by Harper Wylde
I deposited my empty bowl in the sink, grabbed a coffee mug, and filled it, before quickly setting the carafe back under the dripping machine to catch the rest of the precious dark liquid for the guys.
Loading it with lots of milk and sugar, I settled back at my spot behind the kitchen island, and waited for whoever was awake to join me.
As the sun peeked over the horizon, I smiled at the happy weightless feeling in my chest. While it may have seemed reckless to cling to an emotion that could change so quickly, I had a sneaking suspicion that just like a frost covered flower could survive a hard freeze, this was the kind of happiness that wouldn’t be easily destroyed. No matter what life threw at it.
Twelve
Damien
We were all on edge after meeting with Zanoah, but we hadn't wanted to wake Nix when we got home. She and Ryder appeared to have worn each other out, and they were asleep curled up on his bed. Hiro, Killian, Theo, and I had stayed up late into the morning, discussing Zanoah’s disclosures and whether she could be trusted enough to be close to Nix for anything as complicated as un-wiping her mind.
Eventually, Hiro had headed upstairs while Theo and I chose to stay up—too lost in our thoughts to even try to sleep. We had only been home for a few stress-filled hours when Ciarán's message had come through, letting us know that a meeting would be occurring this morning as well.
I wasn't sure I was able to handle a meeting with the insane Celt after another sleepless night, but we needed more information about the rebellion and we needed it quickly. I would be lying if I also didn't want his take on what Zanoah had disclosed. Apparently the rebellion had been well aware of the island, so they may be able to confirm what Zanoah had told us.
I tugged on clean clothing. Sadly, the icy shower I had taken had done little to wake me up. I would be relying heavily on caffeine this morning to try and get anything accomplished. I wasn't looking forward to letting Ryder and Nix in on what had occurred. Ryder would immediately want to go after Zanoah to try and gain answers about the island and his sister. Nix may or may not want her memories back, though knowing my strong girl the way I did, I was sure she'd choose to have them restored just so she could confirm exactly what had happened, rather than having to continually face the nightmares her mind was making up.
“Good morning,” Nix chirped happily, curled up at the kitchen island with a cup of coffee. “I heard the shower.” A blush coated her cheeks as she took a sip from her mug. “I figured you might all want coffee. I was grateful you gave us time alone together, but I didn’t mean you had to stay out until the wee hours of the morning.”
I chuckled. “It wasn't the wee hours of the morning when we first got in. I believe you were just worn out.” I arched a brow at her with a smirk on my face as I assembled my own cup of coffee, hoping she had made it strong. The color in her cheeks darkened and the mug wasn't big enough to hide the brilliant smile she wore. “Did you have fun at least?”
I really didn't need to ask the question, the expression on her face was enough of an answer, but teasing her was far more amusing than thinking about the reality of today. “Yes, I did. And again this morning.” She smirked and then changed the subject. “Do you have anything planned for today? I thought maybe we could do another group training session or something. I like when we all spend time together and I miss all of you.”
“I'd love another training lesson, but there isn't time for that today.”
“Why?” she asked curiously, setting her mug aside.
“We have to meet Ciarán this morning.” Killian's gruff voice interrupted us as he made a beeline for the coffee machine. His eyes were rimmed with red, and I doubted he had gotten any sleep at all, not that I blamed him. My focus was mostly on Nix, but I was worried about him as well. It's not that I advocated starving the poor girl, but I had to wonder what the side effects of dream removal had been on Killian for all of these years. It wasn't as though he could avoid sleeping for very long, but now he would never know if someone was inside of his mind, stealing visions they weren’t meant to see. It was a horrible invasion of privacy. At least when I interfered, their thoughts remained their own.
The fact that the Council was behind his missing dreams and half visions only enraged me, and fueled the fire of my growing hatred over the way they toyed with shifters’ lives. For that reason alone, I was looking forward to seeing what Ciar had to say.
