by Jarica James
"No. She stays, she graduates, and then we find a place to lay low while we pull out her abilities. Then, we need to report back to school," Lachlan said firmly.
"No, the dean knows when her school ends, and he knows by now that we've found something… well, at least that she is a supernatural. I explained it away enough for him not to push, but he's hardly a patient man," Calev warned, letting go of me and starting his nervous pacing.
"Then we need to decide what to do. She still has magic locked away, I can feel it," Aeson mumbled, his eyes closed as his body emitted a white glow. "Something about it is off, though."
"What do you mean?" I squeaked out, his tone making me think something awful was hidden inside of me. My skin crawled as I glanced down at my body, like something was going to rip from my flesh and present itself. I’ve seen Alien. I definitely didn’t want that!
"It feels like us," he said quietly. “I've been with this team and healed them long enough to know their distinct magical signatures. You have a form of that within you, like you carry a piece of us inside. There's something more under those, but it's far too obscured by those other signatures to tell what it is."
"Wait a second. You're telling me that I've stolen some of your life essences?" My voice held a hint of laughter that I couldn’t disguise; the entire thing just sounded ridiculous.
"No, it's been there since I've met you, but now it's building," he said, looking every bit as confused as I was.
"My shadows?" Calev questioned, looking from me to Aeson. "Is that why she could control them? My shadows are unique to our species, as are all of our powers, so I was shocked to see her use a form of it."
"No, it was yours, or a piece of yours, just not part of your reserves," Aeson explained, sitting down on the ground as he processed it all.
"You're not making sense, babe," Tristan said softly, sitting next to him.
"It doesn't make sense to me either, but I know what I felt," he argued adamantly, running his hands through his hair.
"What if it's destiny?" Lachlan said finally. "Shifters have something called fated mates, a mate or mates who are destined to be a part of our lives."
"We aren't shifters, but we have a similar connection with our mates," Evander said with a sigh, sliding down to sit as well.
"Okay, hear me out," Calev said, starting to pace again. "What if the reason she has this connection to us is because she has more than just two mixed species?"
"Like some kind of experiment?" Tristan asked, his voice rising with each word in anger and anxiety.
"No, a relationship like ours, where magic was involved in the mating. What if she has a piece of us because this situation is so fucking unique, something about meeting us triggered her to take on our essences? Touching her feels different than anyone else. She’s clearly magically joined with us." Calev's arms were flailing as he spoke, looking way less composed than I'd ever seen him.
"So you think this is destiny? You all dating me?" I snorted, my eyebrow quirking up.
"This isn't just dating, and you know it," Calev said as he came to a halt in front of me, his stone gray eyes boring into me until I squirmed in my spot. Fuck, why does he have to be right? I've felt how strong this attraction is, the warmth of their touches that seemed to permeate my very soul. I just thought I was screwed up in the head from years of life with Clara and my adoptive parents.
"You held back because you thought you were desperate?" Tristan asked in shock. I nodded numbly, what else would I think?
"This instant attraction shit isn't normal for supes either, but my bear claimed you the first time we came to eat lunch with you," Lachlan added softly.
Van nodded in agreement, "My vampire almost ripped Clara limb from limb for treating you badly. Normally I'd get mad, but this wasn't my typical range of anger."
Calev held his hands out in a 'see, I knew it!' gesture before starting to pace again. "My gargoyle was the same way when I first watched over the school. Something in her called to me, yet her siren abilities don't affect me at all."
"But they affected the others," I pointed out, remembering the incident on the pier. "I almost walked into the ocean in front of everyone nearby."
"True, but maybe it’s not your feelings, it's ours," he countered. "I did night watch the most, since my gargoyle doesn’t mind the cold. But mostly, I just wanted to see you. The mysterious girl who talked to statues and poured her heart out to the sea." He stepped back in front of me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. My heart clenched at hearing his confession, knowing that someone really did want me... all of me. A rogue tear escaped me, and he swiped it away with a soft smile. "That night at the pool, that's when I knew I wanted you. Not just my gargoyle, but me too."
"The magic came way after that, though. When her panic response was strong," Evander pointed out. "When that power was most relevant. I doubt she'd drink blood, but I wonder if running were an option, could she have borrowed that speed too?"
"This is all too much, and class started like an hour ago," I mumbled, needing a moment to process this. Could something like this be possible? Something within me calling to others? Is it more than that, could someone have orchestrated this? It all seems too perfect. No, there's something more.
"Fuck," Tristan breathed, my inner rant clearly projecting to him. I didn’t even care that he’d heard me.
"See you guys later," I said, not able to find it in me to stay. I needed a moment of peace. Instead of heading straight for class, I walked out the front door and headed for the bridge. I needed the ocean, I needed the calm it would give me. Footsteps echoed through the halls behind me, along with the sound of my name. Resolve strengthened my flight response, knowing that I needed this time, but not trusting them to give it to me.
