The Secret Heir (Alinthia Series Book 2)

by Siobhan Davis

  “Oh. My. God.” I twist around in the small, hidden chamber, marveling at the intricacy of the chalked drawings and how well preserved they are. A gust of freezing cold air rushes into the space, and I hug myself to ward off a new bout of shivers.

  “That’s outlay from the artificial temperature system,” Maddox offers up. “We reckon the main unit is on the other side of that wall.”

  “The cold air has probably helped keep these drawings intact,” Coop surmises.

  “Forget about that,” Beck says, bending down to inspect some of the drawings more closely. “What the hell do you think all this means?”

  “That’s the same symbol as the one on the knife, right?” I ask Beck, pointing at a few places on the wall where the eight-pronged shape with the fiery ball of flames appears.

  “Yeah, it’s the same one.” He moves in closer, scrunching up his eyes as he examines the figures drawn in a cluster on the wall in more detail. I crouch over him to look. There are about eight bodies in a circle, bent at the knee and clasping their hands together as if in prayer. “See here?” Beck takes my hand, moving one of my fingers to a small spot on the top right-hand side of the robe one of the males is wearing. “That’s the same symbol too.”

  “So, it’s the symbol for some type of group or sect or something?” I propose.

  “That’s my best guess, too.” Beck straightens up, skimming his eyes slowly over each wall in turn.

  The three boys jerk their heads up at the same time, sharing a look between them. Their shoulders relax a few seconds later. “Was that Dane?” I inquire.

  Maddox smiles proudly at me. “You can tell when we’re communicating through our minds?”

  I shrug. “Most times, yeah. It’s not that difficult. You all kinda tense up and zone out for a bit.”

  “You memorized that shit yet?” Coop asks Beck, cutting across our conversation. He grinds his teeth, and a muscle clenches in his jaw.

  “What’s wrong?” I rest my hand on his arm, feeling the bunched muscles and obvious tension under my fingertips.

  “We just need to get back up there right now. Zorc is laying into Dane.”

  As I turn around, my sneaker snags on something hard underfoot. Bending down, I brush dirt and debris aside, curling my fingers around the rim of a round metallic object. With a few sharp tugs, I manage to pry it out of the ground. It appears to be a pin of some type, but it’s caked in a layer of grime. Rubbing the front of the pin with the arm of my sweater, I spot the edges of the eight-pronged shape.

  “Look what I found.” I hold the pin out in the palm of my hand.

  Beck scratches the back of his head. “This just gets weirder and weirder.”

  “But maybe we’re getting closer to discovering what this means, and how it fits into the overall puzzle.” I can’t keep the excitement out of my voice. For some reason I can’t explain, this feels like a turning point.

  “Guys. I hate to break this up,” Coop says, anger blazing in his eyes, “but we need to go. You got what you need, Beck?”

  “I’m good,” Beck confirms, tapping a slender finger off his temple. “Let’s go.”

  We teleport back to the living room, where Zorc is tearing shreds off Dane, as Cooper explained. Cooper storms toward them with his hands balled into fists, but I hold him back. “Let me handle this,” I whisper, nudging him over to stand alongside Beck and Maddox.

  “You’re a fucking imbecile,” Zorc snarls, clearly unaware that he has an audience. “How many times have I told you!” he roars. “And you need to learn when to keep your mouth shut. Don’t ever forget your place, Dekten. You think you’re so special because of—”

  “That’s enough.” I plant myself in between them, forcing Zorc to back up. “I don’t care what Dane has allegedly done. You have no right to speak to him like that.”

  “With the greatest respect, Alinthia, you have no say in this.” Zorc attempts to rein in his anger, but he’s doing a shitty job of it. I know Dane has a habit of irritating people to the point of rage—yours truly included—but Zorc is supposed to be a professional, and this is not the way to handle it. If there’s one thing you can’t fault Dane for, it’s his work ethic and how seriously he takes his role, so I’m fucked if I’m going to let anyone openly criticize him in such an unprofessional manner.

