Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology) (207 page)

Suddenly intrigued and relieved by the
distraction he provided, I studied him in his black button-up shirt
and suit pants. Dark circles lay beneath his eyes. “What’s your
gift, anyway?”

He didn’t answer right away, and I
wondered if he heard.

“
Heightened
senses.”

“
Heightened senses?” I
hated myself for being curious. “How does it work?”

He pulled
open the middle console separating our seats and fished around
inside. “I can see and hear for miles, pick up on any scent and
by
touching
someone or something, I can feel their emotions.” A little
white Excedrin bottle rattled in his hand as he pulled it
out.

That explained the hungover look—he
probably didn’t get much sleep. “So…if you touched me right now,
you’d feel what I’m feeling—like an empath?”

He nodded.

I made a mental note to stay out of
reach. “I control minds.”

“
So I’ve heard.” He popped
a couple white pills in his mouth and took a swig from his water
bottle.

His comment shouldn’t have shocked me.
Kembers and Dreas may’ve been good about keeping their identities
secret from the Norms, but they sucked when it came to
confidentiality.

His grip tightened on the steering
wheel. “I don’t know how things were…run when Delmari was in
charge, but there need to be rules concerning your ability and
self-control—”

My cold laugh cut him off. “Who died
and made you captain?” It hit me, and the retort immediately lost
its wit. “I don’t need any rules.”

“
Do you have any idea how
many people disagree with that?”

“
Probably everyone.” I
shrugged. “Mostly Ian.”

“
Especially,
Ian.”

“
Well,
he’s a dick. I don’t care what he thinks.” Ian should die a
slow,
painful
death.

His brows rose. “He’s looking out for
you. You owe him your respect.”

What a line. “You really are his
bitch.”

He rubbed his temples, mumbling
something I didn’t understand. “I know you and Delmari had a
special relationship. He raised you. The bond was inevitable and
understandable to a point.”

I couldn’t imagine anyone bonding with
Aiden.

“
However, had Delmari kept
the oath in the first place, his loss wouldn’t be upsetting you
like it is. You’d be able to accept a new Kember without feeling
your whole world has been affected. Surely Delmari taught you the
job we as Kembers have, right?”

Fury raced through me. I couldn’t
believe how indifferent he acted toward Delmari. “To be a pain in
the ass and ruin lives? Oh, wait—maybe that’s your,” I waved my
hand in his direction, “role in this.”

“
You didn’t answer my
question.”

“
I don’t answer stupid
questions.”

“
We’re
assigned—”

“
A specific,” I used my
wisest, smartass voice, “Drea, and you swear by oath to protect him
or her from the Rygons until one of you dies. Whoopdee
freakin’do.”

“
Yes, but while keeping all
emotions aside.” He glanced in my direction. “You can’t tell me
Delmari didn’t think of you as his daughter, like you thought of
him as your father.”

The
dreaded ache in my chest squeezed. He was right. Delmari and I had
been daddy-daughter like. Kembers weren’t allowed to have emotional
attachments to anyone. It interfered with their call as guardians.
Tears burned from the memory of Delmari, but I fought them back.
I’d die before crying in front of Aiden. “I’m sure you don’t have
that problem. You know, having people who actually
like
you.”

He continued like I’d never said a
word. “It’s our job as guardians to stand by and watch—not
interfere. We’re here for your protection.”

My stomach tightened; heat rushed like
liquid fire through my veins. I wanted to put this tool in his
place, but I didn’t. The second I did, traitor tears would fall. I
was furious—too furious to hold them back. Instead, I pulled my
knees to my chest, laid my head against them and looked out the
side window.

An hour later, the truck
slowed.

Oakridge was no doubt a small town.
Probably chuck-full of in-breeders and hicks. Buildings, which
looked like they were built by cavemen, sat on both sides of the
street and a small line of cars passed in the opposite lane. A
group of teenagers walked on the sidewalk laughing and flirting
with each other. Back home in Meridian, I had a pretty normal
teenage life compared to most Dreas. I lucked out. Delmari never
wanted me to feel deprived, so I had tons of friends. Ninety
percent of them were Norms. Plus, a lot of guys that were into
me.

Of course, Delmari’s presence didn’t
go unnoticed. What intimidating, six-foot-three man would? My
normal friends constantly asked questions about him, wondered why
he never failed to be off in the shadows. I had some fun with it. I
mean, if I had to lie, I might as well make it a good one. So, I
told everyone my mother was an Italian supermodel who couldn’t be
around, so she hired Delmari to take care of me.

Which wasn’t too hard to believe. My
mother had been Italian, and I guessed I inherited her thick, ebony
hair and slightly exotic features. My skin tone resembled someone
who spent a lot of time in the sun, but sun or not, I stayed this
color year round. With the lack of knowledge about my mother, she
could’ve been a supermodel for all I knew. My curvy figure had to
have come from someone.

We stayed
on the main road and drove about ten more minutes outside of town.
I groaned when we turned on a dirt road, surrounded by thick pine
trees. Back in the forest
again
. The trees made my stomach
turn. I pictured every one of them bursting into
flames.

A one-story, bluish-grey house with a
wraparound deck came into view. Aiden turned down the gravel
driveway. Apparently, this was the place. It looked pretty basic
with probably only two or three bedrooms and an attached garage. I
sighed. If it wasn’t for the crappy location, maybe I would’ve
called it nice. Maybe.

Cutting
the ignition, Aiden reached back and grabbed my backpack from the
rear seat. He handed it to me. “The Authority is usually good about
stocking houses, but if you need other things,
we can go to town tomorrow.” He stepped out, grabbed two huge
duffle bags from the truck bed and strode to the front
door.

