Changeling (Black Petals Book 2)

by Marie, Tarisa

  “Mind over matter,” Aiden tells me gently. “If you need to leave the room, then go.”

  I shake off his hold and gather myself. I was fine until Aiden mentioned Crispen’s soul. What’s my deal? I pull it together and take a deep breath. I keep my distance from the cell.

  “She’s not as used to controlling urges as you,” Aiden vouches for me.

  Mason nods in understanding. “I guess not. I have a few centuries on her.”

  Aiden nods and then looks to Crispen. “Glad to see you’ve calmed down.”

  Crispen rambles off something unintelligible and then his shoulders fall slightly. He looks defeated. “Let me go so I can protect Aria. I’ll leave you alone.”

  Aiden looks at him in disbelief. He doesn’t trust Crispen. “Aria is fine. She can take care of herself. Having you around is only going to get her killed. You risk her life. She doesn’t seem to risk her own. In fact, she doesn’t even seem to want to continue the hunter charade. She just wants to live. You got our brother turned into a demon, got your family to turn away from you. All for what? And why? Is that animalistic hunter instinct that strong in you?”

  Mason doesn’t reply but a muscle flexes in his jaw. Crispen closes his eyes and turns so his back is to us.

  We all wait for him to answer.

  “I didn’t pull apart this family. The demons did. You did. It started before we were even hunters.” Crispen runs a nervous hand through his hair. Should I be down here? Should I be a part of what seems to now be mainly family drama?

  Mason clears his throat. “No, Crispen. It’s true that demons killed our parents, but you can’t blame this on Aiden. He didn’t ask for this any more than we did. He didn’t have an option. He was born a demon. How was he to know that demons would come after him and kill our parents? They were his parents too, maybe not biologically but we both know that Aiden was just as innocent and caring if not more innocent and caring than us when we were kids. He took care of us, helped raise us. He used to read us bedtime stories. Does that really sound like such a monster to you?”

  Crispen hesitates and looks about to answer when Mason speaks again. “I’ve learnt a lot in the few days I’ve been what I am and spent time in hell. First of all, I’ve learnt that hell has a place in the world. It’s needed for the human’s ultimate safety and peace. Second, you don’t have to be a demon to be pure evil. Humans, hunters, and demons alike all have the tendency to be evil. Third, we can’t always choose our paths but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the best out of them. You, Aria, me we’ve lived the last three centuries full of vengeance that could never be satiated. I’m finally completely free of that pull to kill, Crispen, and it feels so good. Becoming hunters made us lose ourselves.”

  Crispen doesn’t seem so sure. “Now you hunger for innocent humans instead of murderous demons. Yeah, makes sense.”

  I can tell Mason is frustrated. “The pull I have now isn’t nearly as strong as the pull I had as a hunter which is probably why I’ve seemed to almost master the art of complete control in only a few days.”

  Aiden and I remain quiet as Crispen and Mason discuss things in depth.

  “What if by becoming the only thing that could eradicate our enemies, we became our own enemies? What if by becoming hunters, we became the monsters we so desperately wanted to kill?” Mason nods to me, or maybe to Aiden I can’t tell. “You never had to let go of Megan. You let her go because you thought she became a monster. When really you were the monster all along. Megan is far, far from a monster. She may be struggling with what she’s become, but so am I, hell, three centuries down the road and so are you still struggling. You lost her because of your prejudices, because of your hatred towards our brother Aiden. You’ve brought your anger and frustration upon yourself.”

  Crispen doesn’t turn to face us. He doesn’t speak either so Mason finishes his speech. “Look, there are a lot of things that you don’t know about this life. Things that I want you to know and understand. I’m still me. When you’re ready to talk, call for me. I need to take a walk before I lose my temper with you.” Mason springs for the door and disappears.

  The three of us stand in the dungeon in silence for a long time before Aiden says, “I don’t even care if you hate me or continue trying to kill me. All I want is for you to man up and apologize to Megan. You meant a lot to her and then one day you put a target on her back and threatened to kill her like some psycho.”

