Ripper (The Morphid Chronicles Book 2) (31 page)

After her trance, Calisto had come to with one useful piece of information:
“We have to get back to my place,”
which was what Greg had said when his Keeper instincts warned him Sam was in danger.

Now, Calisto closed her eyes. Her face went slack in an instant, and she sat so still she barely seemed to breathe. Brooke sighed, wondering how long it would take this time and whether or not Calisto would find any useful information this time.

“All he has is Pop-Tarts,” Perry complained from the small kitchen. The apartment had an open layout with no dividing walls between the living room and eat-in kitchen, so Brooke could see him holding one of the cabinet doors open as he peered inside.

“I could use one of those.” Brooke crossed into the kitchen and reached over Perry’s shoulder to grab a box of strawberry-filled pastries. “I prefer cherry, but this will do.”

Perry watched her open the box and pull out a Pop-Tart from the silver packet.

“Is this how you keep your . . .” his eyes traveled the length of her body, “
figure
?” He pronounced the last word in a tone that made Brooke blush.

Damn!
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d blushed because of a boy. Second grade? She loved how Perry made her feel. With Brandon it had been a struggle to even be noticed, but Perry’s wandering gaze left her no doubt her presence was appreciated. The problem was, if she wasn’t careful, she might become addicted to his attention.

“Pop-Tarts and pepperoni pizza,” she said, taking a bite.

“Lucky you.” He took a step closer. His eyes smoldered as he looked down at her. “Anything else? Inquiring minds want to know.”

“Oh, yeah? What for?”

“It’s date-relevant information.”

Holy crap! He wants to ask me on a date.

She was blushing again, and it had to be bad because it felt like her cheeks had ignited. Brooke turned on her heels to hide her reaction.

“All Italian food in general.” She closed her eyes and inhaled.

Perry took another step in her direction. He put a hand on her waist and leaned forward. His breath tickled her ear and sent a wicked shiver all the way to her tailbone.

Sweet baby Jesus.

This was no boy. This was a man, a man who knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to show it.

And he wants me. He wants me!

“I love Italian food, too,” he said in a deep voice that made Brooke think of many delicious things, none of which had anything to do with food.

“Perry!” Ashby called, his tone full of disapproval.

Brooke jumped. Perry barely moved.

“Yes?” he said, his breath still hot against her neck.

“May I have a word?” Ashby said.

“Now?”

“Yes, now!”

Slowly, Perry removed his hand from her waist. “He is such a bore. We’ll continue this later,” he whispered, before walking away and leaving her in dire need of physical support. She grabbed the counter to steady her knees, practically swooning.

When she recovered, she walked back into the living room. Perry and Ashby were nowhere in sight, but she could hear them arguing from what she assumed was Greg’s bedroom.

Joao had sat on the floor and was watching his sister. “She looks so peaceful.” He brushed a lock of brown hair off his forehead.

“She does.” Brooke sat by his side and offered him the second Pop-Tart still in the packet.

“Oh, thanks. American junk food. We don’t keep things like this at home.”

“I noticed.” Brooke crossed her legs at the ankles.

“Mum’s a stickler about everything. Lessons, exercise, hygiene, food, you name it.”

They watched Calisto for a moment. Her face was smooth, with no hint of any emotion on her features.

“Where did you guys come from?” Brooke asked. “Morphids, I mean. Have you always been around?”

“For a while, yeah. Recorded history dates back to 400 BC or so. We don’t belong here, not really. Our ancestors came from another dimension.”

“You’re shitting me, right?”

Joao shook his head. “No. At least, I don’t think so. There are old scrolls that speak of a Sorcerer so powerful that he figured out a way to move between our world and the human world. It is said he fled persecution from our realm and brought his followers with him.”

“So why don’t you all go back, if you think you don’t belong here?”

“Apparently, he didn’t teach anyone that particular spell and no other Sorcerer has been able to figure it out. Not for lack of trying.”

“Weird!” Brooke couldn’t think of what else to say.

After a quiet moment, Joao spoke, “Ashby won’t approve of you and Perry, you know.”

“What?” Brooke’s head snapped in his direction.

Joao didn’t make eye contact. He simply chewed his Pop-Tart and looked on.

Their attraction would have been hard to miss, but what made Joao think he could stick his nose in her barely-initiated
beeswax
?

“How is that any of his or
your
concern?”

She shouldn’t even dignify his interference with a question, but she couldn’t help it. Curiosity got the best of her.

Brooke wanted to believe that Morphids were little more than gorgeous humans, but she knew it wasn’t true. They had powers, castes, Integrals, destinies and a freaking Regent. For all she knew, there was some law against Human/Morphid relationships, and she and Perry were fated to be star-crossed lovers with the whole world against them.

Damn, I’ve read too many novels.

“Well, it isn’t my concern, but it is Ashby’s. I just wanted to warn you,” Joao said.

“Um,” Brooke changed her sitting position, squaring her shoulders in his direction. “Care to explain?” This, she added in a low, apologetic tone. Getting defensive hadn’t been a smart move. She hoped she hadn’t made him too mad and unwilling to elaborate.

Joao shrugged, indicating he was willing enough. “Perry is part of Ashby’s retinue. He’s being groomed to be a High Sorcerer.”

“Hold on,” Brooke got out her phone. “Let me pull up my translator.”

He smiled. “Well, in so many words, it means Perry has to do what Ashby tells him to do. And, to me, he didn’t look very happy while you two were . . . flirting.”

“But why?” The words were little more than a pathetic whine.

