by Sadie Moss
“That’s… nice,” I murmured.
“Yes? Good. It’s a calming spell. You need rest.”
I closed my eyes, inhaling the sweet lilac scent that always seemed to surround Beatrice.
“I didn’t know I was Gifted,” I said softly.
“What?” My grandmother’s hand paused on my fevered forehead, but she kept the contact between us, the cool sensation continuing to flow through my body.
“Until about a month ago, I thought I was one of the Blighted. I grew up in Wyoming, in a Blighted encampment on the plains.”
My head was foggy, and I wasn’t quite sure why I was telling her this. Hadn’t I come here to get information from the Gifted, not the other way around?
But I knew she wouldn’t have accepted my brush-offs much longer, and I couldn’t think of a convincing lie. Plus, a little part of me wanted to hurt her, to let her feel the pain of knowing that her beloved “miracle” granddaughter had been forced to beg, steal, and go hungry as a child. I wanted her to know how the world she’d helped create had treated me.
So I told her about my childhood, how I’d grown up in a Blighted encampment, left to fend for myself with no parents or guardian to speak of until I met Margie. I told her about life in the settlement, and how Father Elias had skimmed so much off our government rations that there was barely enough left over for us to survive on. How we hunted buffalo and rabbit on the plains to get by.
When I got to the part in my history where I came to Denver, I kept things deliberately vague, and I made no mention of the Resistance at all.
Beatrice stayed silent as I spoke, but her breathing picked up as she listened to my story. Her hand moved from my forehead to stroke my hair gently, the soothing magic of her calming spell continuing to flow into me.
“I had a ring,” I said, peering up at her out of the corner of my eye. “It was copper and tungsten, engraved with numbers on the inside.”
“That was your father’s.” She looked down at me, her eyes wide and sad. “He had it made when you were born.”
Images from my dream flashed through my mind. The pain and fear on my father’s face. His large hand pressing the ring into mine.
“Well, it was imbued with a magic suppression spell. It kept my powers repressed until I turned twenty-five.”
Beatrice’s brow furrowed. “My gods. Magic as strong as yours? How…?”
I lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe it was easier to suppress because I didn’t know about it. I never tried to access my magic because, as far as I knew, I had none.”
“Yes…” Beatrice’s hand on my head stilled, the calming magic fading away as she stared unblinking into the distance. “This is extraordinary. You must share your story with the other Representatives.” She looked back down at me suddenly. “What if there are other magical people out there, living amongst the Blighted, with no idea of their true power? We cannot allow that to continue.”
My heart dropped. That was her takeaway from my story? That the hardships I’d faced were a tragedy only because it turned out I was Gifted in the end?
I sat up, pushing her hand away. “Yeah. Wouldn’t want any of the Gifted to miss out on their birthright.”
The bitterness in my voice was clear, and Beatrice had the decency to look a little chagrined.
“I’m sure it must all be a great shock to you, sweet girl. But this is your birthright. We wield a power that very few possess, and with that power come many responsibilities… and privileges.”
I hugged the pillow to my stomach, wishing it were armor instead of silky fabric and plush stuffing. Didn’t she hear how she sounded?
“So if I had never found out I was Gifted, would I still be welcome here? If the ring was still suppressing my powers, would we even be having this conversation?”
The words sounded more childish and petulant than I meant them to, but I had to know. Grandmotherly love practically radiated from Beatrice every time she looked at me, but I couldn’t help the sickening feeling that if the flame of magic inside me winked out, so would the love in her eyes.
Cool fingers touched my chin, forcing me to look toward Beatrice. Her gray eyes were steely with resolve when she spoke.
“Child, you will always be welcome here. Magic or no. You are my granddaughter, and all the family I have left. I would not give you up for the world.”
Relief flooded my body, though why I should be relieved that this woman I hardly knew, whose beliefs were diametrically opposed to mine, cared about me unconditionally, I didn’t know.
I nodded, pulling my chin out of her grasp when the intensity of her gaze became too much to bear. “You know, the people I grew up with in Wyoming, they were all someone’s granddaughter or grandson too. Same as the people living in the Outskirts. Someone, somewhere loved each one of them. Just like you love me. Magic or no.”
My grandmother’s stormy gray eyes widened, and she opened her mouth then shut it. She pursed her lips and patted my knee gently. “Sweet girl.”
I wasn’t sure if she actually meant that or was just calling me by her favorite pet name, but this conversation felt like walking through an emotional minefield. If I got too worked up, my magic could go haywire again, and the last thing I wanted to do was destroy my grandmother’s mansion. At least, no more than I already had.
As if she’d read my thoughts, Beatrice shook her head. “Don’t worry about what happened at the palace. Once people learn that you only recently discovered your powers, they’ll forgive your loss of control. Has this sort of thing happened before?”
I dug a toe into the finely woven rug. “A few times. The only other incident this bad was the day my magic surfaced for the first time. My control has been improving since then, but now that the bond is straining—”
My mouth snapped shut. Shit. How was I supposed to explain my power flares without mentioning the four men who each carried a piece of my magic?
She leaned forward. “Bond? What bond?”
