Set In Sparks (Morningstars Book 2)

by Destiny, Sam

  It was then that Maya realized Jaden was just worried. His stomach was in knots and he was hurting for her. She walked over, making him release the officer before jumping into the twin’s arms. He pressed her against him, holding her close while she felt his body shake.

  “I thought it was over. I was sure you wouldn't come back. I was so ... I was feeling so much, I couldn't get a hang on your feelings. I was so worried,” he mumbled against her neck and she held onto him, kissing his forehead, his cheek, his shoulder.

  “I'm sorry,” she whispered. She knew she had been stupid, but somehow her heart needed the last confirmation that her father was no longer. Kaden came over and Maya reached out to cup his cheek. He kissed her palm, his face troubled.

  “Maybe for once I'm glad I didn't know what you felt,” he mumbled and Maya bit her lip. She never had intended to make them worry so much, but obviously she was simply a female after all. She had been naïve enough to think that they wouldn’t realize she was gone. She had been stupid enough to think it would only take a few minutes.

  “I'm not gonna do it again,” she promised, feeling how Jaden squeezed her just that bit tighter.

  Nox couldn’t remember ever having been this furious in his life. He had been so close to getting exactly what he wanted: Destra dead and Maya within his reach. Instead, the Queen had gotten away again, probably hating him more than ever.

  As much as he tried, he couldn't explain where the sudden fog had come from. That was what bothered him most, because it was the only reason Maya had been able to leave. Otherwise, the damn officer would probably be hurt and Maya by Nox's side. He'd take her to her father and she'd love him forever and then some.

  There was something else occupying his mind since having met Jaden before the storm the night before. He said that Maya now had mates, as in 'more than one'. How many people exactly where allowed to touch his precious female? Almost shaking with anger, he punched a wall.

  “What happened out there? I couldn't move! And I know it was you!” He wasn't worried about Destra since the female didn't dare to touch him. At least that was what he thought until he found himself up against the wooden door of her bedroom, his feet no longer touching the ground while her nails dug into the skin around his throat, making the warm blood run down his neck.

  “Let me down,” he snapped, trying to pry apart the hands that were taking away all the air to breathe.

  “Not until you tell me what you did and why you did it,” she threatened and he raised a brow.

  “I can do it again,” he promised, knowing it wouldn't scare her because if she now stopped moving, he wouldn't survive.

  “I'm not scared. The moment you are dead whatever spell you put on me will lift. I don't need you in my life! I don't need anyone. And I was very good at making my own plans to take Maya down! She needs to die. We could’ve had exactly that today, but instead you let her walk away!” She squeezed tighter and black spots entered his vision.

  “Kill me then.” She wouldn't and they both knew it, that was, if her sanity stayed long enough with them. It was crazy how he saw that entity almost like a real person, something following her around most of the time.

  For a split second, he was sure it was over, then she leaned in and licked the blood running from his wounds.

  “Powerful,” she gasped and he gritted his teeth. It wasn't something she had done so far, but it was something that would make her realize he had been lying to her even more than he thought. Her hiss followed almost instantly after the surprise and she dropped him to the floor. He scrambled to his feet, ready to come up with whatever lie would calm her down.

  “Fate is cruel,” she sobbed, suddenly falling to the floor, crying. That woman had more mood swings than a bird had feathers. “First they took my mate, meaning I should be free to drink from whoever I wish, yet now I don't even have a chance to survive because I can't take anyone else's blood! I’m no longer mated! Tymon is … dead. What did I do to deserve that cruel twist of fate?” She lifted her eyes towards the heaven hidden behind the white stucco ceiling. “You think you need to punish me for being alive as long as I have been, and not walking around a monster?” she wondered out loud, clearly expecting someone to listen. It was then and there that he realized insane partners in crime were the best to have.

  It was his luck, too, that she provided her own answer. If she would’ve been in her right frame of mind, Nox surely could have counted the seconds until taking his last breath. As it was, now there was nothing for him to worry about but getting to Maya.

