Dark Hearts

by P. L. Midnight

  “I assume that you’ve all looked at the photograph of Steffan and the artist’s renderings of what he could look like now,” Raven continued, keeping all the side discussion to a minimum. “As far as Emma goes, I’d still like to hold off telling her about her mother. She might panic, which could cause a regression of her healing, something we cannot afford. The sooner we move her away from St. Paris, the safer she’ll be. We need to move her to an Order safe house far from here as soon as possible.”

  “I don’t like lying to her, Raven, and I’m not sure how safe she’ll be at one of the Order’s safe houses. The damned Order plans to use her, too,” Vince flatly stated, but his face belied the tension he tried to hide from his voice.

  “We are soon to be a part of that “so-called damned Order,” Vince. I’m not fond of using Emma to flush out her father either, but I’m certain they don’t plan to hurt her, as Dark Hearts would most certainly do. We don’t really have a choice here. She’s not safe here. Too many people know she’s here,” Raven replied.

  “Bullshit. It’s not right, Raven, and you know it,” Vince stubbornly continued, barely holding his temper in check.

  “I don’t like it either, as I said, but we can’t move her until she gets better, and an Order safe house is our only real option. Knowing about her mother could hinder her healing, so we can’t tell her. Besides, we don’t have a choice in the matter. This discussion is over for the time being, unless there are any questions, I assume that we all understand our directive.”

  Vince said no more as the tone of Raven’s voice said it was a done deal and brooked no argument.

  “Understand she will be awake later tonight. She will be asking questions as her sedative wears off and she becomes more lucid,” Sebastian gently reminded the group.

  “No one tells her anything other than that her mother is safe. Is that understood, Vince? It is likely that she escaped the fire since there were no remains found, as I mentioned. I searched the place myself and found no trace of any remains, human or otherwise. Maybe the bumbling Dark Hearts agents may have been mistaken. Perhaps she wasn’t even in the house when he started the fire or she escaped without him knowing it. If they believe she is dead, it will be safer for her until the Order can locate her. Are we all clear on our orders?” Raven asked as he looked directly at each of them. His gaze remained overlong on Vince until he reluctantly nodded at him. Each nodded in turn and the meeting was adjourned.

  “That’s settled. Let’s order a pizza. I’m hungry,” Julian piped up.

  “Sounds good to me,” Alex agreed.

  “You’re always hungry, Julian,” Sebastian teased good-naturedly. “Although a pizza pie does sound good.”

  “Does deluxe work for all of you?” Julian asked.

  “Yeah, but get two large ones with just those little black fish for me,” Miles said.

  There were a few yucks among the group which Miles ignored. An enormous amount of pizza was then ordered. Vince quietly left the room to take his turn with Emma. He wasn’t hungry anyway. If her sight were restored with the removal of the bandages tonight, she’d know immediately if he lied to her. He could never lie to Emma with a straight face and she knew it, but he couldn’t betray Raven either. It was going to be difficult.

  Maybe he could avoid being alone with her. Perhaps his shift would be over before the bandages were removed, he thought as he walked into her room. Well, actually, it was Raven’s room, but it looked more like a girl’s room now with all the flowers, balloons and stuffed animals sitting around. Miles had even brought her some of those special English roses that gave the room the smell of a funeral parlor to Vince’s way of thinking, but he knew Emma would love them.

  Emma had only been around three of the six guys for a few days and they’d already gotten her gifts. He knew there would be constant competition for Emma’s affections as soon as she awoke. He understood why, as he looked at her lying in the oversized bed, but why had the others fallen under her spell so quickly, he wondered.

  She looked pale and helpless under the pile of blankets covering her. All he wanted was to take her in his arms and protect her forever. No doubt, the other guys felt the same, too. Maybe there was some other reason for the way they all felt. It was as if there was a bond developing between all of them. He wasn’t going to admit it to any of them, but he was becoming more agreeable with the idea of sharing her, which would never have been possible before. He was possessive, but now he was starting to mellow, which was most strange.

  He was even starting to realize that Alex was just giving him shit, like usual. Deep down he had no doubt that Alex would not only protect Emma, but respect her. Damn, Vince wondered if he’d been given some kind of drug to induce his cooperation, but he knew better. Nevertheless, something was happening to him and perhaps to all of them. It would be interesting to see how Emma reacted to them when she awoke.

  Emma was still beautiful, even with the remains of a few bruises on her delicate face. The last stages of a deep incision remained that marred her left cheek. It disappeared under the gauze wrap which covered her eyes. He knew she wouldn’t scar due to Sebastian’s healing. Unfortunately, it was taking longer to heal than it should, even with his powerful magic.

  Vince wondered if she’d really regain her vision tonight. He’d certainly need to leave the room before she discovered the lie he’d tell her regarding her mother.

  He knew she’d ask him about her mother, but he still looked forward to seeing his girl with her eyes opened. He missed her, but he wouldn’t be seeing her for long if her vision were intact tonight.

  Vince took his seat beside Emma and took her delicate hand in his meaty, large ones. She was such a sweet girl. She didn’t deserve all this horseshit in her life. He’d always been there for her and always would be, no matter what happened.

