“What happened?” Echo exclaimed, rushing over. Through my darkened vision, all I could see were the edges of her pink hair.
“Not now, Echo,” Tristan said, his chest vibrating beneath me as he spoke. He continued to walk me through the penthouse and into the bedroom.
When we made it inside, he carefully laid me on the bed, pulling the sheets and comforter back and covering me up to my chin. I shivered at the feel of the material and blinked back tears.
“What can I do, Octavia? What can I get you?” Tristan knelt beside the bed and asked. “Tell me how to help you.”
I didn’t say anything because I didn’t think I could. I’d never felt this way before. I didn’t want to feel this way. I wanted to be like Tristan and kill without remorse. I needed to be tougher. I thought I was.
“I’ll run you a bath and bring you some hot tea. Maybe that will warm you up.” He stood to leave, but I held out a hand from under the covers to stop him. I didn’t want to be alone.
“D-Don’t leave me,” I stuttered.
Those emerald eyes watched me with warring emotions flickering through their depths – whether to stay or go – then he made his decision. Tristan kicked off his shoes, pulled back the covers, and crawled into bed with me.
He faced me, so close I could feel his chilly breath on my lips.
“Tell me about the phoenix you knew,” I whispered, trying to get my mind off the events that had just transpired. I wanted to think about anything other than what I’d done.
He cleared his throat and his green eyes went glassy, as if being transported to another time. “It was less than four hundred years ago, when the transatlantic slave trade made an impact on the American colonies. I met a young girl who’d been brought over. She was very innocent, delicate, not meant for the harsh lifestyle she would have to endure.”
“Were you two romantically involved?” I raised a brow.
He snorted. “Now why does it always have to be like that? That’s what’s wrong with this generation, you want to romanticize everything. No, we weren’t romantically involved, we were just friends. Really good friends. And she didn’t deserve the life she’d been given. She was a good person.”
“Was she a slave?” I asked, trying to follow the story.
“Yes, but that wasn’t what she most feared. “She was a phoenix, and the vampires were the ones to watch. At that time, there were more of you and your kind were being hunted furiously.”
“Why didn’t they stay hidden? Keep their powers at bay?” I asked, noticing I wasn’t trembling as much.
“Because the vampires were merciless. They threatened to go on mass murdering sprees, abducting children from their beds if they didn’t reveal who the phoenix was. None of the slaves would willingly betray one another, but they couldn’t allow someone to die on their behalf. Especially not a child.”
“That’s horrible.” I buried myself further into the security provided by the feathery soft blankets. “So, what happened to your friend?”
“I tried to get her out. Take her North. But to this day, I don’t know how they found out she was escaping. They caught her trying to meet me on the night I was to take her North. I think someone betrayed her. Either way, the vampires caught her and I never saw her again.”
I started to feel the cold dissipate and warm blood trickle back through my veins. I snuggled deeper, bringing me closer to Tristan.
“Did you try to rescue her?” I asked, my voice soft.
He nodded. “I was too late. And grossly outnumbered. Nonetheless, I would have died for her, had she not already died herself.”
“What?” I gasped. “How?”
“By the time I found out what had happened, too much time had passed. They had taken her out to the water, tied her to a massive rock, and thrown her in so she’d drown over and over again.”
A chill went through me. Maybe I wasn’t so warm after all.
“I won’t let that happen to you,” he promised.
I sat up from the bed, turning away from him and bringing my knees to my chest. “You can’t promise that, Tristan. And I don’t want you to.” Tears streamed silently down my cheeks. I rubbed them harshly off my face. “I think that after today, I’ve proven I can take care of myself.”
He sat up. “At what cost, Octavia? At the cost of your humanity?”
I brought my forehead to my knees. “I-I’m not a killer.”
“I know that, and I don’t want you to be.”
I twisted to face Tristan. “I just want to go home.”
Tristan vaulted off the bed and started to pace, running his hands through his dark brown hair. “Just because Murdoch is dead doesn’t mean you’re safe to go home, Octavia. You can barely control yourself, and we don’t know who Murdoch’s mystery benefactor is. There are too many unknowns.”
He was right. I knew he was right. But there was a selfish part of me that just didn’t care. I’d been away from my family for far too long and I deserved to see them, and for them to see me again. After six months, I accomplished what I set out to do. Now it was time to go home.
“I—”
I was about to argue with his logic when the bedroom door burst open and Maverick stormed in, his eyes wild and golden hair mussed.
“What’s wrong?” Tristan asked immediately.
“Killian is here,” Maverick said, his eyes never leaving me, taking me in from head to toe. He was worried. I realized I hadn’t spoken to him since the brawl last night.
Tristan snarled and started to put his shoes back on. I flung back the covers and followed.
“You stay here.” Tristan pointed to me and the bed. “I have no doubt this has something to do with you.”
“Then let me go out there with you,” I countered. “Don’t lock me up.”
Tristan huffed, “You never make things easy on me.” He eyed me and then nodded. “Fine. But keep quiet and don’t say a word.”
14
I followed Tristan and Maverick down the hallway to the kitchen and into the living room, where Echo stood facing a statuesque Killian. This time he came alone, with no pack to back him up.
