Although I had my eyes locked on the passing scenery, I could still feel Cash's attention on me, heavy like a touch.
"I bet there's lions, too," Headset teased.
Bebe's eyes widened. Fear prickled at her senses. "Lions?"
Headset nodded. "Uh-huh."
"Nuh-uh. You're lying." She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "It’s like when Glitch told me pigs fly, but I read about pigs and they don't even have wings.”
“I told you I’d play dress up with you when pigs fly, Bebe,” Glitch corrected her.
“They’ll never fly, Glitch,” she snapped back with a smile on her little pink lips.
“And that should answer the dress up question,” Glitch said pointedly.
Bebe’s smile faded as she made the connection. “Still, I read about lions, and lions live in Africa." She folded her arms triumphantly.
"Some lions live in the mountains! They're called mountain lions.” Headset pitched in again.
The kids continued to bicker adorably. I smiled and rested my head back against the seat. Though there was still a kiss of heat in the air, the breeze that flowed over the Beast and blew my hair back from my face was surprisingly crisp. The scent of pine trees was overwhelming, but pleasant. I closed my eyes and breathed it in, loving that it didn't smell like salt water.
As we went further up the mountain, it became clear that Dozer didn't enjoy the twists and turns. He began to get a little green, but when we asked if we should pull over so he could upchuck, he just shook his head and said that he was okay. Charlie rubbed his back comfortingly.
For as much as Dozer hated the trip, Glitch loved it a thousand times more. He pointed out every piece of road kill (which made Dozer turn even greener) and every living squirrel along the way.
Eventually, Bebe and Headset passed out. Glitch became bored and engrossed himself with a graphic novel. Charlie and Dozer talked with their voices low and quiet, sitting so close to one another, so that their arms and legs touched gently. Cash reached over and turned the radio on low, and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel in time to the music.
I watched the world pass by.
Chapter Four
It was late afternoon by the time we rolled into South Lake Tahoe. When we pulled alongside the lake, Charlie's eyes got bigger and I felt her heart speed up. It was a massive expanse of the bluest water I’d ever seen in real life. Its color shifted from blue to turquoise to green, and was so clear that you could see the bottom even fifty feet away from the shoreline. Dozens of boats dotted the lake, and there were even a few para-sailors in the sky with their lines attached to speedboats that skipped across the pristine surface.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Charlie breathed. She unbuckled her seat belt, leaning halfway out the window. Her golden hair flew behind her, her eyes closed as she soaked it all in. Dozer watched her. In that moment, I could feel his adoration for her. It blazed as bright as the sun.
We drove through the first half of the town toward the border that separated California and Nevada. Once we passed the state line, casinos popped up. One after another, they lined the crowded streets, flashing signs that advertised buffets and comedians, medieval shows and free drinks.
Soon we found ourselves off the main street and down a dirt path that led to the lake. The Beast bucked and hopped over the uneven road, but as we came out of the trees, I saw it.
It was a huge house made of wooden logs, three stories high. There was a glass sunroof and a porch that wrapped around outside of the second floor. It sat just above a small, private beach with its own dock that stretched out over the water.
Even from the car, I could see that the water in the lake was nothing like the water in the ocean. The sand glittered with specks of fool’s gold and was cut through with streaks of black sand. Smooth, pale rocks nestled perfectly in the banks by the hundreds.
Cash pulled the Beast up to the house and everyone climbed out. Glitch leapt out of the truck with his duffel bag. In a blur of motion, he was at the end of the dock, his arms flung out wide, howling to the lake.
“That can’t be it?” I said, awed.
Charlie had already thrown the truck door open and was hopping out. “Yep. Come on, Liv, come see!”
I stayed put, just taking in everything until I felt a light touch on my hand. It broke my admiration and I looked over at Cash, who was smiling softly at me. “It’s nice, huh?”
I nodded. “Why didn’t you want to come here? It’s amazing.”
