Ree was wiping tears out of her eyes by the time the rest of their group caught up. When Juliette asked what she was laughing at, Ree couldn’t get the words out to explain.
“Popcorn and pizza.” Ree wheezed with laughter between words. “Fanny pack!”
“Breathe, Ree. Breathe!” Bryce thumped her on the back, almost knocking her over, which only made her laugh harder.
“Sophie, I think Ree has cracked under all the pressure.” Roland looked at Ree in concern, but one side of his mouth quirked up in a half smile.
“I want to know why she’s talking about fanny packs. Someone tell me she isn’t planning on getting one.” Juliette was looking at Ree as if she was going to stage an intervention.
“Not her, me!” Weylin jerked a thumb at his chest and smiled at Juliette’s grimace. The light turned and the street sign blinked, indicating that pedestrians should cross. “Think about it, Jules. It’s very useful. I can carry weapons, snacks, and I’ll even let you bedazzle it!” He winked at Ree and she laughed again.
“Oh, hell no! I am not eating food you’ve been carrying near your man-pickle. That is so not going to happen.” Everyone in the group sputtered and laughed at Juliette’s comment. Even Sophie was chuckling by the time they reached the next sidewalk.
Their good spirits carried them to the first stop on their walk. Sophie took them into a tobacco shop that had a weird-looking little man sitting on a stool behind the counter. Sophie nodded at him before leading their group up the stairs. Ree felt something odd about the man, but she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what bothered her. His eyes followed Ree as if he could tell what she was thinking. Frowning, Ree looked away and followed Sophie up the stairs and to the room above.
It was a rather bland living area. A full-sized bed was pushed against a wall and covered with a drab blanket. The tiny kitchenette had a decades-old refrigerator, a two-burner stove, and no oven. The only window had a shade pulled down and a broken, empty curtain rod along the top. Sophie pulled off her leather gloves and went straight to what Ree had originally thought was a closet.
The dark-haired Guardian pulled the door open and disappeared inside. Ree and her friends exchanged a look before following Sophie. What she had assumed would be a tiny closet actually surprised Ree by being a whole different room. Her mind tried to understand how there was another room in a building that shared a wall with the building behind it, but her thoughts were quickly derailed by what she found inside.
There were bunk beds, folded clothes, and supplies. Weapons lined one wall in neat rows—swords, knives, daggers, even bows and arrows. There were things that Ree couldn’t identify, some of which she felt sure were armor. There were also things to fix the different swords and replacement parts on a long work table. Walking over to the table, Ree trailed her fingers along some of the tools. She had no idea what some of them were used for, but that made sense considering some of the different blades on the walls.
Paden had a glint in his eye as he surveyed the hardware. Bryce had already taken a seat at the work table and was examining some of the odder apparatuses. Shaking his head, Weylin took the instrument out of Bryce’s hand and turned it over. He sat down on the other stool and started sorting the things into drawers.
“Uh, how do you know where those things go?” Juliette cocked an eyebrow at her friend.
“Well, these allen wrenches should be grouped by size and shape. Also, these small pegs are for the expendable sections of the weapons.” The entire group grew quiet as they focused on Weylin. “Geez, Sophie. Who keeps this shop up? This is a mess.” Muttering to himself, he started organizing some of the drawers.
“Actually, the golem down stairs was created to manage this safe house.”
“Golem?” Weylin snorted and looked up at Sophie. “Oh. You’re serious.”
“He felt… odd. But aren’t golems made out of inanimate objects? There was something about him that seemed alive.” Ree frowned at Sophie.
“He is animated by a spark of the life force that resides in all of us, but not enough to make him human. Think of him as a robot or animated computer program. He can do amazing things with tools, but doesn’t have much of a vocabulary. Considering that Hephaestus, the god that created the golem, doesn’t care for much conversation, it makes sense that speech wasn’t high on his priority list.”
“Oh, boy. Another god to worry about.” Juliette leaned against the doorframe and frowned. “How many of them are actually involved in all of this mess?”
“All of them are involved to some extent. Some more than others.” Sophie shrugged and turned back to the table that Weylin was straightening. “If you need something from the golem, all you have to do is ask. They are made to fill your requests. They can speak some, but don’t expect any type of detailed dialogue. Most importantly, they will provide weapons when you need them. They can repair your weapons when they are broken or make something you request.”
