Refracted (The Celadon Circle Book 2) (18 page)

Scowling at the back of his head, Ivy said, “Well, isn’t that enlightening.”

“What?” Jordan asked.

“An Invictus has the power of persuasion,” she answered, shaking her head. “No wonder Jordan invited you along for the ride.”

Ivy’s implication had just begun to sink in when Xander came to an abrupt stop on the side of the road. He slammed the gearshift into Park and turned in his seat.

“I did not persuade Jordan in any way.”

His voice was a deep growl. The hairs on Jordan’s arms stood up.

“I can’t influence
feelings
, only thoughts – and my power only works on lesser demons and humans.” His eyes pleaded with her. “I swear, Jordan. I’ve never used my power on anyone.”

Refusing to let it go, as was her custom, Ivy said, “If you’ve never used your power then how do you know it only works on lesser demons and humans?”

“By accident,” he spat. “At the orphanage, my favorite pastime was reading comics in an old tree house that stood at the edge of the property. The activities director was a lazy sow who hated being outdoors. She always ordered us to stay inside and paint so she could stuff her face with donuts and yak on the phone.”

Xander looked out the window, his faraway eyes clearly seeing a different time and place.

“One day, I pretended I had super powers. Staring at her, I thought to myself, ‘You want us to go outside and play.’ Seconds later, her eyes glazed over, sweat dripped off her head…I thought she was sick. Instead of spewing the half dozen donuts she’d wolfed down in front of us, she said we could go outside and play.”

“That could have been a coincidence,” Jordan said.

“Maybe,” he conceded. “That’s one of the reasons Orias wanted me with you on this job. He thinks I’m useless.”

“What other powers do you have?” Ivy demanded. “I know damn well if you can change your eye color like that you’re much more than an Invictus.”

He rounded on her then. “You told me to confide in you because we all need to
trust
one another, then accused me of using my power to influence Jordan.” He turned in his seat, put the car in Drive, and checked the rearview before pulling back out on the road. “We’ll all ice skate in Hell before I tell you anything else.”

“Well, that sucks.” Ivy stretched her legs and plucked her iPod off the seat beside her. “I’ve got money on the Raiders’ game this week. It would be nice to know if they’ll win.” She paused, looking dejected with one earbud in place and the other swinging like a pendulum in front of her. “Then again, we’ll probably all ice skate in Hell before that happens, too.”

Jordan silently agreed while Xander’s lips twitched in a reluctant smile.

<><><>

They reached Wausau a little after 7:00 p.m. The Jefferson Street Inn never looked so good. Really. The place was fabulous as far as hotels went. Ivy insisted on putting Orias’ money to good use so they got one of the most expensive suites available with a second, attached guest room.

Once inside, they all went their separate ways. Ivy headed for the coffee pot, Xander to the guest room, and Jordan, feeling a bit lost, sat on the couch. She needed a shower, some food and, most important, to make a phone call.

She made Xander stop at Wal-Mart where she bought a disposable phone. When she’d left Tennessee with Aamon and Ivy, Jordan had forgotten to retrieve her cell from Nathan’s car. Afterward, Aamon had been reluctant to let her have one, stating the angels would expect her to contact her family and would trace the call. The idea of angels tracing electronic devices seemed comical and ridiculous, but Jordan held her tongue.

Now, there was no one to stop her. Ivy, of course, balked at the idea. Jordan ignored her. After three months of silence, her family felt as distant as the moon. Hearing their voices would help her reconnect.

She hoped.

Xander returned and inquired about food. Too tired to go out, they agreed to order pizza. Jordan, a steaming cup of coffee in hand, went to take a shower.

Wrapped in a fluffy robe, feeling ninety percent better thanks to good water pressure and strawberry scented shampoo, she followed the aroma of Italian spices and tomato sauce to the kitchen. In the living room, Ivy and Xander watched a
Supernatural
re-run while devouring slices of pizza. They weren’t speaking, but at least they occupied the same space. Jordan took that as a positive sign.

Finished with her supper, Ivy decided to take advantage of the whirlpool tub in the bedroom. Jordan waited until the door closed behind her, then pulled the disposable cell from the pocket of the robe. She rubbed the keys with her thumb, tracing the digits of the phone number at the farm. Her family was waiting for her, needed to hear from her. The thought of the call made her hands shake. 

“I’ll give you some privacy,” Xander said. He took her plate, stacked it on top of his own, and carried them to the kitchen. When he walked past her to his room, she was still staring at the phone in her hand.

“You okay?”

