by Eden Ashley
“You’re lying,” Rion said. Her blood smeared the front of his t-shirt, adding a sort of grim authenticity to the “TEAM JACOB” lettering. When she didn’t deny the charge, Rion folded both hands behind his head and started pacing.
Bailen whined.
“I’m sorry,” War whispered.
Kali felt horrible. This was really her fault. She had pushed War into fighting. It was her idea to use real weapons. “Rhane doesn’t have to know.”
“Are you crazy?” Rion almost shouted. “Look at your arm. He almost took your freaking arm off! If it wasn’t for Orrin…” He started pacing again. “Oh man.”
She pushed to her feet and felt dizzy with the effort. “Okay. Just calm down.” The only person not in panic mode was River. He watched from a corner, observing them all with distant interest. But his cool eyes followed her every move, making her shiver. She really wanted to punch him. Back in the clearing, it was the sight of him that had made her lose focus. Now everyone was in trouble. Everyone except for him.
Okay. Maybe it probably isn’t fair to put all the blame on River.
“We could come up with a different version of events. One that doesn’t get you in trouble, War.”
“A soldier admits his mistakes.”
She mentally smacked herself in the forehead. “I think a soldier can make an exception if admitting a mistake will lead to his untimely demise.”
War kept quiet. His eyes were nothing except resolute. Kali sighed. “Will you at least let me explain to him what happened? This wasn’t your fault. I pushed you into this.”
When he still didn’t answer, Rion stepped in. “Dude, let her help. It’s not just your butt on the line here.”
Lips pressed together, War jerked his head in an abrupt nod. “Thank you,” Rion exclaimed. He turned to Kali. “So, what are you going to tell Rhane?”
“I’m going to tell him the truth. This entire thing was my idea. I forced all of you into it. And…I’m sorry.”
Rion shook his head. “That’s not going to do it.”
“Why not?”
“Because we are responsible for you. You taking all the blame won’t work. It will sound like exactly what it is—you covering for us.”
Rion’s face blurred and cleared again as a jolt of agony seared through her arm. The handful of aspirin she’d downed earlier had started to wear off. Kali cradled her arm, attempting to ease the throb. “Then what should I say?”
“Tell him it was me.” Everyone turned at the sound of Orrin’s restrained solution. His gaze was fixed on his twin. Kali’s gaze automatically went to the bandage on Orrin’s right hand. Seeing it triggered another surge of gratitude.
“Warren, you struggle beneath burdens of shortcomings which are false. Allow me to carry this one for you.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Rhane will forgive me long before you forgive yourself.”
“Orrin—” War didn’t finish the objection. Kali looked at him expectantly, wondering why. Then the crunch of gravel and the sound of a pickup engine reached her weaker human ears.
Chapter 50
Rhane leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes. He hadn’t puked in the last ten miles. That was good. But his skin tingled all over, like an after burn of being burned alive. The dizziness he felt was almost incapacitating, as if someone had maxed out a merry go round and parked it inside his skull. Each time he tried to sit up, everything swam and blurred. Talking was a no-go. His mouth remained shut in order to effectively combat successive waves of nausea. So he couldn’t explain why he had nearly crashed the truck at eighty miles per hour on the freeway. Only York’s reflexes had prevented catastrophe.
Hearing his name, Rhane shifted and turned his head. The action rewarded him with a throat full of bile. He gritted his teeth. More pain. He swallowed, took a breath, and opened his eyes. To say that York was freaking out would have been an understatement. The guy had bought the panic station.
But York couldn’t help it. He had just seen the strongest person he knew completely succumb to a supernatural force of which he had only a rudimentary understanding. One second, they were following Wesley. They passed an empty car. Weird red lights appeared, ones that reminded him a lot of the flashlight glow from a certain Builder friend. And then whamo! Crazy happened. Rhane was twisting and writhing as if caught on a live wire. Then his entire body went rigid, right before he slumped into a limp puddle of parts inside the cab.
