Tainted Read online

  “You’re protecting yourself. And what’s with the register?”

  He groaned. “Do we have to do this now?”

  “Yes, actually, we do. I’m taking that kid home with me, and I’m still trying to decide if you’re someone I should trust.”

  “You said you trusted me.”

  “That doesn’t mean I should!”

  His glare chilled me, but I couldn’t back down.

  Finally, he gave in. “We need to keep track of the people in this country. We already had databases, but the register is just one step further. Anyone who enters the country is now supposed to declare their heritage to us—human or not.”

  “And do the ‘nots’ have their children taken from them?”

  “There was one case. One!” He held up his hands. “It’s not what you think. There was a child who had certain gifts. His parents were unprepared and asked us to take over. He was a danger. People began to get hurt, and we removed him from the situation. That was all.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Not… here.”

  “Phoenix!”

  “He’s been cared for and taught control. I’m not my mother. I’m not using these children. But the safer they are to be around, the safer they are from the likes of the paragons.”

  “I don’t like this.”

  “And I don’t like the thought of that boy being around my children. He caused an unstoppable fire, Ava.”

  “To help captives escape from Guardians. If we had met him then, we would have called him an ally. He’s not going to hurt anyone. This isn’t a home for him. He’s not meant to be here.”

  “I want to speak to him first.”

  “Before he leaves with me? Not a problem.”

  Phoenix’s lips twitched. “You speak as if I have no choice.”

  I held out my hand. “Hi, I’m Ava. I do the right thing even if scary fae try to stop me.”

  He shook my hand then held it a moment longer than I was comfortable with. “You trust him? Even after the trouble we just witnessed?”

  “Somebody has to trust these kids. Lorcan could be one of those boys out there. Another time, and he might have been. Do you think kids would have accepted Lucia without question? Do you think Lorcan would have stood by and let them bully her?”

  “If he convinces me he isn’t a threat, the boy can leave with you.”

  I took that as the best compromise I was going to get, and we went to find the others. Alanii was chatting with Leah, while Parker and Jessica sat together in silence. Jessica gave me a guilty look that soon turned accusing.

  Phoenix sat in front of Parker. “You haven’t spoken before.”

  Parker scowled, but his eyes held a placidity missing from Jess’s. He was a normal kid who had been thrown into extreme circumstances. Maybe I had a soft spot for troubled kids, but I couldn’t imagine that boy willfully harming an innocent person.

  “Did you think they would ask you about Jess?” I asked.

  I had just been guessing, but Parker looked at me with surprise then nodded.

  “It’s her,” Jess whispered. “We found her, and she took us in. She’s safe, Park.”

  His conflict played out in his expression. That kid couldn’t keep anything a secret.

  “The witch left me here,” he said, revealing a hint of a Scottish lilt. “She said she needed me for something, but she never came back for me. I knew she really wanted Jess, so I didn’t talk to anyone. The others wanted to know what I could do. That’s what was happening before. They’ve been at it since I got here.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t send the entire place up in flames,” I said. “You must have a lot of control.”

  Phoenix ignored my smug look. “Do you have any family?”

  Parker ducked his head. “My grandfather died on the way here. We haven’t gotten in touch with my mother since the vampires began to take over. She’s probably… probably…”

  “I’m sorry,” Phoenix said. He actually sounded as though he meant it.

  “My dad promised to take care of Parker,” Jess said. “He promised.”

  Phoenix stood. “As long as he stays with his guardian, he can go from here. Ava, you can take him home. Alanii, I’ll deal with the paperwork.”

  Phoenix left us abruptly, and Alanii and Jess went to help Parker pack his things. He thanked me profusely, seeming like a different person from the scared teen who had been backed in the corner.

  Noah found me before we left. “So he gets to leave?”

  “He has a guardian,” I said, feeling guilty.

  “You?”

  “No. Somebody else.”

  “But he’s going with you. You’re going to protect him.”