Before I could formulate an answer, a heavy knocking sound made me jump.
We both looked up as Retta bustled down the stairs, crossing through the foyer as she moved to open the large front door.
“Where is she? Killer? Are you here?”
Chapter 6
My mouth dropped open as Fenris rushed into the house, past the startled housekeeper. Her head swiveled back and forth as she watched Corin, Akio, and Jae storm in behind him.
Fen glanced around quickly, and the moment his gaze settled on me, his whole body froze. Mine did too.
He was here.
They were all here.
The wolf shifter’s chocolate brown eyes lit with fire, and his chest rose and fell powerfully. His dark hair was as messy as ever, but the scruff on his jaw was thicker than usual. It made him look wilder, more dangerous, and impossibly more beautiful.
His full lips parted, revealing a line of even white teeth. Then he released a sound almost like a growl and strode purposefully toward me. I met him halfway, my legs lifting me from the couch before I even registered what I was doing.
As if trying to become one, our bodies collided, the force of it nearly knocking us off balance. His strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me close as his mouth captured mine. The woodsy pine scent that was all Fenris filled my nostrils as his warm, soft lips pressed against my own. My body curved to the shape of his, and my hands roamed the defined muscles of his back as if trying to confirm that every part of him was truly here. I could feel the heat of his skin through his dark T-shirt, and it stoked an answering warmth low in my belly. My hands slipped into his hair, mussing it up even more.
His tongue flicked out, tracing the seam of my lips, tasting me. My lips parted, but instead of taking the kiss deeper, he dropped a gentle kiss on my upper lip, then my bottom one, before pulling back slightly. We stayed like that, bodies still pressed together, noses touching, breath mingling in the small space between us, until a throat cleared nearby.
I blinked, face burning as I took a step back. Fen clamped his hands on my waist, not letting me escape too far.
My grandmother had risen from the couch when I did, and now her clear gray eyes shifted from one man to the next. I followed her gaze. Jae looked slightly embarrassed, Akio wore an amused smirk, and a muscle in Corin’s jaw twitched as he watched me and Fen.
Fenris shot a smug grin at the three of them. “What? Don’t get mad at me just because none of you are ready to admit the bond is real.”
“Oh, we’re well aware it’s real,” Akio murmured, so low I almost didn’t hear him. The incubus’s dark eyes swirled with an emotion I couldn’t name.
“Yeah,” Corin muttered. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, then ran a hand through his sandy blond hair. Seeming to come to some conclusion, he reached for my hand, tugging me toward him. Fenris released his on grip my hips reluctantly, and Corin pulled me into his arms. He didn’t try to kiss me, but I could feel his heart thudding rapidly against my chest, matching the pace of my own. “Gods, we missed you,” he breathed.
The feeling of sharing the same space, breathing the same air as the four of them, was nearly overwhelming. Electricity seemed to buzz within me, tingling all the way to the tips of my fingers, lighting me up with energy at the same time a powerful sense of calm fell over me.
I was whole again.
Corin’s large, calloused hands swept my hair back, cradling the sides of my face as he looked at me, blue eyes shining. Finally, he pressed a kiss to my forehead, his lips lingering there and flooding my entire body with warmth.
“Lana, dear. Who are your… friends?”
Beatrice’s voice was as gentle as ever, but I tensed as I turned around, unconsciously placing my body between her and Corin and adopting a defensive stance. I wasn’t sure what her response would be to having four men barge into her house and lay claim to me like this, but I was especially worried about her reaction when she realized one of them was Blighted.
“These are… they’re the men who were with me when my magic surged the first time. It was too powerful for me to control. It bonded with each of them to stabilize itself, or it would’ve torn me apart.”
Beatrice’s eyes widened, and her hand flew to her chest. The gesture was so old-fashioned, so posh that I would’ve laughed if I hadn’t been so anxious. I wished she had some actual pearls to clutch.
Praying she wouldn’t recognize any of them as Resistance members—I still didn’t know how much the Representatives knew about the Resistance, besides Christine’s name—I gestured to the four men behind me. “Jae, Fenris, Corin, and Ak… Armand. They helped me learn how to use my powers. I think being separated from them is what made my magic flare today.”
Akio gave a disgusted grunt at the name I made up for him, but I ignored it. I wasn’t sure if all the Representatives knew about an incubus named Akio who was part of the Resistance. We didn’t even know who in the government had ordered his assassination, and I prayed my grandmother wasn’t involved in that. Although considering that all Rat had given me when I took the hit job on Akio was his address, it was possible that whoever had been behind it didn’t even know what he looked like.
My grandmother regarded the men more closely, her fingers drumming a sharp rhythm against her collarbone. My muscles tightened, ready for a fight.
“You.” She pointed at Jae. “I know you. You’re Jonas’s son. You were at the ball with Lana.”
He nodded soberly. “Yes, Representative Lockwood.”
She narrowed her eyes, shifting her gaze to me. I could almost see the gears turning in her mind. She’d seen me at the Grand Ball with Jae two weeks ago; now she’d just witnessed Fenris kiss me like he wanted to eat me alive and Corin hold onto me like I was a long-lost piece of his soul. I was sure she was trying to put together what it all meant, and I silently wished her luck.
