A huge smile appeared on Everett’s face. “Okay, thanks.”
Approaching footsteps ended our conversation.
“Having a meeting without me?” Nick, who was heading down the stairs, asked.
“Just something we don’t want you to hear,” Everett joked.
Nick plopped right next to me, almost knocking the coffee out of the mug from the force of his strength. “Sorry.” He sat up straight.
“Do you want some?” Everett asked Nick.
“I’m good, thanks. So, were you talking about Sky, or is this a private meeting?” Nick asked, getting ready to get off the couch.
“You can stay.” I pushed him down. “I’m worried as usual.”
“That’s what I figured. I think it’s pretty cool what she did, but I could understand why you’re worried about why and how she’s changing. I think it’s great she can defend herself…just in case we’re not around.”
“True. Then there’s her father issue.”
“You don’t trust him?”
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t blame you, but maybe it will be different this time around,” Everett said, placing his feet on the coffee table and leaning back.
“I agree with Everett. As far as what I’ve seen, he’s been pretty helpful. He hasn’t tried to hurt her, has he?”
“No. Not that I’m aware of.”
“Either way, you know Nick and I are here for you. We’re also getting answers, which is a good thing. We need to find out more about our kind: embrace who we are, stick together, and do what we can to survive.”
“Wow, Everett,” Nick said. “You can be pretty deep when you want to be. Who knew this teddy bear could have such a huge heart?”
Everett shook his head while his lips twisted upward, trying hard not to smile or laugh.
It was great to have the three of us getting along; a big improvement compared to even a month ago. Nick and I always got along, but for some reason, I’d felt indifferent to Everett and Remus for as long as I could remember.
Death followed us, haunted us, even when we were asleep. I clearly remembered that night when Nick’s mom was found a couple of blocks from our home. They classified it as an unsolved crime, but we knew better. Somehow, one of the vultures had gotten to her. We tried to be careful. We always looked behind our backs, and were always aware of our surroundings. It was what she’d taught us, but what went wrong?
That was the day Nick and I stepped up to another level of friendship. We connected through pain, but for some reason, I couldn’t do that with Remus or Everett even though they had lost their mothers, too. Perhaps it was the fact that I knew Nick’s mom. Maybe I just didn’t like Everett’s bossy personality, and Remus was just the definition of “evil.” Everything that came out of his mouth was moody and foul. I only stuck around because I had nowhere to go and Nick wanted me to stay.
“Mason, it’s your turn to go to the market,” Everett said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Make sure to stay on budget.”
“What budget?” Remus sneered. “Make sure to get some steak. Nick’s mom left us lots of money. Don’t be a pussy. Spend it.”
Everett walked away, shaking his head and looking defeated. He always did when Remus spoke up like that. Either he didn’t care or he was scared that he would beat the crap out of him. Just before he was out of my sight, I hollered, “Don’t worry, Everett. I’ll stick to the budget you gave me.”
Remus didn’t like what I’d said. He poked my chest and glared at me in a threatening way. “You listen to me, you little shithead. I’m older than you. In fact, you’re the youngest of all of us, so you don’t get a voice, do you hear me?”
I was getting tired of Remus, the bully. He always needed to have the last word, and whatever he wanted, he got. Not today. I’d had enough of his shit. Anger shot through me. Feeling tingles from the tips of my fingers, I closed them and tried to calm down. He was bigger than I was, but I could seriously hurt him with my volts.
Nick had trained me to fire up my light on demand, as well as how to keep it under my control. I was getting better at it. Nick also told me that my powers were stronger, and there were things I could do that he couldn’t. I just had to experiment on my own. Maybe I should start with Remus. “I do hear you, and I also smell your breath. It stinks like one of the vultures.”
Obviously, Remus didn’t like my comment at all. His eyes grew wide in anger and bored into me with a look that said ‘Kill’. If steam could rise out of his head, it would have. When his shoulders tensed up, I could see the veins down his arms, caused by his fists closing tightly. He was planning to punch me.
