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I leaped up from Justin's lap, my bare feet hitting the rough, industrial-gray, carpeted floor, and paced. The nightgown that the fuckin’ wretched man had put me in swished along my thighs, reminding me I wasn’t wearing my own clothes. “Die? Like what? Heart attack? Stroke? A flesh-eating disease?”
I paused my aimless pacing to peer at the two guys that remained. Thad and Nox had white-lighted away. Justin and Cameron’s gazes both left mine to flicker to one another before Cameron stepped forward and adjusted his black-rimmed glasses.
“You have nothing to worry about; you won’t die.” He gave me a not-so-reassuring smile.
Fuck that.
I pointed at him. “But that Thad guy said I will die without the cure. He fuckin’ used the word die, Cam-eron.” I bit out his name in two harsh syllables. “Typically, when that word is used, it’s pretty much a non-winning situation. With unpredictable variables like, I don’t know, death maybe? I’d like to know what to look out for so I can inform you of my failing health and so you can hurry your asses up and get me the damn cure!” The guys flinched as I finished my tirade.
Justin stood up, shoving his hands out in front of him and motioning for me to calm down.
“Look, sweetheart, Cameron said you have nothing to worry about, and I trust Cameron. And you trust me, right?”
I jerked back and opened my mouth to deny it, but I paused, then closed my mouth. Both stood there on guard, waiting for my answer. Did I trust him? I let Justin hold me when I was scared, and they rescued me, so I guess I did trust them a teeny-weeny bit. But enough to trust them to keep me alive? To trust them I would live through this sickness while not knowing what the fuck was happening?
The deal was, I didn't know them from jack shit. Save me once, good for me. Save me twice, dependency. I needed to know what was going on. I wasn’t the one who usually had to be saved; I always did that for others. My gaze narrowed in on Justin. They needed to tell me what the fuckin’ symptoms were. Why would they keep it a secret?
I worried as my tetchy sleuth senses tingled. The guys had said I was a rare case. How rare?
“Do Lydents get their light this way often?”
Again, the two of them shared a look. Shit.
I flung up a hand, irritated. “Stop! Just fuckin’ stop with all the secret glances. It’s weird shit. If you guys want to make googly eyes at one another, do it on your own time. I need answers. So... spill.”
Cameron adjusted his glasses. “It’s not like that between us. We’re not even bondmates.” My eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his wording and he noticed. “There’s more than one mate to each Lydent female, but all members in the bond group need to share the same mate mark.”
Huh. “So, are any of you bondmates?”
“No.” This came from Justin. “None of us belong to a bond group; that’s why they stuck us together. We’re...”
A bitter laugh broke out from behind, causing me to whirl around. Nox and Thad were there. And by their stance, they weren’t happy.
Thad popped in another one of his candies before saying, “We’re the orphans. The abnormalities. The fuckin’ rejects.” His jaw clenched as he bit on his candy. “Are we done with sharing time now?”
Cameron shuffled forward beside me. “What did they say?” Justin followed, settling on my other side, sliding his fingers across the back of my hand and urging me to take his. I didn’t disappoint him.
Nox’s gaze was drawn to the action and his jaw tightened before overlooking me and addressing Cameron. “Council wants to see her.”
Justin’s grip tightened on mine. “This is a good thing, right?” he addressed that question to Nox as if he’d know the answer.
Thad snorted.
Nox’s lips thinned. “Too many variables to know for sure.”
I frowned. “That sounds fuckin’ ominous.”
Thad barked another harsh laugh. “Even she gets that there’s hell coming.” He twisted to Cameron. “Did you tell her yet?”
Justin spoke up before his friend, or whatever they were to one another, could. “No. We haven’t gotten to that.”
I tried tugging my palm out of his but he held on, never glancing my way. I yanked and his grip finally loosened. This time he swung his head toward me. Nox once again noticed, as did the other two, since they all stopped speaking.
I folded one arm across my stomach, tucking my fist under the inside of my other as I adjusted my posture. “What didn’t you tell me, hmm? And while we’re on the subject of not deflecting, why don’t you explain what symptoms to watch out for so I don’t die.”
Justin placed a warm hand on my shoulder. “We don’t know, sweetheart.”
My eyebrows scrunched as I rounded on him. “What? But-”
“You’re only the second one known to have this happen,” Cameron explained.
