Overworld Chronicles Books 1-2: Sweet Blood of Mine & Dark Light of Mine (73 page)

Elyssa took my hand and led me away from the others. "You need to have a talk with him, Justin."

"About what?"

"He's feeling a lot of guilt right now. He thinks he's failed you."

"How do you know?"

"I can see it in his eyes. He's tried so hard to get your mom and sister back but instead you've had to bail him out twice. I may not be a man, but I know how the ego works, and his is hurting right about now. How would you feel if you were in his position?"

I gave her words some thought and realized with horror she was right. I'd feel like crap if I couldn't keep my family safe. Even worse, I still hadn't done a thing to help my mother or sister. Dad's problems had tangled me up so much that reuniting with the rest of my family had fallen to the bottom of a long list. But now it was over. He was no longer marked and we could rescue Mom and Ivy together. Once I took care of Underborn's task.

"You're about to do something really stupid," Elyssa said. "Again."

"Huh?"

"It must be about finding your mother and sister."

"Are you sure you can't read minds?"

"Your face is like an emoticon, Justin. Every time something pops into your head, your face either turns into a frowny, a smiley, or the far-off vacant look you have now which tells me you're planning—I mean about to leap headfirst into—something."

"A vacant look?" I glanced around for a mirror but didn't see one. "Great, now I know I look like a moron when I'm trying to figure something out."

She laughed and pecked a kiss on my nose. "I think it's cute." Her smile faded as she regarded me, curiosity burning in her violet eyes. "Now tell me exactly what's going on in that head of yours."

"Just like you said. I want to rescue my mom and sister." I glanced back at Dad. "I want to help Dad this time. Maybe things will work out better."

She nodded. "How about we gather some intel, draw up some plans, and maybe put a bit of thought into things first?"

I thought back to Underborn's comments regarding mine and Elyssa's strengths and how they complemented each other. He might be a backstabbing assassin but he had a point when it came to my girlfriend.

Stacey giggled and rested a hand on Smith's shoulder as he spoke with her near the stool where she'd been reading a moment ago. He pushed up his thick glasses and smiled. Not more than a few weeks ago, I'd had glasses like his. I'd also been shorter and quite a bit rounder around the middle than Smith, too. I glanced at my arms and rubbed a hand across my flat stomach. I'd come a long way physically, but what about mentally? I was still a nerd, no doubt about it, but what kind of a person was I turning into? Things had been so frantic I'd hardly had a moment to think about any future more than five minutes away. What if I ended up like Underborn said? What if I figured it was okay to blackmail or kill people to have my way?

I looked at my dad and thought about the rest of my family. I thought about winning the approval of Thomas Borathen, and an unwelcome dagger of ice twisted in my guts. What would I have to do for a normal life? Would I be able to keep myself whole, or would I even recognize myself by the end?

Elyssa squeezed my hand. "Earth to Justin, come in, Justin."

I smiled. "Sorry. I think my brain is short-circuiting."

"You're just now figuring that out?" She graced me with one of her rare giggles. "I'm going to search the Templar database to see if we have records on the Conroys. First thing we need to figure out is where they live and whether your mother and sister are there. I wouldn't doubt it if they keep her somewhere else."

"Sounds good," I said. "I'm going to rest. It's been a long day."

Elyssa came closer, pressing a hand to my forehead and looking into my eyes. "You do look pretty worn out, hon. Get something to eat and go to bed. We can't do anything until you're fully recovered anyway."

"I will." I kissed her and then walked over to where Ryland was cooking. "That smells really good."

"Thanks," he said in a surly voice.

"Are you cooking for everyone?"

"What does it look like?"

I dropped into a nearby chair. "Jeez, dude. The wine giving you a tummy ache or something?"

Stacey giggled again as Smith conjured a pair of flying kittens with tiny superhero costumes and made them fly around the room.

I chuckled. "Man, I'll bet the women eat that up."

Glass shattered. I turned and saw wine dripping down Ryland's hand and arm since his wine glass had apparently imploded.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He growled and rinsed his hand in the sink, a deep cut in the flesh healing within a minute. "Peachy." He tossed a load of stir-fry into a large bowl and handed it to me across the kitchen counter.

