Charade (Heven & Hell)

by Cambria Hebert

  I fell asleep. I said, my eyes popping open. Sam had already tossed his legs over the bed and was pulling on his jeans. He paused to look over his shoulder.

  You were exhausted. Besides that, the Dream Walker knew he better stay out or I’d clobber him. He held up his fist and shook it at me with a grin.

  I giggled.

  That’s a nice sound to wake up to.

  I let my eyes stray down his bare back. I think I had the better view.

  He stood up and shoved his feet into his shoes. I glanced at the window. There was barely any light filtering in around the blinds. It’s early.

  I gotta go check on Logan. He paused and looked at me. I’m worried about him, Hev. Something isn’t right.

  I stilled. Did he finally seem to grasp what I had been feeling all along about his brother?

  I think he might be sick. I think his body is rejecting the hellhound gene.

  Is that even possible? I asked, sitting up and pushing my hair behind my ears. So Sam wasn’t thinking what I was, but if he was right, then I felt incredibly guilty for ever thinking anything bad about Logan.

  I don’t know. He shook his head, his face grim. I need to keep an eye on him. I’m going to bring him back here with me this morning. Do you think you could stay here at the house with him while I go train with Gemma and Cole?

  Of course. He can have breakfast with us.

  Sam visibly relaxed. Thanks, Hev. That makes me feel better.

  I smiled. He pressed a quick kiss to my lips and then went to the window, pulling up the blind. You’ll be able to stay awake?

  Yep. Wide awake. I peeled my eyelids back with my fingers and stared at him.

  He grinned. I’ll see you in a little while.

  I blew him a kiss and watched as he jumped out of the window. I hadn’t exactly planned to spend my morning with Logan. I had planned to follow Sam and Cole to training and make Gemma include me. I climbed out of bed and gathered some things for a long, hot shower. Maybe it would be good to spend some time with Logan. Maybe it would give us a chance to get to know one another better.

  I just hoped I liked what I got to know.

  * * *

  Gran was already in the kitchen when I went downstairs. She was drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.

  “Wow, I thought I would be the first one up,” I said, heading for the coffee.

  “You were, but I didn’t have to do my hair.” Gran laughed.

  Normally I wouldn’t have either, but I felt like looking nice. “I have to work this afternoon.”

  “Well, you look wonderful.”

  “Thanks,” I said, taking a sip of hot, sweet coffee.

  “It’s such a shame,” Gran said, gazing at the newspaper.

  “What is?” I asked, leaning back against the counter while I thought about making something special for breakfast.

  “There seems to be a rash of vandalism in town lately. Did Sam say anything to you about it?”

  “No… should he have?”

  “Well, no, but it says here that the second-hand store that is below his apartment was one of the victims of the vandalism. Everything in the store was destroyed. All the money was missing too.”

  “That’s awful!” I exclaimed. “Maybe he doesn’t know.”

  Gran nodded. “That wasn’t the only place vandalized and robbed either. Just two blocks over, that little bakery was destroyed too.” Gran made a tsking sound. “She made such good cupcakes.”

  “Did the police find who did it?”

  Gran shook her head. “No. There was one eyewitness who said that, around the estimated time of the bakery vandalism, they were driving on the street next to it and saw a man with a mask run into an alleyway.”

  A shiver raced up my spine. “People can be so cruel.”

  Gran made a sound of agreement and flipped to a new page. “Enough with that. I think I will enjoy the crossword puzzle.”

  I handed her a pencil, added more coffee to my mug and sat down across from her as we tried to solve some of the harder clues. A little while later, there was a knock on the door. Before I got up to answer it, the door opened and Cole stuck his head in. “I smell coffee.”

  “Cole!” Gran said, smiling and waved her hand. “Come in, come in.”

  I gave him a wave and motioned for the coffee. “Coffee’s fresh.”

  He headed straight for it.

  “What brings you by so early this morning?” Gran asked.

  The coffee pot froze halfway to his cup. Clearly, he didn’t think about needing a cover story for training. Then he seemed to recover and as he poured he said, “Woke up early and decided to come see two of my favorite ladies.”

  “Well, let me get some pancakes and bacon cooking,” Gran said, jumping up from her chair. Cole passed her and laid a kiss on her cheek. Her aura flared with pink, a shade so pure and clear that my breath caught. It meant so much to her to have her long lost grandson—the child she thought she would never know—here.

  I smiled at Cole when she turned away and mouthed thank you.

  He shrugged like it was nothing. I don’t think he realized what he meant to her. To me.

  But maybe he did because his aura was blooming with pink too.

  Before the pancakes were even finished, I heard footsteps on the porch and I got up to open the door for Sam and Logan.

  “Well, Logan!” Gran said. “So good to see you! Just in time for some breakfast.”

  Logan smiled as I looked him over, trying not to be obvious. He looked okay. He didn’t look sick.

  “Why don’t you come over here and help me flip,” Gran said, holding out a spatula to Logan. He grinned and grabbed the utensil.

  Logan was still putting down the pancakes when Sam got up from the table. “I need to get to the chores. Lots to do and I have to work this afternoon.” He put his plate in the sink and turned to Logan.

