Sweet Reckoning

by Higgins, Wendy

  His eyes hit mine and I felt my neck heating, the warmth spreading up to my face. All at once we both realized Dad was watching us, giving Kaidan a murderous glare.

  Kaidan quickly amended. “Erm, key lime was my favorite, luv.”

  “Oh,” I said.

  Dad looked away and Kaidan shot me a big-eyed “oops” glance. I choked back a laugh. Patti came up behind us and kissed Kai’s head.

  “How you doing, son?” she asked.

  He gave her a boyish smile and said, “Very well, thanks.” She pushed hair from his eyes before moving along.

  “So, tell me what’s been going on around here,” Dad said to me. “You seen Pharzuph again?”

  “No,” I told him. “Nothing’s happened since you came to my dorm room.”

  “When’d you see Pharzuph?” Blake asked.

  I told them about the surprise visit and Pharzuph’s new body.

  “Yeah, brah,” Blake said to Kaidan. “We’ve both inherited fortunes and new-looking daddies we haven’t even seen yet. How many people get to say that?”

  “Awkward,” Jay said. “Acko taco . . .”

  “With a side of guaco,” Marna finished, and they chuckled together.

  “You haven’t seen your father’s new body yet?” Jay asked Blake.

  “Nah. Probably won’t now that he lives in China, and that’s fine with me.”

  “Do you have any news?” I asked Dad.

  He shook his head. “I just know they’re having a summit tonight in Switzerland. Still got my boys looking in on the son of Shax to see if he’s ally material. He seems legit, but I’m not sendin’ you to have words with him till I know for sure. How’d he seem when you met him?”

  Everyone looked at me, and I thought about it.

  “Well, compared to creepy Caterina, he seemed normal, but I still wouldn’t turn my back on him. He’s slick.”

  Dad nodded, and ran a hand over his do-rag. “I was hopin’ to have more allies by this point. I think we all know it’s going down soon.”

  We sat quietly, an intensity blanketing the room. It felt like things were happening too fast.

  “What are we going to do?” I asked.

  “We roll with it,” Dad said. “All we can do is be ready, mentally, for whatever they throw at us. Be strong. Keep your wits. They’re not expectin’ a team of you like this. We gotta fight smart.” He tapped his head.

  He was right. We couldn’t formulate any kind of plan when we didn’t know when or how the Dukes would attack. But that didn’t have to mean we were weak.

  “So . . . we wait,” I said.

  “We wait,” Dad confirmed, glancing at his empty pie plate. “And eat.”

  As always, Dad couldn’t stay long. Patti and I measured him and then sent Kopano and Zania to the nearest mall with his credit card for new, less conspicuous clothes.

  Kope and Z returned with big bags.

  “These look good,” Patti said, pulling out the clothes for Dad. “But your hair . . .”

  “Hot mess,” he agreed with a low chuckle as he ran a big hand over his hair, which needed a good brushing or cut.

  Patti stepped up and handed him a Miami Heat ball cap. He fitted it on his head and grinned.

  “Yeah. That’s nice, right there.”

  The three of us walked back into the family room, where everyone was sitting, and even from the corner of my eye I could see Dad’s larger-than-life walk—the kind of body movements that forced people to notice him.

  As Dad started talking to Blake, thanking him for pulling off our recent plan, Jay approached me.

  “You know, since he still knows how to talk and walk like Big Rotty, I bet he could still rap if he tried.”

  I could only shake my head, giving him my “you’re crazy but I still love you” look.

  “What?” He laughed. Marna smiled at him from the couch.

  Kaidan walked to my side and I linked my arm through his, hugging his bicep. Dad came over and put his hands on Kai’s shoulders. They shared a serious look.

  “You take care of my girl, you hear me?”

  Kaidan nodded. “I will, sir.”

  Dad patted his shoulder, and then looked at me. Deep in those eyes I saw my dad—his love and concern for me that stemmed from his soul. I let go of Kai and reached for Dad’s waist, squeezing him. His arms went around me, and I felt the same pit of sadness I always felt when he had to leave, never knowing when we’d see each other again.

