The Revolt (The Reapers: Book Two) (19 page)

He laughed, a short dry snort of a laugh.
“Weird. You aren’t like anyone else I know.” He grew somber and met
my eyes with an intensity that made me want to back up. That look
in his eyes: that was part of what I could never have. I couldn’t
bear the thought of a reaper taking that from me, so I looked away
when he spoke. “You aren’t twisted, Kelsey. You’re still the girl
who ranted about babies on an airplane full of people and I want to
make sure you don’t have to change more than you want to. That’s
why I’ll let you stay as long as you agree not to leave the condo
again.”

I could still feel Alex’s arm against my
throat and I almost wanted to let Jed convince me to stay in the
condo where it was safe, but I knew I’d never be safe anywhere
again. “So next time, we’re more careful,” I said. “We tell Caleb
to keep his people under control.”

“That’s the point. Caleb can’t control them.
They may have gone after Holly, but they were more than willing to
kill you. He can’t protect you.”

I couldn’t argue with that. I wanted to, but
I couldn’t. Fear and sorrow threatened to overwhelm me. I was
afraid of so much, and I was so tired of being afraid, and I was
sad that I’d had to turn down Jed’s offer. Both emotions were
painful and raw, so when familiar anger poked its head into the
mix, I let it join the party and overwhelm the other emotions. Jed
was the only object for my anger, and I was well past the point of
being rational enough to hold back. “I can’t stay here forever.
Eventually, I’m going to step out of this condo and the person
waiting for me is going to be stronger than you and me.” I sighed
and rubbed my face with my hands, not looking at him. “I thought I
was safe before and Caleb, who was supposed to be on our side,
almost killed me. You couldn’t protect me then and you can’t
protect me now.”

I wanted him to get angry and fight back, but
he just nodded. “I know. I’m trying to make up for that.”

All my anger left when I saw the helpless,
hurt look on his face. “If you keep me locked up here where I can’t
help anyone, what are you really protecting?”

“Seeing you hurt tonight scared me, Kelsey.
If anything happens to you… I don’t want you to get hurt
again.”

“But I’m going to get hurt again. I’m willing
to get hurt if it means I might be able to stop the reapers from
taking over this town and hurting my friends.”

“We can’t fight them all. We’ll die
trying.”

“And if we don’t? How long do you think it
will be before they come for me or you or someone we care about
because they see us as a threat, or just because they can? For as
long as I can remember, all I’ve ever wanted was a normal, peaceful
life, but if I walk away now that life will be impossible, not just
for me, but for everyone who has something a reaper wants.” And
that was the truth. No matter how much it scared me or how much I
wished it wasn’t true, I couldn’t deny it. “We need Caleb and I’m
the person he’s most likely to talk to, right? If he gives us
information we might not need to fight.”

“I can’t stand by and watch you risk your
life. I can’t watch Caleb manipulate you.”

“Manipulate me?” Once again I was letting Jed
make me angrier than I had any right to be, but why did he insist
on acting like I was a complete idiot who couldn’t take care of
myself? “I know what Caleb is now, and I’m pretty sure I can manage
not to let him screw with my head or my emotions.” Anger warmed me
and was better than the fear and doubt that were just below the
surface.

He didn’t look angry, just tired and sad.
“You don’t understand what he’s capable of. Even when I knew what
he was, even when I knew his charm was all a show, I still fell for
his lies and I still believed in him.”

“I’m not you.” I regretted the words as soon
as I said them, but I couldn’t deny their truth and I couldn’t take
them back. I saw the hurt in his eyes, but I was too angry and
scared to care. Maybe I did blame him a little more than I
realized.

“No, you’re not,” he said. “You’re strong and
loyal, and you have something you love enough to fight to protect.
I don’t care about this town, but I care about keeping you safe and
I’ll do it, even if you hate me for it.”

His words touched me and that only made me
angrier, because I needed to be mad at him. Anger was the only
thing keeping me sane. “Did you ever think that maybe Varius is
wrong? That maybe keeping the reapers from winning this battle here
in Briarton is more important than keeping me safe?”

“I’ve been fighting reapers my whole life,
and I’ll probably be fighting them for the rest of it. This fight
here is important, but it’s just one battle in a lifetime of
battles.” He rubbed his eyes and shook his head. “You’re special,
Kelsey. In my whole life I’ve known only one other person who can
do what you can. You’re more important than this town or any of the
people in it.”

