Chapter Eighteen - word count 2199 - Download PDF
18.
      Sorcha’s stomach churned with the realization that she had just been rejected.  Utterly and completely.  Kyle with is flirtatious charm and sweet teasing, when given the chance to make love to her, had left, and it was clear to Sorcha that he didn’t want her.  
      She felt the tear slip from the corner of her eye, and reached up and viscously scrubbed it away.  
      Don’t be such a ninny, she told herself, you didn’t want to give your virginity up to a ghost remember.  That was a lie and she knew it.  She wanted Kyle enough to give him anything, even her stupid virginity, and it didn’t matter if he was alive or not.  
      Sorcha reached for her neatly folded clothes and started getting dressed.  Right now all she wanted to do was go back to the compound and hide.  She was embarrassed and humiliated and – damn it, frustrated.  What the hell kind of game was he playing anyway, you don’t toy with a person like that, you don’t start making love to someone then sprout nonsense and disappear.  
      Sorcha?
       Jesse’s voice bloomed in her head and Sorcha nearly shrieked with the fright it gave her.
      Sorry.
      He sounded sheepish, he must have sensed the fright he gave her.  
      Next time I’ll announce myself with this sound.  
      The soft sound of a wind chime filled her head and she had to smile.  Jesse was nothing if not considerate.  
      It’s fine Jesse, I was just deep in thought.  
      Sorcha sent with a smile in her mental voice.  
      Seth tried to reach Darius, but for some reason he’s not answering his cell, and Ross’s doesn’t work over there.  He asked me to let you pass a message for him, he needs the Omega back at the compound as soon as you can get here.  It’s not an emergency, but apparently there have been some developments that you all need to be made aware of.  
      Sorcha nodded then realized that Jesse couldn’t see her and spoke instead.
      Okay Jesse, I’ll pass the message on.  Oh, and remind me to give you my cell number when we get back.  
      She sent a soft laugh with the thought, and heard his echo in her mind.  
      I’ll leave you to your deep thoughts now.  See you when you get back.  
      Jesse’s presence in her mind was gone.  
      Time to go back to the house and tell Darius and Ross, Kyle she was planning on avoiding completely, she just couldn’t face him right now.  
      Or ever again.  Her mental voice told her.  
      “Yeah, or ever again.”  
      
      “I’m sorry Gemma, I want you to come back with me.  But right now things are too dangerous.  As soon as we have things under control I will come fetch you.  For now please stay with Slade.” Darius spoke softly.  
      Gemma sat next to him on the swing, and she was not happy.  She’d only just met her brother and now he was leaving, and he refused to take her with.  
      “I’m not a baby Dar.  You don’t have to coddle me.”  She really was trying not to get angry.  
      “I understand that, it’s not just to protect you its to protect me.”  Darius decided to appeal to her conscious.
      “If I have to go into battle and I know you are somewhere close enough that you could be taken, I would never be able to concentrate.  Would you put my life at risk because I’m worrying about loosing my sister?”
      Gemma snorted, that bit of reverse psychology did not fool her. “Bull-shit!”  
      Darius realized at that moment, that it wasn’t bull, he was terrified of loosing his sister.  When he spoke it was softly, his voice etched with pain.
      “Please Gemma, I’ve just lost someone I loved very much.  I don’t want to risk loosing you.”    
      Gemma felt his pain, their mother had been a Siren, and Gemma had inherited many of her abilities, so she could read sounds, and his pain was a wrenching, solid thing.  She reached up to brush back his hair and touched the scars on his face.  
      “These?”  
      “To remind me that I failed her.”  He said gruffly.  
      Gemma felt her heart ache for her brother.  There was no way she’d force him to take her with now, but when they got the issues sorted out, she was going to California.  She wanted to get to know her brother, that was one reason, but the other, the reason she would admit only to herself, that reason had a name… Ross.  She was going to make him see her.  She was going to make him know that there was no better woman in the world for him than her.
