“Why?” my aunt screamed, making me flinch.
“Because you have never been one to hide your emotions; that’s why.”
I watched as Lana ran a hand over her face, and when she did, the illusion that she must have created disappeared.
Raven gasped as we looked at Lana’s face. Half of her beautiful face was severely burned. One side had no hair on her brows or eyelashes, and her cheek was distorted. Lana had been burnt badly.
My aunt was extremely quiet, as we all were.
“Do you see this, Amaria?” Lana asked. “Let me tell you what happened that night. After your sister was killed by someone who had snuck into her bedroom, someone from the House of Agony, they came searching for your niece. They killed Laiken while I escaped with the baby. After I took her to Old Florida, I put her in a basket and floated her down the river. I waited there long enough to see that some royal visiting the House of Ash had picked her up. She had deemed her a human and passed her along.
“I drove back toward Old Georgia but ditched the vehicle when I was a couple of hours away from my home. I made a grave mistake then. I had left all my money, clothes, and my stupid books behind. I should have written the loss off, but I really wanted my things.
“When I went back to my home to get them, the leader of the House of Agony was waiting for me. I convinced him that my only talent was creating clothes for the unrivaled, that I was forced to leave the House of Deception because I was part human and Lionel didn’t want me there. I convinced the leader of the House of Agony that I had always felt like an outcast. I convinced him that I was barely friends with Calista, and I never knew who had impregnated her. Do you know how I convinced him, Amaria?”
My aunt shook her head as tears trailed down her face.
“I convinced them because, no matter what they did to me, I always gave them the same lies.” She pointed at her face. “This was nothing compared to what they did to me that night. They left me for dead, assuming I had told them the truth. Because of that, your niece was able to remain hidden.” Once again, she pointed at her burnt face. “This was the least I could do for my best friend’s child.”
In the next moment, my aunt wrapped her arms around Lana. “I’m so sorry.”
Lana hugged my aunt back. “Amaria, your sister loved you, but we all know that you are unable to control your emotions. Whatever you are thinking or feeling, everyone knows. You wear your heart on your sleeve. You are the best person I know, but you would have wanted to kill them for what they had done to your sister. Then they would have known that you knew, and your niece … Thorn wouldn’t have been safe.”
I went over to the two women who were still hugging and threw my arms around the both of them. “A lot of people have ended up hurt because of me being born. I am so very sorry.”
They both pulled away from me, and Lana’s mouth rounded in shock. “If your mother were here, and she heard what you just said, she would pinch you. Don’t ever regret the day you were born, Thorn. You were born for greatness. Don’t ever doubt that.”
My aunt nodded in agreement. Then a watery smile coated her face. “Well, if I haven’t offended you enough as it is, would it be too much to ask for you to make these girls some clothing?”
Lana laughed. “Of course not.” Her eyes went to where Raven stood.
Raven gave her a small wave. “Hello. Don’t mind me. I’m just the human servant.”
I rolled my eyes. “That is my friend, Raven.”
Lana looked like she was forcing herself to smile. “Pleasure to meet you, Raven.”
I gave Lana’s hand a squeeze, and then we all talked over one another as we chatted about the ball. Lana was in her element as she showed us fabric upon fabric.
As I fingered the cotton material, Lana said, “I wish you wouldn’t have had the binding removed. It’s not safe.”
I took one look at my aunt, and she gave me a wink before she started filling Lana in on what had happened so far. There were lots of questions asked along the way but, for the most part, Lana just listened.
After my aunt was done explaining everything, Lana said, “I think you have made the right decision in going to the ball. It’s not too far from here—in Old Tennessee. There are no minor or major houses in that state, so it is complete neutral territory.” She pursed her lips in thought. “Is it safe to say the House of Agony has a vial of serum?”
My aunt nodded. “I would think so, considering they wanted Calista’s baby because she was compatible with Laiken.”
Lana nodded. “The Puppeteer will be excited to learn where at least one of the seven vials are.”
And I would tell him … the next time I saw him.
After Lana had made Raven and me several different outfits, she put them in some bags that she had in a hall closet. Then she walked us to the door and said goodbye to Raven and my aunt. When it was my turn, I put my bags down and gathered her in for a hug.
“When I came here, I was so mad at you. I thought you were a woman who had only graciously welcomed me into your home just to convince me to take the mark of the Puppeteer. You could have told me who I was and where I came from, but by you being silent, I thought the worst in you. This whole time, you have done nothing but try to keep me from harm.” I pulled back from her to see her pretty face that held no illusions showcasing the brutal burn marks along the right side of her face. Those marks were love. “You are just as much my family as my aunt is and my mother and father were. I will forever be grateful to you.”
She cupped my face in her hands then gently kissed my forehead. “I would have never let you go into the House of Deception without the Puppeteer’s mark. You don’t have to trust him. In fact, if you don’t, it’s probably for the best. But know that he always says what he means and means what he says. If he promises to protect you, he will do so at all cost.” She patted my cheeks. “Come back and visit me?”
“Of course,” I said, and I meant it.
