Authors: B. Kristin McMichael
“
Was he your first love?” Andrew asked quietly. Arianna gave a tearful nod. Andrew pulled her to him and began taking away the hurt. Baku couldn’t just feel the emotions around them, but they could actually feed off of the energy. It was another way for baku to feed without taking any blood. By feeding on her hurt, Andrew could remove a large part of the pain she felt. Arianna felt her heart lighten as he finally laid her down in bed.
“
I really,” Andrew began before his anger took over again. “To take advantage of you and then throw you away,” he couldn’t finish. Andrew thought Devin was better than most teenage boys.
“
It was me,” Arianna tried to calm Andrew down as his baku form flickered. They didn’t need an angry baku running around the house, especially since he wasn’t actually supposed to be in the home yet. Everyone on her team thought Andrew was arriving last. “I read too much into it. Turner said that he couldn’t keep trying for my affection because of how Devin was with me. I thought that meant that, at some point while I was unconscious, Devin really did show the world he was in love with me. I assumed too much.”
“
Still, that’s no reason for him to use you and throw you away,” Andrew replied, his form still flickering. The idea that someone else had put their hands on Arianna was hard enough to deal with, but then to find that Devin had slept with her and then thrown her away was getting too much for Andrew to keep under control. Andrew stood to pace the room to wear off the energy building.
“
Use me?” Arianna asked, wiping the last of her tears away.
“
If a guy is going to sleep with you, he should have the decency to treat you right,” Andrew replied with a sigh as he rubbed his temples trying to calm his own anger. Arianna’s own sadness was subsiding which made it easier for Andrew to focus. He plopped down beside her.
A blush ran up Arianna
’s face, and she grabbed the pillow behind her head to cover her face as she mumbled her reply.
“
What?” Andrew asked. His hearing was as good as hers. He heard her, but was making Arianna repeat herself. Arianna repeated what she had said into the pillow a second embarrassing time. Andrew didn’t reply, but just stared at the pillow in shock and embarrassment of his own. She lifted the pillow slightly but kept it covering her face to repeat what she had said more clearly.
“Ugh, you’re just like Aunt Lilly.
He slept with me; as in sleep, not
slept
with me. I’m a virgin,” Arianna said quietly, mortified of saying it out loud to Andrew. Andrew, though embarrassed, was relieved and didn’t say anything more to add to either of their embarrassment.
Once her awkwardness subsided, Arianna drifted off peacefully to sleep in Andrew’s arms. She was content there. Arianna was certain Andrew could never be as cold to her as Devin. He would always be the warm, loving spot in her heart.
Arianna had only enjoyed her cozy slumber for a few hours when she was woken. The cry echoed in her head as Arianna sat up. Someone was calling for help. They weren’t calling for her, but someone was calling. She heard their desperate pleas. Again, she knew that she was listening to someone that had to be familiar to her, but she didn’t know who. They were in trouble.
‘
Father,’
the male voiced called.
‘I’m stuck in the woods. Please. You have to send someone. It’s nearing high sun. I don’t know if I can find enough shade. Father.’
His plea rung loud and clear for Arianna. It had to be a night human, and a dearg-dul at that who would burn in the high noonday sun. While Arianna was completely immune to the sunlight due to her baku genes, the dearg-dul were not. Any exposure to high, daytime sun rays could instantly burn the flesh of dearg-dul to the point of killing them.
‘
You made your mess, now deal with it,’
a second male voice replied.
‘No son of mine fails at anything.’
Arianna concentrated to see if she could hear more. Nothing came. The voice stopped its pleading for now. She rubbed her arms to try to get rid of the goose bumps forming as she realized someone was in trouble again, and she was the only one that could help. Somehow, her new senses were kicking in more now that she was feeling better.
Andrew lazily opened his eyes and pulled her back down into the bed and into his arms.
“It’s
cold out there,” he complained, throwing the covers back up over Arianna. He had seen her rubbing her arms. She slid out of bed and pulled a sweatshirt on over her pajamas.
“
What time is it even?” Andrew rubbed his eyes, looking around the room for a clock.
Arianna looked a
t the clock. “Ten thirty.” She slipped her socks and shoes on and walked over to the door before Andrew could respond.
“
Wait a second,” Andrew gracefully left the bed and stood shirtless in front of her. Arianna caught her breath a second. It was a nice sight to wake up to, but for now she had to ignore it. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“
Someone is out there and needs help. I’m going to help.” Arianna pulled her hair up into a ponytail and reached for the door.
“
You’re not going anywhere. Remember, we’re in hiding,” Andrew replied, grabbing her hand before she could make it to the door handle. Even right out of bed he was quick on his feet.
“
Not anymore, Molina arrived an hour ago, and Thomas is almost here.” Arianna placed her hands on his tight abs and leaned up to kiss him. He loosened his grip, and she quickly ended the kiss to slip out the door. Andrew moved to follow her.
‘
You have to stay hidden until I have time to test both Molina and Thomas.’
She reminded him. Andrew wanted to pound on the door in frustration, as she was right.
Arianna felt his frustration leak out of the room as she smiled to herself.
She would be able to find the person and get them back before anyone would know but Andrew. The rest of the house was asleep, and Andrew couldn’t risk being seen. It would be easy. The voice wasn’t far off. She would jog out there and bring the person back in no time. Her plan was short-lived as soon as she opened the front door of the house; Gabriel stood in front of her.
“
Seems you think you get to go running around without any protection,” Gabriel commented. “Andrew said you’re leaving, and thankfully, I was already here.” Arianna huffed, knowing she would have to argue with Andrew later. Whoever it was trapped in the woods needed her help now.
