He knew why. He was going to lose them and was savoring every moment he had with them. Another sigh. Yes. Ive seen the end.
Stuttering heart, sweating palms, blood going cold in his veins. What is it? What happens?
Another dose of the silent treatment. Maybe theyd time-traveled back to five minutes ago, he thought bitterly. Help me, Elijah. Please. Otherwise Ill have to try and force a vision, he thought.
My refusal is helping you. Ive been getting things wrong, Aden. Leading you in the wrong direction, making things worse.
Not every time.
Even once is too many.
Junior growled.
All kinds of sweetness suddenly filled Adens nose. He lifted his head. Victoria had scooted closer to him, was tracing her fingertips up and down his arm. As they were, he had a direct view of her thrashing pulse, the scabbed-over punctures in her neck. His mouth was a waterfall, but he would not let himself go corncob on her vein.
Well revisit the time-travel thing later. Riley lumbered from his bed. Right now, I want to see the wards on your head.
If by later he meant never, then yeah, Aden was on board with that plan. Elijah hadnt told him anything useful. And until Aden attempted a vision on his own, well, there was no reason good enough to give himself a second chance to screw everything up.
The scent of Victorias sweetness was replaced by the earthiness of Rileys as the shifterex-shifterloomed over him. Hard fingers combed through his hair, tugging at the strands.
Riley said, Theyve faded quite a bit and worked longer than they should have, but I know what they are. Joe wasnt lying. These stopped you from being mobbed by creatures.
Until I met Mary Ann. Joe had expected Aden to be grateful about that. As if that were enough. Why couldnt he have loved me?
The explosion of energy, or whatever it was, Mary Ann said, nodding her head. Thats what stopped the wards from working, guaranteed.
Riley let Aden go and plopped beside Victoria.
She rested her head on the wide berth of his shoulder. The magic you guys created together must have overpowered the one Adens dad, a mere human, created, she said.
Dont call him that, he snapped. His name is Joe. Seeing Victoria and Riley together always roused his jealousy. But just then, he experienced something more. Their ease with each other, their taking comfort from each otherdisturbed him.
Her cheeks leached of color. Im sorry.
Great. Now he was taking his bad mood out on her. No need to be sorry. I shouldnt have reacted like that. As he spoke, he watched as Riley rubbed her arm up and down. Again he was struck by their ease with each other.
That should be me. Instead, they relied on each other. Had for years. Decades. Another thought hit him, a subject that had been bothering him since it had first come up, a subject hed buried as more important issues arose. A subject he couldnt dismiss at the moment.
When Victoria had wanted to rid herself of her virginity, so that her first time would not be with the guy her father had picked out for her, she would have gone to
Riley.
Only Riley.
Aden jackknifed to his feet, his hands fisting, Juniors growling more pronounced. And thats when Aden knew beyond a doubt. Junior wasnt just hungry. He truly was reacting to Adens emotions.
Aden, your eyes, Victoria gasped out. Theyre violet, glowing.
Get your hands off her, he said, shocked by his voice. Layered, one his own, one raspy with smoke. Both enraged. Now.
Rileys eyes narrowed. At first, that was his only reaction. Then, he dropped his arm at his side and stood. Yes, my king. Whatever you wish, my king. Anything else, my king?
Riley, Victoria said, her gaze never leaving Aden. Leave the room. Please. Mary Ann, make him leave the room.
Riley just stood there. Mary Ann jumped into action, at least. She grabbed Rileys hand and tugged him out the door. He didnt resist, and a second later, there was an ominous click.
You know, Victoria said, wringing her hands.
I know. Harsh, menacing.
I
Dont want to hear it. Aden swiped up the box of papers and books, stalked to the bathroom, slammed the door behind him. On top of everything he was already dealing with, his girlfriend had slept with one of his friends. A long time ago, sure. But hed always comforted himself with the fact that Riley and Victoria were friends, only friends. Now he couldnt do that.
He wanted to beat Rileys face into pulp. Instead, he closed the lid on the toilet, sat down, and dropped the box between his feet.
