by Jamie Magee
They’d found more than clocks. They found a library. Not your ordinary library, but one with text older than time itself. It was impossible to read. No one knew the language.
The boys wanted Indie to touch them and discover the past they were hiding. She tried. She only saw the manor resting in another world, something they all knew had occurred.
There was hope, though. Indie had an adopted sister the boys had shown a few lines. She was lost too, but thought she could find someone to help them and apparently had. The girl would be there any minute now. Indie’s current dilemma was coming up with a way to explain to Phoenix that she was seeking mortal help with their very immortal problem.
The phone on Indie’s desk lit up with a new text. It was Ben telling her the detective was gone, and he was going to pick up their guest at the private airport.
“Mason, are you alright?” Indie asked outright.
His dark stare shot to her. Those chocolate eyes looked anything but playful at the moment. “They act as if we ran ourselves off the road. Gavin and I answered their questions a million times over, as did all of our families. I’m over being told to rest, or to come home. Son of a—” he stopped short because his phone started to ring. His mother, no doubt. He vanished from before Indie’s desk, a beat later she saw him across the way speaking in a clipped tone into his phone as he ferociously paced.
His mother wanted him home. He’d declined. Now Mason had to deal with her calls, because if he didn’t, she’d show up at the manor and more than likely figure out that her son was no longer living but was now a supercharged Phoenix.
Indie melted into her chair. “We have to maintain a human front. If we want to be treated like nothing happened then we have to act like it. We have an estate to run now. You boys be nice to those detectives. Ben will haze them away.”
Gavin leaned forward brushing his hands through this near white hair. “Indie, I know you like to be hands on and such, but you need to outsource some of your responsibility while we figure out what’s coming at you. Specifically, this Queen of the Veil business.”
“Do you have any idea how many charities the Falcon’s contribute to—they double around this time of year. I have no doubt that people are already thinking I can’t handle this at my age. I’m not going to outsource the job I fought to have. It’s bad enough you pulled in someone to look over those texts without clearing it with me first.”
Gavin dropped his stare from Indie’s, meaning something was up.
“What?”
“That was Skylynn,” Gavin said. “Well, mostly. After Mason went all hound dog and found that place I tracked her and she set this in motion.”
Indie had heard that the second they came back to the manor after the fire, Mason went back downstairs and found the hidden library within fifteen minutes, considering where it was, that was impressive.
“How so?”
“Gave me a contact to put in your aunt’s iPad. I ghosted out when Ben was talking to her about the sample page we gave her then opened up the contact for her to see that shiny little coincidence. She took the bait.”
Ghosted out, Indie kind of adored the terms they were coming up with when it came to their new powers. Like fading from human sight for a few minutes. Phoenix said in time they could stay invisible longer, that it just took a lot of energy.
“Skylynn set this up? Hand-picked whoever is coming here?”
Gavin shrugged. “Basically.”
“Why are you being vague?” Indie asked as she leaned forward on her desk.
“She, ah. She said to keep it on the down-low until the girl arrived.”
“From me?”
“From Phoenix.”
Indie closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She was pretty sure she was heading for a long existence of standing between Phoenix and Skylynn. She was also pretty positive they made amends about Indie. Still, they didn’t agree on a lot of points. To be honest, Indie thought they just liked to argue.
“You understand you’re sired by him,” Indie said without thinking.
Which earned her a glare. Her boys were not followers. Even though they were her guardians, they had freedom, meaning they all had to agree on a lethal action.
“I mean, listen,” Indie took a deep breath. “We are new to this supernatural world. Skylynn and Phoenix disagree a lot and both for good reasons; usually there is a common ground to be found. I was dreading telling Phoenix about this, and now I’m really dreading it because he’ll know you plotted behind his back. We just need to agree on who and when to bring in others.”
Gavin leaned forward. “Indie, I’m not a fool. At the moment, my boy was having a come apart for no reason, and Skylynn had a solution. Her mother. Can I prove that? No. She told me that, as her eyes welled with tears. That girl is half the reason we’re still walking this earth. If she wanted someone to call her mother and ask for help, I wasn’t going to stand in her way. You. Phoenix. Can take that up with me. Not Skylynn, or Mason. Something is up with that room, with those books.”
“Her mother? Her mother is coming here? She’s human?”
Gavin shook his head. “I followed through. I’m pretty sure her mother is a witch, part of the Dominarum Coven. And from what I overheard when Ben was talking to your sister is that they are sending someone else. I don’t think Skylynn can be around her mother, until, well, you know, she’s not shadowed. My point—whoever is coming was not chosen lightly. And we need to focus on that, let Ben handle as much of these charities as he can. Sign off on them or verify them, but you have to put priorities in order. We’re the way we are for a reason. Wilder is still out there. So is Cadence.”
Before Indie could tell him she agreed or apologize for jumping to conclusions, a boy appeared in front of her desk with a ghost in tow.
Apparently, Mason ended his call abruptly because Gavin and he were in front of Indie before she could even understand what happened.
“Who are you?” Mason said through gritted teeth.
