Chapter 8
Skye
“What the hell is this?” I asked, staring hard at the pamphlet on the counter.
“Oh, that? Just a little something some dickhead tried putting on our window.” Zephyr bustled around the kitchen, preparing breakfast for us even though it wasn’t a work day. The two of us couldn’t seem to sleep in.
I raised an eyebrow at Zephyr’s split knuckles, but he only raised an eyebrow right back, looking ridiculous with a purple bonnet on his head. I dropped my gaze back to the counter.
Unassuming as the pamphlet was, I didn’t like it. I didn’t want it on my counter, or in my house.
I went to rip it when Aiden snatched it out of my hands.
I’d left him asleep in my bed while I came down to bother my brother, but apparently he was up now.
“What’s this?” Aiden said. I watched as his warm brown eyes darted across the page, his expression growing more concerned by the second. “Is this real?”
“Super real,” Zephyr said. “I punched the guy out when he was trying to put it on the window. He actually threatened me legally. Can you believe that?”
“Yes,” I said dryly. Zephyr narrowed his eyes at me before tossing out an old bouquet of irises that’d been in the center of the island.
“This place makes no sense the longer I stay here,” Aiden said. “Are we in a weird reality warp here?”
Zephyr and I both chuckled.
“Why the hell would the Pilgrims be having a gathering here?” Aiden scoffed before ripping the paper in two.
“They’re not called the Pilgrims anymore, remember? The Pilgrims were the bad guys.” Zephyr said with an eye-roll.
My affinity itched across my palms.
The cult of psychos responsible for the Gulf Capitol Massacre that killed our parents and dozens of other people was still a sore spot for the Gulf. The citizens here had rejected most religions shortly after the attack. There wasn’t a single church on any of the islands anymore.
“They’re still the Pilgrims,” I muttered.
“So, who did you want me to meet, baby?” Aiden asked.
Zephyr turned to stone before slowly turning to look at us. His eyebrows were high on his forehead, nearly disappearing under his bonnet.
“Aiden’s going to meet someone?” he asked carefully.
“Yes,” I said, mostly feeling confident in the decision.
Zephyr only frowned.
I gulped as Aiden and Zephyr stared at me.
We were in the utility room, standing before the door to the basement.
Aiden’s head had whipped back and forth like he was watching a tennis match as Zephyr and I had a cryptic argument over whether or not Aiden should meet Levi. Zephyr appreciated my attempt at honesty, but something told me he still didn’t fully trust Aiden.
“Skye, can’t you be honest with him some other way?” Zephyr groaned. He looked at Aiden apologetically. “Not that I don’t think you’re trustworthy or anything, but this is the biggest secret of our lives, here.”
“I thought the biggest secret of your lives was Skye’s affinities,” Aiden said dryly.
I stifled a laugh as Zephyr dropped his jaw in shock.
“You little shit!” My brother turned to me. “You didn’t tell me he was a smartass.”
“He’s not a smartass to me,” I replied. Aiden flashed me a dimpled grin, then took my hand before kissing my knuckles.
“I’m gonna barf,” Zephyr deadpanned, looking back and forth between us. “Skye? Explain what we’re doing here.”
I cleared my throat.
“Remember how I told you about my parents?” I asked, taking Aiden’s huge hand in both of mine. His eyes softened and he nodded, giving me a look of compassion and sympathy.
“Of course, baby.”
I chewed my lip for a second before blowing out a breath and finally speaking the words I hadn’t dared think for over a decade. “Levi isn’t dead.”
Aiden blinked at me. His warm eyes jumped from my face to Zephyr behind me, then back.
“Levi isn’t dead,” he repeated. “Is he, uh…behind this door?”
I nodded, swallowing hard.
“He’s not a zombie, is he?”
I chuckled, then shook my head while Zephyr barked out a laugh.
“Oh, good.” Aiden said, looking genuinely relieved. “I thought for a second you were about to tell me Zephyr had an affinity for speaking to ghosts.”
Zephyr’s responding laugh was a little too high-pitched, and I elbowed him hard in the ribs using a bit of my affinity. Zephyr coughed, almost doubling over.
“Oh, shit, you okay?” I asked, glaring at him.
“Fine,” Zephyr wheezed. “Let’s get the introductions over with.”
I waved my hand, unlocking the heavy door, and Zephyr hobbled through before we followed.
Aiden tugged me to a stop on the darkened staircase as Zephyr disappeared into the beam of light coming from the living space of the basement.
“Baby,” Aiden whispered. “Are you okay with this?”
I shrugged. “He’s important to me.”
Aiden breathed out a laugh. “I’m not arguing whether or not I should be meeting your dad. I’m wondering if you’re okay with it. Is it too much? Too fast?” Aiden gulped, then said into my mind, Also holy fuck. Did he hear us before? In the shower?
I snorted before kissing him gently, and then he crushed me into a hug so tight I could barely breathe.
“No,” I wheezed. He…he can’t hear…anything.
Aiden froze for a moment before he loosened his hold on me, holding me at arm’s length and staring at me with wide eyes.
“He’s deaf?” he asked quietly.
“No,” I winced. “He…was. Sort of. His hearing was damaged in the massacre, but Zephyr was healing him all during first term. So he can hear again.”
“Wow,” Aiden said. “That must have been hard, dealing with your dad being sort of deaf all these years. He could still do other things, right?”
