Octavian's Undoing (Sons of Judgment) (32 page)

She took all this in with building fascination and a boat load of questions. “So, she’s a Selkie?”

“No.” Octavian scrunched his face thoughtfully. “Not all Casters are Selkies. Actually, we’re the only ones. But like us, Valkyrie’s family joined the Angels in the fight against demons.”

“So they’re Veil Creatures, too?”

He nodded. “It’s the only way one becomes a Caster. They gave their oath to serve the heavens.”

“And you guys hunt together? What does that mean?”

A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. “So many questions.”

Riley blushed. “It’s not every day a girl learns about the supernatural world and all the characters in it.”

The smile faded from his eyes. “This isn’t a book, Green-eyes. This is real and dangerous.”

“I know, but I still want to know everything about it, and you.”

He seemed to consider this a moment before speaking. “Yes, we hunt together sometimes. There’s safety in numbers and it’s near impossible for a single Caster to take down an inanimis. Their inhuman strength and speed make them the ultimate predators. There’s very little that kills them.”

A chill crept through her even as she fought to hold it off. “And these things just wander the streets?”

“They can only face the night. Without a soul, they’re forbidden to see daylight.”

Riley visibly shuddered. Her arms rose to repel the second blast of fear, but no amount of hugging herself helped.

“Hey.” He went to her, stopping when he was close enough to blanket her in his heat. “You’re safe here. They wouldn’t dare enter Final Judgment.” His lips curled in a teasing grin. “We’re not lucky enough to have them come to us to die.”

She knew it was meant as a joke, but all she could think was how close he stood and how badly she wanted to rest her head against his chest and let his arms enfold her. She had a feeling that everything being pushed on her wouldn’t seem so dire if she could just lose herself in him.

“This won’t be forever,” he murmured, doing that thing where he could read her as though they shared a single line of thought, a single cord attaching their emotions.

Riley sighed shakily. Her head dropped forward, her forehead centimeters from his chest. “I don’t think I could stand it if it was, Octavian.” She raised her head, bottom lip caught between her teeth. “I…”

He raised a hand to her face. It never made contact, but hovered mere inches from her cheek, so close that the skin beneath tingled. “I know, baby.” He dropped his arm back to his side. His mint-scented exhalation washed over her face. Then he smiled charmingly. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

She had nothing to wear. That wasn’t because she was staring at an overflowing closet full of beautiful gowns and designer jeans and she just couldn’t make up her mind. No. She really had nothing to wear.

Alongside the three dresses she owned were the four pairs of jeans and three sweaters. The rest of the closet lay bare, except for the stack of boxes filled with old school books she’d shoved into one corner.

Riley huffed, slumping uselessly against the doorframe. If only she still had that green dress she’d bought, but the thing had been so badly ruined from her fall and stained with her blood that it wasn’t even fit to be used as a rag. After dropping her off at home, Kyaerin had cleaned her up and tossed the dress into the trash, which explained why Riley had awakened almost naked in bed. It was discouraging, knowing the only outfit she’d bought in ages was somewhere in a landfill. Worse still, she had only worn the thing once.

Well, there was no point thinking about that now. She had an hour before Octavian picked her up and she still needed to shower.

Dejected, she settled on a pair of jeans and a soft, wool sweater in flint gray. The color reminded her of Octavian’s eyes. She carried both into the bathroom and showered. She dressed and left her hair down, a red curtain down her back. She was in the process of applying her makeup when a soft knock interrupted the silence.

Heart leaping, Riley set down her tube of lip gloss, gave herself a final once over in the mirror before hurrying to answer. Her father was nowhere in sight, but the TV from the living room was missing and there was a faint hum of conversation coming from his room. She didn’t bother telling him she was leaving.

She swung the door open and smiled at the beautiful sight he made. “Hey.”

Octavian grinned at her, looking devastatingly gorgeous in his black jeans and leather jacket. His hair was combed and slicked to the side. His face was cleanly shaven and he smelled amazing, like sandalwood and spices. He raked a gaze over her once, taking her in thoroughly before meeting her eyes.

“Hey.”

She stepped back, holding the door. “Would you like to come in?”

Carefully, he stepped over the threshold and joined her in the narrow hallway. Riley closed the door behind him.

“I just need to get my coat,” she said, starting towards the cramped little closet in the corner, just before the kitchen. “Am I dressed okay? I wasn’t sure where we were going.”

Again, he took a long, slow survey of her. “You look beautiful.”

It wasn’t the answer she expected, but it did warm, gooey things to her inside. The flush spread across her body, filling her face. “Thank you.”

Biting her lip, she turned away. The closet door gave a soft squeak as she pried it open. She reached inside for her coat and slung it on. Octavian was glancing around at the very little between where he stood and the opening that led into the sitting area. Riley wondered if she should give him a tour, but opted against it. She really didn’t want him to see how empty or how un-homey the place was.

“Shall we?”

He inclined his head, reaching behind him for the knob. The door opened silently in his grasp and he held it while she passed through.

Curious, she followed him downstairs. “Are we taking my car?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Nope. I brought mine this time.”

