“Yeah.” His grin mirrored mine. “I wanna be with you when you see it for the first time.”
* * *
After following a leaf-covered trail, we stopped by some hedges, and Mike covered my eyes. “No peeking until I say, okay?”
I nodded, placing my hands over his as we walked forward, his left foot guiding mine until his right foot guided my other.
After about thirty paces he said, “Okay. You can look now.”
It was still the same shape as the building we’d commandeered, but no one would recognize it: the new red roof and white rendered brick made it the prettiest little house in the world—or, not so little. No one could possibly imagine that we would house highly dangerous predators in there. I wanted to cry because I knew how much the kids would love all those big windows, even if they did have Lilithian steel bars on them.
“Mike.” I touched my collarbone. “It’s perfect.”
“See that?” He pointed forward. “We painted the bars on the windows white, so they’d blend in.”
I nodded, covering my smile.
“There’s plenty of sunlight, comfortable beds, toys, games—everything you asked for.”
“Bathrooms?”
“Yep. Even a few recently immortalized child-health experts to help teach the Damned how to use them, since most of these children have never seen a modern toilet or shower before.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the house, imagining how happy the children would be soon; how nice it would be to live in darkness for so long and then suddenly feel the sun’s warmth, see the grass, splash fresh water over their faces.
“Come see.” He headed down the slope toward it.
I caught up and looped my arm through his. “When can we move them in?”
He patted my arm, grinning to himself as we neared, and I heard the unfamiliar sounds of children laughing and talking nosily under the booming of a loud yet kind voice.
“Is that them? Are they in there?”
He nodded, smiling warmly, as if he knew what that meant to me. “Now, just be sure you don’t get this building mixed up with the training hall.”
We stopped by an iron gate. “Mike, it may look the same, aside from the bars, but it’s at a completely different end of the grounds. I’m not stupid.”
“Yeah, but if I caught you here alone, that’d be the first excuse you’d think to give me.”
“True. So, for you to think of it, does that make me smart, or you stupid?”
“Neither—it makes me big and you small, and if I catch you here with these demons, alone, I will hurt you.”
“Liar. You wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Don’t test me, Ara-Rose. I’m at the end of my tether with you, young lady.” He gently squeezed my cheeks between his fingers, smiling, so I squiggled my tongue out through my puckered lips and licked his hand. “Er! Ara, that’s gross.”
I dried my mouth, laughing.
“Now”—he wiped his hand on his jeans then grabbed a key from his pocket and turned it in the lock—“we have a double entry. It’s important to make sure you close and lock this gate before you open the interior one. Clear?”
“Clear.”
“Uh, wait.” He placed his hand on my shoulder as I stepped inside and moved toward the second door. “I’m not letting you in there today. You can watch from back here.”
“Why?”
“They’re not ready for visitors,” he said, closing the outer door.
“Oh.” The entrance was small, with a counter to the left for personal effects, a door off to the right leading somewhere else, and just enough space for about four people. I peered in through the glass screen covering the next iron door, and there, across the room in a square of sunlight, a little boy sat pressing a sail into place on a wooden boat.
“Max?”
The boy looked up. His hair was golden and clean, his face round and his cheeks colored with pink.
“Yeah, that’s him,” Mike said warmly.
“He looks so… human.”
“Yeah.” Mike laughed. “He kinda does. Hey, see what we did with the beds: space and planet theme for the boys, and princesses for the girls.”
“Very cute,” I said, my eyes running along twelve or so small beds with squishy quilts lining one side of the room, then over shelves full of books and toys on the other side. The keeper stood center to it all, tall and clean-cut, his metal stick beside him like a staff. “Why does he still have that stick?”
“Because the children aren’t cured, Ara. They are still dangerous, and we do still have a few issues with them. It’s why we’re only moving ten over at a time.”
“And where are the rest?”
