Set In Sparks (Morningstars Book 2) (12 page)

It wasn’t a question, but rather a statement and Kaden lowered his gaze to his hands. He couldn’t say anything, because as it was, this wasn’t a one-person decision. A while back he probably could have guessed Jaden’s answer, but that time had ended the moment Jaden had found out that they were both linked to Maya.  Seriously, Kaden hated fate. If it were a person, he’d try to kick its ass.

“I love you, Maya.” It was the best he could do, and it felt strangely deliberating to actually say those words.

“I love you, too,” she replied, the sadness clear in her words. “If only it was that easy.”

There was a knock on the door and Kaden cursed whoever broke the moment between Maya and him. As it was, Cany came in, looking like a ghost.

“There’s an officer from the MSP downstairs, Maya. He says he has a note regarding your dad,” she rushed out and Maya stepped to his side, taking Kaden’s hand.

“Come with me?” she asked, but Kaden held her back.

“He’s dead, little star. I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. This is a trick,” he pointed out and Maya slowly nodded.

“Which is why I need to talk to that officer,” she gave back and Kaden groaned. Heart-to-hearts were tough enough if you dealt with only them, but if they were followed by heartache they became almost unbearable. He thought there was so much left unsaid, but that would have to wait for another night. Frankly, Kaden wished Jaden was there, because he would know exactly what best to do to keep Maya from talking to that guy.

One thing Maya had been right about was after all, that Kaden would always consider her wishes, even if it weren’t the smartest thing to do.

Jaden aimlessly wandered the streets, not exactly sure what he was looking for. Maya felt lonely and hurt, and even though he wanted to be by her side, there was a claim he had to follow.

“Why did you take me?” Jaden had almost forgotten that he had asked Lex to join him. “Yeah, I know, I’m just too tiny, easily forgotten,” the mind reader grumbled, insulted. Jaden had to grin.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it,” Jaden apologized and Lex sighed.

“I’m not surprised. Your thoughts are all over the place. I can hardly decide which to address first. But I’m still gonna go right ahead.”

Jaden actually slowed down, liking the idea of someone else cleaning up his messy head.

“Kaden trying to kill Maya? Impossible. Seriously. He has tried everything to avoid Maya so you and her could be happy. If he were that jealous, he would’ve been around you all the time. And I mean that. Every damn night. He would’ve told you, too, that he’s bonded to Maya. I just don’t think it’s true,” Lex explained and Jaden rubbed his chin, staying quiet for a few moments.

“It’s not Kaden. Even if the possessing part could and most likely is possible, he knows I wouldn’t fight him for her.” Jaden almost chuckled as he saw Lex’s surprised face.

“You wouldn’t?” Jaden considered that for a moment and then shook his head in strong conviction.

“If Maya says it’s Kaden she wants, I’d step back. I couldn’t see her anymore, or not very often, because it would kill me inside, but I want her to be happy. Maya is my Origin. She’s all that matters, and if it means stepping back, well…” It would be hard. There was no need to deny that, but he had seen the way Maya looked at Kaden or the way she smiled for his twin.

“Yeah, but you’ve obviously never noticed that she smiles for you the same way,” Lex remarked and Jaden took a deep breath, dismissing the topic with a wave of his hand.

“Right now I’m just worried because I can’t decide if he’s a risk for Maya or not. I’m not gonna leave her to him if he’s insane or what do I know.” A fleeting image crossed his thoughts, but he tried to hide it before Lex ever saw it.

“You can’t be serious!”

Obviously Jaden hadn’t been quick enough to hide the image of Kaden as a Hellraise. “Don’t sound so outraged. We don’t know twins. We don’t know any rules. In fact, I doubt there
are
rules. What if he snaps? You haven’t seen him the way I saw him. And you haven’t heard Maya talk about him. If there’s no you in your body, what’s left?” Jaden challenged and Lex stopped him from walking, making sure Jaden was looking at him.

“Your twin will not go Hellraise. He had a half a century to go bad. The way I see it, meaning what I gathered from your thoughts, he didn’t go for blood when Kaden wasn’t himself. He went for Maya and even then, he didn’t attack her. He knelt in front of her, dropping the daggers he had used to kill bad guys with. I’m not sure why you’re worried exactly, but he sure won’t hurt Maya. Now, that emptiness though…” Lex made a disgusted face. “That sure doesn’t sound good.”

“And this is actually exactly where you come in. Let’s say we meet Kaden, you need to read his thoughts,” Jaden explained, feeling better now that the topic had returned to safer places.

“Kaden is great at guarding his thoughts,” Lex remarked and Jaden nodded, being surprised at how glad he was that he could say for sure Kaden was far away from them.

“If we see his face out on the street today, we know it’s not him,” he reported and Lex rolled his eyes.

“You either share all of your thoughts with me, or none at all. This guessing game is tiring.”

Jaden barked out a laugh. “You
do
realize that about every person on this planet has to guess?” he asked and Lex shrugged a shoulder with a guilty grin.

“Might be. Couldn’t do it. So, how do you know it’s not your twin?”

“Maya is contended. And she’s feeling slightly guilty. My guess? She’s either talking to him or close to him in a way she likes.”

