“What’s that supposed to mean?” North asks Arrow, stepping toward him.
Arrow raises his eyebrows as if North hasn’t got a clue. “It means we were sent here to take care of Lark, and if we end up hurting her, confusing her, or pushing her away, how are we doing our job? How will we complete the mission?”
“Mission?” Lark shakes her head. “Listen, guys. I feel about twenty steps behind you. I told you already I’m done with living in the dark. That way too much of my life has been, apparently, spent in the shadows. So, tell me what’s going on, or I’m out of here. I’m not threatening–I mean it.”
Her tone is sharp and I’m reminded of the Shakespeare she quoted when we met... though she be but small... she is fierce.
It’s so damn true. I love it, watching the way she doesn’t back down. Especially because North is used to getting everything exactly how he wants. Ever since we were kids, living in a group home, North always got the lion’s share.
North runs a hand through his hair and I can tell he’s conflicted. “Look,” I say. “You may be the leader of this motley crew, but I know you get the importance of cluing in Lark to her own life.” Arrow, Brecken, and Vaughn nod in agreement. We’re on one side, and North is on the other. All for one and one for all is hard when we are divided.
“Then why would Gaia have told us to keep the truth from her?” he asks.
“I don’t know, but Lark already knows she’s different. She knows more than you think,” Brecken says, speaking up.
His eyes meet Lark’s and I’m reminded that they spent time together and shared a kiss.
Her loyalty isn’t to me alone.
And maybe that’s for the best. Maybe we can all do our part to look after her however she wants. If she wants kisses, if she wants to be held, if she just wants a shoulder to lean on–we can be that for her.
We aren’t here to judge what she wants. We’re only here to give her what she needs.
I sigh, knowing North isn’t an asshole. Not like Brecken. No, North is upright and true and determined to get things right. That takes guts. I can respect that.
But damn, I’m not sure he has it in him to break his promise to Gaia.
I want to draw Lark close, and the only way to do that is to be honest with her. Hell, what do we have to lose?
“It’s gonna freak you out, raven,” I tell her.
Across from me, North sits down, leans forward with his elbows on his knees, nodding me to continue. “I don’t want you to leave, Lark. And the truth is, if you did, we’d follow you, just like you guessed.”
“And this story isn’t one that’s gonna make you feel comfort- able,” Brecken adds. “Can you handle that?”
I look over at him, wondering what he knows about Lark, exactly.
She smiles softly. “Thanks for worrying, but I can guar- antee it’s not gonna be as bad as what my mom told me last night.”
“Maybe,” Arrow says. “But that’s only because none of us in the room know the ending to this one.”
That piques Lark’s interest and I’m glad I’m the one sitting next to her on the couch because I want to be as close as possible to her for whatever happens next. If she tries to fly away, I will be there to catch her.
If she gets freaked out by the idea of what we are, the idea of what we can do, then I want to be the first one to reassure her that even though we can shift we’re not scary.
10
Lark
The mood in the room is so intense and I want to understand. I want to understand them. But it’s all so
overwhelming. I press a hand to my forehead, collecting myself.
My whole life has been on this even keel trajectory. Training every day, working towards a show in Vegas. The one thing that I always wanted, and now I have it.
And at the same time, the rest of my life is chaos. I don’t understand why.
I suddenly have no idea where I came from. Or, where I’m going.
The idea that I had a sister makes my heart ache in ways I wasn’t expecting. And even though I never considered a sister... it takes my breath away.
And now I’m sitting in a suite in the Spades Royale Casino with five men so handsome and chiseled. Men who move with a grace that exceeds human understanding.
“Do you truly want to know?” Arrow asks. “Yes,” I say. “Please.”
“Gaia is Mother Earth.” He says it so matter-of-factly, with so much seriousness, that my eyes widen, a smile breaking across my face. He can’t be serious.
“Okay,” I laugh. “You lost me, babe.” The word babe falls from my mouth so easily that I immediately regret it. It’s too comfort- able for men I just met. Too familiar for these guys who are strangers.