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THE NEXT DAY, I TOOK some time to myself. I was feeling increasingly smothered by the rising power inside me, and by the love—and the kid gloves—of the people around me. Aria was some help with the power. She could at least help me understand how to channel my magic. But she couldn't tell me where it came from or what I really was. “Something I've never encountered before,” was her cheery assessment.
There was one person who might have answers for me, but I refused to go to Derek White and beg for information. I knew it was ridiculous, but at this point, my hatred for him had become an obsession, a roadblock to logical thought. And his words from yesterday still stung. I was nothing but a petulant child to him. I knew I was probably over-reacting—at least as far as this life was concerned—but I couldn't help myself. That old sense of righteous anger and betrayal was like a living force inside me. It was like the other me ran the show whenever he was around. And other me was pissed and a little crazy.
I strolled aimlessly along the sidewalk as I headed back toward home. The summer day was beautiful. The park had been relaxing, but I still didn't have any answers, only a building headache that got worse with every step I took closer to home. The bookstore was closed today, and I was surprised to see a woman standing on the stoop, her hands cupped and pressed against the glass panes of the door as she tried to see inside.
I cleared my throat and she turned around. She was an exotic beauty, all lush curves and dark hair, with golden skin and dark blue eyes that felt old somehow, even though she looked like she was in her twenties. “Oh!” she exclaimed, reaching for me. “Troya! There you are.”
I dodged her touch, suddenly on edge. I was learning to see with my other senses. And what I saw was someone who wasn't even remotely human, for all she was wearing a human shape. “Who are you?”
She smiled warmly, showing off a set of pearly white teeth against her red lips. “You don't remember me? Of course you don't. But that will change soon. The muses visited you, right? You're getting your memory back!”
I eyed her suspiciously. “What do you want?”
She stepped closer, linking her arm through mine. “Want? I want my sister back, silly girl. Tell me you're finally ready to give up all the mortality nonsense and come back home with me. I've missed you. We all have. Daddy especially.”
I blinked at her. “You're...?”
She nodded. “Your sister, of course. Elandra.” She gave me a pitying look. “You poor thing. Still stuck halfway between worlds, aren't you?” She squeezed my arm. “But I'm here now. I can help.”
I studied her, my mind whirling. For some reason, I didn't doubt her claims about being my sister. Some part of me recalled her in a vague way. But still...there were little alarm bells going off in my head. I had been raised by human parents who died in a car wreck when I was seventeen. When they died, I ended up with my one remaining relative—an aunt who did her best, but never really wanted a teenager thrust into her life. If this woman was my sister, where had she been all this time? If my supposed god of a father missed me so much, why had he never tried to find me? Then again...maybe they'd contacted me before, in previous mortal lives, and I just didn't remember. And...I was only a demigoddess, right? Did that mean I had yet another human mother at one point? My headache was getting worse by the minute.
“Well?” Elandra said, tilting her head and giving me an artless look that I didn't buy for a minute. “Aren't you going to invite me in? I'm dying to see your apartment.” She frowned. “But you've got all those wards. Goodness, you must have some powerful friends to have wards strong enough to keep out gods.”
I bit my bottom lip. This wasn't right. Something was off. Even if she was telling the truth and we were sibling besties...why show up now?
“How about we go for a coffee?” I said slowly. For some reason, I didn't want this woman in my house, but I also didn’t want to incur the wrath of a god. “There's a nice little shop right down the street.”
She laughed. “Oh, don't be silly. We've got so much catching up to do. We can just make coffee here while we chat.”
I pulled my arm free from hers. “I don't know you,” I said evenly. “I'm not inviting a stranger through my wards the instant we meet.”
She huffed and tossed her long, dark hair over her shoulder, then hiked her designer red leather bag up higher, crossing her arms. “Okay, fine. You always were so paranoid. Let's go get coffee then, worrywart.”
I glanced at the bookstore, then at the woman before me—god before me, if she was telling the truth. “Sure. Just...let me text my boyfriend and tell him where I'm going so he doesn't worry. We were supposed to meet up.”
She frowned, but nodded. “If you must.”
