"Every man has his secret
sorrows which the world
knows not; and often times
we call a man cold when
he is only sad."

~~Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow

****************

~Nevada~

The glass was cool against my heated flesh as I pressed my forehead against the window. Rain had begun to fall not long after we had left August's home behind, large drops splattering the SUV and obscuring anything I could have seen passing by. Not that it mattered much anyway, my thoughts were fragmented and careening around like wild monkeys on a sugar high.

I had no idea where we were or what time it was, but that didn't really matter either. Our sanctuary, the safe haven August had given us, had been violated and taken from us. Nova had asked the question I had been thinking but no one had been able to give him an answer. The truth was, we hadn't actually thought that far ahead, focused on how to deal with any threats that got too close. We hadn't considered the possibility that anyone would make it this far or what we would do afterwards.

It was reckless and stupid because it always happened in the books and movies, aomething I should have remembered or thought about, and there always had to be a back up plan. We had plans for so many possible attacks but somehow had overlooked one important detail… where would we go if our fortress fell?

Now here we were, crammed into August's SUV with blood on our clothes, magick on our skin, and our few remaining possessions at our feet with nowhere to go. I could smell the blood, coppery and bitter, drenching the air in the enclosed space. It was nauseating especially after the taxing amount of power I had used, my body not accustomed to such high levels of repetitive magick. The adrenaline had faded, my head spinning mildly every time I moved and fatigue promised to overwhelm me if I wasn't careful.

Turning my face away from the glass, I silently studied Nova beside me. His elbows were braced on his knees with his head resting on his forearms, blonde hair sticking up at odd angles. I couldn't help but think back to that moment with Julius, how I could sense a darkness in my brother, and could feel his desire to take the vampire's life. It was a side of him I hadn't even known existed before tonight… and it scared me. 

"About time you answered your phone," Robbie said, his sudden voice startling me. "Where are you?"

I looked at Robbie in confusion but quickly realized he was on the phone, the device pressed to the side of his face.

"It was an ambush," he spoke again after a moment, anger coloring his words. "Julius Allworth and his band of sour patch kids led the attack… We're fine and could've handled them but a massacre wasn't the goal so we were forced to retreat for the time being."

Shuddering at the idea of possibly going back to face such bloodthirsty individuals, I met August's eyes in the rearview mirror. He wasn't happy about how things had gone down, that much I knew, but despite losing his home there was still warmth in his eyes. My heart melted as his love washed over my frayed mind, soothing the fear that reality had harshly delivered. Tears blurred my vision and my bottom lip trembled but I managed a watery smile for the man that held my heart.

"No, I think we need a Plan Q at this point. What have you got, brother?" Robbie spoke again, shattering the small bubble of comfort I had found. "Alright, that will work for now. Send me the coordinates and I'll check in when we get there."

A short pause.

"No, just leave it be for now," Robbie directed, looking out of his window. "The key assets are secure and the rest is collateral damage. What's your 20?"

"Great, I'm an asset now," Nova muttered sarcastically with his head still down, muffling his voice. "Better than a targeted objective, I guess."

"I think you'll live," I reassured him, patting his back.

The moment my hand made contact with Nova's shirt, a jolt of energy shot through my hand and up my arm. It happened so quickly that I wasn't entirely positive that it had actually occurred, but the tingle beneath my skin and the cold feeling of dread in my blood told me otherwise. Whatever it had been, it was barbarous and glacial like lightning in a winter storm. Luckily, my brother didn't seem to notice my discomfort, his shoulders shrugging dismissively at my words.

"Alright, got an ETA?" Robbie asked as I slid my hands into the pockets of my jacket, hugging the fabric closer to my body. He pulled the phone away from his ear to look briefly at the screen. "We should be there before you then. Later brother."

He ended the call and the SUV was silent again for only a moment before it lit up in his hand with a notification. 

"Reyne is going to meet us at a safe house," Robbie explained as he punched in an address on the vehicle's GPS. "It belongs to the pack and they'll meet us there. We should be there by dawn and Reyne soon afterwards."

"Numbers?" August asked, his voice low as he concentrated on the road. 

"At least fifty, give or take, depending on whether or not they have a run in with Julius as well." Robbie cursed under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "How did he get so many to stand behind him on this?"

"I don't think it's that simple," Nova replied, still not lifting his head from his arms. "I'm almost positive half of them either didn't want to be there or didn't care what he wanted but were only looking for a fight."

"Julius has always been a fool," August growled, eyes flashing briefly in the dark. "He never knew when to stop, always looking for the next play for power."

"How do you know him?" I found myself asking.

"When you live as long as I do, Sweetheart, you tend to meet a few people." August's answer came casually, like Julius was just another passing acquaintance. "Julius hated me the moment he laid eyes on me."

"I'm convinced the guy hates everyone so I doubt you're special," Robbie chimed in with a laugh. "He probably even hates himself."

