Betrayer, page 2
part #3 of The Shining Ones Series
Suddenly, Birdie seized my shoulders, hugging me to him, his stubbly cheek pressed to my temple. “I’m sorry, Poe. So god damn sorry for not being here when you needed me. I feel so damn guilty.” His close proximity and the familiar scent of patchouli were almost too much after his absence, but I squeezed him tighter, holding him as close as possible. His skin was warm and soothing like my favorite winter coat, and I wanted to stay wrapped in his arms and pretend like I hadn’t just lied to him. To keep him this close, as if it could make everything else go away.
But timing was everything.
And like everything else in my life at that moment, ours was poor.
2
The scratch of Katie’s key sent us flying in two different directions, me toward my end of the couch, Birdie toward the door. He’d just brushed down the front of his shirt when Katie looked up, first to Birdie then to me.
Something that made me uncomfortable passed over her face, and I had to remind myself that we hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, it was the polar opposite. I’d just saved her ass and mine by lying to Birdie once again, and that fact alone set my teeth on edge. I tried not to take her look personally and got up from the couch. After all, she was the reason I was there in the first place.
Birdie gave Katie a quick kiss before grabbing her work bag from her shoulder. He was distracted enough that it gave me time to interject whether Katie wanted me to or not. Galvanizing my resolve, I greeted her at the door with a hug of my own. For some reason, she didn’t seem surprised to see me.
“It’s about time,” I said, stepping back from our embrace. “Could you be any slower getting home?” I was razzing her and she knew it. Katie was not easily offended.
“Please,” replied Katie. “You’re the lucky one. I’ve got Stevie up in my business every day. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.” The hunch of her shoulders said otherwise.
I could only imagine what it must be like for Katie at Paddy’s. Hell, when I worked there with her, she wasn’t exactly waitress material. She didn’t need the money, which raised the question of why she was still there. Or why Stevie hadn’t fired her yet, for that matter. My own dismissal must’ve forced Stevie to keep Katie on a while longer.
“I’m sorry he’s still riding you like that,” I said. “But he’s Stevie, that’s just how he is. Ask Birdie.” I gazed over at my best friend. His presence had been momentarily forgotten in my exchange with Katie.
Birdie held up his hands, shaking his head. “I’ve got nothin’. It’s like I’ve said to you before, babe, he is what he is. You’re just gonna have to get a tougher skin. Poe knows the score with that.” Right then I was pretty sure Katie didn’t want any more of a reminder about me being in cahoots with Birdie. I nudged him out of the way and got to the point.
“Anyhow, I dropped by to see you, not him,” I said, jutting my thumb back over my shoulder at Birdie. “You wanna go for a walk?” I posed it as a question, but Katie knew it wasn’t. She’d been dodging this talk as much as I had, but now it was unavoidable.
Katie’s resignation was clearly stamped on her face. She shrugged. “Sure, just let me change into something that doesn’t smell like day-old hamburger buns and grilled onions.” She gathered her bag from Birdie and drifted toward the bedroom. An uneasy silence settled between me and Birdie.
“So, what’s so secret that you can’t hang out here with me?” he asked, giving me a skeptical eye.
I dismissed his suspicion with a wave of my hand. “Just because she’s your girlfriend doesn’t mean she’s not my friend, too, you know.” Tossing my head at the bedroom door, I crossed my arms. “She’s been through a lot—we both have—so let us have our time, Birdie. This isn’t about you.”
Not the most diplomatic way to handle it. I could almost see Birdie’s hackles rise, but unlike me, Birdie was good at keeping his emotions on a tight leash these days. “Fine, if she won’t talk to me then at least she’s talking to someone. Better you than a shrink. If it helps her, Poe. I don’t want to see her hurt any more.”
I let the little dig go, knowing he didn’t mean it. Katie was stronger than she looked. She was so far from the damsel in distress that I wanted to say as much, but I held back. Birdie and I were just getting back on track, closing the distance between us. Now was not the time to rock the boat.
