Unnaturals (22 page)

She kept eating. `I like you. You're funny and don't look at me like I'm a freak.'

`That's happened to you?'

`I found someone once who I liked. Not long after I turned. He was nice at first. We dated and did the normal things.'

`What happened?'

`We had sex.'

`Sorry?' That took his attention off the food. These girls had no inhibitions.

`We had sex. I had never been with a man and I was prepared to like it. Until he hit me.'

`What?' He had to look at her, unsure if she was joking again.

`He liked to hit women when having sex. I hit him back.'

He lifted her face so he could look into her eyes.

`You hit him hard, I hope?' He let a small smile creep onto his face, trying to make her blue eyes smile as well.

She shrugged. `I broke his jaw, collar bone and arm.' She sighed, touching his hand. `You understand this. When you first gain strength it is hard to control when with someone.'

`Yes, no. Not yet.' His ears hummed and he let her go. `The island… we'd…'

`Oh.' She poked at her food. `Sorry.'

`Not your fault.'

The window vibrated next to them. `You hear that?'

`Yeah.' She touched the window glass. `It's coming from above us.'

`Above us?' He looked out into the night sky.

Lilly stood up and peered out the window. He joined her, straining his eyes as a shape grew closer. His stomach churned as the shape grew more defined — with limbs and wings.

`Goddess.' Lilly pressed her face to the window. `Has he always been able to do that?'

`No,' Wilson moaned, watching his father swoop over the estate. He didn't need to see who else was with him. He knew.

`Reminds me of a movie I saw once,' Lilly said, sitting back down to her meal.

Wilson sighed. Lilly didn't seem concerned so he decided to just accept it. `Was it a cheesy vampire flick?' He sat down at the remains of his steak.

`Yeah.' She bumped his leg again. `Dracula and his brides.'

Wilson rolled his eyes, then caught her grin. `You're enjoying this, aren't you?'

`Immensely.'

Cool cobblestones pressed into his feet. Something itched deep inside the flesh of his arms.

`You coming in?' Ruth stood in the light pouring from the doorway.

`Not yet.' Mason stepped back into the shadows that seemed to follow him. He needed some time alone. Wings rustled as they settled back into place.

`What's wrong?'

He glanced at Renee standing in the shadows near him, hoping she might read his need to be alone. Words were hard to manage when he ached for the kill.

`Time,' Renee said, stepping into the light. Her body shone smooth and sweet again, Huntress gone from it. `Ruth, I think we need to leave him be for a while. Out here.'

`Mason?'

He read Ruth's concern, felt it and tasted it in the air. Sound rumbled deep inside his chest and she froze. He had to go.

`It's okay, Ruth.' Renee took her by the arm and he stepped further into his shadows. `He just needs some time,' she stopped, looked at him, understanding in her face. `He needs some time alone,' she said with conviction. Then she frowned at him, `You'll stay on the estate.'

Not a question. Advice; an order. He didn't speak, just nodded and held Renee's gaze. His shadows thickened and he slipped through the trees, his senses turned inwards.

A voice murmured to him.

Whispers he could almost hear, but not enough to understand. Dark undercurrents tainted the whispers.

He stopped. `No.' His final word. He would not listen. `Go. Away.'

Silence replied.

`Better.' He rolled his shoulders and clenched his hands into fists, the scales softening. Something moved under his flesh, rippling down his forearms. Muscles shuddered and skin split at the wrists.

A long black spine protruded from each forearm. `Interesting.' He studied them. `Nasty surprise.' He tested the left against a tree trunk, pushing hard and waiting for the snap as it broke, and the pain that should follow. Neither came. The spine slid into the tree. `Very nasty.'

But awkward if he had to wear them all the time. He pulled free of the tree and focused. The spines retracted. Hidden.

`So, let's see if we can put this monster to bed.'

He listened. The voice had gone, taking the need to kill with it. He moved on towards the lake.

Cold water smothered the heat of his scales. He loved swimming. Memories of the island came to him as he swam deep underwater. Memories of Ruth and Wilson in the surf. Memories of back when it was just him and them.

He surfaced. Muscles relaxed and tension faded. Better, much better. He felt his wings merging back into his flesh as he swam to the shore.

