by Jaymin Eve
But I couldn’t look away.
“There is no such thing as supernaturals,” Lexen said, his tone dismissive. “Your guardians are idiots, and are probably lost in the forest somewhere.”
He wasn’t completely wrong, they definitely could just be lost, but I was almost entirely sure he was lying about the supernaturals part. I was putting all the pieces together now, everything I had ever overheard from Sara and Michael: the strange things in this town; Cara’s information; the odd happenings since I was discovered by these Darkens – that ball of light that had spat out a girl. How were they going to explain that away? Even if they could, I had made up my mind. Supernaturals were very much real, and I was in their house. Since it seemed Lexen wanted to pretend this was all a big misunderstanding, I would play along.
“No doubt you’re right.” I stared at my nails, acting nonchalant. “I’ve always thought they were a little on the crazy side, but I still love them.” Lifting my gaze, I met his unflinchingly. “Do you know for sure they’re lost? Do you have any information on them?”
He just shook his head at me, before his attention was captured by something behind me. I turned to find Jero sauntering along, his dark gray suit fitting in perfectly with the beautiful surroundings of their home. “No problems?” Lexen asked.
His brother shook his head. “Nope. It’s all quiet out there.”
“Sit.”
I realized that command from Lexen was aimed at me, but since I wasn’t a dog I chose to cross my arms over my chilled body and stare him down.
Screw you, asshole.
His jaw was rigid; I could see a small tic in one corner. “Someone dry her off, and don’t let her out of your sight. I will be back once I contact the council.”
“And Father,” Star piped up.
He nodded at his sister, before turning and striding off.
Jero, who had been heading for the couch with his sister, quickly changed paths. “I volunteer to dry you off,” he said, flashing me a wide grin.
I snorted, so elegant as always. “Wipe that smirk off your face, Romeo. This girl is not interested.”
It almost looked like he was pouting, even though he flashed a wink at me. “I’m devastated.”
Star, who must have moved without me seeing, since she was standing right behind him, let out a little chuckle. “He’s never been told no before. You really have devastated him.”
She held out a hand to me, not like you would to shake, but sort of like she wanted me to kiss it. I just stared down at it, and she hastily pulled it back. “Oh, sorry,” she murmured, sounding a little breathless. “I’m Star. It’s really nice to meet you.”
I just gave her a nod. “I’m Emma.”
Star didn’t seem taken aback by my unfriendliness. If anything she got even more animated. “You can borrow some of my clothes. We’re almost the same size.”
Well, sure, if you discounted me being shorter and fatter than her. Even with my recent weight loss I couldn’t compare to her slender figure. I was naturally curvy.
Star turned to Jero and he shook his head. “Lexen won’t like it.”
She started to plead with him in a low voice. I caught bits and pieces before Jero finally threw his hands up. “Okay, fine. I’m sure Emma won’t try anything.” He faced me. “We’re very protective of our sister. Keep that in mind.”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “I’m not going to attack an innocent girl. You three, on the other hand, I don’t care so much for.”
One side of his lips quirked up. “I like you,” he stated, before turning to Star. “Straight to your room and back, no detours. You better be in this living area before Lexen returns.”
She nodded, not commenting on his asshatty way of speaking to her. Maybe I was lucky never having any siblings. I wasn’t big on being bossed around. Star linked her arm through mine and began to drag me away, chatting like we were the best of friends.
“This is my first time visiting this house, but it seems to be set out similarly to back home, so I shouldn’t have a problem finding my room.”
My brain could only handle so many revelations that upset the very fabric of my world, so for now “back home” was a small supernatural community somewhere in the middle of Alaska – still on Earth. It made perfect sense, really. They’d no doubt want to live away from the general population. The Sahara would work too, if they preferred heat.
On Earth. Heat on Earth because they were definitely from Earth. Just like … evolved humans. God, I hoped they weren’t vampires.
Star led me to a staircase off the side of the entrance. It was tucked away, only visible when you got close. I tripped once going up the stairs, my lack of grace and nerves getting to me, but somehow managed to make it to the top unscathed. The first floor had a hallway with a lot of closed doors, so I couldn’t see inside, but something told me there were mostly bedrooms on this level.
“This one!” Star declared, halting in front of a white door, identical to a dozen or more white doors we had already passed. I was pretty darn cold, so hopefully she knew what she was talking about. The door swung open without a sound and we were inside in a heartbeat. Thick white carpet squished under my shoes and I ground to a halt.
“Wait, I need to take my shoes off. They’re going to make your carpet dirty.” I’d never seen carpet so pure, so untouched. It was the sort of flooring that should not be walked on.
Star just waved my concerns off. “Don’t stress about it. It’s just the floor.”
With reluctance I continued into the room, wincing at the trail of black streaks I was leaving behind me. The main part of the bedroom was huge, as big as our entire shack across the street. On top of the pristine carpet was a large bed with a dark purple, velvet and ornate material bedhead. It was huge, rising up and curving inwards at the top. The bed was dressed in whites and lilacs, lace throw pillows giving it a very fairytale finish.
“This is a beautiful room,” I said sincerely. It was so light and open, everything feminine but not overly girly.
