“I don’t know.”
I stared at her. “You don’t know?”
“You’ll see. Gentleman, I need you to stay in the hall. They’re comfortable together but men make them nervous. Krystal came out the other day. I was hopeful that meant I was getting somewhere, but then she reverted. We’re safe in there.” The last was said for my guys’ benefit since Anne’s had already stepped out of the way. They must be used to leaving her in there.
I nodded to Brody. “My power isn’t reacting.” Not entirely true. The shadow within me was very much awake, but it wasn’t coiling to strike.
“Humans are scary, too. Maybe more so when it comes to you.” Brody hadn’t budged.
I touched his arm. “Two females. I’ll scream if I’m not okay.”
He nodded, finally relenting.
Once inside, Anne closed the door behind us. The room, which was slightly bigger than mine, had two beds, one against each wall. Mika, who I knew, sat on one by the window rocking back and forth with her hands over her ears. The woman who must be Krystal did the same across the room.
They still wore their Sisterhood garb except for the hood. I didn’t miss the hood or the itchy skirts. “Do they need clothes?”
Anne shook her head. “We got them things. They won’t wear them. As far as I can tell, they shower, clean their clothes, and then get back into them. They’re eating. Sleeping. And rocking.”
“What did Krystal say to you when she came out during the demon rush the other day?”
Neither Krystal nor Mika had acknowledged our presence in the room.
Anne crossed her arms over her chest. “She said, ‘Prophecy, Sister Anne. Prophecy.’ If I hadn’t been in such a rush I’d have pushed her then. But we had to get out of here. I told her we’d talk about it later. She came back in here. That was that.”
I watched them for a few seconds. “It seems like demon possession.”
“I know, but my powers are off and so are yours. Of course, mine never turned on when the Original possessed me.”
She was right. “But mine did, and I took it out of you. Possible something is happening with Originals now?”
“Teagan, I don’t know.” She sighed. “Would you take a look?”
If there was something I could do, I’d help without question. Mika was as I remembered her, if a little bit skinnier. Her hair was dark and curly, falling down her back where it stopped somewhere in the middle. She had light brown skin with almost black eyes. Somehow, in the middle of her dark eyes, there had always been visible the slightest shade of green. She had high cheekbones and an aristocratic nose. Mika had always insisted on painting her fingernails. Katrina used to whip her for it, but she’d put it back on every time. I saw the remnants of pink on the nails. They were chipped, bitten, and destroyed.
Krystal was lovely as well. She had blond hair but a darker shade than my own. Her face was long. Her hair met at the top of her forehead in a beautiful widow’s peak, and a cleft on her chin made her face truly unique. Her eyes were a lovely brown, warm and welcoming.
What had happened to these women? “How did you learn their names?”
“I knew Krystal, and Mika had hers written in her pocket. When we looked, they both had their names in their pockets. Someone wanted us to know who they were.”
That was so strange. Someone who knew this was going to happen must have done that for her. “Anne, could you ask one of the guys to get us a nail brush?”
She blinked before she nodded. “They’ll never find it. I’ll go.”
“Thanks.”
I wandered toward Mika. I knew her, and maybe seeing a face she recognized would help. I knelt down in front of her. “Hello, friend.”
Nothing. Her eyes stayed downward, and she rocked. My powers lay dormant. If there was a demon inside of her, I wouldn’t have been able to see it without them working. I smoothed her hair off her forehead. “Do you remember me? My name is Teagan.”
No response. Okay. That wasn’t going to work. “You’re safe here. Both you and Krystal.”
I’d said her name, so I walked over to her. She didn’t acknowledge me at all.
Prophecy...
What did that mean? Crows were for prophecy, too. Maybe I had to follow the raven to help these women.
Anne came back with the nailbrush. I sat down on the floor in front of Mika. I took her hand in mine and started to scrub her nails. Mika cared about them. Whatever had happened, she’d have to feel better with a little self-care.
“Anne, the next time they go to bathe, throw away these clothes. I bet they’ll put something else on.”
