“After ascending to the highest military rank, Banewolf betrayed his people. Responsible for the slaughter of hundreds, he was stripped of honor and sentenced to death. But Banewolf evaded capture and fled his homeland, choosing to live the rest of his days as a fugitive.” Lara stopped and searched Kali’s face before continuing. “Eventually, his leaderless unit disbanded, assimilating into surrounding cultures. Left defenseless, the remaining Warekin retreated deep into the mountains.”
Her throat felt like parchment paper. “Is that all?”
Lara lifted an impeccably shaped brow. “Isn’t that enough?”
It was suddenly hot in the bookstore. Through the buzzing in her ears, Kali realized Lara was still speaking.
“I would like to buy this from you.”
“It’s not for sale.”
Gathering the book in her arms, Kali moved as fast as possible without making it obvious that she wanted to get away from spooky Lara. She retreated to the front of the store, but Lara followed. Turning, Kali saw an ugly grey limb of scarred and puckered flesh reach across the light. Blood black claws were gnarled and twisted outward. Kali suppressed a strangled yelp. Lara’s delicate hands folded neatly in front of her. Had she imagined it?
“Everything is for sale,” Lara insisted.
“This isn’t.” Kali backed away. “Thanks for all your help.” She looked at the flowers in the display and cleared her throat. “Your arrangement is beautiful. Especially the blue ones, what are they called?”
“They are monkshood. A warning to beware.” Lara smiled thinly. “They are poisonous to some.”
“Oh.” Kali glanced at the floor not knowing what else to say. When she looked back, Lara had gone. Kali left. She was grateful to breathe fresh air again. Maybe Orrin had been right about the smell. Max was already waiting inside the truck. “When did you get back here?”
The boy leaned forward as she buckled in. “Right after I ran into that creepy red head. She almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Yeah,” Kali agreed, “she was strange.”
Starting the truck, Orrin looked at her. “Did you find what you came for?”
“I did.”
“We should return to the manor.”
“I can’t do that, Orrin.”
He opened his mouth as if to protest, but appeared to change his mind. Orrin nodded.
“Take me someplace else.”
“I will do as you wish.” He rolled the windows down, making Kali pin him with a curious stare. “You and the child reek,” he explained.
Chapter 59
Emotionally, Kali was oscillating between confusion, fear, and outrage. She’d trusted Rhane…told him her secret. She let him get closer than anyone. And he had given her nothing in return. Sure, he’d saved her life a few times. But for all Kali knew, Rhane was the very reason for her life being in danger. He’d asked her to trust, but he had not trusted. Was he really seven hundred years old? Or had it simply been a picture of a distant ancestor? Rhane knew how alone she felt. How could he let her think she was the only freak in their relationship? He’d seen her shake with fear, cry, and scream with frustration. All along he had known the answers. She had looked in his eyes. Though he’d never said it, Kali thought she saw love reflecting back. She’d been wrong.
“Turn left up here,” she said. Orrin obediently signaled the blinker.
Home wasn’t safe. And Kali was uncertain of everything else. So, she was running to what she could be certain of. Callan. Things never were a cake walk between them. She had lied and cheated repeatedly. Even so, Cal had always been her constant. When he was furious, he still loved her. And he was always honest about the way he felt. With him, Kali never had to guess.
It was almost dark when they arrived at Cal’s apartment. Energy from an impending storm electrified the air. Kali looked up. The clouds were heavy with rain. Their cover shielded the sun, darkened the sky. But there was something else. More than a storm was coming. She looked at Orrin. “Do you feel that?”
Instead of answering, he whipped out his cell and gestured for her and Max to go inside. The kid gathered his things and walked with Kali to the door. He nudged her. “Your soldier keeps it close.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“It means that he doesn’t say much.”
“Oh. Yeah, he keeps it pretty close.”
