by Elle Scott
“Okay,” Kiko said, spinning around. “The cure didn’t work, which means you’re all off the hook.” She faced Gabby, her eyes narrowing. “But not you.”
Riley quickly stepped in front of Kiko, hands raising in surrender. “This isn’t personal Gab, but we’re going to have to tie you up.”
Leila gasped. Surely she had heard that wrong.
“I’m sorry, what?” Gabby said.
“Listen.” Kiko hedged past Riley. “These are your options: you can leave or make friends with a rope.”
“Kiko!” Leila exclaimed, unable to contain her silence. “This is madness.”
Riley rushed for her. His smooth hands found her shoulders and gave her a tender squeeze. Sad eyes peering down at her, he whispered, “This is for the best.”
“You can’t be serious?”
“She’s a Fallen,” he said, and then louder so the whole camp could hear, “She’s a Fallen.”
Gabby clutched the insides of her maroon flannelette sleeves. As she lifted her chin, the sun hit the tears forming in her eyes. She looked at Kiko and bravely said, “I’ll stay. Tie me up.”
Leila
Somewhere near the border of Washington and Oregon, the clouds rolled together to become a mass of gray. It covered the sun and half the sky. Mostly though, it covered Leila’s heart.
Their clan was dwindling moment by moment. Damien wasn’t a Guardian anymore. Ren was M.I.A. Sebastian had been banished. And now Gabby was tied up like an animal.
Leila clutched a big bottle in one hand and a spare T-shirt in the other. She trekked through the forest, following the directions Mr. Robertson had given. There was a fresh-water river nearby. East. The fact that they were out of water was the least of her worries, she just wanted some space.
After she’d walked ten minutes, Leila found the river—which was more like a tiny spring, snaking its way through the forest. She knelt onto the mossy ground and dipped the open bottle into the running water. As the bottle filled, she closed her eyes and listened to the trickle, letting it calm her. Far from the stench of injustice, she could inhale all the scents of the woodland. Dampness and freshness all at once.
When the bottle was full, she placed it beside her and took the T-shirt, plunging it under the flowing water. The T-shirt bloomed, tie-dyed swirls swimming beneath the surface. The silence soothed Leila’s soul. She dipped her hands in next, watching the water as it bobbed around her wrists.
Sebastian marked Sadie. No. It was someone else. Tessa maybe. Kiko said it took around twelve hours for the incubation to begin after being marked, but what if incubation begun earlier, while Sadie slept?
Yes. That was it. Leila decided. It must have been Tessa.
Footsteps resonated behind her and she whipped her head around, dragging the soaking T-shirt with her. As her eyes found Kale, droplets landed onto her jeans, seeping through to her thighs. Leila relaxed and quickly held the T-shirt above the water, away from her body.
Kale waved as he approached. “Hey!”
“Hi,” Leila replied, wringing the T-shirt out. “I’m just about done. I wanted to use this to keep Sadie cool.”
“Mmm.” Kale sighed, air rushing through his nostrils. “Everything has gone a bit too crazy, too fast, hasn’t it?”
Leila guffawed. It almost sounded like a joke. “Oh, if only we could go back the days when all I had to worry about was your snoring.”
“I don’t snore,” Kale said, crouching beside her.
Leila raised her brows. She glanced sideways to find a smile on his face. It was the first time she’d seen his infamous cheesy grin since he’d been back.
And then, it vanished. He threw a thumb over his shoulder. “Gabby seems to be taking the whole being tied up thing all right.”
“Ha!” Leila shook her head and secured the lid on the bottle. “It’s stupid.”
“Well, smart really.”
Leila snapped her head and glared at him. “How would you feel if I was tied up?”
“That wouldn’t happen, you’re a True,” Kale said, casually reaching for the wet T-shirt. He squeezed and water ran over his fists like heavy rainfall.
“Gimme a break,” Leila huffed. “She’s innocent and it’s stupid. Just like it was stupid to send Sebastian away. Kiko has reduced our forces by a third!”
Kale frowned. “I love you, girl, but you need to be careful with that attitude. Kiko has been a Guardian for a long time, she deserves respect.”
