Page 57 of Touched

Hells!

The stuff with Callum registered here… in Laric.

Possibly in all Fae colonies!

“What kind of disturbance?” I immediately ask, my mind going to the Rougarou who tried to take out my Kindred.

“This is what you’re asking me?” he snaps. “Fine. A pack of Rougarou were spotted outside the wards tonight by one of the Elders. The queen has had these Rougarou under observation. I don’t know why. I’m not privy to that information.” His green eyes lock on mine, glowing to show his unease and anger over the news. His lips compress, flattening into a solid white line as his cheekbones grow taut. “It seems they’re looking for something.Someone.Multiplesomeones. ASylphand aFae.The Elder overheard them, dear sister.

“You wouldn’t know anything about that… now, would you?”

Shit! Oh, hells.

The Rougarou were way out here. On the edges of Laric…

Looking for us.

For Callum… and me.

And the queen knows…

Thinking about what I saw earlier, in the Archives, I wonder if the book I found on the desk, along with the sketch of the Rougarou, is why one of the queen has the Elders observing the Rougarou. Of course, there’s no one I can ask since being in there isn’t allowed by anyonebutthe Elders.

Oh, hells!

Everything comes out in a rush as I begin shaking with fear. I screech, “Cyrus, I know Da and Ma don’t want me to see him, but he’s my Kindred. We… weZinged! The Rougarou are looking forus!”

His jaw drops at my harried announcement. From an early age, we’re taught that when we meet our Kindred and we Zing, everything else falls to the wayside.

A Zing is sacred. Nothing on earth can come between it.

“YouZinged?” he repeats incredulously. His voice raises as he shouts, “How is that even possible? We can’t Zing with someone hu—, someone who’snotlike us, Aeris. What are you talking about?”

I shake my head. “Apparently, wecan, Cyrus! Callum isn’t human. He’s Sylph. He’s got Sylph blood! And I know from everything I’ve been reading while trying to find out all I can… those with Sylph blood areprotectorsof fairies. We are Kindred. He and I.He’s mine and I’m his.He’s in danger, Cyrus. After last night, webothare. I need your help.”

I keep the fact that Sylph protect ourvirginityto myself, not wanting to discuss anything of that nature with my brother.

He stares at me as though he has never seen me before. His green eyes are wide. His jaw tight. His nostrils flare as his tumultuous eyes hold my gaze. Finally, he sighs and mutters, “What kind of danger?” Breaking eye contact, he prowls around my room. Tension is evident within every line of his body.

He’s upset… but he’s listening. I need to tell him everything.

“Those Rougarou? They’re the head of a criminal enterprise in the human world. Or something like that. But they’re Gifted… like us. Callum is a police detective. He’s been building a case against them for several years now and tonight, he and a bunch of others were going to arrest them.”

Cyrus starts laughing, though nothing about this is humorous. He sounds a bit manic. “Let me guess, your Kindred had no clue what he was facing… did he?”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, a nervous giggle escapes me. “Not a clue! Until we met last week, he didn’t even knowFaewere real. So, when he came face-to-face with the Rougarou, uh, the Trahans, and they started shifting into their wolf form, he was definitely caught by surprise. He thought regular bullets would stop them.”

“I wonder if the Fates made a mistake with your Kindred. Because a standard human round is no more than a mosquito bite to them. All he did was piss them off,” he muses sarcastically.

“There’s beennomistake, Cyrus. He’s truly mine. And he’s in serious danger,” I exclaim, blushing as vivid images of what we did at his apartment, and then when we were at his grandmother’s house fill my head. My body heats with arousal, something that’s difficult to hide. Thankfully, Cyrus is so focused on my news he mistakes my flaming cheeks for fear for my Kindred.

“Calm down, Aeris,” he finally says, sighing in resignation. “Ma and Da will be home shortly, I’m sure. You should wash up and change so they don’t suspect anything. I’ll help you… you’re my younger sister. I love you. I may not like that you’ve Zinged with a Sylph-human, but I’ll help you. Together, we’ll… explain.” His hands rake through his thick, dark hair as his eyes show real concern. Finally, he mutters, “They’ll understand. They’ll have to.”

I sure hope so.

I know I disappoint them on a regular basis with my penchant for knowledge, which sometimes comes off as an aversion to authority. I’m always asking questions or seeking answers, but Laric is myhome.

The thought of possibly being banished terrifies me, but like Callum’s grandmother said, we can’t go against what the fates decree.

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