Becoming a Legend (24 page)

‘
Who are they?’
Devin demanded, getting dressed to follow her.

‘
I don’t know,’
Arianna replied.

‘You’re
risking your life for two unknown night humans? They probably aren’t even our clan.’
Devin was close to fuming now.

‘One
is mine. I can recognize his voice. I will not let my clan members die, no matter how stupid they are for running in the woods near high sun.’
Arianna ducked under a passing branch.

‘
Arianna, how can you be so reckless? Ours or not, it doesn’t matter. Not everyone that is member of one of your clans is safe for you to be around.’
Devin rushed to get dressed and follow her out into the woods.

‘
Someone needs help, and there’s no one for miles. Help isn’t coming. I am.’
Arianna tried to put some finality behind her words.

‘
You don’t even know who they are. This cabin is on the edge of the Grace Clan property, but it’s surrounded by others on all sides. There’s a war going on between the night humans and you’re placing yourself in danger. Get back here right now.’
Devin tried one last attempt to bring her back.

Arianna laughed her reply.
‘All more the reason for me to get to this one and save him. How much will the clans like it if I knowingly let one of their clan members die?’

Devin’s
words didn’t make a difference to her. Arianna was done following Devin’s orders, and was now going to follow her own. This felt right. She couldn’t sit by and be a pawn for anyone. She had to fight her own battles, and this was the first one she would fight. Arianna would be the kind of leader she wanted, neither what Devin or Gabriel wanted, nor what Seeger or Lucan wanted. Arianna would be herself and live her life the best way she could with no regrets. Watching Devin walk away before bed showed her that much. She would have no regrets. Arianna ran through the trees, coming to a sudden halt. Hiding behind the trees was a young man. He was still trying desperately to plea with his harsh father. Arianna froze in her tracks as Thomas stopped beside her. She recognized the dearg-dul immediately: Michael Seeger.

TWENTY

Michael stared up at Arianna in her night human form. The sun
was shining behind her back, and she didn’t flinch. Her skin was still the same milky-white tone but without a hint of a burn or blister. She was radiant. He had heard the rumors, like everyone else, that she was immune to daytime sunlight, but he had never seen her outside, as he never left buildings during daylight hours. She was beautiful, with the sun sparkling off her pale skin, and her blue eyes were stunning. Michael couldn’t get any words out as he stared dumbfounded at her. She was an angel rescuing him when his father refused.

“Are you hurt?” Arianna asked, looking him over. Michael couldn’t form words to respond. She took his breath away every time he looked at her. His father was right. Arianna was the perfect match for a mate.

“Should I just run for it?” Arianna asked Thomas behind her. Michael continued to stare and didn’t even notice Thomas as he landed. Thomas’ large black wings were making her stand out even more with her pale contrast to them.

“
We can’t stop the sun, so that’s probably the best solution. He will get burned, but we have enough blood back at the cabin to fix that,” Thomas replied, and Michael finally looked over next to her. “I can keep pace above you and block out most of the light, but that’s the best we can do.”

Michael was startled from his gawking when he finally noticed Arianna stooping to pick him up. He pushed back and scrambled closer to the tree. He was afraid to enter the direct sunlight but even more ashamed to be carried by such a beautiful creature. Arianna co
cked her head to the side as if listening to someone and then nodded before swiftly knocking him out.

“
Why?” Thomas asked as she easily scooped him up into her arms. Michael Seeger was a small man like his own father, so it wouldn’t be a problem to carry him back the way they came. Arianna’s night human strength was plenty enough to lift him. There was no way she could gracefully carry any of her keepers, but Michael would not be a problem. Although there was no reason to knock him out from what Thomas could see.

“
He was going to refuse me,” she explained with a shrug. “It’s easier this way.”

Arianna turned and began the slower run back to the cabin. Arianna did her best to keep
Michael away from the sunlight, but it was a challenge. She wasn’t used to hiding from the sun, so it was hard to remember to. Gabriel found his charge easier and was already at the cabin. In the middle of her jog back, she stopped and motioned for Thomas to come down. Thomas kept his wings spread to block the sunlight. It didn’t burn Thomas like the dearg-duls, but it wasn’t the most comfortable thing either. He would need a bath from all the extra sweat dripping down into the feathers.

“
Problem?” Thomas asked. She didn’t look like carrying the dearg-dul was straining her, but Thomas was acutely aware that she wasn’t completely healed. He wanted to berate himself for letting her carry Michael, but didn’t get a chance.

Arianna strained
out a smile as Gabriel and Devin appeared from the trees in front of them.

“
At least now maybe he will stop yelling in my head,” Arianna replied to Thomas.

Devin was
livid, and it showed in every ounce of him.

“
Oh, I see,” Thomas replied as Gabriel came and took Michael from Arianna. “Arianna, do you feel okay?” Thomas noticed he wasn’t the only one sweating profusely. There was still an underlying yellowness to her skin, even in night human form.

Devin didn
’t wait for Arianna to respond before he scooped her into his arms like a child. He stared in the opposite direction for a minute before marching back to the cabin. Arianna smiled over Devin’s shoulder at the trees, and Andrew hidden away in them. Devin was silently thanking him for keeping watch over her. Andrew vanished in an instant and was back at the cabin before them. He slipped through the window to her room unnoticed and was sitting in her room, listening to everything.

