Chapter 85

Kadeem

As the knock rumbled through Kadeem's motel room, he jumped in alarm.

“Shit,” he breathed, his heart pounding.

He had been rummaging through Rayburn's suitcase, desperately searching for any magical artifacts or proof of his involvement with the vampire attacks.

Hastily, Kadeem shoved Rayburn’s belongings back into his bag, hurried to the adjoining door and opened it. Ardal stood there illuminated by the strobing blue light of the TV. She wore a tank top and shorts, her chestnut hair falling softly on her shoulders.

Kadeem suddenly realized that he was standing before Ardal half-naked in only his boxer briefs. He'd washed his clothes in the sink to rid them of sweat, then hung them over the radiator to dry. His cheeks reddened as Ardal averted her gaze from his groin.

"Sorry," she whispered quietly.

"It's okay," he breathed out, looking around for something to cover himself up with. "Your boyfriend is in the shower, if that's who you're looking for."

It was a line meant to tease her. Obviously, she wanted to talk to him, but Ardal nodded slowly in response.

Kadeem took a ragged breath. God, he was such a fool.

She nervously tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Kadeem felt his wolf stir at the alluring scent wafting from her tresses. He quickly grabbed a pillow to cover himself, feeling like a silly teenager.

“Um, yeah, but I can come back,” she stammered, blushing a fierce crimson that rivaled Kadeem’s own rosy cheeks.

He felt that magnetic energy between them again, tugging them closer. The desire was nearly unbearable. He wanted to grab her and take her right then and there.

The bathroom door swung open, making Ardal jump in surprise, the moment lost.

Rayburn stepped out, his damp blond locks curling around his face as he stood in a grey med school Alma mater t-shirt and shorts.

Ardal looked past Kadeem. “Hi,” she said timidly.

Rayburn swallowed hard, struggling to find his words as his gaze fell upon Ardal. “Hi,” he croaked out.

Kadeem was every bit the third wheel now, and so jealous it made him sick to his stomach.

He ran his hand through his hair. “Do you want me to step out,” he asked them both, drawing their attention away from each other to him.

Ardal looked towards Rayburn for confirmation.

Rayburn’s gaze flicked to Kadeem. “Yes, if you don’t mind.”

“No,” Kadeem said, although he did. He could see the desire in Rayburn’s eyes - the same kind of desire he felt himself. He lingered awkwardly for a second with the pillow still pressed to his groin.

Rayburn gestured towards his bag as though it were a peace offering.

“You can borrow some clothes,” he offered gruffly.

Rayburn unzipped the bag and Kadeem’s breath caught for a moment, hoping he wouldn’t notice anything out of place. Luckly, he simply threw Kadeem a pair of shorts and a wife beater.

“Thanks, man,” Kadeem said gratefully, before stepping into the bathroom to throw them on.

Both men were lean-cut, however Kadeem was more muscular and had a good four inches in height on Rayburn. The shirt fit acceptably, but the shorts cut perilously near his upper thigh.

Battling a rising tide of humiliation, he emerged from the bathroom in his obnoxiously short shorts.

“Don’t laugh,” he growled in warning, but Rayburn was already sneering arrogantly, sitting side-by-side with Ardal on his bed.

Kadeem blew out a breath of agitation and left, letting the door close with a resounding click behind him.

The kids were sprawled out asleep on the double beds. Kadeem had no idea how Ardal would find any room to squeeze in with them.

He settled on the couch with his phone. He had cajoled Mateo to scan as much as he could from the book of runes, since Kadeem had left it, along with his properly fitting clothes, behind.

Although neither he nor Riley had remembered any specific rune, Kadeem was determined to learn more about them so that he could be prepared for if they ever made another appearance.

He felt a presence next to him and looked up to see Silas, disoriented from sleep. His eyes were large and glassy as he finally recognized Kadeem's face.

"Hi," Kadeem whispered softly. “It’s me.”

“Where’s Mom?“ There was an edge of panic in his voice.

“She’s next door for a few minutes,” Kadeem said, patting the seat on the couch next to him. “She’ll be right back.”

The little boy shuffled onto the couch and fidgeted nervously before turning to Kadeem with an eager expression.

"Do you know how many bones humans have?"

Kadeem shook his head with a faint smile on his lips. "How many?"

"206."

"That is quite a lot."

Silas grinned triumphantly before launching into another question, "But do you know how many bones wolves have?"

Kadeem sat still, mesmerized by Silas's youthful innocence. How long till the world tore that away from him? Kadeem was glad to be in his life while it remained.

A twinkling glint shone in the boy’s wide eyes as he waited for an answer.

Kadeem chuckled lightly before shaking his head again in amusement. "No, I don't know. Enlighten me."

“320 in girls and 321 in boys!”

Silas’ siblings shifted restlessly in their beds.

