by Lola StVil
© 2016, Lola St Vil
Cindy St.Vil, I am dedicating this book to you,
but don’t start thinking I like you or anything :)
Signed,
Your sister
Prologue
He’s called seven times in the past hour. Each time, I send him to voicemail. I don’t dare pick up because hearing his voice would make this day even harder. Yet I listen for his call, knowing it will come again in the next few minutes. In the meantime, I look over at myself in the full-length mirror.
My hair is pinned up in a mess of curls that fall down my back. I’m supposed to be dressed and ready to go in the next half hour, but so far all I’ve managed to do is put on my white silk slip and heels. Swoop did an amazing job with my hair and makeup. They offered to help me get dressed, but I told them I needed a few moments to myself.
It’s been ten minutes and he hasn’t called.
I swallow hard and look at my phone as if expecting it to explain itself to me. The phone remains silent. This is it. He’s doing what I told him to do; he’s walking away and letting go of the notion of us. This is a good thing.
Then why does it hurt so much?
Another fifteen minutes pass by and still no call. It was hard rejecting his calls, but it turns out, having no contact with him is far worse. I look over at the clock on the wall. Another ten minutes has gone by.
He’s done with me, with us.
I can’t say I blame him after everything that’s happened. I get why he’s staying away. I just didn’t think a silent phone could cause me to feel so utterly hopeless. Please call again. I don’t care if it’s right or wrong, call again. I will pick up, Aaden. I promise.
Nothing.
As I’m walking over to my closet, the phone rings once again. For the record, I know it’s stupid to take the call; even entertaining the thought of speaking to Aaden is bad. But I do it anyway. I take the call but promise myself it will stop there.
“Hi,” I whisper softly into the phone.
“Alley behind the school. Ten minutes,” he commands.
I go to protest, but he hangs up. I grab my long black trench coat off the hanger and put it on. I think about taking to the air, but then I remember that the air is being watched. I could have used a Port, but driving will give me more time to figure out what to say to him. So I sneak into the garage and take my uncle Jay’s car. It’s pouring down so hard, the raindrops sound more like hammers as they hit the windshield. Once inside the alley, a tall dark figure approaches. I go over what I’m going to say to him in my head.
“Aaden, it’s crazy to meet like this, especially today of all days. I care about you; I always will. But we need to deal with what has happened. There is no way to get around it. So please, stop trying and let me do what I need to do.”
Aaden is now only a few feet away. His expression is dark and brooding. I prepare my speech in my mind once again as I turn the car off. He opens the door, and before I can get the words out, he snatches me up from behind the wheel and pulls me to him.
The sensation of his rock-hard body against mine makes it hard to remember my speech. The sound of the rain grows louder as the droplets fall down on us from above. It would have been difficult to have a conversation out here, but that doesn’t matter to Aaden. Talking is the last thing on his mind.
He wraps his large hand around my neck, brings my face to him, and possesses my mouth with his seeking, warm, satin tongue. His touch makes me so weak, my knees are on the verge of giving out. Soon we are engulfed in a fiery blaze of desire and longing. I wrap my legs around his waist as he slams me into the exposed brick wall of the alley, never once breaking contact with my lips.
He opens my coat and glides his hands under the thin fabric of my slip. He growls eagerly as he slides my white panties past my thighs, down to my ankles and onto the wet ground. He inserts himself inside me with such force I open my mouth and gasp in ecstasy. He moves and sways his hips expertly, turning his hardness into a GPS system. Its only destination: the engorged tip of my center. He finds it and taps on it. Again. Again. Again.
Soon we are both exhausted and dizzy from wave after wave of pleasure. We sink onto the ground, no longer able to hold ourselves up. The rain continues to beat down on us. There are scratches on Aaden’s shoulder blades made by my heels. My mouth is bruised and swollen. I can still taste him on my lips. A new current of longing begins to swell inside me.
I want him again. Now.
But I don’t give in, not this time. Instead, I gather what’s left of my clothes and start to get up. He reaches out and begs me with his eyes. I look down at him and smile sadly. He hurriedly puts his shirt back on and follows me to the car. He calls out my name, but I don’t reply. I open the car door and get in.
“Pry, don’t go,” he says.
“Aaden, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come.”
“Why?” he demands.
“You know why.”
“I want to hear you say it!” he shouts.
“Because today is my wedding day; today is the day I marry the Kon.”
“Don’t you do that! Don’t you dare hide behind the title. Say his name out loud,” Aaden challenges.
“Fine,” I snap.
But it’s not fine. I’m having trouble saying the words out loud. However, I remind myself what’s at stake, and I summon up the balls to say what he doesn’t want to hear.
“Aaden, I have to go home because today is the day I marry Hunter.”
Book I:
Pryor Reese Cane
“A friend in power is a friend lost…”
—Henry Adams
Chapter One:
Mr. Middleston
WEEKS EARLIER…
I tear open six packets of sugar and absentmindedly stir them into my coffee. Easton always tells me that six packets is way too much. However, since I’ve been human, I’ve had to find comfort where I can, so I ignore him. In addition to sugar, I’ve become a lover of pizza, fried chicken, and banana pancakes. In fact, three months ago, when Omnis first took our powers away and made us human, all I did was eat.
