by Melissa Haag
“It looks like small wings.”
“Can my life get any worse? I’m going to kill that oracle.”
“Why?”
Before I could answer, Oanen approached with a shirt held loosely in his hands. The heated look in his eyes made my insides flare with warmth again.
“Cool it, you two,” Eliana said. “Oanen, turn around. Megan, keep talking.”
Oanen winked at me as he tossed the shirt over then gave us his back. I quickly tugged the covering on over my head.
“The oracle didn’t say a thing about wings. She also told me that there was no way to control my temper and that Adira and the Council have been lying to me.”
“Hmm,” Eliana said, looking off toward the lake.
Oanen turned around and tugged me into his arms while she was distracted.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he said against my hair.
“Not sure I can promise that. I think Eliana’s right, and flames might be another superpower for me.”
“I wasn’t talking about the flames. Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“Because I wanted to be able to hug you without turning you into a piece of extra crispy when you got back. I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”
“I don’t think you will. I’m holding you now, and I’m fine.”
I looked up at his red face and made a sound of doubt.
“This is because I was too close when you exploded. You’re not too hot now.”
I lifted up to my toes and kissed him hard. He kissed me back. For several long moments, there was nothing but me and Oanen and what we felt for each other. I basked in the ability to kiss him and touch him like I wanted.
Distantly, I heard Eliana clear her throat.
“I think you can safely conclude you’re in control of yourself now,” Eliana called.
I pulled back to see Oanen’s golden eyes. He still had all of his facial hair. I grinned. He threaded his fingers through mine and gave me a tender look.
“Since we know you won’t hurt me anymore, how about we promise to stick together from now on?” he said. “No more trying to break up with me.”
“I think I can manage that.” My smile faded as my temper spiked. “What is up with everyone lying in this dump?”
“The Council?” Oanen asked.
“No, the oracle. She said that there was no controlling my temper. I just hugged you without setting you on fire.”
“I think the oracle told you the truth, Megan,” Eliana said, standing by the car. When I focused on her, I noticed the car’s paint had bubbled.
“Holy shit,” I said, looking at what I’d done.
“Yeah, no more monkey hugs for you when you’re mad,” Eliana said.
“No kidding. Now, why do you think she told the truth?”
“Because if there was someone wicked nearby, I don’t think you’d be able to control your temper. That you’re not burning Oanen or me accidently means you’re in control of your power. I think you can control your power, but not your anger. Your anger is what helps you identify the wicked.”
“That’s splitting hairs. I have no doubt she purposely misled me. You know what the most frustrating part is? By my definition, she was wicked, yet I didn’t get fury angry at her.”
“Why do you think she was wicked?” Eliana asked.
“She’s been eating mermaids. A lot of them. And, I saw her do it.”
“There’s no rule that says she can’t eat mermaids or other creatures,” Oanen said. “Only that we can’t consume human flesh.”
“She did say she always tried to follow the rules,” I said, thinking things through. “That whole trip was a complete waste then. She didn’t tell me anything that would help me.”
My temper jumped a bit, and I quickly looked down at our joined hands. His thumb stroked over my skin, no hint of red appearing. I wasn’t generating any external heat.
“Not a waste,” Oanen said, drawing my attention. “Not if you really can control your powers now.”
“I think we should test it,” Eliana said.
“How?”
She grinned widely.
“Let’s go to the Roost.”
* * * *
“I don’t like this,” I said, looking at the Roost’s red doors through the passenger window.
“Me, neither,” Oanen said.
“Stop being babies,” Eliana said from the back seat. “This is the best way to test if Megan’s fixed, and you both know it.”
I wanted to deny I was ever broken, but given the number of times I’d burned Oanen, I couldn’t.
“Fine. Let’s just get this done.”
I opened my door and stood, wincing at the cold air whirling around my bare legs. Oanen’s t-shirt extended past my butt by a meager three inches. While I’d wanted to go home and change first, Eliana had argued that showing up in nothing but a t-shirt would be more likely to illicit wicked ideas from the patrons.
“I swear, if anyone sees my butt, I’m going to be so mad.”
“Good. That’s the point,” Eliana said as she got out to stand by me.
“Mad at you,” I clarified.
She smiled, clearly not worried about my temper. The driver’s side door opened, and I looked back at Oanen.
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait in the car?” I asked.
“Together, remember?”
I nodded and started for the entrance. As usual, music already thumped from inside even though it was barely six.
The light dusting of new snow covering the sidewalk swirled around my feet as I opened the door. Warm air enveloped me, but I didn’t get a chance to enjoy it.
A tingle of annoyance immediately traced down my spine. Without pausing, I strode in and pushed my way through the dancers toward the back of the room. A few of the guys on the floor paused to look at me. I could feel the nudge of their wickedness as they took in the sight of my breasts barely concealed by Oanen’s thin t-shirt. That wickedness only inflated when they saw I wasn’t wearing pants. However, their thoughts were pure in comparison to what I felt coming from the back of the club.