The house opened up into a big
rectangular living room with two beige sofas and a big chair. We
passed a tiny kitchen with light wood floors and cupboards to a
round hallway, which held three doors. Aiden pointed into a huge
room—clearly the master suite. “My room.” Then straight across was
a smaller one which I took to be mine.

A slow breath escaped my lips as I
walked into my new haven and closed the door. Aside from the fact
the bedding and curtains were a nasty shade of banana yellow, it
wasn’t too bad. A small desk, full size bed, and dresser took up
most of the space. That didn’t matter, seeing as I didn’t have
anything else to add. I threw my backpack onto the bed, scattering
the decorative pillows to the floor.

I dropped onto the mattress and stared
at the ceiling, unable to get over how dreamy—no—nightmarish this
all felt. I just wanted Delmari to come in and shake me until I
woke up. Or maybe even jump out of the closet and yell “psych!” I
cringed, the unsettling feeling of doubt growing in my stomach. He
wasn’t dead…right? I closed my eyes, but no matter how many
feathers they stuffed in this bed, I’d never be able to
sleep.

A soft knock sounded from the
door.

I groaned, already dreading whatever
talk Aiden prepared. “What?”

He pushed the door open and stepped
barely past the frame. “Did you get settled?”

I nodded.

“
You’re not allowed to
leave the house without me—not even to step outside. Don’t answer
the door or phone. I don’t care who you may be
expecting.”

Jolting to the sitting position, I
stared at him in disbelief. “So, where’s the orange
jumpsuit?”

He crossed his arms. “Ian called.
Delmari’s funeral will be held on Saturday in Boise.”

My heart sank. I hadn’t been expecting
that. My voice came out barely audible. “Th-This Saturday? That’s
only two days.”

“
I know.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting
back tears. No. This couldn’t actually be real. Could it? He’d show
up before Saturday—he had to. There’d be no need for the funeral.
“I’m not going.”

Aiden’s straight face never wavered.
“Yes, you are. It’s a form of respect.”

“
Wasn’t the point of moving
me clear out in the boonies to make sure I don’t run into the
Kember?”

“
Ian wants you there. If
the Kember attends, you’re the only one who can identify him.” He
turned, but before stepping out of my room, he paused. “You’ll
regret it if you don’t go. Trust me.”

Chapter 5

After a-day-and-a-half without
returned phone calls, with no change in news and no Delmari,
reality slowly trickled in.

He really wasn’t coming.

A life without Delmari would be a
world without rain. Dry. Desolate. Unrelenting. A life I didn’t
want any part of. I held in my screams, fought back my tears and
destroyed every pillow in my bedroom. I shouldn’t have left him. I
should’ve gone down with him. Instead, I ran like a weak little
Drea who thought she actually had something to live for.

Fat drops
of rain
ran down the strands of hair
clinging to my face and dripped off my chin. I didn’t find it
ironic it was raining. It just figured. One more thing that would
try to rip me in two. One more thing I wished I’d never see
again.

I closed my eyes. The vivid picture of
the Kember’s ocher gaze and black flowing robe played over and over
again. It was burned in my mind. I’d find the bastard, and when I
did, I’d kill him myself—or die trying.

A few feet from where I stood, a vast
blue tent covered hundreds of chairs and Delmari’s black casket.
Common sense told me to take cover under it, but it was pointless.
I was too numb to feel the cold; too detached to feel my wet jeans
and hoodie sticking to my body. All I could do was
watch.

Long
lines of Kembers and Dreas walked by his casket, paying their last
respects. A few of the females
actually
cried. I bit my lip. They
had no reason to. It’s not like their life had flipped upside down.
Nothing changed for them. They’d go home and live their lives and
never again look back on this moment. I took a few deep breaths and
wiped the droplets off my cheeks.
Focus
Taylee. Find the Kember.

One by one, I studied the face and
eyes of each person who passed. I balled my fists, my nails cutting
into my palms.

“
You’re going to freeze,
not to mention ruin your clothes.”

I didn’t turn. I didn’t speak. The
deep, carefree tone that usually lifted my spirits had no effect on
me today.

Skyler’s suit jacket draped over my
shoulders, bathing me in the warmth his body left behind. It
surprised me I could still feel—that something in this life could
be warm. With both hands, he turned me around. The rain flattened
his short brown hair and ran down his nose. A sympathetic smile
creased his lips as his thumbs wiped, what was most likely mascara,
under my eyes.

Despite my mood mirroring the weather,
I managed a weak smile and motioned toward my best friend. “I
didn’t know you owned a suit.”

Skyler pushed strands of my wet hair
behind my ears and shook his head. “I don’t even know what to say…”
He pulled me into a big hug, and I rested against his
chest.

It didn’t help the ache. It didn’t get
rid of the hurt, but at least something held me
together.

“
I’m really sorry, Tay,” he
whispered in my ear. “You know I’m here for you.
Always.”

Tears threatened to spill, so I pulled
back and stood tall. “It’s—I’m fine. I can handle it.”

Skyler tilted his head. I knew he
wouldn’t argue—especially with me.

A hand gripped my shoulder, and I
turned. Joshua looked like he’d gotten as much sleep as I had:
zilch. The pain in his hazel eyes cut through me. His sandy blond
curls looked disheveled, and it probably had nothing to do with the
rain. He and Delmari had been best friends since before entering
the Kember Academy when they were fourteen.

“
I should’ve been there,”
he whispered. “I should’ve been…”

The
child in me wanted to bury my head in his chest and bawl. “You were
with Skyler, where you were supposed to be.” I almost kicked myself
for wondering why he
hadn’t
been there. Delmari would’ve lived if he was. No
one stood a chance at taking them both on. Like Delmari, Joshua had
the reputation of kicking ass and taking names.