Silver Mortal (The Gracen Chronicles) (16 page)

Raising my chin I answer, “Well, you can't really compare a tigers stripes to a person's freewill. A tiger is physically born with stripes on their body...sort of like the viper sitting on your cheek.”

I reach my hand out like I'm going to caress his mark with my fingers. He lets out a shriek and jumps out of his seat, backing away from me like my touch will kill him. His cry surprises Phoenix and I, causing us to jump up as well. The tension is so clogged in the air it's hard to breath. The
heavy
emotions flying around the room are a mix of fear, anxiety, panic, confusion—the list could go on and on.

“Don't touch me,” Ash growls at me. “
Ever
.”

My heart plummets to my feet when Ash's eyes go completely black. The Silver Eagle stirs within me, my hairs standing on end, and I prepare myself for a fight. I don't know why, but this guy has pushed my buttons and I am more than happy to
touch
him. Phoenix must have felt our combined feelings in the air, because that's when he situates himself between us, stretching out his arms to keep us apart.

“Ash, you need to chill out,” Phoenix murmurs. “Gracen will not hurt you—”

“You don't know that!” Ash screams.

“Yes I do!” Phoenix shoots back, dropping his arms and getting in his face. “Gracen and her mother have agreed to help us. They are not our enemies; They are our friends.”

A shrill laugh escapes Ash's lips.

“That's what they all say, Phoenix,” he spits out nastily. “They take you in, feed you lies, and then cut you down as quick as possible. They'll keep us close for a little while, make us feel welcome, but when they have no use for us anymore, they'll throw us in the gutter, spit on us—walk all over us!” His face is bright red and veins are popping out of his neck, the stress of this meeting getting to him for reasons I'm not understanding.

Phoenix takes a step back, his hands at his sides. “Ash, you're thinking of the past. You're thinking about how they treated us back home. You're thinking about your father!”

“Don't talk about him!” Ash shouts, pushing Phoenix in the chest. He flies backward, falling onto the couch. That's what pulls my trigger.

In a flash I'm in front of Ash, locking eyes with him. His black orbs narrow at me as he takes a few steps back, his mouth dropping open with shock. The Eagle in me is screaming to fight, but I swallow down the urge. For the sake of Phoenix, and the others, I've got to try and get him to trust me.

Even if I have to beat it into him.

Phoenix tries to get in between us again, but I block his way, shaking my head at him. He gives me a desperate look, but settles for standing right beside me.

“Phoenix is right. I'm not going to hurt you.” I take two steps forward, my gaze stapled to his, and keep my tone calm and sincere. “True, I was skeptical at first, but I know that you guys want to change. I know that you escaped a life of torment, a true living hell, and that's why you're here today.”

I take another step forward as he takes another step back, the fear wandering off of him and crawling onto me.

“I'm not your enemy, Ash,” I continue as the eagle calms inside me. “You may not believe me, but I want to help you.” Glancing at Phoenix I say, “I want to help you all.”

Phoenix nods his head in return.

“How do you know that we really want to change?” Ash questions in a shaky voice.

I turn back to him and promptly answer, “Because I can feel your emotions. I can
sense
the good in you. On the outside you act tough and unreachable, but you can't hide your feelings on the inside, especially from me.”

I watch as the blackness
in
Ash's
wide
eyes slowly ebbs, bringing forth his bright blue orbs. A single tear slips down his cheek as he fumbles another cigarette out of his back pocket. Lighting it up and taking a drag, he peers down at me with sadness.

“You found me that night,” I remind him, “across the street from the restaurant, remember?” He nods his head yes, his gaze stuck on my face. I continue, “That night I didn't feel afraid of you. I knew in my heart that you wouldn't hurt anyone. And standing here right now, I know you don't mean anyone harm.”

He takes another puff of his cigarette and says, “I don't want to cause pain to others.”

“I believe that,” I tell him softly. “And I believe that night, the night you spoke into my mind, you were truly happy to find me. So why are you not happy to see me now?”

A laugh bubbles out of him, the sound echoing throughout the warehouse. Then his smile vanishes and again he looks at me with a dark shadow of sorrow on his pale face.

“You have no idea who you really are,” he tells me in a deplorable tone, and before I can ask what he means by that, he vanishes into a black mist. I stare at the empty spot a moment, wondering what had just happened.

“What
just happened
?” I turn my attention to Phoenix, completely baffled.

He shrugs. “I told you he's messed up.”

I walk into the kitchen and lean against the fridge, pinching the bridge of my nose. A stale headache is beginning to inch its way across my forehead. A huge blanket of fatigue falls on top of me, wrapping around my body and giving me a tight squeeze.

“Phoenix,” I whisper softly, “please take me home.”

chapter 15

The rush of wind and total blackness dissipates as Phoenix and I appear in my room. Knowing that my legs are about to give out, I fall back on my bed, flopping down on the soft pillows. I close my eyes, letting everything soak in. Meeting Ash and seeing how unplugged to reality he is has left me feeling troubled, the whole situation a big fuddling mess.

The night Ash had found me he'd acted relieved to see me, even going as far as speaking to me in my mind—I'm still a bit confused about how he'd done that. But why, after meeting me face to face, had he shied away from me, as if my touch was a plague?

“I'm sorry that didn't go so well, though I knew he wouldn't act right.”

I open my eyes to see Phoenix hovering over me, his dark eyes full of concern and pity. I had been so lost in my
many
thoughts that for a moment I'd forgotten that he was in my room.

“I'm getting used to it,” I tell him, shifting my
weary
gaze to the ceiling.

The bed dents as he sits down. “Used to what?”

