“I see you took Cheri in as a permanent resident. I thought she would eventually go out on her own, or be appointed a Ghuardian by the Mageri.”
Novis paused and lowered his tone. “I’m not so sure how permanent that will remain.”
There was an awkward silence as we entered the kitchen.
A small table filled the corner and I took a seat. It was bright and cheery with a semicircle of windows surrounding the table. Quaint was the term I was searching for when describing the room, which seemed out of place with the rest of the house—the kind of kitchen you’d find at your grandma’s house. Wooden cabinetry, white tiles, and a fresh fruit bowl by the sink.
Novis uncovered a plate on the counter and carried it to the table with a pitcher of orange juice. He seemed like a real easygoing fellow, except that he was eons old. That in itself was intimidating—to see the experience of age behind those sparkling, young eyes. On my third bite of my buttermilk biscuit, he restarted the conversation.
A smile crept across his face as he studied me with keen eyes. “You don’t have to choke on the biscuit. Swallow, and taste the juice,” he said, sliding the glass toward me. “This is not an accusation.”
Thank God. I hadn’t chewed since he began talking and I thought I was going to need the Heimlich maneuver. Some immortals were elusive with their words—speaking in riddles—so his motive wasn’t clear. I swallowed hard and chased it with a few gulps of freshly squeezed juice.
“Why are you telling me this?”
He sat back in his chair and studied me. Behind the black lashes were the palest blue eyes I’d ever seen, reminding me of Siberian Huskies.
“There are times we cannot always confide in our Ghuardian or Creator. Their duty to protect will often close an open mind. You have leverage in your home, whether you believe it or not, and a Learner is not without power to influence decisions. I’m willing to help should you ever need it. That’s all I wanted to say. Now go ahead and enjoy your breakfast more slowly.” He smiled and raised his brows. “I have some personal business to attend to.”
Novis left the room and I nibbled on a slice of tomato, watching a bird dive at a squirrel. The wind bullied a wooden swing, knocking it against the trunk of the old oak tree outside. Novis was a curious fellow because it was obvious that he kept some things the way they were from the previous owner of this house; as if he secretly wanted to be part of that normal world that humans live in.
My mind was reeling, wondering why he wanted to reiterate his trustworthiness.
“And Silver?”
Startled, I looked up at Novis, poking his head through the open door. “Yes?”
“I’ll see if I can rummage up some suitable clothes. That dress…” His voice fell to a teasing whisper. “
It’s not you
.”
Chapter 18
1 Message Received 6:34am
Logan: I’m sorry. Msg me when you wake up
Silver: Hi. You there?
Logan: Forgive me. When can I see you?
Silver: In your dreams
Logan: Don’t tempt me, I made a promise. How long will you be away?
Silver: I don’t know
Logan: What do you know?
Silver: I miss you
Logan: And I miss you, Little Raven… every time I shower
Silver: You are so wrong for that
Logan: Smite me. Do you feel safe there?
Silver: It’s a beautiful fortress
Logan: Perfect. I’ve arranged for Sunny and Knox to stay low for a while. I know how you worry.
Silver: Where are they?
Logan: Can’t say
Silver: I’ll call you later tonight after my shower
Logan: Now I’m jealous
Silver: Of what?
Logan: The soap
“Are you going to hide from me forever? Because I don’t think this is very conducive for our conversations,” I said.
A layer of anger coated his tongue. “Do you think this is easy for me?”
When he tilted his head, I could see a fraction of a mark on his right jaw. I wanted to cry and throw my arms around him, but I remembered Novis’s words about what a man needed, and it wasn’t pity.
“No, I don’t, Adam. I wish it had been me.”
He spun around and shook me. Hard. “No, you
don’t
.”
Shocked by the forceful way in which he handled me, I pulled away and looked up.
Adam lowered his eyes. The scar on the left side of his face was the most prominent because it ran from his hairline down to his cheek, about an inch above his mouth. It cut straight through his eyebrow and left a mark where the hair didn’t grow; he was lucky he hadn’t lost his eye. The right side of his face had an angled scar running from the temple down to his chin. Not even his five o’clock shadow covered it up. Curved scars ran along the inside of his right arm and bicep—probably where he tried to block the glass as it struck him. A small cut marked the right side of his neck and made me realize how easily he could have had his jugular severed.
Where else was he scarred
?
Adam wasn’t grotesque by any means, but he was marked.
I cupped his chin in my hands. “Remember what you once said to me? You never wanted to see me looking down. Take your own advice, Adam. You’re a Healer, and that’s something to be proud of. Many people are alive because of what you did. You’re compassionate, handsome, and—”
He jerked his head away and stepped back. “Don’t lie to me. Don’t you
dare
mother me and tell me there’s nothing wrong; I think we both know that’s a line of bullshit and I don’t need you to stand there and tell me I’m handsome.”
Adam’s boots hammered down the stairs and I wondered if the man I once knew was lost. If he was that despondent with me, then perhaps Cheri was the only one who could get him through this.
