“Maybe it was just estrus, I don’t know, but I was drawn to him before my estrus started, not the powerful way I am to you, but the fundamental pull to him was remarkably similar. Conlon, I need you to hear me. Mick—Did Not—Rape Me. If he had, I’d kill him myself. Think about it … I’m not that nice.” She watched as the edge of his lip twitched at the reminder.
Conlon's eyes fell closed and he placed his forehead to hers, releasing a long sigh. “I should be glad you don’t remember the rape, and I hate that you were in one of those cages to begin with.” He whispered the confession. “You had no early signs of being Hulven?”
This should make future difficult conversation a piece of cake, right? Stacey silently prayed. “My family’s wealth afforded me a private physician, exclusive schools, private jets. I got nosebleeds once in a while, and I had heavy menstruation, but that was it. I think it was a nosebleed that brought me to the rogues’ notice. The day before they raided my home, I got a nosebleed while leaving one of my father’s offices. Looking back, I think they followed me home and decided the risk if they were wrong and I were human was worth the reward if I turned out to be Hulven. They breached the security and killed most of our guards before they gained access. Once inside, two of them killed my parents while one restrained me. I pretended to be a maid, just like my father taught me to should I ever be kidnapped. I had to keep quiet and not call out to them as I watched them die.” Conlon's warm thumb wiped the tears from her cheek. She was crying. Damn it. Why was she telling all this rather than an abbreviated version? She'd only meant to tell him the truth about Mick. “Sometimes I still have nightmares.” Conlon pinched his eyes closed. “You can’t blame Mick, Conlon. He did nothing wrong. If anything … I think he saved me,” Stacey pleaded.
Conlon whispered, “He’s actually a pretty amazing guy. I’ve grown to respect him tremendously. Are you still attracted to Mick?” It was doubtful Conlon wanted her to hear the vulnerability in his voice.
Stacey steeled herself, cradled Conlon’s face between her palms so he would look her in the eyes. “Whose arms am I in, Conlon?”
Conlon didn’t push her to say words she wasn’t ready to. He kissed her hard arching her back over his forearm to get closer. Stacey felt her temperature spike. When he stepped back and broke the kiss Stacey could see blisters rapidly healing along his arms. She needed to get her ability under control.
“I’m supposed to meet Cassie at the playground. Do you know where it is?”
Conlon smiled. “Yeah.”
Chapter Eighteen
She felt like a goofy teenager walking hand in hand with Conlon through the homes and buildings. Not that she wanted to pull her hand from his … far from it. The clang of metal on metal reached her ears from beyond the edge of structures where a huge field opened up. Warriors of every species sparred, some with weapons, some without. Stacey had watched her guards “practice” in her yard many times, but it was nothing like this.
“You’ve got to be shitting me. I thought you guys all worked together now?” This definitely looked like a hardcore battle to her.
The whirl of a sword cut through the air and Conlon snatched it with his free hand, as if flying swords were an everyday occurrence. Stacey squeaked and tried to duck. Conlon chuckled. “This is just plain fun in our world.”
“Wondered when you’d show up, lazy bastard.” She recognized Conlon’s brother Shane as the speaker. He looked so much like Conlon, but with lean defined muscles; Conlon had more muscle bulk than his brother.
With the cutest face of excitement, Conlon met her gaze. “Go, have … fun. Don’t get any of the parts I like cut off.”
He kissed her cheek and ran over, clashing deadly blades with Shane. They were nuts. She couldn’t imagine the hell their mother had gone through. She searched the area and her eyes fell on a swing set with an extensive play area built around it. Squeals and laughter of rambunctious children, including her son, made her grin. Safety rails were everywhere. The shiny bars even encased the slide. And she thought she was over-protective. Jess sat on the thick grass at the edge of the playground waving her over. Be nice, she reminded herself, making her way toward Jess and the other females.
Cassie stood. “Hey, you mind?” She had the same look in her eye Conlon had. Warriors.
“Knock yourself out.” Stacey grinned as Cassie took off to join the fray of mock battle.
The group of females all smiled with welcome when Stacey joined them. Jess and a few of the others had healing marks and bruises from having been in the pit already. She searched the playground for Johnny. He sat opposite a larger boy on a teeter-totter, with Meg in attendance. Three little girls scrambled through a jungle gym.
