Mortal Defiance (12 page)

Chapter 21

Ree couldn’t help but stare at the new Guardians. Teagan, the female Guardian, was short and delicate-looking. Long, red hair hung down her back in waves and framed her heart-shaped face. Her ridiculous clothes served as a distraction to her soft beauty. Ree decided that it was as if she was trying to hide the fact that she was so small. A snug black halter top covered her chest but left her stomach and arms bare. Leather pants hugged her curves before disappearing into knee-high biker boots. Even without super powers, Ree could practically hear Weylin panting. Paden at least had the grace to pretend not to notice, and Bryce looked as if he couldn’t care less.

Drake, the other Guardian, was well over six feet tall and the antithesis of Teagan. Dark skin and a British accent, combined with his tailored suit, made a rather attractive package. Melanie had definitely noticed; her head perked up the moment he introduced himself.

“Alastriana, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Shaking her hand in both of his, he looked at her solemnly. “I vow to guard your parents with my life. Nothing shall harm them as long as I live.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” Ree smiled and concentrated on not rubbing the sensation back into her fingers. “I’m sorry we’ve taken you away from your lives.”

“This
is
our life.” Shrugging, Teagan leaned back in her chair and set her boots on the table. Taking a bite of pizza, she looked around the room. “Have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many Guardians gathered at once.”

“So no Guardian conventions or family reunions?” Weylin shook his head in mock disappointment. “I guess I’ll have to use my hotel points for something else.”

“They don’t even know they’re breaking the rules, then! Guardians don’t gather together, boy-o. We have more important things to be doing.”

“Why not?” Melanie asked from her end of the table.

“They don’t want us mating. Might throw off their pact with the Dark Gods. Or, worse yet, give us something else to care about.” Taking another bite of pizza, she looked at each of them. “Speaking of the gods. Who do you all belong to?”

“Teagan.” Drake’s voice held an edge of rebuke, but it seemed to be wasted on the redhead.

“C’mon, now. It’s silly to think that’s rude. I’m a descendant of Aphrodite, and if I had to guess, I’d say that one was from an Irish god.” Paden’s face looked startled when the small Guardian gestured at him.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m a descendant of Brigid.” He rubbed the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable being scrutinized. Ree noticed that his Celtic cross was nowhere in sight. It was most likely tucked into his shirt.

“How did you know that?” Ree asked.

“Good stock.” Ree’s fingers tightened on the armrest of her chair when the small Guardian winked at Paden. “Tall, handsome, and gorgeous green eyes. Not too difficult to guess.”

For a moment, Ree’s vision clouded with red. She felt the need to mark Paden as hers in some way, but couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t be seen as childish. Instead, she settled for glaring at the small woman, trying to keep a tight rein on her powers.

“Hecate. On my father’s side of the family.” Melanie gave a small wave of her hand.

“Hm. You smell faintly of witch.” Drake tilted his head to the side as he looked at Melanie.

“Yeah, on my mother’s side of the family.” Melanie’s eyes were large, and two spots of red colored her cheeks. Ree had to cover her mouth when she caught Melanie discreetly sniffing at her shoulder.

“Poseidon. Well, technically Paden is a descendant of Poseidon, too,” Weylin offered after swallowing a large bite of pizza.

“Hunky Paden has two godly patrons?” Teagan pulled her feet down from the table and looked at Paden with a sultry smile. “Now, that is interesting. Someone was planning ahead with you.”

“Stop baiting Ree, Teagan.” Sophie looked at the other woman shrewdly. “I don’t think you would like the outcome.”

Ree looked back at Teagan and saw her smiling. “Just testing the waters, Soph. There’s so much sexual tension in this room, you could cut it with a knife. I couldn’t resist. No hard feelings, Ree? I only wanted to know where you stood with your Guardians.”

“Um, no hard feelings.” Heat ran the length of Ree’s neck and face. She still wanted to crawl onto Paden’s lap to stake her territory. Paden, who was sitting next to her, had pursed his lips in an attempt to not laugh. Apparently, he had felt her jealousy just as much as she had felt his amusement.

“So, that leaves you two.” Looking at Bryce and Juliette, she tapped her mouth with a dainty finger. “Horus, because I can see your ring there.” She gestured at Bryce’s hand before turning back to Jules.