Jordan licked her lips. “I don’t know.” Her voice shook. “For three months, all I’ve wanted is to talk to my family. It just occurred to me that they may not feel the same.”

Xander sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. Jordan buried her face in his broad chest and cried. “Wha-what if th-they hate me now?” she stuttered, words muffled against his shirt. “What if they d-don’t want me anymore?”

“Shh,” he soothed, rubbing her back. “Call them. I’d bet my life you couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

“I’m – scared.”

“We’re all scared sometimes.”

Jordan snatched some tissues from a nearby box and dried her eyes, waiting for the heat of embarrassment to color her cheeks but it never came. Crying in front of Xander, confessing her insecurities, felt no different than when she talked to Nathan.

“You won’t be able to concentrate on this job until you put your mind at ease.” He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.

“I know.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “What if they’re being watched? My call could put us
all
in danger.”

Watching her hands shred the tissue, Xander asked, “Who would the angels expect you to call – which member of your family?”

Without hesitation, she answered, “My brother, Nathan, or my uncle.”

“What about your other brother…?”

“Quinn,” she supplied the name he was reaching for. Jordan massaged her temples. “Maybe, I don’t know. For a long time, he and I didn’t get along. We took a few steps toward repairing our relationship, but then I had to disappear. It’s unlikely that the angels know that.”

“Then that’s who you should call. Chances are, they won’t watch him as closely as the others, if they’re watching at all.”

Jordan had no doubt Nathan and Case were being watched. Michael knew the particulars of their family life.

“Does Quinn have a cell phone?”

She nodded.

From the bedroom, they heard Ivy moving about. Xander nodded toward his room. “Go in there to make your call. I’ll sit out here and make sure she doesn’t interrupt.” His smile was devilish.

Jordan rolled her eyes. “No arguing.”

He crossed his heart with his finger. On impulse, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. It was an innocent peck but still, she didn’t want to give Xander the wrong idea.

Thankfully, he winked and shooed her away. “Be gone, woman. It’s time for my show.”

He flipped the channel to
Dance Moms
and Jordan chuckled. She left him to his drama and went to make her call.

In the guest room, Jordan sat on the edge of the king-size bed and pulled the phone from her pocket. She’d already activated it – nothing left to do but put in Quinn’s number and press
send
.

Please don’t let this be the catalyst that brings us all down
.

Before she could change her mind, Jordan quickly dialed her brother’s number and sent the call. After a brief pause, the phone began to ring.

Chapter Twenty

Jordan

After the fourth ring, she began to fidget. He wasn’t going to answer. Jordan pressed the phone to her ear and willed Quinn to pick up at the other end.

“Hello?”

She almost cheered…until she realized it wasn’t her brother’s voice coming through the speaker.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

She knew that voice – would recognize it anywhere.

Gabe
.

Quinn
was
being watched.

Though he’d turned his back on their family, Jordan never thought her Guardian would actively participate in hunting her down. All these months, she’d almost convinced herself he didn’t have a choice when he left them high and dry. Michael was top brass. He gave the orders. And yet, Gabe was manning Quinn’s phone – the bastard. She wanted to scream.

“Who is it, Gabe?” a voice in the background inquired.

Without thinking, she whispered, “Quinn?”

“Jordan, is that you?” Gabe asked.

“Jordan?!”

The person in the background shouted and she smiled through tears.

Yes, that was her brother.

Over the line, she heard a scuffle of sorts and then Quinn was there – his voice so clear he could have been sitting next to her.

“Jordan, is that you?
Jordan!
”

She sniffed and swallowed around the lump in her throat. Still, Jordan barely recognized herself when she replied, “Yes, it’s me.” She paused and tried again. “Quinn, it’s me.”

“Oh, thank God!”

She wanted to reach through the phone and hug him. Her brother was okay. But why was Gabe there?

“It’s so good to hear your voice,” she said, still sniffling.

“It’s good to hear yours, too. We’ve been worried sick. Are you okay?”

She nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see her. “I’m okay. Quinn, is it safe for you to talk?”

“Yes. What about you? Tell me where you are and we’ll come get you.”

The prospect was tempting. She pictured herself in a group hug, mashed between him, Nathan, and Uncle Case.

“Jordan?”

“I’m here.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him her location. Instead, she bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. She had a job to do. Orias would hunt her down if she didn’t keep her end of the bargain. There was no way she would bring that kind of danger to her family.

“Are Nathan and Uncle Case okay?” she asked, hoping Quinn wouldn’t notice the change of subject.

