by Jaymin Eve
Dropping my arms, I took a step forward and Michaels had the intelligence to hold his hands up and take a step back. “Whoa, killer, I’ve been on the receiving end of your right hook before. No need for violence.”
Shaking my head at the pure stupidity of this guy, I turned back to the scary one. Daniel, apparently.
“Why did Laous take my mom? What the hell is a secret keeper?”
Daniel wore a look which was part amused, part exasperated. “He took her because you’re a secret keeper. Which, as the title suggests, is a person who keeps a secret.”
I was going to punch him. Again.
“He needs you,” Daniel continued before my plans of violence could go any further. “Your blood will lead him to the next secret keeper, who will lead him to the last, and then he will find this object he is searching for.”
My head kind of felt like it was going to explode. The headache, on top of this information, was a little too much. “I don’t understand,” I finally admitted, not at all happy about my continued confusion.
“It’s a long, complicated story.” His voice was softer now, and so soothing I almost closed my eyes. “All you need to know now is that Laous wants you, he has taken your mom as a way to force your compliance, and he is going to try and lure you out again.”
“Why didn’t he just wait at the condo for me? He must have known I’d be back soon.”
Daniel and Michaels exchanged a look. “He probably sensed Daniel in the area,” Michaels finally said. “I couldn’t believe it when Dan showed up telling me about a secret keeper down here in New Orleans that he needed to find. Who would have thought it’d be the same chick I like to rile up at the gym?”
I was surprised to hear that he hadn’t been watching me the entire time for the Daelighters, that his interest might have actually been genuine. Not that I cared. Michaels was not my type. Even if he hadn’t been an alien.
“You’ve been looking for me?” I asked Daniel, and he nodded.
“As soon as we got a hit on the location of the next secret keeper, we set out to get to them before Laous.”
They’d almost done that too. Just missed saving my mom by hours.
“If you promise not to try and escape again,” Daniel said, “I will answer all of your questions. It appears I’m staying in New Orleans for longer than planned, and you need to realize we’re working toward the same goal here. I don’t want to have to keep an eye on you at all times of the day and night.”
Uh, yeah, I was totally not promising anything. If I felt at any point like my life was in danger being here, I would be gone so fast their supernatural heads would spin. So far I hadn’t been hurt – by anyone other than myself – or raped or threatened. I felt somewhat comfortable being in their presence. But I would never trust them.
They weren’t human. One of their kind kidnapped my mom. I needed to remain on guard.
At my silence, his grin extended a little further. “Close enough,” he finally said, flashing me a full smile, all of those perfect teeth blinding me. And he had a damn dimple. Like he needed one more weapon to use against us. Despite my disgust toward him and his people in general, there was a moment where I had the clichéd butterflies-in-my-tummy thing going on.
Michaels took a seat on the edge of the bed, while Daniel and I remained standing. I continued to maintain at least a six-foot distance from them both. If I needed to fight or run, the space was important. At least the pounding in my head had finally eased a touch.
Daniel crossed his arms, which only emphasized the mammoth size of him. No doubt an intimidation tactic. “What exactly do you know about us? I don’t want to waste my time repeating information you already possess.”
Mimicking him, I crossed my arms, tilting my head to the side in a sardonic glare. “Would hate to waste your time, your royal highness, it’s been a real worry of mine since we met.” I continued on in the same drawling tone: “Let’s see, what do I know. Number one: you’re arrogant bastards who think humans are scum under your shoes.” No reaction. No denial. “Number two, you’re called Daelighters, you’re not from Earth, but you somehow managed to infiltrate our world and control most aspects of it anyway.” I was digging deep, going back to my mother’s lectures. “You’re from an alternate universe … and your planet is called Overworld. There’s been some sort of treaty with Earth since the late 1800s. Something keeping both planets alive? But in the end you’ll probably take over Earth completely and kill us all.”
Daniel nodded. “Except for the last part, you’re on track. What else do you know about the treaty?”
Good to know they had no immediate plans for the annihilation of the human race. Maybe that was just one of Mom’s crazy rants.
I shrugged, shaking my head. “Nothing else about the details of the treaty. My mom has spent my entire life warning me to go nowhere near your kind. All I know is that if you get your hands on me, very bad things will happen. She didn’t spend much time telling me anything else.”
His eyes darkened and deepened until they were reflective pools of emotion. Heavy emotions if I was judging correctly – anger, distaste, passion, fire. I tore my gaze away before it got too hard to handle. His eyes and voice did that same thing to my insides as jazz music and Jackson Square. Made me feel too much. And I needed the numbness right now.
Michaels sprawled out further across the bed, drawing my attention. “Your mother is greatly misinformed,” he told me in his drawling accent. “The treaty was put in place as a mutual advantage to both worlds. Energy from Earth powers our network and keeps the four races of Daelighters from falling into war again, because now we all have enough power to be sustained. In return, Earth received a very special stone, one which stopped the weather phenomena of your world from ripping it to pieces. A starslight stone.”
His voice dropped low, filled with reverence as he mentioned the stone.
