by Heather Karn
"I'm sorry. That was rude of me, but I meant it. Those are some beautiful eyes you have. I haven't seen a female with such vibrance in so long. What's your name, and I'll tell you mine?"
I should've kept my mouth shut, but I didn't want to come off rude right away, not when every move I made from here on out was going to be scrutinized under an intense microscope.
"I'm Koda." Not sure if it was customary to shake hands, I skipped any opportunity he had to touch me by moving further down the line, dipping eggs, bacon, and hash browns on my plate.
"That's a unique name. So then, Koda, what's your House?"
"Nope, you promised me your name," I shot back with a grin. He gave a dramatic sigh, making me giggle. Who was this girl? I didn't giggle, especially in front of boys.
"Yeah, I suppose that's only fair."
"We had a deal, after all."
"Yes, yes we did. The name's Tanner. Tanner Cartana."
I stiffened and peered up at him with new eyes. Well, not new, but I knew what I was looking for now. And there it was. He had similar features to Raven, but there were more differences. The similarities were more subtle. Cousins, perhaps?
"Cartana?" I asked, to which he nodded. "Any relation to Buckley?" It was safer to ask about Raven's brother than Raven himself.
Tanner stared at me with an "are you kidding" grin. "Yes, relation to Buckley...and Raven. I've seen you with him, and heard that he's not letting you out of his sight."
Yup, rumors were spreading like wildfire.
"I'm guessing that's not the only thing you've heard."
He shook his head, loading a few sausage patties onto his plate. "Nope, it's not the only thing I've heard, but to answer your original question, we're cousins. My father is Uncle Edgar's younger brother, making me Raven's cousin. Younger cousin, as it turns out."
"I see. So you're from the First House." Reaching the cooler foods, I scooped some fresh cut strawberries onto my plate. For being underground, they had a wide variety of foods, unless they'd splurged for this festival.
"Yes, I am, and rumor says you're from the Third?"
My lips pressed together. Yup, here was proof that everyone knew who I was. I'd deal with it, but I wished I'd had a chance to come to grips with the information before I was thrown to the wolves. Tanner must've seen something on my face that caused him to back off.
"It's just rumor. You don't have to answer."
"No, it's fine." Even though I was finished filling my plate, I waited for him to add some fruit to his. It would've been rude to run away at this point, leaving him high and dry mid-conversation, and it wasn't like he was hard to talk to. He made small talk quite easy with his laid back attitude. Stepping closer, I lowered my voice. "But to tell you the truth, yes, I'm from the Third House."
"Why are you whispering?" he snickered back in a voice just as soft. "Everyone already knows."
"Because I'm not ready to confirm anything until after my breakfast has begun to digest."
"That's fair."
Chuckling, he followed after me to the table where I'd left my team. It was the first time I'd purposefully turned my attention on Raven to see what he thought of my new companion. Until then, I hadn't wanted to know his thoughts. However, staring at my trainer as I found a seat beside Lee didn't help me any. His face was carefully blank as he gave Tanner a brief nod for a greeting. Not sure whether to take that as they didn't get along, or that they didn't really know one another well, I ignored Raven and focused on my meal and company.
"Tanner, this is my brother, Lee. Lee, this is Tanner. Apparently, he's Raven's cousin."
The two reached behind me to shake hands. "Nice to meet you," Lee told the vamlure, who gave his own greeting.
When Tanner turned from Lee to meet the rest of my team, he froze, his eyes widening as he took in Shannon and Luella. His nostrils flared as understanding dawned on him. He was smelling their magic, and while he was fighting not to panic, the two women smiled at him, as did a now human Jackson. In fact, the wolf had the nerve to wink at me, so I kicked him under the table.
"These are my friends, and members of the Elite team I'm on," I explained to Tanner, and introduced the others. He was polite and nodded to each one, but he didn't relax. The reaction made me fight not to roll my eyes.
"So, what're the plans for today?" Lee asked the table, but I figured his question was more for me than the others. "I take it you got your information, so are we leaving?"