I started running, and when I reached the bridge, I tried to visualize myself using speed like Evander's. I need to get away, to be alone. I need to just be invisible for a little while. Shadows folded easily around me, the mere thought enough to activate it, before I took off at a sprint that felt more like flying. Wind whipped through my hair as the world flew by, laughter bubbling out of me at the intense feeling of freedom fueled by adrenaline. When I reached the sandy beach, I tried to slow my running, but I was hardly a professional when it came to vampire powers. I promptly face planted in the sand, getting a mouthful before I could stop myself.
After I stood up and brushed off as much of the sand as I could, I stepped behind some of the large rocks that rested on the bottom of the lighthouse cliffs. Once I was out of sight, I sunk to the ground, resting my back against the rocky surface. I stared out to the sea, hoping to find some peace of mind there.
Tristan
"Something about this still bothers me. We are questioning if she has more than one supernatural parent, but if two people mix species, their offspring is one or the other. She is the first person I've ever seen that has more than one species’ power. I don't think it's a parental ability," I argued as we watched Lennie cloak herself in shadows and disappear. With Citrine watching us so closely, it was too dangerous for her to get the space she seemed to desperately want. But the least we could do was let her believe she’d gotten away from us for a little bit.
"We just talked about it possibly being related to us. Aeson even said it feels like our magic," Calev countered, punching the metal of the bridge and leaving a dent behind, the steel groaning under his abuse. His jaw was tense, and his fists clenched. He was clearly feeling out of control and frustrated.
"I can’t find her with her shadow. We shouldn’t have let her run off" Evander mumbled, his fangs poking through as he turned to us. "I'm with Tristan, this is way over our heads. We need backup. We can't just figure this out and wait. We know what the other powers are."
"She asked us to keep her here for a reason, and we all decided it was for the best that she not be put through all that bullshit right now. This is rare, if not completely unheard of. She'd become a test subject, and I don't think I coul
d sit aside and let that fucking happen," Lachlan growled, the wave of magic and soft light around his form telling us his bear was so close to the surface, that they were about to shift completely.
"Stay calm, guys," Aeson encouraged, even though he looked close to panic. "She was right, we are missing something huge here."
"Like what? We've all studied supernatural genetics as part of our intro courses. She shouldn't be possible," Evander countered, throwing his hands up.
A high pitched scream tore through the area, the sound a perfect match for Lennie. Evander, Lachlan, and Calev took off running as one, while Aeson and I were too slow to follow, so we ran for the car. I grabbed my keys from my pocket and unlocked it as soon as we were close enough, diving in and starting up the SUV before peeling out of the lot.
"Follow their signature," I ordered Aeson, who was already glowing with his magic.
"By the shore," he pointed as I took the curve too fast and sped off to the beach. We parked as close as we could, flying out of the car and following his lead to the others. Once we got closer, I could hear her panic and followed on my own.
'He's crazy, what the fuck is he on about?' Her inner thoughts had me sprinting faster, hating that some unknown man was freaking her out. The fact that I couldn't hear the others had me running faster. My heart nearly stopped at the sight before me. The other three had their hands up in the air, though Lachlan's were vibrating with his restraint. A masked man had a knife to Lennie's throat. He shuffled back further as we approached, making Aeson and me throw our hands up too.
'Lennie, use your shadows, escape,' I encouraged internally, but she gave no response or recognition that she heard me. What the hell?!
"It was about time to collect her, but for some reason, she was never alone," he said pointedly, his face turning to slowly look at the rest of us. Damn right she wasn't alone.
"I'm sorry guys, I'm so sorry. Just let him take me, don't get hurt," she said softly, backing away with him as she tried to keep the knife off the sensitive flesh of her throat.
"Fuck that, Baby," Lachlan said, his bear finally breaking free as he transformed. Calev shot out his shadow at the same time Evander leapt forward, his fangs tearing into the man's throat. The man screeched and dropped Lennie, giving me the opportunity to spring forward and pull her away. Aeson was glowing as he ran a hand over the small trickle of blood on her throat and pulled her between us. Lachlan's bear was in front of us, guarding us as Evander and Calev tried to tear the man apart. But a moment later, he turned to shadows, disappearing completely. A splashing in the water caught my attention before something dark glided under the surface, away from us.
"What the fuck was he?!" Calev yelled, hurrying over and placing his hands on Lennox's face before checking her over.
"I'm so sorry. I just wanted space, and I thought I’d stayed out of sight, but he literally came out of the water. I tried to fight back, but he was too quick for me," she said, her voice shaking with her panic.
"We need to talk to someone we can trust. Did he say anything to you?" Aeson asked as he did another once over with his magic.
"He said he created me, and he would do as he pleases with me," she started, anger mixing with her terror, "Like he’s got more control over me and my abilities than I do."
"Okay, maybe it's time to move on to the other campus or something," I hedged, knowing their feelings.
"Or we go stay with my brother for a few days," Calev offered, eyeing Lennie for her approval. She gave a small nod, a hint of a smile on her lips. "I'll call him now." He stepped away, his eyes still trained on Lennox while he called.
Well, today didn't go as planned. So much for sticking it out until graduation.
