An act or genuine animosity? Unable to detect a wink or a slight nod, any I’m-on-your-side gesture would’ve helped me detect his genuine intention. I had no way of reading the man, one of the reasons Jesse excelled as a double agent for the Fallen. My gaze met Ariane’s before I braved another sideways glimpse at him. She hissed a sigh when Jesse’s hardened stare turned back to me. The tension in my shoulders increased until my neck started to burn.
“We’re not alone,” Sabree whispered in my ear. “Euriel’s here.”
“Someone else also followed us.” My narrowed gaze shot a glance at Eric. Did he send someone on our tail? No idea who, but the faint heartbeats nagged its undeniable presence. When Sabree shook his head and stared into his hands, something seemed amiss. Why deny the obvious? “Whoever it is, its two heartbeats are weak but ever-present.”
“Bah! Who cares who followed who.” Eric stood and opened one side of his jacket to reveal the firearm tucked inside his armpit holster. He sat down, his focus on Ariane. “Don’t mind Jesse, he’s still grieving.”
Another apology or any amount of small talk would only fortify the hostility between us. To make matters worse, like Sabree, I also sensed Euriel nearby. The way Ariane kept stealing a glimpse at the bar confirmed the same. Sabree had already acknowledged his suspicion. The likelihood of us escaping a confrontation dwindled.
Okay. Cool. Big boy Eric got to show off his toy gun. As for the real weapon, how could I show off mine? Pull my scalp aside to reveal the death rays hidden inside my mind? Surrounded by unfriendly faces, most visible, some not, recall of the Caderen raid still made me cringe inside. Yet, my lethal ability exploded the Caderen into dust. I used the same destructive force on Turian. Telepathically blasted him to dust. No choice, it was them or me. To test my theory, I aimed my mind at Eric as he fumbled with some papers.
The visual of Eric exploding into a ball of dust flashed before me. Turn to dust, Eric. Come on, you can do it. Blow up in a puff of ashes. I squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them, Eric sneered instead, not even grimacing from my telepathically induced migraine. Damn it.
Maybe my dusting ability didn’t work on humans. I concentrated on Sabree next. This time, I conjured a muted version of the mind blast, a swipe instead of an explosive discharge.
Sabree bumped my shoulder when he scratched his scalp as if an insect crawled through his hair.
Abso-bloody-lutely. It worked. To satisfy Sabree’s knitted brows, I shrugged an apology. Good thing I toned it down otherwise I might end up sitting next to a pile of dust. The thought chilled my insides.
Ariane nudged my elbow. “Get a move on, bro,” she said telepathically.
“Working on it.” I cleared my throat. “Forget the small talk. What do you want?” Eric had lined up papers across the table from small to large. He must’ve arranged them while I tried to dust him out of existence. How OCD of him to be so organized.
Eric’s twisted smile displayed admiration of my get-to-the-point attitude. His gaze hardened as he leaned closer. “So, how’s it hanging, Count Colton?” He exaggerated a wink at Ariane. “Countess Colton?”
The pathetic cave dweller failed to offend me. Nor did Ariane respond to his childish nicknames. Sabree sneered low and gravely. I played along. “What do you want, Eric?” I asked again. “Spit it out. We’re not alone. None of us wants this to get ugly.”
“Sponsor my cause in exchange for peace and quiet. From us that is. At least for now.”
Ariane nearly choked on a scoff. Crowded in one seat, I could feel her posture stiffen. A sideways glance confirmed Sabree had his eyes on Eric. Surrounded by hormones, mostly male, it seemed testosterone was the hormone du jour. I had adopted a direct approach to conduct business and noticed how Eric performed a damn good job of it himself. “So, that’s it? You want cash. Anything else?”
Out of the group, my bluntness surprised Sabree the most. His mouth hung open to expose his extended eyeteeth.
“Five million should do the trick. I don’t care if you have to sell stock to get it.” Eric’s jaw tightened as his index finger slid a business card across the table. Tapping it, he said, “Here’s my bank account. To buy some time, deposit what you can for now. I promise not to bother you or your wee clan until I destroy the rest first. Deal?”
