killed by Hunters in the reprisals following the death of the girl they'd believed was Evie.
The sum of his parts. Half human, half Unhuman.
Lucas suddenly stood up. He tore his shirt off over his head. Then he stood in front of the mirror staring at the amulet lying against his chest. He lifted it up and traced the twisted silver, six strands twined into the shape of one dagger. This was his promise to the Brotherhood, his oath to fight with his brothers from the other realms until either the war was won or he was dead. But more than that, much more than that, it stood for his promise to his father and his mother that he would make the Hunters pay.
He let the amulet drop.
'Evie!'
It was her mother calling her. He heard Evie open her door and bound down the stairs and he walked silently along the corridor to watch from the shadows in the landing.
'Did you get a new lodger?' Evie demanded as soon as her feet hit the bottom step.
Evie's mother, who was dropping her bags onto a chair by the door, looked up, eyes aghast. 'Yes, oh dear, sorry, I totally forgot to call you, didn't I? Did you get a fright?'
'A fright?' Evie screeched. 'Mum! You could have warned me. I almost smashed in his head with a baseball bat.'
Evie's mum pressed her hand against her mouth. 'Oh no! No, don't do that. Sorry. I just had a call at the store from Janet Del Rey, she said she had someone there working for them who was looking for a place in town to stay for a while.' She shrugged. 'Well, it was just perfect timing.'
Evie had her back to him but he could see she had her hands on her hips and it was easy to imagine the expression on her face, the same furious frown she'd had in the car. The one where her eyes turned deep ocean blue and she pressed her lips together in a firm line.
'Perfect timing,' he heard her say. 'Exactly. Did you check his references or anything?'
Her mum turned back to her bags and started rifling around for something. 'Well, um no, but he's working at the Del Rey ranch, I'm sure they have.'
Evie took a step closer to her and he could see her in profile now. He was right about the expression.
'How do you know he is who he says he is?' she hissed at her mum, lowering her voice as though scared he might hear her. 'He might murder us in our sleep.'
Evie's mother let out a laugh and put a hand on her daughter's arm. 'Oh, don't be so silly, Evie. Did you get a good look at him? He's rather gorgeous, isn't he?'
Lucas slunk further back into the shadows.
'I think you might get to like him, Evie, if you gave him a chance,' she said, squeezing her daughter's arm and walking through into the kitchen, leaving Evie standing open-mouthed, barefoot in her robe, staring after her.
Then her head suddenly whipped around and she was staring right at him. Or, rather, she was staring right through him, unable to see him, even though he was standing right there and if she'd been properly trained she might have been able to notice the outline of him, feel him standing there, his eyes burning into her, but she couldn't and so her gaze flitted over him and past him and then back to the kitchen before she huffed loudly and stomped up the stairs.
She brushed his shadow as she passed and, for an instant, seemed to feel him, pulling her robe closer around her, before hurrying into her bedroom and slamming the door.
A half-hour later he heard his name called from downstairs and wandered out of his room.
'Oh, Lucas,' Mrs Tremain said from the hallway beneath. 'Would you like to join us for some dinner?'
He heard the sound of a door opening behind him, Evie's footsteps stopping just at his shoulder. He could sense her pulling a face at her mother, could smell her skin - she'd just come out the shower - but he didn't turn around.
'That would be lovely, Mrs Tremain,' he answered. 'If you're sure.'
'Oh yes, yes. Please, do join us.'
Evie rocked past him at that point, her shoulder bumping his. He stepped aside and watched her as she walked
The sum of his parts. Half human, half Unhuman.
Lucas suddenly stood up. He tore his shirt off over his head. Then he stood in front of the mirror staring at the amulet lying against his chest. He lifted it up and traced the twisted silver, six strands twined into the shape of one dagger. This was his promise to the Brotherhood, his oath to fight with his brothers from the other realms until either the war was won or he was dead. But more than that, much more than that, it stood for his promise to his father and his mother that he would make the Hunters pay.
He let the amulet drop.
'Evie!'
It was her mother calling her. He heard Evie open her door and bound down the stairs and he walked silently along the corridor to watch from the shadows in the landing.
'Did you get a new lodger?' Evie demanded as soon as her feet hit the bottom step.
Evie's mother, who was dropping her bags onto a chair by the door, looked up, eyes aghast. 'Yes, oh dear, sorry, I totally forgot to call you, didn't I? Did you get a fright?'
'A fright?' Evie screeched. 'Mum! You could have warned me. I almost smashed in his head with a baseball bat.'
Evie's mum pressed her hand against her mouth. 'Oh no! No, don't do that. Sorry. I just had a call at the store from Janet Del Rey, she said she had someone there working for them who was looking for a place in town to stay for a while.' She shrugged. 'Well, it was just perfect timing.'
Evie had her back to him but he could see she had her hands on her hips and it was easy to imagine the expression on her face, the same furious frown she'd had in the car. The one where her eyes turned deep ocean blue and she pressed her lips together in a firm line.
'Perfect timing,' he heard her say. 'Exactly. Did you check his references or anything?'
Her mum turned back to her bags and started rifling around for something. 'Well, um no, but he's working at the Del Rey ranch, I'm sure they have.'
Evie took a step closer to her and he could see her in profile now. He was right about the expression.
'How do you know he is who he says he is?' she hissed at her mum, lowering her voice as though scared he might hear her. 'He might murder us in our sleep.'
Evie's mother let out a laugh and put a hand on her daughter's arm. 'Oh, don't be so silly, Evie. Did you get a good look at him? He's rather gorgeous, isn't he?'
Lucas slunk further back into the shadows.
'I think you might get to like him, Evie, if you gave him a chance,' she said, squeezing her daughter's arm and walking through into the kitchen, leaving Evie standing open-mouthed, barefoot in her robe, staring after her.
Then her head suddenly whipped around and she was staring right at him. Or, rather, she was staring right through him, unable to see him, even though he was standing right there and if she'd been properly trained she might have been able to notice the outline of him, feel him standing there, his eyes burning into her, but she couldn't and so her gaze flitted over him and past him and then back to the kitchen before she huffed loudly and stomped up the stairs.
She brushed his shadow as she passed and, for an instant, seemed to feel him, pulling her robe closer around her, before hurrying into her bedroom and slamming the door.
A half-hour later he heard his name called from downstairs and wandered out of his room.
'Oh, Lucas,' Mrs Tremain said from the hallway beneath. 'Would you like to join us for some dinner?'
He heard the sound of a door opening behind him, Evie's footsteps stopping just at his shoulder. He could sense her pulling a face at her mother, could smell her skin - she'd just come out the shower - but he didn't turn around.
'That would be lovely, Mrs Tremain,' he answered. 'If you're sure.'
'Oh yes, yes. Please, do join us.'
Evie rocked past him at that point, her shoulder bumping his. He stepped aside and watched her as she walked
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