  It had been shortly after his family moved into town that he’d met Emma. She’d been playing on the beach at Kiser Lake. That girl could really scream when the need arose. She hated spiders. She still did. A long-legged one had decided to take up residence on her hand while she was building a sand castle. That was a fact that didn’t make her too happy, so she had immediately screamed.

  He’d gone running over to her. He’d even gotten there before her mother. He’d gently picked the spider off her hand. When he didn’t laugh at her or tease her about being a ‘fraidy cat’, they became instant friends, even as children.

  She was still one of his best friends and always would be, no matter if he were in the Order or not. His problem was he wanted more. He’d wanted to kiss her so many times and the urge was getting stronger every moment he was around her. Vince was afraid what she would think. She’d always seemed a bit shy when they were alone. Then there were the science projects that he’d always seemed to be working on for some extra credit or other, which had kept him distracted.

  He’d find the time to romance her. He needed to find the perfect moment to show Emma how much she meant to him. Then he’d kiss her and make her forget everything, if even for just a few moments. He didn’t care what anyone thought. He knew she’d had a thing for Raven for a long while. Raven had always tried to ignore it, but he, too, seemed to have stronger feelings for her than he admitted.

  She was going to be spending a lot of time with all of them. Unfortunately, each of the guys had some uniqueness about them to offer Emma, but it would be good for her. They could all take care of her, now where the hell had that kind of thinking come from, Vince wondered.

  Right now, he’d be happy just to hear her voice again. He’d yet to see her wake up or hear her talk since the fire.

  Vince was startled by Raven’s voice as the gargoyle appeared beside him without so much as a sound. “You okay, Vince? Are we cool?”

  “Yeah, we’re cool. Look, Raven, I know I’ve been a pain in the ass lately, but you don’t know what it’s been like for me.”

  Raven laid his hand on Vince’s shoulder as they both gazed down at the sleepin
g girl. “Let’s go over to the other side of the room so we don’t wake Emma. For the record, you have been a big pain in the ass, but I do understand only too well how you feel.”

  As they got to the other side of the room, Raven finished, “What are we going to do, Vince? There seems to be some kind of force pulling all of us to Emma. Even though you talked about her a lot, I’m not sure we could all have fallen in love with her this quickly on our own. Is it my imagination or do you feel the pull, too?

  “Yeah, I feel it, but I haven’t mentioned it because I thought it was just me. Truthfully, I can hardly keep my hands off her and it seems to be getting stronger. The other thing I don’t understand is that the thoughts of sharing her with the other guys doesn’t seem to be bothering me as much as it used to. I’ve put on a front about it, but I’m not sure I mind anymore.”

  “It just seems right that we are all together. I don’t understand it either. Gargoyles are somewhat like wendigos in that we don’t share our mates with other males. Yes, I have known for a few weeks now that she is my destined mate, but I believe she is also destined to be a mate to all of us. It’s bizarre.”

  “I believe your right, Raven. I don’t understand it either, but I’m really accepting this situation too calmly. There is no doubt I love her and feel the same way you do about her. Apparently, the other’s do, too. This fucking room is so full of shit already, we’re going to need a semi just for her gifts.” Vince continued, “Before you say it, I don’t understand how she can be a mate to a pair of wendigos, a gargoyle, a warlock, a seraph, and a shape-shifter. Strangely enough, I agree it feels right to be a family with her.”

  “The really strange thing is that I believe we can make it work, if she’s agreeable.”

  “That is the big question. I do think she already has feelings for both of us and I’m not sure she dislikes Alex as much as she says she does. I don’t know how she feels about the others, but time will tell. Six of us and one delicate human could be overwhelming for her.”

  “I’ve thought about that, too. Well, if it comes down to it, there are seven days in a week and six of us.”

  “I’ve thought of that, too. I don’t know if I’ll be able to see her only once a week, but we could all spend that seventh weekday doing something together as a group. That’s still only twice a week for each of us.”

  “We may not have a choice. She’s not used to male attention and she’s been hurt by her father’s desertion. We’ll have to be careful how we handle our interest in her, especially the new guys. She may soak up the attention like a sponge or be terrified. I just don’t want to see her hurt.

  “I don’t think any of us do, even though a couple of those guys have been around awhile.”

  Raven smirked as he whispered, “Yeah, Miles is quite the ladies’ man and we both know he’s older than dirt.” His face took on a more serious expression as he changed the subject. “I just want her to get well right now. I’m not sure that Sebastian leveled with us either, old friend. You know how secretive the warlocks can be about the extent of their magic. I wonder how her eyesight is going to be.”

  “I hope like hell she can see, Raven.”

  “Me too. If she can’t see it is going to be very difficult to move her and keep her safe. It’s also going to be traumatic enough with what she’s been through without losing her sight, too. She’s going to need all the love she can get. By the way, Tori’s been questioning me about Emma’s condition. She’s worried. I don’t know how she found out where Emma is, but if she knows so do others.”

  “I’ve tried to do some damage control at school. We can’t let anyone know for sure she’s here, except Tori.”

