Shocked, I exhale slowly and gently run my fingers across his beak, then over the silky feathers on his head. Patch tilts his head and makes a low guttural sound as he steps closer so my hand will slide down his neck.
I keep my touch light, gently rubbing his feathers. When he pushes the crown of his head against my open palm, then runs his beak along my wrist and gently clamps onto it, my heart swells with understanding. He’s worried about me.
Tears blur my vision and I blink them away. “I’m okay, Patch. Everything’s fine. The demon’s gone.”
He releases me, lifting his black eyes to mine. When he bobs his head a couple of times, I smile. “Thank you for watching over me. But please don’t clip Houdini’s ears any more. If he hears you coming, that should be enough to tell him to get home from now on.”
Nara.
I jump and jerk my hand away from Patch, looking around my room. It’s Drystan’s voice again. This time I know I didn’t conjure him in my mind. I’m not even thinking about him.
The video application on my open laptop beeps a couple times, drawing my attention. When I see the handle: TheWelshArse, I chuckle and click the answer button.
“Nara!”
I’m so happy to see Drystan, to know he’s all right, I have to blink several times to keep from crying. “Drystan! You will not believe what just happened. Were you just thinking about me?”
He gives me a duh look. “Yeah, hence the reason for my handle.”
“I just heard you—” Pausing, I squint to see the tapestries on the wall behind him. They look…old. “Where are you?”
He follows my line of sight, then looks back at me and shrugs. “Guess that gives me away. We ended up leaving early instead of waiting ‘til Monday. My uncle didn’t want to deal with holiday traveling.”
“So you’re in London now?”
“Yeah. What do you mean you heard me?”
“I heard you say my name.”
He nods. “I did, right when the video popped up.”
I shake my head. “No, before that—wait…are you wearing my scarf?”
He tugs on the ends he’d pulled through the loop, tightening the gray scarf around his neck. “Uh, yeah.” Blowing on his hands, he rubs them together. “It’s right cold in this part of the building.”
I shake my head and sigh. “At least now I know where my scarf went. Been looking for it.”
“Sorry ’bout that. Found it when I emptied out my sports bag. Must’ve picked it up along with my stuff after practice.” A sheepish grin flashes. “It has come in handy here though, so thanks for the borrow. Guess you’ll have to come to London to retrieve it.”
He’s so shamelessly cheeky, I can’t help but laugh. “You keep it. It looks good on you, very European. So tell me…how is it there? Does it feel like being in Wales? Do you feel at home yet?”
“It’s…London, which can never compare to Wales.” He runs his hand through his light brown hair, pride for his homeland reflecting in his green eyes, but I notice his smile doesn’t quite reach them.
“Something’s wrong? What is it?”
The right side of his mouth quirks slightly. “You know me so well. You’re the only one who does.”
I lean closer to the laptop. “Tell me, Dryst.”
At that moment, Patch leans in front of the screen, then lets out a loud raaack and tries to peck at the surface.
“Quiet, Patch,” I hiss right before Mom calls upstairs.
“Nara? Why is Houdini suddenly shivering at my feet? Is he getting sick?”
“He’s fine, Mom. Just got spooked over something.” I look at Drystan. “Hold on a sec. I need to put the bird back outside before my dog has a heart attack.”
“Come on, Patch.” I wait until he climbs onto my wrist, then I walk over to my window and hold my wrist outside. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Once he’s gone, I shut my window and return to my laptop. “Sorry about that. Patch is—”
“What happened to you?” Drystan suddenly tenses, a scowl pulling his brows down.
“Huh?”
“Your neck?”
He’s clearly worried. My fingers instantly go to the bandage on my neck. “Oh, that. One more sec.” I get up and grab my jacket. Zipping it all the way up to cover my wound, I sit back down with a sigh. “I’m fine, Drystan. Really.”
“I didn’t do that to you, did I?”
I quickly shake my head. “No. This was just me not being careful with my curling iron yesterday.” I hate lying but he’ll only worry. That’s the last thing he needs right now.
