by Jaymin Eve
I lost sight of them as I got to my hands and knees, pulling myself up. I had mud in places where mud should never go, coating my face and hair. I could even taste it on my tongue. The rain would have to take care of it, though, because I decided then and there I was not going home. I was following those three. I needed to know what was going on in this street, because whatever the mystery was, my family was caught up in it.
Following them would require me to cross to the other side of the road of course. The forbidden side. But by this point I really didn’t give a shit. I was wet. I was coated in mud. I was scared and annoyed and furious at the world for all of its messed up happenings.
So … I was going over to the elite side.
The sky was lit only by the occasional strike of lightning, yet I felt exposed as I dashed across the main road, streetlight no doubt reflecting off my strained features. The mud running off me in thick dark rivulets was good camouflage, but it would soon be washed completely off, so I stuck to hiding and running between bushes as I followed the three shadows.
They stayed on the path that led right along the front of the elite side of the street, nicely landscaped hedges and small bushy bundles of roses popping up along both sides, which gave me some decent hiding places. Not that I needed them; none of the three ever looked back. I wished it wasn’t so dark so I could see who exactly I was following. I had a feeling it was the Darkens, which was almost purely guessed from the size of their hulking shadows, and the car they’d emerged from.
Weirdly enough, the farther we got from the main gate, the fewer street lamps were about, and somehow the harder the storm raged. The wind buffeted me from all sides as I slipped and slid after them, my hands and forearms already covered in grazes from falling into bushes. I didn’t care. This was not a chance I was giving up on. I would figure out where my guardians were.
The last elite house was coming up on my left, and as the three shadows passed by it they took a sharp left and then were gone from my sight. Forgetting about stealth, I picked up the pace, hauling butt as fast as I could. Rounding the corner in the same direction they had taken, I found myself in a long laneway. Roses trailed in huge viny masses across the roof of the path; it smelled sweet as I tentatively stepped inside, the damp air ramping up the scent of the flowers.
There was next to no light in here, which had my pulse racing and stomach churning, but I had come this far. I was not turning back now.
Picking up the pace, the grass beneath my feet keeping my footsteps silent, I raced along. After some time, I blinked as a faint glimmer of light appeared in the distance, a pinprick that grew larger as I closed in on it. The roses were thinning above me, the stormy sky visible in small patches as I continued toward the light. It was quite bright, and I kept my eyes locked on, using it as a guide. As the covered path ended, I slowed my steps, afraid I was about to run right into the three elites. If they were standing there at the end of the path, I would just have to play dumb, because there was nowhere to hide.
Hopefully they’d buy my story that I’d somehow gotten lost and stumbled into this secret little area. With my cover story intact, I focused on the light for the first time.
What in the world?
I just stared and stared and stared, trying to figure out what I was looking at.
A swirling portal? A manmade storm?
Whatever it was, it stood at least fifteen feet high, and looked a lot like a tornado of light and energy. It lit up the round, otherwise empty courtyard. The light was swirling and twirling, shooting small rope-like tendrils about. Somehow I made my feet move again, each step slow and deliberate as I walked closer to the swirling mass.
What was it? Some new government technology? Or something … supernatural?
When I was as close as I felt comfortable getting – there were definite sparks of electricity in the air; I had goosebumps across my arms – I sidled around, trying to see the full scale of this light-tornado.
That’s when I saw them. The three shadows.
Only they were no longer shadows. My guess had been right. It was Jero, Marsil, and Lexen.
They stood much closer than me to the swirling mass, not an ounce of unease on their faces as those light tendrils twirled in arcs around their heads. Jero was in the middle, and he had his right arm extended as though he was waiting for someone to take hold of it from the other side.
Which is exactly what happened.
6
My gasp escaped before I could stop it, and even though the noise of the swirling tornado was loud enough to cover a lot, it didn’t cover that. Two starlit eyes pierced me, and a plethora of low growls was Lexen’s response. Before I could say anything, or run away, which is what my rapid pulse and freaked-out mind was demanding, there was a Darken on either side of me, each capturing an arm and dragging me over to the swirl of light. Marsil and Jero were my captors. Lexen had not moved.
As the pair dragged me right up to the swirling light thing I let out another gasp. I really needed to work on my poker face, but seriously, a person had emerged from within the light.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” Jero said, his hypnotic blue eyes burning into me. For some stupid reason, I noticed he was wearing a different set of dress shoes, along with a very expensive suit.
Why I should care about something like that, I had no idea, but the suspicious notion of a teenager dressing like a billionaire businessman was not lost on me. I should have guessed from the start that something was really not right with these three. My gut started to churn as light flashed around me. I wondered if any moment now I might actually barf on a Darken. Jero would probably really appreciate vomit on his ten thousand dollar suit and shoes.
“What is this light thing?” I stuttered out.