  “You go on, Sam. Logan can stay here and finish eating.”

  “I’ll keep him company.” I smiled.

  “I’ll give you a hand,” Cole said and got up from the table. “It’ll go faster.”

  Sam nodded. “I’ll warn you. I have some stuff in the orchard that I need to do. Think you can handle it?”

  Nice, he just gave them both a reason for going out there.

  “Bring it on,” Cole said cheerfully and I wondered if he was thinking about Gemma.

  “I’ll feed the horses,” I told Sam as he was heading out the door.

  He winked.

  After the dishes were done and put away, the crossword filled in, and the coffee was long drunk, I slipped on some shoes and grabbed the door handle. “I’m going to go feed the horses.”

  Gran had Logan busy chopping up strawberries for a strawberry pie, so I figured it was a good time to get away. After I volunteered to feed the horses, I realized that I didn’t really want Logan in the barn because that’s where the Treasure Map was buried. Not that I thought Logan would know it, but it still made me edgy to have him in the same place that it was.

  After the horses were fed, I was in the tack room, putting away the bag of carrots that I fed the horses for treats when I heard the horses begin to stir. Jasper made a sound that he only made when he was distressed. I slammed the refrigerator door shut and rushed for the door, only to run right into Logan.

  I gasped and stepped back. “Logan! You scared me.” I laughed.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to see the horses. Sam says you ride.” He looked young and eager and it disarmed me. He wouldn’t know that the Map was here, so what was the harm?

  “Yes, I’ve been riding since I was little.” I brushed by him and headed toward Jasper’s stall. “This is my horse, Jasper.”

  “He’s big,” Logan said, staying in the doorway.

  “He’s uneasy right now because you’re a new person. Animals are sensitive to new people.” To hellhounds.

  “How do you know? Can you see their aura’s too?” Logan asked, sta
ring at me.

  I shifted beneath his gaze. “You know I can see auras?”

  He nodded. “Of course. Sam told me when I first came to town.” He smirked like he finally had gotten one up on me and managed to catch me off guard.

  I shrugged, faking that I didn’t really care. “It’s really no big deal, seeing people’s auras.” But for some reason it felt like a big deal that Logan knew about it. I never advertised my ability. It was something that I kept close so I could use it to my full advantage. I mean sure, even if people knew about it, they couldn’t lie about their aura, but they could make it harder to read by throwing all kinds of other feelings at me that I would have to dig through to get to the real stuff.

  “So what’s mine look like?” Logan asked, taking a step closer.

  I wanted to step back but I didn’t, instead I held my ground. “I can’t see yours. Or Sam’s. I can’t see any animal’s aura.”

  “But I’m a person,” Logan said, confused momentarily and looking like a fourteen -year -old.

  “Of course you are. But best I can figure, the hellhound in you is an animal, which masks your aura.”

  “Stupid hellhound,” Logan muttered. He seemed to become agitated and began tapping his foot.

  “I was just about to turn them out into the pasture. Want to walk with me?” As I hoped, the distraction seemed to work, seemed to pull him back from whatever was going on in his head. I showed him the lead line that I used to escort each horse and how to hook it to their bridles. He walked with me as I took out each horse, one by one, to the green pasture and turned them out. He seemed interested, asking all kinds of questions about the animals and I found myself relaxing and enjoying the time with him.

  After the last horse was turned out, we walked back into the barn to put away the lead line.

  “Sam’s learning how to fight in his human form,” he said.

  “Did he tell you that?” Sam seemed to be telling Logan a lot.

  Logan nodded. “Those demons just keep attacking you.”

  Something cold slithered down my spine.

  “I bet you’re scared you’re going to die.”

  I looked at him. He seemed older than he had about five minutes ago. “I try not to think about that too much,” I said slowly.

  “So where did you put the scroll?”

  “It’s a secret.”

  “I won’t tell anyone. You can trust me.”

  Could I? “Are you feeling okay, Logan? Maybe we should go inside so you can get some water.” Maybe he was sick and it was causing him to have mood swings.

  “I’m fine,” he said and smiled.

  I went about closing and latching the stall doors then headed for the barn doors. “You know you should tell someone where the scroll is, that way if something happens to you, we’ll know where it is.”

  I stopped and turned. “I don’t think anything will happen to me. Besides, Sam knows where it is.” Maybe the mention of his brother would cut the weird.

  “You never know.” He took several steps toward me, like he was prowling. “Sam can’t always be where you are.”

  I took a step closer to him. Show him you aren’t afraid. “Are you threatening me?”

  His eyes glinted, the color of burnt orange. “Tell me where it is.”

  “No.”

  “Is it here?” He looked around, up toward the loft. “Up there?”

  “It isn’t here,” I said firmly.

  He took another menacing step toward me and I held my ground. I would not let him threaten me. I wouldn’t.

  Even if he did scare the hell out of me.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sam

  My teeth snapped together and pain shot through my jaw when I hit the tree and bounced off. Automatically, I gained my balance and dropped into a fighting crouch, but my heart just wasn’t in it.

