“I’m not like you.”
Only four words, and as I let each one spill forth, it was like someone gutted me with a knife.
How I wanted to be like them, but I wasn’t. I just wasn’t. And having three mates was proof of that. More differences, more things that made me a freak of nature even around people who were accustomed to being thought of that way by the world at large.
“What do you mean?” Reed rasped.
My mind fluttered like a butterfly, ping-ponging from thought to thought, unable to settle anywhere. How did I explain the inexplicable?
Sensing the growing agitation in the room, I cast each boy a look, taking in their stern handsomeness, and questioned how on earth I’d made it to this point. It was almost crazy, but then, wasn’t I?
Didn’t that sum my life up perfectly?
“The first day I arrived here, Nicholas explained that we have seven souls.”
Dre scowled at me. “We already know this, Eve—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Stefan growled at him. Then, eyes flashing, he looked at me and encouraged, “Carry on, Eve.”
Dipping my chin, I murmured, “I told him I have eight.”
There was silence at my admission, and they processed it with nary a difference in their expressions—no surprise, not even shock. Just curiosity.
“He said that was because one of the seven was more dominant. That I was mistaken…” They all nodded, and I knew that was where they’d gone with my words. If only things were that simple. “But I’m not mistaken. There are eight.” I gnawed on my bottom lip for a second, then seeing their disbelief, repeated, “There are eight. You think I don’t know the difference?”
Reed narrowed his eyes at me as he settled his butt on the armrest of the long sofa. His attention was on me one hundred percent, and I had to admit, I liked it.
I liked it a lot.
In fact, all six men had their focus on me, and rather than feel flustered or overwhelmed, I felt alive.
Like the energy in my veins was too much to contain.
Like being here with them was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Of course, that made no sense, and I shoved the thought away and murmured, “I didn’t know the names of the others. But when I learned them, when you taught me about them, it just reaffirmed what I’d already known.
“There are eight. Each one is unique, and as I’ve learned the traits for the others, it makes that last one stand out even more.”
Reed cleared his throat. “What does the eighth soul do?”
I blinked at him. “Good question.” Shooting him a tight smile, I stated, “Not as much as the others. It’s like it’s dormant. It watches.” My brow puckered as I tried to explain the impossible. “It’s almost like it’s in charge of the others. I feel the others, and they’re powerful, but somehow, that one holds a mantel of power that supersedes what the rest can do.”
“And that’s it?” Frazer rasped. “It just controls the others?”
Though I wanted to be wholly upfront with him, there was no point. He wouldn’t believe me. None of them would.
Until they experienced it for themselves.
“It seems to be that way,” I answered instead.
“Well, that’s not too bad. I mean, if it was like another Hell Hound or a Succubus, then we’d be in the shit,” Frazer asserted, sending me a smile I assumed was supposed to be comforting.
It didn’t work.
I didn’t say that though, because the eighth soul wasn’t like any of the others. It truly was unique, and I didn’t know everything it was capable of either. There was no point in spreading fear on the subject when that soul had never given me reason to be scared.
Concerned? Sure. But scared, no.
“Caelum doesn’t like unusual.” The words, not surprisingly, came from Dre. “Whether or not this eighth soul is dormant or a figment of her imagination, the fact she has three mates tells us she’s different, that something about her is weird. Which makes me believe this eighth soul is the very reason why you three are her Chosen.” He wasn’t trying to be a jerk, and I appreciated that for once, even if he did make me feel like some kind of nincompoop. Then, he made my heart sink through my chest, when he said, “She can’t stay here.”
And the others about broke that sunken heart when they nodded, their features set in grim, stressed and tense lines, as they agreed with him.
“We need to make sure she appears normal until we can figure out a way to get her off the island,” Frazer rasped, running a hand through his hair, disheveling the short locks in a way that made me wish I could stroke them back into some semblance of order.
I supposed, as my Chosen, I did have the right to do that, but I couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Not yet, at any rate.