Indie slanted to her side so she could gauge what was happening. The boy was hot, even a blind woman would tell you as much—his vibe slammed into the room. He stood tall and lean, dark hair, and alluring green eyes, and carried an edge that was hard to pinpoint. The ghost with him had that same edge. He was flickering in out of focus but from what Indie could see he was about the same age.
Strange eyes, Indie thought to herself.
“Draven,” The alive boy said. “Cashton,” he said with a tick of his head to the side.
Gavin and Mason began to circle them. Jutting their chins up as they stood still, the boys allowed Mason and Gavin to appraise them.
“You’re alive,” Gavin said to Draven.
“Currently,” he responded dryly.
“How did you just appear?“ Mason asked.
“I’m talented,” Draven said as the ghost elbowed him. “I apologize,” Draven drawled. “It’s a complicated process. Basically, I can go where I can see.”
“And why did you see your way here?” Mason asked as he passed by him once more.
“We have a…I’m not sure what you would call her, an oracle perhaps,” Draven answered.
“An oracle sent you here?” Indie asked firmly.
“In a sense. She showed me your office. Like I said if I can see it, I can move to that location.”
Oh. My. God. What was going here? Was there a bulletin out somewhere telling everyone the Queen of the Veil had risen? Were ghosts going to pop in and out constantly now? Indie wondered these things one after the other.
“You have my attention. What do you need?” Gee Indie, maybe they need a drink. Of course, they want that ghost resurrected—but how in the hell was I suppose to do that? Indie chastised herself.
Draven glanced to his side. “My friend here is stuck in the Veil and would like not to be.”
Indie blankly stared down Draven with one arched brow.
“He’s not dead,” Draven explained. “He didn’t clear T
he Fall, he’s imprisoned in death. He needs to be of flesh for several reasons.”
All truth, Indie thought. She wasn’t quite used to the powers that Phoenix said she would have, but she knew this boy spoke the truth. A ghost from the other side—from where this manor was built originally—Indie was intrigued by the possibility.
“A girl,” Indie said without knowing why. She just knew the ghost wanted out because of a girl.
Draven glanced to his side at the ghost, clearly questioning if that was his reason. “The girl,” Draven said finally. “It’s more than that, though.”
Before he could explain further, a whisk of warm air produced Phoenix. Indie felt his arm slide around her waist. Even though she was at a stand off, engaging in her first role as the Queen of the Veil, her core clenched with want. Phoenix brought every fiber in her soul alive. When they were alone, it was hard to keep their hands idle. They had been starved for each other for too long. Right now, they needed to discuss what had to happen, what had happened. Indie expected Phoenix to be curious, maybe even angry as to what was going on, but he seemed relaxed.
“You following me, mate?” Phoenix teased.
Draven and his ghost, Cashton, both were sporting wide eyes and shocked expressions.
Phoenix glanced down at Indie then to them, “You didn’t follow me?”
“She’s yours?” Draven questioned.
Phoenix didn’t answer at first he was staring at Cashton as if he knew him but couldn’t recall from where.
“She is.”
“Awesome,” Draven said, as his shoulders fell a little and notable tension left him.
“You know each other?” Indie questioned.
“Through association. Draven saved Guardian’s life not too long ago, he also played a pivotal role in the last battle we had.”
“I see…” Indie didn’t know where to go from there. Phoenix was at ease with them but at the same time she could sense a distance between this pair, kind of like Phoenix wanted that side of his life to stay on that side.
“I didn’t know she was yours. I would have come to you,” Draven said. He ticked his head motioning back toward the hall. “Can I have a word?”
Phoenix leaned in to kiss Indie’s temple, before disappearing and reappearing at the threshold. Draven and his ghost followed suit.
“What the hell?” Mason growled.
“I don’t know. But, um, I don’t know how to let the dead out.” Indie mumbled, looking down at her hands.
Gavin and Mason both smirked, successfully holding in a laugh.
“Which is why we need someone to read the text downstairs,” Gavin said. “We’ll go see if we can pull anything together.” They both vanished knowing the devil himself would not be able to hurt Indie with Phoenix so close to her.
Indie’s cell starting ringing, her email alert dinged, reality was calling her back to the here and now, wanting her to be all too human. She reached down and closed the laptop and put the cell phone in the drawer. The boys were right. She needed to focus on this. She wanted to help the ghost boy. She could swear she recognized him somehow.
Indie appeared at the door, hoping she could hear Phoenix from where he was standing and chatting with Draven. Since he had given her his energy, since their souls had merged into one, she could sense him at all times. When he left her side, it took everything in her for her soul not to follow. She was stubborn enough to do so most of the time, but when he was this close, sinful thoughts raced through her mind.
Right as she peeked out the door she felt a warm hand moving across her lower waist.
Busted.
She heard him laugh before she ever looked back. He closed the door with a thought, locking them within the very private office. Then turned her in his arms. She was wearing a black dress to symbolize mourning the loss of her grandmother as she entertained family and friends throughout the day. Phoenix took the mood away that the dress was supposed to symbolize the second his hands reached to her lower thighs, just under her dress hem, and started to move north. She felt fire ignite throughout her. This was her hourly dose of Phoenix. He was worried that she would fall back on anger during her transformation, so he made it a point to make her feel anything but that.