Before I could grab my bag, Lana said, “Oh, and Thorn, that day the Puppeteer went through my memories, he saw what you witnessed upon your unbinding.”
I nodded as I grabbed my bag. “Thank you for telling me.”
As I headed toward the Jeep, I was angry at the manipulating Puppeteer. He could have told me exactly who I was and who my parents were. Instead, he chose to let it all play out. No doubt for his benefit.
I refused to be just another one of his puppets.
As we pulled away from Lana’s house, I really thought about what everyone had sacrificed just for me. They didn’t want me to be a pawn, used by a house to destroy another house, and for what? A higher ranking? No, they wanted me to have a better future.
The Puppeteer might have connived and swindled to get me to the House of Deception, but now that I was on this path, I would not only be the bait. I would make sure I was still standing when the Puppeteer came to collect those vials from the leaders of the houses, especially from the House of Agony.
The rest of the day was spent getting to know my aunt and more about who my mother had been.
When it was time for Cal to pick us up for the ball, I was a nervous wreck. I was so unsure of how we were supposed to fit in amongst the other minors. Or was I supposed to not fit in? Stick out? Be the bait?
The what-if game was constantly playing in my head. What if they immediately took a sample of my blood and I couldn’t hide which houses I belonged to? What if someone found out that I was born of a perfect match? What if someone hurt me? What if I got Raven killed? What if I left here and never saw my aunt again? Or Lana? My mind was spinning, and I wasn’t prepared to be tossed into this world where the unrivaled fought each other for a higher ranking. I was just an orphan who had spent her life learning how to fish in a river and till the soil so she could keep food in her belly.
My aunt was trying to coax me outside when Cal came into the house to see what was taking so long.
He gave Raven a smile. “You can go ahead and put your thin
gs in the car.” Then he turned to my aunt. “Would you mind giving us a second?”
She ran a hand up and down my arm before she went over to Raven and grabbed one of her bags. “Come on, Raven; I’ll help you load up.”
“So,” Cal started as soon as they walked out the door, “have we chickened out?”
I glared at him. “You do realize that the Puppeteer is dangling me out as bait, right? What if I don’t make it out of there?”
He took the seat next to me on the couch, his thigh touching mine as we sat there, not speaking. Finally, he said, “Okay, let’s take it one step at a time. I can’t stand that arrogant asshole, the Puppeteer, but I can agree with him that the serum doesn’t need to be administered to any more unrivaled. Can you imagine seven more of the Puppeteer strolling around?”
I tilted my head back and laughed. “Now that’s a scary thought.”
“Your parents might not have been a perfect match, but they were compatible, which means you could possibly take the serum without killing you. Since we don’t want anyone to know what we know about your bloodline, we get to be mysterious, which also means that, while everyone is busy figuring out who the new girl is, we get some time to just be teenagers.” He covered my knee with his big hand, and I felt the skin under my new pants warm. “I won’t leave your side. I will help you fit in. If, at any point, you decide you don’t want to stay at the festivities and ball, then we will leave, to hell with what the Puppeteer wants. Sound good?”
I stared up into his handsome face. “I’m scared.”
He stood up, pulling me with him. Without dropping my hand, he then grabbed my bag from the floor. “I get that. But remember something for me. Sometimes, putting yourself out there and failing is better than succeeding. There is so much to learn with failure.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re saying that, even if I fail, I’ll be succeeding?”
He bit his lip in that sexy smirk he does. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Then, without waiting to see if I followed, he carried my bags to his vehicle.
I took a deep breath then left my aunt’s small house.
My aunt gathered me in a warm embrace. “I have a feeling that you are going to do some pretty amazing things, Thorn. It’s in your blood.”
As I climbed into the Jeep that now how doors on it, I heard her whisper, “Your mother would’ve been so proud of you.”
Emotions of longing, bitterness over their untimely death, and grief for the parents who I wish I would have known swirled around me as I buckled the seat belt.
Cal gripped the steering wheel as he clenched his eyes shut. Then, without opening his eyes, he reached over and squeezed my knee. “Thorn, I won’t be able to drive if you don’t ease up on your emotions.”
Shock had my mouth dropping open. “I’m so sorry. I forgot that … I’m sorry.”
After a few seconds, he released my knee. “It’s okay. I just don’t want to wreck on the way to the ball.”
I smiled sheepishly. “I really will do a better job of trying to rein in my emotions.”
He gave me a sexy wink. “Not all of them, I hope.”
Raven, who was sitting in the back seat, hit Cal on the shoulder. “You better not be flirting with her.”
He put his hands on the steering wheel. “No, of course not. I would never flirt with a beautiful girl.”
I felt a blush creeping up my face. A hot guy was flirting with me and owning it.
A huge smile lit up my face. No matter what mess I was in, it was more than a little funny that I had gone from avoiding the opposite sex like the plague, covering my body with mud to avoid all unrivaled, to riding next to an unrivaled and wondering who Cal was compatible with.
“What are you smiling about, pretty girl?” Cal asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing. Just thinking about how funny life is.”
He grunted as I looked out the window.
