House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)

Three heads gave a single nod. I crossed my arms, trying not to let my annoyance rise to my face. I knew I didn’t have a say, but that didn’t make me any less frustrated by the babysitting duties. Plus, part of me was kinda relieved that I had backup in these uncertain times. Something had happened to my family, and I was in no position to deal with these “bad” supernaturals. Whoever they were.

Truthfully, I had no reason to complain about being stuck with the Darkens. My belly was full, my clothes were clean, and I had a ride to school for once. If they could find Sara and Michael, then my life would be pretty darn awesome.

When Lexen opened his door, the rest of us followed. Eyes were on us immediately – eyes were always on the Darkens. The moment students realized I was in their midst, I felt the shock ripple through the crowd. Even avoiding their gazes, I couldn’t unhear the gasps.

I kept my head down, staring at my feet as we walked along the front path and into the main building. I didn’t notice at first, because my feet were so fascinating, but Marsil and Jero had closed in on either side of me, protecting me with their bodies. Lexen was behind, and I could feel him there at my back. Star was chatting away, walking a little in front of me.

“Humans are fascinating,” she chirped. “Lexen was so right. Look at the way they congregate in their little groups. They even look alike.”

She was pointing at a small group of kids who, despite the uniform, still managed to show their emo slash goth fashion tendencies with thick eyeliner, black nails, and somber attitudes. I quickly reached out and grabbed her forearm, pulling it down to her side. “Maybe … don’t point straight at them. Humans…” I lowered my voice dramatically, “don’t like being pointed at like that.”

Marsil chimed in then, his voice tinged with humor: “They also don’t like being referred to as humans.”

“Yeah, it kinda gives away your otherness—”

Lexen interrupted me. “Enough talking about this now. We need to blend.”

Good luck with that, giant model-type dude.

There were a lot fewer students inside, which was to be expected since the first bell wouldn’t ring for another twenty minutes. It was nice not to have so many eyes burning a hole in my face.

“I need to go to my locker,” I told them all. “Since, you know, I require textbooks to pass classes.”

Jero grinned at me, and I just shook my head.

“Star needs to check in officially,” Lexen said, looking between his brothers. “So we might have to split up for now.”

“We’ll go with Emma,” Marsil replied. “Meet back here in ten.”

For the first time since I’d cried in his arms, Lexen met my gaze fully. “Is that okay with you?”

I blinked a few times, momentarily stunned by the fact he seemed to be giving me a choice. And was looking right at me, which was always disconcerting.

I ended up blurting out, “That’s fine. I’m happy to go along with whatever is easiest.” One day I would act like less of an idiot. But seriously, for a bookworm, homebody, loner sort of human – as the Darkens would say – this was a lot. All at once.

You’re doing it for the Finnegans, I reminded myself.

Lexen and Star turned to enter the main office and I jumped on the moving sidewalk with the remaining Darkens. No one spoke as we rushed along the arterial that would lead to my locker area. I remained grateful for the lack of students in here. Gawking was definitely to a minimum.

“I thought this was the storage facility,” Jero said, staring around in confusion as the sections flashed past us. “Are you telling me there are student things back here?”

Raising one eyebrow in his direction, I didn’t bother to answer him.

“My stop is next,” I warned them, preparing myself to dismount.

This time I landed somewhat cleanly. Improvement! The boys waited silently on either side of me while I opened my locker and rifled through for the books I’d need that morning. I had to check it off against my schedule, which I hadn’t memorized yet.

“Okay, I’m good to go now.”

I hefted the heavy pack onto my back, hoping my old bag would survive the weight. Why did they need to make textbooks so freaking heavy? Yeah, yeah, lots of information to teach. Surely it wasn’t all important. Learn to condense it down or something.

I must have been muttering as we jumped on the sidewalk, because Marsil gave me a look, his eyebrow raised as he smiled. “I thought you liked to read. What’s with all the textbook hate?”

“How did you know I liked to read?”

He shrugged. “Jero mentioned that you had a lot of books lying around your house. We managed to deduce the rest from there.”

I looked between the two of them, confusion creasing my forehead. Must have been part of a whispered conversation in the back that I missed.

“The only school-type books I enjoy reading are history and archaeology. I love diving into stories of the past, hoping we can learn things from it. Otherwise I read sci-fi and fantasy.”

“Like … aliens?” Jero let out a low chuckle, and I zeroed right in on that.

“Exactly like aliens. So are you guys ali—?”

My question was cut off by Marsil wrapping his hand across my face and mouth. I swallowed hard, and winced a little at my mistake. I had almost said that out loud, and we were back in the main part of the school now, the bell about to ring; a lot of students were around.

“Sorry,” I whispered, when he removed his hand.

He winked at me. “No worries. Just … watch it around Lexen.”

They acted like their brother was a big bad scary dude. Which he was. But for some reason he just didn’t really scare me. Frustrated, for sure. Intrigued, oh yeah. But there was no fear. Maybe I was just too stupid and na?ve to see it.

We had to wait a few minutes out front of the office, which was a fun experience. The three of us leaned against the wall and watched the numerous students trip over their own feet when they caught sight of me between the two Darkens.

“Knees,” Jero said, as a leggy blonde walked past. “Definitely knees.”

I elbowed him, and he laughed. “What? I meant she was going to land on her knees when she tripped.”

Seeing his cocky grin reminded me of yesterday in class, and the redhead who had been glued to his side. “So … who is Aria?”

He tilted his head in my direction, a smirk creasing his lips. “She’s a Royale. Old family friends.”

I laughed. It burst out before I could stop it. “Are all of you elites ‘old friends?’”

He sobered up a little then, his expression falling into more neutral lines. “No, we aren’t. Royale and Darkens are allies. Leights are generally a neutral third party. The Imperials … they’re mostly the enemy.”

As if he had summoned them with those words alone, a group entered the front entrance. Two males and two females. I knew immediately that they were elites. Expensive clothes … check. Arrogance exuding from every pore … check. Dismissive way of treating humans … check.

The girls wore their hair very short, pixie-style cuts flicking out in styled disarray. One was golden blond, the other a white blond. Both of them had very pale skin, almost to the point where they looked sick. But they were still somehow beautiful, like all of these … beings.

The guys who strode in behind them were around six foot tall, their hair also a mix of blonds, but cut very short to their heads. Almost shaved bald.

The moment their group saw Jero and Marsil, they halted just in front of us. I could feel the tension coming from the two guys at my side, and I found myself straightening and going into some sort of panic alert situation.

“Thought you had petitioned the council to not come back this year,” one of the males sneered. I kept my gaze off to the side, in the hope they wouldn’t notice me.

Jero didn’t say anything, and from the corner of my eye it looked like he was glaring, ferocity carving his face into hard lines. Gone was the relaxed playboy; in its place was a being who was actually a little scary.

“You know we have to be here, House of Imperial,” Marsil said, his voice neutral. “There is no petitioning against an order from the entire council.”