him a view into the top of her yellow bikini. Nathan kept his eyes on hers.
"You are the only woman that sunbathes in the common room."
"I'm the only woman that dresses like a woman, too."
"Communal dress codes--"
"Get you hot, right?" She puckered her lips. "If I dress in gray can I trust myself around you, captain?"
"Come on Nathan." A tall boy with dusty blond hair entered the argument. "She's not hurting anyone."
Randy. Nathan struggled to control his face. Of course it was Randy.
Of the five hundred people living at their haven, only a few dozen were girls around Meredith's age. And all of those had embraced the communal rules. Except Meredith.
In the month since she'd come to their compound, Nathan had found himself at odds with several of the younger men. They misinterpreted her ridicule for teasing, which apparently in some circles meant flirting. And since she was the object of most of their desires, they resented Nathan. Some, like Randy, even challenged him openly.
"My hero." Meredith reached up to ruffle Randy's hair. "At least someone knows how to talk to a lady."
Nathan ground his teeth. Never mind that he was four years older than Randy. Or that Meredith, at seventeen, was three.
"This has nothing to do with you."
"Wow, Nathan, I didn't know they'd made you the Fourth." Randy laughed, and Meredith flashed him a dazzling smile. She encouraged this crap. And she got away with it. Because she was one of the Candidates. Which meant she could insult the Three to their faces and escape unscathed.
Nathan turned his attention to Randy, a target that he could reach. "Why don't you--"
But that was all Nathan got out. Something electric traveled up his spine, and a white light ballooned behind his eyes. He glanced about the common room. Nearly everyone seemed to be experiencing something. Some more than others. Meredith was bent at the waist.
Nathan sank to his knees and grabbed her shoulder. "What do you see?"
"Give her a second," Randy snapped from her other side.
"We don't have a second."
"She needs space to breathe."
"She need to tell me what she sees," Nathan snarled.
"You self-righteous asshole. You don't care--"
"You will be quiet!"
Randy fell as if he'd been hit. He struggled to open his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked horrified.
Nathan felt a flash of remorse, which he quickly buried. In theory, all of their brethren had the ability to exercise the same control, but personality and environment heightened some gifts. Nathan's was his voice. Only the most strong-willed could refuse a direct command.
He turned his attention back to the swaying girl beside him. Hers was empathy. "Meredith."
"It's dark," she whispered. "She's in a house. It smells like blood."
As Meredith spoke, images appeared in Nathan's mind like cloudy photos or impressionist paintings. He saw a large living room. He saw three figures. The girl was off to the side, watching the two males fight. Nephilim, Nathan realized. Hunters. Which meant the girl--
"She has to help him. She needs to help him. He's killing him."
Nathan watched, awed, as the girl pushed an impossible amount of energy into the dying Hunter. Bile swam in his throat as he sensed the ease with which it was delivered. She had saved this monster before.
This girl, the Candidate for whom they were searching, collapsed under the stress of her effort, and she slipped into unconsciousness. But not before Nathan saw the Hunter she had healed throw the other off. He turned to her. And Nathan saw his face.
Chapter 21
Julia opened her eyes and saw him at the window.
Her heart went staccato. She slowed it with a long breath, taking care that he didn't hear. While her eyes danced over Cayne, her brain began to reboot. She was torn for a moment between the overwhelming urge to save him and the realization that he was fine, standing right in front of her, raking his fingers through his hair, as it looked like he had a hundred times.
She realized something else: he had just been near
"You are the only woman that sunbathes in the common room."
"I'm the only woman that dresses like a woman, too."
"Communal dress codes--"
"Get you hot, right?" She puckered her lips. "If I dress in gray can I trust myself around you, captain?"
"Come on Nathan." A tall boy with dusty blond hair entered the argument. "She's not hurting anyone."
Randy. Nathan struggled to control his face. Of course it was Randy.
Of the five hundred people living at their haven, only a few dozen were girls around Meredith's age. And all of those had embraced the communal rules. Except Meredith.
In the month since she'd come to their compound, Nathan had found himself at odds with several of the younger men. They misinterpreted her ridicule for teasing, which apparently in some circles meant flirting. And since she was the object of most of their desires, they resented Nathan. Some, like Randy, even challenged him openly.
"My hero." Meredith reached up to ruffle Randy's hair. "At least someone knows how to talk to a lady."
Nathan ground his teeth. Never mind that he was four years older than Randy. Or that Meredith, at seventeen, was three.
"This has nothing to do with you."
"Wow, Nathan, I didn't know they'd made you the Fourth." Randy laughed, and Meredith flashed him a dazzling smile. She encouraged this crap. And she got away with it. Because she was one of the Candidates. Which meant she could insult the Three to their faces and escape unscathed.
Nathan turned his attention to Randy, a target that he could reach. "Why don't you--"
But that was all Nathan got out. Something electric traveled up his spine, and a white light ballooned behind his eyes. He glanced about the common room. Nearly everyone seemed to be experiencing something. Some more than others. Meredith was bent at the waist.
Nathan sank to his knees and grabbed her shoulder. "What do you see?"
"Give her a second," Randy snapped from her other side.
"We don't have a second."
"She needs space to breathe."
"She need to tell me what she sees," Nathan snarled.
"You self-righteous asshole. You don't care--"
"You will be quiet!"
Randy fell as if he'd been hit. He struggled to open his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked horrified.
Nathan felt a flash of remorse, which he quickly buried. In theory, all of their brethren had the ability to exercise the same control, but personality and environment heightened some gifts. Nathan's was his voice. Only the most strong-willed could refuse a direct command.
He turned his attention back to the swaying girl beside him. Hers was empathy. "Meredith."
"It's dark," she whispered. "She's in a house. It smells like blood."
As Meredith spoke, images appeared in Nathan's mind like cloudy photos or impressionist paintings. He saw a large living room. He saw three figures. The girl was off to the side, watching the two males fight. Nephilim, Nathan realized. Hunters. Which meant the girl--
"She has to help him. She needs to help him. He's killing him."
Nathan watched, awed, as the girl pushed an impossible amount of energy into the dying Hunter. Bile swam in his throat as he sensed the ease with which it was delivered. She had saved this monster before.
This girl, the Candidate for whom they were searching, collapsed under the stress of her effort, and she slipped into unconsciousness. But not before Nathan saw the Hunter she had healed throw the other off. He turned to her. And Nathan saw his face.
Chapter 21
Julia opened her eyes and saw him at the window.
Her heart went staccato. She slowed it with a long breath, taking care that he didn't hear. While her eyes danced over Cayne, her brain began to reboot. She was torn for a moment between the overwhelming urge to save him and the realization that he was fine, standing right in front of her, raking his fingers through his hair, as it looked like he had a hundred times.
She realized something else: he had just been near
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