Centaur Rivalry (Touched Series Book 3) Read online

  Katherine must have been holding this story inside since it happened because her words didn’t stop. “Jessica didn’t attend Gayle’s funeral. Gayle’s family said she died from the flu – but she hadn’t been sick. It was weeks before Jessica could bring herself ta tell me the truth. She wouldn’t talk ta me at school or answer my calls or. . .” Katherine trailed off, her voice choked from her own sobs. A full minute passed before she resumed. “Ever since, she’s been lying low, biding her time until she can get out of here. When she goes – I’m going, too.”

  I could hear the truth in her words, and I saw the pain in her face. I believed her, but knew I had to be cautious. “That’s why you’re helping us? You two are getting back at Roscoe, by keeping us safe?”

  Chapter 8

  (Katherine Newton, Deserted Mining Tunnel in South Dakota)

  Why was I helping them? They didn’t have a clue what they were up against. If they did, they wouldn’t have wandered around the countryside waiting for the Council’s enforcers to find ‘em.

  Jessica was the only person outside my family that I cared about. Her family was a bunch of fanatics. I didn’t know how long she had left. Her parents could arrange a marriage tomorrow, and her only future would be being tied ta some freak like her brother or death if she backed out. I couldn’t lose Jess the way we lost Gayle.

  Our only chance was helping these five get outta here. I kept a suitcase packed for Jessica at my house. It’d been there for two years – waiting for our escape. Right after Gayle was murdered, Jess and I talked about running away all the time. As the weeks turned inta months, our window of freedom grew slimmer. Jess was twenty-three now. She was the oldest unbetrothed Centauride in the area. This was it. This was our last chance.

  Cami wants ta know if we’re trying to get back at Roscoe. Roscoe is just the tip of the iceberg. Her eyes are fixed on mine. How can I make her understand? “No. I don’t want revenge. Nothing will bring Gayle back. But I can’t lose Jessica, too.”

  Cami’s eyes were soft. I didn’t want her pity. Jessica and I were sticking our necks out already; they owed us. “When we heard about your betrothed kickin’ the crap outta Roscoe and the thirty Centaurs sent by the Centaur Council to kill ya, we thought things might be changing. We’ll help ya, but you hafta help me get Jessica away from here.”

  Daniel and Brent hadn’t said a word the whole time. Tears were still streaking down my cheeks. I hated that they saw me cry, but I couldn’t help it. Every time I thought about Gayle, I either flew into a rage or bawled like a baby – it didn’t matter that it happened six years ago. As much as I hated sharing it with ‘em, I needed ‘em to know about Gayle. I needed ‘em to know why we had to get Jessica far away from her family.

  Daniel seemed ta be the ring-leader. Cami trusted him. It wasn’t normal for a Centauride to be so close to a human, even if the human was a half-breed. If I could just get Daniel to agree ta help us escape, everyone else would follow suit.

  I stood there starin’ at Daniel, tryin’ to put the urgency into words, but none would come out. My eyes silently pleaded with him to understand – this couldn’t be up for discussion. Daniel looked like he was going to ask me a question when Brent, who had been at least ten feet away, strode up to me and said, “I’m sorry for your loss. I never heard of a Lapith befriending a Centauride before.”

  I used every ounce of what was left of my strength to answer, “We weren’t friends because she and Jessica were Centaurides – we were friends in spite of it.”

  Brent nodded. He closed the distance to me, wrapped both his arms around me and pulled me forcefully into his chest. I was surprised. . . stunned. . . shocked. I froze, not sure how ta react. Less than an hour ago, I had barely touched him, and he had about lost his mind. I stood stiffly against him, trying to make the tears stop, wanting to break free of his hold while my body only wanted to accept his warm embrace.

  My lungs sucked in as much air as they could hold. I had to convince Daniel to help us. Brent’s sudden willingness not only to touch me, but to try to ease my pain didn’t make sense, and we didn’t have the time to waste.

  His strong hands held me close. His chest rose and fell under my head as he breathed. It was as hard as granite under my face. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hold it together. The tears that had streamed down my cheeks gave way to heavy sobs again, and I let ‘em loose against his chest.