I shrugged Justin off. “Second? Then why do you have a cure?” My gaze bounced between all of them, dumbfounded at the information I was receiving.
“Because...” Thad sighed, shifting as if he was impatient. “The cure is given to expecting mothers so their child will grow and not die prematurely.”
I was struggling to understand it all and why they wouldn’t recognize the symptoms. “So... all of you got it?”
“No.” Nox headed my way, and no one else explained. He hesitated a shoe length away as his eyes brimmed with concern. Concern for me. “No, only the females have been cursed.”
I reared back. “Cursed? What do you mean by that?”
Justin took my hand once again, curling his fingers around mine for a squeeze. “It's a long story. One we will explain later, alright?” I think this was more for the guys’ benefit than mine. He tugged me into his body and Nox glared, moving away. What was up with him?
“Look,” Cameron said from beside me. “All we know is that we’re not sure what to expect.”
“We know that there was another newly-made Lydent female who got sick,” Thad joined in, coming into our group.
“And it happened days after,” Nox answered quietly, his gaze still on me.
Justin gave me a squeeze. “We need to contact their council and see if they have any more information for us so we know what to look out for. Has anyone done that yet?”
Thad shifted into my eyesight, frowning at me while I listened to each of them chat about my fate. I was content to listen, soaking up any information I could to see if I might come up with a solution as well. Then he shifted his gaze back to the group. “We have to report to the Gen over there to get information. The council would require that, anyhow.”
“Good strategy.” Cameron nodded. “It will be your task to contact them on the West Coast.”
Thad gave a subtle nod and his gaze veered to Nox. “Any change?”
Nox took his gaze off me and shook his head, giving his attention to Cameron. “Council needs to see her now. They’re...” He grimaced. “They’re getting antsy, but we should see the Gen first. So we can have a game plan.”
Nox looked intimidating, but I wasn't terrified of him anymore. Maybe a little scared. Same with Thad, but that was because they were so... huge. Tall frames, wide shoulders, and both had made me somewhat uneasy with their scowls and attitude. Good when fighting the bad guys, not so nice when it was directed at me. The other two I wasn't scared of, not like I was at first. They protected me when I needed it. They all did. And now, in some way, I trusted them. But...
“Who’s Jen?” I pointed my question to Nox. “And why the fuck does she need to see me?”
“Gen, as in General,” Thad corrected then smiled as if I had said something funny. “He’s not a girl.”
Nox shot him a glare for his condescending tone before twisting back to me. “He’s the Gen in charge of the East Coast over here. He should meet you before we go to get a grasp on what kind of situation we’re in and how to proceed with the council.”
My gaze narrowed on him. “Does your Gen know about me already?”
Nox’s expression grew hard, and my bravery faltered just for a second before the thing in me swirled and pumped up my confidence. “No. We were summoned by the council first before we could notify the Gen.” He gave Cameron a look. “Then he showed up making demands.”
“Neru,” Justin cursed, knowing who it was they were talking about.
A chill slithered up my spine. “‘He’ who?” I demanded, taking a step towards Nox, leaving Justin behind. “Who showed up?”
Nox’s harsh features softened. He reached out to me, merely to stop short as if he remembered I was just a human, now a Lydent with a gray soul, and let his hand drop before it made contact. “No one you need to worry about.”
Cameron cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to him, and adjusted his glasses. “Right. Let's go before we create more of a mess for ourselves.”
That irked me. “Now I’m a mess?”
Justin stepped up from behind and drew me back into him. His comfort was reassuring. “I don’t know, are you?” he teased before we blinked away.
***
In a white light glow, we landed ourselves in a foyer of some lodge. Huge wood plank floors were warm beneath my bare feet, and there was a massive fireplace in the heart of the area separating two great living spaces.
“Come on.” Justin took a hold of my hand lacing our fingers together as we followed Cameron's lead.
I was still in the nightgown, a cold draft sweeping underneath, causing me to shiver. I wasn't positive if I was okay with what we were doing, seeing this Gen, but the guys had saved me and then dropped the bomb that I would die. I obviously didn't want to die, so I foolishly followed them to figure out what the next step would be.
Down a spacious hallway, we halted at a wooden door. Cameron knocked on it.
A commanding voice resonated from the other side with a clipped, “Come in.”