“They’re in the cells still. But they have beds and sunlight and they’re being properly cared for. We had to take all the toys away, though, because the little buggers used them as weapons against their keepers.”
I smiled. “But these kids are okay?”
“These are the ones that showed the ability to be reasoned with.”
Behind Max, another boy squatted down and pointed to the sail, then picked up some glue and helped him put it in place. “Who’s that other boy?”
“That’s Joshua.”
“How old is he? He looks—”
“He’s twelve.”
“Twelve? Why would they lock away a twelve-year-old?”
“He wanted to stay with his brother.” Mike nodded toward them.
“Max is his brother?”
“Yep.” He ran a hand over his head. “We hold the most hope for those two.”
Joshua looked up at Mike with a timid smile and a half-wave.
Mike waved back, his eyes lighting up. “We’re pals.” He shrugged.
I looked around the room, seeing children on beds talking to each other, watching them play cards or knuckles on round rugs by the window, and thought back to the first day I met them. “Mike?”
“Yeah.”
“What happened to the little boy the caretaker beat?”
Mike smiled and nodded to a child coming in from the bathroom, holding the hand of woman with soft brown hair and a kind smile.
“That’s him?” I asked.
“Yep.”
The little boy glanced over at us, curiosity showing in his frown. I gave a little wave, but he looked away, sitting down with his carer on an armchair by the bookcase.
“Is he okay?” I asked Mike.
“Uh, well, physically, yes, but we haven’t been able to get him to speak yet—or sleep.”
My eyes closed around the image of him cowering under that metal weapon. “Maybe we should have Jase come down and erase his memory.’”
Mike’s head moved quickly, his eyes going a little wider. “Hey, that’s not a bad idea, Ar.”
I nodded. “Want me to ask him?”
“Yeah. Sure, go ahead.” He took my hand. “Come on. Let’s leave them to it.”
“So,” I asked as we headed for the door again, “do you think they’ll be okay—one day?”
“You know, Ara?” He stopped and placed both hands on my arms. “I think, for once, you might’ve been right. I’m sure they’ll be fine one day.”
Self-satisfaction made me smile. I wanted to bathe in the glory of being right, but didn’t want to ruin the moment. “Even if there’s no such thing as this prophecy child?”
“Yeah.” He looked back at Joshua and Max through the window. “I mean, it’ll be a long eternity for them never growing up, but they do have the option of death, if they want it.”
I didn’t like that idea, or the idea that they’d never grow up, never marry, never get their first car or have their first beer. But this was the best we could do for now until I figured out all these different agendas and uncovered the truth of the past that we so solidly based our entire future on.
“So, um, when will you bring the others?”
“When and if this group are successfully adopted out.”
“Have you lin
ed up any Lilithian families yet?”
“I’m pleased to say, yes, we have.” Mike opened the door for me, closing it behind us. “And there are even a few vampire families.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, nice couples too. Very human.”
“So, they’re not still mental from the blood-lust?”
“No, the couples who’re adopting are one’s who’ve been in love with a human before—most of them still with that partner. So they’re only as messed-up as you or David.”
“That’s great, Mike. This is the kind of thing I’ve been needing to hear.” I stopped walking and stood on my toes, my lips by Mike’s cheek. “Thank you.”
“No worries.” He grinned as I kissed him. “Now, about this Jason-being-your-surrogate-boyfriend thing.”
“Oh, come on, Mike. Don’t give me hard time.”
“No, Ara,” he said softly. “I was just going to say I give it my blessing. I don’t like it, but I understand it. Okay? Just don’t let me down; just don’t”—he paused—“don’t do anything with him.”
“Okay. I promise.”
“Good. And just because I’m not going to give you a hard time, doesn’t mean I’m gonna go easy on him.”
“No, that would be too much to ask for, wouldn’t it?” I remarked sourly.
“Ara?” He leaned on the wall. “You know how much I hate that guy. Okay? So just let me be the protector, and you just be a good girl and live with it.”