  He whispered in my ear, “We’ll get you out of here. We’ll get you both out. You have my word.” His gentle hands ran up and down my back, squeezing ever-so-gently every few seconds. He kept talkin’, but I couldn’t hear his whispers over my own sobs. I didn’t need to hear his words: he was telling me he’d help us escape. . . both of us.

  Brent’s posture and his movements were so stiff. It seemed like he wasn’t accustomed to being affectionate, to comfort someone with anything more than words, but he was trying his best. I could have shut off the tears if I hadn’t been affected by how badly he wanted to make me feel better. The more he tried to comfort me, the more my emotions sailed outta control.

  Instead of just leaning against him, my arms snaked around him, holding on to him for dear life. He gently kissed the top of my head and gave me one final squeeze. He didn’t let go of me; he just loosened his grip so that if I wanted to pull away, I was no longer held in place. I didn’t move. It took me a couple minutes, but I got my sobs under control, took a deep breath, and told them, “Jess is waiting for us. We need to go.”

  Brent didn’t let go of me, at least not all the way. His arm hung over my shoulder as we started back down the dark tunnel. The warmth of his body walking next to mine was therapeutic and toxic rolled together. I’d been raised never to trust a Centaur – never to allow one to learn who I was or I would risk being killed on the spot. But, here, now, I more than wanted Brent’s comfort. I craved it – which got me worried for a whole different reason. I silently prayed that I had not just felt the spark – Lily’s spark.

  Less than an hour ago he’d accused me of trying to accost him when nothing could have been further from reality. I understood why we were discouraged from any interaction with Centaurs, but for the first time since Gayle’s death, I felt like things were going to be okay.

  Daniel and Cami gave us some space. I could hear their footsteps behind us, but neither was talking.

  Brent must have wanted ta explain his sudden change of heart. His eyes remained fixed on the tunnel in front of us. His voice was quiet, only loud enough for me to hear it. “I saw a Blood Debt paid when I was young; I was maybe eight. Even now the image is so clear it feels like it happened yesterday. I didn’t know the Centauride who’d been murdered, but from that moment, no matter who wronged me, I knew I’d never collect one.”

  I hadn’t seen what happened ta Gayle, but I’d imagined it ever since I heard how Roscoe had killed her. Gayle’s Blood Debt had been an intimate affair – only Roscoe’s family was present. The Centaur who had been wronged had the option to collect his debt in private or on a public display. The Centauride’s family had the responsibility not only of claiming the body when it was over, but the added humiliation of disposing of the body, dealing with the human authorities, even having an autopsy faked.

  Brent looked over his shoulder, maybe to make sure Daniel and Cami couldn’t hear him. I wasn’t sure. “When we thought Cami might owe a Blood Debt for her mother, my brothers and I agreed one of us would pay it for her. Dad was sure he could make it right to the Richardsons in cash, but we weren’t willing to take the chance. Bruce was betrothed, so the four of us decided one of us would pay it before we let it be collected against her.”

  “One of you?”

  “Yeah, Beau, Bart, Ben and I all agreed. No one would collect on Cami.”

  “I can’t imagine that kind of sacrifice. Ya must be close.”

  Brent chuckled, “That’s the funny thing. None of us knew her that well, but there’s something about Cami. She’s special.”

 
; “The last Chiron Centauride, right?”

  “Well, yeah, but that’s not what I mean. She’s different. It’s like, because she grew up as a human, she’s doesn’t just conform. She looks at our traditions and isn’t afraid to say, ‘Hey, that’s dumb, and I’ll do it my way.’ Don’t get me wrong, it drives me crazy, but we were all immediately drawn to her because of it.”

  Brent’s description of Cami’s take on the Centaur world made me laugh. Truthfully, I didn’t know much about her other than she was Chiron’s last female heir and was also from the Lost Herd. Hearing Brent describe her made me want to know her better. It reminded me of how Gayle basically did the same thing – she was willing to throw everything away for a human. It wasn’t even someone she was madly in love with – Gayle was just a free spirit.