“If it’s bad enough that you need a bandage, maybe forget the curling iron.” Exhaling, he relaxes. “I can’t believe you’ve tamed a raven.”
“Hardly. He comes and goes as he pleases.”
“Why did he listen to you then?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. He just does.”
Drystan chuckles. “You truly are amazing.”
I wave my hand. “Enough about me. What’s going on with you? Are you going to join the Order?”
Drystan glances around for a second. “You should see this place, Nara. It’s massive.” His lips quirk. “If these walls could talk, I bet they’d have many stories to tell.”
I inch closer to the laptop. “You’re in the Order’s sanctuary?”
“For now.” He grimaces. “I’d prefer to live elsewhere, but my mum loves it here.”
“So are you saying you’re not going to become a Paladin to a Corvus?” The thought makes me a little sad. “No matter your differences with your uncle, the way you helped me learn to defend myself, you were born to be one, Drystan. If I were a Corvus, I’d want you to be mine.”
His green eyes light up. “Yeah?”
I say softly, “Very much so.”
“You’d be the only reason I’d say yes,” he says, his expression darkening.
“Why? Has something happened?”
He lifts his right arm and shows me an older style wristwatch with a black leather band. “My uncle gave this to me, insisting that I wear it. My mum got a bracelet, I think.”
“It has the Corvus symbol on the back, doesn’t it?” I ask.
He frowns. “How’d you know?”
“Your uncle told me that he planned to give you a family heirloom with the symbol on it to protect you from demon possession.”
He nods solemnly. “It felt weird when I put it on…” He pauses for a second. “I don’t know how to explain it. I felt connected to it somehow.”
“Keep it on, Drystan. No matter how you feel about your uncle.”
His mouth curves in a mock smile. “Yeah. Well, I was in the process of looking at the Corvus symbol stamped on the back of the watch when I noticed some tool marks along the metal plate. As if someone had opened it. So I popped it open, and underneath that plate someone had manually etched DON’T TRUST.”
“That sounds a bit…ominous. Did you talk to your uncle about what you found?”
“’ell no!” He huffs out, and slides his hand through his hair once more. While alternating streaks of blond and light brown flip around his fingers, his face settles. “Sorry, Nara. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just…I don’t trust anyone here. It’s not like I can tell my mum. She doesn’t even know the Order exists. You’re the only person I feel safe talking to about this.”
My heart twinges for him as I stare at the watch on his wrist. “It might not be as bad as you think. Yes, it could mean ‘don’t trust anyone,’ or it could just as easily mean, ‘don’t trust’ that the watch will protect you from demon possession. It was marked on the watch after all.”
“Too late for that,” he bites out.
I clamp my back teeth on the inside of my cheek, wishing I hadn’t used that example. “As far as I know, wearing the symbol on you does stop them, so definitely keep it on. Did you at least tell your uncle that you remember everything that happened while you were possessed?”
His eyes widen and his face pales.
“You know that I remember?”
I dip my head, hoping understanding conveys in my expression. “Yeah, I know. I could tell by the way you were acting on Saturday night.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, he glances away. “I did so many horrible things.”
“That wasn’t you, Drystan. It was the demon.”
He rests his hands on the desk face-up in front of him and stares at his palms, his voice dropping to a hoarse whisper. “They were my hands, Nara. My fecking hands.”
Before I can say anything to calm him down, he exhales a harsh breath and raises his eyes to mine. “Don’t worry. I’m dealing with it. But in answer to your question…no, I won’t tell my uncle or anyone else the whole truth.”
I understand his hesitancy. After all, he’s living in a place full of people whose whole purpose is to support Corvus who hunt and dispatch demons. “Maybe over time you’ll feel comfortable sharing with someone there.”
He slowly shakes his head like that would never happen. “There was something else etched underneath the message.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “What’d it say?”
“E.W.”
“Who’s that?”
“The watch belonged to my Dad. Evan Wicklow.”
