by Jeanne Allen
“When we Bonded and my Healing Gift developed, it became more stable. Simple surface wounds like this I can heal without any pain. Internal wounds, like Lucas’s ribs, will still cause some discomfort.”
Another sickening sound distracts me from Lyle’s explanation. I look up to see that Jackson beheaded all three monsters. Their blood, which runs thicker and a deeper red than a human’s, pools on the floor under them. The mess and smell of death cause my stomach to churn. If only there was a less disgusting way to kill.
Speaking of…
“Where’s Jin?” I mentally chide myself for just now noticing his absence.
Jackson’s sword disappears as he continues to pace about the room, picking up the bags from earlier. “He’s picking up our backup.”
“Already?” The backup was coming from Region Two, which is at least five or six hours away by plane.
“We didn’t tell you?” Forrest releases his hold so I can turn to look at him.
“Tell me what?”
“The Taylor clan has a Teleporter,” Jackson supplies, “but she’s limited to places she’s already been.”
“Has she been this far south?”
Jackson shakes his head. “Only as far as St. Louis, which is why Jin went to pick them up.”
“We’ll meet them at our safe house in Atlanta, but we have to go now.” Urgency fills Forrest’s tone. “I contacted the local magistrate to send a cleanup crew, but we should be gone before they get here. I only left an anonymous tip, and I’d rather they not recognize us.”
Following Jackson’s lead, Lyle, Forrest, and I help him pick up the rest of our stuff, most of which thankfully survived the battle intact.
Once out of the room, we head toward the fire escape at the other end of the hall. Jackson breaks the fire alarm and opens the window, lowering me onto the metal staircase. Forrest pushes past me gently to go first, and soon all four of us are on the ground.
Leaning against the car, smug with the fun they must have had using their new powers, Lucas and Sebastian motion for us to hurry.
The police cars exit the parking lot before us, and Jackson calmly follows them onto the highway before they split off at another exit.
I don’t know how Sebastian and Lucas convinced the cops to leave, but by the twinkling in both of their eyes, I don’t think I want to know.
Chapter 12
It takes us two hours to drive into downtown Atlanta. I have just enough time to wearily admire the impressive city skyline before we pull into the parking garage of one of the city’s many high-rise apartment buildings.
“I thought we were going to a safe house,” I mutter.
Forrest chuckles and turns to face me. “We are.”
“I thought safe houses were more like…”
“Houses?” Lyle offers from beside me.
I nod, trying my best not to disturb Sebastian who has curled up and gone to sleep on my lap. Like a spoiled cat.
“Houses are too easily broken into, especially for our kind,” Jackson comments.
“And people coming and going from an apartment building are less noticeable,” Lyle finishes.
I nod again, though Jackson can’t see me from his position in the driver’s seat. It makes sense. I don’t know why I assumed the safe house would be a house, especially in a big city like Atlanta.
We park the SUV, and I shake Sebastian awake. Lyle does the same with Lucas who had also fallen asleep during our drive. The six of us spill out into the parking garage and head toward the attached elevator, where Jackson produces a keycard, which he touches to a pad above the floor buttons. The panel makes a small sound, then all of the buttons light up, allowing Jackson to push the one for the top floor.
When he turns to face us, I raise my eyebrows at him.
“What?” the tone of his voice seems unaffected, but his neck shows a telltale tint of pink.
“Just because it’s a safe house doesn’t mean it can’t have all the comforts of home,” Lucas explains, finishing off with a wink and a nudge in Jackson’s direction.
Jackson winces but recovers enough to offer me a confident smile. “I bought the penthouse with my own money under several different aliases. No one should know we’re here.”
Luckily, I don’t have to respond to that bit of information, because the elevator door opens to reveal a very plush hallway. The carpet is made of red crushed velvet, and the walls are that wood and brocade mix usually found in fancy hotels. There are only two doors in the hallway, and Jackson leads us to the one at the opposite end of the hall from the elevator.