“Nothing going well,” I answer without a glance at him. “My life has been one big screw-up after the next. I've never fit in, the first date I go on ends dramatically. I'm sixteen years old and my favorite past time is training with my Katana and scoping out various places in the city in hopes of finding a demon lair to destroy.”

I pause, switching my eyes up at him. “My attitude sucks, I have anger issues, and I'm socially and
mentally
awkward. A pathetic excuse for a Touched human being.”

Phoenix stares unblinkingly at me, biting his lip. He appears to be in deep thought, his forehead creased in determination, like whatever he's pondering is giving him a righteous headache. His emotions are churning around in his chest as he contemplates telling me what he's thinking.

A minute passes before he says, “I know what it's like to live an imperfect life. I understand how it feels to not fit in, to be socially unwanted. I knew all this at ten years old, when my mom and dad died. I was left in the care of Alexander Edwards, the man who killed my parents.”

I gasp, quickly sitting up. “Ash's dad killed them?”

He nods, his eyes wet with tears. “Yes, unfortunately.”

“But why? Why did he kill your parents?”

He swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. “He learned that they were starting an uprising against him. You see, my parents were the first to ever try and break away from the clan, but they were too trusting, too gullible.” He pauses, wiping at his eyes.

“Anyway,” he continues, “one of their so-called
friends
ratted them out. Alexander and a group of warrior demons came to our home, dragging my parents away. I'm not sure how they died, but I'm sure they were tortured for their treacherous act.”

A tear slips down my cheek. “I'm so sorry, Phoenix.”

“Ash and I have grown up the last seven years together. His father treated me differently than he treated Ash. He was much harder on Ash.” He wipes my tear away with his finger, adding in a whisper, “I've seen and lived through true hell. I know how it feels.”

My heart breaks in two. I extend a hand up to his cheek, palming it. Tears continue to gather in my eyes as his emotions fuse with my own.

“I'm sorry,” I tell him again. “I must sound so selfish right now, complaining about my life, while your life has been so horrible.”

He takes my hand and kisses my palm gently, the touch sending shivers up and down my spine. The look he's giving me is so fierce, consuming me entirely. My heart does a flip-flop in my chest as he starts kissing my fingertips. I blow out a breath, trying to regulate my stampeding heart.

“I'm not sorry I went through the heartache and the pain,” he tells me, getting closer to my face. “It made me a stronger person, though I lack the understanding when it comes to friendship...and love.”

I gaze at his lips as I inch closer to them. “We can help each other understand.”

He smiles. “I'd like that,” he tells me as he tilts his head to kiss me—but the kiss never lands. One second we're about to kiss, and the next second he's jumping off the bed, his gaze stretching over to the door.

“Your mother is coming,” he informs me, turning back to me. “See you at school tomorrow?”

I smile and sigh. “Yeah.” His smile broadens, just as the black mist envelops him and takes him away from me, and just in time, because Mom doesn't bother to knock.

The door swings open and she strolls in. She inspects my room, opening my closet door and peering in. Finding nothing, she checks my bathroom, only to find it's empty as well. Then she walks over to my bed and glares down at me.

“Are you alone in here?” she questions. Her hand is placed firmly on her hip, her gray eyes trapping me in a steely grip. The sun has set and she's already wearing her slayer garb.

“Of course I'm alone,” I reply, adding snidely, “Why would you ask that?”

“I thought I heard another voice in here,” she tells me, appearing bewildered.

Sweeping a quick glance around my room, I say, “Um, nope. Just me.”

Shaking her head she sits down in my desk chair, rubbing a hand through her short blonde hair. The air is thick with her feelings, ones I'm shocked she's having. Not only is her heart racing, but the panic and restiveness starts to cling onto me.

Crossing my leg
s on my bed I ask, “Mom, what is
bothering you? You're all jittery.”

“I just got some news,” she responds, “and I'm trying to deal with it.”

“Oh?” I'm intrigued. “What kind of news?”

Her gaze studies me a moment before she answers, “None that you need to worry about right now. When I figure it out I'll tell you, okay?”

Great. Mom's being secretive and holding back on me. I'd been hoping that she had comprehended the fact that I wasn't a little girl anymore, but it seems she still thinks of me as such.

Sighing, I decide to let this go for the time being. After being sick and meeting Ash, I'm so ready to not think or feel. All I want at the moment is to be alone—unless Phoenix wanted to join me.

I roll my eyes. “Fine, Mom. Tell me later. I don't even care.”

“Don't give me any attitude, Gracen,” she says strictly. “I know you've been sick the last couple of days, but that doesn't give you the right to belittle my decisions.”

Why is she so dang sensitive?  And what decisions is she talking about?

“Sorry,” I say, too tired to argue. “So, did you want to talk about anything else, or were you just checking up on me?”

“Actually, I wanted to talk about the Vipers Phoenix introduced you to Saturday.”

I make a face. “How did you—oh. Phoenix told you, right?”

She grins. “Yep. Tell me about them and tell me everything.” Very typical of mom to keep things from me, but I had to tell her every little detail of my life.

Again blowing out a sigh, I dive right into Saturday's details, leaving out the Mark situation. I also leave out meeting Ash and everything Phoenix told me about his past.

Hey, if Mom's allowed to have secrets it's only fair that I have a few of my own.

***

For the first time in ages I make it to school early, even before Phoenix. I'd wanted to get there early so we could talk, but as students start to trickle into the classroom it becomes apparent to me that Phoenix is running late.

I sigh, deciding to pull out my MP3 player and plug my ears with some grunge metal. Leaning my head back and closing my eyes, I listen to the pounding beat that invades my ears. Getting lost in the music, my mind pushes out all the negative crap, inviting the positive in. And that positive has a name, and his name is Phoenix Brooks.