by Hart, Alana
Throwback. Bear agreed with a gentle huff and a quick sniff. He caught a whiff of what bear scented. Polar bear, and grizzly, and what was the rest of that mix? Bear didn’t know, but throwback felt like a reasonable enough answer to the beast. Ben shrugged.
“So, what exactly is a throwback, and what the fuck does Del’s door want with one?” Ben heard the back door close softly as the last word he spoke left his mouth. Shit. He just hoped Aria hadn’t seen him on the ragged edge of losing control. He turned to see, but her stony expression gave nothing away.
Ben scooted to the inside of the bench and patted the seat beside him. “Join us? Please? I think this discussion is just about to get interesting.” Aria’s eyes tensed, and her mouth pursed, like she’d just taken a sip of bitter lemonade, but she did take a seat beside him. Her entire posture was stiff and her gaze was filled with anger and challenge as she faced her grandmother. Palms flat on the table, covering the imprint Ben had recently placed in the wood, she spoke one word.
“Throwback?”
Shit, Ben and bear wanted to duck and cover at the ice in her voice. She might only be human but his mate was Tori’s match in sheer guts and determination for damn sure.
CHAPTER TEN
Aria stroked the tabletop, fighting for calm as she challenged Gran for answers. Fuck waiting until tomorrow. If they were that determined, then the answers could be gotten. Now.
Aria suppressed a gasp when her fingertips encountered divots in the table top. She dared a quick glance down at the wood beneath her hands. A matching pair of fingerprints indented the wood. She was certain they hadn’t been there when she’d stormed outside to think. Not that thinking got her anyplace but back here. Damn, that man was strong if he could leave handprints in solid oak. Maybe she needed to rethink her plans to challenge his every word and action. Her gaze flicked back to gran’s, blue and green colliding. Aria folded her hands gently over top of the prints in the wood and repeated her question once more.
“Throwback?” Aria snuck a peek at Ben. He was leaned back in his seat, arm stretched across the half wall behind the bench. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was planning to make a move on her. But his eyes were deadly serious, and he seemed to be challenging Gran for answers just as much as she was.
Gran nodded once. Then she spoke. Her voice was calm and measured. “A throwback is a shifter that carries the ancient genes.”
“I think the technical term you’re looking for is atavistic.” Ben’s voice was sharp. Gran shivered as each word of his measured reply sunk in.
Gran’s answering nod and direct gaze didn’t ease Aria’s fears. Nor did Ben’s clipped tone. There had to be something she was missing here.
“So, what’s bad about that?”
Ben shrugged and held his hands up in an ‘I don’t know’ gesture, so Aria returned to glaring at Gran. Gran seemed unmoved by her anger though.
“It depends. Normally nothing, except that the shifter is more powerful and has the ability to shift from toddler-hood on. But realistically, considering where we are and the ‘secrets’ our witch has been keeping, I want to say everything is wrong.”
Everything? How could everything be wrong just because Faith was in Espen. Hell, life would be hellacious trying to hide her abilities when she hit preschool, much less kindergarten. Aria shivered at the thought of her Faith shifting in the middle of the ABC’s.
“Explain. Because I’m so lost a topographical map and GPS couldn’t rescue me.” Aria sat ramrod straight. She felt her mouth thin, as her mind kept throwing up disaster after disaster in the making if she and Faith had to leave. If Faith had to pretend to be human every moment of her life. Most adult humans couldn’t maintain a faultless pretense, how dared she expect Faith to hide her nature flawlessly?
“What your Gran’s worried about is my door.” Delilah’s reply was simple and matter of fact. Quite a contrast to the white knuckled grasp the witch had on her glass of tea. “Although it’s not my door, per se.”
Aria felt her brows rise with each word Del spoke. “What, precisely is behind your ‘oh-so-special’ killer door, Del?” She felt herself leaning over the table to catch Del’s soft whisper.
