Mortal Obligation

Page 22

Once again she found herself locked in his stare and didn't step away when he reached up and touched her cheek. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if he had been so perfect before he had been turned and decided he must have been. He was gorgeous in a way very few were blessed with. Her gaze roamed from his eyes and over the rugged planes of his cheek to the lush fullness of his lips. His eyebrows drew together and his mouth pulled up on one side in a half smile. His thumb ran across her cheek gently and she shivered.
“It's your eyes that are so expressive. It's like reading a book.”
She blushed again, and looked down. He chuckled but let his hand drop and took a step back so she could move her leg down from the chair. “I don't know how to fight with a knife,” Ree said, trying to find a subject that wasn't so uncomfortable. Tensing her leg, she moved her foot a little to see if the knife was noticeable. It was actually pretty comfortable, and the handle was so slim that it didn't pucker the denim of her jeans. Even more so, the weight felt familiar and oddly reassuring tucked against her leg.
“We will work on that later. I just want you to get used to wearing it, and not being afraid of it.” He stepped back and looked her up and down. “Sophie did well with the clothes. Very striking.”
“These are hers? Maybe she has some other boots I can wear. These are really expensive, and I’d hate to mess them up.” Ree looked down at herself and tried to not think about his compliment.
“The gods stock the closets with whatever we need. Consider it part of your paycheck.”
It still seemed like a waste of good clothes to Ree.
As if reading her mind, Roland laughed. “Don't worry about it Ree. They owe you much more than expensive clothes.”
“I guess,” she said, frowning.
“C’mon let’s find the others and head to the dock.”
Chapter 29
“I am really ready for the spring,” Bryce said. He was huddled next to Ree on the boat as they crossed the sound.
“I thought you were all excited about your first hunting trip.” Ree smiled grimly.
“Oh, well, yeah. But it would be better in the spring or the fall.”
“They were humans, Bryce. They may not have wanted to be Dark Ones.” That thought had been bothering her for hours. They were going to kill people that had already been tortured and turned into something alien. Did they still have feelings? They might regret what had happened, or even try to avoid killing.
“They aren't human any more, Ree. Their soul is destroyed by the disease. Roland told us that while we were training. We can’t let their looks or words fool us,” Bryce said quietly, his eyes worried.
“But Roland –” Ree said. She stopped when Bryce shook his head.
He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “He told us he’s the exception and wouldn't be any different if Tria hadn't used her gift on him.” He looked around the boat quickly. “We weren't supposed to tell you because they figured you’d run around and try to fix all of the Dark Ones we run across.”
“Why wouldn't they tell me that? Of course I would try to fix them!” Ree's voice rose angrily, but Bryce shushed her when the others looked their way.
“You can't do that, Ree. Not only do some of them choose their fate, they seek it out for years.”
“But some of them might want to have some of their humanity back!” Ree said.
“It killed Tria. It took so much effort on her part she drained herself to death.” The anger seeped out of Ree in an instant, and she sat back in shock. They had told her she could do that to herself, but she really hadn't considered it a reality.
“They didn't tell you because they knew you would try it if it was a possibility. I think you would have ended up trying it on your own anyway, so you should know what could happen.” Bryce bumped her shoulder with his, and she gave him a small smile. Ree usually listened to Bryce when he had something to say. He was the one in the group that truly felt like a big brother and his advice was to be taken seriously.
“Who didn't want to tell me?” She was pretty sure she already knew the answer, but wanted to hear it anyway. Bryce’s eyes darted to Paden, Roland, and Sophie. She sighed and leaned back against the rail. Of course Paden wouldn't want her to know about that. And they were right that it would be overly costly to even try, but they should have trusted her to make the right decision. The irony of the situation was too much. Save the world and fight the monsters but be treated like a child.
“Just promise that if you want to do something crazy like that, you at least give us a warning.”
“Deal.” She bumped his fist with her own.
She watched the giant houses go by as they neared their dock. The large Victorian looked as dilapidated as ever, and Ree wondered if the land was only used for the dock or if the house was actually inhabitable. The boat motored up to the dock and Eric cut the engines. The others hopped off the boat gracefully and irritation tightened Ree's throat as she crawled over the railing onto the dock. A warm hand steadied her shoulder before she could slip and fall back into the boat.
