by Dannika Dark
“She’s one of Hannah’s progeny.” We all simultaneously glanced at Hannah, who was showing her intolerance at the rowdy behavior of some men across the room. “I think he’s finally met his match,” Christian chuckled. “No one beats her. Ever.”
When a man walked by with a tray of food, I snagged his arm and scooped up a handful of green olives. Adam’s expression shifted when I tossed one into my mouth.
“Come with me.” He took my elbow and the olives scattered on the floor.
“So nice meeting you, Sister Christian,” I yelled over my shoulder. Adam hurried me to the back of the house and I stumbled over my shoes as we entered a darkened room.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“What makes you think anything’s wrong?”
He lifted my hand. “Your mood ring is black.”
I snatched it away. “It’s just a ring.”
Adam folded his arms. “The getup?” he said, nodding at my shirt.
“I always preferred acceptance to conformity.”
“Woman, tell me what’s wrong. I know you better than that.”
“What’s right?”
I turned my back and walked to the window, admiring the landscape. It looked like an English countryside with manicured shrubbery and paved walkways.
“I feel useless, that’s what’s wrong. Just when I’m becoming a part of something, I get pushed out of it again. I want the normal things everyone else does, Adam. But I’ll never have my life back until Nero is caught. I don’t have a job and Justus won’t let me in on the investigation. I sit around all day and read. Justus tries to get me to work out, but I don’t even feel like doing that anymore.”
He sighed and groaned all at once. “So not much is new?”
I threw my head back and closed my eyes. “Do you ever wonder where we’d be right now if none of this ever happened?”
“How are things with Logan?”
I whirled around. “That reminds me… I heard through the grapevine that you have a sweetheart.”
Adam massaged the back of his neck with a nervous hand and that’s when I knew it wasn’t a rumor. “Do me a favor and go easy on her.”
Justus used the same tone when he was afraid I would embarrass him. I sagged.
“I’m really happy for you, Adam. I’m not out to sabotage your love life.”
He smiled warmly, eyes still on the floor. “I care for her,” he admitted. “I’ve waited a long time to find someone who looks at me the way she does. Maybe I am starting to believe in fate.”
“Adam?”
We both turned toward the doorway. A silhouette of a lovely woman stepped into view, wearing a ruby-red dress with tiny tassels skimming across her thighs. She was familiar.
“I was looking for you and the wine.” She leaned against the frame and smiled as he approached.
“I’ll get it.” He kissed her on the cheek and briskly left the room, not introducing us on purpose.
“Do I know you?”
“Kind of,” she said with a melodic wave to her voice. “I’m Cheri.”
Cheri was one of the prisoners released from Nero’s compound and the last time I had seen her, she was nothing but a scant of a girl in dirty clothes with tangled blond hair.
Why didn’t it ever occur to me? When Novis took her in, Adam’s nurturing personality would have won her over. I remembered how at ease he made me feel when we first met with his generous eyes and integrity.
“Cheri, of course. It’s great to see you again. Your dress is beautiful.”
“And you look…” Her gaze darted over my body.
“Just between us, I was trying to make a point with someone and lost. I may just go sit in the car for the rest of the night. So, you’re dating Adam?”
“Mmm,” she replied. “Quite the looker, isn’t he?”
Cheri smiled when Adam appeared at her side with a glass of white wine. He stretched his arm over her head and leaned on it while she took a sip.
“They just started bringing out the chow,” he said with a smirk. When he took her arm, Cheri pulled back.
“No, you go ahead. Why don’t you fix me a plate and I’ll meet you in there. I need to take a walk and get some fresh air.” They shared a tender glance and Adam lifted her hand, gently placing a kiss on her knuckles.
“I’ll be waiting,” he said and turned away.
“It was nice to see you again, Cheri.” We smiled at each other as I brushed by. She waved and continued sipping her wine.
“Silver,” a voice barked out. “Making your Ghuardian proud I see.”
Through the opening to the study on my left was Merc—one of the Council members—setting his glass of wine on the white fireplace mantel.
Each time I’d been in his presence, he made it clear that he didn’t like me. There was an unspoken animosity between him and Justus; the glances they exchanged made it obvious they despised one another.
Merc stood there with his stringy light hair and beady little eyes pressed into a gladiator face. The dress shirt he wore looked painted on and the sleeves were rolled up, showing off the thick veins in his arms. This was a man voted least likely to have a political position by his fellow prison inmates.
“What’s not to be proud of?” I challenged.
“Tell me, did the homeless person put up much of a struggle when you robbed them of their attire?” He laughed along with a few curious spectators.
My eyes narrowed into sharp slivers. Council member or no, this man was not about to stand there and publicly insult me.
“You might want to give your parole officer a call before they report you missing.”
A man snickered and Merc invaded my space with a step of his giant black shoe. I was never told the story behind his incarceration, but he didn’t know that.
“You want to cozy up to the Grim Reaper? Your call, you worthless woman,” he said, lowering his voice. His fingers tugged at the ends of my hair. “Perhaps you need to be taught a lesson.”
A thick body wedged between us.
“Merc, keep in mind this is a social affair and we are all invited guests. Do not throw around your position here,” the man warned.
