When I reached the table with my tray of food, Kain pulled me straight into his lap and leaned in close.

  “Take what you need,” he whispered, kissing me sweetly.

  Blushing because we were right in front of his parents, I took power from him as quickly as possible, topping myself up to the bare minimum. When he pulled away, the mating bond singing in my blood, I couldn’t look anyone else at the table in the eye.

  “So, is it normal for me to feel like switching teams when I’m near her?” One of Daron’s sisters whispered loudly to the other.

  “Sorry, it happens when I’m drained,” I said, whilst simultaneously talking to Kain along the mating bond. “Are you going to put me down yet? I can’t talk to your family from your lap!”

  Kain stiffened and then beamed like a loon, squeezing me closer. “Mum, Dad, this is my Sunshine,” he announced proudly. “Sunshine, this is my mum and dad.”

  “Nice to meet you.” I tried to be polite, but it was hard to see anyone around the brawn that was my Pride mate. Feeling out of my depth, confronted with so many in-laws at once, I opened my empathic senses just enough to be able to garner the general feeling of the people around me. When all I felt was harmless curiosity, protectiveness and warmth from the people surrounding me, I pulled back to respect their individual privacy.

  “Kain, let the poor girl down.” His father rolled his eyes, “Nice to meet you too, Lilith. I’m Inigo and this is my wife, Cyra. We’ve heard so much about you.”

  “All good, right?” I tried awkwardly for a smile, pushing at Kain’s arms until he finally let me down.

  “Well, it took a while for me to figure out you were a person and not another of Jin’s pets.” Jin’s father let out a strained smile, his accent much less pronounced than Jin’s was. “Jiro Sharax, enchanted to meet you, young lady.”

  I could see where Jin got his cheesy pickup lines.

  “We have questions for you,” Daron’s pink-haired sister interrupted whatever I would have said in return. “And we’re not leaving until we know everything about you.”

  “Irina!” The green-haired twin met my eyes and then swiftly glared at her sister. “You’re supposed to save the interrogation for when we can get her alone!”

  “Better to start now, catch her whilst she’s off kilter from having the awkward ‘meeting the in-laws’ moment times three.”

  “Adrienne’s solution is the most logical,” Daron interjected, in support of his green haired sister.

  “Mum, they’re ganging up on me again!” Irina turned to her mother who just watched her children squabble with a twinkle in her eye.

  After that, the dinner became almost comfortable. Daron’s sisters had a way of putting everyone at ease with their constant arguing and banter, drawing chuckles from all sides as they mercilessly grilled me on every aspect of my life so far. When I’d somehow passed muster, they turned to telling funny stories of Daron as a child, making my cool, logical and shy mate blush and look away. One by one I tested my ability to communicate with the rest of my mates down our bonds, even Blaze, who was on patrol around the grounds. Bane was the only one who didn’t reply, or even give any indication of having heard me at all.

  Chapter 20

  Eventually, their families left, and I was about to retreat to the tower for some much-needed sleep when Maddox stopped me in the great hall.

  “Lilith, can you come to my office for a moment? There’s a matter I must discuss with you.” His grey eyes were serious in a way that set me on edge, and I looked back to where Blaze was waiting for me in the shadow of the main doors.

  Maddox followed my gaze. “Officer Inferna,” he called. “Would you accompany us? I feel Lilith might benefit from a friendly face.”

  Blaze approached slowly, his face carefully blank in a way that told me he knew exactly what Maddox had to tell me.

  “What do you know?” I asked him down our bond, but he didn’t reply. Instead he just wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed once before letting go and moving away.

  We both followed Maddox up to his office. I’d cleaned it over the summer as part of my work placement, but it was already returning to its old state of disarray. When Maddox handed me a hot chocolate and ushered me into a seat in front of his desk that had already been cleared of papers in preparation for my arrival, I knew something was very wrong. Blaze took up the spot behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders and massaging the skin there tenderly.

  “Lilith, I’m very sorry to have to tell you this, but your father’s parents were found murdered in their villa early yesterday morning.”

  Whatever I was expecting him to tell me, that wasn’t it. The news didn’t really penetrate for a moment, but when it did, I shook my head.

  “That’s not… how would… sorry?” I knew it didn’t make any sense, but I was struggling to comprehend.

  My grandparents had never visited me that often, but I’d always gotten cards, letters and presents from them. I’d even been to their villa as a child after Mum dragged me to fashion week once. It had been a lovely, shabby, sunny place surrounded by plum orchards. The idea of that tiny French village ever being the scene of a murder was almost completely ludicrous.

  “I wish I didn’t have to tell you this, but I feel you need to understand for your safety. They were shot at point blank range in the head,” Maddox continued. “Their corpses were dressed in fake devil horns and Vice uniforms. The knights believe it is intended to send a threat against you.”

  I felt physically sick. “They were killed to send a threat?”