See that one coming, Elijah? he sneered.
No reply. Of course.
You cant blame Victoria for Julian began.
I dont want to hear from you, either. Lets just go over this crap and figure out who you were. Okay? All right?
Silence.
Silence he was suddenly grateful for. At least he hadnt actually seen Victoria in bed with Riley, at least Edina had taken center stage in each of those visions. Visions. The perfect distraction. Maybe now was the time to try and force one.
Or not, he thought half an hour later as sweat poured down his chest. His turbulent emotions had interfered, preventing him from making any headway. Whatever. Hed try again later. As for now, he picked up one of the books and started reading.
OUTSIDE, COLD AIR BITING at her with teeth she couldnt see, Mary Ann whirled to face Riley. What was that about?
His expression was hard, completely blocking her out. Nothing.
Nothing. Oh, really? Do you hate me now? Is that why you wont talk to me or tell me the truth? Should I take off again? The moment she realized what shed said, she wanted to snatch the words back. What if his reply was an unwavering yes?
Wary, he scrubbed a hand down his face. I dont hate you.
No mention of the other thing, she noted. Do you resent me? Is that why you can barely look at me? Why you wont talk to me? Why you offer Victoria comfort but not me?
One of his brows arched. Do you need comfort?
Something else of note: that wasnt an offer.
Shed hurt him. Shed destroyed his life. And there was nothing she could do to make it up to him. She knew that. But that didnt stop her from loving him. From wishing things were different.
No, she lied. I dont need comfort. She wanted to lean her head on his shoulder, that strong, strong shoulder, exactly as Victoria had done.
Youll want to answer differently in a few seconds, a male voice said. A voice she recognized. Tuckers voice.
Riley spun, but the demon was nowhere to be seen.
Before fear had time to set in, a strong arm wound around her waist, and another around her neck. Cold steel pressed into her vein. Riley, she gasped out.
He peered over her shoulder, his eyes narrowing. Let her go.
Weve gotta talk, Tucker said. All of us. Preferably alive, but Im open to negotiation.
TWENTY-EIGHT
ANYTHING YET?
No.
Well, look again.
Ive looked eight times already.
Look again.
How many times can we have this conversation, Julian?
Lets not find out. Lets look. Again.
Aden ground his teeth. Hed left the toilet a few seconds ago, and now crouched on the floor. His head fell back, resting on the cool porcelain of the tub, and he stared up at the ceiling. Frustration was eating at him, but he once again thumbed through the papers hed brought with him.
His ears twitched, picking upsomething, a rustle of clothing maybe, then nothing.
Not those. I dont like those. They give me the creeps.
Like the room at the hospital. That was something, at least. He read the spine of the book he held. Dark Arts of the Ages.
Show me the pictures again.
Weve memorized them already, Caleb complained.
As promised, Elijah kept his figurative lips shut.
Aden heard another rustle of clothing beyond the bathroom door as he discarded the book and picked up the photos. What he saw as he shuffled through them: two little boys the same age, so alike they could have been twins. Yet, the older they got, the more dissimilar they became, Robert aging faster than Daniel. Also, the older they got, the unhappier their expressions became, until Robertlooking fortysomethingand Daniellooking thirtysomethingwere sullen and miserable.
And this was the man Tonya had loved so staunchly she hadnt gotten over his death seventeen years later? Seemed obsessive. Weirdly obsessive.
That one, that one, that one, Julian chanted.
Aden stilled. The picture he held was not of the brothers, but of Tonya herself. Younger, blonder, prettier, sitting under a shade tree, staring off into the distance as little pink flower petals floated around her. What about it?
I dismissed it every time because its of a woman. Of her. But the more I see it, the more I think I wasthere.
Maybe you took the picture.
If I did, that has to mean I was Daniel. Right? She wouldnt have spent time with her brother-in-law.
Unless Robert loved her, too, Elijah said. Wait. Ignore that. I didnt mean to say that out loud.
Hearing his voice perked Aden right up.
I was not balding! Julian insisted.
I think thats something every baldy tells himself at some point, Caleb said.