Leila pressed her lips together and pushed herself up, balancing in a low squat. She liked Kiko, a lot. But everything was always so black and white with her. She never stopped to think that Guardians, like Sebastian and Gabby, were good. Sure, they’d made mistakes—maybe they had bad thoughts, and maybe it was hard not to act on them, but after all that, they restrained themselves. They always chose the right thing.
“Besides,” Kale continued, “Riley is your leader and he agrees.”
A bird chirped above them and lurched itself off a branch. Looking up, Leila lost balance and her butt crashed to the ground with a thud. She mumbled, “His judgment is off, too.”
Kale snorted. “Lover’s quarrel?”
The idea of a lover’s tiff was ironic considering she’d lost her virginity to him that morning.
“None of your business,” Leila snapped, hauling herself to her feet. She snatched the wet cloth out of his grasp and marched toward camp.
When she got back, everyone was packing up. Mr. Robertson held a rolled up tent under each armpit and threw them into the trunk of his car. Leila watched Kiko throwing items out of her and Kale’s tent. One of Riley’s car doors was open but he was nowhere to be found.
“He’s on patrol,” Kiko called, stepping back into her tent.
“Thanks,” Leila said. She scuffed her feet against the dirt as she made her way to Sadie’s tent.
Summer was sitting out the front, ripping bark off a twig. Leila crouched in front of her and asked, “Do you mind if I go in? Ease her temp a bit?”
Not looking up, Summer shook her head. Leila wanted to say something profound. Like don’t worry, everything will be fine. But she didn’t know if it would be and she didn’t want to lie. So, instead, she gave a sad smile and gently tapped Summer’s shoulder as she went inside the tent.
Sadie was half asleep, hooded eyes staring up at nothing in particular. She mumbled, “No, I don’t remember who marked me.”
Leila placed the damp T-shirt onto Sadie’s forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“Leila?” Sadie croaked, blinking slowly. When her eyes finally got a hold of Leila, she said, “When the mark appears, will you be the one to turn me?”
“Let’s not think about that right now. It looks like we’re packing up to leave, we’ll talk about it later, okay?” Leila dragged the cloth from Sadie’s forehead down her cheek and rested it on her collarbone.
Sadie threw her hand over Leila’s. It seemed as though she was trying to grip but didn’t have the strength to curl her fingers. Struggling to sit, she urged, “But, I need to know that you will. I want to be a True, like you.”
“We’ll get a cure before it even comes to that. Okay? I promise.” Leila knew how much Sadie reveled in being the only human in their group. She knew that she hated watching them shift. Becoming a Guardian wasn’t what she wanted.
Sadie collapsed back, her hand covering her eyes. “Can you tell Sebastian to come see me?”
“Sebastian?” Leila cleared her throat. “Umm—”
“Leila? You ready? We’re almost set!” Kiko called.
Kale’s shadow loomed in front of Sadie’s tent. “We need to get Sadie into the car so we can pack up this tent.”
“Okay,” Leila called. She rolled to her feet and looked down into Sadie’s hopeful eyes. “I’ll go get him,” she lied.
Sadie smiled, gave a weak nod, and closed her eyes.
Leila left the tent feeling awful. Not being able to give Sadie anything she wanted sucked. Obviously
they just needed Tessa’s blood. Then they could cure her and all of this nightmare will be over.
She wandered to Kiko near the dwindling fire. “Kiko?”
“Mmm?” Kiko mumbled, staring into the red coals.
“We need the Fallen’s blood. What if we stay here, wait for them to come. What if we fight?”
Kiko tore her eyes from the fire and turned her face to Leila. “That sounds risky. If Sebastian is working for Tessa, and Tessa is working for her Alpha…” Kiko’s bottom lip dropped. “He’s dangerous, Leila. I think it’s best if we steer clear.”
“Right, but—” Leila licked her lips, wanting to be as respectful as she could. “But we can’t run forever, right? I mean, we’ll need to face them eventually. From what you said, it’s inevitable. I’d just rather Sadie be cured first. Before everything gets out of control.”