The pack Alpha’s attention snapped to us as we entered the room and his dark eyes brightened when he saw me trailing behind my two vampire bodyguards. His hands were in his pockets and he stood eerily still as he waited for us.
“Killian,” Tristan said. “You came alone. It must be my lucky day.”
The pack Alpha’s mouth twitched. “Must be. But don’t fret, Tristan, my pack is never too far.”
“Of course,” Tristan said dryly. “So, to what do I owe this surprise visit, hmm?”
Killian nodded in my direction. “I came to visit dear Octavia. I heard about a … barbecue out in Little Tokyo today. I had my pack clean it up. No worries.”
Tristan tensed. “How kind. And why would you do that?”
He shrugged. “Let’s just say that Octavia has racked up a sizable debt with me and I’m ready to collect.”
Maverick pushed forward. “Over my dead body,” he growled, fists clenched at his sides.
Killian chuckled. “You’re already dead. And aren’t you the reason she’s in debt with me anyway?”
Maverick growled, bristling and ready to attack when I grabbed his arm. “Stop. Don’t listen to him. He’s just trying to provoke you, and it’s obviously working.” I glared at Killian. “Now why don’t you tell me what you want from me?” As I spoke, I attempted to pull Maverick behind me, but he wouldn’t budge. He stubbornly stood guard between me and the pack Alpha.
“Nothing that’ll put you in harm’s way, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Killian assured me. “Nothing dangerous, I promise. But I’d like to keep it a mystery,” he added with a smirk.
“No,” Tristan said, his voice loud and clear. He pushed past all of us and got in the Alpha’s face. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
“She owes me,” Killian said. “I don’t think she has much of a c
hoice.”
“Tristan—” Echo attempted to get his attention, but he was far past the point of listening.
“I’ll fight you for her debt,” Tristan offered.
My eyes widened with his declaration. This was all very chivalrous and medieval, but I was more of a twenty-first century kind of girl. I fought my own battles.
“Stop.” I cut between the two of them. “You’re not going to fight him over a debt I owe, jackass.” I rolled my eyes at the absurdity. “I’ll go with Killian, as long as he promises to return me by an appropriate timeframe.”
Killian nodded. “I’ll return you in three days’ time. As long as that is what you wish,” he added.
“Of course that’s what she wants!” Maverick yelled as if stating the obvious.
But I understood Killian’s wording perfectly. He was confident he could convince me to stay with his pack during those three days.
Tristan took hold of me and pulled me away from the fray, dragging me to the dining room that was still a chaotic mess. I tripped over some of the broken pieces of wood from the dining table as I tried to keep up with Tristan, allowing him to pull me to a stop in a corner of the room.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said, those green eyes peering deeply into mine. “You’ve had a rough couple of days. You literally just killed someone for the first time just a few hours ago; you should rest. You’re still shaking.”
“I’ll be fine.” I tried to get myself under control. “Let’s just get this over with. I’ll be back in three days,” I said as confidently as I could, even though I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Killian. “While I’m gone, try to find out what you can about Murdoch’s benefactor. Look after my family. I’ll see you soon.” I bit my lip and added, “And try not to kill each other … please.”
Tristan snorted. “I make no promises,” he mumbled. His gaze cut to me and pinned me in place. For a moment I thought he was going to … Well, I don’t know what he was going to do, but it looked like he was planning to do something, until he shook his head and nodded toward my pockets. “Give me your phone.”
I pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to him, then he handed it back and made me unlock it. Once it was unlocked, he tapped a few buttons and gave it back to me.
“I put in my phone number, so this time, you have a way to contact me. Don’t hesitate to call me. No matter what.”
I nodded.
We walked out of the dining room and rejoined the others in the living room. Echo slid beside me and slipped something into my pocket, then tapped my chest over my heart. Her eyes held mine for a moment and I didn’t understand what she was trying to tell me, but I nodded.
“I’ll pack you a bag,” Maverick offered, but Killian shook his head.
“She doesn’t need one. I have everything she needs.” When I frowned at him, he didn’t expand, only nudged me toward the door.
I looked back at the others, who watched me go mournfully. I felt like this was the last time I would see them again. Tristan’s gaze was neutral, a mask of complete calm. Maverick had guilt written all over his face and I wanted nothing more than to tell him this wasn’t his fault. It seemed Echo was trying to convey something with her eyes that I just wasn’t understanding.
I smiled one last time and walked out the door with Killian.
With my arms wrapped tightly around Killian’s waist, I held onto him as we raced through town on his motorcycle in the dead of night. The wind whipped my face, but my body was covered since Killian was nice enough to loan me his jacket for the ride.
The muscles in my thighs tightened and cramped; I was getting tired of riding as we rode two hours across the state. I wanted to ask where we were going, but the combination of the wind and the roar of the bike was too loud to be heard. We stopped for gas at one point and I nearly tipped over as I wobbled off the bike to head to the bathroom. Luckily, Killian was there by my side. When I got back, the tank was filled and he was ready to go.
“Where are we going?” I asked before accepting the helmet he handed over.