“The Gods.” Del’s eyes were glued to her tea, and her trembling hands kept spinning the glass clockwise. Aria wondered for a moment if the witch was trying to hypnotize her or make them all relax and accept her reply. But she refused to play along. Aria studied Gran for a moment. Gran’s stern demeanor and solid strength suggested she’d had her suspicions confirmed. So Aria looked to Ben. Maybe he’d be able to explain this shit so it made some sort of sense.
His eyebrows practically touched his shaggy bangs, and swirls of silver flickered in and out of view in his blue eyes. Maybe not, then.
“Can any of you elaborate, or should I just go ask the door?”
“Asking the door won’t help. It’s not sentient. Magical, yes. Alive, not so much.” Del’s voice grew stronger as she spoke.
“Bear shifters are called Scions of Callista.” Gran’s voice was gentle, and her soft gaze begged Aria to listen, to believe. “Callista was a human who dared to love Jupiter. Juno was jealous and turned her into a bear for her sin.”
“Wait, you mean, shifters are descended from the gods?” Aria struggled to breathe. No fucking way was this her life. Gran’s nod was contradicted by Delilah’s head shake. Their dissenting answers only threw more gasoline on the fire of confusion consuming Aria.
“Technically, Callista was human. Juno’s punishment and Jupiter’s rescue made her immortal.” Del gestured once toward the ceiling, then continued. “When the gods fell so did Callista and her son.” Del’s hand jerked down to smack the tabletop, miming the fall.
“Gods can fall?” Ben’s question was low, and full of tension and threat. Aria felt her hackles rise. If she were a cat, she’d have been hissing in fear.
Gran’s eyes flicked to Ben then widened. “You didn’t know?”
Aria twisted on the bench to face him. His round eyes and clenched jaw suggested that not only didn’t he know, but he was damn pissed about not knowing. His vigorous head shake confirmed her intuition.
“Your dad, he didn’t-”
“Didn’t explain shit. Didn’t believe in compromising with my bear either. Just gloated at the pain I was in my first shift, and suggested I head for ‘less inhabited’ spaces until the beast and I could reach an agreement.” Ben’s shiver hinted at deeds he’d rather forget.
Aria felt her gaze bounce between Ben and Gran. From the look on Gran’s face, this was beyond unacceptable.
“Who is your father?” Gran snarled. Black claws appeared at her fingertips for a moment, then vanished. Aria wasn’t so sure she wanted to know the answer to that question. She’d never known Gran to struggle with self-control in any way, so seeing her like this was beyond intimidating. From the look Ben sent her way, they felt the same.
Ben shrugged and paused for a moment before answering. “Arcos.”
Gran’s form shimmered. She was surrounded by an impenetrable golden fog for a moment. Delilah hopped up onto the table then hopped off the end to press her back to wall across the way from the table. Ben growled under his breath, a sound Aria felt more than she heard. She tensed, torn between running and facing gran head on when the shimmering faded. Gran sat slumped in her chair, forehead beaded with sweat. She lifted her eyes and Aria was stunned to see they were pure green, no pupils whatsoever. Gran’s green gaze collided with Ben’s swirly blue and silver.
“Sorry.” Gran’s apology was simple and to the point. Ben’s slow nod suggested acceptance, but his pursed lips convinced Aria he didn’t know the significance of his answer. Aria couldn’t help herself. She gave him a quick, one armed hug, and whispered in his ear.
“We will get through this. Somehow.” She squeezed his shoulder gently, then dropped her hand back to the table.
Gran’s eyes slowly faded back to blue, and Ben’s seemed to fade right along with
her.
Delilah cleared her throat, then shuffled closer to the table. She eased into her seat beside Gran then spoke.
“So I guess that was a bad answer.”
Gran’s shrug didn’t clarify matters much. “It’s an answer. Arcos was Callista’s son.”
“Shit. So Faith is a direct descendant of the original Scions?” Gran nodded once in answer to Del’s follow up question.
“And from her scent,” Ben sniffed the air once for emphasis, “She’s got a direct line to the Gods through Aria and Gramps?”
Gran’s nod and slumped shoulders and downcast eyes convinced Aria this was a very bad thing. She just didn’t know why.