He swipes his keycard which opens up a panel.
To my surprise, instead of entering a pin on the number pad, he flips open the top, revealing what looks like a fingerprint reader. Sure enough, when he presses his thumb to the small blue panel, the door opens immediately. A pleasant robot voice welcomes us home.
“Wow,” I whisper to Sebastian, who looks as awed as I am.
“Hi-tech,” he agrees.
Behind us, Lucas snickers, but the rest don’t say anything as we enter the apartment.
My first thought as we step through the door is that Jackson must spend a fortune on his cleaning service. The entry way, and what I can see of the living space beyond, is done up in whites and creams. A small alcove to the left of the dark entrance boasts a beautiful cabinet set with a crystal vase housing white roses so perfect that I reach out and touch them to see if they’re real.
Fingering the soft petals, I turn to find Jackson grinning at me. “I told them you like roses.”
I smile. All of my guys like to see me happy, but Jackson is the one who takes the most pride in it.
He claims my hand and leads me through the small hallway to a large, open-concept living space. To our left are several seating areas done in the same cream, dusky blue, and white as the entrance. Floor-to-ceiling windows cover all of the walls facing us and curve around the bend of the oval shaped room, showing a magnificent view of the Atlanta skyline.
To our right, a stretch of open space showcases the sandalwood floors, which lead to a dining area where a crystal chandelier hangs low over the table, separating the area from the rest of the space. In the back of the room, away from the windows, is a large kitchen set with gold and white marble countertops.
Every corner of the penthouse screams luxury.
I barely dare to breathe as I follow Jackson through a quick tour of the balcony, pool, and bedrooms. My free hand clenches at my sides as I hurry to keep up, lest I do something to smudge the perfection.
The tour goes on for almost an hour before Sebastian pulls me aside, eyeing the guys as they head off to figure out who will sleep in which of the apartment’s bedrooms.
“You okay?” he whispers, placing a hand on my cheek.
It’s cold to the touch but reassuring. I hold onto that hand. It wasn’t so long ago that I held this hand as we waited for a miracle. I can’t imagine letting go of it ever again.
“It’s… a little much,” I admit.
Sebastian nods. “For me, too. We might be respected, but the Taylor clan doesn’t live the way the Royals do.”
I remember Sebastian admitting that Jackson and Jin helped him with his school expenses. Does Forrest come from money like the twins and Jackson, or did he build himself an empire like Jin? Truthfully, I’m just glad at least one of my Kladí understands where I come from. If anyone can help my make sense of this craziness, it’s Sebastian.
“It’s weird. I could get used to Jackson’s mansion, and even Queen J’s royal residence, but…”
“That was in Phósopoi, which already feels abnormal,” Sebastian offers.
“Exactly. Now that we’re back in the U.S., all this luxury makes me feel—”
“Out of place,” he finishes.
I nod in relief, happy he understands.
Sebastian gently pats my arm. “You’ll get used to it, eventually. Just keep your eyes on us. Our family is all that matters. All of
this”—he gestures lazily to the splendor around us—“is decoration.”
I grin. Sebastian’s speech is on the cheesy side, but he makes a good point. I’m not here for the penthouse and amazing view, though it is a bonus. I’m here for my guys. I could be anywhere in the world and I’d be happy as long as my guys were with me. We haven’t been together long, but they’ve already carved out a place in my heart so profound that I need them in order to breathe properly. They’re the roots I’ve chosen to plant, and I’m determined to shelter this small bit of happiness, no matter what may come our way.
Sebastian answers my grin with one of his own. He always reads me better than any of the other Kladí, even though Lucas is the one with the Emotion-Reading Gift.
“Ready to continue?” Sebastian gestures toward the hallway the guys disappeared into, just beyond the dining room and kitchen.
Without saying a word, I motion him to go and follow him into the hallway. During our earlier tour, Jackson explained that most of the rooms down this hallway are bedrooms, except for the room at the end of the hallway, which is where we find the guys.