My eyes shot up to Justin, who didn't even look at me. His hand gripped mine as if he knew my reluctance.
We entered the office where a man in a black uniform was sitting behind a desk, his back to a large picture window that had a view of a clearing surrounded by trees.
My gaze drifted back to the man behind the desk. Long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, a clean-shaven jaw emphasized the harsh planes of his face, and calculating eyes assessed each of us as we all settled just inside the doorway.
His lips pursed when those eyes landed on me before veering back to Cameron, who was on my right. “What is the meaning of this Moye?”
“You ordered us to go on a mission, Sir,” Cameron said, focusing on the person I assumed was the Gen. “During the mission we encountered unforeseen difficulties.” The way Cameron was speaking, it sounded strange. Like they were military.
The blue-eyed man avoided my gaze as he gestured to me. “So you assumed it was a wise decision to bring a human into it? You were expected to take care of the problem. Not make it worse.” His steely voice slashed through the air, causing my nerves to quake. The light within me reacted, flaring with anger.
Justin tensed beside me. From behind us, Nox made his way to the front, brushing between Cameron and me. My body leaned into Justin on my left to lessen the physical contact I would have made with him, but I wasn't quick enough, and his shoulder brushed against my chest, causing a physical reaction that had my breath catching.
I wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction from him, from any of them. I didn't know what it was, but I was fuckin’ hypersensitive to each one of the guys. I didn't like it. I would have before, but not now.
“Sir,” Nox said. His deep baritone voice caressed across my skin, causing me to grow warm. “Things have changed. Justin's mindsweep doesn't work on her, Ivan's brother kidnapped her, and she now has Ivan’s light within her.”
Now this captured the Gen's attention, or ‘sir’ as they were calling him, and his eyes came to rest on me. He studied me. Could he tell if I was one of them? Was there a distinctive look about me?
He rose so abruptly that it had me stepping back into Justin's frame. Justin let go of my hand and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Hey, it's okay.” His tone was soft and reassuring, but the light in me stirred. “Just stay still.”
I started breathing heavily as the man rounded his desk to stand in front of me, his discerning gaze taking me in. "I’m Gen Caleb. I’m one of the four Gens in the states that handles the Lydent military. You have no need to be afraid of me.”
The guys shifted around me, and Gen Caleb paused and stared at their protectiveness. His gaze flickered over every one of them. “Men, is there something I need to know?”
I felt my fingers twitch. I wanted distance from him. I needed air. I didn't know him, didn't trust him, and I was afraid of doing something I’d regret if distance wasn’t put between us.
“Sir, we just rescued her from Eric Frost... and what he had planned for her, well, it wasn’t talking,” Thad’s harsh voice answered.
My heart chilled hearing his name again.
Gen Caleb’s body tensed, and he very quietly asked with an underlying tone of anger, “How did Eric get ahold of her?”
I flinched and the anger within me grew. An energy trailed down my arm, escaping into my hand, and rose just as a flash of light shot from my fingertips. Just as quickly, I felt my hand being slammed down, barely missing the Gen with my unknown attack.
Gen Caleb’s hands shot up, as did his eyebrows, before slashing downward. “Hey, none of that.”
Shocked and scared, I scrambled out of Justin's grip. “I- I'm sorry.”
The scent of cinnamon hit me before Thad gripped my shoulders, stopping my retreat. One moment I was in the office, and the next, I was outside the huge lodge with Thad. Dirt gritted beneath my feet as I let the shock wear off.
Beyond Thad, who stood in front of me, was an open field where several men were fighting with opponents in hand to hand combat. Others were using magic balls of light, much like what I had done just moments ago. The anger in me was still vibrating, almost uncontrollably, but for a second, I was distracted.
“What is this place?” I mumbled more to myself than to the guy in front of me, but it didn’t matter that my question had been soft-spoken; he still heard me.
“I’ll tell you that in a minute,” he gruffly rumbled.
I flinched as his hands met my shoulders, drawing my attention back to his intense gaze. “You need to calm down. You're out in the open.”
I hadn’t realized it before, but I was shaking. My stomach twisted as I turned my gaze away. I wanted him to let go of me. I felt my palm tingle again as the violence inside rose. I wasn’t certain what I was angry about; I just fuckin’ was, and it confused me.
“Neru.” He must have noticed he wasn’t making things better because he removed his palms from my shoulders and backed off. “Calm down, Tits.”