Through all of it York had shouted too many obscenities to count, frantically trying to keep the truck on the road around flailing extremities. Rhane stayed out for hours. And when he woke up the puking started. Lots and lots of puking.
York pulled to the side of the road repeatedly and had to assist Rhane from the truck because the guy could barely walk. His skin was hot to the touch. Like a fever burned inside of him. He couldn’t talk, though he tried a couple of times. Each attempt just ended with more stomach contents emptied onto the ground. Once, York had given up and puked with him. He didn’t know what the hell was going on. And so far Rhane had been unable to clarify any details.
“We’re home,” York announced unnecessarily. He just needed to say something.
Rhane didn’t dare nod. His eyes were open. That would have to be enough confirmation. He wanted to lie down. Unfortunately, that required moving from the seat, walking, climbing several flights of stairs, and then more walking.
“You look like crap and probably feel even worse. But you’re gonna have to glue it together for two reasons. One: I’d really like to know what’s going on. Two: I think Kalista might be hurt.”
“What?” Rhane pulled himself up on the last statement. His head immediately went into a spin. He grabbed the dashboard to keep from falling back.
York sniffed the air again to be certain. “Kali is injured.”
Systematically, Rhane shut down his senses. The burning stopped. The headache quit pounding. His ears ceased registering movement. The bitterness that coated his tongue disappeared. And there it was. The smell of Kalista’s blood.
Pure adrenaline kicked in. Not allowing his mind to explore the worst scenarios, Rhane stumbled out of the truck and staggered toward the house. York took an elbow to steady him. Especially going up the steps, he was really grateful for the help but shrugged York off at the door. Things inside had gotten really quiet. Whatever it was, it was bad.
The first thing he noticed was how pale Kalista looked and the odd manner in which she held her left arm. Then she was talking, explaining too fast for his dizzy brain and muted world to take it all in. Orrin interjected. Rhane considered the young kin’s bandaged hand but heard none of his words. Standing upright currently dominated his focus. But he didn’t need to know what Orrin was saying. Orrin never interrupted. Ever.
The final clue came from War. He stood in silence off to one side, looking as guilty as hell.
“Warren.” Rhane’s voice rang out strongly enough to silence the rest. The boy’s face crumbled. Removing the ball cap, he came at once. In front of Rhane, he respectfully averted his eyes to a point near the center of Rhane’s left shoulder.
Only willpower held Rhane on his feet by a single, fragile thread. He had to make this quick. “I have neither the patience nor the energy for your disappointments right now. Go. Find Matthias and relieve him of patrol. I will retrieve you when I see fit.”
War blinked long and slow, fighting for composure. He’d screwed up yet again. And now he was being kicked out of the house like some stupid kid. Rhane was so angry. No doubt, a worse and more embarrassing punishment would follow. Folding one arm across his chest, he bowed. “Yes, Warlord.” Then he turned away.
Just before War stepped outside, Rhane offered one final pronouncement. “You should have been above this, Warren.”
At those words, his back stiffened. But War stepped into the night and closed the door softly. Dropping to all fours, he disappeared into the woods. He couldn’t disobey aga
in. He had to find Matthias.
Rhane turned to Kalista. “Come with me please.”
Dismissing War from the house had its advantages. Climbing to the third floor to reach the master bedroom would have been impossible at that moment. So, instead of going up, he walked beneath the staircase and down the hall to where War’s bedroom was. Kalista followed even though she probably had no idea of the true reason he’d chosen to remain downstairs. Pushing the door open, he gestured her through.
War’s room had the same Spartan furnishing as Orrin’s but with modern flourishes in the décor. A few paintings the boy had recently completed hung on the wall.
Rhane made his way to the bed and sat down. Kicking the muddy shoes from his feet, he swung his long legs into bed and patted the spot next to him. “Come here, Kalista.”
She was by the door, fretfully chewing her lip. But the invitation brought her closer. She climbed onto the bed, pausing uncertainly as she left a space between their bodies. Rhane pulled her close and leaned, almost fell, against the head board. He felt consciousness begin to slip away but reeled himself back. First things first.