Jero lifted his gaze to meet Marsil’s. No doubt they were having a silent conversation over my head. Here’s hoping that conversation didn’t involve all the ways they could kill me and make it look like an accident. Realizing I wasn’t getting an answer, I turned my attention to Lexen, who was ignoring me as he hugged a willowy girl with long raven curls.
A chick who could apparently travel through light.
As she stepped out of his shadow, she turned to the other two. “Jer, Marsil! I’m so glad to see you! It has been too long!”
Her shrieked greeting grated across my last nerve. That’s when I started to struggle. Neither of the Darkens must have expected that, because I managed to wrench myself from their grip, landing hard on the ground. I started to scramble back, but before I got more than a foot away, Lexen took a step forward and snatched me up.
Literally. He jerked me to my feet and up into the air, using just one arm wrapped around my back.
“You’re not going anywhere.” His words were a low, rumbly growl. His accent was even stronger than Jero’s. “Didn’t your parents teach you to mind your own business? You’ve stumbled into something you really should have left alone.”
Ignoring that threat, I continued to struggle. “My parents are dead,” I spat at him. “And my guardians are missing, so right now I don’t give a shit about right and wrong. I want answers.”
How dare he give me orders and manhandle me like a child!
“Put me down!” I snarled, feeling hot dampness behind my eyes. I willed my tear ducts to behave themselves for once. Angry crying was not appropriate right now.
To my surprise, he complied, placing my feet back on the ground. Then he stepped back like he was disgusted just being close to me. “Hold on to her, Marsil,” he commanded, before he turned in my direction one last time. “We can’t let you go now. You’ve seen too much. I need to speak with the council. They’ll advise what to do about this … situation.”
Great, now I was a situation.
Marsil wrapped a big hand around my arm. He was the shortest of the three Darkens, still well over six foot and heavily muscled. I was definitely not going to be able to fight him off.
“Council?” I parroted. “I don
’t understand … like Astoria town council?”
Lexen didn’t answer; he didn’t even look at me again.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” Marsil’s voice was gentle, and I found myself focusing on him fully. Up close I saw why he was referred to as Jero’s twin. They looked very similar, but I would say Marsil was not quite as beautiful. Features less refined. More rugged. A little harder around the edges. Which contradicted the softness of his eyes. “Please don’t struggle.”
I swallowed roughly. “Let’s make a deal. You don’t rape or kill me and I’ll play the good victim for now.”
There was a snort of laughter from Jero, but it was Lexen who answered, “You don’t need to fear rape from us.” Mild distaste was clear in his voice, and I totally hadn’t missed the fact he hadn’t included death in that statement.
The girl, who was standing close to Jero, watched me silently. I noticed from the corner of my eye, but I was too freaked to really pay attention to her. For some reason, the boys seemed more real to me. Maybe because they hadn’t just appeared in a ball of light.
Marsil started to move and I forced my feet to hurry to keep up. He kept his large hand wrapped around my right bicep as we moved along the rose vine path and then back onto the main road. No one spoke as we walked, and when the shacks came back into view I stared longingly at them. Part of me really wished I’d listened to the rules and stayed over there. I understood the world over there. It might have been cold, and lonely, and hungry, but it was mine.
The Finnegans. I reminded myself there had been a reason I’d crossed to the elite side. Hopefully I’d find an opportunity to question these Darkens about where my family was. Maybe their council knew something. If I wasn’t killed before getting the chance to ask.
The girl was sandwiched between Jero and Lexen. Marsil and I were just behind. She was a few inches taller than my five foot eight, but somehow still looked small next to the boys. As if she had felt my eyes on her, she met my gaze. Her eyes were a dark blue, and there was a mild curiosity in that look, like she wasn’t sure what to make of me. Then she smiled and I almost stumbled over my feet. I hadn’t been expecting that.
“It’ll be okay,” she mouthed to me.
I blinked a few times, but before I could respond she turned back around. Marsil, who no doubt had seen that weird exchange, said nothing. His grip remained firm, but not tight. We stopped when we reached the huge gated estate that the Darkens called home. I looked toward my house. There was no car in the driveway. My breathing got erratic then as I tried to wheeze some air in and out.
“Are you okay?” Marsil asked me, and I found myself staring into his face, focusing on the hard planes in a desperate attempt to calm myself.
He tilted his head, concern emanating from him. I was starting to understand the kind eyes, and his gentle way of maneuvering me. He was a nice guy, that much was clear. And for some inexplicable reason I felt comfortable with him. Wasn’t it too early for Stockholm syndrome to be kicking in? Surely I shouldn’t trust my kidnappers, even if my instincts were telling me that Marsil at least had a truly kind soul.
“Just wishing I was back in my house,” I finally answered him, flicking my head toward the shitty side of the street.
Marsil looked like he was about to say something, but the Darken gates opened then and we were moving. After all of the hours I had spent stalki … observing their mansion, it was kind of surreal to now be inside the estate. If I wasn’t so worried that they were planning on killing me and tossing my body off into the water at the back of their land, it would have been a very cool outing.
