Eternal Hope

By Frankie Rose

He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me...

When your friends go missing and you don’t know if they’re dead or alive; when you tie your soul to the one you love; when you kill to protect and your family suffers, there’s only one thing you can do:

Move to Montana.

Farley Hope is special. She was prophesied to kill the forebears of her bloodline—a race of cold-blooded Reavers, men who steal the souls of the living to gain power. The Quorum had counted on Farley ending her own life in the process, but when Kayden came to her aid and helped save both her and Daniel, he undid their plans. Now the Quorum are displeased, not only with Kayden, but with Farley and Daniel too. Though her father is now dead, Farley’s troubles with the Reavers are far from over. An ancient Immortal, trapped for a thousand years, wants Farley for himself, and he will stop at nothing to claim her.

With secrets that lead to anger and pain, that turn friendship to dust, the group must overcome the problems within their own circle before they have a hope of fighting off the powers that threaten their lives.

ETERNAL HOPE contains mild language and scenes of a mild sexual nature. For readers 15+

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frankie Rose
• Release date: Feb 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311976901

Frankie Rose

Frankie Rose is a British expat, who is currently enjoying the perks of living in Australia- her awesome husband, sunshine, and vitamin D. She spends her time creating fictional universes in which the guy sometimes gets the girl, the heros occasionally die, and the endings aren't always happy. But they usually are.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Kayden

The pounding in my ears had slowed to almost nothing, but the rain exploding off the concrete increased exponentially to make up for it. I could hear nothing else, just this: the thunder of a thousand individual raindrops slamming down to earth with a determined force. The roar of it stole the sounds of the other things I knew I should hear, like the creak of leather boots; the singing of a blade being scraped along the length of another, its exact replica; my own screams.

It had taken them three days to catch up with me. That was surprising in itself. For three whole days I had flitted from one place to another, finding different crowds to hide amongst, and yet they had still known where to find me in the end. As if there was anywhere I could hide. It was almost crueller that they’d left it so long. Because after three whole days of waiting and wondering when it was going to happen, a tiny spark of hope had blossomed in my chest. Maybe they wouldn’t find me after all. Maybe the choice I’d made had been the right one. Maybe they would let me go now.

Such a fool.

They’d found me in a teahouse in New Delhi and dragged me here, to wherever this new hell was. All I knew was that it was someplace wet and cold. And I was fighting for my life. The Interrogator stepped forward in the torrential rain, Pax blades glinting in both hands. This guy knew knives; knew how to use them. He was quick. When he rushed me, I barely had a chance to dodge to the side. The Interrogator was lithe, like a snake. There was no reading him at all. He scissored the metal and the cold steel flashed in his eyes. Cold blue eyes. Like ice. Blank.

I had only met one other messenger like this guy before, one other who had chosen his own path. The only way to tell he was different was by the way his Catena, the tattoo chaining his neck, was unmoving. It was beautiful as well, intricate and decorative. My Catena was like most messengers’: harsh, striking and ever-changing.

Normally this would have been the time my Catena flared brilliantly in the darkness. I would have been able to use the vast stores of power within me to defend against this cold, calculating killer. But that was before. Before they’d cast me out. Now, I was facing my opponent alone, entirely without backup. Weaponless.

The Interrogator feinted to the left. I leapt backwards, knowing it was a bluff, but this guy was way too smart. He tucked and rolled through the puddled water collecting on the concrete, tinged pink already with blood. The Interrogator struck upwards as he rose, sweeping the blade’s edge across my stomach. The sickening burn spread like acid across my skin. Just another slice. There were already so many, but this one was deep. The darkness was seeping into me, the poison working its way a little deeper into my blood stream.

How long would it take? The muscles in my arms and legs were already failing. That was where the majority of the cuts had landed and the poison was at its strongest. Standing wasn’t going to be an option for much longer, and once I was down on the ground…

The Interrogator flashed his stony gaze over me, picking me apart. He anticipated my every move before I even knew myself. It was almost pointless trying to get away, and maybe once upon a time I would have given up.

Everything had changed now, though. I had reasons to live…wanted to see them through.

