Phobia (Interracial Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria) (14 page)

“
I’ve no need for a Famila on this island I cannot trust, especially one who’s hurt my family. And you’ve made it clear you will continue—”

“
I won’t go back. I promise.”

“
If you’d been any other person on the island you’d have to face the Leadership Council. But instead, I let you wander out after curfew because I trust you.”

“
You knew I was out?”

“
Yes.”

“
You have people watching me?”

“
Yes and I should’ve had more.”

She trailed him to his SUV and got in.

He drove out of the compound in silence. Surprisingly, he took her to Amanda’s house instead of back to her mother’s.

“
Can I ask you a question?” she finally spoke when they parked outside Amanda’s gate.

“
Yes,” he answered cautiously. “But you may not like my answer.”

“
What would you do if you were me? If all these things were happening and no one was telling you anything? Wouldn’t you work to get at least
some
answers?”

“
I’d leave.” Exhaling loudly, he turned off the engine. “Wisteria, you’ve got to leave Smythe. Go up to Shetland. Things are tougher up there, but it’s safe.

“
Scotland? This was my mother’s idea right?”

“
Before you blame her understand this, your mother and I don’t want you to leave, but she is right. You need to get away from here. The way she did it—may not have been the best. You won’t be gone forever, but it will be until Jason figures out how we can seal the thresholds from that realm. The Family knows you’re here and even if most of them can’t locate you through the Piron net, Bach and Felip can. And one of them will come looking for you.”

“
Bach won’t hurt me.” She hoped, but with what Enric and Jason told her she couldn’t be sure. “At least not intentionally.”

“
At this point, his intentions don’t matter it’s what he’s actually going to do that does. And let’s imagine Bach doesn’t come back here to try to turn you into a Thayn or sleepwalker, what about Felip? Even on a good day, that kid is a sociopath.”

“
What do you think he’ll do when he comes back to the town and doesn’t find me?”

“
Felip has never shown any interest in how we work. He’ll scamper off once he figures out you’re gone.”

“
Or he’ll torture everyone here until you tell him—which is why my mother didn’t tell you. Aunt Jenny and Sabine are ex-Red Phoenix, so they can handle torture and resist the renewal.”

“
Exactly.”

“
And Captain Benisah? If Felip suspects he knows anything—”

“
Benisah won’t realize who or what he’s talking about, so even if Felip interrogates all the pirates he’ll have no clue who took you where. I wouldn’t be suggesting it if I hadn’t thought it through already.”

“
And you?”

“
I’ll leave Smythe.”

“
Where?”

“
Somewhere far from here, so when he comes he won’t find anyone who can tell him where you are.”

“
Then come to Shetlands with me.”

“
I need to make a false trail and lead the Family in the wrong direction. By the time they catch up with me, you’ll be into another safe haven.”

“
Felip is crazy. He might kill you.”

Coles brushed her hair from
her face and tucked it behind her ears. “I’m tougher than I look.”

The front gate of Amanda
’s house opened and her father Nathan emerged in a dressing gown. He smiled. “Hello Major, I see you’ve brought Wisteria back. Thank you.”

Nathan Weiss seemed
generally a harmless, albeit creepy old man. His weirdness seemed to be largely due to him being renewed.

“
You let me stay here because he’s Jason’s Thayn right?” She realized.

“
Yep.” Coles nodded. “And Jason’s told him to make sure you don’t run away again.”

Throne room of Trogia Palace

It’d been twelve days since the Dy’obeths started arriving from Ajana. Over five thousand had emerged, but more were still coming, thanks to Felip. Up until now, they’d been living in Mirrin Castle but that was soon coming to an end.

Bach entered the stone crypt of
the castle. Deep within the labyrinth of tunnels of the crypt were the resting places of the Lords and Lady’s of Jarthan before his mother, but he wasn’t here to pay respect to the dead.

“
Bach,” Maniko whispered as she emerged from the darkness, dressed in a long black gothic dress that made her normally tanned skin appear very pale. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“
I have not been looking for you.” He walked past her.

“
Wait.” She pushed him to the wall and pressed herself against him. “I want you to take me.” She ran her fingers up along his chest and whispered in his ear. “You want to take me.” She nuzzled his neck.

This felt beyond wrong. It made him sick.
She wasn’t the first Dy’obeth girl to hit on him.
Snap her neck,
the darkness told him. Slowly, he placed his hand on her slender neck and jerked her head back.

She groaned
as if his violence made her feel good.

“
Stay away from me.” He stormed away, further into the crypt.

Scattered around the dimly lit room were hundreds
of Dy’obeths, most of whom he didn’t recognize. No longer dressed in rags, the men were dressed in black suits and the women were clothed in long dark gowns like Maniko. In the center of the crypt, High Father sat at the head of a black stone table, surrounded by seven men. Bach’s mother stood in the corner of the crypt with a cluster of amber-eyed women. Bach recognized Beraz and Karvas.

“
High Father—” Maniko hurried in behind Bach.

Beraz
appeared visibly disturbed when she entered. “Bach, where have you been? We don’t have time for your games. If not for your mother, we would’ve continued without you, boy.”

Boy
?
Bach seethed. “Don’t ever call me boy. I am a man.”

