by Megan Linski
“I bet it’s Cody,” I say instantly. The pieces are coming together. Thames moves closer and puts an arm around my hips.
“Who?” Cassia asks. Cairo raises an eyebrow.
“He’s a jerk at my school. He’s tried to attack me a couple times,” I explain. “I couldn’t fight him off the last time. He was too strong. Thames had to come in and stop him.”
“Lena, you were drunk. You didn’t have control of your strength. If Cody was a demon he would’ve put up a fight when I went after him, or used his powers, and he didn’t,” Thames replies. “He just cowered like the little bitch he is.”
“You don’t understand,” I insist. “A few days ago I caught Cody in the library, talking to someone on his cell. He knows that Thames is a cambion. It seemed like he was working for someone… he kept mentioning that he was certain the Nephilim council hadn’t found him yet, and that he had some sort of plan he was working on.”
“Did he use all those words specifically?” Cassia asks.
“Yes!” I chew the inside of my cheek. “Nephilim, cambion, all of it. He definitely knows our world. He acted like he’s the one who’s been creating the familiars, or at least, knows who is.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this sooner?” Thames demands angrily.
“One, I couldn’t get ahold of you, and I didn’t have Cassia or Cairo’s number,” I snap at him. “And today I kind of forgot. It was just supposed to be fun. Stuff wasn’t supposed to get this serious.”
It hits me that maybe if I had remembered and told them all sooner, maybe Margie wouldn’t be dead.
That thought… it’s crushing. If Cody is the one who killed Margie, I’m just as much to blame as he is for doing nothing.
“He was talking about a girl he had to convince to help him,” I add. “I’m not sure what that meant. He wasn’t clear and he didn’t mention names.”
“Oh. Cody. Yeah. I know him.” Cairo’s head bobs. “He plays on the football team with me. He really is an ass.”
For Cairo to swear must be a big deal, because Cass and Thames both rear back. He’s weaving even though he’s sitting down. Thames leaves my side and goes to help his brother.
“Easy, bro.” Thames lifts Cairo to his feet. “Cass, you guys can have the spare tonight. It’s no big deal. There are extra clothes for both of you in the drawers.”
He looks down. Cairo’s passed out. Cassia moves under Cairo’s other arm and says, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him.”
Thames and Cassia move Cairo to the spare bedroom. I begin to pace. This is bad. Really bad. If Cody is a demon, I really have been getting slow… or I’m losing my touch. I should teleport back to campus and get rid of him, right now…
“Don’t even think about it,” Thames threatens as he comes back into the living room. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s not safe.”
“Thames, you and I can deal with Cody, right now,” I say. “The two of us can take him down easily. Let’s just go back and—”
“We don’t have any real evidence, and if we go back to Michigan we could expose ourselves at any moment,” Thames insists.
I laugh, too loudly. “Ha. Expose ourselves. Good one, Thames.”
“Are you kidding me?” Thames slaps his head. “You and Cassia both think that’s hilarious.”
I glance toward the bedroom. “Is Cairo okay?”
“They’ve been chasing after whoever hurt Margie all night. Apparently Cairo got into it with a couple of demons he shouldn’t have, by himself.” Thames scowls. “He took care of them, but he exhausted himself doing it.”
Cassia comes out of the spare room. “Cairo’s sleeping. He’ll be okay in the morning.”
“Thames said Cairo overextended his abilities,” I say, turning to her. “That’s dangerous, Cassia. If a Nephilim overexerts their powers, they put themselves at risk. He could get really hurt and not recover.”
“He… tries to play the hero.” She frowns. “Cairo feels obligated to protect me at any cost. Even though I don’t need to be protected anymore.”
My phone goes off. I check it and instantly feel irritated. Really? Today of all days?
“Who is it?” Cassia asks curiously.
“It’s… it’s my Dad,” I tell her. “He wants to see me.”
“Now?” her eyes widen.
“Tomorrow.” I nibble the inside of my cheek, thinking. “Cass, this is our chance. We should go together and talk to him about you. See if we really are sisters.”
