by Dannika Dark
“Because he scrubbed a Relic without good reason.”
Novis touched his chin pensively and never took his eyes off Justus. “Christian does nothing without good reason. I’ve known him longer than you, Justus. Perhaps not by much, but we have worked closely together over the years. Let not your personal feelings get in the way. We have no time to find a trustworthy Vampire when we already have one. A bird in the bush is a handful of two.”
I belted out a laugh and covered my face. I couldn’t help it; Novis had really botched that saying, and I felt Adam’s foot lightly kick my leg underneath the table. I made a terrible snorting sound and sighed. When I looked up, Justus paid no attention.
“Who is this girl that knows Cedric?” Novis inquired.
“She’s a human. A couple of thugs beat her down and I’ve been taking care of her.”
Novis nodded, clearly impressed. “That’s a noble gesture, Adam. We must question her immediately.”
Adam stroked his jaw. “She’s at a motel.”
Novis took a moment to think. “Justus, I’ll need you and a couple of your HALO brothers on standby. Drive into the city and wait for my call. I want everyone to move fast when we find out his location—we don’t have time for you to coordinate the raid and rush him at once. I’ll go with Adam to the motel to talk with the woman, but I don’t want you anywhere in proximity. If Cedric is around, he’ll grow suspicious since you work for HALO. While I may be a Councilman, it’s also public knowledge that Adam is my progeny. If he sees us together, he is less likely to panic. Everyone will conceal their light.”
“We should be safe,” Adam assured Novis. “Cedric doesn’t know where she’s staying. He attacked her around the corner and she knocked him out cold. I moved her van down the street behind a building and out of sight.”
“Smart move,” Justus said.
“I keep all my bases covered. Feel me?”
“So where are you going to question him if you capture the guy?” I asked. “Nero might have someone watching him and if word gets back…”
“Good point,” Novis murmured, folding his arms and staring down his straight nose. “Logan will accompany Justus during the capture. He’ll be able to scent anything out of the ordinary that would tell us if Cedric is expecting our visit. If Nero has placed a Vampire on guard, then Christian’s ears will alert us.”
“Wait a second, Logan’s hurt. He was stabbed and needs time to recover.”
“I’m not asking him to fight or get involved, Silver. I only need his assistance to assess the scene using his keen sense of smell.”
“Not necessary,” Justus said, staring at his phone. “Leo will go in first. He’s positioned himself in the center of the city and is ready to move.”
Relief washed over me and I played with the saltshaker.
Novis smoothed his finger across his bottom lip. “Once Cedric is captured, bring him to Adam’s motel. I’d rather not have Cedric in any of our homes; it’s too much of a security risk.”
“Can I come?”
“Learner,” Justus said, rubbing his hands over his bristly scalp. Whenever he lifted his arms above his head it made his biceps look twice their usual size.
“I’m not asking to tag along for fun, Ghuardian. If something happens, Adam might need an extra hand to protect the life of our Councilman.”
Justus shared a look with Novis while keeping his hands locked behind his head. “Will your guards be on duty?”
“I have four men on me at all times,” Novis replied.
For a split second, I was thankful Simon wasn’t in the room to give his “that’s what she said” line.
“Sounds great, Ghuardian. I’ll stay home and cook popcorn instead of protecting my boss.”
Novis’s wide smile lit up the room. “I see no need to keep her confined, Justus. Silver is a Learner who must learn through experience, not fighting predictable attacks in the safety of a training room. Let’s not waste time,” he said, rising to his feet.
The men followed his cue and I clutched my heart when I saw Logan standing in the doorway. Very still. Menace dripped from his eyes and my heart raced with uncertainty.
Novis turned around and greeted him with a nod. “I hope you are on the mend.”
Logan ignored him. His eyes were locked on Adam like a target and blackness swirled in them.
I stood up, my palms sweating as Logan cut through the room and gripped Adam by the throat, shoving him against the wall.