  “So, that Masquerade you talked about a while back…” Destra looked up from where she knelt on the floor, making him grin. She still was onboard with whatever he’d plan and Nox wouldn’t lie, it was exactly what he’d need so he could prove a point. Maya may have been too weak to kill Destra, but he wouldn’t hesitate if it meant Maya would stop looking at him with devastation and disgust.

  Kaden couldn’t help but watch Maya. Across the room he could see his twin doing the same and it almost made him smile. Jaden’s luck was that he’d feel it the moment she’d move somewhere he didn’t want her to be. Kaden didn’t have that luxury. He needed to rely on visuals in order to not go crazy.

  “Kady, hey,” Cia said, coming in with the little girl they had found the night before, cuddling the little vampire close. “Estell, that’s my friend Kaden.” The blonde child turned her head, watching him with a calculative expression.

  “Hey Estell. Hey, Cia. I’m glad your parents were so willing to help. They have found so many volunteers, it’s crazy,” Kaden mumbled, focusing back on going through the pile of clothing some of the volunteers had brought in. The house was buzzing with action and it actually made him feel confident. Catastrophes were terrible for humans, even the ones they had among them, but for vampires it was just another rocky part of the road. They had seen plagues and wars, peace and friendship, and had lost hope and gained it again. It was life’s cycle and they had been through it all. If he looked around now, Kaden thought this could be a chance for Maya.

  After all, she had proved to be generous and sweet.

  “You didn’t get any sleep, did you?” Cia asked, reaching out to touch his face. He had enjoyed her touch at some point, but now it felt all wrong to him. Without being obvious about it, he moved away from Cia enough so he was out of her reach, bending to inspect some shoes he had already checked.

  “It’s hard for us to sleep if Maya almost drops from exhaustion and yet insists on staying on her feet. I’m hoping that when morning comes, things will have settled down a little and she will find some rest.”

  “No rest for the wicked,” Cia murmured and Kaden sighed. He understood where Cia was coming from since letting go of a person you loved was much harder when not being bonded, but he couldn’t deal with her attitude any longer.

  “We didn’t choose it, Cia. Maya didn’t step up to the Creator and demanded to be handed the cards she got. I haven’t asked to fall for her, and I sure as hell would have never imagined that fate would make her my mate, but it happened. There’s so much to figure out, so much to fear, I don’t need you going around and hating Maya, making her feel bad every damn hour of every damn night. I’m sorry you’re hurting over this, Cia, but it’s my fault, not Maya’s. Don’t punish her for me not loving you.” His voice was pleading, yet his face was most likely hard. A woman stepped towards them before Cia could reply something.

  “So, you’re a warrior, right?” the female asked towards him and Kaden slowly nodded, forcing a reassuring smile.

  “That would be me. I’m Kaden,” he told her and the woman crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  “We’ve arrived last night without knowing who we’d meet or what to expect. We thought about help and there was this pull inside of us. As it is, we’ve been welcomed with nothing but smiles and helping hands, but you know what I’m really curious about? That elusive Queen never once has shown her face. I know it’s because of her that we’re here
, but would it hurt her to just once show her face, make us feel as if we’d be important to her?” the woman asked and Kaden blinked. It took a moment until realization settled in. Maya and Jaden most likely had visited the upper class, not everyone else, so of course, how were they supposed to know how Maya looked?

  “What’s your name?” he asked gently while Cia shifted the girl on her arms from left to right. It was weird being reminded of the fact that she was a full on human, getting uncomfortable or losing her strength if she held onto heavy things too long.

  “Willow,” the woman replied and Kaden nodded.

  “Little star?” he called out and Maya looked up, coming over as he pointed her to join them. “Willow, let me introduce you to your Queen,” he then added and the woman’s jaw dropped.

  “Kaden, is that necessary? Let’s stick with Maya, there’s –”

  “You’re the Queen?” Willow asked in disbelief.

  “The one and only,” Cia snickered and suddenly Willow fell to her knees, bowing to Maya. Kaden saw how Maya closed her eyes, clearly feeling uncomfortable.