I looked at him in confusion a moment longer before digging into the food. My taste buds rejoiced from the first mouthful. "Holy cow, Ryland, you can really cook." I chewed slowly, savoring the tangy sauce he'd used.

He turned away from me, apparently pouring another glass of wine. "Yeah." When he turned, his eyes locked onto Smith and Stacey.

Something in my stupid man brain clicked at that moment. I looked from him to Stacey. Each time she smiled or touched Smith, Ryland's scowl deepened. I had suspected he might have something for her but dismissed it as sheer lunacy. Since when would a wolf fall in love with a feline? Then again, they were mostly human, right?

"This might be none of my business," I said, "but if you like her, you should talk to her."

"You're right," he said. "It's none of your business."

"No wonder you've been sticking around. Isn't Thomas gonna be ticked you're not back yet?"

He shook his head. "No, because I'm spying on you and keeping an eye on his daughter."

A chill ran through my chest. "What have you told him?"

"Nothing of use." He turned his gaze to me. "I happen to think Vallaena is right about you." His top lip curled up, revealing an unnaturally long canine. "Much as I hate to admit it, I think something bad is coming."

I paused mid-bite. "You do?"

"Templar duty used to be pretty straightforward. A few rogue vamps, a lone wolf or two gone bad, sometimes even a black sorcerer who was up to no good. But ever since Thunder Rock, things have heated up. The Templar logs from the last few years are full of major incidents and the band of rogue vampires who kidnapped your father are just the tip of the iceberg."

"You're simply too much, Adam," Stacey said in response to Smith, her voice loud and clear from across the sizeable common room.

I could hear Ryland's teeth grinding. Stacey's eyes glanced toward him for a split second. She
knew
Ryland was getting ticked. Judging from the mischievous tilt of her smile, I had a feeling everything she was doing was calculated. It wasn't like I felt any more observant about women or anything, but my incubus instincts were kicking back in as my body recovered.

"You really like her, don't you?" I said to Ryland.

His eyes widened and he hurriedly gulped down the rest of his wine, turned, and went for the bottle.

I snorted. "Don't get all embarrassed on me."

"I ain't embarrassed. Just don't like talking about it."

"And how's that working for you?"

"Not so good."

I took another bite of the delicious stir-fry and regarded Stacey and Smith for a moment. "She's just flirting with Smith to egg you on. I think she likes you too."

Ryland grabbed a seat next to me and leaned over. "You think so?"

I nodded. "I'm an incubus, after all." I tapped my temple. "I know this stuff." Actually, I was applying another incubus skill, namely, bald-faced lying. I didn't know for sure Stacey liked him, but something in my gut told me she did.

"I guess you would, right? I mean, don't you guys have a sense for emotion?"

"Yep." I finished the last bit of stir-fry and set the bowl on the counter next to my seat. "Do you feel weird at all that she's a felycan? I mean, can the wolf-cat thing work out?"

He shrugged. "I've never felt like this so I don't know."

"What do you mean you've
never
felt like this?"

"I've been with women over the years. Even loved a few of them. But this girl—" he shook his head and gazed adoringly at Stacey. "She lights a fire in me. Drives me crazy, too. Sometimes I just wanna pin her against the wall and shut her up with my lips."

My face grew warm and I took a gulp of water to cover my embarrassment. I'd felt that way about Elyssa a few times for sure. At this point, I really didn't know what to tell him, so I went for broke. "So why don't you? Maybe that's what she wants you to do. You're both Alphas of your own packs. So act like an Alpha and take charge."

He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed and gazed with a thoughtful expression at Stacey. "All or nothing, huh?"

"Ryland, you're a wolf. Since when does a wolf not take what he wants?"

He smacked the bottom of his fist into the palm of his hand. "You're right, Justin. I've been wussing out over this girl for too long."

"Hell, yeah, Ryland. Man up and carpe girl."

"Carpe girl?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, you know. Carpe diem? Seize the day?"

He burst into laughter. "Seize the girl?"

"Exactly."

The door to the other bedroom opened and Meghan came out, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Smith did a double-take and offered some parting comment to Stacey before making a beeline to Meghan. Stacey slinked over to us like a cat on the prowl, the roll of her hips hypnotizing, and I wondered if she weren't part succubus.

"Keeping the dog entertained, my lamb?" Stacey said in a purr.

