Pariah (The New Covenant Series) (31 page)

I stood up and said, “Cain?”

He shook his head and muttered something under his breath.

I busted out laughing unable to c
ontain it anymore. He looked at me incredulously, which made me laugh even more.

“You think this is funny?” He scoffed.

I nodded and kept giggling. Tears squirted from my eyes, and my stomach hurt from clenching my abs so hard.

“This isn’t funny, Lara.” I nodd
ed and kept laughing and crying at the same time. I could barely hold myself upright.

“I’ll give you something to laugh about,” he said with a grin
finally appearing on his face. He stalked over toward me.
Oh no.
Crap
. I’d done it now. I ran around the bed, putting it between us. He stalked right, so I moved right too. He stalked left and so did I. Determination on his brow, he leaped over the mattress and grabbed me by the waist and threw me down and started ruthlessly tickling me. I was extremely ticklish, and other than Lil, no one had ever tickled me before. I laughed and kicked and squirmed and twisted, trying to get him to stop. He would not relent.

“Stop...okay...I gi
ve up!” He finally backed away, laughing himself.

Composing myself, I sat up
and said, “You looked so angry with him.”

The smile dropped off of his fac
e. “I was angry, Solara. He had no right to look at you like that. You should be angry too!”

“I was. But he’s just a little pe
rvert. He’s probably never even been close to a woman. Who cares about him?” I laughed, still catching my breath.

“If he hasn’t been, it might make him dangerous. Did you ever
think of that? You are a beautiful young woman, Lara. He could hurt you. If he hurt you, I’d—”

“Hey”—I put my hand on
his forearm—“he didn’t hurt me. He won’t hurt me. I know how to defend myself. It’s okay. Okay?”

“Fine.” He relented. “Let’s go to dinner at the pub.”

I changed into the dark green dress while he was out getting water and brushed my hair and rubbed some coconut oil on my dry lips. He’d already changed into his new outfit before leaving. He hoisted the water jug up to me and stopped on the top step.

He cleared his throat and said, “Are you ready?”

“Yep. You go first, but don’t look up when you get down there, or I’ll beat you like a red-headed Jeremiah!” He laughed and climbed down.

The pub was busy. Delicious smell
s of freshly baked bread wafted from inside. It was dinner time, and they served us some beef stew with potatoes, celery and carrots, and some bread formed into knots. It was mouthwatering. We each had a glass of berry wine with dinner, and we chatted as we watched all of the people around us.

The band started play
ing and before long, tables and chairs were being shoved into one another, making room for dancing. Folks took to the floor like moths to a flame, infused with liquor and bravery. They wiggled and writhed. Some looked like they were actually copulating on the dance floor. Wow. I’d never seen dancing like this. Men rubbed up and down the women’s bodies as they grinded into one another to the sensual beat of the music.

Most of the men looked a bit on the rough side, sporting
shaved heads and broad muscles. Tattoos flowed down their arms and necks. Some of the women were dressed as I was in long gowns, which the drunker ones hiked up to show their thighs to their partners. Others wore short, slinky “leave nothing to the imagination” dresses. To say that the folks here intimidated me a bit was an understatement. I ordered some liquid courage, determined to have a good time tonight. Cain would be headed home in a couple of days. I would see to it. I just needed to convince him that I was happy and safe here, so he would leave.

I was alone in this and wanted some time to process everything.
I needed to think about the message on my back and figure out what to do next, but I had to do it on my own. I could lay low here in the settlement until I decided. We had the loft for two more days. I needed to move fast. He had responsibilities at home, and I didn’t want to see him hurt. Everyone who got close to me gets hurt.

He brought my coconut favorite to me along with a glass
with amber liquor in it for himself. He sipped slowly, taking in the vulgar dancing around us with wide eyes. I’m sure I looked much the same. After a few more coconut drinks, I was happy and brave. I wanted to dance but wasn’t sure if he would. I stared at the couples writhing on the dance floor and at the drummer pounding out the underlying beat. Cain grabbed my hand and nodded toward the dance floor, slamming his empty glass back on the table. He smiled, and I let him lead me into the middle of the pack.

We swayed to the beat. Hi
s hands found my waist and then my hips. My arms found his neck and chest. It was fun. I couldn’t stop smiling. He couldn’t either. We danced for a few more songs when someone tapped my shoulder. I turned and gasped. Riven or Faric stood in front of me.