My brows disappeared under the hair that hung in my eyes. Bloody hell, the greedy bastard jumped from fifty thousand to five million. Guess he didn’t appreciate me canceling the check I gave him for Mt. Joker. “Deal,” I agreed. Aye right. The odds that Eric would survive the radical goal to exterminate the Fallen and nosophors combined were a million to one. I’d pay ten million to ensure he failed. However, if luck favored Eric, he would eventually come after us. No one could beat the invincible anti-Fallen twins.
Ariane spoke curtly into my mind. “Just like that, you surrender our fortune?”
“Aye, just like that, Sis.” My fingers drummed the business card. “Would you like to have at it for a change? Make the decisions?”
“No thanks.”
Nodding satisfaction, Eric rolled his neck to seek Jesse’s approval. His friend’s stoic expression offered no clue. “The cash better be in my account by next week or one of you will pay dearly for your betrayal. Do we understand each other?” He slid a brochure of his bank my way.
“Perfectly.” I blew the pamphlet onto Eric’s lap. “The card’s enough.” I stuffed the business card in my pocket and skooched Sabree off his wee piece of real estate. Then I stood and tapped Ariane’s shoulder, so she would follow suit. “Hope you don’t mind if we skip lunch.”
Before we left, I stole another glance at Jesse and saw him wink when he rubbed his eyes. Again, my heart skipped a beat. My sister’s dearest friend was playacting after all. I nodded in answer. All was right with the world…for now. I hoped Ariane caught his gesture.
Once outside, I put my sunglasses on and scanned the parking lot, worried Euriel might swoop in for a decapitating visit. I sensed his faint, but close presence as I gazed skyward to make sure no one orbited overhead. In front, Ariane poked Sabree to move it. Then she grabbed my arm and pulled me closer as we followed behind. Sabree strolled toward the car as though preoccupied.
“Back inside, you kept making funny faces like you were the star in a constipation commercial. Why?” She clubbed my arm when I laughed.
“Not the reply you expected, huh, Sis? I was experimenting on one of my abilities.”
She clenched her jaw so tightly, I thought her teeth would crack. “Which one? You have so many.”
“Do I detect a wee bit of envy?” I shushed her when she jabbed my arm again. Now that we could communicate telepathically, I dared not peruse her mind without permission. She caught me once. Never again. “Remember how I dusted some of the Caderen who attacked Abyss and me. Well, I wanted to see if it worked on humans. Eric. I focused hard enough to imagine him exploding into a pile of dust. I tried a few times, but nothing happened. Would’ve saved us a few bucks.”
“You what!” Ariane whisper-yelled at first, and then silenced her voice to continue our telepathic communication. “Are you crazy? How would you explain the exploding dust ball to witnesses?”
Unaware of our mind chatter, Sabree scanned the parking lot. If not Euriel, something had snagged his attention. “Relax, Sis. It didn’t work. Maybe I have to be threatened or desperate enough to dust someone. Anyway, I doubt it works on humans. Sabree maybe.” I palm-slapped the side of my head. “Scratch that. I tried to make him uncomfortable, that’s all. I need more practice before I figure out how to control it at will.”
Ariane’s fingers latched onto my jacket collar to draw me close. Her hot breath brushed my cheek. “Never do that to Sabree again. Nor Abyss. If you must practice, practice on Euriel.” The crimson rims of her irises heightened her threat. “Do we understand each other?”
Hanging back, Sabree broke the silence. “Guess that went well. Not!”
Ariane’s stance tightened from the bruta
l sarcasm in his tone. I empathized with her. If not already, I would have surely lost my nerve by now. “Look, we didn’t hear a peep from you the whole time. Why open your yap now?” My brows furrowed when Ariane giggled and tapped Sabree’s shoulder playfully. “You’re right, Euriel’s lurking nearby. Let’s go.”
Sabree’s eyes brightened. “So, you made empty promises just to satisfy Eric?”
“Aye, he’ll never get our money. Move on. We’ll discuss it on the way home. Right now, we’re outnumbered.”
“Sure, boss, whatever you say.” Sabree unlocked the car with his remote. “Let’s get out of Dodge.” He stole a glance behind.
Standing guard, I waited until my sister and Sabree got into the car. She climbed into the back while Sabree hopped into the passenger seat.
