Orano stood silently as Gracey spun around and skipped out of the room. Although he knew her desire to be his friend would disappear as soon as she realized he was an outcast, that didn’t stop him from enjoying the moment. When the bell rang, he walked into his next class sporting a rare grin.
“You all right in there?”
Gracey’s voice came through the bathroom door and brought Orano back to the present. When he opened it, he saw her standing with her arms crossed over her chest, wearing the same beaming smile she’d sported since childhood.
“Damn, Sparkles. How much time do you spend at the gym?” She poked him several times on his bare chest with her finger. “Do you bench press cars?”
Orano sidestepped his way past her and climbed into bed, closing his eyes.
“Seriously? We haven’t seen each other in a decade and you’re not even going to talk to me?”
Her breath on his face told him she hadn’t followed his lead and gone to bed like he’d hoped she would. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was her crinkled nose and her tongue sticking out a few inches from his face.
“Very mature,” he said.
“It worked, didn’t it? So, what have you been doing all these years?” she asked.
Orano took a deep, defeated breath and pushed himself to a seated position. “After high school, I went to Middle Tennessee State University. When I graduated, I moved to Jacksonville to work for Finley. I’ve lived there ever since.”
Gracey twisted her face into a scowl. “Very concise. I’m glad to see you haven’t changed.”
Orano felt a slight blush rise on his cheeks, something that he remembered happening every time she called him out when they were kids. “What about you? Where’s your husband?”
“My what?” Gracey plopped herself on her bed and stared at him.
“Mr. McMillan?” Orano said with eyebrows raised.
“Oh, that. Nope, I’ve never been married. After my dad died and my mom moved us back to Virginia, she changed to her maiden name. I wanted to stay with Sherwood, but as a minor, I didn’t have much choice in the matter, so I’ve been Gracey McMillan ever since. I keep meaning to change it back, but I’m afraid it would hurt her feelings if I did.”
Unexpected relief washed over Orano at the news. Why he would even care whether or not she’d married was beyond him. Still, he felt glad she hadn’t.
“And you would have known all that if you’d ever bothered to return my calls or letters,” Gracey continued, her smile quickly changed to a sterner expression. “Why didn’t you?”
Although Orano knew that question would come eventually, he still felt unprepared to answer it. What could he have said? I’m sorry I abandoned you in your time of need, but I was too busy figuring out I wasn’t exactly human and dealing with the fact that I killed a guy who thought Satan spawned me. Yeah, that would’ve gone over well.
Instead, he opted for vagueness. “Things got busy. I meant to get in touch, but I guess I never got around to it.”
“Hmm. Well, I guess we’re sufficiently caught up on each other’s lives, so I’m going to sleep now.” Gracey climbed under the sheets of her bed and rolled over to face the window.
Orano’s heart twisted at the hurt in her voice, but he knew he could say nothing to make her feel better. Even though she’d been his best friend—his only friend—he couldn’t share his secret. Instead, he just stared at her.
********
Gracey could feel Orano’s gaze boring through her back, yet she remained still and quiet. Why she’d expected him to open up to her, she didn’t know. He was just as hardheaded and stubborn as he’d been when they were kids, but the same could be said about her. Just like she’d done all those years ago, she would fight her way past the walls he’d built around himself and get to his gooey center. Even if it killed her. At least this time, she could recruit some help.
Chapter 8
The gym at the small hotel left a lot to be desired. It lacked the serious equipment and heavy free weights Orano preferred and was so small that even with less than a half dozen other people occupying the space, he felt crowded. The feeling got worse when he noticed the other patrons paying more attention to his workout than their own.
After a short forty-minute session, Orano gave up and returned to his room. When he opened the door, he found Gracey sitting on the end of her bed in a bathrobe, brushing her wet hair.
“Did you have a good workout?” she asked with a smile.
“Sure,” Orano said, glancing around the room. “Where’s Phoenix. He was supposed to stay with you while I was gone.”
Before she could answer, the door to the bathroom swung open, and out strode Phoenix wearing nothing but a towel. “Hey, buddy. Was the gym full? I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
Orano’s gaze darted from his almost naked partner to Gracey, and then back again. “I can see that,” he said through gritted teeth.
Phoenix wandered casually over to Gracey, leaned down, and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for this.”
A warm smile spread across her now-red cheeks as she answered him. “You’re welcome, sweetie. Now, go get dressed.”
Orano didn’t move a muscle as his partner stepped by him to exit the room. When he glanced back to Gracey, he saw her smiling at him. “Sweetie?” he asked.
“Just because you have no fondness for pet names doesn’t mean everyone feels the same way.” With that, she turned away and continued to brush her hair.
His jaw still clenched, Orano retreated to the steamy bathroom to take his own shower. He forced himself to not imagine what had gone on in the small space prior to his arrival. Why do I care? They’re consenting adults and can do whatever they want together.
Telling himself that didn’t help his mood, but it did motivate him. He needed to find out what was going on with Sherwood Coven and put a stop to it as quickly as possible. The faster he did that, the faster he’d be home and back in his comfort zone—alone. He just needed to get through this without beating Phoenix to a pulp.