  “Please, just get up,” she whispered as people around them started to drop to their knees.

  “You’ve been nothing but kind. You helped us all, made sure we were fed before you took a bite. You soothed our worries, eased our pains and made sure we had a place to go to. You didn’t mind getting your hands dirty and you proved that royalty comes with actions, not with titles. I’m honored to be in your presence, my Queen,” Willow announced loud enough so her voice echoed through the almost silent entry hall. “I bow to your greatness,” she finished and agreeing noises came from all corners of the room.

  Kaden saw that the warriors exchanging glances, then Red was the first to step over, lowering himself to one knee in front of her. “To the Queen,” he exclaimed, bowing his head. Lex followed suit, and so did Devon and Matt.

  “To the Queen,” they said in unison and Kaden took a spot next to his twin as they, too, lowered themselves to their knee. “To our girl,” Jaden whispered, but no matter that it was meant for Maya’s ears only, a few others chuckled. No matter what happened, Kaden knew that Maya had exactly the support she needed.

  Ryder couldn’t help but watch in awe as the hall and the stairs filled with kneeling people, all paying respects to their Queen, his sister. He couldn’t be more proud of her even if they were actually on speaking terms. Maya was flustered and eventually told everyone to get up again because, after all, they had arranged for a cleaning crew so no one needed to sweep the floors with their jeans. It made everyone laugh and then he realized that Maya was coming over to him.

  “Thank you,” she growled, furrowing her brow at the group of warriors that now stood together, obviously talking game plan.

  “Didn’t do anything,” he replied, yet again surprised that Maya could talk normally to him.

  “Exactly,” she agreed. “Listen, I want you to take Cany and then the two of you settle down for a few hours of sleep. I gave her room away to one of the teens. I’m sorry, but I figured you would want to keep her close anyway.” She looked down on her hands and Ryder followed her glance, noticing that she was trembling again. “He’s dead, Ryder,” she added a lot softer now.

  There was no need to clarify who ‘he’ was and Ryder sighed. “We knew that, Maya,” he reminded her and she shook her head.

  “You did. I can’t believe it. I wanted it so bad. Even when I realized it was Destra having tried to lure me out, I wanted her to look at me and say it was all a joke. That she was just hiding him because she knew it would hurt me. I wanted her to tell me that my father’s still fine, even if I had died over that info,” she admitted and Ryder felt his heart breaking. Shooting a quick glance at the twins, he realized that they both were watching them.

  “You’re so desperate for a family when you have them. Make it official. Make Kaden your mate. Be his Origin. The twins and you have a bond that no one else will be ever able to explain or understand. They can be your family, and maybe one day you’re done taking pity risks for hopeless things,” he explained, reaching out to touch Maya’s cheek. In moments like these, when she appeared young and breakable despite the position she held he wanted to be her big brother. He wished he could find the right words to get back his little sister.

  “Pity risks? Just because I cannot believe my father is dead?” she asked, outraged.

  “No, Maya. You’re wasting hope where you shouldn’t. Sending out Lex last night to find parents we knew were dead was stupid, too. Your hope will kill you one day,” Ryder pointed out, but Maya just snorted.

  “I guess hoping you’ll be the one to make Cany happy is wasted then, too, isn’t it? After all, the world’s a big, bad, dark place and miracles don’t happen, right? I tell you a secret, Ryder. They do. I should be a monster and I’m not. I should be dead and I’m not. I should be broken, but I’m not. I’d say hope so far worked pretty well for me. I’m done though hoping that you and I will ever find common ground. Take Cany and make sure she gets some sleep. Something’s on her mind and it’s not you,” she snapped and then walked away, her head held high.

  “Are you supposed to antagonize your sister every chance you can?” Cany asked, pushing her hand into his. He turned back to her, not being able to help the relieved breath that escaped him.

  “She could be dead.”