On the bank he waited for the water to still, then checked his reflection in the moonlight. `Me again, minus the scales, eh?'

Silence replied and he smiled. No voices. `So, only partially mad, then?'

Something splashed across the lake and insects resumed their nightly song. A night bird called. Mason grinned in the direction of the call, realising the shadows that had kept Hunter constant company had gone as well.

The night seemed brighter. Soft light flickered through the trees, beckoning him back to the lake house.

 

Wilson stepped out of the shower.

`There's a towel beside the vanity.'

He paused for a second. It hadn't been there before he went into the shower. `Thanks.' Wilson towelled himself off, discovering his clothes had disappeared.

`I found some clean clothes for you. I'll leave them on the bed.'

He heard the bedroom door closed, and opened the bathroom door to check. She had gone. He padded over to the bed, finding the clothes she had left.

He held up a shirt, his favourite surfing brand. Matching shorts and underwear lay on the bed. Somehow he doubted they had just been found. The faint scent of new clothes lingered on the shirt. Someone had slipped out to buy him clothes.

`I hope they fit.' The muffled voice coming through the door reminded Wilson he was still naked. He grabbed the underwear.

`Ah. Yeah. They'll be fine, thanks.' Shorts and shirt followed. Nice.

He took his towel back to the bathroom, stopping at the sight of his reflection in the mirror. He swallowed, wetting his lips; nerves fluttered. Lilly liked him. She'd gone to a lot of trouble.

He leaned in closer to his reflection. `You like her too, but she's not Sally. Not even human.' He shook his head. `You understand, Wilson,' he spoke to his reflection. `Be nice but don't screw this up.'

`You all right in there?'

He frowned into the mirror. `You are so dead if you kiss her, so no kissing.'

`Who are you talking to?'

Damn, she had good ears. `Myself.' He went to the bedroom door and opened it.

`You talk to yourself a lot, then?' she smiled at him.

`Not a lot.' He stepped back as Lilly moved past him. `Do you eavesdrop at bedroom doors a lot?'

`Only if it's interesting.' She sat on the bed and crossed her legs. Wilson pulled in a deep breath. They were nice legs. His hand felt sweaty on the doorknob.

`Look...' Butterflies fluttered in his stomach. Lilly watched with blue eyes. What the hell did he say? His mouth was dry. `This is a bit difficult for me.'

`It's okay. Tell me.'

`I like you, Lilly.' He swallowed. She didn't move. `It's been a crazy day.'

`Sure has.'

She wriggled her toes and Wilson found the turquoise on her toenails mesmerising. He leant against the doorframe. Lilly lay back on the bed, revealing a toned midriff when her singlet rode up. His ears burned and he knew he was blushing but Lilly just waited. Words failed him until he spotted the slight curve of her lip. She was laughing at him.

`You heard everything I said in the bathroom, didn't you?' Butterflies became pelicans cartwheeling in his stomach.

`Yep.' Her smile exploded into a grin. `Just couldn't help myself. Sorry.'

`So you just sit there and...' He waved a hand at her.

`Look delicious?'

`I didn't say that.'

`Relax,' she said, stretching. `Let's just be honest and say the attraction is mutual.'

Wilson relaxed as she sat up. How she moved was amazing. His stomach lurched again.

`Look, sorry,' he said, sitting beside her on the bed. `I've never met anyone like you. I feel different around you.'

`Same for me. I haven't found anyone I could be myself with for so long. And you make me laugh. I haven't done a lot of that for a while either.'

`I get that. Life gets too serious sometimes.'

Lilly's rested her hand on his knee. `Sally. She means a lot to you?'

`Yes.'

`You truly love her, don't you?' Her eyes held his.

`Yeah. It's been hard since everything happened. But without her I wouldn't have recovered, you know, like I did.'

`She helped you heal on the inside,' Lilly nodded, understanding, but her hand did not move.

`Mum says Sally kept me grounded while I was in hospital. Having her there reminded me of,' he shrugged, `life.'

`This is what I find so attractive in you, Wil. You're true. There's no façade or shell to work through. This is you.' Lilly let his knee go and stood up. She held her hand out. `Come on. Let's go. There are too many ears in the walls here.'

`Go where?'

`Surprise,' she said, tilting her head. `Grab a pillow and the blanket.' She reached past him to take a pillow.

