Summon Lyght (20 page)

Of course he didn't feel it. He was an angel. He was likely not able to feel such things. But hadn't he said he'd gained human abilities? She wasn't so sure those should be considered abilities.  Weaknesses.

Kassie concerned herself with her immediate situation. Being naked out in the middle of nowhere at a place that made no sense, no clothes, and no clue as to how to get back where she belonged.

Chapter Twenty-One

"Are you okay?" Peggy couldn't resist sliding her fingers in Tyler's hair. Mostly to see if it was as soft as it looked. She watched his skin turn a deep red as her fingers voyaged from his hair to his cheeks, her curiosity knowing no bounds when it came to the sweet human. The downy precursor to the beard he would soon have fascinated her. Her fingertips insisted on knowing the texture.

Was the rest of his skin as soft as his hair? She allowed her fingers skip across the soft curve of his jaw, already beginning to show the square angle it would be when he finished puberty. By their own choice, her fingers resumed their exploration, trailing along his hairline to the skin at the back of his neck.

It was. As soft as his hair. And perfectly warm. Such a heavenly mix of ever-changing texture. She smiled, happy to sit there at his side and acquaint herself with every single fascinating inch of him.

Wait. Could he possibly be as fascinated with her? Would he like to touch? What would it feel like if
—

Her finely tuned senses suddenly took note of his highly accelerated pulse and labored breathing. What could be wrong? He seemed distressed. Something to do with her? Her hair maybe? Her scent? Did she not choose the right combination of pheromones?

"I'm-I'm fine. You look…"

Peggy stepped back and looked down at her carefully chosen ensemble. She
'd had a hard time choosing, but she'd finally settled on what the magazine called
delicious low-rise stretch jeans
and a
curve-loving cotton sweater with a sweetheart neckline
. She'd added a light leather jacket, a pair of gorgeous high-heeled knee boots to tuck the jeans into and swept her hair up in a cascade of loose curls, also from a magazine.

She
'd studied fashion for a total of four hours and knew everything there was to know about it over the centuries. She'd chosen the precise norm for teen females in this geographical location. So why this reaction?

"
Is it the color? I had my skin analyzed. Lavender is supposed to be one of my colors, I'm what they call a summer, but I also wondered if it were correct because I naturally like deep jewel tones." She looked around and found six amused eyes on her. Stupid brothers. You could never count on them to help with anything important.

"
And what are you looking at, clackity?" She flicked her finger at Robert.

"
Oh, don't mind me." He waved a pincer at her. "I'm just enjoying your little fashion show. And our young man's dashing response to you."

Peggy
's mercury coagulated in her blood and she balled her fists. "I suppose you know so much about fashion. I'll have you know—"

"
You look beautiful. That's what I was going to say. I hesitated because…" Peggy's chest fluttered with joy as she watched the cute human boy struggle to speak. Then he boldly and bravely pinned those dark blue eyes on her. "Because I'm stupid."

Peggy gasped on joy and didn
't think twice about hugging him or even swinging him around in her arms. She'd study the female human nature and behavior next. She had a strong feeling that she was violating a lot of behavioral codes for her age and gender. She didn't care at the moment. She was too thrilled that she'd gotten her attire right.

"
Can we get on with business? Dorn said back to business."

Peggy put Tyler down carefully and glared at Francis.
"Fine Mr. Fancy pants." She took Tyler's hand and pulled him with her to the couch. When she sat, she patted the seat next to her. She wanted him close. She liked the way he felt and the smell of his skin. Definitely something she needed to explore more thoroughly, along with his responses. Not to mention her own.

Sudden overwhelming curiosity about his taste struck her. She shook it off. That was surely not in the realm of normal human behavior. Surely. Although… Yes, several times she
'd witness Toren and Sam tasting one another. She glanced around at her brothers' curious expressions. Perhaps she should save that particular exploration for a time when she and Tyler could be alone?

Her thoughts went whirling off in another direction. She should probably study human development too, more thoroughly than the cursory reading she
'd already done. It might be a good idea to familiarize herself with puberty and when Tyler might be fully grown to manhood so she could adjust her own growth to match.

Maxwell sat next to Peggy and cleared his throat dragging her attention back to the present.
"So what are we going to do? What do you have in mind?"

Good. She needed a distraction from this endless curiosity about Tyler before she either offended him or made a fool of herself. Peggy patted Max
's leg and smiled, thrilled to see him in human form.

All of them had changed form. Except Robert. Peggy regarded her obstinate brother for several seconds while he tried to find a spot to lounge his clickety clackety self in.
"Is human form too difficult for you, Bobby?" The diminutive form, or nickname as Francis had explained it was called, of his name irritated Robert greatly, so she never missed an opportunity to use it.

"
Not at all. It's a cinch." He snapped his pinchers in the air with a devious wink, the massive claws crashing together like diamond sledge hammers.

Tyler jumped in response and Peggy glared her displeasure at Robert. Showoff.

"Well, let's figure this out." Francis paced before them, all business, raking his hand through his gorgeous red hair. "How about we form a little operation?"

"
In human form?" Peggy squeezed Tyler's hand in excitement. Every moment spent in human from with him was an exquisite treasure.

Her ruby brother paused briefly, giving her a speculative look.
"Yes, human. We have to go undetected."

Peggy smiled sweetly when Robert rolled his eyes at her.

"What sort of plan do you have in mind?" Maxwell crossed his legs several different ways before finally leaving them uncrossed. She'd need to insist on a crash course for male human mannerisms before they stepped into the world. Otherwise they would be easily spotted. 

