William was surprised. He did not think there was one in their kiss.
“We will have to...” he looked at Claire, “I have not been amongst their kind... my kind. What is the contemporary vernacular for asking to borrow...?”
Claire nodded her understanding. “Call in a favor.”
He nodded. “Yes!” he snapped his fingers. “That's it. We will call in a favor to our sister kiss and borrow one of their Singers who locates. That will help us find the Rare One.”
“And what will they ask in return?” William quizzed reasonably.
Gabriel sharpened his gaze on William. “I do not know. But rest assured, it will be something.”
William nodded, knowing that the vampire did not solicit favors. They took what they wanted, needing no one. An autonomous group unlike any other.
Except the Were.
There was always them.
“Yes. It will be that,” William agreed.
Claire nodded. “There is always recompense.”
It was what and how much they would expect in payment.
Not a pound of flesh, no, not that.
But payment by blood would suffice very well.
*
Julia
Julia had spent a lot of time that morning with her mouth hanging open while the boys (as she thought of the brothers), Brendan and Michael, and their spunky sister, Jen, gave her a tour of her newest home.
The barn looked like a red stop sign in a field of green. Fresh and iconic, it stood like a stoic anchor about ninety yards from the Victorian. It seemed so innocuous standing there, but when they went through the small doorway she entered another world. It was as if they remained hidden in plain sight. The floor was white, the walls, the desks... it was weird.
Then Jen spoke, “Weird huh?”
Julia nodded without speaking. Then she couldn't help herself and asked, “What's with the monochromatic thing...?”
“Helps us batten down the mental hatches, girlie!”
Girlie? Julia laughed despite herself. “Really?”
Brendan joined in, “Yeah. Keep everything one color, no distractions, helps with training.” Michael nodded in agreement.
There were partitions that separated the “rooms.” But one room wasn't quiet and the mats weren't white. They were blue and red. Blue in color.
Red with blood.
Julia stopped. There were three guys fighting and they were really going at it. One man had an open cut above his eyebrow like a second mouth and it was dropping blood splatter everywhere. “Wait a sec!” Julia began.
Brendan interrupted, “Training.”
Julia's face turned sharply to his. “Is this what you do? I mean...” Julia hesitated, “to each other?” Just as she asked, the instructor, whose back had been facing her, turned. She was instantly sure he was one of the brothers. The missing one, because Jen had said she had three. He looked a little like Brendan but the hair wasn't red at all. It was black and he was clearly the eldest. He was tall, broad and built like an ox. He'd have fit right in with the wolves.
Julia assimilated these details in seconds.
Because in the next second, those thoughts were driven from her mind when he grinned at her and charged.
Fear surged through Julia's body, beginning at her gut and throwing a tingling shot of what felt like electricity into her extremities. They prickled uncomfortably when her telekinetic power flowed out of the hole that the fear had made, hitting the man as he advanced toward her at a dead run.
Julia felt the wall of her power slam into him while he walked through it like it had been mist. Next thing she knew Brendan had barreled into her, smoothly rolling her out of the way of the locomotive relative.
“Knock it off, Scott!” Brendan yelled at him even as he came for them again. Julia didn't even think, she jerked them up into the air by fifteen feet. She wasn't sure which part was better, Brendan's face or his brother's.
“Well I'll be damned!” Scott said with a laugh. “Maybe she's not a useless figurehead after all!”
“Hey! Mannerless! Way to go on the introductions!” Jen said, smacking his beefy arm.
“What? It's my job to assess new talent,” he said innocently.
“She's our Queen, asshat,” Michael said in a droll way.
Scott paused, Julia and Brendan suspended. And it was taking its toll, Julia was shaking in Brendan's arms.
In Brendan's arms!
Julia was suddenly and acutely aware of being held by a guy she'd just met that was über-attractive. Julia lost the tenuous grip on her ability and her focus shattered. They fell and she yelped, bracing for impact.
Before they hit the hard concrete floor painted an obscenely bright white, their progress was halted in a sickeningly explosive lurch. Julia looked around her, as she was gently lowered the remaining half foot to the ground.
It was Jen.
But she had eyes only for Scott. “You stupe! Really? Look what almost happened? How would I have explained this to Marcus? That our queen's guts were strewn around the ground because you were 'assessing'!” She hit him again and folded her arms across her chest, stewing.
Jen huffed then noticed that Julia was there.
Listening.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, then continued, “I mean... about the guts and brains part.”
“It's okay,” Julia said, scooting away from Brendan and standing. She gave a wary look at Scott and he looked back with steady eyes, so brown they looked black.
“Ya know,” Julia said, “if there's any truth to this royalty thing, I'm demoting your ass first.”
Scott threw back his head and howled laughter. Finally, when he could speak he said, “I think I like her.”
“Not that it matters!” Jen said, still pissed.
Brendan and Michael looked at their brother. Michael asked, “Don't ya have someone's ass to kick or something? Stop stomping all over Julia and get over there and train!”
Scott walked over to Michael, getting up in his grill. “Whatcha gonna do about it if I don't?”