Paden’s eyes were full of emotion as they met hers. He gave her a small, self-deprecating smile. “Are you ready for this?”
She was instantly disappointed he hadn't said anything about the kiss and then chastised herself for not being focused on the immediate danger they were about to go looking for. “I guess so,” she shrugged. “We don't have much time before we go back to school and have to leave the island anyway. Might as well get a good taste of what we’re in for.”
“It's easier for us. Something inside of us was just waiting for you to start the change, to hunt the Dark Ones. We were bred to be something else. But you’re still human, with all of the restraints. The learning curve for us is phenomenal. You have to work to keep up with the changes.”
“I'm human, not stupid, Paden.” She stalked past him, even angrier than she had been when he ignored her after the kiss.
“You know that wasn't what I meant,” he said, exasperated.
“No, I don't know what you meant. It sure sounded like you think I’m an idiot,” she said, still walking away from him. The others were staring at them as she headed in their direction. Roland's face was impassive, and Sophie was watching them worriedly.
“Ree, you’re one of the smartest people I know. I just meant that when you started the change it made us more adaptable to dealing with the Dark Ones. And you don't have that advantage.” He tugged her to a stop before running a hand through his hair.
“I am tired of being reminded I’m human. That you’re an immortal warrior, descended from gods. I am risking everything – everything! And the best I can hope for is to retire early.”
“Ree –” Paden began.
“No, you don't get to 'Ree' me. I have a right to be angry and frustrated.”
“Ree,” he said again, a little calmer.
“And you keep jerking me around. You finally kiss me, my very first kiss, and first you avoid me, then you berate me for taking some time for myself, and then – the cherry on top – you insult my intelligence!”
“I was your first kiss?” He stared at her, eyes wide, before looking over his shoulder at the others who were busily putting stuff in cars or talking loudly. “You’d never kissed anyone?”
“No. You know how people treat me at school. I'm a social leper.” Heat washed through her cheeks and she couldn't meet his gaze.
“What about that guy you went to that dance with? Shaun something, right?”
“Very firmly friends. Anyway, it doesn't matter.”
“I didn't know,” he said softly.
“It doesn't matter, does it? Obviously you think it was a mistake. You could have at least talked to me. I wouldn't have been a freak about it.” Ree's anger revived and it gave her the courage to meet his eyes.
“Not a mistake, Ree. I don't know what I meant; I just wanted to kiss you. But it means breaking my promise.”
“Yeah, yeah. Your promise. I get it.” She tried to push past him, but he wouldn't budge. For just a moment, she considered using the power to shove him away, but figured that would be childish.
“It isn't just the promise, Ree. I’m always going to look eighteen. It would hurt to watch you grow old and lead a normal life.”
Her mouth fell open, her breath hitching as she stared at him. She knew deep down in her chest the immortality thing was an issue. Her mind flashed back to his pained expression at Sophie’s shop when they had talked about Ree growing old. When she was sixty, he would be the same as he was now, gorgeous and perfect. It would be a form of torture. Of course, that was depending on her making it through the battles this war was sure to drop on her head.
“You know, Paden, I think you’re taking the easy way out, here. We don't even know if we're going to live through tonight, much less the next few weeks.” Sighing, she pushed past him and joined the others. Talking to him about this thing floating between them left her exhausted and emotionally drained. She didn't want to go into this hunt tired and distracted. As she climbed into the back seat of Bryce’s SUV she caught a glimpse of Roland's bright blue eyes before he looked away.
Chapter 30
The ride to the historic district was uncomfortable, at best. Paden had stubbornly climbed into the back seat with Ree, effectively cutting her off from the conversation in the front. She had ignored his attempts to get her talking and simply stared out of the window. She tuned out the others as they tried to ease the tension with chatter. She knew they were excited, but she just couldn't join them in their enthusiasm. Instead she tried to evaluate how having the power changed her perceptions of normal scenes. When she had come to the island the first time, it had been running through her, unchecked. She had felt like things were pushing on her, weighing on her mind as they passed stores and houses. Now she knew what she had experienced was, in fact, the energy of all the people in those homes and buildings. Even now she was aware of a pressure as they drove by different buildings.
