Chapter 5 Her Presence
Gavin hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. Not just the memory of her. With her dark black-cherry hair curling down her back and dark eyes that flashed deep violet when she was excited. The one who shouldn’t matter, shouldn’t be in his head, shouldn’t feel like a warm pulse under his skin every time he thought too hard. The one night that had lingered and become a presence that tainted his mind ever sense that night.
Max raised a brow at him.
“Don’t start,” Gavin muttered.
Max raised a brow. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Pretty sure you did.”
“That was your conscience.” Max snorted. “Should have kept it in your pants.”
Gavin rolled his eyes. Yeah. That would have helped. He’d felt her before he’d ever stopped at the stupid bar in the middle of no where, for no fucking reason. He hadn’t wanted a drink. But he’d stopped. Walked right up to her like he’d known she would be there. Keeping it in his pants hadn’t even been a remote option. Not once she’d smiled up at him, her eyes flashing that deep violet up at him.
Feminine giggles bubbled over the gym drawing their attention. Jill and Kylie hung off each other, tripping over their own feet, tripping over each other trying to get their gear on to take their turn in the ring.
Jill flipped her long main of bright red hair back, bright, and expressive. Kylie’s pale blond braid bounced as she tried to help Jill with her gloves, only to get tangled in the strap herself. The Blood Race right around the corner and both of them either completely unaware or completely ignoring the gravity of their situation.
Max watched them with a long-suffering sigh. “And these two are supposed to help you overthrow a five-hundred-year regime.”
“Us. Jackass. They’re helping us.” Gavin reminded. Max grunted noncommittally. Jill finally got one glove on and threw her hands up triumphantly, only to smack Kylie in the forehead with it. Kylie squeaked, stumbled, and nearly fell off the mat.
“Fucks sake.” Gavin scrubbed a hand down his face.
Jill spotted them watching and waved enthusiastically, her voice yelling out over the noise of the room. “We’re ready!”
“No,” Gavin muttered. “You’re not.”
Kylie beamed, eyes bright with that soft shimmer she got when her seer instincts were firing. “I saw us winning today!” She called out in sing song.
“Yeah? What were we winning?” Max shot back. “Hopscotch? Pie eating contest?”
Jill gasped. “Pie? Is there pie? I could totally go for some pie.”
“You guys are killing me.” Gavin heaved a sigh. Kylie waved a hand in the air dismissively. Like his death was a daily occurrence. Like they weren’t preparing for a literal battle for their lives.
“It’s totally fine. We got this.” Kylie giggled, then immediately tripped over her own foot. Jill caught her by the elbow, both of them wobbling like newborn deer.
Max tilted his head, his brows raised. “I’m confident,” he deadpanned.
Gage glared. “You just here to harass me, or do you have something for me?” Turning his back on the ring he moved toward the locker room. Her presence fluttered. She felt stronger today. Anxious. A shower. He needed a shower. Maybe she would settle.
Max pushed off the pillar and followed, expression flattening. “Yeah. I’ve got something.” Gavin waited. Max jerked his thumb back at Jill and Kylie, who were now trying to climb into the ring tripping over the bottom rope together. “A reality check.”
Gavin groaned pushing through the door. “Fantastic.”
“Fox girl. Fast. Sharp reflexes.” Max clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. “Attention span of a caffeinated squirrel.”
Gavin grunted.
Max continued. “Kylie. Our resident seer. Sweet. Loyal. Unpredictable. It’s a fifty-fifty shot on if she’s seeing what she’s seeing or if it’s something else entirely.”
“What about the other teams?” Gavin asked, grabbing a towel from his locker. “Have we heard from them?”
Max leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Heard from Jeremy, Colton, Sven.”
Three. Three out of seven factions of the Resistance that were supposed to be training and gathering contenders for the Blood Race.
Gavin’s grip tightened around the towel. “Three.” His voice dropped, low and dangerous. “That’s it?”
Max shrugged, but it wasn’t casual, it was heavy. “That’s it.”
Gavin exhaled sharply, pacing a tight line in front of the lockers. “What do they got?”
“Jeremy’s team is solid,” Max said. “He’s got a couple griffins and a healer.”
Gavin tossed the towel onto the bench. “Griffins combat trained?”
“Yeah,” Max said. “Ones a flyer, one’s ground bound. Both mean as hell. Good fighters.”
“And Colton?”
“Small but disciplined. Two shifters, wolf, and bear. Plus, a human tactician who’s smarter than all of us combined.”
Gavin nodded. “Sven?”
Max clicked his tongue. “Sven’s…Sven’s a mess, but he’s got numbers and…enthusiasm.”
“That’s not a skill.” Gavin groaned.
Max lifted a shoulder. “He’s got eight volunteers. Minimal training but eager.”
Gavin sighed. “And we’ve got Bambi and Thumper.” He tapped his fist against the locker.
Max snorted. “Accurate.”
Gavin shot him a look. “That’s not helpful.”
Max held up a hand. “I’m just saying, they’re kids. Barely nineteen. Jill’s basically a Disney sidekick, and Kylie apologizes to chairs when she runs into them.”
Gavin rubbed his jaw but didn’t disagree. “What about the others?”
“Terrance went dark three days ago. The others…” Max lifted a hand, palm up, fingers splayed. Unknown. Don’t get your hopes up.
“Awesome.” Gavin pulled his t-shirt over his head and threw it into his locker.
Max didn’t miss the tension in his shoulders. “What does your Queen say?” Gavin froze for a half a second, barely noticeable, but Max caught it.
He grabbed the towel and slung it over his shoulder. “She says the same thing she always says.” Gavin exhaled heavily. “The earth’s restless. Somethings shifting.”
Max raised a brow. “That’s vague.”
“It’s all she’s got,” Gavin muttered. “She doesn’t get visions. She can just feel the elements bracing for something.”
“So, we’ve either got a massacre or a thunderstorm coming.” Max murmured pushing off the wall. “Let's hope for the thunderstorm.”
Gavin shook his head and headed to the shower. They’d known this was going to be hard when they’d decided to make a move. It was just a little more complicated now.
He stripped off his sweats and twisted on the shower with the flick of his wrist. The presence surged almost painfully. Wings struggling like she was confined. Like she was pressing against the inside of his skull, desperate for space.
“Easy baby,” he murmured.
Leaning his hands against the tiled wall he let the water beat over his head and shoulders. Her presence fluttered again, sharp, anxious, too close. Not any sort of tangible thought or feeling. Just warm and familiar. The flutter tightened, like she was reaching for him.
“Come on baby, take it easy.” Closing his eyes he pressed his forehead to the wall. Trying to reach back. Just a quiet push. Slowly, painfully slowly, she responded. The pressure loosened. The wings settled. Her hold eased, like she was finally exhaling.
Gavin let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. The water pounded against his shoulders, grounding him, pulling him back into himself. Her presence softened to a faint, warm flicker. Still there, but calmer. Less frantic.
