Twisted Secrets (Twisted Fates Book 1)

by Jeze Xyn

  That got her attention. “Trip?”

  “Yes, Sweetness. I was hoping to save you this by getting information from my contacts, but it seems no one has any information bout your family. The only way we’re going to find out when Demon blood entered your family tree is if we go ask.”

  “You mean we’re going to my parents’ home?”

  I could see the conflicting emotions in her eyes. “We are. We need answers before we see the Council in two days. If we leave now, we can get there and back by tomorrow evening.”

  “Do we really have to do this?”

  There was fear in her voice. As Dax moved so he could hold her, Malik joined me where I knelt in front of them.

  “What are you afraid of, Kesah?” Malik asked.

  “I’m afraid I’ll lose control and hurt one of them. I’m just so angry with them for hiding the truth from me all my life.”

  “We know you’re angry, Kesah, but we’ll all be right there. We will make sure you don’t hurt anyone.”

  “Promise?”

  In that moment, she was so fragile I just wanted to hold her and not let go.

  “We promise, Sweetness. You can do this. You’ve fought off vampires, you can do this,” I urged, reminding her that she wasn’t a fragile China doll.

  “Okay. Then I need to get up and go shower, because there’s no way in hell I’m riding in a car for hours with come seeping out of both holes.”

  Her response made me laugh. “I do love your wit, Sweetness. Go, shower, but be ready to go in half an hour.”

  “Aye, aye, captain,” she teased.

  Malik took his shirt off and offered it to her. “So you don’t have to walk through the compound naked,” he explained.

  “Oh. Thank you.”

  We watched as she tugged it on and then quickly scurried out of the room.

  “You two should get cleaned up too. I don’t want to smell sex the entire drive,” Malik said.

  I nodded in agreement. “Be ready to go in half an hour,” I replied before I left to go to my own quarters.

  We’d done everything we could to reassure Arianna that nothing bad would happen when we went to see her parents, but the truth was, all four of us wanted to hurt them for the injustices they’d leveled on her all of her life.

  Chapter 14

  Arianna

  I stared at my closet, trying to decide what toy wear I hadn’t seen my parents since I’d disappeared four years ago. Has they tried to find me? Or were they relieved to no longer have to lie about who they were, what they were?

  “Just pick something, you’re running out of time.”

  I’d chosen to dress comfortably for the drive. I would have Zaine stop before we got to the house so I could change clothes.

  After another agonizing minute, I grabbed an ankle length skirt in a deep chocolate that reminded me of Malik’s eyes, and paired it with a gold silk top that made me thing of Dax. A pair of strappy heels and I had my overnight bag packed.

  There was a knock at my door and I sighed. I knew it would be one of my men.

  “Ready to go, Kesah?” Bastien asked the moment I opened the door.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” He was the only one of my men I’d yet to be with. Of the four of them, he seemed the most reserved. Was that a Fae trait?

  “Let me take that.”

  He held his hand out for the bag and I let him take it from me. It was going to take some getting used to, having four men wanting to take care of me.

  Bastien motioned me down the hall in front of him and we made our way back to the main floor of the compound. Calix, Reylen, and Tanyth were waiting with Zaine, Maik, and Dax.

  “Looks like the gang’s all here. I take it they’re coming, too?” I motioned toward Calix and the men standing with her.

  “They are. Is there a problem?” Zaine cocked a brow at me.

  “Nope. I was just curious.” I turned to where my sister stood, but my attention was on Reylen.

  “I wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn’t mean to fling you into the barrier.”

  “Think nothing of it. You’ve got twenty-five years of power suddenly uncaged, I’m surprised you haven’t brought the building down around us.”

  I looked at him before my attention went to Malik. “Is he serious? Could that have really happened?”

  “Yes, Kesah, if we were not here to help you to focus.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Language, Sweetness.”

  “Didn’t we already have this chat, Zaine? I already told you, I’m far from a lady fuck is my favorite word.” I grinned at him.

  “Someone remind me to paddle her when we get back,” came from Malik and I swallowed. Me and my big mouth.

  “As cute as it is to watch the way the five of you banter, we’re burning the night oil. Shouldn’t we get going?” Calix interrupted.

  “Calix is right. Let’s go.”

  Zaine led the way to the large SUV. “Bas and Malik, you two take the back seat with Arianna. Dax, you’re up front with me.”

  “Shouldn’t I be the one up front?” I questioned as Bastien opened the back passenger door for me. “You know, to tell you where to go?” I added.

  “I already have the address plugged into the GPS, Sweetness. This way you can rest if you need it,” Zaine replied.

  “Where did you...you know what, nevermind, you probably already had the address.”

  I climbed into the backseat and Bastien followed me. Malik had already gotten in on the driver’s side. I settled between them and tried to not think about where we were headed, but it was impossible.

  I was going to see my parents for the first time since I’d left. Part of me was excited but the other part was furious about all the secrets.

  I felt the men on either side of me slide a hand down to take mine and smiled. They were trying to comfort me in tight quarters.

  “We’ll follow your lead, Zaine,” I heard Calix say before Zaine got in, turned the engine on, and we were off.

