Chapter 32 #2
“There’s more to the story than what you know,” Kade explains. “Ares is cuffed so he can’t use his magic.”
Magic. That means the redhead, Ares, is some sort of creature. My gaze travels back to him in interest, noticing the tips of his pointed ears poking out from his hair.
Fae.
I’ve never met a fae before. At least, not that I know of.
Becks plants his feet. “I don’t care to know the details. All I need to know is that those deaths are at his feet. He could have led the demon straight to Haven. That’s enough to know that I don’t trust him.”
Kade runs a hand down his face. I don’t know the human well, I only spent a few minutes with him before the demon attacked in front of the portal, but he looks tired. More than just sleep deprived. He looks like the weight of the world is on his shoulders and about to crush him.
I suppose being tasked with keeping the truth of the supernatural from humans while a demon goes on a media blitz will do that to a guy.
“I’m taking personal responsibility for Ares. So you don’t have to trust him. Trust me instead. He has information that may help us, and we need every advantage we can get right now, so I want you to at least hear him out.”
Becks’ shoulders rise and fall with a couple of breaths, like he’s doing deep breathing to keep his anger in check. Extinguishing his fire, he says, “Fine, I’ll hear him out, but I’m getting Haven out of here first.”
“No,” Ares calls out, surprising us.
My gaze flicks over to him to find he’s looking right at me.
“She needs to hear this,” he says. “It’s her life at stake.”
Becks peeks over his shoulder at me. A muscle in his jaw jumps, and I catch a flash of scales on his neck.
“It’s your call,” he says gruffly.
His need to protect me is strong. I know it’s hard for him not to whisk me right out of this room.
I crane my neck to look over at Ares. His eyes are sad. I glance back up at Becks, who’s waiting for my answer.
“I’ll hear him out.”
Another flash of teal scales, this time up the ridge of his nose, but he doesn’t try to talk me out of it. He just gives a curt nod and then, turning, offers me his hand, helping me up and into a seat. The one farthest from the fae.
Kade pulls out a chair in the middle of the table, and when we’re all settled, the room seems far too big for a gathering this small, but I wonder if Kade knew Becks would need space between him and the fae.
Kade starts by introducing me to Ares, telling me he used to be a vital member of the Order and has information about the demon, and the creatures working with it.
Next to me, Becks snorts and mumbles something under his breath that sounds like, “Because he was one of them.”
I’m not the only one who hears, because Ares’ gaze snaps to Becks. The sadness in his eyes turns hard. “I’m not going to sit here and tell you what I did was right, but they had my sister. You can’t tell me that if they had someone you love, you wouldn’t do whatever it took to get them back.”
Becks falls silent, and when I glance over at him, his mouth is pressed into a hard line, his nostrils flared. Then, to my surprise, his gaze softens a touch. “I’m sorry about Aribella.”
Ares swallows hard and gives a curt nod. A sheen glistens over his eyes that he blinks away, and it’s clear that whatever happened, it didn’t have a happy ending.
His voice turns fierce. “I know it may be hard to believe, but I want to get this demon and bring down that vampire clan just as much as you do, maybe more.”
“Maybe not so hard to believe,” Becks offers, crossing his arms over his chest. “Tell us what you know.”
“I can tell you when the end of the world begins.” Ares’ attention shifts and he pins me with a stare. “And I also know what you are and what you can do.”
Alarm bells start blaring inside my skull, and even though I try not to, I tense. Ares’ shrewd gaze catches the motion.
“What are you talking about?” Becks asks.
“That’s not my secret to reveal,” Ares says, and my heartbeat, which spiked a moment before, starts to calm.
I feel Becks’ gaze, but don’t turn to meet his eyes. I can’t. I’ve been hiding something from him. What felt like self-preservation before feels like deception now.
But it’s a secret I’ve held on to so long, I don’t know if I can reveal it. Even to Becks.
Next to me, Becks leans forward. “Okay, then, tell us: when is the apocalypse supposed to kick off?”