  Crispen almost seems to wince. Have Aiden’s words hurt him? A part of me sure hopes so.

  Aiden wraps his fingers around my forearm and pulls me closer to Crispen. “Turn around and apologize,” Aiden urges Crispen.

  Crispen’s fists clench and he slowly turns to face us, face me. His face gives away nothing. He swallows hard. We make eye contact and something inside of me aches. A part of me wants to punch him right in the nose and another part of me wants to hug him. I’m not sure which part is more prominent.

  He opens his mouth and then closes it again. His guarded expression relaxes slightly and I think I see a bit of regret in his eyes. For a moment, I think I even see a piece of the old Crispen, the Crispen that was my friend. He gathers himself and throws his walls back up. Fine, be like that. I turn to leave, angry. Aiden doesn’t stop me but he also doesn’t follow me. When I get outside of the dungeon, three human maids wander by with carts full of food. I check myself, making sure I’m in control. Terry and Mason stand around the corner having a conversation.

  “Megan, how are you?” Terry asks, breaking conversation with Mason.

  I shrug and sigh. “Tired, but demons don’t sleep,” I answer truthfully.

  Terry’s eyes pull together in confusion. “Well, demons can sleep. They just generally don’t because they don’t need to. It’s possible that you’re not tired and you just feel like you should be. Habit, maybe.”

  Maybe he’s right, but it doesn’t stop me from yawning.

  “Demons sleep sometimes when they’re hurt badly or are starving with nothing to consume. If you feel the need to sleep, it usually means something is wrong, that you’re missing something.”

  Missing something? What could I possibly be missing? He’s probably right about it just being habit. “I’m sure I’m fine. Just a lot going on, you know.”

  Mason grins. “I know. Hey, Megan, do you want to go for a walk with me?”

  “I’m not sure we should. I mean, we shouldn’t go anywhere unsupervised.”

  He shrugs and glances to Terry. “Want to come?” Just as he asks, Aiden emerges from the dungeon looking very pissed off. He relaxes when he sees me.

  “Megan, I’m sorry about Crispen. He’s stubborn. He always has been. He’ll come around eventually,” Aiden apologizes and glances to Terry. “Terry, if I give you an address and send a couple guards with you, do you think you could take Megan there? It’s topside and I just have so much to do.”

  What? I’m heading to Landon and Forrest right now? I thought I had a few days. I thought I needed to gain more control first.

  Terry nods. “Yes, of course, sir.”

  “Take Mason. He should get out and about. I’m sure he’s sick of this place,” Aiden adds, glancing to Mason. Mason beams. “You, Terry, the guards I send, you are to protect Megan with your lives, got it?”

  Both Terry and Mason nod and give their agreement. They have to. Aiden is their master. They can’t deny him. I can’t imagine being stripped of free will like this. Some changelings are treated so very badly by their masters.

  A gruff throat clearing interrupts us and we turn to find its source. Darius Ranchiller and his daughter stand there looking almost lost.

  “Darius, right?” Aiden asks with uncertainty.

  Darius bows as if Aiden is royalty, and, well, I guess he is. “Yes, you are correct. I am here because my master Blayne has been killed, sir. I am in need of a new master.”

  “You are trained as a guard, are you not?” Aiden asks, all business.

  Darius nods and h
is small daughter hugs his leg nervously. It’s clear she doesn’t feel comfortable here.

  “Well, I’m busy for the time being. I’ll reassign you soon, but for now you can work under me. I’m in need of a few guards to accompany Terry, Mason, and Megan topside. Go with them and I’ll throw your name into the pot while you’re gone. You’ll be reassigned before you know it. Hang tight. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Aiden’s tone surprises me. He uses a caring voice, not a harsh, cold one like he normally does around demons who aren’t me, Mason, Landon, Forrest, or Terry. Darius nods respectfully. “And my daughter, sir?”

  “While you are on duty guarding Megan, Megan will tend to her needs,” Aiden decides after a moment, glancing to me to make sure I’m okay with this. I give him a slight nod of my chin. Babysitting might give me a sense of normalcy or at the very least a distraction from everything.