  “He’s going to stay… close by.”

  “And the rest of us are still stuck here,” he said.

  He walked away, shoulders hunched. I wished I could take every single one of them with me.

  Chapter Eleven

  Adam glared at me. “And if my daughter had been taken on the street like a criminal, would she be stuck in some children’s prison, too?”

  I winced. “I didn’t take Parker. I didn’t take anyone. The children in that home came from the slave market in Hell. They don’t know what else to do with them. There’s a natural witch there, one with uncontrolled magic. Obviously, somebody thought Parker was out of control because of that fire—no offence, Parker—and that’s why he was put in the home. They didn’t know any better. We’re not the bad guys here.”

  “I thought you weren’t involved,” Adam said nastily.

  “I’m not, but I feel responsible because I brought them out of Hell. An effort has been made to get those kids back to their surviving families, but when some of them were taken, their entire families were wiped out. They’ve spent a lifetime in Hell, and they don’t know how to be out here. Not yet. We can’t expect a brand-new government to just unleash those kids on the world right away. It’s not going to work.”

  “New governments have a way of doing exactly what the old governments did.”

  “I just don’t think that’s going to happen. We had it bad here before. There was the Council and their Guardians and their quotas and their rules. But we also had corruption and deception and treachery. Me and Phoenix and everyone else in this cul-de-sac, and more besides, took it upon ourselves to right the wrongs and change everything.”

  “Am I supposed to look at you and that fae lunatic as heroes?”

  “No, I’m saying we have good intentions. There’s a fledgling government in place right now, and they’re doing their best to make changes, but it’s hard to force change. We have to acknowledge that and give them a chance. Parker was taken before the change. Most of the problems were created by people who aren’t even alive anymore. You have to cut me some slack here. I don’t have any power outside of my own territory, and even that was hard fought for. I took Parker out of the home and brought him here. Why are you so mad at me?”

  “He needs to be angry at somebody,” Jessica said. “And the ones he’s really angry at aren’t here. You’re just in the way.”

  “Do not talk for me, Jessica,” he snapped. “And I’m angry because I’m sick of hearing about this new government from somebody who is obviously trying to convince herself that the PR isn’t a lie.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he turned to Parker and talked over me. “Parker, I’m glad to see you. And I meant the promise I made to your grandfather, but if you cause a fire, they’ll take you back to that so-called home. You have to do as I say for now.”

  Parker nodded. “I won’t go back there. I’ll do anything to stay away from those animals.”

  I sighed. Noah and his friends probably weren’t the most well-mannered teenagers in the universe, but they had been through a lot. I had a soft spot for the little shits. Well, and I had the same feeling about Parker, which was probably why I had wrangled him out of there. That and the fact I was trying to bribe Jess and Adam into liking me. It didn’t se
em to be working, though.

  Realising I wasn’t going to get through to Adam, I got to my feet. “I’ll let you lot catch up. I’m gonna head home. If you need me, you know where to find me.”

  I went into the kitchen and asked Carl to walk me across the road to my house.

  “My head’s actually gonna explode,” I complained when we left his house.

  “Meh. At least it isn’t being ripped off.”

  “Give it time. First vampire, remember?”

  “Why would he kill you?”

  “He doesn’t need us anymore if he’s making beasts out of his blood. I don’t know why nobody thought of this sooner. It makes perfect sense. His DNA creates. Why not a deformed version of a vampire?”

  “He sounds like a creep. If he’s so old, is he falling apart? Like the beasts, I mean,” he said, sounding excited. “Daimhín’s bad enough, and she’s pretty old. But the first?”

  “That’s if he’s even alive. I mean, this could all be some vampire horror story they tell to keep us afraid. What do you think of Adam anyway?”

  He laughed. “He’s a little uptight. He doesn’t swear or drink or smoke or do anything but frown disapprovingly at me. I’m looking for excuses not to be in my own house.”