“
A man?” Beraz crowed as he rose. “Sorry, you’re not. Being among the Dogs and Rats has made you milk-hearted. I can smell their repugnance on you.”

Most of
the Dy’obeths laughed.

H
is mother didn’t seem amused. “My son is not weak.” She assured the group. “He’s stronger than every single one. When the time is right, he’ll take his seat as one of the seven Sens.”

This made them laugh even more.

“Only if you magically turn him from a female into a man.” Karvas laughed.

Lluc walked into
the crypt.

The room shook from the vibration of the Dy
’obeths’ jeers.

“
Look, Bach’s sister has arrived.” Beraz sat down.

“
Sister?” Lluc looked bewildered.

“
We are about to step into our destiny and you decide to—oversleep, Lluc. Coia, you should’ve drowned them both at birth,” Beraz remarked smugly.

Make them see blood.
Bach heard the darkness within him say. Marching over to Beraz, he couldn’t deny it seemed like a good idea. “Too bad for you, she didn’t drown me.” He pulled Beraz up and flung him against the wall. Charging at Beraz, Bach kicked the man into the stone and bashed his head repeatedly into the wall.

The Dy
’obeths roared in excitement.

“
Take your first blood, brother,” Lluc encouraged.

Bach paused and watched his hands. They were caked in a mixture of blood and dirt. What was he doing? He stepped back.
“I—I—”

Beraz
’s motionless body slumped to the ground as the room fell silent.

“
Insolent Dog, I will break your neck for touching my brother.” Karvas rose.

Before he could move, Lluc appeared behind him and got
Karvas’ head in a headlock. “You should not waste so much time talking.” He squeezed tightly.

Karvas
’ limbs flapped around as he struggled to breathe. He wasn’t powerful enough to take on Lluc.

Watching his brother
choking Karvas, Bach’s face broke into a smile, he felt glad to see it.
Perhaps there would be blood.

“
Enough boys,” High Father yelled. “I don’t have time for these games. We can indulge your playfulness, but we need to meet with the Seven Elders.”

“
Father, that isn’t how it is done,” Maniko protested.

High Father gave
Maniko a cold stare, but then nodded. “Bach will have time to address Beraz, but first I need to take my place back from those seven
qwaynides
. This is the most important thing. Everything else can wait.” He pointed at Maniko. “You challenge me again girl, and it’ll be the last thing you do.”

Reluctantly, Lluc released
Karvas.

The
nearly unconscious Dy’obeth dropped to the ground.

“
Clearly, I need a little more time to recover from Ajana. Wait three more days and you’ll never be able to touch me.” Karvas croaked.

Bach
’s mother forced a smile and then stepped forward. “We should make our move, unless anyone else has anything to say about my sons?” Bach’s mother’s voice echoed in the quiet room.

High Father rose and smiled.
“Activate the threshold.”

“
Eminent High Father, are you certain you will be able to take on the Elders and their sentinels? Perhaps you should wait until you are up to full strength,” Felip muttered from the doorway. “One on one you can take them down, but there are literally millions of them and a few thousand of you. Wait until there are more of you and you are stronger.”

Bach felt shocked
to see his cousin hunched at the side of the doorway as if he were trying to hide himself and be seen at the same time.

Felip’s
skin looked unusually pale and his face was a mess of bruises from a recent altercation with a Dy’obeth.

“
Why does that Dog still address me directly?” High Father’s face contorted into a grimace.

“
Felip, you are never, ever to talk to High Father,” Bach’s mother advised. “Leave us.”

Maniko
stormed up to him. “You are not supposed to even be in here. This meeting is for Dy’obeths, not for—you.”

A Dy
’obeth male stepped out of the shadows and grabbed Felip, tossing him out of the room and preceded to pummel Felip in the chest and face.

Bach smiled as Felip screamed.
You want to see him die, don’t you? Kill him for us,
the darkness told him. He wanted to after everything Felip did to him. Knowing he remained alive unsettled him.

“
His whines are disturbing me.” High Father waved his hand.

Moving across the room, Lluc shut the door, but not before smirking at his whimpering cousin.

“Do not let them hurt me Bach,” Felip cried out to him. “I can help you. You need me.”

“
Shall I dispose of him?” Maniko glanced at Bach’s mother. “Or does Coia still want her pet here?”

“
We still need his help for setting the remaining brethren free,” Bach’s mother explained. “That is all he means to me.”

“
Fine, but if I ever see him again, I’ll handle him myself,” High Father promised. “And he will die once we have released the last of the brethren. I’m tired of him. Thank you Maniko for your offer.”

“
It’s my honor to serve you.” The girl glanced at Bach and whispered, “Perhaps you’ll let me serve you too.”

“
Coia, why is he the one who opens the thresholds? It makes no sense for us to trust a filthy Dog with something so important,” Beraz spoke up.

The room chorused in agreement.

His mother moved toward Beraz and struck him across the face. “How dare you question me? You were locked up for thousands of years and failed to find a way for High Father to escape. You have no right to open your fat mouth and question me.”

Beraz
collapsed as she hit him again.

“
Coia, stop,” commanded High Father. “No one here is challenging what you have done.”

“
That is not what it sounded like.” She scowled at Beraz.

“
We need to concentrate on keeping our appointment with the Seven Elders. We shouldn’t keep them waiting,” High Father said.