I took in a deep breath before it registered what he’d called me. My gaze shot to his. “Tits?”
The grunting and pounding noises in the background stopped. Guns, knives - hell - armor flew to me until it all hovered, surrounding my body. The guns were not pointed at anyone, neither were the knives, but all the metal created a barrier between me and Thad, causing relief to flood through me and douse my anger. I watched in bewilderment as the weaponry dropped around me at my feet.
Thad’s gaze narrowed while his lips twisted. He reached into his pocket pouch once again and took out another candy. Did he have an endless supply in there? Chomping on it, he pointed at me. “You... you need to calm down.”
“I’m not going to calm down with you howling at me! You’re the asshole who wanted to see me naked! And now wants me to calm down? Shit just got real.” I felt it again. The anger swirled inside of me, ready to react.
“Well, who wouldn’t want to see you naked? You’re hot.” His amused tone made me angrier. “But seriously, calm down,” he said again, his tone almost patronizing.
I didn't want to calm down. I was mad at him, but before I could get out of control once again, Knox appeared and took him away. In his place was Cameron.
“Hey.” He stood right in front of me, stepping over all the junk I had collected. His palms were out as if I was a wounded animal. I felt as if the pain and darkness within would consume me until his hands met my shoulders.
“Hey,” he repeated and gave me a gentle shake. The pain and anger cleared. My heart slowed as he wrapped his arms around me, unafraid that I might hurt him. “Sweetheart,” he said rubbing my back. “You need to fight this. You can do this. I don't know much about you, but I want to. I know at one point in time you didn't feel all this hate. Come on, take a deep breath and slow that heart rate.”
I gradually started to melt into his embrace and my arms reached up to curl around his waist. We barely knew one another, but I knew he had saved me and he was safe. “Don't leave me alone with Knox or Thad again.” I buried my head into his shoulder. “They intimidate me,” I admitted.
This time Cameron tensed, then just as quickly relaxed and gave me what I asked for. “I'll keep them away for a while, but you’re eventually going to have to get used to them.”
My black mood came back. I was afraid he’d say that.
I drew away from him, now feeling awkward. “So, what now? Your council?”
His lips pursed as his gaze grew weary. He angled his gaze toward the men who had been fighting until I took their weapons and found them now staring at the scene I’d created. “We should probably talk about this somewhere else,” he eventually answered. “There’s a lot that needs to be done before we can get you settled.”
With those words, a light surrounded us, and I found myself once again standing in another unfamiliar place.
“Where are we?” I questioned as I took in the large house we stood in front of. Green surrounded us, and the scent of the coast was strong. Were we by the water? My gaze widened as I took in the building before us. Were we at the Carriage House?
Curiosity bubbled up as I realized this was the Carriage House. The one everyone talked about. The one that no one, at least that I knew, had ever set foot inside the gates. The estate was vast; the back of the home met the water’s edge, which kept the estate secluded and hard to reach... and I was inside. I took in the arches on the porch and the ornate front doors, my hand gripping Cameron's.
“What are we doing here? It’s impossible to get in and no one's ever home...” I trailed off, realizing this must be where the council was.
I also noticed that we weren’t the only ones there. There were a few small groups of people huddled together, each one talking to someone in a black suit. It wasn’t the black suits that caught my eye, it was the cloths that was draped around a few of their necks like scarves that went down to their waists on either side. Some of the neck scarves—I didn’t know how else to describe them—were blue while others had gold and silver. I was only guessing, but I thought it was some kind of ranking system.
I had questions, a lot of them, but the tightening of Cameron's fingers on mine warned me to keep quiet. It was hard, but I did just that. I didn't know who these people were; they could be crazy like that evil man, Eric, who tried to take advantage of me. So, I would keep quiet... for now. I needed to live to get through this. I needed to live to get this thing out of me.
We walked up the steps of the mansion and entered into a foyer. Cameron led me down a hallway to what seemed to be a waiting area with double doors that were closed. This was not what I expected for the inside of this house.
Nervous and unsure what was about to happen with the council, I tried to rein in my discomfort and insecurities. I wasn't myself at all. I was usually a confident, no bullshit type of gal, but here I was meekly following this guy I barely knew to find out my fate within his world. A world that, it would seem, was now mine as well.
