I stayed on the bathroom floor until I heard Dad stirring in his room down the hall. It took more effort than I expected to pull myself to my feet. I swooned, catching myself on the sink before I fell. I was weak. Of course. I’d used my Lilitu powers on Lucas, and I’d done nothing to replenish the energy I’d spent. I was depleted. I looked up into my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I didn’t need to turn on a light to see the deep circles under my eyes. I pulled open a drawer of the vanity, looking for the compact I’d bought with Cassie last summer. The one that matched my pale skin. I straightened in front of the mirror and began the work of hiding my exhaustion.
20 minutes later, dressed for school, I headed downstairs. Dad and Seth were sitting at the kitchen island, eating breakfast. Coffee brewed on the counter, filling the kitchen with a friendly aroma. The warm scent used to comfort me, but it didn’t do anything to ease the pain in my chest today.
“How about some toast?” Dad asked. “Gretchen brought over this new jam she discovered. It’s—” he picked up the jar and read the label. “Blueberry jalapeno preserves.”
Seth grinned. “I know. It sounds disgusting. But it’s kind of awesome.”
“No, thanks,” I said. “Not really hungry.”
Dad stood, swiping a newspaper off the kitchen counter. “Suit yourself, kiddo. I’ve got to check in at the office.”
“The office? Really?” I looked up with surprise. Dad used to run a security firm in town, but he’d let most of his contracts go since the day he’d told me I was a Lilitu. I guess I knew he still kept a business office, but I hadn’t seen him visit it in months.
“For the Guardsmen,” he said by way of explanation. “Town’s small enough that someone’s bound to notice a flood of new residents who don’t seem to have jobs and spend their days wandering the streets. This will give them a uniform and a cover story. Private security, keeping the community safe.”
“Right,” I said.
Dad leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “Take it easy today, honey. You look tired.” With that, he left, grabbing his keys from the counter on his way out. A few moments later, we heard the front door open and close.
Seth glanced at me, eyes eagerly scanning my face. “So? Did you find out where they’re keeping it?”
“Um—” The memory of last night rose in my thoughts so powerfully it blinded me for a moment. I took a shaking breath.
“Braedyn?” Seth watched me, his brows knitting together with concern.
“I have to—I’ll be back,” I mumbled. I pushed past Seth and raced for the front door, yanking it open. The morning chill was shocking. I stepped onto the porch and slammed the door shut behind me with more force than I’d intended.
I hurried across the yard, slipping through the gate that separated our property from the Guard’s. The front door was locked. Surprised, I knocked.
I heard the bolt unlatch. A strange man opened the door. He had close cropped hair and wore jeans and a black T-shirt that stretched across his broad chest. He gave me a curious look, tossing a towel over his shoulder nonchalantly.
“You need something?”
“Is—is Lucas here?” I asked.
“Oh, right—you must be Braedyn.” The stranger grinned, then turned to shout over his shoulder. “Hey, kid! Your girlfriend’s here.” He opened the door wider to let me in. “He’s in the kitchen.”
I entered the foyer, then stopped. I almost turned and fled. The living room was teeming with guys I’d never seen before. The furniture had been pushed up against the walls, and a series of cots spread out over the floor. But the most jarring change was the atmosphere in the house. Instead of the calm focus I was used to, there was a sort of raucous camaraderie between the men that made me feel like the stranger.
“I know. They showed up last night.” Lucas joined me in the foyer, frowning at the newcomers.
As we stood there, a pair of guys walked into the foyer. “Have fun at school, kids,” one said, reaching a hand out to ruffle Lucas’s hair.
“Don’t.” Lucas recoiled, furious. A few other guys laughed good-naturedly from the living room. Lucas’s cheeks reddened.
“Easy, little man,” the stranger said. “You should enjoy it. I wish I could go back to the care-free days of high school.”
“Damn straight.” The other guy clapped a hand on Lucas’s shoulder. “Hold onto your innocence as long as you can. There’ll be plenty of time for the big fight later.” The men walked off into the kitchen.
