After Landers came back to the office, he had congratulated us on our choice, smiling the whole time. Then he had sent Lochlynn and me up to his room, where we had been confined with a guard for the next day and a half. He had called up about thirty minutes ago, saying that he wanted to talk to us as soon as we had gotten ready for the day.
We had spent the entire time cuddling on various surfaces of his suite. The bed, both couches, in one of the chairs. We even ended up holding each other in the kitchen, almost letting our rice burn. Neither of us had started to cry, but there had been several times when I felt the breakdown looming over my head like a threat. I didn’t know what to do with the thoughts and memories in my head.
I had dreamt of Peggy fading into Hell two nights in a row. Both nights, Lochlynn had woken me up, and then I’d had to do the same thing for him when he had a nightmare. The worst part was that I didn’t feel like I’d made a mistake. I felt like I had done the only thing that I could, and still live with myself.
Breathing out, I shifted my feet, staring at the door that would lead us out into the hallway. “I’m nervous,” I admitted.
“Me too,” Lochlynn said, his hands resting against his sides. “If Dad put us under guard, then it’s because he’s planning something. If he’s letting us out, that means his plans are done, and he’s ready to put them into motion.”
My hands balled into fists, and I breathed out. “Okay. Well, you told me not to be interesting around that man, and I failed.”
“That’s hardly your fault,” Lochlynn said.
“I could’ve been boring.”
“No, you couldn’t have,” Lochlynn told me, dryly. He pulled the door open, revealing the empty hallway beyond. We had lost our guard, which meant that Landers no longer felt the need to keep us locked up in any way. That shouldn’t have made me as nervous as it did, and I certainly shouldn’t have felt my stomach beginning to cramp up. I took Lochlynn’s hand, wrapping my fingers around him.
He led us out of the room, and we went downstairs. None of the humans paid me any mind this time, which I appreciated. They still felt like zombies to me. They would go about their business, not looking at anything or anyone, barely talking to each other. Even then, they only spoke when they had to run something by their superiors or ask someone to move. I hated being downstairs with them, because it didn’t feel like being around real people at all.
When we turned down the hall that led to Landers’ office, my stomach cramped even harder, and bile filled the back of my throat. It had also been a featured spot in my nightmares, making sure that I never forgot what a scumbag I was.
Lochlynn knocked.
“Come in,” Landers called, his voice sounding pleasant. He always sounded that way, though. Even when he clearly faked it.
We stepped into the room, and my eyes immediately went to the spot the cage had been. Landers had it removed immediately, of course. Couldn’t have a corpse stinking up his office, now could he. I still saw the cage in my mind, with Peggy begging for her life, and then handing it over willingly when it didn’t hurt. I wondered what would’ve happened if it had hurt.
Would that have bothered me more, or less?
“Please, have a seat,” Landers asked, gesturing to the seats in front of his desk.
The urge to run almost took me over, but I forced my legs to carry me forward, to the chair he had indicated. I lowered myself into the seat, stretching my legs out and trying not to frown. Or look like I wanted to bolt. Or that I could bolt.
“Are you done keeping us locked up?” Lochlynn asked.
Landers smiled. “Yes, I am! Sorry about that nasty business, but I had a surprise that I didn’t want to get spoiled. It would’ve been like having a little child peek into their stocking before Christmas day. Not that you ever did anything like that.”
“Not that we ever celebrated Christmas,” Lochlynn countered.
“Yes, yes, I know. Who needs Christmas when your kids get everything they want already?”
I bit my tongue to keep from saying something scathing. Landers would’ve only been amused, and I didn’t feel like entertaining him that day. I felt like crawling back into bed, and not getting out until the sun went down and rose again. Clearing my throat, I asked, “Is this surprise…supposed to be for us?”
“It is,” Landers said, nodding his head. “It took me a surprisingly long time to put together. I thought that I would have it done in a day, but some people are so hard to negotiate with.”
My first thought went to Derrick. Had he already arrived? Landers promised that he would get Derrick away from Savannah, but I supposed he’d never said he’d bring my friend back here. I’d just assumed. Either way, I wanted to see him. I wanted to hug him and feel the proof that I hadn’t killed a woman for no reason.
“What is the surprise?” Lochlynn asked, his voice not nearly as calm as mine had been. He sounded cautious, like his father could dump a load onto us that we didn’t know how to handle.
Landers could, too. I’d never met a man so manipulative and evil as the one sitting before me. Even Nigel, with his cruel cages and his negligent air hadn’t been as bad as Landers. He just didn’t see humans as people, so why bother treating them as such? Landers played a different game.
“Do you remember what I said about the contract that I signed with Tomorrow’s father?”
My stomach twisted, just hearing that.
“Yeah,” I said. “That you are allowed to hurt me if I do something to deserve it, basically.”
