Scales: Book 1 of the Fate and Fire Series

by Amity Green

  Peter pulled me from the chair. I buried my face in his shirt, wrapping my fingers in his long hair. His arms circled me tight.

  “You did what was necessary,” he whispered. “I was harsh before.” It was as close to an apology as I’d get.

  I clung to him, taking the comfort he offered before he took it away again.

  “Well, this is cozy,” Petra said, from the entryway.

  Peter went rigid, stepping away. Cold air replaced him.

  I dropped back into the chair, sliding back and glaring at Petra. “Please, come in.” I wiped my eyes and tried to erase all evidence of emotion.

  “Bungled things a bit, didn’t you?” She glared back.

  Great. Maybe Petra witnessed what I did to that guy, too. Might as well screw up the best I can and get it over with.

  “You’re still here, I mean,” she continued.

  Maybe not.

  “Still here?” Peter asked, looking at Petra.

  I laughed a little. “Peter, Petra,” I said, introducing them with a wave of my water bottle.

  “We know each other,” Petra said.

  I shot an accusing look at Peter. “You get around.”

  He rolled his eyes. “She’s my sister.”

  “He’s my brother,” Petra said, at the same time.

  I scowled at Peter. He had far too many secrets.

  In the same room and not Garged Out, I could see a slight resemblance. It made sense the way they’d stared at each other the night Petra had trashed Librorum Taberna. I’d mistaken her confusion at seeing her brother as a different kind of fascination with him.

  “If you’re his sister, why’d you throw a fit at the bookstore?”

  “I didn’t know Peter would be there. I followed Kai one day after one of your chatty, little dates.” Her gaze carried ice.

  “Dates?” Peter asked. “With Kai?” He snorted. “You get around.”

  Okay, so I had that coming. I changed the subject, looking back to Petra.

  “You didn’t know Peter would be at the store, and now here you both are,” I pointed out.

  “You’ve really started something.” Petra stepped closer. I was certain she did it so she could look down her nose at me. “I suppose I should be grateful. Kai told me Peter was dead, years ago.”

  “Where is Kai, anyway?” I asked.

  “In his study,” answered Petra. “I told him I saw you take Brea from the baths last night. Told him I followed you and that you had her up here so I came to check up on you.”

  I’d found the stoolie. “That way you stay out of trouble. Good thing I’m not going to tell on you for trying to get me to disappear,” I said, smiling at her. “You trashed the bookstore because you were paranoid about what Kai was up to, not because you believed I was the one that changed you into a gargoyle.”

  She sent me a scathing look. I was right. She’d also acted out the whole scene at the bookstore the night I found her with Ezra, just to see what Kai was up to.

  “Petra and I hadn’t seen each other for over a century until that night,” Peter added.

  “Well, now that we’re all caught up,” Petra said. She looked at me with mock pity. “Poor dear, so slow at times.” She tsked. “It was cute, the way you were protective of Peter. You’re dreaming if you think you’re anywhere near the caliber of girl my brother deserves.”

  That stung. Inwardly, I wasn’t much in comparison to him. She was right about me. I was a mere throwaway in American society, saved only by governmental laws, not by the love of a single soul. Orphaned and owning nothing but a beat-up collection of literature. I had nothing to offer Peter. I peered down at the cracked old polish on my toenails. I used to rely on the fact that I was, at least, pretty. That seemed to be fading away to match the way I was nothing on the inside.

  “Thought you’d see it my way. You’re way out of your element. You’re clueless here.” She smiled viciously down at me.

  That was the second time since I met Petra that she tried to make me feel like dirt. I’d had enough of her picking me apart. Heat grew in my chest, my new indicator of becoming volatile.

  “You ringing the bell for round two?” I put my water on a side table and stood.

  “Hold on, you two. That’s going to help nothing.” Peter stepped close to intercept my advance.

  “And you, don’t think for a second this excuses the things I’ve seen you do lately.” I pushed him away. They could both screw off. I turned toward my room.

  “Tess? What’s going on?”

