Playing With Fire (Power of Four Book 2) (4 page)

Aaron spun around. The crowd behind him had thinned, leaving only three Hunters. Two Aaron didn’t recognise. The third had to be his uncle. Aaron stared at his uncle Alex, only to see Kyran stare back at him.

Aaron woke up breathing hard. Golden light from the setting sun was warming his face, coming in from the bare window. Aaron rubbed a hand down his face, trying to wipe the rest of his sleep away. He rose from his bed, fully clothed with his shoes still on. He had been so tired after helping his mum clean that he had crashed on his bed, intending to just rest but ended up falling asleep.

Aaron ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his eyes. He really did need a haircut. He sat on the edge of the bed, his heart still racing from that dream – if that’s what it was. It seemed like an actual memory, like he had somehow opened a flesh memory and witnessed a moment from his dad’s past. He was in a Q-Zone, a collapsing Q-Zone with hell hounds. His heart skipped a beat when he recalled who his dad was calling out to.

Dammit, Alex, get out!

Aaron held on to the memory of his uncle, his dad’s younger brother, a spitting image of Kyran Aedus. Two nights ago, when Aaron had seen Alex’s photo in the hallway, he had been convinced he was staring at Kyran. His dad had come behind him to put a heavy hand on his shoulder, staring at the photo too. He had only said two words, ‘That’s Alex,’ before pulling Aaron away. Aaron finally understood why his parents had looked so shocked at seeing Kyran in Salvador.

Aaron shook his head, trying to clear it, but Alex’s face refused to melt from his mind’s eye. It was impossible for two people to be so similar and not share a blood connection. The same face, the same dark hair, the same green eyes – Aaron paused. No, that wasn’t entirely true. His uncle Alex had had bright green eyes, the kind that sparkled when he smiled, evident by the numerous photos he’d seen around the house. Kyran – his heart leapt just thinking about him – had intense green eyes, the kind that made you stop breathing when they narrowed at you.

Why Kyran looked like his deceased uncle, Aaron didn’t know. He entertained the thought that maybe Kyran was his uncle’s son. That would make Kyran his first cousin. The thought was oddly comforting. But when Aaron remembered the memory Zhi-Jiya had shared with him, he felt his throat close up with fear. Kyran, flanked by two vamages, burning a village to the ground. The memory of those mages’ dying screams rang in his head and Aaron was quick to push the thought away. Kyran wasn’t his cousin. He couldn’t be an Adams. He was too cruel to be from Aaron’s bloodline.

He had killed mages, wiped out entire cities, zones even.

He had taken the key to unlock his father’s powers, giving Hadrian all he needed to destroy the mage realm, and the human one.

He had stood back and let Sam and Rose’s parents die.

It was that last crime which made Aaron’s insides twist with hatred. Kyran could have stopped the vamages. He could have saved Mr and Mrs Mason, but he didn’t.

Aaron let out a long breath. He glanced out of the window. It looked like late afternoon, the blaze of the sun had turned to a comforting glow. How long had his nap taken? Aaron got up and crossed the threshold of his new room.

He opened the door and headed down the dark-panelled corridor to the wide-stepped staircase. The house was big, far too big in Aaron’s opinion. There were two floors with six bedrooms and three bathrooms, and there was also a drawing room and separate living room on the ground floor. The kitchen was three times the size of their old kitchen in the human realm. Aaron had lost count of how many utility rooms there were.

Under other circumstances, Aaron may have been excited to live in such a big place, but the house had been abandoned for almost a decade and a half. Not only was it filthy, it had an entire array of creepy-crawlies taking up residence. His mum had started cleaning the first morning they woke up there. Aaron knew it was too much for her and offered to help. Sam and Rose didn’t offer, they just quietly started cleaning on their own, following Kate’s lead. Chris and Michael spent most of the first few days out of the house, bringing back supplies.

Aaron paused at the stairs, turning to look at the door at his far right. The years of abandonment had taken their toll but three faded colourful letters were still distinguishable on the wooden door.

