Memories pushed against the pavement of my highway. The echo of my mother’s scream. Those dead eyes accusing me. I took a deep breath and forged on.
“Later in the afternoon, Mom started feeling anxious. She said we needed to get home. We didn’t question her. It probably seems strange to you, but she had a sort of sixth sense when something was wrong.”
“Did she do this often?” Bennett seemed very focused on my answer.
“It was usually big things. Like a bad wreck that was going to happen on the road I’d take to school.” I shifted onto my side to face him. “Stuff like that didn’t happen a lot on our little island. But she was always right when she got one of her feelings.”
Bennett pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “Do you find it odd that she could do that?”
“No. Maybe if I hadn’t grown up seeing her know when something was going to happen, it might’ve been different.”
“Then you believe that there are things beyond the normal human abilities?”
“I guess. I mean, I didn’t really see Mom as different. But what she could do was real. She can’t have been the only one.”
He looked pleased. “Thank you.” He smiled down at me. “I promise not to interrupt again.”
I nodded. Tension built in the pit of my stomach as I thought about what had happened next.
“Mom had paced the bow of the ship as we headed home at full speed. She was frantically scanning the shore and the water, even the sky. I asked over and over again what was wrong, but she never answered.” I had never seen her so scared. “She hugged me tight and told me she loved me. Then my dad was there, holding us both so tight I could barely breathe. He kissed my mom like he knew it would be the last time. Then hugged us both again. They ordered me to get below deck and stay in my cabin until they came to get me. I hadn’t taken more than a few steps when the wind roared over our boat, almost sweeping us all over the side.
“The storm came out of nowhere a few miles from home. One minute we had been enjoying a sunny afternoon and the next it was as dark as night. The wind and waves tossed the boat about like it was a toy. I’ve been on that lake since I was a little girl, but I’d never seen anything like that.”
I shuddered as the dread that had weighed so heavily in the air that day came rushing back. I’d never feared the water before then.
“Below deck, the wind was barely a howl, but it was still frightening to hear. I sat on my bed only to tumble off moments later as another wave hit. Angry at being sent to my cabin as if I were a child, and more than a little scared, I went back up on deck. Waves sloshed over the boat. My feet slipped. Cold rain pounded down, soaking me. Thunder boomed so loud it rattled my bones. Lightning flashed, striking the water within feet of our boat. My dad struggled with the sails, and I rushed to help him.
“Dad and I fought to bring the sails down. Somehow one of the rigging lines got wrapped around him.” Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. “I t-t-tried to grab him, but he pushed me away. He was d-dragged overboard.”
Not once since giving my statement to the police had I spoken about it. That paved highway of buried emotions deep down inside split wide open, and everything came crashing over me. Tears poured unchecked down my cheeks as I struggled to breathe. There was a burning in my chest that felt like my heart was being ripped out all over again. The need to run from the pain swamped me, and I surged up needing to put distance between us.
Bennett pulled me into his arms. “Let it out, Lia. You need to let this pain go.”
“You don’t understand! You weren’t there. You didn’t see the look on my mom’s face. I couldn’t save him. I just stood there staring at where he had gone over. You didn’t hear her scream like I had stabbed her straight through the heart. I can still hear it in my dreams. And that look. The way she looked at me. Th-then she—” Sobs wrenched from my throat as my heart shattered. It felt as if an explosion burst from me. The acrid smell of something burning filled my lungs before Bennett wrapped himself tighter around me.
He rubbed his hands along my back and kissed the tears from my cheeks. “What did your mother do, asteràki?”
“S-S-She hugged me to her. Then there was a b-bright light. It must have been the lightning. Somehow, we were beside the rail and . . . and she p-pushed me overboard! I caused them to d-drown. They died hating me—” I sobbed until I cried myself out of tears and a heavy numbness filled me.