“I mean…” she scratches the back of her head. “I would love to, but is now really the time?”
“My house is in Wisconsin. The demon won’t be anywhere near it,” I say.
Cassia puts her hands on her hips. “You’re right. We do work better together, anyway. We need to figure out this mystery before we take on this demon.”
“You girls sure?” Thames steps between us. He’s being cautious. “A revelation like this could change everything. Are you ready for it?”
“Absolutely.” Cassia’s eyes lock onto my own. “That is, if Lena is.”
I grip my phone tightly in my hand. “I am. Tomorrow, we’ll confront my Dad and settle this once and for all.”
There are only two bedrooms.
Thames and I have to share a bed.
That’s waaaaaay different than sleeping on the couch.
Thames doesn’t seem bothered. He spots the look on my face and offers, “I can sleep in the living room.”
“It’s fine. I’ll sleep with you. I mean...” My cheeks redden, and he smirks. “We can share a bed. It’s no big deal.”
“Only if you’re okay with it.”
“Yes.” I step forward, and take hold of his arms. “I want to.”
Thames tweaks my chin. “Okay, doll.”
His bedroom is simple, which doesn’t surprise me. I don’t think Thames ever spent a lot of time here, even in college. I plan to wear the clothes that are on me, but Thames tosses me a t-shirt of his, along with a pair of basketball shorts to wear.
I slip into the bathroom and change. The shirt is huge on me, and the shorts are almost slipping off, but they’re ridiculously comfortable and they smell like him. I’d wear Thames’ clothes constantly if I could.
When I come back out, all Thames is wearing is a pair of boxer short. I choke.
“Oh, sorry,” he says. “I didn’t... I always sleep in boxers.”
Thank God he doesn’t sleep naked. Or is that a bad thing?
“Do you want me to change?” he asks, and he opens his dresser drawer.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Just come to bed with me.”
Thames’ hands drop. I crawl into bed and slip underneath the covers, snuggling into the downy pillows. He follows my lead, and opens up his arms so I can wiggle into them.
His bare chest is warm and dotted with a bit of black hair. I run my hands through it, thinking. I always thought dudes with hairy chests were gross, but Thames is different. He makes it... sexy.
“I hope we don’t run into any... uh... problems tonight,” I say, figuring we should confront the obvious.
“I can control myself,” Thames mumbles. “Go to sleep.”
He gives me a kiss on the lips, then draws me closer to him so our entire bodies are touching. I figure I’ll deal with a problem when it happens and close my eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of Thames’ breathing.
This is perfect. I don’t even know if heaven can compare with this. Slowly, his gentle breaths make me relax. I slip into dreamland, paying no thought to tomorrow, to my Dad, to the demon that’s hunting us all...
Only of Thames. And how happy he makes me.
The four of us stand in front of my house in Wisconsin the next morning. We don’t move, or talk. Nobody knows what to do next.
Waking up in Thames’ bed was the most wonderful thing in the world. I would’ve laid there and cuddled with him all morning if we didn’t have somewhere to be.
Which we did. Like a
lways. I feel like we’re constantly getting disrupted. I want to be in a place where I never have to leave Thames... where we might separate for a short time, but always come back together, a place of our own where we live.
I’m getting ahead of myself. Thames hasn’t even asked me to be his girlfriend... though labels are a formality at this point. He acts like we’re dating. I just need to get confirmation.
And I need it soon.
Cairo’s fully recovered, but that doesn’t stop Cassia from hovering over him. She has her arm around his like she’s afraid of him falling again.
“I’m fine, Cassia,” Cairo murmurs. “You don’t need to hold onto me.”
She’s not convinced— but maybe she’s holding onto Cairo for a different reason.
I take a deep breath and put my hand on the door knob. “This is it.” I swallow, then open the door. “Let’s just get this over with.”
We slowly walk inside. I open the door and shout, “Dad! I’m here!”
“The kitchen, Faline.” Dad’s voice is stern, but also a bit… on edge. Maybe even worried. What did he call me to talk about today, anyway? What was so important it couldn’t wait?