  “Stay with her at the address I give you until I tell you otherwise,” Aiden finishes, digging into his pocket for something. He pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to Terry. It must be the address. “Give me a minute with Megan and then you can be off.”

  Aiden tugs me to the side. “The bars downstairs are not ruby encrusted. There’s a strong possibility that Crispen will manage to escape them. When that happens, I don’t want you anywhere near here. I think if he does escape, he’ll go after you and Mason, so you both need to be gone. I’m sorry. I have so much on my mind that I never thought about this until now.”

  I don’t argue because I can tell that Aiden has far too much on his mind. I don’t envy him. “Alright.” I guess he’s sending us topside because if Crispen does get out, it’s not like he can get out of hell because he doesn’t have pure demon blood to activate the portal. “You could just set him loose back home.”

  Aiden doesn’t debate this. “I told Aria I’d take care of him. I don’t break promises.”

  Again, I don’t argue.

  “I’ll see you in a couple days. I promise,” he grumbles and playfully pushes me against the brick wall. He plants kisses up my neck in a trail leading all the way to my lips and then he places a final kiss on my lips before pulling back. He’s been awfully affectionate today. Not that I mind. It’s just not something I’m entirely used to.

  “The guards are first and foremost loyal to me, but they are also loyal to you since you’re a pure blood. If you need anything, ask them to get it for you. As long as it doesn’t surpass my wishes, then they’ll do it. If you need anything from me, send a guard to tell me. If you want to come back here, I will send you back in a heartbeat and have you by my side constantly where it’s safe. I feel you would rather be in Belize taking a vacation than in hell stuck to my side as I groom through papers and deal with other political crap.”

  I hesitate. “Can’t I just stay and do that anyhow?” I half joke. “I love politics,” I tease. Okay, seriously, who in the world likes politics for real?

  He smiles softly. “I have a lot of work to catch up on, and you’ll only distract me.” He says this in a tone that makes me shiver. He backs away from me further and the lust leaves his eyes, or at least cools down. “Anything you need will be sent where it needs tonight. I’ll make sure of it. Take care.”

  “You too,” I mumble while approaching the waiting guards.

  The trek back to Belize seems longer than I’m sure it actually is. The entire trip it feels as if there is a gaping hole in my stomach. I’m scared, nervous, uncomfortable, and worried. I’m going to be in a house with people—demons—I don’t trust for who knows how long.

  “Look who the cat dragged in,” one of the changeling guards stammers upon our arrival, cocking an eyebrow at Mason. “One of the original hunters is one of us.”

  Terry holds up a hand to silence the man. I know enough to know that Terry scares many of the changelings and maybe even some of the pure bloods. He’s old, wise, and probably capable of more than I can imagine. The demon mocking Mason shuts up and lowers his gaze. “Play nice. Mr. Castile has ordered this boy be treated well. That is an order from Mr. Castile himself.”

  The other changeling guards around nod in understanding and take the order seriously as if it were Aiden himself speaking this order.

  “Thought I heard some commotion,” Landon says, striding out the front door of the house in jeans and a casual t-shirt. “It’s just you, Megan.” He doesn’t even acknowledge any of the guards I’ve brought with me, not even Mason. It’s like they’re not here, that, or like they’re not even people.

  I nod once and stop walking closer. Mason nearly walks right into me from behind.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to return for a few days,” Landon admits.

  I shrug. “Aiden doesn’t want me around Crispen,” I tell him and cross my arms.

  I’m interrupted by Forrest sprinting out the front door with a soccer ball in hand shouting, “Who wants to play?!”

  Landon rolls his eyes at him. “They’re on duty for Aiden. I’m sure they don’t want to play any ball. I’m sure that’s something Aiden has instructed them not to.”

  Terry tilts his head at Landon, taking him in. I wonder what he’s thinking. Then Terry sports a small smile. “I’m sure if we stay alert, all will be fine.”

  A few of the changeling guards perk up and look to Forrest with excitement. They rush after him behind the house. Here I thought the guards were lax at Aiden’s. They’re laxer here.