Lucas fumed, reaching a hand up to smooth down his hair.
“Yikes,” I breathed.
“Yeah. Turns out, I like Guardsmen a whole lot better when there are only a few of them around,” Lucas muttered. He took a deep breath, then turned his attention to me. “So, what’s up? Are we leaving early today?”
“I just—” I unclenched my hands, trying to relax. “How are you feeling?”
Lucas sighed. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been kind of grouchy. I just needed some time.”
“Time. Right.” I tried keep my voice level, afraid to show too much concern. “But, how are you feeling today?”
“You mean besides under-appreciated and demeaned?” Lucas’s eyes cut back to the living room, full of new Guardsmen lounging and goofing off. “I don’t know. Groggy, actually. I don’t think I slept very well.” He gave me a sheepish smile and lowered his voice. “Maybe this no dream-visit thing’s not such a good idea after all.” I smiled. Lucas misinterpreted my relief. “Yeah. I’ve missed our dreams, too.”
Hale appeared at the top of the stairs, buttoning up his shirt. He saw me and nodded a greeting. “Morning, Braedyn.” He glanced around, then gave me a pointed look. “Maybe you two should be getting off to school?”
“Good idea,” I said.
“I’ll just get my bag.” Lucas raced up the stairs past Hale.
When Hale reached the foyer, one of the men saw him and snapped to attention. Instantly, the others followed suit. Conversation abruptly ended. All eyes focused on Hale. “At ease,” he said. The men relaxed, but no one spoke. “We’re patrolling in teams of four today,” Hale said. “Gretchen will work out the rotation. Get some breakfast, first patrol leaves in 10 minutes.”
This was the order they’d been waiting for. Their idle conversation was replaced with purpose, and in moments, most of the men were heading to the kitchen.
Hale saw my curiosity. “We’re still looking for the man who broke into Seth’s house,” he said. “But now, with the added numbers, we’ve got a much better shot of finding him. Seth gave us a pretty good description, and Jeremy used to work as a sketch artist in North Carolina. Here. Look familiar?” Hale picked up a drawing off the entry table near the door. I hadn’t noticed it before, but as I took it from Hale I recognized the face of the man who’d set Angela’s life’s work on fire.
“That’s him.” I found myself rooted to the floor.
“We’re going to find him,” Hale said, taking the image from me gently.
Lucas came down the stairs, slinging a backpack over his shoulder. “Ready?” he asked, not waiting for me to answer before escaping through the front door.
Hale sighed. “It’s going to take some getting used to,” he said in a low voice. He glanced toward the kitchen, now flooded with around two dozen Guardsmen. “For all of us.” His eyes returned to my face.
The first sign of trouble came at lunch. Royal, Cassie, Seth, and I all showed up at roughly the same time, having just gotten out of physics together. So we were digging into a tray of steaming lasagna by the time Lucas arrived.
He dropped into his chair wordlessly. His face looked ashen.
“Dude, what’s eating you?” Seth asked. “You look like a zombie.”
“I’m pretty sure I bombed my history test,” Lucas said. “Which sucks because I studied for it all weekend long.”
I felt a clenching fist of fear grip my stomach. I looked down at my lasagna before Lucas could see it in my eyes.
<
br /> “I should have just gone out to a movie,” Lucas said. “Sometimes I don’t know why I try. I’m not cut out for academics.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Cassie asked, putting her fork down.
“It means he had a bad day, and he’s licking his wounds,” Royal answered. “Because he knows you’d kick his butt if he suggested he wasn’t smart enough for school. Right, Lucas?”
“Right,” Lucas said. “You can stand down, Cass.” I could hear the grudging grin in his voice.
I looked up. Royal was staring directly at me. I might have hid my fear from Lucas, but Royal had read me like a book.
After lunch, I stayed behind to clear our table. I knew that look in Royal’s eye. If he managed to corner me, he was going to dig and dig until he heard an answer that satisfied him. My best bet was to put a little distance between us and hope he’d forget or lose interest in his suspicions. It didn’t work. I walked out of the dining hall and found him waiting for me, lounging on the low brick wall of a school planter.
