Becoming a Legend (9 page)

“And then you’
ll be back here for only two more days, not three like normal?” The schedule was all thrown off with her birthday celebration.

“
Yep.” Arianna munched on the cookie. Aunt Lilly helped a customer. Arianna waited, knowing she only had a few more moments left before she would actually have to leave. To her, Lilly was the definition of normalcy and comfort. In Arianna’s new night human world, sometimes she just needed normal.

“
Did you have a nice birthday?” Lilly asked, turning back to Arianna.

“
You mean after the council meeting, where they bombarded me again about finding more keepers?” Arianna replied.

“
Again?” Lilly reached over and tucked a piece of Arianna’s hair out of her face.

“
And they think I should get a fiancée,” Arianna added, waiting for a reaction to mess up that perfect exterior. Arianna loved her aunt more than anything, but it was always fun to try to do things to get her to be less perfect. Lilly smiled at the approaching customers and helped them with her perfect smile.

“
Now that’s a topic I didn’t expect to approach for at least a few more years. I thought taking Turner as your keeper would be enough to keep everyone off the subject of marriage.” Lilly was calm about the situation.

“
A few more years?” Arianna was shocked. “I want to go to college, be a young adult in the world, not married. I just want them to stop, and here you agree with them.” Lilly began to laugh as she played Arianna as much as Arianna played her. As her real smiled faded back into her fake smile, Lilly sighed.

“I agree.
Why can’t they just let you be a kid for a little bit? Oh, and on that, thought,” Lilly reached under the counter.

“I’m
not a kid,” Arianna pouted.

“
No, you’re not,” Lilly replied, handing Arianna a small wrapped package. “Happy birthday, sweetie. Hope this one was better than the last.”

Arianna took the box and kissed her aunt
’s cheek. “Thanks,” she replied before opening the box. The wrapping came off easily and Arianna dug in the packing chips. At the bottom of the box was a keychain with one car key on it. “A car?” Arianna began jumping up and down. “You really got me a car?” She ran over and hugged her aunt again.

“
Hey, some of us need to breathe,” Lilly complained. Arianna loosened her grip, but kept smiling at her aunt. “Now you can’t drive it until you pass your test, but it’ll be parked out back until then.” Arianna nodded. She turned to leave, but ran back over to give her aunt another hug. Lilly patted her back and returned to helping another customer. It was one year ago that her aunt had planned to be Arianna’s sacrifice in the dearg-dul changing ceremony. As Arianna began to walk away, Lilly called out to her. “You better go upstairs before heading to the party. Someone has been waiting to talk to you.”

Arianna walked back through the diner
, stopping to hug Dean and thank him also. Mary Ellen or Tish, whoever stopped by, could wait a few minutes to celebrate with her.

“
It’s nothing too fancy. I’ve spent a few hours fixing it up so it should run perfect. But you still can’t be running around without anyone knowing, okay kiddo?” Dean said before pushing her on her way through the diner’s crowd. “Now, have a lovely time with your uncle.” Dean had taken to the baku much better than Lilly had.

Arianna walked back up the stairs to their apartment
, staring at the key. She hadn’t expected to get her own car. Even though she was now basically rich from her inheritance, when she was home with her aunt and uncle Arianna still felt like the normal girl she had been before everything changed a year ago. As she tuned on the last landing, she suddenly stopped, running into someone who had been waiting in the dark.

“
Oh, sorry about that,” Thomas said, catching her and keeping her from falling backwards down the stairs. “No crew?” he asked, looking behind her. She shook her head no. “Good. I need to talk to you. Preferably without the wolf around.”

“
Didn’t I get everything changed correctly?” Arianna asked. She’d thought she took care of everything that would put Thomas right back to where he was a year ago, before he agreed to be her guard for the year.

“
No, everything was fine. I got accepted into two Early Entry med school programs with my new grades. Everything is fine.” Thomas sat down on the top step. “Actually, I needed to talk to you about something else.”

Arianna sat down
and peered up at him. Like her guards and Turner, Thomas towered over her. While it was true that most people were taller than Arianna, who was only just over five feet tall, her keepers were much taller. Thomas was lost in thought. Arianna looked down the dark stairwell. It was easier to read people’s hidden feelings when she didn’t see their faces to confuse her. Anxiety was written all over his face, but once she had turned away, Arianna felt the hope behind it.

“
Can I be your tengu keeper?” Thomas blurted out.

“
What?” Arianna was surprised. “You just got out of your bargain with Gabriel. You can go back and have a normal life, become a doctor, get married, have a family and a white picket fence.”

Thomas shrugged.
“I thought that was what I wanted, but as soon as I got back home, I realized that somewhere along the way things changed. Maybe you remind me too much of my sister. But I feel this overwhelming urge to protect you.”

“
I have my guards and Devin and Turner,” Arianna replied. “You don’t have to stay with me for that. Go live a life none of us get to live.” Arianna truly wanted that for him. She almost envied that his life was so much more his, than hers was hers. Her life had been planned for her the moment she was conceived. She was the legendary night human everyone was waiting for. Now she just had to live up to it, which was hard to do since she didn’t even know what the legend was.

