Infinity Chronicles Book One: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Series

by Albany Walker

  They seem so serious, there’s a small part of me that almost believes them, they’re so convincing. “Let’s pretend I believe you.” I raise my eyebrows in query. “What does any of it have to do with me?”

  A man steps forward from the shadows in the corner of the room, a scream almost tears from my throat. “You’re who we’ve been waiting for. You are our Synergist.”

  Thirteen

  Dante jumps up and turns to face the man who just walked in out of nowhere. He must have been here the whole time—hiding in the bathroom? My brain struggles to explain his sudden appearance. I get on my knees, preparing to bolt at a moment’s notice. The relative safety I’d felt with the guys evaporates when my eyes connect with the man in front of me. The shadows cling to him, casting doubt that’s he’s even really there. “Ares,” Dante warns. “You said we had until tomorrow before you arrived.” This is Ares? Holy shit! If I thought Dante had the bad boy thing down, he has nothing on his big brother.

  Ares’s eyes leave me for the first time since his appearance and shift to Dante. His hand lifts to cover his mouth, pinching his lips slightly, and then he pulls his palm, free sliding it down his neck. He rolls his head on his shoulders, before taking one menacing step toward his brother. Run, that’s my first thought. Ares is dangerous in a way I can’t describe.

  Coming to my feet, I keep my movements small, I don’t want to attract his focus again. I sidestep the table, making it slightly closer to the exit. I shouldn’t be here.

  “Six years.” Ares doesn’t yell, he doesn’t even raise his voice. Dante drops his head, eyes cast to the floor. Milo and Ollie stand as a unit. I take a few steps closer to the stairs. “Where are you trying to disappear to cara?” I stiffen, he’s not even looking in my direction, but I know he’s talking to me.

  My mouth goes dry when all four of them turn to eye me. I lick my lips. “I don’t know what you guys think you’re doing, but I’m not playing this game.” One moment I’m standing alone a few feet from my escape, the next Ares is there right in front of me blocking my path. Instinctively I take a step back, my head shakes in denial as my hands begin to tremble. No, that’s not possible, no one can move that fast.

  “Why have you been hiding from me?” His words are spoken softly, contrary to the anger simmering in his brown eyes. I look to the others for help, they don’t move.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but my mom is expecting me home at any minute.” It’s a lie, one I hope he doesn’t catch. Ares’s hand reaches up and I flinch away. I feel a slight tug on the loose hair on the left side of my face. I open my eyes to find Ares staring at his fingers sliding down my hair. His lips part as he rubs his thumb and forefinger together once he reaches the end. I take another step back and my calves hit the table behind me.

  Fingers intertwine with mine as Ollie steps up to my side. “You’re scaring her,” he accuses. Ares tilts his head and his eyes narrow on our joined hands. The tingle flares to life. I squeeze Ollie’s hand tighter grateful for the support.

  “I believe her,” Dante mutters. “She doesn’t know what we are.” A spike of anger has me tensing.

  “I don’t care if any of you believe me or not. Frankly I’m not convinced you guys aren’t trying to fuck with me.”

  “Gattino has a little bite,” Ares challenges with one eyebrow raised. His eyes scan me, from my worn out sneakers to my miss matched eyes. The corner of his lip twitches in a barely noticeable fashion. Is he laughing at me? I bare my teeth in a sneer, he may be intimidating, but there’s something about him that puts me on edge. Ares eyes go wide before the throws his head back and a laugh booms free. “Yes, a bite indeed.” He slaps Ollie on his shoulder and turns away from us.

  I deflate immediately. Feeling shaky, I don’t protest when Ollie tugs me over to the sofa to sit. Dante tucks himself next to me, leaving a small gap for Milo to wedge into.

  Ares walks back from the kitchen with a bottle of water tipped to his lips, watching us the whole time. Seeming satisfied with what he finds, his eyes take in the space around us. “So, this is where you’ve been hold up?” His mouth turns down in a frown. I look around noticing the sparse decorations and minimalistic amenities. It’s roomier than I’m used to, but compared to the house across the driveway this must have less to offer. I eye the plush carpet and the fine leather couch, wondering what he finds lacking.

