Octavian's Undoing (Sons of Judgment)

by Airicka Phoenix

  The temperature had dropped drastically since they entered the shop. Riley shivered and quickly did up her jacket. She stuffed her hands into her pockets and followed him back towards her section of town.

  “I’m not keeping you from anything, am I?” he asked as they crossed the invisible divide separating the very posh from the not so posh.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m not doing anything today.”

  “Good. I have another task for you.” He ignored her curious glance as they wandered their way back to where her car was parked. “Would you mind putting this in your car until the next time you come in for a night shift when Mom won’t be there? I swear she’s part bloodhound when it comes to gifts.”

  Riley nodded, fishing through her purse for her keys. She unlocked the trunk and stepped back as he set the bag inside. She slammed the trunk closed when he finished.

  “Anything else?”

  “Yes, come with me back to the diner for a moment. I want to show you something.”

  Curious, Riley agreed. “Do you want to take my car? I don’t think I feel safe leaving that dress unattended in the trunk in this area.”

  Octavian gave a small laugh. “I didn’t bring my car.”

  “You walked?” She turned in the direction of home, calculating the distance on foot. “That’s like almost an hour away.”

  He shrugged. “I figured it would help me clear my head and decide what to get. You saved me a headache.”

  Riley laughed. “You’re welcome.” She gestured to her car. “Shall we?”

  With an inclination of his head, he reached around her and jerked the driver’s side door open. He held it open until she’d climbed in and then shut it behind her. Riley had the key in the ignition and was fiddling with the heater knobs when he came around to the passenger’s side and got in. The thing spattered defiantly and shut off entirely.

  “Stupid thing.” She smacked the dashboard. “So temperamental. It only works when it wants to and apparently it doesn’t want to right now.” With a shrug, she put the car into drive and eased out of the parking space. She joined the traffic going southbound. “It’s only a matter of time before the whole thing falls apart like the heap of junk it is.”

  In the seat next to her, Octavian shifted, scuffling around between the chair and door. “Not very safe, is it?” He dug a little deeper. His hip bumped the gearshift, his head the ceiling. “I mean, what if it breaks down in the middle of the road somewhere?”

  Stealing peeks at his awkward movement while trying to watch the road, Riley replied, “I only use it when I need to run into town and… what are you doing?”

  “Trying…” He grunted, rummaging harder. “Trying to find the seat adjuster.”

  Bursting into a fit of giggles at the state of his cramped position, Riley pulled to a stop at a red light and turned to him. Reaching across him, she rested one hand on his thigh and slipped the other between his knees to the bar under his seat and yanked. His seat rolled back with the grind of metal, giving his long legs room to unfold.

  “There.” She straightened, pushing strands of hair out of her eyes.

  It took all of two seconds to realize her careless mistake. The hand resting cozily on his thigh tensed as the heat of his body burned through the material of his jeans, singeing her palm. Her cheeks inflamed, and even as she drew away, the damage had been done. There was no way to unfeel the hard tendons. Even when her fingers were wrapped around the steering wheel once more, she could feel the phantom muscles moving. Her cheeks inflamed and she was thankful the heater wasn’t working as waves of heat washed off her.

  Traffic began moving, saving her from seeing his reaction. It was probably something of disapproval or annoyance; she had, after all, ignored the no-touching rule he seemed so fond of. She didn’t understand it, how a person could dislike human contact. Granted, it wasn’t as though they were together. Aside from a few hot moments, he’d never really indicated that he wanted anything to do with her. For all she knew, it could have all been her imagination. Oh God, what if she was crazy? What if it was all in her head like some psycho stalker who had whole relationships without the object of their obsession knowing about it? Weird things had been happening a lot since she started working at Final Judgment.

  Oh man, oh man, oh man… this was so not good.

  In the parking lot of Final Judgment, Riley pulled into an empty spot, but left the engine running, expecting him to climb out and thank her for the ride.

  “This is it,” she said for lack of anything better. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  One hand on the door handle, Octavian glanced at her. “Trying to get rid of me?”

  Riley started. “What? No, I—”

  He chuckled. “I just need to grab my keys. Then I want to take you somewhere.”

  “Take—”

  Not waiting for her to question his cryptic-ness, he threw himself out of the car and, in two seconds flat, was at her door, yanking it open. Wary, Riley climbed out, stuffing her keys into her pocket.

  “What are you up to?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

  He merely grinned, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Coming?” was all he said as he turned on his heels and started for the doors. Not sure how worried she needed to be, she followed.

  “Where did you go in such a hurry this morning?” Kyaerin glanced up from the clipboard in her hand when Octavian strolled in. Her blue eyes jumped from him to Riley and her smile broadened to delight. “Riley! Isn’t it your day off?”

  Riley shrugged with a small grin. “I can’t keep away.”

