Promises (10 page)

“
You can be helpful by not interfering.”

At once, I bit my lip. I hadn’t meant to sound so harsh. Colt simply looked at me, hurt crossing his blue eyes, before he gazed at the floor. I sighed.

Once I’d paid for the things I needed, Colt and Daniel walked back to the truck, while I went with Callon and Maes to buy a sandwich. We sat outside on a park bench. The weather was pleasant for late September, and I enjoyed the warmth. I sat between Maes and Callon, munching my ham and swiss, watching people pass by. Callon casually moved closer, his arm resting on the bench behind me. Maes was still edgy.

“
Maes, why are you so nervous?” I asked, taking another bite.

“
I really don’t like being around humans,” Maes replied.

“
Why?”

“
No use for them.”

I chewed thoughtfully. I had my own ideas why he didn’t like humans. For one thing, he stood out with that eye coloring of his…I’d seen the clerk staring at him.

I scarfed down the remaining sandwich.

“
They stare at you, don’t they?” I asked. “It’s your eye color. It’s odd.”

Maes turned towards me.

“
Are you ever going to answer my question about your eyes? Why’s the color only on the outer rim?”

He exhaled and turned away again. “Callon, you really should teach this child some Timeless history.”

“
I didn’t ask Callon. I’m asking you, Maes.”

Maes didn’t respond. Callon stiffened. My eyes darted around the park. Were there Tresez or Trackers around? Surely they wouldn’t come out in public to attack. But they could easily pass as humans; they could creep up on me before I’d even know it.

“
They won’t come out in public,” Maes mumbled.

A bit of relief washed over.

“
Why not?” I questioned.

Maes didn’t respond. Apparently I’d met my question quota for the day.

I glanced at Callon.

“
You ate your whole sandwich, Cheyenne.” He sounded surprised. “You usually eat like a bird. I’m glad you have an appetite now. You’ve been looking too frail.”

I rolled my eyes.

Callon squeezed my shoulder, causing my body to shudder. I wanted to lash out and tell him to cut it out, but we were in public, and I didn’t want to cause a scene. He was behaving very upfront these days. We continued to wait for Daniel and Colt. They were taking an awfully long time.

“
Where are they?” I looked down the storefronts.

“
They’re coming. Don’t worry about it.” Callon’s fingers moved to my neck, and he began to massage it. It was his way to comfort me. It caused goosebumps to run down my arms. I tried to lean forward, but his hand remained. I shifted, attempting to move away again, but he grasped my arm and drew me closer. His warm breath passed over my neck as he leaned in.

“
The agreement was we do things my way. This is part of my way. Deal with it.”

My eyes narrowed.

“
You—”

“
I said my way. I meant the entire day, sweetheart,” Callon whispered slyly. I had to endure the torture for half an hour before they returned. Colt kept his head down, and while Daniel was smiling, I couldn’t help but see a trace of guilt in his eyes. What had they been up to?

“
Groceries?” Daniel asked.

“
Yes.”

Callon took hold of my arm and ensured I was planted next to him as we headed for the truck. He was keeping a close eye on Maes. While I didn’t like being forced to stay this close to him, part of me was relieved. I didn’t trust Maes completely yet either…

Grocery shopping wasn’t difficult, though I got more than my fair share of wary glances. Then again, I was shopping with four men following me around like overbearing brutes. All I could do was smile politely and pretend there wasn’t anything unnatural about it.

As we walked through the meat section, an idea hit me.

“
I’ll make you dinner.” No one replied. “Oh, come on. I won’t do the same thing twice. Besides, you’ll see all the food we buy. I won’t poison you again.”

“
Poison them, Cheyenne?” Maes asked.

“
I’ll tell you about it another time, Maes.” I eyed the steaks stacked in the Saran-wrapped packages. If they didn’t want dinner, I was having steaks without them. Why was I suddenly so ravenous?

“
If you make it,” Callon replied, “we’ll eat it.”

I didn’t miss the edge in his voice. Huh…here I was offering to cook, even after everything they’d put me through, and Callon still didn’t trust me?

Probably a wise decision.

“
I’m not going to force you, Callon,” I said flatly. “I don’t see the point in making the effort if you’re just being polite.”

“
No, go ahead. We haven’t eaten in a while.” Callon paused for a moment. “Just don’t ask me to eat any dessert.”

Maes’s brow lifted. Ignoring him, I continued shopping. We went down every aisle as I piled items in the cart. Callon tilted his head slightly.

“
Uh, Cheyenne, are you sure you’re going to eat all this?”

“
Don’t worry about it.”

After checking out, we loaded the truck and headed home. The drive was pleasant, and I was somewhat satisfied I’d done what I wanted for a change. When we got back, I sorted my new clothes, put away all the food I liked in the kitchen, and shortly I’d plan my departure. I might as well make my stay comfortable until I left.

It was already late afternoon, so I began to prepare dinner. My guardians watched every move I made, ensuring I didn’t add any
extra
ingredients. Any trust I’d earned previously was now gone. It was my own doing…I’d told Dex I would leave them someday and I would. Unfortunately, that meant they’d be watching everything I did. What little privacy I’d had before would now be gone.

There was an awkward silence as we ate dinner.

“
So, Cheyenne,” Maes purred as he leaned back in his chair. “What’s all this about poisoning them with a dessert?”

“
They wouldn’t let me leave, so I tricked Daniel into taking me to look for some special berries…the kind that can incapacitate a person for a period of time. I made dinner and a berry pie.” My smirk was growing as I recalled my elaborate ruse. “The dinner was safe enough, but the pie was what did them in,” I lightly snickered. “They saw me eat the pie too, so they didn’t think much of it, but what they didn’t know was that I had eaten the antidote. The berries only worked for a short period, but I still it made it to the bank to find the journal before they caught up with me.”

