Centaur Rivalry (Touched Series Book 3) Read online

  I sprinted down the sidewalk toward the parking lot. When I peered over my shoulder, Drake had left the door cracked. He could be at my side in the blink of an eye if I needed him. I rounded the corner to the parking lot and shouted, “Brent!” Once I had his attention, more quietly I chided, “Keep your voice down. What are you doing here?”

  A Cheshire-cat grin spread over his face. “Looking for you and Drake.”

  “Okay, Inspector Gadget, you found us. In case Will didn’t tell you – we’re hiding out.”

  Brent stood up straight, still smirking, “Yeah, I heard.” He looked around our desolate hideout, “Nice hiding place. The only ones that’ll find you here are the elk and the rabbits.” His eyes took in the decades-old structure. The front window sported a huge crack in the glass with thick gray duct tape holding it in place. The snow-covered sign barely showed the message that the motel would be closed until Memorial Day. Brent didn’t say anything about its condition. Instead he asked, “Did you hear Beau married a Centauride from California?”

  I couldn’t help but smile. Lacey had chosen him, but I didn’t know they had already married. “Lacey. Yeah, that was fast. Do you know where they took off to?”

  Brent shook his head and jammed his exposed hands into his pockets. “To the winds. They flew into Charleston, packed up Beau’s stuff, and said goodbye – then they were gone.”

  I placed my hand on Brent’s shoulder. He flinched but didn’t pull away. I wasn’t sure that he was used to the idea of having a sister, and like most unbetrothed Centaurs, he shied away from the touch of any woman. Of my five brothers, Brent was the closest to my age – only a year older than I was. He was also the one who openly disapproved of me having grown up as a human. Brent was quick to judge and had no tolerance for any actions that were outside of acceptable Centaur traditions.

  I wasn’t sure how much he knew, so I stayed with a safe topic. “You were right, Brent. Remember when you showed me the rolled up family tapestry in your room? It was staring at us the whole time. You knew we were part of the Lost Herd.”

  Brent shook his head, “I didn’t know for sure. When you showed up, I couldn’t understand how I had a half-sister. Up until then, it was just a coincidence that our lineage happened to trace back to a Centaur named Rupert – I mean, there were probably lots of Ruperts, right?”

  “But you knew as soon as I came to South Carolina?”

  “Sure – I think we all did. I kept expecting guards from the Centaur Council to storm the house, especially when Dad introduced you to everyone at Bruce’s wedding. The First Centaur Tenant is pretty clear: A Centaur shall only claim one wife. There shall be no divorce, and death shall not break their bond.”

  “But Will didn’t marry my mom, so, technically, he didn’t break the First Tenant.”

  Brent shook his head, “No, Zeus’s tenant ‘shall only claim one wife,’ means no girlfriend on the side, either. These were rules set down by Zeus himself. Up until Zeus changed Centaurs to look like humans, it was common for a Centaur to have a bunch of wives. They were warriors and Centaurs had a pretty short life expectancy. Once we had to blend in with the humans, one wife was enough. For Dad to break a rule like that, he couldn’t have been one of Zeus’s Centaurs – he had to be of the Lost Herd.”

  I was skeptical of Brent’s logic. “So, no Centaurs ever have affairs?”

  Brent shook his head, “No. I remember hearing stories when I was a kid about Centaurs who had tried a long time ago. All were dealt with severely. The only way Dad could have had an affair and not been struck down was for him to be a member of the Lost Herd.”

  “But why?”

  “When Zeus changed all Centaurs to human form, he gave them seven rules to live by. If any Centaur were to break one of the Seven Tenants, the penalty can be death. Breaking one of the tenants is like spitting in Zeus’s face – he just knows.”

  “Death?”

  “No one ever breaks the Seven Tenants.”

  Something had been bothering me, and Brent might have a theory on this one, too. “So how did the Lost Herd take a human form? If they were cast out before Zeus made Centaurs look human – shouldn’t we all still have hooves?”

  “I don’t know, Cami – but we need to find out.”

  “So, technically, the Lost Herd doesn’t need to abide by the Seven Tenants?”