I didn’t care if he did. I would give it right back. We had been living together for several months, and because I was new, I had kept my mouth shut. However, today would be different. I was just about to punch his sorry face when his body jerked to the side.
“I’ll come with you,” Nick said, appearing in front of me. He had purposely pushed Remus aside. Feeling a light grip on my arm, Nick led the way.
“Enough!” I heard Everett shout.
Startled by Everett’s loud voice, I looked over my shoulder, wondering why he felt the need to say that when I thought our fight had ended. Remus was holding a sword in his hand. Giving me the most cunning grin, Remus dropped the sword by his side. He was a psycho all right. He seriously needed an intervention. Apparently, his anger issue was going to get him in lots of trouble, not just for himself, but for us, too.
“Ignore him. Let’s go.” Nick started tugging me when I didn’t budge. Just before we left, Nick flashed a spark from his finger, purposely hitting Remus on the shoulder. It was a light dosage of shock.
“Shit. That hurt. You’re going to get it!” Remus yelled.
“Easy.” I heard Everett’s voice. I knew Everett would hold Remus back. Even though I didn’t really know him, he was the oldest. He would maintain peace in this household.
Nick and I shared a good laugh as we got in the car. Thank God, I had Nick around. He understood me. We had the same power. I knew I could trust him. He’d surely proved today that he had my back, and maybe…Everett did, too.
“Would you please stop pacing?” Amanda asked me. Her tone clearly indicated she was annoyed.
I couldn’t help my nervousness. We were meeting up with my dad again. The Grand brothers were waiting outside for his arrival while Amanda and I were waiting inside one of the private rooms in Mason’s restaurant. Not wanting to aggravate Amanda, I stopped. “Sorry, it’s just a bad habit.”
“I don’t think that’s your only habit.”
I crossed my arms. I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to take any crap from Amanda. “Excuse me?”
“Look at your hands.”
I did, and what I saw was unbelievable. Sparks were flickering faintly. I was astounded, glancing from one finger to the next. “I don’t understand why it’s doing this.”
Amanda kept her distance, but stood in front of me. After pulling out a chair for me, she tapped the seat. “Sit. Take deep breaths. You need to calm down. Since this is all new for you, you’re unable to control it. Just relax, make a fist, and think happy thoughts.”
When I did what Amanda suggested, I could feel myself calming down. The lights from my fingers became less apparent…until the door swung open. I jumped out of the seat. I could feel the energy within me intensifying. Embarrassed because the electricity was out of control, I stuck both of my hands in my pockets. Crap! My front pockets were glowing, so I quickly placed them behind my back instead. I was surprised to see not just my dad, but others I hadn’t met walk through the door.
“Sky.” My dad nodded to greet me.
I didn’t say a word. Instead, I flashed my eyes at him to confirm I heard him, but that was all. No greeting. No smile. I was too busy staring at the people besides Noah and Tim. My attention shifted when Mason came toward me for a kiss.
“Please, sit,” Mason instructed everyone, pulling out a chair
for me. Mason’s hand on my back helped me to calm down. The light on my fingers disappeared. There were plenty of chairs, and this massive, round table accommodated twenty people.
“I sent the workers home,” Everett informed us. “I told them to take the rest of the day off with pay.”
“Good idea,” Amanda said.
Nick came in with a tray holding multiple glasses of water, and placed them on the table. “Just in case.”
Mason stared at him with a questioning look.
“What?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Noah and Tim are useless without water. I guess if worse comes to worse, they can use their saliva.” Nick raised a brow with a smirk, then winked to show he was fooling around.
“Watch what you say, Nick.” Noah’s tone was half threatening and half playful. “I might give you some of my saliva just to prove your theory.” The water rose high enough out of the cup to know he had caused it.
Mason cleared his throat, trying to break up their conversation before it got worse. “Don’t worry. This room is secure. I had it custom built in case the vultures decided to show up.”
