Page 78 of Change

Chapter Fifteen

Julian

Wave

It was early morning by the time I came home from my double-shift, expecting a waking house of arguments and drama—Damen, Finn, Brayden, and Bryce all were early risers—but it was quiet and dark instead.

Even in my exhausted state, I knew something was wrong.

Especially combined with the fact that since yesterday afternoon, Bianca had stopped answering my messages.

I’d been trying to convince myself not to panic. Shewasokay. After all, even with the unreliability in trusting in our bond, someone else would have called in the instance of an emergency.

But…

Bianca was generally very good with responding to my texts.

This meant only one of two things. Either she was upset with me for some reason, but seeing as though I hadn’t been home, I couldn’t imagine why. Or she’d done something that she knew would make me mad.

But I had no reason to believe the latter.

There were hushed voices drifting down the lobby and I hung up my coat before making my way in that direction. My shoulders were already tense from exhaustion and an imposing sense of foreboding. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my scrubs as I strode through the living room doorway.

Conversation stopped, and the room’s inhabitants startled at my entrance.

The stone in my stomach grew larger. Only Damen, Titus, and Miles.

Whatever this was, it was bound to really piss me off. Miles hadn’t been back home since he left to work on his stupid book.

“Alright.” I glared around the room. It hadn’t escaped my notice that someone important was missing too. “Where’s Bianca? Please don’t tell me she’s somewhere with Finn.”

Thatwouldbe something that’d upset me, and knowing the others, they’d eventually be fine with the two of them being friends.

“She’s still in her room,” Damen said, moving to his feet. “She’s been there since yesterday afternoon. She said she wanted to be alone.”

My suspicion deepened, and I watched him with caution. The onmyoji had crossed the room, possibly to put more distance between us, until he stood in front of the burning fireplace. He glared down at the flames, and the tell-tale muscle on the corner of his temple was twitching.

He wasn’t just worried about me. He was angry.

“What did you do?” I asked.

Both Titus and Miles were focused on Damen. There was a heavy weight in the air, and the tension grew darker.

So, it wasreallybad.

When he didn’t answer, I moved to turn from them. “I’m going to go see Bianca.” If they wouldn’t tell me, she would. Unless, of course,they’ddone something to hurt her. It wasn’t likely to be on purpose, but all of them had been pushing her—and my—buttons lately.

No one was even trying to be considerate to her condition. I’d had to warn Damen, personally, to hold back on some of his more aggressive tendencies more times than I could count.

“No!” Damen replied, spinning around so quickly it was a miracle he didn’t trip. “No,” he repeated, much more calmly as his eyes met mine. “You can’t see her until you talk to us first.”

For some reason, I had a gut feeling that I was going to end up killing someone.

“Then talk.” I crossed my arms. “Don’t just stand there, brooding in silence.What did you do?”

Damen’s jaw clenched and he stood up straighter, attempting to make himself more imposing, before saying, “Bianca has started helping us with our investigation.”

Right.