I shook my head, chewing and swallowing a mouthful of food before responding. "I want to talk to Gerald once more if I can manage it."
"You mean you aren't going to stay through the festival?" Tanner asked, the puppy dog look on his face wanting to break my heart. How could this man affect me like he was? It wasn't like I was interested. He leaned in close so his words wouldn't carry. "I mean, with you being who you are, don't you think you should stay and learn more about our people and way of life?"
He had me there, but at the same time, there were too many other concerns that needed to be faced head on. One being the man who wanted me dead. We hadn't even had a chance to ask Shannon, or even Luella, about him.
Sighing, I rubbed my face. "Now might not be a good time for that. Life's a bit complicated, and there's some stuff I need to figure out."
"On the contrary, I think this is just what you need." Raven took a few steps toward us until he stood behind Jackson. "If you're going to talk to Gerald more, we might as well participate in the festival."
I gave Raven a look I hoped would translate to pleading for him to shut up instead of making me appear constipated. He cocked a grin at me and I groaned. If I'd had to bet, I would've wagered that he wanted to leave as much as I did, but, maybe he didn't. Not yet. He was finally home and with his family after ten years of being away, and not only with his family, but with his people and in his home. Maybe he was the one not ready to leave yet.
"We could use a break," Luella muttered into her glass of water before taking a sip.
"I second that," Jackson grumbled, pinning me with a tired stare. "We have the info you wanted, so let's take some time to regroup and relax before we rush into the next stage of what needs done. We aren't expected back for a few more days anyway, right?" He peered over his shoulder at Raven, who nodded.
"I don't know," Shannon murmured, her voice low as she watched those sitting behind me. "I get the feeling that some of us, me most of all, aren't exactly welcome here." Her gaze swung to Tanner, and away again, as if making it clear he was one of the people she alluded to with the statement.
"If we're ever to prove that all magic users aren't dangerous or hateful, then there's no better time than the present," Raven responded, patting her shoulder. "In fact, I think the kids would like your face painting."
"Face painting?" I asked, never hearing about this before now.
Shannon shrugged, biting her lower lip as she smiled. "When I was little, I loved going to festivals and such that had people who could paint designs on my face, so I practiced. Using my magic, I can even make the paint glow. It's completely harmless, but it's so fun to watch the children’s' reactions when they see themselves for the first time when I'm done."
"I don't think anyone's ever done face painting before." Tanner shrugged. "I think if people could trust you not to magic them, they'd love it."
"Yeah, that's the problem, I doubt they'd trust me to even try it." Shannon rested her hand on her fist, which was propped on the table. As if Jackson sensed her melancholy mood more deeply than the rest of us, he leaned closer and rubbed her back, using his touch to help her feel better. I wasn't sure if it helped, but she did smile back at him.
"If it'll help, you can paint my face," Tanner offered. "Maybe others will try it then." He shrugged. "Or not, but it's worth a try."
Avery took a seat on the other side of Lee and leaned in so we could all hear him. "So, we've changed missions for the time being? We're now on a mission to make people trust Shannon?"
"And Luella," Raven responded, sitting sideways on the bench beside Jackson so that way he was facing us easier. "We need to find Luella a way to contribute, too."
"Um, you can drink my blood. Why am I scary?" the naiad asked, staring between the male vamlure at the table.
"You still use magic, even if it is a kind that our bodies can tolerate." Tanner tugged on his lip. "Does she have to use her power?"
Raven shrugged. "I guess not. That would open up more options, like..." He trailed off and then grinned at his cousin. "Do they still do a cooking contest?"
With a nod, Tanner made Luella's day. "Yup. I think this year they're making...honestly, I don't know what it is, come to think of it. They kept changing their minds. You'd have to ask Duchess. She's in charge of it this year."
"Who's Duchess?" Luella asked Tanner.
"Female Head of the Second House, Alexander's mate."
"Do you think she'd let me enter?"
"Probably. It doesn't hurt to ask."
Grinning, Luella waved her hand at Tanner as she stood from the bench. "Give your empty plate to Raven to throw away. You and I are going to go find Duchess, and then you're going to be my sous-chef."
