Blood Brother Cursed (Sexton Blood Brothers #2)

Chapter 4

A Little Too Much

Elliott just sighed. “He knows a lot about everyone. Unlike most shifters, he’s also got abilities beyond shifting and healing.”

“So… it’s not normal for someone to be both a shifter and to have some kind of gift?”

Phoenix looked at her with his passive expression, but Elliott said, “No. Not usually. Some types of animals are more prone to it, like cats and wolves, but that’s more to do with their lifestyles.”

Trying to look surprised, Astrid asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Elliot cocked his head and looked up, “wolves are very pack-driven.” He looked at her. “They have abilities that help to make that bond very tight. The alphas are able to communicate without being anywhere close to other shifters. This one alpha contacted a cat up in space and helped get him home safely. And cats, well, they tend to mate with anything. It creates a world of problems, too.”

Phoenix’s eyes flicked over to Elliott and then back to Astrid as if looking for a reaction. Astrid tried to keep her focus on Elliott. “What do you mean they mate with anything?”

“Shifters tend to stick with their own kind. Bears with bears, wolves with wolves, that kind of thing. And when they don’t, you get a real mixed bag of possibilities. Dragons are the most…” he moved a hand around in a circle. “Potent is probably the best word. But only a handful of families have women who can shift into dragons. I think I know of a dozen throughout all of our history – and I only learned about one of those recently.”

Phoenix coughed into his hand, and Astrid looked at him, suspecting that he was covering for a laugh, but she quickly looked back to Elliott. He seemed to be incredibly knowledgeable, and unlike Phoenix, he wasn’t asking for anything in return.

Initially, Phoenix didn’t want anything either. Then again, he seems to already know a lot without me saying a damn thing.

“Anyway, dragon women tend to marry humans because, for a long time, they were shunned for not being powerful. Unless they had a very useful power, then they were married off to improve the family’s standing.”

“What?” Astrid looked mortified.

Elliott shrugged. “My family wasn’t like that. I only learned that was what it was like after finally leaving home. Personally, I can’t imagine what it would be like to have such a heartless family, but apparently, they are still around. As Coop always says, just because someone isn’t powerful doesn’t mean that person isn’t capable. The number of amazing women I’ve met while traveling has shown me why Cooper has always been so protective of them.”

A soft smile shone in his eyes, and he looked sweet. “When I’m finally ready to settle down, I hope that I can be half the shifter he is.”

Phoenix leaned forward, “You aren’t going to return to Sexton?”

Elliott turned a little, then shook his head. “It would be unwise.”

“Even if…” Phoenix narrowed his eyes.

Elliott’s expression hardened. “Even if what?”

Phoenix exhaled hard but didn’t fill in the gaps.

Astrid brushed some hair out of her face, “I’m sure you can be even better than Cooper. I mean, the fact that you can appreciate what he’s done and have a desire to emulate him says a lot of good things about you.”

Elliott shook his head. “At best, I’ll be a cheap imitation. He does good things because he’s a good person.”

When she went to open her mouth, a hand tapped her knee. Astrid looked over at Phoenix, who was watching Elliott passively. He gave a barely perceptible shake of his head. Annoyed, she decided not to delve further. The guys weren’t together, but it was obvious that there was some sort of history between them. Or between their families.

Finally, Elliott looked over at Phoenix. “So, you invited me here for some kind of therapy or group discussion? Because if that’s the case, I have other things to do.”

“I invited you here because she has questions, and I think you are a much better source for answers.”

“You are trying to flatter me.”

Phoenix laughed. “When have I ever flattered anyone?”

This got a partial smile from Elliott. “That’s… a fair point. I don’t think you see any reason to flatter people. It’s a tool I’ve only recently learned to wield. And, if I’m being honest, I feel that I’ve undergone some real growth over the years – or perhaps it’s statistics – but it’s nice to know that there are some more cold, calculating shifters out there.”

“Call it a result of the curse.”

Elliott pursed his lips, but his expression gave Astrid the impression that he was actually feeling sorry for Phoenix. The two looked at each other for a while, then Elliott finally turned to her. “Now that you are situated, I suppose you and I have some things to discuss.”

Astrid gestured toward Phoenix. “The three of us.”

To her surprise, Phoenix stood up and dropped a lot of cash on the table. “I think this is the point where I can leave you two to talk. You have my number, Ms. Lynnox. If you want to contact me to learn more, I’ll try to work you into my schedule.” He turned to Elliott. “Good luck, Elliott.”