“So, rumor has it you are rich. Not like …” A girl with straight black, shoulder-length hair and almond-shaped blue eyes dropped her voice to sound like a male. “I’ve lived eons, Aymee. You needn’t worry about finances …” Her voice returned to normal. “That kind of rich, but really, really rich.”
The first snide remark that jumped to Stacey’s mind was: Why, you need a frickin’ loan? But she bit her tongue.
“Don’t be rude, Aymee,” Jess scolded. “Sorry, Stacey. This is my best friend, Aymee. She’s Eros’s mate.” Jess pointed at another female who sat on the grass wearing shorts. Her legs were covered in scars, but her gray eyes were friendly. “And this is Umbrae Sicarius. Those four rugrats are hers.” She pointed at a third female who looked like she could be Conlon’s daughter. “This is Irsu Einar; she’s Conlon’s niece.” Stacey started to greet them like she would an employee, but she snapped her mouth closed before her bitch got loose, nodding to each instead. Then Jess pointed at an empty space above the playground. “And that’s Daniel Sicarius. He’s on Umbrae-protection duty today.”
A male shimmered into view standing on top the swing set and wiggled his fingers before vanishing again. The scarred girl, Umbrae, shook her head with a grin. “They are watching the kids … Jestyl tried to get off the swing while it was still moving yesterday and Othos snatched her out of the air.”
Stacey started adding names together. She had met Eros, Victor, Baden, and Brock in Amsterdam. Now she had met Daniel and another named Othos. Holy henna. “So you have five brothers?”
“Six brothers. Jacob’s on assignment till tomorrow,” Umbrae clarified. “I’m Eros’s youngest and only daughter.” Stacey now felt sorrier for Eros than she did Conlon’s mother. Seven natural-born assassins had to be tougher to parent.
“Are there any more Sicariuses running around?” She meant in the immediate vicinity, since they were difficult to detect.
Umbrae’s response stopped her cold. “Well, there’s Osiris’s lineage, but we don’t consider them family … except Mick.”
Wait … if Osiris was a Sicarius … and Stacey was right about Mick being Johnny’s father … Conlon had told her Mick was Osiris’s son. Stacey took a new look at her son running carefree with children that might be his cousins. The SOSC knew Osiris had been the mastermind of the breeding lab where she’d been held. The guy was evil. This place was good Sicarius central. No wonder the SOSC had moved them to Mesa for protection. The background clash of weapons from the warriors made her feel even safer.
“So what if I’m rude; is it true? Are you rich?” Aymee’s eyebrows lifted in question.
Stacey liked Aymee’s blunt style. “It’s true. My turn—is it true you are an enlightened human?” Quid pro quo, baby.
Aymee laughed. “That’s what they tell me. I see in infrared, you’re like looking at a firecracker going off.”
Wow. Stacey glanced at Jess, who shook her head. Jess hadn’t told Aymee about her ability. “Sometimes I feel like a firecracker going off. What else can you do?”
“I’m still figuring that out.” Aymee hopped up like a kid showing off a new toy. “Check this out.” She walked over to a bush held her hands out and closed her eyes. Within seconds the bush blossomed with lilacs. Aymee opened her eyes, plucked one
of the new blooms and stuck it into her hair behind her ear. With that ability, humans would one day be able to heal the earth of all the damage they were doing to it now.
Umbrae snatched the bloom from Aymee hair when she sat back down and held it to her nose. “You need to fix my houseplants. I swear I have a black thumb. Of course, the kids tipping the pots over constantly doesn’t help them much either.”
Stacey looked back over at the kids. She had Meg and Cassie to help with Johnny. How did Umbrae do it with four? “Five nannies and Enlil helps a lot,” Umbrae answered as if reading her mind. “Nope, not reading your mind, I just get that question often.” Stacey had to smile. These women were really easy to like.
“So Conlon said your parents live in Alaska; is that where you grew up?” Stacey addressed the only person who had yet to speak.
Irsu gaped. “My uncle spoke? Sorry, I like to give him shit. Usually he answers direct questions with a single syllable or an expression of annoyance.”
Stacey found Conlon amongst the group of warriors. His neck strained and sweat glistened on his defined chest. A dagger had replaced the sword, and he fought against the Aquatie Greyton.
