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“Why kill them and not you?” She realized her question sounded morbid, but she couldn’t understand the reasoning behind Jacob and Lori’s deaths.
Dannika shook her head as if she were trying to figure out that answer herself. “Someone had warded our home. I’m not sure how it worked, but it hid me from Killian and Julius. It took them almost two years to find me, and when they did, they couldn’t enter the house. I remember being excited that day, because the solstice fair was in town. It was opening night and Jacob had planned to take me.”
Daniel sucked in a breath. “Your parents died the day the solstice fair came to town?”
“Yes,” Dannika said.
Daniel hung his head. “That was the day Riley’s mother died.”
CHAPTER5
Riley tried not to think about the day her mother died, but the memories flooded her mind as her body shivered. Red and blue lights flashed in the window as she and her father sat at the kitchen table. They were laughing at her attempt to make oatmeal raisin cookies.
Her father bit into the partially burnt cookie and had managed to keep a straight face when he told her it was good. She’d already tried one, and the pastry had bits of unmixed flour and baking soda. They were salty and straight-up disgusting, but her father had acted as if she were a master chef. She had thought she was the luckiest girl on the planet until the knock at the door.
The police officers interrupted their tea party, and Daniel left to talk to them. She had put milk in a glass to soften the biscuit, and was looking forward to her father’s reaction. Those dreams failed when she saw his face.
Daniel was more than in pain, he was utterly destroyed. His eyes were a ghostly mirage of his former self. He stumbled to the cabinet above the stove, opening the yellow cupboard before pulling out a bottle of vodka. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw him drink, but he grabbed a glass and poured the clear liquid to the brim.
He returned to the table and sat down with tears streaming down his face. He tipped the glass back and downed the entire drink before he destroyed Riley’s life. To this day, she shivered when she heard the words ‘there’s been an accident’.
“My mother and Dannika’s foster parents died on the same day. How can that be?”
Dannika glanced between Riley and Daniel; her compassion clear on her face. “We need to call the priestess. Anaisa may know something about Allyssa’s connection to Cami. We need to know how Cami’s death connects to my parents. I also want to ask her if she has any more information on reaper movements.”
Raine touched Dannika’s back. “You want to go now? Perhaps you should rest first.”
Dannika’s eyes flickered before she got her warrior under control. “I’m fine.” She turned to Irdane. He had moved to the side wall beside the unlit fireplace, his shoulders scrunched together as if he could make himself smaller and less noticeable. “You are coming with us. Anaisa will be able to tell if you’re lying or mean to sabotage the shadow clans. Though I can’t detect a lie, I’ve realized there are ways of getting around the truth. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
Irdane nodded, though his body shook when Ferguson moved to his side.
Riley gave her father a kiss on the cheek, then squeezed his hand. His skin was like rice paper, thin and delicate. A remnant of the strong man who’d raised her. Shadow warriors were not immortal and in her father’s case, it showed. Colton took her hand and led her outside.
The thud of boots on the oak floors echoed as they exited the Lodge. No one spoke, and the rustle of leaves blowing along the grass seemed unusually loud before the familiar hum radiated around them. One by one, the shadows dissolved, entering the pathways, leaving no trace they were ever there.
Colton’s shadow enveloped hers before she dissolved and entered the pathway. The jolt of pain and the rushing sound of energy bolting through the tubes reminded her why she was in love with the man who held her molecules together. He had sensed her pain, knowing she wouldn’t be able to navigate the pathway on her own. She always had one stable element in her life. Her mother, her father, and now Colton. It made the reality of Dannika’s past that much worse.
They coalesced beneath an evergreen at the edge of the forest that surrounded the Haitian village. Dannika and Raine walked hand-in-hand toward the multi-colored houses clustered in a circular pattern. The pain in Riley’s heart dissipated when Dannika smiled up at her mate. The love and happiness were undeniable. Regardless of her origins, her twin had found her salvation and acceptance.
They jogged to catch up to Dannika and Raine, as an older man wearing a bright yellow Kaftan with gold embroidery met them at the entrance.
“The priestess is expecting you,” he said with a kind smile.
Dannika winked at the elderly man. “Is it possible to sneak up on her... Like ever?”
“I haven’t been able to surprise her since she was a child.” The old man winked back. “That doesn’t mean I still don’t try.”
Dannika laughed. “I imagine she was a handful.”
He walked toward Anaisa’s home in the center of the village. “My sister made our parents’ life quite eventful, but she remains our greatest joy.”
“You’re her brother.”
“My name is Emmanuel.” He motioned for them to enter through the lavender door, before turning away.
Anaisa sat in a chair, that hadn’t been there the last time. The stark white wicker seat seemed out of place amongst the colorful array of furniture and handmade items. She motioned to the couch. “Please have a seat.”
Dannika sat in the chair opposite the couch, while Raine sat on the thick arm. They waited while Colton and Riley took their seats on the couch.
