Page 9

9

EMBERLYNN

A ny memories of my parents are hazy at best, to the point where they don’t make sense. I can’t recall their faces, if they smiled at me, if they ever hugged me. If I am to believe the memories I can make sense of, it seems as if they were afraid of me and my magic. Will these guys, who are in my coven, become that way, too, when they learn about all of my powers and the destruction they cause and have caused? Probably. It’s why it’s best to keep as much as possible tucked away inside me.

Shadow Man used to tell me that he was the only one who would accept me for who I am.

“Which is why we’ll never tell anyone about what you can do,” he once said as he trailed his fingers along the bars of my cage.

He may have been a total lunatic, but he was right about that. My powers are dark and frightening when unleashed, which is why I’ve spent years fighting to keep them in.

The last time I let them out, lots of people died.

“Are you okay?” Wylder asks, drawing me from my thoughts.

We’ve just entered the hotel room. It’s a spacious place that resembles more of an apartment than a hotel. And a high-end one at that, with splashes of ivory and gold on the trim, the chandeliers, and a high-arched ceiling made up of most skylights. Through the glass, the sky is darkening as the stars and moon begin to awaken from their slumber.

“I’m fine,” I tell Wylder as I tentatively walk farther into the hotel room, stopping beside a table and chairs.

To my right is a kitchen area with marble countertops, and in front of me is a sitting room with a fireplace, a massive TV, and a large sectional.

“Are you sure?” Wylder checks as Nico places the coffees on the kitchen counter. “You seem … I don’t know, tense.”

“I think I just feel a bit out of place in such a nice place.” Not a total lie.

“I get that. I grew up pretty poor and always feel a bit out of place in Kaiden’s world.” He gives my hand a squeeze. “It gets easier.”

“I hope so because, right now, I don’t even want to touch anything,” I say, standing near the table, unsure of what to do next. I want to take a shower, but I’m not even sure where the beds are .

The front door opens then, and Kaiden and Phoenix walk in, wheeling in our suitcases with them.

“No bellhop?” Nico asks as he hoists himself up onto the counter, sitting on the edge.

Kaiden kicks the door shut. “The less people who know we’re here, the better.” He tosses a handful of keycards onto an end table while Phoenix drops a bag onto the floor beside the other suitcases.

“Good idea.” Nico scratches his brow as he swings his legs back and forth. “What’s the plan? I mean, do we sleep through the night and then make the drive as quickly as we can? Are we not worried about something happening while we’re all asleep?”

“You think those rogues are going to show up here?” I grip the coffee tighter. Sure, they said not to worry about it, but I hate the idea of being chased. I’ve spent years constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for him to find me. What if these rogues know him? What if he sent them?

“Probably not, but we do need to be on the safe side,” Kaiden responds as he empties out his pockets and dumps the contents onto the table, as well. His gaze slides to me, and he eyes me over. “You should pick what room you want and get ready for bed. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

“Um … Okay.” I’m not quite certain how to take what he said, if he means he wants me to leave the room or if he simply thinks I need some rest. “Where’s my bag …?” I trail off as I spot it draped over Phoenix’s shoulder .

He approaches me, and I stick out my hand to take it from him.

“I’ll carry it to your room,” he offers.

I keep my hand outstretched. “I can carry it.”

“You have your coffee,” he points out, breezing by me. “Come on; let’s go figure out where the rooms are in this place.”

Resisting a protest, I follow after him. But for reals, what’s the deal with these guys trying to do everything for me? It’s something I’m not used to, and I’m unsure I want to get used to it.

We find the rooms in a hallway to the right of the living room, along with a bathroom. The largest of the rooms also has a private bathroom.

“You should stay in here,” Phoenix suggests when we both note the private bathroom.

“No way,” I decline. “If anyone should stay here, it’s Kaiden. He paid for the hotel.”

“He’d want you to stay in this room.” He places my bag on the foot of the king-sized four-poster bed. “Trust me.”

Discomfort spins a nasty, sticky web inside my gut. “It doesn’t make sense for me to stay in this one. It has the bathroom, the biggest bed, and the best view.” I motion at the windows, at the view of the silhouette of the mountains. “Honestly, I’d be fine with sleeping on the couch. There’re only four beds, anyway, so someone has to.”

He scratches his brow. “We’re probably going to take shifts tonight to keep an eye on things, so whoever’s turn it is will do that.”

So, they are worried about the rogues showing up.

“Okay, well, I’ll take the smaller room then.”

“Just take this one.”

“No.”

“Are you always this stubborn?”

“I …” I trail off. “I don’t know.”

A divot forms between his brows. “You don’t know?”

I shrug, fiddling with the sleeve of the coffee cup. “Honestly, I’ve spent most of my life living with strangers and trying to remain as invisible as possible. Being stubborn wasn’t an option, but not from choice, so I don’t really know if that’s me.”

