House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)

She shook her head, long silky cascades of brunette hair tumbling across her shoulders. “No, this is the first time I’ve left my home. I had to fight for this freedom and I’m going to enjoy every moment of it.”

I felt a pang of sympathy for her. “If you can keep your brothers from killing me, then I’d love to be friends,” I told her. Despite my previous thoughts about remembering what and who she was, I liked Star. There was an innocence about her that drew me in.

She squealed. “We’re going to be best friends, I already know it.”

Her gentle nature was very clear, which might have been half the reason I felt a bond to her. Star needed protecting.

“I hope Lexen isn’t back yet,” she said as we walked into the hall. “He can be … difficult when his orders are disobeyed. Like Father.”

I snorted, which drew her attention. “He’s an arrogant asshole who thinks his word is law. But sure, difficult works too.”

Star blinked a few times, but before she could say anything, a huge shape appeared in front of us.

“Downstairs, now,” Lexen said to his sister, his voice coldly quiet. She jumped, but didn’t immediately move.

“Promise me that you’re not going to hurt her,” she replied, standing her ground. “She’s my friend.”

His face did not soften; those harsh beautiful lines stayed strong and prominent. “I’m not going to hurt her,” he bit out. “I just need to ask her a few questions.”

Star threw me a commiserating look. “I’ll wait for you downstairs. Maybe we can watch a movie later. I’ve heard such great things.”

They were going to have to work on Star if they wanted to continue pretending they were human. She flounced toward the stairs, giving Lexen a quick hug on her way out.

The moment his sister was out of sight, he turned those dark as sin eyes on me. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice even despite the fire in his eyes. “Why were you really following us tonight? Which of the houses holds dominion over you?”

Okay, then, we were getting right to the point.

“My name is Emma Walters. I followed you because I want answers about what happened to my guardians. And I have no friggin' clue what you’re talking about. Houses? Like the history textbook in Mr. Perkins’ class? Your family is descended from the House of Darken and the rest…”

I trailed off as he took a step closer. In my heels I was almost up to his shoulders. Which was frustrating. I didn’t like him towering over me like that. But I stood my ground, staring up at him without any expression. I would not let him know how spooked I was.

“If you are spying for the Imperials, I will not be happy. They have tried many times over the years to infiltrate our house, but I never thought they’d stoop this low.”

He glared. I returned the gesture, following it with my middle finger. “How about screw you? I don’t know anything about any Imperials.”

Lexen stepped back then, like he couldn’t stand to be that close to me for another second. “The council is trying to find out about your family. Apparently the Finnegans have been on their radar for a while, but they don’t know what happened to them. They have asked that you stay with us until we can sort out what is happening.”

I was already shaking my head. “Hell no. I don’t need to stay here. My house across the street is perfectly fine. I’m used to being on my own.” The only positive was that someone was now searching for my guardians. I just had to hope those “someones” weren’t going to hurt them when they found them. I had to hope I hadn’t just made it worse.

Lexen let out a rumble of annoyance. “Trust me, I already argued for you to leave, but the council rules supreme. We’re in the midst of a crisis. There is no room to question them. Not with the treaty—” He cut himself off and I found myself stepping closer.

“What are you?” I no longer cared about keeping my knowledge of them a secret. I wanted answers. Of all the Darkens I trusted Lexen the least. His dislike of me, and I would say humans in general, was not disguised, but in some way that was why I directed this question to him. He would give me the entire dirty truth. No sugarcoating it.

His expression went blank. I waited for him to deny it again, but surprisingly enough he didn’t. “We’re not something you could understand. Your guardians should have left our kind alone. They were warned, and now they will pay the price.”

Everything inside of me froze. What price was he talking about? Was the council going to kill them? Or did they already think the Finnegans were dead? Were they searching for their bodies?

Before I could let those painful worries spill out, he turned and left. I followed slowly, knowing I had no other choice. As I descended the stairs, I tried not to think about the fact that I might never see Sara and Michael again. I focused on the weirdness of Daelight Crescent. Clearly the domain of these supernaturals.

Why did they allow humans to live in their special gated street? Especially since they seemed to want us to stay away from them. So much of this didn’t make sense.

Jero, Marsil, and Star were on the couches, all eyes on me as I crossed behind Lexen toward them.

Jero whistled. “Well, well, you clean up very nicely little hum … poppet.”

I waved a hand in his direction. “You can cut the crap. I know you’re not human. Let’s not pretend any longer.”

Jero’s flirtiness disappeared in a heartbeat. He turned narrowed eyes on his brother. “You told her?” His words were clipped with an edge of disbelief.

Lexen returned that stare with one far more potent and displeased. “I didn’t tell her anything. She already knew bits from her guardians, and she has clearly surmised the rest from everything she saw tonight. The council is aware of this, which is why they want us to keep an eye on her until they can find her guardians and figure out what to do.”

Star jumped to her feet. “She can sleep in my room tonight!” she declared, clapping her hands together. “We should get ready now.”

I thought it was a bit ridiculous that she had just dressed me up in these fancy clothes only for us to head to bed. Especially considering it was probably only 8 P.M.

“Absolutely not.” Lexen’s voice was low and calm; the undercurrent of authority was very clear. “I have a spare room on my level. It’s my responsibility to keep an eye on her.”

When Star’s face fell, his expression softened somewhat, giving a very fallen angel edge to his unnatural good looks. “You can’t trust her, S. She’s not one of us.”

Star swallowed hard, her arms crossing over her chest in a protective mannerism. “Emma is my friend. I refuse to give that up.”

I continued standing there, glaring at them all while they talked about me like I wasn’t in the room.

Marsil’s gentle voice was deep and rich: “How about Lexen watches Emma tonight…” He threw me an apologetic look. Nice of someone to acknowledge my presence. “And then when he sees that Emma is just an innocent victim in all of this, he will be more relaxed with you two breaking some of the rules.”

I could already tell the odds of that happening were slim to never. Lexen was not going to bend rules for me, even if they would make his sister happy.

“I have to go out tonight.” Lexen’s rapid subject change didn’t seem to surprise anyone but me. He pointed a finger in my direction. “Which means you’re coming with me.”

I clicked my heels together and gave him an exaggerated salute. “Yes, sir. Whatever you say, sir.”

Clearly I had a death wish. Maybe I’d had one since my parents burned alive, but right in this moment I didn’t give a shit that these four could probably disintegrate me with a mere thought. I was done with the elites’ superior bullshit.

Lexen blinked a few times at me. I swear there was a flicker of confusion on his face. Then it disappeared and he just looked pissed. “Follow me,” he ordered. He strode away and I hurried after him. I felt someone at my back and swiveled my head to find Jero there.

“Are you coming too?” I asked, surprised.

He nodded. “Yes, I watch Lexen’s back.” He winked at me. “And yours too of course, honey.”