“Really?” Her eyes widened as she glanced between us, assessing our sleepless state. “What's going on? What happened?”
I sighed, draining the rest of my cup. “Let's get the others together and I'll tell you then. There's too much to tell to do it quickly, and we need to leave.”
It took us only about an hour to get everyone up, ready, and into the Hummer, heading back to the coffee shop to meet Ciarán. He had warned us that it was only an initial meeting place, and we would be moving forward in meeting others like him, although he wouldn't say more over the phone or even mind to mind. The streets were clear, but more snow swirled through the air. Nix stared out the window at it, her jaw set in a stiff line now that she had been filled in on our conversation with Zanoah. She hadn't said much, but the fury and confusion radiating from her were clear enough that I probably would have understood them even without a mental connection.
Ciarán hadn't bothered to wait inside for us. His dark red hair was noticeable as he stuck his tongue out, chasing snowflakes in the parking lot, much to Killian's groaning dismay. He bounced over to the Hummer, his steps light and quick, with a wide smile plastered across his face as the snow melted on his eyelashes. “Brother dearest! And all of your lovely fluffle members.” He eyed us consideringly, noting the lack of sleep and firmed jaws of our group. “I assume things have either taken a very positive turn in regard to your sleepless looks, or a very negative one.” He took a look at Nix and grimaced. “I'm unfortunately prone to guessing it's the latter.”
“Let's just go where you want, and we'll talk after that,” Killian grunted.
Following Ciarán’s directions, Theo steered us onto the highway heading out of Anchorage. Mundane conversation filled the car for the first twenty-five minutes of our drive, while Nix stared out the window at the passing scenery. Eventually, the mood in the car was thick enough that Ciarán had had enough, and prodded us into divulging all that we’d learned the day before.
Ciarán tried to maintain his joyful attitude, but after hearing what Zanoah had shared, a glint of steel was clear in his eyes. His mental static stayed strong, however, never faltering despite the mental strain we were putting on him. “I knew there was a reason that your dreams were disappearing and that the Council was behind it. I had forgotten the lore about bakus dying if they did not consume dreams, however. There hasn’t been one outside of the Council's pocket in so long that the results were mixed in what’s actually true and what’s lore polluted by humans.”
“You thought someone was stealing my dreams and you didn't do anything about it?” Killian snapped.
“I tried to warn you when I was here,” Ciarán sniped back, his brother's irritation finally provoking him slightly. “It wasn't as though I could make the Council stop, even if I had outright revealed the problem. You aren't even able to make it stop now, it’s her own choice.”
“So, what do I do then?” Killian roared. “Let her die in order to keep my dreams? Try and turn her to our side so that she can eat them, and I can still find out about them? How long would that last? You know the Council would immediately be after her.”
“And what about Nix?” Theo jumped in, glancing in the rearview mirror before settling his gaze back on the road.
“I believe that's my call,” Nix interrupted, her voice calm and cool, cutting through the yelling males. “I need to know what happened.”
“No!” Killian and, surprisingly, Ciarán spoke at once, both staring at each other as they shared the same protective sentiment.
Nix pivoted in her seat, glaring at the pair
of them. “No?” The word was skeptical and full of fury, as she stared the two of them down. They both dropped their heads, shifting in unison, and I realized it was the first time I had ever seen the two of them acting like brothers. Side by side the physical similarities were impossible to miss, even their personalities echoed each other, though Ciarán was far better at hiding the darkness that roiled inside of him. If he ever dropped that boyish facade he used, he would be an entity beyond compare. “I believe this is my mind we're talking about here. If she's convinced she can bring it back, she may even already know what happened to me there. It can't be anything good with what she was hinting at. I will let her renew those memories, and there isn't a damn thing you can say that will make me change my mind.” Her finger stabbed at their chests, and heat crackled around her as she neared the edge of her control.