"Me?" Tanner screeched. "I can't even cook."
"Have you ever done it?"
"No."
"Then how do you know you can't?" Luella arched an eyebrow as her words silenced Tanner. He had no comeback, so she snapped her fingers and pointed in front of her. "Come on. Point me in the right direction. We've got work to do."
"I almost feel sorry for him," Lee muttered, stealing a slice of bacon from my almost empty plate. He laughed when I glared at him, not realizing how close I was to skewering him with my fork. I'd been saving that piece for last.
"So, what's the plan, boss?" Jackson asked in a low voice that wouldn't carry beyond our table when the naiad and Tanner were on their way across the room to meet the woman in charge of the contest.
"Just what was said earlier. Regroup and rest. For now, try to fit in and enjoy ourselves, and tonight have a team meeting. We learned quite a few details from Gerald that will complicate things, but we can't act on anything yet, and certainly not when we've been running ourselves ragged to reach this point."
Raven's jaw snapped shut as he watched someone approach from behind me. A hand rested on my shoulder, jerking my attention to the man standing behind me. It took less than a second to recognize Edgar, with Kayla standing right behind him.
"We'd like to speak with you, Koda," Edgar spoke, aiming a smile at me that implied we were close friends rather than the girl he'd recently met who showed up with his disowned son. "Please, follow us."
The pair moved down the aisle, and I fought back a sound that would've been a mix between a groan and a sigh. I didn't want to do this, to follow them anywhere, but I was also certain that statement wasn't a request. It was an order. With my new position still a confusing mess in my head, I shot Raven a look that said we'd talk later, and stood to follow them.
"We heard the news," Kayla grimaced when I joined them at the edge of the room, beside the stone wall. People sat close, but not close enough to hear with the ruckus going on and Kayla's soft voice. "If you need anything, please let us know. We want to help you settle into your new role."
"Thanks." And they couldn't have mentioned this over by the table instead of dragging me over here? "I'm still pretty shocked about it all."
"We don't doubt that in the least." Kayla gave me a warm, motherly smile. My adopted mom had never smiled at me like that, but it wasn't in her personality. She struggled with my rambunctious siblings and didn't have time to be so soft, or Kayla was trying to set me at ease so I wouldn't see the noose coming until it was too late.
Edgar cleared his throat. "There's a council meeting tomorrow night that we'd like to personally invite you to since you're now the Head of Third House. Every Head of the vamlure Houses will be there, and up to two trusted advisers. Since you are a single Head, you will represent your House, but you are allowed to bring two others."
"Do they have to be vamlure?" I asked, already contemplating who I'd bring with me. Raven was a given.
Crinkling his nose in disgust, Edgar eyed my witch friend. "No, they do not, or there are no laws saying they have to be vamlure. But, I would advise you not to bring any magic users, even if they are your friends."
"I'll take that under consideration," I responded, bristling on the inside as a dormant defiant streak giggled at the idea of bringing Shannon along with me.
"You do that."
Kayla eyed Edgar with a warning glare as she waved her hand, beckoning someone to us. "Koda, I saw you with Tanner, and I hope he was polite."
"He was. He's really nice."
"Yes, he is. I'd also like you to meet another one of our males. Koda, this is Wilson. His father is over security."
A smiling young man, who couldn't be much older than me, appeared at my side and stretched his hand out in greeting. "Hello, Koda. It's nice to meet you."
I took his hand and he squeezed it before rubbing his thumb over my skin. The brazen move made the hairs on the nape of my neck stand on end. I was all for a forward man, but I didn't even know this guy and he was already feeling bold enough to be touchy feely? That wasn't my type. Not at all. Already being overwhelmed, this was the nail in the coffin of his flirting attempts.
Pulling my hand from his grasp, I tucked it in my pocket when I wanted nothing more than to wipe it on my pants to remove the feel of his touch. "Yeah, it's nice to meet you too, I guess. Listen, I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to get back to my group and figure out who's coming with me to that meeting."