Suddenly, there was a ten foot stack of cow shit and Scott was in the middle of it, only his head peeking out of the top. “Michael!” he roared.
The siblings started to walk away, but Julia couldn't get past Scott howling and buried in a pile of manure that smelled so bad that Julia had to breathe through her mouth, her hand covering her nose. “Hey!” Julia called after them and all three turned. “Aren't you going to... you're going to leave him like that?” She didn't know whether to laugh or help him out of his predicament.
They nodded, grinning. “Yeah, he'll be free in about twenty seconds.” Michael said.
“Too bad it couldn't last longer,” Jen muttered to herself but Julia caught it perfectly.
“Let him sing in his own shit for a minute,” Brendan said.
Julia followed as Scott bellowed, “Payback's a bitch!”
When they had walked to the end of the building, Julia turned. And there Scott stood, the manure gone. Not a speck of it remained. But the eyes that bored into her back had not been friendly.
They weren't friendly now.
Julia suppressed a shiver under their weight.
Turning her back, she followed the friendlier part of the family, leaving the discomfort of the encounter behind her.
For now.
*
introspection
Julia watched the swan paddle on a small lake, then shifted her eyes to the Olympic Mountains. They reminded her of home, a little. There were a few rocks that acted like small boulders that rimmed the shore, as it were. It was heavily pebbled with smaller rocks, not sand, per se. It was wonderful all the same. What was especially delicious was the time by herself. It had been overwhelming to see and learn all that she had. And... Julia got the distinct impression they had kept the walking tour short for her benefit.
There were so many classifications of abilities she had stopped trying to memorize them after the first ten. There w
ere main abilities and all their sub-abilities. It was too much. Her head had buzzed with the sheer wealth of knowledge. One thing she did understand was Scott, the brother that didn't like her, was a Deflector and a highly skilled martial artist as well. He could cancel out another Singer's ability. But like his brother, Michael, it was powerfully effective, but only for a short time. Say... maybe a half minute. Then there was Jen. She was telekinetic like Julia, but different. Or maybe not different, just so much better. Then there was the post-puberty strength that came online.
Only for the males. But God was just and the female Singer's abilities were usually stronger, or at the very least, longer-lasting. So, kinda a wash.
Julia skipped one of the flat stones and the swan startled, flying a few feet and craning its elegant neck to give her a disdainful look. Could swans be angry? She thought this one was. She sighed and sat down on the boulder again. Picking up a stick she twirled the water, her chin in her palm.
Then there was Michael. She felt her whole face break into a grin. That scene with the shit had been priceless. Beyond funny... even if Scott hadn't been laughing.
Payback's a bitch.
Julia threw the stick in the water, standing. She began to pace the shore thinking about Brendan. He'd been the one to carry her from the Were. How had he found her? He said simply, he was a “Tracker.” It didn't fully explain things. He also said he had a crossover ability. Pyrokinetic. Julia was reminded of that Stephen King novel, Firestarter. She'd mentioned it to Brendan who'd laughed, “Nah, that's some trashy fiction story.”
Right.
Hadn't seemed so implausible when the feet of ten werewolves were on fire. Seemed pretty legit to her.
Her mind landed on William. He'd been trying to free her too. But the more Julia thought about it, the less “free” it felt. She cared for him... maybe more. But the reality was she'd be the bird in the gilded cage again. She would have... she almost was a bird in a cage of the Were as well. It wouldn't have been gilded though. Julia thought of Tony and shuddered. To think there was even a slim chance that she'd have been forced into a union with Tony. She understood instinctively that he'd been bad, evil maybe. And it hadn't just been Adriana's misgivings. Julia had plenty of her own, rather a confirmation. She sighed. She felt like she was shuffling a deck of cards, afraid to cut the deck.
Julia heard a noise and turned, her hand at her heart, startled. Julia smiled when she saw who it was.
Brendan.
He walked toward her, his bronze hair a low burning flame with the sun lighting it from behind, his eyes like onyx with the sun at his back. The mountains framed his silhouette as he approached and Julia felt heat rise to her face, seeing the evidence of his combative training on every square inch of his body.
He waved at her as he drew closer and she lifted her hand in return.
Julia already felt more at home with him than she had a right to.
CHAPTER 28
The feral saw the two beside the lake and could hardly contain his territorial urges over the female.
She was his and another was beside her. Putting his hands on her.
He would die.
The feral would enjoy tearing at the soft flesh of his neck, the hot spray from the blood coating his muzzle in a satisfying spray of fragrance.
With an effort that was almost painful, he retreated into the depths of the forest, his snout scenting their whereabouts. He would be cautious. The male that was with her had an advantage that the feral recognized and wished to cripple if he could.
He was not nose-blind. He was something other than human. The feral did not know how he knew this but when he had been near the male and the small female, their kinship was apparent, easy to scent. But his chest had tightened uncomfortably with a sensation he could not identify.
When he had the male in his grip, he would ascertain what that enigmatic detail was.
*
Brendan
Brendan had watched Julia from a safe distance. She wore her discontent readily, he thought. Brendan sighed, he couldn't contain the Fam and knew not to even try. It was obvious Julia felt off-kilter, unsettled. Who wouldn't be? First the vamps took her, then the Were. He didn't know much about her past. They'd find out more later. There may be extenuating circumstances. After all, she was their Queen. Marcus had raised them on the legend, as his father had before him. He'd demand to know more.