“I don’t need luck,” he sniffed.

Astrid reached out and grabbed Phoenix’s hand. “Wait. How did you know about Evander?”

Elliott turned to look at him, too. Phoenix pulled his hand away and closed his eyes. “I knew him.”

He didn’t wait to hear her response, not that it mattered much. It took her a while to recover. When she finally processed what he had said, it was too late to ask anything else. Astrid turned and looked at Elliott just as the waiter returned with the food.

The waiter looked at Phoenix’s retreating back. Astrid noticed that the hostess tried to stop him, but he simply brushed her off. The waiter then asked, “Is he coming back? Should I box up his food?”

Elliott looked at the extra plate of fish. “Yes, please.”

The waiter quickly disappeared.

Once they were alone, Astrid immediately started questioning the person who had remained. “Did you know?”

Elliott shrugged. “Two decades ago, I pretty much lived as a hermit at my brother’s house. I have nearly no knowledge of his life during that time, and even less of an idea about the world at large from back then.”

“You… were a hermit?”

“I preferred to just study science. It was only when Cooper brought home Alina that I started really taking an interest in the outside world.”

“Why?”

He looked away. “Personal reasons.”

Astrid could feel the hurt in his voice, so she decided to drop that topic. “So, what have you done since leaving?”

“Mostly researched people like you.”

“What do you mean people like me?” It was an honest question, and she surprisingly didn’t feel any offense at his words.

“People with abilities. It means you have dragon blood. And it means your brother probably had some abilities as well.”

“Yes. Yes, he did. We got it from my father’s side, and our abilities were similar.”

“You don’t mean that he could manipulate water.”

Her eyebrows went up. “You sound certain.”

“Elemental families usually have similar abilities, but with different elements.”

“Oh.” She looked at him. “You’ve met other… elementals?”

“Yes, a few. And I’ve studied the history of that particular ability since it is the easiest to research. You guys usually aren’t particularly dangerous unless you get really angry. I’ve found it ironic that the people who control fire tend to be the most mellow, though. That was rather unexpected.”

Astrid considered this. “They tend to have more problems, though.”

Elliott’s expression shifted a little, and he leaned forward. “Your brother could manipulate fire?”

“No, my father. My brother was able to manipulate rocks and, as he put it, the ground.” She smiled at the memory, but it quickly faded. “My father got cancer and died, but like you said, he was far more mellow than I am. Can’t say that he was calmer than my brother, though. Then again, my brother was a deer shifter, so it’s not like he was going to be really angry anyway.” The words were out of her mouth before she really thought about them, and she regretted it almost immediately.

Oh, that’s great. Just give him the only potential advantage you had.

This really got Elliott’s attention. “Your brother was a shifter, and he had abilities?”

Astrid pressed her lips closed, but she soon relaxed them. Elliott was definitely different, and there was a chance he would be able to help her in a way that no one else could.

Please be a cat shifter.

He watched her expectantly, and then he asked, “Does that mean you are also a deer shifter?”

She slowly shook her head. “No. I – we had different mothers. Dad didn’t know that he had shifter blood, but he knew that he had abilities. His first wife told him a bit about the shifter world, and she knew why he had abilities. I don’t really know how they found out about each other’s abilities, though. Anyone who could have told me is dead.” She looked at her hands, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake. “Because he could manipulate fire – man, the things he used to do with it. I mean, camping was a lot more exciting.” Her mind traveled back. “I really miss him.”

“Your father died?”

Astrid blinked a couple of times. “Yes. About two months ago. He fought cancer for about a quarter of a century before he finally gave up. I think he was just waiting for me to be able to take care of myself so that I wouldn’t be turned over to other family members. My brother died about 20 years ago. And his mother died after childbirth. When I was little, though, Dad, Evan, and I would have little competitions at home. I wasn’t very old, so I had to get really creative to compete with them.”

Elliott cocked his head to the side, and a slight smile crossed his lips. “As someone with water abilities, you are the one with the temper.”

Astrid narrowed her eyes at him, but then laughed. “I guess you really have done your research.”

“It makes sense. The oceans are brutal places, and you get the worst weather with rain.”

“I like the rain.”

“I do, too. But storms are when you get lightning strikes and tornadoes. And that’s not even touching on the hurricanes, which, you know, start over larger bodies of water.”

Astrid exhaled hard. “Tell me about it. Evander used to talk about what happened after Hurricane Katrina.”

Elliott looked at her. “You don’t remember it?”