  All three of us looked at Brea, standing in the bedroom doorway wrapped up in a blanket.

  Petra snorted. “Now, it’s a party.”

  I’ve never been more thankful for the shadows around me, allowing me to appear human. Brea and I ran at each other. We hugged for a long time. We cried, saying over and over how much we loved one another, not caring who watched us.

  She was traumatized and exhausted, but she was unscathed, no bruises or bumps, aside from a handprint on her arm from being attacked hours ago.

  Peter caught my attention, pulling Petra with him toward the door. “We’ll go make an appearance with Kai.”

  That made sense. I didn’t want Kai to get curious and needed a distraction so we could disappear.

  We went back to my room, for lack of a better place to pull it together. It seemed easy for Brea to talk to me and hug me like the sister she claimed, but it was sort of dark in the room. Sunshine didn’t betray me the way it could. My monster was hidden.

  I had one, nearly full day to tell a darned convincing story about why I was going to get big, winged, and scaly when the sun went down. I fidgeted.

  “You’re one of them, aren’t you?” Brea looked at me from her perch on the bed. I leaned against the wall on the floor, far from the window.

  “Yes.” I dropped my gaze to the floor. Not because I was ashamed, but because I didn’t want her to be frightened of me.

  Oh, Tess.” She held her breath, a habit she had when she tried not to cry. I’d seen her do it half a dozen times at the sappy, chick flicks we watched, and one time when Jesse Perkins announced they should see other people.

  “I’m still me … still the same girl inside.” I hoped.

  “No, you’re not.” She shook her head. Sky blue eyes brimmed with tears, breaking me down further.

  “Sure I am. I’m still Tessa Conley. Book nerd and lover of all things purple, pink and food.” I laughed unconvincingly, then sobbed a little.

  “I know the situation, I mean, I know he was attacking me and God only knows what would’ve happened if you had not come at that moment.” She trembled as she spoke. “You moved in a blur, like, I had trouble focusing on you. You looked like you were flying up out of the stairway …with wings, and long arms with claws. Then you shrunk some when you ran and the wings like, went away.” She made her hands claw like. “It happened in a second, then he was dying.” She wiped at her eyes. “I’ve never seen someone die before.”

  It wasn’t the right time to tell her I had a tail, too. “Promise me something?” I rose to sit beside her on the bed. “No matter what, please remember and know it’s me.” I put a hand to my chest. “It always will be.” My chin quivered and my voice shook. She was the most important person in my life. I needed her to continue to love me, whatever it took, because I loved her more than my heart could hold. Without her, I truly was nothing.

  “I promise,” she said.

  “Thank you.” I relaxed some. We lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling while tears trickled from the corners of our eyes to our ears. The silence, except for an occasional sniffle, was the best of comfortable silences. I’d kept my best friend.

  “How long have you been in the UK?” I asked, after a few moments passed.

  “My flight landed six days ago.”

  “You flew to London?” I rolled onto an elbow.

  “I was worried about you.” She started to cry again. “Looks like I had good reason to be. I
was taken into London like I asked the cab driver. But then that guy, Kai?”

  I nodded.

  “He got in the car and we drove to that alley where I saw you in the window. Then he brought me here and put me in a room. I was there for one day then taken down to that hot springs place.”

  “That reminds me. How did you keep away from all the other people in there? The zombies, I mean? You’re the only human that talked to me.”

  When I said “human” Brea looked at me, eyes wide.

  “I mean, non-gargoyle type,” I corrected.

  “I don’t know. I would start to feel kind of funny, like dizzy, shaky and tired all at the same time. But I was so scared. I would dip my head in the water to clear my senses, you know? And it kept working. I was starting to prune so bad my fingers hurt.” She laughed, like music. “I was just trying to make it to another morning.”

  Memories of the last few days moved across her face like a projection screen. “Oh my God, Tessa what are we going to do?” She put her hands over her face. “This is terrible. How will we get back home with you like … that?”