BEN

Another reason Aaron had offered to help his mum was because of his late brother’s things, lying scattered around the house. Toys in random places, tiny boots tucked under the sofa, a small raincoat hanging behind the door – everywhere Aaron looked there was something of Ben’s waiting to greet them. It was enough to almost break his mum every time.

Aaron stared at the door, at his brother’s room. He hadn’t looked inside, didn’t really want to. He had heard his uncle Michael whispering to his dad about clearing it out but Aaron didn’t think it was going to happen. Not if his dad’s heartbroken expression was anything to go by. They didn’t really need to. They had more than enough rooms. They could leave Ben’s room as it was, preserving his memory.

Aaron made his way downstairs, but paused. Rose did the same, on her way upstairs. For a moment, the two friends just stared at each other, standing so still it looked like they had been frozen. Then Rose blinked and looked away. She cleared her throat.

“Your mum’s looking for you. Dinner’s almost ready.”

Even though there was a communal table outside in the street, Kate prepared all their meals in her own kitchen. None of them had gone outside, save for Chris and Michael.

Rose turned to walk back downstairs without another look at Aaron. Ever since they’d left Salvador, Rose had been distant with him. At first, Aaron thought she was in shock. She had been left heartbroken by Kyran’s deceit. She had liked Kyran, even kissed him, before finding out who he really was and his involvement in her parents’ murder. Aaron understood her hurt, her pain, but he didn’t know why she was taking it out on him.

“Rose?”

She didn’t stop.

“Rose?” Aaron hurried down the steps. “Rose? Hey, wait.” He grabbed her by the arm at the bottom of the stairs. Rose whirled around and shoved him in the chest, hard.

“Don’t touch me!” she snapped.

Aaron stumbled back. He stared at her in stunned shock. He had known Rose all his life. He had seen her being pushy with Sam, playfully hitting him on the arm or sometimes pushing him away when he was annoying her, but she had never lashed out like this. And never at Aaron.

“What’s wrong with you?” Aaron asked.

“What’s wrong with
you
?” she retorted. “Why are you grabbing me?”

“To stop you from running away,” Aaron said.

“Why?” she bit out.

“Why?” Aaron asked, incredulously. He stepped closer. “Because we’re friends,
that’s
why. But ever since we’ve come here, you won’t even talk to me.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Rose asked, her tone sharp, guarded.

Aaron stared at her. His ire melted when he saw past his friend’s anger and saw the fear – the desperate desire to lock away her pain.

He stepped closer. “Rose–”

“Don’t.” Rose backed away. “Don’t, Aaron. I don’t want to hear it. There’s nothing to talk about. I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.”

Rose paused, her eyes continued to burn in anger but her lips pressed together before she shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. “I don’t want to even think about it, about...about...”

Kyran.

She couldn’t say his name, but Aaron didn’t need her to. He took another step, so he was standing close to her, so close he could see the start of dark circles under her eyes.

“You want to be angry, fine, be angry,” he said. “You want to hit me, go ahead. Take out your anger any way you want, but please,” his hand reached out to take hers, “don’t block me out. Don’t be mad at me.”

Rose’s shoulders slumped, the anger left her eyes and remorse replaced it. “I’m not...I’m not mad at you,” she said. “I’m just–” She took in a breath. “I’m just mad.”

Aaron nodded. “I get it.”

Rose looked at him, right in the eyes and Aaron realised that he, in fact, didn’t get it. He had developed a friendship with Kyran, a kind of camaraderie he’d never had with anyone else.

Rose had fallen for Kyran.

A knock on the front door distracted both of them. They turned and looked at it with a frown. Kate walked out of the kitchen, her eyes narrowed with cautious suspicion. Chris and Michael hurried out of one of the rooms; Sam came out of another. They gathered in the hallway, just staring at the front door. It had been four days since they arrived. Until now, no one had knocked on their door.