“No. You can treat Jason civilly, or I go back to being a pain in the ass.”
“All right,” he huffed. “I’ll try to be civil. I’ll even spar with him at training today, how’s that sound?”
“You know he can put you out, Mike, if you cross him? You better not try to hurt him.”
“Hu!” He breathed. “You’re worried about me hurting him? Where’s the loyalty?”
“You don’t need it. He does.”
“Just because no one likes him.”
“I like him.”
“You worry me.” He pointed at me and walked away.
* * *
After sparring with Ryder and losing in front of the entire Guard, I gulped some water down with a couple of aspirin and sat back to watch Mike spar with Eric. They were a good match. Eric had years of experience in kickboxing, but Mike had brute strength and courage. They reminded me of wild lions fighting over a kill, except both of them were laughing and making comical observations about each other’s moms.
I smiled up at Jason as he sat beside me on the bench by the mirrors, with Petey in tow.
“Hey, Ara.”
“Hey, Jase. Petey.” I scratched the dog’s head. “Haven’t seen him for a while.”
“He comes and goes.” Jason shrugged. “Sometimes we don’t see him for a couple of decades.”
“Where does he go?”
“No one knows, and it’s not like we can ask him either.”
“You can.”
“Shh.” He looked around at a few knights standing nearby. “I rather people don’t know that.”
“Oh. Okay. Why?”
“Because they might try to use him as a spy.”
“How?”
“Kidnap you—threaten to torture you if I don’t tell them everything the dog, who everyone talks openly around, knows.”
“Oh. Right. Never thought of that.” As I sat back again, my blood ran cold, and I looked up with wide eyes. “Has Petey told you anything I’ve ever said to him?”
Jason’s closed lips twitched, turning up a bit, while his eyes stayed forward. “Maybe.”
“Aw, Petey!”
Petey barked once over Jason’s laughter, and Mike looked up to the noise, copping Eric’s fist to the side of his head; he went down hard, hitting the sparring mat with Eric’s knee jamming into his skull in a knockout strike.
The knights roared, some howling like wolves, others exchanging money.
“Oops.” I shrunk a bit.
“It wasn’t your fault, Ara.” Jason stood up and peered over the crowd at Eric propping his foot on Mike’s chest, his arms raised to the ceiling to flaunt his own victory. “I can’t believe Eric knocked him out.”
I got to my feet, too. “Isn’t someone gonna help him?”
“I’ll go.” Jason took off on one foot, but Mike slowly rolled up to sit, rubbing his head.
“Toughen up,” Eric said, offering a hand.
“That was a lucky strike.” Mike stumbled to his feet and gave Eric a one-armed hug. “I pity the next guy to try that.”
“I pity Ara.” Eric winked at me. “She’s the one who distracted you.”
Mike threw me a vehement glare, wiping his face on a towel.
“Sorry, Mike.”
“S’okay, baby. I was just kidding.”
“Good fight, man!” Jason slapped Eric’s palm, bumping shoulders with him as he came over.
“Yeah.” Eric swiped blood off his lip. “Mike had that round ’til the end there, though.”
“And I’ll have the next one,” Mike said, then pointed at Jason. “Your turn, villain.”
“Bring it on.” Jason flipped his chin in Mike’s direction.
“Eager for another beating, are ya?” Mike took off to the center of the room and stood waiting like a hungry wolf in a standoff.
Jase just scoffed coolly, as if he didn’t care, then rolled his spine, taking his shirt over his shoulders. “Keep hold of that for me.”
“Sure,” I said, catching it. I didn’t want to seem creepy, but I also couldn’t resist subtly sniffing it.
As he wandered over to Mike, flexing his fingers and wrists, my mind subconsciously compared the two: Mike, with his broad shoulders and huge arms, sweat covering his hairless chest in a fine layer; and Jason, who was half Mike’s bulk, his arms and back thin but contoured nicely with careful definition. Married or not, he made me a little hot under the collar.
