Authors: Gabrielle Evans
“I thought Myst was supposed to be practicing, too,” Onyx complained. “Where is he anyway?”
“He took a shift on guard duty last night to make sure Gage didn’t massacre the entire house. He’s sleeping, but don’t worry. I’ll get him later.”
“Okay, so what do we do now?” Hex gripped Echo’s hand and looked out over the field. “What am I supposed to do? I heal people, not plants.”
“Well, now you’re going to do both.” With that, Echo closed his eyes, and Onyx immediately felt the shock of electricity sizzle from his palm and jolt up his arm as though he’d stuck his finger in a light socket.
His knees shook, his muscles bunched, and his stomach rolled. He tried to jerk his hand away, but Echo held firm, gripping his hand with more strength than he imagined the smaller man capable of. “It’ll pass,” Echo said calmly. “Just hold on.”
Closing his eyes, Onyx tried to push away the discomfort as his body continued to thrum with energy. His own powers coursed through him, flowing and ebbing, then building to a crescendo until he thought it would burst out of his pores.
Then something else began to wash over him like a cooling spring, soothing his jittery nerves and calming his racing heart. He inhaled deeply. Let it out slowly.
“Now, make the field green,” Echo said as if he were asking them to simply spread some seed and turn on a sprinkler.
Keeping his eyes shut tight, Onyx imagined the grass growing lush and green across the field. Gods, he hoped he was doing it right. He had a feeling he might be when Hex gasped, and Echo started laughing. He didn’t drag his eyelids open, though, until Echo released his hand.
Blinking against the sunlight, Onyx surveyed the small field behind their house in awe. A slow grin worked over his lips, stretching them wide until he felt his face would split in two. “We did it.”
“Told you.” Echo gave him a confident smile that bordered on cocky, and it was the sexiest damn thing Onyx had ever seen.
“I don’t know how this helps me,” Hex mumbled, “but it’s pretty freakin’ cool.”
“Did you feel stronger, more powerful?” Echo asked.
Hex nodded.
“Well, then that’s a start. I mean, if you want to practice on people I could always stab myself.” Echo winked up at Onyx.
“No!” Hex shouted. He bit his bottom lip, and a pink hue tinted his cheeks. “Um, no, no, that won’t be necessary. I think this is good enough.”
“I’m cold. We’ll practice more later.” Echo dipped his head and chuckled. “You know I wouldn’t really stab myself for practice, right?”
Onyx looked up at Hex, seeing the worry he knew must have shown on his own face. Maybe not in practice, but when it came down to the end, what would Echo do to protect them?
Anything.
And that answer scared the shit out of him.
“So, are you guys ever going to tell me why I’m not supposed to go into town alone? I mean, considering everything that’s happened since then, I think you need to tell me.” Echo took a few steps back, rested his hands on his hips, and tilted his head to the side in question. “There really isn’t much that can surprise me at this point.”
Onyx opened his mouth to tell his mate the truth, but Hex cleared his throat, cutting him off. “I’ll tell you later.”
He didn’t argue, but Onyx didn’t understand what the big deal was, or why Hex was keeping it from their mate. The big alpha never did anything without a reason, though. Trusting in his lover and commander had kept Onyx alive for over three thousand years. He wasn’t about to start questioning the man now.
Echo huffed and shook his head. “I had a feeling you were going to say that. What’s so bad about this town that you feel you need to protect me from the people here?”
Hex took a step closer to Echo, cupped his cheek, and kissed the top of his head. “I’ll tell you later,” he repeated. “Let’s get inside.”
* * * *
Jinx and Syn were suspiciously absent around the house over the next week, though Echo saw plenty of Craze. More than he’d like if he was being honest. He understood why the big blond had to be there. He knew his mates didn’t desire the guy. Hell, Craze had mates of his own.
He just didn’t like the asshole.
“Are Syn and Jinx avoiding me?” he asked no one in particular as they lounged about the living room.
“Yes,” Fiero answered bluntly. “Now, shut up. I’m trying to watch this.”
Echo huffed and elbowed his lover in the ribs. “You have the charm of a fucking porcupine.”
“I think they’re kind of cute,” Fiero countered. “So, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He would. Echo rolled his eyes and settled more comfortably against Fiero’s side. He tried to watch television, tried to keep from asking the question on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn’t help himself. “Why are they avoiding me?”
“Because they like breathing.”
Okay, apparently, he was missing something important. “Can you just spell it out for me?”
“They think you smell good,” Myst answered him before shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth.
“Like the main course on the menu good?”
“Yep.” Fiero wound his arm around Echo’s shoulders and squeezed. “I know you like them, but it’s better for everyone this way. They’ve kind of grown on me, and I don’t want to have to kill them.”
Several grunts of agreement went around the room. Gods, he was mated to a cheery group. “That doesn’t mean you need to lock them in the attic.”
“We didn’t,” Hex said distractedly. “It was their idea.”
Echo snorted. “Yes, and I’m sure you did nothing to influence that decision.”
“We might have growled a little,” Eyce answered. “Nothing major, though.”