It’s not about my grades. He would’ve just come to yell at me again…
I hold my breath as we walk through the entryway. Dad is sitting in a high-rise chair next to the counter. His eyes become huge when he notices I’m being followed. His shoulders broaden when he notices Cairo, and Thames.
When he sees Cassia, his body stiffens. Slightly, his hands shake.
“Hello,” Cassia says politely. I’m incredibly proud of her for remaining calm. “I’m Cassia Delamore. I was wondering if you were my father?”
Dad looks at me. I’m wounded by the pain in his eyes… it’s like I’ve betrayed him. For the first time, I wonder if Dad had a reason for keeping Cassia away.
Then he nods. “Yes, Cassia. I am your father.”
Cassia slackens. Cairo puts an arm around her waist— she nearly looks like she’s going to collapse on the floor. Her face… pain. Relief. Questioning. Her eyes fill with tears, but she stuffs them back down.
It’s like the floor has dropped right out from under me and I’m falling, unable to catch myself with my wings.
I have a sister. But how. And why? And…
“How could you keep us apart for all these years?” I ask Dad. It’s just a question, but it sounds like an accusation.
Dad sighs, “Faline—”
“Why.” Cassia’s hands are bunched into fists. She rips away from Cairo and takes a few steps toward Dad. “Why did you give me away?”
“I never meant to—”
“Do you know what I went through all those years? What I endured?” A tear slips out from her eye, but she wipes it away with the back of her hand. “Do you know what kind of hell I went through in the foster care system? Do you have any idea?”
Cairo comes closer to Cassia, to hold her back if she springs.
Not Thames. He’s as equally angry as Cassia is… furious. I can feel the heat radiating off of him, even while standing a few inches away. Thames looks like he wants Cassia to let him have it.
Dad taps his fingers on the counter. Then he rises to his feet. “I didn’t think you belonged in our world.”
“I Awakened late,” Cassia snarls. Her wings come out from behind her, tip to tip spreading across the length of the kitchen. “I might have Awakened earlier, if you hadn’t forgotten about me after Mom died.”
“Cass, give him a moment to explain,” Cairo says gently, and he puts his fingertips lightly on her arm. Cassia tenses. For a moment I think she’s going to start yelling at Cairo, too.
Then she backs off. Her wings vanish and she leans against the counter, and crosses her arms. We look to my Dad.
“Your mother wasn’t supposed to become pregnant,” he admits, softly. “I loved her with all my heart, but when she conceived you, Cassia, I was scared. As an angel who had loved a human, I was already hunted. I knew you would meet the same fate as a Nephilim.”
He tucks his hands behind his back and strolls around the kitchen. “You showed no signs of Awakening, and I thought we got lucky. You were a normal human child, more than I could ask for. But then your sister arrived, and her powers emerged the moment she was born.”
Dad makes a motion with his hands… fingers curled, like he’s tenderly cradling a baby. “I remember holding Faline in my arms for the first time, and two tiny wings appeared. From that moment on, I knew we could not keep you together. The Nephilim council, along with a few other angels, were looking for me. It wouldn’t be possible to leave Faline with your mother, as her powers were unrestrained. She would’ve given all of you away.”
My father makes a circle around the kitchen… slowly, not quickly. “I was to take Faline and raise her as a Nephilim, and your mother would take you, Cassia, and raise you as a human. It was the only way. We visited from time to time— until the fire.”
It’s like I can see the ghosts of flames in Dad’s eyes. They’re darkened. Haunting. “I tried to save your mother, but it was too late. The only one I could save was you. But the threat was still there— people were still after me. It would be too dangerous, too risky to raise a human girl in that environment. At least Faline could defend herself, but you… you didn’t stand a chance. So, I left you behind, thinking that your Romani relatives in Texas would take you in and raise you there.”
“They didn’t,” Cassia snapped. “They left me in the hands of strangers.”