My legs shook as he had me sit down in an oversized chair with soft cushions.
“Wait here,” he ordered, looking over at a man that was standing guard at the double doors. Wait here? That was easy. I drew up my knees to my chest, resting my feet on the chair, then dragged the edge of the nightgown down to cover me.
Cameron paused, taking in my state of dress. His lips twisted; I’m sure he was just now realizing that I wasn't in the most appropriate attire I could have been in. He flicked his hand. The nightgown disappeared and was replaced by baggy jogger pants and a gray shirt that was two sizes too big.
My head shot up to him. “How? Why?”
He shrugged. “It's all I had that I thought would fit you,” was his only explanation as he swept past the guard and opened the double doors. I could hear talking emanating from the slight opening he went through, then it shut behind him, and silence met me.
I held my knees close and waited. And as I waited, I gave myself a talking to about regaining my backbone.
Time flew by and I got bored. My mind wandered, thinking about a million different things. About my parents, my best friend Hannah, and my younger sisters. Could I even see them again? I got angry again. This was bullshit. I was being played with like a toy, but this wasn't a game. And I knew it wasn’t a game when Justin came out instead of Cameron and beckoned me inside the room.
He was tense, worried. I unfolded myself from the chair and went over, grabbing his hands with a question in my eyes. What had happened in there? Justin’s only response was a slight shake of his head.
Once inside the room, I noticed it was set up as a small courtroom. There were two men and one woman sitting on the stands. This was their Council, the ones who would decide my fate.
The woman in the middle had flowing, dark ombre hair, a vibrant, plum gown, and a concerned gaze. The light within me flickered, but not with a disturbing and evil resonance like last time. It was a soft, gentle nudge, as if the foreign light within me was letting me know it knew her, loved her. I shook my head. This was so fuckin’ messed up.
I sidled up to Cameron, wary when I noticed Thad there. I didn't know what it was about him and Nox, but they scared me. They were forceful, more so than I needed at that moment. I gave him a tentative smile before they turned back to their council.
“Council,” Cameron greeted them, “this is Trace. She’s the girl we have been talking about. The girl you wanted to meet.”
They all nodded as their gazes swung over to me. I felt small under their collective attention, and I felt like hiding, which wasn't me at all. I was more forceful, get it done, don't give a shit, but despite my resolve in the hallway to regain my backbone, it had slid away once again. I didn't like it.
I let go of Justin’s hand and clenched my fists. This wasn't because of the light within me; this was me being me. Not wanting to cause any more shit but wanting to get down to the main things I wanted to know. Like what was going to happen to me? Was I going to die? And where would I go from here?
“Trace, hm?” the man on the left questioned. He was old enough to be my dad, both councilmen were, but the man on the right was older. Each wore a suit with a light blue sash draped over one shoulder like the others had outside. “I’m Frank Lazabee. Next to me is my wife Sonia.” She gave me a smile and head nod. “Next to her-”
“Frankie boy, I can introduce myself,” the older man cut in. He turned to me with a wink. “I’m Samuel Gibbs.”
“Yes, well,” Frank stated, his curious eyes studying me. “What’s your last name, miss?
“Dolton. My name is Tracy Dolton.” He nodded, and Samuel leaned forward with a raised brow. “You’re Lee and Emma’s daughter, correct?”
A zing of surprise coursed through me. He knew them? My mouth dropped open. “Uh, yes. Lee and Emma are my parents.” I was shocked by their knowledge of who I was.
“This is a most unfortunate event,” Frank murmured.
“How do you know my parents?”
“We get around,” Samuel explained.
“Please,” Sonia said, talking for the first time. “Tell us what happened at the asylum.”
Yeah, how was I going to explain that one? I was embarrassed to admit that I was seeking out the truth about their kind. So, I explained to them half of what was true. That I was a detective of sorts. I helped other people with problems, and while I was researching one of them, I came across the word Leiden, which obviously wasn't the correct way to say it or spell it, but I got curious. That curiosity landed me at the Asylum.
Samuel tapped on the wood before I could continue, and my attention turned to him. “So you just decided to see if you could get into this asylum without proper paperwork?”
“Yes.”
One of his eyebrows lifted. “To check out a dangerous man you don’t know, about a name you found?”
My hackles rose. “Yes, but I–”
His mouth pressed. “Do you even realize the repercussions of what happened? How irresponsible and naïve you were by going there on such a whim?”