Lex did a double take. “And you are okay with that?” he asked and Jaden had to nod.

“They’re both safe. They’re somewhat okay and as long as Maya’s with Kaden, neither of them hurts. At the moment that’s really the best I can ask for, right?” he inquired and Lex locked at him, waving a hand in front of his face.

“You, who are you and what have you done with the Jaden who first didn’t want that girl and then didn’t want to let go of her?”

Jaden pushed him away, embarrassed and yet somewhat proud. He had changed a lot over the last months and it was all because of Maya. He was still hotheaded, still proud, and still loved fighting like almost nothing else, but he had also learned what it meant to remember that someone else belonged to your life. He knew now how it felt if you were no longer selfish, but thought of your Origin first.

Lex’s grin vanished and he leaned against a wall next to them. “You must really hate her right now. I mean, after all she is not ready to decide between the two of you. You’re ready to let her go and she’s nothing but selfish.”

It was what Jaden had thought the hours after walking out on her and Kaden following the confession, but it no longer was what he thought.

“Let’s keep walking. I can think better if my feet are moving,” Jaden admitted and then just turned into some dark street, needing to walk. The alleys were silent at that time of night, especially since Jaden had opted for the better part of town. Streetlamps threw halos on the pavement, making his strides seem much quicker as each halo gave way to the next.

Lex fell in step next to him and Jaden took a deep breath. “I’m excited to hear
that
,” Lex interrupted before Jaden could even start. It made him groan. He wasn’t good at putting his thoughts in order and even worse at it if someone kept interrupting him.

“I kept wondering why Maya kept this whole thing from me. Seriously, what reason could she have? Especially since we all know how she and Kaden clicked. I know she loves him, I do. I’ve seen it in the way she looks at him and heard it in the way she says his name, yet she stayed with me. She didn’t even try to go behind my back on this or Kaden wouldn’t have stayed away from her like that. He’s my brother. If roles were reversed, I wouldn’t have gone behind his back. Besides, Maya clearly didn’t. Even if I wouldn’t have felt all of her feelings, it’s just not her,” Jaden admitted and saw out of the corner of his eye how Lex nodded.

“That’s something we agree upon,” Lex said and Jaden picked up a brow.

“You love Maya. You would never think that she is malicious or selfish,” he accused and the mind reader had the decency to blush.

“That was never the question. We’re not working on convincing me. We need to convince you,” he stated matter-of-factly and Jaden nodded.

“Well, I realized there was just one reason why she didn’t drop me and go for Kaden instead,” Jaden concluded, shaking his head since he couldn’t believe he’d ever say that. “She really does love both of us.”

“Well, I’m happy that’s what you think. So … how will you proceed?” Lex wanted to know and Jaden counted a few steps before shrugging.

“I don’t know, I –”

The ringing of his cellphone interrupted him. Cursing, he fished the black plastic out of his pocket.

“It’s Ry,” he told Lex and then hit the accept-button.

“What?” he snapped and waited while listening to the turmoil coming over the line. He could make out Cany’s voice, his twin’s and a male voice he didn’t recognize. “Ryder?” Jaden pushed.

“Maya, stop and think about this please,” Ryder’s voice came over the phone, not really talking to Jaden.

“Hang up,
brother
.” Jaden hissed at Maya’s tone. She was angry, very much so, and if her feelings were anything to go by, she was confused and hurt as well. “I don’t need a babysitter. It’s enough that one twin is trying to tell me what to do,” his Origin went on and Jaden turned to Lex, a questioning expression on his face.

“Little star, I’m not … just stop and wait until Jaden gets here,” Kaden pleaded and Jaden groaned. Lex and Jaden moved towards the direction of the mansion. He kept clutching his phone to his ear, needing to find out what was going on.

“Ryder, damn it, talk to me,” he demanded.

“Ryder, hang up, or I’ll never forgive you,” Maya threatened, obviously having heard Jaden.

“Get here, fast,” Ryder pleaded and then the line went dead. It wouldn’t take long until they were there, yet sometimes minutes could appear longer than an eternity.

Maya stared at the officer standing in front of her and the halfway crazy bunch that consisted of her courtier and the warriors.

“Ignore them.” Admitted, it was a hard feat to ignore the constant chatter and screams, but the officer only gave her a helpless smile. She hadn’t caught his name over Ryder’s bickering. Her brother wasn’t a big fan of the Morning Star Police.

“Maya, I’m begging you, Officer…?” Kaden looked at the guy and he sighed, running a hand through his unruly black hair.

“Tristan. My name is Tristan,” he explained, sounding tired and exasperated.

“Tristan
Kane
. He’s the human liaison,” Ryder snarled and Maya wanted to throttle him.

“You! Shut the fuck up,” she growled, pointing at her brother. “And you, Officer, please, follow me.” She opened the front door and walked out with him, turning away from Tristan to face everyone else. “You all go and do something useful. Cany, we need catering for the Masquerade. Ryder, you … watch Kaden, and the moment Jaden shows, you tell him you made a fuss for nothing. Lie, I don’t fucking care. That’s your mess to clean up and I’ll be back soon.”

“Maya, if you think for one second you’ll walk out of this door without a protest, think again,” Kaden told her, making her grit her teeth.