Her stomach growled and Kiarra took that as her cue to hurry up. She wanted to tuck the books away safely in her room before using the kitchen. She barely remembered how to fry an egg, but all that mattered to her was the fact that she could eat when she wanted, without following a timetable.
After stashing the books in her room, Kiarra paused at the top of the stairs and looked down the dark hallway toward Garrett’s room, wondering how he was doing. She didn’t want to wake him up and maybe cause another fit, but seeing to his care was the only thing she seemed capable of doing with any skill; it was the only thing she didn’t have to rely on Jaxton to teach her.
Besides, Kiarra could always hum Garrett back to sleep if she woke him up.
Counting the doors, she arrived at the one that was Garrett’s and put her ear to the door, but there was only silence. She turned the knob, grateful to find it unlocked, and gently pushed the door inward. She let out a silent breath when the door opened without a sound, and Kiarra slipped inside.
The curtains were drawn, the material so thick it cloaked the room in darkness except for the glow of a nightlight near the bed. Her eyes grew accustomed to the dark as she scanned the room. Apart from the bed and a few wooden chairs, the room was empty, devoid of any color or signs of life. If Jaxton was planning on using this room permanently for Garrett’s recovery, he’d have to make the decor more homey. Bare walls and sparse furniture would only remind Garrett of his time inside the AMT.
Garrett stirred and Kiarra began humming a section of Holst’s “Jupiter.” The mound of man and blankets on the bed calmed, and that was Kiarra’s cue to sneak back out. She’d have words with Jaxton tomorrow about decorating the room and ask if she could help more with Garrett. Ideas floated around inside her head, and she wanted the chance to try them out.
As she turned toward the door, a movement in the corner caught her eye. She peered carefully, but saw only shadows. The light must be playing tricks on her. But she took another step and this time a dense, dark cloud started to rise out of the shadows. She blinked, but the thick, dark mist kept expanding toward her. While she might’ve just triggered a security defense system, Kiarra wasn’t taking any chances. Looking around, she grabbed one of the chairs and lifted it up just as a woman holding a dagger appeared out of the dark cloud.
The woman lunged at Kiarra, but she smashed the chair as hard as she could at the woman and yelled, “Help!” Garrett started screaming on the bed behind her, but Kiarra kept her eyes on the mysterious woman and watched as she smacked aside the chair, the dagger still in her hand.
She grabbed the other chair in the room, trying to think of what else she could do. Her self-defense lessons hadn’t included how to disarm an attacker.
The woman feinted right then came around Kiarra’s left side. Just as the woman’s dagger came down, a bluish-white blur smashed through the window. Kiarra threw up her arms to protect her face from the flying shards of glass.
The lights came on and Kiarra blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. Jaxton was standing in the doorway, his gun pointed at the ground. Marco and Darius were right behind him.
She looked to where Jaxton’s gun was pointing and saw two women on the floor, one straddled on top of the other. The top woman had her gun trained on the captured woman’s head.
The gun-wielding woman smashed her prisoner’s head against the floor, rendering her unconscious. She adjusted her aim and pointed her gun toward Jaxton before she said, “Don’t bother with the elemental ambush. It won’t work on me.”
Jaxton’s gun arm didn’t waver. “Who are you?”
The woman turned her head a second, meeting Kiarra’s gaze, but before Jaxton or his men could respond, her head whipped back around.
Something about the woman’s dark hair, dark eyes, and long face were familiar to Kiarra.
Jaxton stepped to the side to allow Darius to pass, but the woman added a second gun to her free hand.
Kiarra blinked at the speed. She hadn’t even seen the woman’s hand move.
“Nice way to thank me for saving your ass, limey.”
“I don’t usually thank people who point guns at me.”
The woman shrugged. “These guns are preventing you from doing something stupid.” She motioned her head in Kiarra’s direction. “Besides, Kiarra can vouch for me.”
How does this woman know my name? Before anyone could accuse her of anything, Kiarra managed to sputter, “I don’t know who you are.”