“And if I knew that I would’ve taken you in,” Dad says, and he turns to her. “I’ve made many mistakes over the years, Cassia, but I never wanted to wrong you in such a way. I was merely trying to keep you safe.”
“Safe?” Cassia spits. “You think demons and angels are worse than what I had to face? Abuse and hunger and sleeping on the streets and rapists?”
Rapists? I think wildly. Then—
Her black wings.
No. The desperate word rips out of the inner corners of my soul. No. It can’t be true.
Cairo winces like someone physically slapped him across the face. This is as painful for him as it is for her.
I glance at Thames. He looks absolutely miserable. What he told me months ago sacks me in the gut.
Oh my god. Thames.
“Cassia, you must forgive me.” Dad falls on his knees before her, and my insides clench. My father, such a revered angel, has collapsed at his daughter’s feet. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I only ask that you put this in the past. So we can move ahead, and I can be the father you’ve always needed.”
Cassia stays still. It’s like she’s caught between the memory of the pain and the hurt, and the longing for the father that’s been absent her entire life.
“I… I don’t know yet,” Cassia says, unsure. “I need time to think.”
“Cassia!” Dad calls after her as she runs out of the kitchen. Cairo hastily follows. Dad clambers back onto his feet as the front door slams.
I’m left standing in the kitchen with him. And Thames.
Dad is breathing heavily. He seems vacant and empty… but rage returns when he looks to me.
“How could you?” he growls. “How could you bring her here now, at this time?”
“How could you not tell me I had a sister? After all these years?” My voice is thick and injured. I feel ill that I’ve been lied to for so long.
“It was for your own good! I had no choice!” Dad roars. “You’re too young and inexperienced to understand the choices I had to make!”
“Hey, enough,” Thames says roughly, coming between us. He slashes a hand downward and says, “You won’t talk to Lena that way.”
“Faline, what trash have you brought into my house?” Dad snarls, and he curls his fingers into fists.
“Don’t say anything more, Dad,” I tell him. I grab Thames’ hand and yank him back. Dad’s eyeballs pop out of his head. “We’re leaving.”
Th
ames gives my dad a hellish glare before he allows me to tug him away. I proceed quickly out of the kitchen— like I’m running away from Dad. Or running from what he wants me to be.
“Faline, I still need to talk to you!” Dad demands as I head for the door.
“Save it, Dad,” I tell him sharply. “Nothing you could say would be important to me right now.”
Thames punches the door open, and I kick it closed behind me. We probably left it hanging on the hinges.
Cassia is crying on the sidewalk. Cairo has her wrapped in his arms and is holding her, rocking her back and forth.
I don’t know what to do. Cairo seems helpless.
I tap Cassia on the shoulder. “Hey.”
Cassia comes out of Cairo’s arms and turns around. Her face is red and blotchy.
I open my arms and smile. “At least you gained a pretty badass sister, right?”
She half-sobs, half-laughs, and throws her arms around me. I pat Cassia on the back and say, “I’m sorry for what he did to you. But at least he didn’t want to.” I hold her tighter. “He was just trying to keep you safe.”
“Yeah.” Cassia sniffs and raises her head up. “I guess that’s true. He only did what he thought was best.”
“Stupid as it is,” Cairo adds.
Thames doesn’t say anything. I can tell he thinks Roman is a shitty father. He would never leave his daughter in the care of strangers, nor would he allow his family to be separated, no matter what dangers they faced.
It’s what I love about him.
Cassia wipes her face. At that stupid, horribly-timed moment, her and Cairo’s phones go off.
“Of course,” she whimpers. “Perfect.”
“We don’t have to go,” Cairo says gently, and he wipes some of the tears from her face. “I’ll make an excuse, tell them you’re busy.”
“No. We have to go in. Otherwise, they’ll think something’s up,” she says miserably.
Cassia gives me another hug. “Stay safe, Lena. Meet you at the beach house tonight?”
“Yeah. We’ll hang. And make up for this totally craptastic meeting,” I offer.
She giggles sadly. I let my sister go, and she and Cairo disappear. I turn to Thames and wrap my arms around his middle.
