Live Wire (Blue-Eyed Bomb #1) Read online

  Some things just don’t need confirmation.

  ***

  We walked into the apartment to find Nico and Alek packing. Two black duffels sat by the front door with a shiny silver briefcase beside them. Shit was going down, that much I knew.

  “What’s going on?” I called out, heading toward their bedrooms. I turned into Alek’s and nearly ran into him. “Where are you going?”

  “Chicago. We leave in ten minutes.”

  “Why?”

  He gave me a look that not-so-subtly told me to pull my head out of my ass.

  “Because Dad is sending us there. I don’t question him like you do. If he says I have to go somewhere, I go. End of story.”

  “Is it going to be dangerous?” I asked, hating how weak the question made me sound.

  He sighed, obviously feeling my anxiety. I’m sure my humming didn’t help to hide my unease. Alek, too, was blessed with our mother’s empath abilities. We could both sense the emotions of others as if they were our own. It was both a blessing and a curse. We couldn’t hide anything from one another. And yet somehow he couldn’t feel the battle that waged constantly inside of me. If he could, he certainly never said anything. But he, more than anyone else, seemed to weather my storms with grace. Maybe he knew more than he was willing to let on.

  “We don’t have time for your whining, Phira. We have to go,” Nico said from behind me, exiting his room across the hall.

  “I’m not whining. I just want to know what’s going on—”

  “And you want to come. Please spare us the usual routine. We don’t have time for that shit today.”

  “Are you taking the jet?” I asked Alek, ignoring Nico.

  “Yes. It’s at the airport now.”

  “Which is inconsequential because you aren’t coming,” Nico grumbled before heading toward the front door.

  “I wish you knew what it was like,” I muttered under my breath, knowing damn well he would hear me.

  “The last thing we need, Phira, is a repeat of what happened the only time you were sent out on a PC matter!” he shouted, staring at me from down the hall. I hated myself for it later, but I still flinched at those words. The black eyes that glared at me slowly softened to the green he’d inherited from our father, but it was too late. He knew he couldn’t take it back.

  I turned to walk away, covering my ears as I sang as loudly as I could. To someone who didn’t know me, it would have looked as though I were having a tantrum. But those that did knew I was holding on by a thin thread. I hadn’t acted that way since directly after the incident. And judging by the wave of fear that broke through the apartment, the boys knew things were bad.

  “Phira!” TS called out, hurrying down the hall after me as I stormed to my room. He caught me by the arm just as I crossed the threshold and turned me around to face him. Clearly he didn’t like what he saw in my expression. He began chanting something in a language I’d never heard before, the rhythm of which was so soothing I couldn’t help but let it ease me.

  I had no idea how long we stood there while he cupped my face and worked his magic on me. But by the time he stopped, I felt a sense of peace that I couldn’t remember ever possessing.

  “How do you feel?” he asked, his gaze searching mine for an answer.

  “Christ, Phira!” Nico yelled, pushing his way into my room. “What the fuck was that?”

  “I suggest you take your tone down,” TS warned.

  “Phira,” Alek called softly. “Are you well?”

  “Do I feel well?” I countered as I stared into The Specialist’s eyes.

  Alek’s hesitation told me he was searching for the answer to my question.

  “You do. Better than normal.”

  “Best day ever,” I said sarcastically before addressing the being who still held my face captive. “You’ve been holding out on me, Ajax. What the fuck was that all about?”

  “You think your father has me around only for clean-up?” he asked, releasing me.

  I shrugged.

  “I’m not privy to your magical pedigree. How should I know what he keeps you around for?” I snapped, my sense of peace dissipating rapidly. “All I know is he brought you in to fix what I did in Little Church—” I cut myself off, not wanting to relive that memory.

  “Why do you want to come so badly?” Alek asked me, pulling my attention away from TS. “Why would you risk what happened there? Father keeps you away because he fears for both your safety and what you might do. You must understand that, Phira, don’t you?”