  I may have misjudged Brent. He was different. A brother who would willingly pay a Blood Debt for his sister? Gayle had two brothers. Had they known Roscoe would collect a Blood Debt that day, would they have paid it for her? It didn’t seem likely.

  “I can’t imagine Roscoe’s willingness to collect his Blood Debt.” Brent’s comment hung in the air for a minute before he added, “If he knew how much Gayle meant to his sister, I mean, I just can’t imagine. I could never hurt Cami the way Roscoe hurt Jessica, and we didn’t even grow up together.”

  Could he be that selfless? The few Centaurs I’d met in Jessica and Gayle’s families weren’t like Brent – at all. They weren’t the beasts my grandma had described to me in her freaky bedtime stories, but they were distanced – almost absent human emotions. Sure they had pride and courage, but none of the Centaurs in their families displayed even a morsel of empathy or sorrow.

  We walked quietly for a few more minutes. Brent didn’t remove his arm from my shoulder, and to let him know I appreciated his kindness, I reached up and took his hand that lay over my bicep. I had thought Brent was just like every other Centaur I’d known. I wasn’t sure what to make of his thaw toward me. He may not be my friend, but after his promise, I no longer saw him as an adversary, either.

  I thought about his touch and what it meant for a Centaur to touch a woman once he was betrothed. Brent must have believed that Cami and Daniel would never betray him to his fiancé. Or maybe he believed his betrothed had already changed her mind. Maybe he needed to tell someone that even if he had the choice, he wouldn’t seek a Blood Debt. Whatever his reason, I was grateful for his comfort.

  We found ourselves back underneath the bar. I looked up at the ladder that led to the secret entry behind the pop machine and wished we could stay here in the tunnel – just a few minutes more. I wanted to escape with Jessica, but I wanted to absorb the kindness Brent freely gave me, too.

  Cami and Daniel caught up to us and peered up the ladder we had escaped down nearly an hour ago. I gave her an exhausted smile. We were close – we were seriously close to freedom. It lay just on the other side of the pop machine. “Cami, do yer thing. Ask Jessica if the coast is clear.”

  Chapter 9

  (Camille, Deserted Mining Tunnel in South Dakota)

  I had the strangest sensation. Normally, when I called out to someone telepathically, I would visualize their face and feel a static-like connection establish – a little like making eye-contact where I could see the other’s eyes, but not necessarily the dilation of their pupils. As I attempted to establish the connection with Jessica, it felt like it was already live. “We’re below. Is it safe to come up?”

  “Yes, hurry. They’ll be back any minute!” If Jessica had felt anything strange in our connection, she didn’t let on.

  My eyes flashed open to the three sets staring back at me. “She says to go up, but they could be back any time.”

  Daniel immediately grabbed the ladder and shimmied up. Brent motioned for me to go next. I looked below me on the ladder and saw Katherine beneath me. When I followed Daniel through the access panel behind the soda machine, Jessica was waiting for us. Katherine was just a few feet away from the top when the “Click” of the light switch sounded below. My neck careened back through the hole; I moved out of the way so Katherine could climb through. I looked back down into the abyss and saw nothing but black.

  My stomach tightened. I looked at my watch; mere seconds had passed, but the tunnel was so dark, and I couldn’t hear Brent’s feet on the ladder. Had someone followed us? Had they taken him? The fine hairs on my arm stood tall, as goose bumps peppered my arms. Where was he? What was taking him so long? I leaned back through the opening and shouted into the emptiness, “Brent!”

  Brent’s face came into view from the darkness with a determined scowl on his face. “Trying to knock me off, or what? Geeze.”

  Jessica’s speech was rapid. “They know you’re in the area. Roscoe is convinced you’re in some human’s house here in town. No one has even considered the motel because it’s closed down for the season and it’s almost impossible to get to. Get out of here quick before they find you.” Jessica grabbed my forearm in a vice grip, “Your grandmother is here looking for you, too.”