The sleek, black car gleamed in the bright sunlight, a harsh contrast to the blinding snow surrounding it. She’d been in the thing once before, but it had been dark and raining and she hadn’t taken the time to appreciate it’s beauty, not that Riley knew much about cars, nevertheless it looked expensive and when Octavian opened her door for her and helped her in, it even smelled expensive. The soft-as-butter leather had her body melding into it, cuddling her into its supple folds. All around her were buttons and a TV screen mounted into the dashboard. Just sitting there she felt out of place and clumsy. She drew her knees together tightly and squished her hands between her thighs to keep from accidently scratching anything or leaving a smear. She couldn’t imagine what it would cost to upholster the thing.

Next to her, Octavian slipped into the driver’s seat. He reached into his jacket pocket and removed a set of keys. Riley watched as he filled the chilly October with the low, but powerful hum of machine.

“Nice car,” she said for lack of anything better.

“Thank you,” he said, easing away from her apartment.

“What is it?” she asked, watching the little blip on the TV screen as it maneuvered through a maze of winding colors.

“A Lexus,” he replied.

That meant nothing to her and the way he said it, like he was telling her the color of his jeans, he didn’t sound like he cared overly much either, to which she was glad. The last thing she wanted was a guy who got all obsessive and showy about his cars.

“It’s nice,” she said again, turning to peer out her window. “So, where are we going?”

“North-east,” he said, making a smooth turn.

Riley braced herself to feel the wheel rattle and the tires slide, but the transition was so beautiful, she didn’t even feel it.

“What’s north-east?” she asked, mentally calculating how long she’d have to save in order to buy a car like this. Although not entirely impossible, she’d only have to stop ever spending a penny, which meant living in a cardboard box, eating out of dumpsters and stealing clothes from other homeless people. Totally doable.

“A place,” came his cryptic response.

Riley turned her head and eyed him. “Should I be worried?”

He grinned at the windshield. “Yes.”

But she wasn’t worried. No matter what happened, she knew she was safe with him. Every fiber of her body trusted him without a single doubt.

“Well, so you know, I’m allergic to peanuts,” she told him, settling back in the seat.

He flicked her a sidelong glance, his arched eyebrow speaking volumes.

“In case this field trip is to a peanut factory or something.”

He snorted. “So noted.”

It wasn’t a peanut factory. They pulled into the yawning parking area of Final Judgment. He killed the engine, pocketed the keys and turned to her.

Riley stared at the looming structure towering over them with a look of profound interest. “I’ve heard of this place. Isn’t this where
Elvis
was spotted?”

Octavian rolled his eyes as he kicked open his door. “And I’m the dork?”

Lip twitching, he ducked out of the car and rounded the hood to her side. He jerked the door open. Riley rolled out and joined him on the snow covered gravel. He shut the door and motioned her to follow.

They didn’t go into the building as she’d expected. Instead, he took her around the side. Trees, brittle branches tangled in a canopy, choked the dreary heavens. Twigs, crystalized in ice, snapped beneath their feet like bones as they picked their way through the narrow path deep into the forest.

“This is how every horror movie begins,” she mused aloud, her breath forming a cloud in front of her face.

“Don’t worry.” Octavian stole a glance back over his shoulder. “I won’t let Jason get you.”

Riley shuddered. “I hated that movie.”

Octavian snickered. “Not a horror fan?”

“Nope.”

“What do you like then?”

Stepping over a risen root, Riley shrugged. “I haven’t watched anything in seven years. I have no idea.”

“Why not?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to answer him when he stopped and turned to her. She stopped as well to avoid smacking into him and sending them both plummeting down the sharp incline.

“It’s a bit steep here,” he said, digging into his pockets. He emerged a moment later with a pair of soft, leather gloves. He encased his hands into them and flexed his fingers. Then, he reached inside his jacket and removed a small, folded shopping bag. The paper crinkled as he unfolded it and pried the top open.

“You were carrying that around all this time?”

He glanced up curiously. “Inside pocket.” And that was the end of that.

Riley just bit her lip to keep from laughing.

He drew a long, green scarf from the bag. Agilely, he leaned over and looped it around her neck, folding and tucking the ends around the bottom half of her face. Then, he removed a pair of gloves that he passed to her. The knitted pieces felt like baby clouds in her hands, so soft, she had to restrain herself from rubbing them against her cheek. They matched the scarf and the toque he now held in his hand.

“Go on,” he said when she continued to stare at him, bemused.

Wary, she slipped her fingers into the tiny pieces of heaven. Then took the knitted toque he offered and pulled it down over her ears.

“What’s this for?” she asked.

“Padding, warmth and…” He took a step back and extended his hand to her.

In the process of adjusting the wool cap on her head, Riley stiffened. She blinked, disbelieving her own eyes. Her gaze swung up the length of his arm to his breathtaking face, searching it for an explanation.

Octavian gave her a small smile. “Weren’t you the one who said we can touch so long as it’s over clothes?”

She had, but she hadn’t expected him to actually consider it. Cotton mouthed, Riley swallowed. “You’re not afraid I’m wrong?”