  “I know I need to be let out of this cage before I go insane, Alek. I can’t take it anymore.”

  “And you think putting yourself and everyone around you at risk is the answer to your cabin fever?” Nico snarled. “You're a mess, Phira. You need to find a way to harness your power and make yourself useful. I’m sick of everyone tiptoeing around your ass. That’s the hard truth, like it or not.”

  “How do you suggest I get control of something I’m never allowed to even attempt to use? It’s like asking someone who's never seen a bomb to defuse it. I need practice—practice I’ll never get sitting on the couch or playing piano or—”

  “Fucking everything with a lazy smile and a long dick?” Nico interrupted, insulting me even further.

  “Exactly. If I got to fight as much as I get to fuck, I’d be a pro at this by now.”

  “Bullshit!” he shouted, lunging at me. “You’d be dead, and so would anyone within a fifty mile radius.”

  “It was ten, to be exact, but who’s counting?” I volleyed. “And I didn’t die, in case you hadn’t realized it. But fuck I wish I had.”

  The flash of sadness in his eyes was impossible to miss, though he did all he could to cover it up and save face.

  “You’re not joking,” he said, his indifferent tone doing nothing to cover his shock at my words.

  “Nope.”

  “Jesus, Phira…”

  “Tell me where you’re going,” I pressed, hoping he’d be more forthcoming in his addled state.

  “A small town in eastern Iowa. We’re to meet with the PC brothers in Chicago for a briefing and then drive from there to our final destination.”

  “A secluded town?”

  Nico eyed me tightly.

  “Yes.”

  “Populated by?”

  His jaw flexed.

  “Primarily supernaturals.”

  “Badly behaving supernaturals?”

  His lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Possibly...”

  “Bring me with you,” I said, the hope in my voice too thick to mask. “I don’t know anyone there. It’s not personal this time. I can hold it together.”

  “And if something happens to you?” Nico countered. “You’re untrained in all things, Phira, not just the use of your powers.”

  “I can hold my own,” I argued weakly.

  “This isn’t a fucking bar fight.”

  “Well aware of that, Nico.”

  TS had been quiet during our little sibling showdown—too quiet, even for him. I looked over to find him studying me as if he were considering my idea. Seeing that, I decided to go out on a limb and pray it didn’t snap.

  “You got something you want to add, Mr. Clean? Thoughts on my plan?”

  “I cannot condone your insubordination,” he said, but there was something about the way he said it, as if he were begging me to read between the lines somehow. Like he wanted me to ask a different question, or that question differently.

  “Would you try to stop me?”

  “I would point out all the shortcomings in your plan and all the likely outcomes you would face with your father upon your return.”

  I smiled wide.

  “But you wouldn’t physically try to stop me?”

  “I have never been ordered to use bodily harm to keep you in order,” he replied. Though it never reached his expression, I could feel a hint of amusement within him. “In fact, it has been reinforced on numerou
s occasions that I am not to lay a finger on you to cause you harm. Only to keep you from harming yourself.”

  Dammit!

  Again he looked at me as though he wanted me to see what I was not seeing. After a moment of thought, the question became clear.

  “Do you think going with them would be harming myself?”

  “No.”

  “Well there you have it, boys! Scrubbing Bubbles seems to think it’s okay, and he’s my fucking babysitter. Surely you two can get on board with this idea if he can.”

  Alek sighed.

  “I say she can come.”

  “The fuck you do!” Nico bellowed, snapping black eyes to our brother.

  “I just did,” Alek said, heading down the hallway. “Better pack up your things, little sis. We’re going to be late.”

  “No way. There is no way this is happening,” Nico ranted.

  “You’ve been outvoted. Deal with it,” I said, scooping up whatever random clothing I could from my floor and stuffing it into a bag.

  “Phira,” he said, grabbing me by the wrist to get my attention. His grip on me was fierce and painful and meant to send a message. “You don't understand what you’re risking here.” I could feel the fear ebbing off of him, but it didn’t matter. I'd made my decision.