The back of his hair was short, neatly groomed, and a reddish tint with blond highlights. He was spectacularly tall and when I saw Merc’s eyes flinch, I gave him a nice fuck you smile as he backed away and walked off.
“He really is the prick he makes himself out to be,” the deep voice mumbled as he turned around.
His features were mature and rugged with a broad chest and a thick jaw covered with a closely trimmed shadow of a beard. His broad mouth and large golden eyes were Cross trademarks, but he looked Irish. Deep lines were etched high on his cheeks near his eyes—a clear mark of a man who loved to laugh.
“I’m Leo Cross.”
“Logan talks about you all the time. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I stumbled over my words with our unexpected introduction and reached out to shake his hand. It was a clumsy human reaction and I quickly dropped my arm. Leo held a strong presence that made me feel like I was around someone important.
“The pleasure is all mine,” he said with a nod. “Come.” His arm fell around my shoulders and he guided me to a private corner of the room. I folded my arms to hide the obscene writing on my shirt and we faced each other.
“I want to be frank with you, Silver. I’m much older than Logan is and I watched him come up as a boy. He was an impulsive child with a brave heart, but always getting himself tangled up with trouble. When this was still bear country, a grizzly pissed him off something fierce and Logan flipped his switch.” Leo laughed and his eyes sparkled with memories. “Had I not been there, he’d still wear claw marks down his chest. Sometimes he has no sense of what is a danger to him.”
Leo was the kind of man who didn’t look away in conversation and I found the direction of my gaze drifting to his lapels.
“In order to ensure that our line is continued, we only mate with our ow
n kind,” he said. “I think we both know that a Mage and a Chitah mix like oil and water. You two have a number of strikes against you.”
My face cooled when the blood drained from it, and I looked at a piece of lint on his sleeve, feeling just as small.
His fingers lifted my chin. “That being said, I think you two are both equally stubborn and need to come to a decision about your relationship. Logan carries a dark past that has nothing to do with you and yet—everything.”
“I know about his woman and all that he lost. What makes me nervous is how sure he is about us. Look at me. If he saw me tonight he would—”
“Show you off proudly. I don’t want to watch him spiral back to the man he once was. Tell him what he needs to hear before it breaks him—a decision. My brother will court you for as long as it takes, but he’s doubtful where your feelings lie. That doubt is eating him alive. Any other male it wouldn’t matter, but this is Logan.”
Leo was afraid that his little brother would revert to the cold-hearted killer he once was.
Elegant cocktail dresses and suits swirled about the room and I realized how poorly I had played my hand.
“I appreciate your concern Leo, but it’s complicated. Don’t put my back against the wall and force me to rush a decision I’m not ready to make. You know how unfair that would be for both of us. There’s no time limit on courtship.”
Leo sighed and touched my shoulder. “You should also know that the Gathering is coming.”
“I know. I told him to go.”
“This is what bothers me. You don’t seem to understand the risk in holding him at arm’s length.”
“What risk? Logan finding his soul mate? Who am I to deny him what Chitahs so fiercely believe in?”
Leo slid his hands in his pockets. “If Logan goes in his condition, he’s likely to make a poor choice. Can you live with that?”
“What condition? He seems fine to me.” I huffed out an irritated sigh. “And what choice? I’m not going with him so he can pick out a wife.”
“He’s a man who doesn’t know where his female stands; that is a condition. You are putting him in a position where potential mates who have waited for their chance will do everything within their power to win his affection. Had he not been damaged, I wouldn’t be as concerned. A long courtship gives us the opportunity to show what we have to offer. I’m afraid it’s not your fault as you are a Mage and do not know the customs of how a female behaves in such situations. You continue to send mixed messages by pushing him away, and I’m only looking out for his best interest.”
I knew he could scent my anger, jealousy, and confusion. His nostrils flared.
“He’s been a solitary man for many years,” Leo said. “After his mate’s death, he was inconsolable. You brought him back to us, Silver. Men don’t always make sound decisions when they’re not sure if their love is reciprocated. I won’t lie and tell you that it will be an easy road if you accept Logan. He’s not the man he once was, and the pairing would be subject to public ridicule. You’ll be on the receiving end of a lot of unkind words.” Leo widened his stance and cupped his hands together. “I know you care for him. If he’s going to settle, let him settle for you.”
Leo tipped his head and walked away.
It felt like someone cut the rope to my anchor and kicked me out to sea. I stared blankly at a painting of a cherub angel as my chest weighted down like a bag of concrete. I didn’t want to be the woman that any man settled for.
Suddenly… chaos.
Two armed men stormed through the front door and opened fire. My eyes widened in horror and a vase beside my head exploded from a bullet. Screams tore through the house and bodies fell from the automatic gunfire. The spray of bullets pierced the walls, shattered lamps and glass fixtures, and left a spray of blood across the floor from the crumpled bodies. Those who could flash out of the way did, but few could outrun bullets.
I dove into a hallway as a man fell at my feet with blood pouring out from a hole in his eye. Particles of debris filled the air along with the stuffing from furniture. Trays of food littered the floor with broken champagne bottles, and the air crackled with gunfire and shouts.