  He kissed the top of my head and said, “You make me proud. Every day.”

  “Love you, Daddy,” I said into his shirt.

  He turned to Patti, who stood behind me. Dad pulled a strand of her curly hair, like a little kid, then let his hand rest on her shoulder. They said nothing. She patted Dad’s hand and tried to smile. Good-byes were never easy.

  Without looking back, Dad picked up his bags of clothes and walked out of the house into the dark, leaving us in silence.

  UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

  HarperCollins Publishers

  ..................................................................

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE—

  NO GIRLS

  It was late when Jay and Marna went for a walk. Blake and Ginger played video games on Jay’s game system, and Kaidan and I chatted with Kope and Z. A tiny strand of discomfort still permeated the air between Kaidan, Kope, and me—a leftover from the kiss I’d shared with Kope and the jealousy between the two of them.

  Kopano made a solid effort to get past the tension, wanting to hear more about my interactions with Marek, the son of Shax.

  “He’d be a great ally,” I told them. “He freaking stole my car keys from under my nose. But I couldn’t get a good read on him with Caterina there. He definitely isn’t a fan of hers, which gives me a little hope about him.”

  “Strange to think her father is an ally,” Kaidan said.

  “Yeah,” I agreed. It was also strange to think of Jezebet as Caterina’s father at all. He was now a woman. Jezebet was the first Duke to ever take a female body. His change of guard must have happened just after he’d fathered Caterina. As far as I knew, Jezebet was Dad’s only ally among the Dukes, but Dad was known to keep his secrets close.

  When Jay and Marna returned from their walk, Jay took out his guitar. He was decent at it, but the piano was his best talent. He couldn’t get a certain riff right, so he handed the instrument to Kaidan, and my heart flipped.

  I recalled him saying he played guitar, but I’d never actually seen or heard him play. Kaidan began to pick at each string, testing and tuning with his full attention. I watched the way his hands moved across the wood and strings, gently, reverently, his body seeming to curl around it as if it were a part of him. . . . I felt my hands getting sweaty, because watching Kaidan get lost in music did crazy things to me. My breathing became ragged and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

  He looked up at that moment and caught me staring hard. He knew. He knew what it did to me! I could tell because his badge expanded.

  He angled himself away from the others and signed to me, I want to be alone with you tonight.

  Patti did have a lot of guests staying in the house. I signed back, I’ll work on it.

  “Excellent,” he whispered, a hot grin sliding onto his face.

  “Hey, Kai,” Jay called from across from us.

  “Yeah, mate?”

  “What’s the difference between a drummer and a large pizza?”

  Kai held back a smile. “I’ve no clue.”

  “A large pizza can feed a family of four!”

  Everyone cracked up.

  Blake said, “Thank God for Daddy’s money, huh?”

  “Bloody right.” Kaidan turned his attention back to the guitar. When the first rich notes of a popular ballad met my ears, I stared at his forearms and lower biceps, then his fingers as they moved, seemingly without effort. The way he concentrated and fell into his own world fascinated me. Each sound was clear and vibra
nt, stirring my blood until I had a dizzying head rush. Yep, I was taking this guy home tonight. He was all mine.

  I went upstairs and found Patti making the second guest bed. I got on the other side to help straighten the sheet. “So . . . I was wondering if you minded if Kaidan and I went back to my dorm tonight, since you have a houseful and all? We’d be back first thing in the morning.”

  She tried to keep a straight face, but I could see her fighting a smile. “Sure thing, honey.” She may have been the woman who raised me, but she was also a romantic.

  Kaidan and I weren’t the only people walking across campus close to midnight, but we might have been the only sober ones. At one point while we were walking I heard distant cheers, then Kaidan busted out laughing next to me. I followed his eyes and the sounds until I spied the backs of three naked guys streaking across the quad.

  Kaidan covered my eyes, but we were both cracking up.

