by Trina M. Lee
His words felt like they were meant for me too. I was pressuring myself to be a leader when I barely knew how to be a part of the team. It was a learning curve that only time would solve. The problem was I didn’t know how much time we had.
“Why do they want him so bad, Cinder?” I asked before I could stop myself. “Koda told me Dash wants to use Rowen to replace Rhine in their triad of power. He said they can’t use Arrow. But he wouldn’t tell me why. Do you know?”
Arrow sat up again, looking alert despite the late hour. “I’d sure like to know. Dash doesn’t tell me shit.”
Cinder’s gaze dropped but not before I saw the flicker of recognition in his eyes. He knew something, but for some reason he was trying to find a way to avoid telling us without lying. Whatever he said next, it would be true, as angels never lie, but it would also be incomplete.
“I’m aware Dash seeks to replace Rhine with his second son,” Cinder began, picking his words carefully. “While I don’t know all of his intentions, I suspect Rhine’s incarceration left Dash and Koda in a tough position. Anything they did as a trio cannot be replicated without him. More than likely Dash believes that Rowen will yield the greater chance of success. He was never meant to exist, and when someone who’s not supposed to be here is here, there’s a good reason for it. The dark wants to exploit that.”
“So you don’t know anything?” Skepticism dripped from Arrow’s voice. He stalked into the kitchen to deposit his empty bottle on the counter before fetching a fresh one from the fridge. “I find that hard to believe.”
Cinder’s watchful gaze followed Arrow as he popped the cap off the bottle and raised it to his lips. “There are any number of reasons for Dash to want his triad back together. While I have my suspicions, I’m not at liberty to share them with any of you. Yet.”
Arrow scoffed, throwing Cinder some undeserved attitude. “Sounds about right. Nobody tells us shit, but we’re the ones getting fucked over.”
“Hey, Arrow, back off,” Rowen interjected. “You chose the dark. You chose to serve Dash. You fucked yourself over. Don’t give Cinder shit for that.”
“It’s alright, Rowen.” Cinder held up a hand as he tried to keep the brothers calm. Turning to Arrow, he said, “If you want answers so bad, let me dig around in your memory. If we can find out why Dash had you kill Vicky, we might be better able to determine exactly why he wants Rowen.”
A glower crept across Arrow’s face. Like a sullen child he scowled at each of us in turn. “Fine. Then you’ll see that I didn’t do it willingly, and I’ll be off the hook for that shit.”
“I must warn you, it will be painful.” Cinder rose and gestured to the couch. “You should lie down.”
For a moment I thought Arrow would refuse. His stubborn expression was almost comical. Then he plunked the beer down on the table hard enough to cause it to foam up and spill over.
“Let’s get this over with.” In dramatic fashion, Arrow threw himself on the couch, a hand up over his head.
Despite the yawn that threatened and the heavy pull of my eyelids, I wanted to see what happened next. I leaned forward in my chair, curious and apprehensive. Rowen moved to the easy chair adjacent to the couch where he sat stiff and silent. Cinder stood next to the couch, looking down at Arrow who sneered up at him with an unspoken challenge on his face.
“Are you ready?” Cinder asked.
Arrow gestured impatiently. I wanted to slap him. Cinder remained unaffected by such things. He stretched out a hand and laid it on Arrow’s forehead.
For a moment nothing happened. Then Arrow’s body convulsed and he cried out. The sound choked off partway, as if the pain had grown so great he couldn’t even scream.
Cinder’s eyes closed as he concentrated. Arrow continued to twitch and moan. My pulse raced as I watched Cinder dig through Arrow’s memories, searching for the night Vicky died. Soon we would know what actually happened that night. My own memories of it weren’t going to fade any time soon. Finding a blood-covered Arrow at my door had been horrifying.
Sweat broke out on his brow. He writhed about on the couch as if struggling against some unseen force. His breath came fast and ragged. Though I was certain Cinder would never do anything to genuinely harm Arrow, Rowen didn’t look so sure. As he watched he worked a hand through his hair and chewed his lip, as if fighting to keep from interrupting.