A brush of magick rippled over me, a low level pulse from Nova as the discussion of Julius continued. I could feel his growing anger but he hadn't moved a muscle in any form of a visible reaction. Glancing over his back, I looked at Michael who had yet to say a word since we had left the house. 

His face was turned away from me, but I could see his face reflected in the window every time lightning flashed outside. With his lips pressed tightly together, Michael stared unseeing through the glass, his lean body rigid with tension. I had gathered enough from Julius' taunting that he had been a part of the terrible things that Michael had endured. Seeing him again must have reopened psychological wounds that had barely begun to stop bleeding.

"Why did they come to us in search of the stones?" I asked, steering the conversation away from Julius as best as I could. "I mean, who would suspect us or know how to find us?"

"That does seem to narrow down the possibilities a bit," Robbie agreed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. I watched as he pulled his hand away from his face and let out a heavy sigh before wiping the hand in question on his pants. "I'm running out of ideas here. I'm not even positive I know what the fuck is going on anymore."

"Join the club, babe." Nova lifted his head and gave Robbie a cheeky grin. "But shower first because you're gross."

Robbie rolled his eyes. "Speak for yourself, Little Tink."

"I smell like roses thank you very much."

"Dead roses maybe," I teased and Nova glared at me before dropping his head back down.

"Everyone can kiss my ass because I seriously don't give a fuck right now."

"Are we forgetting someone that knows?" I asked, trying to get back on topic again. "Wait… who does know?"

August shook his head and I could see the creases in his forehead through the rearview mirror as his frown deepened. "Us and your parents, obviously. And I'm guessing that King Dreymier knows about them too but after all this time he might believe them to be lost."

"What do you mean?" 

"The quartz stones were lost to him after his boys were no longer at his side," August clarified. "But he may assume that Dominic retained his over the years instead of getting rid of it."

"What about the Queen?" Robbie asked, turning sideways in his seat to face us. "Was she in on the big family secret?"

"Now that I don't know," August admitted. "Anything seems possible at this point. And if she did that opens up countless more potential cognizant threats."

"So basically what you're saying is, don't trust anyone because everyone is the enemy or at least could be?" I asked, clarifying the enormity of our terrifying new reality. 

"Of course you shouldn't trust anyone, Little Sister," Nova answered, finally sitting back in his seat and meeting my eyes. "There's darkness everywhere, and in everyone except maybe you. The world and everything in it is dangerous, some things more than others. Trusting blindly could get you killed, or worse."

"Nova's right but you can trust us, and your parents." August nodded in agreement. "But otherwise anyone outside of this vehicle you, and the rest of us, should be cautious of."

"I've yet to completely make up my mind about the warlock," Hatter mumbled, glaring through the windshield.

"I can promise you one thing, Robert Hatman," Michael suddenly said, his voice strong with conviction as he finally turned away from the window and met Hatter's surprised gaze, "if it were ever a choice between you and Julius Allworth, it would be you every. Damn. Time. I don't like you, Hatter. You're an arrogant brute with a one track mind, but I'm not stupid and neither are you. Think what you will but I'm not the one to distrust in all of this."

"Oh, you're not?" Hatter replied with a snort of disbelief, turning further around in his seat to face Michael more fully. "You've lied or hidden things at every turn. You've yet to be completely honest about anything since you showed up at August's, which you never explained how you found us by the way. Why would I trust you?"

"Robbie." Nova scolded in a hiss. "Stop."

"Why? You know I'm right, babe!" Hatter was silently seething as he held his lover's eyes. "Why would he put his life on the line for any of the rest of us? He's in love with you, not us!"

The vehicle fell silent, the only sounds to be heard were the pattering of rain and the splash of the tires as we drove. My breath felt frozen in my lungs as I stared captivated at the two of them, blazing eyes locked on each other as if the world would end if one of them looked away. No one moved for a solid minute, a minute that seemed to drag on for an eternity before Michael's voice cut through the frozen time.

"Nova is all I have." 

Waves of uncensored pain flashed through me, jagged and blistered as Michael spoke in just barely a whisper. His walls continued to slowly crumble and Nova reached blindly for my hand, twining our fingers together and holding on for dear life. I could feel his soul grasping to hold onto his broken mind and fight to find the shattered pieces of his heart. Tears welled in my eyes on their own accord, streaming down my face while Nova continued to look at Hatter, jaw clenched so tight his teeth might break as he struggled to keep himself together.

"Nova is all I have," Michael repeated, voice cracking. "I would give my life for him, and anyone he holds dear. I've fucked up more times than I care to count but I know that every breath I take is a gift that he and Nevada gave me when they shouldn't have. I owe them everything."

Hatter held Nova's gaze a moment longer before finally turning to Michael. He regarded the fragile man wordlessly, amber eyes shuttered and cool, giving nothing away.

"Doesn't mean I have to like you," he finally said, giving Nova one last meaningful look before twisting back around in his seat.