“Do not doubt that your parents loved you deeply, asteràki. They protected you with their very lives. Your father knew you would be dragged overboard with him if he let you touch him. Your mother’s . . . heart was broken at his loss. Likely she knew the ship would go down. She threw you overboard to save you. Deep down you know this is true. This burden you carry is not yours.” His calm voice slid over the jagged edges of my emotions like a cooling balm. “Your parents would not want this for you, asteràki. You must let it go.”
Some part of me knew he was right. “But I don’t know how. I’ve been running from my past for a long time. Hell, I ran all the way to the other side of the world and headlong into trouble. I did the only thing I could to keep myself alive: I buried the pain.”
Everything about my life had suffocated me after the accident. All I felt was rage and pain. Making our lawyer the power of attorney for everything, I’d walked away and never looked back. The few thousand from my bank account and a full tank of gas only got me so far. Pawning the car got me a little farther. After that, it was a vicious cycle of hard lessons, fear, and hunger. I’d been one of the lucky ones, though. I had gotten out.
There had been several times on the streets when things could have gone a different way. Looking back now I wondered if I hadn’t had a guardian angel watching over me. The turning point for me was the day I had been staring down at the needle gripped in my hand. The thin mattress beneath me smelled of old sweat and urine. Garbage piled around me from what I had scrounged as my “treasures.”
That flophouse in Shanghai was an active one. The sounds of sex and fights were my constant background noise. After almost a year of living that way, my lines had become blurred. My moral compass was worn down by the need to survive. It was harder each time to say no to the drugs, the sex, the violence. And sometimes I hadn’t. My dirty hand trembled as I pressed that needle to my skin. There was no coming back from that decision. Was that what my parents would have wanted? Was it what I wanted?
I’d thrown the needle away and left. Every last penny I’d saved from odd jobs went into getting me back to Washington. It took a while, but when I set foot back in my home state, I knew it was for good. There was no going back to the streets. Not if I wanted to live.
Surprisingly enough, I did. That meant I had to mold myself into someone who could make it in the nine-to-five suburban world. I tracked down the only friend I’d ever had. After she was done chewing my ass out for disappearing on her, she’d helped me build a new life. Dia had never pried into what happened to me. She had simply been there for me, and I owed her so much.
“Pouring everything I had into my gallery helped. It became my sole focus. My life. It was the first thing that was truly mine. Built with my own blood, sweat, and tears.” It was also my shield, I could see that now. I had buried myself in the persona of the perfect business woman. Being a gallery owner was predictable and gave me an identity that I had lost somewhere on the streets. “Now someone is trying to take that away from me by spreading vicious lies. I’ve been shunned by half the town, not to mention the art community, and my bank has called my business loan due.”
“I am sorry for your loss, Lia. I understand your pain. It never completely goes away but letting yourself remember the good helps to dull it.” Bennett’s stubbled jaw clenched, and a haunted look entered his eyes for a moment. “I lost my mother when I was nine. I may as well have lost my father too. He was never the same after she passed. I would not wish the pain of losing a loved one upon anyone. Many would have crumbled under the weight o
f grief after facing such a tragedy as yours. You ran. Yet you came back. You built a life that your parents would have been proud of. That took courage.” His voice hardened. “As for your current predicament, people might have been misled into believing something false. It is your courage in fighting for yourself and your business that will weigh in your favor.”
I pulled away to sit with my back to him on the edge of the bed, cringing at the thought of him realizing what a coward I was. I didn’t deserve his praise.
“I haven’t, though,” I confessed. “Fought, I mean. I hid out to avoid people whenever I could. I never even tried to defend myself. Now I’ve taken a month off, leaving Dia in charge to deal with it all.” I swallowed thickly realizing what I had done. “I ran again, didn’t I? I should have stayed. I should have gone to the police or someone to help me find out who was targeting me.”
The silence stretched on uncomfortably for several long moments as I awaited his judgment. A rough finger trailed along my back, tracing some invisible pattern in the darkness.
“The money from the Games would perhaps solve your loan problem. There is still a battle to be fought.” He gripped my chin turning my face toward his. “Vindictive people do not usually give up until they feel they have found justice. You came here to arm yourself. You have taken up the sword. The question now is, what will you do with it?”