When the Interrogator leapt forward like a coiled panther, I managed to dart out of his reach. The guy was unbalanced for a moment, and I saw my opportunity. I struck out and blocked the Interrogator’s right hand, twisting it back and angling the wrist in a lock I knew to be agonizing. The Pax blade clattered to the floor, and I had just enough time to stoop and snatch it up before the Interrogator came at me again.

I had a weapon now, but it still wasn’t a fair fight. The fact that I had managed to momentarily immobilize him seemed to enrage the Interrogator, his fury evident in the dangerous narrowing of his eyes. I crouched and held the knife out ready to defend myself.

The Interrogator came at me like a whirlwind. His arms moved too quickly to preempt, and the cold, sinking pain of each and every cut that slashed across my skin was undeniably final. One on top of another, on top of another, on top of another. Too many to count. I held my ground for a moment, getting a few lucky strikes in, but the Interrogator didn’t even flinch. He just kept coming. I lunged forward in a last-ditch attempt to plunge the curved edge of the Pax blade straight into the Interrogator’s stomach, but I was clumsy and slow. The poison flooded my mind, casting everything into a murky darkness. I didn’t feel myself drop to my knees, but I knew it had happened. It was like watching everything unfold from outside my body, watching as the Interrogator straightened to wipe his sodden hair from his face. He took his time walking around my numb, kneeling body.

This would have been the moment to move. To prevent what was coming. But I couldn’t. I tensed, waiting for the paralyzing pain of the knife thrusting into my lower spine. And yet I didn’t feel a thing, just a mildly uncomfortable pressure that twisted through my body, forcing me forward onto the ground.

A fractured thought entered my mind as I lay with my cheek pressed into the gritty concrete. As I watched the occasional raindrop rebound slightly redder than the rest, I thought perhaps this actually was hell. After all, there were some amongst them who could pull those kinds of strings. Maybe that was the reward for meddling in the plans of those privy to ‘The Bigger Picture.’

But occasionally, when the rain eased for less than a heartbeat, I caught sight of the moon reflected in the pooling water around me. There probably wasn’t a moon in hell. I didn’t have any real reason to believe that, but something in my gut told me that was the case.

So I was somewhere in the world and it was raining, and I was dying. There had been no warning. No questions. No admonishments. Just the silent creak of boots. The silent scrape of metal. My silent screams.

I was somewhere in the world and I didn’t know where.

I was somewhere in the world and no one was looking for me.

CHAPTER TWO

HOT PINK

The shouts were loud enough to wake the dead. A thin knife of silver moonlight sliced through the curtains into the room, cutting away some of the dark. It took a moment to realize why I had woken up. Another to realize where I was.

Home.

A second low shout echoed up through the silent house. In an instant I rolled out of bed, somehow landing on my feet, and pulled on my jeans and a shirt. I threaded the buttons into the wrong holes, but that didn’t matter. I was already moving, hammering down the bare hardwood stairs.

He was asleep on the sofa, twitching restlessly, blankets kicked back.

Daniel, wake up. Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay… Waking him too sharply was probably risky. I allowed my hand to rest on the smooth skin of his bare shoulder. He was burning up—another nightmare. Both of us seemed to suffer them on a regular basis; my mother was usually the star of mine, blackened teeth, filthy nails, white eyes and all. Who knew what Daniel dreamed about, though. His body went rigid for a second before he tremored and fell slack, the nightmare apparently falling away. When he opened his eyes, he cringed.

Hey, you, I whispered.

Hey…

You okay?

He nodded, his messy black hair, slightly wavy from the crushing humidity of the night, falling into his face. I swept it gently out of his eyes.

What were you dreaming about?

I… The word cracked, his voice thick and broken from sleep. He cleared his throat.

You wanna talk about it?

It was no big surprise when he shook his head. He never wanted to talk about it. There was still so much I didn’t know about him, still so much I couldn’t figure out. Like why, when we had returned to my house in Monterey Hills three weeks ago, he refused to sleep inside. And why, after having finally convinced him to move indoors, he insisted on sleeping on the sofa and not in one of the spare rooms Tess and Oliver hadn’t taken. Or in my half-empty, king-size bed for that matter.