  My eyes fixed on Katherine; she was right. That had to be why Bianca and Jessica had both tuned me out. Katherine placed both her hands on Jessica’s shoulders from behind. It was an odd sight because she was so much shorter than Jessica. She leaned her head against Jessica’s shoulder blades, “We’re going with them, now, tonight.”

  Jessica’s posture straightened while she searched our faces. Her expression was a mixture of fear, adrenaline, and relief, all rolled into one. I didn’t want a repeat of Katherine’s turmoil in the tunnel, so I telepathically answered Jessica’s questioning look, “Katherine told us about Gayle. We’ll get you out of here. We’ll tuck you away where no one can find you.”

  Jessica’s eyes widened for a moment then returned to normal when she answered, “You’ll never be able to hide us from my family. My mother will find us.”

  Katherine’s hands still lay on Jessica’s shoulders. Jessica rested her hands over the top of Katherine’s while the two women let it soak in that they would try to escape.

  The two were such an odd couple. Katherine with her red hair, porcelain complexion and petite frame: even without her abrasive personality – she wasn’t someone to blend in. Jessica was tall and slender, her features delicate, her platinum blonde locks fell over her shoulder, and she had this mischievous vibe about her. Neither were wallflowers, but I never would have pegged the two personalities to be so close to one another, either.

  “She told us about being a Lapith. As long as you two stick together, you can stay hidden for as long as you like. We’ll get you somewhere safe.”

  Jessica patted Katherine’s hands and then wordlessly walked over to me. I couldn’t read her expression or her emotions until she pulled me into a tight hug. It felt strange because she was so much taller than I was, too. Her hair smelled like stale cigarette smoke from spending so much of her time in the bar. The others must have understood we were having a telepathic conversation because no one’s eyebrows rose by our embrace or her, “Thank you.”

  I gave Jessica a short nod as an answer, then asked, “Everyone ready?” The four of them agreed, but I looked around, suddenly hit with the question: how were we going to get out of here? I held up a single finger, “Hold on just a second.”

  If we tried to make a run for it and were seen, we could be putting Jessica and Katherine in danger. No one was suspicious of either of them. As far as anyone knew, they hadn’t seen us. I looked at Daniel. He wasn’t a pure-blooded Centaur, and although I’d always told him he ran like a gazelle, his speed was not in the same league with Brent’s. Daniel would need to go with Katherine and Jessica.

  I looked at Brent, my brother who had already been through so much. If he were found, could he fight his way free from Centaur enforcers? No. I couldn’t ask Jessica or Katherine to drive him because he and I already carried a death sentence. I didn’t know what the punishment would be for anyone caught with either of us, but I wasn’t willing to risk
their lives.

  I closed my eyes and called to Drake, “We are on our way back to the motel. I’m with Brent. We’ll be there soon.”

  There was no delay in his response, “What?!”

  I tried to keep the fear from seeping into my voice, “This place is crawling with Centaur enforcers, and Zandra is here. It’ll be faster if Brent carries me through the woods.”

  “Stay there. If you’re going on foot I want to be there.”

  My heart swelled. There was no place safer than in Drake’s arms, but if Jessica was right and the woods were full of Centaur enforcers, coming for me would put him at risk and that was unacceptable. “No. Brent’s ready to go. We’ll be there in no time.”

  “Bianca and Gage are already back from town. He said Centaur enforcers are looking for us. It’s not safe for Brent to run and to try to stave off an attack. Show me where you are. I don’t want you two by yourselves.”

  The tightness in my stomach increased. The image of Drake fighting off thirty enforcers played through my mind. He was right. We would be safer with Drake, but Drake and I had the element of surprise on our side the last time. That advantage was gone now. The enforcers were not only ready for us, they were looking for us.

  Jessica, Katherine, Daniel and Brent looked nervous. I was wasting valuable time. “Okay. You’re right.” I pushed an image of the bar to Drake. “We won’t be able to stay at the motel long, but we should be safe there until morning. We found a Lapith to help cloak us.”

  “A Lapith? To cloak you? But they’re extinct.”