I tried the best I could in the dark to see everything, but the rain and wind was making it near impossible.
Wait a minute…
“You’re not wet?” I said to Marsil, my brow furrowing as I looked him over. “And the rain is not hitting me…” I was still soaked – at least ninety percent of the mud was gone – but there was definitely no rain hitting me right now. It even felt like the wind was whipping around us, not buffeting me like it had done when I was chasing after them.
Marsil ignored me, as I expected he would. No way to explain that sort of weirdness in terms a human would understand. Freaking supernaturals. For the first time ever I attempted to wrap my head fully around the concept. I was going to owe the Finnegans a huge apology when I finally figured out their whereabouts.
We continued along the wide, double front drive. Huge trees lined either side, and then off in the dark it looked like flat expanses of landscaped grounds, the sort of place where I would have normally run and frolicked for hours.
If it wasn’t the domain of kidnapping assholes, of course.
When we reached a set of huge, ornately detailed wooden front doors, Lexen turned to Jero. “Bring the car in. We don’t need any questions from the other houses.”
Jero took off then, disappearing into the darkness. I wondered why they hadn’t brought the car up when we first passed. Were they worried about separating from me? Because I was such a danger to them? With my ten dollar shoes and threadbare jeans?
I knew the girl had her eyes on me again, but this time I didn’t look in her direction. I was not making friends with them, none of them. Lexen moved to the side after he opened the door. Marsil and I stepped into the mansion first, and as the lights flickered on all around me I found myself standing in the most beautiful house I had ever seen. Ever. Including movies and magazines.
Wide, dark oak floorboards spanned out across the open expanse of the entrance, an entrance which continued on into a living and dining room. I even caught glimpses of the large white kitchen bench. The far wall, which was like miles from the door, showcased the dark world beyond with floor-to-ceiling windows. The ocean would be crashing out there, hidden in the night.
Marsil let me go then, the front door closing ominously behind us. I knew there was no way I could escape; I had seen how fast they moved. Even if I did somehow manage to escape, where would I go? My shack was across the street and it had no security. The front gate guards were owned by them. Maybe even the police. Everything Michael had ever told me was hitting with full force now. I might have laughed at the time, but he had been right. I had no power, no ability to fight them. It was the worst kind of feeling, and yet my instincts didn’t seem to be picking up on any imminent danger. I decided to see if I could get some answers before panicking too hard.
The three crossed the floor, leaving me near the door. I eyed it for a beat, before Lexen said, “Don’t bother. You won’t be able to leave until we let you out.”
Shocker.
My shoes squelched as I followed their path, water dripping off me. Small shivers brushed across my body as the cold sank in deeper. Their house was styled in a “beach Hamptons, I’m richer than God” look. Expensive, but still seemingly comfortable. Wide, plump-cushioned, striped couches were scattered around a large ornately-manteled fireplace, facing toward the windowed view. Everything was done in cream and tan colors, and I wanted nothing more than to jump into the soft depths of one of those armchairs and snuggle deep.
Marsil sat, waving at the girl. “Star, sit down, sweetheart.”
She practically fell in next to him, the pair slumping together in a familiar way. “I have barely slept for days,” she said, her voice low and melodic. “Fighting with Father about me leaving was really frustrating.” She shook back her long, thick, shiny hair. “He’s still upset, so don’t be surprised if he contacts one of you.”
Lexen was standing near the window, his back to the view. He swiveled to face her. “We can handle Father,” he said. “But I still don’t understand why you came at all. We’re fulfilling the terms of the treaty.”
Star crossed her arms. I was getting a sense of stubbornness from her. “Where my brothers go, I go. Besides, it’s no fun on…” She quickly glanced at me. “At home without you.”
She was their sister. And they were all brothers. So how the hell were they all in the same year at school? W
ere they quads? Or … I had no idea. This family was too weird to try wrapping my brain around. Part of me wanted to remain quiet in the hope I could learn something from their idle chatter, but another part of me needed specific questions answered, and needed them now.
I was about to ask about Michael and Sara when Lexen locked me in his dark gaze. “Why did you follow us? The rules are explained to all who live on this street.”
I swallowed hard, his mere presence scary enough to have all saliva disappearing from my mouth. “My…” I had to clear my throat. “My guardians have vanished. They were searching for supernatural activity in this area, and … something weird is going on in this street!” Somehow I was shouting, so I tried to calm myself. Why was I acting so weird? It was like my emotions had no middle ground. One minute I was calm and collected, the next a raving mess of nerves and anger.
I sensed Star and Marsil staring at me, but I couldn’t tear my gaze from Lexen. He was everything I would normally avoid in a man – too tall, too broad, too strong – the shaved side of his hair flashing those symbols at me, and no doubt there were matching tattoos hidden under his sleeves and jeans. He had bad boy written all over him, and unlike a lot of girls I’d known I was not interested in trying to tame myself an attitude problem.