“The only person who really got hurt today was you. Stop beating yourself up.”
“But Warren was so ashamed.”
“As well he should have been.” He stroked her thick tresses, tangling his fingers in the softness of her curls. “The twins appear young to your eyes. But they have existed for fifty-nine cycles—five hundred thirty-three earth years. Granted, Warekin maturity is much slower than that of humans. But Warren should be far beyond reckless youth. And he has disobeyed several orders recently.” Rhane sighed. “York and I are still teaching them.”
He sat forward, moving so he could reach the bandage on her arm. Whoever dressed it had done a fantastic job. But the wound was deep and very bloody. He unwrapped the dressing as gently as he could but stopped when Kalista flinched away. She was even paler than before. “This must hurt like hell. Are you alright?”
She drew in a breath and nodded. Her grey eyes opened, searching his face. The hue of them changed more frequently now. “What about you?”
Rhane smiled. “It shows, huh?”
She nodded again.
“I’ll tell you in the morning. Right now I will heal your arm. And after that I plan to pass out.”
She touched his hair, caressing it lightly. “Okay.”
Rhane’s advanced healing ability lived in the cells of his blood. But it took something more from him—energy and will—to heal another. Using the hunting knife from his pocket, he bloodied his palm, letting the hot liquid drip onto her arm. As his blood filled the wound, the edges pulled together neater than a surgeon’s stitch. Kalista’s skin was smooth again, except for a thin silver scar. If Rhane wasn’t so tired, he could’ve made it disappear too.
Instead, he touched her arm. “It will be gone by morning.”
“Thank you.” Her lips warmed his cheek with a soft kiss.
“Don’t mention it.” Leaning back again, Rhane closed his eyes. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
#
Watching Rhane sleep was the highlight of any day. At rest, his face lacked creases of worry and held no evidence of the huge weight he so often carried. Kali held a finger just above his skin, air tracing his defined cheekbones and strong jaw. Locks of black fell idly across his forehead, beckoning for her to touch them. She stared at his lips. They were just full enough. She wanted to kiss them, but didn’t. He needed to rest.
The night before, it had been scary to think of what would happen when Rhane found out about the training incident. She and Orrin had done a perfect job of spinning an alternate version of events on such short notice, but Rhane had recognized the lie almost instantly. Though she felt bad for War, it was kind of cool to be in his room totally unsupervised, allowing the opportunity for a self-guided tour through his stuff. She had only perused what was out in the open, but it was the little things that gave a more intimate look at the young kin who was one of her closest personal guardians.
Beneath his somewhat reserved exterior was a dreamer, as well as a talented artist. She couldn’t get over the detail of his colorful oil paintings. She had known them all for months, but there continued to be much to learn. Looking at Rhane now, Kali felt as if she knew everything she needed to know about him. But there were times when even he was still a mystery to her.
His entire body tensed as he started awake. Then his rare eyes focused on Kali, and he relaxed. She smiled. “Good morning.” Leaning down, Kali did what she’d wanted to all morning. Rhane responded, taking her mouth against his in a lazy but heated kiss. Caught in the moment, she moved her lips to his cheek, down to his neck and throat. His spark was so alive, so vibrant. She helped herself to a taste. In response, his breathing quickened. Hands pulled her to straddle him, gripping her curves. His fingers dug into her hips as he shifted beneath her, sending a wave of heat radiating so deeply, it went into her bones. She clutched her body to his, grinding her teeth against the zing of pleasure. Then she remembered the rules, but took his mouth again for several lingering seconds. It required every ounce of will power she possessed to pull herself back.
“I was worried about you.”
Brown swirling within two very dilated pupils, Rhane made a satisfied sound. “Worry about me more often.”
Smiling, she risked another kiss. “Are you okay?”
He hugged her tighter. “All systems are normal.”
“What happened?”
