by Trina M. Lee
“What’s going on, Cinder?” I asked, an edge of fear causing my voice to crack. “I get the feeling that there’s something you’re not sharing. Who is Rowen’s father?”
He used the dishcloth to sweep a small pile of coffee grounds into the sink. “Some information could get you killed. Or worse. I won’t have you tortured by demons for something I shouldn’t have told you.”
I leaned against the counter, watching him tidy. There wasn’t much to clean. He was just going through the motions.
“But they already know, don’t they? That’s why they’ve put Arrow so close to him, why they’ve hidden that asshole’s true identity from Rowen. You’ve got to give me something here, Cinder. I know I’m still a real rookie here—trust me, I feel like one—but damn, this is tough.”
Draping the dishcloth over the faucet, he mirrored my pose, leaning against the opposite counter. Today he was dressed in jeans and a Halestorm t-shirt. Maybe I was starting to rub off on him.
“I’ll give you something. A task. Keep an eye on Arrow. I want you to follow him tonight. See what he’s up to, but don’t let him see you. Take a weapon.”
I thought about the blunder with Koda. A silver-plated blade would have been handy. A demon could withstand many things. They were unkillable, but silver was one of their few weaknesses.
“You want me to spy on Arrow?” I had a Homer Simpson moment where I wanted to whine Can’t someone else do it? but I somehow managed to resist.
“We all have our jobs to do, Ember. You want to know how involved he is, so find out. I know you can handle him.”
“What about Rowen? Is he safe?”
“For now.”
I considered the situation or what I knew of it anyway. “Why doesn’t he have someone? Like how I have you.”
Cinder smiled then. It was worthy of a toothpaste commercial. “You have to trust that all of you have what you need when you need it. Besides, he has you now. You have a calling, Ember. One that is as precious and rare as you are.”
Even though I’d had years to prepare for this, I still wasn’t ready. I’d heard this claim before. It reminded me of Arrow’s comment about how rare female nephilim are.
“What if I can’t do it? How do I even know what I’m here to do?” A headache began to throb behind my eyes, which I attributed to too much liquor and not enough sleep.
Cinder was quiet for so long that I grew concerned. Then he snapped into action. He poured me a glass of water and gave me a gentle shove. “Maybe you should go back to bed for a while.”
I resisted, grabbing onto the counter. “Since Arrow has obviously been planted in Rowen’s life, does that mean he knows who Rowen’s father is?”
Cinder gave me a look that said he wished I would stop asking so many questions and simply have some faith in what I already knew. It was hard to accept only part of a story. I needed the whole thing.
With a hand on my arm, he gently steered me toward the bedroom. He took a seat on the edge of the bed, patting the spot beside him. “I’m going to tell you something, but you must be certain that you want to know it.”
I stared at him in exasperation. “You do realize that by saying shit like that you make it impossible for me to not want to know.”
“Arrow and Rowen are brothers.” Cinder paused, assessing my dropped jaw. “They are the only known set of nephilim siblings in existence. It’s unheard of for an angel or demon to manage to commit such a sin twice before being caught, but Arrow and Rowen are living proof. Arrow may or may not know this. Which is one of many reasons to watch him.”
I gaped at him, mouth open with no sound coming out. Brothers. Angelic and demonic parents of the nephilim were locked away to await judgment for the crime of tampering with the human bloodline. Whoever their father was, he had to be amazingly clever to create two illicit offspring.
My poor, alcohol-abused brain raced. Only one person had the full answer to this riddle, but I was pretty sure that God wasn’t giving out that kind of info. Which was just as well. This was where faith came in, something I sorely lacked when I needed it most.
“I don’t understand where I come into this,” I finally said. “I’m nobody compared to the two of them. How can I possibly help?”
Cinder pulled me into a squishy hug and ruffled my hair. “Oh, but you are certainly somebody. You don’t realize it yet, but inside you exists the power to save them both.”