“Not that part.” Landers waved his hand, almost dismissing my statement. “The other part.”
My brow furrowed.
Lochlynn’s face smoothed out, telling me that he had figured out his father’s scheme before me. Again. I looked from him to Landers. “Which part?”
Lochlynn answered. “The part that says it’s his duty to provide for you, the kind of life your father would have wanted you to have.” Lochlynn’s tense shoulders started to relax. “Dad, please leave her alone. She doesn’t deserve to be brought in to all your little games and schemes.”
Landers smiled. “She’s already a part of them. She has been since you decided that you liked her. Since you brought her into this house and sat her down at our table. Your mother agreed with this, too, so there isn’t really anything that you can do about it, either. Our minds are made up.”
“Do what?” I asked, looking from one to the other.
Landers turned to me. “I’ve decided that your caregiver isn’t doing a good enough job with you and your sister. Who can blame her, really? It’s hard watching two teenaged girls even when they are well-behaved and want to make life easy.”
Basically, not me or Yesterday. Got it.
“You’re firing Linda?” I asked.
“Oh, no. I’m providing her with some more helping hands,” Landers said. “You, Yesterday, and Linda are all going to be moving into my house. Your guardian agreed immediately when I called her yesterday. She even seemed eager. She’s been packing up all your stuff since the phone call.”
My mouth fell open. “You’re…we’re…what?”
Landers nodded. “Considering all the trouble you’ve caused since you’ve been out of her sight, I think this is the best option. I also want to make it as easy on you as I can, so you’ll be staying in Lochlynn’s room. I’ve cleared out the vampire side of the upstairs, and that’s where Linda, Yesterday, and your friends will be staying.”
The world started to tilt on its axis. “My friends?”
“Yes. I didn’t forget their role in this entire mess. They were just as eager to get Derrick back as you were. It took me much longer to talk their parents into handing over guardianship to us, but the contracts have been signed already. With my contacts, it shouldn’t take long before they’ve gone through the courts and everything.”
My lungs felt like someone had put a band around them and kept tightening and tightening that band.
Lochlynn put his hand on my knee, and it helped anchor me down to the real world. I still couldn’t think very clearly. “You’re bringing my friends to live here?”
“Yes,” Landers said. “I’ve got all the papers to make me your foster father. With a little money and all my influence, it’ll be about a week before they process, and then it’s final.”
Foster…father.
I wanted out of that room.
“Why? And don’t give me that bullshit about keeping an eye on me. You know damn well that I’ve saved the only person that I wanted to save. I’ve got Derrick back, so I’m not a threat to you. Why?” The words burst out of my mouth in a torrent. Lochlynn squeezing my knee got me to stop screaming, but barely. I felt unhinged, out of control.
Landers leaned forward, dropping the smile and the act for the first time since I’d met him. Gooseflesh marched down my back, making me shiver. He didn’t look congenial, and he didn’t look fake. Landers looked terrifying because his eyes had nothing in them. No compassion or care, or anything that resembled emotion. He looked at me like I was a bug underneath a magnifying glass.
“Because you fascinate me,” he said.
I got up and dashed out of the room. All my instincts screamed to keep running, to never stop until my legs had been worn down to nubs and I couldn’t walk anymore. I barely got halfway down the hall before Lochlynn caught up to me. He grabbed my arm, turning me around.
If he hadn’t held on, I would’ve bolted again.
“Tomorrow,” he said, grabbing my face. “You need to calm down. I know it’s the most useless thing to say, but you need to calm down, because you are only making it worse. You’re only making him like you more.”
I stopped moving. “Like me?” I asked, panting. I pointed to the door. “You cannot, for a second, think that he likes me.”
“I do,” Lochlynn whispered. “Because it’s the same way with me. My father just loves me.”
My stomach rolled. “He almost kills you on a weekly basis.”
“I know,” Lochlynn said. “And he loves me so much. I’m his favorite. My mother has told me that a thousand times, and he’s told me that, he’s told everyone that. I am his favorite, because I will not fall into line. He wants to see that defiance. He wants to know that one of his children isn’t like him.”
I put my hands on my knees, doubling over, trying to breathe. Lochlynn followed me, holding on to keep me from falling over. “His version of love is sick, and it’s painful, which is why you need to calm down. Because the more he likes you, the worst things will become. He likes to break all his favorite things, so that he can move on to something else. Look at my mother.”
I shivered. “Why does he like me?”
“Because you are a human that won’t go away, no matter how scared you get, and no matter how dangerous the situation becomes. I shouldn’t have brought you here in the first place. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I said, standing up, and wrapping me arms around him as well. “Don’t be. I made my own decisions. None of this is your fault.”