  I nodded. “Even Jess can be a little much sometimes. I’m pretty uncomfortable around them, but she seems to like Leah. I thought maybe she could make some friends at the children’s home, but they were picking on Parker when we got there, which apparently means they must die.”

  He snorted. “Obviously.”

  “I don’t know. What have we inflicted on the world, Carl? Even Emmett… I mean, the children all seem to have serious psychological issues even before their ‘gifts’ go awry. What if we’ve created a generation of misfits who’ll never find a way to fit in?”

  He grinned. “You found a way.”

  “I’m being serious, dumbass!”

  “Their problems come from a situation we didn’t create,” he said. “We saved them from it.”

  “We disturbed everything they know. What if we made it worse for them? I sometimes wonder if we did what’s best for them. That’s all.”

  “I understand,” he said. “Have you heard much from Esther?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve been pretty occupied with Jess and Adam, though. Is there news?”

  “Not really. But I’m worried she left the hospital before she was supposed to and—”

  I laughed. “Look who’s talking.”

  “Hey! That was in everyone’s best interest, okay? Esther’s injuries aren’t healing. She gets these awful migraines, and I heard that she sometimes shifts without meaning to. All hulk style.”

  “Stop gossiping, for a start,” I warned.

  “I’m not a gossip. I’m worried about her. She’s so vulnerable after everything that happened, and I’m afraid she’s not taking care of herself.”

  “Why?” I stared up at him as we stepped into my living room.

  “I’ve been talking to Quinn.” He sighed. “I don’t know how much she says is true, but the new alpha has ideas on what being an alpha means, and he’s ready to punish Aiden. Except Aiden’s gone into hiding, so apparently, it’s some fucking stupid rule that Esther has to take the punishment or lose honour. Or some such crap.”

  “What? She didn’t tell me that!”

  “She didn’t tell anyone that. Quinn heard it from the shifters.”

  “What in the actual fuck is Aiden doing letting Esther take his punishments for him? What is the punishment anyway?”

  “Only shifters know,” he said. “Have you met this alpha yet?”

  “Mac? Just in passing. Sounds like he’s old-fashioned.”

  “And pissed off. Rumours are already spreading that he’s hated. No matter what we say about Aiden and his methods, he was well liked and respected as an alpha.”

  “Do you think Aiden will try for alpha again?” I asked.

  “He shamed himself. He can’t. He won’t ever be accepted by the shifters as a leader again. I’d be surprised if he’s even still in the country.”

  “What if Esther tried to take over?” I asked eagerly. “Would she have a chance?”

  “If Aiden’s problems didn’t stain her, then maybe, except her injury makes her appear weak. An alpha has to be physically strong, and mentally, for that matter. The alpha has to have the strength of will to control the others without violence, although the violence is apparently a bonus for some of the alphas around the world. It would work out excellently if Esther could lead them here, but Aiden’s circumstances were exceptional, and right now, Esther doesn’t measure up.”

  “How do you know all of this? I hope you haven’t been quizzing Esther all this time.”

  “I haven’t, I swear.” He sighed. “I’ve been reading up a lot about the shifters. Now that I can look at Eddie’s books without him hiding things, I’ve learned a lot more. People have been donating books, too. It’s kind of amazing really.”

  “You’ve been to the shop?” I hadn’t dared.

  “Yes,” he said softly. “And I think it would be good for you to come with me sometime. Maybe there’s something about this first vampire or the werewolves or something interesting. There’s a lot to learn.”

  “Breslin has a ton of literature and records, too. I haven’t looked at them, yet.”

  “You need to face all of these things someday, you know. Including the bar, Ava.”

  Gabe’s bar had become Finn’s bar, and I wasn’t ready to walk through the doors again.

  “I can’t,” I said. “I just can’t face it.”

  “I’ll be with you. I’ll hold your hand and pass you tissues when you cry.”

  “Why would I cry?” I demanded.

