Page 13

Neith

T he next morning, I have a moment where I lie in bed and go over the events of the previous evening. My kiss with Camden was insanely hot. I absolutely don’t regret it, and I would do it again without a second's hesitation if the opportunity arose. However, I had a very, very good dream last night involving all of them, and we were all very naked.

It was fucking amazing, I’m not going to lie, but then everyone got really fucking angry, and everything fell apart. Including their friendships with each other. I would never forgive myself if that happened.

“Neith, breakfast is ready!” Van calls through the door.

“Coming,” I call back as I throw off the covers, grateful that I have been pulled from my thoughts. I need to tell the guys about what happened with Winston last night before I forget.

I spend far longer than I would like to admit, trying to decide what to wear so I make a good impression on the other agents and the students at the academy, this is a big deal. I finally settle on dark jeans, a dark red shirt, and my usual boots and jacket. I am still nervous that I might have it wrong until I get downstairs and see that the guys are all dressed pretty similarly to me.

My stomach growls loudly, announcing my presence to the guys before I manage to say good morning and making them all grin in amusement. I take my usual seat and smile when I realize that someone has been paying attention to what I’ve been eating for breakfast, and my favorites are all in front of me.

“Thank you,” I say to the table as a whole because I have no idea who actually did it for me. Before the conversation goes in an entirely different direction and I get distracted I add, “Winston came to see me last night.”

“Oh, why?” Van asks.

I frown, “I actually don’t know. I sort of derailed the conversation and ended up filling him in on everything that’s happened.”

Reed chuckles, “Of course you did. Did he have anything interesting to say about it all? Can he help decipher the book?”

“He said that he’s going to have a look at it and try,” I explain and then launch into my description of what he said.

“That would be amazing if he can help, you would finally get some proper answers instead of all of the half ones that we keep getting,” River says, excited for me.

“Hopefully, if he does manage it, he’s not going to leave you with more questions,” Raiden adds.

“Yeah, hopefully.” I reply and then change the subject as I ask, “So, what’s the plan for today?”

“We’ll show you around the training academy and introduce you to a few people that we actually like,” River says.

I smirk, “Actually like? Why does that sound like you don’t like many people there?”

River chuckles, “There are a few people we like.”

My smile widens, but before I can point out that he didn’t actually answer my question, Evander carries on explaining what we’re doing today.

“After that, you can then shadow us, and if you feel like you can contribute in the classes too, then go for it, but you don’t have to,” Evander explains.

“I’ll also take note of any gaps in my education so that I can brush up on it back here,” I say. I start wriggling in my seat, “I’m really excited to see the training academy and what you guys do.”

“I’m looking forward to showing you the flight class,” Griff smiles. “We’ve got all sorts of levels, and I know Sully said that you weren’t a reaper, so you won’t have reaper wings, but there’s a chance that you still might have wings, so it will be good to see the fundamentals.”

I grin, “Yeah, that sounds great. It would be awesome if I did have wings, though as unlikely as that may be.”

Even though Raiden told me the words to stop the voices, I haven’t used them again yet. They’re comforting to me, and my mind felt incredibly lonely without them. I’m sure I will utilize being able to turn them off at times, but for now, they are still a constant hum in the background of my mind, like they always have been.

Doc looks up at the clock on the wall, “We should probably get going.”

“Wait,” I say, stopping everyone from getting up, “tell me about this asshole team, what do I need to be aware of?”

“We’re really hoping that they aren’t going to be there,” Ransom says.

I frown, and ask, “They could cause that much trouble?” I shake my head as I answer my own question, “Never mind, from what you’ve said, I’m guessing they would. I mean, if you think they could be willing to start the Choosing just to piss you guys off, then of course they are going to be dickheads,” I grin, “question, do I have to be nice?”

Raiden chuckles, he’s seen first-hand what my not nice is, although that was fairly mild, I only threatened to cut Melody’s hands off I could have threatened a lot worse.

Evander smirks. He’s also aware of how sharp my tongue can be, “You just be you, Nene.”

“Awesome,” I reply, my smile wide as I add, “Now, I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Come on, let’s go,” Doc chuckles. “We’re actually going to drive there today.”

“No fucking way?” I gasp in mock shock as I follow everyone out.

Reed’s lips tilt up into an amused smile, “Yep, we’re driving.”

I look back at Doc, “You know I really think you should start charging them for the number of times that you transport us places.”

“Just us, huh?” River asks, his eyebrows rising and his eyes dancing with amusement. To be honest he always looks amused about something.