He leaned in. “You’re a hard woman to track down, Lara.” He
nodded to the tables. I gulped and looked at Cain with wide eyes, mouthing
Riven
to him. He looked at me with raised brows, and I shrugged. At the table, I sat next to Cain. The twin sat across the table. We ordered another round of drinks. “I’m Riven. By the way, Lara. Faric is still underneath Rebekah right now. They’ve barely come up for air.”

Riven looked me up and down. “You look beautiful, Lara.”

“Thanks,” I muttered. Cain laced his fingers through mine under the table. I squeezed his in thanks. He returned the squeeze.

“Why did you leave?” asked Riven, concern in his eyes and
something else—anger or pain? Had I hurt him by leaving?

“I needed to leave the island.”

“I would have taken you anywhere you needed to go. You didn’t have to involve anyone else.” He looked sternly at Cain. Cain returned his stare, never flinching.

“Riven, if I wanted you to
take me somewhere, I would have asked. I wanted to get away from you, your brother, and your father. I didn’t want you to find me.” I admitted.

His jaw clenched. “You d
idn’t want me to find you? Then you shouldn’t have just left. You could have left a note behind, explaining yourself. I thought someone took you. I was scared to death, worried for you,” he hissed.

Cain inhaled sharply. I squeezed his hand.

“I’m sorry. I should have left a note. I just thought that a clean break would be the best. I was wrong. But now that you do know where I stand, I would like you to leave. I wish to be left alone, Riven.”

Riven drank the contents of
his glass in one gulp. “You’re lying!” he roared. “You just want him!” He pointed toward Cain. Cain started to stand up.

“Cain. No.” I said, pulling him back down. I turned to Riven.

“You’re right. I want Cain. Now go, Riven. Leave me alone and don’t look for me again.”

Riven stared at me with a loo
k of disgust on his lips as one end curled up. “Fine.” He stormed out of the pub, and I exhaled.

I looked over toward Cain. “Sorry,” I said.

“It’s okay. Maybe he took the hint this time.” I pressed my lips together in an attempt to smile and ordered another coconut memory eraser. How had he found me?

After a few more of those, I
was ready to dance again. Cain followed me to the dance floor, and I carved a path toward an area off to the side of the stage. You could feel the music reverberating through the floor boards from this spot. My stomach burned, and the room spun a little bit. Cain turned me around and swayed my hips to the beat with his strong hands. I put my hands upon his and melted back into his chest. I could feel his warm breath in my hair. The rhythm was strong and sensual. I shivered from his closeness and reached up and threaded my fingers into the back of his hair, swaying to the beat. He ground into me, and I realized we looked like the others on the dance floor minus the hiked up gown.

“You feel amazing, Lara,” he
whispered in my ear. His breath grazed the tender spot underneath my ear. I turned around to face him. He grabbed my hips and stuck one of his legs in between mine, pulling me as close as possible. I raked my hands down his chest and stomach. He smelled like pine and ocean—fresh and wild. He bent his head down toward mine and threaded his fingers through my hair, pulling me closer. I saw his parted lips and then I freaked out. I pushed him back.
No. He’s my friend.

If I kissed him, it would cause w
eirdness. I lost Wesley and had discovered feelings for Riven despite the warning etched across my back. I needed time to deal with those feelings. How could something that felt so right be forbidden? “I’m sorry. I think we should go back to the loft, Cain.” He nodded and followed me back.

Cain lay on his half of the mattress, snoring lightly. I couldn’t
sleep, so I sat with my back propped up against the hay bales. My arms crossed over my knees. How had Riven found me? It was so strange. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Would he be back? Or had I convinced him to leave me alone. My heart clenched at the thought of him with Athena. I might have driven him right into her arms. I remembered the warning as translated from my mark.
Beware the twin fallen
. Which was Riven? The one who fell to earth or the one who fell into the pits of hell? And why did my heart hurt when I thought about him.

Cain nudged me awake. “Lara, wake up.” I squinted my eyes
open. Rain pelted the ceiling of the barn, and the sound of water dripping could be heard in different areas around us. I groaned. I’d fallen asleep, sitting up against the hay bales. My legs, arms, and neck ached from my sleep position. Luckily, there was no weirdness this morning. Maybe he’d forgotten about our dirty dance and almost-kiss. A girl could hope, right?

I
had found Solara at
the pub last night and convinced her that I was Riven. Not a hard task. I just had to imitate my brother’s sappy feelings for the human. Was she human? She was Chosen.