Arrow shot up with a hoarse shout, gasping for breath. Sweat ran down his brow. He swiped it away with his sleeve. Eyes wide, chest heaving, he stared at the floor for several minutes while we waited with torturous anticipation.
“I remember what happened,” Arrow said, dragging his gaze to Cinder. “Did you see it?”
Cinder nodded, standing back to give Arrow breathing space. “I did.”
“I killed Vicky.” Arrow’s announcement lacked the element of surprise, and I felt awful for believing the worst in him even though I’d been right. “But I didn’t want to. Dash forced me to do it. He said it was her or Spike, said he’d make me do it.”
A chill racked me. From deep inside my bones, the cold draped me in a cloak of terror that choked off my voice.
“Why either of them at all?” Rowen asked looking bewildered.
“Dash needed the heart of a young female for a ritual. He got all worked up talking about it. Said time is running short.” Grabbing two fistfuls of his disheveled black hair, Arrow sank back into the cushions. “That’s all I know.”
Simultaneously Rowen and I looked to Cinder for some kind of clarification. The longer I stared at him, the more aware I became of the wings tucked against his back. When I looked closely at Rowen, I could see his too. Tapping into my angelic sight was getting easier.
“There’s a rare celestial event coming up. An alignment of specific planets and stars,” Cinder said. “Such events are powerful, and many rituals will be conducted. Though I pray that I’m wrong, I believe Dash may be planning to unleash Rowen’s full power, all at once.”
Having one of the answers we needed didn’t help the situation. My worry for Rowen skyrocketed when I saw the determined set to his jaw. This was all about him, as it had been from the beginning, before the night we met.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” I asked, fearing the response. Nephilim came into their abilities gradually, a natural revelation of power. But we were limited by our mortality. What would such a thing do to Rowen?
I flashed back to the night Arrow and I had found Rowen at Dash’s house. He’d been in a ritual circle, bound to a crucifix in a mocking display of cruelty. Something had happened to him there, something that resulted in Rowen being gifted with wings. He’d been pretty out of it when we found him, unable to remember anything but the torment. Had Dash already tried to unleash his powers? Dear God.
“Yes.” True to his nature, Cinder was honest no matter how hard it was to hear. “Forcing such a thing can be detrimental to both his physical and mental health. Should he survive it, there’s no telling what the repercussions may be.”
I made a little noise that I tried to stifle, something between a sigh and a whimper. Dash was willing to destroy Rowen to get what he wanted from him, and he was ready to take Arrow and me out in order to do it. Tears pricked the back of my eyes. I didn’t see how we could possibly beat the demon.
“Well, that explains why Dash is so desperate that he’s willing to go to these lengths to force me to go to him.” Rowen’s amber gaze landed on me, softening before turning to Arrow. “And it confirms that I need to go to him before he kills you guys.”
I shook my head vigorously but didn’t speak. I wasn’t sure I could without crying.
Arrow had no such problems. “Dude, don’t sacrifice yourself for us. That would be like giving up, and after the shit I’ve been put through, no way in hell I’m letting you do that.” He reached for the beer on the table.
Cinder swiped it. The angel headed for the kitchen where he poured the beer out and fetched a glass of water, which he brought back to the ir
ritated nephilim instead. “Drink this. And then drink some more.”
“Arrow, I don’t expect you to understand,” Rowen began.
“Why? Because I’m just a dark, evil asshole?”
“Something like that.”
“Fuck you, bro.”
“Guys,” I interrupted with a raised hand. “Please, no more tonight. I need a break. Can we just get some sleep? You can fight about it over breakfast.”
Much to my utter surprise, they both fell quiet.
I couldn’t take it all in. My mind refused to continue to entertain all I’d just heard. My body ached, and all I wanted right then was to curl up in bed with Rowen and pretend we weren’t counting down to some planetary event that might tear us apart.
“Ember,” Cinder spoke softly, pulling me out of my thoughts. “The throwing star? Do you have it?”