He held on as tightly as he could. “I’ll do my best to keep you safe from him. I promise.”
“Why is he dragging everyone I care about down too?”
“Because he can,” Lochlynn said.
A made brushed past us, openly gawking. I started to feel like a subject for people to gossip about. I pushed away from Lochlynn, brushing my hair over my ear. “All right,” I said. “Then I have to prepare them for what living here is going to be like, and we need to make sure that no one else becomes interesting to him.”
Lochlynn nodded. “We can do that.”
***
Linda and my sister arrived just after lunch. One of the staff knocked on Lochlynn’s door to announce their arrival. I maintained my cool until I saw Yesterday standing in the foyer, a bag over her shoulder while people brought all of our stuff in. She looked around in confusion and disgust, and I lost control over myself.
I ran down the stairs as fast as I could, colliding with Yesterday as she looked over. My arms went around her neck, and I held on for dear life. My sister returned the hug more gently. “Are you all right?” she asked, sounding worried. I wanted to tell her that nothing would be all right again. Instead, I said, “I will be.”
I released her, and Yesterday scrutinized me. I didn’t have a single mark on my body, so she didn’t have anything to get upset over. “Good,” she said. “Now, do you want to tell me what the hell is going on, and why we’re living in a demon’s house out of the blue?”
Linda fluttered over, sliding between us. “Now, now, don’t sound so upset about that. We need to count our blessings where we can, and this is definitely a blessing. We have everything that we could need here, and then some. I don’t want to hear either of your girls saying something bad about this house, or its occupants, understood?”
“Sure thing,” I said, trying not to sound put out already.
Yesterday raised an eyebrow. “I make no promises, and you are officially not the scariest thing I have to face.”
Linda frowned. “I don’t like your attitude, and I’d appreciate if you could adjust it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to help bring our things upstairs. I understand that we’ll be sharing the second floor with Lochlynn and Tomorrow.” She grinned at me, as if I had made her proud by nabbing a demon. If I didn’t care so much about him, I would’ve told Lochlynn that we had to break up.
He put his hand on my shoulder, as if sensing my irritation. “Yes, we will be,” he said. “Why don’t you head on up now, and the girls will help you later.”
Linda giggled at him, literally giggled, and then dashed up the stairs.
“I’m gonna be sick,” I said.
“You and me both,” Yesterday muttered. “She’ll probably try to force me on the first eligible demon that she comes across, too.”
“Say no,” Lochlynn recommended.
“Wasn’t planning on spreading ‘em for any random guy,” she responded.
The same staff member that had told me Yesterday and Linda had arrived showed up to tell me that Seanan and Seamus had as well. I didn’t wait for them to come into the door but opened it myself. Someone drove their car around back, while another large, black vehicle pulled up in front of the house.
A man in a black suit jumped out of the driver’s side and opened one of the back doors for Seanan and Seamus. Seanan looked mildly delighted with the treatment while her brother glowered at everything. He had a bag slung over his shoulder, and another down by his side. I assumed the second on belonged to Seanan, since she didn’t carry anything.
“Tomorrow!” Seanan screamed, and ran up the steps, straight at me. I barely had the chance to brace myself before she hugged me. I held on tightly while she did. “I was so worried about you!”
“I’m all right,” I told her.
Seanan released me, her eyes brimming with tears. “Our parents gave us up like we were nothing.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
She dropped her arms. “And now we’re living here.” Her eyes scanned the house in front of us, a frown pulling on her mouth.
Seamus came up behind her, also glaring at the house. “Mom and Dad can burn in hell for all I care,” he growled. “And just because we’re living here doesn’t mean we have to listen to the scumbag demons that also live here.”
This would be an uphill battle, I could tell.
I dragged my friends inside, where we started getting their stuff settled. It took almost an hour before Linda decided she wanted to explore the rest of the house and fluttered off. We got everyone’s things put away, and Lochlynn explained what parts of the house would be safe, and where people were held. Seamus glared at him the entire time, his jaw working.
When Lochlynn finished, Seamus stood up. “That’s all fascinating, really, but what the hell happened? You think we’re naïve.” He turned to me, pointing at my face. “You come to stay here, and now we’re all stuck in this house for god only knows how long. I want to know what happened, and I want to know now.”
“Stop it,” Seanan hissed, then turned to me. She put her hand on my knee. “He’s being an ass, I know, but I’d actually like to hear what happened, too. Last I heard, you were looking for Derrick. Then you fell off the grid for almost a week, and now you’re back, and we’re here.”
I looked at my sister, who nodded at me.
I took a deep breath and told them everything. I didn’t spare myself the details, and I didn’t bother trying to make it sound like I had been doing the right thing. I told them what happened. Lochlynn filled in a few blanks for me along the way, explaining his father’s thought process, or how this or that thing worked. Everyone listened intently, their faces all changing. I only left out the private things that Lochlynn told me, and the fact that the two of us had started dating.
