by J. L. Weil
His arms immediately encircled me, enveloping me in his cool, midnight scent. It felt like I’d waited forever to be able to be with Zane and have him return my affections without pushing me away. I was afraid it wasn’t real; that in the morning, I would wake up and nothing would have changed.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his shirt, my hands flattened on his chest.
“For what, princess?” The deep timbre of his voice vibrated against my face.
I lifted my head and gazed into his startling eyes. The dark reaper veins had faded. “Coming back.” I wasn’t talking about tonight, but coming home and back to me.
His fingers weaved through my slightly damp waves. “I never should have left.”
We stared at each other. The cuts and bruises from our fight just hours before gone from his face. A wealth of emotion transpired between us. Neither of us knew what to do or say next. I could have offered him one of the spare rooms to sleep in, but we both knew he wasn’t going to let me out of his sight.
Time lapsed, neither of us budged. It was that kind of night. Emotions high and my mind and body were not in sync. I imaged he felt the same.
“Come on,” he urged. “You should try and get some sleep.”
I stepped back, but his hands remained at my hips. “What about you?”
“I don’t think I could if I tried.” His jaw flexed. “I’ll keep watch. Make sure you don’t have any other unexpected intruders.”
Always the tough guy, but he didn’t need to be with me. “Or, I could slip you a bottle of sleeping pills,” I mumbled.
He sauntered across the room. “It wouldn’t do anything.”
“Because human drugs have no effect on us?” I guessed.
Bending down, he tugged back the covers. “None.”
Well, that explained a lot. I slipped the robe off and threw it on the chair. “Fine. Will you at least hold me?” I asked, padding across the room.
He was silent for a blink. “It depends.”
“On what?”
“Is that what your wearing to bed?” he asked with a trace of his Celtic accent.
I arched a brow. “Do you have a problem with my nightshirt?”
“Not the shirt, just how short it is…” His eyes roamed down my legs. “…and the fact that I’m not certain you have on anything else.”
“Perfect. I was going for distraction.” I climbed to the edge of the bed, snugging my feet under the covers, making sure to leave plenty of room in hopes I’d persuaded him to join me. I looked up, his entire face shrouded in darkness. “Don’t steal the covers.”
The bed dipped with his weight, and a second later I felt him give a yank on the blanket. He was really something else. Without thinking, I grabbed the ends and pulled them up to my chin, and maybe I took more than my share. He was too big or the bed was too small. Opening his arm, I settled in alongside him, my head nestled on his shoulder.
His body was firm as he held me. I hadn’t been able to save his brother, but maybe I could, for a night, calm his troubled soul and take some of the pain. Whether he was willing to admit it, he needed the rest as much as I did.
Cool lips pressed against my neck, a brief, light touch. “Get some sleep,” he murmured.
The only one sleeping was going to be him. I closed my eyes and drew my power around me, letting the tendrils trickle into Zane. I didn’t need pills. Our bond provided an IV straight to his bloodstream.
In moments, his body relaxed, and the even rhythm of his breathing filled the quietness. The hurt of losing Zander was still fresh and raw. He was drained, physically and emotionally. I was able to quiet his soul so he could fall into a sleep he desperately needed. I kept watch, unable to follow him into the unknowing bliss of slumber. Too well I knew the scars left behind from losing someone and how they didn’t ever quite heal.
Dawn was only right around the corner. A few hours would do him good. What I hadn’t expected was what it would do for me.
Regardless of the traumatic evening, being in Zane’s arms was nothing short of miraculous. A part of me had truly thought we’d never be able to be together. But I hadn’t given up hope, and though we hadn’t had a chance to discuss our relationship, he was here. And that was all that mattered in the world.
There was no denying the peace, tranquility, and harmony of lying beside him. Not to mention safety. It wasn’t only my soul that sighed; it was my heart as well. For the first time, the two were joined in mutual content, and a ribbon of happiness I hadn’t had felt since before my mom died twirled inside me.