Low voices drifted from one of the sitting rooms downstairs. Grandiose paintings lined the tan walls accented with brass wall sconces. A large, thin rug with elaborate designs smothered the floor. Novis held a captive audience as he filled their glasses with amber-colored alcohol from a decanter. Justus and Simon were seated while Adam leaned against a doorframe. Cheri stood at his side, holding her arms tightly. She rubbed her cotton-candy-colored lips together, but it looked more like she was suppressing a smile when she caught sight of me.
“That’s a really sassy dress,” Simon began. “It’s very—”
“Cheri’s. She was kind enough to lend me some of her clothes,” I interrupted. Simon’s mouth usually ran without a filter.
Justus smoothed his hand across his arm. “Anything of value has been moved to our new home. We’re working on the security.”
“What’s the damage?” I cringed at how easily that flew out of my mouth.
Simon widened his legs. “The whole place was trashed—including the cars. Sodding bastards destroyed the lot of them.”
My eyes floated to Justus. “We should have taken one of the nicer cars but the Ducati was the only thing that we could move quietly up the ramp. I’m so sorry.”
“I still have the Aston,” Justus said, rubbing his chest as if pained. “It was the only car I truly enjoyed—aside from the Mercedes.”
Destroying a man’s car collection is as good as instigating war.
“Wipe that look off your face,” he snapped.
Justus stalked toward me and I nervously bit my lip as all eyes fell on us. The tension was palpable, but no one would stand between a Ghuardian and his Learner.
“I see the guilt formulating in that head of yours,” he said, smacking my forehead lightly with his palm. “They were just cars. Your life holds more value than a piece of machinery.”
Kind words delivered in a harsh tone. A good woman could really soften his hard edges in ways he desperately needed. Justus was a proud and noble man, but too detached from making emotional connections with others. There was so much spirit in him and when he laughed—it was full-bodied and turned heads.
The news about his cars was a mood killer and as this was no formal meeting, I tipped my head to Novis and went outside alone.
The air was clean and crisp, and I measured my pace across the lawn until I reached the twisted tree. The only home I’d known as a Mage had become my security blanket, and now it was ripped away. Justus was the one certainty that I knew would be there for the rest of my life. After all, that was his job. But when I thought about the rift between him and Marco, it left me with doubts.
I sat on the wooden swing and gripped the ropes. Everything was up in the air—my relationship, my home, my identity, and our safety. Because of me, Sunny was in hiding.
The swing suddenly yanked back and I was thrown forward. The wind lifted the soft tendrils of my hair and dashed them over my shoulders as Adam’s strong hands pushed me from behind. I screeched when the ropes jerked unsteadily.
“Woman, you are the biggest fraidy cat I know.”
“Adam, please stop,” I begged.
He eased up but wasn’t about to stop pushing. That would mean facing me and he was wasn’t ready.
“Are you still happy with Novis?”
“He’s a generous Creator, and I’ve been fortunate,” he replied.
“Do you think he’ll release you from his custody? I keep wondering if Justus will ever allow me to be independent. Novis is constantly bragging about you.”
“Is that so?” he mumbled.
I scraped my shoes against the dirt and skidded to a stop. Neither of us spoke and I reached behind me, scrunching my fingers through his brown hair. My hands remembered Adam the way he was as they slid down the stubble along his jaw. The scars looked years old by the way the skin had fused, and I had to remind myself this only happened just recently.
“You need to shave.”
“Maybe I’ll try a beard for a while.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” I pointed out.
“I’m too new to understand what it means to be an independent Mage in this world, Silver. Don’t rush; you’ve always been impatient.”
“Happy with Cheri?”
“That’s one woman I don’t deserve.” His voice wasn’t proud as I had expected it to be, but doubtful.
“She’s the lucky one,” I remarked. “We’re going to live a really long time, Adam.” I sensed him moving away from me and I turned my head. “I just want you to remember that I’m always going to be here to kick your ass.” I stood up with my knee perched on the swing, staring at his back. “Do you think a thousand years from now we’ll still be friends and remember this moment? It’s sad to think we may forget about all this.”
Adam pivoted on his heel. “How the hell can you say something like that?”
I froze.
With a pinch of his fingers, a pack of cigarettes appeared from his shirt pocket and he angrily pulled one out, punishing it with his teeth as he plucked a black lighter from a deep pocket in his jeans. “I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life,” he said, pointing to his scars. “And if you ever forget, I’ll be here to remind you.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry.”
“How many people do you think will take a Healer seriously with this face? I had a potential career doing something that mattered.” He sucked on the butt of his smoke twice to get a lungful.
“Since when did you start smoking?”
Adam took another drag and didn’t reply.
“This isn’t you, Adam. Don’t self-destruct.”
“I’ve done some bad shit in my life and God knows if those people were innocent. I was a follower, doing what I was told without blinking. They were all Breed; how’s that for bedtime stories? I thought I could atone by walking away, but it follows me like a shadow. So, what do you really know about me, Silver?”