  As we neared the city limits of my hometown, I stretched and focused out the window. Things I’d never noticed before were now abundantly clear.

  Mr. Chan, who owned the bookstore, had a green aura around him. I saw several others with auras, but not everyone had them.

  “Can I ask a question? Well, two actually.”

  “Of course, Sweetness. Ask away.”

  “Why do some people have auras and some don’t?”

  “Auras mean the individual isn’t human.”

  “Huh. There are a lot more Supernaturals in my hometown than I’d realized. Now for my second question—can we stop before we get to the house so I can change my clothes?”

  “I will do you one better, Sweetness. I have already arranged for two rooms at the hotel so that we can all get a few hours sleep until we have to return home.”

  “I could kiss you right now. If you weren’t driving, that is. A hotel room is perfect.”

  He drove us to the hotel, got us checked in, and then took us to our rooms. He’d gotten connecting rooms to make it safer and easier to defend if either group was attacked.

  I changed quickly, put my hair in a braid, and applied some eye liner and lipstick and considered myself done.

  When I exited the bathroom, where I’d gone to change, I discovered the guys had changed clothes as well.

  “Well, don’t we all look presentable now?”

  “And the nerves are back.”

  I looked over at Dax, who shrugged at me.

  “Every time you get nervous, you get snarky. Just remember, we’ll be right there with you, Doll.”

  I went to him and gave him a quick kiss before doing the same with Malik, Bas, and Zaine.

  “Let’s get this over with. There’s nothing they can say that will ever make me forgive them for all the years they lied to me, but I need answers.”

  “Good girl,” Malik growled.

  I smiled over at him. Their personalities were so differe
nt, and yet the four of them complimented each other. All four men fit me in ways I never would have expected.

  Fifteen minutes after leaving the hotel, we sat in front of the house I’d grown up in. There were some changes—like the ramp where the steps used to be—but for the most part, it was still the same.

  I was grateful my men didn’t rush me in getting out. My life was about to change, even more than it already had, and I just wanted to take a moment to enjoy the calm before the storm.

  “Okay. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” I finally said.

  Four doors opened and Bas held his hand out to help me out of the SUV. I slipped my hand into his and the reassuring squeeze he gave me as I slid out of the vehicle calmed my racing heart.

  I heard Calix, Tanyth, and Reylen get out of their vehicle, and as one unit we made out way up the walk to the front door. My hand shook a little when I reached out to press the doorbell.

  The chime seemed loud but I knew that was just my nerves. The locks turned on the other side of the door, and then it opened to reveal my father standing there.

  “Ari? Is it really you?”

  “Hi dad. It’s really me.”

  “Gods, we thought you were dead. After you disappeared, we tried to find you but…”

  His voice trailed off as if he’d only just realized I wasn’t alone.

  “My apologies, please come in everyone.” he stepped back, and it wasn’t until Calix passed over the threshold that my father’s stoic facade disappeared.

  “The Council. They’re why we couldn’t find you. I should have known they would steal you off the streets.”

  I turned to stare at him. “Steal me off the streets? You make it sound like I’m a child. Let’s ignore the fact that’s not why you couldn’t find me. I’d moved away, changed my name, I didn’t leave a paper trail, I even dyed my hair to stay hidden.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing, Dad. You and Mom owe me some answers.”

  “Isiah, who was at...Arianna?”

  Seeing my mother in the wheelchair had a sound escaping my throat. It was so hard seeing her bound to the contraption when she used to be so active.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  I watched as her gaze took everyone else in and then she nodded. “I see. I suppose at least some of our secrets are out. You have questions. Come, I will answer what I can, Daughters.”

  I glanced over at Calix before I followed my mother into the living room. Everyone took seats—Bas and Malik sat either side of me—and I waited to see what she would say, first.

  “Before you ask your questions, I want you to know that the choices we made weren’t easy ones. Not any of them.” She looked over at Calix with her last words.

  “I need to know why you did it. Why did you have a woman who was supposedly my aunt, but was really a Fae High Mage, bind my magic? Why did you lie to me my entire life?”

  “We did it to keep you safe. Several generations ago, an ancestor made a pact with the Aegis Council, a pact neither your father nor I agreed with. When the Council delegate came, we feared we were going to lose both of our babes. The thought of even having to give up one was heartbreaking enough. When your sister was born, the delegate took her and left. He didn’t even wait to make sure I wasn’t having twins, despite them running in both mine and your father’s line. We thought the Fates had finally smiled upon us, by letting us keep one. We kept you hidden so the Council wouldn’t come and take you away from us, too.”

  “What right did you have to bind my magic?”

  “We were your parents. That gave us the right,” my father said.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “I was your daughter, not your pet or your slave.”

  I could feel the anger rising and Malik’s arm slid around me, pulling me into his body. Just his touch soothed me.

  “If I may interject,” Zaine said and I nodded in thanks.

  “You were hiding from the Council. It makes sense. There is another reason we’re here. One even more important.”

  “What could be more important than us trying to dupe the Council?” my mother asked.