He ran his nose along Adam’s collar and face in a purposeful motion. “Take me to her.” His voice held quiet venom, the threat clear.
Tension crackled in the air and everyone watched with alert eyes.
“Logan, what’s the matter with you? Let him go,” I said, attempting to move around the table when Justus gripped my arm in caution.
Logan squeezed his fingers around Adam’s neck, causing his face to turn a deep shade of red. “Where is she?” he asked, his voice lowering an octave. The hairs on my arms stood up when Logan’s poisonous fangs grazed across Adam’s cheek. By the look of Adam’s fingertips, I was willing to bet he had sharpened his light.
“Chitah, back away from my Learner,” Novis said, widening his stance.
“Where?” Logan repeated.
“Who?” Adam growled back, unable to get air in his lungs.
With measured restraint, Logan leaned in so close that their eyes almost touched. Logan peeled back his lips and lowered his voice.
“My sister.”
Chapter 17
I rode with Logan, trailing behind Novis’s motorcade with Adam leading the way on his bike. Justus had gone ahead of us in his new car to wait for further instructions. Because Novis’s expensive car would stick out like a sore thumb at the motel, he planned to change cars and ride with us.
I tried to question Logan, but he gripped the steering wheel and refused to speak. I couldn’t read his emotions like he could mine, and his anger caught me off guard.
After picking up Novis in front of a gas station, we parked inconspicuously beneath a shady tree and hurried up the motel stairs. Adam pulled out his key and led the way.
As he unlocked the door, Logan stood behind him and Adam bristled, appearing unnerved by the bomb Logan had dropped. Adam had somehow crossed paths with Logan’s human sister.
The one who’d been given up at birth, as is the custom among Chitahs when a human child is born into the family. Mortals face risks with the perils of our world, and Chitah parents cannot endure the loss of a human child aging and dying before their eyes. Logan’s mother hadn’t survived Sadie’s birth. Logan had witnessed the end of one life and the beginning of another. He’d told me he held his baby sister in his arms and owned her scent—meaning he claimed it to memory, like an imprint.
I never could have imagined that by a strange twist of fate, Adam would save her life. Logan hadn’t heard that part of the story because he’d come into the room after our conversation had ended.
The door creaked open and we stepped inside. I peered into the dark and musty room. Novis casually walked around me and opened the drapes, letting in a shower of sunlight. Particles of dust floated around the room and created a thin haze.
“Where is she?” Logan swung the bathroom door open, only to find it empty.
“She must have bailed again,” Adam replied, looking at a sock on the floor. “I should have known she’d never stick around.”
Which didn’t sate Logan. He threw his arm forward and pointed an angry finger. “I want you to tell me where she stays. I own her scent and if I have to track her from this room, then I will. But if you know—”
“Adam?”
A girl with wavy blond hair stepped into the room. She held a can of red soda in her left hand and was wearing Adam’s black sweater, which looked five sizes too big. I recognized it because of the long thread hanging in the back that he’d never cut off.
Logan examined her bruised face and he roared, “What did you do to he
r!”
Adam lifted his chin defiantly. “If you think I would harm a woman, then you and I are done with friendly terms.”
“A couple of idiots jumped me,” she interrupted. “Leave Adam alone.”
Sadie glanced apprehensively at Novis and I noticed some discoloration on her cheek and a cut on her lip. Nothing dramatic, but against her light skin, you couldn’t help but notice it. Her beautiful hair stretched down her back in natural waves, and two narrow braids from each side joined in the back. I looked at her closely and could see a slight resemblance to Logan. It sure wasn’t in her hazel eyes. She had full lips and only wore lip balm, but possessed a natural beauty that didn’t require makeup to enhance.
“Did you go out there barefoot?” Adam scolded, staring down at her bare feet.
“I wasn’t aware you were throwing me a party,” she retorted, setting the can on the dresser.
