CRYSTALLUM (The Primordial Principles Book 1) (15 page)

"You're leaving?" Her pulse rose. "I thought, I mean, you saved me in the snow. Didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I can't stay," he sighed. "This isn't where I live. I don't belong here."

"No, I...I'm not sure I do either." She pushed to sit.

Cole's brows squeezed together. "Why were you with Dracon?"

"Aha, I thought I heard voices. Good work, Mr. Spires." The doctor shuffled into the room. "Kadence, how are you feeling?"

"Okay." A woman stood in the doorway, staring at her.

"This is Ms. Thatcher." The doctor eyed a chart in his chubby hand. She will be your Lead when you move into the Kinship."

Ms. Thatcher didn't say anything, only kept staring as though Kade might jump out of bed and bite her. She turned and vanished from the doorway.

"You'll have time to get acquainted soon enough." The doctor gave a casual wave, but his expression showed unease about the chilly greeting.

"Don't worry." Cole nudged Kade's leg. "She's not bad once you get to know her." He shifted away from the bed.

"Don't go yet." Kade grabbed his hand again. "I know we hardly know each other, but I..."
Am completely alone. Please don't leave me
here
.

"You are quite safe, Miss Sparrow, I assure you." Concern folded the skin between the doctor's small, dark eyes. "Your father knows you're here. We just need to run a few tests, make sure all is well, and you can be on your way."

Her dad knew she was ill, but he wasn't with her? This was what it would be like when she moved. Alone in a strange place with strange people. Tears stung her eyes and she let go of Cole's hand.

"Hey." He lifted her chin and something in his eyes showed the same hint of an eclipse she'd seen before, except this time, it was a darkness she recognized. She'd seen it in her own eyes before.

Fear.

Cole sat back down on the bed. "I'll stay as long as you want me to."

A lump swelled in Kade's throat. She had never known real
friends. Had no idea what it felt like to have another person she could count on who wasn't her dad. She'd caught glimpses of that
kind of friendship from Giselle, but that was nothing compared to the emotion that washed over her when Cole slipped his hand over hers.

"I'll stay." His voice cracked.

Tears fell down her cheeks. "Thank you."

Cole scooted closer, wiping a thumb under her eyes. "Anytime, Sparrow."

***

The doctor ran about a hundred tests. For what, Kade wasn't sure because she felt completely normal. No more headache, no more
chills. Cole remained at her side through all the poking and
prodding, and for that she could never be more thankful. He talked to her the entire time, taking her mind off the pain in the tip of her finger when the doctor pricked it for the third time, and the gag reflex that happened when the doctor looked down her throat.

Every time she winced, Cole went into another story. Her
favorite was the one when he was seven and his dad made him jump through Leygates until he threw up. Or how he made Cole read old
Primordial texts until he went cross-eyed. Kade laughed as he crossed those beautiful kaleidoscopic eyes of his.

"When I was eight," he said. "My dad was teaching me how to shut down blacked gates so they wouldn't reopen. He'd taken me
into one of the abandoned coal mines outside Denver where the Ward found some new gates the Nefarius had rerouted. They're always doing that, so when we get word, it's our job to shut them down so the negative energy doesn't travel into other lines." He
rubbed his thumb over Kade's hand, and she wondered if he realized he was doing it. "My dad was the one the Ward called in to take care of that kind of thing. He was great at it, well, he was good at everything, and he wanted me to learn to do it."

"At eight years old? Isn't that dangerous?"

"It is, but my dad wanted me to be prepared for any and every situation if something ever...happened to him." He rubbed her hand again. "Anyway, I couldn't do it. The energy in the Leygate was too strong, so instead of me shutting it down, it sucked me in."

Kade let out a breath.

"I ended up in the Infernal Plane with some pretty bad burns, and my dad had to rescue me. Thankfully, there were no Nefarius or
Filios Daemoneum around, or it would've been really bad. He
grounded me for a month."

"But, that's not fair. You were too young to know what to do."

He shrugged. "I could've done better. Fear got me that day. I made sure it was gone the next time he took me into a mine."