What the hell? I just met the guy and, all of a sudden, he matters this much?
Of course, it didn’t help that Joao was telling her she couldn’t have Perry. There really was no fastest way to get her obsessed about something or someone than to tell her it was off limits.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Joao absently scratched his wrist. “You should ask Ashby.”

“There isn’t some law that forbids Morphids to date humans, is there?”

He chuckled. “No. It’s frowned upon by older generations, but it’s more widely accepted now. Singulars should be allowed to have
fun
, too.”

“Fun?” Something about the way he’d said the word “fun” made her ask.

“You know.” Joao wiggled his eyebrows. “Sex.”

Brooke felt her face contort in some weird attempt to express all the emotions washing over her.

Joao gave her a puzzled glance. “What? You thought he . . . ? Ouch, I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t easy to regain her composure, but she did. “So sex is
all
he wants?”

“Brooke, Singulars don’t fall in love.”

“And Perry is a Singular?”

Joao nodded. “Most Sorcerers are, and definitely those destined to be High Sorcerers. They don’t pick any other kind. Conflict of interest, you know.”

Brooke looked down and played with her phone. Why the hell was she so bummed out about this? Sex was fine in her book. She wouldn’t turn Perry down on that account—not in a million years. So why the disappointment? She never expected much more from guys, not this early on, anyway.

“Just to be clear, I just met the guy,” she babbled. “I don’t expect anything from him, but it’s good to know where things stand, especially before you get into
any
kind of relationship. I mean, I’m not stupid. Plus, you guys might as well be aliens. I mean, it kind of sounds like you are, from what you just told me. I’m just watching out for myself.” Okay, now she was rambling. Brooke shut her mouth and pressed her lips into a tight line.

But she wasn’t fooling anyone. Joao was looking at her with warmth and sympathy in his eyes. He felt freaking sorry for her.
Great!

Brooke sighed. Well, at least he wasn’t laughing at her expense.

“Yeah, if you don’t watch out for yourself, no one will. It’s smart for you to ask these questions.”

“So are you a Singular?” She was ready to take this conversation well away from herself.

“Oh, no. I’m a Dual.” He waved a hand at Brooke’s impatient look and followed with an explanation. “It means that I have two castes. I’m a Companion and a Wingmaster.”

“It sounds complicated.”

“Not to me.”

Brooke gestured toward Calisto. “What about your sister?”

“She’s a Singular.”

“So she’ll never fall in love?”

Joao played with the empty Pop-Tart packet, folding it into an ever shrinking square. “Not likely.”

“It sounds terribly lonely.” Brooke cringed.

“Not to her. If the need for companionship isn’t there, why would you miss it? Besides, she has me, Mum, her friends. She’s not lonely.”

“I guess.”

At least she would never get a broken heart. That had to be an advantage. Brooke thought of something puzzling then. “Wait, how do you explain Greg? He’s not a Companion, and the guy is head-over-heels for Sam. How did that happen?”

“I don’t know. There
are
anomalies. It’s not unheard off.”

“Sam too, then. Because I assure you she’s not
in love with Ashby.”

Joao’s gaze drifted above Brooke’s head. He sucked in a breath and winced.

“He’s standing right behind me, isn’t he?” Brooke pressed two fingers to her temple. Finally, she looked back and found Ashby staring not daggers, but swords down at her.

“Any change?” he asked gesturing toward Calisto.

“None yet.” Joao jumped to his feet and walked toward the kitchen, crinkling the pastry packet in his hand. “Is there a rubbish bin somewhere?” He walked past Perry, who gave Brooke a meaningful glance.

What had Ashby told him? Had he ordered him to stay well away from her? Was the bit of
fun
she’d anticipated having over before it even began?

Maybe it was better this way. Perry was an expert flirt. Guys like that were only in it for sex. Unless she could be certain she’d be able to keep her feelings locked tight, pushing the situation further would only bring her tons of grief.

Not worth it. Not at all.

“I’ve no idea where they went!” Calisto suddenly exclaimed. “They ran around like crazy gathering their bags and not once, not once, mentioned where they were going. Who does that?!”

“People who don’t know where they’re going?” Perry offered.

“Hell! What now?” Brooke asked.

The hope of finding Sam was slipping away. What if she’d run away for good? What if Greg took her where no one could ever find her?

Brooke fought the sting in the back of her eyes. “What if I never see my friend again?”

Calisto clambered to her feet and let out a sigh. “Don’t freak out yet. Not all hope is lost. From what I can tell, they left in Greg’s car. Maybe they talked about it in the parking lot. We’ll have to move this freak show outside and hope no one calls the asylum to come retrieve me once I start rewinding.” Without waiting for anyone to say anything, she walked out the door, urging them to hurry and stop standing around gawking like idiots.

Maybe there still was hope. Brooke tried desperately to hold on to it.

Chapter 40 - Ashby

Ashby was the last one out of Greg’s apartment. He shut the door behind him and tried to put Brooke’s words out of his mind, even as they rang in his ears over and over again.

I assure you, she’s not in love with Ashby
.

It should have come as no surprise. From the moment he first met Sam, he’d seen her infatuation with Greg. With their Companion vinculum out of the way, what else could be expected?

Two months ago, for a few precious hours, Ashby had known bliss. She had morphed, their link had formed and Morphid nature had taken its course. She’d wanted to be with him, had gone to Rothblade Castle of her own accord, willing to leave Greg behind. If only they’d had more time, her deviant attraction to her Keeper would have been forgotten.

But Danata hand ruined it all, had severed any chance at happiness Ashby had once had.

Damn you, Mother. You deserve whatever punishment Roanna brings down on you.

Ashby held on to the railing and went down the stairs. The others had moved on to the adjoining parking lot and were talking in hushed tones.