“There’s
a dearg-dul trapped in the woods. I was going to go get him and come back. They’re harmless in the sunlight; you know that,” she replied before Gabriel could object to it being a trap.
“
And that’s not just an excuse?” Gabriel wasn’t persuaded.
“
No, really. I heard someone calling out.” Arianna explained. “There really is someone out there.” Arianna wasn’t simply trying to get out of the house. She hadn’t felt trapped until now that she was told she couldn’t go outside.
“
To you?” Gabriel asked.
“
No, to their father to rescue them. And their father isn’t coming.”
Gabriel sighed. It would be impossible to talk her out of it.
She was the head of the clan, and it was her job to protect everyone. He couldn’t argue if it were true that someone was out there.
“
Fine, but I’m coming with you. Where is he at?” Gabriel needed to be sure.
Arianna closed her eyes and looked around. She first found all the
night humans in her cabin. Molina was asleep with the boys. Andrew was pacing, and Devin and Turner were also asleep. She spread her mind out and continued to look around the woods. Easily, she found a night human crouched behind some trees. She felt the anxiety drip off him as he silently waited. The sun was close to being too much to bear.
‘
Father, please,’
the voice came again from a different direction.
Arianna zeroed in on the voice and found a second
night human in the woods. He was also hiding in the trees. He had done a good job of keeping out of the sun, but he couldn’t stop the panic he was throwing off. The sun was easy to avoid at one time, but it moved through the four danger hours and he couldn’t be sure he would be safe for all four hours. Even now in the shade his skin was blistering.
“
There are two out there,” Arianna said, surprising even herself. “They are both in danger and doing their best to hide. I don’t know who the first person is in that direction, but the second has a familiar voice. He has to be one of mine.”
Gabriel debated what to do. He worried that the second night human wasn’t from their clans. Arianna didn’t know the difference, but Gabriel did. From the worry and anxiety, they weren’t a night human that could stand the noonday sunlight. Gabriel didn’t know all of the dearg-dul clan, so they could easily be one of her’s also.
“The first one isn’t ours,” Gabriel decided. He couldn’t take the risk. He didn’t know how much Arianna knew of the other clans. Devin had kept her knowledge limited, but she had run into them over the past month more than once.
“But they’re in trouble,” Arianna replied. Clan or not, Arianna didn’t want the death of a night human to be on her conscience.
“And they aren’t ours. Let someone else deal with it,” Gabriel replied.
“We are the only ones that can help in time,” Arianna answered. “And, as head of the clan, I insist that we save both of them.”
Gabriel gritted his teeth. He loved Arianna as his own flesh and blood, but he wasn’t happy with her at that moment. He regretted that her word was final. All baku had to listen to the leader when they made a decision. Gabriel looked down at her, wanting to fight more, but he caught the innocence in her eyes. That was the part that made Arianna who she was: her complete innocence. Immediately, he knew why she wanted to save the unknown person. She couldn’t be the ruthless leader Randolph was, or that Gabriel had to be. Gabriel sighed. He couldn’t deny her word, and he couldn’t crush her innocence. That would happen soon enough.
“We will go to the one of your clan first,” Gabriel replied. “And if we’re not too late, we can see about the other one.” Arianna smiled. She had won the argument. Then she paused and scanned the woods. There was burning flesh on the first one that caught her attention immediately.
“It won’t be enough time. The other one is already burned. He won’t last without us saving him.” Arianna had to formulate a plan. “I’ll go to my own clan on my own, and you go to the other. There’s no one in the dearg-dul clan that I can’t handle.”
“That’s not safe,” Gabriel replied, refusing to leave her alone.
“And that wasn’t a question,” Arianna replied, getting the backbone she needed to order her uncle around. Someone’s life depended on her.
“
I’ll watch over her,” Thomas said from behind Gabriel.
‘
And so will I,’
Andrew added silently to Gabriel and Arianna. There was no way Andrew would let her wander the woods alone.
“Then that’s settled,” Arianna added, not waiting for Gabriel’s reply.
Gabriel sighed and gave up his argument. He nodded to Arianna and headed in the direction of the silent night human as she took off in the direction of the one pleading for his life.
Arianna
couldn’t contain the laugh as she began to run through the trees. She felt better than she had in months, and after being crammed into the cabin for almost a week, she was happy to be stretching her muscles. The poison was obviously leaving her system. Andrew followed, not too far behind, but still unseen to Thomas. She ran through the forest at a full sprint, and Thomas was right beside her. His beautiful black wings stretched and flapped in the wind. His feeling of freedom was almost as happy as hers.
‘
Are you doing better?’
Arianna asked Thomas. They had all been poisoned.
‘
Not a trace of poison left in me,’
he replied.
‘We think it was only reacting with the leftover blood of yours in my system. Must have been the same for Turner. The poison has no effect on lycan or tengu. And you?’
‘Feeling great right now.’
Arianna jumped a little higher than normal, missing a log. She faltered only momentarily before running again.
‘
Arianna Caoimhe,’
Devin yelled in her mind. He was beyond livid.
‘
Yes,’
she replied, not backing down after the night before. He had broken her heart. He had no right to tell her what to do and how to do it.
‘
Andrew just hopped out my window saying that he was chasing you into the woods, and standing here in your room I can see it’s true.’
Devin’s anger and worry mixed together as it poured off him. Arianna felt a slight stab of guilt, but didn’t stop running to her target.
‘
There are two night humans stuck in the woods. I’m going to bring one back and Gabriel’s bringing the other.’
Arianna explained her reason for running, though she felt she owed him nothing.