  “I beg to disagree.” I level a grave look at him. “Dane is my protector, joined to my lifeforce, bonded with me for eternity, and that means he’s my family, my everything. I protect my family, and I won’t stand by and have anyone treat any of my boys so horribly. Dane is the consummate professional, and he takes his role very seriously. If he messed up, it wasn’t on purpose, and he deserves more respect than you’re showing him right now.” I plant my hands on my hips, boring a hole in the side of Zorc’s skull with a razor-sharp look. “Still think it’s none of my business?”

  Zorc sucks in his cheeks like he’s just swallowed something sour, and he doesn’t say anything for a couple minutes. I swear he’d love to rip through me right now, but he clearly knows his place. “Point noted,” he says in a clipped tone. Turning to face Dane, he says, “I’ll leave it to you to update your family, and my homra will show you to your quarters. If you need me, I’ll be in my office.” Then he teleports out of the room, taking all the horrid tension with him.

  Coop lunges at me, sweeping me up into his arms and swinging me around. “That was fucking awesome. I’m seriously turned on right now.”

  “Jeez, Coop. Seriously, bruh. TMI.” Maddox shakes his head in disgust.

  Beck smiles warmly at me, and Dane … Dane just stares off into space like he didn’t hear a thing.

  Coop’s good humor evaporates. “Dude.” Putting me down, he walks up to his brother, studying his face. “You okay?”

  Dane grabs the back of his neck, rubbing his hand back and forth while nodding. He clears his throat. “The elders have activated the planetary shield, and the fighting has stopped for now. The ships that are left are just hovering in space.”

  My eyes flip to the screen, and the image verifies Dane’s statement. Knowing they can’t attack is small comfort though, because their presence means we’re stuck here for now, and I really want to get as far away from this place as possible. It’s not just Zorc who gives off a funny vibe. This whole planet feels “off,” and I wish we could leave.

  “We have something to tell you,” Beck murmurs. “But perhaps we should head back to our rooms and continue the conversation there.”

  Dane nods. “Follow me. I know the way.” We grab the rest of our bags in the lobby and follow Dane as he leads us over to the other side of Zorc’s vast home, to the sleeping quarters. The guys all claim rooms, except Cooper, who deposits his stuff in my room. I’m glad he’s sleeping in here with me tonight, but, at some point, I’m going to have to have an awkward conversation with him. He can’t monopolize me every night, and we’ll have to come to some arrangement, so the others don’t feel left out, but that’s not a discussion we need to have now.

  The others dump their stuff in their rooms and then return to mine. I open my mouth to ask a question, but Beck holds up a finger, stalling me. He powers up a little technical device and it floats off his hand scanning the room on all sides. When Beck summons it back, he inspects the data, and then nods at Dane. “It’s neutralized the monitoring equipment. We can talk privately.”

  “He has monitoring equipment in his guest bedrooms?” I shudder all over. “Fucking pervert.”

  “Most every place on this planet has top-notch monitoring,” Maddox says. “Like we said, there was no fucking privacy or freedom when we lived here.”

  “Someone really needs to have a word with the elders. This stuff is so wrong. Yes, I understand the need for safety and protection, but there are acceptable limits, and those limits have clearly been bypassed on Cerlyon.”

  “After that conversation downstairs, I’d pay good money to listen to you rip the elders a new one.” Coop smirks, and Maddox rolls
his eyes.

  “Let’s not get carried away. I’m hardly in any position to make demands.”

  “Don’t underestimate your influence,” Beck says. “Especially not around here. The elders live and breathe the prophecy.”

  “They would totally shit their pants in your presence,” Coop jokes.

  “Okay, enough,” Dane interjects, refocusing the meeting, but his tone still sounds off. “What was it you wanted to tell me?”

  Beck updates him on the cave and the drawings using his mind to project images of it. I remove the pin from my pocket, handing it to Dane. “I found this on the floor.”