  “And you had better release her. Now,” TS commanded. “Your father said I was not allowed to harm her. He did not, however, say that I was not allowed to harm you.”

  The two stared at each other for a moment, Nico desperately wanting to challenge TS, and TS waiting to see if he would. He was calm, cool, and collected as always. The man seemed unfazed by anything.

  “One phone call and I can shut this whole idea down, you know that, right?” Nico asked, though his question was rhetorical. I was well aware that my father would put an end to this idea himself if he knew—and in person.

  “But you won’t,” I said, calling his bluff. I knew it was a bluff because somewhere deep down inside of him, I could feel his desire to let me go. He had always known me as someone he needed to protect—to keep safe. But he yearned to fight at my side. To see exactly what I could do.

  Nico was an adrenaline junkie at heart, and having me with him would be the perfect fix.

  His brow furrowed at my words, making him the spitting image of our father. He, more than Alek or I, was most like him. In that moment, I was reminded of that fact.

  “The second I think you need to go, you go. Understand?” I nodded. “And you obey my command, not his,” he added, tossing a scathing glance at TS. I nodded again, and he sighed. “I can’t believe I’m fucking doing this. Get your shit. Let's go.” He turned and stomped down the hall toward Alek, who waited by the front door with a mischievous smile on his face. “You too, Ajax. Time to go.”

  ***

  We were well over upstate New York before anyone spoke.

  The jet was beautiful but not large, which made for relatively tight quarters. We all needed a break from one another after the showdown at our home, but we sure as hell weren’t going to get one. Instead, TS sat beside me as I looked out the window, and my brothers were only a few feet away, sitting across the open aisle from one another. Nico was brooding; I could feel it from where I sat. Alek, however, was silently gloating. Nico had always viewed him as the weaker of the two, so it was a major win for him to have manipulated his way into getting what he wanted. Nico would have been wise to remember that Alek’s power was more subtle than his own. Where Nico had the brawn, Alek had the brains.

  “You said we have to be briefed when we arrive,” I said, still looking out the tiny window. “What do you know about what we're heading into?”

  “There is a small community of supernaturals in Iowa that is currently under suspicion, but for what, we’re not sure yet. We are going there to find out,” Alek said, sounding diplomatic as always.

  “We’re going there to crack some fucking skulls until we get answers. That’s what we’re going there to do,” Nico added.

  “What kinds of beings are we dealing with?” I asked, finally pulling my gaze from the patchwork of beauty thousands of feet below us.

  “That too remains unknown,” Alek said. “But we do know that the town is diverse. Muses will be awaiting our arrival. I'm sure he will have all the necessary information.”

  I exhaled heavily.

  “I forgot he’d likely be there,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Oh,” Nico started, finally pleased he had something to razz me about. “That’s right. You’re not a big fan of Uncle Muses, are you?” The sheer joy in his expression made my blood boil. Cue my humming. “Worried he might poke around in your head again, sis? Afraid of what he might make you say out loud this time?”

  “He won’t be touching her, so that should not be an issue,” TS said, answering for me while I quietly sang myself into a state of calm.

  “We’ll see,” Nico replied with a shrug. “He's a sneaky one. Guess you’ll have to keep your eye on him too, Ajax.”

  “If my eyes are on your sister, as they are supposed to be, there won’t be an issue.”

  I felt the irritation rolling off of TS in waves, which only furthered my agitation, forcing me to sing far more loudly to mute my rising darkness. Apparently TS wasn’t much of a fan of Muses either. But, in fairness, my uncle had that effect on most individuals. Born of the greatest muse ever to grace the Earth and Ares, the god of war, Muses was both intimidating and intuitive. His ability was like none other in the PC. With one touch, he could inspire your memories, causing you to relive them out loud for anyone to hear. He was sadistic and cruel, but an asset to the PC nonetheless.

  And we had history.