I stare at him for a second. “Your dad was a member of the Order?”
A muscle works on his clenched jaw. “Just another thing about him that I didn’t know.”
“I’m sorry, Drystan.” His sarcasm tugs at my heart. “For what it’s worth, there’s a lot of stuff I didn’t know about my dad until recently either.”
“At least he gave you his name.”
Resentment rolls off him in such strong waves, all I can do is try to distract him and give him something to focus on. “Maybe the words etched on the watch’s back don’t mean what you think they mean.”
He frowns, skeptical. “There’s a reason it was hidden underneath. I can’t help but think his message was meant for me. In case I came to the Order.”
I smile a little. “If that’s true, regardless of its meaning, the fact your father cared enough to leave you a message should make you feel good.”
He grunts and glances away, mumbling, “I suppose.” Swinging his attention back to me, his eyes flash with renewed resentment. “It also means he kept even more secrets from me…and my mum. It’s bad enough he never married her, but neither of us had a clue about his past in England. We only just discovered he had a brother after my father died.”
I push my hair over my shoulder and try to think what I would do if I found myself in the middle of the Order’s headquarters. “If you want my advice, I think you should take advantage of your time at the sanctuary. Try to find out about the Order’s past and your dad’s part in it. With your ability to sneak into places, I’ll bet you can uncover more. Maybe there’s some documentation or records that refer to your dad. I can’t believe it hasn’t come up that he was part of the Order.”
He grimaces. “That’s the thing. No one has mentioned it at all. Then again, most of the people here are much younger than my uncle and might not remember my dad. My father had been in Wales almost thirty years. But no, my uncle hasn’t said anything about his younger brother ever being here.”
“Why don’t you ask him?”
His mouth slants stubbornly, then a thoughtful look replaces his distrustful one. “Some of the kitchen staff are older. Maybe if I get them talking, they’ll reveal something…”
“See, there you go. You have a place to start. And don’t forget to look for records too.”
He nods, offering a half smile. “I knew you’d have some ideas. Thanks, Nara. I miss you already.”
I smile. “You’re missed here too.”
Movement in my doorway draws my attention. Ethan’s leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed. I can’t read his shuttered expression. “I’ve got to go, Drystan. Keep in touch.”
He nods and taps the keyboard, logging off.
Once my screen goes dark, Ethan walks into the room. “Your mom sent me up.” His focus shifts to my laptop. “I thought he’d be on his way to England by now.”
After he pulls a chair up next to mine and sits in it backward, straddling the seat, I answer, “He’s already there. That’s why he called.”
Ethan grunts and folds his arms across the back of the chair.
I ignore his obvious annoyance. “He told me something interesting. His father was a member of the Order at one time.”
Ethan shrugs. “I guess that makes sense since his uncle’s their leader.”
“That’s the thing…Drystan’s dad never told him about the Order. And his uncle didn’t tell him his father had been a member either. Drystan discovered it on his own when he examined the watch his uncle gave him with the Corvus symbol stamped on the back. Apparently the watch was his dad’s.”
He frowns slightly. “Drystan’s going to be a Paladin?”
“I don’t know if he will or not. He’s having a hard enough time trusting anyone. I can’t say that I blame him. His uncle might’ve been trying to ease him into the idea of becoming a Paladin and joining the Order, but not telling Drystan the truth while he was here in the U.S. around a Corvus was a mistake. I know Mr. Wicklow regrets leaving Drystan unprotected and feels guilt over him being possessed by that demon, but I don’t see him forgiving his uncle for that anytime soon. He doesn’t trust easily to begin with.”
“But he trusts you.”
My attention drifts to Ethan’s clenched hand resting on his forearm. Even though he knows I see Drystan only as a friend, I guess he’ll always think of him as a rival. “Well, I’m glad he trusts someone. I think being possessed by that demon affected him far more than he’s letting on.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Hey guys!” Lainey says, strolling into my room. “Your mom was hanging a wreath on the front door and said you were up here.”