A smile twitched at my lips, and I was sure the same expression was echoed on Hiro's face beside me as well. Theo merely cocked his head, studying the rearview mirror to see the explosion that Nix was creating. It was nice to finally see this demanding, assertive side of her as she stepped outside of her own comfort zone to put them in their place.
“It is a safety issue, Nix,” I said, drawing her attention to me to give Killian a moment to breathe. I held up my hands in a soothing gesture as she opened her mouth. “I'm not saying we won't do it. I'm saying there needs to be a way to control it.” I turned my attention to Ciarán. “Is there a member of your team who may be able to do what she suggested? With less risk than trusting someone so intimately involved in the Council?”
Ciarán scowled. “No. At least no one I have access to. If she wants her memories reconstructed, this is probably going to be her only option, at least for an extended period of time.”
“Until we prove ourselves,” I guessed, my eyes narrowing as I stared at Ciarán. He only grinned dopily, not agreeing or disagreeing with my statement. I pressed a hand to my temple as the chorus to “Barbie Girl” began to play on repeat through my brain at a louder and louder volume. Preventing me from questioning him further, Ciarán directed Theo to hop off the highway, and navigated him down a few rustic roads while I tried to think past the mental noise he created. “I can maintain a constant connection to her, if she’s willing,” I suggested, trying to think over the music. “If she begins to think about doing anything other than what she said she would, or shuts me out, then we can remove her before she’s able to do anything to affect Nix. Her ability to control minds isn’t instantaneous and it requires contact.” I held up a hand to forestall the objections I knew were about to fall on me. “Let’s focus on whatever Ciarán has in mind, and then we’ll discuss this in greater lengths when we’re home.” Mutters of agreement filled the car while the strains of music quieted and disappeared, and I resisted the urge to sigh in relief.
An entrance to a gravel driveway appeared up ahead, and Ciarán had Theo turn and pull up the long drive to a large cabin buried in the woods.
At least it’s secluded. Theo pressed his thoughts toward me and I projected them to the group.
Less chance of getting caught. Hiro echoed what we were all thinking. If the Council found out about our involvement with the rebellion… I couldn't even fathom the repercussions
Let’s just hope all this trouble is worth it and my brother isn’t getting us in over our heads. Killian grumbled as he pushed the door open, letting chilly air invade the warmth of the car.
Gravel crunched underfoot as we all climbed from the Hummer, stretched our legs, and clambered up the steps behind Ciar as we followed him inside the rustic home. There, on the front door, was the barely visible shimmering symbol that marked the place as safe space to converse within.
Ciarán led us down a long hallway, with the ridiculous fool’s smile still painted across his lips as he glanced back at us, ensuring we followed. “Since you’re excluding me from your little family chat, we may as well get on with things. Now, there's no need to stand on ceremony here, the way you would if you were at the Lodge.” Ciarán tossed the words lightly, without seeing the grimaces on my brothers’ faces—or at least ignoring them if he saw them. “That's not to say that you're to be rude, of course. Not that I would expect that from such dear friends.”
“What about shifting?” I asked, receiving an approving nod from Theo. I knew he preferred to take a back seat in these situations. He was often the most observant of the group, and he liked to watch and listen to everything going on rather than being the one asking questions and talking—at least until his curiosity got the best of him. As long as I stayed on track with what he wanted to ask or kept our mental link open, I knew he wouldn't mind.
“Well, there should be no need to shift in front of each other. We're all friends here.”
Killian scoffed, narrowing his eyes at his brother's back. “That's one way to put it. Another way would be that we're as relegated here as we are at the Lodge.”
Ciarán stopped and turned to face his brother. “I really hope you don't mean that, Kill,” he said quietly, searching his brother's eyes. “I wouldn't put you or your mates in any kind of jeopardy if I could avoid it. The only reason we're meeting here, rather than at a place of your choosing, is because it's safer.” He stared him down, waiting to see if he'd apologize, and the silent moment stretched between them until Nix stepped forward, laying a soft hand on each of their arms.