“You got it bad.” Irsu whistled while Aymee, Jess, and Umbrae chuckled and nodded.
Stacey could feel the blush climbing up her neck into her cheeks. “Stacey, you’re hurting my eyes.” Aymee shielded her vision with her hand.
Johnny tried to climb into her lap. Stacey held him by his arm at a distance. Meg smiled, trailing behind Johnny. Stacey felt concern at Johnny’s touch. Her ability was flighty at best, and Aymee had just pointed out her spike in body temperature. “Meg, grab him,” she barked. Meg's smile faltered. Damn it. “I’m …” Shit. She’d made progress with Meg. “I’m not mad. I’m afraid I’ll burn him right now,” she admitted, feeling her temperature rise higher along with her blush.
“Oh!” Meg lifted Johnny to her hip and gave Stacey a look of sympathy that Stacey wanted to slap off her face. “He just wants to feed before his nap. I didn’t know.” This was why she avoided connections. Aymee and Jess looked at each other and then back at Stacey. Both started to talk at the same time.
“Your energy—” Jess started.
“Your heat—” Aymee interrupted.
Jess shrugged. “You tell her.”
“Give her Johnny,” Aymee told Meg.
“No!” Stacey snapped. Meg took a step back, holding Johnny in a defensive stance. The human nanny had guts facing down these ladies … and Stacey.
“Stacey, when you held his arm, your heat seeped into him, but it didn’t burn him,” Aymee snapped back at Stacey.
Jess nodded. “She’s right. Johnny’s energy acted like a—” Jess bit her bottom lip, as if she were trying to find the right term “—conduit for yours. It just flowed through him.” Aymee nodded agreement and Jess continued. “It’s pretty cool what you can do. If you want, I can try to help you control it … though Enlil could teach you more and Umbrae is a master at mental shields.”
Umbrae looked at her friend curiously. “Why would she need help with shielding?” Stacey had been about to ask the same question.
“Stacey pulls energy into herself somehow.” Jess turned to Stacey. “Not the way I siphon exactly … I can see it collecting in you from everything you touch … except Johnny. The air, the grass, the sun … and people. Plus, you are building energy from your own psychic reserves. Shields aren’t just to keep your psyche safe from the inside out; they can also help you keep stuff outside from coming in. I think it would help quite a bit.”
Irsu reached over and touched Stacey’s arm. “You’re toasty, all right. Did my uncle tell you how ‘hot’ you are?” Everyone muttered an agreement except Meg, who simply looked confused by the conversation.
Stacey held her hands up to receive Johnny. She had to trust someone, and these females seemed to know what they were talking about. Johnny nuzzled into her arms and took her offered wrist. His eyes fluttered closed and he dozed within minutes. Meg lifted him from her and toted him toward the house.
“Let’s meet back here tomorrow and get started. I can feel my youngsters getting hungry.” Umbrae stood and Stacey thanked her. They were all so eager to help her. Stacey felt overwhelmed with gratitude as she watched the young mother pick up her son and traipse off with a trail of nannies carrying her other three children. Amazing.
“You ready for round two, biotch,” Irsu announced.
At first Stacey thought Irsu meant her till Jess stood and said, “Bring it on.”
Stacey sat in companionable silence with Aymee, watching her new friends spar. Jess kicked ass in the hand-to-hand stuff, but it was obvious Irsu held the advantage when the females switched to weapons. Stacey caught sight of Conlon several times. He seemed to be having the time of his life. Mattie and Cassie where battling with grins too.
“You know you can’t sneak up on me, ya big dork.” Aymee giggled. She seemed to levitate and then Eros appeared with Aymee clutched against his chest. “Eww. You’re all sweaty.” Aymee tried to push against her male’s chest.
“And you love me sweaty,” Eros whispered, planting a sweet kiss to Aymee’s lips. Aymee sighed wrapping her arms around Eros’s neck. The otherwise scary ancient assassin showed a startling tenderness with Aymee. He extended his wings and launched into the air, disappearing into the horizon. Stacey could have sworn they never stopped kissing the entire time.
Stacey turned her face up to the Arizona sun and closed her eyes.
“Errr … Stacey.” The hesitant voice came from beside her. Stacey opened her eyes and looked up into Mick’s face.
