“Patch?” A brief smile of appreciation curves my lips. “He’s always watching over me. I’m pretty sure my dreams were blank because I was with Drystan, who had a vial of Corvus ashes around his neck.”
Ethan’s fingers flex on me. “Corvus ashes?”
“Danielle gave them to him. She made a deal with Harper’s demon to kill me and she’d spare him. That’s what I’m talking about. This Inferi knows too much that can hurt Corvus. We need to find him and free Drystan.”
Ethan’s hands fall to his sides, his fists clenching tight. “Wicklow was right. He said that Corvus are very territorial and Danielle might’ve attached to me. It definitely sounds like she lost it. I can’t believe she plotted to kill you.” Deadly fury fills his gaze. “It’s a good thing she’s gone. It wouldn’t have been pretty if I’d gotten ahold of her.”
Despite the retribution in his tone, I notice the sadness and disillusionment lurking in his eyes. I touch his arm, glad he didn’t have to make the choice. “You went to see Mr. Wicklow?”
He nods. “I needed answers.”
My fingers curl around his skin. “We should call him. He needs to know what’s happened to his nephew, and he might be able to tell us where Drystan would go.”
Ethan’s expression turns resolute. Walking over to get my jacket, he holds it out for me. Once I slide my arms in the sleeves, he zips it up past the tear in my shirt. “I’ll get my sword, then you can call Wicklow. Once we get back to your house, you can fill me in on what this Inferi knows. I have stuff to tell you too.”
“Hello?”
“Mr. Wicklow? It’s Nara Collins.” I put my phone on speaker and glance at Ethan’s Mustang driving ahead of me on the way back to my neighborhood.
“Oh, Nara. I’m so relieved you’re okay. Ethan was here not that long ago. He’s definitely a Corvus, that one. He was under the impression something had happened to you—”
“Sorry to cut you off, but this is urgent. A demon has possessed Drystan and had attacked me. When Ethan arrived, he got away, and now Ethan’s trying to find him. Do you have any idea where Drystan might go?”
Mr. Wicklow mumbles, “Now his disorientation makes sense.”
I hear a car start in the background. “What do you mean?”
“I’m on my way to pick up Drystan. He called and sounded confused enough that he was unable to tell me where he is or how he got there. Based on his description I think he’s near the train station not far from the downtown mall. I thought he’d been on an all-night bender with school buddies.”
“We’ll meet you there.”
“There’s no need. The demon is already gone.”
My brows pull together. “How do you know?”
“That’s where Drystan’s disorientation is coming from. When the demon leaves a body, the person has no memory of the possession or what happened during it. They just know they’ve lost a period of time.” He heaves a regretful sigh. “This is all my fault.”
Ethan pulls into the far side of my driveway and I push the garage door button, then drive past him into my garage. “Why is it your fault?”
“Once I learned of your existence, I had your background checked. One similar interest you and Drystan had was soccer, so I brought him to Blue Ridge in the hopes he would bond with you on his own.”
“You planned this all along?” I say, unable to keep the anger from my tone.
“I had good intentions. It doesn’t surprise me that my nephew gravitated to you. You are special in your own way. Once your friendship had fully developed, I planned to tell him all about the Order and ask him to be your Paladin.”
“But I’m not Corvus,” I whisper, more to myself than to him.
“Precisely. If you had been Corvus, as a new Order inductee, Drystan would’ve received his gift with the raven symbol that protects him from demon possession. I did try to give him a family heirloom, a watch that had the symbol hidden in the etching on the back of it, but Drystan refused to wear it. So I thought I’d wait until we got back to England to tell him about the Order and ask him to join our ranks as a Paladin for a future Corvus. Then he could fully appreciate the watch’s importance.”
“How could you do this to Drystan?” My voice rises. I can’t help it. “Why didn’t you tell him up front?”
“I was trying to make it as natural a transition as possible for you both. Most Corvus are very resistant to their Paladins even though they know they’re a necessity to keep their lives balanced. This time, I’d hoped to let mutual respect and friendship happen on its own without Corvus/Order ties, yet it seems I’ve made a mess of things.”