  We passed a big group of girls who were talking at top volume, giggling like crazy. They got quiet when they saw Kaidan, putting all their energy into staring as hard as they could. Kai didn’t even glance their way, but his fingers tightened around mine as if to reassure me.

  The moment we passed them, they broke into another round of giggles and began talking over one another about how all the hottest guys were taken. It was strange to think we looked like an average college couple. Kaidan released my hand to put his arm around my shoulder, and mine went around his waist, my thumb linking through a belt loop. We threw all caution to the wind, but Kaidan’s eyes stayed always on alert. Always searching.

  When we got closer to the building, I wondered if I was allowed to bring him in. Probably not since it was an all-girl dorm. I made Kaidan wait for me at a side exit while I went in and then came to get him. As soon as the heavy door clicked closed behind him, he pinned me to the wall with a hard kiss. I let myself pull him close and melt into him, savoring our aloneness. I forced my mouth from his so I could talk.

  “For the record, you can play guitar for me anytime.”

  Dark hair hung in his eyes as he loomed over me, so hot. “Liked that, did you?”

  He took my mouth again and I groaned just thinking about his hands on the guitar. His hands on me.

  He grinned and said, “I love it that you have to sneak me in.”

  “I’m such a rebel,” I joked. “You’re getting the college experience without having to take any classes.”

  Kai crinkled his nose. “Something smells bad.” He looked at the floor suspiciously.

  “See? The full experience. Come on.” I pulled him up the stairs, careful not to step in any mysterious puddles along the way.

  When we got into my room, Kaidan reminded me of everything I’d been missing since our wedding night, and more.

  At two in the morning we lay half asleep, spooning on the twin-size dorm bed. I ran my fingers up and down his arm.

  “Do you ever let yourself dream?” I asked him. “Like, imagine what the future could be like?”

  Kaidan paused. “No. But I’m betting you do.” He placed a kiss on my bare shoulder.

  “Yeah.” For a while after I found out I was a Nephilim, I had laid my dreams to rest, but since finding out about the prophecy, they’d been reignited. Dreams gave me hope. “I want you to dream big with me.”

  Kaidan was contemplative, having grown up believing that these kind of wishful thoughts were dangerous.

  Finally he said, “Tell me your dream for us, sweet Anna.”

  I smiled into the darkened room. “It starts with us defeating the Dukes. We survive and they’re gone. We can do whatever we want with our lives. I know you love music, so I figure you’ll still work with music in some way. When I finish college, I want to be a social worker. I’d be able to gauge the danger kids are in better than a human could since I can see their emotions. I’ll be able to rescue children from bad situations.”

  “I can picture that.” Kaidan brushed hair off my neck. I felt his lips running up and down over my shoulder and the dip of my throat, but I sensed he was still paying attention, so I kept going.

  “We could live wherever you wanted. Patti would probably follow us. After a few years of working, we could think about adopting. I know Patti would just die to babysit while we work.”

  “Wow. Kids.”

  “Yeah . . . like five or six.”

  “Five or six?”

  I held back a giggle.

  “You’re a nutter,” he said, laughing. “One boy. Maybe two boys, but even that’s pushing it.”

  I couldn’t believe he was playing along.

  “We have to have girls, too!”

  Behind me, he stiffened and the room went silent.

  “No girls.” He was deadly serious.

  I rolled over to face him. Before I could say a word, he sat up and shuddered.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  He dug the heels of his hands into his tired eyes. “I can’t even . . . just the thought of having to care for a girl, watching all the bloody gits sniff around her with their red auras . . . it would kill me and I would deserve it, because I was the worst offender of all.”

  “Kai . . .” I touched his arm.

  “No. I’m sorry, luv, but kids are not my dream. Especially girls.”

  “Okay,” I whispered. I scooted closer and ran a hand down his forearm. “Let’s try to get a little sleep.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said again.

  I rolled over so we could spoon once more, gently pulling him down to lie behind me. I felt his breath on my hair.

  “Are you angry with me?” he whispered.