Once back at the house,
Devin set her down gently on the couch, which was a surprise considering how mad he was at her. Arianna expected him to unceremoniously drop her once he got her safely locked inside. Devin did, however, turn back to her to yell more, but stopped. He sighed after looking at her and stormed off to his room. Devin was sorting out his feelings and getting everything under control. It wasn’t often that Devin lost his cool. Gabriel exited one of the bedrooms and came to sit beside her.

“
That boy isn’t too happy with you right now,” Gabriel commented. The couch bowed under his massive size. Even his day human form was larger than most people.

Arianna nodded in agreement. “Where are the night humans?” Arianna asked, now that she could finally relax and breathe again without all the extra yelling of Devin or Michael in her head.

“We locked them both up and put them in separate rooms for now. We know the one you got is Michael Seeger, but we don’t know the identity of the other one. Mori ran the Randolph database, and he’s not one of yours. He’s running the facial database right now to see if we can tell who he is,” he continued.

“
Locked them up? I think I’m adequately protected now.” All her guards had returned to her and were taking turns watching over the house and surrounding wooded areas.

“
Not for your protection, but for each other. I was only able to get a glance from the unknown one, but he and Michael were fighting before they both noticed their predicament.” Gabriel was keeping more from her. Arianna could tell, but she would never break his trust and enter his mind unwillingly.

“
They were fighting so hard they didn’t notice the time?” Arianna wondered.

“
Hey, it can happen.” Gabriel chuckled at his own memories. It had happened to him on more than one occasion. Arianna again wanted to use her new skill and intrude, but didn’t. Gabriel looked back to Arianna with concern. She didn’t feel too bad after her afternoon run, but everyone was very anxious.

“
So how mad is Devin?” Arianna asked cautiously.

“
Worried, as we all are. You’re still sick.” Gabriel touched her forehead like he was feeling for her temp, but after a year in this night human world, Arianna knew better. Gabriel was just going over the motion while he thought. Night humans didn’t register temperatures when infected. “You should be getting better more rapidly, especially with Andrew’s blood. The stronger the blood, the quicker you heal.” Arianna already had multiple lessons on that. It was one of the main reasons she was so valuable to everyone. Inside, Devin’s bedroom furniture was being rearranged as several items hit the wall.

“
I don’t know if I’d call that worry. Sounds more like anger to me. And he has no reason to be mad. I get to make my own choices, and, last time I checked, I was technically in charge.” Arianna crossed her arms in protest. Devin’s anger wasn’t going to make her feel bad about saving two people. What good was it to have so much power if she couldn’t help people with it? “If I want to risk my life saving someone, I think that’s my choice. It’s not like he hasn’t made it clear that he would be better off without me.”

“
Ari, give the boy a break. He has a lot of pressure to fulfill many jobs around here. And maybe he’s taking care of you in his own way.” Gabriel nodded, not needing to mention that he knew about her broken heart. It was hard enough to hide her emotions from most baku, but Gabriel was more in tune with her than she even pretended to understand.

Gabriel sighed. He’d known Devin since the day he’d help
Randolph save him. It was Gabriel’s own negligence that ended up making Devin into who he was now. “He truly loves you, child. So much, he’s willing to give you to who you’re meant to be with. I think that’s the greatest love someone can show another.”

Arianna
’s head snapped up as she wanted to question Gabriel more, but Andrew took precedent as he spoke inside her head.

‘
I think you might want to search both Thomas and Molina’s minds soon. Like right about now. Molina is in here looking around your room and doesn’t know I’m here.’

“
I heard,” Gabriel replied as Arianna moved to stand up. “Ari, do it from here, right now, to know what she’s doing. Turner,” Gabriel called behind him. Turner came from the kitchen with a plate full of sandwiches. “Time to work for that food boy,” he teased as he vanished to the outside of the house.

“
That means I need to stay here?” Turner asked the empty space that had been Gabriel. He plopped down and set his plate down. Though he appeared casual as always, Arianna felt his pulse increase as he tuned in his senses to follow Gabriel and assess the room around them. Turner was going to enjoy his sandwich and work at the same time.

“
Yes,” Arianna replied, closing her eyes and searching for Molina’s mind. Instantly her mind was filled with almost an equal amount of different colored balls. Molina had many secrets.

Arianna searched through the memories coming to the moment leading her into Arianna
’s room.

A
bedroom came into focus as Arianna entered the memory. Molina was laying on a bed in Devin’s and Turner’s empty room. Gabriel flashed into the room carrying Michael. Molina jumped up and ran over to Gabriel.

“
Is he hurt?” Molina asked. She already knew who he was before they got back to the cottage. Only one person would be this close to Arianna’s hideout without being told. “It’s burning hours.”

“
Not from our jog back here, we got him back in time. There are a few minor burns, but after we feed him, he should be fine.” Gabriel placed Michael on a bed and began to bind his arms and feet effectively tying him to the heavy bedpost at the same time. There were minor cuts all over him that were already healing.

“
Is he the threat?” Molina asked, watching him, but not offering to help. She was testing the waters to find out what Gabriel knew or suspected.