And his words, well, I wasn’t sure if they filled me with dread or happiness.
I’d known from the start I’d have to find a way off Caelum. Preferably before graduation, before I had to walk through the gates once more. But knowing and doing were two separate entities.
But were they going to come with me?
I was afraid to admit how much I wanted them to.
“They’re keeping a tight lock on her because of the extra studies,” Dre pointed out. “They’re monitoring her. Making sure her late arrival at the Academy isn’t going to have an adverse effect on her.” When a surprised squeak escaped me, he grunted, “They weren’t doing it out of the kindness of their heart, sweetheart. They’re making sure you don’t turn Ghoul on their watch.”
“Enough,” Reed spat, glowering at Dre, and I noticed he looked bigger than before. Not like that should have been possible, but his biceps bulged harder, his veins pulsing all over his torso which, thanks to his shirtless state, was completely visible now.
“We’ll figure out a way,” Frazer said softly, calmly. “Reed, it’s okay, brother. We’ll keep her safe.”
I watched as my Chosen’s nostrils flared, his teeth still gritted as he glowered at Dre. Then, he cut a look at Frazer and nodded before making a concerted effort to calm down. I watched his color change as he began an unusual breathing routine that had his chest bellowing, but appeared to bring him some kind of peace.
“How?” Eren’s voice broke into the uneasy quiet. “How can we? We’re stuck on here until they let us out, and we can’t sneak her off the island when we’re on a mission. We go straight into battle zones. She’ll be in danger.”
Samuel licked his lips. “We have funds that surpass Caelum’s. Money is no object.”
A muscle in Stefan’s jaw ticked. “Money doesn’t solve everything.”
“Never said it did,” Samuel grated out, and he moved his hand, flicked his fingers in a way that had one of his knuckles popping. “But it certainly fucking helps.” To Frazer, he added, “We can get a boat. Have them come to shore without a motor, then sneak off the island that way.”
My eyes widened. “We could do that?”
Samuel stared at me, and I was surprised to see there was a softness to his expression as he looked at me. The last time I’d spoken to him had ended up with me trying to break his nose. The gentleness was unexpected but appreciated.
He nodded. “We could. If Frazer thinks that’s the best route.”
After my last run-in with him, a run-in that saw me attack him, I’d feared he was another Dre, and that was the last thing I needed. Dealing with one Dre was bad enough. Almost like running headfirst into a brick wall a thousand times and hoping the last time would be like running into a bank of clouds instead. That Samuel was capable of kindness gave me hope.
“It’s an option,” Frazer acknowledged, making me glance at him.
From his sternness, and the way he was staring at the ground, I knew he was thinking hard and fast about the other options available to us.
And yes, their words showed me we were an ‘us.’ I couldn’t help but be relieved by that.
“We can’t leave yet,” Stefan pointed out. “Our souls haven’t d
eclared themselves, and we have to go through the portal.”
Frazer’s mouth tightened. “I know.”
“Plus, if there was still some blowback to be had from the Aboh op, we’d be sitting ducks for McAllister,” Stefan grunted. “Should have known that bitch wouldn’t show up to dirty her hands.”
It didn’t take much to figure out they were talking about the mission that had put Nestor in the sickbay. He was the only one still out of the loop because he was, undoubtedly, still unconscious. My heart ached to see him, and as that had been my original intention this morning—to visit him—before this had all begun, I hated that he’d be waking up without me at his side.
From the way the two were talking, though, it didn’t surprise me that Frazer and Stefan were the ones who seemed like they were in charge. They were, after all. Of their own individual Packs.
As the eldest, when he hit twenty, Dre would declare his Pack, but that didn’t mean he’d be leading it. Stefan would. I saw it in him then. I mean, it had always been there. Had always been a prominent part of his character—his dominance. Still, it hit home because I’d never seen this side of him before.
He was a soldier at that moment.
A soldier who was going to war for me.
My throat closed at that, and I let it. I wasn’t alone. They were with me. But that it was because I’d forced their hand was like a knife to the belly. It triggered a strange pain that went far deeper than the physical.