Dressed in jeans and T-shirt, Orano stepped back into the room. Gracey wore a yellow sundress and stood in front of the mirror, inspecting her reflection from every angle. She reminded him of a teenager getting ready for a date, though Orano could only guess at what girls did in that situation.
“You ready for breakfast? I’m starving,” she said.
“Work up an appetite, did you?” Orano mumbled.
Breakfast at the nearby diner turned into another marathon-eating event for Gracey. She inhaled her pancakes, eggs, and toast as though it would be her last meal. Although Orano had little appetite himself, he forced himself to finish his omelet while trying to ignore the small talk coming from his companions. Phoenix, once again dressed like the Armani poster-boy, leaned back in his chair with the casual confidence only a ladies’ man possessed.
Orano fought the urge to vomit his meal all over the little shit.
After Gracey all but licked her plate clean, she finally spoke. “So, what’s the plan for the barbecue this afternoon?”
Phoenix signaled the waitress to bring more coffee before answering. “Tori is going to use the opportunity to size us up. She obviously knows we’re here to help you and, judging by the attack last night, she’s none too pleased about it. My guess is that she’ll try to take us out of the picture.”
Gracey’s jaw dropped. “Then why are we going?”
“Because,” Orano interjected, “we need to size her up, too. Right now, we’ve got nothing to go on. We need Tori to show us her hand.”
“And what if her hand is too good? What if you can’t handle whatever it is she’s planning?” Gracey’s fear shone through her eyes.
Phoenix reached across the table to grab her hand. He gently brushed his thumb across the backs of her fingers. “Don’t worry. We’ve been up against a lot worse than her.”
Gracey sat straight, pulling her hand from his grasp and into her lap. “No, you haven
’t. I know you think you have, but this isn’t the same situation. She’s a powerful witch, for God’s sake.”
The waitress chose that moment to refill their coffee mugs, giving Gracey a strange look before moving on to the next table.
“Great, one more person who thinks I’m crazy.” She took a sip of her coffee before continuing. “Without my powers, I can’t protect you from them. All they would need is some of your hair or blood, and there are a thousand different spells they could use to hurt you.”
“Speaking of your powers,” Phoenix said. “How exactly did they bind them?”
“They would have used a lock of my hair to make a wax totem, sealed it in a jar, and then spelled it. It’s actually a lot easier than you might think. As long as my totem remains bound, so do I.”
“But I thought only Tori’s inner circle was in on her plan. Why would the rest of the coven allow her to do that to you?” Phoenix asked.
“It’s standard operating procedure. When they put me in the mental institution, there would have been an emergency meeting called to let the members know what’s happened. The coven can’t afford to have one of its members out of control and using magic. As soon as someone becomes a threat to our secrecy, either by choice or by circumstance, we bind their powers.” Gracey spoke as though all of this was normal.
Orano didn’t feel the same way. “How many people have you done that to?”
“Since I’ve been a member, we’ve done it twice. Three times now, I guess, if you include me. I’m not sure how many before then.” Gracey raised her eyebrows in a quizzical expression. “Why do you look so weird? We don’t hurt them. We just make sure that they can’t hurt us.”
“That’s what you think?” Orano’s temper flared. “What right do you have to decide who is and who isn’t worthy of having powers? Just because they might be different from you, doesn’t give you the right to dictate how they’re allowed to live their lives. Someone has one bad day, and you impose your life sentence without giving a single thought to them.” He slammed his hand down on the table, rattling the dishes and attracting the attention of every person in the room.
Both Phoenix and Gracey remained silent, eyes wide at the outburst.
Orano took a deep breath, wishing he could have the last few minutes back. He never lost control like that, especially around other people. Being with Gracey was definitely affecting him, and he needed to get himself under control before he said or did something he would regret.
Throwing a wad of cash on the table, he rose to leave. After exchanging wary glances, Phoenix and Gracey followed.
Chapter 9
Gracey held her breath as she pushed Tori’s doorbell. Agreeing to attend the party went against her better judgment but, according to Orano and Phoenix, it was their best shot to get the information they needed. Still, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that they were making a mistake.
“Gracey!” Tori beamed as she opened her door. “I’m so glad you came. Oh, and you brought your friends, too. Excellent. Come in. Come in.”
The pageant smile plastered on Tori’s face did an amazing job of hiding her true personality. If Gracey hadn’t personally seen the woman’s evil side, she’d never have believed it existed. She only hoped Orano and Phoenix weren’t fooled.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?” Tori asked, still playing the part of perfect hostess.
“Sorry, um, this is Orano Tulay and Phoenix Reese. Guys, this is Tori Houlton.” Gracey did her best to smile happily but failed.
“Oh, such unusual names,” Tori said while shaking their hands. “Please, make yourselves at home. Most everyone is gathering outside. There’s plenty of food and drink, so help yourselves to whatever you like.”
As they made their way to the backyard, Gracey forced herself to breathe normally. Though she’d tried to warn the guys about the dangers they would face, she couldn’t seem to get them to understand. Mundanes tended to underestimate the supernatural. As soon as they’d left Tori and the other guests far enough behind, Gracey gave it one more shot.