  Terry seems to see my confusion. He explains, “Mr. Castile is powerful. As the son of Lucian—our leader—he was important and is even more important now that he is leader. There is no such fooling around while protecting something of such high importance.”

  “I guess me, Landon, Forrest, and Maxwell aren’t so important,” I say in a joking tone.

  Terry smiles at me. “Not nearly, but you, Megan, are important to Mr. Castile. That alone means something. You are important.”

  Landon adds, “The changeling way of life you’ve observed being around Aiden isn’t exactly telling of normalcy. He is royalty. The guards on him need to remain professional and worthy at all times. They need to be the best of the best. It is far less likely that someone like myself will be attacked or threatened, especially by more than a couple hunters or fellow demons at a time. I have many guards, more than enough. They switch on and off rotation. They are loyal to me, yes, but they still have their own lives. They aren’t just brainwashed robots.”

  Darius comes up behind me, holding his daughter’s hand. I’m surprised by how quiet she is. “We all have our spare time. In this time, we do as we please. We’re not constantly on extra high alert like Mr. Castile’s guards are. That would be…well, it would be ridiculous. It is a very high privilege to serve our leader directly, but it is also a very large burden. Nearly all guards assigned to him will die shortly after being assigned. They will die with honor and dignity, but they will die.” I see Darius swallow hard and glance down at his young daughter. Is he worried about her safety, or is he worried about what will become of his daughter if he doesn’t make it? I’m not sure.

  “Daddy? When can we go home?” the girl wines, looking to be on the brink of tears. She rubs a hand across her eyes.

  Darius hesitates and then lifts her up into his arms. “We no longer have a home, sweetheart, but we will find one again soon.” He kisses her cheek. A worried expression takes over her and she looks about to cry. “Are you hungry?” he asks her, trying to take her mind off of things clearly.

  She nods hastily and wipes her eyes with the back of her hands. “I want a cheese sandwich.”

  Do changeling children eat human food? Are they like pure blood children in that they need to kill to fully become what they are meant to be? For the longest while, I was unaware that two changelings could even have children, but apparently it’s a very common thing. The girl has striking blue eyes and light blonde hair the flows in the light breeze.

  “Is the kitchen stocked?” Darius asks Landon who nods.

  Land
on waves the little girl over. “Why don’t you come inside and Megan and I will make you something, love.” Landon wears a gentle smile that immediately tells me that he’s good with kids.

  The girl hesitates but her father reluctantly puts her down. She holds back her tears. This surprises me even though I remember once hearing that demon children mature far faster than human children, they have to to live in this world.

  “Come on,” I chide. “Maybe we can make cookies.”

  This seems to brighten her mood. She looks to me like she’s almost confused. She’s probably not used to pure bloods being so kind and gentle with her.

  “Go along with Ms. Caplan. She is a very nice woman. You will love her,” Darius tries to convince the girl, though he, too, looks to me with confusion. He doesn’t understand my behavior either.

  She follows us to the house slowly. I wonder if I’m supposed to be putting on a show and hiding the fact that I’m unlike other demons. Is the elixir I drank supposed to be kept a secret? Does Terry even know about it?

  I help the girl up the steep set of stairs at the front of the house and Landon lifts her up into his arms. “I missed you, love,” he whispers into her ear, causing her to smile. The large front porch of the house is like something off of a movie. I imagine sitting out here at a gathering.

  Landon ruffles the girl’s hair playfully.

  I nearly forgot that Landon has ties to Darius and his daughter due to his father, well, our father. The girls squeals out a laugh as Landon tickles her. “Come on, you and Megan are going to teach me how to make cookies,” he coaxes.

  “You don’t know how?” she asks, eyes widening.

  “Pure bloods don’t make cookies. We have talented changelings like you to do that. Plus, we don’t eat.”

  “You do,” she whispers. “I’ve seen you.”

  Landon smiles warmly. “I do. Some of us do, not many though.”

  She ruffles up his hair with her hands and he laughs. They stare at each other for a moment before she seems to remember me. She looks from me to him.