  “This is very interesting indeed,” he murmurs, running the tip of his finger over the emblem on the pin. “At least something useful has come out of this visit.” His gaze alternates between us. “I was going to suggest we drop the knife angle, because, at this stage, identifying who isn’t after Alinthia is probably easier than trying to confirm who is, but”—he flips the pin over and back in his hand, looking introspective—"this changes things. I’m sensing there’s more to this than meets the eye and that it’s important we continue digging.” He drills us all with a serious look. “This stays between us. Let’s conduct our own investigation when we get home before we say anything to Zorc.”

  I plant my hands on my hips. “Do you think he already knows? The cave is underneath his home.”

  Dane snorts. “I very much doubt Zorc has ventured down there. He doesn’t like to get his hands dirty.” His statement is ominous more for what he hasn’t said, and I wonder what Dane knows, what he’s keeping from us. I had a sense previously that he was holding out on us, but I’m pretty damn certain now.

  “I don’t think he knew it existed until today,” Beck adds. “When he sent me the coordinates he mentioned he had pulled up blueprints for the house and it looked like there was a cave we could hide in without detection. It didn’t seem like he was already aware of its existence.”

  “Or he could just be telling you that,” I guess. “Maybe he knew about it all along and he wanted us to find it.”

  Dane frowns. “What reason would he have to do that?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m just throwing out ideas.”

  “I don’t know if you’re right or not. Zorc seems very unhinged at the moment,” he adds.

  I’ll say. If that demonstration in the living room was any indication.

  The guys all tense up slightly, and I know they’re conversing without me. I’m about to go ballistic on their asses when Coop, Maddox, and Beck walk to the door. “See you later, princess.” Maddox waves, Coop blows me a kiss, and Beck smiles shyly at me before they close the door, leaving me alone with Dane.

  I regard him warily. He crosses his arms over his chest, and I try to ignore the way his shirt stretches tight across his defined pecs and biceps, but my eyes are like heat-seeking missiles tracking every subtle movement.

  There is no discernible expression on his face when he eyeballs me. “I asked them to leave, because I want to talk to you in private.”

  CHAPTER 18

  Dane

  “Okaaaay.” Her tone and her posture betray her suspicion. Not that I blame her. I haven’t exactly made it easy for her to trust me. But it’s difficult when I’m still sensing something isn’t right with her. I want to believe my gift is way off this time, but my insight doesn’t usually let me down—my instincts are rarely wrong. It’s why I’m going to so much trouble to keep her at arm’s length, something that is increasingly harder and harder to do. Every part of me is drawn to her, and fighting my own wants and desires is almost impossible. It certainly doesn’t help that the others are all growing closer to her, and Coop’s constant suggestive comments and his touchy-feely approach isn’t helping either.

  She clears her throat, looking at me expectantly.

  This shit isn’t easy for me to say, but I owe her. Besides, the others have been getting on my case about smoothing things over with her. “I wanted to say thanks.” I almost choke on the words. “For what you said back there.”

  “I meant it.” She walks to the edge of the bed and sits down, patting the space beside her. “Come sit with me.”

  I walk slowly to her side and sit down, careful to leave a big enough gap between us. No point in tempting myself.

  “I hate that you and I got off on the wrong foot,” she says, startling me. “And I’m willing to try again if you are.”

  “Why?” I look straight into her gorgeous blue eyes, and I can feel myself falling. I quickly avert my gaze, staring at the floor.

  “Because you’re a part of me in the same way I’m a part of you, and I don’t want to be at each other’s throats for the rest of our lives. It’s distracting us from our priorities.”

  “It’s not distracting me,” I blurt, and I can immediately see her heckles raise. Way to go, asshat. She’s offering an olive branch, and I’m reverting to form. “That’s not how it sounds,” I explain. “I just meant that I’ve been throwing my everything into our mission, even more so since we found you.”

  The frustration on her face fades. “I know you have, and I really appreciate all you do for me and the guys, but it’s okay to let some of it go, sometimes.” She twists around, pulling one knee up under her. “I’m not your enemy, Dane, and I would like to help.” Self-consciously, she tucks her hair behind her ears, laughing a little. “I mean, I know I suck at the whole superpowers thing, but maybe I could help you strategize and plan stuff? I think I’d be better at that, and if I can help relieve some of the pressure—”

  “I don’t mind the pressure.” I interrupt her mid-flow. “So, don’t feel like you need to involve yourself if that’s what this is about.” There’s nothing I hate more than charity. I’ve coped my whole life without anyone helping me, and I’ve gotten by just fine.