I winced again. “No, he was…he’s paralyzed. Up until the other day he could only move his face and sometimes his neck.”
Aiden blew out a breath and ran one of his hands over the back of my head. “That’s a lot to handle, baby.”
Tell me about it.
“I used to speak to him telepathically,” I explained as we started down the stairs again. “Only since we got back did I learn he was healed enough to speak again.”
“Okay. How should I speak to him?” Aiden asked. “Is he expecting me? Should I introduce myself, tell him my affinity, tell him I would die for you? Is he going to kick my ass either way? Fuck, I’ve never met a chick’s dad before.” He scrubbed a hand down his face.
My chest warmed slightly and I stopped at the foot of the stairs, turning around and pushing Aiden into the wall to kiss him quickly.
His startled laugh died when my lips landed on his, and he breathed out slowly instead of groaning against me the way I knew he would have if my dad wasn’t feet away from us around the corner.
I smiled against his lips before pulling back.
You’re perfect, I told him.
Aiden’s cheeks flushed adorably and he tried looking anywhere but at me.
Just follow my lead, I said before taking his hand and leading him around the corner.
“There he is,” Zephyr said with a clap. “Check it out, dad. Skye found a man to put up with her shit.”
Zephyr yelped as a book from the side table smacked him in the temple. He scowled at me as he quickly healed what would’ve become a black eye.
Aiden’s expression was carefully blank as he looked around the basement. He took in the bookshelves, the cabinets, then finally, the hospital bed with Levi.
Levi grinned, and Aiden offered a nervous smile back.
“Levi, this is Aiden Brandt. He’s one of my Links.” I said.
“Brandt?” Levi said as he held out a hand to shake. “You related to Finn Brandt?”
“Unfortunately,” Aiden said under his breath. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
They shook hands, and Zephyr and I stood on the sidelines, watching everything with rapt attention.
I’d never been able to bring home a guy to my parents. I’d been too young when they died. Zephyr had only ever met one guy I dated, and that had ended in a complete disaster.
“I went to school with Finn,” Levi said. “He was…interesting.”
“My parents are assholes, sir. You can say whatever you want.” Aiden replied.
Zephyr laughed, then pulled Aiden into a side hug. “Isn’t he great?!”
Aiden blushed and I dropped my face to my hands.
“Zephyr, stop being a dick.”
“I swear to God, I’m not being a dick. I’m so serious.” Zephyr said, his smile dropping.
“That’s even worse,” I replied with a groan.
“Aiden, come talk to me. Finn still a gambler?” Levi asked.
“Uh, I assume so. We don’t really talk much.” Aiden replied sheepishly. “My family Chain is a little…”
“They’re dicks,” Zephyr said. “Especially the mom.”
Watch it, I warned my brother as Aiden paled slightly.
“What? He already knows,” Zephyr said, exasperated.
Aiden paled even further.
Thanks, now he thinks we gossip about him, I hissed.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Zephyr said gently. “I’m sorry, Aiden.”
“It’s fine, they suck.” Aiden chuckled nervously.
“They weren’t too smart, from what I remember.” Levi stretched his arms above his head. “I’m surprised to hear Harper turned into a bitch, though. She was always sweet.”
Aiden’s eyebrows raised slightly. I hadn’t heard about a Harper before. I hadn’t known there was another woman in Aiden’s family Chain.
Damn. I really was the worst girlfriend ever. I still didn’t know shit about Aiden.
Aiden cleared his throat. “My mother’s name is Lucille.”
Levi’s eyes widened so far, I could see the whites of his eyes all the way around. “Lucille Parker?”
Aiden nodded. “She’s Key to my family Chain.”
Levi snorted. “No, she isn’t. Harper was the Key.”
“Well…she’s not,” Aiden looked at me and I shrugged. I didn’t know any of this, but I could tell it was making Aiden uncomfortable.
“Maybe you’re remembering wrong,” Zephyr offered.
Levi scoffed. “I’m not. Harper was the Key to two men. Finn and the other guy, what was his name? Caleb?”
“Yeah,” Aiden said, nodding slowly. “That’s the other guy.”
“They were something else in school,” Levi said, leaning back. “Always sneaking off together. It drove the staff nuts.”
Aiden shook his head slowly, but Levi went on while Zephyr listened.
What is it? I asked Aiden.
Harper doesn’t have a relationship with either of the men, just my mother. She hardly looks at the other two.
I blinked. That was…
He’s not remembering wrong, is he? Aiden asked.
I don’t think so, I replied quietly.
Levi went on, telling stories about how Harper and Finn were caught all over campus together, and it was a joke among students.
I hadn’t heard much about Levi’s time at the academy, and I was beginning to wonder which Sensor had done his testing.
Levi was only registered as having an air affinity, but his parents had been rich so he’d gone to the academy.
How had his other affinity not been noticed?
“Anyway,” Levi sighed, leaning back on the bed. “I’m glad to see Skye’s got a good man around her. She’ll be a lot of work for you, Brandt.”
My eyebrows slammed down and Zephyr audibly sighed.
Aiden looked bewildered for just a moment before he spoke smoothly, “I’m actually the mess, sir. Skye keeps me from being a little shit.”
Levi laughed loudly, and I cringed.
What is his deal? I said to Zephyr.
I don’t know, sweets. Whatever it is, he’s wrong. I promise.