I took out my cell phone and typed out a message to Rhys.
Come get me from the coffee shop on your way home. I'm with a god, and I'm not sure I trust her. Not the weirdest text I'd ever sent in my life, but close.
Pasting on a smile for my new sister, I stuffed my phone back into my jeans pocket. “Okay, let's go get caffeinated.”
She linked arms with me again as we strolled down the sidewalk to the nearby café, chattering all the while about this quaint little town and how cute it was, for Earth. Once we were seated with our sugary coffee drinks, she leaned her elbows on the table and smiled fondly at me. “I'm so happy to be able to see you again, Troya. I know your memories must still be foggy after so long, but we were always close. Before.”
I sighed. I didn't remember that at all. But...what if she was telling the truth? What if I had actual family out there...family who had missed me and would be happy to have me back? “Where have you been all this time?” I said, trying for a neutral tone. “If we were so close, why didn't you show up before now?”
She gave me a mournful look. “We were honoring your wishes,” she said softly. “After how you were betrayed, how we were all deceived, you didn't want to remember. “And...your human body couldn't stay in the celestial realm.”
I mulled that over. “Do you know why my powers are coming back? I mean, why are my memories returning now, if I never wanted to remember?”
She sighed, pressing her lips together, as if she really didn't want to be the one to tell me. “It's that demon's doing,” she said, pitching her voice low to avoid drawing the attention of any nearby humans. “I don't know what he's up to, but one of our messengers said he met with the fates. They must be responsible for the return of your memories. He's planning to use you for something, Troya. But we don't know what.”
My chest felt heavy. I hadn't realized how much I secretly wanted everyone else to be right about the stupid demon, until I heard her words. He was the one responsible for all the changes in my life. And he just happened to be running the damned city, lulling everyone into believing he was their savior. Demon-possessed forest creatures had attacked the city. I'd seen them when Chike and Kai fought them off the night of the big reveal. Were they his creations? Was he just staging this whole thing to make himself look like a benefactor, a merciful god? And how was he planning to betray me this time?
I willed myself not to grip my paper coffee cup so tight. I was crushing the thing, about to spill hot foam everywhere. “The fates?” I said, my voice heavy with suppressed emotion. “Like Greek mythology? They exist?”
Elandra shrugged and sipped her coffee. “Greek, Norse, almost every culture has their own mythology. But yes. They exist. And they're the only ones who can defy the gods. That's why they could give your memories and powers back, even though the gods were willing to honor your wishes forever.”
“Why would they deal with someone like White?” I asked, my head hurting even worse than ever.
She shook her head, frowning. “We aren't sure. But it's dangerous. Maybe he coerced them somehow? He almost helped the demons overthrow the gods when you were with us before. Who knows what he might be plotting?” She turned her mournful brown eyes on me. “And here you are, still half mortal. It isn't safe for you here, Troya. And you've got enough of your power back to join us in the celestial realm. Come home before he has a chance to use you again.”
I can't say I wasn't tempted. I mean, everything else aside, the celestial realm? But something still didn't feel right about this entire conversation. And besides, I had a life here. People I loved.
I glanced up as Rhys stepped into the café. His eyes immediately met mine, and he scowled. Yep. I was getting better at this supernatural stuff, because I knew a pissed off vampire when I saw one. Even if he did have a rainbow aura.
I picked up my purse and my coffee and stood. “I have to go,” I said to my weird, god-sister. “I have a date tonight.”
She grabbed my wrist and gave me big, sad puppy dog eyes. “Can't you put that off so we can hang out? I can take you back to see Daddy. He'll be so happy to see you again.”
I pulled my hand away as Rhys reached us. The vampire wiped the scowl off his face and gifted Elandra with one of his classic, thousand-watt all-American smiles. “Sorry to interrupt,” he purred, pulling me closer to him. “But we've got other engagements.”
Elandra looked up at him, making a little moue of disgust. “A vampire?” Her voice was louder than it should be, and a few customers were looking at us warily. I mean, we were kind of in the middle of a crisis between monsters and humans. “You're dating a vampire? But...Troya you're a demigod. You've had heroes and gods singing your praises, begging to serve you. Why would you attach yourself to a...monster?” She said the last word in a whisper, her eyes all wide an innocent.