Now he’s looking at me like I just declared I have a unicorn horn growing out of my ass.

“That probably sounds weird, huh?”

He wets his lips with his tongue. “No, it makes sense. It’s just …” He rakes his fingers through the dark locks of his hair. “I’m sorry that’s how it’s been for you.”

I shrug. “Everyone has their own shit.”

“Yeah, I guess.” His darkly stormy gaze dissects me. “It’s fine if you want to be stubborn, but trust me; Kaiden is twenty times worse, but if he wants you to take this room—which he will—you might as well just enjoy the fancy bathroom and what I’m certain is a really comfy bed.”

I consider what he said. “Fine.” I grimace. “But this doesn’t mean I’m going to cave every time. I’m just tired. ”

He almost smiles. “Fair enough.” He momentarily stands in the same place, his lips briefly parting, as if he’s about to speak. Then he cinches his lips shut and exits the room without saying anything further.

Releasing a breath, I unzip my bag and dig out my one and only pair of pajama bottom shorts along with the tank top I usually sleep in, even when it’s in the middle of winter.

When nightmares tiptoe through my mind as I sleep, I tend to wake up overheated with magic that wants to burst from my body. Being able to cool down quickly helps calm down my magic quicker.

I also grab a hoodie in case I have to go out with the guys for a bit. I normally don’t get dressed in my pajamas until right before I’m climbing into bed, so wearing only shorts and a tank top feels like too little clothing.

After gathering my pajamas, underwear, soap, and brush, I head into the bathroom to take a shower. The water runs warm the entire time, and I stay under it until my fingers start to prune. By the time I get out, I’m so relaxed I feel like I could climb into bed and go straight to sleep. I’m hungry, but I’ve gone to sleep hungry more times than I haven’t. During those times, starving was the least of my problems.

I’m drying off when my gaze descends to a reminder of how bad things got for me, a scar marking my wrist, a memory I want to forget but never can. I was in the bathroom when it happened …

I was bleeding …

And everything hurt …

Inside and out …

I tear myself from those memories and cover up the scar with the leather band bracelet I only take off when I’m showering. Then I get dressed, towel-dry my hair, and step back into the room, about ready to get into bed.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

My gaze darts to the door. “Yeah?”

“It’s Wylder,” he says in his sweetly soft voice. “Is it okay if I come in?”

I bite down on my lip as I glance down at the shirt and shorts. I don’t even have a bra on.

“Yeah, hold on.” I tug my hoodie on, flipping my damp hair out from the collar. Then I pad over to the door and open it.

He’s wearing a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a gray T-shirt that makes his eyes look even more purple.

God, he’s so pretty.

“You took a shower,” he says as he notes my damp hair, his gaze briefly lowering to my bare legs.

I nod, self-consciously tugging on the hem of the hoodie. “I was about to go to sleep.”

“You should eat first.” He extends his hand to me. “We ordered room service and got you a burger and fries. Nico also ordered every flavor of milkshake because he didn’t know what you liked, so there’s like ten milkshakes out there.”

“What the crap? How the heck are we going to drink that many milkshakes? ”

“Whatever we eat, Nico will. The dude has got a super sweet tooth.”

“Really? He doesn’t look like it.” He looks lean and fit.

“Yeah, he has some weird eating habits that come with his particular magic abilities.” He wavers. “But that’s probably something he should tell you about.”

“Okay.” I step out of the room, and we head down the hallway.

He’s quiet for a beat before he says, “A little bit of a warning: Kaiden’s probably going to ask you a few questions about your past. If you don’t want to answer them, just tell him that. You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.”

I fidget with the leather band on my wrist. “What kind of questions?”

He massages the back of his neck. “He—we all want to get to the bottom of why the system believed you were dead. We also want to know a little bit about your magic.” He briefly pauses. “And you. We just really want to know about you.”

“Fine, but I’m not that interesting,” I tell him as we exit the hallway, and the living room area comes into my view.

Kaiden, Nico, and Phoenix have all changed into their pajamas and are sitting on the sofas, chatting about the disappointing quality of human pizza.

“The cheese is just super weird.” Nico picks a glob of cheese on a pizza slice. “And look at all the grease in the box.” He slants forward to peer inside a pizza box that’s on the coffee table. Beside it are ten cups that I’m assuming are milkshakes, along with a few plates of burgers and fries.

“You have to eat it.” Phoenix plucks a fry up from off a plate. “You’re the one that wanted the pizza.”

Nico’s lips twitch, then he tosses a chunk of cheese at Phoenix’s face.

“What the fuck?” Phoenix swipes at his cheek. Then he chucks a fry at Nico, and it hits him between the eyes.

Kaiden, who’s reading through what appears to be my file, sighs. “Knock it off, you two.”