I supposed she was human. The ma
n she was with sure was pissed. I put on the performance of my life. A jealous lover. Now that she believed me gone, I could come in for the proverbial kill. I would lie in wait, capture her when she least expected it.

Rafe’s lessons had been helpful
. We found Solara but stayed out of sight. Faric had approached her, posed as me and led her to believe that he was now gone. He was laying his trap for her. Rebekah, whom I learned was another dark angel, and my brother’s mate, lay in wait in a remote and long-deserted cabin deep in the forest.

I had no idea that Rafe and his sisters were angels. Thank
goodness they were light angels or so they call us. Though fallen from heaven, they never followed Lucifer into hell. They realized their mistake as they were cast out of heaven, and chose instead to stay on earth in an attempt to redeem themselves to the Maker in hopes that He would be merciful and allow them entrance back into paradise. Rafe explained that my brother and I were different. Most fallen appeared immediately as adult humans when they hit the surface, but the Maker cast us into bodies of infants and made us grow up as ordinary humans. Faric and I were reborn to fulfill the prophecy—which also predicted our betrayal of the chosen.

Rafe and I followed Faric as he stalked Solara. I could smell
his every move, his stench of sulfur and burnt flesh permeated the air, like a trail of burnt bread crumbs for me to follow. Aniya and Athena stayed behind to keep an eye on Rebekah. They could certainly handle her. Faric’s transition was complete but so was mine, so we were evenly matched. I had no idea how, but I needed to convince Lara to come with me that I would keep her safe and that I would never harm her.

Something Ma
rtus said to her about her mark must have spooked her. She seemed genuinely afraid last night when Faric posed as me. She clung to the human male next to her for dear life. I cringed seeing her so nervous and frightened at the thought of being near me. I needed to convince her that the prophecy was wrong. I would never betray her. Never. I loved Solara and would punish anyone who tried to harm her—even if I had to forfeit another chance at eternal life in paradise.

Cain and I had the
talk, and I left the conversation feeling better. We were friends and would remain that way. He remembered last night and tried to apologize.

“Solara, I’m so sorry about last night. I was drunk an
d wasn’t thinking. I think I just...well, I really like you, and you’re the first woman to make me feel anything at all since Cora, so—” I put my hand on his shoulder. “Cain, you know that you and I can’t happen, right?” He gulped.

“I am the chosen. I don’t
even know what that means. God, this is so hard. Everything is so screwed up. I really like you, and you’ve quickly become one of my very best friends, and trust me when I say that is a very big deal for me because I haven’t had many friends at all in my life. I know I’m rambling, but...just know that I feel like your friendship is everything to me, and I don’t want to cross the line, making it more than that. I don’t have those types of feelings for you.” I hung my head, unable to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Lara, I love you as a friend as well, and if that’
s the only way I get to be in your life, then it’s good enough for me.” He smiled and lifted his brows. I peeked up at him and returned the smile.

“I need to find a more permanent place to stay—
away from Jeremiah. You should probably go back to your home. Although you’ll know where to find me, and I expect you to come and visit whenever you can, Mister!” He laughed and grabbed my hand. “Breakfast and then we’ll search for a place, okay?” I nodded, and he pulled me up.

We
had spoken with several people today, and only one offered a semi-permanent solution to my homeless situation. An older woman, Mae, offered to rent her sister’s home to me in exchange for daily cooking and cleaning at her own. I accepted her offer without hesitation.

Today was the last day we had the loft rented, an
d we grabbed dinner and headed back to pack our things. Cain said we could take mine to my rental home, and he would pack his up to travel home. While we were gathering our belongings, the barn door opened. Jeremiah, crazy looking as ever, strode in.

He cleared his throat and
nervously looked back and forth from me to Cain. Cain had undoubtedly put the fear of God in him after their last altercation.
Ha! Take that, Pervert!
“Justice has requested to see you, Lara.”

“Um, okay. Who is Justice?”

“Justice is our leader. Sort of the king of the outpost, if you will.”

I exchanged look with Cain. He spoke up. “
What does he want with Solara?”

Jeremiah looked annoyed and rolled his eyes. “I don’
t know. You’ll have to ask him yourself. I’m just delivering his message.” And with that, he turned and shut the barn door behind him.

I shrugged, and we cli
mbed down to catch Jeremiah. We didn’t even know how to find Justice. He told us to go into the town’s main square and look for the large wooden building. It was Justice’s home, and he would see me there. He told Cain that Justice had asked to see me, not him so he would likely have to wait outside. That didn’t sit well with Cain, and he was agitated the entire way into town.