She sat down on the bed next to Krystal and side-hugged her. “That’s smart.”
Mika had guards when I knew her. Well, we all did. Having the guards did not necessarily mean you met your soul mates. Katrina had messed with that process so much that we couldn’t even count on that anymore. I’d been lucky with my five, and so had Anne. I couldn’t remember Mika’s. Surely, she wouldn’t have been totally abandoned. She was kind and sweet. Of course, in the time I’d been gone, at least some of hers would have aged out and left.
“I’m sorry. I was really hoping I’d be able to...”
Mika shot out her hand, grabbing my arm. She squeezed so tightly I was sure it was going to leave a mark.
“Prophecy, Sister Teagan. We need the Prophet.”
Mika dropped my arm and commenced rocking again. I looked at Anne. “Who’s the Prophet?”
“Damned if I know.”
Well, that didn’t help anything. “Should we ask Daniella?”
“You read my mind.”
I sat outside in the sunlight with Anne and Daniella. Crickets chirped somewhere nearby. It was a new sound. As this Sisterhood improved, more and more animals and insects seemed to be showing up on the grounds.
“Prophet is not a term I’ve heard in a long time. Story goes that once there was a Sister who could speak directly to the spirits. Not like we do. Not in sleep or in visions. She could turn to the left and just engage in conversation. She helped Sister Superior run the Sisterhood. She was a powerful advisor. When the last one died, another was not born and that was that. I’m talking hundreds of years.”
I sipped my water. Ravens. Crows. Prophets. Co-joining. What was happening? Even for apocalypse, this felt a bit much.
7
I felt Aidan rouse, like a presence in my mind suddenly becoming alert. I turned to Noah where he scrubbed a dish. “Aidan’s up.”
He handed me the wet one, and I dried it before I passed it to Brody to put away. We’d eaten alone. Anne and her men were behind closed doors as were Daniella with her guys. It was a quiet night. Mika and Krystal weighed on me. They obviously couldn’t be left where, and how, they were. Tomorrow, I was taking them outside to sit in the sun.
Fresh air might help. Or maybe not...
“You know this because he’s in your head?” Brody nudged me with his shoulder.
“Yes.” I smiled at him. “It’s a bizarre feeling.”
Noah stroked his finger down the side of my face. He’d dried it before he touched me, which I appreciated. “I love you, Teagan. You know that right?”
Instantly, I was thrown into Noah’s head. It had been hours since I did this, and for a second, I was thrown off balance.
This memory was at the Sisterhood, the old one. I stood, wearing my hood, and staring up at the sky above me. I knew it was me that I saw because each robe was uniquely designed to fit the particular Sister. Mine had doves on it. Noah walked up to me, staying behind my figure a little bit.
What was this moment? I didn’t remember it. The past me turned to see him. I pointed at the sky. “Three, do you see that cloud up there? Don’t you think it resembles a baby?”
He followed where I pointed. “Which one, Sister Teagan?”
This must have been very early on in our relationship. I’d not known their names right away, we weren’t supposed to, and they never saw our face. “
The baby one. There.” I pointed again.
It was truly bizarre to hear my own voice. It sounded different out of my own head, deeper than I knew it to be when I listened to it vibrate around inside.
He walked up beside me. His steps were hesitant, and the memory suddenly came back to me. Yes, this had been very early. My third day of knowing him. He stood directly next to me, staring at the sky. “I see the one you mean. I don’t see a baby as much as a puppy.”
“A puppy?” I rubbed my eyes. “I don’t see it, but I’ve only seen them in picture books.”
He turned his head sharply. “You’ve never seen a puppy, Sister Teagan?”
“I’m afraid not. We fight demons and all sorts of creepy things that go bump in the night. I don’t, however, get to see cute things like puppies. Certainly, we’d never have one here. You’re going to have to explain a lot of the world to me when we leave here. You will, won’t you? I hate being ignorant. My last guards wouldn’t tell me anything. They just stayed in silent disdain.” I’d really hated them, and the feeling had been mutual.
