Page 17 of Black Onyx
We fight hard. Reaper's strength is incredible, and if I weren’t newly recharged, he would’ve beaten me easily. In the few minutes we’ve been fighting, he’s managed to give me all of my control back, my gifts settling back down inside me.
I drop my guard altogether, dropping my hands to my sides. Reaper's eyes widen, and he tries to stop his forward momentum turning at the last minute and landing on the floor and groaning.
“Why did you just drop your guard like that?” He groans.
“I’m good now.”
“You’re good already?” Magnus asks, surprise colouring his tone.
“Yeah, they’re good,” I reply easily.
“What the fuck was that?” Storm growls, his wings moving with agitation.
“You were right. I am going to get your team killed,” I admit crossing my arms over my chest. “But not because I’m inexperienced and can’t fight. Thank you for helping me.”
I push past them all, knowing that they want a different explanation and also knowing that I can’t fucking give it to them. They are going to want to know about my father, though, and I’m not sure that I can keep that from them. I let too much slip myself.
“That’s it, no other explanation?” Mayhem calls after me.
“What do you want to know?” I ask, taking the steps two at a time. I need to get a good look at the fucker who tried to kill me and find out who sent him.
“Why did your father give you a potion to suppress your gifts and stop your healing?” Rival asks, his orange eyes studying me closely.
“He likes control,” I say shortly as we get to our room. I open the door to find Poca standing guard over the headless body.
“Good boy Poca!” I praise, reaching out my hand.
“Wait! Don’t touch him. His fur will burn straight through your hand and down to the bone!” Storm warns me, a thread of panic in his voice that has us all staring at him in shock.
“It’s okay, he doesn’t burn me, but thank you for your concern,” I smirk, making him scowl and the others grin.
“That’s another thing. How the fuck do you have a familiar and a fucking hell hound at that?” Storm asks, obviously trying to distract us from his previous show of emotion.
“I don’t know,” I shrug, telling the truth, my fingers weaving through Poca’s fur, “He showed up when I was three. He’s been with me ever since.”
“Three?” Mayhem asks, bright blue eyes suspicious. “I’ve only heard of familiars showing up early if their supernatural is under direct threat.”
I shrug, not answering the hidden question that was in that statement.
Rival narrows his eyes on me. “I’m surprised that your father hasn’t mentioned it. It definitely seems like something that he’d like to brag about.”
I share a look with Magnus, who’s been silently watching our interactions up until now. “He doesn’t know. I’ll leave you to it, as always, Farren, check-in, please.”
“Got it,” I reply, walking around the body, looking for anything that could tell me who sent him. I fish around in his pockets, and the guys raise their eyebrows.
“What are you doing?” Reaper asks curiously.
“I’m trying to find out who sent him.”
“You mean it could have been more than one someone?” Loki asks, concern colouring his purple eyes and darkening them.
I scoff and decide not to answer that question. Finding nothing on the body, I walk over to the head and pick it up by the hair.
“Fucking hell, you are nothing like I thought,” Mayhem mutters.
“Huh?” I ask, not really paying attention as I study the head and, more specifically, his neck, “Son of a fucking cock sucking bitch, he didn’t!”
“Erm, what?” Loki asks, a broad grin on his face.