“They are,” he answered. “I’m not with them right now, but Nathan was here last night.”

“Where’s ‘here?’” He wasn’t at home?

On the other end, Quinn sighed. “It’s a long story. I’m with Gabe at a motel but I swear, we’re all fine.”

“Why Gabe? He left us. Have you forgotten what happened in the mine?”

Quinn was quiet for a moment. “No, I didn’t forget. I lost you that day, in more ways than one.”

He was referring to when she died. Jordan had occasional nightmares where she was back on that rocky ledge, blood from the fatal bite delivered by the
Kongamato
rolling down her neck, dripping from the ends of her hair as it held her in its massive arms, poised for one more strike.

It never got the chance. Instead, the
Kongamato
died, lost its grip on her, and she fell. Jordan had no idea if she died from blood loss, the broken back, or the crushed skull. Dead is dead. She supposed it didn’t matter.

“It’s another long story,” he told her. “Do you trust me?”

“You know I do.”

“Then trust Gabe.”

She heard her brother gulp as he took a drink of something. Jordan longed for her coffee in the other room. 

“He didn’t know the whole story, Sis. Michael lied to him – is
still
lying – so Gabe left. Michael sent soldiers – it was too close for my comfort, but we managed to escape.”

Was it a set-up? Maybe Gabe was playing Quinn to get to her.

“I’m going to put you on speaker phone. He wants to talk to you.”

The day Gabe turned his back and left them to deal with the
Kongamatos
alone ended horribly. The creatures nearly bled Nathan and Uncle Case dry. Jordan was killed, brought back by a demon, and then forced to leave her family.

Her Guardian could have prevented it all.

But the demons kept you safe
, a voice inside whispered.

She wanted to ignore it or argue with it, but could do neither. If not for Aamon and Ivy, she’d either be dead or Michael’s prisoner.

“Jordan, can you hear me?”

Gabe sounded nervous. His voice – one she’d known her entire life – picked at her heart with sharp nails, worrying tiny pieces from the whole. Arm pressed into her midsection, Jordan rocked to and fro, desperate to ease the pain.

“Yes.” She gulped, fighting back tears.

“Have the demons hurt you?”

She thought about Gina, and then quickly dismissed her. Demons were one thing, but five gallons of crazy in a two gallon bucket was altogether different.

“No, they haven’t hurt me. I’ve been treated okay.”

“Good, that’s good.” Gabe cleared his throat. “Jordan, I could say I’m sorry but it wouldn’t be enough. I walked away from you – from my
family.
Instead of following orders, I should have followed my heart.”

He paused. Jordan pictured slumped shoulders, tousled hair, and golden eyes.

“I’ll give up my grace before leaving you again.”

Relief washed over her as the angel inside recognized truth in his words. Though unsure about her powers, Jordan had no doubt about this.

She wanted to say something meaningful, something that would assure him they were okay, but her emotions were all over the place. Instead of an eloquent speech, what he got was, “I’m not mad anymore, Gabe. Just promise you’ll look after my family and yourself. I have a feeling I’m going to need all of you soon.”

“Tell us where you are and we’ll come for you,” he begged. “We’ll get Nathan and Casen and go some place safe while we work this out.”

Gabe’s voice had taken on an edge that made her sit up on the bed.

“Jordan, you’re in danger. Michael thinks you may be a
Paladin
. I know you aren’t familiar with the word but trust me, he won’t stop searching until he knows for sure, and he has an army of Aeons at his command.”

Suddenly, Jordan wanted Koda. Running her fingers through his fur always helped her think. She grabbed a pillow instead.

How could she possibly explain that, as a baby in her mother’s womb, she’d not only killed the angel, Sariel, but also absorbed her grace? How could she tell him she was a monster?

“Gabe, I
am
a
Paladin
.”

Someone sucked in a breath. “Jordan, are you sure?” Quinn asked.

Damn. He knew something and it was bad. She could tell by the tightness in his voice.

“Yes,” she said. “I’m sure of it. I…things have happened. I have powers that aren’t normal for a Cambion, and sometimes my eyes glow blue instead of pearl-white.”

“Don’t forget about the wings.” Ivy stood a few feet inside the room. Jordan frowned; sure she’d locked the door.

“Wings?” Gabe asked? “What wings?”

Eyebrows raised, Jordan asked, “Yeah, what wings?”

“Jordan, who are you talking to?” That was Quinn.

“My sister, Ivy. Do you remember her?”

“Vividly.”