I glanced around. What could Mason have done to it? It was like any ordinary private room, but it was grand, almost the size of a ballroom. Decorated with a few paintings, the main centerpiece was a dark wooden table, surrounded by several matching chairs. Behind Mason was a long wooden cabinet that showcased bottles of wine.
“Good.” My dad nodded in approval. “I’m going to start with the introduction of my trusted leaders, and then I’ll explain our theory. To my left is Colin. He is a descendant from Ares, the God of War.”
I noted Colin had blond hair and beautiful blue eyes, and looked like a warrior with broad shoulders and big muscles. Behind him, he wore a circular shield, a spear, and bow and arrows.
“Next to Colin is Aaron, a descendant of Apollo,” Victor continued. “Apollo was the God of the Sun.”
Aaron flicked his thumb up, imitating the way one would turn on a lighter, and a small fire lit on top of each fingertip. Victor cleared his throat harshly, disapproving of his actions. Instantly, Aaron closed his fingers with an apologetic grin, causing the flames to die.
“Anyway, next to Aaron is Sarah. Sarah is a descendant of Athena.”
Sarah gave a short smile of greeting. Behind her were a shield and a sword. Her hair was in a high ponytail, and the way she sat—seeming guarded—expressed that she was not to be messed with.
Victor shifted his view to his right. “You already know Noah and Tim. Next to Tim is Kevin. He is a descendant of Hephaestus. Hephaestus was a son of Zeus and Hera. If you know your Greek mythology, he was good at making weapons. Thank goodness, this skill was passed down through the generations.”
“Wasn’t Hephaestus somewhat distorted looking?” Amanda asked. “At least that wasn’t passed down.” She snorted.
“Actually….” Kevin waved his hand in front of his face and down his body, revealing a deformed figure. Half of his face had scars, and he had a crooked nose. His shoulders were hunched over like The Hunch Back of Notre Dame.
From the shock of Kevin’s new appearance, all eyes were wide. With one swipe of his hand, he changed back to his original form.
“There are many more from different descendants back home,” Victor said.
“You can meet the rest if we decide we can trust you,” Colin finished my dad’s sentence, but his tone was challenging. I could sense Mason tensing up. His fingers curled tightly into a ball on the hand that was resting on the table. I could feel his anger crawling up my skin.
“Trust us?” Mason huffed angrily. “How do we know we can trust you?” His eyes darted back at Colin.
I placed my hand on Mason’s lap and he looked at me. I could tell he was calming down from my simple touch when his facial expression relaxed.
“What Colin meant to say is that we were lucky to have found each other,” Victor intervened. “Many of the descendants have been on their own for quite a long time. Most of them have lost their families to the vultures. Now that we have the introductions out of the way, let’s talk about what’s happening to Sky.” He paused for a second to look at me. “Noah told me what you are now able to do.”
I cringed when all eyes went to me. I didn’t want my dad to know, but I couldn’t get mad at Noah for reporting back to him after the incident at the club.
“I didn’t do anything. I don’t understand.” I stared at the palms of my hands for a few seconds, but when my dad cleared his throat, I looked up to him.
“As you are already aware, the vultures you encountered can use their powers without needing to change into their hideous form,” my dad informed us. “This is not only bad for us, but for the human population as well. I don’t know what this evil being has in mind. All we know is that he is altering their DNA, but we don’t know how or what is causing their evolution, just like Skylar. Meanwhile, I suggest Skylar stays with us. We can protect—”
“No.” Mason cut in before he could finish his sentence. “There is no way in hell I’m letting Skylar out of my sight.”
“I’m her father,” Victor stated with conviction.
“The one who tried to harm her. The reason you had to leave,” Mason reminded.
“I’m different now.”
“Can you guarantee that?”
“It’s not up to you.”
“You can’t just walk into her life and start ordering her around. We’ve kept her safe to this point, and my family and I are more than capable.”
“You have no idea what you are up against.”
“And I don’t think you really do either.”
