Chapter 16
ARSON
Rin was tired and scared. She had shoved down everything for so long—her failing heart and impending demise, her sadness, her parents’ deaths, Kit, everything with Sabine and Talor.
And all it took was one day to have everything come crashing down around her as she finally realized:
She was going to die, and no one could save her.
She would leave her Soulbonds, the men she was coming to trust, to know, to love. They would be left alone to pick up the pieces. Just as she had been shattered by the belief that Kit was dead, they would face the same.
Would they stand at the graveyard where she’d be buried, drop to their knees, and cry? Would Lucien finally break his stoic mask? Would Cyrus vow never to feed again? Would Rhyden lose himself to revenge once more?
Would Auren’s devotion to the Celestials break?
But it already had. She had seen the precise moment his allegiance shifted, when he had been above her, inside her, blonde hair matted with sweat as he’d made love to her in his mountain home.
They had fallen asleep together on the couch, and when she was the first to wake up, nestled in his arms, she had pressed her lips to his chest before he had taken her again.
It had been even sweeter, even softer, the second time.
After they’d finished their cold cherry blossom tea, they both dressed solemnly, and he had portaled back to Rhyden’s penthouse with her.
He had left her with a firm kiss on the lips before whispering goodbye.
She felt that goodbye against her lips like a promise and a warning, wrapped into one.
Rin woke up in Rhyden’s bed—but was it really Rhyden’s when she had commandeered it?
Cyrus slept beside her. Lucien lay on the settee, phone in hand, blue glow reflecting off his glasses, which had slipped down the bridge of his nose.
She lifted her head. Rhyden lay on the floor by her side of the bed. He slept as if he hadn’t meant to, gun by his outstretched hand.
Auren was… somewhere.
In the five days since he’d whisked her away, she had rarely seen him. When she did, he simply stared at her. As if she were the sun he wished to orbit.
Five days of Rhyden bringing her meals and pressing his cold palm to her forehead to check her temperature, then cursing when his lack of body heat meant everything felt warm to him.
Suffice it to say, Rin was doing better.
Somewhat.
She felt her heart thud as she slowly extricated her limbs from the blankets. It was too hot for… one, two, three, four—who slept with six blankets?
She left quietly, bare feet brushing against the cool floors. Lucien stirred at the sound, lowering his phone. She tiptoed to him. He caught her wrist, hand sliding to her hip, pushing her shirt up to her ribs. His fingertips tapped a rhythm only he knew onto her skin.
"Did you sleep okay?" Lucien’s voice was thick.
"I’m feeling better…" Her eyes lingered on Rhyden’s resting form. "I’m going to make breakfast," she decided, then stepped out of Lucien’s hold and walked to the door.
In the kitchen, she found an expired carton of eggs and a block of cheddar cheese in the fridge.
The stove’s warmth flared. It was too silent as she cracked the eggs, listening to their faint sizzle as they met the warmed pan.
She wiped her hands on a cloth and turned on the television in the living room.
The wide open space ensured she could see it from where she stood in the kitchen, pouring thick, frothy glasses of orange juice.
There was no coffee or tea. She couldn’t imagine Rhyden liking—she lifted the bottle of juice to her eyes, squinting at the label—synthetically sweetened, low-calorie orange juice.
The distant hum of the newscaster’s voice washed over her as she flipped the slightly charred eggs.
If Kit were here, would he tease her about her terrible cooking?
She scraped the spatula over the pan angrily.
The lights flickered. An electric hum.
Rin stilled, staring at the hanging lights in the kitchen. They flickered again—a brief moment of darkness.
The air was still, like everything was holding its breath except her.
The television screen went dark. As did the lights.
Rin was left in nothing but early morning shadow, the wide open curtains letting in the slowly dawning sun.
She forgot about the eggs.
Always so used to the quiet humming of electricity that when it turned off, her ears rang, unused to the unnatural stillness. The sound of her breathing was far too loud. Heat began to wash over her, a thick humidity from the sudden lack of air conditioning.
Footsteps came behind her. She turned and found Rhyden, gun in hand.
"Isn’t that a bit of an overreaction?" She eyed his gun.
It was still curfew outside, not yet bright enough that the Rogues were scared into hiding until nightfall.
"You say that now, but I don’t see your Echogun anywhere.
Doubt you can hide it in those thin shorts of yours, wife.