He was still smiling, but I felt something shift uncomfortably when he thought about the answer. "I like the view. It's the company that I question." He opened his door and I climbed out after him. "Don't worry. It'll be fine. This is going to be good for all of us."
Cash went to grab the bags from the back. Headset and the Bebe ran straight for the water.
“Kids, no!” Charlie yelled out to them. They froze and stared back at her, looking guilty, but Charlie had no intention of scolding them. “Wait for me!”
Charlie squealed and ran full speed into the water, fully clothed. With whooping war cries, the kids followed suit and the beach exploded into a frenzy of laughter and splashing.
Gravel and dirt crunched under my feet. The trees branched out around the house, their large boughs bent over the roof, providing shade and a sense of peace. I looked up to feel the sunlight dapple my face through the leaves. The hush of the wind through the pines was like a calming whisper.
“Liv, come in! The water’s great!” Charlie called out to me as she bobbed on the surface, her blond hair slicked back from her face. The kids yelled out encouragements as well, but suddenly their voices seemed far away and muffled.
My gut tightened and a familiar, cold sensation crawled up my spine. The calmness I’d felt only moments before shifted to unease. I took a few steps back from the water.
“Welcome.” A soft voice pulled me out of the spiral I was nose-diving into. I looked up to find a slender young woman standing on the front step of the house. Cash turned and raised a hand in greeting as she came down to greet us.
She had perfectly smooth bronzed skin and short, dark hair styled in a faux hawk atop her head. Her bright smile was accentuated by high cheekbones and full lips, but it didn’t touch her green eyes. She regarded Cash and Dozer with a little tilt of her head before her gaze fell to me.
“Thank you,” I said. “Your place is amazing.”
She pulled her shoulders back a little, tilting her chin up at me with a slight arch of her brow. “We like it alright," she said with a smooth Russian accent twisted elegantly in her words.
Her movements were graceful and almost regal as she regarded me. As I opened myself to her emotions, I could sense that she was unsure about me. Although she appeared outwardly welcoming, there was an air of dominance around her, a warning to me.
“You must be Liv. I’m Nyx and this is my brother, Lux.” She pointed back toward the house. A young man had just stepped off the porch and was strolling over to us.
In appearance, they were almost perfect carbon copies of one another. He was a bit taller and his hair was shaved close to his head. They had the same golden complexion and piercing green eyes, but that was where their similarities ended.
Where Nyx was cool and reserved, Lux was invasive. Everything he did was predatory, from the way he looked at me, to the way he moved. Before I could react, he took my hand in his and brought it to his lips. As he brushed a kiss across the back of my knuckles, his eyes locked on mine and his desire slithered through my abdomen.
“Hello,” he said softly. He shared the same smooth timbre in his voice as his sister. He never broke eye contact, nor did he let go of my hand. I had to carefully wiggle it out of his grasp, and I fight not to wipe it off on my shorts.
“Um, hello,” I replied, and a dazzling smile broke out wide over his face. He could gauge the effect he had on me and found my reaction amusing.
“Thanks, guys!” Glitch called out to the tw
ins as he flew past us. He unloaded the truck in seconds, besting Cash, who had been struggling to handle three bags at once. In a whirlwind of motion behind the Beast, he was in his swimming trunks and off to the water to join the others. His speedy interruption was a relief, as the twins momentarily focused on him instead of me.
“We really appreciate this.” Cash was suddenly at my side. He stepped a little closer to me, purposely blocking Lux from getting a good look at me. I caught the faintest hint of jealousy from him, which was surprising, since I'd never known Cash to be possessive.
“Of course.” Lux straightened. Though he still smiled at me, he’d clearly noticed Cash’s protective body language. He looked off toward the lake instead, and his desire wafted again.
I followed his gaze to see Charlie climbing out of the water, and even drenched and covered in sand, she was a goddess. She jogged over to us, practically beaming.
“Thank you both so much for taking us in. This means a lot to us,” she said, wringing out her shirt.
Lux’s eyes slipped down her body, but she was too busy smiling at Nyx to notice. I was happy she couldn’t feel his lechery like I could.