I wanted to hold onto it, bottle it for a bad day, but it was hard to appreciate the glow inside me after the events of the past twelve hours. My guilt was overwhelming. How could I possibly feel a shred of happiness when Zander was gone? But the small fragments of happiness couldn’t completely mask the agony and anger that lived inside me. I wouldn’t forget what had happened, or who was responsible. I wouldn’t forget my role in his death. I vowed to myself, to Zane, and to Zander, his death wouldn’t be in vain. It was a promise I meant to keep at whatever costs.
The world sort of depended on it.
Chapter 2
I didn’t know what woke me. It could have been the sunlight streaming in through the sheer curtains, or the squawking of a hawk. My room was otherwise peacefully quiet. But as I rolled to my side, I got an eerie sensation I wasn’t alone.
And then I remembered. I wasn’t alone. Zane had stayed the night…or morning, depending how you looked at it.
I opened my eyes and blinked, expecting to see his dark blue eyes rimmed with silver spurts of light. My gaze roamed to the spot next beside me. It was empty. Go figure.
But I wasn’t alone.
Eyes the color of dew-covered grass stared into mine from across the room. My first instinct was to scream and give him a sonic blast strong enough to knock him into next week, but I blinked again.
“Oliver?” I croaked.
Oliver was a Blue Sparrow and one of my security details who normally patrolled the manor and maintained the entrance. He hadn’t exactly done a bang up job, considering Crash had managed to weasel his way into my room not once, but twice. He was lounging against the wall, cleaning his nails with a pocketknife and looking very bored.
Clutching the end of the blanket to my chest, I sat up and cleared my throat. “Uh, what are you doing here? And by here, I mean in my bedroom?”
“I’ve been ordered to keep eyes on you at all times, princess,” he replied in an almost robotic tone, without any infliction.
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped. He didn’t so much as flinch. “Ordered by who?” I asked, although I already knew the answer. This had Zane written all over it.
He showed the slightest of emotion—amusement. “The Death Scythe.”
I rolled my eyes. “Where is he?”
Oliver lowered his gaze, dark lashes fanning over angular cheeks. He was tall and built like Zane, but that was where the comparison ended. “He had to leave. I believe his family is paying their respects.”
I wanted to be there for Zane and his family, but it wasn’t my place to show up at something so personal. A deep pang radiated inside me, and I slumped back against the white pin cushioned headboard. “Oh,” I responded. I lost my grip on the blanket as it slipped down.
Oliver flipped closed his knife. “He also said you were not to go anywhere until he got back.”
Over the past year, I’d grown used to doing things my way, going and coming as I pleased and answering to no one. Losing my privacy didn’t bode well for me. There was also the little fact I hadn’t had my coffee yet. “Who died and made him king?”
Oliver wore any unapologetic grin.
I pulled my knees up, contemplating how I was going to get out of bed without Oliver seeing more of me than I was comfortable with. “I’m guessing it wouldn’t do any good if I told you to leave?” I asked.
He crossed his arms and frowned. “None.”
“Wonde
rful,” I grumbled. “So Oliver, any chance part of your job description is to fetch me coffee?”
“I liked it better when you were sleeping. Less questions.”
Yeah, he seemed like a guy who was more action and less talk. “I just bet. So I take it that’s a no on the coffee?”
He snorted. “Affirmative, princess.”
Couldn’t he just say no? Fine. I could stay in bed, but now that I was thinking about coffee, I really wanted a cup. Or an entire pot. Yawning, I considered rolling over and pulling the covers past my head, or I could wrap the sheet around myself and truck it down to the kitchen. I nibbled on my lip, contemplating. I loved sleep, but I think I loved coffee more. Gathering the sheets around me, I scooted to the edge of the bed when Oliver stiffened.
Veins the color of sapphire pooled down his over his cheeks. “Someone’s coming.”
