by Elle Scott
“Here we go!” Leila’s dad boomed, coming from the kitchen and carrying a large pot. Behind him, Aileen carried another, steam rising in front of her face.
Tate looked at Riley, then Leila, and finally Aileen. His face dropped. “Where’s all our guests?”
“Just us, Dad,” Leila said, folding up the maps to clear room for his pot. She smiled. “Looks like we get to enjoy kalua pork for a week.”
Leila
Leila sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her wall filled with Polaroids. There were so many, they almost reached the ceiling. At the bottom, one in particular caught her eyes. A snap of Kale and Kiko that she’d taken the day before they left a few months ago. Tate had made Hawaiian malasada, and as it was cooking, the two lovebirds were snuggled on the outdoor daybed looking at each other with twinkling eyes. Leila had sneakily taken the shot without them knowing.
As she stared at her wall of pictures, it took Leila a moment to realize she was smiling at the memory. She inhaled sharply, coming back to the present moment. Turning to Riley she scoffed, “Siblings are stupid, hey?”
Instantly regretting her terrible timing and utterly pathetic excuse for a joke, she cringed. Riley didn’t seem to hear her, though. He laid on her bed, gazing at the ceiling.
Shuffling closer, Leila asked, “How did you get here?”
Riley’s eyes drifted to her. He gave a quick smile and sat up, crossing his legs. “I ran.”
Eyebrows raising, she tilted her head like a confused puppy. “You ran the whole way?”
Riley chuckled. “I mean, I can run but I’m not you. About halfway, I managed to hitch a ride with a trucker.”
Leila watched Riley’s eyes glaze over as if he was reliving the moment. She wanted to know what happened before he ran… but she was afraid of the answer. Tentatively, she asked, “What are you thinking about?”
“Odie.”
“She’ll be okay. You know that, right?”
“Mmm.” Riley bunched Leila’s blanket into his fists. “I can’t help thinking that my choice doomed her. He was coming after me, what if he found her instead?”
He. Riley meant Kale. Leila pushed the thought to the back of her mind, turning her attention to comforting Riley. “You can’t think like that.”
Riley gazed at her. “It’s how I always think. Every choice I make seems to have dire consequences. We shouldn’t have separated at camp. I should have trusted Gabby, too, and not listened to Kiko. I should have told you the truth about me when your mark first appeared. I should have listened to Tessa instead of forcing her away.”
He was on a downward spiral. Leila was great at covering up her fear with jokes, but she couldn’t do it this time… not with so much on the line. So, she did the next best thing, she straddled his lap and clutched his biceps, and looking deep into his eyes, she scolded. “It’s not all on your shoulders. You need to stop blaming yourself for things beyond your control.”
Riley cocked his head back and closed his eyes. “What if I could control it, though? What if the decisions I make change things? I should have known Odette would come back to me last night. If I didn’t run, if I stayed and took their attention, maybe they wouldn’t have caught her. But I left, and —”
“Stop!” Leila said a little too loudly. She took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. Quieter, she repeated, “Stop. You don’t know if they caught her.”
Riley gave a half smile but the sadness remained in his eyes. “I’m really sorry.”
“You’ve nothing to be sorry for,” Leila said, climbing off Riley’s lap. “Odette will show up.”
Wincing, Riley said, “No, I’m sorry about something else, too. I heard them talking in their tent. They planned the whole thing. To get us out of town and vulnerable. To turn us against each other. They want Sebastian rogue. They want Gabby offside. They want you and me apart.”
Leila took a deep breath, filling her lungs to capacity. Closing her eyes, she imagined Kale wanting all those horrible things. The concept seemed ludicrous.
Her eyes glazed over. She felt the urge to laugh, to find a joke, to say something sarcastic or off-handed. But merely a peep left her voice box.
“Leila?” Riley asked.
“Are you sure it’s both of them?” she managed to squeak.
Riley’s whole body slumped as if the way she looked broke his heart. “I’m sure. Kiko ordered him to take me out of the equation. And if I didn’t run, he would have.”