  She sighs, and I hear her exasperation. I’ve been hearing similar sighs my whole life. I know I’m not easy to get along with, but it’s never bothered me before. I had my brothers, and our mission, and that was always enough. Until we found Alinthia, and now I’m floundering. It’s like I don’t know my place anymore, and the uncertainty is forcing me to lash out at those closest to me.

  But I don’t know how to be any other way.

  She faces me with renewed determination on her face. “I’m not trying to take over your role or question your authority. Damn, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. You’re so good at what you do, and the guys speak so highly of you for all you’ve done for them. They need you. I need you. Don’t ever doubt that or how important you are to this family.”

  Her words unlock something inside me. “I’ve never known anything but responsibility and, I suppose, I’ve gotten sensitive about it. It’s not easy to admit I don’t have all the answers and that I don’t know what the right thing to do is anymore.”

  “It is okay to admit that, Dane. We’re all struggling to understand what the hell is going on here. And I regularly second-guess myself, especially when I can’t seem to master control over my gifts, and I feel the weight of everyone’s expectations. Believe me when I say I get it, because I do.”

  “I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel that way.”

  “You haven’t.” She bites down on her lower lip, and it’s sexy as fuck. “Well, not really. I’m my own worst critic.” She starts distractedly picking at the bed cover. “Everything has always seemed so easy for me.” Her laugh is harsh and self-critical. “I mean, I thought I was just naturally brilliant at everything, and I never stopped to question why I could run faster than any other kid, why I absorbed and retained knowledge like I’d a photographic mind, why I matured so early, why I could easily hold my own in deep conversations with adults.” She tilts her chin up, and there’s so much vulnerability in her gaze that I reach out and take her hand without any hesitation.

  Her hand is soft and warm in mine, and the most amazing tingles emanate from her touch, spreading up my arm and seeping skin-deep. The connection simmers happily
in the background, delighted at the contact, making me want to take my hand back, but I don’t because that’s my issue, not hers, and I don’t want to hurt her any more than I already have.

  “So, I hate that I’m failing at this stuff,” she continues, her beautiful face creased with pain. “And I know it’s putting more pressure on you too, and I’m sorry about that.”

  “Don’t worry about me. Just keep your focus, and it’ll fall into place.” I look down, wondering how the hell I’m drawing circles on the back of her hand with my thumb without even realizing it. “I know you’re trying, and I can’t ask any more of you.”

  She sighs again, and this time the exasperation is inward looking. “I’m hoping this cure of Zorc’s will lift the obstacles and everything will happen naturally then.”

  “Hopefully, but I don’t want you to take it until Beck has studied it fully.”

  “He’s already told me it’s safe.”

  Oh, he has, has he? Well why the fuck has he said nothing to me?

  “It pisses you off that he hasn’t told you that, doesn’t it?” A muscle pulses in my jaw, but I don’t confirm or deny her assumption. “I’ve spent enough time around all of you to read the signs, even when you do give me that ‘I don’t give a crap’ face of yours,” she teases.

  I sigh, shaking my head even as my lips curve up at the corners involuntarily. Alinthia has a way of getting under my skin like no one else. It worries me for a whole heap of reasons. I purposely keep my feelings on tight lockdown, but she’s burrowing her way underneath, probing and searching and looking for ways to get close to me.

  She leans in, removing her hands from mine and rubbing the pad of one thumb across my mouth. My body reacts instantly, surging with powerful need. Fuck. This is why I try to stay away from her. One little touch is all it takes to supercharge my desire. I want to push her back on this bed, strip her naked, and bury myself balls-deep inside her.

  Yeah, right. As if she’d let me do anything of the sort.

  Memories of our hot make-out session in my office, unhelpfully, replay in my mind, and my jeans become tight in the crotch.