Jaden (St. Sebastians Quartet #1)

by Heather Elizabeth King

  Prodigy, sorcerer of the Maliki of Sheol, sauntered deeper into the altar room. His glossy, black body sheath was unmarred, his pale blond hair was untouched by the destruction he'd created in Chimera, and his face was as expressionless as the sun. His ageless countenance gave him the façade of innocence, but the Maliki knew better than anyone that it was indeed a façade. There was nobody in the Sheol deadlier than Prodigy, save maybe the Maliki of Sheol himself.

  Prodigy glanced at the circle, a smirk played at the edge of his lips.

  The Maliki knew what Prodigy was seeing, for he saw the same thing when he looked at the circle. The flickering images of his baby girls. Their little mouths were spread wide in O's of terror, but they were barely in this world anymore, so he couldn't hear them scream. That was one blessing he was grateful for. But the only one, for the sight of that devil looking at his girls made the Maliki's skin crawl.

  "I wouldn't be so smug if I were you, Bakari."

  Zuri was on her feet, making her way toward the circle.

  Prodigy stepped to the left and held his hand, palm up, for them to see. A small globe of solid ice twirled over the pale skin. It sparkled with light and spun. "Am I late or am I right on time?"

  Zuri leapt forward even as the Maliki crawled on all fours toward his daughters, a wail on his lips.

  "No!" Zuri cried, but even as her voice reached the Maliki's ears, he knew it was too late.

  With a flick of his wrist, Prodigy sent the ice globe into the circle. Bakari watched as it flittered in the air, catching the rays of the sunlight along its white surface. It danced, descending as if in slow motion. But it wasn't happening in slow motion. Before Bakari could reach his girls and pull them free of the danger, the globe breached the perimeter of the circle and smashed into the enchanted book.

  A blaze erupted from the center of the circle, red and orange flames shot toward the ceiling, sending a rain of ice and embers down on them. Smoke rose from the floor, an eddy of mist filled the room and blinded the Maliki.

  When the smoke cleared, when the flames had died down and he could see once again, he fixed his eyes to the circle.

  The howl that broke from him filled the room.

  His girls were gone. The enchanted book had burned in the flames. There was no remnant of them left.

  "Instead of an eternity spent in the ice," Prodigy began, "you've damned your daughters to an eternity of existence in the incorporeal mist of Midworld. They'll drift for time eternal in darkness. Perhaps they'll be together, perhaps not. Who can say?"

  "No!" The Maliki rose to his feet and ran at the sorcerer, fists held before him. But even as he ran, his mind was consumed with the desire to murder the man who had hurt his children, Prodigy raised another palm, a fresh ice globe hovering inches above his hand.

  The last coherent thought the Maliki had was of despair as Prodigy launched the orb at him.

  Then everything became cold and the world went white.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Jaden Quinn sat at the traffic light, taking in the sights. St. Sebastians was more beautiful than she imagined it would be.

  She'd driven into town with the windows down, breathing in the salty air. The sun was warm on her skin and made her feel like maybe, for once in her life, everything would be all right.

  Or maybe not.

  A rush of panic flitted through her. Again. Even while she took in the beauty of the town, the colorful buildings and the fancy street lights, she feared the panic would never go away, but remain her constant companion. There was the rush of panic, then the question: had she done the right thing? Could she escape him? Or was escape impossible? But she had to try. She'd never been away from home in her life, and it was about time.

  She had to try.

  Right or wrong, this had been her choice, and there was no turning back now.

  At the toot of a horn behind her, Jaden looked up and realized the light had turned green. She pressed her foot against the gas and went forward, further into her future.

  The streets, the shops, the fancy boutiques, the beautiful people, all of it said gorgeous beach town. She didn't really belong here, but this summer wasn't only about new beginnings. It was about playing pretend. She would be somebody else for a few months. So it was okay if she didn't fit in at first. She'd manage.

  As she drove down Main, she noticed the people didn't wear much clothing around here. And they had perfect bodies.

