It’s not important anyway. Only one thing is. Discovering if Raven really is a Dark Forces Goddess and figuring out a way to stop her if she tries to destroy Eden.
“You want me to go get you a soda or something?” I spotted a vending machine out in the hall. It would give me an excuse to speak to Raven alone. Figure out if my hunch holds water.
“I’m not...”
“A soda would be great,” Blonde keyboard player pipes in. “If there’s something with grape, I’m in.”
I move before Sky can grumble about it, stopping and turning to the drummer. “You want...”
She glances at Sky and shakes her head quickly. “No thanks.”
I walk off the stage and go behind the curtain. Just as expected, the fire exit has been wedged open, and Raven is standing out there, smoke billowing out from her full lips. She glances my way, catches me looking and smiles slyly.
“Hey, there, handsome.”
I freeze in place for a second, wondering what the hell I’m doing. Then my paralysis breaks and I take a couple steps forward, producing my own smile in return. “You have no idea how good that looks right now.”
She raises an eyebrow, the remnants of the cigarette clutched firmly between her right fingers.
“Are you flirting, Mr. Bodyguard?”
“I used to be a smoker.” For about three seconds in high school, before I realised how awful it was.
“You? You don’t look like the bad boy type.” Her gaze drifts over me, and she sticks me with an unimpressed stare.
I have to laugh. “Sweetheart, you’ve seen nothing of me.”
“Is that an offer?” She smiles, and a dark twinkle in her eye makes me freeze in place again.
She has the same darkness inside of her that Diana did. I can feel it.
“Wait. Weren’t you Eden Rose’s bodyguard? For like, ever? What happened with that? Bad break-up?” She’s twisted too. Damn, this is going to get dangerous.
“I was there when she found out Hunter was cheating. She didn’t want anything more to do with me after that.” It’s the truth, and she knows it is, because she damn well just forced it from me without being obvious about it. I start to grind my jaw because she’s still staring, waiting for the rest. My lips refuse to spill it. She’ll have to exert more power if she wants the whole fucked up story.
“Huh,” she says. “What a bitch.”
She stubs out her cigarette on the railing behind her and drops it to the ground.
I wait, but she doesn’t try it again. Once was enough. I’m lucky she didn’t compel anything worse from me. What the hell was I thinking? Of Eden, of course. What else is there?
Raven smiles at me as she comes back inside and closes the door. Her fingers toy with the collar of my jacket as she leans in close enough to whisper in my ear, “Come to me tonight. I have a job for you.”
She slips a card into my pocket. “Whenever you’re done with Skyler. I’ll be waiting.”
She walks back to the stage and I look at the card. It’s the address of a dance studio. She’s written an apartment number next to the address. I put it away and go to the vending machine.
There’s no question of whether I’ll go. She compelled me. If I truly belonged to Eden she wouldn’t have been able to do that. As it is, I’m torn over what to do next. She didn’t tell me what she wants me to do, but I’m certain it’s not going to be pleasant.
I bring the keyboard player her soda and move back to stand watch for outside threats while the band finish up their practice. Raven glances my way whenever she feels like it, unnerving me with her sly lip twitches. She’s enjoying this. Toying with me, torturing me. I never should have spoken with her alone.
I pick my cell out of my pocket and hesitate over who I should message. In the end I copy them both in when I send it. One of them needs to help me tonight, because I have a bad feeling it won’t take much for Raven to realise there’s still a connection between me and Eden.
I have to stop her from hurting Eden. I’m going to need help figuring out how.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Eden
My nerves are frayed by the time we arrive at Arianna’s house. It didn’t take much to get the address. One little call to the YouTuber who did my interview and here we are. There’s a gate outside the mansion and it’s locked. She’s going to have to let us in.
The driver makes contact and announces me as her visitor. The gates creak inwards a moment later and we’re moving. I swallow the lump that’s rising in my throat. I’m here to help her. It doesn’t matter if I’m freaking out about being trapped here with a Dark Forces Goddess. She needs my help, and I’ll do whatever I can to give her that. Even if I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.
I didn’t know when I made Diana mortal either. Instinct took over. It will again. I’m certain of that.
“You okay?” Asher asks, squeezing my hand gently.
I nod slowly. “This is just all kinds of weird, Asher. She’s a potential but she’s not. She should be like me, but she’s not. I don’t really know what’s going to happen in here.”
He takes my face in his hands and kisses me firmly on the lips, before moving back. “You have nothing to worry about, Eden. I believe in you.”
“Oh, Asher.”
He always seems to know the right words to say.
“Now, let’s go and get this done.” He gets out the car and holds the door for me.
I follow him out, and see Ari waiting at the front door, leaning on the frame.
This is really it now. I push my doubts aside. I’m here to help another Goddess. I need to focus. It’s time.
“Eden, how unexpected,” Arianna tells me, as I approach. She glances Asher over and raises an eyebrow. “He’s one of yours?”
“He is. Asher, meet Arianna.”
“Hi,” Ari says, holding out a hand for him to kiss, an impish grin on her face. “Nice to meet you, Asher.”
