Page 40 of Written In Flesh

My brow rises, and I glance at my brother again, this time his face pales. “He told you everything, huh?” Heath shakes his head, and Aero is close to choking on air from the laughter he’s holding in.

Skully looks between us, her dark eyes assessing before meeting my gaze again. “Probably not everything.”

“You don’t deserve to know everything,” I spit the words out, enjoying the way her cheeks flame red and her eyes spark. “What we do here keeps everyone safe. Right now, you’re just a liability.”

Skully’s arms cross over her chest and I take in everything about her. The black joggers that mold to her legs and the maroon hooded sweatshirt with the black raven spread across the chest. Her long dark hair is pulled into an effortless ponytail and it hits me how she makes even the most relaxed things look good on her.

She snaps her fingers in front of my face and my eyes jump back to hers. Pissed that she caught me looking her over makes my own face heat. Triumph gleams in her dark eyes as she steps forward. “That’s why I’m here to learn. My dad wants me to be here. I’ll stay quiet, follow directions, but right now the call isn’t yours.”

My chest tightens, and my veins burst with adrenaline at how close she is to me. I can feel the heat radiating off her body, breathing her scent into my lungs. My shadows are straining to close around her, and I feel my body becoming more tense as I fight the natural instinct I have to grab her. It’s not new. But I refuse to let this viper close to me again. My mouth opens right as chilled, small fingers clasp around my wrist. Everything inside me jolts at the contact and I turn my piercing glare to my side. Lily’s eyes widen, and for a second, she looks hurt. My eyes close and I take a breath before giving her a more soothing look. Sometimes I forget how fragile her feelings are after years of her parents dismissing her.

“Don’t be mad at Heath and Aero,” Lily says quietly, but I don’t miss the subtle way she’s reminding me who the blame really belongs to. My eyes drop to the ground when I realize how much I want to argue how wrong her statement is. The fuck.

My head snaps back up and I realize that Skully has once again stepped away from me. I search her face, but she won’t meet my gaze, her eyes firmly on the ground. I want to demand she look at me, only me, but that voice in my head wars with the reminder not to let her fuck with me. My mind is off in a million different directions and the only thing that matters is how to contain what is happening around me. Tonight is a breeze to ease Skully in, but that isn’t an every night case. Damn Gavin for throwing her into this when she doesn’t remember her past or any of her training. I don’t know if he forgets or if he just doesn’t care.

“Aero, take Lily back to her place.” My gaze jumps to my best friend who nods, solemnly. He steps around Heath and Skully, gently wrapping his arm around Lily before they shimmer away in the next second.

“Madd, she has to learn again at some point. There was no danger tonight,” Heath interjects, reasoning with me. I know he’s right, but something primal in me demands that I be the one to teach her and not him. I should be here if something bad does happen.

“Take her home.”

Skully’s brow rises and her hands land on her hips. “Wow. Really? How will I ever earn my keep if I can’t learn the job, learn who I am?”

“You will meet me here Friday night. You will train with me. And you won’t put my brother or my friends in danger with your unpreparedness,” I bite out, watching her face color, and her lips turn into a thin line. The beast in my chest roars when it looks like she’s battling back tears. I need her to follow my rule, to bend her will and force her to see she has no power this time. Despite Gavin’s order, she falls into my possession when it comes to our world here at the Gate.

“I work Friday.”

My lip curls thinking of her being in that place. If this works out maybe I’ll make it so she’s here on all their busy nights and she’ll have no other choice but to quit. “Guess you better find someone to take your shift. Duty to the Haven always comes first.”

Her shoulders tense, and her spine straightens. I keep waiting for her expressive eyes to land on mine, but she doesn’t raise her head. The needling sensation in my gut when she refuses to give in becomes too much. “Take her home.”

Heath clears his throat and reaches for her hand. He stops when my glare cuts to him. Shaking his head, he walks past me. “This way, princess.”

Skully follows him over to his bike and my hands curl into fists watching as he helps her on behind him. I didn’t think this part through, watching while she has to scoot close to him, her front plastered to his back, and her arms wind around his waist. Heath shoots me one last look as he rounds the corner and takes off down the trail that leads back to the main road. The silence that follows echoes in my mind, my pulse still racing. My head falls back, my eyes meeting the mostly clear night sky, and I breathe in and out. On my second breath I notice the clinging chlorine smell on me. Aero had been right. I skipped over everything else to get here, to get to her as soon as I could. Now I’ll be spending the night smelling like a pool and bad choices. I blame Skully for that too.