I shrug, “I’m new to the team. I get freebies.”

The fluttering of my eyelashes makes everyone laugh and I’m so damn proud of myself that I almost miss the fact that we aren’t getting into the van like usual but instead we’re getting into a truly massive and slightly mean looking SUV. It’s so tall that I have to do this weird little jump to get in the thing, and when I finally do get in and get seated, I realize that all of the guys are trying not to laugh at my efforts.

“Fuck you guys, I’ve got little legs,” I grouch, trying not to smile.

“Sorry, Nene,” Van comments, although he doesn’t manage to keep a straight face, so I just stick my middle finger up at him instead.

“Have you got your SID badge?” Reed asks before anyone else gets in.

I shake my head, “Nope. I’m not used to carrying a badge on me. Do I need it?”

Reed nods, “Yeah, you’ll get a pretty nasty shock from the wards if you don’t have it on you because they won’t recognize you.”

My eyes widen, “Yeah, no, thank you. Hang on and I will go and grab it.”

They nod, and I launch myself back out of the SUV, and I do mean launch myself out of it since it is really that high. I ignore their laughter as I quickly run back inside. The front door isn’t locked because no one can get past the wards anyway, and if any of the creatures that lived on the property wanted to get into the house, they would. It wouldn’t matter to them if the door was locked or not.

Running up the stairs, I throw my bedroom door open and then instantly freeze. Curled up on my bed is not Winston, and definitely not Wallace, but the fox. I know that it’s the spirit guide fox, because otherwise, how would it have gotten into my room, and why the hell would it be in my room, but also because instead of being orange and white, it’s actually orange and black. It's super fucking pretty.

“Er, hello,” I say.

It opens one of its eyes, looks at me and then promptly closes it again, appearing to go back to sleep.

“Well, okay then. I’m just going to get my badge because apparently, I need it. How fucking cool is that?” I ramble as I move over to my desk, where I put it and pull it out of the drawer. “Thank fuck I actually remembered where I put it, that doesn’t happen that often. I’ll leave you to your nap now.” The fox doesn’t stir, but as I head toward the door, something occurs to me, and I pause, glancing back, “I’m not about to die, am I? You guys always seem to turn up when I’m about to die.”

Once again, it opens only one of its too intelligent eyes and then shakes its head before closing them again. I guess that’s all the information that I’m going to get, but at least I think it means that I’m not going to die any time soon.

Hopefully.

For some reason, when I get back down to the guys, they are all still standing outside the car waiting for me.

“Did you get it?” Griff asks, and I nod.

Everyone quickly gets in the SUV, with a lot more ease than I did, bastards, and then we set off, heading along the same road that Raiden and I took into town and then continuing past the turning that would take us there.

Once we’re on our way, I say, “The spirit guide fox is in my room asleep on my bed.”

“Oh?” River asks curiously. “Did it say why?”

I shake my head, “Nope. He opened one of his eyes to look at me and then closed them again. I did ask if I was going to die again soon since that’s when they seem to show up, but he just did the same thing and then shook his head. So, I’m guessing that I’m not going to.”

“Well, that’s a good thing,” Evander points out drily.

I stick my tongue out at him.

“He’s probably just trying to get to know you like the others have. He hasn’t really been around like Wallace and Winston have, has he?” Ransom asks.

I shake my head, “No, none of the others have actually.”

“That’s probably it then,” Raiden replies.

“Probably. I’m not worried. He said I wasn’t going to die, so it’s all good,” I reply with a shrug.

We have been driving for about half an hour, and Evander’s phone has gone off four times. The last three times it has rung, and he has sent it to voicemail, his eyes have found me in the rearview mirror, his eyebrows drawing down like he’s contemplating saying something, but he never does.

On the fifth time that it rings, I have had enough, “Alright, that’s it.”

“What’s it? What happened?” River asks, sounding slightly panicked.

“Were you asleep?” Raiden asks, one of his eyebrows raised and a smile playing around the edge of his lips.

River shrugs, “Maybe.”

I frown, we have only been awake for an hour or so and we didn’t get a late-night last night. He shouldn’t still be tired, I ask, “Are you okay?”

River nods, “Yeah, I’m just not sleeping that well at the moment.”

“Any particular reason?” Raiden asks.

River shakes his head, “Not that I can think of. Anyway, Neith was saying something?”

I frown and look at Van, “Yeah. I was, why do you keep rejecting the calls and then looking at me.”

He grimaces slightly, “You caught that huh?”

“Dude, I caught it,” Griff mutters. “You weren’t exactly being subtle.”