  I quickly flipped over to face him, saying, “No, Kai.” I placed my hand on his scruffy cheek. “I understand your feelings. It was only supposed to be for fun.”

  I gave him a peck on the lips and he searched my eyes.

  He sounded so sad when he said, “I ruined your dream.”

  “No, you didn’t. We’re gonna face our future together, and that’s more than I ever thought I’d have. I love you.”

  I kissed him again and finally felt him soften.

  “Let’s rest,” I said. “We have to be back at Patti’s by eight for breakfast.”

  I kissed him one last time before rolling over and feeling his heat against my back as he reached around my waist and pulled me closer.

  As I drifted to sleep, from a state of semiconsciousness I heard him whisper, “You’re my dream. My only dream.”

  Seven o’clock came waaay too early. And then it took us forever to get out of bed. Kaidan totally started it, but I can’t say I was eager to end it. He was flying back to California that afternoon, and I didn’t know when I’d see him again. We clung to each other, desperate for every touch. We were running so late that we only had time for me to take a shower. We hurried to Patti’s so the nine of us could have this morning together before it was time to go our separate ways.

  The mood in the house was somber when we got there. Marna and Jay wouldn’t unlink fingers. Patti’s eyes were red, but she held back any tears, trying to cheer us all with omelets and potato cakes. I went straight to the coffee maker, pouring two cups for Kaidan and me—his black, mine creamy and sweet. He took his coffee from me graciously, and as we sipped I ran my eyes over his five o’clock shadow and messy hair, disheveled from sleep and my fingers.

  He caught me looking, and I stared down into my mug and smiled.

  The others discussed their plans. Blake was flying the twins to D.C. at ten, then Zania and Kopano to Boston. He offered Kaidan a ride back to California, but Kai had a flight booked to Atlanta at noon. He had to retrieve Richard Rowe’s ashes and sign estate paperwork giving permission for everything to be sold.

  It was time to say our good-byes. Watching Marna leave Jay was heartbreaking. It took Kope’s strong arm around Marna to get her to leave.

  I stood silently in the foyer with Kaidan, Patti, and Jay as the others drove away.

  “We were lucky to have
this time together, weren’t we?” Jay asked.

  “Very,” I whispered.

  Patti rubbed his back for a second before giving him a small, sad smile and slipping into the kitchen.

  Kaidan cleared his throat and looked at Jay. “So . . . got any new tracks for me to hear? Stuff by you?”

  “I do have one. . . .” The two of them walked toward the family room, talking music, and I went to help Patti with the dishes.

  She was scrubbing and rinsing, but kept leaning her head down to wipe her eyes on the shoulder of her shirt. She gave me a watery smile.

  “Lordy, I’m a mess. Can’t stop crying lately.”

  “It’s okay.”

  Patti reached for me the second I sidled up beside her, wet hands and all. I went into her arms, breathing in her comforting oatmeal scent.

  “I love you so much,” she said, still holding me tight. “Thank you for bringing everyone here and letting me be a part of it.”

  Just as I opened my mouth to respond, a dark spot crept into the side of my vision, near the window. Panicked adrenaline flooded my system. I jumped back from Patti, causing her to yelp, but when I ran to the window there was nothing there.

  Kaidan rushed in, scanning the room. I took a deep breath to calm my frayed nerves, then signed, I thought I saw something, but I was wrong. It was probably a cloud or a bird.

  His lips tightened. I’m going to check, he signed.

  Jay came in with a worried look and he put his arm protectively around Patti. I motioned for them to stay where they were. If there were whisperers here, we were all busted. We had no good reason to be together.

  Kaidan went out the front door and I inspected all of the rooms, looking out the windows. Nothing. Kai came back in and shook his head. I let out a relieved breath.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I’m paranoid.”

  “You have every right to be,” Patti said. Still holding Jay’s arm, she led him into the family room.

  Kai and I studied each other, both of us tense and edgy. Switzerland was six hours ahead of us. The Dukes could be headed back to their homelands now. The whisperers could have been spiriting around the world for hours already.