It was strange that he would rather sleep here, in a room cluttered with the relics of lives that didn’t exist anymore—a stuffed Kermit the Frog I used to love; a broken record player that had only ever played UB40, because it was the only record my mom owned; a fake stuffed moose head that scared the crap out of you by singing Christmas songs you forgot it knew. The room was filled with a whole ton of things that were irrelevant now but remained to bear testimony to a time when everything was normal and everything was other.

What time is it? Daniel’s eyes, startlingly green even in the dark, roved over the mausoleum of my past and eventually caught sight of the clock on the mantelpiece. Nearly five? Ugh… He dug his knuckles into his eyes, groaning.

You wanna go back to sleep? I asked, battling the slow realization that he was wearing nothing but his boxers. Suddenly concentrating on anything but that fact seemed impossible. He caught me looking and gave me a tired smile.

Hey. Where’s your head at?

In the clouds, I replied, dragging my eyes reluctantly up to his face.

Good. For a moment there I thought it might have been in the gutter. His small smile spread to a grin and he grabbed hold of my arm, pulling me down so that I fell across him. His lips found mine in the dark. He tasted like sleep, but not in a bad way.

I snuggled down into the crook of his arm and laid my head on his warm chest. The slow draw of his lungs, punctuated by the lazy throb of his heartbeat beneath my temple, filled my ears.

Sorry, he whispered.

What for?

Waking you.

I shook my head against him in a silent refusal to accept his apology. I didn’t need it, not when it meant that I got to come and be here with him like this. It was a selfish thought considering he had just woken from a nightmare, but Daniel couldn’t be made to do anything. If he wanted to talk about it, he would. I would just have to be patient. In the meantime, I got to be happy here, wrapped up in the warmth and smell of him.

Happiness had been such a foreign emotion lately. I still wasn’t used to the idea that this small part of my life truly existed, and it was only these quiet, stolen moments that made everything else bearable. My mother’s death. Aldan’s death. Agatha, Beatty and our other friends disappearing. Even being back in this house filled to bursting with memories of my mom was okay so long as he was in it, too. Not that we were staying for long.

Are you ready for today? he whispered as he nuzzled his face into my hair, breathing me in.

I completely ignored his question. What do I smell like?

He gave this some thought before answering, Purple.

Purple?

Um-hmm.

I didn’t know smells have a color?

Well, they do.

What’s the smell for orange?

Cheese.

I laughed silently against his chest, feeling his ribcage expand and contract beneath my fingertips. He collected my hand and laced his fingers through mine. You didn’t answer the question.

Yeah. I’m ready, I murmured. Anything louder than a murmur would betray the fact that I was definitely not ready. Today we were headed to Montana to follow up on an Agatha-related lead. Montana itself didn’t sound so bad. It was the people we were going to see in Montana that made me nervous. Meeting Daniel’s friends for the first time was a daunting prospect, and I constantly had to remind myself why we were going: Agatha was still missing after our showdown with the Reavers, and we had to find her.

I can hear them grinding, Daniel said quietly, as though imparting some great secret into my ear.

My teeth?

The gears in your head. You’re worrying about something. I can tell.

I sighed. It’s nothing. I…it’s just scary meeting people you’ve known for so long. And they’re all…like you. Kind of. I’m just ordinary. Boring.

He twisted so that he lay facing me on the sofa, his arm still pillowing my head. Our bodies pressed together—foreheads, chests, stomachs, knees and legs all tangled so I wouldn’t fall off the edge.

Are you serious?

I nodded.

You don’t need to think like that. Ever. Okay? Being stuck with the same people decade after decade is nowhere near as much fun as you think. Plus you’re anything but ordinary. You’re extra-ordinary in every way. His eyes burned in the darkness, focusing on me with an intensity I was only just learning how to handle. You think being prophesied is normal?

No.

Well, then. I’m sure they’ll all be green with envy about that one.

I doubt it. Being prophesied sucks, I grumbled, tracing my fingertip along the line of his jaw. It felt rough where he hadn’t shaved in a few days.