I hadn’t looked at Noah when I’d made that statement or I would have seen Noah’s face soften instantly. His hesitance to stand next to me faded. He reached out to touch me before he pulled his hand back.
“Anything you want to know when we’re out there, I’ll explain.”
I turned and full on smiled at him. “Thanks. I won’t teach you about demons, unless you must know. Why should anyone see that filth if they don’t have to?”
I rushed back into my body. Noah’s eyes were, as expected, white. He gazed at me, and I threw my arms around him. “That fast? You loved me that fast?”
“Your soul belonged to me. I knew it right then.” He nuzzled my neck. “I can feel you. I... didn’t get it before now. How did I live without this?”
Brody groaned and jumped up on the table. “Lucky bastard. I’m last.”
Noah’s energy settled in where it belonged, close to my heart with the others. The shadow paced along the edges, but stayed away from them. I wasn’t complete. There was an itch where Brody should be. Noah kissed my cheeks, again and again.
“I guess I get to go take Aidan’s place in the bed. How is it possible to have missed this when I’ve never had it before?”
I pressed my forehead to him. “Because I think we did, somewhere.”
He kissed my nose then backed away. “No chasing birds until I wake up.”
“Okay.” I held out my hands. “I promise.”
When Noah left, Brody pulled me against him. “Just because I’m last doesn’t mean I love you any less. You know that, right?”
“I do.” I kissed him gently. “I’m not sure what the order of this is. I know it’s not because you don’t love me.” If anything, Brody had always been the most out there with his love. He held my hand around the others, kissed me. He’d never worried it might be too much to handle. He wanted this, and therefore, he made sure everyone knew where he was emotionally.
He nodded. “Good. I never thought I’d have you. I don’t remember any time before the orphanage. I think I was dumped there as a newborn. No one remembers enough there to ever tell anyone where we came from. I was like a piece of trash that had always been there and people forgot to pick up.”
I pinched his arm. “Don’t ever talk about yourself that way.”
His smile was small and clenched my heart. “Only you care that I do that.”
Whatever had been holding our co-joining went away. I was in his head. But we weren’t anywhere I could make out. A purple field, blue lights flashing. Balls of energy danced through the air, they were white and glowing.
I gasped. Five balls of light surrounded one in the center. Six total. Was it possible? I walked toward it. Was that... us?
The center light transformed into me. I appeared the same... yet less troubled, too. The lines on my face were easier, and my shoulders less stiff. I fell backward onto the purple grass, laughing. “Okay, okay, you’re stronger than me. I get it. Stronger and faster. I’m tougher. Deal with it.”
One of the other balls transformed. Brody stalked forward to me. “I’d never doubt you were tougher. Why should you have to be when I’ll always take care of you?”
My smile fell. “Not always. You and I both know it can’t be always.”
He shook his head. “I don’t accept the suffering. Hear that universe? You can’t make my love suffer.”
Eric appeared next to him. “Some things we can’t control.”
Brody lay down beside me. “Dark to the light. I know. I understand how this works. It will kill me.” He gazed at the version of me who lay in the purple grass with such intensity I shuddered. “I may not survive the separation. Whatever happens, I need you. Every second of every day.”
We were back in the now. I held onto Brody. “What was that?”
“I...” He shook his head. “I don’t know. Some kind of before? This whole meant for each other, chosen for each other thing. It started there. But I’ve never seen it before.”
We held each other, neither moving for a long time. The otherness of that place contrasted with where we were. Oh, not the house. But the world. How could there be such beauty there when everything here was so hard?
Brody’s eyes met mine. They were white. I grinned at him. Things were hard, but there were moments when I was so intensely loved I could do nothing else but be grateful. Brody was where he belonged, deep inside my soul. I’d never be without him again.
When Brody left, I waited for Aidan. The kitchen table seemed as good a place as any. As he’d regained consciousness, I’d known he would come for me. He was alert and wired. I smiled. He’d always know my moods, too.
