Silence filled the space around our fire and I found myself sorry for stifling the conversation, but I wasn’t sure how to fix it. Or if I wanted to fix it. My friends were all out here in the woods because of me. Some, like Hannah, were still recovering. They nearly died because they made the mistake of standing with me. A chill that had nothing to do with the cold worked its way down my spine as I realized I was a danger to everyone around me.
The pall I’d cast over everything finally broke when several of the demonborn in their giant bird of prey forms coasted into the clearing, dropping bags from their talons before settling into the snow a little further on.
James turned to watch them with interest. “Looks like the food is here.”
“At least once we’ve eaten, everyone will have enough energy to fly.” Bethany examined a lock of her hair that was stuck together with blood. “Then we can get cleaned up.”
“How are we going to get cleaned up?” I couldn’t even imagine what I must look like.
“One of Caius’s clan has a safe house about an hour straight flight from here,” Bethany said as I watched Caius and a couple of his siblings walk into the clearing and gather up the bags. He handed several to Malik who came over to our group and gave them to Ryan and Rowen.
Rowen divvied up the contents of the sacks between all of us, waking Hannah to give her share to her. He said nothing to me as he handed me three cheeseburgers and a bunch of fries. Ryan came by and gave me a couple cans of soda out of another sack.
Even with the fire, it was still chilly sitting in the icy air with snow all around us, but it didn’t seem too bad as I dug into my food.
Strength flooded back into my system with each bite swallowed and there was nothing lady-like about the way I ate. Despite the guilt hanging over me, I started to feel better.
A glance at Bethany showed her to be just as unladylike as me. Chelsea, Hannah, and Fran also tore into their food. In fact, the lot of us reminded me of a pack of hungry, wild dogs at a fresh kill. I chuckled to myself as I shoved another huge bite into my mouth and stuffed some fries in after it.
By the time the food was gone, I felt like a new woman. Not that it would hold any of us, demonborn or reaper, for long. We were all recovering from the fight; we would burn it off quick.
After everyone finished and tossed their trash into the fires, which pretty much incinerated all of it on contact, Caius announced it was time to go as Lilly went around putting out the fires. When she finished, she shifted into the golden bird of prey with crimson streaked feathers.
I sought the raven and shifted easily, the world changing as I saw it through my bird eyes. Caius was the last to shift, his onyx feathers shaded with crimson shimmered in the sunlight. Of the demonborn, only Malik and Lilly matched him in size. I wondered what made the difference between those three and the rest of their siblings.
We all took off together; the sound of so many wings beating the air at once ricocheted among the trees. Once we cleared the treetops, Lilly led us almost straight west. It was nice to be the raven for a bit. My black feathers shielded me from the frigid air and soaked up the weak warmth of the sun.
Though the demonborn soared above us, they didn’t keep to the same high altitude as before. I was surprised to feel relief at having them closer.
***
“Her blushes were amusing. It had been a long time since I’d been around someone so innocent.” ~Caius
Chapter 40
We were in the air for just over an hour when Lilly folded her wings and plunged toward the ground at an incredible speed. The rest of them followed in the same fashion, each one throwing out their wings and drawing up just short of the ground before landing. I got the feeling they were showing off.
Rowen and the rest of us took a more leisurely path down. I eyed the house as I dropped gently toward the back of it with everyone else. It looked huge with a long driveway that curved off into the trees. The nearest house I could see was a good mile or so away to the south. No power lines crossed the landscape, but solar panels lined the roof and a wind generator stood off to one side.
Rowen left the raven before he touched down and hit the ground walking. I waited until my feet were resting in the sheet of deep snow before changing. I’d had enough of falling out of the air.
Once shifted, I took a look around. The ‘safe house’ turned out to be a sprawling two-story log cabin with a walkout basement and decks that ran all the way around it. Smoke drifted up from the two chimneys. I wondered who lived there and if they knew who, or rather what, was coming.
A couple stepped out of the basement entrance as the last of us were shifting. Their lack of surprise led me to believe they knew exactly who had literally dropped in. They smiled in welcome, but it seemed guarded.
Lilly stopped to speak a few words to the couple before turning and saying, “Everyone, this is Sarah and Peter. Treat them well.”
They nodded and followed her into the house.
I raised an eyebrow at Rowen. “I guess we don’t need to hide what we are?”
“They are…Lilly’s.” His mouth twisted in distaste. “They will never speak of anything they see.”
Ah, she’d bound them to her. It gave us a safe place to clean up, but still made me uneasy. These people, although free to go about their lives when she wasn’t here, were basically her slaves when she was here. They would do what they were told, no matter what. It creeped me out.
Creeped out or not, there wasn’t much choice so I followed everyone in, shedding my cloak into the hamper Peter placed by the back door.
The house was immaculate inside and I kicked off my boots next to the door in a row with everyone else’s while Sarah told us the house was equipped with heat on demand so cloaks could be washed at the same time showers were taken in the three full bathrooms.
