Rada, page 3
She reached out, placing her hand over his, understanding what it felt like to lose a loved one.
The room went silent. All the ambient background noise was gone. It felt like the air got thinner as her hand settled over his. Green eyes met her brown eyes, and she gasped for air.
“No one has ever touched me without a reason.” Their eyes dropped to their hands which hadn’t moved.
It was hard, but she made her throat work to swallow the saliva collected in her mouth. The only person she ever touched of her own accord was her dad until now. Touching Rada was something she couldn’t have stopped from doing even if the action had been conscious.
“I lost my dad not too long ago. I understand pain.” She squeezed his hand, committing the sensation to memory before she carefully moved away.
“Thank you for bringing me breakfast. We should eat before it gets cold.” She gave him a smile, then stopped when she realized her lips were trembling. Lowering her eyes, she picked up a slice of bacon, sending up a quick prayer of thanks for her food before taking a bite.
“That was good. I hate crispy bacon. This is perfect. Did you cook it?”
His kissable lips turned up into a disbelieving smirk. “According to my brother, I am helpless in the kitchen.”
She had to stop chewing for a few minutes to watch him. In her past, most siblings went out of their way to establish their identities. When he spoke about his brothers, it had an elusive quality that made them seem connected on something more than a parental level. Where brothers, because of parents, came together as one.
“I never had a sibling. It must be nice.”
He looked at her turning his head just a little. It was a quirk she noticed earlier. It was like if he changed the angle he saw something at, it would come into better focus.
“All I know are my brothers.” His eyes got brighter then they took on the icy quality she had seen on the statue.
No, no. no, she was imagining things. Beasts with icy green eyes and masters who pretended to be employers who weren’t human. This was the real world, America, where things like this didn’t happen. She was living in a third-world country where they didn’t know any better; or did they know more than her?
“Moxie?”
“I...” She took another bite of food and stayed silent until her plate was empty. Then she watched as Rada ate. Watching him chew and swallow was a more sensuous enjoyment than she expected. Deciding to take her pleasure where she found it since she was leaving soon, she focused on him until he was done.
Her tongue darted out to lick her dry lips when his eyes met hers again.
“I can’t stay.” It came out low, and she yelled internally at herself for being a coward. The question was what made her the coward? Was it her desire to stay or the desire to leave?
He stared at her, his green eyes glazing over with ice again, but he didn’t say anything. He just waited.
She didn’t owe him an explanation, but he was going to get it. He opened his home to her even if he was rude about it. He fed her when he didn’t have to. In some way, he had taken care of her. He just needed to learn to be a bit more friendly.
“My father was born to be an assassin. Honestly, I think he could have been anything he wanted, but being an assassin brought quick money and kept others off his back. I think it was the only way he saw out when he was younger.” She stuck her hand up, shaking her head. “I’m not making excuses for him. I’m not qualified for all that.”
She stood and walked to the window. The feel of sitting, the stagnation of doing nothing when she told this story bothered her.
“At some point after my mother passed, he drew the attention of the wrong person. This person wanted my dad to work for him. If you had a chance to meet my dad, you would have thought he was charming. He had this great southern accent that I don’t have. Anyway, he told the man no with all his southern charm. Some people don’t like southern charm or the word no.”
She turned around to find him close. He moved silently; she found herself envious of his ability not to make a sound.
“Before I understood what was happening, my dad was working for him, and I was a hostage. As I grew older, certain things were expected of me. It could have been worse, but I was better than my dad when it came to killing, and he was damn good.”
She moved around the room to get away from the heat of his body sinking into her skin, making her feel comfortable when she needed to be agitated.
“He taught me everything I know. Then he said I had the touch. The extra something my mother had. I don’t know what he was talking about because she passed away when I was young. Whatever he thought I had, it appealed to the ones holding us. They wanted it and were willing to kill for it. I know they are the reason my dad is dead. They will come for me. To them I am a nobody except for my ability, my precision with a weapon. It won’t matter to them that this town is filled with helpless individuals. They will kill you, then walk over your corpse to get their hands on me.”
“If the town weren’t helpless?”
What was he talking about? She had seen the town such that it was. The people were too scared to walk the streets. The little kids acted like adults, and he thought he had a cat that wasn’t a cat. This place was sweet and innocent. She refused to be the reason they were wiped from the face of the earth.
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing I say will convince you to stay, will it?”
No. She wasn’t going to be the death of these people. There was enough blood on her hands to last a lifetime.
He gathered up the dishes piling them on the tray before picking them up and walking to the door.
“You still haven’t learned your lesson. When you're ready to stop running and make a stand, I will be... We will be here.” He walked out, the door closing behind him.
She didn’t stop to ask herself how the door closed without him touching it. She took the time to take apart her rifle and clean it before checking her pistol. When she was done, she gathered her bags, leaving the room without looking back. Being in that room had felt too much like she had a future if only she was strong enough and wise enough to grab hold.