I didn't believe it. And I was starting to get a full-on migraine. I had a sinking feeling it was from coming into contact with her. My head pounded in time with my heartbeat. “Okay, so, this has been fun, but I think I'm good here. On Earth. So, tell everyone back home I said hello. And goodbye.”
She stood and held out a hand after me as I beat a hasty retreat. “Troya? Don't go! I didn't mean to offend you.”
I hoofed it outside, Rhys a silent, graceful shadow at my side. Elandra didn't follow, and we didn't speak until we got back to the bookstore.
“That was foolish,” Rhys said, turning to lock the shop door behind us and activate the wards.
I gave him a look. The headache was easing up a bit, but it still hurt like a bitch. “Thanks. So supportive and nice. What a sweet blood-sucking monster you are.”
He huffed and came to grip my upper arms and stare down into my eyes. “I'm strong, Troy. But even someone with my massive ego knows better than to challenge the gods.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I'm glad you're safe. But you scared me. I couldn't go after you if she just...took you.”
I stared at him for a second in surprise. “You sound like you think the gods are the bad guys or something.”
He let out a tired sigh. “I just don't think you can afford to take things at face value at present.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “And what should I have done, then, when a god showed up at my door and insisted on coming inside? I didn't let her in. And I didn't agree to go with her to the fucking celestial plane like she wanted. Coffee seemed reasonable.”
He bit his bottom lip, and his face took on a sullen cast. “You should have called Derek. Much as it pains me to say it.”
I gaped at him. “The demon? You think when my family showed up, I should have called the demon who murdered my sister? Are you okay? Did you get too much sun? Maybe you ate some bad garlic? Poisoned blood?”
He dodged out from under the hand I'd placed on his forehead. “Troya. Stop. I'm being serious. The only being capable of standing up to a god is a demon. He could protect you if they tried anything. I'd try, of course, but I'd lose.”
It killed him to admit it. I could see it in his eyes. “Don't tell me you actually trust White!”
He flopped into a second-hand couch in the little reading nook by the occult section of the store. “Yes, actually. I do.”
I opened my mouth to shout at him, but he held up a hand. “No. Listen to me.” His light green eyes were full of a wealth of emotion that I couldn't decipher. “I know what you think of him. I know what you say he's done. But that was centuries ago, Troya. Millenia, maybe. Isn't it possible he's changed?”
I crossed my arms and glared at him. “He killed my sister.”
He leaned back, arms stretched out along the back of the couch, and pulled on his vampire powers. His fangs elongated and his eyes glowed. Even his fingernails seemed longer and sharper, claw like. His aura, which was usually so pretty and bright, became overwhelming, cloying and compelling in a way that terrified me. He could bend others to his will, if he chose. He wasn't the pretty young art teacher he appeared to be. He was a monster, and he wanted me to know it.
“How many people do you think I've killed over the years, Troya?”
I swallowed hard against the panic he was purposefully pressing on me. “That's different.”
He tilted his head. “It is? But...I've drained so many warm human bodies. By accident. On purpose. Some enemies. Some strangers. Even lovers or friends.”
His eyes were filled with a darkness so bleak it took my breath away. This was what a vampire was supposed to be, the side of him I never saw. The blackness, the pain, the danger.
I clenched my fists. “Stop it.”
He relented, the pressure of his menacing aura flowing away like warm water. His mouth curled up in a wry, almost cruel smile. “Do you hate me now, love?”
I huffed. “I think you're being an asshole just to be an asshole. But no. I don't hate you. Asshole.”
He laughed, his face once more kind and open. “You don't hate me because that monster isn't who I am. If you'd met me when I was first changed, when I was younger, you would have wanted to put a stake through my chest, just like all the rest. I was a killer. A monster. But I'm not now.”
I let out a long sigh. “How do you know he's changed? How do you know it's even possible for a demon to be good?”
