There was nothing slow or gentle about our lovemaking this time. He slammed into me with the force of a wave hitting the shore during a hurricane, and I answered him, thrust for thrust. We came in moments, crying out at the same time in voices that barely sounded human, and clung to each other afterwards like survivors of a shipwreck. He sighed and softly kissed my shoulder. The storm had passed.
I had so many questions to ask I didn’t even know where to start. The crazy, hungry, angry sex had thrown me for a loop. I’d enjoyed every single minute of it, but the primal nature of it had shaken me.
“I’ve heard make-up sex is even better than angry sex, but I’m just not sure that is even possible,” I said, trying to get my breathing back to its normal rhythm.
Michael kissed my cheek and rolled to his side, cradling me in his arms. “We’ll find out if we ever make up.” His voice was a growl, but I knew he wasn’t mad anymore.
I stroked his face and stared at him, still finding it hard to believe this impossibly perfect man could be mine, even if only for a little while. I kissed him once on the lips, and then broke the spell by talking. I couldn’t help it. There were things I had to know.
“Was there any sign of Brooke?”
Michael shook his head. “Another reason we don’t mix with Dwellers. It’s dangerous for them even to be around us.”
I swallowed hard. “My father is a Dweller.”
Michael cupped my cheek with his hand and stroked my lips with his thumb. “He’s lucky he survived.”
I frowned. “Not luck. My mom did what she had to do to keep him safe. When she drove off the cliff, she saved all of us. Don’t dismiss her sacrifice by calling it luck.”
“But you aren’t safe, Em. You’ll never be safe until Melo is dead.” He spoke to me like a child, and it was getting a bit irritating.
I glared at him. “And it’s up to you to keep me safe, right? Another thing on your long list of duties and responsibilities. Well, Michael, I have news for you. I can take care of myself.”
Biting his lip, he turned away. “You demonstrated that quite nicely this evening. That’s why they showed up with the candles. They do it to honor the warrior if a Moktar is killed without Traveller lives being lost. It’s a sign of respect, and gratitude.”
I sat up against Michael’s pillows, and pulled him over so his head rested on my naked stomach. I didn’t want to fight. He hugged me around my hips, and I stroked his back.
“But I still broke the law.”
Michael sighed, his breath warm against my belly. “You did. Women cannot fight. It’s been that way as long as there have been Travellers.”
He had the decency to look embarrassed. He put his face into my stomach and kissed me. I rolled my eyes.
“You’re a scientist, Michael. You work with facts. Do you seriously think that law is necessary?”
“No, but I can understand the reasoning behind it. What the Moktar do to women is crueler than death.”
“And now they have Brooke.” I slid out from under him and started getting dressed.
“Where are you going?” Beautiful and naked, he lay on his stomach gifting me with a great view of his bottom. I almost had to fan myself. I would never get tired of looking at his body.
“I want to talk to your father. There has to be a way to help her.”
Michael stood up slowly, giving me a glimpse of his full frontal glory as well. He looked like Adonis with tattoos.
“And if there isn’t?”
I tore my gaze away from him, although it required great effort on my part. “I don’t know.”
I should have just gone and hit my head against a brick wall. That would have been a more productive use of my time because nothing could convince Sampson Brooke might have a chance if we only tried to save her. To make matters worse, my own grandparents had jumped on the bandwagon. They agreed with him completely. I tried talking to them and reasoning with them. None of that worked. Finally, I threw up my hands in defeat and stomped out. Michael followed closely at my heels.
My phone buzzed, alerting me I had a text, and I yanked it out of my pocket. The number made me look at Michael in shock.
“It’s from Brooke.”
I fumbled, almost dropping the phone, as I opened the text. The message was short and sweet.
We have her. You want her. We offer a trade; you for her. Wait for more details, and don’t try anything stupid. She is safe for now.
Even the Moktar monsters thought I had poor decision making skills. A really great idea formed in my mind. “This could work. Trade me for Brooke. I’ll kick their Moktar butts, Brooke will be safe, and everyone will be happy. Except the Moktar. They’ll be dead.”
Michael shook his head. “They’ll be prepared for you this time. It won’t be so easy. I can’t let you do it.”
“I’ll do whatever I please, Mr. Nightingale.”
Sudden anger lit his eyes. “That’s the last thing we need. They knew you were a Traveller before we did. They knew I was the Ceannfort. They knew Melo was my brother. Why are we always one step behind?”
He slammed his fist into a tree. It had to hurt. Blood trickled down his knuckles, but he didn’t make a sound.
I took his hand and dabbed it with a tissue. “Now what did that poor tree ever do to you?”
At the sight of Michael’s blood, I remembered the words of the dying Moktar. I’d completely forgotten to mention it.
Michael grew very still, the way he always did when receiving bad news. “He said, ‘he who can walk in the sun’? Are you sure, Emerson?”
The expression on his face worried me. “Is it important?”
Michael paced back and forth. “It could mean a Moktar has finally overcome their genetic reaction to the sun and can go out in daylight.”
I frowned. “Even if they weren’t allergic to the sun, they couldn’t go out in daylight. People would see them. A Moktar wouldn’t go unnoticed.”