“Look, leaving is a last-minute thing,” Dre interjected, his tone reasonable. “It’s what we do if shit hits the fan. So far, Little Bo Peep over there has managed to keep her crap in line. The faculty doesn’t suspect anything, and you three have managed to keep the fact you’re mated under wraps. Until the status quo changes, we don’t have to go anywhere. We can stay here, and I think that’s for the best.
“We’re not sure when Nestor will be back on his feet, and we still need to train, we still need for Bo Peep to get up-to-date with everything. If we left now, then…” He shrugged. “We’re just cutting our noses off to spite our faces. If it’s only an extra three weeks, it’s time on our side. Not just for blowback, but also for the fact we’re all currently safe here and still training.”
“You’re right,” Samuel told him.
“It does happen from time to time,” Dre retorted, snarky as ever.
“We still need to have a plan in place for emergencies. This eighth soul… it’s decided it’s in charge for the moment, but if that shifts?” Frazer shook his head. “We need to be off here within a few hours.”
Samuel nodded. “The minute we’re done here, I’ll make some calls.”
Frazer grunted. “Thanks, Sammy. Make sure the boat is big enough for all of us and a crew, yeah?”
“Didn’t think anything else, Fraze,” Samuel replied, and from the calmness etched on his features? He hadn’t been lying.
Although these boys hated each other, for me, they were uniting.
Even Dre.
God. Had I reaped a miracle?
“If this is too much, just tell us, okay?” Frazer said, his tone surprisingly insistent.
Samuel grunted at Frazer’s concern. “Twice I had to take blood from a bag,” he mumbled. “It doesn’t happen every day.”
“Your Vampire is starting to cannibalize the other souls,” Frazer retorted. “That means you’re getting stronger but will be more tired. There’s no shame in needing help.”
Well, that was news to all of us by the looks of it.
“You’re close to the final phase?” Stefan questioned, his respect evident in his tone.
Sammy wrinkled his nose. “That’s what the sickbay is saying.”
“Until then,” Frazer broke into the conversation like things hadn’t gone off track, “we need to work something out.”
“She needs training,” Stefan suggested. “Outside of her classes with the faculty. If we can get her in tune with her other souls, maybe help build her control some… it might ease the strain?”
“Or it could agitate the eighth,” Eren replied grimly.
“Maybe, but I doubt it,” Reed inserted. “Our souls like control. They appreciate it. When we’re balanced, they are. Teaching her about what we can do and who we are, can’t do anything other than help.”
Dre tapped his fingers against the armrest as he stared at me, skewering me with his glance. How he always made me feel so small, so pathetic was beyond me, but if his intention was to make me feel as useless as a bag of potatoes, it worked. Every time. “What happened with Lewis?”
I blinked. “Lewis?”
“The kid you dangled by his throat?”
The room fell silent, and Stefan turned his gaze toward me. “Eve?”
Why I felt sheepish, I wasn’t sure. Lewis had tried to hurt me. Had tripped me up to humiliate me. He deserved no pity from me. I cleared my throat. “He tripped me up.”
Frazer’s scowl made an appearance then, and it darkened as he rumbled, “When?”
“Yesterday. Before you guys arrived. I was rushing out because I saw the plane was coming into land, and he just stuck his foot out to trip me up.” The sudden surge of emotions in the room was close to overpowering, but even though those emotions were distinctly negative and did not bode well for Lewis, it made me feel cosseted.
They were furious on my behalf.
And I loved it.
“What happened after?” Eren asked, his eyes flinty and his mouth drawn into a tight line as he cracked his knuckles—the sound came in tangent with Reed whose knuckles popped so loudly, I flinched.
Again, I cleared my throat. “I… well, it was my Hell Hound day yesterday. You know that.”
Stefan hissed out a curse. “You were amped up when we landed.”
