Caspian
Where did this girl come from?
She was a Probus, but she was unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. The depth of her abilities astounded me. Nature itself was at her beck and call willingly. From the rain to the wind, it acted as an extension of herself.
A simple day turned into a rescue mission when Finn went off on his own. Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal, but a series of unfortunate events followed. Malum activity had increased in the area. Kent and Ryder, our fearless leaders, were out of town, and Finn, the idiot, didn't even take his sabers. Instinctively, I glanced at the silver cuffs around my wrists. A simple touch was all it would take for my blades to appear. To not have them would be like cutting off a limb.
I was furious with Finn, but what if the Malum hadn't capture him? Would we have ever found her? I didn't want to imagine the fate that awaited her had we not. I flicked my gaze to the rearview mirror to check on the girl in question.
Hadley was staring out the window, making it a point to ignore everyone else. She was projecting confidence, but I could tell it was an act. I was a master at faking it, after all.
Her blonde hair, even when drenched, looked gorgeous. It was long, falling to just above her waist. A few inches off the bottom and it would look even better. My hands itched to touch it, to style it. The rags she currently called clothes had to go. Already, my mind whirled, planning the shops I wanted to take her to.
It was unthinkable that a Probus would be in such a state. It was even more unbelievable that she didn't seem to care at all. This was her normal, and that thought made me sick.
The others were just as shaken by her as I was. No one's eyes wandered very far from her as we traveled home. I wondered what the twins would think of her when they got back tomorrow. I messaged them once we lost contact with Finn, and I needed to message them again about recent events. Not that they would believe me. It was unimaginable that a Probus would be so clueless about their heritage.
We traveled out of the city and eventually pulled up in front of an empty lot. At least, that what it looked like to outsiders. The wards around the property protected against outside attacks and discovery. Glancing back at Hadley, I noticed she was staring intently at the house, which should have been invisible to her. We passed through the boundary with ease as I pulled into the driveway. Hadley didn't show any reaction.
The Statio was owned by the Praeses, the ruling body of our people, but we had put our hearts and souls into this house. It was our home. Most of my chosen brothers had never had a true home before.
The large brick manor had accents of Victorian architecture. A wooden porch wrapped around the front of the building, stopping at the circular tower. It rose three stories in the air and served as a great vantage point of the area surrounding the Statio. The natural wood tones complimented the fresh navy paint on the shutters and front door. A small forest surrounded the property.
The porch swing by the tower wall was a favorite of mine. I had demanded we add it. It really completed the front facade of the house. The large backyard led into the surrounding forest, and there was a pond at the back of the property.
Ryder and Kent had chosen this Statio for two reasons, the distance from Domu and the potential of the property. It was a dump when they got here, but over the years we had transformed the house into a diamond. I was proud of what we had made here. Zeke followed the twins, and then the rest of us came. Finn was the newest addition to the team. All the cast offs or misfits who just wanted to find a place to belong, a place to live.
I parked in the center of the circular drive. Everyone piled out. There was a separate garage that housed our other vehicles, and a workspace where Zeke and Ryder tinkered with their bikes. Hadley looked over the structure, tilting her head back as her gaze traveled to the upper floors.
"You all live together?" She asked.
"Yep," Finn replied, popping the last syllable.
"The five of you?" The ease with which she sensed energy surprised me. Most Probus had to train and center themselves before being able to do so.
"Actually, there are seven of us," I supplied. "The other two are out of town. They are heading back now though."
"Ah yes, the mysterious, murderous twins," she stated, making Finn laugh. He stepped forward and dipped into a dramatic bow.
"Welcome to Statio Asa," he announced, motioning to the house. She laughed at his antics, and the moon brightened in response. Shaking my head, I focused on the situation at hand.
"What does that mean?" Her frustration at her lack of knowledge was clear, and in a way kind of cute.
"Sanctuary Outpost," Peter told her. He led her towards the house.
Everyone was more relaxed now that she was safe within the wards. The protective barriers were expensive, and only a few Kustos had the ability to create them. It was a requirement, though, that all Statio have them.
Peter held open the grand wooden doors for Hadley. The rest of us followed her inside. I had decorated the entire house myself. The others wouldn't know good design if it bit them where the sun doesn't shine.
The overall design was fairly simple, focusing on natural tones and metal accents, but with enough flare to make it feel special. Isaac was waiting for us in the living room. His already messy, curly hair looked like an orange afro, making me wince internally. Isaac ran his fingers through his hair when stressed.