  “I guess not. Our ancestors had a death sentence put on their heads as soon as Zeus cast them out of the pasture of Thessaly. The fact that we’re here proves that a god had to have gone against Zeus’s wishes and helped hide us for all these years. Part of hiding us must have been to allow us to blend in with the humans like the other herds.”

  Brent’s explanation made sense, sort of, but it brought a new question to the forefront. “Why would Will have introduced me at Bruce’s wedding? Why wouldn’t he have hidden me away? He had to know that others would realize.”

  “None of us knew what to think. Dad said he had a daughter, and we thought maybe he was trying to cover for another Centaur or something.”

  “So, you didn’t believe I was really your sister?”

  “Mom and Dad told me you were my sister. Maybe they had had you in secret somehow and then hid you away. Believe me, I had all kinds of scenarios in my head.”

  I shook my head at him. “You thought Gretchen and Will had me then hid me away? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  My cheeks were getting numb from the cold, and I couldn’t feel my toes. I stomped a couple times to try to encourage blood flow. Brent moved closer to me, almost whispering, “You have to understand, that was more palatable than the alternative. I never expected to hear we were of the Lost Herd and would soon be wearing a death sentence of our own.”

  I remembered a conversation I had had with my mother’s spirit before she left for the pasture. Since we were sharing confessions, I looked away and decided to share what she had told me. “Will purposely seduced Mom. He even told her so after.”

  “What?! No way.”

  I wasn’t sure how much Brent knew, but for some reason I needed to tell him. Will had gone out of his way to help Drake and me, but I still didn’t trust him, and I needed Brent to know why. “It’s true. She told me that before Will left to return to South Carolina he came clean. He told her about Gretchen. He told her he’d been ordered to seduce her and father a set of Chiron twins.”

  Doubt was written all over Brent’s face. “That makes no sense. Why would he do that?”

  “I think it was the Lost Herd’s way of announcing to Zeus that they weren’t extinct. The leader was banking on the fact that no one would kill Cameron and me – since we were the last set of twins from Chiron’s line.”

  “Who’s the leader of the Lost Herd?”

  “That’s the kicker. He was one of my guards when I was at Zandra’s house. His name’s Phineas. He lives in Melbourne, Florida. I don’t know his last name, but he helped us escape from Zandra’s.”

  Brent stiffened, “Wait. Phineas? Phineas is the leader of the Lost Herd?”

  “You know him?” I felt my eyebrows raise, “Beau had never heard of him.”

  “Phineas and Dad are related, I think. I met him once. Dad flew me to Disney World for my birthday when I was like eight. It was just the two of us. We were in line for the log ride when a huge Centaur named Phineas introduced himself to me. He told me he was my uncle. After Phineas left, Dad said not to mention it to anyone – Mom didn’t like him. None of my brothers were with us on that trip.”

  Brent scanned the abandoned parking lot. “Where’s Drake?”

  “He’s inside.” Trying desperately not to sound like a jerk, I asked, “What’re you doing here?”

  “Camille, didn’t you hear me? Our whole family has disappeared. They’re gone.”

  “You mean they’ve gone into hiding, right?”

  Brent’s gaze shifted to the iced over asphalt. “Dad gave me cash, an account in the Caymans, a passport, a birth certificate w
ith a new name, and told me to leave.” Brent rubbed one of his eyes as if some dust were in it. I leaned over to give him a hug, but he pulled away. “I want to see Drake.”

  My teeth sank hard into my lower lip. The fewer Centaurs who saw Drake, the safer we were. “It might be better if you didn’t.”

  “So it’s true? Beau told me before he and Lacey left. I didn’t believe him. I wanted to see for myself.”

  I nodded. “How’d you find us?”

  “Beau said you two were still in South Dakota. I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I came here. I saw Gage and Bianca when they arrived at the airport, so I followed them. I couldn’t think of any other reason that they would be here. I tried to hang back so they wouldn’t know I was following them, but I lost them near the base of the mountain. I was just getting ready to turn around when I saw a set of tire tracks in the snow on the highway’s off ramp and took a chance that the tire tracks were from their car. They’re here, too, right?”