More decorations? Sheesh, Mom! Of course only Lainey would manage to look chic in a puffy jacket with a fur-lined hood and bright red Christmas socks. She must’ve left her designer snow boots by the front door. When she pushes the hood off, revealing her naturally curly red hair, I grin and take the shopping bag from her. “I see you didn’t bother with the flat-iron.”
“Why bother with this crazy weather.” Rolling her eyes, she shrugs out of her jacket, then tosses it onto my bed. “Can you believe they’re calling for a full-on blizzard tomorrow night?”
“A blizzard?” I say, holding the bag out for her.
“Yep. That’s why I’m here now.” She shakes her head and pushes the bag toward me. “Merry Early Christmas.”
“Oh, it’s for me?”
“I might not get back here for a couple of days if a ton of snow comes, so…” She nods to the bag in my hand. “Open it.”
I pull a hot pink T-shirt wrapped in tissue from the bag and hold it up. Adder’s wheel keeper with certified street tread is printed across the chest in black letters.
Ethan lets out a laugh and hooks an arm over my shoulders. “Love it, Lainey.”
She nods, giving him a knowing smile. “Thought you would.” Pointing to me, she says, “And you’re wearing it the next time we see Ethan play with Weylaid.”
“Um…I am?” Blatantly rubbing the fact that Adder’s taken in his fans’ faces isn’t my style. I look at Ethan for some help.
He chuckles and curls his arm, his muscles pulling me close. Pressing a kiss to my cheek, he says, “She’ll wear it.”
“You’d better.” Lainey huffs, putting her hands on her hips. “I don’t care if Ethan goes by a stage name, all those girls cat-calling Adder’s name need to know who holds the keys to his heart.”
When I glance at Ethan, his blue eyes hold mine, full of sincerity. “Yeah, you do.”
“If I didn’t have Matt, I’d be so jealous of you two right now.”
Laughing at Lainey, I reach over and hug her. “Matt’s a lucky guy. Thank you for the gift.”
Lainey h
ugs me back, then grabs the bag in my hand with a sigh. “Remind me never to pick you as my Easter egg hunting buddy. You suck at turning over every rock.”
“Huh?”
Reaching inside the bag, she pulls out something small wrapped in tissue. “Here’s your main gift. The T-shirt was just for fun.”
I unwind the tissue and a pair of quarter-sized silver hoop earrings falls into my hand. “Aw, thank you, Lainey.”
“Put them on,” she says, gesturing to my earring-free ears.
As I slip the earrings on, I smile and nod to the small box on my dresser wrapped in red paper and sporting a small white bow on top. “That’s your gift. Open it.”
With a wide grin, Lainey retrieves the box and quickly tears through the paper.
I grab the bow from the paper she’d torn off and stick it on top of her head as she pulls the silver charm bracelet out of the box.
“It’s gorgeous, Nara!” She quickly hands it to me and holds out her wrist.
As I hook the clasp, she inspects the charms I had the jeweler add to the links. “A horseshoe, a wishbone, a four-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot, a cat’s eye stone, a hand with crossed-fingers and a locket?” Glancing at me in confusion, she says, “I definitely detect a ‘good luck’ theme here, but what does the locket do?”
I open it and show her the Corvus engraving the jeweler copied from the one Ethan had placed on my ring. “This symbol is also good luck. Always wear this and it will keep you safe.”
Lainey rubs her finger over the engraving, then closes the locket and lifts her brown eyes to mine. “Whew, you have no idea how glad I am to hear that about this symbol.”
Ethan and I exchange glances. “It’s a pretty rare symbol,” I say. “Have you seen it before?”
Lainey bites her lip and nods. “Yeah, Matt’s been drawing it a lot lately. He said he keeps seeing it and can’t get the image out of his head. At first I thought it was kind of neat, but now I don’t know. He can’t seem to stop drawing it. It’s the same image over and over. Like the one in the locket, but different.”
Desire Page 8