He couldn’t have anticipated Danielle. We all underestimated her. “Even if you had the best intentions, we didn’t deserve to be lied to, Mr. Wicklow.”
“I’m sorry I put you and my nephew at risk, Nara. That was never my intent. I’m very glad to hear you’re okay. I just hope Drystan can forgive me.”
“I don’t know if he will, but if you want Drystan to forgive you, you’ll have to tell him everything. Don’t hold back.”
Ethan’s standing outside my window. The expectant look on his face tells me he hasn’t already seen any of this conversation I’m having with Mr. Wicklow. Ethan had said my dreams last night were entirely blank. I suppose that makes sense considering anything Corvus related—from conversations to interactions—had never shown up in my dreams in the past. So far, my entire morning has been nothing but Corvus stuff.
I nod to Ethan then ask Mr. Wicklow one last question. “What about Ethan? Are you going to assign him a Paladin?”
Mr. Wicklow lets out a low chuckle. “He doesn’t need one. He has you. I told him I want you to join the Order. To become a Paladin. But he told me quite forcefully that you’d never be anyone’s Paladin.”
I jerk a questioning gaze to Ethan. Did he say that because he doesn’t think I’m cut out to be a Paladin? Or did he say it, because he doesn’t want me to have anything to do with the Order?
“Um, I’ll get back to you on the whole Paladin thing. Please let me know if Drystan’s truly okay.”
“I will. Take care, Nara.”
As soon as I open my car door and step out, Ethan scoops me up in his arms.
I quickly wrap my arms around his neck. “Where are we going?”
“To take a nap.”
I turn in his arms and unlock the kitchen door with my key. “But don’t you want to hear what Mr. Wicklow said?”
“I heard your half of the conversation. I’m back to trusting my first instincts about the Order.”
“Ethan.”
“We’ll talk, but for now I just want to hold you, Sunshine.”
Sighing, I rest my head against his shoulder and let him carry me upstairs.
Chapter Thirty
Nara
Houdini’s wet nose touching mine wakes me from a deep sleep. It’s dark outside, and as I pet my dog’s head, my gaze is drawn to the clock on my nightstand where Ethan had left me a note. Flipping on my light, I pick up the paper.
Had to run a couple of errands. Houdini’s on guard duty. He won’t leave your side. Be back soon.
After we shared everything we learned from Danielle and Mr. Wicklow this morning, Ethan had pulled me close, pressing my back against his chest. He voiced how he couldn’t believe Danielle had lied about being the Master Corvus.
That part seemed to bother him the most. Danielle’s death hit him hard, but more in a physical sense than an emotional one. He told me he’d fallen back against his car when Danielle got stabbed with her sword, and it took him a few minutes to stand up straight. At the time, he didn’t know that what he felt was Danielle’s wound, but once I told him when and how it happened, the timing of it lined up.
We grew quiet, and I was surprised he didn’t try to kiss me, but his fingers running through my hair had felt so good, I drifted off to sleep.
Setting the note back on my nightstand, I wonder how much time I have before Ethan gets back. I real
ly want to shower before then. Jumping up, I grab a new set of clothes, then step into the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later, as I start to walk out of my bathroom while tugging an emerald green sweater on, I almost trip over Houdini. “You really are taking this job seriously, aren’t you?” I say as I step over him and pull the sweater’s hem down over my dark fitted jeans.
He looks up at me with big brown eyes and whimpers. I glance at the clock on my nightstand. It’s already six. “Ah, no wonder you’re whining. You want to eat?”
The second I say “eat”, he bolts out of my room, his heavy paws thumping down the stairs. Laughing, I grab my phone and follow him. After he wolfs down two cups of kibble in thirty seconds and then lets out a loud belch, I snicker and pick up his leash. “Come on. You’ll be asking five minutes after we get back upstairs otherwise.”
While Houdini drags me to the side of our house, I glance at my phone and see I’ve missed a call. Pushing the voicemail button, I listen to the message.