Ivy handed her a fresh cup of coffee. “The night you and Gina got into it, right before you burned away her powers; there was a silhouette of angel wings on the wall behind you. They slowly opened and spread out on either side of your shoulders.” She shrugged as if they were discussing a suspicious mole or the possibility of Jordan having a gluten allergy instead of wings. “The shadow stayed for a few seconds and then disappeared.”

“You burned away someone’s powers?!” Gabe’s voice cut across the line.

Jordan took a sip of coffee. Did the wings really matter? She couldn’t change anything.

She thought back to that night in the hallway outside Gina’s bedroom. She remembered hearing a whooshing sound and how it reminded her of Gabe. A place in the middle of her shoulders had become irritated too, but Jordan had written it off as a manifestation Gina’s power.

What the fuck are you?

Gina had asked her that right before Jordan grabbed her wrist. Now, her question made sense.

She glared at Ivy. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought you knew. When you didn’t react to sprouting wings, I figured it had happened before.”

Jordan slumped against the headboard almost spilling her coffee. “Are you sure?”

Ivy nodded. “I know what wings look like.”

“Did you get all that?” she asked Quinn and Gabe.

This just got better and better. Ivy reached over and gave her a hug before leaving the room.

Fuck you very much, Sis.

It wasn’t Ivy’s fault, though.

Jordan set her coffee on the bedside table and turned on the speaker phone. What the hell. Ivy’s revelation was just one more popped seam no longer holding her together. She lay back on the pillows and waited to fall apart.

“Jordan, what do you know about
Paladins
?”

Not enough
.

She stared at the phone, wondering what Quinn thought about all this. He was suspiciously quiet. He probably found her freakish genes repulsive. Jordan couldn’t blame him.

“I know that I am part demon, angel, and human,” she answered Gabe.

“There’s a bit more to it than that.”

“No shit, Gabe. I just found out I’ve got a pair of wings hidden somewhere.”

“Jordan, let us come get you. We’ll get this worked out.”

“I can’t – not yet at least. I have a job to do first.”

“What job?” Quinn’s voice was neutral, giving no hint of how he felt.

“I made a deal with Aamon’s boss. If I hunt down a rogue succubus that’s giving him grief, I get to come home, no demons attached.”

“You
get
to come home? What, are they holding you hostage or something?”

Jordan shook her head. Some things never changed, including her brother’s temper. “Quinn, that’s how demons work. They kept me safe. I owe a payment for services rendered.”

“And Aamon’s okay with this?”

“Hardly. He was furious, but had no say in the matter.”

Quinn switched into Slayer mode. “What level is the demon?”

Jordan thought back to the report Orias left in the SUV. There wasn’t a lot to go on yet. The succubus was level “red.” They were told to go to St. Paul, Minnesota. A contact would be in touch once they arrived. He provided no information on the infractions committed or powers she possessed.

“Red,” Jordan replied, and braced for the lecture she knew would come.

“I don’t like it. Too many things can go wrong on a demon hunt, especially if she isn’t working alone.”

Jordan rolled her eyes. Quinn was a master when it came to excuses to keep her off hunts. For years, he had let her think it was because he couldn’t stand the sight of her – that he blamed her for their mother’s death. Now, Jordan knew he’d kept her at arm’s length because he’d been afraid to lose her. Old habits were hard to break. 

“Besides, you aren’t experienced with demons,” he added.

Did he really just say that?

Jordan laughed, but crumbled inside. 

Her brother’s voice sounded as hollow as she felt. “Oh…I forgot.”

If only I could.

Gritting her teeth, Jordan said, “I’ll be fine.”

“But you’re alone. We never–”

“–go on hunts alone,” she finished. “And I’m not. I have Ivy…and Xander.”

Quinn snorted. “Who’s that? Your brother from another mother?”

“No,” she answered as her heart broke. It was obvious the progress she and Quinn made in their relationship was gone. One step forward and a mountain slide back. “Xander is a Cambion, but he isn’t Aamon’s.”

“I thought that was Aamon’s job.” Gabe cut in. “Demons rarely procreate without permission.”

“Yeah, well, one of them must have gotten carried away. Xander spent most of his life in an orphanage. They didn’t discover him until he was thirteen.”

“That doesn’t sound right.”

“He was never claimed. Seeing as how they aren’t supposed to make little demons without permission, it makes sense. The incubus responsible didn’t want to get in trouble, Xander was shoved in an institution, end of story.” His face flashed before her and Jordan smiled, remembering the warm feeling she got when she was around him. “He’s…different – not like other Cambions.”