Blood Promise (A SkinWalker Novel #4) (A DarkWorld SkinWalker Novel) (8 page)

Her words fell like hot rocks onto snow. Devastating.

"High Council really wanted you out," I told Dad hoping he'd explain why.
 

His face paled a little, but when he didn't answer, I decided to ask my questions up front, "Have you heard anything? Rumor mill? Grapevine? Underground?"

He glanced up at me, and the truth was written in his guilty face. "You've known all along."

"Of course he did, dear," said Grams from my side. She elbowed me gently out of the way and, with nothing left to do with my hands I went to sit beside Dad.

"What are you going to do?" I asked him.

"He's going to keep on going, as if nothing happened," Grams said before he could reply. "While he does that,
we
are going to deepen our investigation."

"You and Mom?"

Grams nodded. "I have feelers out. Marsden and his cronies still have an agenda."

"We've got a hacker working on their servers," Mom said. "We're just waiting to find something damning, but"--she shrugged--"So far nothing."

Grams sighed. "Only hints and implications. Nothing concrete. They seem to be covering their tracks too well. Even the big guns are coming up empty."

"Sentinel is on this?" They had to be, surely.

"Like a bear all over a honey pot."

As our laughter subsided, Mom said, "I'm going to stay here for a while. Dad and I can't be seen living in the same house."

I raised my eyebrows. It went against nature when parents grew up and moved back in with their kids. Would this mean I'd be kicked out of my room?

Mom's mouth curved into a secretive smile. "Do you still have your key, darling?"
 

It was my house. Of course I did.

"Of course, I do," my father said.

Huh?

"And in all this time you never once used it?" Mum's voice held a hint of accusation.

What?

"You left," Dad said tiredly. "You made it clear we were done. Whether it was to protect our children or not, you said we were done. Why would I use it?"

What. The. Hell?

"Because it's time you both grew up." Grams marched over and placed the platter of teacakes and pastries on the dining room table. "I'm tired of watching you two kids going around and around in circles. You did what you did at the time to protect your children. That's it. They don't need protection any longer. So be done with the past, and start thinking about the future." She skewered Dad with a don't-mess-with-me glare. "Use your key."

My parents turned to stare at Grams, their expressions a blend of shock, annoyance and gratitude.

I stared at Grams too. But not in gratitude. Would I ever get the image of my parents having sneaky sex like a couple of hormonal teenagers out of my brain?

No. No, I wouldn't.

"Food," I said, feeling nauseous. I waved both hands at the trays like a demented magician.
Don't think about it.
"Food."

Dad got to his feet, giving me an odd look, and walked over to Mom. After a moment of silent communication, he placed a hand around her waist and guided her to a seat at the table.

She patted the chair next to her and he took it. Grams and I joined them.

For a while we limited the conversation to asking for the sugar, the teacakes, the pastries. Finally, though, we had to move to the real issues. Dad started the ball rolling.

"So," he said, sounding resigned. "What the hell am I supposed to do while you ladies do the ground work?"

"Gather the Alphas and start preparing," Mom said. "Do your own investigations to find the traitors. Someone from the clans is feeding information to the High Council and that info is being used against us. We need to know who the mole is."

I cleared my throat. "And target those High Council members who looked like they were sitting on hot coals. Not all of them were thrilled with the new Addendum or with what Marsden had planned. Surely they would be the first to turn on him as long as they were promised discretion and safety?"

Dad shifted his attention to me, his expression impressed. "I hadn't noticed their discomfort, but I think that's going to be my first order of the day."

"No," Mom said. "It's not." She had a strange smile on her face, and when he raised his eyebrows she fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Don't forget, we have an affair to carry out."

Don't think about it.

"Do we now?" He leaned back with a cheeky smile.
 

They looked like two kids in love. So cheesy, yet so cute.

If they were someone else's parents.

"You get your key," Mom said, "and I'll meet you downstairs."

They both got to their feet, Dad heading for the coat-rack and Mom to my room where she'd thrown her coat and purse.

"Downstairs?" I echoed.

"Yes," she called from my room. "My apartment is downstairs."
 

What
?
 

"Your apartment is
downstairs
?" I squeaked. Couldn't help it. I didn't even know that the downstairs apartments were occupied. Grams and I had had the building to ourselves since I moved in a couple years ago.

"Yes, honey." Mom emerged from the room, coat in hand, her bag slung over her shoulder.
 

"
Your
apartment?"

"Is downstairs." She smiled at me, at Grams, and slid her arm through the crook of Dad's elbow. Then they both glided out of the apartment as if they hadn't just dropped a bomb on me.

Don't think about it.
 

I gave a delicate shudder, and the door clicked shut behind them.

O'H
AGAN
'
S
WAS
NOISY
BUT
I needed to be out of the apartment. It wasn't because my parents were having their illicit affair one floor down.
 

Or was it?

