by Eden Ashley
“That’s not funny.” She felt her temper start to flare, but his goofy grin disarmed it. She blew out a frustrated sigh. “I know what I saw. And it was Warren changing from a wolf to a boy before I passed out.”
“Trust me.” York’s restrained laughter made Kali wonder what joke she was missing. “He’s not a werewolf. And I certainly ain’t the Easter bunny.”
She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t say Rhane wasn’t Dracula.”
York leaned forward. “You know,” he said in a conspiring whisper, “he’d probably look good in a cape.”
Chapter 52
Piled high with the finest assortment of fresh garden vegetables, the pizza was a mouth-watering sight. Kali’s stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard two booths over. Grabbing the biggest slice, she took a savage bite. She hadn’t realized she was so hungry. York watched her without as much as batting an eye. “What?” she asked.
“I was wondering if I might need to order my own.” He looked at the pan pointedly.
Following his gaze, she gasped. Half of the pizza was gone. “Holy cow.”
“Cow, yes. But I wouldn’t call you holy.”
Though ready to smack him, Kali was beginning to understand York’s humor. She thought back to the desert and the tunnels. “You do that for him too,” she blurted.
His easy smile faded, replaced by a look she couldn’t read. “In the many years I’ve known Rhane, we’ve been in some tight spots, came out without a scratch when we should have died. I’ve seen him shoulder a lot of heavy stuff solo. And never once has he cracked under the pressure. It scares the crap outta me that one day he might.”
Kali surprised herself by grabbing his hand. “Thank you.”
He seemed genuinely confused. “For what?”
“For being such a good friend to him.”
“I remember you too, you know.” York’s smile returned as he squeezed her hand. “You are different. But you are the same, Kalista.”
Before she could pelt him with questions to find out what exactly that meant, his phone buzzed from somewhere beneath the table. He fished through his pockets and found it. The tiny cell disappeared in his giant palm like a magic trick. “York,” he answered.
He sat back suddenly, recoiling his hand from Kali’s as if a serpent had bitten it. Facing the window, he waved sheepishly at someone outside. The mysterious caller did all of the talking. York listened, head down and eyes narrowed in concentration. Kali shoved leftover toppings around her plate, feigning interest in everything except his conversation. She didn’t miss it when he glanced up with a combination of surprise and anger. The expression was gone just as quickly.
“Alright, got it.” He shut the phone and reached for the remaining half of the pizza. Rolling it like a sandwich wrap, he took a huge bite and stood from the table. “Stay put, kiddo. I’m going to get the check.”
#
Bailen was nested as comfortably as possible in the backseat, on top of a rather expensive sport coat. It was a generous sacrifice in the canine’s behalf. No amount of dry cleaning could salvage the material from the layers of blood, fur, and mud that now covered it. In a few days, Bailen would be fine. As for the big picture, well…things had gotten a lot worse. If Reapers had found a way to this continent, Gabriel couldn’t be far behind. He may even already be here.
Rhane didn’t understand why Builders had released Gabriel after centuries of entombment. And then the creature immediately targeted Kalista and The Siren’s Heart. There had to be more to it than revenge.
And champion for what? The Builder had held back so much.
Rhane parked the truck and massaged his temples in a circular motion. The headache had gotten worse since leaving Wesley’s office. He rested his throbbing head on the steering wheel. My skull is going to explode. Might feel better after.
He lifted his eyes, squinting into the glare of The Fat Italian’s neon sign, and spotted York. He was grinning like an idiot, holding Kali’s hand. Rhane plucked out his cell and jabbed the first speed dial. After rings one and two, he was impatient. By the fourth, his jaw clenched. York finally answered.
“The pizza here must be magical to have a man risk losing an arm.” On a better day, the big guy’s stunned reaction would have made him laugh. But tonight was not a better day, and Rhane was feeling too much pressure. “Bailen will be fine, but he’s banged up. I need you to take care of something. Leave the table. Call back when you’re out of earshot.”
He watched as York got up with the rest of the pizza and called a few moments later. Straightaway, he asked, “What happened?”
