Page 15 of Fated to Monsters

“And what might you two be?” Sydney narrows his gaze at them like he’s trying to decide for himself before they answer.

“I’m…” Jade holds her hand to her chest.

“No,” Wes cuts her off and turns toward Sydney. “I need to know that no harm comes to any of us.” He flits an apologetic look toward Tremont. “I understand you two have history, but the rest of us have done no wrong other than eating some of your food and sleeping in your beds. I will do whatever you wish to repay you for that, but I beg of you to show mercy to the rest of us.”

Sydney takes in Wes’s request and chews at his bottom lip. “You two, the hellhound and the phoenix. You’re with her, thehunter?”

“They have names,” I blurt out. “Wes and Dash.”

Sydney smiles. “You’re more and more like an Oliver with each passing second.”

“See,” Tremont says. “I told you so.”

“Silence.” Sydney stares right at Tremont. “I’ve heard enough from you.” He steadies his gaze on Wes. “No harm will come to you so long as the same is reciprocated. The second I find out you’re lying to me, I will have no choice but to take back my word.”

Wes and Sydney exchange a swift nod.

“So then you’ll free us from these confines?” I ask the question that’s no doubt on all our minds.

“I still don’t know what those two are.” Sydney motions down the hall.

Jade steps closer. “I’m a banshee, and Everest is…”

“I was born a hunter, as was Wren, but I do not associate myself as one.”

“Let me get this straight.” Sydney rubs his hands together and pauses momentarily. “You three are some of the rarest, if not completely obsolete supernatural beings in existence. And you.” He focuses right on me. “You’re a distant relative to my wife.”

“I…” But no other words come out of my mouth. I have family? Living relatives? In another realm outside of Prania? Is this possible? I thought I was the last of my bloodline. That’s what Parla told me when she helped me trace back my lineage. Although, when has anything that bitch has ever said or done been without some hidden fucking agenda behind it? Maybe Parla realized how powerful and significant I would be when she was pretending to be my friend, and instead of telling me the truth, she fed me more lies to keep me under her authority.

Because had she told me then that there were more of my kind, I would have done everything in my power to find them. And that alone would have ruined her carefully laid out plan.

She didn’t just take my life from me, she tried to take away my future and my past, too.

Is this why Tremont was shocked when Dash had called me by my last name? Because he knows the woman who is married to Sydney? Tremont mentioned he had history with Sydney’s parents, but how does that affect Sydney or his wife? It clearly does, because Sydney is labeling us all the enemy just for being in Tremont’s company. What could Tremont have done that was so bad to make Sydney hate him so much?

Unless…

"Sydney." I grow worried about the question I'm about to ask. "Is your wife, this other Oliver, is she dead?"

“What?” He shakes his head. “No. She’s very much alive.”

“Oh.” I let out a sigh of relief. “Sorry, I thought you were mad at him because he hurt her.”

At least I don’t have to adddead relativeto my list today.

“You really don’t know, do you?” Sydney stares at me.

But before either of us can say anything else, a dark flash darts up the stairs.

“This party is over.” Bo grabs Sydney by the neck and lifts him off the ground. “This fucking spell, you take it down,now.”

I choke on a gasp. “Bo, stop!” I rush forward, not sure where the boundary of the barrier spell is in place. But when I bolt past where I’m certain it was without being stopped, I continue pushing my feet forward until I’m latching onto Bo’s arm. “Please, Bo, don’t hurt him.”

Bo’s dark gaze meets mine and he blinks, like he’s wondering how it’s possible Sydney complied with his demand so quickly.

“See, I’m right here, the barrier spell is gone. You can let him go.”

“Uh, Wren,” Wes says from somewhere behind me.

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