Leila had tried not to think about it. But there they were, definitive words. Her brother wanted to hurt Riley. Her brother was a Fallen.
As words escaped her, emotions began swirling. The swelling in her heart was too quick, too overwhelming. She felt as if she might explode. And that couldn’t happen. She couldn’t lose it. Not now, not when they were on the verge of stopping Kiko from hurting anyone else ever again. Sadie depended on her. All the innocents in the town depended on her. Riley, and all his anxiety-induced decisions, depended on her.
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, forcing tears to remain unshed. She’d have to deal with those emotions later. One deep breath in. One deep breath out.
Think about the plan, she told herself.
“Are you okay?” Riley asked.
Opening her eyes, settled and centered, Leila nodded.
They were both quiet for a moment.
“Sure you’re okay?” Riley asked, taking her hand in his.
Leila felt a lump form in her throat. Tears teasing her eyes, she pulled her hand from his. She needed a change of subject.
Rolling her eyes, she scoffed. “It’s so obvious now, isn’t it? Kiko turned Cap, you know? Started all that mess.”
Riley blinked slowly. He kneaded his knuckles, pressing into his skin as if it were clay. “Right. Well, that makes sense, I guess.”
Leila’s phone dinged and a message from Ren lit the screen. Makoto has sent two of his clan to spy on Kiko. They’ll report back soon. If it even looks like Odette will be harmed they’ll step in. Leila read the text out loud, then said, “That’s good, right?”
Riley collapsed back onto Leila’s pillow. He was silent as he ran his palms down his face.
“Do you want to go home?” she asked.
“Probably best we don’t separate again,” Riley replied.
Shuffling closer, Leila laid down. “Ever?”
“Ever.”
He leaned over, running his hand along her jawline. Leila met him halfway and they kissed. The way his lips moved slowly, as though every stroke meant the world, filled Leila’s heart with sadness.
She’d hoped that their moment in the tent that morning would have made the day memorable in the best way. But then Sadie got marked. And they found out about Kiko. And, his ex showed up.
Leila rolled onto her back and looked up. “I hate Calice by the way.”
“Who?”
Leila frowned, then instantly remembered that he didn’t even know the cat’s name. “Your sister’s friend. The feline stalker.”
“Oh.” Riley remained quiet for a few seconds, before adding, “I didn’t think you hated anybody.”
He was right. As always. She managed to find the good in just about anyone. But this time, she didn’t even want to try. Admitting that wasn’t something she was willing to do.
“Let’s get some sleep,” Leila said. She rolled to her side and pecked him on the cheek. “We need rest.”
Riley rolled over to face her. Eyes twinkling, he whispered, “I love you.”
It was late. Maybe midnight. Riley slept peacefully while Leila couldn’t bear to fall asleep.
Slipping out of bed, she tip-toed across her room and into the bathroom. She flicked the lights on and closed the door. For years she’d shared this bathroom with Kale, her showers forever cut short by his incessant knocking, urging her to hurry up.
As Leila turned the shower on, she noticed her hands were shaking. She stripped her clothes off, dropped them on the floor
and stared at the streaming water, waiting for it to warm. Visions swirled through her mind—of Riley running through the forest to get away from her own brother. How could it have come to this?
She stared at her mark as steam filled the room. It reminded her of when she first got the mark and how frightened she was in that moment.
It was nothing compared to this.
Kiko’s lies had sunken in. She was willing to accept that Kiko had manipulated them all. Justice for everything she’d done was coming.
But Kale? She feared for him.
If something went wrong with the plan. If he sacrificed himself for Kiko. If she did her Fallen thing and pushed him through the rift to save herself…
And then there was Riley, with the biggest target on his back. Literally. Kiko wanted him gone.
Leila stepped under the hot water. She rested her forehead on the tiled wall, letting droplets coat her back. She hoped against all hope that they could put an end to it all without losing her brother or her boyfriend.
Three loud bangs thumped against the door. Kale’s voice boomed, “Are you gonna hog all the hot water?”