“So, what happens when someone comes into the shop downstairs and asks a bunch of complicated questions about cigars or matches?” Bryce fixed Sophie with one of his thoughtful stares.
“They either think the golems are rude or stupid. It won’t be the first store to have employees that are considered unfit.” Shrugging, Sophie watched Weylin playing with the bolts and washers in the boxes lining the bench.
“Are all of the places like this one? A store with a hidden room?” Tucking her hands into her jacket pockets, Ree looked back toward the front room and grimaced.
“No. There are some that most people wouldn’t venture near. Of course, we aren’t really normal people.” Looking at Ree through his dark lashes, Roland flashed one of his trademark smirks. “You aren’t exactly normal people either.”
Chapter 30
There was a detached house not far from Ree’s home, a small, rundown store near an unsavory spot of town, and a warehouse on the riverfront. Ree could understand why Roland had said that most people wouldn’t go near some of the safe houses. Most of the windows along the first floor of the warehouse were broken, and graffiti covered the walls. This safe zone wasn’t like the others. There were no golems, no hidden store rooms, and nothing to offer any type of comfort. It was purely a place to wait out the Dark Ones for daybreak.
Spinning in a circle, Ree couldn’t help but frown at the building. Shadows crept along the floor, and the smell of the brackish Savannah River filled the lower level. The thought of having to hide in the building sent shivers down Ree’s back. Kicking an empty spray-paint can on her way to where Sophie was standing, Ree frowned at the older Guardian.
“Not exactly homey, is it?” Sophie knelt down and picked up a leaf that must have blown in through a broken window.
“No, not really.” Tucking some of her loose hair out of her face, Ree’s eyes traveled over the rest of their group as they walked around the building, looking for weaknesses and hiding places. “Who picks these places? You?”
“I’ve placed layers of intent to protect your home, Paden’s pub, and the shop, but most of the safe zones are set up by the gods.”
“Which gods?” Narrowing her eyes, Ree looked at Sophie.
“Hecate and Hestia set up most of the places where you can take refuge. They are both associated with hearth and home. They worked together to build Sanctus Island.” Sophie looked away from Ree and watched as Weylin took the rickety wood stairs up to the next floor.
“And who set up this place?” Setting her feet, Ree faced Sophie.
“Hold on, I need to warn Weylin that there are some weak spots in the flooring.”
Reaching out, Ree grabbed Sophie’s arm. “Weylin is a big boy. Tell me who set this safe house up.”
“Hel.” Sophie looked at Ree with serious eyes. “Loki’s daughter.”
“Hel? No wonder it’s so inviting here.” Paden moved so he was standing behind Ree. “Why would you bring us somewhere that may be compromised?”
“This is the only safe house on this side of River Street. If you found yourself in a bad situation, it could be your only option.” Sophie frowned for a moment. “You know I don’t take trusting our ‘benefactors’ lightly. You should only use this location in an extreme emergency.”
Buzzing from Ree’s phone jerked her attention to her jacket pocket. Ree pulled it out and frowned at the unknown number. Ignoring the call, she stuck it back in her pocket and shrugged at Paden. She headed for the stairs, and her phone buzzed a second time. Pulling it out of her pocket again, Ree stared at her mother’s number. Biting her lip, she debated answering or not. She was supposed to be in math class right now, but had no idea why her mother would be calling her while she was supposed to be in school.
“Who is it?” Paden’s warm voice asked from beside Ree.
“My mother.” Looking at the phone, Ree frowned. Taking a deep breath, Ree hit the talk button and lifted the phone to her ear. “Mom?”
“Ree? Where are you? Don’t you dare lie.”
Ree looked at Paden with wide eyes. What was she supposed to say? She didn’t think telling her mother she was in an abandoned warehouse on the riverfront would go over very well. She also didn’t think her mother would believe her if she said she was at school. Sophie’s phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket as she walked away from Ree.
“Um….” Ree shrugged at Paden and raised her eyebrows. Juliette’s eyes were huge as she shook her head, while Bryce frowned in worry.
