Their Light

Chapter 3

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.