      
      “Are we ready?”  Sorcha asked the men, avoiding even looking in Kyle’s direction.  She had managed to stay away from him so far, this was the closest she’d been to him since the incident at the waterfall, and this was the closest she was planning on getting to him.    Sorcha felt her cheeks heat as she remembered what happened at the waterfall for the tenth time in as many minutes.  
      “Yes, when ever you are Sorcha.”  Ross sounded anxious, as if he couldn’t wait to get home either.  
      They had already said their goodbyes, Gemma had hugged Sorcha and with a wink promised to see her soon.  So now it was just a matter of getting going.  
      Sorcha fixed the compound in her mind, fitted the others into the image and teleported them home.  
      
      “It’s about time you got back.”  Selphie pushed open the front door to see them materialize in the hallway.  She stepped forward to hug each of them.  
      “Seth’s itching to tell you what we’ve found out.”  
      Selphie tiptoed up to hug Ross and froze frowning at him.  
      “Who did you meet?”  She asked the wereleopard.  
      “No one.”  He said gruffly and moved past her heading to the debriefing room.  He still felt queasy every time Sorcha teleported them somewhere, and he didn’t want Selphie imagining things, the sooner he could throw himself into work the sooner he could forget the smoky voice and big storm blue eyes that were haunting him.  
      “Sorcha…”  Kyle’s warm voice made her stomach clench.  
      “Is Seth in the debriefing room?”  Sorcha asked Selphie pretending she hadn’t  heard Kyle.
      “Yes he is.”  
      Sorcha nodded her thanks and walked off.  Kyle watched her go, his chest constricting.
      She must be seriously pissed at him, she didn’t even look in his direction when he’d spoken.  Kyle supposed he be pissed too if he was in her position.  She’d made it clear she wasn’t interested in making love to him and he’d jumped on her the first chance he got.  He’d just have to say sorry and hope he never did something that stupid again.  Kyle walked after her to the debriefing room.  
      
      Marcus was standing in the back of the debriefing room when the Omega started trickling in.  He greeted each, knocking fists with Dante as the wolf came in and sunk into a couch as if he was about to watch his favorite TV. show.  
      When Crimson came in Marcus grinned then started whistling.  Crimson raised an eyebrow in the cheetah’s direction but didn’t catch on till Dante joined his smooth tenor to the whistle.  
      “Come on baby, light my fire.”  
      “Funny guys, very funny.”  Crimson said dryly and sprawled into a couch.  
      Marcus and Dante thought it was, because they burst out laughing.  
      Seth couldn’t help but laugh too, he’d been briefed about the patrol and Crimson’s spectacular pyro display.    
      “What am I missing?”  Ross asked from his spot on his favorite armchair.  
      “Crimson’s hidden talents.”  Dante laughed, then told the Omegas who’d been away what had happened.  
      “Wow, that sounds like an awesome ability.  Why have you been keeping it to yourself?”  Kyle asked Crimson.  
      “Yeah I’d like to know too.”  Seth added.  
      “It’s part of myself that I don’t really like to let out the bag too much, when you are born and raised in hell then decide to leave, you don’t want to advertise where you are.  That little display put me back on hell’s radar.”  Crimson admitted with a frown.  “But if those demons had gotten away, we’d be dealing with way more than just essence sucking Hive members.”  
      He was not going to tell them who or what he’d been while he was in hell.  That was something that would stay between Gabriel and Crimson until it was necessary to tell the others.  Right now it wasn’t.  
      “Hold up, essence sucking Hive members?”  Kyle asked.  
      “Yep,” Seth pulled a face. “the creepies we encountered the other day.  The call themselves the Hive.”
      “Or the Collective.”  Dante added.
      Seth leaned against the white board that had the patrol rosters written on  it.
      “That’s right, and it looks like these Hive feed of human essence, energy, what ever you want to call it.”  
      “Yeah they bend you backwards and suck you dry.”  Marcus shuddered.  