“Just come home, Ree. The police are here, and they want to talk to you.”
Ree felt her mouth drop open. “The police?”
“Come home, Ree. They’re asking all sorts of questions about you, and I don’t like it. I know you aren’t at school. I already called and checked. I don’t know what’s going on, but you better get your butt here soon. And bring Paden. His parents just showed up.”
Ree’s heart dipped in her chest, and Paden quietly muttered curses under his breath. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there soon.”
“And Ree? Consider yourself grounded indefinitely.” Her mother hung up the phone, leaving Ree with a terrible feeling in her stomach.
“We need to go.” Sophie strode back toward Ree and her friends. Melanie and Weylin came down bounding back down the stairs.
“What’s going on?” Looking at Ree, Melanie’s face showed the tension the group was exuding.
“My mom just called. She said the police were at my house.”
“Those aren’t police officers. Those are darklings.” Sophie was tense as she looked at Ree.
“Oh my God.” Ree’s feet were moving without thought. She was out the door of the warehouse in seconds and ran in the direction of the tourist area.
“Where are Teagan and Drake?” Roland’s smooth voice was just behind Ree as she ran over the cobblestone street.
“Drake is just outside of the McKennas’ house. He said the darklings seem to be waiting for Ree.” Sophie was keeping pace with Ree as she ran.
“Teagan?” Roland’s voice was neutral, but Ree could feel the worry underlying his words.
“Drake hasn’t been able to find her.” Worry spiked through the entire group and doubled what Ree was already experiencing. She hoped that nothing had happened to Teagan, but Ree was more worried about her mother.
As they neared the more heavily populated areas, their group slowed down. They had attracted too much attention and people were starting to stare as they moved past.
“Split up. We’re too big of a group. Roland, Bryce, and Melanie, get to my parent’s house as fast as possible. The rest of us will follow.” Ree mounted the stairs to Bay Street and felt something brush her cheek.
“We’ll keep your mother safe.” Roland’s words echoed in her ears as Bryce and Melanie joined him on the sidewalk. Ree hoped they wouldn’t attract too much attention, but they could get to her house before anyone else could.
Not waiting for the streetlight to say it was safe to cross, Ree jumped into the road after a car passed and dodged a truck before making it to the other curb. Anger fueled her legs, and she pushed past the other pedestrians. By the time she made it to the shop, her legs felt like rubber, but not as bad as it would have been before her week on the island. Sophie hit the key fob for her Land Rover, and Ree yanked the door open and threw herself into the front seat. It took only a few moments for the Guardian to have the vehicle out of the tiny parking lot and screeching through the historic squares.
Paden leaned forward placed his hand on Ree’s shoulder. She knew he was offering her comfort and remembered his parents were there as well. Reaching up, she covered his hand with hers and squeezed. She didn’t leave her hand there long, though, instead reaching up to grab the oh-shit handle. Sophie was swerving around people walking through the quiet streets, slamming on the brakes when people weren’t paying attention.
It didn’t take long for Sophie to come to a screeching halt in front of Ree’s home. Ree was out the door before Sophie put the car in park. Paden’s strong hands closed around her upper arms and pulled her to a halt. “Wait. You can’t run in there and start attacking darklings.” Leaning down so his face was near her ear, Paden’s worried voice made Ree shiver. It wasn’t just her parents in that house. Ree had noticed his parents’ car parked by the curb as they neared her home. “I can’t let you walk into a trap, Ree.”
“What else do we do? They’re waiting on us, Paden. They are waiting in my living room, and they have some reason for being here. I can feel it. I can feel their excitement and their nasty dark auras. If we don’t go, they’ll find a way to make us, and I’m sure you know where their minds will go.” Ree placed her hand on his chest, just above his heart. “You can’t keep us from being in danger. This is what we’re here to do. We’re supposed to be protecting people from these monsters, and we’re going to start with our families.” Ree looked up into his eyes and watched as he thought about what she had said.
His eyes narrowed for a moment. “You’re dangerous, Ree.”
“What?” She started to pull her hand back, but he grabbed it in his own.
“When you talk sense like that and stare at me with those big blue eyes, you’re dangerous. It’s pretty scary.” He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “Let’s go then.”