“During the eclipse tomorrow night. During the blood moon. That’s when the demon will strike.”
Kade and Becks exchange a look.
“I guess you were right about that,” Becks says, and Kade nods.
“We figured the demon was probably waiting for a celestial event. With the blood moon being so close, it was an obvious consideration,” Kade says. “There are also some interpretations of the prophecy that coincide with a celestial event as well.”
“So that’s why the demon didn’t just do whatever it’s planning to do to me right away.”
Ares nods. “Most likely the plan was to just hold you until the time was right.”
“What happens if it can’t recapture me before the blood moon?” I ask. “Does that mean this is all over? That I’m safe? That the world is safe?”
The hope that was starting to build disappears when Ares shakes his head. “No, but it does buy some more time until the end of the world. The next blood moon isn’t for another two years.”
“So, basically, we have to play a giant game of keep-away with the demon for the next two days . . .”
“And live to fight another day,” Ares says. His gaze on me is close to pitying.
Becks looks at Kade. “All right. We go with the original plan and get Haven to the creature world, where the demon can’t reach her.”
Kade nods. “We can get you both to a gate by—”
“No,” Ares says, cutting him off. “The vampire clan and the creatures loyal to the demon are watching every single gate around the world. You get close to one and they’ll nab her right away.
In fact, I’m sure they probably suspect this is where she is, so even getting her out of headquarters is going to be hard. ”
Kade leans back in his chair, his face unreadable as he crosses his arms over his chest. “You know a lot for someone who was blackmailed into helping them.”
Ares doesn’t flinch, but his eyes harden.
“Let’s get one thing straight. I did what I thought I had to in order to protect my sister, but I was never on their side.
I knew any bit of information I gleaned could be useful, so I did what I was trained to do and kept my eyes and ears open.
I’m not the enemy. They butchered my sister, and I’ll do whatever it takes to defeat the demon and the vampires who killed her. ”
The room is silent for a few minutes. The tension between Kade and Ares is high.
“How do they know where the gates are?” Kade finally asks.
“That didn’t come from me.”
“If that’s true,” Becks says glancing over at Kade, “it means you have another leak.”
Kade’s gaze slowly tracks to Becks. “Which is why there’s only the four of us in this room right now.”
Becks runs a frustrated hand through his hair, his tone cutting when he says, “How are you supposed to help keep Haven safe and away from that demon if you don’t know who to trust in your own organization? I’m starting to think she’d be better off if I just took her and ran.”
As Becks says it, I hear the door open behind me and then a voice says, “Maybe you should.”
I twist in my seat, and my mouth drops open.
Locklyn stands in the open doorway, Talon not far behind her.
Becks turns toward the door. “You’re back.”
Locklyn’s mouth quirks into a grin. “And not alone.”
“Out of the way,” an unfamiliar female voice says from somewhere behind Talon. “Your broad shoulders are blocking my view of my baby brother.”
Becks jumps out of his seat just as a gorgeous tall blonde with pink and purple streaks in her hair pushes past Talon and Locklyn. Her gaze finds Becks right away and she rushes toward him with a squeal, jumping into his arms.
With those green eyes, I recognize her from the picture Becks carries around. It’s his twin sister, Ensley.
Becks picks his sister up and gives her a good shake as she laughs.
“Be careful with my fiancée,” someone new says as he enters the room.
“Fiancée?” Becks says as he lets go of Ensley, his wide-eyed gaze going to the newcomer. A tall fae with white-blond hair about the same length as Talon’s strides into the room like he owns it. Also, gorgeous.
That seals it for me. I’m convinced everyone in the creature world could be supermodels.
Ensley stands with a grin and sticks her hand in front of her brother’s face, ring-side up.
Seeing the giant pink rock perched on her finger, Becks shakes his head in disbelief. “I leave you alone for a couple of weeks and you go and get yourself engaged?”
“A couple of weeks?” Ensley says, dropping her hand so she can plant both fists on her hips. “How about two months? You didn’t even say goodbye. I’m mad at you for that, by the way.”