“He’s right,” Ransom agrees.

Van sighs, his gaze on the road, “It’s Mom and Dad.”

I tense slightly, “Okay. So, what’s with the looks and why won’t you answer their calls?”

“They know that you’re back and . . .” Evander starts.

I can’t help but interrupt as I ask, “Shit, are they pissed at me?”

Evander shakes his head, “No, the opposite, they miss you. Ever since I told them that you were here, they have been bugging me to take you back to the compound.”

“Really?” I ask.

Evander’s parents raised me as if I were their own. They loved me and gave me the home that I wanted and needed. It was really difficult to walk away from them, but by the time that Evander had got into the academy, and I didn’t, I was already in too deep with people that I probably shouldn’t have been associating with, and I needed to distance myself for their safety.

After I got out of that situation and started working for HID, technically I could have gotten back in contact, but I had fallen so far from what I was that I didn’t want them to see me like that and be disappointed in me. I’m also not the person that they remember, I was never all love, light and rainbows but I wasn’t quite as jaded as I am now. I didn’t want to answer the question that they would have when they realized that.

I guess, when it really comes down to it, I just want them to still love me.

Evander’s worried gaze softens, “Yeah, of course they do. I didn’t know how you would feel about it, and so much has happened since you turned up half-dead on the doorstep that I haven’t gotten around to asking you about it either. Plus, Sully told us that they knew your parents, and I didn’t know how you felt about that either, so I have been putting them off.” He winces, “Mom sent a message this morning that they had enough and that they’re going to turn up if I don’t let them see you.”

My eyes widen, and then I laugh, “Yeah, that sounds like them. I don’t mind going to see them. Actually, I would love to see them. I have definitely missed them.”

I don’t mention just how nervous those words make me, but I think he probably realizes, because he double checks with me that I’m really okay with it.

“Are you sure?” he asks, “I can put them off for longer if you need more time. We are working a case, and you have been through a lot recently, I can make them wait. They won’t actually show up at the house, they don’t know where it is.”

My nose wrinkles with confusion, “They don’t? Why not?”

Evander’s eyebrows dip slightly, “Well, mostly because we need it to stay one hundred percent secure and the only way that we can ensure that is if we’re the only ones who know where it is.”

I nod, “Yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense actually.”

“None of our families know where we live,” Griff adds.

“Although for most of us, we wouldn’t want our families to be able to easily find us anyway,” Raiden adds.

“Damn right,” Doc mutters in agreement, and I’m somewhat surprised when River nods too.

I already know that there’s an issue with Reed’s family, not necessarily because they are really shitty, but more because they are just absent. However, if they have lied to him about his magic and, as a result, have caused him years and years of misery because of it, then I imagine that their relationship is about to get a little bit strained.

“It means that you know for certain that it’s safe, and that no one can use your families to find out information about you.” I reply, showing them that I understand what they are saying. Looking back at Van I say, “Tell them that as soon as we get a free moment that we will come and see them.”

Van nods, “Okay. We’re nearly at the training academy now. I will send them a text when we get there just so they stop calling. We won’t have the time to ring them.”

I chuckle, “If they are anything like they used to be then we definitely won’t.”

“They haven’t changed, they will still talk for hours about everything and anything,” Van confirms as we pull into a long and sweeping driveway.

Trees line both sides of it, and massive expanses of manicured lawns spread out behind them. I am about to ask about security, or the lack thereof, but my skin buzzes as we drive through a ward. Right, the ward. Reed mentioned it earlier and that’s why I need my badge.

“Shouldn’t the ward at the training academy be stronger than the ward at the house?” I ask.

The guys look shocked by my question, all of them except for Raiden.

He grins, “You made our ward extremely strong.”

I shake my head, “No, I know that. But your ward was stronger than this one.”

Ransom’s eyebrows dip, “It was?”

I nod, “Yeah. You didn’t realize?”

“I can’t feel magic like you can. I knew that it was strong, possibly even stronger than this one, but I didn’t realize that it was noticeably so.”

“Which makes it all the more concerning that something made a hole in the ward in the first place,” Reed frowns.

“It is, but as I said before, the ward is now insanely strong. I’ll know if something tries to make a hole again, and it won’t be able to get through. Neith’s magic made sure of that,” Raiden assures us.

The guys all make sounds of agreement, but I have no idea if they say anything else because my gaze is on the giant building in front of me. It’s beautiful actually. Made of old stone and looks very much like an old English house that you would see on TV, complete with ivy climbing up the walls, and wide steps leading to the giant front doors.