My heart sank, and hurt rose up to meet my
anger. I didn’t understand why it hurt so much to hear him place so
little value on unskilled people, but it did. I realized I wanted
him to be a better person, a moral person, and he wasn’t rising to
meet my standards. “You aren’t going to change my mind and I’m not
going to change yours,” I said. “I can’t turn my back on my friends
or on this town.”

“Kelsey, I…” But I was already headed back to
my room. I didn’t want to hear what he had to say.

I had been punching the bag for about twenty
minutes, with In This Moment blaring from the speakers at top
volume, when Tucker showed up. My neck and back hurt every time I
moved, but I ignored the pain. I tried to forget how close I’d come
to dying.

“Want to hear what Caleb got up to after he
left here tonight?” he asked, mischief in his tone.

I waved him off and went back to
punching.

“Fuck you, too, Kelsey.” He got between me
and the bag, his face twisted with anger. “I think you’ll want to
stop for this.”

I held the bag still and looked at him. “Is
there anything I can do with

the information at this very moment?”

“No, but you—”

“Is anyone going to die or be seriously
injured if I don’t listen to you right now?”

“Not really, but—”

I went back to punching the bag. He moved out
of the way after I punched through him. Twice.

“What the hell crawled up your ass?” he
asked.

“I like Alice a lot better than you. She
doesn’t bug me unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Well, you aren’t exactly my favorite person
either, sunshine. There are plenty of other places I’d rather be
then here talking to you.”

“Then go there.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and moved
back between me and the bag. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell
me what flipped your bitch switch.”

I growled and dropped my hands to the side.
The backswing of the bag hit him, but he could have moved if it
bothered him. “Will you go away and leave me alone if I do?”

He nodded.

I wanted to tell Tucker. I needed to talk to
someone about what Jed had offered me, but it wasn’t my place to
spill about Jed’s secret safe house. As irrationally angry as I
was, I understood that his offer to me could get him in a lot of
trouble. Still, I wanted Tucker to go away, so I had to tell him
something. “Jed’s still insisting on keeping me locked up in here.
He says I can’t go to lunch with Caleb or fight the reapers.”

“He wants to keep you safe.” Tucker crossed
his arms over his chest. “I suspect Jed is a great deal more
sensitive than he lets on, and he cares about you.”

I knew he was right, but being angry at him
was easier than accepting the choice I made. “I guess.”

He shook his head. “Stop being an idiot,
Kelsey. Jed’s life is his job and letting you stay here without
telling Varius what’s really going on is a risk. He’s lying by
omission to Varius and his mother so that he can stay here and
fight this battle for you. It’s a gift to have someone care enough
about you to sacrifice like that, and you shouldn’t turn your back
on it.”

“I didn’t ask him to do it,” I muttered, even
though I knew I was being petty and stupid. Tucker was right, I
knew he was right, but I was tired and scared and lonely and I
wanted to be angry. “What’s the point anyway? He’s keeping me on
lockdown here, even though I could help. He only cares about what I
want insofar as it agrees with what he wants.”

Tucker’s face twisted in an expression that
made him look downright scary and I took a step back. “Maybe
because you’re behaving like an idiotic two-year-old. He doesn’t
want to see you hurt, Kelsey, because it would hurt him and you’re
asking too much if you want him to stop protecting you.”

His disgust with me reflected my disgust with
myself. I was well accustomed to disliking myself, but I wasn’t
used to thinking about Jed being hurt and fear suddenly twisted my
gut with a sharp spike of pain. I didn’t want to see Jed hurt,
especially not because of something I’d asked him to do. I took a
deep breath and pushed my fear down with all the other things I
didn’t like to think about. “I’m not giving up a shot at a normal
life to twiddle my thumbs in this condo while you all go off and
fight.”

I turned away from Tucker and started
punching the bag.

“Yeah, I know,” he said, his voice calm and
almost too quiet to hear over my breathing and my fists smacking
the bag. “Just cut the guy a little slack, okay? None of this is
easy for him either.”