“There were seven of them. They set a trap, a good one. They were herding Kalista, and Bailen ran into the ambush. I need bodies to disappear, York. Three dead Reapers are barely hidden close by the walking trail. The rest are further up. Just follow the smell.”
“Did you harness your skin?”
“No. I can’t.”
“You should have let me help.”
Rhane pressed the phone tightly against one ear, and pushed his head from the opposite direction with the other hand. He vaguely wondered if, once his skull ruptured, the grey matter would match the leather interior of the truck. “I needed you to take care of Kalista, to get her to safety.”
“OK.” York took a second to finish off the pizza. “Do you want to take her now? I’ll go and handle business in the park.”
He glanced at the mirror. “I don’t think she should see Bailen like this.”
“You’re right. She feels bad about what happened tonight. Seeing Bailen will probably make it worse. But Rhane…she needs to know what’s going on.”
He sighed, wondering what York had already told her. “Get Kalista to Hunter’s Valley. I’ll be waiting.”
Thirty seconds didn’t pass before the phone rang again. Rhane was already speeding towards the manor. “Yeah,” he answered.
It was Rion. “People think they erase stuff from computers. But it’s never really gone.” The boy’s excitement buzzed through the receiver. “You might not like what you find there, but I’ve got an address.”
“Tell me everything.”
#
York barreled through the dark countryside, reaching Hunter’s Valley in record time. Only after turning into the long gravel driveway of Holsenbeck Hall did he reduce the speed to within rational limits. Parking almost on the front step, he threw open the driver’s door and was out of the truck before Kali could move. She didn’t have time to protest as he plucked her from the cab. Setting her gently on the ground, he nudged her toward the front door and followed.
There was no need to knock. Rhane seemed to simply appear. As always, he was rocking a black polo and denim jeans in his casual style of sex appeal. Kali took a moment to appreciate every part of him that filled the doorway. Then his arms encircled her and drew her body close. She breathed in his scent: woodsy pine mixed with a recent shower.
He sighed softly. Then it was as if her feet floated across the threshold as he nearly lifted her into the house. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Kali noted the revving engine of York’s departure.
Rhane cupped her face with his palms. His green eyes were full of emotion. “I can’t let you out of my sight for two seconds.”
Reaching up on tiptoe, Kali kissed him on the cheek and let her lips linger. “I’m sorry.”
His eyes said everything he didn’t, mesmerizing her as they glowed from within. Remembering to breathe became an impossible task. Inhale, wait…exhale, she instructed herself mentally. The amount of heat between them was insane. The air rippled with tension. She wanted him so badly. Forget this stupid age difference and kiss me for crying out loud.
Sadly, Rhane was not a mind reader. He squeezed her hand. “Don’t apologize.”
Disappointed. Kali tried not to roll her eyes or close them in longing when he pulled away.
“How was the pizza?”
“Right…pizza,” she rep
eated woodenly. “It was fabulous.”
“I hope York was on his best behavior tonight. He can be a little off color sometimes.”
Kali shrugged. “He’s really nice. I like him.”
“Good.” Rhane tugged her towards the stairs. “There’s a bottle of aspirin upstairs with my name on it. You’re staying here tonight, but I advise you to keep your hands to yourself.” He flashed a teasing grin, showing off the singular dimple that appeared only when he really smiled.
She couldn’t help smiling back. “Okay.”
Rhane took her to the third level, easily navigating in total darkness. His guidance didn’t keep Kali from stepping on his heels. But he didn’t complain. When they reached the master bedroom, he stopped without notice, and she plowed right into his back.
“Have you always been this clumsy?”
“Maybe you can see in the dark, but we mortals can’t,” she grumbled. “Ever heard of those things called flashlights? They’re pretty common.”
“As you wish.” He released her hand. A few seconds later, soft light brightened the room.
“This is new.” She surveyed the ceiling’s receded fixtures.
“I thought you might like it.”