Carefully, she reached for the power and was startled to see the glow of her eyes reflected in the window. While on the island, no one had really mentioned her eyes glowing. Other than a slight aversion to bright lights, they really didn't feel different so she hadn't thought about it much. She would have to ask Sophie how to keep them from doing that so she didn't attract attention from curious people. For the rest of the trip she continued to try and sense different things and to work on picking out what each spike of energy signified. When they passed a couple arguing in a minivan, there was a dark surge of power. It was an angry hum that she could almost feel radiating along her skin.
As the newer buildings were replaced with old houses and giant, moss-covered oaks, she let go of the power and simply watched the people walking through the downtown squares. Sanctus Island was beautiful, the newer sections of Savannah boasted lots of shops and restaurants, but the history of downtown had always appealed to Ree the most.
There was a new person working the front at the antique shop. Wearing a vest and bow tie, the older man had a distinguished charm. From what Ree could tell, the couple eyeing the large, four-poster bed was eating out of his hand.
“Is he part of the, um, community?” Ree kept her voice low in case he’d find the question odd.
“We tend to refer to it as the society, and yes, he is.” Sophie closed the door to the front and sat in her desk chair. “Mr. Warren is a professor at the art college. His wife was taken by the Dark Ones six years ago. He provides information when we need it and has offered to help keep the shop running now that you have been targeted.”
“Do you ever worry that you can't trust someone in the society?” Paden kept his voice low. “You guys employ and trust a lot of people that could be moles.”
Her eyebrows drew together as Ree considered what he was saying. Could someone infiltrate their plans and expose their efforts to the bad guys?
“Oh, we do the normal things. Background checks, investigations, internet searches,” A smile crept up Sophie’s face. “The real testing, though, is done by the gods. They can see their dreams, see their secret desires and thoughts. You can't lie to a god.”
“They can see our dreams?” The rickety chair creaked as Weylin leaned forward and rubbed his palms on his jeans. “Oh man. I hope the hot redhead didn't take a peek last night.”
An orange flew across the room, aimed at Weylin's head. He caught it deftly and shot Paden an apologetic look. “Sorry, man. I know she’s your great, great-times-a-thousand grandmother. But she was hot.”
Mr. Warren stuck his white-haired head through the door and smiled apologetically to everyone. “Sorry to interrupt, Sophie. The couple up front wants to know about the pickup procedures, but I’m clueless to that part of the business.”
“Of course, Scott. I think I have that information written down in a notebook.”
With a smile and a nod he ducked back into the front and they could hear him talking the customers.
“Okay guys. When I get back, we are headed out to hunt.” As Sophie left the back room and entered the store part of the shop, Ree heard her greet the customers in her lilting accent. There was no telling how long Sophie had lived in the States, but from the time she had spent with the immortal, Ree could tell she was playing up the accent for the sale.
The others had all headed out to the parking lot in the back. Patiently holding the door open, Paden was looking at her expectantly. Sighing to herself, Ree joined the rest of them in the cold air outside. Tugging the stylish leather jacket tighter, she decided she was more than ready for spring. It might not be snowing or below freezing, but the wind could steal your breath away.
“Are you ready, Ree?” Leaning against the wall, Roland faded into the dark brick of the shop. Light and shadows broke up the planes of his face; the sapphire of his eyes almost glowed.
“Ready as can be expected.” She sat down on one of the parking blocks. She had seen Paden’s shoulders tense out of the corner of her eye when Roland addressed her. He took up a position behind her and crossed his arms over his chest. One side of Roland's mouth jerked upwards as he watched Paden posturing behind her. She sighed in irritation and shook her head.
Pushing himself off of the wall, the Dark One sat next to her on the parking stone, his knee brushing hers. She looked at him in consideration, not sure if he was trying to be friendly or just get under Paden's skin. The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement when he noticed her thoughtful expression. “Surely with your gifts you can tell I just wanted to sit next to a pretty girl. Of course, irritating the godling is a plus.”