Exactly. So does living for hundreds of years and not being able to have a proper life. He reached down and tugged on the blanket at his feet, drawing it up to cover us both. It was far too hot for it, but it made the moment more intimate somehow. I left it there.

This sofa’s really small, y’know? I said.

Daniel smiled an already knowing smile and kissed my nose. I do know.

I can think of a place to continue this conversation that would be much more comfortable.

You can?

Yep. Why don’t you just come sleep in my bed? There’s only a few hours left before dawn. You’d get a lot more rest if you were comfortable.

I am comfortable. This is perfect. He closed his eyes but his smile spread wider, clearly anticipating the grumpy expression that settled on my face.

Fine. Be that way. I’m going back to my bed right now in protest. Don’t complain in the morning when you have a stiff neck.

Okay, he whispered. But instead of letting me go he tucked his chin over my head and pulled me closer, so I had to slot my folded arms in between us, like our bodies were a jigsaw puzzle and that was where I fit.

********

I think she’s drooling on him.

I think you’re right.

Shall we poke them now?

I cracked open an eyelid. In the small, abstract snapshot of my vision I could see Daniel’s throat an inch away from my face, and over his shoulder was the stuffed moose head, grinning with perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth. No, I groaned, no poking allowed.

The sound of my voice woke Daniel. He winced and buried his face into his pillow.

They live! Tess cried. She proceeded to sit on my hipbone and bounce up and down, making the sofa springs squeal like stuck pigs. Wow. Nothing interesting could have happened down here last night. We’d definitely have heard about it.

Shut. Up. Kennedy, I growled, trying to loosen myself from Daniel’s arms so I could turn around.

No, he mumbled. Don’t look at them. If we acknowledge their presence, they’ll never leave. Play dead.

Smell dead, more like it, Tess jibed.

Do I smell bad, baby? Daniel asked into the cushion.

Like hot pink.

He broke into laughter, an easy kind of happiness that made me shiver with the simple pleasure of hearing it. I joined him, only stopping when Tess shoved a finger into my side.

You two had better get up and in the shower before I count to ten, or I’m getting a bucket of cold water.

I wouldn’t doubt her, Oliver added. She’s a woman of her word. Plus we have to drive for, like, eighteen hours today.

That seemed to sober Daniel up. He propped himself up on one arm, narrowing his eyes at everyone, myself included. I’ll be driving for, like, eighteen hours today. No one else is touching that car. I’d better go make sure she’s still safe.

He vaulted over me so that my body rolled into the indentation he left behind, laughing when I cried, Hey!

That car means way too much to him. It’s not just me who thinks that, right? Tess asked.

Oliver raised an eyebrow and said, No. This level of obsession goes way beyond the normal love any man should have for his car.

I rolled to face them, grimacing when I saw they were dressed and ready to face the day. Daniel had already disappeared, probably out onto the driveway to make sure no birds had crapped on his new Dodge Viper. I hadn’t even bothered asking how he could afford it. His attachment to the car was surprising, given that only two weeks earlier he was still ‘mourning’ the death of his Charger. He’d had to blow it up as a distraction when he’d broken into the Tower.

I’m making you breakfast. Get ready, Tess ordered and stalked into the kitchen, her crazy hair disappearing from view. It was no wonder she was the most eager to leave; Tess was paranoid she was going to run into her mom, who lived three blocks away. No amount of persuasion had been able to get her to go home or even contact Mrs. Kennedy. Not when Oliver was leaving with me and Daniel. Her response to Daniel’s gentle hint that she might like to go back to school had been, I’m eighteen years old. I can do what I want. And if I want to flunk out of high school and traipse around the country with my boyfriend, then that’s what I’m gonna do.

Oliver didn’t really have much say in the matter, but even if he did he would never have sent her away. He loved her way too much. He hung back for a split second following Tess’ departure, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, before giving me an apologetic shrug and hurrying after his girlfriend.

CHAPTER THREE

Gun Creek

It had been well past dark when we crossed state lines into Montana. Tess and Oliver had spent the day sleeping intermittently with their heads resting at awkward angles as the view outside the window turned from an arid, pale red moon-like landscape to bushy scrubland, and then into some green, vibrant world I didn’t recognize.