“It wasn’t a whim!” I growled, gesturing to everyone who was in here with us. “Does this look like a whim to you?”
He sighed. “My dear, because of your actions, you are now something you’re not supposed to be. You’re different, even from us Lydents. I can see it in your eyes, the darkness stirring beneath the surface.”
Just like he said, the gray light inside of me started to writhe once more, and as if he could sense what was going on, Cameron reached over and grabbed my hand. I shook him away, and I got angry. Furious.
“Irresponsible? Naïve? I help professionals find the fuckin’ truth,” I growled, trying to step toward them. I wanted to push past Nox, who had now turned my way with a questioning raised eyebrow, and storm closer. “I dig deep and find the truth. What's right. I don't deal in lies and fuckin’ manipulation, which is all I've seen today. You,” I said, pointing to Justin even though I didn't mean to seek him out, “tried to do that mind sweeping thing.”
“Enough!” Frank roared. I flipped back toward him. Could feel the sparks stinging at my fingertips. “Enough. No more of this talk. We are here-”
“I don't care!” The walls started to shake.
“You have to calm down, sweetheart,” Justin murmured soothingly from behind me.
“Don’t do this here,” Nox leaned down to whisper, his eyes pleading.
I didn’t care. Didn’t listen. The rage was too much. Every piece of loose metal seemed to shake free and fly toward me, as if I was collecting ammunition. For a moment, the inky blackness swelled with hatred inside me. I couldn’t escape, couldn’t get free, and then Sonia stood and flashed a hand my way. A bubble surrounded me. All the metal dropped. My anger dissipated, and I was left weak and hungry.
“I'm sorry, gentlemen,” she said, sweeping her hands down her dress. “The darkness in her is neutralized for the moment. I should have done this prior to things getting out of hand. I wasn’t aware the darkness in her had escalated. Now, my dear,” she said, sitting back down, “we understand that this is scary for you and unnerving. That you saw the dark side of a Lydent before you could see the good, but unfortunate things happen. The bubble I placed you in neutralizes the light. It's nothing to be worried about; it just helps you to control your emotions. We are deeply sorry that things have come about this way, but the question now is: what do we do with you?”
“She needs the immunization,” Thad spoke, munching on yet another one of his cinnamon candies. “She needs it before she dies. You know what happens. How long she has.”
The urgency in his voice scared me. Did I only have a matter of minutes or days before I collapsed or became something terrible? Or dead in the ground? My heart froze with that thought. I didn’t want to die! I wanted to live.
Frank spoke up, “We're not sure if the cure will make her more powerful and, in turn, cause the darkness to expand as well. Or if by inheriting Ivan’s light, she won’t need the cure at all. It's typically only given to pregnant mothers who are expecting females. It is a whole different case with you.” He turned his gaze pointedly toward me.
“But there was that one case, dear...” Sonia countered.
“Yes, but the odds could be one in a thousand that this is the same,” Samuel argued.
“This has only happened one other time,” Frank added. “Who are we to say what the normal circumstances are for this type of situation?”
“Do we really want to chance the darkness inside of her growing?” Samuel persisted. “You know what happened with Ivan and Eric. Their lights became black as ember. At that point, there's no coming back.” He faced me. “There's no saving you. We have never ever once been able to cure a darkened light. Giving you the cure could have disastrous effects that might tip our future generations into the dark. That would not be in our best interest. What we can do is pray to the Spirit Whisper for strength and guidance.”
His cynical outlook was causing the anger to swell within me again; however, Sonia’s bubble prevented my emotions from overwhelming me.
“But she’s a Lydent female now,” Frank pointed out. “Being so rare, she should be protected.”
“I can see both sides of the coin,” Sonia stated diplomatically, “but the blackness in her is a sickness, one that will absorb every possible glimmer of her Light if we don’t do something. We need to save her, not let her perish.”
Samuel turned to her. “And how would you propose we do that, dear Sonia?”
She turned to Samuel and stated simply, “Why, by giving her something to reflect on. Something to hold onto.” She twisted back to me and winked. “Hope.”
“We can’t let her roam free like she has been. She’s new and untrained. Who’s going to take responsibility for her?” Samuel reasoned.
“We will,” Cameron declared, echoed by the murmurs of the others agreeing.