  She looked down at herself and grimaced. Writing for a living didn't give a girl the best physique. She'd have to use her time here wisely. Write that amazing book she'd always told herself was in her, and lose a few pounds.

  She passed under a few more traffic lights, marveling at the sights; the beauty of it all. She couldn't believe she'd actually done it. She'd quit her dead end job, gave notice at her World War Two era apartment, and put everything she owned — except the clothes she'd brought with her—into storage. For all intents and purposes she was homeless, unless her aunt let her stay on when she returned in August. But Jaden couldn't worry about that now. If she did, she'd spend the next three months stressed and unable to plan her next steps. She'd needed to make a change. Her aunt's trip abroad couldn't have come at a better time, or her request that Jaden house sit for her while she was away.

  Her mother hadn't been a fan of the plan. She'd actually called her sister, Aunt Edna, to chew her out.

  "You've never been away from home before, Jaden," Carly Quinn had told Jaden. "You won't last a week out there on your own."

  "It's the chance of the lifetime, mom," Jaden had said. "Why can't you be supportive?"

  "You're not like everyone else, Jaden. And you know that. You've never been like everyone else. What will you do when you have a nightmare? Or when you see him in your backyard one night? You'll fall apart, like you always do."

  "I haven't fallen apart in years. Can't you understand that I need this. Maybe in St. Sebastians things will be different. Maybe he can't follow me there."

  Carly had turned away from her, shaking her head as she dried her hands on the dish towel. "I let you move out," she muttered as she retreated. "I let you move out. And now this."

  Jaden tried to clear her head of the memories. Her mother had done everything she could to talk Jaden out of going to St. Sebastians, but on this, Jaden wouldn't budge. She had to go.

  Main narrowed until it was a two lane street. She knew from looking at MapQuest that the land stretched into a peninsula, so both sides of the road were bordered by water. What the map hadn't told her was just how amazing the street was in real life. Beach houses lined the lane to her left and right. Some were simple two-story residences with sweeping balconies that wrapped around the entire first and second floors. Others stood four stories high with balconies, glass enclosed sun rooms, some even had beautiful towers that perched at the top of the home and must have taken in views of the entire beach. All of them were painted in bright pastels. Summer yellow, petal pink, sea blue, mint green. Every house was bordered by a white picket fence. It was like being in a fairy tale. The street ended at the ocean, a long pier meandered over the water and led to a gazebo.

  People really lived like this?

  She looked at the house numbers, then checked the scrap of paper she'd written her aunt's house number on. Twenty-four.

  It was on the left. Three houses down.

  Sucking in a deep breath a moment later, she turned into her aunt's driveway. She pulled to a stop and sat back in her seat, taking in the view. It was a beach house like the rest, pretty and pink, but the difference was, it would be her beach house for the next three months.

  "I'm living here for three months?" She asked herself. "How is this my life?"

  A quick look at the house would make you think it was actually three small houses, but it was one large house split into three sections, with three roofs and three chimneys. The house was surrounded by colorful flowers and foliage that seemed wild and untamed, but perfect for a beach house. She coul
d already hear the waves crashing behind the house.

  Goose pimples spread across her arms.

  "Please God, let this summer be everything I hoped for and more."

  So saying, she practically leapt out of the car. She didn't bother with her things. They could stay in the trunk for now. First, she had to see this house.

  She rushed to the door, found the key under the mat where her aunt had promised to stow it—despite Jaden's protests about safety and home invasion—then unlocked the door.

  She stood in the foyer, unable to move. It was even better than she had hoped it would be. Everything was beautiful, from the large foyer, to the hall leading into the rest of the house. But it was also inviting and cozy.

  Forcing herself to move, she explored the rest of her temporary home.

  Her aunt's house didn't have any decks that faced the street. All of the decks were on the back of the house, overlooking the beach. In fact, the entire back of the house was one wide, wooden deck, with lawn chairs, tables, and lounges. Her aunt's bedroom, where her aunt insisted Jaden sleep while she was in residence, had a large stone fireplace and wide sliding doors that led out onto the deck. The view was breathtaking. She'd be willing to bet that she could sleep there with the deck doors open at night and fall asleep to the music of the sea.