“I don’t want her upset any more than you do. It’ll be fine,” I reassured him. Luckily, Katie exited the bedroom at the same time. She’d changed into color-coordinated yoga pants and a zipped-up sweatshirt with sneakers.
“Ready to go?” I asked lightly, gesturing toward the door. Katie nodded.
I gave Birdie a quick hug and walked out the door first, not wanting to witness Katie kissing Birdie again. It was something I could do without, especially given the conversation I was going to have next.
Still, if Katie picked up on my discomfort, she let it lie. She followed me out the door and set the pace. Brisk, energetic, no-nonsense. I might be many things, but apparently in shape wasn’t one of them.
“Okay, super-fast person, you can slow down just a bit so I can actually get words out,” I panted after the first block.
Katie turned her head toward me, a perfectly groomed eyebrow arched in my direction. She dropped her pace a little, but still not enough for my liking. “So, are you going to tell me what we’re doing here?” Katie asked, eyeing me carefully. She was still speed walking and staring at me. I was amazed she hadn’t tripped yet.
I turned my head back forward, careful to watch where I was going. I wasn’t nearly as graceful as Katie. “You know why we’re here. We need to talk about what happened, about what you know.” I kept my arms moving in tempo with my feet, burning off some of my own natural anxiety.
“And?”
Resisting the urge to stop and strangle her, I kept the pace. “And while I appreciate you acting totally unfazed by this turn of events,” I could hardly say angel encounter out loud, “I need you to understand that the situation is extremely dangerous. For all of us. I wouldn’t have believed it in a million years if I hadn’t experienced it firsthand myself.”
“I know, right?” Katie couldn’t contain her excitement. Her voice was practically jubilant. “How fucking cool is it? I mean that something like that exists. Think of the possibilities! How does no one else know about this Elohim stuff?”
Her enthusiasm made the warning bells in my head ring, bringing me to a shuddering halt. I grabbed her by the elbow, yanking her close. Katie’s eyebrows shot up. “Stop,” I hissed, not wanting to raise my voice in public. “This is not some god damn fairy tale, Katie. This shit is going to get crazy and dangerous real fast, and if I could’ve shielded you from the truth, I would’ve.”
Her coffee-colored eyes glittered with excitement as she smiled broadly at me. “Don’t you get it? That’s the thing. I’m not sorry I know. Are you kidding? It’s the most amazing thing ever! And now that I know, you can’t keep me in the dark, Poe. I wanna know more. I wanna know all there is to know about them.”
I dropped her arm and groaned, rubbing my forehead for good measure. This was exactly the thing I was afraid of with Katie. Rather than being scared and frightened, she was ecstatic about the whole thing. Never mind that she now had an angel target on her back. I had to get through to her for both of our sakes.
I stepped closer to her, keeping my voice low. The cloying smell of her vanilla perfume wasn’t helping my concentration. “Listen, I get it,” I started. “I understand that it’s super crazy and weirdly exhilarating, and ultra-cool and probably every other emotion on the spectrum, even better than drugs, but you have to understand, Katie, it’s not all fun and games. Look at me.” I pointed at my body to ram the point home. “I’ve almost drowned, been run over by a van, and been tortured by an angel. The danger is not theoretical, it’s very real.”
My doom-and-gloom talk didn’t dampen her mood as I’d hoped. Katie’s demeanor was still overly enthusiastic, but she was now giving me a speculative glance. “What is it about you that everyone wants to kill you?”
She had a good point.
“I don’t know,” I grunted, beginning to walk again. Katie fell in beside me. “But that’s irrelevant. I need you to be on your guard and watch out for signs that something isn’t right. Adam’s convinced that making Arthur the killer has satisfied human law enforcement, and maybe it has.” I pushed the resentment down. “But the deus ex machina has been activated, and Jeremiah’s gone with it. That will definitely not go unnoticed by the Elohim. When they do show up, it’s not going to be a big party, Katie. It’s going to be mayhem and maybe even death.”