The smell of this new place was alien. It rested heavy at the back of my nose in a complex combination of earth and musk and hidden memories—a smell too difficult to translate into words. Instead, it described itself to me in images: running fingertips over tree bark, crinkled and unyielding, stained with sticky sap; standing with rolled-up trouser legs in ice-cold water that rushed around bare ankles, the water blurring like a photo with the exposure cranked high; the sky, the endless, uncontainable vastness of the sky, too big to even encompass in outstretched arms with fingers splayed wide. Everything crisp. Everything in focus.

And then there were the mountains. In LA, the mountains were the earth’s naked bones, ridged spines of some long-decayed creature, laid to rest for a thousand of years. Here they were living things, covered in deep, endless forests where all kinds of creatures lived: moose, elk, black bears, and wolves. Snow still capped the very highest of their peaks even in the unusually hot July the state was experiencing. If you closed your eyes and focused, it was almost as if you’d be able to taste the cool freshness of that snow on the tip of your tongue.

All that changed with the dark. The mountains lost their identities and became looming, undefined shadows that seemed to press in on either side of car, and the tree line morphed into brooding lines of silent warriors, waiting impatiently in the darkness for the order to attack.

You awake? Daniel murmured, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned and looked at him, blinking like an owl as my eyes adjusted to the gentle glow cast by the dashboard dials. The blueness of it threw his face into relief, all shadows and highlights, reminding me of the other times I had seen that sort of blue-white light dance on his skin before. Mostly it reminded me of the time three weeks ago when he had used his power to save us in the Tower, destroying three of the Reavers: my father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather. That power looked like a brilliant light, when in truth it was the souls of a thousand people, long dead. It made up the second part of a prophecy that I, myself, had been foretold in. The same prophecy the Quorum had required me to die to fulfil. Their wishes hadn’t mattered in the end. There had been another way to combine my soul with Daniel’s power in order to kill the Reavers, and neither of us had had to die.

I pushed the painful memories aside. Daniel’s eyes studied me, reflecting the neon dashboard like tiny pools of dark water.

We’re nearly there.

And where is there? You feel like telling me yet?

Daniel had refused to tell anyone the name of our final destination. He’d used the words city rats and unappreciative of the great outdoors, which led me to believe we were heading to the back of beyond.

I suppose it’s too late for you to Google it and make me turn around, he said. The place is called Gun Creek. We’re going to be heading past the town and up into the mountains a little ways. That’s where the cabin is.

Cabin? Tess exclaimed groggily from the back. You never said anything about a cabin. I hope for your sake it has electricity, Montisauri, or there’ll be hell to pay. You do not want to know what my hair looks like if it doesn’t get blow-dried.

Daniel hid his smile by sucking on his bottom lip, but it could still be seen in his eyes. His expression made something flip disconcertingly in my stomach. When I’d met him, he had been so distant and cold. A smile on his face would have been about as likely as pigs flying.

Well, okay, he had smiled once or twice, but it had been bitter and twisted. Not happy at all. Now…it was unnerving how different he was now, and how easy it had been to fall into this life they had together where he was the sweetest person imaginable. Sometimes it felt like I was holding my breath, waiting for something to snap and take this new Daniel away. For that Daniel to have been the real version of him all along, and this one to slowly disappear until there was nothing of him left.

I don’t like your silence, Daniel San. Please tell me they have all the essentials? Tess demanded.

Daniel straightened his face out and attempted serious. That depends on what you consider essential.

Wireless internet?

He cleared his throat.

Daily newspaper delivery?

He pretended to squint out of the window, searching for something up ahead.

Running hot water?!

Nothing.

Tess howled on the backseat, finally waking Oliver out of his death-like slumber. Jeez, woman, what’s up? Hey, are you two trying to kill my girlfriend?

I gave Daniel a glance, catching the slight tick at the corner of his mouth. It was the only thing that gave anything away in the deadpan look he’d so absolutely perfected. Don’t freak out, Tess. He’s just playing with you.