"How'd you do that, exactly?" she asked, hyperaware of her hand still in his. "You had to be afraid."

"I was, but fear is in your head." He tapped his temple. "And it's your choice whether or not you listen to it."

Kade liked that idea. She'd been afraid for so long, she didn't know what it felt like not to be. "Thank you. Again. For staying with me. This must be weird hanging out with the new girl you barely
know."

Cole gazed at her. "I know all I need to know."

A pierce in the crook of Kade's arm took her attention away as
the doctor inserted a needle into her flesh. Cole opened her hand, his focus downcast, and his finger traced the moon in the center. She wanted to pull away, ashamed of the birthmark. Devil's blood, but the motion sent shivers up her arm and made her whole body
tremble.

He smiled. "You didn't know you were a Primeva, did you?"

"No." The word came out strangled.

"Your dad didn't tell you?" He sounded skeptical.

Kade shrugged, not sure she should say anything. Especially with the doctor in the room. "No."

Cole closed her hand with a frown. "All done."

The doctor nestled three blood-filled vials into a padded box. "You may get up if you like, Miss Sparrow. Slowly at first, please."

Kade swung her legs around, the balls of her feet touching the cold tile floor.

The doctor pointed across the room. "You have clothes in the bathroom if you would like to change."

Kade nodded and made her way into the bathroom. White towels hung from a plain white rod and a white curtain adorned the walk in shower. Staring at her reflection, she didn't look sick. Not
sick enough for the doctor to be shuffling outside the door like she was a flight risk he needed to contain. Besides the smearing of mascara underneath her eyes and the paleness of her skin, she
looked like she always did. Human. That alone put a relieved smile on her face. She'd been terrified that the doctor would learn what she truly was, or that she would accidentally transform into the monster and Cole would see her. The creature that lived inside her.

She pulled on faded jeans and a big gray sweatshirt her dad must have brought, and secured her hair into a pony tail before yanking on her boots. One of the bathroom drawers had soap to wash her face, toothpaste, and a toothbrush, along with other
toiletries. It was sort of like a hotel. Everything was provided in an orderly, sterile way.

"Miss Sparrow, are you quite all right?” the doctor asked through the door.

She let it swing open, wondering why the doctor seemed so fussy. "I'm fine."

"Good." The doctor secured a pen on the chart he held. "Yes, well all of your vitals look normal, so I just have to make sure that you
feel
okay. The other tests may take a few days before we get the results. Mr. Spires assured me that you took a very hard fall, and although the Primordial race is quite resilient, quite resilient, indeed, I still must take every precaution with our fledglings."

Kade's eyes narrowed. Dracon had always called her that—Fledgling. It made her skin crawl.

"I'm not sure Sparrow classifies as a normal fledgling." Cole leaned against the bed's footboard. "She has a fair amount of knowledge, and even though she doesn't know how to use her
power yet, she's clearly
been fighting for a while on her own." He grinned. "I think we can
ease up a little. She's not going anywhere."

"Very well, Mr. Spires. As you say. I will alert Warden Caelius that Miss Sparrow is free and clear for the time being. Should anything irregular show up in the tests, I will let the Warden know."

"Thank you," Cole said.

The doctor headed toward the door. "Oh, just one more thing.” He withdrew a small glass vial from his pocket and handed it to Cole. "This must be administered before day’s end, I am afraid. Warden's orders."

Cole stared at the glass tube as if it was poison and shoved it in
his pocket. He glanced at Kade. "Since we're here, would you like a
tour? Thatcher will do it again when it's official." He tilted his head in that way she kept noticing. As if he was beckoning her. It was effective.

She grinned. "Sure."

The hallway outside the room was dimly lit and carpeted in matted, green shag. Doors lined the wood paneled hall on both sides with what she assumed were bedrooms. Dated sconces adorned the walls, along with framed black and white photographs. The ink welled out into round spots in the corners of a few of them, while others were recently taken, crisp and clear. All of the photos were of mountain ranges and birds.