  Octavian moved to the kitchen doors. “She’s with me.”

  Kyaerin’s dainty brows drew together in a frown of momentary confusion as she tried to understand the complicatedness of his casual remark. “With… wait, what—”

  But he was already through the doors. Kyaerin dropped her clipboard on the counter next to the register, smiled sheepishly at Riley then followed her son into the kitchen.

  “Awkward,” Riley breathed, wandering aimlessly after the two.

  Gorje wasn’t there, but Reggie glanced up from the preparation table where he was filling the squeeze bottle of mayo with a plastic spoon.

  “Hey,” he said, returning to the task.

  She walked over. “Hey.” She watched him scoop mayo from the large industrial mayo bottle into the smaller one Gorje used by the stove. “That looks like fun.”

  Reggie snickered. “It’s Mom’s way of punishing me.”

  “Yeah? What did you do?”

  He glanced up, his brown eyes twinkling with mischief. “Let’s just say I learned the hard way, that despite the rigorous workout, the freezer is a bad place to take a date.”

  Riley frowned. “Why would you… oh!” Heat washed into her cheeks.

  Reggie grinned and gave her a wink. “I told Mom at least it wasn’t the preparation table…” He gave a long, suffering sigh. “She wasn’t amused.”

  Riley laughed. “No, I don’t imagine she would be.”

  “So now she has me doing demeaning manual labor.” He scooped mayo with the plastic spoon and looked at it with disgust. “I hate mayo.”

  “And did you learn your lesson?” she asked.

  He shook the spoon into the smaller bottle, glanced up and smirked in a way that answered her without words. “So what brings you in on your day off?”

  She leaned a notch or so over to peer around the freezer towards the stairs and the firmly closed door. “Waiting for Octavian. He wants to show me something, but it’s apparently a secret.”

  Brown eyes rose up and fixed on her face. “You’re going out with Octavian?”

  Her cheeks darkened at the implication. “We’re not going out. We’re, you know, going out…” Her nose wrinkled. “That sounded better in my head.”

  His attention became a little too focused, a little too un-Reggie-ish, as he set the spoon down and studied her instead with the look of someone about to deliver
bad news. “Riley—”

  “You’re being careless, Octavian.” Kyaerin’s voice filtered through the closed door a second before it swung open and she marched out, followed closely by Octavian. “This is a dangerous game you’re playing.”

  “It’s not a game,” Octavian retorted sharply. “The marks keep coming back, Mom. It’s only a matter of time before… I can’t… I need to be with her.”

  “And if the Guardians decide to just pop—”

  “I’ll handle them. I’ll keep her safe.”

  Kyaerin looked on the verge of a panic attack as she squared off with her son, her eyes the only color on her ghostly white face. “You can’t go up against the Summit. No one can. If you continue down this path, they won’t just do a cleansing. They’ll kill her.”

  “Mom!” There was a sharp warning note in Reggie’s voice that was swallowed by their argument.

  “What do you want me to do?” Octavian growled, towering considerably over his mother’s petite frame. “I can’t stand it anymore. The pain…” He squeezed his eyes closed, his face a mask of so much pain that Riley felt it like an iron fist in the gut. When his eyes snapped open, they blazed with so much fire that it seemed to radiate like heat waves around him. “She’s mine! Mine, damn it, and I can’t even fucking touch her! I’m done playing their game. Four centuries of servitude is enough.”

  Tears filled Kyaerin’s eyes, making her eyes seem to glow. “I know, baby.” She took his face between her hands. “I know and I am so sorry. If I could change it… if I could take it back, I would. But if you show Riley what you are, you may as well just kill her yourself. It won’t end any other way. Right now, the worse thing they can do is—”

  “It won’t come to that.” He peered down at her, the anger washing into determination. “I won’t let it.”

  Kyaerin opened her mouth to say more, when Reggie rounded the preparation table and stalked into view.

  “Mom!” His growl stilled the very air in the room. It crackled with a fury that snapped like a whip, silencing the pair instantly. They parted, turning to him.

  Reggie didn’t speak, but there was no missing the hard set of his shoulders, the fingers curled at his sides, knuckles bleached white, or the way he seemed to be trembling.

  Concerned, Kyaerin took two steps forward, spotted Riley and froze. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.

  At the look of terror on his mother’s face, Octavian shoved forward, prepared to eliminate whatever threat had materialized amongst them. Then he spotted Riley and he seemed to freeze as well.

  Riley, completely lost in an endless sea of terror and confusion, stared at the three with a building sense of dread as it hit home that they were talking about her, talking about killing her. It was one thing to overhear a mother and son arguing about disliking the girl the boy was attracted to, but this… this was too much. She couldn’t even wrap her head around the insanity of the situation.

  “Riley…” Octavian shifted a step closer.

  She hadn’t realized she’d taken a step back in retreat until she came up against the door. “I need to go.”