He arched a golden brow at me. “He has grown and protected this county for years. He's looked after you from a distance, never interfering with the life you wanted to lead. He's helped Gesa and her family countless times, often for far less gain than you would assume. He let a master vampire come into his territory and make a home, with only the promise of goodwill. He polices everyone and everything within his territory to a degree that's just absurd. He has defended humans and supes alike, dishing out harsh, but fair, justice whenever it was necessary. He runs medical clinics and orphanages and has created countless jobs and sanctuaries for all kinds of people.” He spread his hands in frustration. “Why do you insist on vilifying him for a sin he committed thousands of years ago? It's petty, Troy. That kind of behavior is beneath you.”
Usually, I was able to ignore the fact that Rhys was probably way, way older than the rest of us. But just then, I felt like a child. And he was the elder, scolding me for my silly behavior.
I wanted to throw something at his perfect blond head. But I settled for huffing and walking away. Of course, I knew he was right. It was just so hard to use reason when the wounded part of me was constantly clamoring for blood and vengeance.
Rhys sped past me and up the stairs so fast he was nothing but a blur, only to appear at the top of the landing, where he leaned against the railing and smirked at me. “Does this mean no cuddle time?”
I glared as I finished walking up the stairs. “You're an asshole.”
He shrugged. “So I've been told. But I'm also dead charming. So, I usually get my way, in the end.”
I ignored him as I made my way to the kitchen. He was right. He knew it. I knew it. The whole fucking world knew it. But that didn't mean I was going to make it easy on him.
He used that startling vampire speed again, appearing behind me and wrapping his long arms around my waist, just below my breasts, pulling me back against his broad chest. His lips ghosted over my neck, making me shudder. “Forgive me, Troy,” he said, softly. “I know your whole world is constantly shifting beneath your feet. I can only tell you what I see from my vantage point.”
I relaxed back into his arms. “I know. And I know you're probably right, too. But...it just hurts too much to see clearly sometimes. It feels like it was just a few days ago that I watched my closest friend in my whole life bleed out right in front of me. It doesn't feel like an old pain. It feels brand new.”
He nodded, then leaned in to rest his chin on my shoulder, curling around me. “I understand. More than you know. I'll always have your back, love. Even if you're completely in the wrong. Even if it means betraying someone I've come to consider a friend.”
I closed my eyes at that. Because...yeah, that fucking sucked. I was so set on my own rage and need for revenge that I failed to see how it affected everyone around me. I just assumed Rhys worked with White out of obligation or because he had to keep the demon happy to continue to live here. But apparently, I was wrong. Everything was so confused inside me. I rubbed my head, willing the ache there to subside.
“Can we just not talk about this anymore?” I begged.
Rhys squeezed me tighter then spun me around to face him. “Headache?” he asked, watching me massage my forehead.
I nodded and he pulled my hand away to plant a soft kiss on my forehead. “Want me to make it all better?”
I smirked up at him. “Is that even a question?”
He grinned and a bit of his aura wrapped around me. “Trust the monster?”
I nodded. “Of course.”
His smile deepened. “Look deep into my eyes,” he drawled, in a terrible fake Dracula accent.
I rolled my eyes, but that made my head hurt, so I did as he asked, staring into green eyes so light they were almost colorless. I felt something stir in me, some part of me reacting to his magic. He brushed a lock of hair behind my ear, his expression soft at my show of trust. “Relax,” he commanded softly. “Let all of your pain flow away. The only thing you feel is me.”
My eyes widened as I felt him compel me to obey. I knew if I struggled, he'd let me go. So, I relaxed into the suggestion instead. My head stopped hurting. Everything felt floaty and warm. I felt so relaxed...like I'd just had a full body massage.
“Come on,” he said with a smirk, taking my hand and leading me to the bedroom. “Let's make you forget all about your worries for a while, hmm?”
I smiled as I followed after him, aware, but letting him take control. Rhys knew me well. He knew I'd never be able to let my guard down and quiet my constant mind-chatter enough to chill out on my own. So, he gave me a little nudge.
Just more proof that a monster wasn't always a monster, if they used their powers for good.