  If Brent really did know about Drake’s transformation, it wouldn’t be nearly the shock that Gage and Bianca had. He and Drake had spent an afternoon on Will’s yacht with Bianca and me – they were friends, too. “What exactly did Beau tell you?”

  Brent lowered his voice, not that there was anyone here to hear us. “Beau says he’s a real Centaur. He’s like eight feet tall and even faster than before.”

  “He’s over seven feet tall and, yes, he’s beyond fast.”

  An unfamiliar voice shouted at us from the tree line. “Whatcha doin’ here? Got car trouble?”

  We both froze, but it had nothing to do with the temperature.

  Chapter 3

  (Camille, Deserted Motel in South Dakota)

  What was this, Grand Central Station? A young woman wearing a white ski parka and matching snow pants emerged from the tree line. Bright red hair fell around her face from under her jacket’s hood. It wasn’t curly, but it wasn’t straight, either. She wore half a grimace; I couldn’t tell if she was angry or if it was an expression against the cold. Her rounded face and big eyes were attractive, but not in a beauty queen way. She wore no make-up, and her skin was nearly as white as the snow.

  I mentally reached out to her the same way Bianca had taught me months ago. It only took seconds to know she wasn’t a Centauride, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t detect anyone else near her.

  Brent was the first to recover from our unexpected visitor. “We got lost and were looking for a map.”

  Her voice sounded skeptical, “Lookin’ for a map, outside your cars?” Brent’s car was pulled in right beside Bianca and Gage’s.

  Where had this woman come from? People don’t just appear out of the woods, not in temperatures like this. I looked behind her to confirm she was alone. Her question hung in the air a few seconds too long.

  She eyed us suspiciously. “If yer up here snoopin’ for the Henderson brothers, ya can tell ‘em the same thing I already told ‘em – it’s not fer sale.”

  Brent snapped back, “We weren’t snooping.”

  Her tone said more than her words as she looked at the uncovered portion of the sidewalk. “There are an awful lot of footprints here for jus’ the two of ya.”

  Panic grabbed me when I looked around the property. My mind flashed to the other night when we’d been surrounded by Centaurs at Cameron’s house. I looked around and saw the only footprints belonged to Gage, Bianca, Brent and me. I let out a breath and answered, “Sorry, we aren’t from around here. My friend and her husband looked around back to see if a map was posted somewhere.”

  “Uh huh, where are yer friends?”

  “Good question.” Hoping they were paying attention to our unexpected visitor, I yelled, “Gage? Bianca? Hey, where’d you two go?”

  Bianca was the first to come around the corner. She answered, “Right here. There’s no map around back.” Bianca could have been an actress when she looked at the red-headed human and looked almost startled. “Oh, hi.” She held out her hand to the stranger and gave the woman her best southern belle impersonation, “Shame on me for my manners. I’m Bianca Richardson.” She held out her hand, gesturing to Gage trailing her, “And this is my husband, Gage. It’s so very nice to make your acquaintance.”

  I hadn’t heard anyone talk like that the whole time I was down south. She sounded just like the ladies in the movie Steel Magnolias, and it took every bit of control I had not to giggle. The woman accepted Bianca’s hand, but looked stunned. Bianca didn’t ease back on the southern charm for even a half a second. “I see you’ve met Cami and Brent Strayer already.”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  Bianca gestured to the snow-covered forests surrounding the little motel, “This place is just gorgeous. Do you come here often?”

  The woman sounded skeptical, but answered. “Lived here my whole life. It’s only gorgeous if yer inside looking at it through a window. So, where you guys from?”

  Bianca had been larger than life for as long as I had known her. She had a way of quickly becoming the center of attention – which was exactly what we needed. “Charleston. Charleston, South Carolina, and I’m afraid none of us see snow very often. We couldn’t help but do some exploring. I hope we weren’t any trouble?”

  The stranger shook her head. “No. No trouble at all. This place is pretty remote. I wanted ta make sure no one was tryin’ ta break inta the motel.”