  There was another fireplace in the kitchen/great room combo, and more decking. From there, she saw steps leading down from the deck to her aunt's pool, fire pit, and a trail that led to the ocean. The house was a marvel. There was even a second floor loft that overlooked the great room where her aunt kept her computer. That was where Jaden would work on her great American novel.

  She went back to her aunt's bedroom, scratch that, her bedroom, to check out the bathroom situation and wasn't disappointed. There was a glass enclosed, stone shower and a large soaking tub, with jets. A bonus was the view of the ocean from two picture windows. And she didn't have to worry about privacy, because the windows looked out onto the back of the house. Nobody would ever be at the back of the house.

  As if to prove her wrong, the sliding doors in the great room opened. A moment later they slammed shut.

  She froze. Aunt Edna insisted St. Sebastians was one of the safest places in the country. If that were true, why had someone just walked into her house?

  Next thing she heard was whistling.

  Someone had broken into the house and was so comfortable they were whistling.

  Shoot. She'd left her purse on the kitchen counter. That's where she kept her pepper spray.

  She looked around the bedroom, searching for something she could use as a weapon. She spotted the fireplace pokers. Bingo.

  She was walking around her aunt's massive bed, trying to get to the fireplace, when a figure appeared in the bedroom doorway.

  Jaden screamed, tripped over the corner of the bedding, and landed on the floor.

  The intruder dropped something and hopped in the air, all while screaming her lungs out.

  When the dust settled, Jaden was sitting on her butt, staring into the hall opened mouthed at the woman who was standing in the hall staring opened mouthed at her.

  "Who are you," Jaden finally managed, "and what are you doing in my aunt's house?"

  "Aunt?" the woman said, looking as confused as Jaden felt.

  Jaden took a good look at the woman and knew instantly she was a townie. She had too much gorgeous blond hair and too perfect a body not to be. She was in white cutoff shorts and had on a pink tee-shirt with a V-neck that read, "Try Me." Though, she had on so many bracelets Jaden was surprised the woman could even lift her arm.

  "You must be Jaden," the woman said. "Edna told me you'd be coming. She bought that painting from me." The woman pointed to the painting lying flat on the floor with its frame in two pieces. "I was framing it. Wanted to get it hung before you got here, but the gallery was so busy today." The woman threw in a smile and took a breath. But the pause wasn't long enough for Jaden to get a word in. "I'm Hayley. I own the gallery down in the mall. You might have passed it on your way in."

  Jaden shook her head. "I don't remember passing a mall."

  "Not that kind of mall. We have an outdoor mall. It's really just a glorified boardwalk, but the city council had to be all fancy. It can't be a boardwalk; it has to be the St. Sebastians Downtown Mall."

  Hayley entered the room and offered Jaden a hand. Jaden took it and allowed herself to be hoisted to her feet.

  "You're as pretty as Edna said." She ran her hand over Jaden's hair, her eyes curious. "All that's yours?"

  It was a question everyone, regardless what color, asked. "The hair? Yep. All mine."

  "It's beautiful." Hayley looked at her hand, went wide eyed, and let Jaden go. "And I'm so rude, pawing all over you like that. And I must have scared you silly."

  Realizing the intruder wasn't dangerous, Jaden allowed a smile. "I'm not used to strangers walking into my house unannounced. How'd you get in, anyway? It sounded like you came through the back."

  "I did. Edna always leaves the back door open."

  Jaden rolled her eyes. "She doesn't realize how often break-ins happen."

  "Oh, not in St. Sebastians. We have one of the lowest crimes rates on the entire coast. Probably the country, but I've never checked."

  "That's what she's always saying."

  "It's true."

  Hayley walked back into the hall and picked up the painting.

  "Sorry I scared you. Is it broken too badly?" Jaden asked.

  "No, it's just the frame. It's an easy fix."