A good night’s sleep did nothing to repair my
mood or my aching neck and back. I’d stayed in the garage until I
was too tired to think and had managed to fall asleep as soon as
I’d snuggled under the covers. I headed back down to the workout
room after I rolled out of bed. I tiptoed past Jed, snoring softly
on the couch, and didn’t even look at him. I’d seen him before,
asleep there, his bare chest peeking out from the covers, his hair
tousled around his face, still and calm in sleep, making him look
like a little kid. I didn’t want to see that and soften toward him
even a little bit. If I stopped to think, I’d have to accept that
my anger and my hurt were compounded by all the emotions I’d been
bottling up for the past several months and almost dying the night
before, but I didn’t stop to think. I chose a workout over a good
cry. I sort of hoped Tucker would show and report on what he’d
caught Caleb doing, since I hadn’t let him tell me the night before
and I was more curious than I wanted to admit.

Tucker didn’t show, but Jed came down while I
was doing push-ups. The movement was finally starting to make my
muscles relax and stop aching. I still had bruises on my neck that
hurt if I touched them, but my muscles were recovering.

Jed didn’t say anything to me, he just sat on
a weight bench and watched me work out.

I kept at my push-ups until I’d completed my
reps, then I hopped up to a standing position.

“I’m almost done with my workout. I’ll be up
in a little while,” I said.

“Yeah, I figured. Holly’s up there, though,
and I want to talk to you for a minute alone.”

Inwardly I groaned. I could guess what was
coming and I didn’t want to have this conversation. Not. At.
All.

“We can’t work together if you’re angry at me
all the time,” he said.

“Great. So let me fight. Let me go to lunch
with Caleb.”

“I can’t do that, Kelsey. I want you to
understand—”

“Blah, blah, blah,” I said, rolling my eyes.
And yeah, I knew I was being rude and immature. I didn’t care. Not
even a little bit. “I’m so sick and tired of this conversation,
Jed. Why don’t you do something useful, like spar with me, to help
me get the training you believe I so desperately need.”

He nodded and I noticed, for the first time,
the bags under his eyes and the weariness in his face. I opened my
mouth to tell him I understood at least a little bit, but he came
at me with a right cross and all thoughts ceased as I put my energy
into showing him I could fight, into proving I wasn’t as fragile as
he seemed to think.

There were six other people, two women and
four men, in the living room with Holly when Jed and I stumbled in
sweaty and laughing. I was still pissed at him and he was still
being an idiot, but we’d both agreed to disagree for the moment. I
couldn’t help the thrill of happiness I felt when I made him laugh
by tripping him as he headed up the stairs.

“There she is,” Holly said. “Kelsey, this is
the team Len sent to help us stop the reapers here.”

Len had told me he wouldn’t be there in
person and it made sense. There was no point in the only two people
in the world with our skills fighting in the same town. I was still
a bit disappointed not to see him.

A tall, lean man with dark hair and soulful
brown eyes stepped forward and offered me his hand. I took it, met
his eyes and felt warm all over. He smiled at me and didn’t break
my gaze. “I’m Theodore Sterling, but everyone calls me Thad. I can
see and talk to the dead and I can see auras. I also have a knack
for mediation and leadership which is why I’ve been put in charge
of these jokers.”

A stunningly good-looking boy, with brilliant
blue eyes and a mop of dark hair, snorted. He couldn’t be older
than eighteen, but he looked completely comfortable in that group.
“That’s the funniest thing I heard all day,” he said. “‘A knack for
mediation and leadership?’ Did Len tell you that or are you hearing
those voices in your head again?”

Thad sneered good-naturedly. “This smart-ass
is Rooster Fitzhugh and he’s just like you and Len as far as
abilities go. He’s a strong medium and a good fighter, but he can’t
cross over to the spirit realm.”

“Thank god for that,” Rooster said and he
shivered. I stared at him for a long moment, trying to see any
family resemblance. He noticed my attention and grinned. “Yeah, I’m
your half-brother and that’s Isobel there.” He pointed to a girl
standing next to him. She’d been with Len when he’d rescued me from
Caleb. She had my brown, straight hair and my eyes, but her
features were more delicate than mine and she was a good half foot
shorter than me. “She’s your sister and she can read auras and tell
if someone has been borrowed or reaped. Her last name’s Montefort,
though.”