As we step in, I see that this space is meant for living. It’s much less pristine than the rest of the apartment. Big, comfy-looking couches take up most of the room. They sit facing a gigantic television and a wall filled with perhaps every movie ever made.
Not even exaggerating. Someone should have told me Prince Jackson housed all of Netflix in his secret man cave.
My eyes travel up the huge floor-to-ceiling stacks of DVDs. The shelves cover the entire wall except where the television rests.
Tearing my eyes away from the world’s last Blockbuster, I notice that windows entirely cover the wall directly facing the door, same as the walls in the front of the apartment. Because this apartment sits directly in the downtown area of Atlanta, there’s no bad view.
Squinting, I can even make out the top of the CNN tower. The other side of the room rounds out Jackson’s play place with a game area. Several old-school arcade games are set up along with a billiards table and more floor-to-ceiling shelves full of boards games, gaming consoles, and even a few Dance Dance Revolution mats.
I feel much more comfortable in this room than in the rest of the apartment; even more than I felt in the Phósopoi mansion. The lighting is warm, and the furniture looks lived in, like nobody will murder me if I spill my soda somewhere.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly as I make my way toward where Lucas, Lyle, Jackson, and Forrest are camped out on the couches facing the television. To my delight, they’re watching one of my favorites, School of Rock.
“No fair!” I shout, rushing to take my place between the twins. Somehow, I always end up sitting between them whenever we have family discussions. I think it’s because Lucas can tell how I’m feeling, and Lyle is particularly good at keeping me calm.
As if he hears my inner monologue, Lyle takes my hand and does that swirly-thumb thing he does when I’m upset. “You okay?” he asks quietly.
The rest of the guys have their eyes glued on the movie, but I can practically see their ears turn in our direction.
“I’m fine. Just takes a minute to get used to, that’s all.”
He smiles but says nothing.
The rest of my Omás remain silent as well, and pretty soon, we’re all laughing and joking, quoting our favorite parts of the movie. We’ve watched it often. It’s one of the few ways I let the guys spoil me. I usually get my way with picking the movies we watch, which means we watch a lot of Jack Black and Audrey Hepburn. Forrest and Jackson are always happier with a Hepburn choice and the twins prefer the Jack Black movies. Jin and Sebastian never seem to care either way.
But at the end of the day, they’re all happy with what makes me happy. Even after almost a year as their Agora, and all of the crazy things that have happened in the last twenty-four hours, not the least of which is our Bonding, it still seems so surreal to me that I went from having no family to having six people who are closer to me than the closest family I’ve ever seen on television.
After the movie finishes, Lyle finds enough ingredients in Jackson’s kitchen to whip up burgers and a salad. I attempt to help, but per usual, he tolerates only Forrest in his sacred space while cooking. The rest of us head into the dining room to set the table.
By the time Lyle comes in with the food, the sun is setting behind the skyscrapers surrounding the apartment building, casting a beautiful orange glow over our plates as we eat in companionable silence.
We’re about finished with our meal when the doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it.” Lucas jumps out of his seat and prances over to the door.
I twist in my chair to see who’s at the door. The first person who walks into the apartment is none other than the Aporthètos herself.
“Sarah!” I yell, leaping up and running to my friend.
We grew close in Phóspolis while Sebastian was in his coma, and even closer now that he’s awake and we’re not so preoccupied with worry.
“Rosie!” she yells, clutching onto my waist in one of her iron-tight hugs.
I’m so happy to see her that I don’t even scold her for using my least favorite nickname.
“What are you doing here?” I look behind her where a grinning Kieran stands, along with Lakshimi, Raul, and Birdie. I direct my next question to them. “I know I suggested Jin find you, but isn’t it too dangerous for Sebastian’s family to be seen with us right now?”
Sarah steps back and holds her hand to her heart in mock outrage. “I’m so upset that, before thinking of me, your greatest and most powerful friend, you would call on these…” She pauses, the corners of her mouth tightening as she holds in laughter as she tries to come up with an appropriate insult.