Becks reaches up and rubs the back of his neck, looking guilty. “I was kinda in a rush.”
“I’d say, you—” Ensley cuts herself off when her gaze lands on me. Her eyes widen.
“Holy smokes, Lock, she looks just like you.”
Behind her, Locklyn rolls her eyes. “I’d think being a twin yourself, you’d understand how it works.”
Ensley shoots my sister a glare and then turns her attention back to me.
“Hi, I’m Ensley. Becks’ older—”
“By two minutes.”
“—more mature and attractive—”
“Hey,” he protests.
“—twin sister,” she finishes, and then holds her hand out to me.
“Haven,” I say as I shake it.
“I hear you had to live with him for two whole weeks. My condolences. I lived with him for most of my life, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
“Um, hey again,” Becks chimes in.
Ensley barely glances at her brother when she says, “Twenty years old and you still don’t know how to put a toilet seat down.”
“Seriously, Ens?”
Covering my mouth, I snort a laugh. She’s a hoot.
When I look over at Becks, there’s color high on his cheeks.
Is Becks . . . actually blushing?
“We didn’t actually have to share a bathroom most of the time. Only at the hotel we stayed at, and he was very respectful. No toilet seats left up.”
Becks crosses his arms and shoots his sister a smug smile.
“Do you remember the honeymoon suite at that first motel?” Becks asks.
“How could I forget? I wish we’d have gotten a picture of it, because no one would believe it if they didn’t see it themselves.”
“Hmm,” Ensley says, her gaze shifting between her brother and me, a sly gleam in her eye and a smirk on her face. She glances over her shoulder at Locklyn, who gives her a look back that seems to say, “See, I told you.”
I clear my throat, feeling a blush heat my cheeks.
“This is Titus, Ensley’s boyfriend,” Becks says, introducing me to the white-haired male.
“Fiancé,” Titus corrects him.
“Not unless I give my blessing.”
Titus rolls his eyes and then shakes my hand.
“Who’s going to introduce me,” says a new voice, and when I peek around Titus there’s a petite dark-haired girl standing there.
She’s a little thing, but when she spots me, she grins, and it isn’t a friendly one.
When her lips lift, they reveal two pointed teeth.
To make sure I don’t miss them, she runs her tongue over the tip of one and then winks at me.
Considering the vampires are the demon’s biggest supporters here in the human world, it makes me a little uneasy.
“Cut it out, Imogen,” Talon says, and she looks up at him and pouts.
“You’re no fun.”
Talon glares down at her and says, “She’s harmless, I promise.”
Imogen gapes at him. “That was offensive.”
“And also not true,” Kade says, speaking up for the first time since the group burst into our meeting. “I’ve seen that one in action,” he says, referring to Imogen. “Her bite is just as vicious as her bark.”
Imogen grins back at him, blowing him a kiss. “Missed you too, Kade.”
He quirks an eyebrow. “I didn’t say I missed you.”
“It was implied.”
I catch Talon looking over at Ares with suspicion, but he still nods his head in greeting.
Everyone takes a seat, filling out the table.
As she passes, Locklyn pauses next to me. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she says. “I was so worried.”
“I’m all right because Becks found me,” I tell her. “How are Mom and Dad? Did they come back too?”
She shakes her head. “They stayed in the creature world for their safety. They’re staying with my parents.”
I lift my eyebrows, wondering what that’s like for them.
“Don’t worry. They’re already getting along. When there’s a second, I’d love to talk,” she says, and I nod, forcing a smile.
I’m a little nervous about what she wants to discuss. What if she wants to tell me something else about Becks I don’t already know? I’m not sure I’m ready to have my love bubble popped quite yet.
When everyone is seated, Locklyn speaks up. “I have good news,” she says, but the look on her face doesn’t say it’s good. “We found a way to defeat the demon. But it’s not going to be easy.”
Her gaze lands on me, and a pit forms in my stomach.
“But in order to have a chance, we’re going to need to make it through the next couple days first.”