Inside, my sister said, “I love that about him. Always conscientious, making sure his people are safe before himself. That selfless trait sure makes up for his bizarre antics.”
Without a word, I sat in the driver’s seat. Something was amiss. A quick glance at the rearview mirror revealed Ariane was glaring at the back of Sabree’s head while he stared outside the passenger window. Their usual banter, whether playful or offensive, had switched to cold, silent stares. A lover’s spat. I shivered all over. “Better turn on the heat; the atmosphere in here is frigid.”
No comment from either left the silence intact. I drove on.
17
ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD
T he next day, Jesse and I met in secret. I had no intention of paying Eric to leave us alone. Not even a dime. Jesse knew someone who could run off counterfeit bills, but no one was willing to print five million worth. So, I did the next best thing—sent Eric a check from a bogus bank account that would bounce to the next state. Eric, too, if he showed his ugly face within a mile of our home. Not the smartest move on my part, but I’d take my chances.
As soon as I entered the townhouse hours after the covert rendezvous, raised voices snagged my attention. Their hearts, one for my sister, and two for Sabree pounded like sledgehammers. My own heart almost stopped when the faint but definite thumping of two heartbeats whispered in my ears. Who else was here?
“Ariane?” I raced into the living room, almost knocking over one of Sabree’s prized vases. Almost tripped over my own feet to avoid it. They seemed to reproduce. My sister and Sabree wrestled as one. Either she was trying to escape his embrace or pull him closer. Both looked the same to me. “What’s going on?”
Sabree shoved her aside and fell to his knees next to the couch. From that vantage point, he must have seen the Malakhim net I kicked under the coffee table days ago. Reaching over, he grabbed the net and tossed it over Ariane’s head. “This will stop you from shape-shifting into another creepy bug. How dare you sting me!”
“Idiot,” Ariane hissed. “That was a wasp. I can no longer shape-shift. I’m pregnant, remember.”
Sabree glanced at the floor and whistled a curse. “Merde.”
Which buggy antic had my sister pulled on Sabree? I couldn’t blame him for his animosity. She had pushed me over the edge more than once. My gaze darted around the room for the intruder whose muffled heartbeats increased. Then her statement registered. I asked, “Pregnant?”
Ariane threw the net at him. “None of your business, Brian.” Her reddening eyes glazed over with determination, warning me to keep my distance. “This is between him and me.”
No longer so, not if my sister was with child. Sabree’s child! “When did this happen? Yesterday? Before we met Eric for lunch?” Aghast, I switched to telepathy, directed to her mind only. “Bloody hell, Sis. I told you to take a cold shower that morning. You knew then didn’t you?” My sister ignored me, pissing me off even more.
“She’s carrying my daughter,” Sabree said. His palms held out, he backed off to keep the distance between us wide.
“Too bold an answer, lad.” I advanced on him with my fists balled. “How’s this possible? It’s only been one day? You couldn’t know this soon.”
“It’s a Fallen trait. They know right away. At conception.” Ariane tossed a pillow at my head to remind me that she wasn’t invisible. “It’s not his fault. I manipulated him with my feminine wiles. I wanted a child and drugged him to achieve my goal.”
“Are you daft? He’s your cousin. First, I believe.” I pointed at Sabree and whirled around to confront Ariane, hoping her eyes would reveal the truth. “Why? Of all gene pools on this planet, why would you want Fang’s baby?” In answer, she shook her head until her hair whipped into her eyes. Immature response, coming from my sister, Ms. Brainiac. “From watchdog to hotdog.” My glare narrowed on Sabree, whose eyes darkened at the derogatory nickname. He said not a word.
“Damn it, Brian, I’m the first born, and the only thing I have to show for it is what’s left of my sanity. I can’t time travel or explore the portal. To gain a little glory of my own, I decided to bring a baby into this world. A special child. Neither of you will ever be invited to this private club—hashtag girls only.”
The volume of her words grew louder as she spoke. Screeched between my ears like a bagpipe in a beginner’s grasp. Hands over ears, I shuddered. She lowered her self-respect just to steal my glory, triumphs I had paid dearly to uphold. Always the crazy one, the brother who plunged off a cliff without a parachute, Ariane had to beat me to the punch, outshine me in every way. Gave up all rationality just to bear a child—Sabree’s—a life she would be responsible for all eternity, all because she couldn’t travel the portal. “You’re ridiculous! People don’t have babies to gain power.”