  The women walked to the kitchen. Even with the fright of Hayley's unexpected visit, Jaden was still finding it hard to look at the house and accept that it was hers for the rest of the summer.

  "And you don't need to apologize to me," Hayley was saying. "I should have played it safe and knocked. Or come around the front, just in case you'd beat me here, which you did. Tell you what. I'm having an opening tomorrow night at my gallery, why don't you come out. It's the perfect way to meet your neighbors. Everyone will be there and you'll be my special guest. Consider it my apology and welcome to the neighborhood."

  Jaden considered. She'd planned on spending her first few evenings with a bottle of Riesling, out on the deck, staring out at the ocean, basking in her newfound good fortune. At least she'd be basking when she wasn't panicking.

  "I'll think about it," Jaden said.

  "Come. You can sit out there on the deck all by your lonesome for the rest of the night when you get home."

  Jaden laughed. "I'm that obvious?"

  "The way you were staring out at the deck said it all. But I promise, it'll still be there when you get back."

  "Okay. Dress code? I'm guessing people here are a lot fancier than me."

  "Do you have any dresses?"

  Jaden shook her head. "Shorts and capris."

  "I bet Edna has something you could wear." Hayley started back toward Edna's bedroom, a look of determination on her face that scared Jaden.

  In thirty minutes, Hayley had picked a dress, shoes, and accessories. The woman was a force of nature.

  Hayley left the same way she'd come, the painting held under one arm. "So I'll see you tomorrow night, right? It starts at eight, but you should come at seven-thirty. I'll show you around the gallery before it gets too crowded.

  "Okay," Jaden said, smiling despite herself. "See you tomorrow at seven-thirty."

  CHAPTER TWO

  Kenda Browning sat on his deck on a chaise lounge, staring out at the sea. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. There was a gentle wind coming off the ocean, brushing against the trees. It wasn't hot, but comfortable. The sky was sea blue, and the wind smelled of the ocean. It was Friday so he'd left the firm early, had had enough time to make a dinner of fresh cod, asparagus, and new potatoes. Nothing fancy. Just simple food and good beer out on his deck.

  Life was good.

  He'd just finished dinner and was opening his second beer when he heard the doors to the li
ving room open behind him.

  Well, it had been a perfect Friday afternoon. If only it could stay that way. But he was sure the appearance of his brothers and Nico in conjunction with the opening at Hayley's gallery tomorrow night meant otherwise.

  He took a long swallow of his Dogfish Head, Indian Brown Ale, and waited while Tyler, Chris and Nico grabbed beer and settled in.

  Tyler sat in the lounger beside him. Kenda knew that under normal circumstances, his oldest brother would have been an ally in this, but Chris was quietly determined to win Hayley over. And use whatever resources he could muster—resources being his brothers and Nico—to do it.

  Kenda could feel Tyler's eyes on him already. Nobody had said a word, but the intimidation had begun.

  As the youngest Browning brother, he didn't typically find himself on the receiving end of Tyler's intimidation, or Chris' for that matter. When they were kids, Tyler and Chris would go at it like cats and dogs, but they'd both been protective of Kenda. He'd never gotten into a fight with either of his brothers, but he wasn't sure that would stand for long.

  "We don't have to stay all night," Chris began.

  Kenda closed his eyes and took another swallow of beer.

  "Just an hour or so," Chris continued. "We show up, show our support, have a glass of wine, then leave."

  "I thought we agreed you wouldn't blurt it out like that?" Tyler pulled a hand through his spiky brown hair and shook his head. "You've got to ease into this sort of thing."

  "See," Nico said, "I thought when you guys were talking about easing into things, you were referring to Hayley."

  Kenda rolled his eyes. "Can I presume you're referring to the show at the gallery tomorrow?"

  "Obviously," Tyler said, before Chris could respond. "Is there anything else ever on Chris' mind except Hayley?"

  "That's not true," Chris said. He popped the top on his beer and took a few swallows. "I've always been a fan of art."

  Kenda nearly choked. "Since when?"

  "Since forever. You don't know everything about me."