Logan and Adam were in the center of the room beside the farthest bed. I took a few steps toward the table, watching with avid interest.
“What’s your name?” Logan asked softly, apprehensively.
“Jasmine.”
His nose twitched. “You’re lying; that’s not your real name.”
She smirked. “Can’t ever put one past a Chitah. My name is Sadie.”
His cheeks flushed and he stumbled over his words. “How did you get that name?”
“There was a note pinned on my baby blanket when I was dumped off like a piece of trash.”
Logan flinched as if she’d slapped him. He bowed his head. “Did you have a good home as a child?”
“I was adopted at birth, but when I was six, my mom died. Her nearest kin wouldn’t take me in, so they threw me back into the system. I bounced around in foster care for a while. But hey, it made me stronger. Mind telling me who you all are that I’m being asked such personal questions?”
Logan approached Sadie and knelt before her. He gently touched her hand and placed his forehead against it, visibly distraught. I was so moved by his grace that I covered my mouth, tears hovering at my lashes.
Sadie looked at Adam, who offered her no explanation. Logan’s tears wet her hand and she asked in a delicate voice, “Who are you?”
I knew Logan couldn’t say it. For whatever reason, he was unable to move. So I spoke in his stead.
“That’s Logan Cross. He’s your brother.”
Her eyes went wide and she glanced down at him again. “Can’t be. He’s a Chitah.”
Clearly she knew about our world—if she’d lived with Cedric, of course she did. “You’re the human baby his family gave up.”
Then it hit me. Logan felt guilt. He held that baby in his arms all those years ago and let them take her away. What he was asking for on his knees was not acceptance, but forgiveness.
Sadie’s eyes searched for the truth. None of us wavered in our respect for the moment, and perhaps the looks on our faces cemented the feeling that this was no hoax.
“On his word as a Chitah, Logan is your brother,” I said.
She looked down and touched the very tips of his blond hair. It seemed like decades had passed as her expression changed to that of wonder. When she finally spoke, the melody of words must have filled his heart like a song. “Where you been all my life?”
I wiped the tears from my eyes, watching Logan rise to his feet. He wrapped his powerful arms around Sadie and lifted her off the ground. My heart soared for him.
She held his neck and looked down at him with a close-lipped smile. “How do you know it’s me?”
“My sister,” he said in a broken voice. “I know your scent. I have carried it with me my whole life and never thought I would hold you in my arms again. You were so small…”
Her fingers grazed the slope of his tearstained jaw and then she pulled his lips into a smile. “Yeah, I kind of see myself in you. A little in the mouth, and we have the same ears.” Her hands finally settled on his broad shoulders.
“I’m sorry for your life—that we let you go. I was led to believe you had a family, and it angers me there was no one to protect you. This will never happen again. You have family now.”
“Wow,” she said, half-laughing and looking at him. “I have a family?”
His face grew sullen. “Our mother died in childbirth, which is why I was the one to give you a name. The Cross brothers will look out for you, and I can promise the male who put his fist to your flesh will pay.”
“You named me?” Sadie’s arms slipped around his neck and she nuzzled against him in a tight hug. She was so much more trusting than I would have been in that situation, but some people are just wired that way.
Logan lightly turned and the joy exuded from his face as he closed his eyes. “My sister,” he whispered.
I sat down in a chair and Novis stepped forward. “Logan, I recognize the importance of this moment, but we do have urgent matters. Can we question the young woman before you resume your reunion?”
She peered over her shoulder and Logan bent forward until her feet touched the floor. “Question me about what?”
Novis shut the door and leaned against the wooden table. “You are familiar with a Mage named Cedric, is this correct?”
She nodded. “Yes, I know Cedric.”
“Did he do that to your face?” Logan interrupted.
“No, Cedric only juiced me.”
Wrong choice of words. For a split second, I thought Logan was about to flip his switch right in front of her.
Sadie twisted around and addressed Adam. “What’s this all about?”