Instead of trying to calm down or run away, I opened myself to my temper. Details flooded my mind. Things I shouldn’t know. Like my temper was flaring because Eras was harassing Kelsey and Zoe, again. But, that wasn’t the sole cause. Something else was poking at me. Something he’d done in the past that I couldn’t see for myself in the present.
I broke through the dancing crowd and found Eras and his friends sitting at the back table with Kelsey and Zoe, who were both clutching their books and keeping their heads down.
“Come on, girls,” Eras said in a seductive voice. “You don’t need to look at me. No one else needs to know. It’ll be between us. Just nod. I’ll reach under the table and have you shaking with need in seconds. It’ll feel amazing. I promise.”
“Not nearly as amazing as this,” I said, my voice echoing with my fury power. “Eras Amadeus Aeccin, confess your sins.”
Eras’s mouth fell slack as he turned to look at me. The boys at the table with him quickly scrambled away.
Kelsey and Zoe’s heads jerked up. They stared at me with wide eyes, both looking like they were about to cry. Eliana quickly stepped around me and slid into the booth to comfort them.
“Don’t make me repeat myself, Eras,” I said.
His mouth snapped shut.
“I wasn’t breaking any rules, Fury. There’s no reason for you to attack me.”
“Oh, but there is. Something you did in your past. Something that did break the rules.” The heat inside me intensified. I didn’t fight it as I stepped closer to him and leaned down.
“Confess.”
The soft word set off a blubbering confession about some petty theft, voyeurism (which I highly doubted was a crime), and vandalism. The last one made me scowl as he detailed how he’d smashed my window and seduced a mermaid into scratching my paint.
“You are guilty of wick
edness,” I said, grabbing Eras by the collar of his polo shirt and hauling him from the booth. The boy was a sobbing mess.
“Continue on this course, and you are guaranteed a spot in Hell’s hall. Make amends and cleanse your slate.”
“I’ll make amends. I promise. Just tell me what to do.”
His eagerness and complete sincerity calmed my temper.
“Uttira needs a library. Help build it.”
He nodded frantically, and I let go of his shirt. He thumped to the ground and dashed for the door. Only after the fact, did I realize what I’d just done. I’d controlled my power by letting my temper go. I’d also just exposed the hell out of my backside.
I turned to face the room.
“Did anyone here see my butt just now?”
Every single head started to shake.
“Remember, lies are wicked,” I said with a frown.
Half the people nervously raised their hands.
“Can you reach over the table again?” Fenris shouted from within the crowd. “I didn’t get a good look. Oanen got in the way.”
I glanced at Oanen, who looked mad enough to skin a dog.
“How about you and I head home,” I said softly.
Before he could say anything, a portal appeared beside us and Adira stepped out.
“Oanen has other obligations tonight, Megan,” she said. “As do you.”
“Oh? And what might our obligations be?” I asked, arching a brow.
“The Council would like Oanen to fly to the Goose and Gizzard in New York on official business, and I have two more recruits for you to verify.”
I looked at Kelsey and Zoe, who were still pale. Although some of the color loss could be blamed on Eras, I knew most of it was due to me.
“I’m sorry, guys,” I said.
“No, we’re cool,” Kelsey said. “We didn’t see anything.”
I started to grin, but my temper flared hot and fast, the only warning I had to turn and grab Adira’s wrist before she could touch my shoulder. I let all the anger Adira and the Council had caused to burn in my eyes.
When she saw the flames there, she flinched and paled.
“I warned you not to toy with me, Adira. Don’t ever try to teleport me without my permission again. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes. Perfectly. With your permission, I would like to teleport all three of us to the Quills’ for an overdue meeting.”
“No. Oanen has been gone for days. He’s not doing anything tonight but spending time with me. And, I’m not verifying another recruit for you ever again. Uttira needs to fix its educational process before putting more fish in the fish bowl. Are we clear?”
“Yes. Please come see us first thing in the morning.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’ll see you when it’s convenient to me. Now, stop pushing.”
She gave a single nod then disappeared.
Eliana’s phone immediately buzzed. She looked at it with a frown.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s from Adira, and it’s for Oanen. She says to keep a close eye on Megan tonight.”
I smiled widely. Adira had just confirmed what I’d suspected the moment she’d paled. The Council knew they could no longer control me. I was free. Almost.
Oanen stepped close and wrapped his arms around my waist. He pressed his lips to my temple in a brief kiss and looked at Eliana.
“I already planned to keep a very close eye on her. Tonight and every night after.”
Twenty-One
I scrubbed my hair a second time before adding conditioner. At my feet, bits of seaweed swirled near the drain.
“I hate mermaids,” I called loud enough for Oanen to hear. He probably would have heard without me yelling, but I wanted the volume to convey the loathing I felt.
“Lakes too!”
I finished up in the shower and quickly dressed. When I joined him in the kitchen, he was leaning against the counter, waiting for me.
“So a moonlit ride in a gondola is out?”