“Hello, Nara. I just wanted to let you know that Drystan is fine. He’s upset about what happened though and has decided he’s going to cut his semester short and finish up this school year in England. I’ll be flying out with him on Monday. Now that he knows everything about the Order, it’ll be up to him to decide if he wants to join.
“Be sure to let me know what you decide about being a Paladin. The Order could use someone like you; you have this remarkable empathy and I think any Corvus would be lucky to have you. And yes, a few Paladins have been assigned another Corvus if they can handle the double duty. So definitely think about it.”
My heart is heavy as I tuck my phone in my back pocket. I hate to think Drystan would leave without saying goodbye, but then I’m not sure I’m ready to see him right now anyway. Even though I know a demon was doing those things to me, all I can picture is Drystan’s face and the feel of his hands touching me with rough, punishing intent. I shudder at the memory as cool wind whips around me, blowing my slightly damp hair. Tugging on the leash, I lead Houdini back toward the front of my house and freeze.
Drystan’s standing on my front porch, hands tucked in his leather jacket as the porch light shines down on his tousled hair.
Panic rises as he walks down the porch steps. It takes everything in me not to turn and run in the other direction, but Houdini sitting on his haunches and staring up at Drystan with open curiosity lets me know this is just my friend.
“I wanted to say goodbye,” he says, his tone subdued, guarded.
Words stick in my throat. I don’t know how to voice what I’m thinking. How to tell him it’s okay and that I don’t blame him for attacking me. It’s not like he remembers any of it anyway. My head knows this, but my heart is having a hard time reconciling it.
Pain, regret, and sadness scroll across Drystan’s features before he masks them behind a stoic expression. “Okay, well then. Just couldn’t leave without saying farewell.”
As he starts to turn away, I finally find neutral ground. “I’m glad your uncle told you everything. I hope you’ll be happy in England.”
His mouth presses in a thin, angry line. “I knew I was right to distrust his motives. I’m sorry you were dragged into it as well. But man, Corvus? That blew my mind. You really are good at keeping secrets.”
I shrug and give an apologetic half smile that I couldn’t share that part of my life before now. “You and I have every reason to be mad at your uncle, but then we never would’ve met, and that would’ve been a shame.”
A bit of light sparks in his eyes. “Do you really mean that?”
I nod. “Of course. I know you didn’t have control over what that demon did.”
“I would never hurt you,” he says as he steps into my personal space.
My lungs seize and I quickly take a step back, then regret it when I see the hurt in Drystan’s eyes. Taking a deep breath, I force all my anxiety away and step forward, hugging him instead. “I know.”
Drystan stiffens for a split second, then his arms wrap around me in a tight embrace. “God, I’m so sorry, Nara. You’ll never know how much,” he murmurs in my hair.
The trembling in his voice, the anguish in his eyes, his utter shock when I hug him; it hits me hard. Drystan remembers everything that happened. Tears blur my vision. Why didn’t he tell his uncle?
Swallowing a sob, I hug him tighter. While my face is pressed against his leather coat, the smell helps me separate my emotions and cling to the good times we’ve had together. “It’s not your fault, Drystan. I don’t blame you.”
He rubs his thumb on the back of my shoulder, his voice tortured. “The fear on your face when I moved close to you…it’s tearing me up. How can you hug me when you’re terrified?”
I sniff back my tears, but a couple fall anyway as I force myself to meet his gaze. “Because you’re my friend.”
He lets his head fall back and stares up into the night sky for a second, then returns his gaze to mine. Brushing away my tears with his knuckles, he says, “I can’t bear the thought of leaving with that image burned in my mind. Will you let me kiss you, Nara? Please give me a chance to erase the bad memories before I leave.”
Drystan’s right hand is bandaged and my heart squeezes when I remember the smell of his flesh burning as he held Danielle’s sword. The idea of overlaying the nightmare imagery with a pleasant one to remember him by warms my heart. I don’t want to have terrifying memories of Drystan floating around in my head forever. I nod and give him a trembling smile.