  Maddox didn’t deny it, instead twirling a piece of paper around on his desk so that it faced me. “I understand that you’ll probably want to go to the funeral, but I must advise against it.” Maddox seemed to want to get all of this over with at once, and some small part of me didn’t blame him. It must be just as hard to deliver this news as it was for me to hear it. “With respect, Lady, they are dead, and leaving Vice when their killer remains at large is inadvisable. You have the right to fill out a request for absence, but I don’t know if the Headmistress will approve it… I know this is a bit much to take in, but you’re named as the only beneficiary of their will; their solicitor noted that they removed your father last winter. Everything they owned is now yours, but as per their wishes a segment has been put aside in stable, long-term investments and another part has been designated to fund you through college. All of Vice’s fees for your remaining time here have also been paid in full.”

  My head was spinning, and no amount of shaking was doing anything to clear it. “Professor, I don’t even…” Shot in the head and wearing fake horns? Who was sick enough to do that to a couple of reclusive artists?

  Shot in the head… the words kept spinning in my head. “Abrosiax,” I wasn’t listening to Maddox at all, and the whisper slipped out without my meaning it to. “This is all because Enzo murdered Abrosiax like that.” I hugged my chest, trying to alleviate the crushing hollow feeling. I stood abruptly, leaving my hot chocolate untouched. “Sorry, Professor, I just...”

  “I understand.” His words followed me as I fled the room.

  The cool night air couldn’t numb the strange dull feeling taking over me. I didn’t feel worthy to mourn the grandparents I hadn’t known as well as I should have, but at the same time, I had loved them in that distant sort of way. I had relied on knowing they were there and they’d supported me from afar when my mother disowned me.

  My mind was a confused, hurting mess all the way back to the Tower, and when I reached my door and discovered the small pile of Christmas gifts waiting outside, I mechanically moved them into my room but didn’t open them. What was I supposed to do now? I pondered the question over and over as I absently went through my night time routine.

  I knew I was supposed to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. Instead all that came was a dim feeling of grief-tempered anger. How dare Abrosiax strike out at my family! They’d had nothing to do with any of this. They hadn’t even known the Syndicate existed and now they’d become the latest casualty of a war I didn’t understand.

  Even Enzo had enough of a moral compass to know not to kill people who weren’t involved just because he could.

  I fell asleep confused, angry and hurt, desperately wishing one of my mates was there to comfort me, but unable to reach out.

  When I woke up, I expected to find one of my mates in the room with me, but instead, Rina was letting herself in, a plain white bakery box in her hands. Seeing her threw me for a second. Although both of us had been making an effort to be more civil, for Blaze’s sake, bringing me breakfast was still totally out of character for her. Despite whatever predictions her grandmother had made, we were still a long way from being ‘closer than sisters’.

  “This was not my idea.” She rolled her eyes, her posture defensive as she surveyed my room. “My brother asked me to come and talk to you… he seems to still be under the mistaken impression that I give a damn what you’re feeling.” She thrust the box onto the bed between us and perched on the edge of the mattress. “You wear that to bed? I expected a Succubus to have more… style.”

  I was in my old pyjamas from when I was younger, the faded fabric was worn but it was cosy and comfortable.

  “It wasn’t like I was planning for anyone to see it,” I grumbled, opening the box to see two warm French pastries sitting innocently in the box.

  “Right.” Rina plucked hers from the box and started picking it apart. “Get on with it.”

  “On with what?”

  “Whatever emotional outburst you had planned. I don’t have all day and I’m only here for the food. Rest assured I will judge every self-pitying word that comes out of your mouth.”

  “I’m not wallowing in self-pity,” I retorted, taking a huge bite of pastry. “My grandparents just died.”

  “Yup.”

  “You’re not helping!”

  “The dead don’t care, they’re dead. You’re sitting here not doing anything about the people responsible for it. I expected someone who was chosen by the Strange God to have backbone. Guess I was wrong.” She finished off her pastry and looked over at the pile of presents. “You know, I never figured you for the type of person to wait until boxing day to open your gifts.” Without asking she walked over and lifted the top present off the pile, rolling her eyes as she read the note attached. “To Sunshine, love Kain.”

  I reached for the colourfully wrapped box, but she’d already ripped the paper off and was staring at the box. “Art stuff, really?”

  “What’s wrong with art?” I finally succeeded in snatching the box from her and smiled at the high-end sketching set. “I like sketching.” And tucked into the sketchbook was a VIP season pass for all Kain’s games.

  “Are you any good?”

  I shrugged, I didn’t like showing people my stuff, and Rina would just turn her nose up at whatever I had to show her.

  She scoffed at my non-answer and went back to the pile. “Not like a bunch of pencils are going to help you defeat the Syndicate anyway.” She picked up the next box, a tiny one, and threw it at me. “This one’s from my brother.”

  I caught it and ripped it open before she could take it back again, unwrapping it and opening the plain cardboard box to reveal a small key. “What’s this for?”