“Um, no. I wasn’t old enough to know any of that. Apparently, we lived near New Orleans, and it was just after my father’s diagnosis. My brother took leave after the diagnosis, and it ended up being for a year. First, he was going to help Dad with treatments, then he was helping us flee from the hurricane. Well, flee may not be the right word. We had a few houses, but they preferred New Orleans.” She sighed. “If my brother hadn’t taken that year off, he would have reached the end of his time in the military before he died.”

“I’m really sorry.” Elliot’s voice was soft. “I’ve never lost anyone close to me. Well, not anyone I can remember since I was young when my parents died. I haven’t had to grieve for anyone the way you did. I don’t know how I would handle it. Actually,” he gritted his teeth and breathed out of them, “yes, I do.”

“Well, not much you can do about the cancer.”

“Oh no, I mean about your brother. You clearly know that he didn’t die a natural death, and knowing the way these organizations operate, well, I know exactly what I would do if they harmed anyone I cared about.”

Astrid smiled. “And what is that?”

“I’d kill them.” There was no humor or sarcasm in his voice. If not for his sweet-looking face, she might have thought he was serious judging by his tone.

“Oh, I would love to do that, but it’s easier said than done.”

He shrugged.

There wasn’t much more to say on that topic, and she wasn’t sure that trying to would be particularly helpful. Instead, she was ready to voice something that she had been thinking about since that first encounter. She started to talk a couple of times, but Astrid found it difficult to voice something she had been taught not to discuss. Elliott just watched her, his eyes occasionally blinking as if he were waiting for whatever it was, she wanted to say.

She squeezed her eyes shut and said quickly, “I think we may be the same kind of shifter.”

When she opened her eyes a little, Elliott was looking at her like she had lost her mind. “I can assure you we aren’t. Lynnox is a dragon shifter family name, but the family does not have a history of producing female dragons.”

“I… know that. My father couldn’t shift anyway, which… I guess that means he came from a woman who got kicked out of her family for not being powerful.”

Elliott looked a little uncomfortable. “Elementals aren’t usually particularly powerful. I mean, they are easier to counter than someone who can walk through walls or read minds.”

Astrid put her hands on the table and leaned forward. “Holy halibut! People can do that?”

Elliott was startled by her reaction, but he soon was looking at her with humor. “Yeah. That’s one of the reasons the whole abilities thing has been so exciting. There are just so many of them, and they are incredibly varied. Even I’ve found it nearly impossible to predict the extent to which they can be used. By comparison, elemental powers are pretty well-known and understood.”

She sat back a little hard. “I always thought that what I could do was so cool. Now I just feel cheated. It’s incredibly strange to hear that because, for my whole life, I’ve been told to hide it. That it’s not something anyone else can do.”

Elliott smiled at her, “Well, not when you consider humans. There are far more of them than us. So, yeah, it’s not something to openly discuss. However, when you are around shifters, you aren’t going to get that much attention unless people want the weather manipulated or some round theaters created.”

Astrid closed her eyes. “Now, it is so bizarre to hear that these powers are just… blasé to everyone else.”

“Well, it means people aren’t going to expect you to do stuff like some kind of jester.”

After considering that for a moment, she said, “I guess that’s nice. Although I don’t think I’d mind. When I was little, I used to make water spouts around the yard so I and my friends could run through it.”

“You enjoyed that?”

“On a summer day when it’s over 100 degrees before you factor in humidity, yeah. It felt really good.”

He squinted a little, then his eyes widened. “Ah, Fahrenheit.”

“Yes, Fahrenheit. Why would I use anything else?”

He pushed his glasses up, “Not scientifically minded then. To your point, yes, I can see that. He pursed his lips. “But I do have a question for you.”

“Did you just insult me?”

His eyes moved around them. “How is that an insult?”

“I don’t know. Just from the way you said it, that I’m not scientific.”

“It wasn’t meant to be. I’ve just spent most of my life using metric, so it takes a few minutes to process.”

“Oh. Ok. Sorry, I had people make fun of me growing up.” She shook her head. “What’s the question?”

“What kind of shifter are you?”

Her heart dropped. “Um, I think I’m the same type as you.”

“Why?”

Even as she said it, the idea sounded ridiculous. “Because we have similarly colored eyes?”

Elliott placed his elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand, his eyes taking her in. “Eye color isn’t usually an indicator of type.”

“Oh.” Feeling foolish, she waved her hands. “Never mind then.” Refusing to look at him, she started eating.

“Are you going to tell me what kind of shifter you think I am?”