If I knew, I’d tell you, Grandma.
Maybe I should lay a big, fat kiss on Akio’s perfect lips and complete the confusing picture for her.
A wildly inappropriate laugh tried to bubble up my throat at that thought, and I stifled it with a cough as she turned to the other three men.
“I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting any of you yet, but if what Lana says is true, I owe you all a debt of gratitude for saving her life.” Beatrice inclined her head slightly, looking both matronly and regal at the same time.
All the men dipped their heads in response.
“We’ll do anything we can to keep her safe.” Akio’s voice was smooth and held none of its usual mocking undertone.
Beatrice stepped forward, her gaze thoughtful. “Yes. I truly believe you would.” She turned to me. “And your magic is settled when they’re near? You have more control?”
“Yes,” I answered, as Corin stepped up closer behind me, his hand resting on my lower back.
My grandmother nodded decisively. “Then you’ll all stay here.”
“What?”
Of all the possible ways I’d imagined this situation might play out, the current scenario hadn’t even crossed my mind.
But Beatrice shook her head, as if she couldn’t understand my shock.
“These men are clearly important to you, and you to them. Their magic is connected to yours, and their presence helps keep your power under control. Am I missing anything? It seems rather clear cut to me.”
“Yes, they—they are,” I sputtered. “It… does. But—”
Was she actually inviting four strange men to live in her home? Simply because their presence would help me, a blood relative who was basically a stranger to her as well?
I couldn’t understand her reasoning, and that made me distrust it. Maybe she knew they were members of the Resistance and was just trying to keep them here long enough for Peacekeepers to arrive.
“Then I won’t hear another word about it.” Beatrice turned to my four. “You are, of course, free to decline the invitation. I won’t keep you here against your will. But if you feel what I think you do for my granddaughter, then please know you are welcome to stay here as long as you like.”
I shot a glance behind me and could see my worries reflected in four pairs of eyes.
“Uh, that’s incredibly generous of you, Beatrice. I don’t know how to thank you. But before they give you an answer, could we have a moment alone, please?”
A smile broke out across her delicate features. “Of course, sweet girl. I’ll go tell Retta to make up four of the guest bedrooms, just in case.” She stepped forward, holding out her hand to each of the men in turn. “Jae. Fenris. Armand.”
When she got to Corin, she paused, and I knew she was feeling for his magic… and finding none. My jaw clenched, hands curling into loose fists. I wasn’t sure what I was planning to do—fistfight my grandmother?—but before I was forced to decide, she held out one small, delicate hand toward him.
Corin hesitated only for the briefest of moments, and then his larger hand took hers. Worry twisted in my gut as he shook her hand gently, and only when she pulled back without blasting a ball of fire at him or electrocuting him did I release the breath I’d been holding.
With one final look at me, Beatrice swept from the room. The weight of her presence lingered for a few moments, and we all stood staring at each other silently in the large sitting room.
Then the dam burst all at once.
“Are you all right?”
“What the hell happened?”
“Is your magic back under control?”
“You didn’t bond to anybody else, did you?”
That last comment came from Fenris, and I rolled my eyes before holding my hands up to quiet them all. I’d had the exact same worry, actually, but it sounded funnier when he said it.
“Stop! Hold everything. What the fuck are you guys doing here?” My voice dropped to a whisper by the end of my question, and I shot a glance toward the large open archway m
y grandmother had disappeared through. “Wait. First, come with me.”
I led them out of the sitting room, slowing for a second as we passed under the arch. I didn’t want to take them upstairs and risk running into my grandmother or Retta, so I veered down a long hallway toward the back of the mansion, passing through another expansive room and pushing open a door that let us out onto the sweeping, manicured lawn.
As we walked down a cobbled path away from the house toward a large, perfectly tended garden dotted with fountains and birdbaths, I kept stealing glances at each of the men. Despite my worries about our current situation, giddy joy bubbled up inside me to have them near again. I hadn’t realized how much, how deeply I had missed them.
Akio caught me staring and raised a languid eyebrow, his angular, inhumanly beautiful features almost shining with a golden glow in the bright sunlight. I shrugged, pointedly not looking away, and he chuckled.
When we were a fair distance from the house, I turned to Jae.
“Can you do some kind of spell to keep us from being overheard, just in case?”
I felt a little silly asking. I was familiar with the basics of magic, and I’d even had a few enchanted gadgets I’d used on jobs before my powers manifested, but there was still so much I didn’t know. Jae had told me once that a powerful mage’s spell casting prowess was limited only by their ability to keep learning, but I didn’t know quite what that meant. To me, magic was still so… well, magical.
Fortunately, he didn’t laugh at my question.
As we approached a small bench set along the winding path, he held his hands out, palms up and fingers splayed. It looked similar to the gesture he made when he called forth the blue flame I’d seen him use often, but this time a golden light burst from his hands, rising above us before settling back down into a wide, broad dome. It was so thin I couldn’t see it even if I looked directly at it. Only the slight glow shimmering in my periphery told me it was there.