Leila turned the taps off, turning her ears to the door. As remaining droplets fell off her chin, she asked, “Kale?”
The house was silent. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Tentatively, she opened the door. Cool air from the hall wafted over her bare arms and legs.
There was no one there. Her wet feet dripped over the carpet as she shuffled from the bathroom to Kale’s bedroom. She opened the door. No-one was there.
The smell of Kale’s aftershave hit her nostrils. She quickly closed his door. Shaken, she rushed back to her room, slipped on her pajamas and climbed into bed.
Riley rustled beside her. “You okay?”
“Is anything ever okay?” Leila retorted, nestling her body as close to him as possible.
Riley scooped his arm around her, pulling her closer still. She closed her eyes. Finally. Maybe. She might get some sleep after all.
“Leila?” Kale’s voice echoed through the whole house. “You’re making me late for work.”
Leila sat up, bedding falling to her waist. Riley’s arm dropped onto the bed, out like a light. Leila frowned, wondering how much time had passed. Did she sleep? Was she still asleep?
Footsteps marched across the floorboards downstairs. Leila swallowed and made her way out of her room and to the stairwell. She peered over the banister. “Kale?”
The movement downstairs stopped suddenly. She crept down each step, calling her lion close. As she got to the ground floor, she peered at every corner, walking through the living room to the dining, and then into the kitchen.
“I must be hearing things,” she muttered to herself.
While she was there, she figured she may as well have a glass of water. As she sipped, she looked out the kitchen window to her mother’s garden lit by solar lights. Rain fell onto rosemary and vervain and other unknown herbs.
A shadow moved on the back porch. Leila jumped, spilling water down the front of her top. She placed the glass down and peered through the window to get a better look. It was hard to see anything in the dark and she thought for a moment her eyes were playing tricks on her until two glowing, bronze circles appeared on the other side of the glass.
She stared through the window heart lodged deep in her throat. “Kale?”
Leila didn’t even think to half-shift to see with her Guardian’s eyes until the bronze bulbs blinked into nothing. Body pulsing to life, Leila bolted for the back door. As she half-shifted, she flung the door wide open and stepped out onto the porch. But no-one was there. She ran out into the middle of the back yard, rain streaming around her. “Kale? Are you there?”
She stood out there for a good ten minutes, bare feet sinking into the cold, wet grass. Every now and then, she’d pace across the yard, peering over neighbors’ fences. Eventually, she gave up, deciding she was probably over-tired and losing her mind.
When she got inside, she reached for her cup to finish the water, but it was gone. As she tried to remember if she’d spilled it all or not, a loud thud that seemed to come from upstairs shook the house.
Riley? she thought, realizing her mistake.
While she’d been outside, hoping against all hope that her brother had come to tell her he wasn’t Fallen after all, he was actually just distracting her while Kiko came for Riley. Heart pounding, Leila sped up the stairs to her room.
Her bed was empty, the sheets crumpled at the end of her mattress. The patter of raindrops hitting the window caught her attention first, followed by the way her drapes moved as if they were breathing. The window was open.
Fearing she was too late, Leila fled to the window. She leaned through the gap and screamed into the night air. “Riley?”
Two strong hands clasped her shoulders and she was spun around on the spot like a ragdoll. Leila half-shifted, flexing her muscles, ready to attack whoever it was. Riley stared back at her with furrowed brows. His eyes drifted to her splayed claws.
“It’s me,” he said, voice as soft as silk. “Leila, I’m here.”
Leila crumbled. Her body collapsed onto him as she returned to human form. She blubbered into his shoulder, “I thought they took you.”
“I’m okay,” he said, taking her face in his hands. “We’re okay.”
He took a step back, eyes exploring her body. “Where have you been? You’re soaked!”
“Dancing in the rain,” she said.
After she’d changed and wrung her hair semi-dry, they slid into bed. Leila pulled the bedding up over her shoulders and snuggled her back onto Riley’s chest. She reached for his hand and placed it around her.