“Of course,” he said. “We were surprised when Cash called, but you’re always welcome here.” Lux bowed at the waist to us, sweeping his hand toward the house. “Shall we, then?”
Glitch stayed outside on the lake with Headset while we all headed into the lakeside mansion. Not wanting to stray too far from me, Bebe joined us as well.
The vaulted ceilings were over thirty feet tall with gorgeous exposed beams. The house was angled so that the late afternoon sunlight poured through the windows, which made up almost one entire wall and looked out over the lake. There were no walls separating the different areas of the main floor. The only thing that defined the kitchen and the living room was a large granite-top island. A massive brick fireplace took up a large portion of another wall. All their furniture was either dark leather or glass.
My mind drifted back to Headset at the glass shop, and I suddenly became very worried. Even without his new sonic voice, Headset was a wrecking ball. This place wasn’t safe around the two children. Three, if you counted Glitch. Which I totally did.
Charlie excused herself briefly to go change into some dry clothes while the rest of us congregated in the living room. Nyx perched on the back of an armchair while Lux leaned back against the hearth, casually swirling a glass of red wine. Bebe stayed close to me while Cash took a seat beside us, and Dozer parked himself on the other couch.
“So, we’ve heard a lot about you,” Nyx said to Bebe and me.
Nyx and Lux’s curiosity pressed at me. I shifted nervously under their prying eyes. “Have you, now?” I shot Cash a look, which he returned patiently.
“It’s okay, Liv. You can show them,” he said softly.
I wasn’t exactly comfortable parading my power in front of these strangers, but I trusted Cash, and I knew part of the reason we were invited to stay was because of the twins’ interest in our powers.
I lifted each piece of furniture into the air, letting them hover there for a few moments. As I suspended the pieces, I felt their eyes on me, and suddenly, a wave of heat worked its way through my body and uncertainty pelted me from all angles. My hold on the furniture was slipping and I felt my limbs begin shaking. I was losing control. If I held them up any longer, I felt like I'd either end up dropping them or throwing them out the windows. The fact that I had no control over that reaction terrified me and made my hold slip even further. I carefully set everything down again.
Nyx’s eyes gravitated to her brother as I lowered the final piece. They shared an almost sinister smile as they watched my telekinesis at work.
“Impressive,” Lux said, clapping slowly. “That is quite a talent you have there. It must prove very useful.”
I gave a little shrug, not committing to an answer.
“Impressive, indeed,” Nyx mused. Then her attention turned to Bebe, who stiffened at my side and pressed closer to me.
Nyx hopped down from the armchair and walked over to Bebe, crouching down in front of her. To her credit, Bebe didn’t shrink back. Instead, she returned Nyx’s gaze straight-on, her little chin up.
“And what talent do you have, little one?” She murmured, studying Bebe closely.
Dozer spoke up. “Oh, well, Bebe heals. It’s kind of hard to demonstrate but—”
Nyx stopped him mid-sentence with a raised hand. As though their minds were in sync, Lux retreated to the kitchen and returned with a knife. Standing before Bebe, he set the sharp blade of the deboning knife against his palm and quickly swiped it, opening up a deep gash without even flinching.
Dozer gasped and Cash looked startled. I couldn’t even speak. Bebe, however, didn’t miss a beat. Wounds didn’t scare her, but I was grateful that Headset was still out by the lake with Glitch. The little guy would have had nightmares for days if he’d seen that.
Bebe got up from the couch and walked over to Lux. He knelt before her and held out his hand, palm-up. Dark, shiny blood welled and dripped onto the hardwood. With a single touch of her index finger, the slash on Lux’s hand began to knit closed. Within moments, it was like it had never happened. The only evidence was the puddle of blood on the floor.
He smiled at her, went to the kitchen, and washed his hand under the sink. When he returned, he held out his palm for his sister to see. A slow grin spread across her lips.
“Badass,” Lux said, still flexing his hand and examining it.