She had to ring the bell twice before Cal answered. He came to the door wearing nothing except a pair of khaki trousers and a surprised expression. “Kal?” His eyes darted back over his shoulder to something inside the apartment. “Hey. What are you doing here?” Confusion passed, and he seemed genuinely happy to see her.
She decided to be honest with him and answer as plainly as possible. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“I don’t know.” She hesitated. “I think so.”
His eyes flickered over Max. “Who’s the kid?”
“He’s a friend. My sister is supposed to be watching him through the weekend.”
“Oh.”
Kali shifted her stance impatiently. “Are you going to let us inside or do we have to stand out here while you ask me a dozen more questions?”
Something must have clicked in Cal’s brain. Jerking his head toward the apartment, he pushed the door open. “Go inside, kid. The remote is probably in the couch somewhere.”
Max looked at Kali. He didn’t move until she nodded. Cal stepped outside and closed the door when the boy left. Gaze fixing on a point behind her, his entire demeanor changed. “The other guy you’re seeing, is that him?”
“No,” Kali answered without looking back.
“Okay. What’s this about?” His eyes finally pulled away from Orrin and returned to her.
She hesitated. Maybe this was how it had been for Rhane, wanting to tell but fearing what the truth would do to the other person. “I can’t talk about it.”
“OK. Can we talk about us?”
“We shouldn’t…”
Cal went ahead anyway. “I’m sorry. I never should have touched you the way I did.” The rawness of his emotions made his words sound bitter. “I know what it feels like when someone you love hurts you in that way. I’m getting counseling, Kali. But I didn’t do it for you. I did it for me. Because I swore that I’d never be like him, I swore I’d never be my father.” His blond lashes moistened with tears that didn’t fall. “I’m sorry I’ve never asked you about your family. You’re right. I’ve always been too wrapped up in my own shit to deal with anyone else’s. If you can’t be with me anymore, I understand. But if you want to talk, I’m ready to listen.”
Kali sobbed. Honesty. But it wasn’t from the guy she wanted. Throwing her arms up, she hugged Cal tightly. His arms slipped around her waist. His face buried into her hair. “I miss you,” he said.
She opened her mouth to speak but in the same moment, the door opened.
“Hello, sis.”
Kali froze. Rozzy was the last person she expected to see. Cal stiffened, stubbornly holding on when she pushed away. His arms loosened as he ultimately relented. Looking from Kali to her sister, his cheeks and ears turned crimson. “Nice timing,” he mumbled.
Rozzy also had the decency to look embarrassed. “I didn’t think you’d come here.”
“You’re surprised to see me?” Kali was incredulous. “Imagine how I feel.”
“You said you guys were over.”
“What about Tim?”
“What about him?’
“Rozzy!”
“Kali, I’m sorry! And you’re already seeing someone else.”
“That doesn’t matter. You’re my sister!” Cal reached out for Kali, but she threw up her hands. “Don’t touch me!” She told herself she didn’t care. He meant nothing. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t yell.
“This didn’t mean anything,” Cal insisted. “I swear to you that nothing happened between us before last night
. I only care about you.”
Kali stared at him with open-mouthed disbelief, shutting down her emotions until only a wall of anger was left.
Feeling each hair stand at the back of her neck, she turned around. An inward jolt traveled through her body. Rhane.
Invisible waves of energy poured off of him as he walked, his long, powerful strides moving him across Cal’s front lawn. Kali saw his eyes strike like green lightning as they took in every detail of the scene stretched out before him. Something was terribly wrong.
Chapter 60
So many emotions: guilt, anger, worry and another she couldn’t admit to seeing again, rippled across Rhane’s face. Then the stony mask he constantly wore slipped back into place.
He will never tell me, Kali thought bitterly. The wall of anger became two bricks thicker. No more lies.
“If you’re not here to fess up everything, then get back in your truck and leave.”
“We don’t have time for this.”
“Then make time. Talk fast.”
“No. We have to go. Now.” His fingers closed onto her elbow, remaining gentle and yet firm. She snatched away, and he let her.