“So what was that all about?” He held up a finger before I could speak. “And let’s skip the part where you play dumb.”
“I’ve got it under control.” I pulled my sweater tighter around my shoulders, but the chill spreading down my spine wasn’t due to the surprisingly mild December day.
“Ah.” Royal looked at me sharply. “So the something is a Lilitu thing.”
“Royal,” I hissed. No one was close enough to hear us, but that didn’t soothe my frayed nerves.
“Something you’re afraid to tell Lucas.” Royal scrutinized me with ruthless focus.
“Can we do this later? I’m going to be late to class.” I tried to walk past him. He stepped into my path, blocking me.
“What was the point of the whole ‘hey, I’m a teenage demon’ share-fest if you’re going to shut me out now?” he asked. This time he kept his voice low. I looked into his face and saw genuine concern. “Something’s going on,” he said. “It’s pulling you away from me and Cassie. It’s pulling you away from Lucas. Are you sure you want to be driving all your friends out of your life?”
I dropped my eyes. His words stung. “I just—I just need to get through this week,” I said. “Then things can go back to normal.”
“Just like that?” Royal asked, snapping his fingers. I bit my lip, unsure. Royal sighed. “I thought you and Lucas were two peas in your own little supernatural pod. What could be so bad that you can’t tell him?”
Another pair of kids exited the dining hall behind us. We waited in silence for them to pass. When they were out of earshot, I turned back to Royal. “I think I hurt him,” I said.
“Hurt?” Royal eyed me, suddenly uncomfortable. “Not—you didn’t—?”
“Sleep with him?” I smiled bitterly. “I’m pretty sure if I’d done that you’d be able to tell.”
“So what did you do?” Royal looked sickly fascinated.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I hurt him and I don’t know how to make it right. Or if I can make it right.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Talk to him,” Royal said. Instead of answering, I shook my head. “Okay. Think this through. Did you mean to hurt him?” Royal asked.
“No, of course not!” I snapped. Then, when some part of me rebelled against this half-truth, I shook my head. “I didn’t realize it would turn out like this. I never wanted to cause him pain.”
“So tell him that,” Royal said, like it was the most obvious idea in the world.
I stared at Royal. “You don’t understand,” I said. “Lucas can never know what I’ve done.”
Royal shook his head. “I think you’re underestimating how much that guy likes you.” He turned and walked away.
Why do you think I can’t tell him? I asked in my head as I watched Royal walk away. Lucas’s love was one of the truly good things in my life. I needed him. It wasn’t just that I’d stolen the secret of the vessel from him, or that I’d ripped the memory of my crime out of his mind. I’d made Lucas give up the one thing he’d sworn to Hale and my father he’d protect. I’d made him betray the Guard. And if he ever found out, I’d lose him for good.
Seth eyed me all day, clearly eager to get me alone. I wasn’t ready to tell him what I’d learned about the vessel. I’d stolen the secret from Lucas. It didn’t feel like it was mine to share. Seth didn’t seem to see it that way. I ran into him in the hall between fifth and sixth period, and he pulled me aside before I could enter my trigonometry class. The hall emptied as students entered their classrooms, leaving us mostly alone in the hall.
“So, we didn’t get a chance to finish our conversation this morning.”
“Our conversation?” I asked, feigning distraction.
“The vessel.” Seth prompted. “Did you find out where it is or not?”
“Braedyn? In or out?” Ms. Yates, my trig teacher, called from the doorway.
“Sorry,” I said to Seth, concealing the relief I felt. “See you next period?” I followed Ms. Yates into her class without looking back. I couldn’t stomach his anticipation. In an effort to avoid him, I made sure I was late to English. I arrived as Mr. Avila started writing notes on the board.