      “Drew and I came across the same thing when we were out patrolling with some other Mythos.”  Seth crossed his arms.  He was worried about these Hive creatures.  
      “Freaked me out, that I can tell you.” Drew pulled her mouth in revulsion.  
      “We need to put a end to this soon, because the Hive can summon hell soldiers.”  Crimson sat up straighter.  “Like I said, if they get loose amongst the normals we are going to be dealing with major fallout, and chasing out tails to try and protect the humans.  They don’t kill - they mutilate and eat their victims.  The human police force would be knocking at the Mythos counsel door in a heart beat and demanding the blood of any and every Mythos.”  
      “That would not be a good thing.”  Ross laced his fingers together in his lap.  
      There was a soft knock on the door, Selphie stuck her head in.  
      “I’m sorry to interrupt, but there is someone here who says she needs to see Sorcha and the Omega immediately.”  Someone spoke behind Selphie.
      “She said to tell you Netta is here.”  
      Seth looked at Sorcha, she nodded.
      “Fine, show her in Selphie.”
      Selphie pushed the door open and showed the woman in, as Sorcha rose and walked over to greet her friend with a warm hug.  
      “Why are you here Netta?”  She asked with a smile.
      “I’m afraid I have some bad news, and I couldn’t wait for you to check in again.”  
      “What is it?”  Sorcha asked but was ignored when Netta turned to the room and smiled when she saw Kyle.  “I hope you are well Kyle.”  
      “I’m good Netta.  Let me introduce you to the rest of the Omega.”  
      Once Kyle had made the introductions Seth motioned for Netta to come to the front of the room.
      “I found out yesterday-”  Netta stopped trying to think of a good way to tell them.
      “Raven has been studying the oldest and most dangerous of our text in secret.  I fear she has uncovered a way to gain more power by taking it from others.”  
      Sorcha gasped.  “How did you find this out?”  
      Netta’s face was somber.  “Raven killed several of our most powerful Psy yesterday, taking their abilities in the process.  Then she disappeared.”  
      “My parents!”  Sorcha jumped up from her chair.  Kyle echoing her movement.  
      Netta held out a hand. “They are fine Sorcha. Do not fret.  Some others were not so fortunate.  Raven took the lives of six Psy yesterday before disappearing.  We cannot trace her, she has become too powerful, but I don’t doubt that she will come after you Sorcha.  She has always been envious of your abilities.”  
      “Did she steal the powers of a Walker?”  Seth asked.  
      “No, at this time there is only one Walker amongst the Psy, well…” Netta smiled. “She’s actually amongst the Omega.”  
      Everyone turned to look at Sorcha.
      Marcus winced. “Lets hope we are better at guard duty than we were last time.” Then he paled realizing what he’d said.  “Darius, sorry dude.  Fuck my foot an my mouth should have been attached when I was born.”  
      Darius’s lips thinned his scars standing out starkly against his pale skin.  He ignored Marcus and told Sorcha.  
      “You just got yourself a shadow.”  
      Kyle growled low, then snarled at the lion.  “I can protect her Darius, I don’t need your help.”  Jealousy roared through his blood.  He didn’t want anyone but him being Sorcha’s shadow.  
      “To fucking bad, I’m going to make sure that nothing happens to her.”  
      Kyle moved toward Darius fury etching every line of his body.  It wasn’t Darius’s place to look after Sorcha, she belonged to Kyle.  
      Darius rose from his chair waiting for the attack.
      “Kyle, Darius.”  Seth’s voice cracked like a whip across the room.  
      The two mean stopped but didn’t take their eyes from each other.  
      “I can look after myself!”  Sorcha hissed.  
      “No you cannot Sorcha.  Raven wants your power, she always has, she’s going to come after you and you wont be able to defend yourself, she’s grown too powerful.” Netta reminded Sorcha.  
      “Sorcha is Omega, we will all guard her.”  Seth said quietly with finality.
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