Then, a month and a half later, all my clothes were snug on me. I went to Diana and asked what was happening. That was when she told me that humans have this evil thing called “calories.” So I had to curb my desire to eat from sunup to sundown. Although Bex assured me that he’d still love me regardless of weight. Still, I put a stop to all my crazy habits. That is, except for sugar in my coffee. Oh, and I also recently discovered tequila. And while I don’t drink it every day, I sure as hell won’t give that up.
Every day I wake up, I think maybe this is the day we get our powers back. And every day, I am disappointed. The only one who has power in the house is Diana. She’s not a Noru, so she gets to keep flying and all that. She tries to be sensitive and not fly around us. She will use a Port or even drive to places. I told her it was really nice of her but that it was fine for her to fly in and out of the house.
Given how drastic and devastating it is to go from Noru to human, the team is dealing fairly well. East, having been half human most of his life, is handling the transition effortlessly. Swoop is actually taking to being human because it allows her to understand the humans who are raising her son, RJ. She says it makes her feel closer to him. And then there’s Aaden…
I thought this would be super hard on him, but he’s spent long periods of time without using his powers. All the times he was running from the Omari and trying to get away from the angel world had prepared him. That’s not to say he doesn’t have moments where he curses Omnis, they all do. But all things considered, they’re hanging in there. I’m actually very proud of them.
The one who
is having the hardest time with being human is me. It’s not just about the powers. This team is my responsibility. I should be able to protect them, and without powers, I have no idea how to keep them from harm.
I inhale deeply, drain my coffee cup, and look over at the daily obstacle across the room from me: the refrigerator. While my wings are not back and I can’t take someone’s life with the energy from my palm, I hang on to the belief that my strength may be growing. It’s possible that Omnis is returning our powers little by little, right?
I bend down and try to lift the refrigerator above my head. I can’t even get it an inch off the ground. I try for over five minutes, and it won’t budge.
“Damn it!” I yell.
“Good morning,” the Kon says from the doorway.
“A refrigerator! I can’t pick up a lousy refrigerator! I used to be able to move mountains and now…WHAT THE FUCK!” I shout again.
“Pry, you will get your powers back,” Bex says as he kneels down beside me.
“When? It’s already been three months. What if WE never get them back? What if this team stays like this? How am I supposed to protect everyone when I can hardly pick up a fifty-pound dumbbell?”
“Pry, being human is a huge adjustment. Give yourself some time.”
“I don’t want to adjust. I want my damn powers back!”
“It will come. I promise,” he says, taking my hand in his.
“How could Omnis do this to us? How are we supposed to defend ourselves?” I ask.
“I have guards posted everywhere. You and your team are going to be okay. I will handle things.”
“That’s just it, Bex, this is my team. I’m supposed to be the one to protect them. I can’t ask you and Diana to keep an eye on us for the rest of your life. What about the Paras?”
“Stop worrying, everything is going to work out,” he assures me.
“How? We have no idea what we need to do in order to get our powers back. Swoop is trying to move past Key’s death, but I look at her and I know that grief is still there. Malakaro has four of the five vials he needs to create the ultimate evil duo. If he gets his hands on the last vial, then all he has to do is get Randy to drink it. And together, the two of them will end life as we know it.”
“Randy doesn’t just have to drink what Malakaro gives him, he has to do it willingly. And you know Randy would never do that. He stood up to Malakaro before, and if the time comes, he will do it again.”
“Bex, that was before Malakaro killed Key. Randy has been brooding and sullen ever since then. He has always hated being without powers, and now Malakaro offers him a chance to have all the power he could ever need. I’m not sure Randy can withstand that kind of temptation.”
“It won’t come to that. Malakaro is still missing a vial. So let’s not get ahead of ourselves. And don’t forget, the Guardians are coming back.”
“It’s been three months. Are we even sure that’s going to happen?” I argue.
“It will. I know it sucks to be in this mess, but you aren’t in it alone. You need to lean on your team. And on the guy who loves you. Remember him?” he asks.
“Vaguely,” I joke.
He smiles. He’s been amazing the past three months. In addition to protecting the team, he’s had Healers researching around the clock, trying to find a way to give us back our powers. He’s been helping Swoop as she mourns her sister. He’s more than any girl could hope for.
“I’m sorry I’m being so difficult. I just never imagined that Omnis would make us human. I’ve never even heard of that. And yes, there are some really cool things about being human. But there are also some things that baffle me.”
“Like what?” he asks.
“Like how easy humans are to break. I ran into my dresser, and this is what happened minutes later,” I reply as I roll up my right pant leg to show him my greenish blue welt.
“You ran into your dresser?” he says, trying not to laugh at me.
“Yes! That’s another thing. Humans have no coordination…how is it they don’t fall down more?”