Katie sighed. “I’m not a total idiot. I understand that I’m not supposed to know that angels exist and the only reason why I’m even breathing is because you came and got me. Thank you, by the way.” She was almost artificially cheery as she pulled me in for a hug and this time, I did almost trip over myself. She kept us moving forward, her arm wrapped around my shoulder. “But I can also appreciate how awesomely crazy the whole thing is. Don’t be such a buzz kill. You need to learn to embrace it. Anyhow, how is that whole angel soul working out for you? You don’t seem to be having the episodes anymore.”
Her question made my shoulders stiffen, and I didn’t know if I wanted to answer her or not. There’d been no way to keep the part about Adam’s soul in me from her when she’d watched me get tortured and then heal at an inhuman rate. It was one of the first things she’d pestered me about, the truth unavoidable. And she was right. The episodes that she was referring to had been a gut-wrenching, please-let-death-come-because-it-would-be-better experience that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. The fact that I hadn’t had one since Jekyll Island was a relief, to say the least.
Shaking my head, I shrugged, causing her to let go. “I don’t know, but I’m not complaining. Maybe Adam’s soul has finally integrated fully, maybe it’s a brief hiatus and it’s going to get worse at some point. I can’t second-guess it, and Adam isn’t any wiser. We’re in uncharted territory all around.”
Katie wasn’t done though. “Yeah, but what if you get, I don’t know, more angel powers? What if you are able to do something awesome like fly or something? Aren’t you the least bit curious?” She threw her arms out wide like she should be the irritated one. Again, her response was total Katie. I grunted.
“It’s not a gift.” I sighed, trying to rein in my frustration. I could see why she’d look at it that way, but the reality was altogether different. “It’s a curse, Katie. As long as Adam’s soul is in me, I will always be looking over my shoulder. I can’t live a normal human life and do normal human things. I might even have to leave Tybee at some point to keep everyone safe. Trust me, it’s no picnic.”
She huffed. “I was trying to be positive, but you’re going to be a downer about it all.”
“Yeah, I guess I am,” I replied, being blunt. “I worry about you, Haylee, Birdie, Joe, all the people that might get caught in the cross fire. Amanda and Arthur are gone because of me. I can’t handle any more tragedy, Katie. Please don’t talk about what’s happened, and definitely be on guard around Birdie. He is smarter than you think.”
For once, her demeanor changed. The fierceness of her expression almost took me aback, but she was quick to mask it. Still, the anger was there in her voice. “I would never do anything to put Birdie in danger, Poe. Everything I do is to keep him safe. Why do you think I’m still at Paddy’s? It’s so I can keep an eye on him. He’s absolutely my priority, so you don’t need to remind me.”
Her response pissed me off. “Oh, yeah?” I stopped and glared at her. “Well, in case you haven’t noticed, you actually do have a tendency to be a loudmouth, so you’re gonna have to suck it up and deal with the reminders. ’Cause it’s not just about Birdie, it’s about all of us. Just do me a favor and be careful.”
What I’d really wanted to say was that she didn’t have total dominion over my best friend and that unlike what she might think, he was my priority, too. I’d wanted to do more than that, I’d wanted to get in her face and tell her to back the fuck down, but I didn’t. Because that was an irrational thing to do that would only make things worse.
I expected her to blow up, but she didn’t. Instead, Katie gave me a sloppy grin that confused me. She clapped her hands together in evident delight before pointing a finger at my chest. “See? See that right there? There’s Poesy the hard ass. You should let her out more. She suits you.”
I rubbed my forehead before dropping my hands to my hips. I’d stopped in the middle of the road once again. “You’re nuts. You know that, right? Like certifiably crazy.”
My comment made her smile even more broadly at me. “Yeah, but I keep life interesting, and secretly you love it.”
I snorted. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” But I couldn’t leave it there. I had overreacted. Did it really matter who cared more provided that the outcome was the same? That Birdie stayed safe? “I’m sorry, Katie.”
“It’s okay.” Katie grabbed my arm, tugging me back into motion. “Come on, worrywart,” she said. “Let’s get moving. The cardio is good for you.”