Michael visibly relaxed, but not entirely. With a stiff nod, he turned back to the window and said, "I don't expect you to."

The vehicle became silent again, some of the tension finally dissipating and allowing my lungs to fully draw in oxygen. Everyone was still on edge however, even as exhausted as we were, knowing there were countless people in the country, maybe even the world, that were looking for us. I didn't know how much time we had to recuperate and plan, or to search for all the answers we still needed. 

There were too many questions, and more concerns popping up everyday, like whatever was going on with Nova. I wanted to convince myself that it was just my jumbled nerves, the stress from the fight that made me feel that way. It was possible but doubt lingered in my mind even as the thought developed. He had mentioned once before that he had done things that I didn't know about. I couldn't help but wonder if the two were somehow connected. 

"Michael, when you were held captive, did you by chance learn who was looking for the God Stone?" August's question was as delicate as a man like himself could possibly make it, but there was no mistaking the flinch that Michael had at his words.

He took a slow, shuddering breath before answering. "N-no, just that it was th-their boss."

"I wonder if there's any connection between whoever Allworth works for and Torch, or whatever his real name is," Robbie mused. He turned his head but didn't actually look at Michael as he asked, "Do you know anything about that?"

Michael shook his head, eyes closed as he rested it against the window.

"Do you know where he is?" Nova asked carefully.

"I haven't seen my brother in years."

Nova looked at him for several long seconds before finally turning away. It wasn't a direct answer to the question and I could feel Nova's uncertainty but he didn't call his friend out on the possibility. The SUV was quiet after that, Nova reaching forward at one point to turn on the radio which surprisingly no one objected to. Eventually, I managed to drift into a fitful and restless sleep, worry encompassing my every thought.

"Nev, hey, wake up."

My body shook slightly and I felt a gentle hand resting on my shoulder as I jolted away. A yelp of surprise left my mouth, my heart pounding inside my chest and a short surge of adrenaline danced beneath my skin. Looking around frantically, I found Nova looking at me in concern.

"Are you okay?" His blue violet eyes that I knew so well roamed over my face. "You look a bit pale."

"No. No, I'm alright," I hastily assured him. Clearing my throat, I looked out of my window as I tried to push away the lingering images of my dreams.

Bright lights flashing across a night sky, the sounds of people screaming and the scent of blood and rain filling my nose; a dozen lifeless eyes and the coldest laugh I had ever heard, it all tried to flood back. I shook my head, taking a deep breath and focusing on what I was actually seeing.

We were in a small suburban town, ranch style houses and two story bungalows lining the street we were currently parked on. Dawn was just beginning to lighten the eastern sky, the stars still bright in the west.

"Where are we?" I asked, suppressing a yawn.

"Redwater." The way August said it caused me to look over at him in confusion. 

I could see the side of his face, illuminated by a nearby streetlight, casting his features in harsher planes. August was looking towards a row of houses not far from where we were, his lips in a thin line and eyebrows drawn together. Glancing over, I realized that Hatter wore a similar expression, echoing the same direction as his maker's focus was.

"What's wrong?" I asked timidly, looking at Nova who only shrugged. He was just as lost as I was while Michael simply remained stoic and detached.

"This is the place Reyne said belonged to the pack, a recently acquired property that had been deemed a safe house," Hatter explained distractedly. "But the driveway is full of cars and the lights are on. No one was supposed to be here."

I looked at the house they were so intently watching, finding a small two story bungalow with the entire first floor lit up. The silhouette of people would periodically appear on the closed curtains, more proof that it was occupied. The rustle of clothing and a curse sounded from Hatter as he dug his phone from his pocket, jabbing angrily at the screen as he typed. A moment later, he cursed again.

"That's just fucking great," he growled, jamming the device back into his pocket. "Reyne says no one should be there which means it most likely isn't friendlies."

"Of course it's not," Nova grumbled, attempting to stretch his long frame in the crowded backseat, almost hitting me in the face in the process. Sarcasm dropped from his voice. "Why would allies be near us right now?"

"Any ideas?" I asked, a yawn escaping. "I'm dead ass tired and don't want to be afraid I'll get stabbed in my sleep."

"Welcome to my world, Princess," August teased and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the twitch of his lips. 

"I'm good without the sleeping stabbies, thanks," Nova yawned. "Our new safe house isn't safe and my ass can't stop yawning."

"I'm not sure anywhere is really safe anymore," I whispered, watching a light turn on and back off a moment later from the second floor.

Would anywhere ever feel safe again?

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A/N: Well, good news is I got this chapter done sooner than I thought I would. What did you think?

Thoughts or theories? Let me know.

Its 2a.m. here right now but I wanted to reward yall for being so patient with me lately. This will be your wake up present or maybe bedtime present. Whatever works.

Love you guys and thank you so much for reading my books!❤❤

XOXO🖤❤🖤❤

~SM~