“It’s okay. He just wants to talk to me. Probably to see who’
s moving in to his territory, you know? Welcome me to the neighborhood.” I smiled, trying to reassure him.

He inhaled and exhaled deepl
y, giving me a sharp look. Cain was pissed.

I knocked on the heavy wo
oden door of the biggest wooden structure I’d ever seen. I thought Cain’s house was huge. This was a wooden palace. I’m not sure how I’d managed not to notice it thus far. It was three stories high, and amber beams of wood crisscrossed its exterior intricately, weaving a unique wooden pattern unlike any I’d seen before. Cain seemed to marvel at the woodwork himself, which surprised me because of his obvious talent.

A middle-aged man wi
th medium-length midnight-black hair and cloudy brown eyes answered the door and ushered me inside. He glared sharply at Cain, expressing that I was the only invitee. Cain nodded at me, and I nodded back, and I knew he would stay put until I exited.

“You are Solara,” he stated. His voice was nasally and se
emed higher than I’d expected.

I nodded. “Yes. You’re Justice?” I asked.

He laughed and nodded. The inside of the palace was richly appointed. Deep crimson fabric draped the chairs, couches, and even composed the curtains. Wood crackled in the fireplace inside. It seemed odd as it was summer and not cold outside, but it provided light. There weren’t but a few windows, keeping the space bathed in partial darkness. Justice and his home were unsettling. I thought of the vampire legend, and he certainly fit the bill.
Creepy.

He motioned for me to ta
ke a seat in one of the crimson chairs, positioning himself across from me in a similar chair of his own. He stared at me for the longest time, making me squirm in discomfort. I tried not to let him see how he was affecting me, but I think he figured it out anyway. He smirked and said, “You plan to stay here.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” I explained the arrangement I’
d made with Mae, and he raised one brow at me, placing a fist under his chin.

After a few moments of awkward silence, he said, “No.”

“No?” I questioned.

“No. Solara, you are not welcome in the outpost.”
I felt as if the breath had been knocked out of me.

“What? Why? Isn’t this
a sanctuary for the exiled? The banished?”
Un-freaking-believable!

“Yes. Most exiled or banished
are welcome here. You are not. It’s as simple as that.” His smug face made me sick to my stomach.

“Can you at least explain?” My face was hot with anger.

“I know what you are, Solara, or should I just refer to you as Chosen? Anyway, you are aware that Altair has taken control of the kingdom?” He waited for my answer. I nodded. “I am aware of his...affection...for you. It would be very difficult for the outpost should his attentions fall on us because of you. Therefore, in order to protect the people here, you must leave. Immediately. Your presence puts all of us in danger.” He straightened his posture.

“I understand.” It was all I could manage in response. “
Can you please let Mae know that I had to leave and will be unable to fulfill our agreement?” He nodded, and I stood and rushed out the door. Cain caught me in his arms as soon as I exited. Hot tears spilled down my face. I didn’t even bother to wipe them away. “Loft,” I croaked. He grabbed my hand, and we rushed back.

Sliding the barn door shut, he
climbed the ladder after me. I rushed to get my things together.   “What’s wrong?” He sounded so worried. “What did he say to you?” My plan to get him to return home was quickly unraveling. I felt so bad for taking him from his home. He agreed to get me here for what I could give him. He stayed to ensure my safety because he was a gentleman and my friend. My heart was aching. I wouldn’t be able to survive it if he were hurt because of me. I couldn’t see a way to lie my way out of this now though as I had been so bluntly asked to leave.

“We have to leave,” I said. “Jus
tice said that my presence here places everyone in danger. Should Altair hear about me living here, he would...”

“Shhhhh. It’s okay. I get it.”
He swooped over and hugged me. I cried on his shoulder, our arms wrapped around each other.

I tried to get it together, wiping the tears away. “Why?”
I croaked.

He smiled lightly. “Why what?”

“The outcasts won’t even take me in. Why do I have to be the pariah among pariahs? Why did He have to choose me? I’m not strong enough for this.”

He took a steady breath. “La
ra, you are no outcast. You are exceptional, which is why Altair and Martus and the twins want you. The covet you. You are coveted, not unwanted. It’s why harboring you is so dangerous. You are the chosen because God likely saw your heart and strength. You’ve handled yourself well, and I’m honored to be your friend along this journey. I’ll help you find a place to belong. I might even find one for me.” He smiled.