“If you aren’t the same kind as me, I don’t know what you are.” Suddenly, she felt his gaze on her. Looking up, she saw an intensity that was far beyond anything she was used to – and it wasn’t the kind of interest that indicated that he found her attractive. She moved around a bit. “Please don’t look at me like that.”

“Apologies.” He looked away for a moment. “It’s a habit.” When he looked at her again, Elliott’s gaze wasn’t nearly so intense. “So, your father found two different shifter women and had children with them, producing children who could shift and had abilities. Now, that is not something that happens often.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Ah,” he sat back and nodded. “You’re a cat shifter. Interesting.”

“What? How did you…” She cleared his throat and narrowed her eyes as Elliott maintained eye contact. “What makes you say that?”

“You mean besides the fact that you just confirmed it?”

“Dammit,” she muttered. “Yeah, before I confirmed it.”

“Just a few tells. Over the last few years, I spent a lot of time with cat shifters. Perhaps a little too much time.” The last part was said a little under his breath. “And a lot of them are from the south like you.”

This came as a shock. “What? Really? I – I never encountered any.”

“If it helps, they are usually based out of Florida and the nearby states. I don’t know any from Louisiana. Do you know where your mother was from?”

“I never met her.”

“Oh.” He looked down and tapped his fingers on the table. “Again, if it helps, that’s not entirely uncommon with cat shifters. They tend to be restless and far too unconcerned with most things.”

She scowled. “Are you saying that you think I don’t take things seriously?”

“I haven’t observed you, so I couldn’t say. Just some of your mannerisms are reminiscent of some other shifters I’ve met.”

“Oh.” Astrid looked to the side, watching the wind blowing in the breeze. Her mind was racing. Elliott wasn’t a cat shifter, but he knew plenty of them. “Do you…?” She flinched. “Never mind.”

It almost seemed like he was trying to guess what she was thinking. Elliott offered her a little bit of hope. “You aren’t likely to encounter many of your kind up here. Cat shifters don’t usually come this far north, at least not to live. They don’t tend to like the rain. Then again, that wouldn’t be a problem for you.” He gave her a faint smile.

Something that Phoenix had said earlier finally caught her attention. “Wait, Phoenix said that he’s older than you and someone else. But you are older than his brothers. They must be really young.”

His eyebrow rose. “I dare say they are a bit older than you.”

She waved a fork with a bit of salmon on it. “I’m almost 30. I just look young.”

“Yeah, and his brothers are both older than you.”

Astrid nearly spit out her fish; then she started to choke on it. Hammering on her chest, she caught her breath. “You’re older than me?”

He blinked. “We age slower than any other type of shifter.”

“What kind of shifter are you?”

“I already told you.”

“What? No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did. I’m the same kind of shifter as Phoenix despite the different eye color.” He then started eating as she sat there processing that information.

“Are there a lot of dragon shifters?”

“We are among the rarest, probably because we live a long time, and there are a rare number of women since they were treated so badly over the millennia.”

“You know, I’ve never encountered any shifters outside of this town, and on my first day, I encounter two of the rarest type.”

He nodded as he swallowed a mouthful of food. “That’s because of the military base. We have to get rid of the problem there before anyone else gets hurt. They’ve realized over the years that there’s a higher population of people with abilities up here, so they keep popping up around here.”

That’s when something else that Phoenix said started to bother her. “Did you know Evander?”

“No,” Elliott looked down, suddenly very interested in his food.

“But Phoenix did?”

“Apparently so, yes.”

“Do you know if they were close?”

There was concern in his voice when he said, “They had to have been.” There was something that sounded like resistance or a warning in his tone.

Astrid looked down at her food, suddenly not feeling particularly hungry. “What makes you think they had to be close?”

“Because of the curse.”

Her head whipped up. “What do you mean, the curse?”

Elliott sighed, then put his fork down. He waved for a waiter and asked for boxes for the food.

After the waiter left, he looked at Astrid and said, “Because your brother is dead. That means that Phoenix and your brother were probably close. That’s why he left. He doesn’t want to talk about it.”

Astrid looked at her food, not hearing anything else he had to say.

The food was boxed up, but she was too consumed by her own thoughts to notice. At some point, she became aware that Elliott was staring at her.

Without a thought, she stood up and ran to the edge of the deck. For the second time in her life, she shifted in public, then ran off toward the small body of water. Once she reached it, Astrid dove into the water and fled from prying eyes. In the comfort of the water, she began to cry, her body moving with the flow of the water.