My back flattened against the wall. Most immortals required time or energy to heal, which is why no one immediately got up. I didn’t even know if the man with a bullet in the head could get up.
The men stood with their backs together as they continued firing off more rounds. I flinched when gunshots erupted from all over the house. My heart was a hummingbird caught in my chest.
“Ladies and gentleman, we apologize for our late arrival, but we didn’t seem to receive an invitation! Not very gracious of you.” Laughter pealed out and the gunman fired off another round. “Nero sends his regards but is unable to attend due to other engagements. He wishes for us to give you his—”
I stood up, threw my arms forward, and pulled the guns from their hands using my gift. They skidded across the floor and I flashed toward the assassins before they could react. A redhead with fierce eyes rushed at them from the other direction and drove a dagger into the back of one man. He dropped like a deadweight.
Strength didn’t take the other man down, the momentum of my body slamming into his did. The young woman pulled a dagger from a holster beneath her long dress and plunged it into his chest without batting an eye.
“I’ve got this under control,” she said coolly. One of the pins popped out of her hair, unraveling a lock of pale ginger against her green dress. I stood up, admiring her bravery. She was the kind of woman Justus would have wanted in a Learner. Fearless.
Justus ran into an adjacent room and several men scattered throughout the house. Novis was not among the bodies, thank God. Sporadic gunfire sounded as the attack came from all sides and two men dashed up a flight of stairs.
I was shaking like a tree in a typhoon.
“Help me, please!” a voice cried out.
Behind a decorative glass wall, Adam knelt beside a lady in a bloodstained dress. As a Healer, his gift allowed him to heal any Breed—although I’m not sure what his limitations were.
I stumbled over a woman who was clutching her leg.
“Hold onto my neck,” I said, helping her up and taking her to the back of the house. My heart pounded, but adrenaline took over and I went on autopilot, carrying out one wounded victim after another.
Three men lined up the bodies out of sight behind the topiaries. The chaos was inside the house and victims were finding themselves trapped in the inner rooms. The only safe place to go was outside. It was a horrendous display of carnage.
I was running through the hallway to the front of the house when a spray of gunfire erupted. A man was poking his gun into each room and shooting down those who were hiding. He shot everyone in the head who charged at him.
There was no time to wait. I threw my hands forward to pull the gun, but it never came. Meaning—he wasn’t a Mage. I could only pull certain metals recently touched by a Mage. He glanced at his watch and ran out of sight.
Then it grew eerily silent.
The front door crashed in and an engine roared as a vehicle skidded to a stop in the main room, pinning a body beneath a tire.
It was pandemonium. People crawled over pieces of debris and I thought I saw Merc flash into the room. Someone coughed, a few voices shouted out, and then it happened.
An explosion.
Chapter 4
I shouldn’t have survived, but I did. The floor in the hallway looked like a war zone as pieces of a collapsed wall covered the white floor. When I coughed and looked at my palm, a slick film covered my skin and shimmered on my clothes like the wet trails that slugs leave behind.
“Ghuardian?” I coughed into my hand. “Simon?”
The cries that surfaced were horrifying, but it was the quiet moans that made my hands shake.
“Silver!” Simon called out. “Cover up your wounds!”
I stumbled through the dim hallway, stepping over chunks of mor
tar. “Simon, where are you?”
He caught my wrist and I looked up.
“Are you injured?” His panicked voice made my heart kick up a beat. “There was liquid fire in the truck and if it gets on any of your wounds then the injury will be permanent. I don’t know how they managed to get it in an aerosol form. It’s a stubborn substance, its properties not easily changed. It’s airborne.”
That scared the hell out of me and I looked myself over. “I think I’m okay. Where’s Justus?”
My eyes widened in horror when I saw a woman with her face half gone lying in the main room.
“They won’t heal. Liquid fire will seal mortal injuries.” Simon grimaced and shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it over the dead woman’s face. “Sodding bastards!”
In a connecting room, the woman who helped take down the two gunmen was crouched on her knees. Blood trickled from her ears and she appeared disoriented. A tall Chitah was dragging an overweight man out of what used to be the front door.
Amid the chaos, Adam stood up and took a few shaky steps before he knelt in front of a body missing a leg. In vain, he tried to heal the dead man.
I shuddered when I noticed the gashes on his face and the blood on his arms and shirt. He wiped his brow and I remembered him standing behind the glass wall. That damn glass wall! I sprang forward, tripping over a chunk of concrete in my flimsy shoes.
“Adam! It’s too dangerous in here. The air isn’t safe! You need to get outside and—”
“I can’t leave them. They need help,” he said in a disconnected voice, grimacing from his own pain. He lifted the man in his arms and disappeared through the rear of the house.
“Search the room,” Simon yelled out. “Justus was headed this way looking for Novis before the explosion.”
My tangled hair clung to my face and I tried to avoid looking at the carnage.
“Ghuardian!” I shouted in a raspy voice. “Please call out!”
I crawled over piles of broken furniture near the vehicle; it didn’t appear the intent was to blow up the building as Nero could afford enough explosives to complete the job. He rigged this bomb to leave people injured. Permanently.