Kayla scoffed, nudging Wilson closer. "It isn't until tomorrow night. You have plenty of time to decide."
"Yeah, but I'm a planner. Thanks for inviting me. I'll see you all around." Turning, I almost ran away to avoid them, marching over to the table where my friends still sat, trying not to act like they'd been attempting to eavesdrop or spy on me.
Bypassing the side of the table where I'd been sitting, I slipped around the corner and stopped when I was standing between Raven and Jacks. "Okay, boys, give me space."
"You do realize this won't help you," Raven muttered, sliding back to give me room on the bench. It was a cozy fit, his knees brushing my hip and knee. "They'll still approach you with us near you."
"Why do they even care? Because I'm new meat?" I growled, trying not to be bitter about all the attention from the two males who'd spoken to me, and all those who'd been watching from the sidelines for the perfect time to pounce.
Raven rolled his eyes, and I scowled at the move. "Koda, you are the most eligible bachelorette. Every single male from sixteen to ninety-six is going to want to talk to you."
Chapter 13
"What?" I screeched, my voice carrying through the room, above the din. More than one conversation ceased mid-sentence as heads turned to face in our direction. I slapped a hand over my mouth as Jackson's belly laugh rolled through the mild silence.
"How did you not see this coming?" he asked in a softer voice before an umph sound erupted from him when Shannon elbowed him in the gut.
"Be nice," she ordered. "I can't imagine what Koda's going through right now, and being hit on by every male within biting distance can't be helping."
And that was the most accurate statement of the day.
"Can we pretend that all single males are out to kill me?" I grumbled as conversations started picking back up. "Or maybe one of you boys wouldn't mind becoming my fake boyfriend for a few days."
"I volunteer not to be it," Lee shot out, eyes going wide. "Seriously, we may not be blood related, and I'd do anything for you, but just not that, no matter how much I love you. I still think of you as my sister."
His near panic lightened my heart as our group chuckled and laughed at his reaction.
"Don't worry, Lee, I didn't mean you. I couldn't even begin to do that to myself. Any other volunteers?"
; Raven's menacing chuckle didn't bode well for the comment he leaned closer to tell me. Shivers raced over my skin as his breath tickled my ear. His deep voice rumbled in his chest.
"You're forgetting a vital part of who we are."
"And that is?" My voice was an embarrassing squeak.
"That we only date our kind and humans. No one would believe you if you started 'dating' Avery or Jackson."
Jacks snickered, leaning forward to stare into Raven's eyes. "I guess that leaves you, boss. Ready to take one for the team? Ow, watch it. What was that for?" He turned on Shannon, who'd either kicked him or stomped on his foot by the sounds under the table.
"Stop it, Jacks. This is a moment when you need to be serious," Shannon scolded her Familiar.
"I'm just trying to lighten the mood," the wolf grumbled, crossing his arms and laying on them on the table, moping.
I couldn't not grin at his child-like behavior, and I met Shannon's eyes over his back. She grinned back and winked.
"Sometimes his nature takes control and he can't help himself."
"What else did they want?" Raven asked, moving away from the subject of males, which I was more than ready to skip over.
"They invited me to a council meeting tomorrow night. They said I could bring two advisers. Raven, you're a given."
"No," he cut in, his voice sharp, making me jump. "I can't. I'm not a member of any House."
"They said I could bring anyone...besides a magic user. And I'm not taking no for an answer. You know the rules down here. None of us do."
"She's got a point," Avery interjected before Raven could argue further. "And I volunteer as your second. They won't trust Jackson since he's bonded to Shannon as her Familiar."
"What about me?" Lee grumbled.
"Your hearing isn't as good as Avery's," Raven murmured. "His is better than ours, meaning he can hear more that they may not want the rest of us to know about."
Avery nodded. "My thoughts exactly." A smirk lifted his lips. "But first Koda has to survive that long. Incoming."
Taking a deep breath, I waited for the inevitable. A hand rested on my shoulder and gently squeezed. It took all of a second to recognize the forward touch as belonging to Wilson. He leaned in close to my ear on Raven's side, and I caught my trainer stiffen.