  My thoughts kept straying to my brother and to Heven—who I left alone with my brother. My brother who just wasn’t well. I knew Heven was uncomfortable around him. I could feel it. I pretended not to, but pretending something wasn’t wrong didn’t make it go away.

  If anything pretending made something worse.

  Gemma appeared at my side and I sprang into action, kicking out my leg, knocking her feet out from beneath her and then pouncing. We rolled across the ground and I delivered a few hard hits. They were harder than I usually delivered—even though she told me not to hold back because she was a girl—sometimes I did. Except for right now.

  I was suddenly angry. Angry at everything, angry at Airis for not helping me, angry at myself for not knowing what to do, even angry at my brother for being sick.

  Gemma went with my fight, matching it, challenging it. We ended up near a pile of weapons and I chucked a few daggers into a nearby tree just because I could. She deflected my kicks but she wasn’t able to spin me or herself away.

  I kept coming.

  “What the hell?” Cole said, coming over to where we were.

  I spun on him and advanced. He dropped into a crouch, not a hint of fear on his face.

  Stupid.

  Gemma inserted herself between us, blocking my path to Cole. “That was good. Why don’t you take five?”

  I was breathing heavy, my chest rising and falling rapidly, but as she spoke, some of my anger drained away and I grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to attack you like that. You okay?”

  She lifted a brow. “Do I look injured? Are you doubting my skills?”

  “You are most definitely the toughest fallen angel I know.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m the only fallen angel you know.”

  Cole stepped around Gemma. “What’s up with you?”

  I sighed. “Nothing. I guess I’m just not feeling this right now.”

  It’s a good thing Gemma stopped me when she did because Cole just wasn’t as strong as she was, and then I would have had to explain to Heven why I creamed her brother.

  “Why don’t you go back to the house? That’s where you want to be anyway. Maybe we can meet up tonight for one last session before you leave tomorrow?”

  I nodded. “I get off work at seven. I’ll meet you here.”

  I didn’t waste any more time, but headed to the house. Behind me I could hear Gemma and Cole still training.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about Logan. I was leaving for Rome tomorrow and he couldn’t come with me. But I didn’t want to leave him home alone, either. What if something happened? What if he had one of his “fits” and trashed something or hurt someone? What if he hurt himself? But I couldn’t stay home with him. I had to go with Heven and return that scroll. Once the Map was in its rightful place, hopefully the demon attacks on Hev would stop and I could focus more on helping Logan.

  I rapped lightly on the kitchen door and heard Gran call out, so I let myself in. She was standing at the small island making what looked like a pie crust.

  “Chores all done?” she asked with a smile. She had a smudge of flour on her nose.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Wash up there and get yourself a drink. You must be thirsty.”

  I went to the sink and did as she asked, watching the grime on my hands from my training flowing down the drain. When I was done, I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

  “Where’s Heven and Logan?”

  “Heven went to feed the horses. Logan just went out there a few minutes ago to join her.”

  My eyes strayed to the door. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Logan and Heven being alone together. “I’ll go see what they are up to.”

  “Sam? Before you go, is everything all right? You seem worried.”

  I stopped halfway to the door and turned. “I’m worried about leaving Logan here by himself while I’m in Italy.”

  “Ahh,” Gran said. “He’s not going home?”

  I felt my shoulders slump. I was so tired of lying and making up stories. “No. My parents… they can be kind of hard to live with. It’s the reason I’m emancipated. When
I left home, things got a lot harder for Logan. He doesn’t want to go back there and I can’t make him.”

  It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was some of it. Just that little bit of truth actually made me feel better.

  Gran picked up a kitchen towel and began wiping flour off her hands. “That must be very hard for you. Caring for a younger brother must be tough, considering how young you are yourself.”

  I nodded.

  “Sam, I want you to know that you are always welcome in my home. Logan too. I see how you look at Heven…” She turned to grab two pie plates, and with her back turned, she said, “I know how you take care of her.”

  It almost seemed for a moment that she understood more than we thought. But then she turned around with a smile and began assembling two pies.

  “Why don’t you bring Logan here to stay while you are gone? I’ll watch over him.”

  It would be the answer to my worry about Logan. Unfortunately, it would give me new worry. Gran was like the family I never had. She was unbelievably kind and loving. The thought of leaving Logan here and him accidently hurting her in one of his “fits” left me feeling cold inside.

  “Thank you for the offer but Logan is… he’s been hard to deal with… I think he’s having a hard time adjusting and he can be a real handful. I don’t want to put that on you.”

  She didn’t seem the least bit concerned. “I think I can handle one sullen teenage boy. I used to be married to a police officer, you know. And my son was one too. They taught me a thing or two.” She winked as she poured what looked like a strawberry mixture into the pie shells.

  Even so, her strength would be no match for Logan’s. If he went into a rage, there would be no stopping him. “Heven’s grandfather was a police officer too?”

  “Oh, yes. Best cop on the force.” She smiled fondly.

  “How… how long has he been gone?” My curiosity got the better of my manners as the question tumbled right out of my mouth.

  “A long time, almost seventeen years ago. He died when Heven was just a baby.” She looked up from her work and seemed lost in a memory. “He loved that girl more than life itself.”