Wilson didn't hesitate. He grabbed one and rolled it into the blanket. The room had felt stuffy anyway. He stood up, still feeling flushed.

`Just so you know — what you said in the bathroom, I respect that.' Lilly was waiting at the door. `And will always do so, until you say otherwise.' She slipped a hand into his.

`Thanks.' Her hand felt so soft, her grip light but strong. `I was worried—'

`Wait. We can talk soon. Let's go.'

`Okay.' He almost had to jog to keep up with her. They moved fast down the long hallway and he felt the flush of excitement come to him again, as if they were sneaking out after curfew. `What's the rush?'

`Nearly midnight. Shush.'

She led him out of the house to the huge patio. `This way.' She pulled him towards one end of it. The end away from the lake house Wilson noted, gratefully.

`What are we doing?'

Lilly stopped on the edge of the patio, looking around. `Dodging eyes and ears that I don't want following us.'

He looked around, adjusting his vision in the silver moonlight. A building stood half-hidden in the trees.

`This way.' Lilly headed towards it. Wilson didn't hold back, stretching his legs for the first time since leaving the island. Lilly fell behind. `Show off,' she whispered when they reached the old stone building.

Wilson pushed the timber door open `What is this place?'

`The glass house.' Lilly pushed past while he stared at the flowers filling the space. `The glass roof lets the moonlight shine bright in here.'

Wilson shut the door. Scents shimmered in the air around him. Purple shone brightly right in front of him, and he touched the flower carefully.

`Don't touch.' She grabbed his hand. `This way.'

He stepped through a door and paused. The room she had taken him to was circular, full of flowers. His eyes went to the centre of the room, where Lilly sat.

`You like?'

`Amazing.' He walked past flowers, unable to avoid brushing them, sending their delicate scents into the air. `I've never smelt anything like this before.'

`I know.' Lilly put her pillow down. `Come and sit.'

He looked at her. Whatever she sat on was oddly shaped. He ran a hand over the seat. `What is this?' A cool softness greeted his hand.

`Trust me and sit.' She touched his arm. `You will like this.'

Wilson sat beside her. The chair softened under him, accepting his weight.

`Look up.'

He leaned back, amazed at the clarity of the stars above him.

She tightened her grip on his arm. `Lean back more with me.'

The chair moved under him, rippling, and he grabbed Lilly's leg as he fell back onto a cool softness unlike anything he had ever felt before. Flowers surrounded him. Stars hung brightly in the sky above. He reached up, pushing a finger into the sliver of moonlight shining through the flowers. `It's amazing.'

`Put your pillow under your head and relax.'

Lilly's body lay against his, their hips touching as her hand sought his out. `This is a special place for me. I used to come here as a child and hide. The flowers and this place always accepted me. They're all lilies.' She rolled onto her side and laid her arm across his chest. `On nights like this, the moonlight fills this place with its magic. I used to dream about having a family; tried to remember my mother's face, what it was like to be held by her.'

Wilson put his arm around her, all desires and worry gone as she rested her chin on his shoulder. `I feel so relaxed, so calm here,' he said.

`It does that, the flower hutch. Pulls the stress out of you.'

`Tell me about your mother,' he whispered, aware of her breath on his neck.

`I don't remember much. Ivy found me years ago, wandering around the streets in London. I don't know how long I'd been there or how I got here. All I knew was I had to keep moving. I put up a fight when Ivy tried to take me to her house.'

`Lucky she won, then.'

Lilly moved against him and he found he was enjoying her company without the sexual tension.

`Ivy saved me. Wilson, you need to see something.' She sat up and pulled her singlet off.

`Jesus!' Wilson couldn't stop himself. Savage scars disfigured her breast and chest. He grabbed her hand. In the moonlight her scars seemed to soften.

`This is what Ivy found on me.' She touched the place where a chunk of her breast was gone, replaced by scar tissue. `I had been stabbed three times. This first tore out a chunk of flesh, so big the wound transferred when I turned.' She moved her hand to a second jagged scar closer to her heart. `This one just missed my heart and here…'

Wilson followed her finger as it found a third scar. `They almost got it right, except for this,' she said and opened her hand, palm out, revealing more scarring.