Page 37 of Infinity Chronicles 1
Ares uses the toe of his expensive looking black leather shoe to pull the leg of the table out a bit before sitting down facing us. He doesn’t meet Dante’s eyes when he responds, “I’ve been busy.”
That gets a snort from Dante. “Just don’t lecture me about hiding when I learned it from the shadow man himself.” His reply reminds me of how it seemed like Ares really did step out of the shadows. I shift in my seat looking for room to separate myself from the guys on either side of me, but there isn’t any.
“Let’s not waste time, our guest is getting restless.” Ares is using me as a distraction, everyone knows it, but it works anyway. I glance at him, noting the slight scruff of a beard and mustache on his face. His hair is black, styled away from his face. His eyes are a few shades darker than Dante’s, more tawny. He has on a white dress shirt cuffed at his forearms with a charcoal vest buttoned over top. My eyes snap up from Ares’s denim clad legs when a throat clears.
I sit up straight, unwilling to let him make me feel like I was leering. “Someone was about to tell me what the hell is going on here.”
“How about a compromise? I’ll tell you anything you want to know, but after you have to answer my questions.”
“Our questions,” Milo blurts over Ares.
“Our questions,” Ares confirms with a nod toward Milo.
I jerk my head up and down in acceptance. Looking around to find all four of them watching me. Ares waves his hand out, deferring to his brother. “By all means continue where you left off.” He’s being a smart ass.
Dante rolls his eyes. “So, we told you we’re different, but we didn’t really talk about how we’re different. I,” Dante places his hand over his chest, “am a shape-shifter.” The words are uttered slowly like that might help me understand his meaning. I immediately think of the encounter in art class where I thought I felt fur rub along my skin, but dismiss it almost as quickly.
Ollie speaks next. “I have some control over the elements.”
Without missing a beat Milo says, “I have an affinity for strength.” I roll my head on my neck to look over at Ares, wondering what crazy thing is going to come out of his mouth. They were right, I do think they’re nuts.
Ares’s eyes have a strange twinkle I don’t really understand. “I know you don’t believe us yet, but you will.” His smirk is a little evil as he lifts his hand, extending it out to me. With a crook of his finger he beckons me forward. I lean in without reservation. My attention locked on him. “I’m a shadow caster.” The pupils in his eyes expand until there’s barely a thin ring of tawny brown visible. I can’t look away. When I feel Dante’s hand cover mine I gasp, the moment broken with his touch.
“Don’t do that to her, it’s not right. She can’t withstand your pull yet,” Dante warns, narrowing his eyes on his brother who doesn’t look the least bit chastised. In fact he looks positively pleased. He gives a lazy shrug of indifference before leaning back on the table, propped up with his hands.
What was he doing to me, how was he doing it? A tremor of trepidation uncoils in my stomach. I swallow thickly, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth. “What were you doing to me?” Ollie’s arm wraps over my shoulders, tucking me into his side.
“Laura, I know this must seem all kinds of fucked up, but we’re trying to tell you that we are different. That you are like us, part of us actually.”
I snort. “I have no illusions I have special powers, or that I’m part of some crazy group.”
“An Infinity, you are the Synergist of our Infinity,” Ares answers. I glare at him, wondering what his part is in all of this? I can see the guys’ interest in making the new girls life hell, but he’s not in high school. Why bother with the game?
“You guys get an A for effort.” I hold both my thumbs up I mock excitement. “This probably would have worked better on someone more gullible, but I’m not buying any of this crap. You can tell everyone at school I believed you. That I was totally into your fairytale garbage, I don’t even care. Tell me one thing though, why waste so much time? You guys must really be board to come up with all this just to fuck with me, or is this how you initiate everybody who moves here?” I roll my eyes.
“She’s not going to believe us until we show her, and not just parlor tricks.” Milo looks over at Ares. “So, who wants to do it?” He searches his friends’ faces.
“My gift would probably be the most direct approach, but I think I would probably scare her too.” Dante looks away from us toward the window.
“I can do it,” Ollie offers. “She would probably find some way to explain away your strength Milo, and Ares… Sometimes yours is just freaky, even for us. So, I’ll do it.”
Ollie braces his hand on my thigh as he pushes up to stand. He walks around the table Ares is perched on, stopping once he’s about halfway to the TV hanging on the far wall. He rolls his shoulders a few times then turns to face us. His hands are hanging loosely by his sides as he blows out a deep breath. “All right, let’s start with something small.” Ollie widens his stance and brings his hands up with his palms facing the ceiling. In the blink of an eye his hands are engulfed in flames.
“Holy shit,” Milo barks jumping up from the couch. He takes a few steps toward Ollie before shielding his face with his forearm. “Ollie shut it down, you’re going to burn the house down.”
Dante stands slowly disbelief etched in his face.
Ollie’s eyes widen, his mouth falls open in shock. Shaking, he closes his fists, the flames don’t all die, but the heat rolling off of him dissipates. “I… I haven’t tried using my abilities since yesterday.” He is still staring down at his clenched fists. “I was going for a small candle flame in each hand.” His eyes lift to me.
I pull my feet up on the cushion beneath me, pushing myself up to climb over the back of the sofa. My heart pounds in my chest in a quick rhythm. Ollie looks at Dante before making a dash for the stairs. The door slams shut seconds later.
“Well that was certainly a show,” Ares deadpans. He’s the only one who doesn’t seem worried about Ollie or what just happened to him. “I think your animal might have been a better option Dante…” He pauses, turning to look at me with narrowed eyes. “Or maybe not, who knows what effect she might have on you.”
“That had nothing to do with me.” My vision wavers like asphalt on a hot summer day and my legs feel like jello. My breath is coming in short gasping pants. Milo runs past me, Dante quick on his heels, both following Ollie out the door. Ares is still staring at me as he stands. He prowls toward me with graceful steps. Weakness invades my muscles before I begin to collapse and Ares catches me before I hit the ground.
My eyes blink open to find him gazing down at me. He brings his hand up to my neck, placing his palm over my throat as his fingers wrap around my neck. The tingles invade my skin, forcing me to gasp. His pupils grow, covering all the color of his eyes even further, turning the whites of his eyes black. I jerk back, frightened at the sight. His lids close, slowly covering the strangeness.
“Please don’t be frightened of me,” he whispers hoarsely, while his eyes squint tightly. A soothing throb pulses from his hand, calming me immediately. Awareness of being held in his arms makes heat rise in my cheeks.