Rhane stripped away his shirt, revealing rippled abs and tanned flesh in all their glory. It was torture. Eyeing him like a lion would a hunk of dead zebra, Kali let her thoughts devour him, doing shameful things to his body in her mind.
He sat at the edge of the bed, watching her as he pulled off his shoes and socks. “If I could read your mind, I’d probably be blushing right now.”
“You might as well have taken a diabetic into the candy store,” she said with growing contempt. “Even your feet turn me on. How is that possible? When are you going to get over this age thing?”
He rolled his gaze upward as if pretending to think about it. “Probably around the time you become legal.”
“Fine,” she said. Two can play this game. “Do you have a shirt I can borrow? I’ve been sweating in this getup and I don’t want to sleep in it.” When Rhane turned away to find one, Kali quickly stripped. She tossed her running shorts at him as soon as he faced her again. The spandex cotton blend smacked him square in his perfectly muscled chest. “Thanks,” she said and took the shirt from his hand.
A black sports bra and matching low rider bikini bottoms wasn’t her most seductive getup, but it did the trick. Rhane seemed to be at a loss. He cleared his throat. “No problem.”
She let the shirt he handed her slip to the floor. Reaching up, she undid the clasp of her bra and tugged the undergarment free. She bent deliberately to retrieve the shirt, stretching fully as she pulled it overhead. Rhane’s eyes darkened. No longer green, but black in appearance. They burned into her skin, warming everywhere they touched.
He shook his head. His eyes cleared, returning to their striking original color. “Point taken. Now come to bed.”
Feeling only somewhat avenged, Kali sauntered over and slid beneath the soft sheets. She was careful to leave a space between them, but Rhane rolled to his side and pulled her closer. “I won’t mind if you’re the death of me,” he whispered, brushing his lips against her ear. She shivered. And after Rhane’s breathing had fallen into the rhythm of deep slumber, she too slept.
Chapter 53
Late in the night, Kali awoke and realized Rhane was gone. His warmth still lingered on the sheets. Part of her wanted to stay in bed and sleep. The other half was dominated by a curiosity that dragged her in the opposite direction. Sleep won out until she remembered Rhane hadn’t been feeling well earlier. She had to make sure he was okay.
Her feet touched the floor and kicked something hard, sending it clattering across the hardwoods. Kali fumbled until she found the dial for the lights. The object was an empty pill bottle. The label indicated painkillers, prescribed to Wilfred Harvey. Tossing it aside, she went down the dark hall. Passing door after door, she wondered if she should have already reached the stairwell. Next to a small closet, she heard Rhane. His voice called softly from within. Her worry became confusion. Kali pressed her ear to the door and listened.
“Kalista.”
Her fingers trembled as she reached for the knob. The closet creaked open.
Only a couple of brooms and a few cleaning supplies occupied the tiny space. Kali started to shut the closet but stopped when she heard Rhane’s voice again. Feeling like she had awoken into some sort of spy movie, Kali groped around the seal of the door and was surprised when she heard the faint click of a hidden lever. The back wall of the closet slid open to reveal a very dark, very narrow passageway. She stepped inside without hesitating, inexplicably pleading for the darkness to remain. Torches lined the walls but did not light as she edged deeper into the tunnel.
Kali soon realized she didn’t need the light anymore. Borders of shapes and objects stood out clearly, contrasting starkly in a dozen or so hues of grey and black. She spied a stairwell that extended down to another level and descended it quietly. She heard Rhane again. And his voice joined by several others. York and Warren, she recognized easily. The other two she had never heard before. They seemed to be in the middle of some kind of meeting.
“What’s the status of that college kid?” Rhane asked.
A gentle voice replied, “We have not found him.”
Rhane didn’t sound happy. “It’s been a week.”
“Tracking him was weird,” Warren explained. “Whatever happened didn’t leave much of a trail to follow.”
“I called War away from the search to catch the flight to China. Orrin couldn’t cover as much ground without him,” York added.
“Right.” Rhane sounded less annoyed. “Gabriel is going to make another play for Kalista soon. Next time, he’ll lead the charge.”