He stalked toward me. When he’d done this after they’d first come back, I had been afraid. Now, I could feel the heat that was Aidan, and I wanted what he planned on taking.
I jumped to my feet. He was changed. The sleep had... altered him, reworked his energy so it better complimented mine. He’d know what I needed instantly in battle.
“No bathroom floors.” He scooped me up and carried me across the house to where the guys must have their assigned rooms. With no more space in mine, Brody had gone back to his own. Apparently there were two because the one Aidan took me to was empty. He set me on the bed.
“So weird to be out cold and not able to rouse when I wanted to. I just had to rest. Now I’ve got energy, and Teagan, I need you.”
I kissed him, gently. Aidan didn’t need fierce from me. He had plenty of that on his own. No, sometimes my Two had to be wooed with kindness and shown he could be loved softly. As I laid simple closed-mouthed kisses on his mouth, his breathing slowed. He moaned against me. He kept himself above my body, leaning on his elbows. I drew his mouth closer.
“I could crush you, Teagan.”
I shook my head. “I like the feeling of your weight on mine. Makes me feel safe.”
That had been what he needed to hear. He dropped down, still taking most of the weight on one of his arms but freeing up the other to stroke my hair. I supposed that was Aidan’s version of a compromise.
Our lips fused together. He tasted like mint, heat, and male. My breasts touched his chest, and my nipples pebbled, needing what was soon coming. He tugged at my shirt, and I squirmed until I could get it over my head.
His eyes were huge. “You have the most beautiful breasts ever.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stop it.”
“My girl never could take compliments.” He sighed before he took one of my aching nipples into his mouth. Aidan moaned, and the sound moved through me like an aphrodisiac. I dug my fingernails into his back, and his hips jerked in response.
“I love you, Aidan.”
He stilled. “I can feel that you do. Inside of me now. But there really isn’t any replacement for hearing it come from your sweet mouth.”
“I can say it anytime you need to hear, and even when you don’t.”
Aidan went back to making l
ove to my breasts. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed. Pleasure crept up in me slowly. It had been a very long time—years since I’d known Aidan’s attentions—and I had missed him so much.
I wanted to feel his skin on mine. A few tugs of his shirt got me what I desired. I ran my hands through the slight dusting of hair on Aidan’s chest. He had more than the last time we’d done this. He adored me with his gaze, not pressing me to hurry this up. I loved this moment. Knowing how fast life went askew, I pressed these seconds into my memory. I never, ever wanted to forget it. That way I could call upon it, find this feeling again, if I was ever alone and needed it.
Aidan’s eyes narrowed. “Why the sad?”
I’d never be able to deny it. “Doesn’t matter.” I kissed him to distract him, and he let me. We stripped each other of the rest of our clothes. He was long and hard. This time he wasn’t going to stop us, and I couldn’t wait to have him inside of me. He scooted down until he could push a finger inside of me. I sucked in my breath.
“My love, you are so warm. I can’t wait to be deep inside of you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What’s taking so long then?”
He smiled. “I like this part, too. I love the sounds you make when I do this.” He pressed against my clit. I moaned. “I dreamed of this.”
Aidan proceeded to show me how much. He swirled his fingers until he had a rhythm that made me pant. He’d always known how to touch me so that I couldn’t think, couldn’t see straight. Aidan played my body like it was an instrument he was deeply familiar with. He added a second finger, and I was done. I cried out, coming around his fingers.
He moaned against my ear. “The noises you make.”
My cheeks heated up. “Don’t make me embarrassed.”
He shook his head. “Never that, I love it.”
I moved on top of him. Enough was enough, I wanted him inside of me. It had been too long. He was fully erect. I ran my hand over his cock once, and he hissed out a breath. “Careful, Teagan, I won’t last.”
Well, we couldn’t have that. Not when I was so desperate for him. I needed this connection as much as he did. I pushed down on his cock until he was all the way inside of me.