I just needed a change of scenery that didn't include demons, or families falling apart.

I wrapped my fingers around the glass of golden liquid and stared at the aged whiskey. Why the hell did I even order the stuff? It wasn't as if alcohol had any effect on me. Walkers were immune to the effects of any alcohol and regular drug.
 

But I was in a bar after midnight. Drinking seemed the thing to do.

The air changed, and drifted warm against my skin as someone slid in beside me.
 

I glanced up and smiled.

Logan pressed warm lips to my cheek, then nuzzled my neck.

"What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" he mumbled against my skin, his spiky stubble tickling me .

"Of all the corny lines in the existence of corny lines, that's the one you use?" I laughed softly. I had to admit it had been cute. Or maybe Logan was just that cute.

He raised his head, his dark messy hair standing up in all directions, and grinned. Then, as he studied my face, his smile disappeared. "What's wrong?"

"Crap."

"Crap?" he frowned. "What kind?"

"All kinds. Bull. Fans. Deep in it. Take your pick."

"That bad?"

I nodded as I twisted the heavy-bottomed glass.

He sniffed at my whiskey. "Strong stuff."
 

"Not for me."

"I know," he said with a sigh. "Care to share? Or do you want to keep staring at it?"

I smiled and slid the glass toward him. As he sipped I studied his face, noting the darkness smudging the skin beneath his reddened eyes.

"You still dreaming?" I asked, gently.

"Yep."

"Anything new?"

"Nope."

"Saleem?"

"Meeting me here."

I nodded and sat back wondering what the Djinn had to share that was important enough for them to track me down. Logan's presence was no accident, then. Saleem's involvement made it more important than a chance chat.
 

So I didn't push. I'd seen Logan struggling with his dreams, confused by memories that weren't memories, and I prayed he'd find some form of release. He needed low-key interaction and I was happy to comply.

Gold and bronze sparks of light flickered in the shadows of our booth and the djinn appeared in the seat opposite us as if summoned.

Saleem grinned, his dark features matching the sexy smile as he solidified. "Hey gorgeous."
 

"Hey, yourself." I smiled back. He was pretty sizzling for a humanized demon. "Where have you been?"

"Around." He glanced at Logan, his black eyes glittering. "Busy."

Busy
must have been fairly bad because for the briefest moment Saleem lost his glamor making the swirling tattoos on his skin starkly visible.

"Is everything okay?" asked Logan, his eyes not leaving his friend's face.

"Not really."

"Did she take you?"

Saleem nodded, then glanced at me. "Mel took me to find my mother."

"And?" I urged. Mel Morgan was not only the djinn's main squeeze--a pairing that I definitely approved of--but she was also probably the most powerful Soul Tracker of them all. Mel moved through the veil like Larsson did, but with more skill and power. She could also astral project.

"She's being held at a compound outside of Virginia."

I didn't press him but my
and?
hovered in the air between us.

"And," Saleem said "I saw something I hadn't expected."

Clearly he needed a prod. "Which was?"
 

He sighed and ran his fingers through his shoulder-length black hair. "Familiar faces."

"Familiar faces?" Logan leaned closer, his appropriated drink now forgotten.

"Familiar
Omega
faces."

We sat in silence for a while, but none of us were shocked.

"Not surprising," I said. "Not now we know they had everything to do with my mom's abduction."
 

"It's possible they've been holding
my
mother since before they roped me into working for them."
 

Saleem looked so defeated I felt a pull of sadness in my gut. Betrayal by an organization you trusted isn't an easy thing to bear.

"Did you see her?"

"Mel did. She's fine, but she doesn't look very happy." Saleem's face remained expressionless. He kept his hurt inside, a lot like Logan did.

I turned to Logan. "So Omega is suspect. Do you think they could have something to do with those memories of yours?"

"Memories?' asked Saleem.

Logan's grimace made it clear he thought I shouldn't have said anything in front of the djinn, but I shook my head. "Tell him. You need all the help you can get."

Logan jaw tightened but he relented and gave Saleem a quick précis. Vivid dreams that felt so real they were more like memories. His strong feeling that the girl was real. That she had something to do with his past.

"Have you considered," I said slowly, thinking aloud, "that she might be your sister?"
 

As I spoke, Saleem glanced at me, his expression odd.

Logan's face seemed more haggard than before.

"Of course you have," I murmured, my mind spinning. "Okay, maybe your memory has been tampered with. We all know Sentinel and Omega both resort to that kind of thing to protect innocents. They must have mages capable of doing the job."

"I'm not an innocent," Logan said.
 

Naturally he'd missed the point. "You
were
when you were twelve."
 

I spoke softly as he pushed away from the table and leaned against the back of the seat. He rested his hands on his thighs, running the palms back and forth along his jeans.
 

"Maybe," I continued, watching those restless hands, "they wanted to protect you from the truth."