“Big Bear,” he answered nonchalantly. “We’re only thirty minutes away now.”
“We’re going to the mountains?” I asked, clearly confused. “Why?”
If he was planning to chop me up and disperse me throughout the mountain range and lakes of Big Bear, I wasn’t going anywhere with him.
Sensing my train of thought, he chuckled. “I’m not going to harm you, Octavia. Neither will my pack. We have cabins by the lake where we meet every so often to celebrate different occasions. This time, you’ll be joining us.”
I tilted my head. “This is how you want me to pay my debt to you?”
Killian grinned. “Yup. Come have some fun with shifters. I dare you,” he taunted.
This was a very bad idea. Especially with the way he was looking at me, like he was a starving man and I was a ribeye steak. But because I was stupid and also stuck in the middle of nowhere, I accepted the helmet he offered. Slinging my leg over the bike, we situated in the seat and it roared to life. Soon, we were back on the road and well on our way to Big Bear.
The log cabin we pulled up to was nothing like I’d ever seen before. It was two stories of dark timber situated on a heavily forested plot with a one car garage and a winding staircase visible through the bank of windows that led to the second floor, which I was sure provided an amazing view of the lake. Several walking trails traversed the property and wound through the woods at different points. The log cabin was huge from the outside; I could only imagine how it looked inside.
I got off the bike with sore legs and followed Killian to the second floor using the stairs that looped around the outside. He turned on the lights and the cabin illuminated, showcasing a living area with a wood burning fireplace. Off to the side was a pool table and a sliding door to the back balcony that led to a hot tub.
“Downstairs is the kitchen and some of the bedrooms. This place sleeps about nine people, but I promise it won’t be that packed.” Killian nodded toward an entryway. “Through here is the master bedroom. You’ll be sleeping there. There’s a bag filled with clothes and shoes that you’ll use for your stay. If you need anything else, just tell me. The village is just a short walk away.”
It was obvious by my deeply furrowed brows that I didn’t understand what was going on. “I don’t understand you, Killian. What’s the purpose of this trip?”
He grinned. “All will be revealed in due time. For now, why don’t you get settled? Change and come out to the living room. I’ll get some wood and start a fire. Rustle up some food, too. I hope you like pizza, because I don’t plan on cooking tonight.” He laughed as he left me and headed down the stairs.
I was absolutely dumbfounded by the situation, but when I walked into the master bedroom, I was speechless. The room was almost bigger than my apartment, with a king-sized bed framed with logs and covered with a quilt that reminded me of my grandmother. Even so, it went with the whole cabin’s rustic farmhouse vibe.
On one side of the room, a sliding door led to a balcony that overlooked the lake. On the other side, an archway led to a private bathroom. With a walk-in closet and a flat screen TV, I wondered why Killian didn’t take this room for himself. Was he buttering me up for something?
A black duffle bag sat on top of the quilt. I unzipped it to find an array of winter clothes mixed with an incongruous assortment of bathing suits, combined with undergarments, a pair of boots, a coat, and a pair of flannel pajamas. He truly thought of everything.
I extricated the pajamas and slipped them on, along with some fuzzy socks I found, and went out to meet Killian in the living room. He was nowhere to be found, so I curled up on the leather sofa and wrapped myself up in a chenille throw and waited.
After about twenty minutes, Killian clomped up the stairs with an armful of wood. Trekking over to the fireplace, he placed them carefully in the hearth, added kindling, and lit it with a match. Before long, I heard the crackling o
f logs as they started to catch.
I hadn’t been to Big Bear Mountain in years, and being there with a total stranger felt peculiar. The last time I was there was with my siblings, when we made an extended weekend trip with a group of our friends.
“I ordered pizza. It should be here in forty minutes,” Killian said before sitting on the floor in front of the fire.
“Thank you for the, uh … clothes,” I said. “You thought of everything.”
“Well, you’ll be here for three days, so I wanted you to be prepared.”
“I could have said no,” I said with a knowing look. “Then all your preparations would have been for nothing.”
He bit his lower lip and shook his head. “I knew you’d come. You’re too curious for your own good.”
“You’re cocky.”
“And you want to know more about me.” He licked his lips and my eyes followed the motion.
“That’s not true,” I scoffed. “You’re so full of yourself.” I looked away and stared at the fire. The heat radiated on my skin and calmed my nerves. I’d had trouble feeling warm today. I supposed killing someone would do that to you. It didn’t help that I’d been surrounded by vampires, who felt like the Arctic.
“We got off on the wrong foot, Octavia, but I intend to make it right. On my honor.”
My gaze traveled back to the big man sitting on the floor. “And why do you care so much? I’m no one.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He straightened. “You see, you’ve been spending way too much time with those vampires when you should have been learning about your history. You’re worth so much more than what you think.”
I snorted. “So the only reason I’m here is because I have value to you?”
He sighed. “That’s not why you’re here. You’re simply here as my guest. But I want to teach you about yourself, about your people. You shouldn’t trust the vampires, they—”
Phoenix Burn (From the Ashes Trilogy Book 1) Page 14
