I jumped off the couch and ran from the apartment, down the cement stairs, until I nearly crashed into the three of them at the bottom. My father was absolutely soaked, beads of water covering his skull as he glowered at Kaidan.
“Dad!” I slapped a hand over my mouth. As he dragged his eyes from Kaidan to me, I experienced a punch of knowledge.
“It was you,” I said, heart pounding. “You sent them.”
He made no attempt to deny it.
I sagged back on my heels. The demons weren’t sent by someone who wanted to hurt me. It had been my father, showing some serious tough love.
A light sound of shuffling came from the landing. Patti surveyed us from the top of the steps in her robe and slippers.
“It’s okay,” I assured her. “I’ll be in soon.” She nodded, staring hard at my dad for a second before she went back up. He turned his attention back to Kopano and Kaidan, who kept their eyes trained at his feet.
“This little thing”—he made a triangle in the air, pointing between Kopano, Kaidan, and me—“isn’t gonna fly. Don’t worry yourselves about Anna anymore. You hear?” They both gave single nods. “Then get on out of here. And keep your heads in the game.”
There was only the sound of rain now, then their cars starting and tires sloshing away too fast. Before my father could apologize or give me another sad look, I wrapped my arms around him. He let out a deep breath.
“Will you come in?” I asked, against his chest.
“I’d better not, after that look from Patti.” He ran a hand down my hair. “Does she know about those two boys fighting over you?”
“They weren’t fighting over me. And she cares about Kaidan.”
“Hmph. Well, I’ll be here at three o’clock this afternoon. Warn Patti, ’cause I’ll need to come in and talk to you both first. Now go get some shut-eye. You’re gonna need it. And don’t worry. No more spirits will bother you tonight.”
A giant bolt of lightning lit up the night sky. My father kissed the top of my head and disappeared into the rain as a roar of thunder shook the foundation under my feet.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
GIVE A LITTLE WHISTLE
My dad was going to be here any minute, and Patti was a nervous wreck. Disobedient red curls had popped out of her hair clip and now framed her sleep-deprived face. She’d spent the morning deep-cleaning the apartment with a frown, shooing me away when I tried to help.
I hadn’t been able to go back to sleep right away the night before. Patti sat with me in our living room, and I realized that after I found out what I was, I had become the one withholding information to protect her. Now I finally broke down and told her everything I’d been holding back. She’d understood that the Neph were seen as property, but she hadn’t known about us being forced to work, or the fact that we had “specialties.” She stared heavenward and shook her head after finding out she’d sent me on a long-distance trip with the son of Lust.
But the detail that sent her over the edge was the fact that my father had me haunted by those demons. No matter how much I tried to explain that it was necessary for me to be able to see the spirits, she was livid. When three o’clock approached and her mood hadn’t lightened, I started to worry.
When my dad arrived, Patti stood by the counter with her arms crossed. He appeared as large and frightening as ever. The kind of man nobody would dare to mess with.
Patti walked right up and smacked him across the face.
I jolted. He blinked. She stayed right in front of him and stabbed a finger at his chest, her other hand on her hip.
“How dare you do that to her? I don’t care what your reasons were. Did you hear her screaming? She was terrified! Don’t you ever sic those monsters on her again. Ever!”
He watched her with an even expression, allowing her to get it all out of her system. Her pointing hand went on her other hip and she stared up at him, breathing hard. She wore the steel gray of fury.
“I swear to you,” my father said with care, “I will spend the rest of Anna’s life trying to keep those spirits away from her.”
“Then why does she have to train with you today? If you’re going to protect her, then why is it necessary? Why can’t you keep her out of danger?” Patti’s voice cracked and she brought a hand up to clutch her mouth as fury turned to rolling fear. My father watched her, and when he spoke he shocked us both with what he said.
“You remind me so much of Mariantha. Not the way you look, but the way your soul feels to me. Loving, but full of that same righteous stubbornness. Yeah, Mariantha would approve, and so do I. You’ve done a good job. More than good. And I want to thank you.”