“She smells like sunshine, Teagan.” Drake sniffed quietly in Juliette’s direction, and she raised her eyebrows in annoyance. “Like a bright spring day.”

“Hm. Amaterasu? You look a little like her.”

“You’ve met her? What was she like?”

“Very bright.” She winked at Juliette. “It was very brief, and she didn’t say much. She was beautiful, though. Of course, most of the gods are.”

Juliette sat back in her chair, disappointment marring her beautiful face. “I can’t help but wonder what she’s like.”

“It’s usually wiser to limit your time with the gods,” Sophie said from her chair.

“What about you, Sophie? Who are you descendant of?” Ree bit her bottom lip, surprised she had spoken out loud. She had wondered for a long time, but had never felt comfortable asking.

“You might as well tell her, Sophie. She’s dying to know.” Roland was sitting at the computer working on something Ree couldn’t see. “It’s written all over her face.”

“Athena,” Sophie said, dryly. Standing up, she picked up her paper plate from the table and threw it in the trash can. Her face had settled into her usually blank expression.

Ree looked toward Roland to see if he had an explanation, but he gave a quick jerk of his head no. Maybe she would be able to get more information from him the next time he was on guard duty at her house.

“What about you, Drake? King Sniffer,” Weylin asked.

The flash of a bright smile flitted over the dark man’s face. “Teagan and I might not look like it, but we share a family ancestry.”

“Aphrodite?” Melanie’s voice squeaked the tiniest bit.

“One and the same.”

“No offense, but I would have guessed you would be a little more…” Weylin trailed off, looking for words that weren’t offensive.

“Flirty? Outlandish?” Drake shook his head and cast a meaningful glance toward Teagan. “Some of us godlings try to not allow our heritage to influence the way in which we conduct ourselves.”

“Oh, shut it, Drake.” Teagan threw her bunched up paper towel at him. He caught the paper and laughed. It was a musical sound, and Ree couldn’t help the flutter in her stomach that accompanied it. When she noticed all of the girls in the room had stopped to look at Drake, she shook her head. He might not want any of Aphrodite’s gifts, but it was clear he had them.

“So, what are we doing tonight?” Ree turned to look at Sophie as she cleaned some of the glasses in the tiny sink.

“Tonight we’re going clubbing.” Sophie smiled at Ree’s expression.

“Clubbing?” Ree couldn’t keep the horror out of her voice, and she was pretty sure it was reflected in her expression.

“It’s when people get dressed up in cool clothes and go dance with other people.” Weylin looked at Ree with a sincere expression. “Sometimes it’s even enjoyable.”

Ree flung her paper plate at Weylin’s head. “I know what clubbing is, dork! What I can’t understand is how we’re supposed to get in a club when most of us are underage—or look underage.”

“That’s hardly a problem if Roland’s going with you.” Teagan stood up and stretched. Her halter rode up even higher to expose more of her midriff. “Mr. Sexy over there just has to use his pheromone mojo to get past the bouncer.” Walking over to Roland, she placed a hand on his shoulder, her fingers massaging small circles. “Isn’t that right, Rols?”

“It only works on people that are attracted to males, Tea.” Covering her hand with his, a sly smile slid over Roland’s face when he looked up at the redhead. “As you should know.”

The immediate pang of jealousy surprised Ree. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Paden’s nostrils flare in anger, but she was hopeless to stop the feeling. Something inside her wanted to claw the redhead’s eyes out, and it was partly because she knew Teagan was egging her on. It didn’t help that she was pretty sure Roland was enjoying his chance to make her jealous too.

“What club are we going to? Do you have a lead?” Resolutely ignoring the discord floating between Ree and Teagan, Bryce kept his eyes focused on Sophie.

“We’re going back to the darkling’s club. It came to our attention that one of the silent partners has stepped up to take over.” Sophie looked at them, her dark eyebrows pulled together. “Shannon’s father is now in charge of Club Barlow.”

Hoping that her mouth wasn’t hanging open, Ree felt her stomach tighten. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was the connection between Shannon and the Dark Ones. Surely, Tristan wouldn’t be associating with Shannon unless he had a reason. Or at least associating with her and letting her live. Did Shannon’s father know about the Dark Ones? And if he did, how could he allow them to treat his daughter like a buffet?