Worrying my fingers, I nodded and admitted, “I picked him up and threw him into a coffee table.” Silence fell at my words. The guys looked at one another, then they began snickering. Huffing, I stacked my hands on my hips and ground out, “What’s so funny?”
Reed shook his head. “We’re not laughing at you, Eve.”
“No? It feels like it,” I groused.
“Well, we’re not.” He moved toward me, the warmth in his eyes close to unnerving if I hadn’t appreciated it so much. When his hand collided with my arm, the heat from his touch sank into me, so rich and deep that I almost shivered in response. Shivering was the body’s reaction to cold, but I was burning up. Because of him. Because of them. “We’re laughing because you won’t take any shit from anyone, and you just proved that yesterday.”
“And that’s a good thing?” I questioned, peering up into those soulful orbs of his.
“It’s the best. In a world of predators, it’s always good to remind them who’s top dog.”
I snorted. “I’m not top dog.”
“Maybe not, but you showed by example that you’re not about to be messed with. If that point hadn’t been hit home when you treated Samuel to a smackdown, then…”
“Nothing would prove it,” Stefan inserted, and his tone was loaded with satisfaction. “As it stands, they should leave you alone now.”
“Caelum is, essentially, a dog eat dog world,” Samuel explained, and though his tone was cool, somehow his calm expression soothed me in turn. “They waited until you were alone, converged on you to see how weak a target you were, and you proved you weren’t.”
“And that’s good?”
His top lip curled. “That’s the best thing you could have done.”
“Bastards waited until we were gone to start in on her,” Stefan spat, and I felt the surge in his aggression.
I shook my head. “No. They ignored me for the most part.”
That had Samuel grunting. “They isolated you, Eve. Isolated you when they knew full well your friends had gone, and that those friends might be in danger too… It’s a dominance thing.” He rubbed his chin. “This is proof that her strength goes beyond her looks. News will spread about the faculty.”
Eren shrugged. “Not necessarily a bad thing. We’ve absorbed her into our Pack so they have to know we wouldn’t have done that if she couldn’t match us.”
“They may just think you’re being kind,” Frazer countered.
I snorted. “Have you met Dre? He’s incapable of being kind.” As the others hooted at my words, Dre just shot me a narrow-eyed glare—but he didn’t argue. At least that meant he wasn’t a liar as well as a bully.
“The faculty know but haven’t called her in,” Eren told Samuel. “If there was a problem, she’d have been hauled to Nicholas’s office.”
“True.” He rubbed his chin again, and this time, scraped his nails over his stubble, which made a scratchy sound that was actually quite pleasant. “Still, this is further proof that we have to help her. Self-control here means the difference between us being discovered and staying under the radar. If that happens again…”
“We’re not leaving again,” Stefan retorted. “No one is going to pull that kind of shit with us around.”
Samuel conceded that with a nod. “True. But still, training is more imperative now than ever.”
“Whatever she is when she wakes up, that’s her day to train with whichever of us corresponds, yeah?” Frazer offered.
Everyone nodded at his suggestion, and I didn’t intrude because, while I felt the Angel of Death’s wings tickle my spine as they fluttered closer, it seemed like I’d found a way off this island that didn’t involve death.
My mouth worked, though, as I tried to figure out how to put my gratitude into words. Instead, when I couldn’t find the right thing to say, I blurted out, “You don’t have to do this.”
Frazer, Reed, and Stefan all narrowed their eyes at me, and even Dre, Eren, and Samuel looked perturbed.
“Why wouldn’t we? You’re ours,” Stefan grated out.
My chin trembled. “By a sleight of hand. You didn’t choose me.”
“That’s how it works for us, Eve,” Reed rasped, his biceps bulging in a way I was coming to sense was his temper monitor. “Males have no say in who Chooses them.”
Dre snorted. “You say that like females do.” He cut me a look. “As much as I think you’re a pain in the ass, Eve, you didn’t do this. You’re stuck with us as much as we’re stuck with you.”
Eight Souls: The Caelum Academy Trilogy: Part TWO Page 5