Folding his hands behind his head, Rhane studied her. “You cut straight to the chase, don’t you?”
She batted her eyes. “I think I allowed a slight detour.”
“That’s fair.” His dimple flashed. “Can I at least have coffee first?” He started to sit up. She pushed him back, a bit roughly. “No.” She wasn’t going to let him go anywhere until he spilled what the heck was going on. “I barely slept. York is worried nearly sick. He didn’t eat all night.”
One hand caught at play in her curls, Rhane’s eyes moved around her face, narrowing thoughtfully. “You’re different,” he said.
Conflicting emotions fluttered a loose knot in her stomach. “Is that bad?”
“No.” He touched her cheek. “It just makes me want you even more.”
She took a slow breath, resisting the tug of heat that pulled her body toward his. “Don’t say things like that to me while I’m sitting on top of you in bed.”
Rhane’s eyes darkened again. “Do you think War would be offended if I made love to you right here?”
Scrambling away from him as the next wave of heat threatened to bury her, Kali leaned against a dresser that was about five feet from the bed. She folded her arms, taking aim with her best indignant frown. “That’s not funny.”
He slid to the edge of the bed, running a hand through the most lovely sleep tousled hair she had ever seen. “I wasn’t being funny.” He blew out a breath and glanced up at her. “Sorry.”
Crapola. She wanted to kick herself. A promise was a promise. But if he had been ready to compromise the deal he’d made with her father, she’d just blown any chance of it. Kali bit her lip and stared down at the floor. A moment later a finger lifted her chin. There was an apologetic smile on Rhane’s face, but it was his unusual green eyes that sucked the breath straight out of her lungs.
“Sometimes it’s hard to keep my wits about me when you’re around. You have that effect.”
Taking his hand, she pressed a kiss into the center of his palm. “Ditto.”
Chapter 51
York sat in the kitchen with both feet parked atop the table. Kali could tell he wanted to pounce on Rhane from the first second they entered, but the big guy restrained himself. After a swift appraisal of Rhane, his gaze wandered to Kali. She nodded. York relaxed. A fraction. “I made breakfast.”
Rhane opened the cabinet. “That explains the burning smell.”
“Those waffles died a slow death,” Rion said mournfully and slid a
box of cereal down the counter to Kali.
Handing her a bowl, Rhane kept only a mug for himself. “At least you make a good pot of coffee.”
York nodded. “I do.”
Rhane filled the mug. Taking the coffee black, he winced. “What did you put in this?”
“Feverfew. I thought you might need it after last night.”
“Thanks.”
Kali watched them warily. Rhane still hadn’t talked about the night in question, and York was getting more fidgety. She stuck a spoon into the bowl in front of her and was almost done chewing before she noticed the cereal was dry. She started to push her chair back, but Rhane was already there with a carton of milk, filling the bowl to exactly where she liked it. She smiled in thanks. “What’s feverfew?”
York answered her question but never took his eyes from Rhane. “It’s a medicinal herb used to treat headaches and vertigo.”
She looked back at Rhane. “Why would you have vertigo?”
He took another swallow of coffee. “We needed a better clue of what’s expected from us in this whole setup. So, York and I set out to do a little recon and learn more about what’s going on.” He paused. “We were following a Builder and…it sort of possessed me.”
The spoon dropped from her hand. Rion’s head snapped up. “Say what?”
Rhane shrugged. “A bright red light filled the inside of the pickup. Then the light went inside of me.”
York was shaking his head. “You were all over the place like a beheaded chicken. And then you stopped moving. You stopped breathing.” He shoved back from the table in disgust. “The next time I see that guy, I’m going to kill him.”
“He didn’t mean harm, York. Let me finish.” When York calmed down, at least visibly, Rhane continued. “To you it may have appeared I’d lost consciousness or worse. Trust me. My mind remained very awake.” He poured a second cup of coffee. “The Builder showed me visions of the past and the future. I believe they were the same images we all saw in the Gobi, while we were beneath the ruins.”