Yesterday just looked interesting, while Seanan looked horrified, and Seamus…looked piss off.
When we finished, Seanan launched herself at me. My friend hugged me as tightly as she could, until I felt the life being squeezed out of my lungs. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of that. I can’t imagine—oh my god, it must have been so horrible! You are so brave!”
“Thank you?” It came out like a question.
“No, thank you,” Seanan said, pulling back. She stared at me with glassy eyes, like I was a hero. “You did it. You got Derrick back. You accomplished your goal. You saved our friend.”
“At the cost of a woman’s life,” I said.
Yesterday got up and came over to me. She took my hand, holding it tightly. Her touch didn’t calm me down as much as Lochlynn’s did, but it helped somewhat. Enough that I could breathe again. “I know that you won’t believe me, and that you’ve already decided what your role in that woman’s life was. But, as far as I’m concerned, you did the right thing.”
“What?” I asked.
Yesterday nodded. “You were right when you said that you couldn’t save her, but you could save him. One life is better than no lives. You did the right thing, and I’m sure that Derrick will see that.”
As stupid as it sounded, my heart eased upon hearing those words. What my sister thought of me meant more than I could begin to imagine.
Of course, Seanan and Yesterday weren’t the only ones in the room with opinions.
Seamus got up, shaking his head. “I can’t believe any of you,” he said.
“She didn’t do anything wrong,” Seanan said, which I disagreed with immensely.
“She saved Derrick by murdering someone else,” Seamus said. “That’s wrong. Not that he seems bothered by it.” He gestured to Lochlynn with a disgusted look on his face. “You may have her fooled, but I know your kind. You probably liked taking her soul. It made you feel so good, didn’t it? You would have done it for free, but decided to make her feel like shit along the way, right?”
“Seamus,” I said, standing up. “You don’t know him.”
“I do,” he said, sneering at Lochlynn. “You are disgusting.”
Lochlynn gave Seamus the most passive expression that I had ever seen. Like nothing that my friend said or did bothered him. “If you want to believe that, then be my guest,” he said.
Seamus sneered, turning back to me. “You’re with him, aren’t you?” he asked. “You tried so hard to dance around that fact in your story, but I don’t need you to tell me. It’s in how he looks at you, and how you always gravitate toward him. And you two keep touching.” He made a disgusted face. “You’re with him, right?”
I didn’t want to tell Seamus, and this had been the reason. The way he looked at me right then, that had been the entire reason. Instead of feeling ashamed like he wanted, I started to get pissed off.
I got right in his face. “Yeah, I am.”
“How could you do this?” Seamus asked.
“Because I like him, and he’s nice, and he isn’t anything that you say he is.”
“Tomorrow,” Lochlynn said, taking my hand. He pulled me away from Seamus before I could deck my friend.
“He’s going to screw you over,” Seamus said. “Don’t you see that? I don’t want you get screwed over.”
“He’s not going to do anything like that.”
“You don’t know their kind. You’ve fooled yourself into thinking they aren’t all alike, but they are. Look at him. He’s glowing from the power that he stole from an innocent woman. He looks completely rejuvenated, and you can’t tell me that he doesn’t enjoy that.”
“I’m leaving,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not going to listen to this. Derrick will be here soon, and I’d like for us to all be friendly around him. I can’t do that with you acting like this.”
Seamus shook his head. “I’ll be here when you learn the truth, but I won’t be kind enough not to rub in your face.”
“That’s enough!” Yesterday barked, storming up to Seamus. “My sister just went through hell, and she doesn’t need you berating her for it. You can shut your fucking mouth, or I will clock you one. Believe me, you do not want that.”
“Fine,” Seamus said, holding his hands up. “Fine.” He turned around and walked out of the room without saying another word. I heard his bedroom door slam shut a few seconds later.
“You were right,” I said to Lochlynn.
“Looks like.”
I lowered myself back down to the couch, so that I could sit with my hip pressed against his. “I’m sure he’ll calm down eventually. He always does.” I rubbed my forehead, trying to get rid of the headache that cropped up the second Seamus started screaming at me. Funny how that worked.
“He will,” Yesterday said. “Until then, let’s all just try to get settled. Like you said, Derrick should be here soon, and you don’t want him to get caught up in all this madness. He’s also gone through hell, and he doesn’t need to know all the things you did to save him, either.”
I nodded, taking Lochlynn’s hand. “It’s the least we can do for him.”
Seanan hugged me around my middle. “If it makes you feel better, I’m happy for you guys.”
I smiled and felt all right for the first time since Landers had pulled me into his office two days before. Maybe we could actually live here and be okay.