Adam came away from his position by the wall and stood between the two beds. “The man you know as Cedric is involved with a dangerous outlaw. He’s wanted for questioning by the Mageri. This is important, Sadie. Where does he live?”
“Are you going to kill him?”
Logan’s lower canines punched out.
“No,” Novis replied tightly. “Our plan is to detain him.”
“I would like time alone with him,” Logan stated in a voice that invited no argument.
“We’re not killing him.” Novis said, folding his arms.
“You have my word I won’t kill him, but I want retribution for him laying a hand on my flesh and blood. It is within my right as a Chitah to protect my family.” Then he turned to Adam. “I would also like to know why my sister’s scent was so heavy on your mouth,” he growled.
“Logan,” I interrupted. “Not now. Please, Sadie. We’re trying to capture a dangerous man and Cedric knows how to get to him. Your help could save a lot of people.”
She looked away and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her baggy jeans. “He stays in an old house off Deacon Street. I don’t know the address because I never paid bills and it wasn’t written on the mailbox. It’s on the same side of the street as a pawnshop—you can’t miss it. The house is brown with tacky blue trim. Baby blue. He also has a thing about birdfeeders; they’re all over the yard.”
Novis made a quick call and relayed the information to Justus.
Sadie noticed me again and Logan took his place by my side. “Sadie, this is my kindred spirit, Silver.”
Her mouth opened a little. “I know a little about Chitahs, but she doesn’t look like a Chitah.”
“Silver is a Mage,” he said proudly, curving his arm around my lower back.
A clever smile appeared on Sadie’s face and she nodded. “Good to see things are changing. People can be so uptight about interbreeding, but love is love, right?”
I smiled at Logan. “I think I like her already.”
After Sadie disclosed everything she knew about Cedric, Adam walked Novis outside and waited for the guards to bring his car around. What I admired about Novis was that despite the looming threat on his life, he didn’t stop living his life.
I relaxed on the lumpy bed, giving Logan and Sadie a chance to play a little catch-up at the table. She believed Logan’s story. Maybe it was the sincerity in his voice or the fact he had given her his word,
but Sadie never accused him of lying. She didn’t freak out, she didn’t roll her eyes or do all the things I might have done in her shoes.
She hadn’t changed clothes, but Logan had insisted she put on a pair of socks. When she suggested borrowing some from Adam, Logan had removed the pair from his own feet and asked her to put them on. She dangled them in front of her nose and I could tell Logan wanted to horse around with her, but he was being more reserved than usual. Sadie held nothing back and few people could say that about themselves.
“Do your siblings know about me?” she asked.
Logan leaned on his forearms, unable to keep his eyes off her. “They don’t know you’re here, but yes, they know of their sister. I was the only one of them present during your birth. Our mother thought by welcoming a new child into our family it would turn my life around.”
Sadie crossed her legs and her voice became humored. “You were a bad boy, huh?”
“I had not lived an honorable life.”
She sipped her red soda and flipped at the tab. “So, did I change your life?”
He lowered his gaze. “I was too far gone a man. Had we kept you, I’m certain you would have. Our mother was a smart female and knew I’d become fiercely protective of a little sister.”
“What’s my father like?”
“Serious. Distant. Absent. He travels and occasionally we get together. Chitah siblings are much closer with one another than with our parents. He’s stuck in his old ways of thinking. Leo is now the patriarch of the family and works for HALO. Are you familiar with them?”
“I’ve heard it mentioned,” she said with a shrug. “I learned a lot living with Cedric, but not everything.”
“Did he… ever hurt you before?” Logan swallowed back his anger, but it edged his voice.
She shook her head. “No. It was all about juicing my light. He’d take just enough, but never hurt me. In return for letting him do that, I got a place to stay and food to eat. It helped me save enough money to buy my van. It’s been tough, but life gives me writing material for my music.”
His brows drew together. “You’re a singer?”
