Chapter 15
Ree’s father answered the phone, which was a relief and a nuisance. He had a lot more questions about what Ree was doing and when she would be home than her mother would have asked. Of course, he also didn’t burst into tears when Ree announced she wouldn’t be home for a few more hours, which was a definite plus.
“Juliette wants to make banners for the winter ball, and I promised I’d help her a long time ago.” Staring at the ceiling, Ree almost wished she could tell him the truth, but quickly rejected the thought. She didn’t know if her parents could handle what was really going on. Most people couldn’t handle what was going on. I don’t know if I can handle what’s going on. God, I saw a man die and watched his skin fall apart on an antique rug just a couple of hours ago.
“Ree, are you listening?” Irritation laced her father’s voice, snapping Ree back to reality.
“Um, yeah. Sorry, Dad. Juliette asked me something.” Ree grimaced. The lying was getting easier, but it still set her teeth on edge. It’s a necessary evil, she thought.
“She is going to drive you home, right? Or do I need to come pick you up?”
“No. She’s going to bring me home when we get done.”
“Eleven, Ree. Not a minute later. I’m not even happy about you being out that late on a school night. Are there going to be boys there?”
“Dad. No. God.”
“Okay. Just checking. You’re a pretty girl. I have to stay on my toes.”
Rolling her eyes, Ree couldn’t help the smile that slid along her face. “Love you, Dad.”
“Love you, too, sweet potato. See you tonight.”
Ree ended the call and turned around to see everyone watching her. With an embarrassed thought, she realized everyone in the room had heard the entire call with their super hearing.
“Yep, it’s annoying, isn’t it?” Weylin asked from his seat. “Try going to sleep when Bryce has to pee every twenty minutes. It’s horrible. Like listening to a dam breaking.”
“I don’t have to pee every twenty minutes. You’re such an ass.” Bryce waved his middle finger at Weylin, who only laughed.
“So, what are we doing?” Ree looked at Sophie for her answers. The older Guardian hadn’t really said much. It seemed like she was letting all of her thoughts stew in her head before she told everyone.
“There are some clothes in the upstairs room for you, Ree. You will have to change out of your school uniform.” Sophie sat down at her desk and busied herself with some paperwork.
Not wanting to hold the group up, Ree took the narrow stairs two at a time. On the bed in the room she had stayed in before was a nice but nondescript outfit. Ree shucked off Roland’s jacket, grabbed the clothes, and darted into the bathroom. She held out hope that there was a toothbrush she could use and was pleasantly surprised to see a brand-new brush sitting on a washcloth with a tube of toothpaste on the sink counter.
Sighing in relief, Ree brushed her teeth and hair before throwing on the dark sweater and jeans that had been left for her. There hadn’t been any shoes, so she slipped back into her blue Mary Janes and hoped nothing would happen to them tonight. She carried her uniform back downstairs and shoved it into her backpack. Roland and Paden, both sitting on chairs, looked up at her eagerly as she stood there. Not wanting to hurt either of the guys she sat down on the couch next to Jules and smiled at her friend.
“Okay. What I have to tell you is very serious. Things are much worse than I had anticipated.” Sophie looked up from her paperwork to glance at the teenagers arranged around her workshop.
“We have had reports coming in for the last year that people of our community are being targeted. Alastriana lines have been disappearing, immortal families have been taken out, and anyone with a touch of extra has been murdered or stalked. And now we know why.”
Standing up, Sophie moved to a table that currently held a plethora of different weapons. She picked up the curved shortsword she had gotten earlier that day and slid it into a sheath along her back. “The worst part is I suspect that there is an original Dark One living in Savannah. I also believe she is here to mentor Tristan before the final battle.”
“Whoa, you mean there is an actual alien in Savannah, Georgia?” Everyone turned to look at Weylin. “Oh, c’mon. I can’t be the only one that thinks that’s a little bit cool! An alien is living in Savannah.”
“Yeah, and she’s eating people. Not so cool when you think about it that way.” Paden shook his head at Weylin.
As Ree turned back to face Sophie, she noticed that Roland’s face had gone pale. Completely still in his chair, his jaw clenched tightly, refusing to look at anyone. Ree had to pull the power back into a tiny ball of light in her chest. The range of emotions he was experiencing was more than she could handle.
“This Dark One, if she is who I believe, was one of the originals the dark gods created. She is strong, she is smart, and she is the deadliest combatant you will come across.” Sophie looked down at the weapons on the table and shook her head. “I believe she has been feeding Tristan the blood of the gifted lines to enhance his own power. At this point, I’m not really sure what he is capable of.” Turning around, Sophie met Roland’s eyes for a long moment. He didn’t say anything; instead, he was on his feet and out the door before anyone could say a word.
“What’s gotten into him?” Juliette asked.
“I have reason to believe the Dark One currently with Tristan is the same one who turned Roland.”