“We're all a bit on edge. It's not that we think you want to hurt us, Ciarán, I'm sure that's not what Kill meant at all.” She sent him a soft look, but she didn't wait for him to agree. “Now, you said we were going to meet people?”
“Yes. A few of the members who head their factions,” Ciarán explained, patting her head gently before turning away again.
“Factions?” The word reverberated in the hall as we all spoke it at once, shock, confusion, and plain curiosity coating it.
“There are different groups?” Nix inquired curiously. “How do you get along?”
“We all have the same current goal.” Those words came from a soft female voice, spoken from a doorway I hadn't noticed hidden in the recesses of the wall. A woman stepped forward. Her blonde hair was soft around her face, her skin fair, as she sent a soft smile to Nix. “While we may not agree on what will be coming in the future, what kind of life is best for all shifters once the Council is removed, that one fact is enough to keep us going.”
Ciarán smiled, reaching forward to grasp her arm, squeezing just below the elbow in a form of handshake. I noted the gesture, filing it away for later. I wasn't sure if it was just a personality trait of his, or something that could potentially be used later on. “I want you all to meet Valleria.” He turned, his arm wrapping around the young woman's shoulder. “She's another person you may end up having contact with.”
“Hi,” Nix murmured softly, though the rest of us merely nodded our acknowledgment of the greeting. My Gargoyle was pacing inside of me and I fought against the shift rippling below my skin.
“It's nice to finally meet all of you.” Though she smiled, it was easy to see how tense she was holding her body, her arms wrapping around her waist and her hands gripping her hips. I hoped it was merely unease at finally meeting so many powerful shifters at once, and nothing more sinister.
“Valleria is a Valkyrie,” Ciarán explained quietly. “We've worked together for many years.” He ignored his brother's hiss at that statement, keeping his focus solely on us.
“A Valkyrie?” Theo cocked his head, examining her. “That's a version of a harpy, is it not?”
She nodded. “Yes. The myth has similar origins. Our transformation is a bit easier than our sister species’ can be, and we don't lose any of our mortal looks. It's made our transition into groups a little bit easier.”
“I've heard of valkyries.” Nix studied the woman. “I keep being surprised by all of the different people I meet.”
Valleria grinned at her. “You will continue to be surprised too. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I'
d meet a phoenix, and I've grown up in this world. It doesn't get any easier, believe me. There are many creatures thought to be a myth that have a seed of truth to them. The only question is whether they exist anymore—not whether they existed at all.”
“So, what faction are you?” Ryder asked with a scowl. “One of the ones who wanted to leave the island alone and not rescue the people who are suffering on it?”
“Ryder,” I barked his name, though he refused to look at me. Watch your mouth. We don't know exactly what we're up against yet. Play carefully—and kindly. Don't cut off potential allies before we've made them.
Her mouth firmed and she shook her head. “I was one of those who voted for destroying the island as soon as we learned what was going on with it. Unfortunately, I was outvoted.”
“There's enough of you to vote?” Hiro inquired softly.
She nodded. “You won't meet everyone today—I doubt there will ever be a time you truly know everyone. Our ranks have grown exponentially over the years. It's one of the reasons we have as many different factions and group leaders as we do. It's far easier to keep a handle on everyone's actions that way.”
“What are the factions?” Nix asked, her eyes darting to mine. I knew she worried about overstepping, but I was sure her curiosity was raging.
“It depends on who you ask,” another voice answered. A male stepped up behind Ciarán and Valleria, and my sense of smell was able to acknowledge that he was animal, not mythological. “Ma'am, the others are waiting for you.” His attention was clearly on Valleria, though he didn't move his eyes from us. His body was taut and his lip was pulled back over his teeth in a warning snarl. A bodyguard of some type, or at least that would be my guess.
“Of course.” She turned her attention back to us with a smile. “I’m only one part of the welcoming committee. The others are waiting. If you'll follow me?”