“Oh, this is ridiculous. They’re not going to bite me.” Echo pushed away from Fiero, jumped up from the sofa, and marched over to the staircase. “I’m going to get them. Then you’re going to apologize, and everyone is going to be fucking happy. Clear?”
His lovers only shrugged. “Whatever flicks your Bic, babe,” Myst called.
Echo hurried up the stairs and marched straight to the attic. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his hand and pounded on the door. “Jinx! Syn! Open up.”
The door eased open a moment later, and Jinx peered through the crack at him. “Hey, Echo. What’s up?”
“Why are you hiding up here? Come downstairs. I know I smell all delicious and whatnot, but you’re not really going to bite me, are you?”
Jinx blinked at him. “I’d really rather not chance it. Your mates were very clear on what would happen if there was a…mishap.”
“Okay, well I’m going to trust that you have more self-control than that. If you feel the urge to snack on me, turn your attentions on Craze. I’m sure he’d love it.”
“I’m sick of this stupid attic,” Syn whined as he appeared over Jinx’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Jinx seemed less eager, but nodded and opened the door wider for Syn to slip past him. “I really wish I knew what you were now.”
Echo laughed and clapped the vampire on the shoulder. “That makes two of us. Hex had a dream, and the Oracle says that we’ll all know when the time is right.”
“Do you really trust the Oracle?” Jinx asked quietly as they descended the stairs into the living room.
“She hasn’t given me reason not to, so I guess I do. Why? Do you know something?”
Jinx shook his head. “No, just a feeling that she’s hiding something.”
Echo bobbed his head. He’d had the same feeling, but without anything to base it on, he’d written it off as paranoia. “Well, she hasn’t steered us wrong yet, so I have to believe that she’s really trying to help.”
Jinx shrugged, not looking convinced in the least. Echo didn’t know what to say to Jinx’s accusations, so he decided to let it go for the time being. He just wanted to have a quiet night, watch a little TV, and forget all their problems. Surely that wasn’t too much to ask.
Apparently, it was.
Mac screamed, the most unholy, ear-piercing sound. He stiffened in Gage’s arms then began to convulse, his body jerking and flopping around like a fish out of water. Gage pressed him into the floor, holding his shoulders firmly as Mac’s feet beat against the carpet. Sony scrambled to hold his legs still, and everyone stared in horror.
“Mac! Mac!” Gage’s voice was frantic. “C’mon, baby, snap out of it!”
Echo felt like an insensitive bastard, but he couldn’t take the screaming. It pierced his eardrums, drilled into his brain, and even made his eyes water. He pressed his palms over his ears, squeezing tightly to block out as much of the sound as possible.
Pressure built inside his head. Warm wetness trickled from his nose and over his lips. Wiping at his mouth, Echo grimaced when his fingers came away bloody then smashed his palms back over his ears.
Mac’s screams rose in volume and intensity until the sounds falling from his mouth were completely inhuman. Echo had never heard a more awful sound. Just when he thought it would go on forever, Mac cut off abruptly, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he sagged to the floor limply.
“Mac?” Gage whispered. “Mac!” He grabbed the little man by the shoulders and began shaking him roughly. “Open your eyes, baby. C’mon, Mac.”
“He’s okay,” Syx mumbled around a groan. “What the fuck was that?”
“The hell if I know,” Hex answered as he rubbed his temples. “I think it needs to go on that board of yours, though. I thought my head was going to explode—literally.”
Echo nodded, opening his mouth to agree, when a loud roar reverberated throughout the room, rattling the windows and shaking the floor. His attention went to the front door, his heart galloping inside his chest, and he froze in place, unable to move.
Screeches, squawks, screams, and wails came together in a cacophony of morbid harmony. “Hex!” Ares’s voice boomed, filling the room as though he stood just beside Echo. A flash of light through the window illuminated trees beyond. Thunder cracked and rolled. The wind blew, whistling against the windows and rattling the door in its frame.
Without moving any other part of his body, Echo focused his eyes on Hex, pleading without words for the man to remain inside. He didn’t know what they’d done to anger the bloodthirsty god, but no good could come from stepping outside those doors.
“Echo,” Syx called softly to him. “He’s not a vampire, and this isn’t the movies. He is more than capable of entering this house if he chooses. It’s better if we prevent that.”
Hex rose gracefully from the sofa, squared his shoulders, and took a deep breath. “Eyce, Syx, and Fiero, come with me. Everyone else stay put.”
“Fuck that,” Vapre spat, launching to his feet and marching over to the door. “I’m not going to hide in the house like a coward.”
Echo still couldn’t move. His mates seemed hell-bent on facing Ares, their pride causing them to act foolishly. Why couldn’t he have fallen in love with an accountant? Sure, his life would be a lot less exciting, but right then, Echo would embrace dull and boring like a long-lost friend.
“Bring me the
Watcher
,” Ares yelled. “I only want the daemon.”
Echo eyed the men gathered in the living room. Who was Ares talking about? What the hell was a
Watcher
? “Uh, which demon?”
“Daemon, baby,” Eyce muttered. “Not demon.”
“Is there a difference?”
“I’ll explain later. Stay inside.” Eyce wouldn’t even look at him, and Echo had a sinking feeling in his gut that he was this daemon Ares wanted.