  “We need to know how far back the Demon blood in your husband goes, and if either of you know who the Demon is.”

  “You know?”

  “Yes, Mother, I know. I found out the hard way. I became furious about something and black flame erupted from me. I could have killed someone.”

  “It’s all right, Kala. I can answer this.”

  I watched as my father moved to my mother’s side and placed his hands on her shoulders.

  “The Demon is my grandfather. His name is Bezromuth.”

  I felt Malik tense beside me. Now wasn’t the time to question him, but it was clear he knew the name.

  “You have to understand, we did what we thought was best for you, Arianna. We did it out of love.”

  I looked at my mother and I tried to put myself in their shoes. They didn’t agree with a pact made generations before, but they were forced to honor it. Maybe, if faced with the same situation, I would have made the same choices.

  “Thank you, Mother.” I turned to Calix. “Let me introduce you to your other daughter, Calix. Calix, our parents, Kala and Isaiah Tenebris.”

  I watched as Calix stepped forward. I’d expected her to just offer a handshake, but she surprised me. She dropped to her knees in front of the wheelchair and gave out mother a hug.

  “I’d like to visit sometime, if I can.”

  I was close enough I heard her whispered words, but I didn’t know if anyone else heard them.

  Our mother nodded and then Calix stood and shared a hug with our father.

  I went to our parents, hugged them both, promised to keep in touch, and then we were gone.

  We went back to the hotel to rest, but the moment we were in the room I turned to Malik.

  “Okay, Malik, spill. As soon as my father said the name of the Demon, you tensed up.”

  “Bezromuth is in the upper echelon of Tazanoth Demons. If you have his power flowing through your flames, it’s imperative that we go to Hell and seek an audience with him as soon as our meeting with the Council is over.”

  “I had a bad feeling you were going to say that,” Dax grumbled.

  “Can we just go back to the compound now? Do we really need to stay?”

  “I know your stressed, but everyone needs the rest, Sweetness,” Zaine replied.

  I sighed. “Fine.”

  I changed back into the leggings and loose top I’d been wearing before and crawled into the kingsize bed. All four men joined me, and with them surrounding me, I fell asleep.

  Chapter 15

  Arianna

  I felt a gentle rocking motion that pulled me from sleep. I frowned when I realized we were back in the SUV and, judging by where we were at, we were pretty close to the compound.

  “Look who’s awake,” Dax teased.

  I yawned and rolled my neck to ease the tension in it. “Okay, someone want to explain how we ended up in the SUV, because when I went to sleep we were at the hotel.”

  “As soon as you fell asleep, Zaine decided we should head back. Calix, Tanyth, and Reylen stayed behind to enjoy the amenities.”

  “What happened to ‘everyone needs their rest’?”

  “I changed my mind. I felt you might be more at ease if you felt safe.”

  I smiled warmly at him. “Thank you, Zaine.”

  “Anything to make our girl happy,” was his reply.

  The gates to the compound opened and I thought about the differences between now and when I first arrived.

  “What’s the grin for?” Bas asked.

  “Oh, just thinking about how different things are from just a few days ago. The strange thing is, I feel like I’ve been here forever.”

  “Is that such a bad thing, Kesah?” he questioned.

  “No, Not at all.”

  I was sitting between him and Dax while Malik rode in the front seat. I didn’t even notice that my fing
ers were trailing along his legs until he leaned close to me and growled.

  “Keep that up, and I’ll be forced to take you in the car, with the others watching.”

  I felt my cheeks warm. “Sorry.”

  He took my hands in his and kissed the palm.

  “No apologies, but once we stop, you’re mine.”

  I shuddered at his words. “Okay.”

  Once we pulled into the garage, Bastien was out of the SUV and tugging me with him.

  “We will be unavailable for a few hours,” he told the others.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck as he strode through the compound, down one level, and through corridors until he reached a door.

  “Where are we?”

  “My quarters.”

  Those two words were ominous. The door opened and he stepped inside. He closed and locked the door, and then, with a single focus, he headed to the bedroom.

  Once there, he put me on my feet and slowly stripped me. His lips tasted my skin and we both moaned.

  “Are you claustrophobic, Kesah?”

  I frowned at him. “Not that I’m aware of, why?”

  “Good. Do you have an aversion to rope?”

  “No. Fuck no. Are you planning to tie me up?”

  “I’m going to do so much more than that, Kesah.”

  He moved away from me and went to a cabinet. From there he withdrew several lengths of rope.

  “I know Malik uses the stoplight system, but I don’t. Pick a safeword, something you’re not likely to use during sex.”

  “Applejacks.” I didn’t even hesitate.

  He nodded. “Good girl.” Then he spent time wrapping each length around me. My arms were bound in front of me in a way that they pushed my breasts up. The rope around my legs kept me from closing them, and then he attached a smaller piece of rope to the ones wrapped around my arms. The other end was attached to the ropes around my legs, thus making it impossible for me to move them.

  “Beautiful.”

  He removed a camera and took photos from various angles. Then he set it aside and leaned in to kiss me. His hands caressed my skin and he tweaked my nipples until I moaned.