Page 20

“Don’t,” I said. Thinking the worst was hard enough, actually saying it, hearing the words out loud was unbearable. “I’m going to pass this task and kick ass in my final trial, the mother will gift us with more power, and Roe will be okay. She has to be.”

Iris nodded and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet. I dumped in the popcorn, then watched as she drew a calming breath, picked it up, and carried it into the living room. I heard her greet Roe, teasing her, making light, joking. Forcing down her pain and fear for our sister.

I plastered a smile on my face as well and followed, taking my seat again at the end of the couch and pulled Roe’s feet back onto my lap.

Mags walked in a short time later and sat on the floor at the other end of the couch, and Roe started playing with our baby sister’s hair. Mags had the most beautiful thick, wavy, black hair, and we used to fight over who got to brush it in the mornings.

It’d been so long since we’d all hung out like this. That was partly my fault…no, it was all my fault. I’d been so caught up with this whole Keeper thing, with training, with making sure I was ready when the mother finally called me back, and I missed them so much. I missed this.

“Movie?” Iris asked.

Mags grabbed some popcorn and tossed it in her mouth. “Something dirty,” she said and grinned.

Rose giggled, and then we were all laughing.

Iris scrolled through Netflix. “Something dirty coming up.”

* * *

Three hours later, I woke with my neck bent at a weird angle and still on the couch. Mags was lying on the floor under a blanket. Iris was head back, mouth wide open, snoring, Nia at her feet, and Roe was curled up in a tiny ball. None of them stirred. That’s when I felt it, the tingling at my side, like a million fire ants marching across my skin.

I quickly slid Roe’s legs from my lap and climbed off the couch…and bit back a startled cry.

Bram sat across the room in an armchair. He was the same age as Ren, nineteen, and he was a big guy in his human form, lean but extremely tall and broad shouldered. He studied me now, glossy black hair hanging around his face, and those black as coal eyes aimed at me under a heavy brow. He was beautiful, but not in a classically handsome way. More striking. His nose was prominent, jaw square but with a bit of a point to it, and he had sharp cheekbones. Bram could also hover in a shadow form, a state between his human and crow form, and some of that shadow seemed to hover around him all the time.

He blended into dark places easily, and given his size and being the quiet guy he was, he had a tendency to scare the shit out of people.

“Sorry, Bram, didn’t know you were there.”

He shrugged a broad shoulder. “Okay?”

“Yep, all good,” I lied. “But I have to head out.” Then I rushed from the room before he could ask any more questions.

My keys were on the counter, and I scooped them up, along with my jacket and satchel, checked that my blade was still at my hip, and quietly slipped out the front door, pulling it shut behind me.

Something was telling me to get in my truck and drive into the city, and I knew after the last task, I had to go with these hunches. I winced as I started my old truck, praying I didn’t wake everyone, and rolled down the driveway and onto the road.

The tingling feeling continued, growing in intensity the farther I went, which I assumed had to mean I was heading in the right direction.

Twenty minutes later, I was almost in the city. Roxburgh was busy this time of night. Honestly, the city never slept, and it was also the hub of demon activity. Though things here had quieted down a little since Lucifer returned to Hell—a long story, but for a while he was locked out of Hell, and his evil son, Diemos, took over, doing all sorts of twisted evil things. I sure as shit wasn’t the only one happy things had settled down around here.

My phone rang and I didn’t need to check the screen to know who it was. Cursing, I hit the call button. “Yeah?”

“Where the fuck are you going?” Warrick’s deep voice growled through the speakers.

I ground my teeth. “I have to say, I’m not a huge fan of you constantly tracking me, alpha.”

“Tough shit. Where are you going?”

“No idea. I’ll find out when I get there.”

“Dove,” he said, and the way he said it was obviously through gritted teeth.

This was getting ridiculous. I didn’t get this obsession he had with me. And it wasn’t like I could call the cops or put out a restraining order. He was a literal beast created in Hell by Lucifer, and he wanted me with a single-minded focus and relentless determination that was…yeah, more than a little intimidating.

“Why me?” I asked over the sound of his heavy breathing filling my car, and surprising myself.

“What?”