Ryland got up and walked back around the kitchen counter. "You hungry, or did you just come over here to insult me?"

A languid smile curled Stacey's generous lips. "Someone is rather sensitive this evening."

Ryland poured himself some more wine.

"Adam is very charming, Justin. Did you see the flying kittens?"

"Kind of hard to miss," I said. "Nice trick, I suppose."

Ryland leaned back against the fridge and looked across the room, his eyes lingering on Smith and Meghan.

"How was the stir-fry, Justin? Can the dog cook?"

Ryland's face darkened but all he did was take another swig of wine.

"Carpe girl," I said and stood up.

"What?" A puzzled look furrowed Stacey's forehead.

Ryland's look turned glum. What was going on with him? He couldn't really be shy, could he?

"The stir-fry is amazing," I said. "You should grab some."

"Perhaps I will," she said, stepping into the kitchen. She reached for a bowl on the shelf behind Ryland, her body brushing against his. Poor guy. She was toying with him like a cat with a mouse at this point.

Stacey took the bowl and set it on the counter. "I'll be surprised if it's palatable. You know the sorts of things dogs eat."

Ryland blurred into motion. Grabbed Stacey by the shoulders. Spun and slammed her against the kitchen wall. Her eyes widened with shock as his lips met hers. She struggled, hands pushing at him but he overpowered her, pressing the length of his body against hers.

I wondered if I'd made a horrible mistake telling him to go aggressive as Stacey squirmed and shoved. I backed away, my face heating with uneasy embarrassment.

Then, out of the blue, Stacey gave a contented sigh as her arms encircled Ryland, pulling him tight. She ran her leg up his and he growled deep in his throat. My embarrassment reached new heights. I spun on my heel and walked across the room to Smith and Meghan.

"What's wrong?" Meghan asked the minute she saw me. "Your face is bright red."

"I'm kinda tired. Probably gonna hit the sack."

"You want to help me set up a perimeter?" Smith asked Meghan. "I love how you tie off your wards. You're so neat about it."

"You really think so?"

"Heck yeah. I'm hoping I can learn a thing or two by watching you."

Meghan's face brightened with the compliment. She bounced a little on her heels, clasping her hands in front of her and giving them a shy look. "I'd love to help."

One thing was for sure. Smith was a natural flirter. I said goodnight to Dad and found Elyssa in the smaller of the two bedrooms, fiddling around with her smartphone.

"I hope I didn't just upset the balance of the universe or anything," I said, "but Ryland just kissed Stacey on my advice."

Her eyes widened. "No way."

"Yes way."

"I knew Ryland had a thing for her. But I had no idea Stacey liked him."

"Apparently so."

"So, dish! I want to hear everything."

I chuckled and gave her the rundown of events. She ate up the details like a woman reading a trashy romance novel. "I'll bet you enjoy reality TV."

"You have a problem with that?"

I shook my head. "Of course not. What could be more fun than watching other people make train wrecks out of their lives?"

She nodded. "Exactly."

"And to think I always figured you for the low-drama kind of girl."

She yawned and stretched. "That's me, all right. I let other people live out the drama so I can enjoy it."

I took off my shoes and shirt and lay back-down on the bed. My limbs felt like dead weight. "I'm so tired all of a sudden."

Elyssa lay down sideways, leaning on her elbow and traced my newly chiseled—and formerly buried in chub—abs with her fingers. "Are you trying to tempt me?"

I pulled her on top of me and kissed her. "Any way I can."

She smiled. "I researched the Conroys, but haven't come up with anything actionable just yet. A little more time and we should have something to go on."

"You're so hot when you go all Sherlock Holmes."

She pecked my nose and smiled, then slipped off me and leaned on her elbow again as her smile faltered. "What are you going to do about school? About Nyte and Ash?"

I blew out a long sigh. I hadn't thought about our mutual friends much over the past couple of days, but it was time I started. Coach Burgundy was probably wondering where I'd vanished to and his threat against my friends hung heavy on my conscience. In a nutshell, he'd told me if I didn't play football, bad things could happen to my friends. Elyssa and I didn't have much to worry about, but Nyte and Ash were mortal and vulnerable. And if Maximus truly had allies at the school, he might tell them to go after my friends. Maybe kidnap them or worse.