  “She isn’t,” Cany assured and he knew that, yet it was a gnawing worry inside of him. Stakes were higher than ever when it came to Maya and he wouldn’t stand by watching as she took unnecessary risks. “I hate to tell you, but she’s no longer your responsibility. Between Kaden and Jaden she’ll hear enough, so maybe you should back off and be supportive. Neither of you ever thought about the fact that if you were there for her she wouldn’t have the feeling to do it all by herself, would she?”

  Ryder hated that she made sense, yet he drew her in and kissed her forehead. “Good point,” he admitted and then gave her a smile.

  “Ryder, we need to talk,” Cany whispered, tucking at his hand, as he wanted to lead her to the bedroom. He guessed it was a universal truth that all men hated that exact sentence.

  “You have to stay with me. Maya gave someone your room,” he repeated what he knew was a lie. Maya wouldn’t ever put someone in a bedroom without asking the owner first. She had just tried to make sure that Ryder wouldn’t leave Cany alone.

  “How about we go to the library and I tell you what I have to say and you can decide if you want me to stay with you?” she offered and he turned back to her.

  “Cany, you and I are in it for life. Whatever the problem is, we’ll deal with it,” he promised, seeing how she took a few fortifying breaths.

  “Please,” she just brought out and he groaned in exasperation, picking her up wedding style to carry her up the stairs and into his bedroom. She held onto him as if she worried she’d never see him again if she let go. Entering his bedroom, he threw the wooden door close, carrying her past the bathroom door and the closet over to the dark grey metal bed between the two windows that grazed the back of his room. His simple white sheets seemed suddenly extra cold as her chestnut hair spilled over the cotton after he laid her down on it. He almost was ready to crawl over her and –

  “It was me. The devastation out there, the broken homes … it’s all on me,” she whispered and it was clear in her voice how hard she tried not to break out in tears. Whatever bothered her seemed to be serious if her fear of losing him was any indication. Any lustful thoughts fled his mind at her trembling bottom lip.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he mumbled. She looked like a picture of misery, sitting up again, her hazel eyes filled with sadness. He knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his. “Cany, why don’t you look at me and we start at the beginning?”

  She looked at him with a tear-stained face and then took a few deep breaths. “My mom is scared of me. My name used to be Zoey. Crazy, huh? Just Zoey. And then I turned two and she changed it
to Hurricane.” Cany’s voice broke and Ryder wished he could ease her pain and carry part of her burden. He cupped her cheek, resting his forehead against hers. “You know how they say that not many vampires have special abilities? Yeah, guess there are still too many,” she went on and Ryder finally pulled her down onto the wooden floor with him. He tucked her against his side until she was in his lap and he almost wrapped around her.

  “When I turned two, I wanted cake. Like real cake, heavy on the cream and icing. Mom refused. I threw a fit, or that’s what she’s telling me anyway. It started to storm inside the room, followed by heavy rain, and thunder. Inside our house. Supposedly it took a while until I calmed down. A lot of the rooms needed redoing. When I was five she lost it and screamed at me. I screamed back and my anger brought on lightening and storm. She lost her footing and then was almost two feet above ground, caught in a mini hurricane. It sobered me instantly and my mother dropped like a stone. She broke her arm and a leg. Of course it isn’t a big thing for us vampires, but you can guess the symbolic meaning.”

  Ryder had a hard time to keep his body’s reaction in check. He wasn’t afraid of Cany, not in the least, but he had the incredible urge to run outside again and see what kind of power his Origin exactly possessed. He kept stroking her back, being glad that she couldn’t feel what he was feeling. Confusion didn’t even cut it. How could parents be afraid of their own child if all she needed was your support and love?

  “Ryder?” The insecurity in her voice pulled him back from his thoughts, making him realize that she was waiting for a reaction. There was no need to say more, because this part of her story had already filled in all the blanks. After all, he had taken care of her the day before. He had comforted her, stopped her from crying. Kaden had known, which explained the urgency with which the twin had wanted someone to make her feel better.

  “But this storm was outside, wasn’t it? Maybe it wasn’t you?” he asked, knowing it wasn’t the best thing to say, but he couldn’t help it.