  He smiled. “Because you care. Somehow, you manage to care about strangers, and sometimes even the bad guys, and that means you care about everyone who has ever been a part of your life. You care about Gabe, who did the right thing in the end, whether you like it or not. And I know you care about Eddie. I know that underneath it all, he cared for you. He was your Yoda, the one who led you down the right path, and—”

  “No,” I said bitterly. “He led me down the paths that would benefit him.”

  “And he could have killed you,” he said. “He could have allowed Marina to kill you. But he didn’t. You told me what happened. I can read between the lines. He used her when he could have used you. He kept you alive. In his own little way, he was good to us. Yes, he was absolutely psychotic and overcome with power and pain, but there was a spark of humanity left in that man. You saw it, and you focused on that part of him. I’m going to do that, too, because it’s the only way I can deal with any of this. The person who helped us turned toward the darkness, and we did what we could to stop him. We didn’t kill him, Ava. We didn’t force him to be there. We didn’t open the veil or start a war or summon demons. We didn’t cause his death, so you need to stop feeling guilt over that.”

  “But what if—”

  “We all made choices that we have to live with,” he said. “And I know you did the right thing. The deaths aren’t on your shoulders, Ava. You have to believe that.”

  I wished I could.

  Chapter Twelve

  I dreamed of fire and smoke and a voice calling my name. I sat up, heart pounding, and looked around in the dark. I was alone, but I felt something nearby, a presence.

  “It’s just Jess,” I whispered, even as I jumped out of bed to get dressed.

  My heart was racing so fast, I almost passed out, but the dizziness eased as I ran into the hallway. I checked on Jess. She was asleep, curled into a ball on the bed in my spare room.

  I was drawn downstairs and to my front door. For a second, I expected Phoenix to be standing there, but there was nobody—only silence in the darkness. The moon was waning, and I shivered as I stepped outside, blinking against the steady rain.

  A tall, broad man at the mouth of the cul-de-sac lifted an arm and waved at me. He
looked a lot like Gabe. I caught the scent of something familiar, and I was running before I could even think.

  I called Gabe’s name, but the man stepped under a streetlight, and the black hair turned to gold. I skidded to a halt, confused. A beautiful man approached me, a kind smile on his face. He wasn’t Gabe, but he smelled like him.

  “I don’t understand,” I whispered. “Are you an angel?”

  The man was beyond gorgeous. I looked for signs of a mask, but that was his true form.

  “My father was an angel once,” he said in a voice that felt like treacle melting all over me. “But not me.”

  I stared at him blankly. He was blond and blue-eyed. Inhuman. His father was an angel. That made him… who?

  He raised his hand. “Come, Ava Delaney. Come to me.”

  My feet moved forward jerkily. He was calling me, and I was obeying. As much as I longed to reach him, a voice in my head screamed for me to stop. My feet didn’t obey. I pushed through the tangled magic yanking me forward, shook it off, and broke free. I took a step back. The beautiful man looked pleased.

  “Who the hell are you?” I demanded. “What are you doing here?”

  “You don’t recognise me? Well, I suppose we’ve never officially met. I like to think of myself as your father. After all, I made you what you are.”

  I counted rapidly in my head, struggling to control my breathing as my heart thundered. “Seth?” I had expected him to be old and decrepit. Why did he smell more like an angel than anything else?

  His smile widened. “See? You were made to know me. I’d like you and the girl to join me, Ava. I thought I would come here tonight and see you with no… distractions.” He glanced around the area. “I’ve heard you have quite the ragtag army on your side.”

  “How are you…? You can’t be here. I’m—”

  “I know,” he said. “You’re untouchable, and this place is protected. You’ve come a long way in a short time. I have a lot of pride in you. Hiding away your entire life, flying under the radar, and suddenly, you appear. Within a year, you take down a government, end a war, expose us all to the whole world, and become someone important. I could use that kind of ambition.”