn was still working. Good. Whatever the emergency at the Sinclair home—assuming that was where Tory was—it wasn’t bad enough for them to need him.
“Hey, Finn,” Kenton said as he slid onto a barstool.
“Kenton! You just missed Tory.”
“That so?” Kenton was glad the man who’d been trying to ingratiate himself into her life wasn’t there.
“What can I get you?”
“A beer.”
Finn smiled. He poured the drink and placed it on the counter in front of Kenton. “Did something happen today between you and Tory? She seemed a bit upset.”
Kenton appreciated that Tory came to a safe place to have a drink. She probably knew Finn’s schedule. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the best place to discuss their problems, but he figured he could be discreet. “I told Tory the truth about the Malpan situation and her little trip to my homeland.”
Finn whistled. “Ah, so that was what had her upset.”
Kenton huffed out a laugh. “Yes. Did she say anything to you?”
“No. Tory is not a complainer. She’ll keep her problems to herself.” Finn’s cell rang. “Hold on. It’s my mate.” He turned his back to the bar. “Hey, can’t sleep? Whoa, slow down. Your dad?” Finn spun around. “As a matter of fact, I do. Kenton is sitting right here. Of course. I can get someone to cover the rest of my shift. No babe, you stay home with Sapphire. I will call you as soon as I know anything. Love you too.” Finn disconnected.
“What is it?” Kenton asked.
Finn looked around. “Apparently, Kaleena’s father is ill. Neither Greer nor Declan were able to heal him. Tory thought you might be able to help.”
It thrilled him that Tory would let him near her father. Maybe all was not lost between them. “I’d be happy to try. Where do they live?” He wasn’t about to admit he might know the location.
“Give me a sec.”
He rushed over to the other bartender and returned quickly. “I’m going with you. It will be easier than drawing a map. Did you drive?”
“No.”
“Mind flying?”
If it meant he could help Tory, he’d do anything. “Not at all.”
They rushed up to the roof where Finn shifted into his dragon form. A second later, Kenton was airborne. If neither Greer nor Declan could heal Tory’s dad, and her dad’s dragon couldn’t help, either the man had been injured in battle or the demon had somehow found out who the Guardians were and come after him. It was possible that four or five hundred years ago, the Guardians hadn’t kept their identity a secret.
Finn landed in the driveway and set Kenton down. At some point, Kenton would have to reveal to Tory’s family his ability to teleport. To be fair to Finn, had Kenton been able to pay more attention, he might have enjoyed the flight a bit more. His thoughts had been solely on Tory and what she was going through right now.
Finn shifted back. “This way,” he said as he jogged up the path to the mansion.
He knocked and an older woman answered. “Moira.” He kissed her on the cheek. “How bad is it?”
She sniffled. “I don’t know. I could tell he hasn’t been himself this week, but Jamison kept telling me he just needed to rest. Today, he passed out, and now his lit dragon scales are fading. It doesn’t look good.”
Kenton’s heart broke for not only Tory, but for her mother and the rest of the family.
Finn spun around. “This is Kenton. He’s the one who saved—”
She held out her hand. “I know who he is. Thank you for saving my daughter.”
“Of course.”
“Jamison is on the living room couch. He still refuses to admit he is seriously ill, but after more than a hundred years, I can tell he’s not right.”
Kenton followed Tory’s mom down a long hallway that opened up to a massive living room. Tory was on her knees in front of the sofa, holding her father’s hand. She looked up and nodded. As much as he wanted to talk to her, now wasn’t the time.
Both Greer and Declan were close by, as was another brother, who he’d not met.
“What can you tell me?” Kenton looked mostly at Tory.
“We don’t know, and Dad insists he’s fine.”
“I’m just tired,” her father said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been run down.”
“The last time you were run down, you’d been in a battle in which a dragon shifter nicked your heart,” Moira said.
Her dad didn’t have a comeback.
Tory shifted her gaze from her dad back to Kenton. “I’m thinking maybe the Gromley demons are responsible.”
“It’s certainly possible. Let me see if I can identify the source, but to be truthful, this is something I usually let my sisters handle. They can do a spell to take care of what might ail him.”
“But you cured Tory,” her mother said.
“Yes, but she had been infected by a dark Fey, not a demon. Before I draw any conclusions though, let me see what the situation is here first.”
Kenton knelt next to Tory and placed one hand on Mr. Sinclair’s chest and the other on his forehead. Kenton closed his eyes and focused on finding the source of the evil. Because he believed it was a demon, he concentrated on the chemical compound the demon used to control the person’s mind, but he detected nothing.
When Tory placed a hand on his shoulder, it was as if their powers united. Kenton moved the palm from Mr. Sinclair’s cheek to his neck, and his other hand from his chest to his hip. The change caused an electric spark to flow through his body, and a signature appeared.
Kenton opened his eyes. “It appears as if Mr. Sinclair was infected by the Gromley demon.”