He gazed at her a moment. She didn't look very queenly. She was slim, average height for a female. Her coloring was different, he slowed his pace, studying her. Julia had a unique, soft golden red hair color. But it was her eyes that took his breath away, they matched her hair, depending on the light. They were amber in indirect light but in the sun, they rivaled the orb's brightness.
He walked toward her and she jumped as if he startled her. He gave a short flick of his fingers, sort of an unconscious waving the white flag. She waved back and he smiled, walking the rest of the way toward her. He was puzzled by the expression on her face.
She looked for a moment there like she was assessing him. Taking his measure as a man.
Brendan's smile widened into a grin. Now that... he kinda liked.
When he reached her and she didn't seem resistant, he took Julia into his arms, giving her a brief hug then releasing her. She smelled like a ripe piece of fruit and he instantly wondered if it was the shampoo or her. Brendan stepped back, reluctantly letting her go, his fingers trailing lightly down her arms, causing goose flesh to rise where their contact had been.
Then it hit him. A smell so unique he couldn't name it. But it was familiar. Brendan swung his head in the direction of the woods that bordered the opposite side of the lake.
Julia leaned into the hug that Brendan had given her and sighed. She allowed herself that moment's peace then stepped away. Her chest tightened horribly. Her loneliness constricted her heart. She was desperately alone. At least it felt that way.
As a matter of fact, in only a few more days it will have been two years since Jason died. Tears threatened at the thought of it but were chased away by the sudden expression of wariness that washed over Brendan's features.
Julia looked around, frightened. They said she was safe! She whirled on Brendan just as he grabbed her.
“Let's get outta here!” he said, dragging her after him.
“What is it?” she asked on a half-jog. But he didn't answer until they had traveled the short distance to the house. When they bounded up the wide, wooden steps and were nearly at the front door he turned, taking her shoulders. “There's something in the woods!” His eyes searched hers, the grip cupping her shoulders almost painful.
“What?” she cried. Was it vampire? Were? What the hell... trolls? Could there be more mythological creatures springing to life to kidnap her away from the one group that she actually belonged to?
Jen stepped out the front door, letting the screen crack back against the wood frame. The noise of it reverberated everywhere. She took in Brendan's expression. Her eyebrows came together. “What's wrong?” Jen looked from Julia to Brendan.
Julia looked at Jen, “How did you know there was something wrong?”
Jen flicked her eyes at Julia, “It's a sib thing.”
Julia waited. Finally Brendan said, “It's that Were from the compound.”
Jen rolled her eyes. “Thanks for clearin' that up, bro! What, there's like... a hundred or something?”
They looked at each other and Julia watched their expressions. Jen spoke first, “You mean that giant red one?”
He nodded, “Yeah, that's him.”
Julia remembered almost going to him, the connection was so strong. What could it mean?
Jen looked at her and huffed. “This is some of the awful crap that can happen...” she sighed and looked at Brendan. His eyes turned away from hers, trained on the woods beyond the lake.
At that moment Scott and Michael came walking from the big barn that acted as Training Facility for Singers. There wasn't a laugh or
smile on their faces to be found. Not that she'd expected one from Scott. But Michael had been downright jovial in the two days since she'd been with them.
Julia looked at all of them. “Okay, I give up. What's lurking around in the woods that has everyone's collective underwear in a wad? You guys are scaring me!”
Finally, Brendan said, “We think...” Jen glared at him and he shook his head, resigned. “I think,” he emphasized, “that we have a Singer who's been turned.”
Julia stepped forward. “I don't get it... turned how?”
Michael shook his head to the negative. “Not how... what.”
Julia sat there and let the idea take shape, blooming in her head like an ugly flower. Her eyes snapped to Brendan's. “Wait a second!” Her eyes pierced theirs. “You're telling me that we've got someone out there that was one of us... and now some Were or vamp has... changed them?”
Scott nodded. “Yeah, that's about it,” folding his muscular arms across a barrel chest.
Jen turned to Brendan. “You're sure, Bren?”
“Werewolf,” he said tersely. Julia watched her shoulders droop. “They're the worst.”
“What's with all this? It can't be saved?” Julia asked to the group.
Brendan shook his head. “He.”
It was a man. A Singer like herself, turned. Her gaze swung back to Brendan's. “Did... he want to be a werewolf?”
Scott answered, “Doubtful. The attacking Were would've known he was a Singer. Don't know why they'd do a Singer. After all, they need Singers to produce...” he lifted his fingers in sarcastic air quotes, “a Rare One.” His eyes met hers, filled with loathing and derision. Somebody wasn't happy with her status. Like she could goddamned help it!
What the hell had she done to piss in his Wheaties? The putz. Julia felt her eyes narrow as heat suffused her face. In anger. He glared right back at her.
The Blood Bundle, Books 1-2: Blood Singers and Blood Song (New Adult Paranormal Vampire/Shifter Romance) Page 22