  I shook my head, ignoring her unintentional jab. “We’ll figure it out. You’re a genius, Brea. I watched your escape from the grotto. I was almost at the staircase when that Garged Out guy hopped up there with you.”

  “That thing hissed at me, and laughed. I managed to kick its claws off of me and that’s how I made it out of the stairwell.”

  In my haste, I hadn’t stopped to think he’d Garged Out on the stairs, right in front of her.

  “If he would have got a good grip on me,” she continued, “I can only imagine what would have happened.” She started to cry harder. “And you’re one of them.”

  “I’m okay, really … it will be okay. We’re going to get out of here. We’ll rest and I’ll come up with a good way to escape at first light. We’ll get back to London. I just need to think a little bit. Come up with a good plan, you know?” I did my best to sound upbeat and sure of myself.

  That was a one-eighty from my turmoil. I was scared for my friend, and clueless about what to do. I didn’t really know who to trust of the players involved. I started hashing out a mental list while I held onto Brea.

  Kai—no, no trust for Kai. Enemy.

  Peter—uncertain, limited trust but growing hope.

  Petra—really uncertain, extremely limited trust with a strong dislike.

  Bree—total trust. Good guy, like me. Fragile in this world.

  Tessa—trusted, for the most part. Sort of a loose cannon at times.

  The one that bothered me the most was Peter. Not long ago I trusted him. I wanted that back.

  A knock sounded and Peter cracked the door. “Tessa?”

  Speak of the devil. “Yeah, Peter.”

  He had a baby blue duffel bag, which he handed to Brea.

  “Thank you.” She took the bag gratefully. “I could use a shower. Lord only knows what was floating in that water down there.”

  “I’ll bet if we asked Peter, he could tell us.” Saccharine dripped from my words.

  Brea looked from me to Peter, who sent me a crusty look. She shook her head. “You two should talk.” Sliding back, she held the blanket clasped at her throat and scooted off the far side of the bed, heading toward the bathroom. “I think a long shower and some clean clothes are going to go a long way.” The door clicked shut followed by the sound of water running in the shower.

  “I was watching out for her,” Peter said, defensively.

  I laughed. “That’s a likely story. You looked like the proverbial cat choking on the canary. You don’t have to tell me about it because I could give a shit.” I went to walk around him, looking forward to getting out of the corner I was in.

  Peter snatched me by an arm, crushing me against his chest in an embrace that was hardly tender. Hot breath warmed my cheek. I’d pushed him, and regretted seeing the outcome.

  “Let’s get some clarity, yes?” A hand cradled my chin, amazingly gentle for the amount of pissed off energy he was throwing off.

  “I. Touched. No one.” He stared at me. Anger flashed. “But I think you know that.” His hand left my face, tenderness gone. “And I am doing my best to keep in Kai’s good graces to ensure I have at least limited liberty to walk the grounds. I had to drive your uppity little ass up here or he’d kill my sister.” He shook his head, stepping away. “Let me apologize on behalf of the whole bloody universe for the fact that your happy little nail-polishing, pink-high-heel-wearing life has been tossed, Miss Conley.”

  “Is that really how you see me? Screw you,” I said, without allowing him to answer. Shame crept in, but I batted it back. At least he hadn’t called me a “wannabe” again.

  “You’re not the only one with something at stake.” His voice was cold, echoing back at me.

  His frustration was tamped down by patience. The early-twenties, physical appearance was in stark contrast to the timeless, pained look evident in his eyes, barely kept in check by a flash of fury. They stood out, gaze haunted, bankrupt of any carefree aspects of life. It was so easy to forget his true age when he looked so close to mine. I don’t know how I’d missed it before. So much had changed. Our time together wandering the underground tracks of London was no longer about me telling him good-bye that day. It was tortured for him, too. He’d known the whole time we were both being controlled by Kai, but said nothing, letting me think it was all about me. He was right. I was self-centered.

  “Kai doesn’t know we’re together right now. It took some convincing, but Petra agreed to cover for me.”

