House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)(32)

“We rent to humans because there’s a treaty between our kind and yours. It requires a certain level of mingling between us. We chose those who won’t cause us much trouble.”

In other words, poor people who were just happy to have somewhere to stay.

“And in regards to your guardians,” Lexen continued, “they either stuck their noses into the wrong house’s business and were lured here to be disposed of … or there is something more going on, which is what the council is looking into.”

Yep, that didn’t make me feel better at all.

The car ate up the miles home with ease, and before I knew we were through the huge front gates and pulling into the driveway.

As Lexen opened the door, I reached out and grabbed his arm. I felt a spark under my palm and immediately removed my hand. His eyes met mine, and I realized he was waiting for me to fill him in on why I’d grabbed him. “Oh, I just wanted to say, again, that I can stay at my own house tonight. I won’t run or tell anyone. I want answers too. I think sticking with you four is the best way for me to get them.”

His gaze felt heavy, his focus completely on me, which was more than a little unnerving. I was barely breathing at this point as I waited for his reply. I wasn’t sure if I would be disappointed or not if he agreed to let me leave.

“The council will not be happy if you disappear. It’s … safer for you here.”

Then he was gone.

I sucked in a ragged breath, pleased to find my equilibrium returning. His presence was more than a little unnerving.

“Come on, sweets. Time to call it a night. We have school in the morning.”

Jero sounded amused, and I was guessing a bedtime because of school was not something he was used to.

I angled my face close to his. “You can’t remember my name, right? That’s why you call me honey and sweetheart.” I was already getting used to his pet names, but I still had a suspicion about why he used them.

Jero laughed again. “I knew you had a viper tongue after you schooled me in history class, but I didn’t expect you to be funny.”

I shrugged. “Not my fault you spend no time learning about humans except how to subjugate and exploit us.”

His smile didn’t fade. If anything it grew wider. We were both out of the car now. He led me through the garage and into a small alcove near the kitchen. Star was sitting at the wide island bench, eating from a small tub of yogurt. Lexen was propped against a wall nearby, keeping an eye on the scene.

“You’re back!” Star exclaimed. A genuine smile crossed her face. “I’ve been waiting up to make sure you were okay.” She turned to her brother. “I really think Emma should stay in my room. She would be more comfortable.”

Lexen shook his head. “You all need to stop acting like she’s part of the family. We don’t know a thing about her. We only found her tonight.”

I glared. “I’m not a stray friggin’ dog. You didn’t find me. You kidnapped me and are now holding me against my will.”

A ghost of a smile crossed his face. Shock almost knocked me over. He … he should never … no smiling. He should never smile because it was way too attractive, and I needed his outside to get less gorgeous. I needed them to match his inner shithead.

Lifting himself off the wall, he closed in on me. For some stupid reason my heart rate picked up as he said, “Weren’t you just telling me that you’re sticking with us? Doesn’t sound like kidnapping to me.”

His smile was gone; he gave me a single hand wave, a clear signal to follow him. When he was near the base of their stairs, he even let out a low whistle, no doubt in reference to my stray dog comment.

“Lexen is not going to hurt you,” Marsil said. He had just stepped into the kitchen, his phone in his hand like he’d been on it. “He might not like this situation, but he’s honorable.”

Star nodded her head in rapid bobs. “Yes, the House of Darken is not one you need to fear.”

Sounded like some of the other houses weren’t so wonderful. Could one of them have taken my guardians?





8





Lexen was waiting for me at the top of the stairs, arms crossed over his chest, stretching the fitted long-sleeved shirt across his muscles. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen an eighteen year old guy fill out a shirt like that, which only cemented the not-human thing for me. As soon as I was on the first floor, he started to walk along the long hall. We went past his sister’s room, and a billion others.

For real? No one needed this many rooms.

I kept waiting for him to stop at one of the doors, but we just continued on. And on. And on.

Like, seriously, this house didn’t seem to have an actual ending. Just when I was about to suggest a short rest, because long distance walking was not a favorite pastime of mine, we reached another set of stairs. I traipsed up, exhausted from my long day. School, then stalking, then kidnapping. It had been a lot. And I was hungry. Again.

“Always hungry” should be my new motto.

I’d been so caught up in my thoughts that it took me a few moments to register my new surroundings. The second floor was a single level, not as big as the floor below, but still huge. “This is your bedroom?” I breathed, trying to take it all in.

It was as if Lexen had his own apartment sitting on top of the house. He was watching me, no expression on his face. I moved around him to stare out the windows. Like the living room downstairs, Lexen’s windows stared out into the cliffs and crashing ocean beyond. I don’t belong here. Whatever Lexen was, there was no denying he was way out of my league. Beautiful, rich, and supernatural.