With a nod I got up to dig the star out of my wallet. Cinder followed me to my purse in the kitchen and pulled me into a hug that I didn’t want but needed. My vision grew blurry with unshed tears. Producing the star I carefully handed it to him. “Why did you send me on this mission? I’m not sure I’m cut out for this job after all. Nova didn’t make it easy, that’s for sure.”
Cinder’s warm laughter chased away the cold that had settled inside me. “You did wonderfully. And you brought the star back. I’d say you did a fine job.”
“I felt like a lamb in a lion’s den.”
“You were never alone, sweet girl.” With a gentle hand he tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“You were there?” I asked.
“No, but Koda was. I knew he would never let those vultures bring you serious harm. That’s one of the paradoxes of demons. At times their own selfish desires lead them to help us.” He shot me a secretive smile, as if sharing something exclusive just to the two of us. “Although I knew you could handle it. I never would have sent you if I didn’t know you’d rise to the challenge. Believe in yourself, Ember. You’re quite an amazing person.”
With a kiss on my forehead and a smile meant to encourage, Cinder left me in the kitchen, standing between debilitating fear and reassurance. Fear versus faith, I couldn’t serve both.
Glancing at the brothers who sat in tense silence as the wee hours of the morning ticked away, I knew I had to choose faith. If only fear didn’t fight so hard to win that battle…
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“That’s when he smacked my ass, and I knew he wasn’t the one,” Rubi laughed. “I need to be the one doing the spanking.”
Laughter filled the dressing room as Rubi told us girls about the university guy she’d been seeing. We were gathered in the dressing room upstairs at The Spirit Room, getting ready to perform. The coffee table was littered with glasses, bottles, and shooters. After spending the last few days holed up in my apartment hiding from the world, working on web design, and pretending I had a normal life, it was nice to be back here with my band.
“My, my, Rubi. I didn’t know you were such a freak in the sack. I’m sure there are plenty of guys downstairs who would love to get a spanking from you.” With a snicker, Jett tossed back a shot glass filled with tequila and sucked a wedge of lime into her mouth.
“I’m not really into that whole spanking, tying each other up stuff,” Tash said, dragging a comb through her long, vibrant red hair. “I don’t see the appeal.”
Jett scoffed. “Just a little ass play, right, Tash? Sounds like you just need a good hair pulling and a few slaps on the ass. Doesn’t Mr. Country get rough with you every now and then? That shit is hot. You’re missing out.”
“Come on, Spike, back me up. You and Rowen don’t go in for the kinky stuff, do you?” Tash asked, causing each girl to look my way.
I almost spat the mouthful of screwdriver I’d sipped. “I don’t think we’ve reached that point in our relationship.”
“Prude,” Jett said, tucking a joint between her burgundy lips.
“What can I say?” I shrugged. “I’m a good girl.”
Tossing her head of purple hair, Jett cackled. “Sure you are. You’re a liar too.”
I shoved out of my chair and went to the mirror to finger comb my hair. It fell about my shoulders in long, loose waves. Black and silver eye shadow paired with my favorite red lipstick completed my look.
The worst of the remaining bruises on my face were hidden by cover up. Six-inch leather boots, tight black jeans and a black top with a sheer back that showed off the wings tattooed on my back comprised my outfit. A spiked bracelet adorned one wrist, a leather cuff on the other.
All I wanted was to get on stage and unleash the pent up emotion that had been building in me for the past few nights. At Cinder’s insistence Rowen had promised to hold off on making any snap decisions or sudden moves. It wasn’t easy for him. When we were apart I found myself calling and texting just to make sure he hadn’t done anything reckless.
“We have a meeting with Joe on Monday.” Jett took a pull off the joint before passing it to me. “Guess we’ll find out whose recording he likes better.”
I stared at the spliff in my hand for a moment before passing it to Rubi. I didn’t want to mellow out. Not tonight. I needed to feel the vitriol and angst that Dash had planted within me, if for no other reason than to help me purge it on stage.