“Don’t underestimate these people, and remember, don’t let anyone get a lock of your hair,” she whispered.
Orano smirked while pointing to his head. The close-cropped cut he sported would make it difficult for anyone to grab hold of his hair. Phoenix, on the other hand, wore the oh-so-stylish shaggy look—not short and not long—attained only through a liberal application of product. She sent him a pointed stare.
“Got it.” Phoenix smiled as though they didn’t have a care in the world.
The small crowd in the yard consisted of everyone Gracey expected. Tori’s inner circle huddled together by the picnic table, with Liza leading the conversation. Half a dozen other coven members—the inner circle wannabees—hovered close by the group in an obvious effort to be included by Liza. So, pretty much the same as always, Gracey thought.
As she took in the scene around her—how perfectly normal it appeared—it occurred to Gracey that there was no way Orano and Phoenix would believe her. How could they? She’d given them a wildly outlandish story but hadn’t produced a shred of evidence to back it up. And considering she’d claimed that the world was at risk from witchcraft, of all things, she really couldn’t blame them thinking her crazy. Hell, if they did believe her, she might have questioned their sanity. She needed to find proof.
Phoenix flashed one of his toothy smiles. “Not that I’m complaining, but why are we the only men here? Don’t these women have husbands or boyfriends?”
“Most don’t. Those that do never bring them to coven gatherings. It’s kind of an unwritten rule. The fact that Tori explicitly invited you guys means she’s up to something.” Gracey lowered her voice and leaned in. “How are we going to sneak away to search the house without being seen? There aren’t enough people here to get lost in the crowd, and you two kind of stand out.”
“Let’s see now. A yard full of unaccompanied women. Whatever might I do to keep them occupied?” Phoenix flashed a lascivious smile. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
“Think of something for what?” Tori asked as she sidled up beside them.
“It’s my mother’s birthday next week, and I’ve had a hard time figuring out the perfect gift for her. Perhaps you could help me come up with a few ideas,” Phoenix answered smoothly, as though lying came just as easily to him as breathing.
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll love whatever you get her.” With that, Tori all but dismissed Phoenix and focused her attention on Orano. “You must tell me, what is the origin of your name? I’ve never met a Tulay before, or an Orano for that matter.”
Gracey stifled a giggle at the boys’ reactions. Phoenix appeared shocked at the rebuff with eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. Orano, on the other hand, looked horrified. The muscles in his jaw twitched as he took a small step backward, away from Tori. As a child, he’d always shied away from attention of any kind. He’d obviously not changed much in that regard over the years.
Recovering quickly from the blatant rejection, Phoenix interjected, “Do tell, big guy. Don’t leave our hostess hanging.”
Orano’s eyes narrowed at the taunt and, for a moment, Gracey thought he might punch his partner. Instead, he said flatly, “I’m Nigerian.”
“Nigerian. Really? Were you born there?” Tori wrapped her arm through Orano’s and led him away on a friendly stroll, peppering him with questions and unwanted physical contact.
Once they were far enough away that their voices could no longer be heard, Phoenix added, “I think that’s our cue to start snooping.” Then, loud enough for the other backyard occupants to hear, “Can you show me to the little boy’s room, Gracey?”
Once inside the house, Gracey glanced over her shoulder out the sliding glass door. As expected, Liza’s gaze trailed them. “The bathroom is right over here.” She led Phoenix to the small powder room around the corner. “Sorry, Liza was watching us.”
“That might be
a problem. You wait out here while I spend the appropriate amount of time in the bathroom. When I come out, if she’s still a little too curious, we’ll just rejoin the party.”
“But we need to find evidence of Tori’s plan. We can’t just give up,” Gracey pleaded.
Phoenix put his hands on her shoulders. “If there’s evidence here, we’ll find it. But we can’t risk getting caught looking.”
Feeling as though she’d just been placated, Gracey nodded her head reluctantly. What else could she do?
********
Phoenix tamped down the stab of guilt he felt at allowing Gracey to believe they’d just give up. She’d looked so dejected. Of course, he had no intention of leaving the barbecue without searching every inch of the house, but he couldn’t very well tell her how he planned to do it. He entered the small half bathroom and closed the door behind him. Within a few seconds, he’d connected with a host bird perching in a tree at the far corner of the backyard.
Splitting his consciousness with a bird felt much like watching television using the split screen setting. Half of his vision came from his own eyes, while the other half came from his host’s. The same held true for his hearing, although with that he could tune into whichever source he chose. Once he connected, the bird’s body belonged to him for as long as he needed it. He’d spent years learning to control a host while simultaneously keeping himself fully functional in his own body.
The high-pitched tone of Tori’s voice came through his host loud and clear. Phoenix couldn’t resist tuning in as he watched Orano being led toward the tree where the bird still perched.
“So you never met your father?” she asked. “That’s just so sad. What about the rest of your family?”
Chaos (Book 4) (The Omega Group) Page 7