“What are your orders?”
“Stop the search. I need every one of you here tomorrow. I can’t be here…at least not initially. Rion may have found River. I need to go see whose side he’s on.”
“Let one of us come with you,” York said.
“No. I’m going alone.” His tone left no room for further objection. “Rion, look after Bailen for me.”
“Sure thing.”
“Everyone else, eyes on Kalista. I’ll return by nightfall.”
After all voiced their agreement, Rhane dismissed them but asked York to hang back. Kali crouched lower into the shadows, afraid someone might exit through the stairwell that was currently her hiding place. But no one did. She exhaled softly. Rhane was talking again.
“I spoke to one of them.”
“Who was it?” York asked.
“Someone close to her…” Rhane’s voice trailed off. A lengthy pause followed. Kali hadn’t made any noise to betray her position but took Rhane’s silence as her cue for a speedy exit. Up the stairs and back through the passageway she ran, listening for any sound of being followed. She stopped at the doorway, heard nothing, and eased the closet door shut.
She was tucked safely back in Rhane’s bed, but her mind raced with questions. Too many secrets were piling up. It wasn’t long until Rhane returned. Kali really didn’t know him. And it’d been foolish to think otherwise. She pretended to be asleep.
Stupid. Stupid girl. Why did I trust him? He’s a stranger.
Kali felt his eyes on her face. “I have to go someplace in the morning. But I’ll be back as soon as I can. Promise me you’ll stay close to the manor.”
She thought of Gabriel and the Reapers, remembered the way Mack and Shannon had been so willing to barter her life for a stupid artifact, and questioned if Wesley played a role in any of it. She recalled Tsai’s warning and wondered why both he and the vision in the mirror had called her Darkesong. Most of all, she remembered it was only a week ago that she had met Rhane in a darkened theater. Everything had started then. Kali was certain the answers started with him too. And if he wouldn’t tell her, she would have to find them on her own.
“I need a
nswers, Rhane.”
“Please trust me a little longer.” He kissed her hair. “I will tell you everything soon.”
She sighed but said nothing else. After what seemed like forever, he settled back into his side of the bed.
#
It was barely daylight, but Rhane had already gone. A change of her clothes were folded at the foot of the bed. Kali wasn’t sure how or when he managed to break into her house to retrieve them, but she was grateful. There was even a toothbrush.
She showered and dressed as fast as possible. The mission of the day was answers. Kali was going to find them no matter what. She was at the front door before it dawned on her that she was forty miles from town without transportation. Then she saw a set of keys hanging by the front door and the navy blue pickup parked outside. Kali grabbed the keys and dashed down the drive. A huge figure appeared out of nowhere. Hitting him midstride, it felt like she had crashed into a wall. The impact threw her with such force; she would have landed squarely on her butt if not for the swift hands that grabbed her. Once steadied, she turned to confront the roadblock and gasped.
It was War. Only it wasn’t. This guy was taller and more muscled. His hair wasn’t red. It was black. But the same brown eyes, the same face stared back at her.
“Who the heck are you?”
He dipped his head as if bowing to a proper lady. “I am Orrin.”
“Okay. Orrin, get out of my way.”
“It was not my intent to make you fall. I apologize.” The soft voice belied his rugged appearance and added to the sincerity of the apology.
Kali glared at him skeptically. She had heard his orders last night. “I’m leaving. I dare you to try and stop me.”
“I assure you that I will not.”
“Alrighty then.” She moved to go around him, but Orrin immediately began to follow. Kali spun around. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“You do.”
“No.” She bit the words out. “I don’t.”
“You do.” He smiled. It wasn’t an all out idiotic grin like York’s. Orrin’s smile was gentle like his voice. And it was surrounded with an air of easy confidence that reminded her of Rhane.
Kali folded her arms. She knew she was giving the wrong guy a hard time, but Rhane wasn’t around to take her frustrations out on. “Fine. I don’t want a babysitter. Tell the guy who you’re for some reason taking orders from that I told you to leave me alone.”