“Since gondolas are usually found in Italy, no. I’d suffer some water for that to happen. But more swimming in Lake Uttira? No way.”
He pushed away from the counter and stalked toward me. My stomach fluttered wildly, but nothing started burning. I still couldn’t believe that I was okay.
He snagged the edge of my shirt and slowly reeled me into his arms.
“Are we done fighting this, now?”
“You were never fighting it,” I said with a small smile.
“Stubborn fury, just answer the question.”
I grinned and stood on my toes to kiss him lightly.
“I’m done fighting what’s happening between us.”
“Good.” He released me then tugged me toward the table where he had sandwiches waiting for us. A brownie sat on my plate, too.
“I’m so hungry,” I said. I sat and took a huge bite, moaning at the taste of mayonnaise and turkey.
“Thought you might be.” His lips twitched as he watched me swallow. “That brownie is from Michigan, which is where I was when Eliana called me.”
I wrinkled my nose and squinted at him.
“Is this where you lecture me again?”
“Nope.” He picked up his sandwich and took a bite.
I could see he wanted to say more and waited for him to finish chewing. He didn’t leave me waiting long.
“I’m too smart to annoy a fury with lectures.”
“I’m going to remember that.”
“I bet you will. I’m sorry I didn’t find your mom,” he said, changing the subject. “I’ll look again when I go to New York.”
“We’ll look,” I said after finishing another bite.
He frowned at me.
“Did you already forget our promise?” I asked. “Together from now on. Remember?”
“That might be a problem when I need to leave for Council matters.”
I grinned. “I don’t think so. First, there’s no longer any reason for the Council to keep me trapped here. I’m not burning you every time we touch now, and I didn’t beat Eras tonight even though I was angry. That means I have control. I just have to tell Adira tomorrow. Second, the Council doesn’t own you. You’re the one who told me not to be a cog in their wheel of lies.”
“I don’t recall saying wheel of lies,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“It was implied. Regardless, they don’t own you, right? So, until I get my mark, we’ll stick together. And once I have my mark, if you choose to continue to help the Council, I’ll go also. If we’re lucky, we’ll run into my mom at some point.”
“You still want to find her?” he asked.
“Yeah. I want to know why she couldn’t have spent five minutes explaining things to me instead of just bailing.”
After we finished up our late dinner, we went to the living room where we watched TV together. Oanen held me the whole time, his fingers traveling the length of my arm. I stopped watching several times to turn my head and kiss him. Each time ended with me breathless and wanting more. But, no fire. No burns.
* * * *
I stared out at the Quills’ large house, not looking forward to our meeting.
“We can go do something else,” Oanen said.
I laughed lightly and shook my head.
“There’s nothing else to do in this town at eight in the morning.”
“We could go back to bed.”
I turned to him and arched my brow. We spent the night comfortably sleeping in each other’s arms. It’d been the best night’s sleep I’d had in ages. The kisses he’d trailed along my neck to wake me had been amazing, too.
“I like this new you,” he said. “I know when you’re thinking about me. Your eyes start glowing light orange.”
“How do you know I wasn’t getting mad at you?”
“They start glowing a deeper orange when you’re angry.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him.
“No. I’ll support whatever decisions you make in there. Even against my parents. I trust you, Megan.”
“All right. Let’s do this.”
We got out and walked the snow-covered path. As usual, his mom opened the door before we reached it.
“Good morning you two,” she said with a wide smile.
I frowned at her barely contained joy, not trusting it.
“I changed my mind. Let’s leave,” I said softly, threading my fingers through Oanen’s.
A look of hurt crossed Mrs. Quill’s face.
“I know these past few weeks have been a struggle for you—”
“No thanks to the Council and Adira,” I said.
“—but I want you to know, I couldn’t be happier with Oanen’s choice in a mate.”
Oh, sure. Now, she was happy.
Oanen’s fingers squeezed mine lightly, and I knew I needed to be gracious for his sake.
“Thanks.” That was as gracious as she was getting from me after trying to keep us apart.
She smiled and stepped aside to let us in.
“We’re meeting in the study,” she said.
Oanen and I walked the familiar path. When we entered, I was surprised to see several people already there. While I recognized Fenris’ dad, Mr. Quill, and Adira, the rest were new to me.
“Thank you for coming, Megan,” Adira said, turning toward me. “With your permission, my sister and I would like to lay our hands on you.”
I glanced at Oanen, wondering what the hell was going on. The amused glint in his eyes and encouraging nod had me agreeing. He released my hand and took a few steps back.
Mrs. Quill touched one shoulder and Adira the other. Both said several soft words I couldn’t understand. A flare of pain scorched the inside of my wrist, and I jerked back from their hold. Lifting my arm, I saw the small, umber mark of Mantirum decorating my skin.
“Congratulations, Megan,” Adira said.
“I don’t understand. I thought there was a whole process to ensure I was ready. Questions that the Council needed to ask me.”
“The process is different for each candidate. You proved your control last night. We saw no reason to delay giving you the mark. We do ask that you leave Uttira as soon as possible.”