Francis turned and swung his arm at the dense ruby wall, turning it to liquid that he directed to the right of the huge TV screen just beyond. He swirled his fingers and the liquid ruby stayed put.
"Operation…" Francis paused and muttered, "Ruby Crush."

"
Oh Heavens." Robert rolled his eyes. "The ostentatious prince and his austere presumptuousness."

"
This is an area called The Bottoms in Columbus" Francis went on, ignoring the ridicule. Peggy admired her brother's confidence and courage. He took after his father in that respect. "It's a simple plan. We infiltrate this gang, the Kings of the Bottoms, and break its core by taking a few of its most valuable members."

"
Taking?" Maxwell, put his arm on the top of the couch.

"
Yes. Legally, of course." Francis moved his hands over the screen and pulled up a group of people, then zoomed in. "I've been studying their profiles and lives. See this one?" He pointed to a young boy. "He's my prime target. He's at the perfect age for my operation and his position in the gang will guarantee to shake the core as well as gain us invaluable Intel."

"
Why him?" Robert asked.

"
He's under the secret protection of the leader of the female counterpart to the Kings. His best friend is also important to them. He's the younger brother of one of the main leaders. They have high plans for both of them."

"
She looks scary." Maxwell pointed to a figure slightly to one side, close but separate from the others.

Peggy stared at the lone female in the group with the hauntingly brilliant blue eyes encased in pitch black make up. Matching black and blue tattoos and piercings covered her pale skin. She was beautiful. Beautiful human art.

"She is lethal." Francis paused to stare at the girl. "She's the leader of the female counterpart of the gang, and the secret protector of our primary target. His dead mother was her best friend and she swore to look out for him. Another reason he's the perfect choice."

"
How do you…plan to go about this?" Robert shifted his limbs, the sound of twenty crystal chandeliers blowing in the wind. "Ask her on a date?"

Snickers erupted, but the idea of them
dating
was delectable to Peggy. "Surely she's taken as beautiful as she is."

"
Nobody owns that one." Francis had that faraway look again. "She doesn't seem to be into the opposite sex."

"
Don't tell me she's into…"

"
No. Neither sex. She's a loner. And a total bad ass."

Bad ass? Peggy wondered over the term.

"Bad…ass?" Robert tapped his claw idly on the floor.

"
It means she's a formidable enemy," Tyler said.

Peggy glanced at the human boy and smiled when he looked at her even though it was barely a glance.

"Yes, formidable." Francis walked up to the screen and pointed to one of her tattoos. "These are not art, but seals and badges, signifying what she is and what she's capable of, as well as what she's done. She's twenty-four years old and has trained in several martial arts from childhood, learning from some of the deadliest fighters in the world. She's a Picasso in that she mixes her gifts into lethal abstract fighting styles. The demon muses she's adopted aid her in seeing beyond the natural. It's cost her any semblance of a normal life, setting her apart from the rest of humanity. She was raised to be a leader, fortified from the fires of hate and despair. She's never been normal, and has submitted to her fate as a machine of wrath. A dark warrior."

"
You seem to know an awful lot about her, brother." Humor lit Maxwell's innocent words.

"
It's my job to know everything about her. As well as the rest of them." Francis went on to demonstrate he'd not played favorites in his research and recited every fact about each member that stood motionless on the screen.  But Peggy had caught something in his tone when he was describing the girl. The emotion was familiar to her. She was sure it was sadness. Maybe. It would be understandable. They all knew what it was like to not fit in. To not belong.

No. That wasn
't true. They belonged. The problem was, they didn't remember where. Or why.

****

Tyler had prayed away his urge to vomit for the moment. Peggy kept hold of his hand as though she didn't realize what the gesture meant in his world. He tried really hard not to let it mean more than it ever should but was failing big time. The way she stroked the skin on the top of his hand, lightly and methodically tracing the veins, had him completely useless.

If he could just pretend he wasn
't as affected as he was, maybe he could fake being normal. Unfortunately, that meant paying attention and participating in the conversation. Nothing had ever been so difficult. She smelled amazing. She looked even more amazing and for some crazy reason he didn't want to think long about, she liked
him.

"
Maybe we should shoot higher little brother." Maxwell's words sounded charged with energy and Peggy squeezed his hand. Maybe it was more charged than Tyler realized.

"
Explain." Francis angled his head at the screen as though contemplating another angle.

Maxwell sat forward.
"I mean why not get both of them."

"
Both of who?" Francis turned to him, officially puzzled.

"
The boy and the bad ass girl." Maxwell sat back again.

"
Don't be foolish." Robert glared at Maxwell, then Francis. "This isn't the time or scenario to frolic."

"
It's not
frolicking!
" Maxwell, in the midst of trying out a new leg-crossing configuration, wagged his foot on his knee. "If taking him will shake their core, getting her would decimate them."

Francis glanced back at the screen.
"These are humans, that means they're—"

"
In need of salvation," Maxwell finished. "Especially her."

"
Yes, but she will likely need years to break through." Francis stared at her image on the screen.

"
Or days." Robert kept his voice gentle. Sensing Victory?

"
Or minutes." Maxwell grinned. "Given the right scenario."

Francis faced his brother fully now and gestured toward him.
"You got a grand scheme? I'm all ears."

"
Grand scheme?" Maxwell chuckled and sat back with his arm on the back of the couch again. "I bet if she met her match, it would certainly get her attention."

"
Go on." Francis put a bare foot on the coffee table and Tyler noticed his toenails looked painted red. No doubt they were actual ruby.

Maxwell grinned.
"Well, we challenge them to fight."