Odd that she felt like he were an old friend or acquaintance … now that the shock of seeing him had passed. “Hey. Good to see you.” His brows furled with confusion and he sat a good distance away from her. “Mick, you know I never knew your name.”
He looked at the ground in front of him. “I'm called Mick Tenor, but that's not who I am. My father called me Ten. My brothers and I were numbered rather than named.”
Stacey looked into the face of a broken male, so unlike the inner confidence Conlon carried easily. Her heart broke for Mick. “Okay. I think I prefer Mick, if that's all right.” He gave her a half-grin and nodded. “Conlon said you defected. That’s good. You kinda sucked at being a rogue.” She tried to put him at ease with a jest.
It didn’t work. Mick’s shoulders slumped lower. “I was the worst possible kind of rogue, truthfully. I defected a year after you were … rescued. Listen, I need to thank you … and apologize to you.” He huffed out a breath. “Not that an apology will ever make up for—” He waved his hand in her general direction. “First I guess I'll thank you. Meeting you changed my life. It showed me the error of my ways, for lack of a better term. After that, I started seeing things from a new perspective rather than through the desire to gain acceptance from my father. You saved my soul, Stacey.”
Stacey didn't know what to say. She'd made a point in her life to not face people's gratitude. It wasn't a position she felt comfortable in, one of the many reasons she tried to do things anonymously. “You're welcome—”
He cut her off. “I just want you to know I didn't make a habit of … raping females.” He swallowed audibly, meeting her gaze with that tortured expression again. Rape? What? It was one thing for Conlon to jump to the wrong conclusion, but Mick? Hello … Mick was in the room with her, for hell’s sake. Stacey opened her mouth, but nothing came out. “I'm so sorry I hurt you. Violated you. I … I…” He dropped his face into his hands.
Stacey sat stunned, watching this male who had showed her kindness in her darkest time tear himself apart over her.
“Sorry to interrupt.” The voice of a female came from behind her.
What now? Today had already been one giant fucking emotional roller-coaster, and Stacey wanted off.
Stacey looked over her shoulder at a tiny female. At less than five feet with platinum blonde hair down to her ankles, huge violet eye, and
skin like porcelain, she had to be Innanna. Stacey had heard tales of Innanna enough to recognize the powerful Presiding Oracle, who could easily be the most beautiful female alive. In stark contrast, Herme—with his unremarkable sandy hair, five-eleven height, and the appearance of an early thirty year old—epitomized the word average. The jeans, cowboy boots, and T-shirt that declared “Dr. Feel Good” made it hard to take the ancient healer seriously. Until Stacey looked into his sharp, intelligent eyes. No matter what the guy wore, Herme was powerful in his own right.
Herme and Innanna sat midway between her and Mick. Herme got right to the point. “I got a call from Hans several days ago. He was afraid Johnny might be Osiris's because of the threats. In lieu of having a blood sample from Osiris, I tested Johnny against Mick.” He spoke directly to her, using his chin to indicate Mick to his left on the other side of Innanna. Then the healer cranked his head around to address Mick directly. “Imagine my surprise when the markers showed you and only you could be Stacey's child's father.”
“What? That’s not even possible,” Mick yelled. If anything, Stacey felt relief. Herme’s confirmation simply validated what she’d known all along. Mick, on the other hand, seemed to be bordering on a panic attack.
“Mick, calm down and let me explain,” Herme tried to reason with Mick, who seemed to be flickering in and out of shadow with each exhale.
“I can’t have a child. I’m Hulven!” Mick’s eyes were huge with denial. Stacey’s anger at Mick’s reaction to their child started to rise. The warriors ceased fighting and stared over at them. Conlon and Mattie broke free and joined them, Conlon next to her and Mattie next to Mick.
“Johnny is the miracle the Volaticus people have been waiting for. He is proof that Hulven males are not sterile,” Innanna tried to reason with Mick, who clutched Mattie’s hand in a death grip. Could Volaticus hyperventilate?
“I always knew Mick was Johnny’s father, even though the healers at the hospe tried to tell me differently after my rescue.” Stacey dismissed Innanna and turned to Herme. Mattie gave a slight gasp. Mick’s head pivoted to meet gazes with Mattie. “Tell me something I don’t know,” Stacey continued.
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