Cal chose that moment to get protective. “She said she doesn’t want to go with you.” He tried to step between them, but Kali blocked his path.
“Don’t,” she snapped.
He started to protest, “Kali—”
“Walk away,” Rhane ordered.
Maybe it was the guttural, animalistic quality Rhane’s voice had unexpectedly taken on. Or it might have been the way both Orrin and a stranger with white hair swiftly appeared, flanking Rhane’s sides. But Cal gave serious reconsideration to his position and made the wise decision. He retreated a step back.
Rhane looked at Kali. His eyes pulsed from black to green. “If you don’t come with me right now, your sister, the kid, and whoever this guy is are all going to die. Kalista, I swear to you. We will talk as soon as you get in that truck. But not a second before then.”
“Okay,” she whispered and swallowed the bile of fear that rose into her throat.
#
“I didn’t mean that I was going to kill them.” Rhane glanced in her direction.
They were traveling at ninety miles an hour, racing toward Holsenbeck Hall. Before leaving Callan’s apartment, Rhane sent the newcomer and Orrin ahead to meet up with York and Rion. Looking at him for a second time, Kali realized where she had seen the man with clear eyes and white hair. He had been on the plane to China. But she was done speculating and trying to connect the dots. Sitting next to her was the guy with all the answers. And her fear be damned, he was going to give them to her.
“Your picture, I saw it in a book from the library. It said you were some kind of warlord. And that you were born in 1326.”
“The first statement is correct. Give or take a few centuries and the second becomes true as well.”
Hearing the words come from his mouth made a huge difference. It was true. All of it. She couldn’t believe it. This can’t be happening. “What are you? What am I?”
He exhaled, and the words poured out as though levees were broken through. “Kalista, you are a siren. You were not born. You were crafted into a living creature. In order to continue living, you must feed on the souls of others. That’s why you feel a constant hunger that never truly goes away.”
A siren? What the hell? She had to shelf that until later. “The book said you were a traitor. Are you?”
“No.” His eyes met hers. The truth in them was undeniable. “But I am charged with that crime. A death sentence hangs over my head.”
Her stomach clenched. “Gabriel and the Reapers, why are they after me?”
“Gabriel wants revenge on the ones who locked him away. He thinks your abilities can help him accomplish that.”
“Me?” Her voice raised an octave. “I suck the life out of teenage boys. It’s not exactly a power that would-be superheroes dream up.”
“Kalista…you can do so much more. The way you are at home in the water, the fire that destroyed Greg’s TV—” He managed a small smile. “The connection you have with animals…you’ve only seen a glimpse of what you are capable of.”
She struggled to breathe. It was all very freaky and scary. “Why are you different?” she asked quietly.
“My people, the Warekin, we are a race of shapeshifters. York, War, Orrin, and Rion are who’s left of my army. You and I…” he paused. “We were bonded. You promised to be by my side forever. And I promised to protect you forever. But I failed.” His voice cracked, recovered. “You were taken. Nearly four centuries have passed since that day. I’ve spent every one of them searching for you.”
“I don’t remember you. I don’t remember any of this. And I definitely don’t feel four hundred years old.” She started crying. “I remember being a kid. I remember my parents. They died ten years ago.”
“The ones who created you, me, and others like us, they have taken your memories. They put the essence of your true self into the body of a child. After you reach a certain age, the creature inside of you begins to mature again and the cycle must start over.”
“Oh.” Kali clamped a hand over her mouth to stop the angry sob. “My mother…” she looked at Rhane through a curtain of tears. “My real mother, she knew…”
Rhane nodded but said nothing.
“That’s why they died?”
“Kalista, I honestly don’t know.”
She hadn’t missed the slight shift of his right hand on the steering wheel. The left was bandaged, resting in his lap. “Rhane, I know there’s more. Tell me everything.”