“This means Faith is a direct descendent of the gods through both parents?” Deilah’s voice rose higher with each word she spoke. When gran nodded again, misery was hovering in her every movement.
“And from more than one pantheon,” Gran whispered.
“We have to go through that door, Victoria.” Delilah said gently. She clasped her hands over Gran’s trembling ones, then continued. “There’s no way to keep Faith safe otherwise.”
From the rumbles and growls Ben was voicing, Aria figured he disagreed.
“Fuck that. I’ll protect Faith. She’s my cub, and she doesn’t need to face down the gods.”
“Faith won’t be going, Ben. But you’re going to have to come with.” Delilah gestured, indicating the whole table. “We all need to go. There is no way we can come out ahead otherwise. Fallen gods or not, they still wield power over their descendants.”
Aria shivered at the steely anger in Delilah’s tone. She’d bet her last hundred bucks Delilah would do anything to change that. But she couldn’t help wondering why the witch cared enough to face down the gods with them.
“What about Faith. Who can we trust to watch her?” From the blank looks sent Aria’s way, nobody had any better answers than she did. All her babysitters were unavailable due to Faith’s unique struggles. And from the sounds of it the only other people she’d even consider entrusting Faith to would be charging headlong into danger right beside her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Fuck, who was going to watch Faith then, if they all had to confront the gods? Did they all have to go? Aria had to know.
"Do we all really need to be there? Or can one of you-" Aria glanced between Gran and Del, hoping one of them would help her out. "Stay back and watch Faith?" From the frown on gran's face and the wide eyed panic on Delilahs' that was a no.
"So, anyone know any good cub sitters? Because that's what we're going to need tomorrow morning." Aria considered just going alone, but wasn't sure that would be a good idea since Delilah was intimidated. Then again, these weren't her gods. As far as Aria was concerned the gods–hell all gods for that matter–could go fuck themselves.
"I could call Neal," Delilah suggested softly. "He's good under fire, but I’m not sure he’s babysitter, or cub sitter, material. I've trusted him with my life more than once though."
Aria's mind spun with possibilities. Did she really trust Delilah's judgment of people, could she really entrust her babe to a stranger, and a man. Damn, she wished gramps was still alive, at least he could have baby sat. And Aria would have been sure that not a hair on Faith's head would be harmed or misplaced under his care.
"I could call your mom. Or you could," Gran suggested softly. Aria shook her head, panicked. The last thing she wanted was her silly, frivolous mother watching after Faith and seeing her shift. Or worse, having to protect them both from unknown assailants or magic or even the gods themselves.
"I could try and summon my dad. He's a bit of a wild card, though." Ben's tone suggested that wild card was a huge understatement, to say the least. But was his dad trustworthy? From the comments Ben had made earlier, it didn't sound like it. Options were running thin. Maybe it was time for a last ditch end run then. No way was she endangering her babe just to confront these fallen gods.
"Why don't we all call and see who can come?" Aria gestured round the table. All I need is a distraction, then I can go figure this out for my damn self. "I just need to step outside to get cell reception." She suited words to action, grateful to see everyone pulling out their phones and dialing. One day she was definitely going to have to look into a new provider, it really sucked having such spotty reception up here.
Aria tiptoed lightly out the front door. She snuck a glance at Faith, sleeping soundly in her playpen in front of the fireplace. Thank goodness I've been gone long enough that Gran has forgotten my sneaky ways. She dialed as she stepped out the screen door onto the porch. But it wasn't her mom she called. Hell no, mom was way too flaky for serious shit like this. Instead she called Candi. Her best friend from high school. Dependable as the day was long, despite her rather frivolous first name. It had been ages since they'd talked, but Aria figured she was going to need back up once she was done investigating that door. She sighed in relief when the phone rang and a familiar voice answered.
"Hey, Candi. I know you're busy, but just listen. I need help. Something's come up, and you're the only person I can trust to watch my girl for a couple days. Could you meet me in Espen at Grans ASAP?"
Aria listened to the fuzzy voice on the other end of the line. After a moment, the words made sense. "Oh honey, I wish I could. But I can’t get away from the café, and Bryce’s dad is out of town. Could you bring Faith this way?'