Sonia said, “I believe this is a little out of your control.”
Frank sat back, his brow furrowed in contemplation. “Sonia, there could be a solution here.” He flicked a hand, and I jerked back as another metal band wrapped heavily around my wrist. “We don't give her the shot unless she's showing symptoms, and only then do we proceed to give her half and see what will happen. We’ve never tried that before.”
“I disagree,” Samuel shot back.
“Another one? What in the hell is this thing?” I questioned, not as mad as I had been before but feeling curious.
Sonia glanced back to me, her eyes furrowed. “That is the protection band, to protect you and us.”
“Could you, by any chance... put your protection ward on her bracelets? Not letting her use her magic at this time?” Frank questioned Sonia with a thoughtful expression.
My eyebrows lifted, and everyone turned to stare at him.
Sonia beamed. “I could try.” Immediately, the globe that surrounded my body, keeping me away from the guys, shrank until it only glowed dimly over my wristbands. “How do you feel?”
I took a deep breath, noticing that I didn't feel any different from when I was in the bubble. If anything, I felt calmer. “Will this keep me from dying?”
“No,” Samuel answered.
Irritation seeped through. “So, you're just going to, what? Wait until I start feeling sick?”
Frank went to answer, but Sonia stopped him with a raised finger before she turned to me. “That seems, at this time, to be the wisest approach.”
The guys filtered in closer as I asked, “So, what do I do now? Where do I go?”
“Nox,” Frank called. “Can you see any future? Anything at all?”
Nox shook his head then blinked out, leaving only Justin, Cameron, and Thad with me. I knew it shouldn’t, but him leaving me like that kinda stung.
Samuel sighed. “All we can do now is place her in the Warrior Camp with a guard on her.”
“What?”
He went on as if he didn't hear me. “Something needs to be done about her parents so they don't worry.” He looked to Justin, and I wanted to grab ahold of him, but he leaned away.
“You can't do that. You can't make them forget me,” I pleaded.
Sonia gave me a half-hearted smile. “Dear, we're not going to make them forget you. We're going to make them think that you've gone away for a while. Until we get this figured out, no one must know about you.”
My arms folded as my hackles rose. “So I'm your dirty little secret?”
“Well, I never,” Samuel uttered in outrage.
Sonia frowned. “No, of course not. We're trying to protect you as much as we're trying to protect others. This is the best solution we've come up with, and with you being-”
“No,” Cameron barked and stepped forward. “We're not talking about that. We're not bringing that up.”
That spiked my interest. What did Cameron not want me to know?
She nodded as the others beside her stayed quiet. “I can see why, and I think that's very wise, but I also think that there could be repercussions from keeping such a secret.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
Cameron shook his head. “Are we done here Ma’am... Sirs?”
“Yes,” Frank responded. “We're done. She shall stay at the Warrior Camp on careful watch until we can determine the best course of further action. If, and only if, she shows signs of deterioration, will we give her half of the cure and see if that will suffice. I want weekly updates. Until then, this meeting is adjourned.”
I went to protest, but Cameron grabbed me and we lit out, back to the lodge and field which I assumed was the location of the Warrior Camp.
I jerked out of his hold, angry, but the light within me stayed quiet. I rounded on him. “What was that? I thought they would be more considerate since I had been kidnapped!”
He shook his head and ignored my outburst. “Let me show you where you're going to stay. It looks like you're going to be a resident here for a while.” He set a brisk pace toward the lodge.
“What if I don't want to be?” I challenged as I hurried to follow him. We walked inside the lodge, in the opposite direction of where we had gone before, to a large set of stairs that led up to the second level. “What if I don't want to stay? I don't have clothes. I don't have my makeup. I don't have fuckin’ deodorant!” I added, trying to shock him.
With that comment, we met at the top landing and he paused, turning around with a slight tint of pink to his cheeks. I didn't know if it was from embarrassment or frustration.
“Look,” he said with a lift of his hand. “I understand this is hard for you. Some of those items you mentioned might not be here right now, but we will do our best to try to get you the things you need.” My lips twisted. “Any other questions or complaints?” he added with a lifted eyebrow.
I guess I wasn't really being much help. He was stuck in this situation as much as I was, having to look after me. It probably wasn’t something he wanted to do. “Yes, I have more questions.”
“Shoot,” he said, twisting back around and proceeding down the hallway.