“I’m guessing that’s not a human issue. I think you’re just clumsy—for now. You’re used to having your wings behind you. Now you don’t have that weight and you’re feeling a little off.”
“Yeah, maybe. It’s just strange. It’s like I’m living in a different body. It’s doing things I don’t understand.”
“Like what?” he asks.
“Well, Diana explained the whole bleeding monthly thing. I got it. But what the hell is the pain that happens along with it? It’s like someone put my lower abdomen inside a blender.”
“I believe that’s called cramps. From what I’ve read about human girls, they experience this sensation every month.”
“First of all, it’s not a ‘sensation,’ it’s an act of torture. Second, what do you mean ‘human girls’? The guys don’t get cramps?”
“No.”
“So Omnis hates human females. Got it. There’s a pill or something I can take for this pain, right?” I reply desperately.
“Like Diana said before, you have to be very careful because we don’t know how human drugs are going to affect you. It’s best to be safe and avoid it if you can.”
I hold my lower stomach as yet another wave of tense pain passes through it. And then to make things so much more fun, a dull ache begins radiating in my lower back. I lean on the kitchen counter, look up to the ceiling, and silently curse my life.
“I think I might be able to help,” Bex offers.
“How?”
He takes my hand and guides me over to the sofa. He signals for me to lie down. I do as he says. He sits beside me and places a small cushion under my head. He tells me to be still and focus on my breathing. Again, I do as I’m told. Bex places his hand on top of my stomach, and slowly a white orb begins to form. I’ve seen him summon orbs before, but this one is the smallest he’s created. Yet amazingly enough, it starts to ease my cramps.
“Oh my Omnis, that feels so good.” I sigh as I close my eyes and lean my head back.
“The heat is relaxing the muscles. I don’t want to increase it because it might be too much for you. So I’m keeping the Powerball as small as I can,” he explains.
I sigh again, and he tells me to keep taking deep long breaths. The heat soothes my stomach and lower back.
“How do you feel?” he asks a few moments later.
“This might be better than chocolate.”
He laughs softly. I open my eyes and find him looking down at me. His expression is one of genuine love and affection. I look into his gorgeous eyes, and instantly I am reassured. I reach out and trace the outline of his perfect jaw with my index finger.
“Are you still in pain?” he whispers.
“What pain?” I ask as I gently pull his face towards me.
When our lips touch, the warmth I felt in my stomach spreads to the rest of my body. His touch is like spring after a long winter. I welcome it—I welcome him. Our lips part and our tongues circle, coil, and collide in delicious patterns that make it hard to remember to breathe. Suddenly, in the midst of our all-consuming kiss, the front door bursts open.
“Pry, I need to talk to you about—” Aaden stops cold as he realizes what he’s walked in on.
Bex and I break from our kiss, and I quickly sit up. My heart is racing. I can feel my now red blood gather in my cheeks. I’m doing what the humans call blushing. I’m not the only one going through something physically. Aaden’s jaw is clenched, there’s a mix of hurt and anger in his eyes, and his posture is rigid. He looks like he’s one step away from ripping Bex’s head off. Yet when he speaks, he is able to maintain a light, overly polite demeanor.
“Oh, I didn’t know you two were…busy,” Aaden says, unable to make eye contact.
“It’s okay. Bex and I were just—we were—I had this pain and…I’m sorry,” I stammer.
“It’s fine, but I really do need to talk to you,” Aaden replies, looking everywhere
around the room at everything but us.
“Yeah, sure,” I reply as I get up from the sofa.
Bex stands up alongside me, and although he tries to hide it, I spot a quick flash of annoyance on his face.
“Aaden, can you wait for me in the backyard? I’ll be right out,” I promise him.
“Sure,” Aaden says as he gives Bex a quick nod and heads towards the back of the house.
“What’s wrong?” I ask the Kon.
“Nothing, I should get going,” he says.
“Hey, let’s not do that, okay?”
“Do what?”
“Bex, I know you’re mad because Aaden interrupted, but—”
“No, I’m not. He’s a part of your team, and the two of you will need to talk. I get that.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s the look on your face when he entered.”
“How did I look?” I dare ask.
“Guilty.”
“Why would I look like that?”
“Funny, that’s what I was about to ask you…”
“Bex, I don’t know what you think you saw, but I’m not with Aaden anymore. He knows that. Everyone does. I’m standing in front of the guy I want to be with. So can we let this go, please?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Go find out what he wants.”
“Thank you,” I reply, and I stand on the tip of my toes and kiss him fervently. He wraps his arms around my waist and holds me tight.
I walk out into the backyard and find Aaden looking out at the New York City skyline, in deep thought. His eyes look troubled, and his stance is on high alert.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“My dad wasn’t supposed to show me this, but he thinks it’s best that we know everything,” Aaden says as he hands me a Replay, a clear glass orb the size of a tennis ball that reenacts past events.
“What’s on the Replay?” I wonder.
“The board has everyone looking for Malakaro. They’ve come close to finding him, but so far, nothing yet. But they did track down a Quo who had come into contact with him somewhere in Vermont. He put everything he saw into this Replay.”