  “I’ve spoken to Tori this morning, but with everything that’s been happening, I forgot to mention it to you. She’s also passing the word along that Emma was sent out of state to a burn clinic. The word is being spread that it will take Emma a long time to heal before she is able to return to school. It was impossible to fake her death with just skeletal remains of one person found in that house. My father has cleared it with the school about her condition. However, Tori is insistent on seeing her. I understand her worry, but I don’t really want her over here right now.”

  “I’ll stall her for a while, but eventually she’ll show up at the door. You know how Tori can be sometimes.”

  “Yeah, tell her she can visit next week. We’ll have to blindfold her, then we can secretly bring her inside through one of the tunnels. One of us will have to pick her up and make it look like a date. I don’t want anyone knowing for sure that Emma is here, not even Tori. I think she’s guessing that Emma is here. Don’t verify anything, okay. Maybe you guys can help me move a few of the gargoyle statues out of the living room. That way Emma can be brought downstairs to visit with her friend and they won’t have to dodge all these flowers to visit. I don’t want Tori roaming around the house or the backyard with all the gargoyle statues about.”

  “Yeah, Tori would crap if she realized those gargoyles were once real and that you’re one, too. The questions would never stop. Then she’d want to fly with you sometime. She’s already got a crush on you, Raven. She just won’t admit it.”

  “I thought she liked Alex.”

  “Like I said, you know Tori. She likes guys. She’ll go crazy when she sees the other three men that are here. I guess I could introduce them as distant relations or something.”

  “Tori isn’t really my concern. We’ll work it out as we always do, Vince. However, it might be good for Emma to see her friend. It would give her a little normalcy. I’ll talk to Sebastian and make the arrangements for next week as I said. I just wanted to make sure you’re all right, Vince. It’s a difficult situation for all of us, but especially for you. You’ve been a close friend of Emma’s for a long damn time.”

  “It’ll be alright, but I appreciate you coming up here, bro. It’s weird, but it feels right somehow. I want you to know that no matter how much I might grumble at you, I’ll do whatever you say. I know how important it is for you to become a member of the Order.”

  “It’s important for all of us and thanks, Vince. I know you have my back. Alex, you and I have been friends for a long time. Family you are born with and friends you choose. As I’ve always said, we are a family of friends and always will be.”

  Vince smiled at his old friend as Raven turned to leave. “You better get downstairs before my brother eats all the pizza. You know how Miles and Alex can both put away pizza.”

  “Glad I don’t like the kind with anchovies. I can’t imagine getting pizza away from Miles anyway. I’d end up fighting his damn black leopard form.” Raven chuckled and said as he turned to go, “You sure you don’t want me to bring you up some pizza?”

  “Nah, I’m not really hungry. I’ll get something to eat later. I’ll have to leave when the bandages are removed and she can see. She could always tell when I’ve lied to her. I don’t want to betray you either, Raven. We’ve both wanted to be in the Order for quite a while. I won’t blow it for us.”

  Raven put his hand on Vince’s arm before he walked out the door. “It’s going to be alright. We’ll tell her the truth about her mother when Sebastian believes she is strong enough to hear it. We’ve been through worse, you know. Call me if you need me to come up and finish your E.W. shift.”

  “Yeah, but what worries me is that Emma has been through worse, too, and it’s just beginning again for her.”

  “I’ll make sure it’s alright for her. I’ll do the best I can for Emma. We all will, Vince. You aren’t alone this time.”

  Vince knew his friend had been referring to the abuse he’d suffered in silence at the hands of his father. He’d done his best to shelter Julian from his father’s dark wendigo during his younger years. He would take the brunt of his father’s anger as much as he could. He was thankful that his father no longer had his fits of rage. He’d be forever grateful to the Order and Raven for their intervention on his behalf. That’s why he was in this mes
s with Emma. He’d always do whatever the Order asked of him, even if it was something he didn’t want to do. Unfortunately, when it came to Emma, he didn’t want to do anything but love her and keep her safe, even from the Order.

  “Thanks, Raven. See you downstairs later.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  I awoke to the sounds of someone moving bottles or shuffling some kind of tools next to my bed. Thankfully, I felt better than I had before. My head wasn’t full of pounding hammers. I didn’t seem to be in any other pain now, either. I was even able to move my arm. I guess the IV had been removed.

  “Who’s there?” I asked in a voice that still wasn’t quite right, but improved from the raspy tones I’d uttered before.

  “I’m sorry, Emma. I hope I didn’t wake you,” said the male voice with the Scottish brogue that sang once again to my ears. He sounded beautiful and friendly. I vaguely remembered that he’d said his name was Sebastian, which was a rather peculiar name for a Scotsman if, in fact, that was his homeland.

  “No, it’s fine. I need to wake up. How long have I been sleeping?”

  “You’ve been here for several days now.” He paused mid-sentence when my hand touched the gauze on my eyes. I felt his warm hand gently cover mine and move it away from my eyes as he spoke in a gentle tone, “Please don’t try to remove the bandages on your eyes. I promise I’ll be removing them shortly. Your eyelids were singed from the intense heat of the fire. I want to make sure that they’re healed completely before I remove the covering. How do you feel?”