She got into her car and floored the gas, needing to get away. In her rearview mirror, she watched as the statue of the beast stood shaking its black fur. It stretched, never taking its eyes off her.
It’s a trick, she told herself as she took off toward the border that allowed her in. After a good night’s sleep and food, she knew exactly where she was going this time. There would be no getting turned around. When she reached the border, and she could see the welcoming sign, she stopped, or rather her car did. It wouldn’t go any further. There was nothing wrong with the engine. She still had gas. The car simply stopped. Not that it mattered. She could cross the border all she needed to do was get out and walk.
Instead, she turned the car off and got out to sit on the hood of the car.
“The choices aren’t always easy, are they?”
She turned her head to see a tall, lanky-built male with brown hair and eyes. There was something about his eyes and glimmer that said, don’t underestimate me. The look on his face was cold and hard. He wasn’t ugly, in her opinion, but she wouldn’t stop to look twice.
“Do you guys get off on startling people?” Much to her surprise, he threw his head back and laughed.
“We used to.” He came and took a seat on the hood beside her. “My name is Silas; I’m the local mage and live in the same house as the brothers. I hope you found your accommodations were pleasing.”
She cranked her head to the side, looking at him. She knew a BS statement when she heard one.
“I don’t really care but a... friend, let's call him that, wants me to work on my empathy.”
It was her turn to laugh, and she did. Silas was about as empathic as a bug.
“I need to meet your friend.”
“Everyone should meet him.” The cold hard man disappeared, and the forgettable man became a work of art, gorgeous. Whoever his friend was, he did wonders to this man.
She sighed another time; this new look on Silas might have captivated her, but that was before she’d seen icy green eyes with hair so dark that night was jealous and ends so icy that winter needed to take notes. He didn’t hold a candle to Rada.
“I don’t know what’s happening here.”
“You are being given the one thing you always said you wanted... A choice. You can walk away from here, breach the border, and your car will work. You can drive away and never look back. It’s called running... I don’t think it will take you where you want to go.”
“That’s not much of a choice.”
“Or you can stay here and fight for your future and maybe the one thing you’ve always wanted, but thought was impossible.”
She went to blast him with a disbelieving look and a harsh word, but he disappeared like he had never been there.
Chapter Five
Moxie sat on the hood of the car longer than necessary before getting behind the wheel and turning it around. She should have been thinking over Silas’ words, but she wasn’t. What kept playing through her head was Rada saying she still hadn’t learned her lesson.
What lesson was that? She knew the answer, but she ducked and dodged like a boxer who didn’t want to take a punch but didn’t want to give one either. It was a nasty game of pretend that started when she was a teen and still had hold of her.
The answer: you can’t run from evil. It will come at you in whatever form or shape it takes in your life. There are times when others can help you, but you must be willing to stand up for yourself if nothing more than showing up at the trial to tell the court your story. Or going to the principal's office to keep others from being bullied or their lunch money stolen.
In her case, she needed to stop running from the ones who wanted her dead, and much like Custer, she needed a last stand. Who would be victorious? It was anyone’s game, but it was the only way she stood a chance.
When she got back to the house, there wasn’t a welcome wagon waiting. She climbed out, picked up her gear, and walked inside. The foyer was empty, so she walked up the steps and into the room that Rada gave her. She found him sitting at the table, long legs stretched out before him.
“You came back.”
“You waited.”
“I did.”
The air between them, the mood, it changed. She had a feeling he never waited for anyone. She wanted to ask him why but wouldn’t. Asking him a question like that seemed personal, intimate. It would also lead her to ask such questions of herself, and she didn’t want that. Running was hard enough without bringing feelings into it.
“I met Silas.”
“Aw, our mage. Cocky bastard, isn’t he?”
She wouldn’t have put it that way, but now that she was thinking about it. “Yeah, he is.”
Rada’s grin broke the tension between them. She opened the closet intending to put her things away later. Wow, this was a dream closet.
“You guys do things big around here.” She shut the door and turned to look at him. “Maybe I’m wrong, but I thought there was something you wanted to tell me earlier.”
He walked over to the couch, taking his time to get comfortable, and waited for her to follow him.
“You know I’m not human. I won’t hide that from you. Very few people here are human. There are Rose and Malik. Rose’s friend, but technically they are not here. Ellie used to be human, but no longer is.”
“Is Silas human?”
“Only your God knows the answer to that.”
She laughed again. She didn’t mean to, but she felt every word he said. There was power in Silas. It was understated, but she felt it humming along the lines of his body. It made her nervous but also gave a feeling of safety. He was too different for her to understand.
“If you’re not human, what are you?”
“A hell beast.”
“You know hell is not real, and you shouldn’t call yourself an animal.”
“I come from a different plane, and I am an animal. You shouldn’t call me a man, but I am male.”
