“What’s up there?” I ask, and he walks over to me.
“The past,” he says.
“Your family’s past or Kaif’s?” I furrow my brows.
“Both,” Kyan states, his eyes look up the steps, at the door at the top. It has some strange inscription marked into black wood. “Come on, you need to get cleaned up, then you should rest, and I have to take care of a few things after.” He tilts his head to the hall, motioning for me to follow him.
“Like what?” I ask, wondering what he could possibly need to do at this ungodly hour.
“Clean up the mess left in the city. Damage control, before the human media gets a hold of anything. There are cameras everywhere in the city. The last thing we need is one of them getting footage of what happened tonight,” Kyan explains, and a cold shiver runs down my spine as soon as my mind brings me back to the place.
“I thought most of the city is aware of what you are,” I mutter and pull my bottom lip between my teeth. I can’t explain this, but whenever Kyan’s around, I get nervous and weird.
“They are. It’s unspoken of, yet the city sometimes gets newbie reporters in trying to break the case on the mysteries surrounding this city,” Kyan explains. Everything he tells me makes sense.
“Does that worry you?” I ask curiously.
“No.” He shakes his head. “Those that live here know not to speak of what happens in this city. Nothing leaves here.” The tone he uses to utter the last words honestly spooks me. Is that a warning he’s giving me?
“How can you be so sure?” I press. Scratch the warning if that’s what it is, I want to know what’s actually happening around here.
“The city is surrounded by wards, those that pass through forget any supernatural events if witnessed. Humans that reside here can’t speak of it outside the city,” He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “But we have had a few occurrences where people sent things out of the city. The footage is harder to explain, yet we always find a way, and those that investigate leave not remembering why they came here. They only remember having a good time, which keeps them coming back.”
“You did that?” I gasp.
Kyan shakes his head again. “No, Celeste did. My family just makes sure the wards remain strong.”
“Moon Goddess Celeste lived here?” My eyes widen at the newfound bit of information. Geez, the longer you live, the more you learn.
“At one stage, yes,” Kyan answers, pushing me toward his room with his hand on my lower back. “You really do ask a lot of questions,” he mutters as I step closer to the room.
“Well, I’m inquisitive.” No, I’m not. I’m lying to him. In reality, I like to stay away and mind my own business.
As we near his room, I am hit with Kyan’s scent instantly. Jonah’s too, which I think is rather odd.
“Jonah spends a lot of time in your room?” I ask him.
“Not in that way, but yes. He hates the house, and it creeps him out. He usually sleeps on the couch,” Kyan says, pointing to the couch next to the bookcases. Shelves run along each wall, covered in old books that look more like journals. A bathroom sits off one side, and Kyan steers me toward it.
“You journal?” I ask, and he laughs.
“Do I look like someone who writes their feelings down in a book?”
I glance at him. My brow pinch and my lips purse as I ponder that. “No, not really,” I tell him.
“Then, there’s your answer,” he says as I stand in the bathroom. “I will get you some clothes and a towel,” he adds, walking out and closing the door.
I turn the shower on and check the water as I wait for him to return. Kyan knocks on the door.
“I’m still dressed,” I tell him, and he opens the door, places the clothes next to the sink basin, and then walks out, only to stop and pause at the door.
“I have to head out, but I won’t be long. You can sleep in here. I will sleep on the couch. Also, Lucas is down the hall if you need anything,” he says, and I quickly nod, watching as he leaves the room.
I undress and step into the shower. I try to feel for Kora. She has remained alert since the moment Kyan picked us up, but even though she’s still very present, she has barely spoken to me.
“Are you alright?” I ask her.
“No, just leave it be,” Kora says. I look down at my hands and a shaky breath leaves my lips. I know she is referring to what I did. The blood is flaking off my hands, and I reach for the soap. Scrubbing them, Kora’s thoughts become mine, and guilt sets in and so does the dark feeling that always follows.
Kyan
Kaif irritates me the entire time I am gone. He wants nothing but to go back to Marabella and check on her. I assure him Lucas will ring us if something is wrong; however, he doesn’t calm down until we pull in through the iron gates. As soon as the manor comes into view, he relaxes and stops pushing beneath my skin. My arms have been itching since I left the place. The vibration of him so close to the surface has been driving me insane.
“Hurry up, hurry up. You humans with your short legs take forever to get places, move!” Kaif urges.
I growl at him but climb out of my car, shut the door gently, and walk into the house. I notice the frigid chill instantly, colder than usual. Usually, it doesn’t bother me, yet something feels alive in the air.
The whispers are louder, murmuring quietly, and they grow louder as I climb the stairs. So loud that I am having trouble drowning them out. The place is abuzz with excitement. Dad once explained the murmurings always grew louder with a female presence. It is something he never understood, either. I have never bought any woman here except Rose, when she came here with Jonah, yet the voices never reacted to her presence like this.
Walking down the corridor to my room, I feel a cold rush move through me, through my very essence, having walked directly through a large mass of energy like the ghosts of the past are huddled out the front of my door.
Kaif becomes annoyed with it, growls in warning, and electricity zaps from my fingertips. The chatter quiets instantly. The temperature rises significantly, so I grip the door handle – it feels like I am grabbing a block of ice. Pushing the door open, I step into the room.