“Enough,” I said loudly, glaring back and forth from Mason to my dad. “Victor is right.” It was strange to call my dad by his name, but I refused to say the words “my dad” out loud. “We don’t know what we’re up against, but at the same time, I’m not going to stay with complete strangers.” Those words stung my heart sharply. I could tell they hurt my dad, too. He wasn’t a stranger. I should be able to trust him, but I doubted him. Feeling overwhelmed with mixed emotions I couldn’t control, I stood up and held on to the edge of the table for support. I could feel the warmth tingling in my arm as everyone’s eyes set on me again. Oh God…please don’t start now. Unfortunately, whatever it was had already been triggered; it was too late.
Something was happening. The sensation started from my stomach, spreading outward, through my veins, through my blood, through my muscles. I could feel the energy growing. It always seemed to happen when I was angry or upset. Taking deep breaths and trying to tame my emotions wasn’t working. Before I could blink, electricity zapped out of my fingertips, traveling along the edge of the table, making everyone back away. The whole table lit up with beautiful silver lights, as the volts covered the table.
Shocked and embarrassed by my display, I pulled my hand back. “I’m so sorry,” I said, my words muffled because I was holding my hand against my lips. With one quick look to Mason, I scrambled for the door. I needed air. I needed space. I needed to get out of there.
“Sky,” Mason called and started to follow me, but I ignored him. Just as I reached the door, it was suddenly thrust open. Shocked to see someone there, my reflexes were slow at responding. I had just barely turned around to escape when an arm was placed around my neck, while the older hand held a dagger in front of my chest. Everyone froze. There was dead silence at first, then the weapons were slowly drawn out.
I could see all eyes wide in surprise and ready to attack, only they couldn’t. The wretched smell confirmed a vulture had seized me, but again, it was in human form. And he was not alone.
“Trust us, huh? How did they find us?” Nick hollered angrily. His fingertips lit up.
“We didn’t do it,” Colin, shouted back, ready to shoot his arrow.
“What do you want?” Victor demanded.
“Don’t try anything. Stay back,” it said in a hoarse, raspy voice. The tone was deep and robotic.
&nb
sp; I was horrified when I was forced to back away with him. The dagger was nicking, threatening on my neck, but they obviously knew better than to cut me.
“Sky, shock,” Mason yelled, zapping his bolts to the vulture that had entered.
I understood. I was trying to, but for some reason, my fingers wouldn’t light up. Why? Then I remembered. It only came when I was mad. I couldn’t think of anything that upset me at the moment…I was scared for everyone. Until…I broke my eyes away from Mason to my dad, then to the strangers I had just met. The strangers he called his children. He had been their father for the past ten years. Even with his explanation, I couldn’t help my jealousy, my anger at the situation, and not meaning to…I moved toward him.
Feeling the energy building within me, it tingled in the palms of my hands. Placing my hands where I could touch the vulture, light zapped out of them. The vulture convulsed.
When more vultures crashed through the door, I saw arrows, icicle spears, and lightning flashes across the room.
“Light ’em up, Aaron!” I heard Colin shout, and a blast of fire darted across the room like a torch.
Aaron used his power to scorch several of the vultures that came for them. The vultures yelped with a horrendous, piercingly painful cry. They flailed their arms and ran without any direction. When they slammed against the wall, the fire spread rapidly, scaling up the wall. The back wall was on fire within seconds.
It had happened so fast, and smoke quickly filled the room, but thankfully, Noah and Tim extinguished the fire. They used the water from the cups—expanding, creating more water—and put out the flame. It was magical to see the amount of water that grew from the several cups. Unfortunately, it made the floor wet.
“Run, Sky,” Mason yelled, reaching for me after he had turned behind him to push down a bottle of wine. The other remaining bottles of wine darted across the room, hitting the vultures around me. Suddenly, pockets of the floor slid open beneath our feet. Now I understood what Mason meant about how this room was specially built. I watched my dad and his people fall through. I even heard them cursing, most likely wanting to stay and fight…I assumed. At least I knew they were safe.