Chapter Eleven
I gave my cheek a slap. “I’m not dreaming, am I? Have I already fallen asleep? Because I could swear I just heard the craziest thing that’s ever come out of your mouth.”
Cinder’s soft chuckle didn’t make me feel better like it usually did. Stunned, I sat there, hoping he was about to yell, “Psych!” But he didn’t.
“You’re destined for great things, kiddo. What can I say? I can’t wait to see how amazing you are.” Tiny laugh lines crinkled the corners of his eyes. He showed no hint of worry or concern. Cinder really believed what he’d said.
“Yeah, no pressure or anything.” I let my breath out in a whoosh. Nothing like a small panic attack to turn a mild hangover headache into a skull banger. “Should I even ask? I mean, is this what you’ve been preparing me for? How am I supposed to help anyone?”
“There’s no need to look ahead. Just know that good things await you. Take it from moment to moment and have faith. You have more potential than you allow yourself to believe.”
I laughed then, though it was bitter and tasteless. “I’m rocking a hell of a hangover. Again. And you just caught me with a guy in my bed. Are you sure you’ve got the right girl? I think you must be mistaken. I can’t help anybody.”
Cinder stroked a hand through my messy hair before leaning in to kiss my forehead. “You’ll be surprised when you discover what you’re capable of. Get some rest. We’ll talk later.”
He disappeared before I could give him shit for leaving me with such heavy thoughts. I’d been told my whole life that there was something different about me, but different didn’t always mean good. In fact, it rarely did. Cinder’s use of the term special wasn’t fooling me.
I rolled over into the center of the bed. Immediately Rowen’s scent rose up around me. I grabbed the pillow he’d used and dragged it close. The feel-good chemicals in my brain went off like an explosion. With a goofy smile on my face, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I didn’t know what was yet to come, but I knew already that I would do anything to help Rowen. As for Arrow, well, he seemed to be beyond help to me, but it wasn’t up to me to make that call.
I didn’t really doubt Cinder’s claims about me. Yet I still had a hard time believing that someone as deeply flawed as I was could be of any use. I did understand that the dark wanted me to think I could never belong to the light.
Wrestling with doubts and insecurities had never served me well in the past. So I snuggled in amid the mess of blankets, thinking only of good things.
I had a few decent design jobs to work on in the coming week, including a movie poster for an indie film. Crimson Sin was well on its way to a successful battle of the bands win. And I was going to see Rowen again. My mother had taught me young to count my blessings rather than my problems, something I’d fallen asleep doing since childhood.
Now I lay awake doing that very thing until all of Cinder’s words flooded back to me with all of my questions. What about these two brothers was so damn important? And why me? What could I really do? Eventually the thoughts jumbled together, and I sank into sleep. The confusion followed me there, and my dreams were plagued with questions that left me restless and tired when I woke several hours later.
I needed a few moments to realize that my phone had woken me. I fumbled to answer it when I saw Jett’s number.
“Tell me everything,” she gushed into my ear. “Did you fuck him? I want details.”
I rolled over with a groan. “No, Jett. I did not fuck him. He did spend the night though. We cuddled. It was nice.”
Jett made a gagging sound. “Oh, barf. I was hoping for some orgasmic tales. So nothing exciting to share?”
“Well, there was something.” I told her about Koda and the conversation it led to when Rowen and I returned to my apartment. I ended with Cinder finding us in bed together and the talk he and I had after Rowen left.
“Damn. No more playing human for you, girl. Time to shine.”
“Ugh. Don’t say that. I am so not ready for any of this.”
Jett was quiet for a moment. “If we only did things when we were ready, we’d never do a damn thing, Spike. Remember our first serious show? How fucking scared we were? We almost backed out. But we didn’t. And you can’t now. Not if it’s as big a deal as Cinder says it is.”
“Yeah, I suppose. So what happened with you last night? You said the pack needed you.” Changing the subject was the best way for me to get out of bed. If I didn’t stop thinking about it all, I might never leave the comfort of my blankets again.