Michael’s expression was grim. “He could if he looked human. They’ve been taking Traveller women and mating with them for generations. Perhaps one of their offspring came out more human than Moktar. There have been tales of such a thing.”
“Is that even possible?”
He frowned. “Possible, but not plausible.”
My mind raced, imagining golden eyes, abnormal strength, and a powerful stench. My knees almost gave out. Possible, but not plausible.
“Leo is a Moktar.”
My hands reflexively went to my neck. My bruises had almost healed, but I remembered exactly how his hands had felt. I’d really thought I was going to die.
“Why do you say that?”
“A lot of reasons, but mostly his eyes. Normally, they’re a sort of golden color, but tonight they were different.”
“Yellow?”
I nodded. “And he was a mess, both mentally and physically. He looked like he hadn’t washed or eaten. He acted just like a drug addict. Wouldn’t that be how a Moktar would act if he hadn’t eaten any brains lately?”
“The Moktar go through something described as a thousand times worse than cocaine withdrawal. Most of them are born with the addiction, and many don’t survive infancy because of it.”
I almost felt bad for the Moktar, but not quite. “You know that Traveller sense you told me about? Well, I feel it now. He’s a Moktar. I’m sure of it.”
Michael sighed. He tilted his head up to look at the stars, his expression sad and resigned. “We must tell the council.”
The last thing I wanted to do was to deal with Sampson and my grandparents again. “There’s nothing we can do right now. Everyone is asleep, we have no idea where the nest is located, and we aren’t going to go out looking for it in the middle of the night. Why don’t we go back to your place, take off our clothes, and have make-up sex?”
Michael gave me naughty little smile. He tilted his head down until his forehead rested against mine and our noses touched. “Does that mean you’ve forgiven me for what ha
ppened earlier with your grandparents?”
I held up my hand. “Did you know they would see this ring and think we’re getting married?”
“Would it be so awful?” He needed reassurance, but I wanted to shake him.
“Answer my question.”
He let out a frustrated sigh. “I understood how it might be perceived. I gave it to you anyway because I knew you’d leave, eventually, and I just wanted some part of me to go with you.”
The anger building inside of me came out in a whoosh. “I think I’m ready for the make-up sex now.”
He gave me a small kiss. “I’d never force you into marriage. Can you be patient until I come up with a diplomatic solution to our problem that will appease your grandparents? Although it may not even matter.”
“Why?”
He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “What you did tonight was very brave, but also idiotic.”
“I know I broke that stupid, old law, but I was defending myself. And Margaret and Sean, too.”
“Is that what you call it?” He shook his head. “When that Moktar ran away and you chased him, everyone saw you. The law is very clear, as is the punishment.”
I trembled and it wasn’t because of the cool night air. “What is the punishment?”
His blue eyes were dark with sadness. “Exile.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
~Grandma Sugar
The next morning, Michael got a text saying the council was ready and waiting for us. We dressed quickly and met them in the center of the compound. They weren’t wearing robes. They sat in a circle looking like a bunch of elderly English people enjoying a spot of sunshine. Judging from their conversation, they didn’t seem to notice our approach.
“She’s a menace,” said Mavin with a sneer. “She put my Nella in a garbage can. She needs to go.”
I made a face at Michael, and he shook his head in disgust. I hadn’t realized Nella was Mavin’s daughter. It explained a lot.
Sampson glared at her. “Nella probably deserved it, and this is far more important than a petty squabble. I saw Emerson fight, Mavin. We need her.”
“She’s just a girl,” she said, almost spitting out the words. “Nothing more.”
Sampson gave her a long, steady look. “I’m beginning to think she might be a great deal more, Mavin, and I think you understand my meaning.”
Mavin flinched, like she’d been struck, and then she shook her head vehemently. “That’s a myth.”
She looked up at that instant, and her eyes met mine. They were as black as onyx and so cold they seemed almost reptilian. She knew exactly what was about to happen, what punishment I faced for my actions, and she found pleasure in it.
“Here she is now,” she said.
I kissed my grandmother and sat next to her. She took my hand in hers. Her hand was soft and warm and she smelled like lavender, but her face was pale and frightened. I wanted to ask Sampson what he’d been talking about when he said I was something more, but the look on his face told me now was not the right time to ask.
Michael took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. “All of you are aware of what happened yesterday. A Dweller girl was taken.”
The council nodded in unison. They listened to him, but most of them snuck little glances at me, trying to see if I would suddenly turn into a crazed Moktar killing machine. It annoyed me.
“And whose idea was it for Margaret and Sean to go out alone to help a Dweller?” Mavin’s lips twisted in disgust when she spat out the word “Dweller.”
“It was my idea, but we thought Leo was just a Dweller, too. Like Brooke.” I glanced at Michael. “Now we are fairly certain he’s actually a Moktar.”
“The man who attacked you?” My grandmother’s voice rose an octave higher than usual. “How can that be?”
Several members of the council gasped. One old lady clutched a hand to her heart. Even Mavin looked shocked. Her bony hands fluttered to her throat.