Tory’s eyes widened. “How? If what you say is true, why didn’t my father cut his own throat?”
Since none of the family members asked about the identity of the demon, Tory must have filled them in—or else some other Guardian had.
Tory’s tone held worry mixed with doubt, which caused a tremendous amount of anguish to build inside him. Kenton had to push that aside. Her father’s health was in jeopardy. Kenton turned to her mom. “Did Logan tell you about these demons?”
“Yes. He warned us, but Jamison swears he didn’t come in contact with anyone.”
“Most people don’t give a second thought when someone bumps into them. If this demon was out to destroy the Sinclairs, he could be cagey. Sir, have you been out and about anytime this week or last?”
“I went to the store with Moira about a week ago. Someone helped us with our groceries, but I didn’t hug him or anything.” He looked upward. “I also went to lunch with a friend the next day.” His brows pinched. “Come to think of it though, when I was walking to a restaurant, someone came out of a side alley and bumped into me. He apologized profusely, and I went on my way. Do you think he could have been a demon? I didn’t sense anything radiating off him.”
“Do you remember what this man looked like?” Kenton asked.
“Good looking, I guess,” her dad said. “Tall, broad shouldered, but he had strange eyes.”
“Strange how?” Tory asked.
“They were like opals. Iridescent almost.”
Tory stilled, and Kenton placed a hand on her shoulder. “What is it? Do you know him?”
Tory dropped back onto her haunches. “I might have met him at the bar tonight.”
“The man you were talking to?” Finn asked.
“Yes.”
Kenton hadn’t sensed this man was a demon, but because Kenton was cloaked, it would have blocked his senses a bit. Not only that, jealousy had been raging through his body.
“Tory, he could have been a demon.”
She shook her head. “He seemed too lost to be one.”
Kenton didn’t see how that eliminated him. “Was he angry?”
“He told me he’d come to town to look for some relatives, but I didn’t get the sense he was out for revenge.”
“What does this all mean?” Mrs. Sinclair asked. “What could a demon do to us?”
Kenton was through with lying. “If this demon touched your husband, I fear he might be in trouble.”
As expected, several of them talked at once. Finally, Kenton had to hold up his hand. “I understand your concern, but I have a plan.”
Tory touched his arm, and he turned to face her. “If this man was a demon, why didn’t he compel my father to kill himself?” she asked.
“Just like those other five victims,” Tory’s mom added.
Kenton couldn’t be sure, but he had a suspicion. “Is it possible the Guardians are immune to suggestion? We Feys are.” He looked at Mr. Sinclair. “You didn’t have any compulsion—”
“To kill myself? No. We have a lot of magic inside us that helps to protect us from stuff like that.”
“Good,” Kenton said. They could discuss the demon later. Right now, Tory’s father needed his help. “I would like to ask my sister
s to help. I believe they have the magic to remove this demonic influence.” He wasn’t sure how else to explain it.
“Do you think if we took a sample of his blood that we would find the same chemical the other victims had inside of them?” Tory asked.
“I suspect the answer is yes.”
“I thought you lived in the middle of the realm,” her dad said. “I’m not sure I’m up for that long of a flight.”
“I’ll ask them to come here.” Kenton closed his eyes and telepathed to Fay. He explained the situation and asked if she and Meena could come right away. If Tally had been on Tarradon, he would have asked her too.
“We’ll be there. I’ll let Meena know,” Fay telepathed back.
“Thank you.”
Kenton opened his eyes and gave them his best smile. “My sisters will be here shortly.” As if they had been doing nothing, they appeared in the living room. Being able to detect where he was located was an added bonus to being related.
All eyes widened. “Yes, we can teleport. May I present Fay and Meena,” Kenton said.
“We met Fay at Birk and Lily’s wedding,” Tory’s mom said. “Thank you for coming. And so fast.”
To her credit, Tory’s mom didn’t comment on their teleporting abilities, but perhaps Fay had teleported to the wedding.
Fay stepped over to Mr. Sinclair and then looked at everyone else. “If you all wouldn’t mind giving us some space?”
“Of course. We’ll be in the kitchen.” Mrs. Sinclair nodded at Tory, Finn, Greer, and Declan to join her. “I’m going to call Stone and Ramsey. They need to be here,” she said as she went toward another room.
Meena looked up at Kenton. “That includes you, brother. We don’t need you hovering.”
“Fine.” He wanted to talk with Tory anyway—or at least find out if she was willing to forgive him for lying to her.
After asking Fay how she planned on healing Tory’s father, he went to the kitchen where the five of them were sitting around a table, radiating worry.
Tory motioned he take a seat next to her, and his libido shot skyward. Given the stressful situation, his reaction was totally inappropriate, but he couldn’t help himself. Kenton did, however, control his desire to comfort her. He wasn’t sure she wanted that at the moment—at least from him.