“You don’t have to tell me what you are. I’ve seen the beasts, and they’re not human or even human-like. They do come from a different plane; I can’t imagine anything like that evolving here. They will kill you without thought, tear you apart and go to the next victim.” Rada might be rude, but he was growing on her, and he wasn’t an indeterminant killer.
“I am, or I was, I’m not clear on that part yet, everything you said.”
He didn’t have to tell her what he was. Why had she expected the truth from him? It wasn’t like they were friends; they hardly knew each other. Yet, she felt like they already experienced the highs and the lows of being in each other’s company. To her, it meant something which made her stupid.
He stood and stepped away from her, going to the door.
“I don’t want to frighten you.” In a blink of an eye, he went from being a humanoid male to a beast.
The scream was lodged in Moxie’s throat, choking off her oxygen. Her hands went around her throat before she finally threw herself against the floor hard enough to take a breath. Where could she hide? If he hasn’t killed you already, you’re probably safe. That was her snarky side coming to her rescue. She did have to say if he wanted her dead, she’d already be dead.
“I’m going to come closer; please don’t bite and or kill me.” Common sense told her to stay away, but his fur made her need to get closer. It was the same black with icy tips that she saw outside on the statue that moved when it shouldn’t be able to. His icy green eyes looked at her. The ones she saw on the statue and imagined she’d seen on the male.
How was this possible? She didn’t believe in... Oh, who was she kidding? She believed in God. There was no way there was this much evil in the world without someone who was the opposite of it. In her world, that someone was God. Still, how was this a possibility? She’d seen things that were called hell beasts; they lived to kill.
“How are you lying here, docile?” Docile, she cracked herself up. That was the last word she would apply to him even if he weren’t killing her. “I’ve seen others kill the moment they got a whiff of human.”
Her hands went to his fur like they were being drawn there. She never thought of herself as totally stable. No one who lived in the world populated with real evil was. This was more than she expected. Her hand slid into his fur, and it comforted her. She almost felt like she was his reason for being and vice versa. That was strange, right?
“I like your fur.” It was a little on the coarse side, but the texture against her hand felt good. “I want to apologize in advance if I freak out.”
When she realized he wasn’t going to move, she sat beside him. Her morning breakfast and then flight, along with the talk with Silas, then Rada turning into a beast, caught up with her. Before she knew it, her eyes were closing, and she was lying against the most frightening thing she ever encountered.
_____
Showing the human... He stopped himself to reconsider his prose. Showing Moxie his true form was not something he planned to do. Lael did it with Rose, but his younger brother always had a soft spot. He didn’t have one. They made him to kill, and he did the job with rabid joy. At least he had done it that way before he and his brothers were cursed. Before they killed his oldest brother. Back then, in the before time, life was glorious. He could kill anything that moved, and he had. He may have spared women and children. Children were dead before the fun began. Who needed that? And women were chewy and didn’t fight back, and they screamed, ‘please don’t kill my child and me.’ He didn’t have time for that, so he killed the men because they liked to fight.
He could kill women and children; he reassured himself. He simply wanted more fight in his victims.
None of which explained why he was lying on the floor, allowing a human to wallow on his fur. The human smelled good. Not that it mattered, but he was sensitive to smells, and her scent was pleasant. He opened his eyes to look at the mark that labeled her as belonging to evil.
She wouldn’t be able to see the mark. It was one that maybe he might have missed if not for the fact that Rose had one too. They learned from being around her what that mark meant. It took a little research that Silas spearheaded to find out it was the mark of Kilryn. He was a demon that concentrated on pleasures of the flesh and death. They seemed to go hand in hand with this demon. He had other side projects, but they hadn’t learned about those yet.
He marked every soul he planned to devour. It was also proof to any who could see the mark that she still retained possession of her soul. Why was she here? Was she another link to help them fight the evil after them? Was the evil Kilryn, or was he just a warrior in the army of evil?
He shifted, wanting her scent on his fur. He watched her, making sure she was asleep before lifting a heavy paw to place it gently, possessively over her abdomen. He was not his brother. He didn’t want a female or a mate. He wanted to kill something, preferably a male. His claws, those retractable bastards wanted blood. Now he could see them as he protected the female.
He did not protect females. Asa or Lael would have to guard this one; he was done. A soft howl went through him at the thought of turning her over to another male. He trusted both his brothers. What did trust have to do with this? She wasn’t his female. He didn’t care what happened to her.
He brought her food. He was saving Silas or Lael the trip upstairs. Anyone would have done that, right? He sighed, confusion taking over. He was a killer, always was a killer, would always be a killer.
“Then kill her.” He heard the sly voice as it slipped around his head. It couldn’t get through the wards, not physically, but its voice, its spirit found its way in. “Kill her. I want to see blood, guts and see her eyes when they realize you are not a man, and not a good male. You warned her; you’re a killer. Kill her.”