Okay, good. Were working as a team again. I like this. Lets keep this up.
Lets travel back in time, like Mary Ann suggested. To when the picture was taken, Julian said, practically rubbing hands together in glee. Ill prove I had hair. Aden will open his eyes, and be in Daniels body. With hair. Did I mention that part yet?
Deep breath in, hold, hold. Are you forgetting how many times weve woken up with newworsefoster parents? Or in a mental institution wed once been dismissed from? Or, the latest, with a new doctor in charge of our carea doctor who wasnt human but a fairy in disguise who hoped to kill us?
No. But
No buts. I told everyone else no, and now Ill tell you. Even if he wasnt exactly happy with his present, he didnt want to make it worse. No, no, a thousand times no. And now that weve covered that. Who took this picture isnt important.
You dont know that.
You died in December. This picture was clearly taken in the spring. And we both know you only need to remember the day you died to make this work.
A frustrated growl. Well, Im not remembering. We have to do something. Try something.
Well visit Tonya again. Ill make her talk.
No. I dont want her hurt, Julian rushed out, only to pause. I mean, I know you wont hurt her. I justI dont know. I dont want her to suffer anymore.
Intrigue sparked. Were Julians past feelings coming to the surface? Had he loved the woman, as Elijah suspected? Hewait, wait, wait. Adens attention snagged on a single word. You said anymore. You dont want her to suffer anymore. Why wasisshe suffering?
IIdont know.
Maybe youre thinking about this too hard, Caleb said. Maybe if we relax for a little bit, the answers will just come to us.
Aden doubted hed be relaxing anytime soon.
Uh, Aden. Victorias in trouble, Elijah burst out.
What! His head snapped up, his gaze automatically moving to the door. Unlike the mirror in the mansion, he couldnt see past the wood. He was on his feet a heartbeat later. Whats wrong with her?
I know Im breaking my promise to you, but Tuckers out there and he has a knife hes very determined to use. Mary Ann and Riley are there, too. I just thought you should know.
Are they okay? He never should have trusted that traitor.
As of right now, yes.
As of right now. Words that were like a noose around his neck. Exploding into action might cause Tucker to explode into action. Okay, okay. He had to think about this, plan how to strike. He might be upset with Victoria, but he didnt want her hurt. Didnt want any of them hurt.
Back and forth he paced. He tried to listen, but all he heard was that rustle of clothing. Why?
Wheres everyone located in the room? Do you know?
Two seconds passed. Four. The rustling increased in volume, but that was it.
He and Riley are knife fighting, Elijah suddenly announced. Both are cut up pretty badly. Blood is everywhere. A horrified gasp. Victoria just tried to get in the middle. Now shes unconscious. Mary Ann is
Junior slammed against Adens skull. Exploding into action, so not a problem anymore. Victoria was hurt. No one hurt Victoria. His mind was so focused on defending her, he didnt stop to open the door. He simply burst through it, shards spraying everywhere.
Took a moment for him to make sense of what he was seeing, hearing. Or not hearing.
First thing he noticed, the room was a wreck, the nightstand in shambles, the lamp shattered into hundreds of pieces, the phone embedded in the wall, but Aden hadnt heard anything more than that rustling through the paper-thin bathroom wall. Still didnt. Yet, the boys were going it at like animals in human form, throwing each other onto the beds, the floors, into the dresser.
Tuckers illusion could now control sound, he realized.
Second thing, Aden had fought Tucker before and knew the guy wasnt giving the confrontation his all. He was actually spreading his arms, allowing Riley to pound those meaty fists into his face. Well, until survival instinct kicked in and Tucker probably reacted without thought, bucking the shifter off him.
Third, the metallic scent of blood coated the air, whipping Junior into more of a frenzy. The beast raced from one corner of his mind to the other, claws cutting deeply, making him grimace. Any minute now, and Adens brain would be ripped into tatters. Surely.
Fourth, Mary Ann was dodging the combatants as she raced around the room, searching for a weapon.
Fifth, Victoria was in an unconscious heap at the door. Blood trickled from her nose.