“I’d like to say the same, but I’m not so sure it’s a pleasure,” Asher tells her, ignoring the hand.
She laughs and steps back, inviting us inside with a sweeping gesture. “Oh, he bites. I did not expect that. Come inside, please.”
We walk in and she closes the door, before leading us into a huge lounge with plush sofas and glass-topped coffee tables.
“Please, sit. I’ll call on Thea to bring us drinks.” She disappears and I look at Asher.
He doesn’t sit until I take a seat and then tug on his arm. He sits and takes my hand in his.
“Feels like she’s up to something,” he murmurs.
Yeah, it kind of does, but honestly, we’re up to something just by being here too. It’s not like we didn’t come here without an ulterior motive. I just hope the solution comes to me quickly.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” I whisper to him.
“You’ll do great,” he tells me, raising my hand and kissing it.
“Just... Don’t stop me if it looks like I’m doing something weird.” I don’t know what makes me say that, but I have a feeling this isn’t going to be simple.
Arianna returns, smiling, with a young woman in black who sets down various kettles and three cups, and then leaves the room. I look at the tray and admire the pretty ornate kettles briefly. I don’t feel thirsty and I’m not sure about sampling anything she wants to give me.
“Those are coffee, tea and hot citrus water. Have whichever you like.”
She pours herself a cup of the water and sits down across from us. I wait for her to take a sip and put the cup down before starting this.
“I’m here to undo a wrong that was done to you.”
She raises an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Eden.”
I get up and move to where she sits, kneeling down before her. My hands rise to her knees. The bare skin-to-skin touch initiates my Goddess light. She gasps as the golden light floods the room.
“Close your eyes,” I tell her.
I
can’t tell if she obeys the command. I need to close mine too.
Everything that happened to her spills into my thoughts. She was targeted by a Dark Forces Goddess who knew her mother had been a Goddess of Love. That woman looks familiar, but I can’t concern myself with that right now, so I concentrate on latching onto the moment it happened. The moment she went dark.
The Goddess who awoke her got her to agree to an act of revenge on a lover who hurt her. Before Ari was awoken, she was easy to manipulate. That one act changed who she was. It set her on the path to darkness. When the Goddess coaxed her into awakening, she was in a bad place and it affected who she became.
It’s who she’s been for a year now. She doesn’t remember who she was before. I open my eyes as I feel my light receding. Silent tears are dripping from her eyes.
“I did something awful,” she whispers. “I can’t take that back. I’m not a good person. I can’t be like you.”
“No,” I tell her. “You were just naive, Ari. You can’t blame yourself for what that man did.”
She made the mistake of falling for a married man. She didn’t know, and as soon as she found out, she broke things off. But the Goddess who awakened her put ideas in her head. That his wife deserved to know what a piece of shit he was. So she sent the woman evidence of her husband’s betrayal. What happened next couldn’t have been predicted in Ari’s wildest dreams. The woman slaughtered her kids and then killed herself. This is what’s been haunting her. How could it not?
“Ari, none of that was your fault. It was all on him. Not you.”
“I never should have sent her those pictures. I never should have slept with him. There was something sketchy that first night we met, but I ignored it. I shouldn’t have. It’s my fault.”
I lean in and take her hands in mine. “No. None of that had anything to do with you. You didn’t cause any of it. You’re innocent, Ari. And you need to let it go, right now, so I can gift you the power you were always meant to have.”
She sobs and shakes her head. I send a fresh wave of Goddess light into her. It’s purifying and will ease the hurt in her soul. She sniffs as her sobs lessen. Her gaze is firm on mine as her tears dry up. I know when she’s healed inside, I feel the change and it’s as if her soul is singing out to me.
“You will bring light to the darkest of hearts. Your power is in love. Awaken, Goddess.”
I feel a surge as she fills with light. She gasps loudly as I pull away. It takes a few seconds for the room to stop spinning, but otherwise, I feel fine. She looks amazed when the light dwindles to a spark at her fingertips. Her gaze drifts to them before she stands and pulls me into a hug.
“Thank you, Eden. Thank you so much.”
I hug her back, happy that I could do this for her. “You can thank Xander. He’s the reason I came.”
She lets go, wiping at the shiny wet skin under her eyes. “What?”
“He came to see me. He loves you, Ari.”
I can see that she loves him too, now that she’s able to feel it. Not only that. She also loves a man with short bleached hair and piercings. And there’s someone she loves that she can’t have. Chase. My heart stings for her on that one. Considering the experience she had with a married man before, short of a divorce, there’s no way in hell Chase will ever be attainable for her.
“He does?” She sounds like she doesn’t believe me. “I’ve been such a bitch to him. To everyone, really.”
“I don’t believe that. Anyway, you should go see him. I have other things I need to do today.”
“Other Goddesses to awaken?” She smiles wryly.
“No. You were my first and I hope you’re my last.”
“Oh. Eden. I need to warn you who she is.” Her face pales suddenly as we break our hug.
“Who she is?” Of course, how could I not even think to ask?
“I don’t know her real name, but she’s in Skyler’s band. I couldn’t force myself to tell you before, because it would help you. But you can’t tour with them. She’ll find a way to destroy you if you do.”