I rolled my eyes but picked up my pace. “Anything you say, crazy person. But I need to breathe, so don’t go killing me.”
“Oh, I think I’m the last person you have to worry about there, Poe. Now get a move on.”
Katie jogged ahead of me, but I gritted my teeth and went with it. She could be a pain in my ass, but Katie was right, she did keep life interesting.
***
Sweaty and with my hamstrings on fire, I stepped into the trailer and was almost knocked over by one very overzealous large black dog. Daisy jumped up on me, her paws scrabbling at my rib cage, her big round tawny eyes crinkled with happiness. She woofed. I crouched down to hug my dog, as happy to see her as she was to see me. My fur baby.
“You would think she never sees you the way she carries on,” Adam remarked dryly from the couch.
Wearing jeans and a gray t-shirt this time, he got up in one fluid motion, his lithe form unfolding to his full six-foot-four height. He would never win a muscle-man contest, but that was okay with me. His slim build accentuated his otherworldliness. It was hard to look at him and not want him. His chocolate eyes held mine for a minute before he glided toward me.
“Before you ask, it went fine.” I tossed my keys on the counter.
“Define ‘fine’ for me, please.” Adam stood in front of me with arms crossed, his expression not giving anything away, his untidy hair framing his long, narrow face. Standing this close to him, I could smell his cologne, a mixture of cloves and oranges. It was a smell I’d always associate with him, and it could be too damn distracting. Like right now.
“Poesy?”
“What?” I asked before realizing that he really did want me to elaborate. “As in okay, you know, the way that people normally define fine.” I pushed my bangs out of my eyes and stood there with my hands on my hips. I really wanted a shower, but obviously it would have to wait.
I sidestepped him and went to the fridge, pulling out the carton of juice before grabbing a glass from the dish drainer and pouring. Drink in hand, I made my way to the couch, plopping down on my end and whistling for Daisy. She hopped up next to me, scooching as close as she could get, her butt up against my thigh. I finally looked up at him as I rubbed her head. “Okay, now we can talk.”
Adam acted as if he wanted to say something more, but he stayed silent. Sighing, he ran his hand through his chestnut-colored hair, making it even more untidy than usual. It was sort of cute, and it made me smile. The frustration worked both ways—some days I wanted to slap him; others, I simply wanted to jump on him and kiss him until he was breathless. That seesaw of emotions was better than any drug. But right now, he was frustrated with me.
“Come sit,” I said, patting the space on the other side of Daisy. “I just needed a few minutes to decompress, but let’s talk. It’s gonna be fine, I promise.” I patted the couch cushion again, but a little bit harder this time.
Adam drifted to the other end of the couch and took a seat, his back resting lightly on the couch arm so he could face me. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but it was impossible as Daisy stretched out on the couch with a groan. She took up half of the couch on her own, leaving Adam and me wedged into the very ends. I tried to make her move, but it just had the opposite effect as she stretched her legs even farther and snorfled.
“I talked to Katie, and she gets it. She’s not stupid, Adam.”
Adam rubbed his fingertips across his jaw before setting his sights on me. His grimace spoke volumes. “Hardly reassuring, though, is it? Katie’s personality is such that I am not sure she can be trusted, Poesy. I do not see what would keep her from telling the world for her own gain.”
“Yes, but you’re forgetting one thing. Birdie.” That got Adam’s attention. “She won’t do anything to put him in danger, so I think you can safely say that she’s on board with keeping quiet.”
Adam made a noise in his throat that I would’ve described as a “harrumph” from a human, but was more guttural, deeper, coming from his mouth. I looked at him quizzically as he shook his head at me. He might’ve appeared to be casually draped on the couch, but his hand had stopped stroking the back cushion. Birdie was Adam’s kryptonite.
“Let’s not go there again,” I said, exasperated. It wasn’t the first time I’d had to convince my boyfriend that there was nothing between me and Birdie. It was an ongoing theme. “Yes, I worry about him, but he’s my friend, Adam. You know that. I worry about him as much as I worry about Joe or Haylee Jane. There’s nothing else.”