The room grew eerily quiet as everyone digested that bit of news. It was no wonder Roland had been having such strong emotions. Ree didn’t know much about his turning, but from little bits of information she had gleaned during the past weekend, it was always a painful experience. The Dark One that turns the human must drink from the body over a long period of time and trade blood, a little bit each time, though the original Dark Ones could force the change faster. While the blood gave the human some Dark One powers, it also caused the soul to become diseased. The body was stuck in limbo, not satisfied with food and thirsty for blood without a way to satiate that need. The further along in the process, the worse the side effects became. By the end, the body was riddled with cramps of starvation, but to add insult to the crime, the Dark One had to drink the rest of the human’s blood before feeding him more of their tainted blood. Not only did the human lose whatever soul he might have left at that point, but the final change was utter agony. The person laid in stasis as the turning progressed, dead to the rest of the world, but trapped in their own hell. It typically took two days for the process to be complete, and some of the Dark Ones that rose afterward were not right in the head. They were used as bloodhounds. Starved and then given a scent, they’d search for the source of the scent, not stopping for anything else.
Scrubbing her palms against her denim-clad legs, Ree fought the impulse to go after Roland. Despite the wrenching in her stomach, she knew she needed to hear what Sophie had to say. Looking at Melanie, she winced and wondered if her friend would understand what she wanted. A quick nod eased some of the tension gripping Ree’s stomach, and she watched as her friend followed Roland’s exit quickly and quietly. She didn’t want him to get into any trouble and Melanie would make sure he made it back safely. I owe Mel. That’s twice today she’s had to babysit, Ree thought.
“I’m going to request that extra help be sent here. Obviously, the dark gods are trying to find ways to circumvent the rules of the bargain.”
“What about the people at risk? Shouldn’t we warn them? Get them out of town?” Frowning, Ree tugged on the hematite necklace around her neck. “They aren’t safe here.”
“No one is safe, Ree.”
“Yeah, but the Dark Ones are targeting certain people. The people with that little bit of extra are in way more danger and should be guarded.” Looking around the room at her friends, she could tell they were in agreement. “Are there Guardians that could help? Maybe they could find reasons to get the families out of town.”
“Yeah, what about a sweepstakes? You know, ‘Congratulations! You’ve won a four-week stay at a Grecian villa!’” Weylin’s announcer voice filled the quiet room.
“That might work! People love free stuff.” Rubbing his chin, Bryce leaned back in his chair. “I mean, money isn’t an object for the gods, right?”
“I don’t think that’s an option.” Shaking her head, Sophie continued to check the weapons on her table.
“Why not? I think it’s a great idea.” Ree frowned at the older woman and wondered why her mentor wasn’t trying to find a way to protect the humans.
“It would risk alerting the humans to what is really happening. That is something the gods frown upon.”
“Frown upon? We’re talking about their lives. Sorry to point this out, but they’re going to figure out something is pretty wrong when the person in the elevator next to them sprouts fangs and tears into their neck.” Standing up, Ree paced across the room. “Better for them to be warned ahead of time.”
“I agree with you, Ree. But you have to consider what would happen if people started spreading the word. If anyone believed them, the entire world would be in a panic.”
Spinning around on one foot, Ree looked at Sophie seriously. “They should be in a panic. They’re all on the verge of becoming a buffet.”
Faster than lightning, Sophie jumped across the room, her hand over Ree’s mouth. Feeling her eyes widen, Ree tried to step away, but the Guardian held fast. “Do not say such things where the gods might hear you.” A thick accent mangled the words the Greek woman spoke. “The gods need you, but you cannot question their judgment. To some of them, you’re nothing but a tool. If you get out of line, they will not hesitate to bring you in line with their plans.”
“Take your hands off of her.” Paden’s growl slid over Ree’s shoulder. “You’re scaring her, Sophie.” He placed a hand on Ree’s shoulder and gently pulled her back against his chest. Sophie let go, but the intensity remained in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Ree, but you have to understand—the gods do not want the humans to know about them. Their biggest goal is to win this war and let the world continue, oblivious.”
“Wouldn’t they benefit from the general masses’ knowledge? I’ve read that the gods get their power from the people that worship them.” Sitting on the edge of his seat, Bryce looked torn between acting on Ree’s behalf and trusting Sophie.
“Fiction. They have found other ways to retain their power, and I would rather not know the means.” Sophie stepped away from her and shook her head. “I will ask for help monitoring the area, but I can’t guarantee they will even allow that to happen.”
Paden took a step backward, gently pulling Ree with him. “Okay, so you ask and we’ll do our best to keep them from getting anyone else.”
Nodding her head, Sophie seemed lost in thought. “Yes. Tonight, however, we need to gather more information to present to the gods.”
“And how are we going to do that?” Ree leaned into Paden’s chest, accepting the comfort she found there.
“We watch. We need to know if they are still using the darkling’s club. If they have moved on or changed tactics, then we need to find out what else they are working on.”
“What if we see them? Are we going to try and take the Dark One out?” Ree was surprised to see that Weylin had only been a few moments behind Paden in his attempt to get her away from Sophie.
“Della was the last name I knew her by, and I would suspect she hasn’t bothered to change it over the years. And if you see her, the only thing you are to do is to get the hell out of there. Understood?”
No one responded out loud, but from the corner of her eyes, Ree caught glimpses of the others nodding their heads.
“We’re going to have to face her eventually.” Ree knew there was no denying the inevitable and wanted to know how they were supposed to handle that moment.
“You have a lot more training to do first.” Roland and Melanie stood inside the door, both grim-faced.