TOXIC BLOODLINES: PARADISE - BOOK 2/4

TOGETHER AGAIN

KIMBERLY

Sara sat awkwardly near the window where Ian had his back turned to us. Tension hung in the air, years of unspoken words, trauma, pain, and resentment. It was a powder keg. The child in me had hoped we would reunite on better terms... but here we are. "Why are you here?" I broke the silence in my lounge.

"The Lightbringers are back," Ian replied.

I looked at Arik. "We know," I stood up from beside him. "You can leave now."

"Uri's the only one with a compass," Ian turned around. "Who was here?" He questioned me.

I stepped forward to the center of the room. "Cerberus has no jurisdiction in Paradise—"

"—It was Arik's mom," Elenore entered the lounge with a cup of coffee. "The woman's a stone-cold bitch—no offense, Arik," she added, still in her drunken state as she took a seat beside Sara. "You look different," Elenore remarked.

"What did she want?" Ian walked toward me.

With folded arms, I held my tongue. "Cerberus has no jurisdiction here," I repeated.

"Can you just stop being—" Ian snapped.

"—A crazy bitch?" I reminded him of the last thing he had said to me, and how it burned into my mind.

"Why was Arik's mother here?" Ian asked again in a firmer tone as if he could intimidate me.

"Section 35 of the contract you made me sign. Anything that happens outside Seventh Heaven is out of Cerberus's jurisdiction. You wrote those rules, sir, or did you forget?" I looked at Sara. "Alexander was the one who dropped off the contract the day we moved here, remember?"

"Don't make this difficult," Ian hissed through a tight jaw.

"Or you'll what?" I walked up to him. "You'll shoot me?"

Arik stood up and pulled me away. "You two should go, now is not a good time."

Ian's eyes shifted to him. "We aren't going anywhere."

"I'm not gonna ask you again Ian," Arik stepped toward him fists balled, clearly wanting to pick a fight.

"Ian," Sara stood up.

"Arik sit down," Elenore rolled her eyes.

The two stared each other down. I ignited my fireplace to draw their attention. "You've said what you needed to say." I pulled Arik away. "The Lightbringers are back. Thanks for the warning. Now leave my house."

Ian backed away, his eyes still on Arik. "Coming here was a mistake," he grumbled. "Sara, let's go. Elenore, you know where home is," he told her on his way out of the room.

Sara grabbed his arm. "No one is going anywhere," she gave him a stern look. Ian pulled his arm away from her and returned to the window. "We are here because something has happened, it's urgent, and it is in your best interest to join us to fight it," Sara asserted.

I laughed. "I'm sure whatever it is, Cerberus can handle it without me. Right, Ian? Or are your little boy scouts only good at spying from a safe distan—"

"—ELIJAH IS DEAD, KIM!" Sara shouted, her voice cracked.

"What?" My heart sank.

She wiped away a tear from her eyes. "He got sick. The Lightbringers killed him."

"What do you mean they killed him?" Arik asked.