  “Like you’re one to talk. We haven’t seen you in what, seven months? No, eight. It was Christmas, right?”

  Ares uses the toe of his expensive looking black leather shoe to pull the leg of the table out a bit before sitting down facing us. He doesn’t meet Dante’s eyes when he responds, “I’ve been busy.”

  That gets a snort from Dante. “Just don’t lecture me about hiding when I learned it from the shadow man himself.” His reply reminds me of how it seemed like Ares really did step out of the shadows. I shift in my seat looking for room to separate myself from the guys on either side of me, but there isn’t any.

  “Let’s not waste time, our guest is getting restless.” Ares is using me as a distraction, everyone knows it, but it works anyway. I glance at him, noting the slight scruff of a beard and mustache on his face. His hair is black, styled away from his face. His eyes are a few shades darker than Dante’s, more tawny. He has on a white dress shirt cuffed at his forearms with a charcoal vest buttoned over top. My eyes snap up from Ares’s denim clad legs when a throat clears.

  I sit up straight, unwilling to let him make me feel like I was leering. “Someone was about to tell me what the hell is going on here.”

  “How about a compromise? I’ll tell you anything you want to know, but after you have to answer my questions.”

  “Our questions,” Milo blurts over Ares.

  “Our questions,” Ares confirms with a nod toward Milo.

  I jerk my head up and down in acceptance. Looking around to find all four of them watching me. Ares waves his hand out, deferring to his brother. “By all means continue where you left off.” He’s being a smart ass.

  Dante rolls his eyes. “So, we told you we’re different, but we didn’t really talk about how we’re different. I,” Dante places his hand over his chest, “am a shape-shifter.” The words are uttered slowly like that might help me understand his meaning. I immediately think of the encounter in art class where I thought I felt fur rub along my skin, but dismiss it almost as quickly.

  Ollie speaks next. “I have some control over the elements.”

  Without missing a beat Milo says, “I have an affinity for strength.” I roll my head on my neck to look over at Ares, wondering what crazy thing is going to come out of his mouth. They were right, I do think they’re nuts.

  Ares’s eyes have a strange twinkle I don’t really understand. “I know you don’t believe us yet, but you will.” His smirk is a little evil as he lifts his hand, extending it out to me. With a crook of his finger he beckons me forward. I lean in without reservation. My attention locked on him. “I’m a shadow caster.” The pupils in his eyes expand until there’s barely a thin ring of tawny brown visible. I can’t look away. When I feel Dante’s hand cover mine I gasp, the moment broken with his touch.

  “Don’t do that to her, it’s not right. She can’t withstand your pull yet,” Dante warns, narrowing his eyes on his brother who doesn’t look the least bit chastised. In fact he looks positively pleased. He gives a lazy shrug of indifference before leaning back on the table, propped up with his hands.

  What was he doing to me, how was he doing it? A tremor of trepidation uncoils in my stomach. I swallow thickly, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth. “What were you doing to me?” Ollie’s arm wraps over my shoulders, tucking me into his side.

  “Laura, I know this must seem all kinds of fucked up, but we’re trying to tell you that we are different. That you are like us, part of us actually.”

  I snort. “I have no illusions I have special powers, or that I’m part of some crazy group.”


  “An Infinity, you are the Synergist of our Infinity,” Ares answers. I glare at him, wondering what his part is in all of this? I can see the guys’ interest in making the new girls life hell, but he’s not in high school. Why bother with the game?

  “You guys get an A for effort.” I hold both my thumbs up I mock excitement. “This probably would have worked better on someone more gullible, but I’m not buying any of this crap. You can tell everyone at school I believed you. That I was totally into your fairytale garbage, I don’t even care. Tell me one thing though, why waste so much time? You guys must really be board to come up with all this just to fuck with me, or is this how you initiate everybody who moves here?” I roll my eyes.

  “She’s not going to believe us until we show her, and not just parlor tricks.” Milo looks over at Ares. “So, who wants to do it?” He searches his friends’ faces.

  “My gift would probably be the most direct approach, but I think I would probably scare her too.” Dante looks away from us toward the window.