Michael nodded. “One of the creatures told Emerson, in his dying breath, about a Moktar who can walk in the sun. I think one of them now has enough Traveller blood that he looks human. It might be Leo.”
One of the older council members put his head in his hands, like he might weep. Several of them acted shell shocked. So much happened at once, they couldn’t quite process it. I understood how they felt.
The head councilman, Monroe, spoke. “Moktar cannot take human form. It isn’t possible.” He shook his head. “I understand what you’re trying to do, but it comes down to one thing. The lass has broken our laws, Michael.”
Every member of the council turned and looked at me, and my cheeks grew hot. Michael’s body tensed next to mine.
“You think I’d make up a lie to protect her?”
He gave Michael a sad little smile. “I think you’d do anything to protect her. It’s obvious how you feel about her.”
Michael’s jaw clenched, displaying his fury. “It’s irrelevant. She fought in self-defense. That’s not forbidden.”
Monroe’s face turned cold. “She chased a Moktar down the street and climbed a wall to catch him. That’s not self-defense. It’s madness. And if we let her stay, her madness may infect other girls. She’s not even a real Traveller anyway. There is really no need for such a fuss.”
My grandmother’s hand tightened on mine, like she would hold me there by sheer will alone. “She’s our granddaughter, Monroe. All we have left. If you exile her, you send her to certain death.”
“She’s given us no choice.”
It ended very quickly. The council voted and only my grandmother and Sampson thought I should be allowed to stay. There was no hope.
Monroe stood, and I saw something odd flash through his eyes. If I hadn’t known better, I would have said he looked pleased. A second later, his expression turned somber, like he’d suddenly remembered to act like he felt bad about his actions, but I knew the truth. He wanted me gone.
“Pack your things, Emerson. The Ceannfort will escort you back to your home.”
Further protests would not change their minds, so Michael and my grandmother walked me back to her caravan. Anselina helped me pack, her face tense with the effort it took not to cry.
“I wish Matthew were here. He’d want to see you. He’s away for the morning on Traveller business, of all the terrible luck. I’m so sorry, child…” she began, but I stopped her by gently squeezing her arm.
“It isn’t your fault. I’ll call you, okay?”
She shook her head, her lips trembling. “It’s forbidden, dearest. Once you’re exiled, we have to pretend you never existed.”
I sank down onto the bed. My knees had given out on me. “Even Michael?”
She nodded, putting her arms around my shoulders. “But I shan’t forget you. Ever.” Her words were a soft whisper in my ear. “And he won’t, either.”
I walked back to my apartment in a daze. Michael was inches away from me, but neither of us spoke until we reached the door of my building. He turned to me, his face tense and pale.
“You’ll have to talk to Lucinda and Poppy. They need to know the truth. It’s the only way to keep them safe.”
“What should I tell them?”
“Everything. I give you my permission to tell them everything.” His voice cracked, and he pulled me into his arms. I realized it might be my last memory of Michael Nightingale, and I clung to him. “I’ll figure this out, Emerson. I’ll find a way to fix it.”
I shook my head. “Some things just can’t be fixed.”
He leaned forward, touching his forehead against mine. “Stay safe. Don’t be foolish. Don’t take any chances. Please, Emerson. For my sake, promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I’m always careful, Michael,” I said, and gave him one last kiss before slipping out of his arms and into my building. The door closed behind me with a thud, but I didn’t look back. If I had, I never would have been able to keep going.
Poppy and Lucinda were upstairs. When they saw my face and the suitcases in my hands, they knew something was very wrong. After setting me up with a cup of warm tea on the couch, Poppy started the inquisition.
“Tell us what is going on.”
When I didn’t answer immediately, she let out an impressively long string of curse words. Normally, I loved to hear Poppy swear. She even said the “f” word in a cute way, making it sound more like fooook. I didn’t find it so cute today, although her outfit was adorable. She wore tiny shorts, black lacy tights, and Doc Marten’s. She’d added a hot pink cardigan with feathered fringe that nearly reached her knees to further enhance the look.
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know where to start.”
The fact I refrained from weeping was pretty amazing. I really deserved a medal for holding back the tears. Eventually, it would to hit me, and I’d cry like never before, but for now I was too numb. In shock.
“The beginning,” said Lucinda.
“You’ll think I’m crazy.”
“We know you’re crazy, and we love you for it, but something is terribly wrong. You need to tell us what’s going on. Now.”
Poppy was as stubborn as a mule when she set her mind to something. I sighed.
“I guess I’ll start with the day I saw Michael outside the library and followed him through York.”
I told them about seeing Tad’s body and the Moktar and everything else that happened that night. It felt good to get it off my chest. I’d hated lying to Lucinda and Poppy.
Their expressions went from shock to disbelief to confusion and finally something that looked a whole lot like acceptance. When I got to the part about how the Travellers had unusual abilities, my cheeks got a little hot. I was sure they wouldn’t believe me. I was wrong.
“I knew it.” Poppy slammed her hand down on our kitchen table. “I just knew it.”
Lucinda raised one dark eyebrow at her. “You knew Emerson was part of a secret race of gypsies with special powers?”
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