“No time. It’s sort of an emergency. Thank you though. We’ll have to get together again for old time’s sake.” Aria said good bye and tucked her phone away in her jeans pocket. Her hand brushed against the home made spray she kept on hand just in case. That spray might be enough to get some straight answers.
Got to go now, while I can. Maybe make it back before they notice I’m gone. From the whispers she drifting through the front door, the others were still phoning for help. Good, that'll give me a little time. Aria sprinted a quietly as she could down the darkened street toward Del's shop. She just hoped that when they realized what she'd done, one of the three stayed to watch Faith. Human or not, she'd have their entrails for dinner if they put her baby girl in danger by bringing her to the shop.
***
Ben cursed softly when he hung up the phone. From the furious whispers Gran and Del were making, they were still explaining in depth. He hadn't had to explain much. Apparently dear old dad had been keeping a close eye on him. Bastard wasn't inclined to help though. Ben had barely gotten past the words baby sit when Dad interrupted. "Son, you made your bed, you lie in it," and hung up.
Which seemed odd, considering how he'd gloated that night Ben first shifted. But then it was probably for the best that Arcos didn't realize just what his granddaughter was capable of. Ben fidgeted in his seat. His bear was getting restless. Missing Aria, Ben thought. Bear snuffled, searching for Aria's scent, making sure she was alright. Alarm thrilled through them when they both realized Aria was gone. She'd made her phone call, but then she'd left. Bear roared in anger, and Ben fought once more to contain the beast. But this time he knew it was a losing battle. He threw a desperate glance at Victoria and Delilah, then bolted out the front door as quietly as Bear would let him. He paused on the front steps and looked back. Bear raised his nose and sniffed, checking on Faith. The babe had the sweet warm smell of peaceful sleep. Comforted a bit, Ben loosed the chains he held on bear. He felt his body tingle, and then bear burst through his skin with a roar, and Ben was just a passenger in an overly large, ponderous body. They trotted down the street, bear sniffing the wind and the ground, confirming Ben's suspicion that Aria had gone looking for trouble. Bear was delighted in his mate's courage and affronted by her duplicity.
Ben agreed with bear in this instance, which was a rare treat. They trotted down the middle of Main Street, watching the shadows and snuffling. Based on the scent it hadn't even been ten minutes since Aria had left. Bear didn't smell anything unusual, just his mate, determined to protect them. Determined to sacrifice herself to keep them all safe.
Damn head strong woman.
***
Aria arrived at the front door of Delilah's shop out of breath. She'd sprinted the whole way without a thought of how she was going to get in the door until she was standing on the sidewalk looking in. Despite the chaos the hidden door had engendered in her life so far, the shop looked deceptively calm and normal. Aria didn't trust calm or normal any more. She pulled gently on the door handle. Nothing. Damn door was locked tight. Cursing, she looked around for something to knock the shattered glass out of the frame with. But the city council hired enough city workers to keep the place looking pristine. So Aria started pacing deliberately around the store, searching for a dumpster or a trash can or something that would protect her when she broke into the shop. She didn't dare consider what types of magical wards Delilah might have set. Besides, they ought to be somewhat friendly to her, since Gran and Delilah seemed to be on rather familiar terms. At least Del hadn't turned a hair at all the carved wards in Gran's house. Then again, the actual purpose of the carvings hadn't come up.
Aria struggled to focus her thoughts. She stumbled down past the side of the shop, into a little alley. No dumpsters. The alley was clean and well kept. Sometimes, Espen was too nice for its own good. Then her foot hit something sharp and hard in the dark. Since the trash can she'd checked was empty, Aria bent down to pick up the mystery object. It had the look of one of Delilah’s gemstones, only much larger, and unpolished. She shrugged and headed back to the front door. From the weight and heft of the stone, it ought to be enough to do the trick. If not, Aria would just improvise some again. She wasn't leaving until she got some answers, and talked the Gods and their soul-sucking door into leaving her babe alone.