“I don’t even care anymore,” I said. Letting out an angry huff of air, I grabbed my drink and finished it in two swallows. “I’m ready to let Arrow have it. He wants it so damn bad, he must have a reason.”
“Yes,” Jett said slowly, dragging that word out as she tapped a long fingernail on the table. “I wonder what exactly that reason might be.”
I shot her a dark glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She grinned, flashing perfect white teeth. “Oh nothing. Nothing at all.”
The bass from downstairs pounded through the floor as Sacred Stone began their set. Ever since the Battle of the Bands event, their band, along with ours and Molly’s Chamber, had been launched to new levels of popularity in the city. Thanks to the world wide web, we were starting to see an increase in hits on our site and social media as well. Sharing the local spotlight with guys like Paul Webber and his buddies left a sour taste in my mouth, but if it came with the territory, then so be it. All things considered, as a rock musician I felt proud of all of us.
“So, Spike, I hate to bring down the mood here, but I need to ask you about something weird I found on my phone.” Grasping the music note pendant hanging from a chain around her neck, Tash slid it back and forth on the chain in a nervous gesture.
I knew where this was going. “The photo of you sleeping that was sent to my phone? Yeah, I saw it. I’m so sorry, Tash. I never thought you guys would get caught up in all this.”
“I just have to know, should we be afraid for our safety?” Tash motioned to Rubi and then herself. “I know there’s a lot of shit you and Jett can’t always share with us, but if we’re in some kind of danger, we need to know.”
Jett flopped back against the couch cushions, blowing purple bangs out of her eyes. Concern marred Rubi’s face, turning her smile into a frown. I exchanged a look with Jett, who shrugged, leaving it up to me to decide what to tell them.
“You know I love you all like the sisters I never had,” I started, feeling my way through. “That photo was sent by someone who wanted me to know he could access any of you at any time. It was a threat meant to unsettle me, and it worked. I’ve already had a ward put on your homes to keep it from happening again. I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Tash considered this, accepting it with a nod.
First chance I got after the insanity from a few nights ago I’d asked Cinder to ward their houses. A ward wasn’t much, but it was a start. However, keeping Dash away would take something more. I just wished I knew what that was.
The anguish I’d been holding inside bubbled up to flood me with a sea of despair. Dash was willing to hurt those I cared about to ke
ep me from being with Rowen, to get me out of the way. I was torn, caught between protecting my best friends or the love of my life. How could I fight evil when either choice threatened someone I loved?
“Don’t worry your pretty red head, Tash. Spike’s a serious badass. She’ll take care of things.” In an attempt to lighten the mood, Jett passed out a shot glass to each of us. “Now, in the meantime, let’s go rock this city’s face off. I hear there’s a multi-band summer tour in the works, and we belong on it.”
Jett’s contagious enthusiasm made the girls join in, sharing her eagerness, chattering excitedly about what being on such a tour could do for us. I wanted to be excited too, but Dash’s threats weighed heavily on my mind. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to my friends because of me.
Knowing that made it much easier to understand Rowen’s current internal battle. The choices we faced left us screwed either way. Perhaps the solution should have been obvious, but it wasn’t.
By the time we headed downstairs to set up our gear, I’d sunken so far into a place of anger and unrest that I struggled to hide my feelings. With a few drinks in my system, I was leaning more toward wrath than misery. Dash could only have power over me, and my friends, if I allowed it. As I tuned my guitar, I repeated that to myself.
A quick scan of the nightclub revealed that Rowen and Arrow had yet to arrive. They were playing after us. Greyson and Sam worked the crowd, the latter ensuring Jett saw him blow her a kiss.
“One of these days I’m going to fuck that boy senseless so he finally accepts that he can’t handle me.”
“If I point out that you’re blushing, are you going to slap me?” I braced for the slap as the question left my lips.
In true Jett fashion she twisted one of the pegs on my guitar before I could fend her off. “I do not blush. And you need to lighten up. You’ve been in a mood all night. You think you’re hiding it, but I know you.”