He’d better be, she said. What’s the exact population of this town?

Hmm, low hundreds if I recall correctly, he told her.

That’s not big enough to warrant a Starbucks, is it?

Daniel knocked the indicator down, signaling left. He turned the car down a pitch-black exit, almost invisible in the darkness, and headed into the sea of trees that stood watch over the highway. As we left the tarmac, we left behind all promise of civilization. No, he sighed. Alas. No Starbucks.

Don’t panic, Oliver said. I’ll make sure you get some instant coffee or something.

A weighty silence followed. I tensed, biting back laughter. Suggesting Tess drink instant coffee was like suggesting she might like to wash in a bath of crawling maggots, or fly coach, or maybe shop at discount stores and rub shoulders with the great-unwashed masses. You just didn’t do it.

Instead of screaming, Tess hissed, You! You don’t get to talk anymore.

I caught Oliver’s bemused shrug in the rearview, and our eyes met for a second. Sometimes it was just too weird. Too weird to even think that he was my brother; too weird to think that he was technically a Reaver now, or at least on paper anyway. He had gained his immortality when he jumped in and cut the heads off the Reavers, essentially taking all of their power. But he was nothing like them.

To my mind, he was just Tess’ boyfriend. These other aspects to him seemed improbable, like someone had been messing around with his shadow and replaced his normal one with that of an elephant or a giraffe. It just didn’t make any sense. Oliver gave me a small smile that said he might be thinking something pretty similar about me too, and then turned back to Tess.

The Viper’s headlights lanced through the night, illuminating the narrow, single-lane track that cut through the trees, always twisting and turning. The trunks of the spruces and lodgepole pines spun past too quickly to really focus on, and I kept expecting to catch a flash of something sinister standing amongst them. Maybe the pale, bloody face of some half-dead girl. That’s what it usually was in the movies, anyway.

A few moments later the trees abruptly ended and we weren’t climbing anymore. Daniel broke and the car turned a sharp switchback around a rocky outcrop, bringing us out into a huge clearing nestled into the mountainside.

At the far end of the clearing was the cabin. Cedar built and blaring lights into the darkness from every window, it was massive. The only way we hadn’t seen it from further down the track was thanks to the huge rocky tors that protected it on either side, punching up like giant stone fists above the treetops into the air. Trees surrounded the place, crowding in neat lines, only just making room for the meadow-like lawn in front of the cabin. There seemed to be some sort of tennis court around the back. Daniel pulled up alongside the building, parking next to a burgundy Jeep Cherokee that had seen better days.

Looks like Grayson’s home, he said, unclipping his seatbelt and climbing out of the car. For the fifty millionth time, a jolt of nerves rushed through me. What if these people hated me? What if they knew about the prophecy and thought I should have died back in the Tower—that I was unnatural? They were part of the Reavers’ society, after all, and a female descendant of a Reaver was just unheard of. Deep breath. I needed a deep breath.

Tess started to unfold herself out of the backseat, groaning. Looks like your boyfriend’s a big fat liar and they do have electricity.

I told you he was messing with you. I hopped out, ignoring the wobble in my legs, and met the others at the Viper’s non-existent trunk to collect my bag. They hadn’t been able to bring much with us, because we couldn’t fit much in the car, a factor I clung onto desperately. I only had four changes of underwear with me. That meant we had to go home soon. Or so I hoped.

As we pulled our things out of the back, the front door to the cabin opened, pouring light onto the front lawn area. A tall, slim silhouette appeared in the doorway. Took you long enough to get here! a voice called to us. Daniel broke out in a grin, dropping his bag onto the gravel. Gray!

The two of them met halfway between the car and the cabin, shaking hands furiously before they both gave in and locked into a bear hug. After a moment of typical macho guy roughhousing that Grayson didn’t look built for, Daniel dragged the man over to the car. He was even taller up close, and skinny too, like he had been stretched thin. His thick brown hair was mussed and in need of a cut. It fell into his face, curtaining the small, round glasses perched on his narrow nose. He didn’t look any older than his late twenties, but looks were definitely deceptive with people like these.

Guys, this is Grayson, Daniel said. This is Tess and Oliver.