“Braedyn, nice of you to join us. Have a seat.” Mr. Avila waited until I’d dropped into a desk in the front row to turn back to the board. I dug in my backpack for the reading assignment, catching a glimpse of Seth’s face a few rows back. I shrugged, feigning helplessness. Seth gave me a faint smile. I couldn’t tell if he guessed I was trying to avoid him or not. I spent the rest of class staring at the board, but keenly aware of Seth’s eyes boring holes into the back of my head.
When the bell rang at the end of seventh period, I took my time packing things up. Seth stopped by my desk, as determined as he’d been that morning.
“I need to talk to Mr. Avila,” I said. “Meet you at the car?”
Seth glanced at Mr. Avila and back to me, confused and more than a little frustrated. “Sure.”
I took my book to the front of the class. Mr. Avila looked up from his desk. “Sorry about coming in late,” I said.
Mr. Avila looked a little surprised. “Thank you for the apology.” I felt Seth lingering in the doorway; I couldn’t leave just yet. Mr. Avila sat back in his chair. “Is there something else?”
My mind cast around for something to say. “I was thinking about doing an independent study on Shakespeare next year,” I said.
Mr. Avila’s eyes lit up. “That’s a wonderful idea. I actually thought your essay on Twelfth Night had some very astute observations. Are you looking for a faculty advisor? I’d love to help you, but you should also talk to Dr. Gloer. She did her PhD on the nature of love and passion in Shakespeare’s England, believe it or not. Did you have her for English freshman year?”
As we talked, Seth gave up and left. By the end of my conversation with Mr. Avila, I had half-convinced myself that I really wanted to do this independent study I’d pulled out of thin air just moments earlier. Mr. Avila gave me Dr. Gloer’s email address and promised to talk to her about me at the staff meeting later this week.
I made my way to the parking lot. Lucas and Seth were standing by my car, talking. They looked up as I arrived.
“Sorry, didn’t mean for that to take so long,” I said. My voice came out a bit too cheerfully, but neither Seth nor Lucas called me out. I drove us back to my house. As we were getting out of the car, two Guardsmen raced up the block and into the Guard’s house.
“Where’s the fire?” Seth asked.
“Seriously.” Lucas stared at his house, uneasy. “Maybe we should check it out, make sure everything’s okay.” We walked into the Guard’s house. Two of the newcomers stood guard in the foyer.
“Sorry, kids,” one said. “You’d better hang at Murphy’s today.”
“We’ve got practice,” Lucas said, bristling. He tried to push past the Guardsmen. They stepped closer together, blocking his path.
/> “Practice is cancelled.” Max entered from the living room, carrying an old leather satchel that looked like it had seen a lot of abuse. As he shifted it in his grip, I heard the sound of metal objects clanging together. It gave me the creeps. Max glanced down the hallway leading to the basement, then back at Lucas. “You might want to crash at Murphy’s tonight, too.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Gretchen?” Lucas started, trying to push into the house. “Where’s Gretchen?!”
“She’s fine. But we’re all a little busy right now.” Max turned to the two guards with a stern look. “Just get them out of here.” Without another word to us, he disappeared down the basement stairs.
“Something’s wrong.” I strained to see past the guards. “Is someone hurt?”
“Not yet,” one of the guards said. The other one smirked.
I felt my blood run cold. “What does that mean?”
The guards exchanged a glance. “Sorry,” the taller one said. “Orders are to send you to Murphy’s.”
“This is my house,” Lucas snapped. “You can’t send me away.”
“Lucas, do as they ask.” Dad entered from the living room, looking haggard. His eyes found mine. Something was going on—something he didn’t want me to see. “You shouldn’t be here for this. I’ll come home as soon as I can.”
Lucas looked consumed by curiosity, but he couldn’t say no to my dad. Seth, Lucas, and I left together, walking across the yard into my house in silence.
When we reached my living room, Seth voiced the question I was thinking. “Do you think they caught the incubus?”
“No way,” Lucas said. “They’d have said something. Whatever they’ve got in the basement, they don’t want us to know about it.” He looked at me askance.
Incubus (The Daughters Of Lilith) Page 22