Daniel added: “This stone is extremely powerful and important to our people. It’s the basis for holding the treaty together. When the overlords and the leaders of your free world first signed the treaty, it was agreed that humans and Daelighters would integrate. A hundred humans were brought in on the secret. Their offspring went on to be secret keepers for the starslight stone. There are always four, one for each house. Born in the same year.”
“What’s a house?” I interrupted.
Daniel didn’t skip a beat. “In my … part of Overworld, there are four sectors. House of Imperial is mine, then there is House of Darken, House of Leights, and House of Royale. We are all ruled separately by overlords – like a king and queen – and have unique abilities and traditions. You are the secret keeper born in House of Imperial.”
I held a hand up, my mouth no doubt a wide O as I stared at him. “I … I was born in Overworld?”
There was no way. Seriously. That would mean my mom went there, gave birth to me, and then came home only to poison me against these Daelighters for my entire life.
Michaels nodded, his expression somewhat serious. “Yes, you had to be born there to be a secret keeper. That’s how your blood can lead to the next keeper. You have energy from House of Imperial inside of you.”
My breathing was doing something weird, harshly drawing in and out, but my lungs were still starving for air. The men across from me let me have this moment to break down, and eventually the rest of the questions overwhelmed me, and I had to ask.
“So, there are four secret keepers … I’m number two … what happened to the first one?”
Daniel’s expression softened, and for a moment I felt a stab of jealousy. Because it was clear he knew and cared about this number one.
“Emma,” he said. “She was born in House of Darken, and she’s my best friend’s world.”
Well, at least she wasn’t dead. That had to be a good sign.
“Why did Daelighters trust humans with this secret?” I had to ask. “Wouldn’t it be easier and simpler just to use your people?”
Daniel nodde
d. “Much easier, but humans felt they were at a disadvantage in regard to the treaty, because we have power and skills they do not. They insisted that while a Daelighter hid the stone, humans would be the ones to always know its whereabouts. The fourth secret keeper has a map on their body, which will change if the stone’s location ever changes.”
I got humans wanting that advantage. I could already tell that the Daelighters were way out of my league when it came to … pretty much everything.
I sank against the side of the bed, trying my best to process it all. This new information … it was a struggle to truly believe what they were saying. This had to be the “family business” my father had been part of. No wonder my mom was so angry. She no doubt got dragged into it.
“How exactly does this Laous fit into it all?” I asked, my voice raspier than usual.
Daniel’s face went scary again. “Laous was the overlord of House of Imperial. He killed my father and somehow took the power which should have gone to me as the next overlord.”
Michaels cut in: “He apparently did that to make sure he would have the power to find the first secret keeper. He’s no longer overlord now. Got the boot when he killed the parents of the first secret keeper and then almost killed her as well. Daniel is set to take over the role – which should have always been his.”
I looked between both of them, blinking a stupid amount of times. It seemed to be helping me process. Or I had suddenly developed some sort of eye disorder. “Laous used Emma’s blood to find me?”
They both nodded. “Emma’s family was killed,” Daniel told me, “and she was manipulated into coming to Daelighter territory by Laous. He managed to kidnap her...”
The sound of my harshly indrawn breath filled the room. Killed. Kidnapped. What the freaking freak was going on here? Maybe my mom hadn’t been completely wrong about the danger in associating with this world. I just wished she’d given me more accurate information. Prepared me better.
“You’re the second, and as I said, you were born in House of Imperial,” Daniel continued, ignoring my obvious shock. “Your blood will lead him to the third, and we need to make sure that doesn’t happen. If Laous finds the starslight stone, he will break the treaty. Both worlds could be destroyed.”
I held two hands up, palms facing him. “Just … hold up. I need a second to understand what you’re saying.”
A second … who was I kidding? I wouldn’t process this in a year. Everything he was telling me was important and scary and insane. But the bottom line was really about my mom. We had to save her, then I could deal with the rest.
“Okay, so my mom…” I said, trying to keep my voice and breathing even. “How are we getting her back? What is the plan?”
Daniel’s head jerked up slightly, like he was surprised I wasn’t asking more questions about Overworld and Daelighters and me being a secret keeper. But I just couldn’t. Not born on Earth. Those words ran through my head over and over. It was too much. So I’d just deal with what my poor little brain could manage.
“We have a council in Overworld,” he said. “They are made up from members of the four houses. They’ve ordered me to stay in New Orleans for another day or so, until we can determine if Laous is here or has fled. They want you to head to Astoria. They can protect you there.”
I shook my head hard. “Not happening. I’m going to help you find my mom and kick Laous’ ass. Will I be staying here in this house?” I didn’t even give him a second to argue. “I don’t have clothes or anything. Is it safe to go back to my condo? Should we be checking it out for clues?”
Daniel tilted his head to the side, eyes slightly narrowed. “I couldn’t find out much on you or your family, but the little I did suggested you would be difficult and distrusting. Looks like my intel was somewhat accurate.”
Research? If that didn’t make a girl feel special. “Okay, stalker, did your research tell you that my mom is the only person I have in this world? It’s my duty to get her back, and I will do whatever it takes, including but not limited to, trusting a few alien douchebags and putting myself in danger.”