The woman raised an eyebrow, but kept her gaze on Jaxton and Darius. “Does the name Camilla Louise ring a bell?”
Kiarra’s heart stopped. The woman had to be lying.
Jaxton darted a glance at Kiarra. “What’s she talking about?”
She took another look, this time noticing the scar on the woman’s jaw. For a second, she couldn’t breathe. She now realized why the face had seemed familiar—she’d last seen the same scar on the chin of a ten-year-old girl, her arms outstretched, calling Kiarra’s name.
“Kiarra? Do you know her?” Jaxton said.
She pried her gaze away from Cam’s face, looked at Jaxton, and said, “Cam is my younger sister.”
“Sister?” Jaxton took in the woman named Camilla, from her long, lean body to the weapons crisscrossing her chest. A scar on her forehead and jaw only emphasized the woman’s rougher appearance; Kiarra had a somewhat rounder, angelic-looking face. Jaxton motioned his free hand toward the unconscious woman on the floor. “And who is that, your unruly cousin?”
Kiarra’s sister was not amused. “Try a shadow-shifter, limey, sent by a person working with the AMT enforcers.”
He glanced at the unconscious woman on the floor. Shadow-shifting was a latent ability, one that a person could use to shift into a shadowy mist once every twenty-four hours. In the past, they’d been used as assassins or spies.
The shadow-shifter would be out cold for a little while longer, and Jaxton needed to figure out why Kiarra’s sister would show up now, only a few days after Kiarra’s escape. He was also curious as to how the hell she’d made it inside his house despite the tight security.
He motioned toward the shadow-shifter. “I understand how she made it past security, but how did you break in through the second story window? Better yet, why are you here?”
“Aislinn and Neena sent me. I heard Kiarra was out and wanted to talk with her.”
That was very much a non-answer. Jaxton glanced at Kiarra to see how she was handling it all, only to find her humming near Garrett’s ear. No wonder his brother was quiet despite the commotion.
“Kiarra.” She turned and looked at Jaxton, but even from across the room, he could see the insecure expression on her face. Fucking fantastic. If her sister’s appearance had undone all of Kiarra’s progress so far, he’d take care of Cam himself. “It’s your call. What do you want to do with her?”
Kiarra straightened from her crouch and clenched her fists at her side. She might be hiding it well, but he could tell she was upset, and a part of him wanted to comfort her.
“I—” She nearly choked and Jaxton growled; how dare someone upset his charge and make her regress? But before he could do anything, Kiarra swallowed and said, “Tomorrow. I’ll talk with Cam tomorrow.”
“Not good enough,” Cam said before she disappeared from her perch atop the shadow-shifter, only to reappear at Kiarra’s side. Cam now had Kiarra by the shoulders, one gun still out and trained on Jaxton. “I need to talk with Kiarra tonight.”
Kiarra tried to shrug off Cam’s grip. “Cam, please, let it wait until tomorrow. I’m not sure—”
Cam never took her gaze from Jaxton and his men as she said, “I’m not fucking around. Verify it with Aislinn or Neena, but I’m not letting Kiarra out of my sight until I get to talk with her.”
Kiarra looked about ready to cry. He needed to defuse the situation.
“Marco, confirm it. Darius, get that other woman secured.”
Jaxton never too
k his eyes from Kiarra’s face as Darius moved into the room and hefted up the unconscious woman. Kiarra’s expression mirrored one he’d seen during their struggle inside her AMT cell—one of vulnerability and despair. Her sister’s sudden appearance had probably triggered memories best forgotten. He needed to get Kiarra alone so he could coax her back.
Once the shadow-shifter was secured and out of the room, Jaxton spoke again. “The man on the bed behind you is in rough shape. Let Kiarra go and I promise you we’ll talk downstairs.” In a show of good faith, he lowered his gun.
Cam lowered her gun too, but kept a firm grip on Kiarra’s arm. “How do I know it’s not a trick? You could have more people waiting downstairs to attack me.”
“If your recent display of speed is any indication, you could outrun or outmaneuver any person here before they had a chance to draw a gun or use elemental magic.”