Chris went to answer, as Michael stationed himself behind the door. Kate moved to stand at the foot of the stairs and it took Aaron a moment to realise she was shielding him. Chris opened the door a crack before he paused. A breath caught in Aaron’s chest when his dad didn’t do anything but stand there. Then Chris swung the door open fully to reveal a woman. She looked to be in her late thirties, maybe early forties. The auburn hair at her temples had turned grey but the rest of her hair shone in the setting sun. She was just standing there, her brown eyes still on Chris, mouth parted slightly. Then her gaze moved to Kate and she choked out a gasp.

“Kate.”

“Jane?” Kate’s voice carried her surprise.

The woman – Jane – stepped into the house, slowly looking Kate up and down, shaking her head. “I can’t believe it,” she said. “You’re...you’re really here.”

Kate stepped forward and hugged her. Then they were crying, letting out small sounds of surprise and sorrow.

***

Jane Boyd, Aaron quickly learnt, was his mum’s best friend. The two women were in the living room with steaming mugs of tea while Aaron and the others sat at the table in the kitchen, working their way through a mashed potato and chicken dinner. Aaron’s eyes kept darting to the open doorway, where he could see the two women sitting and talking quietly in the living room, looking rather forlorn.

Aaron narrowed his eyes at them. Skyler used to be able to hear him talking from halfway across the street, yet he couldn’t make out the conversation happening in the next room.

“Mages have good hearing, right?” Aaron asked.

Chris and Michael looked up from their plates. Sam and Rose tensed, but didn’t say anything.

“What?” Chris asked.

“Mages,” Aaron said. “They’re supposed to have good hearing. But I can’t pick anything up.”

Chris looked conflicted before Michael nudged his hand and tilted his head at Aaron.

Chris sighed. “You’re supposed to use the air.”

Aaron waited but nothing followed. “How exactly?” he pushed.

Chris’s eyes darted to the next room, to his wife and her friend, before resting on Aaron. “Eavesdropping is wrong, Aaron.”

“So is keeping secrets.”

Chris dropped his fork on his plate and leant across the table to look at Aaron. “Don’t do that,” he warned. “Don’t get cheeky with me. We didn’t tell you about our past because we didn’t want to upset you.”

Aaron held his gaze. “I had a brother and an uncle I never knew about,” he said. “No matter how painful it is, I deserve to know about my family.”

The pink spots in his dad’s cheeks told Aaron he was ashamed. He didn’t say anything for long minutes. And when he did, his voice was so quiet, Aaron almost missed it.

“I know.”

***

In the living room, Kate and Jane talked while their tea went cold.

“I heard rumours,” Jane said. “For months there was talk about the Adams being back. I came by the house but it was still blocked so I figured the rumours were just that. I didn’t think much of it. Then I heard that the vines were gone and I...I had to see for myself.” She held Kate’s gaze. “I never thought I would see you again.”

“Do you know who did it?” Kate asked. “The vines?”

Jane shook her head. “No. I found your house like that, when...when I came back.”

“Came back?” Kate shifted in her seat, leaning forward. “What do you mean?”

Jane’s haunted eyes glistened. “I know what everyone thinks of you,” she started. “Everyone has something to say about the Adams. But I know why you did it, why you left. I understand. Truth is, everyone did what you had. Everyone ran after the attack. The difference is, they ran to hide in this realm. You chose the human one.”

Kate was quick to sit tall, raising her head. “We did what we had to.”

Jane nodded and looked at the dark-haired boy in the kitchen, helping tidy the table after dinner.

“You did the right thing,” she said, staring at Aaron. “You had already lost too much.”

Kate didn’t say anything. She waited until her friend looked back at her. “Where did you go?”

“Everywhere,” Jane said. “Lived almost ten years going from city to city before I gathered the nerve to come back here.”

Kate’s eyes widened. “Ten years?”

“I wasn’t the only one,” Jane said. “The attack on Marwa left everyone shaken. If the City of the Elementals wasn’t safe then what city was?” She shook her head slowly, eyes brimming with tears. “You don’t know what it was like after the attack. The entire city emptied. No one wanted to stay in Marwa. This place was like a ghost town. For years, the city lay in ruins, abandoned, not a soul living here. Everyone was terrified the Gate was defective, that it would allow more demons in, so they refused to come back. Even Neriah didn’t return until five, maybe six years later.”