Since Raven had gotten us the job at the House of Ash, we had been on one crazy adventure after the next. I had always dreamed of seeing more of Old America. And, in the last few months, I had gone from living in Old Florida to visiting three other old states. I hoped Old Tennessee would be as pretty as Old Virginia.
We left the marsh land and cypress trees for a scenery in which I had only seen in paintings. The mountains had a blue hue to them, and the ridges that the trees made went on for as long as the eye could track. It was breathtaking.
Raven was snoring, while I leaned forward in my seat.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Cal asked.
“It sure is.”
I immediately thought of all the workers from back home. If they knew there was a land like this, would they leave the House of Ash district and try to come here? They had said Old Tennessee was neutral ground, with no major or minor houses around; did that mean humans could come here and live in peace?
“Cal, are there humans in the mountains?”
“I think so. They don’t come anywhere close to where we hold the celebrations and the ball, but sometimes, at night, you can see smoke in the woods. I’m assuming it’s coming from chimneys.”
“And the houses around the old state leave them alone?”
“Of course. This is neutral ground.”
I thought of Lacie’s parents and said a silent prayer that they had made it to somewhere like this.
After so many winding roads, I started to feel a little nauseous. I rolled down the window and let the cold air hit my face.
“These roads are so steep and narrow that they can make the best of us feel sick. Do you want me to go slower?” Cal asked, having must noticed.
“No, I’ll be fine.”
Cal slowed down a little, anyway.
“We’re about twenty minutes out.”
I was quiet, lost in thought, for the rest of the drive. I just sat there, taking in the majestic scenery. My mind betrayed me as it wondered if the Puppeteer had ever seen the blue mountains and if a man like him could actually value so much beauty. Or would he take it for granted?
Cal turned the vehicle down a gravel road. Then, after another couple of minutes, he pulled into a parking spot in front of the biggest brick building that I had ever seen. It was only two-stories tall, but it spread wide and far.
“A long time ago,” Cal said, “before the Second Civil War, this used to be a hospital. It somehow survived the rioting and burning during the war. The unrivaled decided to make this building a place to welcome the young and encourage positive matches.”
I nodded. “Just for the minors, though, right?”
“Right. The majors go to a ceremony farther north of here, and it’s usually in the following month.”
“Why do they keep you guys separated?”
“Us.” He winked. “Why do they keep us separated.”
I grimaced. At some point, I was going to have to remember that I wasn’t human anymore.
“They keep the majors and minors separated so that there’s less chance of hookups. They don’t want to dilute the bloodlines.”
I felt my face flaming.
He laughed. “Thorn, this place is designed so that minors can get more acquainted with their ancestry while on neutral ground. A place where we can find the right match, who will be best suited for us so that we can produce the best offspring. You’ll have to get used to everyone being frank about breeding.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to anyone talking casually about breeding. It’s barbaric.”
He shrugged as he hopped out of the vehicle. “Welcome to the world of the unrivaled.”
“Cal,” I said, “do you hope to find a match?”
His golden eyes took me in before he said, “No, Thorn, I do not. It’s rare that anyone will have over fifty percent illusion blood in them. You saw the amount of people we have left. Your aunt couldn’t find a match, along with most of the single people from the House of Deception. What are the chances I’ll find someone?”
“From my experience, fate is tragic.” He gave me another wink. “But escaping the House of Deception wouldn’t be so bad.”
I shook my head at him as he went around to the back of the vehicle and grabbed most of our bags, refusing to let me or Raven carry the larger ones.
“Cal, I can help,” I said.
He laughed. “In case you didn’t know, my blood has thirty-seven percent of the House of Strength. Let me wow you with my impressive muscles. You can even fawn over me if you wish.”
I laughed as he continued to carry every bag we owned while we followed him into the brick building where he checked us in before he somehow managed to get us a room close to his.
I watched as people spoke to Cal. They talked to him with respect, and some of them looked at him in awe.
I might have misjudged Cal. I guessed I had assumed, since he came from a lower-ranking house and I hadn’t seen the full scope of what his powers were, that he wasn’t a powerful unrivaled. But seeing how others interacted with him, it seemed as if I might have misjudged my new friend. Like the Puppeteer said, “Things are definitely getting interesting.”
Cal dropped us off in a room that was relatively small, but the upside was the floors weren’t dirt. Considering where we had originally come from, every place looked amazing.
“My room is just perpendicular from yours.” Cal pointed across the hall.
Raven claimed the bed that was in front of the door, so I put my bag on the other bed.
“They don’t care that guys are on the same floor as girls?”
He smiled. “Remember what I said? No, they encourage it. Anything to speed up the mating process.”
I scrunched my nose up in distaste.
In return, he laughed. “You better get used to this now that you are one of us.”
Raven threw her black hair behind her. “Maybe I’ll find a minor who is into humans.”
Cal leaned a muscular shoulder up against the doorframe. “The minors aren’t like the majors in the fact that they don’t try to humiliate humans who sleep with them or show them interest. But Raven, remember that most here only care about bloodlines.”
House of Deception: The Unrivaled Series Page 14