Let’s see if you think it’s an overreaction when Rogues eat security and devour everything in their path.
" With each word, Rhyden drew closer, until she smelled his sharp peppermint scent and felt his cool breaths rustle her sleep-tousled hair.
"Until they find their way up here. To the…
cherry on top of their little human sundae.
" He brushed the butt of the gun over her bare shoulder.
Rin flinched softly. What was it about him that made her crave such violence?
"What’s going on?" Cyrus asked as he stumbled out of the hallway. His shirt was half-unbuttoned, revealing his pale chest.
Lucien followed, then Auren was last, scythe in hand. He didn’t look at her.
"Power’s out," Rhyden said.
"I can see that. Well, not see—but you know." Cyrus walked to Rin and wrapped his arms around her, staring over her shoulder into the pan of half-cooked eggs. "Did you make us breakfast, doll?"
"I tried," Rin said.
Rhyden took in the five glasses of orange juice and plates she’d laid out as if only just seeing them. He didn’t address it. "There’s a backup generator somewhere here. This place was too fucking expensive not to have one." He walked off.
Lucien took her wrist, thumb pressing to her pulse point. She felt her heart’s erratic beats. Lucien pressed a glass of juice into her hand. "Drink it all, Vesperin. Have you taken your medications this morning yet?"
"Not yet," Rin mumbled around the glass. She’d been too distracted… by everything.
Lucien watched her drink it all. After she placed the empty glass down, she folded her arms on the counter, resting her chin in her hands.
Auren gently shook out one of her pills and held it out to her from across the kitchen island.
She took it from him, letting her fingers brush his. She didn’t pull away until he looked up at her. "Thank you, Auren."
His throat worked. "You are… welcome."
Just then, the lights turned on, echoed by Rhyden’s sharp clap of triumph.
In the lighting, her hand on Auren’s felt heavier. They both pulled away from each other. Rin placed her pills in her mouth and swallowed them dry, ignoring Lucien and Cyrus’s glances.
As Rhyden walked back in, the television flicked back on. The signal loaded, then the news began.
Rhyden turned up the volume.
"Breaking news: a blackout has gripped Solar City, believed to be linked to extreme heat. Chief analysts warn these blackouts may become more frequent due to these unprecedented temperatures. A shelter-in-place order has been issued until power is restored. Please, stay in your homes. And remember to dial the Hunter’s Hotline if help is needed.
" The newscaster touched her earpiece. She smiled, but it was strained.
"Coming up, we have a segment highlighting travel packages—costs for interplanetary travel to Sibeth are at an all-time low following Prince Cyrus Soltren’s departure from the royal family. More on this, after the break."
Cyrus fell onto one of the couches with a sigh. "They do love to talk about me even more now that I’m not a prince. I hope my father feels this financial loss."
"Always a burden," Rhyden taunted distractedly.
Once the eggs finished, Rin plated them. They stood around the kitchen island, quiet as they ate. No sound but forks scraping over their plates.
If blackouts continued to happen, there would be more Rogue attacks and deaths.
Rin pushed her eggs around her plate. They were blackened in some places and gooey in the others, and—she’d forgotten the cheese, she realized as she chewed. No wonder they tasted so bland. At the very least, none of them mentioned her abysmal cooking skills.
Cheeks puffed out with a full mouth, Rin glanced up to find Auren staring at her. This time, he didn’t look away. She paused her chewing.
He did not smile or laugh, no hint of an expression—positive or negative—passed over his stoic face. It was as if he were suffocating beneath the weight of his blade, his duty.
After breakfast, Lucien was called to the hospital. Solar City General needed all staff present as essential personnel. He left with a kiss on Rin’s forehead and an order to stay inside, stay safe with the others. Auren portaled him directly to the hospital, then came straight back.
Rin was restless. She kept waiting for Auren to be called, but he never was. What had changed? Come to think of it, had she seen him answer the call of his glowing Star in the time since they had been together?
She paced in the living room, making large loops around the couch, through the kitchen, and back again. A path only she knew the meaning of.
On her tenth—or fiftieth, she didn’t know—pass, Cyrus sighed dramatically. "You’re making me dizzy. Come over here, doll. Sit with me. You look a little pale."
Rin stopped, aching toes wiggling against the carpet. "I’m okay." She didn’t feel very okay, though. "It’s just—I’m a Hunter. Power’s not back on yet. We’re lucky here. I could help them."