Logic told me it was going to be quicker for me to achieve my goals if I stayed close to the beings who understood what was going on here.
Michaels let out a yawn then, disrupting our stare-off. “I’m going to grab an hour of sleep before we have to head out. Can you wake this alien douchebag when it’s time to go?”
I blinked at him as he wandered off. He was literally the most random dude ever, even when fighting. Which also made him hard to best. At the time I’d been so proud of my skills, drawing on multiple disciplines to confuse and beat him. It hadn’t been easy, but I’d taken him down. Now I knew he had let me win, because these Daelighters were far stronger and faster than I could ever hope to be. Bastard. He’d thrown the fight. Throwing a fight was unforgiveable.
After Michaels left, Daniel continued to explain a few things to me. Mostly rules about what would happen if I stuck around with him. I was surprised that he hadn’t fought me about staying; seemed he didn’t care that much for the rule of his council.
I remained calm for all the new information, my brain processing as quickly as it could. It was kind of odd that I wasn’t freaking out more, but my gut was telling me these particular Daelighters didn’t mean me any harm. And I needed them. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer was really hitting home to me here. I’d never had friends, but enemies I was used to. I’d keep them as close as possible until I got all the answers I needed. I’d find my mom, then I’d figure out a way to ensure I never had to run from any of them again.
Even if it meant exposing them to the world. Or killing them all. Because I might be a secret keeper, but I never signed up for the job. They should have been more careful about who they entrusted to keep the worlds safe.
3
The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon by the time we were done with the “tell Callie about all the freakiness in the world.” Daniel left me in my room while he went to deal with some Imperial business. He’d told me I could explore this house, but if I left, there would be a very good chance Laous would find me and kill me and my mom. With that sort of motivation, I decided not to act like I was too stupid to live and would remain inside. He’d said that he would do some recon later, and if I stayed by his side the entire time, I could go as well. I liked that we had a plan. It made me feel much more in control.
I could be patient until then.
Taking him up on the suggestion of checking out the mansion, I started with the room I’d found myself a temporary guest of. The house was by far the nicest place I’d ever seen in my life, with the feel of a building hundreds of years old, but which had been modernized throughout. The bedroom had high ceilings and rich burgundy walls, which stood out against the white crown molding. A white doorway led to a spectacular bathroom. It was tiled with slate and stone from floor to ceiling. The splashes of blue and gray went perfectly with the fluffy navy mat in the center, thick white towels in a small cupboard, and the large array of greenery in pots. Warm and inviting.
My eyes locked on the free-standing tub right by the window overlooking a garden, which I could just make out in the early morning light. The street was just beyond, and people were everywhere, heading home from the square. Despite the lack of privacy – because who would draw curtains on a view like that – I could easily imagine stretching out, reading a book, occasionally glancing out to the world beyond. It took a lot of control not to run a bath, but getting naked in a house of alien dudes didn’t seem like the smartest move. I’d wait and see if any of them attacked over the next few hours before I flashed my goods.
Reluctantly leaving the bathroom I continued out of the bedroom, finding myself in a long hall. All of the open doorways I passed were bedrooms, painted rich, bright colors, with wood and antique furniture. I liked that they’d kept a few original touches of character. Near the end was a small library with thick beams across the ceiling. I linger
ed in the doorway, which was strange because I wasn’t a huge reader. I preferred movies and television. Reading was actually something I struggled immensely with; words never quite did what they were supposed to. Letters didn’t stay in the order they should, so reading was … hard.
I’d mentioned the problem a few times to my mom, but she just told me I was lazy, and that if I wanted to get better at something I needed to practice it. After months of headaches and tears, I gave up on the entire endeavor. The world of books was not for me, even though I craved to know what was between each of the pages. Movies might be just the tip of the iceberg, but I had long ago accepted that I would never know the world below.
Tearing myself from the doorway, I tucked my dreams back inside. Nothing good came from wanting what you couldn’t have. I’d been disappointed too much already. It was time for me to live in the reality of my world.
I traipsed down the stairs at the end of the hall, admiring the highly polished sheen of the wood handrail. Everything here screamed money. Lots of money. The upkeep on a place like this would be ridiculous. Michaels didn’t strike me as the sort of guy who worked hard. His surfer bum vibe was from more than just his hair. Were all of these Daelighters rich? Or was Michaels just one of the lucky ones?
The ground floor was even more spectacular than the level above. It wasn’t as open-plan as was favored in more modern houses – houses I’d only ever seen in magazines of course. This design had large distinct rooms, separated by archways and alcoves, with deep, bold colors, more burgundies, ochers, and even a teal dining space. The furniture was heavy and antique, like in the bedrooms, fitting perfectly to the era of this home.
It was really nice. Damn Michaels and his good taste in real estate.
After I’d explored, I ended up in the kitchen with its enormous rectangle island bench and an actual fireplace in the room. The fridge was modern, stainless steel, a three-door monster. Did these Daelighters eat normal food?