A darkness fell over Kiko. She squeezed Leila’s bicep. “Honey, everything is already out of control. I just…” Kiko dropped her hand and exhaled loudly. “I’m scared—” Her voice hitched as tears rolled to the corner of her eyes. She sniffed and said, “People I cared about died.”
Leila’s heart lurched. She’d been so quick to forget. Kiko’s brother hadn’t just become a Fallen, he’d terrorized the people Kiko loved. Kiko had been on edge, not because she was frustrated but because she was frightened. Memories, excruciating memories, haunted her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”
“It’s okay. It was a long time ago.” Kiko clutched both of Leila’s arms and stared right into her eyes. “But I’m not making choices that will put your clan in danger. You know that I care about you?”
Leila nodded. She wrapped her arms around Kiko, squeezing her tight. “Thank you. I care about you, too.”
As they pulled away, Kiko peered over Leila’s shoulder and jutted her chin. “Riley’s back. We should pack up Sadie and leave before Sebastian tells them where we are.”
Leila
The clan remained on the Washington-Oregon border. They circled back, heading west and stopped somewhere north of Portland. Kiko had said she didn’t want to go too far from Cedar Falls, in case they were needed back in town.
The ride was silent. Leila spent the time pretending to be asleep. Riley didn’t bother to say anything though, and she was relieved he knew her well enough not to try.
Riley pulled his car up next to Mr Robertson’s and turned to Leila. He winked, a nervous smile planted on his face. She gave him nothing in return.
As he climbed out of the car, Leila swiveled in her seat and looked into the back. Sadie was laying across the backseat, her head in Summer’s lap. “Are you happy to stay in here with her while we set up?”
Summer gazed down at her big sister and swept sticky hair off Sadie’s face. Looking up, she nodded and managed a weak, “Yeah.”
Leila hopped out of the car. Her attention immediately landed fifteen yards away, where Kale was holding Gabby against a tree. He aggressively swept a thick rope around her body, attaching her to the trunk. A growl rumbled in Leila’s throat as she headed over.
Kale had finished tying Gabby up by the time she reached them. Gabby struggled against the ropes, arms pinned to her sides. As she fought the restraints, rope burns appeared on her skin.
Kale left Gabby, and as he met Leila halfway, she asked, “Why did you have to put her so far away?”
“Probably better she doesn’t hear our plans,” Kale said, tapping Leila’s back as he continued on.
Leila glared at him for a moment, wondering if he’d gone mad. Beyond Kale, Leila caught Riley’s eye. He was standing frozen and shell-shocked, as if he’d never seen a member of his own clan tied up before. Rage stormed inside her and a scowl formed on her face. He opened his mouth to say something, sorry maybe, but Leila didn’t want a bar of it. She swung around and rushed for Gabby.
“Are you hurting?” Leila asked, following the ropes knot at the back of the tree trunk.
“It’s a little tight, I can’t move,” Gabby said, her voice breaking on the last word.
Leila half-shifted and used her strength to loosen the knot a little. When the ropes were slack enough, Gabby breathed a sigh and slid along the bark until her bottom hit the ground.
Staring at the loosened knot, Leila muttered, “I wonder what they’d do if I let you go.”
“Better not,” Gabby said, dejected.
Leila didn’t bother re-tightening the ropes. She moved around the tree and sat down, resting her head onto Gabby’s shoulder. Through the trees she watched the others remaking the camp, as though everything was normal. She watched Riley set up a tent, his eyes darting to them every few moments.
“Kiko seems like a right royal coward,” Gabby snarled. “We’re all hiding instead of fighting.”
Leila lifted her head. “She’s just scared.”
“Yeah? And what about Sadie?”
Trees rustled from a small gust of wind. Leila stared at Summer helping Sadie from Riley’s car to a nearby tent. Shivers ran down Leila’s spine—not from the cold. She felt numb as she replied, “She wants me to turn her.”
“Oh god!” Gabby rested her head against the tree and closed her eyes. “She hates all of this. You see her mousy little face flinch every time we even look like we’ll shift.”
“I know.”
Gabby wriggled against the ropes. “Ugh, I’m itchy.”
“Where?” Leila said, turning to face her.