  After the incident, my father—out of concern for my well-being—ordered Muses to probe around in my mind to find out what had happened; more specifically, what had set me off so it could be avoided in the future. Muses did little to hide his delight when he made me admit what I had seen—what had caused my fury. Embarrassed didn’t begin to describe how I’d felt as I sat in the middle of a room filled with my immediate family and PC brothers and told them that jealousy had caused me to wipe an entire town full of humans from the face of the Earth. I remembered the look on my father’s face, his emerald green eyes full of fear and shame as he looked down at me—at the monster he had created. My mother, who was prone to wearing her heart on her sleeve, had cried silent tears. But I’d felt her horror at what I’d done.

  Then there was Muses. The sight of him was one I would never forget. His eyes had blazed with attraction, and, had we not been related, I would have sworn he was aroused. I had inspired awe in him, something that clearly did not happen often. I was a puzzle he wanted to solve, which I had no intention of letting him do. He was creepy and frightening—something nightmares are made of—wrapped up into one lithe, leather-wearing, goth-looking package. And he too, like his half-brothers, was deadly as could be.

  “Phira?” TS called to me as though he had already done so numerous times.

  “Huh? Were you talking to me?”

  “You stopped singing…”

  “Oh,” I said, shaking my head lightly to pull my mind back to the present. “Yeah. I was thinking of something.”

  “I just got an email from Father,” Alek said, his tone surprisingly sobering. “He asked how Phira is doing…”

  “Holy shit! Do you think he knows?” I blurted out as I tried to launch out of my seat. Unfortunately my lap belt was on, so all I did was jerk awkwardly, drawing a chuckle from Nico.

  “Not so tough now, are you? Worried Daddy has found you out?” he teased. “You know he has eyes and ears everywhere. He knows everything.”

  “What did you tell him, Alek?” I asked, ignoring Nico’s taunts.

  “I simply told him that you went for a run after you spoke to him and seemed to have calmed down since then. Nothing else.”

  “Good. Keep it vague. That’s probably best.”

  “We shall see.”

  “It’
s funny watching a grown woman panic at the thought of her daddy catching her disobeying him, especially given how you normally pride yourself on doing just that,” Nico said, getting out of his seat. “How old are you supposed to be now? Twenty-eight? Twenty-nine?”

  “I don’t fucking remember. Trying to keep track of things in terms of how we appear to humans is annoying.”

  “You are still such a child, Phira.”

  “Says one of my triplet brothers,” I retorted. “You do realize that you’re only minutes older than me. That hardly makes you wiser.”

  “This was your great idea, Sis. I think my objection to it speaks volumes about how much wiser I am.”

  “God I want to punch you in your mouth sometimes,” I snarled, unfastening my belt to get up and do just that. Suddenly a large hand clamped down on mine, holding me in place.

  “Not now,” TS said, his tone calm and even. “One day you two will have to fight it out and come to better terms, but it will not be today, and your aggression will only fuel his behavior as well as unravel your own. Let it go for now, Phira. His time will come.”

  I eased back in my seat begrudgingly, drumming my fingers on the armrest while I hummed a dark tune. Nico looked unsatisfied by my retreat, as though he wanted me to hit him as much as I did. Maybe I wasn’t the only self-loather in the family.

  I must have sung and hummed and whistled our way to the Midwest, because I could feel the plane slowly starting its descent somewhere over what must have been northern Indiana. I straightened in my seat and stared out the window, taking in the vast body of water below. Turbulence shook the plane as we hit a rough patch of air—or so I thought. But as it increased in its intensity, I shot a look across the plane to Alek, and his expression held concern.

  “I know I don’t fly much, but this doesn’t feel right to me,” I stated. A slight waver of my voice gave me away.

  “Me either,” he replied, getting out of his seat to look out the nearest window, which was on the opposite side of the plane. He clearly saw something he didn’t like, because he turned and stumbled his way over to the cockpit door, slamming his fist on it to be let in. The captain opened the door, giving those of us in the main cabin a full view of what we were flying into. A wall of black was the best description I could muster. It was as if the sky had unfurled a curtain of darkness and draped it directly in our path.