Tension eases out of Drystan’s shoulders, and he cups my face in a gentle hold. As his mouth moves close to mine, I turn my cheek slightly.
Drystan pauses, a corner of his lips quirking up. “You really do love him, don’t you?”
I smile. “Very much.”
“It’s kind of hard to compete with a Corvus,” he says, exhaling a resigned sigh.
When I raise an eyebrow, he leans close and presses a tender kiss to my cheek. His fingers lingering on my jaw, he returns his gaze to mine. “You are truly the most amazing person I’ve ever met. My life is fuller for having spent time with you.” The light dims in his eyes. “I’m sorry you can’t say the same about me.”
I reach for his uninjured hand and lower our clasped hands between us, relieved to feel the apprehension of being around him slowly slipping away. “That’s not true. You taught me how to stick up for myself. Literally.” Smiling, I release his hand and poke his chest. “Which means, I now know how to kick your ass. And don’t think for one minute that I won’t do so if you don’t keep in touch with me. Just because you’ll be living across the pond doesn’t mean you can’t let me know how life’s treating you. Deal?”
He offers a brief smile, a glimmer of the old Drystan shining through. “Deal.” Stepping back, he says, “My uncle’s taking me over to Matt’s so I can get my stuff and say goodbye to him as well. Take care of yourself, and ring me if you ever need to talk. I’ll text you my new contact information once I’m settled.”
As Drystan disappears in the dark, heading toward his uncle’s house, I realize I forgot to ask him if he planned to become a Paladin. Though he seems upset with his uncle right now, I assume he will tell me what he decides to do when he’s ready.
Ethan
I’m nervous when I knock on Nara’s door at seven. My errands took longer than I wanted. I hate being away from her longer than necessary.
She pulls open her front door and smiles, her gaze dropping to my black button down shirt and dark jeans. “You look nice.” Reaching for my hand, she tugs me inside and tilts her head, her blonde hair flowing over her shoulder.
I wrap my arms around her waist and step close. Any chance I get to hold her, I’ll take it. Everything about Nara ramps my pulse. If she wants to slow things down between us because of what happened today, I’m fine with that. I’ve never been more scared than when Nara went tumbling over the edge of those bleachers.
I still don’t know how I went from stand
ing on the bleachers to catching her before she landed. That feat should’ve been impossible, but I’m just glad I made it in time. If anything happened to her, nothing else would matter to me.
Nothing.
I brush some blonde strands away from her temple and take in her smiling face. She’s so awe-inspiring, always finding a way to bounce back. Even though she seems okay, I just want her to feel safe in my arms. I’ll let her take the lead with us. She’ll tell me when she’s ready to move forward.
As I start to drop a kiss on her nose, she presses a palm against my chest. “Drystan stopped by for a few minutes.”
My entire body tenses and my fingers flex on her hips. For a second, my vision actually blurs, but for her sake I swallow my where-is-he-so-I-can-beat-the-shit-out-of-him reaction and answer in a calm tone. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I know the demon made him do all those things. That’s not who Drystan is. I just wanted you to know he feels terrible about what happened and couldn’t leave until he apologized.”
“He’s leaving?” I don’t bother hiding my smile.
She taps my shoulder and huffs. “You don’t have to look so happy. Yes, he’s leaving. I think he feels the need to get away and start his new life in England now.”
“The further away the better,” I mutter.
“Ethan!”
I shrug. “I didn’t trust him when I first met him, nor when I re-met him, and I still don’t.”
“And how much of your dislike of him is driven by your feelings for me?”
My lips twitch as she throws my own words back at me—I’d said something similar to her about Danielle. “Every bit of it. I’m not afraid to admit that.”
She sighs and shakes her head. “At least you’re honest.”
I laugh and cross my arms at the base of her spine, pulling her even closer so I can bask in her sweet smell and soft curves. “That’s one thing I’ll always be with you from now on.”
Wrapping her arms around my neck, she lifts up onto her toes and presses a quick kiss to my lips, whispering, “You’d better.”
Destiny, YA Paranormal Romance (Brightest Kind of Darkness Series, Book #3) Page 36