I press my lips together, fighting back a laugh as Nico picks up a piece of cheese and acts like he’s about to throw it at Kaiden.

Wylder clears his throat before he can, and everyone’s attention snaps to me, their eyes sweeping up and down my body.

As my self-consciousness grows, I resist the urge to hide behind Wylder.

“We got you a burger.” Nico’s gaze strays to my legs again. Then, biting his lip, he gestures at the cups. “And all the flavors of the shakes because we didn’t know what kind you liked.”

“Thanks.” I pad over and sink down onto the floor in front of the coffee table.

Nico eyes me curiously. “You’re sitting on the floor?”

“Sure. Why not?” That way, I can use the table as an extra way to cover up.

“Let her be,” Kaiden says, returning his focus to the file.

Wylder sits down beside me and pushes a plate in front of me. He smiles at me before grabbing a cup and taking a sip. His face twists in disgust. “Yuck, it’s cookies and cream.”

“Hey, that’s my favor,” Nico whines, as if deeply offended.

“Mine, too.” I collect a few fries.

“Sweet.” He sticks out his fist. “Fist bump for being milkshake besties.”

I laugh as I bump my fist against his. Nico dazzles me with a smile while Phoenix tosses him a dirty look.

“Then I guess this is yours.” Wylder hands me the milkshake.

I take a swallow, trying not to think about how his pretty lips touched the straw my lips are currently wrapped around, but it’s all I think about.

Nico leans forward to grab another slice of pizza. “So, what’s up with this human cheese thing?” he asks me.

I collect my burger. “Some pizza is just greasy. It really depends on what kind it is.”

“But why is it so globby?” he wonders as he plucks a pepperoni off the slice.

“How so?” I ask then bite into a burger. As the greasy goodness floods my tastebuds, I let out a moan.

Wylder freezes beside me, and Nico bites down on his lip so hard the skin around his mouth turns white. Phoenix lets out a cough while Kaiden glances at me.

I lick a drizzle of grease off my lip. “What?”

Nico scratches the corner of his eye. “It’s nothing.” He pops a pepperoni into his mouth. “So, when I say the cheese is globby, I mean the cheese I’m used to is super gooey. This”—he holds up the pizza slice— “I don’t get it. Why isn’t the cheese running off of it?”

I stare puzzledly at him. “Why does it sound like you usually eat nacho cheese on your pizza?”

His eyes glitter with intrigue. “What’s nacho cheese?”

I reach for a napkin. “Cheese that goes on nachos.”

The stupefied look remains on his face. “What are nachos?”

My gaze glides across all of their equally perplexed expressions. “Um … What do you guys normally eat?”

“Not these noochoes thing you speak of,” Nico tells me. “But if their cheese is gooey, I’m down to try them.”

I cover my mouth to stifle a laugh. I give myself a beat before lowering my hand. “They’re called nachos.”

“Nachos,” he pronounces it weird, and I damn near laugh again.

“We eat a lot of food that’s similar to what humans eat,” Kaiden explains as he collects a cup off the table. “But we do eat different foods, as well. And personally, I think our food is much better.” He pulls a face after he tastes whatever is in the cup. He sets it down and drops the folder on the table. “I want to ask you a few questions if you’re okay with that.”

I chew on my bottom lip. “You can ask, and I’ll answer if I can.”

He nods. “This file doesn’t have much information about you. Not even a birthday.”

“I don’t know my actual birthday.” I set the burger down on my plate and wipe off my fingers with a napkin. “When I was found and put in the foster system, there wasn’t a lot of information about me, so most of it was a guess. For all I know, I could be like thirty.”

“I doubt that, since you don’t look like it.” Nico tips his head back to toss a fry into his mouth. “Unless you’re part vampire.”

I rest my elbows on the table. “Are vampires mean?”

All of his elation evaporates. “They’re complicated creatures.” He reaches over to tug on a strand of my damp hair. “Let’s not worry about that, though. We’ll explain the order of things once you’re at the academy.” He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I think we’ll also perform a historia legere when we get back,” Kaiden adds as he sets the folder on the floor.

I pluck a fry from my plate and dunk it in a cup of ranch. “What’s that?”

His gaze melds to mine, and again I think about how most people who meet him probably think he’s a psychopath with how controlled his expression is. “It’s a spell that should tell us some of your history, like when you were born, who your parents were. Unless you know that answer?”

A lump wells in my throat at the reminder of how they gave me up. “I barely remember them.”

“Okay, then,” he says, as if it’s that simple.

But it’s not.

And I’m terrified of what this spell will reveal .

That I’m broken.

That I’m a murderer.

What will happen if they find out?

Will they lock me away in a cage, just like him ?

No, I won’t allow that to happen. I need to find a way to keep that part of me a secret.

Keep the darkness that lives inside me hidden.