21
A gasp dragged me from my much-needed sleep after Bennett had left the tent. I quickly tucked the blanket around my naked body and rolled to see who it was. Grayson and Molly stood a couple of feet from my bed. Grayson’s face was a mask of utter shock. Molly, however, smiled at me like I was the failing student who had scored the highest grade in the class.
“What?” I asked, hoping there hadn’t been any accidental flashing.
“You bonded,” Grayson whispered.
“Well, if that’s what you guys call it around here, sure I ‘bonded’ last night. Can I avoid the walk of shame this morning or is there a crowd waiting?” I asked sarcastically, pushing my messy hair out of my face.
“No, you misunderstand, my lady. You are—”
“Later, Grayson. She has a competition to get ready for.”
“But she doesn’t—”
“No, but that’s for him to explain. The Games can’t be stopped. That’s the way they set them up. Once the contestants are pledged, all six competitions must be played out within the year.” Molly stared at Grayson meaningfully. He looked reluctant but didn’t say anything else.
“Right. Naked here. Can you two go discuss things somewhere else so I can get dressed?” I asked pointedly.
“Wait,” Molly said. “Grayson, walk back out and tell me when you notice the difference.”
Grayson walked out of the tent and then back in. Then repeated the process. He stopped several feet away from the bed on his return trip. Then said, “Here.”
“Uh, why is he ‘my ladying’ me and walking in and out of the tent?” These people were so weird sometimes.
Grayson immediately dropped to one knee like the servants did for the Kyrion and bowed his head. “I am my lady’s man. If you do not wish others to know of your status, I will assist you.”
Was getting laid a status? “Yep, I’m good with the assisting. Assist away if it keeps me from having to flash my butt to everyone.”
Molly snickered. “No worries. I brought fresh training gear.”
“I am good with distractions, my lady. Leave this to me.” A sly smile stretched across his face that made me fear for whoever he was plotting against. Then Grayson rose from his knees and marched out of the tent with a determined stride.
“I’ll probably have to post bail. Seems you’ve got yourself a loyal servant. Still, don’t know what all the fuss is about. You can’t run or lift worth a damn.” Molly playfully stuck her tongue out. “But you do drive a pretty mean chariot.”
We laughed together at that. I caught sight of something strange on the ceiling. There, right over the bed, was a large hole with blackened edges. “Uh, why is there a hole burned in the tent?”
Molly laughed hysterically. “Guess things got a little heated last night. Looks like someone lost control. Good for you.”
Blushing, I quickly changed the subject. We chatted about the competition as I got dressed. I was brushing my hair back into its customary ponytail when I noticed that Molly had gone quiet. She fidgeted with the seam on her blue yoga pants as if she was debating something. “C’mon, spit it out. What?”
Molly bit her lip. “Don’t freak out, ok? I want to show you something.”
“Molly, that is a surefire way to get someone to freak out. Never start with that. But ok, no freaking out. Got it. So tell me. Has my time here turned me into one of your alien race, and I’m going to turn green?” She continued to stare at me nervously, my attempt at a joke falling flat.
“We’re not aliens. The teenagers do love their crop circles, though. Keeps the media guessing. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.” She flashed me a grin before she sobered and said, “You are one of us.”
“You mean like right now I’m part of the House of Arrows?”
“No. I don’t know how, but I think you were one of us from the start. A Paldimori. Eros is looking into it. That’s why he isn’t here right now. He got a call back from one of his contacts,” she said in a rush.
“I should let Chaos tell you this. I really should.” Molly pinched the bridge of her nose then blew out a frustrated breath. “But the ass is playing the me-man, me-know-what-best-for-you card. You need to know. So here we are. There is a symbol that appears on each of us to show which House we belong to. We’re born with it. It’s . . . Well, let me show you.”