“What about my parents? Will they be okay? Is that mind-sweeping thing permanent?”
“Justin will be very careful with your parents, and no, it does not hurt them. As soon as we figure out what to do, we’ll go from there.”
“Will I be able to see them again?”
Cameron turned around, putting his hands on my shoulders so abruptly, I stepped back and they slid down my chest. I quickly pushed them away and smarted, “Copping a feel?”
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “No, smart mouth. This is where you're going to stay. It’s the fourth door down and the last door on this side.” He pointed his thumb over his shoulder, and I stepped past him toward the room he indicated. “Currently, there's no one staying on this wing, so you'll have privacy and your own bathroom.”
That kind of threw me. I paused mid-step into the room. “Will I be safe here?”
“Of course, you'll be safe,” he reassured as he peered at me. “Why wouldn't you?”
I hesitated, realizing that I didn't have a spitfire comment ready. The reality of what just happened to me was sinking in.
“Hey,” Cameron frowned and reached for me. I moved away. His hand dropped. “You will be safe here. No one can get in. He can't get in, sweetheart. We have wards on the Warrior Camp, a protection shield.”
I shook my head. “I don't know what that is, but I think I get what you're saying.” I sighed as my nerves settled a bit. “So, I’m really safe here?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“So, why are you guys showing me around? Am I going to get passed on to someone else?”
I looked around the room, finding a single bed up against the wall, a window on the far side, a dresser and table lamp—all the bare necessities to make a room, but it was stuffy in here. The room looked like a hotel room that hadn’t been used in a while. Even the linens on the bed seemed dusty, like their last visitor had been eons ago.
“No,” Cameron answered, taking notice of the bed linens. He briskly went over to strip the sheets. “I didn't realize...” he began before pressing his lips closed and finishing his task while I watched. “No, you’re not going to be given to someone else. You’re our responsibility.” He shoved the sheets to the ground and snapped his fingers. They fuckin’ disappeared.
“Why did you take them off before when you could have just done the finger thing?”
“I don't know?” He shrugged and fiddled with his glasses. “Because I didn't want to get dust everywhere?”
He snapped his fingers one more time and soft, gray sheets and two fluffy pillows with a hunter green duvet showed up. I had to admit, I liked it.
“I like the comforter,” I replied softly, thinking if I wanted any kind of freedom I needed to start with getting him on my side. Maybe even all of them.
His cheeks grew pink and he cleared his throat. “I'm glad you like it.”
What was that about?
Giving him a wide berth, I plopped down on the bed and watched him shove his hands into his pockets. “So, what now? What’s my purpose here?”
His eyes went sharp. “To keep out of trouble and start learning the rules. Tell anybody you see if you start feeling sick.” His gaze shifted past me to the window as if he was thinking of something. “I think there's a book around here. Lydent 101.”
I snorted, and his gaze snapped back to me. “You're joking.”
His lips quirked upward. “I wasn’t the one to name it. You’d have to talk to Cliff Reeds, the author. He really didn’t have any imagination when he named his book.” He shifted, taking a hand out of his pocket to comb through his hair as he twisted around looking for something. He went to the dresser and opened the drawer. “Nope, don’t have it.” He closed it and turned back to me. “We’ll have to head downstairs to the library and see if they have a copy. We don’t use it often. Only for those who weren’t raised in the Lydent world and now need to know the basics.”
My head tilted. “Does that happen often? Losing young Lydents?”
His shoulders tensed. “It’s rare, but unfortunately it happens.”
I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it, so I brought up something else and gestured around the room. “No TV?”
He turned and headed out the door, waving for me to follow. “Honey, there isn't any internet or cable here.”
My step faltered as I joined him in the hallway. “What?”
Cameron flicked his hand and the door behind me swung shut. “Sorry,” he said as he walked down the hallway, “we can’t afford distractions for our warriors.”
“Fu-ck,” I breathed as I continued after him. “This is going to be hell on earth. I won’t be able to watch Fixer Upper.”
He blushed and admitted, “I love that show.”
I smirked and challenged him. “Really? Tell me, what’s Chip’s favorite thing to do, then.”
He rolled his eyes. “Demo.” Then he turned and went down the stairs as I glared at the back of his head.
“Okay. So you’ve watched the show. Then you know the struggle! By the way, where are we going?”