I, and those like us, are very aware of them. Our lineage enables us to see them even when you can’t. I’ve noticed more of their kind coming and going. They’re curious about you.”
I held his hand tight. “Should I be worried?”
Jared offered a comforting smile. “You let me do the worrying.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “What did Samuel tell you?”
“They’ve noticed…,” Jared rubbed the back of his neck, “they’ve noticed that we’re spending more time together. Both sides. The Archs are unhappy about it. It’s unusual — and heavily frowned upon — to become involved with one’s Taleh. It’s considered more of a taboo than falling in love with a human. Even though I’m half- human, they find it irresponsible. Samuel is concerned that the Archs won’t be inclined to help if things get messy.”
“Why would we need their help? I thought you said they wouldn’t come near me when you’re around?”
“I’m not talking about a dozen or so Others, Nina. Samuel wouldn’t be concerned if it wasn’t serious.”
“How serious is it?”
Jared sighed. All of his energy seemed to have been sucked from him. “Hell is familiar with our fathers. Being their children in addition to our unique circumstance…we’ve become people of interest, so to speak. The Others made a game of trying to catch my father off-guard. With me having a stronger reason to protect you…,” he choked off. He swallowed and then began again, “Samuel came to warn me.”
“Warn you,” I repeated. My head was swimming with confusion and the whiskey still saturating my system.
“Our relationship could unintentionally provoke Hell.” Jared rubbed his temples. He was having trouble focusing as well. “Samuel informed me that the curiosity they already have, coupled with Jack’s death…we could have bigger problems than just the increasing visits.”
I shook my head. “What does Jack have to do with it?”
“The men that killed your father knew how to bypass Gabe because of who they work for. Those cops, and a few other enemies of your father’s, are employed by a man named Shax. Except…he’s not a…he’s not exactly a man.”
“He’s Other?”
Jared attempted a smile, but the tension on his face twisted it into something that resembled pain.
“Shax is a Duke of Hell. He is also a renowned thief and takes great pride in his spoils. Somehow Jack made an enemy of Shax, and I’m going to guess that he took something that Shax felt belonged to him. Not something you want to do to an aristocrat of Hell.”
I nodded, unable to speak in a calm voice.
“Samuel advised that we…see less of each other.”
“What? No! You’re not…you’re not going to listen to him, are you?”
Jared took my face in his hands. “I promised I wouldn’t leave you again, didn’t I?”
I nodded. “You did. You promised,” I said, more to myself than to him.
Jared returned his elbows to his knees and lowered his face in his hands. “I have made a mess of everything, Nina,” he groaned. “You’re in more danger than you’ve ever been. I see now why Jack forbade me to see you.”
I positioned myself behind him, wrapping my arms around his middle and pressing my cheek against his back. “So we have to jump through some hoops to be together. Who doesn’t?”
Jared twisted, looking at me with an incredulous expression.
I sighed. “For us to be together…it’s a miracle isn’t it? A Hybrid and his human, in love when everyone from Heaven to Hell says we shouldn’t be. The starvation of a multitude turned into miraculous fish, the enslaving of a nation brought on the parting of the sea, blind men to see, lepers healed, a mother’s grief brought back the dead…it takes a nightmare to earn a miracle.”
He laughed once. “In this scenario I’m the nightmare — you’re the miracle.”
“Jared?” I asked, pausing for a moment while I reconsidered broaching the subject again.
He sensed my trepidation and touched my cheek. “What, sweetheart?”
“What do you plan on doing with the information Samuel gave you?” I braced for his eyes to cloud over but to my surprise he smiled. His eyes even brightened a bit.
“We’re going to fight through the nightmare to earn the miracle, right?”
I smiled back. “Right.”
He kissed my cheek. “I’ll let you get dressed.”
“Are we going somewhere?”
“To see a friend,” Jared said, jogging downstairs.
I thought about that for a moment. “A human friend?”
“Negative,” I heard him say from the kitchen.
After my shower, I descended the stairs still feeling a bit woozy. I felt even worse for Jared, who didn’t even enjoy the debauchery before feeling the consequences of it.
Jared kept the accelerator to the floor, making the buildings of Providence blur by. I fidgeted with the temperature until finally resorting to the air conditioner. The stream of air blew against my face, and I closed my eyes.
Jared touched my knee.
“It’s helping with the nausea,” I said, knowing he would be just as relieved to have a small fraction of my symptoms alleviated.
The Escalade slowed to a stop beside the fence of an abandoned warehouse. We were just outside of town, no more than ten miles from Jared’s loft. I immediately felt a bit skittish, but the fear disappeared with Jared’s warm touch. He took my hand and didn’t let go as we hiked along an aging, gravel walkway and stopped at a gate harnessed with rusting chains. He pulled a key from his pocket and twisted it in the large vintage lock.
Jared pressed open the heavy gates and led me around to a side entrance, where he pressed a button on a small grey box. No one answered, but we were buzzed in.
Jared led me by the hand across the vast concrete. Pane after pane of glass lined the walls, shooting beams of sunshine to the floor through the decades of dust. He stopped in the center and smiled at me before calling out into the huge, empty space.
“Eli?”
We waited for almost half an hour. I wanted to ask Jared if he was sure his friend was there, but as long as he was being patient, I would play along.
“Oh, c’mon. She knows,” Jared said suddenly, rolling his eyes.
I watched him, the corners of my mouth turning up. It was amusing to see him talking to himself.
“Eli, we need to talk. You know she’s important.” He looked at me and then impatiently peered up to the extensive ceiling. “You’re being ridiculous!” he shouted into the air.
I stifled a giggle.
Jared turned to me. “What?”
“Nothing,” I said, forcing the corners of my mouth straight.
“Great. Now she thinks I’m nuts,” Jared called out to the massive room.
A tiny giggle escaped my throat, and Jared angled his neck to face me, attempting an insulted expression. He failed miserably when a wide grin stretched across his face.
“Admit it. It was funny,” a voice came from behind us.
I flipped around, instinctively hiding behind Jared.
A platinum-haired man stood in front of us with an amused smile. He was taller than Jared, though not by more than a few inches. I was surprised at the way he was dressed. I was expecting the crisp, white, buttoned- down dress shirt, but I hadn’t anticipated it un-tucked and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, or the holes in his jeans, or the light brown leather sandals. I was certainly not expecting the faux hawk.
He surpassed attractive, and his physique was as incredible as Jared’s, noticeable even under his clothes. Even though he was fair, warmth emanated from his skin, almost a muted, dewy glow. His ice blue eyes appraised me, and then looked to Jared, who pulled me to his side.
“Eli,” Jared said, nodding.
“Yeah. There will be none of that nodding crap, Jared,” Eli said, pulling us both in for a hug. “How have you been? I assume the moping has ceased since you’ve found a way to finally introduce yourself?”