Cam looked at him a moment before slightly turning her head to Kiarra, but only far enough to where Cam could keep an eye on him at the same time. “Will your man keep his word?”
Kiarra blinked. “He’s not—”
Cam interrupted her. “Just tell me, will he keep his word?”
Kiarra looked him in the eye and asked, “Jaxton, will you?”
He didn’t hesitate. “I swear on my brother’s life.”
Kiarra looked back to her sister. “Yes, I think he will.”
Cam waved a hand toward Jaxton’s gun arm. “First, slide your gun over to me.” He removed the clip and slid the gun across the floor. Cam released Kiarra and said, “Go to him, if that’s what you want.”
Kiarra looked like she wanted to say something to her sister, but she eventually took one step, and then another in Jaxton’s direction. When she was close enough, he tucked her close against his side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Kiarra relaxed against him.
With Kiarra’s now familiar warmth against his side, Jaxton’s tension began to fade, but he kept his head in the game and never took his eyes off of Cam.
He gestured for Cam to precede them. “Lead on, my lady.”
Cam scowled at the term, but exited the room, her boots pounding down the stairs. He squeezed Kiarra’s shoulders and asked, “How’re you holding up, pet?”
After all this time, Cam was alive. Kiarra had no idea why Cam would come here, now, scant days after her rescue from the AMT. If Cam had truly cared about her, why hadn’t she tried to find her before now?
But her mind could barely focus on anything else. Calming Garrett down had distracted her for a short while, but then Cam had been there, holding her by the shoulders and demanding to talk with her.
She was afraid of what she’d hear.
After years of trying to forget her old life, Cam had no right to demand anything of her. Kiarra knew her family had been happier after sending her to the AMT, but she wasn’t ready to hear about it. She would probably never be ready to hear it.
No one wanted to hear they were unwanted.
But Cam wasn’t listening to her and was trying to force unpleasant memories on Kiarra before she was ready.
Kiarra’s throat started to close up, sweat gathered on her palms, and a sense of helplessness started to take hold. If the past was anything to go on, she was about to have a panic attack.
No, no, NO. She wouldn’t let the past ruin her present. She could beat this.
It took a couple of deep breaths before she could focus on what Cam and Jaxton were saying to each other. Somehow she replied on automatic, until Cam told her to go to Jaxton, if that was what she wanted.
And she did. Jaxton was the only one who had helped her to relax and briefly forget about the AMT. He might be annoying, but he was training her for a purpose, a place with DEFEND.
Even if she didn’t yet know his reasoning, it had been Jaxton, and not Cam, who had rescued her from the AMT.
She went to him. When she reached his side, he pulled her close and Kiarra leaned on him for support. His touch was steadying and warm, and as his scent surrounded her, her sense of helplessness started to fade.
After some more words she didn’t hear, Cam marched out the door and Jaxton squeezed her shoulder. His voice rumbled in her ear. “How’re you holding up, pet?”
The familiarity of his lilting voice, combined with the stupid endearment, helped snap Kiarra out of the fading attack. “I’m not your pet.”
He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him, and saw his smile. “If you can snap, you must not be doing too poorly.”
He’d used the term on purpose. “Talking to Cam tonight is a bad idea.”
“You don’t have much of a choice, pet.”
She growled at the endearment, but didn’t let him distract her. “Cam was ten years old the last time I saw her. A lot has happened since then.” She hugged her ribcage. “And I’m honest enough with myself to know that I’m just not ready to confront her.”
“But aren’t you just the least bit curious about why she’s here? I reckon she didn’t have super-fast reflexes as a child, for one.” He tapped her shoulder. “She might not be here for the reason you think.”
She turned to get a better look at him. “Do you know something I don’t?”
Jaxton shook his head. “I’ve never seen the woman in my life. I would think that pointing a gun at her would’ve made that obvious.”