Owls.

"Why's it so dark?" Kade had the urge to leave until natural light spilled over the floor at the end of the hall, and a large dining room came into view. Photographs of vultures, crows, owls, and ibises decorated the walls. All birds of prey and scavengers. It made her skin crawl.

"The Brotherhood is much brighter since it faces the opposite
direction," Cole said. "The two common houses are basically
identical. I wouldn't be able to show you around here otherwise."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot for a second." Kade stayed close to him. "You'll be leaving me here."

Cole stopped, the crease between his eyes deepening.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." She heaved a breath and waved a hand in the air, shrugging it off, but Cole caught it. His
hand moved so fast, Kade only saw the wake it left through the air, the slight fleshy colored blur. Her breath hitched as his hand held hers.

"I don't want to leave you here.” His voice was so tender it caught her off guard. “I wanted you to be with me."

Her eyes widened, jaw dropped.

"I mean," he paused. "Under me. No—not
under me
, under me, but with me."

Kade grinned, cheeks heating.

Cole shook his head. "Not
with me
like
that
, just...well yes, like
that, but not, you know, in a bad way, just—" He groaned. "I meant in my house. In your own room, of course, in the girl's wing, but...in my house. The Brotherhood, I mean." He dragged a hand over his forehead, and grinned. "I
never
get tongue tied. Let me start again."

Kade's smile widened. This incredibly beautiful guy who practically exuded heat and arrogance was in truth, tender and
sweet, and nervous. She smiled wider. Like an idiot.

"I meant," Cole continued, grinning. "That I hoped you were a Primori, like me. That you were a member of the Brotherhood, like me. That you would be in my house,
with
me."

Kade's skin tingled. "I wish that were true, too."

Cole squeezed her hand, but didn't let go. "So, next on the Kinship tour...the dining room." The room reminded Kade of a mess hall at summer camp. Not that she'd ever been to camp, but she'd seen movies.

Picnic-style tables lined up in rows under three massive chandeliers made of deer antlers with tapered plastic candles. Wooden planks covered the floor and they were so worn they had a slight sheen. Hazy sheets of sunlight bled through a bank of
windows on the back wall, and beyond the glass, a breathtaking view of the Rockies. Just above the windows was a massive mural of an eagle with wings spread, a snake gripped in its talons.

"Wow." The view made it appear as if Kade was standing on the side of a cliff.

"I know." Cole kept hold of her hand. "The common houses were built into the mountain side to avoid too much detection. They have amazing views."

"I guess the Primordial are really into rustic living."

Cole laughed. "Not really. The Ward headquarters is in Rome. Most of the Primordial bases, and nothing in Rome looks like this." He gestured toward the worn floors. "Think of the Vatican, but only on a smaller scale. And undetectable by human eyes. The common houses are just simple living for all us kids. We don't want to stand out and draw attention to ourselves."

"Right," she answered, distracted by it all. What it must be like to
grow up in a huge house with a bunch of kids like her. To never be alone. Never have to hide what you were. "So, you're all here in
Boulder? All the Primordial kids, I mean."

"No, there are common houses all over the world."

"Oh." Kade wondered how many houses there could be. It was difficult to imagine, and seemed like an awfully large number of Primordial for no one to have noticed them. But then again, they looked like her. Human. That brought up a whole other string of
questions.

"So, no one knows about you?" she asked. "I mean if there are thousands?"

"Some highly secretive sections of the government know. As long as we protect the grid, and all the megaliths, monuments, and
military bases that sit on top of the Leygates, they don't give us too much trouble. Without us, the planet would have gone to hell forever ago. Granted, the human race may beat the Daemoneum to the punch at the rate they're destroying everything."

Her eyes grew wide. "Megaliths and military bases?"

"Yeah. Almost every major structure in the world was built on a Leygate. Churches. Stonehenge. The Pyramids in Egypt. They all sit on fault lines."

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard." Every major structure sits on some type of fault line?

"There are crazier things. Leygates are places of power and even the non-Primordial respect that." He smiled.