  She rolled her eyes and continued rifling through the pile.

  Inside the box was an address and the briefest note.

  When you’re ready.

  This was the key to his flat, I realised. The one where he kept his toys.

  My whole body tingled in anticipation and I quickly tucked the key into my bedside cabinet, closing the drawer just as Rina picked up another present and held it out.

  “This one is from me for me.”

  “That makes no sense.” I took the box and opened it, noticing she hadn’t bothered with wrapping paper.

  Inside were several sets of dolls clothes.

  “I’m sick to death of watching your imps go around naked,” she insisted, drawing out a miniature jeans and shirt set and holding it out towards Ivory. “I measured them both already whilst you were in healing class and then altered doll clothes for their wings.”

  Ivory started pulling on a pair of miniature boxers and Rina dived in again, pulling out what could only be described as a biker outfit and holding it up towards Onyx who was lazily examining the proceedings from atop the dresser. “Get your tiny butt in these.”

  Onyx looked to me and then back at the clothes and then to me again. I just shrugged at him. Reluctantly he flew down and accepted the clothes from Rina and started dressing beside Ivory. The clothes had slits up the back so that their wings could peep out, and once they were both clothed I had to admit they looked better.

  “I made several sets, and I never want to see either of them uncovered in my presence again.”

  I gave her a mock salute and then smirked as both imps ignored the shoes she provided. Rina, however, had moved back to the gift pile and continued rifling through it.

  “Ah-hah! The assassin got you a gift.”

  I succeeded in snatching that one from her, it was long, slim and heavy. “I wonder what this is?”

  “Open it before I do it for you,” Rina threatened.

  I opened the parcel at one end, pulling out a long white box. I opened it to find a sleek, deadly looking weapon, reminiscent of a spear but shorter and bladed on both ends. It was about the length of my forearm, and it gleamed in the light, each blade wickedly curved.

  “That looks…”

  “Deadly.” I gingerly picked it out of the box and held it out to her. Rina took it with a certain wariness in her eyes, turning the sleek metal pole over in her hands. With a twisting motion of her hands, the spear snapped outwards, tripling in length till it was just taller than I was.

  “Holy…” I trailed off as Rina handed the thing back to me. “He knows I don’t know how to use this, right?”

  I twisted my hands in the way she had, and the spear retracted. Not trusting that it wouldn’t spin out and attack me at any moment, I gingerly placed it back in its box, swatting Onyx away when he tried to get too close.

  The rest of the morning was spent opening presents, Rina did a good job of distracting me, commenting on everything from the battery powered digital photo frame that Daron had gotten me which flicked between different pictures of my mates to the sexy underwear that Aeron had picked out. Jin had created something of a pampering kit, a huge basket box full of bath bombs, candles and face masks.

  And Bane… Bane had gotten me a new barrier ring, already the correct size for my horns. I would have laughed at the irony of the mate who’d erected a barrier between us to protect me giving me yet another barrier to protect me, but it just made me sad. The crystal on the new ring was set into a silver band and surrounded with tiny roses, and they reminded me of the blue roses outside my window.

  Of course, the moment I looked over at the blue roses, Rina set them on fire. Before I could say anything about it, she shoved me into the shower with my uniform, telling me we were already late for Theology.

  The acolyte’s lesson dragged on, his lecture on the structure of the priesthood drier than dirt, leaving me too much time to contemplate the deaths of my grandparents. Beside me, Daron squeezed my hand every time my thoughts got too melancholy, and I squeezed back to silently thank him for his support. At lunch, Jin pulled me straight onto his lap and hugged me tight before I was kidnapped by Aeron who did the same. Of course, Kain took me out of Aeron’s arms after only a few minutes, and then Daron sneakily took me from Kain and the cycle began again.

  I knew it should feel like musical chairs, but it made me feel loved and, although it couldn’t make the pain of losing my grandparents go away, it did help. So, when I went to Maddox’s lesson I almost felt normal again.

  Chapter 21

  The next day, after a morning full of combat training, I finally had a chance to use what Enzo had helped me with at Christmas. I’d spent the morning with Aeron, so I knew I had enough power to help at least one of my two patients, so when I walked onto the ward I went straight to Mr Gozi.

  “Good morning, Tyro.” His eyes, less bleak than before, gave me a quick once over.

  “Morning, Mr Gozi.” I took the seat opposite him and opened my empathic senses. “May I have your hand?”

  He offered me his hand, palm up. “You look like a woman with a plan.”

  “Yep.” I hoped the smile I was giving him was reassuring. “Let’s see if it will work.”

  I reached out with my mind, finding the ever-present anxiety flowing beneath his skin and followed it back to the source. Like with pain, emotions stemmed from the psychic plane, but unlike pain, they were less like sludge and more like a vapour. It made it harder to hold them down, but this time I didn’t want to do that.