“Don’t be silly, that’s not the only reason. All I ever asked you for was to see the alternate universe, to see our mother…”
“Me silly? Not this time, Sis.” I pointed at Sabree as he stepped aside to let us battle it out. “You drugged him. Bullied and trapped him in your web? Did you threaten to sting him too?” I refused to believe she had become pregnant out of vanity and jealously alone. “All you had to do was ask. I would have gladly given you the amulet.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it!”
Had pregnancy hormones already taken control of my sister’s reasoning? Or was it the devil’s spawn inside her? My gaze shot from her belly to Sabree as he chewed on his lower lip. His innocent expression seemed poles apart from the image of a taunting Satan.
“You refused to let me meet Julia. You’re nothing but a control freak.” She threw one of Sabree’s favorite vases at me. Her hand gestured a score when it bounced off my head.
The vase never touched my skull. As usual, the unexplained forcefield emitted from my body repelled it, sent it rocketing across the room. From certain mishaps that occurred, I had a way of defending myself without my conscious intervention. Instead of me, Sabree yelped a curse.
“You never even offered,” Ariane cried. “You’re selfish. You always have been. You used the amulet to murder our father.” She slapped her hand over her mouth and glanced at Sabree.
Broken shards crunched under my feet. Her accusatory words tugged my heart. I blamed myself for not telling her before Sabree opened his trap, probably during the heat of their battle. “I had no choice.” Then my gaze pierced Sabree’s mind. “Coward.”
Sabree only shrugged. “Sorry, she pissed me off. I struck back with spiteful words.”
“Thanks,” I growled. What harm would come to any of us if my sister took charge of the amulet and traveled the portal instead. Maybe she’d take lover-boy with her. Let the Malakhim harass them for a spell, along with the Dark Ones. I hoped never to return, especially after my last narrow escape. I raised the amulet to meet her gaze. “Aye, Sis, why don’t you brandish this trinket for a while? Any idea what you’d do with it?” I tugged the bracelet and clenched my teeth, the metal jarring my wrist bone.
“Explore,” she replied meekly. “But never mind, obviously it’s too late now.”
“Good thing, because the amulet doesn’t come with a Baby on Board bumper stic
ker.” I wiggled my wrist where the amulet connected bone and tissue. “If I remove this damned thing outside of the portal, it will hurt like hell.”
Sabree chuckled, one I recognized as his nervous banter. The twirling bloodstone ring confirmed it. “Enough about the amulet,” he said, “no one carrying my child is going to venture off into the unknown. Too dangerous.”
“She’s not your child,” Ariane hissed. “If I remember correctly, you didn’t want me to begin with, let alone her.” Her tousled hair, damp with perspiration, stuck to her cheeks like delicate branches. “Neither one of you has any say.” She squeezed her eyes shut as tears began to flow.
“Damned hormones,” I muttered. Right away, I regretted the chauvinist remark. Unable to comprehend, guys always blamed the hormones. I was no different. Lucky for us, pregnancy kept her from morphing into a man-eating beast.
Unlike me, Sabree reacted to her sudden outburst and rushed to her side. “Come to your senses,” he pleaded, “I was only concerned for your safety.” He grabbed her flailing arms by the wrists and squeezed.
She screeched, startling both of us. Both arms jerked free of Sabree’s grasp. A banshee wail trumpeted across the room.
What had I missed? Did Sabree hurt her? “No!” my voice thundered as I jumped to my feet. The couple froze in place. Sabree once threatened to turn me into canned dogfood for Azumi’s sake and nearly minced my body for it. I refused to let him pass the same judgment on my sister. Some unknown force, one that mirrored the invisible forcefield, controlled of my entire being.
Trembling with volcanic rage, my eyes rolled to the back of my head, the pressure behind them squeezing like a vise. I collapsed onto the couch, my muscles flaccid. An explosive blast of energy shot out of me, one that discharged from my mind and collided into Sabree.
His body twitched until he fell over. Balled into a fetal position, Sabree wept for mercy, the pitch of his cries increasing with the intensity of the convulsions. His sobs drove my sister to tears, more than she had shed before.
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