“
I see,” Maes replied, deep in thought. “Not afraid of a challenge, are you?”

I didn’t like the underlying meaning in his tone. “Don’t under estimate me, Maes,” I said coolly. “It’ll cause you trouble if you do.”

“
So you’re planning to leave again?”

I twitched. I didn’t like how he could read me so easily. He gave a soft chuckle. “Interesting... ”

“
Cheyenne told us she would leave again,” Callon said calmly. “I told her we’d stop her.” I didn’t meet his gaze.

“
You treat me like a possession.” The edge to my words could have cut glass. “A trophy to be guarded from thieves. I’m sick of it.” Maes didn’t need to know the rest of the story; the ruins of my broken heart.

“
And how do you plan on keeping yourself safe from Marcus?” Maes asked. “He knows about you now. He’ll be coming for you. You haven’t transformed yet, and even if you had, I doubt you could do this on your own.”

I clasped my fists in my lap.

“
You all keep going on about how I’m the only one who can destroy Marcus. If I’m the only one, then why wouldn’t I be able to keep myself safe until I do?”

“
I think it’s a little more complicated than that. You’re still human for one thing,” Maes replied.

“
Maes,” I protested. “You said yourself that my mother transformed earlier than everyone expected. Who’s to say I’m still human after my last episode? Are you going to test the theory?” I arched my brow boldly. “I know Callon, Colt and Daniel won’t. Supposedly, I’ll just know when it happens.” I paused and glanced around the table. “What if I just don’t tell you?” It remained silent.

I pushed my chair back and began gathering the plates.

“
We have our hands full, don’t we?” Maes stated. “A bit of a temper as well, I see.”

“
You don’t know the half of it,” Callon muttered.

I took the dishes to the sink and began to wash up. I felt four sets of eyes staring at me.

“
You should really find a hobby other than watching everything I do,” I snapped. No one replied as I headed for the couch.

I sat staring out the windows, admiring the scenery and trying to distract myself from my current situation. It had been bad enough dealing with my overprotective guardians; now one was trying to capture my heart, the other was loading me with guilt, and there was a new addition to the mix. Maes. He claimed he wanted to protect me…but what was he really after? He knew about my mother’s transformations, but did he actually know her? Or was he just trying to work his way inside my heart, like the others had?

Maes dropped in the loveseat and blocked my view. It was enough of a distraction that I didn’t see Colt enter with a black case in his hands until he was right in front of me.

I glared, though I was still aware of how I’d treated him earlier.

“
Hell has not frozen over yet, Colt,” I said. Wouldn’t he ever give up?

“
Oh, I know,” Colt replied. “I actually don’t want it to freeze over. I’d like to warm it up a bit. You know…make it a little cozier.” He pushed the case into my lap.

I glanced around. Everyone was waiting for me to open it. Sighing, I opened the latches and found an old guitar. It was perfect, but I didn’t want them to know it. I closed it again and glowered at Colt and Callon.

“
This isn’t fair. You know my weakness, and you’re using it against me. This doesn’t erase what you’ve done. I already told you, you blew it. Don’t expect to win me back by giving me a guitar. You’ve gained nothing from this.” My body grew tense.

“
I wouldn’t say we gain nothing from this. We get to listen to you play,” Callon said calmly.

“
Hmph,” I grunted. “And why should I play right now?”

“
Because I know you want to, and it’s been a while. It seems to me you prefer the guitar to the piano. We’re just trying to give you something back, make it more comfortable for you.”

They were trying to make it comfortable? I was still going to leave.

“
And if you still have ideas about leaving, we’ll stop you,” Callon said. His confidence was enough to drive me crazy. More annoying was the fact that he could read me like an open book. I did want to play—badly—but I didn’t want an audience.

I pulled the guitar out, and Colt removed the case from my lap. I narrowed my eyes in irritation, and he immediately moved away. I couldn’t help but catch the guilt and hurt in his eyes. He knew what he done to me; they all did. And I couldn’t help but notice how drastically I’d changed. This was so far from who I knew I was…but how else was I supposed to react?

I strummed the strings and began tuning the guitar.

I took a cleansing breath and closed my eyes as I began play. It wasn’t any particular melody, it was just something I created—all mine. Soft, soothing and light.

I never understood why the music soothed me so. It had a way of putting everything into perspective, clearing my thoughts. I wasn’t as angry anymore. I was deeply hurt, but I could close it off. I wouldn’t allow anyone to see the pain. I’d never allow anyone else to hurt me so deeply. I’d remain distant and lock that part of me away.

I needed to be strong, not allow others to influence what I should be. I didn’t like the choices laid out for me, and I wouldn’t accept them. I was still unclear who was right, and none of them would give me a straight answer. I would have to find out on my own. I would wait until the time was right and leave. Determination was on my side. They would regret the day they gave me back my music, and the day they chose to hurt me.

As usual I didn’t keep track of time, but I knew more than an hour had passed. Opening my eyes, I saw that Callon had moved closer. Colt and Daniel seemed deep in thought and Maes was staring at me.

“
It was different this time, Cheyenne,” Callon murmured. “Before, we could see inside your soul, and now you’ve closed that off. Haven’t you?”

“
Whatever.” I tried to brush off his comment, but it struck home how deep Callon could always see me.

“
Why?” he asked.

“
You already know!” I exclaimed.

Maes remained quiet, analyzing the situation. I glanced at Colt. He had his head down, deep in thought. Colt knew; they all knew.

“
I’m sorry, Cheyenne. We never meant to cause you so much misery,” Callon apologized.

“
Save your words, Callon,” I spat.

“
We’ll make this right.”

“
Good luck with that.” I stood and headed for the front door. “Am I allowed to go out front alone?” No sense in getting anyone riled up for not following the rules.