“
For once in my life, I’m making my own choice,” Thomas replied. “Med school and saving the world was always my dad’s dream. I can always go to med school later. Right now, I feel I need to be here. And you need a tengu.”

“
Need a tengu?”

“
Every baku is matched with a tengu at the turning ceremony. It’s a lifelong bond. And you never got one. So here I am, offering to be your tengu.” The hope was growing stronger the longer they talked. Thomas could see that he was swaying her in his direction.

Arianna was at a loss for words. She
felt the seriousness in his voice and the truth in his heart.

“
Are you offering to be the tengu keeper of the legend?” she whispered.

“
Yes.”

“
And you do know what that entails?” she continued. He nodded. “I’ll have to drink your blood for it.” He nodded again. There wasn’t a hint of the squeamishness he had before. Thomas had never been comfortable to even be around her when she was feeding. “And you’re fine with that?”

“
If you’d take me.” Thomas stood, still waiting and anticipating the answer he wanted to hear.

Arianna
didn’t hesitate to reply. He had already been the older brother she always wanted, and now he was offering to make the bond permanent. “Well then, you better go home and get dressed for a party, as Gabriel is waiting.”

EIGHT

Arianna paced around the large bedroom. She had been waiting for more than thirty minutes now, but she couldn’t enter her party until midnight. People were still arriving and custom dictated that she arrive last. She walked back to the dresser against the far wall and checked her hair for the tenth time. Devin was outside the door, and Turner was downstairs with Molina, observing each guest as they arrived. Gabriel stood at the front door and greeted everyone, also making sure that everyone entered on good terms. Arianna could sense each person as they arrived. In respect towards her, they didn’t keep their feelings shielded. She was their leader now. More than half the people that came were genuinely happy to be there. The other half were like starving wolves waiting to pounce. Arianna was fresh meat. She had been trying to keep her emotions hidden once she found out that everyone was feeding off her energy, but it was still hard for her to do. It was even harder when she couldn’t concentrate well. Her talk with Devin had her worried. Would she become a mindless beast someday? Would it be accelerated if something happened to Devin and Turner?

Arianna
’s head snapped up at the newest guest entering. She didn’t need to see him to know who it was. Edward Lucan was now present at the party.
Now the fun can really begin
, Arianna thought. Arianna felt the hatred roll off him. He was mad, actually madder than usual. He didn’t speak to Gabriel as he entered, and Gabriel didn’t address him.
Why does Lucan stay here if he hates it so much?
Behind Lucan were three more people. Arianna stayed by the dresser as the last person passed by Gabriel and walked upstairs to the room she was in. His personal guards stood at the bottom of the stairs.

“
Can I come in?” Andrew asked from behind the door.

‘
Is Devin still there?’
Arianna knew the answer, but she couldn’t tell what was going on with Devin’s steel exterior.

‘
Oh yes, the Randolph pup is here doing his job, staring daggers at me without a hint of emotion seeping out,’
Andrew replied in her head. It was easiest for both Arianna and Andrew not to talk aloud with people around.

“
Come on in,” she replied for Devin’s benefit, as it seemed he wouldn’t be letting Andrew by him until she did so.

“
I see your uncle has come with all his malice as usual,” she said as Andrew entered the room and shut the door behind him. Devin was not happy with that action, but allowed it anyways.

“
Of course, it pains him each time he comes to these gatherings and remembers he’s not the most powerful. I think tonight might have been extra taxing, knowing that I was going to escort you. Are you ready to be the belle of the ball?” Andrew moved forward slowly as if he were stalking his prey. Andrew’s night human qualities were seeping into his day human form. He was more graceful and his appearance more finessed. Greater power than normal was radiating off him.

“
I’m never ready for that,” Arianna replied.

Andrew eyed her over. He too knew this was the first time they had been alone in a room since the previous year.
Instinct told her she should be backing up or moving into a fighting stance at least, but Andrew would never harm her. Instinct could not beat her heart’s feelings. Fortunately Devin was just outside the door, keeping them both too cautious to act on the feelings between them.

“
It seems like your team planned ahead well.” Andrew was standing just inches from Arianna. He slid a finger in the side of the top of her strapless dress. Arianna shivered at his touch, and then was ashamed of herself when she heard Devin move outside the door. Andrew looked up at the door, but only moved his hand to her shoulder.

“
What does that mean?” Arianna asked.

Andrew stepped back only inches before his motions sped up. Arianna could see him start to unbutton his shirt. As he was almost done, she reached up quickly and stopped him
, her blush moving as fast as he was. Startled, he fell back into normal speed.

“
How did you do that?” he asked, cocking his head to the side to view her like she was now doing a new magic trick.

“
Do what? What are you doing?” she demanded.

“
We have to appear in night human form at the meal. While your group can strategically dress you so that you don’t rip your clothing, men’s clothing isn’t as forgiving.” Arianna still stared at him. “I need to remove my shirt so that I don’t rip it into shreds.” Andrew finally noticed the blush in her cheeks. He smiled and gently touched her red cheeks with the tip of his finger. Arianna didn’t move though she wanted to hide her face from the predator in the room. “So now that I’ve answered your question, what about mine? How did you stop me when I shimmered?” He finished unbuttoning the last button.