  “Riley, wait—” Kyaerin grabbed Octavian’s wrist when he took a larger step after her. “We’re not going to hurt you.” Her tone was firm, but gentle. “Just let us explain, Please?”

  Riley opened her mouth, her refusal balanced on the tip of her tongue when the door behind her jerked, smacking her in the back and sending her staggering forward into the middle of the kitchen as Liam and Gideon stepped into the room. They came to an abrupt halt when they spotted the Mexican standoff taking place on the other side.

  Liam glanced from his wife, the hold she had on their oldest to Reggie standing ramrod straight to one side and then Riley who looked pale enough to faint, and he straightened. “What’s going on?”

  Riley moved. She dashed for the door, weaving past Liam before anyone could stop her. Her palms smacked into the doors. They swung, but she never made it through. Long, toned arms clamped down around her, jerking her back and caging her against a solid chest. Riley screamed, kicking out with her legs and striking the doors as she was dragged back.

  “Let her go!”

  The next second, the body pressed to her back was torn away. At the loss and confusion, Riley staggered. There was a crash, a metallic clang of pots and a thud followed by a groan and Kyaerin shouting Octavian’s name. Riley didn’t pause to see what happened. She was out and running.

  She never made it to the front doors. Five feet from her destination, black smoke rose from nowhere and then Octavian was standing there, blocking her escape.

  Chapter 13

  The floor vanished from beneath her as she skidded trying to stop. She hit the floor on her hip, sending fingers of pain cobwebbing through her body. She cried out from surprise rather than the impact. But she didn’t stay down. She lunged to her feet and grabbed the first object within reach, a chair.

  “One step, pal, just one and I’ll rearrange that pretty face of yours!” she warned, setting it on the floor between her and Octavian like a barricade.

  There was a flicker of something in his eyes, amusement? Maybe pride, but she didn’t care. She was serious. One move and she was going down swinging.

  “Easy, Amazon, I just want to talk,” he said in what was probably meant to be a reassuring tone but only managed to heighten her suspicion.

  From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of movement, of more figures leaving the kitchen to cluster behind the counter, watching the showdown. Her fingers tightened around the back of the chair. She shifted her posture so she had everyone in her sights.

  “I don’t know what the hell is going on or what you people are, but I need you to step away from the doors,” she said slowly.

  “I will, but first I need you to hear me out,” Octavian said. “Just a few minutes, please.”

  Her gaze darted to where his family stood, including Magnus who must have been drawn out by the commotion. Gideon stood there as well, a bright, purple bruise forming on his cheek and a disgruntled glower on his face. The rest appeared agitated, concerned.

  “No one will hurt you, Riley,” Octavian murmured quietly. “I swear to you, I will never let anyone hurt you.”

  There was truth behind his eyes, but there was also a dark glint, a sort of vehement promise that sealed her decision.

  “You have ten minutes,” she said. “But you stay where you are.”

  He inclined his head. “Fair enough.”

  “Can the rest of us move?” Gideon grumbled. “My head hurts thanks to you.”

  “Gideon!” Kyaerin elbowed her son in the side.

  “What?” Gideon snapped. “It’s true. Her boyfriend attacked me for no reason.”

  “You touched my mate,” Octavian answered simply.

  Gideon snorted. “Dude, bros before—”

  “I wouldn’t,” Magnus warned when Octavian leveled his brother with a look that promised a slow and torturous death if he continued. Gideon wisely snapped his mouth shut.

  “You can sit,” Riley interrupted. “Just stay back.”

  “I don’t believe this,” Magnus muttered. “The girl is a hundred pounds soaking wet. I say we—”

  “That isn’t your choice to make,” Liam interjected sharply, settling a gentle hand on Kyaerin’s lower back and guiding her across the room to a chair.

  The brothers followed, the only one not giving Riley a furious scowl was Reggie. He appeared pensive as he sat.

  Riley turned her attention to Octavian. “What are you? What was that stuff about killing me? What do you want? Where were you taking me?”

  Octavian raised a hand to stop her rapid fire of questions. “One at a time.”

  She didn’t even have to think about it. “What are you?”

  His gaze shot to his father, hesitation visible in the tension of his shoulders.

  “It’s up to you,” Liam said evenly. “You’re the one that will have to live with the consequences.”
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  Octavian turned back to Riley, regret shining in his eyes. “If I tell you, you can’t un-know this, Riley. It will put you in danger.”

  “Are you drug dealers?” she ventured. “Human traffickers? Slave traders? Is that why you hired me?” Her hands tightened around the chair back.

  Octavian shook his head. “My parents hired you because you found us.”

  Riley stared, not quite grasping what he was telling her. “Come again?”

  “We’re shielded from the human world,” Kyaerin said. “Humans don’t usually locate us.”