The tall man smiled a shy smile and held out a too-big-for-his-body hand to greet them with. Welcome. I hope the journey wasn’t too long for you. You’re probably exhausted. We have rooms set up for all of you.

Tess smiled sweetly before saying, Hi, Grayson. Do you have a wireless internet connection here?

Uh…yes. We do.

Oliver gave him an apologetic look and shrugged. Facebook.

Grayson nodded as though that explained everything and turned to face me. And you are?

Daniel stepped to my side and took hold of my hand in a move that was both possessive and proud. It was enough to calm my nerves instantly. I’m Farley, I told him, holding out my free hand.

Grayson froze, studying both of us a moment too long before he took my hand and shook it. Oh…very pleased to meet you. He looked at Daniel. There’s…there’s something you should probably know.

What? Daniel’s face clouded over. He let go of my hand just as a small shadow raced out of the cabin towards us.

It took less than a second for the shadow to reach us—a petite girl running full tilt to the car. Olive skin, long, thick brown hair that tumbled around her shoulders in loose curls, almond-shaped eyes highlighted with very black liner, and arms covered from her wrists to the tops of her t-shirt sleeves in tattoos. About five feet away from where we stood, she squealed, Daniel! and launched herself at him.

That left just enough time for him to give me a horrified look before the girl landed on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and grabbing hold of his head so she could plant a kiss directly onto his lips.

*******

If there was ever a time vanishing into thin air would have been a valuable skill, this was it. The term awkward did not do justice to how unbelievably bad this moment was. It took three attempts to pry Cassie off, and even once her feet were firmly back on the ground she lunged in for another kiss before I could say anything. I shoved her firmly—not hard enough that she fell, but hard enough that she had to grab hold of Grayson to keep her balance. She fixed me with a confused look, which I returned.

Farley stood stock-still next to me, deathly pale in the moonlight. There was a fixed, blank expression on her face that I couldn’t read—a carefully constructed mask.

The faces of the others were much easier to discern. Oliver and Grayson wore identical expressions of discomfort, and Tess…Tess looked like she was about to explode. Who the hell are you? she hissed at Cassie, all the while never taking her eyes off me.

Cassie ignored her, still staring at me. It seemed like nearly everyone else was staring at me, too: four pairs of eyes, ranging from wounded and furious to awkward. The only eyes I wanted to be looking at me—pale grey, stormy and intense—were looking everywhere and anywhere but at me.

What’s wrong with you? Cassie asked me, her voice a little high pitched. Why are you trying to shove me on the floor?

I gave her a sharp look. I wasn’t trying to shove you on the floor, Cass. I was just a little shocked. I was in the middle of trying to introduce Grayson to Farley, my girlfriend. I gestured to Farley, still a frozen statue at my side.

A shadow of confusion passed over Cassie’s face, and she gave Farley a cursory glance. Oh.

This wasn’t going well at all. Cassie’s eyes immediately started to get that wet look to them that meant she might cry, and Farley was so carefully poised it seemed like she might either burst into hysterics herself or punch me in the face. The crying would definitely be worse. I reached for Farley’s hand and held it in my own, giving Cass a pointed look. She glared at me another second before pulling herself up tall and trying out a half-hearted smile.

Wow. Well, don’t I feel pretty stupid right now? Her voice was breathy, like she was trying to force a light note into it. I guess I owe you an apology. Farley, was it?

Farley just looked at her—a cool look, devoid of any emotion. Grayson cleared his throat. Uh…maybe we should all go inside. I don’t sense this moment getting any less weird if we carry on standing here staring at one another.

Great idea, I agreed.

That would be lovely, wouldn’t it? Tess said. Let’s go inside. I always find walking inside buildings has this bizarre effect on me. I immediately forget uncomfortable situations, like when tiny midget women straddle my best friend’s boyfriend and face-rape him.

Cassie bristled at that, but a warning look from Grayson seemed to make her think twice about saying anything. She gave me a tight smile. It’s great to have you home, Danny. As for the rest of you, we’re very glad to have you here, too. Please make yourselves comfortable.

With that,