“Shhh,” Kadeem intoned softly, but smiling all the same. “We don’t want to wake them,” he said gently.

Silas peeked inquisitively at Kadeem’s phone. “What’s that?”

“Oh, uh, they’re called runes,” Kadeem said.

“What are they used for?”

“Magic,” he whispered conspiratorially.

Silas gasped in delight. “Magic,” he exclaimed, causing his siblings to stir again. He looked at Kadeem sheepishly.

“It’s okay, just try to stay a little quieter.”

Silas leaned over to look down at Kadeem’s phone.

“I’ve seen this one before,” he said, pointing emphatically at a mark on the screen.

Kadeem smiled in the way adults do when they’re playing along little narratives children have crafted.

“You have?”

“Yep. Dr. Jack - I mean, Jack,” Silas giggled. “He has a mark like that.”

Kadeem felt a chill creep down his spine as he stared into Silas’ beaming eyes in the darkness.

“Oh yeah,” he asked feebly. He drew a breath, afraid to show any sign of alarm, lest it spook him.

“Yeah,” Silas said, with an affirming nod. “It’s on his arm, right- here.”

Silas reached over to press his fingers against Kadeem’s shoulder.

“It’s little, but I saw it when he spent the night with Mom.”

With that particular insight, Kadeem felt his insides twist with jealousy. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to swallow the bitterness arising in his heart.

He looked back at the page on the screen. It reminded him of a crude drawing of a tree, its stump planted firmly beneath two branches stretching out, but only on one side of the stump.

“Fehu,” he read aloud. “It’s associated with wealth, life… and blood.”

He glanced up at Silas who was watching him intently.

Silas tilted his head. “What kind of magic could he do with that?”

“You should get some rest now,” Kadeem said, placing his hand gently behind his neck for a moment. “Do me a favor, though” he said, letting his hand drop. “Don’t mention all this to Jack, or, ideally, anyone just yet.”

“How come?”

Kadeem pursed his lips. “I can’t give you a reason,” he said.

Silas nodded curiously and stood. “Okay,” he promised.

Silas lingered for a moment before wrapping his arms around Kadeem’s neck and laying his head on his shoulder. Kadeem wrapped his arms around him and resisted the urge to kiss the top of his head, but allowed himself to savor the moment, forgetting the business of runes and magic for a few minutes.

Kadeem waited for the boy to release him, but Silas continued to cling to him, so he pulled the little boy up into his lap, and let him lay against his chest, as his mind journeyed back to the possible purposes of the rune Silas had seen on Rayburn’s arm.

His brain raced as he tried to piece together the frayed threads of information before him. He twisted and turned them, like a jigsaw puzzle, searching for some invisible shape to emerge from the chaos.

He longed to call Riley to bounce everything off of, but he glanced at the time. It would have to wait.

Kadeem felt Silas sink into him, as his body grew heavy and his breathing slowed and deepened.

“You’re a smart little guy,” Kadeem whispered in his ear. “Thanks for your help.”

After a little longer, he stood with him and carefully carried and tucked him into bed next to Ezra and Milo.

Still rattled about Rayburn, Kadeem wanted to check on Ardal. She’d been gone quite a while now. He froze at the door, heart thundering as he praying silently he wouldn’t walk in on them fucking. Even kissing would be too much.

His throat tightened as he pushed open the door and peered around it. What he found made him want to weep.

They were both fully clothed, but laying together in Rayburn’s bed asleep. His body curled around her, his arm draped around her petite frame protectively, while her head rested peacefully on his chest. Her dark hair was fanned out across him like a sheet of glinting light, reflecting the neon glow that was streaming in through the air-blown gap in the curtain.

They were intertwined together as if they were made for each other.

The comfort of their embrace made Kadeem’s heart sink into a bottomless pit. He started to turn away when the door squeaked behind him, waking her. She sat upright in bed, while Rayburn remained blissfully asleep.

Ardal’s dark eyes opened sleepily at Kadeem’s presence, quickly widening when she realized where she was.

He forced a smile and gestured for her to lay back down before heading out of the room.

She followed him, catching him just at the other side of the door.

“I’m so sorry,” she said softly, glancing at the alarm clock on the table before running her hands through her hair. “I didn’t mean to keep you that long.”

“Not that long,” Kadeem said. “I was just, um, checking on you.” He shifted his weight. “You look like you two made up,” he added bitterly, then regretting it instantly at the pained look on her face.

It darkened further as she spoke. “Not exactly,” she said.

He scrutinized her. “What’s wrong?”

Ardal seemed to struggle for words. Her chest heaved like she might be on the verge of tears.

He stood hesitantly, unsure of what to do, waiting for more of an explanation, but none came.

Without warning, she pulled him to her and kissed him.

To be continued.

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