She couldn’t sleep though. She lay there, eyes wide open, waiting for tomorrow.
Sadie
Sadie sat on the sofa in Reece’s living room, blanket wrapped around her. Birds chirped outside, and sliver of sunlight streamed through a gap in the drapes. She stared at Sebastian asleep on the floor in front of fire, silently begging him to wake.
As footsteps scurried down the short hallway, Sadie instinctively covered her neck with her hand. Reece peered into the living room and gave a quick smile before ducking through into the kitchen. Sadie sighed and dropped her hand.
She cleared her throat, staring at Sebastian. He didn’t look so tough when he slept. His mouth was parted and he gave a slight snore with every inhale. She cleared her throat again and his mouth smacked together a few times before he rolled over.
Sadie rolled her eyes and grabbed a cushion. She hauled it in his direction. It hit his shoulder and continued over his body.
Sebastian rustled, rolling back around. His eyes peeled open one-by-one and, as he caught sight of Sadie staring at him, he grinned. He croaked, “Can’t keep your eyes off me.”
Sadie glared at him and pointed her finger to her neck. He sprung to his feet, blanket dropping to his ankles. She’d never seen him move so fast. He stood in front of her in nothing but his cotton boxer shorts. He had abs. Because, of course. And his mark curved around the top of his left pec.
Sadie stared, imagining what his skin would feel like beneath her fingertips.
“Tessa!”
Sebastian’s cry made Sadie jump. She blinked a few times, remembering what she wanted him awake for. It was definitely not to drool at his body.
Tessa burst into the room, her eyes immediately shining bright pink. Her gaze darted to Sadie and she winced. “Already? Mine took four damn days.”
Tessa spun around and bounded off in the direction she came from. Sadie leaned her head against the couch and rolled her face to Sebastian. He was staring at her, half-shifted. The darkness behind his already neon-blue eyes returned.
“Seb?” Sadie asked, uneasy.
Sebastian made some unnatural moan as he forced his gaze to the ground. His jaw clenched and he dug his claws into his palms as he began pacing in front of her. He muttered to himself. “Don’t look.
Don’t look. Don’t look.”
“Does it make you want to hurt me?” Sadie asked.
Tessa returned carrying a yellow and white polka dot scarf. She jumped next to Sadie on the couch and swirled the scarf around and around to cover the mark. To make sure it was hidden well enough, she half-shifted, scanning the area with her Guardian’s eyes.
Satisfied, she pouted and nodded. “That’ll have to do for now.”
Sebastian relaxed, letting his claws retract from his palms. He let his eyes scan Sadie and he sighed. “That’s rough,” he said, running his blood-spotted hands down his cheeks.
“It’s a call sign, isn’t it?” Tessa said, patting Sadie on the shoulder. “The mark on an un-transitioned Guardian produces this kind of beacon. It’s like a bright neon sign saying—turn me.”
“It’s different for a Fallen,” Sebastian said, collapsing onto an armchair.
Tessa nodded. She leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees and pushing herself up. “You’ve impressed me. I’ve not met a Fallen who could control themselves like that before.”
“What’s it like for a Fallen?” Sadie asked, wrapping the scarf around one more time for good luck.
Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut and threw his head back onto the headrest. A few moments later, he opened his eyes. “I can taste the blood in my mouth.” He let his gaze rest on Sadie. “Your blood in my mouth. Every cell in my body aches as though the only way to quench it is to bite you.”
Sadie grabbed the ends of her blanket and raised it over her chest. “Oh. Is that all?” she tried to make a joke but fear laced every syllable.
“And that’s just with normal people. When a marked one is waiting for transition, it’s…” Sebastian’s head dropped as he finished his sentence, “a hundred times worse.”
Tessa dropped back onto the couch. “You live like this? I mean, I know about it in theory. But I always thought the Fallen liked it.”
Sebastian whipped his head up, eyes pierced his half-sister. “You think I like to be tortured?”
“Will you turn me?” Sadie blurted, clutching Tessa’s arm. “Now?”