Star looked around as if only just noticing the room. “Oh, yes, they did a great job making this feel like home. I’m very lucky to have my brothers.”
One way to look at it.
“Do they always boss you around like that?”
She smiled at me, seeming unoffended by my question. “The men in my family are very protective. It’s part of who they are. I try to only fight the important battles – let them think they win some. I usually get my own way. I just have to be smarter about it.”
Dammit. I really didn’t want to like Star. She was the sister of my kidnappers. Most probably some sort of non-human being, but … she was also nice. And smart.
We walked into her closet and I suddenly hated her again. It. Was. Amazing. Like the best thing I had ever seen in my life; I could happily live in this room forever. Some people had all the luck.
“I know it’s a little small.” Star’s brow wrinkled as she looked around. “But we should be able to find something to wear.”
A little small? It was official, this chick was insane. The room was the size of a shop, so many clothes I couldn’t even take them all in. There was even a white, round, cushioned bench in the center where one could sit and ponder all the delights surrounding them. Above this bench was an intricate crystal chandelier that cast soft light.
She seemed to be waiting for an answer, so I nodded. “Yeah, it’ll be difficult, but we’ll make do.”
Star gave a resolute head bop, like she was preparing herself for battle, then she wandered farther into the room of wonders. I followed, slower, running my hands across everything. It had been a long time since I thought about clothes. I remembered how much I loved putting an outfit together. I might be a bookwormy, indoors, knit-a-scarf sort of girl, but clothes had always been one of my frivolous loves. After the fire I’d told myself I didn’t care anymore, that two pairs of jeans and a handful of shirts were all one needed. My butt was covered, and that was the mos
t important thing. But right now my chest was aching in a way I couldn’t explain, a similar but far less potent version of the ache I got when I thought about my parents. Like I’d lost something important, a part of myself I was never getting back.
“This is perfect!” Star’s exclamation broke me out of my melancholy, and I hurried over to her. She was holding out a dark navy dress. It had long sleeves, a rounded, low-cut neckline, pinched-in waist, and slightly flared skirt. In her other hand was a pair of short black boots. They had a reasonably high heel, which didn’t bother me. Don’t ever ask me to run, but walking in heels … I was practically an expert.
I held a hand out, letting it brush against the material. “It’s gorgeous. I hope it fits.”
She dropped the dress and shoes into my hands, turning and rummaging through some drawers. She was back with a brand new set of black underwear, tags still attached. There was a tag on the dress, too, and I was pretty sure all the blood fled my face when I saw the price.
The dress was worth more than my family’s car. “Uh, are you sure it’s okay for me to wear this. It’s really expensive.”
Star laughed, waving her hand at me. “Don’t be silly. It’s the least I can do after dragging you into this mess.” She leaned in closer, whispering conspiratorially, “I really hope the council don’t want to meet with you. They’re pains … and you did nothing wrong. You should be free to go back to your life.”
Clutching the dress closer, I realized I’d momentarily forgotten my predicament.
I was a prisoner, not just chatting about clothes with a friend. I mean, I was possibly in the house of supernaturals. Something kind of important to remember, because there was a decent chance I might not leave this house alive.
7
I stood in a bathroom fit for royalty wearing five thousand dollars worth of clothes and I couldn’t stop staring in the mirror. The dress fit like it had been made for me. The cut of the top gave me more boobs than I knew I had, and the length of the hem made my legs look long and toned. Was this how rich people always looked so awesome?
Don’t get used to it, I warned myself, even while I ran my hands across the supple material a few more times. My eyes dropped to the black boots and I had to suppress my little squeal. They were so gorgeous. It turned out that Star and I had the same shoe and bra size, which was a lucky, weird coincidence.
“Are you okay in there?”
I turned at the gentle knock on the closed door. “Yes, all good. Coming out now.”
I ran my hands through my hair. There wasn’t much I could do about it now. It had dried in long, unruly curls, haphazardly springing everywhere. I had no makeup on, my face plain against the beautiful dress, but I wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
My heels clicked as I crossed to the door, and when I opened it I found Star standing on the other side. We were the same height now and I noticed she’d changed her clothes too. Her boots were similar to mine, just with a shorter heel.
“You look amazing!” she exclaimed. “I knew it would be fun to have a girlfriend to share things with.”
That gave me a moment’s pause. “You’ve never had a friend?”
She shook her head, long silky cascades of brunette hair tumbling across her shoulders. “No, this is the first time I’ve left my home. I had to fight for this freedom and I’m going to enjoy every moment of it.”
I felt a pang of sympathy for her. “If you can keep your brothers from killing me, then I’d love to be friends,” I told her. Despite my previous thoughts about remembering what and who she was, I liked Star. There was an innocence about her that drew me in.
She squealed. “We’re going to be best friends, I already know it.”
Her gentle nature was very clear, which might have been half the reason I felt a bond to her. Star needed protecting.
“I hope Lexen isn’t back yet,” she said as we walked into the hall. “He can be … difficult when his orders are disobeyed. Like Father.”
I snorted, which drew her attention. “He’s an arrogant asshole who thinks his word is law. But sure, difficult works too.”
