“Oh, right.”
“Ya might try and get close to him and learn more before we make our move.”
I cleared my throat. “That may be a problem. He knows about me.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Well, there was a little bit of a reaction when he touched my tattoo.”
“Why was he close enough to touch it?”
I stared at the stop light impeding me from getting out of this conversation faster.
“Damnation, girl. Ya couldn’t keep it in yer pants?”
“I have been doing a fine job of keeping in my pants, thank you.” I gritted my teeth. “It’s not like I knew he was a god.”
“We’re up the river without a paddle here, Cassi girl. What do you know about him?”
“Not a whole lot. He’s here to head a project I’m in.” I gripped the steering wheel. “And my roommate says they’re related.”
“Related?”
I rolled my eyes. “Brother and sister, I think. But she’s so offended he left her alone with their sick mother that she keeps referring to him as if he’s some second cousin twice removed.”
The motor of the car was the only thing that could be heard for a while.
“Does she know about you?”
“Not yet,” I said. “I doubt she’s going to listen to anything he has to say.”
Aunt Jo shook her head. “No good. That mark’s only gonna get more powerful. If she’s a god, she’ll sense it soon.”
“Why would a god go to college?”
Aunt Jo shrugged. “Why do they do anything? We don’t really know much about them. Hasn’t been long since they came back.”
“So, now what?”
“I got an extra bed in my room. Ya stay with me till we get these gods taken care of.”
“I don’t think Serenity is doing this. I’ve known her for years. If she wanted me dead, or anyone else, I think I would have noticed.”
“But ya never figured out she was a god.”
“What if she doesn’t know?”
Aunt Jo snorted. “Bullshit. She knows they’re related.”
I sighed and bit my lip as tears sprung up in the corners of my eyes.
“Look, maybe yer right,” Aunt Jo said. “But we’re not sure. How can ya sleep under the roof with her when she might be a danger?”
“Fine,” I said. “She should be in class now. I’ll grab some things and head back over here.”
I dropped Aunt Jo at her hotel and headed to my apartment. My key slid into the lock with a soft click. I opened the door to a cool, darkened living room. I gripped the back of the couch as I scanned the room, from the fallen cushions on the floor to the pile of video game cases stacked next to the TV. I bit the inside of my cheek softly and closed my eyes, willing the pressure in my chest to release.
I marched to my room and grabbed the giant bag from my closet. I needed to treat this like a bandage and get it over with. I yanked a large group of cloths from their hangers and tossed them in the bag. I slipped my laptop into the side.
“What are you doing?” Serenity asked.
I jumped and spun around. She leaned against the door frame in a pair of shorts and her Cowboys t-shirt with her arms crossed and brows furrowed. My chest tightened.
“I thought you’d be in class,” I said.
“All classes were canceled due to yesterday,” she said.
“Oh, right. Because of James.” I hadn’t even bothered to think of going to school, much less whether it would be canceled.
Her gaze fell upon the bag on my bed. “What are you doing?”
“I’m, uh, going to stay with my aunt for a while.”
“In a hotel?”
I inched back to my bed and closer to my baseball bat.
“Is she sick or something?”
“Uh, well …”
She took a step into the room but stopped when she saw me stiffen. “What’s wrong? You’re acting really weird.”
I stared at her for several moments with my mouth open. Did she know what Mercer was? She’d always been against him ever since he’d shown up here. Maybe she’d been afraid he’d reveal her. I wanted to ask her, but the words stuck in my throat. I shook my head.
“Hard to find a place to begin,” I said.
“Did something happen between you and Mercer?” Serenity asked.
I couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that escaped. “You could say that.”
Her lips pressed together in a thin line, and two small red spots appeared on her cheeks. “I’m going to kill him.”
“I’ll see you at school.” I zipped up my bag and slung it over my shoulder.
She followed me through the living room with a confused look on her face. “You’re just going to leave because of him?”
I paused at the front door. “I really don’t know either of you.”
She stayed on the rail of the second floor, watching me drive off. As she faded from sight, I couldn’t keep the tears back any longer. I turned my radio up to ear-blasting level to cover the sound of my sobs.
My world was burning down around me, thanks to this damn tattoo and a family legacy I never wanted.
Chapter 17