I hung back, sitting at the wide island in the kitchen so I wouldn’t get anything dirty, waiting to take my shower until others had a chance to use them. I may be icky, but most of the demonborn did more fighting than any in my group. They were just as bad, or worse, than me. More than a few cloaks were going to need to be repaired after they were washed.
Sarah placed snacks and food all over the counter while her husband carried dirty cloaks to the laundry. I didn’t want to eat any of the food; it felt like I was contributing to the bond forced on the couple. The giant plate full of chocolate chip cookies overruled my good intentions.
I wasn’t alone in digging in, everyone in both groups that weren’t showering descended on the arrayed food as if we hadn’t just eaten an hour ago. The soft cookies, packed with plenty of chocolate chips were unbelievably delicious and for a few minutes, I lost myself in the simplicity of them while I let my gaze take in the house.
From where I sat, it appeared the ground floor was covered in large, pale tiles. Warm woods trimmed the doors and made up the cabinets. The counters under the piles of food were a pale rose marble. It combined into a whole that was welcoming, bright, and open. For some reason, I still kept expecting demon crash pads to be dressed up in cliché blacks and other dark, dungeony colors.
By the time I stuffed myself full of both sugar and real food, most of the others had filtered out of the kitchen, having eaten and showered. Their voices drifted in from the living room. Bethany came in the kitchen wearing a shirt and a pair of sweats I’d never seen before, her damp curls a little wild around her head. “Oh, yum, cookies!”
I was just about to reach for another sumptuous morsel when Sarah approached me. “It’s your turn, dear.”
A couple of demonborn and a few reapers still lingered over the food while they chatted good-naturedly. I glanced at them and shook my head. “I’ll wait until everyone else is done.”
After all, it was my fault everyone was in this condition to begin with. If not for me, they would all be going about their normal lives.
Sarah stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Forgive me, but I have been informed it is your turn.”
“By who?” I folded my arms.
“Lilly. Her brother requested it and she made it an order for me to show you to the shower.” Sarah twisted her fingers together.
“Fine.” I ground my teeth together. How dare Caius have Lilly order these people about on my behalf. I was quite capable of getting to the shower when I was ready. Sarah didn’t need to get in trouble over it though, I’d already done enough damage to the people around me as it was, so I slid off the bar stool at the island and followed her through the house.
The demonborn reclined around the living room in various states of dress. Apparently, modesty wasn’t a big deal among them. One of the demonborn women, I couldn’t remember her name, strolled through the room in her bra and underwear much to the consternation of several reapers.
Lilly curled against the arm of one of the sofas in a pair of tiny shorts and a soft pink cami with a bunny, of all things, on the front. She had the same half-moon design on her forearms that Caius did.
Although they all sported pretty much the same tattoos around their shoulders with only minor variations, a glance around the room on my way by showed Malik was the only other one with the forearm designs. I wondered what it meant as I made my way up the stairs.
The tile flooring was replaced with plush carpeting on the second level. I padded quietly after Sarah as she led me down a short hallway and pointed at one of the doors. “This is the bathroom. Fresh towels have already been placed in there. You will find clean things to wear through the next door down.”
I thanked her and stepped through the first door. The bathroom was roomy with the kind of shower that was tucked around behind a wall, so no curtain necessary. My shirt was glued to my body with dried blood, my jeans the same. It took a bit to peel everything off.
The hot water ran red while I got wet and began the task of rinsing the matted mess of my hair. Fruity scented shampoo went a long way to removing all of the blood from my hair, but it still took three washes before the suds quit turning pink. By then, the water and shampoo running down my body during rinse broke loose most of the dried muck on my skin so washing the rest of me went faster.
A stack of towels rested on a narrow table just outside the shower. I exited the bathroom with one around my hair and one secure around my body and made my way to the room next door.
I found my cloak, freshly washed, on the bed. A deep red, long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of black pants were also folded on the bed, a pair of lacy underwear discreetly tucked between them, and a pair of socks next to the stack. A plastic bag with a small hairbrush, unopened toothbrush, and sample sized toothpaste rested next to the socks. I held up the underwear. Lace? What in the nine hells? Oh, well, I guess I should just be glad there were any. At least they looked brand new.
The shirt hugged my body close, showing off my narrow waist. The V in the neck dipped lower than I would have normally worn, but beggars can’t be choosers. I was just glad my chest was a modest size or the V would have felt more revealing. The pants fit well too. Somehow, they weren’t too big or too long. Since I was the shortest person in the house, I wasn’t sure how that was possible. I brushed out my damp hair then made use of the wonderful toothbrush and paste. I finally felt normal again as I pulled my cloak on. Well, as normal as I ever have anyway.
After placing the towels and my soiled clothes in a hamper, I turned to leave the room and then jumped back. Zane, one of Caius’s brothers, stood in the doorway.
I steadied myself, refusing to back up any further. Trying to sound unconcerned that a demonborn who had never spoken to me now blocked my exit, I asked, “What’s up?”
“You should set him free.”
“What?” Confused, I waited for him to answer.