“Hooligans?” Kieran offers, his eyes twinkling like Lucas’s do when he’s found a good joke.
“I am not a—” Lakshimi protests immediately before Kieran cuts hims off.
“Oh, quit it, Lakshi. It was a joke.” Kieran rolls his eyes at me.
Behind him, Lakshimi sniffs and straightens her skirt. When she catches me looking at her, she offers a wry smile. “We came because Lord Jin asked for our help. That is all I know.”
“I came because I needed to bring you guys your documents and learn about what happened” Sarah adds, her manner turning from joking sister to serious warrior in a moment. “I’m not Bonded to any nobles like the rest of my family, so I can help.”
I nod. Even though I worry for her safety, Sarah can more than take care of herself. Her Gift of Regeneration is powerful, and her skill as a warrior is unmatched even by the Royals.
“Do you know why you’re here?” I ask.
My new friends shake their heads. Jin must have waited to brief them until we were all together, which is just as well, since I have a lot to say to everyone. I held off on telling the guys about Kin, partly because Jin left to pick up our reinforcements and partly because I didn’t know where to begin. I only hope they believe me. I actually met Kin, and even I struggle to believe Kin is real.
Lucas crosses the room and takes my hand, giving me a supportive squeeze as I turn to face the one person I don’t recognize.
She’s tall, like most of the Phósopoi I’ve encountered, and incredibly beautiful. Long, white-blond hair falls down her back, and her eyes, the same baby-blue as her brothers, identifies her as a Taylor right away.
This must be Sebastian and Sarah’s older sister, the one with the Teleportation Gift, one of the two I hadn’t met when Sebastian was in his coma. She moves with more grace than Sarah and seems even quieter than Sebastian. Something in her gaze tells me she lives up to the prestige of their Agéma line and then some. I wouldn’t want to meet her on the battlefield.
Luckily, she breaks into a serene smile, more like Sebastian’s than Sarah’s cheeky grin.
“I’m Sylvia,” she says softly, holding out a hand almost as pale as mine.
I take it carefully and try to retu
rn her greeting with the same amount of grace. “Rose. You must be the Taylor with the Teleportation Gift?”
When Sebastian was in his Gift-Induced Coma, only his parents and youngest older sister, Summer, stayed to look after him. The two eldest of the Taylor brood, Sylvia and Stephanie, remained in Region Five since they had duties they couldn’t leave, which makes me all the more curious how she can stay with us now.
As if reading my mind, Sarah explains. “It’s so sad that Sylvia suddenly came down with a heavy case of the flu and won’t be able to go into work for, say, three days?” She winks at her sister who doesn’t even respond to the sarcasm but nods in agreement.
“Will that work?” I glance over at Lyle, who’s busy clearing away our dinner dishes. If there are Kladí with healing Gifts like his, I doubt the sickness excuse will hold up.
“Healing isn’t a common Gift. Though Sylvia is a valuable member of King Richard’s Warrior Division, even he would need to fly one over to Seattle to heal her, which he won’t do for a common sickness.” Jackson’s matter-of-fact answer calms my nerves somewhat.
I’m glad they’ve already thought of a plan, because I’m barely keeping it together just following along. All I know is that Sylvia will be a decoy for me, and that I’ll have to split from my Kladí before meeting up again somewhere safe.
Leadership seems to be part of the Agora’s role in his or her Omás, but for me, I’m still not ready to take control. Hopefully, once things die down and nobody is trying to kidnap me or kill my men, I’ll be able to step up. For now, I smile at my guys and bury the mountain of questions that pile up every time I allow myself to think too much about what’s happening. There are more important things than my own curiosity.
Such as finally letting the guys know what happened the night we Bonded, the back-of-my-mind voice reminds me.
For that, we need a bit of privacy. I’m sure the rest of the crew will be filled in at some point, but I want to tell my guys as a family before we let our backup know what’s going on.