“I can’t handle these hourly teases,” she said as her eyes moved to his. She loved the gray she found there, the shards of fire that came forth with obvious emotion.
“I’m not a tease,” he said as his hand made it to her waist. Indie sighed when she felt his fingers moving in slow circles not giving any clues as to it if he planned to move them north or south.
“Who were your friends?” Indie asked as she rose to the tips of her toes and framed his lips with hers.
She wasn’t getting an answer anytime soon. His tongue swept across her lips, driving her wild and giving her no choice but to deepen this kiss. The next instant he picked her up and wrapped her legs around him. A warm whisk of air moved them. Now Phoenix was sitting in the chair, and Indie was across him. Her dress was edging higher and higher. She was losing herself in everything that was Phoenix, swallowing his deep moans as soon as they emerged from his throat.
Then all at once Indie remembered that a boy had just popped into her office, with a ghost in tow. She was not about to give a show for any other ghosts that may show up.
His lips were traveling down her neck now. It took all she had to lean away and pull his chin up so she could look him in the eyes.
“Um, your friends. They didn’t knock. They appeared.”
“Draven told me,” Phoenix said as he reached to pull her into another kiss. Indie gave him one, just one, before pulling away.
“I promise anger is not in my vocab right now.”
He chuckled under his breath as his hands moved across her thighs. “One can never be too sure.”
“This is your plan, huh? Drown me in passion? Won’t that mean I’ll be a slave to that emotion for my existence?”
“Not really sure I see the downside in that,” he said with a boyish smirk he saved only for her.
Indie grinned as she threaded her fingers through his hair. “Talk to me.”
“Draven is a good one,” he said after thinking on it a minute. “Like him a lot. The bloke with him is his girl’s brother. He needs help getting out.”
“I gathered as much. How can I do that?”
“I told him you haven’t come into your power yet, that we’re working on it.”
“Are we?” Indie asked, with one raised brow.
“Skylynn and I have been looking through our Book of Shadows trying to find text on this.”
Indie leaned back against the desk, that didn’t stop his seductive hands, it just gave them more freedom to explore.
“You’re working together?”
He couldn’t hide the shy grin that ghosted across his lips. “You want her not to be shadowed. Guardian and I have wanted to help her with that for a while. I’m trying to work it out for you.”
“You want her to be my first.”
He didn’t say so, but Indie felt it in his words.
Phoenix stilled his hands that were dancing slowly across her body and locked stares with her. “I have trust issues with her.”
“Truth,” Indie whispered with a smile.
He winked to silently tell her well done on exercising her powers. “When I shared energy with you, it opened my mind a bit. That and this last battle did anyway.”
“How?”
“I think I saw her on the other side, in our original life,” Phoenix admitted.
“Think?”
“It’s hard to say. I mean I didn’t even know I had lost a lot of memories from that time. But it seems I kept the ones of you and Guardian and chucked the rest. Sharing energy with you is opening the stage up if that makes any bloody sense. I didn’t know her well, but the thing is…I owe the one who loves her a debt.”
He reached his fingers to Indie’s lips to quiet her words she hadn’t even spoken. “Skyly
nn’s lover saved Guardian on that side.”
Indie shook her head thinking Guardian had a lot of people saving him lately. It wasn’t that he was weak, it was because he had very little self-preservation.
“I don’t remember Skylynn on the other side, not from my dreams, or even the memories in the manor.”
“I don’t think we knew her long. I’ve tried to ask her in a round about way, she only knows this life. That much I’m sure of. She saw visions when she was young. She’s been chasing them.”
“Who is he?” Skylynn didn’t talk about boys, but Indie was pretty sure she was hung up on somebody, though.
Phoenix nodded to the office door. “Draven’s twin.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. I know where she is, where he is, but we can’t pull them together until Skylynn is no longer shadowed. It’s a twisted curse.”
“So his twin was here asking me to save his girlfriend’s brother instead? How in the hell does that make sense?”
He shook his head. “Charlie is more than Draven’s girlfriend. Their bond is as strong as ours. As far as I know, Draven is not aware his brother has a stake in this much less a soul mate that is a cursed shadowed soul. Aden can’t know about this yet, it would destroy them both—or so says the curse.”
“Draven is a seer, right?” Indie said with an arched brow noting a huge hole is this conflict of secrecy.
He nodded. “If he were to see it in my mind or even Guardian’s, we have warnings all over those memories. Draven would never do anything to hurt his brother—he’d lock down the knowledge. I’m pretty sure the curse itself stops Aden from seeing what we know.”
“I’m still lost. How can this Aden guy and Skylynn be so in love and have never met? I don’t get it.”
He grimaced. “Made of one soul, love. No, they didn’t meet on this side. But if my jagged memories know any truth at all, they had precious days on the other side of The Fall to seal their bond, considering how faithfully, yet blindly Skylynn has loved him all this time, I would assume it did happen.”
“She’s been faithful to him this entire time?”
He was slow to answer. “In the matter of giving her heart and soul to another, yes.”