“Well, I guess that answers some questions and brings up new ones.” Bryce sat back in his chair, his eyes thoughtful.

“Yes. Now, we need to hurry because I want to scout some before we enter the club.” Sophie set the glass she was washing down on the dish rack. “You guys need to change.”

“What’s wrong with what we’re wearing?” Frowning, Ree looked down at her clothes. Jeans and a sweater seemed reasonable, considering how cold it was outside.

“Ree, you need to look older. And jeans and a sweater scream middle school.” Weylin shook his head and frowned. “You need to sex it up some.”

“Sex it up? And what do you mean, middle school?” Ree pulled at her sleeves in annoyance. “I got this for Christmas.”

“From who? Your grandmother?” Snickering at Ree’s expression, Weylin tilted back in his chair and didn’t notice when Ree gathered the power to her. A quick shove had him rolling backward out of his chair and onto the floor.

Melanie pointed at Weylin, who was looking up at the rest of their group sheepishly. “You so deserved that.” Paden held up his hand to high-five Ree.

“It doesn’t change the fact that no one’s going to believe Ree is old enough to go in a club wearing that outfit. Roland mojo or not.” Setting his chair back right, Weylin shrugged his shoulder. “Sorry, Ree. You know I love you, but it’s true.”

Sighing in acceptance, Ree looked at the others. “Well, what should I wear to the club?”

“Oh, I have been waiting for this moment for years.” Grabbing Ree’s hand, Juliette snatched her out of her chair and headed for the stairs. “I know just what to put you in.”

Looking over her shoulder, Ree mouthed
help
as she was dragged up to the next floor.

Chapter 22

“It’s perfect.” Juliette looked entirely too happy with herself for Ree to feel comfortable.

“I look ridiculous.” Looking down at the clothes she was wearing, she pulled at the delicate shirt. “Look at me, I’m a mermaid.” Gesturing at the sequins, Ree met Juliette’s gaze in the mirror.

“Shut up, Ree. You don’t look like a mermaid. It’s perfect on you! Very romantic and sexy.”

While Juliette changed into a new outfit, Ree regarded herself in the mirror. The loose shirt was pretty; she just wasn’t sure about it on
her
. Soft fabric draped over her chest in a way that hinted to what was underneath without being overly suggestive. The jeans, on the other hand, were skintight and tucked into knee-high boots of the softest brown leather. Sighing, she tucked her loose hair behind her ears and looked at Jules.

“Stop tucking your hair behind your ears. You’re messing it up.” Sliding some gloss on her lips, Juliette glared at Ree in the mirror.

“Why can’t I pull it up again? It gets in my face.”

“You need to look older. A ponytail is counterproductive.” Snapping the lip gloss closed, Juliette turned and looked at Ree speculatively. She turned to dig through a tiny bag. “You need some makeup. Close your eyes and stand still.”

“We’re going to hunt Dark Ones, Jules. I don’t think I need mascara for that.” Wincing, Ree jerked her head back. “What the hell was that for?” Touching her head, she opened her eyes.

“You had a stray hair. Stop being a big baby and close your eyes.”

“No more tweezing!” Ree covered her forehead with her hands.

“I’m done! Stand still and let me finish.” Pushing Ree’s hands away from her face, Juliette leaned in and started drawing eyeliner across her friend’s eyelids.

“Tell me how you figured out how to get clothes from the gods. I know you haven’t been carrying club clothes around with you for no reason.” Standing as still as possible, Ree barely moved her mouth.

“Shh! I figured out that if I asked for something out loud or thought about it hard enough, it would show up. That’s how you got that killer jacket, right? I figured you already knew.” Throwing the liner back in her bag, she came back with mascara. “Look up.”

“I did want a warmer jacket. I was wondering how they knew.”

“Look down.” Running the brush through Ree’s lashes, Juliette drew her eyebrows together in concentration, her mouth forming a small -o-. “Well, it looks good on you, and I figure we should get something out of all this, you know?”

“Thanks, and you’re right.” Blinking, Ree leaned back and let Juliette examine her.

“Perfect.”

Looking in the mirror made Ree pause in shock. She did look older. The charcoal eyes and glossy lips gave her a mysterious, almost sophisticated, look. Soft blond hair hung down her shoulders, and heavy bangs swooped across her forehead. She raised her hand and touched the hematite necklace that hung from her neck, and couldn’t help but smile at her reflection.