“Take a deep breath. You have to stay calm.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down.” She was near hysterics. “I need to know what happened. This is my life. Tell me why I was taken.”
Rhane watched her steadily, but the mask was slipping. Her anguish seemed to cause him physical pain. Open, raw grief flashed across his face. His eyes were deep caverns of guilt.
“What is it?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Tell me.” Kali knew she sounded like a psycho, but she couldn’t help it. Rhane was still hiding something. And that something was huge. But it was a part of her past, and she had every right to know. “I can’t forgive another lie from you.”
“I’ve never lied to you.”
The sudden wail of sirens startled them both. Blue lights illuminated the night. She saw Rhane consider. He muttered a curse and slowed, bringing the pickup to a full stop next to the highway. Instructions for the driver to exit emitted from a loud speaker. With another look at Kali, Rhane complied, raising his hands as he did so.
Greg’s voice called out gruffly, “Kali, honey, get out of the car.”
She obeyed, puzzled to hear his voice. “What are you doing here?” She rounded the car, lifting her hand to shield against the halogen headlights of the patrol cars. There were three officers. All had weapons trained on Rhane. One was sweaty and seemed a little too jumpy. Kali stopped moving forward.
“I got in at first light this morning. Imagine my surprise at coming home to an empty house.” Greg didn’t sound pleased. “Rosalyn answered only after she got her cover story straight. When I couldn’t reach you, I figured this guy had something to do with it. As soon as his plates hit Aiken County, the police arranged a static tail. Then your sister phoned me and said this lunatic had kidnapped you.”
“He didn’t kidnap me.” Kali looked at Rhane. He was stock-still. “We were just talking.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s trouble, and I’ve told him to stay away.” Greg took a step toward her. “Come to me.”
“Kalista, don’t.” Rhane started to turn. And everything else happened too fast.
There was a shout. “GUN!” She heard the crack of a single shot and ducked. Successive firing hammered into the air all around, the sound of metal on metal deafening her ears. Something heavy slammed into her, and she was knocked roughly to the gr
ound. Somewhere above the chaos, she heard Greg shouting, “Hold your fire! Hold your damn fire!”
She opened her eyes. Rhane was kneeling over her, shielding every part of her body. That was him, always keeping her safe. “Don’t go with them.” His words tumbled out urgently. “Those dreams you spoke of. They are memories. You were being hunted because I was sent to kill you. But I killed my own to save you. That is my treason. Taking their lives for yours.”
“Why? Why were you going to kill me?” Her question was a frightened whisper.
The officers swarmed overhead. Rhane was lifted off of her. Arms wrenched behind his back, she heard the unmistakable snap of cuffs being secured into place. His eyes never left hers. “They thought you lost control. A lot of my kin died…nearly all of them.”
One of the officers removed a gun that was tucked securely in the waistband of Rhane’s jeans, casting a reproving glare at his nervous and sweating partner. Kali was shaking. Heat rose from her toes all the way up to her hands.
“Kalista, look at me. Stay with me.”
“What else? But there’s something else.” From somewhere outside her body, she felt Greg taking her hand and pulling her up from the pavement. His voice was asking if she was okay. His hands were checking to see if she were injured. All of it came from a distance. In that moment, she and Rhane were the only two people who mattered in the entire universe.
“There was a child,” Rhane said in a ragged whisper. “Our child…Rhaven…he died because I fought.”
Kali doubled over. She would have fallen to her knees if not for Greg’s arms about her waist. The world was going dark. “I don’t believe you,” she wheezed out. The officers started to pull Rhane away. Someone dragged her in the opposite direction. Her father. The man who raised her after her fake parents hadn’t wanted her anymore.
“Don’t do this. She’s in danger,” Rhane shouted at Greg’s back. “The man who brought you this child, do you still see him?” Greg stopped. “He told you to keep her safe, to give her a normal childhood. But he also told you that one day someone would come for her. Didn’t he?” Greg turned around. “He told you this would happen. Let me protect her.”