She pulled up the bottom of her shirt and showed me a tattoo above her belly button. It looked like dark blue waves that peaked into three sharp points. “I’m originally from the House of Water. You won’t see this symbol around here. But that’s a history lesson we don’t have time for.”
She tapped the tattoo on her stomach. “The placement of the symbol on our bodies has meaning. Think of a circle drawn around your torso. The lowest point close to the navel, like mine, would mean the weakest. The highest point, around your collarbone, means the greatest strength. Usually, that would signify a guide or House leader. Although House leaders’ symbols are often larger than the average. That’s how they’re identified to start training early for leadership. And then there are those rare ones . . .” She walked over and took me by my shoulders.
“Ok, you are seriously freaking me out right now,” I said, getting more nervous by the second. “I know I promised not to, but can we stop with the cryptic speak before my head explodes?”
“I’m trying to show you,” Molly said. Giving my shoulders a squeeze, she looked at me as if to say “be brave,” and backed me over to a floor-length mirror that stood near the foot of the bed.
“Lift your shirt,” she demanded. I looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “Please, Lia. I’m your friend. You’ve trusted me this far. Can you please trust me a little further?”
Swallowing hard, I pulled the spandex shirt over my head and glanced down at my chest and stomach in dread, but let out a sigh of relief when I saw nothing but pale skin. No tattoos for me. I looked back up at Molly, ready to tease her about getting me all worked up, but she wasn’t looking at me. Instead, she was focused on the mirror behind me, an expression of awe on her face.
Reluctantly, I looked over my shoulder. The vague image of something on my back had me twisting around to get a better look. What the hell? Molly tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a hand mirror so I could see my full back. Reflected in the mirror was an odd, star-like shape. There was a ragged hole in the center with bursts of various colors spreading out from that ring to the base of six black arched points.
The tattoo covered my back from between my shoulder blades to the base of my spine. It was faint but still beautiful. This was a work of art that I would
have loved to discuss with the artist. If it had been any other kind of artwork that didn’t involve my skin. “How . . . Bennett, that bastard. He tattooed me, didn’t he? I’m going to grind his balls into sausage!”
“Whoa! Whoa! He didn’t do this—well, he did—but not the way you think. And yuck, way to ruin sausage for me.” Molly wrinkled her nose. “He didn’t tattoo you. I’m pretty sure you were already marked. You had to be. If you were born one of us, you would have had a symbol. Yours was hidden. I don’t know why or how. But when Chaos’s uhm . . . stuff was . . . you know . . .” Molly mimed jacking off complete with squirting sound effects.
I laughed. “He jacked off on me, and his cum took up tattoo art?”
She looked to the ceiling, mumbling something about the gods giving her a vacation soon. “When a man from our Houses makes his ‘deposit’ inside the right woman, it forms a temporary bond. That bond usually shows up as a faint mark over the heart of the person they bond with, if they aren’t Paldimori.” She tapped her finger over her heart. “If they are Paldimori the stronger symbol is overlaid on top of the existing House symbol and replaces it when they complete the bonding. If they complete the bonding vow, the weaker partner is initiated into their bond-mate’s House.”
“You’re saying that my having sex with Bennett caused this tattoo?”
“Not a tattoo. It’s called the Desmòs—or Bond. I think that’s what this is, anyway. The reason Grayson knew right away what had happened was because he was being warned off.” Molly flopped down on the bed and crossed her legs. “See, once the person has been marked with a bond symbol there’s a sort of—well, it’s like a repellent, I guess—that sends signals to the opposite sex to tell them you’re taken. I think what was happening before, with all the men following you around like you had a leash on their dicks, was because you already were a Paldimori and one with strong talents. Strong powers are sought out to breed strong bloodlines. It’s only happened a few times, but fighting over the chance to be taken for a test drive to bond with a powerful partner can get fierce.” Molly looked at my mark thoughtfully. “It’s very similar to Chaos’s mark, but the colors are different. I’m not sure what it means, except that you are very powerful.”
Paldimori Gods Rising Box Set Page 18