  “Oh, I’m sure the owner appreciates a conscientious caretaker like yourself. Do you live nearby?”

  “I am the owner. My place is jus’ through the tree line.” She gestured over her shoulder, but I couldn’t make out anything beyond the thick evergreens. “Now, do ya need some directions back ta town or somethin’?”

  “You’re the owner? Well, isn’t that something!” Charm still oozed from each of Bianca’s words.

  The red-haired woman grinned, “I won it in a card game a few years ago over in Deadwood.”

  Brent had been oblivious up until this point, but her last comment caught his attention. He looked impressed, “A card game? You won a motel? What was your ante?”

  “None of yer business!” She shot him a glare and Brent immediately looked away.

  He mumbled more to himself than to anyone else, “Must have been a hell of a hand.”

  She had heard his mumble and responded full of pride, “It was a bluff, but it worked.”

  Bianca was still all smiles, “Well, thank you for the warning. I’ll make sure to keep Gage away from Deadwood. It sounds like it might be teaming with card sharks.”

  A little more at ease with the four of us, “Naw. It’s jus’ for the locals. Tourists don’t ever get invited inta those games.”

  Brent was quick to add. “I’ve played poker a time or two. Any chance my tourist status could be overlooked?”

  The woman rolled her eyes, “I’m sure yer wife wouldn’t appreciate me takin’ ya into town and takin’ all yer money.”

  “My wife?!” Brent’s eyes grew to the size of quarters. “She’s not my wife.” He raised an accusatory finger in my direction, “She’s my sister. I’m not married.”

  The woman blushed then looked at me. I confirmed my status with a short nod. She looked Brent over in a not so subtle way. “Maybe. I can call inta town ta see if the regulars are getting’ together. But it’s high stakes. Migh’ be a little rich for yer blood.”

  Brent was beyond excited. Bianca cut him off before he could answer, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

  “Katherine. Katherine Newton.”

  “Katherine, I know your place is closed down for the season, but we absolutely adore it. Is there any chance you’d consider renting a few rooms? Just for a few days? We promise not to be any trouble.”

  Katherine looked at the four of us, and I felt a big fat “no” coming on. She shook her head, “Ya can’t get up and down the mountain pass withou’ chains, doncha know?” Katherine looked at the two cars in her motel’s parking lot and added, “At least not mos’ d
ays. The only way around up here this time a year is with snowmobiles and ATVs. There’s nothing ta eat and nowhere ta cook excep’ the office kitchen. Sorry.”

  Gage spoke up for the first time. “Bianca and I are newlyweds. It would only be for a few days. I’m sure we could run into town and find some supplies today while the road is clear.”

  Katherine shook her head, “You’re not listening. Today is a nice day. I’m gonna make a trip inta town for groceries, but the weather changes aroun’ here quick. If I let you stay, I’d have ta feed ya, too. There’s a good chance ya wouldn’t even be able to make it down the mountain a few days from now.”

  Gage gave her a winning smile. “I think we can make it worth your while.” He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket. “Bianca loves it here. Is there a place nearby where we could rent snowmobiles or ATVs?”

  Katherine looked at the wad of cash in Gage’s hand. “Did ya guys rob a bank or somethin’? Who carries that kind of cash aroun’ with ‘em?”

  We all laughed. Thinking we were felons on the run was preferable to the truth. Bianca cut in, “I promise, we won’t be any trouble at all. I’m a great cook. Point me to the kitchen.”

  Katherine shook her head as if she intended to say “no,” but kept her eyes trained on Gage, “How long would ja want ta stay?”

  Bianca answered, “A week, tops. Please say yes.” Her blue eyes sparkled and her blonde curls bounced around her face. It was impossible to tell her no.

  “All right. I guess it wouldn’t be bad ta have some company for a few days.” She looked at Brent when she added, “It gets pretty lonely aroun’ here.”

  From all my conversations with Brent, I don’t know what I expected, but seeing his complexion blush a deep red was not anything I anticipated. Katherine didn’t let up, as her eyes remained trained on Brent’s, “So, does one of ya want to ride along ta town and help me pick up supplies?”