It was true that she didn’t know the real reason Cam was here. For so many years Kiarra had expected the worst of people, but maybe things were changing. She didn’t know Cam as an adult, but as a child, Cam would’ve never tried to cause her deliberate harm. Irritate and trick, yes, but not harm.
Kiarra took a deep breath and moved toward the stairs, but Jaxton kept a firm grip on her shoulder. She looked up at him and said, “Let go of me, Jaxton.”
“No.”
“I—”
Jaxton shook his head. “At this point, we don’t know anything about her and I won’t risk it. I said I’d protect you, and I meant it.”
The look in his eye and the set of his chin told Kiarra nothing would change his mind. So this is what it’s like to have someone care about your well-being.
She tensed. Jaxton had said nothing about caring for her; she was a duty, an obligation. It was delusional to think otherwise. He was simply following Neena’s orders.
Or curious about Cam’s abilities.
Whatever the cause for his apparent concern, she wouldn’t fight his orders right now. Cam was not the ten-year-old girl she remembered. Something had hardened her, made her tough, and it wouldn’t hurt to have someone like Jaxton at Kiarra’s side.
Of course she wasn’t about to let him know that. “Fine, protect me, whatever. But let’s go before I start getting gray hairs.”
Jaxton gave a barely audible snort. “As you wish, pet.”
By the time Jaxton and Kiarra reached the living room, Marco was already there. He stood on the opposite side of the room from Cam, silent with a flush on his cheeks. Jaxton wondered what had happened between the two, especially since Marco was never quiet around women. Given the chance, he could charm the knickers off of the Queen.
When Marco noticed them, he put on his customary smile, probably hoping to fool Jaxton. “Aislinn confirmed Camilla’s story. Neena sent her here to patrol the area, along with two others.”
Jaxton looked to Cam. “Will the other two be joining us?”
Cam narrowed her eyes at Marco before looking at Jaxton. “That depends. We need to talk, and preferably without your horny sidekick.”
Marco’s face turned even redder and Jaxton cleared his throat to avoid laughing. “Marco, do a scan of the nearby perimeter and see if you can find anybody else hiding nearby. Make sure to update Darius and Taka on the situation.”
Marco said, “Right, boss,” before muttering something in Spanish and exiting the room.
Cam’s frown vanished and she crossed her arms over her chest before raising an eyebrow, the cue for him to start talking. But he ignored her, w
anting to take care of Kiarra first.
He guided her to the couch, sat down next to her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He told himself he was only keeping her close in case he needed to push her out of the way of danger, not because it felt right. Kiarra leaned into his touch as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded, and when she placed a hand on his chest, Jaxton felt a flare of heat beneath her palm, similar to the heat he’d felt when he’d touched her bare skin at the foot of the stairs.
Focus, Jax. He squeezed Kiarra’s shoulders and eyed the woman responsible for her unease.
Cam’s gaze flitted to his arm around Kiarra’s shoulders and back to Kiarra’s face. The two women stared at each other, but said nothing. Jaxton decided he would have to be the mediator.
“How did you get past our security?”
Cam switched her gaze to Jaxton. “That’s not what I’m here to talk about. I wanted to warn you that a lot of people connected to the AMT, both official enforcers and hired hands, are heading this way. The shadow-shifter was just the first of many coming to try and haul Kiarra back to the AMT.”
Shit. They’d been careful, but not careful enough. A thousand ideas started to form in his head of how to handle the situation, but before he could ask Cam any more questions, Kiarra’s brows drew together and she said, “Why are so many coming after me? Is that normal for an AMT escapee?”
“No,” Jaxton said, “it’s not. They probably want you because of what you told me while training.”
Kiarra had known the AMT would come after her, but she had never expected Feiru with strange abilities to be part of the retrieval team. It was almost as if the Feiru stories she’d heard as a child were coming to life.
She looked at her sister, but Cam’s face was blank. It seemed strange that Cam wouldn’t ask for the details behind Jaxton’s cryptic response. As a child, Cam had always asked a zillion questions; the woman in front of her was a stranger.
Blaze of Secrets (Asylums for Magical Threats) Page 8