He turned to grin back at me, clearly having heard that thought. The rest of the immortals in the room kept their eyes forward, politely pretending not to have noticed the way he looked at me.
“Knock him dead, man,” Eric said playfully.
“Hey, Ara?” Jase called over to me. “How ’bout a good luck kis—”
“Jase!” I leaped from my seat as Mike smashed his elbow into Jason’s head, sending him flying into the mirror; it cracked under Jason’s weight, his hand pressing hard to the glass as he found his balance and pushed off the wall, forcing himself back up to swing at Mike.
“Nice try.” Mike ducked and grabbed Jason’s waist, slamming him to the ground. All the knights rushed in, surrounding them, making a ring of bodies with barely a millimeter between shoulders.
I stood on my toes, and Petey took off under the knights’ legs, barking loudly. The roars came in waves, the men wincing and waving their fists in the air.
“I can’t see,” I whined, pushing at them.
“Here, climb up.” Eric took my hand and helped me up onto the bench. “Better?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
He stood with his arms folded then, feet slightly apart, watching the crowd of soldiers barking like animals, while I steadied myself with a hand to his shoulder, rising onto my toes to see over them. It was a mess of flesh and red, moving so fast I could only make out dark hair to blonde, until Mike caught Jase in a chokehold, sweeping his foot under the huddle and dragging them both to the ground.
“Come on, Jase,” I said to myself.
As if he heard me, Jase managed to disentangle his arm from under his ribs and reached up, jamming his thumb into the soft flesh below Mike’s chin, sending him backward.
“He’s got spirit,” I said, but as soon as the words left my mouth, Mike spun a really wicked roundhouse kick into Jason’s chest, which he blocked, only to receive a straight-cut jab to the skull that would’ve lobotomized a human. “Go for the balls, Jase!” I yelled, and several of the knights turned to look at me; I shrugged.
“Ara?” Eric tugged my hand.
“What?”
“Don’t watch anymore, kiddo.”
“I have to. I have to make sure Jason’s okay.”
“That’s my point.” He cupped his hands under my arms and pulled me down to the ground. “Mike declared that we can’t use special abilities in sparring, and Jason’s nowhere near strong enough to beat him in a fair fight.” He nodded to the men exchanging more money. “We all know that.”
My mouth fell slowly open then snapped shut on a realization. “Wait, then how come he lets me use my static power in sparring matches?”
Eric smirked. “Exactly.”
I frowned over at the heat cloud of sweaty bodies surrounding Mike and Jase. “So, what, he made that ruling on knights only?”
“Uh-hu.”
“But Jason’s not a knight. Neither are you.”
He nodded, his smirk growing. “That rule applies to whomever and to whenever it suits Mike.”
“Is this just some lame excuse to beat the shit out of Jason?”
Eric’s head whipped around to look at me. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear before.”
My teeth ground in the back of my mouth, my fists tight. I charged forward, electricity flickering in my hands.
“Ara.” Eric grabbed my shoulder. “Stay out of it.”
“Why?”
“Because if you intervene, you may as well label Jason a pansy now. No, in fact, how ’bout you tie a big pink ribbon around his chest and call him Mary-Anne.”
“I don’t care about his reputation, Eric. Someone has to help him.”
He dropped back from his lean toward me. “I’ll step in soon, okay. If it gets much worse.”
“Why can you step in but not me?”
“’Cause I’m a guy, Ara.”
I scratched my head and looked at Jason on the floor, just able to see his hair through the legs of a knight. He was beaten bloody, weak, and still trying to finish the fight.
I couldn’t watch him get hit again. “Fine. I have a headache from Mike forcing me to zap things today anyway. I need to go rest.”
“Okay.” Eric nodded and smiled, keeping his eyes on the fight as I wandered away. “Oh, and Ara?”
“Yeah?”
Dark Secrets Box Set Page 182