Isaac darted up to Finn. He looked Finn over from head to toe, checking every inch of him. Once his scan was complete, he straightened and smacked Finn in the back of the head in typical Isaac fashion.
"Never do that again," he commanded. Finn nodded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Isaac's attention turned from Finn to Hadley in a heartbeat. "Who have you guys kidnapped this time?"
I wanted to strangle him as I watched Hadley pale. Isaac was... well, he was Isaac. He would never have said that if he had known all the details. Hadley backed up a step, warily looking at us all. Isaac's grin faltered as he felt the tension building in the room.
"You kidnap people often?" She asked, her voice calm but shaky.
"No," Peter told her, beating me by a second. "Isaac is too much of a clown for his own good sometimes." Peter fixed Isaac with a harsh glare. Isaac shrugged his shoulders, looking unconcerned.
"They're right." He moved forward before anyone could stop him. He reached out his hand. "My name's Isaac, it's-."
A blast of air sent him flying backwards into the living room, silencing his words. He landed hard on the rug, just shy of the fireplace. Air and water were definitely part of her abilities. I wondered how powerful this rogue Probus was. So far, she was beyond anything I had ever seen, and she didn't even know what she was.
I glanced at Hadley. Sure enough, she had taken a defensive position, ready for another attack. Too bad no one was attacking her, but it would be difficult to get her to believe that at this point.
"-nice to meet you," Isaac groaned from his sprawled position on the ground.
"I'm regretting meeting all of you more and more each minute," she muttered, glaring.
Her eyes dared one of us to come at her. Peter met my eyes, and I dipped my head in silent agreement. If anyone could defuse the situation, it was Peter. He was a gentle soul. Stepping forward, Peter raised his hands up in surrender.
"What we promised still stands." He spoke to her gently, like she was a scared, wild animal. In some ways, she was. "Everyone here is more likely to fall on their own blade than raise it against you."
His words reminded me. Before I forgot, I walked over to the nearby table and got the two silver rings out of the drawer. Moving back to the group, I slammed them onto Finn's wrists. I might have been a little too forceful, but maybe next time the idiot wouldn't leave the Statio unarmed. He sent me a small smile as he adjusted them.
"Why?" Hadley snapped, drawing me back to the conversation. Wind whipped around the room.
"Please, let us explain," Peter pleaded. "We will answer all of your questions, I promise."
A challenge blazed in her eyes as she held his gaze. Peter didn't back down, impressing me. He wasn't usually this outspoken to a Probus. This wasn't an ordinary Probus, though.
"Fine." Her voice was curt, but she relaxed her stance. Peter dropped his hands, smiling at her. Finn cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"Can we change first?" he whined, motioning to his drenched clothing. I grimaced at the huge puddle forming under our feet. "I feel soggy."
"Change quickly and meet back in the living room," I ordered, motioning at the puddle to Isaac. Moving toward the stairs, I noticed Peter move closer to Hadley.
"You can borrow some of my clothes if you want to get into something dry," he offered. She nodded reluctantly and followed him up the stairs.
I had never changed that fast in my life. Leaving my clothes in a wet pile on the bathroom floor, I made my way back downstairs. Thankfully, the puddle was taken care of, and Finn was already there. He was always the fastest. That wasn't going to change anytime soon. Everyone else trickled in. Peter came in without Hadley drawing my attention.
"She needed a moment," he murmured in response to my questioning gaze. I nodded.
It was understandable. She had been through a lot in a very short amount of time. It also gave me a chance to do some damage control. I moved over to where Isaac sat on the couch and smacked the back of his head. Hard.
"Ow," Isaac whined, rubbing the spot.
"'Who have you kidnapped now?'" I reprimanded. He winced.
"Finn explained some," he told me. "I didn't know. I wouldn't have-I'm sorry." His sincerity shone in his words. I accepted his apology before moving to the front of the group.
"We have an unknown Probus who appears to have no knowledge of this world," I stated, laying out the situation at hand.
"She told me she grew up in foster care," Finn added, wincing as he fidgeted in his spot. Peter took notice and made his way over to look at him.
"So, simple," Isaac said. "We tell her what she needs to know, send her to Domu, and have the Praeses take over."
I agreed with him. It was a simple situation, even if it was unprecedented. This was well above our pay grade. The twins would get the final say, but I was almost positive they would agree with me.
"It's not going to be that simple." Finn grimaced as Peter poked and prodded him. "It's actually very, very complicated."
"What are you talking about?" Isaac asked. Finn finally pushed Peter away, moving his hand to his collar.
"When we were in that basement together," he started, pulling down his shirt. "She touched me and something happened. Something impossible."