Star blinked a few times, but before she could say anything, a huge shape appeared in front of us.
“Downstairs, now,” Lexen said to his sister, his voice coldly quiet. She jumped, but didn’t immediately move.
“Promise me that you’re not going to hurt her,” she replied, standing her ground. “She’s my friend.”
His face did not soften; those harsh beautiful lines stayed strong and prominent. “I’m not going to hurt her,” he bit out. “I just need to ask her a few questions.”
Star threw me a commiserating look. “I’ll wait for you downstairs. Maybe we can watch a movie later. I’ve heard such great things.”
They were going to have to work on Star if they wanted to continue pretending they were human. She flounced toward the stairs, giving Lexen a quick hug on her way out.
The moment his sister was out of sight, he turned those dark as sin eyes on me. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice even despite the fire in his eyes. “Why were you really following us tonight? Which of the houses holds dominion over you?”
Okay, then, we were getting right to the point.
“My name is Emma Walters. I followed you because I want answers about what happened to my guardians. And I have no friggin' clue what you’re talking about. Houses? Like the history textbook in Mr. Perkins’ class? Your family is descended from the House of Darken and the rest…”
I trailed off as he took a step closer. In my heels I was almost up to his shoulders. Which was frustrating. I didn’t like him towering over me like that. But I stood my ground, staring up at him without any expression. I would not let him know how spooked I was.
“If you are spying for the Imperials, I will not be happy. They have tried many times over the years to infiltrate our house, but I never thought they’d stoop this low.”
He glared. I returned the gesture, following it with my middle finger. “How about screw you? I don’t know anything about any Imperials.”
Lexen stepped back then, like he couldn’t stand to be that close to me for another second. “The council is trying to find out about your family. Apparently the Finnegans have been on their radar for a while, but they don’t know what happened to them. They have asked that you stay with us until we can sort out what is happening.”
I was already shaking my head. “Hell no. I don’t need to stay here. My house across the street is perfectly fine. I’m used to being on my own.” The only positive was that someone was now searching for my guardians. I just had to hope those “someones” weren’t going to hurt them when they found them. I had to hope I hadn’t just made it worse.
Lexen let out a rumble of annoyance. “Trust me, I already argued for you to leave, but the council rules supreme. We’re in the midst of a crisis. There is no room to question them. Not with the treaty—” He cut himself off and I found myself stepping closer.
“What are you?” I no longer cared about keeping my knowledge of them a secret. I wanted answers. Of all the Darkens I trusted Lexen the least. His dislike of me, and I would say humans in general, was not disguised, but in some way that was why I directed this question to him. He would give me the entire dirty truth. No sugarcoating it.
His expression went blank. I waited for him to deny it again, but surprisingly enough he didn’t. “We’re not something you could understand. Your guardians should have left our kind alone. They were warned, and now they will pay the price.”
Everything inside of me froze. What price was he talking about? Was the council going to kill them? Or did they already think the Finnegans were dead? Were they searching for their bodies?
Before I could let those painful worries spill out, he turned and left. I followed slowly, knowing I had no other choice. As I descended the stairs, I tried not to think about the fact that I might never see Sara and Michael again. I focused on the weirdness of Daelight Crescent. Clearly t
he domain of these supernaturals.
Why did they allow humans to live in their special gated street? Especially since they seemed to want us to stay away from them. So much of this didn’t make sense.
Jero, Marsil, and Star were on the couches, all eyes on me as I crossed behind Lexen toward them.
Jero whistled. “Well, well, you clean up very nicely little hum … poppet.”
I waved a hand in his direction. “You can cut the crap. I know you’re not human. Let’s not pretend any longer.”
Jero’s flirtiness disappeared in a heartbeat. He turned narrowed eyes on his brother. “You told her?” His words were clipped with an edge of disbelief.
Lexen returned that stare with one far more potent and displeased. “I didn’t tell her anything. She already knew bits from her guardians, and she has clearly surmised the rest from everything she saw tonight. The council is aware of this, which is why they want us to keep an eye on her until they can find her guardians and figure out what to do.”
Star jumped to her feet. “She can sleep in my room tonight!” she declared, clapping her hands together. “We should get ready now.”
I thought it was a bit ridiculous that she had just dressed me up in these fancy clothes only for us to head to bed. Especially considering it was probably only 8 P.M.
“Absolutely not.” Lexen’s voice was low and calm; the undercurrent of authority was very clear. “I have a spare room on my level. It’s my responsibility to keep an eye on her.”
When Star’s face fell, his expression softened somewhat, giving a very fallen angel edge to his unnatural good looks. “You can’t trust her, S. She’s not one of us.”
Star swallowed hard, her arms crossing over her chest in a protective mannerism. “Emma is my friend. I refuse to give that up.”
I continued standing there, glaring at them all while they talked about me like I wasn’t in the room.
Marsil’s gentle voice was deep and rich: “How about Lexen watches Emma tonight…” He threw me an apologetic look. Nice of someone to acknowledge my presence. “And then when he sees that Emma is just an innocent victim in all of this, he will be more relaxed with you two breaking some of the rules.”