“Wow, Jules. You did an awesome job.”

“I know.” Standing behind Ree in the mirror, Juliette laughed. “Grab your jacket and let’s go downstairs. But I want to go first so that I can see Paden and Roland’s faces when you get down there.”

“Jules!” Swatting her hand at her friend, Ree shook her head and felt her heart flutter.
What would they think?
True to her word, Juliette flew down the stairs, leaving Ree to trail behind her. Taking a deep breath, Ree grabbed her jacket and headed toward the rest of the group.

Looking smug, Jules was standing off to the side, arms crossed. Walking down the steps, Ree was more nervous than she had been in a while. Paden was still sitting at the table, wearing a dark brown leather jacket over an olive-green shirt. His hair was mussed and hanging low over his eyes, enhancing his intense stare when he looked up at her. Slowly, his gaze roved over her as if drinking in the sight. Heat warmed her cheeks as a slow smile curved his lips.

“Lookin’ good, Ree.” Weylin sat up from where he was lying on the couch and looked Ree over. “You look all grown up.” Smiling he gave her a thumbs-up.

“There was never any doubt.” Roland’s slight accent drew Ree’s attention. Standing in the doorway to the storefront, his face was shadowed, but she could still see the glint of appreciation in his eyes.

“Thanks, guys.” Shrugging on her jacket, she looked around the room. “Where did Drake and Teagan go?”

“They are here to help patrol the streets and watch over your parents. They won’t be accompanying us.” Sophie stood from her seat at the computer and slid a slim dagger into her boot. Ree shifted her leg in her boot to make sure that her own knife was hidden. The Guardian was also dressed in clubbing clothes. A shiny black top barely brushed the top of her black pants. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, emphasizing her angled cheekbones.

“Hey! She’s wearing her hair up!” Ree pointed at Sophie and glared at Juliette.

“Yeah, and she doesn’t look like she’s in high school. You don’t have that luxury.”

“I like your hair down.” Paden’s voice was low as he walked toward her. He picked up some of the hair lying on her shoulder and gently rubbed it between his fingers. “You look great.” Leaning down so his mouth was near her ear, he said, “But I like you in jeans and a T-shirt just as much. You never have to dress up to impress me.”

Warmth filled Ree as she looked into Paden’s eyes. Belonging and need combined to make her almost dizzy. She could see the same emotions reflected in his green eyes and she wished they were alone. Laying her hand on his chest, she could feel his heartbeat and stepped closer to him.

“Gah, get a room.” Weylin’s voice filled the uncomfortable void that had entered the room while Ree and Paden had been lost in each other. Taking a step backward, Ree looked down at the floor in embarrassment. Now that she wasn’t wrapped up in Paden, she could feel Roland’s jealousy, and it stung.

“Alright, let’s go.” Shrugging into her own jacket, Sophie stuck another blade into a sheath on her back.

They left the vehicles at the shop and walked toward River Street. The club was in an alley just off the busy tourist area. Since it was Tuesday, Ree didn’t think the dance spot would be very crowded, but there was a long line leading to the door. Sophie signaled for them to stay back in the shadows so they could survey the area before trying to get in.

Shivers trailed down Ree’s back the closer they came to the building, and she knew the Dark Ones were out in force. There was also something heavier and darker in the club, which pushed at Ree as she probed the area with her power.

“Ree?” The older woman’s voice was quiet, but Ree knew what she was asking.

“There is something very dark in that club, Sophie.” Glad that she didn’t stutter, Ree tried to grab her resolve. When Sophie didn’t say anything for a little while, the others started to shift uncomfortably. Ree could sense Sophie wavering about going into the club, and that made her even more frightened.

“Why do we need to go in there?” Tucking some of her hair behind an ear, Ree looked into Sophie’s large brown eyes. “We already know what’s in there. Why go in?”

“We need to know how they are targeting people and why there seem to be so many people with gifts attending the club.” Sophie closed her eyes for a moment as she thought. Someone moved from behind Ree and Roland stepped into view. He laid a hand on the Guardian’s shoulder, nodding his head as if to answer an unspoken question.