She turned away from the phone to shout at her cat to stop destroying the couch before answering. “We had to vote on a new pack member. Nothing too detrimental. Routine stuff. So are we jamming tonight? We need to be ready for Saturday.”
With a longing glance back at the bed, I left the bedroom. “I have to tail Arrow tonight. Cinder wants me to keep an eye on him.”
“Geez, that’s shitty. What a crappy way to spend a night.” Jett paused to puff on a cigarette. “Want me to come with?” It was tempting. Having a werewolf with me would lend some confidence, which I was seriously lacking. However, Jett was a wild card, an unpredictable loose cannon that could go off at any time.
“Thanks, but I’ve got this. I’ll attract less attention alone. Your purple hair is too eye catching.”
She seemed to accept this though she probably knew I was blowing her off. “That’s true. It is pretty amazing. Give me a call if you need any backup. I’ll be there. Otherwise, I’ll talk to you later.”
As I got ready to go out, I couldn’t help but be skeptical. Arrow could be anywhere. What if he wasn’t home? The fact that Rowen lived there too made me uncomfortable. If he saw me lurking outside his house like a total creeper, he’d never trust me again.
I dressed all in charcoal gray. A hoodie and yoga pants would guarantee my comfort. I didn’t bother with much makeup seeing as the point was to go unseen. Nervous tremors shook my hands as I ran a brush through my hair and put it in a high ponytail. I slid a small, silver-coated dagger into my boot, hoping like hell that I wouldn’t have to use it. Ensuring that my phone was on silent, I prayed that Cinder knew what he was doing by sending me on this mission. I slipped out of the apartment building with as much stealth as I could muster.
After parking my loud, old car down the street from Arrow’s house, I tugged my hood up and crept closer on foot. This was a horrible idea. I could feel it in my bones. It was just past sunset. Arrow’s BMW sat in the driveway. What if he stayed in tonight and watched TV or something? Was I supposed to sit here all night?
My worries were unfounded. Twenty minutes later, the door opened. When Arrow appeared, my heart raced, and I held my breath. He glanced around before descending the front steps to the car. When he got in I made my way back to the Nova. Following him might prove difficult since my old beater would never keep up with that BMW if he drove like a maniac.
I ducked in the driver’s seat as he passed. Then I eased onto the street behind him, careful to keep a safe distance. This was so dangerous. I kept waiting for him to notice me, but if he did, he gave no indication.
Arrow was a better driver than I’d expected. He followed all of the road rules and even paused at a railroad crossing. Weird. He seemed to be trying not to attract attention from other motorists or passing cops.
When he headed to The Spirit Room, I wasn’t all that surprised. A lot of us hung out there frequently throughout the week. It would be hard to go unseen there, but if he did see me, it shouldn’t be obvious that I was following him. After all, us girls hung out there too. He didn’t own the place.
None of Arrow’s close circle of friends were there. I was relieved that Rowen wasn’t with him. It soon became apparent that he was there to meet someone.
I ordered a virgin daiquiri and lurked on the opposite side of the room, trying to go unnoticed. A few people stopped to say hello, acquaintances I knew through the rock scene. Even as I made light conversation with them, I kept Arrow within my sights.
He lingered near the stage, feigning interest in the band playing. A few minutes passed, and he began to look annoyed. Muttering to himself, he checked his phone.
A pale brunette emerged from the crowd to touch his shoulder. She was gaunt, and even from where I was I could see her tremors. Head bowed, she leaned in to whisper something in his ear.
He appeared thoughtful for a moment before nodding. Arrow smiled and held out a hand for her to lead the way.
She headed for the restrooms, taking his hand and pulling him into the ladies room with her. I had an ill feeling that I knew where this was going, but I followed anyway.
The bathroom was busy. A group of girls clustered around the counter, checking makeup and gossiping. The scent of marijuana hung on the air. Nobody paid Arrow any mind as he slipped into an end stall with the brown-haired girl.
Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I entered the stall next to them and listened. Their voices were lost in the loud chatter, but I was able to make out some of their exchange.
“You know, Rose, eventually I’ll have to stop taking blowjobs as payment,” Arrow said with a chuckle. “As good as you are, they just don’t pay the bills.”
“Just this last time, Arrow, please. I promise. I’ll have cash next time. Really. I’m good for it. I’m just waiting on some money I’m owed.” Her voice was high and tinny, as if she was used to going through this routine.
“Someone owes you? Do you need me to smash some knees? I’m always happy to help a lady out.” Arrow’s voice was oily and smooth, meant to charm. It made me shudder.
He was absolutely vile. When the sound of a zipper was followed by his soft moans, I had to put a hand over my mouth to stifle the urge to vomit. Arrow was a nasty thing, more demon than human in my opinion.
I didn’t hang around to listen to his big finish. I’d heard enough. Squeezing in among the gossip queens, I washed my hands and exited the bathroom before he could get a glimpse of me.
Waiting for him to come out fed my growing dislike of the guy. It was hard not to spew any venom his way. It was natural that I had a dark side like we all do, but if I fed it, it would grow. And that was Arrow’s game, not mine.
When he strode from the restroom with a self-satisfied grin, I swore beneath my breath. Was there any redeemable quality in him at all? He had just taken advantage of someone with a drug problem, having her get on her knees in a dirty washroom for him. For drugs. And he was cool with that. I loathed him.
He didn’t leave right away. He paused to talk with a few guys gathered around a table near the bar. His gaze swept the room, and I turned away, hoping to blend in among the rest. Please don’t see me, I thought.
When I felt brave enough to turn back, he was gone. Shit. I scanned the entire vicinity but didn’t see him. I was going to lose him. I hurried outside in time to see him turn the corner into the parking lot. I’d parked along the street a block away so I rushed to my car in a full out run. Something told me that Arrow wasn’t going home, and now I was curious. I wanted to know what else he was up to.
My nerves had faded back in the bathroom stall. I wasn’t afraid of being seen now, though I was wary. Arrow peeled out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires, and I frowned as I eased down the street behind him. A red light ahead would slow him down. I didn’t need to race after him.
The sudden change in his driving was interesting. He’d gone from being calm and subdued to being feisty and maybe a little reckless. I wondered if it had anything to do with what had just happened. Maybe h
e’d gotten a thrill out of it.
When he headed to one of the richest neighborhoods in the city, my curiosity grew. He pulled up to a house completely surrounded by a perimeter wall. I watched with a sinking sensation as he walked up to an intercom with a bag in hand. The gate swung open to allow him entry.
Shit. What was I going to do now? I had no idea who lived here. It might not be worth hanging around. Still, I had to know what Arrow was doing in a place like this. Maybe it was his supplier’s house.
Getting caught up in drug deal drama was not my intent, but I had a feeling that this went beyond drugs to demons. I could almost smell the sulfur as I walked up to the house. Wary of cameras, I kept my hood pulled up to hide my face. Of course where demons are concerned, cameras were the least of my worries.
“Spike,” came a voice from behind me, and I whirled to find Koda standing much too close. He seemed quite pleased with himself for having caught me by surprise. “Can I help you with something?”
“Yeah, you can go away and pretend you never saw me.” Hey, it was worth a try.
As expected, Koda laughed at me. “I think you owe me an explanation. For starters, what the hell are you doing here?”
I never considered anything but the truth. No sense lying to a liar. Really. “I’m following Arrow. What are you doing?”
“Following you.”
Well that was certainly awkward. The demon clearly had much greater stealth than I did. I’d had no idea I was being followed.
“Why?” I asked, wondering if I could get to the dagger in my boot fast enough if needed.
Koda smirked, but the darkness in his red eyes lacked amusement. His expression was pure evil. “The question should be, why not? By protecting the undecided nephilim, you made the wrong choice. You can’t save him. We will have him. And at some point, we’ll have you too, if you don’t get yourself killed first.”