  “I can do it,” Ollie offers. “She would probably find some way to explain away your strength Milo, and Ares… Sometimes yours is just freaky, even for us. So, I’ll do it.”

  Ollie braces his hand on my thigh as he pushes up to stand. He walks around the table Ares is perched on, stopping once he’s about halfway to the TV hanging on the far wall. He rolls his shoulders a few times then turns to face us. His hands are hanging loosely by his sides as he blows out a deep breath. “All right, let’s start with something small.” Ollie widens his stance and brings his hands up with his palms facing the ceiling. In the blink of an eye his hands are engulfed in flames.

  “Holy shit,” Milo barks jumping up from the couch. He takes a few steps toward Ollie before shielding his face with his forearm. “Ollie shut it down, you’re going to burn the house down.”

  Dante stands slowly disbelief etched in his face.

  Ollie’s eyes widen, his mouth falls open in shock. Shaking, he closes his fists, the flames don’t all die, but the heat rolling off of him dissipates. “I… I haven’t tried using my abilities since yesterday.” He is still staring down at his clenched fists. “I was going for a small candle flame in each hand.” His eyes lift to me.

  I pull my feet up on the cushion beneath me, pushing myself up to climb over the back of the sofa. My heart pounds in my chest in a quick rhythm. Ollie looks at Dante before making a dash for the stairs. The door slams shut seconds later.

  “Well that was certainly a show,” Ares deadpans. He’s the only one who doesn’t seem worried about Ollie or what just happened to him. “I think your animal might have been a better option Dante…” He pauses, turning to look at me with narrowed eyes. “Or maybe not, who knows what effect she might have on you.”

  “That had nothing to do with me.” My vision wavers like asphalt on a hot summer day and my legs feel like jello. My breath is coming in short gasping pants. Milo runs past me, Dante quick on his heels, both following Ollie out the door. Ares is still staring at me as he stands. He prowls toward me with graceful steps. Weakness invades my muscles before I begin to collapse and Ares catches me before I hit the ground.

  My eyes blink open to find him gazing down at me. He brings his hand up to my neck, placing his palm over my throat as his fingers wrap around my neck. The tingles invade my skin, forcing me to gasp. His pupils grow, covering all the color of his eyes even further, turning the whites of his eyes black. I jerk back, frightened at the sight. His lids close, slowly covering the strangeness.

  “Please don’t be frightened of me,” he whispers hoarsely, while his eyes squint tightly. A soothing throb pulses from his hand, calming me immediately. Awareness of being held in his arms makes heat rise in my cheeks.

  “Milo is with… Oliver,” Dante stutters coming up the stairs. I stiffen, half in Ares’s lap. “What happened?” he steps closer, kneeling next to his brother. I scramble from the floor, dislodging Ares’s arms. Brushing my hands down my shirt over my hips, I try to calm my thoughts. My brain is trying hard to reconcile what I think I just saw, to what my mind knows is possible. People can’t control fire, make it appear from nowhere, eyes don’t go black. I can’t explain any of it. But I can’t pretend I didn’t see any of it with my own eyes either. They think I’m somehow connected to them, that I have some ability? What will they do when they realize nothing could be further from the truth? I’m not special, in any way.

  “Is Ollie okay?” I question, surprising myself. The two brothers rise. Standing next to each other as they are, it’s easy to see the familial resemblance. Dante is lighter, his hair, his features, even his demeanor are somehow lighter than his brothers. I turn, making my way over to the open space of the kitchen. I need to put some distance between us.

  “He’ll be okay, he’s more worried he scared you than anything else,” Dante finally answers.

  “It’s getting late.” I glance at one of the windows, noting the orange hue of the sky. It’s not like I really need to be at home, but I’m not sure my brain could handle another revelation at this point.

  “It’s not that late… none of us have eaten yet, how about we find something to eat? I think there’s a lot we still need to talk about.” I glance over my shoulder at Dante, he’s still standing near his brother and he has adopted an unassuming posture; his hands are shoved deep in his pockets with his shoulders rounded down.