Bebe settled next to me on the couch again, clearly proud of herself. At that moment, Charlie returned, dried and in fresh clothes. Upon seeing the blood on the floor, she froze mid-step.
“Um, did I miss something?” Charlie asked.
Bebe giggled and Cash shook his head. “We were just showing the twins what Bebe and Liv can do,” he explained. “Bebe’s demonstration was a little…graphic.”
Charlie frowned ever so subtly. “Oh.” She took a seat next to Dozer on the couch. His hand found hers for a moment, squeezing reassuringly.
“What are your powers?” I asked.
Nyx’s lips tilted to one side in a secretive smirk. Lux folded his arms and looked up at the staircase, drawing my gaze to a woman coming down the steps. Her blonde hair was pinned in a perfectly coiffed bun. She wore an off-white Chanel pant suite and a familiar scowl. When her pale eyes found mine, my heart seized in my chest and all the air left my lungs. I staggered backward and had to brace myself on the edge of the couch.
“Stone?” I stuttered out.
She didn’t say a word. She just stood there staring at me, smiling with that tight-lipped, disdainful smirk she always had.
A loud bang, followed by the sound of breaking glass and the shrieking groan of twisting metal pried my gaze from Stone, and suddenly I wasn’t in the cabin anymore. I was in Hawthorn, standing in the common room, water pouring in and pooling at my feet. I started to scream then clamped my hands over my mouth and shut my eyes.
“Liv?” Cash’s voice called to me, but I wouldn’t open my eyes.
I felt his hands clasp around my shoulders and heard him call to me again. “Liv, please open your eyes.”
“No,” I managed to say.
“Liv!” Cash gave me a gentle shake and pulled me out of my nightmare. I opened my eyes to find myself back in the cabin, surrounded by Cash and the others.
“What the hell was that?” I screamed, lunging toward Nyx. Cash grabbed me by the waist and held me back, securing his arm around my arms as well.
“Your mind goes to some dark places, Liv. Had I known…”
“They create hallucinations,” Charlie explained, concern washing over her as she came to my side.
“Why would you do that to me?” I asked, still glancing frantically all around me for Stone, like she’d just pop out again.
“My sister can reach into your memories and help create a more vivid experience. I’m sorry, Liv. We didn’t know you had such a trau
matic past. Please accept our apology.” Lux bowed.
I caught my breath and looked around at the concerned faces of Cash, Charlie and Dozer. I looked back at Lux and nodded.
Then Glitch burst into the living room, soaking wet.
“Are we gonna eat soon?” he asked, just a bit too loud. Everyone stared at him. Nyx pinned him with a look that made him blush. “Sorry, it’s just that Headset was asking.”
Nyx raised her brow. “We have some steaks in the fridge,” she told him. “We can barbecue out on the beach.”
“Sweet!” Glitch disappeared.
“Look at us.” Lux beamed, then his gaze fell to me again. “Just like one big happy family.”
I wasn’t convinced.
Chapter Five
The night was warm and the sky was alive with stars. We settled around a fire pit on the beach and listened to the rhythmic sound of waves pushing and pulling along the shore. Flashlights danced along the water’s edge as Glitch, Headset and Bebe searched for crayfish in the shallows. The sound of their giddy laughter carried across the lake and comforted me as I fought to push back the memory of Stone in the cabin, and the twin’s recreation of Hawthorn’s destruction.
I looked across the fire and caught Nyx’s gaze. She smiled at me and nodded. I looked away quickly. The thought of what she could do made my skin crawl. With the exception of Cash, the rest of the Nomads seemed at ease with the twins and Charlie in particular, was finally starting to feel more relaxed. I didn’t want to take that from her.
Dozer passed around the steak skewers, fresh from the grill. Charlie regaled the twins with tales of their travels since the last time they’d gotten together. Her stories were full of funny antics, usually about Headset and his abilities. His influx of powers interested the twins, but her motherly stories about how he was growing and learning made their eyes glaze over. She didn’t seem to notice or care; she was so wrapped up in the memory and how proud she was of her little brother.
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