My fingers dug into the bed, and ten seconds later, Parker popped his head into the room. Sandy hair messy from sleep, he stood in the doorway in rumpled flannel pajama bottoms and of course a manga shirt. Parker was so predictable in his wardrobe…generally in life. It was what I loved about him. Dependable Parker.
I let a whoosh of air. Thank God, it wasn’t a hallow or something worse—ten hallows.
Parker’s gaze slipped from me to Oliver and back to me. “Uh, I didn’t realize you had company?”
“Oliver is not company,” I informed, unclenching my hands. “Apparently, he’s been assigned to stick to me like white on rice.”
Oliver returned to leaning one shoulder against the wall. He was strategically placed in the room so he could see all exits.
“Oh.” Parker sauntered over to the bed and handed me a cup of coffee.
I could have kissed him. “You’re a godsend,” I replied, sipping from the mug and letting the steam warm my face.
His amber eyes sparkled behind his glasses. “You mean Gracie is. She made it. I just poured and delivered.”
I closed my eyes a moment and savored the sweet and bitter brew. “Remind me to tell her I love her.”
He sat on the edge of the bed. “If I had known this was a slumber party, I would have brought the whole pot and my sleeping bag.”
“Trust me, it wasn’t my idea, and Tanto over there won’t listen.” Between Oliver and I, we both knew I had the power to make him leave. I just didn’t have the strength or heart. This was important to Zane. I was important to him, and at least for today while his family grieved, I would behave.
“Well, that might be a good thing, considering the world is about to go to shit,” he said.
I glared. I didn’t see the upside to having someone shadow me every second of every day. Gah, was he even going to watch me pee? But after last night, everyone was still shaken up, so whether I agreed with the extra precautions, I did understand them. “You okay?” I asked.
He stared down at his cup. “Define okay? I don’t think I will ever be okay again. My best friend is a banshee, the universe is out of whack, and I didn’t sleep at all last night.”
“Me neither,” I replied. “This whole thing is so messed up. How the heck am I supposed to fix it? I don’t even know how to put the veil back in place. I can barely think straight.”
I hadn’t really expected Parker to give me an answer, but he did. “You don’t need to decide right this minute. Breathe while you can. Anyway, I don’t pretend to understand how, but you seem to always know what to do at the critical moment.”
Maybe I had today, a week or a month, but regardless how much time I had before things got past the point of redemption, I wasn’t willing to bet the lives of those I cared about on my instincts. “God, I wish I knew when they will strike again,” I said, frustrated. “I’m afraid the next time we won’t be able to defeat them. Or someone else will die.” We had reached the point where Parker needed to leave Raven Hallow. Yesterday had been another demonstration at how unsafe it was for him to be here. Hell, I wasn’t sure anyone was safe anywhere.
Parker shoved a hand into his hair. “Wow, this is some heavy stuff for…” He glanced at the nightstand. “…Eleven-thirty in the morning.”
I sighed. “Sorry. Reaper time. It won’t be long before I’m completely nocturnal.” My gaze shifted to the ceiling as my thoughts wander. “I can’t believe Zander is gone.”
He set aside his coffee and scooted up on the bed, putting his arm around me. “Your fiancé. I never got the chance to get to know him. Tell me about him.”
Parker’s feelings about Zane were crystal clear, but Zander, I think they would have gotten along. I laid my head on his shoulder and sighed. “You would have liked him. Everyone liked him.”
“So he wasn’t a colossal asshat like his brother?” Parker asked.
I snorted. “No, he wasn’t an ass-anything. He was far more than I deserved, considering the way I treated him.”
He shifted on the bed, trying to find a comfortable spot. “Some things are out of our control.”
“I hate not being in control.”
He gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I know.”
I sighed, watching Parker fidget on the bed for the second time. “What’s up with you?” It wasn’t like him to be so antsy. Something was on his mind.
“So I’ve been thinking,” he started.
“Does this require more coffee?” I asked, staring at my nearly empty mug.