I frown, trying to remember all of Skyler’s band-mates. It can’t be Kira. I would have known when I touched her with my light if it was. The other two barely spent time with Skyler. The blonde had a vaguely Swedish name but she was a Cali girl through and through. I doubted it was her. She’d always seemed sweet and maybe a little random but never devious in the slightest. The other one, I’m having trouble picturing. I think she changes her look a lot. Never seems like the same person.
“What’s her name in the band?”
“Raven Whiteclaw.” Arianna rolls her eyes. “It’s so gothy sounding. She said she never wanted the world to know her true name. And the amount of make-up she shovels on, I don’t think she wants anyone knowing her true face either.”
That really makes me feel better. She sounds tricky. I move back and Asher takes my hand.
“We should go now, Eden.”
“Now that everything is better, I hope we can spend some time together soon,” Arianna tells me, as she walks us out.
“You can call me,” I tell her, giving her my number when she brings out her phone.
“Talk soon,” she says as we leave.
Asher checks his phone when we’re in the car. “It went off when we were inside.”
“Eli?” I ask, hoping he’s bringing Nick back tonight. The emergency sounded weird and I hope Nick isn’t stressing out too much over it all.
Asher shakes his head and shows me the message. “Logan just found out about Raven. She compelled him to go see her tonight. He’s asking what he should do.”
“How could she...” I start, before realising ever since I took Logan as my fourth I’ve been denying the truth of that. I’ve even been seeking out a replacement. It’s left him vulnerable. “Shit. He can’t go to her.”
“Will I tell him to come to the hotel? We need to figure out what to do about her. You can’t go on tour with Skyler’s band if she’s in it.”
“Good point,” I tell him, calling Sky immediately.
My friend picks up in a few rings. “Hey, Edie, what’s up?”
I ignore my most hated nickname as I reply, “I need you to kick Raven out of your band.”
“Um, what was that?”
“She’s a Dark Forces Goddess. You can’t have Lawson visit when she’s near and I can’t tour with her.”
“Oh. Shit. How the hell didn’t I know that?”
“Has Lawson ever been around her?”
“Um, no. I don’t think so. She’s always late to practices and sometimes she doesn’t even show up. I don’t think he’s ever met her.”
“It needs to stay that way. She’s seriously bad news.”
“Okay. I need to get Lawson to talk to my manager then, I guess. I’ve tried to have her fired before and it never seems to happen. Guess now I know why. Let’s hope good compulsion wins out over bad.”
“Great. Let me know what happens.”
Skyler assures me she will and then she hangs up, cursing under her breath about that damn girl. I breathe out a relieved sigh, but I know this situation is far from over. Dark Forces Goddesses never give up. As soon as Raven realises Ari is a new Goddess, she’s going to be pissed, and Ari’s going to be in trouble. Shit. I should probably warn her.
“She has a guide, Eden.” Cupid pops into existence in the limo seat across from us.
I don’t know why Cupid’s appearances still surprise me, but damn, my heart is hammering from that sudden intrusion. “Damn it...”
I look at Asher, who grimaces and then turns away, talking on his phone.
“Nobody’s going to put bells on me,” Cupid snaps. “Now, leave Arianna alone. She has a guide.”
Well, this is a sudden turn-around. “What happened to her being a potential for me?”
“That was before you turned her good. She was only a potential as a mortal.”
Hmm. I doubt that somehow. Considering she has pre-existing feelings for thre
e other people. She got over me a long time ago, it seems. “Then why were two of my other potentials her love interests?”
He can play dumb all he wants but I know now he gave me those names for a reason. He’s an asshole, but he’s kind of a romantic one.
He sighs. “Anyway, I came to see how things were going with Logan.”
Oh, he really is an asshole. “I told you I wanted to find someone else to take his place.”
“And that was because you were worried about your other lovers. They’re fine with him now, so you can quit worrying about it.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “If I find out you had anything to do with that...”
“Relax. That was all on them. I just knew they were going to do it. They love you, Eden. They accept your choices even when you don’t.”
I want to be mad at him, but this time it’s impossible. I didn’t think I could love my guys any more than I already did but it turned out I was wrong.
“So, what do I do about Raven?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
He acts like he doesn’t know what I’m talking about. “Raven?”
“Can’t you read my mind or whatever? She’s in Skyler’s band and she’s Dark Forces. She turned Ari bad. That Raven.”
“That can’t be her real name.”
Why is he fixating on her name? He’s so frustrating.
“That’s not the point. What do I do about her?”
“You’ve dealt with Dark Forces Goddesses, Eden. You know how to handle them.”
And with that, he disappears. The man is an endless source of irritation. I give up with him.
Asher hangs up and the frown on his face tells me something’s wrong before he voices it.
“Eli can’t find Nick. We don’t know where he is.”
Terror grips me. A Dark Forces Goddess is out there, and she’s going to be pissed I turned a Goddess she awakened. And now we don’t know where one of my guys are? Oh hell no. This isn’t happening.
Bad Blood (Rock Goddess Reverse Harem Book 5) Page 16