Nodding in response, Sophie opened her eyes and looked at the others. “This isn’t a practice run. This is the real deal. What we are about to encounter is nothing but pure evil. There are Dark Ones inside that you might know, including Tristan. There will be darklings, and you cannot treat them as if they are human. They may not be full-fledged Dark Ones, but they will have enhanced abilities. Especially if they have drunk any tainted blood tonight. Della is in there as well. If you find yourself face-to-face with her, then you get the hell out of there.”

Mumbling their assurances, they made their way across the street toward the club. Roland took the lead with Paden as the others fell into a formation around Ree. She gritted her teeth and tried not to remember how everything had gone the last time they had encountered Tristan. Sophie slid an arm around Ree’s shoulders and leaned down so she could speak quietly.

“Stay close to me. If something happens, stay with Roland or Paden. Paden may not have as much experience as Roland, but he’s a natural and has a great deal invested in your safety.”

“What do you mean?” Cutting her eyes at Sophie, Ree tried to understand what the woman wasn’t verbalizing.

“Now isn’t the time. Just know that they will be able to protect you the best.” Sophie’s worried expression begged Ree to agree.

“Okay. But we’re going to talk about this later.” Ree held Sophie’s gaze until the other woman nodded. They didn’t have much longer to talk, because they had reached the line. With a confidence Ree would never have, Roland walked past the waiting people and went straight to the roped-off door. Someone hollered and made nasty gesture. Juliette turned toward the man, who was wearing pants that were entirely too small, and blew him a kiss.

“What do you want?” The bouncer’s deep voice brokered no games. Boredom and irritation crossed his features as he looked over their group. “Did you get lost on your way to the library?” People in the line snickered, but Roland wasn’t fazed.

“We’re here to meet some of our friends.”

“So are they.” Gesturing with his clipboard, the bouncer motioned to the rest of the waiting people. His words were coated in sarcasm, but there was something eager in his eyes.

“Maybe you could come in and join us on your break.” Something in Ree’s gut tightened as Roland spoke. The slight accent drew her attention until she found herself scrubbing her hands on her jeans. Her heartbeat had accelerated, and she wanted to move closer to the Dark One—wanted to touch him, to have his eyes on her. She took a small step forward and warm fingers closed around hers. Annoyed at the interruption, Ree looked up into Paden’s warm eyes and felt the odd pull from Roland diminish. Paden didn’t look angry or even jealous. Instead, relief flooded his eyes as she came back to herself. A small smile of assurance eased the guilt she felt for reacting to Roland’s pheromones.

A commotion drew her attention back to the door, where several women were leaning over the rope, talking to Roland. A blonde, wearing a shirt that was so low-cut you could tell she’d had enhancement work done, was trailing her hand down her collar in an attempt to draw Roland’s attention. Several of the men were grumbling to themselves as their dates threw themselves at someone much younger-looking.

“What’s going on? Is he famous?” One of the men put a hand on the blond woman’s shoulder, but she shrugged him off.

Ree turned to look at Melanie and Juliette to see if they were affected as well and caught them both wearing uncomfortable expressions. Sophie’s face was blank, but Ree could feel her quiet disgust. Even knowing that Ree was her reincarnated sister had not changed her feelings about Roland’s gift. Melanie looked the most uncomfortable, though. She was biting her lip, her hands clenched at her sides, and her eyes on anything but Roland.

“Maybe I could have a drink with just you.” The bouncer leaned toward Roland, a playful smile on his face.

“Maybe.” Roland raised an eyebrow and flashed a sexy smile.

“Sweetheart, you don’t want a drink with him. I can help you find something better to do with your time.” The blonde yanked at Roland’s jacket. With a smile, he gently pulled her hand off his clothes and took a step back. Lunging over the rope, she grabbed his arm and plastered herself to him. One of her hands slid around his waist and under his jacket, while the other squirmed between their bodies as she tried to reach into his pocket.

“Get off him.” Melanie yanked the woman away from Roland before he could react. Twisting the blonde’s arm behind her back, she pushed the woman toward her startled date. “You need a cold shower.”

“What the hell?” The blonde turned around in her date’s arms and looked at Melanie in anger. “Who are you? His mommy?”

“Must be his bodyguard,” someone muttered.

“She could guard my body.” A man leered at Melanie.