  Ares, on the other hand, has his arms crossed over his chest with his feet spread far apart. “He’s right. Shadow travel always leaves me famished.” His eyes run over the few cabinets on the wall and small fridge. “Let’s go over to the main house and see if Gloria is still there to throw something together for us.”

  Dante pinches the back of his neck. “She’s not there. I told her I had plans tonight, to take off early.”

  Ares pivots to look at his brother, a small grin forming on his lips. “Didn’t want any witnesses? I’m proud.”

  Dante reaches out and swats him with the back of his palm, then jerks his head toward me. “It’s not like that Laura, not like he’s making it sound anyway. We just didn’t know how you were going to react. I can’t have the housekeeper calling the cops because a girl comes running out of my room screaming.”

  “Wow… That doesn’t really make it sound any better, what were you planning on doing to me if I did have that kind of reaction?” I tap the toe of my sneaker on the floor, waiting for his reply. Playing it cool like this wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do.

  The door downstairs opens and Milo’s head pops over the railing, his eyes on me, his lips pressed in a thin line. Ollie trudges up behind him with his head hung low.

  “We were just talking about food, how about we order a pizza?” Dante offers in the awkward silence. It’s strange to see him taking on the role of peacemaker, since it’s usually Ollie. I shrug, knowing I probably won’t be able to eat much, if at all.

  “Fine by me.” Milo mutters, walking over to the couch and dropping into the cushions. My eyes go to Ollie who’s fidgeting near the stairs, barely in the room.

  I walk over hesitantly. Ducking my head, I peer up at him from below. “You okay Ollie?” My voice is small, unsure I should even be asking, but I can’t ignore the way he looks so sad. His eyes find mine and he searches my face before he blows out a heavy breath, nodding.

  Fourteen

  “I’ll order the pizza, I have a few calls to make since I left rather unexpectedly. Does anyone have any requests?” He looks directly at me while asking. I give a noncommittal shrug. Ares tromps down the stairs with his phone already at his ear.

  Dante sighs. “Might as well have a seat, it’ll be a little while.”

  I hover near the kitchen area while Ollie makes his way over to Milo and Dante on the sofa. There’s no way I’m wedging myself in with them. Dante points the remote at the TV and the screen flares to life with several selections available. He clicks on a recorded option and selects Big Bang Theory. The volume is down low, but it b
reaks up the silence.

  “Come sit Laura,” Ollie offers. I shuffle over, folding my legs to sit on the carpet, my body turned enough where I can see the television and the guys out of the corner of my eye. Ollie lifts up from the couch slowly and he crosses the few steps separating us. “This okay? Can I sit?” I bob my head on a nod. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he adds the moment he sits down. I know that, there’s a lot of things I’m confused about, but that’s not one of them. I can tell by his reaction it upset him.

  “I know Ollie.”

  “I’ve never had that much power before. I didn’t expect that,” he confesses, his eyes on the TV. Milo and Dante start up a hushed conversation behind us. It gives me the impression they’re trying to give us a moment alone.

  “Ollie.” He looks over at me his eyes searching mine. “I’m not the person you guys are looking for. I don’t have any powers.” I look down, almost disappointed I’m not. His fingertip lifts my chin so I’m staring right back into his eyes.

  “Oh Laura, if that were true then what happened earlier wouldn’t have been possible. Our connection is growing faster than I’d imagined.” Ollie drops his hand from my face. “You must have a ton of questions, I know I want to ask you a bunch of stuff.”

  “I do have questions, like how is it possible that superheroes are walking around, and nobody knows? How many of you are there? Does everyone in your family have abilities? Did it hurt when your hands went all… fiery?” I rush out, my cheeks flushed.

  Ollie’s eyes squint and his lips turn up in a smirk as he holds up his hands ticking off his fingers while he answers me. “You’d be surprised what people will ignore just so they can go on believing what they’ve always been told is true.” Next finger. “More than a few, less than a lot.” Third finger. “For the most part, yes everyone in our families has abilities.” Fourth. “What was the last question? Oh yeah. Did it hurt?” He leans in a little closer and whispers, “Not even a little. It felt amazing actually, like taking a deep breath after being underwater.” His eyes are shiny with excitement.