Gasps echoed around the room as everyone took in the intricate black symbol inked onto his neck. I would recognize that symbol anywhere. They were worn with pride, but never by Kustos.
Affinitas.
He was right. It was unheard of. It wasn't possible.
"I feel the connection too," Finn added, his eyes glazing over slightly. "I feel the pull to be near her."
"There's more," Peter said. I darted my gaze to him. Eyes on the floor, I didn't need to be an empath to tell what Peter was feeling. Shame. Zeke stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Peter took a deep breath before pulling his own collar down.
Silence descended on the room as we all stared at the identical mark. I felt lightheaded. This was impossible. A Kustos was never Affinitas with a Probus, and a Probus never had more than one Affinitas.
"The twins just had to pick this week to go out of town," Isaac remarked, cutting through the tension a bit.
He was right. We needed them. They were our leaders. They would know what we should do next. I had absolutely no idea what to do next. Nothing like this had ever happened to my knowledge.
"What are we going to do till they get back?" Peter asked.
No one spoke as they turned to look at me. I sighed. The twins could not get back fast enough. I had no idea how Kent and Ryder did this all the time.
"Take care of Hadley, and answer her questions," I replied, trying to project as much confidence as I could.
"How is she still alive?" Isaac asked.
"She's got one of the most powerful connections to nature that I have ever seen. The rain gave her strength. She didn't have to pull it out or ask, it just did it to help her," Peter explained, the wonder clear in his eyes. I shook my head, knowing what Isaac was talking about.
"But it's more than that," I told them, stopping to send a look towards Zeke. His eyes shone with understanding.
"What do you mean?" Finn asked, sitting forward. Peter looked confused as well.
"An unprotected Probus alone in the world with no knowledge of her powers? That's going to attract a lot of bad, especially with how powerful she is. I don't know what all her life has entailed, but I would bet it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine," I told them.
They tensed at the realization. Light always attracted darkness, and she was the brightest light that I had ever seen. The thought of her facing anything like that made rage fill my veins. I reeled the anger back. She had us looking out for her. We would keep her safe. It was our duty.
"She should have never been on her own," Isaac seethed. I agreed, but the more that I thought about it, the more my anger bled in sadness. My soul ached thinking of how lonely she must have been for all these years.
"Why didn't the Praeses find her? They should have known about her," Finn asked, looking lost. This was getting into risky territory. Those who questioned the Praeses rarely lived long.
"I don't know, but she is here now," Zeke said bluntly. "We can keep her safe until we figure out what to do next."
"She will need to be taught about our world and her powers," I said, thinking it over. "I'll wait to talk to Kent and Ryder before I reach out to anyone for information."
Kent was better at solidifying plans. I'm sure there was a schedule or a spreadsheet in our future. I wanted answers. The sooner we had an explanation, the better. We needed to be cautious, though.
"With how powerful she is," Isaac started. "The Praeses will not be happy. The same Probus have held their position for years."
"I know," I sighed, rubbing a hand down my face. "That's why we are going to wait to notify them. She's been off their radar for years, a few more days won't hurt."
Everyone nodded in agreement. I yawned. My brain didn't want to work anymore. It was so late it was almost morning. She had only touched Finn and Peter and had marked them both. What would happen if she touched the rest of us?
Even though this situation terrified me, I couldn't deny how right it felt. I had a slight longing to carry her mark as well, which was absurd. I didn't deserve anyone, let alone a powerful Probus.
It felt like Fato de Sorte was playing games. Maybe there was a reason Finn was captured, a reason Kent and Ryder had decided on this Statio, a reason they had recruited all of us. Each an outcast in our own way. I couldn't help but think that reason was none other than a slim, blonde-haired, sassy girl upstairs who had turned our world upside down. The telltale creaking of the stairs snapped me out of my thoughts.
Hadley walked into the room, trying to appear as confident as possible. She held her head high, even if her platinum blonde hair was drenched, lying flat around her face. She was pale, and I realized she was way too skinny for her height. Everything in my being rebelled at the idea of a Probus suffering at all.
Peter's t-shirt came down to her thighs and the sweats underneath were baggy. She surveyed the room before moving to sit in the chair catty-corner to the couch. Looking at each of us pointedly, she waited. I met her gaze, and she held it silently, demanding. I pulled one of our dining chairs over and sat down opposite of the couch. The others settled around the room. It was explanation time.
***Hope you guys are liking the new edits! You can read up to Chapter 6 on my Patreon as well as two exclusive chapters that offers looks into Finn's and Caspian's pasts! Happy Reading!!