May 1st
Mid-day
Lennox
"I've got your assignments emailed to you. Finals are next week, but seniors don't have to take them. Apparently, it’s a surprise they do for graduation, so you should be done easy," Tristan announced as he walked back through the bathroom into my room. I had everything of importance packed already, each guy waiting in front of the boxes and ready to lift them and go. In just a few minutes, they had taken everything out to the car.
"How are we going to fit it all in there?" I questioned, looking around at the five boxes I had, unable to imagine what else the five of them might be adding to the pile.
"Oh, my brother already came and got the others. He was in town shopping anyway," Calev said, waving off my worry. “We just have to load yours in the back, and then we can head across the ferry.”
When they all grabbed my boxes and left, I stood there in my empty room, taking one last look around. It wasn't my room the entire time I was here, but it was definitely the closest to having a home I'd ever felt. With so much mystery and danger popping into my life, I wasn't sure I'd get the safety of a school like this again. Who are you kidding? This place was hell to you. Yeah, but it was still my home for almost four years. With one last glance and sigh, I walked out of my room, closing the door on my past.
We’d only made it to the bottom of the main stairs, when I heard someone yelling. "Where are you going?" Dhara's voice called down the hall as she ran toward me, stopping at a safe distance so the guys didn't say anything.
"I almost got abducted yesterday, so we're going somewhere safe," I explained in a quiet voice to keep other students from hearing.
"It wasn't my people," she revealed. "I'm the lead on this one."
"Either way, I'm not safe, so we're going. Thanks for trying to give me the chance to learn more," I said quickly, hating that emotions were creeping up. She was my first potential friend, and I was leaving before it could even begin.
"Here, take my number and email. If you want to talk, or need me, then don't hesitate to reach out," she rambled, looking just as upset as I felt. She grabbed the pen that was tucked behind her ear and scrawled her information on my hand, before holding her hand out and extending the pen to me. I did the same, having to make the effort to remember my number, since I never really used it for calling or texting. There’s never been someone who needed it before.
"Bye, thank you," I said one last time, before turning and following the guys out. They got the car packed, and we were on the road in record time. The ride was somber this time, everyone scanning our surroundings nonstop, waiting for another attack. This time, not even our old shadow followed us. I guess Dhara called them off of us.
Needing something else to think about, I turned to Calev, "So, where does your brother live?"
"He lives with his girlfriend above the bakery. It's right on Main Street, so there will be plenty to do to keep us occupied," he said as he pulled off of the ferry and into the hidden Obsidian Cove.
"So, is this also called Obsidian Cove?" I asked, hating how similar they both sounded.
"Yup, the actual town was named after us. A group of supes moved to the human side after the initial split, then they named it that just to be assholes to our council. Something about not wanting to live like they're ashamed of their powers... which made zero sense, because on that side they have to hide it, or the council will intervene," Evander explained absently as he looked out of his window.
"We should have the loft to ourselves until super late, so don't expect to see them until breakfast. His girlfriend is a bartender at The Hallowed Veil, and they're both working tonight. I have a key, though," Calev said, pulling into a parking garage and finding a spot. "Our other stuff should be inside, but we'll figure out where to go from here later. For tonight, we should settle in, eat some food, and pretend the world isn't going to shit around us." He shot me a grin and grabbed my hand, leaving the others to grab my boxes.
The loft wasn't anything like I expected. I pictured human loft apartments, with open floor plans and no real bedrooms. This was bigger than a normal house with two stories. It had that modern loft feel, with brick walls and industrial style lighting, but there were normal bedrooms upstairs. Everything was perfectly organized and spotless
, down to the vacuum lines on the plush carpet in the living area.
"Lilah has OCD, so she gets anxious if her stuff isn't exactly how she wants it. She's really sweet though, just don't offer to help her clean, and don't clean your own stuff. She's got her routines she has to do. I know it sounds like a dick move, but I legitimately threw her into a full blown panic attack, hyperventilation and all, by washing my dishes last time I was here," he explained as I looked around with wide eyes.
"You know, that's something I never considered. I didn’t really think that supes could have mental health issues too," I said, realizing how silly it sounded.
"It's a bit more rare, but we still experience the same things that cause humans to have them. Like trauma, abuse, PTSD. It's just the genetic ones that don't manifest in supes," Aeson explained as he sat my box down by the door.
"That makes sense," I said, knowing damn well I had my own issues from my parents and bullies.
"We get the two spare rooms upstairs. There are two twin beds in one room, and a full in the other with a pull out couch. So, we're going to have to get super comfortable," Calev teased, leading us up the wide staircase to the top floor.
"We going to the club tonight?" Tristan asked excitedly, but Calev shot him down right away.
"Too many opportunities to be seen right after the incident. I say we go somewhere we can surround her. Sorry, Little Psycho. No more running off," he said, actually sounding genuinely apologetic.
I shuddered at the reminder. "No worries, I learned my lesson."
Lachlan brushed past and dropped his box on the empty bed. "There's a really good restaurant down the street. They do themed weeks, mixed with random customer favorites, so food from different parts of the world and cultures each time. This week is breakfast food and Greek food," Lachlan said, flipping his phone over to show the menu. It was a really ridiculous combination, but I was intrigued.