I held my ground as he took another step into the room and said, “You should set Caius free. His attempt to help you has every possibility of him ending up dead, or pushed to play cards that should be kept off the table. You have split the demonborn. There was a time, not so long ago, that any of the demonborn would have stood behind him. But you, you are too much even for them.”
“If you think I’m so horrible, then why are you here?” I crossed my arms and rested my weight on one foot, irritated that he was hitting a sore spot in me. Not that I would let him see that.
“I am here for Caius, not you. I may not agree with my brother, but I will always stand with him.” He glowered at me. “That doesn’t mean I think any of this is a good idea. Caius would be better off dealing with the broken bond than the events building around you.”
I scowled back at him. “The only way for me to break the bond is to die.”
“Then so be it.” He shrugged.
Stunned, I almost backed up a step. Forcing myself to stay still I asked, “You want me dead?”
“I care only for my brother. I couldn’t care less what happens to you. Right now, all I can see is you going down and dragging Caius with you. I’m sure you don’t care about what happens to him, but you should think about your friends. I have a lot of respect for Rowen and you will drag him down as well. Him and everyone who stands with you.” He shook his head. “This won’t stop. Your mix of bloods combined with your bond to Caius has started a chain of events. Neither side can afford to turn a blind eye.”
“So I should just die because of what I am?”
“We are lucky it’s only you who the Sentinels are after at this point.” His expression turned colder, though I wasn’t sure how that was possible. “Although, after the one Caius killed, I doubt that will be the case for long. An action he took on your behalf. Just like when he gave you his blood to save your life. You are at the center of everything that has happened to those in this house.”
When I didn’t have an answer to his accusations, his expression turned considering. “Perhaps, you are too selfish to care who dies trying to defend something that shouldn’t exist in the first place.”
His words sparked anger inside me. “Something? I’m not a something. I’m a person.”
“No.” He shook his head and moved toward the door. “You aren’t a person. You’re a catalyst. You bring destruction with you everywhere you go. Even your mother died because of you.”
Fury whipped through me and I could feel the markings prickle across my skin. “My mother died of cancer. I didn’t cause that.”
“You didn’t cause the cancer, you caused her death. Miranda could have returned to Midtween when she was diagnosed. A good dose of replenisher and a couple of months in Midtween and she would have been fine. She couldn’t come back because it would have exposed you.” He pointed a finger at me. “Victoria as well, but her mix is far less damaging than yours. The fact your mother kept you shielded up until the moment of her death shows she knew that. So, yes, she died because of you.” He turned and left, the door shutting behind him with a light bang.
***
“Words have more power than most understand.” ~Caius
Chapter 41
I stood rooted to the floor. If his words hadn’t lined up with my own thoughts, I could have brushed them away. If he hadn’t pointed out the fact my mother could have come back—something I hadn’t even considered before—but didn’t in order to try and keep me off the radar… He was right. I was endangering all of my friends, Caius, and all of his siblings. I could even be endangering Victoria. They could use her against me.
I hadn’t forced any of them to be a part of this, but they still showed up because of me. Hannah had nearly died because of me. The image of Caius’s bloodied form on his knees in the snow came unbidden to my mind. It wasn’t fair, but the fact remained that by merely existing, I brought trouble to everyone’s doorstep.
Caius hadn’t said a word to me, or even looked at me, since we got up that morning. Maybe now that he’d had time to think about it, he was realizing the same thing. I was forced to face the fact that if Caius determined he was done with this and decided to kill me, there was nothing I could do about it. Even Rowen seemed wary
of a direct confrontation with Caius.
I wasn’t ready to die. In fact, everything that had happened made me all the more determined to live. If nothing else, just to spite everyone who wanted me dead. Even so, I couldn’t find it in myself to blame Caius if he was thinking about breaking the bond. Like me, he was led to believe we were going to fetch a dagger to stop the Lost. He hadn’t bargained for this mess.
Anger and hurt from the sharp truth of Zane’s words coursed through me. The older Children, who were supposed to be my family, had turned away from me. Plenty in the heavens had turned away from me before I’d ever become a problem. Even Elijah had walked away before I was born.
A problem, a mess, a catalyst. Those were the words that described me now. None of it applied to me as a person, just to my mix of genetics. In the end, I didn’t matter. Just my genetics and those were dangerous.
Tears threatened to rise; I tried to blink them back. I couldn’t hide out in this room forever and I’d be damned if my expression gave away the turmoil in my mind. Unfortunately, James came looking for me before I could get everything under control.
“Jo? You still in here?” he asked as he cracked the door just enough to speak through it.
I blinked furiously, trying to get the tears to go away. Normally I was better at covering this kind of thing up, but between almost drowning to death, the fight in the forest, and Zane, the last twenty-four hours had rubbed my nerves and emotions raw. “Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Hey, what’s the matter?” James poked his head around the door, concern on his face.
“Nothing. It’s all good.” I wiped at my eyes and tried to plaster on an expression that said I was okay.
“Are you…crying?” The incredulous tone of his voice reminded me that none of my friends had seen me cry. Ever.
“No.” I wiped another traitorous tear from the edge of my eye before it could fall.
Unveiled (Raven Daughter Book 1) Page 26