Gabby nodded to her left arm. “There. Just under the ropes.”
Leila slid her fingers under the rope and scratched. Red flaky skin caught underneath Leila’s nails. Gabby hissed in pain. A tingling sensation prickled Leila’s fingertips.
“They put vervain on the rope!” Leila endured the discomfort as she held the ropes away from Gabby’s arm. “Can you heal yourself?”
After Gabby half-shifted, letting her wolf’s healing energy wash over her, she said, “I’m okay. Stop stressing.”
Both Leila’s best friends were out of action. Her heart felt like it was about to shatter. She huffed, “I can’t believe Riley agreed to this.”
With the movement she could make, Gabby gave a tiny shrug. “He doesn’t trust me. Hasn’t for a while.”
“That’s not true.” Leila hated that her tone was defensive. “It’s more like he doesn’t trust himself. He feels responsible for you.”
Gabby remained silent. She closed her eyes again, taking long, deep breaths. Leila tried to think of what they’d be doing if the Fallen hadn’t returned to Cedar Falls. Maybe they’d be having a sleep over. They’d be sitting on her sofa instead of damp dirt. They’d be eating popcorn and talking about things that didn’t matter… and maybe things that did matter.
“We slept together this morning,” Leila blurted. She slapped her hand over her mouth, surprised by her own admission.
“What?” Gabby’s lids shot open. She studied Leila’s face for a while before a twinkle hit her eyes. “About damn time.”
Leila wanted to smile but a sigh rushed through her lips instead. A twinge of bitterness pinched at her heart. “He ruined it by agreeing to tie you up.”
“Hey now,” Gabby scolded. “What goes on between me and him is not a reflection of you and him. Yeah, sure, what a douche for not trusting me… but he does love you. God. The way he gawks at you like a little pup waiting for its owner’s next command. It’s sickening.”
Leila smiled involuntarily at the same time the hoot of an owl echoed above the treetops. Gabby jerked her head to the sky. “Odette?”
A white barn owl with tan feathers around its face made its way to the ground and landed right beside Riley. In a moment, it shifted into a tall modelesque woman. Her hair was platinum blond and touched her shoulders.
Leila could just hear Odette speak. “You guys are hard to find!”
“It’s a game of hide and seek,” Riley said, trying to make a joke. He flung an arm in Leila and Gabby’s direction. “She’s over there.”
As Odette started running toward them, Gabby tensed beside Leila. “I don’t want her to see me like this.”
“Oh my god,” Odette gasped, covering her mouth. She squatted in front of Gabby, trying to find her hands beneath the ropes to hold. “This shouldn’t be happening.”
Gabby shrugged. “Probably for the best. My mind gets ideas sometimes.”
Leila felt her heart drop. “What do you mean ideas?”
Gabby glanced at her. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Right,” Leila said, nodding. “Because you don’t follow through with them.”
“Is that a statement or a question?” Gabby asked.
Leila’s throat went dry. She swallowed hard. “A statement, Gab.”
After a quick exhale through her nose that sounded like it could be a laugh, Gabby rolled her eyes. She muttered, “Okay, whatever you want to believe.”
“I’m gonna stay here with you, all right?” Odette sobbed, letting her tears fall unashamed. “I’ll stay right here with you the whole time.”
Gabby’s chin quivered. And with all the softness of a wispy feather being kissed by the gentle breeze, she whispered, “Okay.”
The fire was lit and roaring by the time Leila joined the others at camp. Riley and Kale stood above the flames, looking down on their creation with pride. Riley’s eyes flicked up at Leila’s approach, and he smiled softly.
Leila resisted returning the gesture and dropped her gaze to the ground. How dare he? He couldn’t just smile that sweet, warm, heart-melting smile and expect everything was going to be okay. Leila glanced back at him. His eyes followed her, still smiling, still that inner warmth exuding from him. She felt her cheeks twitch, instincts begging her to surrender and mirror his expression. She pressed her lips together and fought the urge.
It didn’t take long for the penny to drop, the pure adoration in his cedar brown irises slowly morphed into sorrow. Creases formed between his brows as he mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
“Leila! There you are.”