Oliver’s lips twitched as he stood in the corner. I was tempted to ask if his legs ever got tired. Mine would be jelly in an hour.
“It might require something stronger,” Parker advised.
“Now, you’ve got me worried.”
“My mom called.”
“Is everything all right?” My mind ran in a million directions. With the veil down, no one was safe. Had something happened?
“Yeah, she’s good. But she wanted to know when we would be coming back. School starts in three weeks, and you know how she gets.”
I exhaled. Summer was almost over, meaning we were about to embark on our senior year. Believe it or not, reapers went to high school. We were homeschooled, I learned. I doubted very much the education I was going to get was anything like my school back in Chicago.
But, I hadn’t told Parker of my plans. I kind of assumed he understood I wouldn’t be leaving Raven Hallow. This was my home. “I’m not going back, Parks.”
He took a deep breath. “I knew you were going to say that.”
“I’m sorry. I know we had this plan.”
A sad, almost wistful half-smile touched his lips. “Right, the one where we skip our graduation ceremony and go grab breakfast at Over Easy Café, so we can talk shit about all the lame-o’s we never have to see again.”
“And then we were going to spend the summer road tripping across the states, before enrolling in the Art Institute. I haven’t forgotten, but I don’t think college is in the cards for me anymore. You’re going to have to go without me.”
His eyes sobered. “That’s the thing though. I don’t want to.”
“Parker, you can’t give up on your dreams. I know how much you want to create. That you have a passion for manga most people don’t understand. There have been too many dreams crushed, too many lives destroyed. I need you to live, for both of us. Do all the things we promised ourselves we do.”
He was stubborn. “Everything’s changed. What if the things I used to want are no longer important?”
“It’s true, everything is different now, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t have a future. Get married. Have 2.5 kids, a dog, and a house with a white picket fence. If that’s what you want, you can have it all.”
“You make it sound so easy. How can you expect me to forget there are ghosts with anger issues running around killing people? To forget about you?” There was anger behind his words.
I swallowed. “I don’t want you to forget or forget me. I want you to be safe. And very, very happy.”
He glanced up, his expression tugged at my heart. “Life without my best frie
nd doesn’t sound happy. I’m not delusional enough to think that once I leave this island we’ll ever see each other again.”
I fumbled with one of the rings on my finger. “You can’t be sure of that. Neither of us knows what the future might hold.”
I had no idea what was going to happen from here on out, even thinking about the possibilities scared the ever-loving crap out of me. Parker didn’t deal well with surprises and I was starting to dislike them, especially since all my surprises ended up with me fighting for my life. Tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed, especially in my line of work.
Chapter 3
“Did you know that you snore…if you could call the cute kitten noises you making snoring? It’s more like a purr.”
My head lying on my hands, I opened one eye. “I do not,” I groggily mumbled.
His head was on the pillow beside me, our faces close enough that I could almost taste his breath. In typical Zane fashion, he raised a brow at me, calling me out.
Okay, so maybe I snored, a little. “Yeah well, you drool.” I’d grown restless cooped up inside, waiting for Zane, and apparently had dozed off.
He pressed a kiss to the tip of my nose. “You might sleep like a kitten, but you wake with a roar.”
I stretched, drinking the sight of him. The anxiousness I’d been feeling all day evaporated at his touch. “What time is it?”
The changing of the guards had happened while I’d taken a little catnap. Declan stood silently in the room. “Declan, I can take it from here,” Zane said without removing his eyes off mine and relieved Declan of his babysitting duties.
Declan gave Zane a nod before he morphed into a hawk and took flight.
I rubbed my eyes. I still hadn’t gotten used to watching someone turn into an animal in nothing more than a quick blink.
Cool fingers brushed my cheek. “Everything quiet?”
“Believe it or not, the world didn’t crumble around me and no one tried to kill me today. Overall, I’d say it was a pretty normal day.” My eyes ran over his face, trying to judge his mood. “How about you? You okay?”