  “That’s big of her.” I shook my head and looked away. “I don’t want to know the things you’ve felt it necessary to do here.”

  “You’re right about that.”

  I wasn’t asking. I’d been through plenty and he could have been, too.

  The events since I heard him laughing with Kai played through my mind in a series of sick vignettes. I’d waded through goo to try to get out and find Brea, I’d nearly been killed and then drowned, I’d been bashed in the face and knocked out by a ward. I had the pleasure of seeing Peter in a pool with saucer-eyed human girls, and that had been horrible, let alone getting my ass kicked by some guy with some poison on a towel, and I was again subject to more of Kai’s charming demeanor. And then there was the fact that I’d murdered someone. How could I forget that part? I was a stone-cold blooded killer. I’d torn him apart and crushed his chest. I’d brutalized him. My chest locked up. Who—what the hell had I become?

  “I killed … that man!” I bounced up and down a little, frantic, pushing away from Peter. Hyperventilation threatened. My chest exploded with heat.

  I’m losing it.

  “Take a breath.” The familiar, calm quality I’d taken for granted was back in his voice. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning a shoulder against the wall. “I was impressed.”

  “I wasn’t.” I sucked in a cold breath. “I didn’t know what I was doing.” Muscle memory pulled my fingers into claws. I stared at them, clenching fists to remove the feral quality, but knowing it was only a surface gesture. That animal nature was new part of me, embedded deep within, grappling with humanity and prevailing.

  “You did the right thing. Calm down.”

  “I have to get Brea out of here, now. As soon as she’s out of the shower, we run.” I’d created worse odds for us both. Word would spread. They’d hunt me down. Hunt us down. Brea was frail. She was spunky and brilliant, but soft in a world of monsters. Human among beasts.

  “Run where, Tessa?” Peter’s stern words charged my panic with a call for reason. “They’ll find you before you make it out of Scotland. This must be handled delicately, with some thought. And when was the last time you got some rest? You look like hell.”

  I sat on the bed, rocking in place, trying to calm down and ignore the part where he said I looked terrible. He had to be right about that one. I was exhausted and half starved. My surroundings were unfamiliar and in
my current state I might get us both captured, or worse. Drastic things happened when I acted on impulse.

  The water cut off in the bathroom. We looked at each other. Peter stepped toward the door. I stood up straight, taking a deep breath, feeling blessed composure settle over me.

  Brea emerged from the bathroom wearing sweats and an over-sized Cookie Monster t-shirt. She looked at me as her concern grew, and then at Peter, as if for an answer. The composure didn’t make it to my face, apparently.

  “I’m okay. We’re sorting some stuff out,” I offered, trying to be convincing. “I’m just really tired.”

  Peter was back to the former, sweet guy I’d known. He smiled his agreement. “It’s been a long couple of days,” he added.

  “So what’s the plan.” Brea searched our faces, fear wrestling with exhaustion behind her own tough façade. A few hours’ sleep after being up for days wasn’t much and every moment she lacked was obvious. That’s one of the reasons I loved Brea. If for nothing else, her incredible tenacity when we both knew the world was kicking my butt and we were ever-so-screwed in our current situation.

  “You have to be tired.”

  She blinked. “I’m good.”

  “We’ll both be even better with some sleep.” Even if we couldn’t, we needed to hash out a plan. Sad as I was about it, Peter being absent from the meeting was likely best.

  “I’ll leave you two to get some rest then,” Peter said, reaching for the door handle. “We can talk later.”

  “Where’s your hoodie?” He hadn’t worn one the last two times I saw him.

  “I told Kai we saw each other and that you will have nothing to do with me. So there’s no need to keep covered up out here at The Grotto now. You’re the only reason he had me hiding.”

  “And he buys that story?” Kai wasn’t stupid. Sooner or later we’d be hearing from him. I sensed it would be no picnic getting free from that place and back to London.

  “For now, it appears he hasn’t a problem with it.” Peter smiled, but it wasn’t the same smile he’d worn before. Our eyes locked for a moment, mutually acknowledging that change.