My eyes flick to the side as I walk down one of the many, many hallways that makes Parker's parents’ home. Someone's walking behind me, and from how they're practically stomping around compared to the guys, I know it's not them.

Careful to not alert whoever it is that's following me to what I'm doing, I undo the clasp to the sheath for my dagger at my hip, wrapping my hand around the hilt. Turning and simultaneously pulling the dagger out of the sheath I press it to the neck of the female following me, before she has a chance to even think about reacting.

Her silver eyes dance with mischief and laughter as they dance between me and the dagger at her throat. "You're good."

"Why are you following me?"

"I wanted to meet the girl that my mom's all pissed off about," she says with a wicked grin. "My mom's losing her damn mind that you're here, but Parker won't hear a word of it."

I pull the dagger away from her slowly as I study her. She does have a resemblance to Parker, but she's practically Bianca's doppelganger.

"I wasn't aware that Parker had a sister," I finally say, putting my dagger away.

"And a brother. But we're not supposed to talk about him. He's an asshole and got kicked out and disowned by our parents, leaving Parker as the heir." She smiles. "You wanna go do something?"

My brow furrows. She's so . . . happy and energetic. I haven't met anyone like that since I first met Xena when we were younger.

"Do something? Like what?"

"I really don't care. Anything. I'm not really allowed to leave the house or the grounds."

"Why?"

"Because my mom's paranoid as shit. I lost my guards like a half hour ago. They're probably still looking for me."

"Your mom has guards on you? In your own house?" I ask confused. Who does that?

"I know! It's ridiculous. Anyway, come with me, and I'll give you a tour. I'm sure Parker hasn't done that yet. He's been busy trying to get mom to see reason. It's pointless, though, that woman never sees reason."

"You're very chatty, you know that?" I ask with a smile tugging at my mouth.

"I have no one to talk to except for stupid bitches and my guards. And they're all old, stuffy, turned vamps that were turned late in their lives. Yeah, I'm in need of a friend," she says with a shrug.

A chuckle slips out. "Okay, I guess."

She takes my hand and starts dragging me further down the hall. "I'm Farrah, by the way."

"Mercy."

“So, you really pissed my mom off, by the way. It was awesome to hear her bitching about it the next morning. She’s always so cold, and never shows any emotions, but she was supremely pissed about how you were so disrespectful to her.” She pauses as we get outside. “I’m totally not complaining. It was just seriously strange to see my mom so bent out of shape.”

“Farrah,” Parker drawls from behind us. “What are you doing with Mercy? And where are your guards?”

Farrah turns, dropping my hand, and scowls at Parker. “Don’t you go tattling on me, Parker. Those stuffy, old kooks were driving me fucking mad.”

I turn around and see Parker standing with his hands in his front pockets as he studies me and his sister, a smirk on his face. Kai’s standing beside him with a grin and his arms crossed.

“Farrah, haven’t you learned by now that whenever you get loose and your brother’s around, he’s the one who’s sent after you?” Kai asks with a chuckle.

“Fuck off, Kai,” Farrah snaps. “I just wanted a little girl time.”

“Girl time?” Parker asks, eyebrows raised. “How exactly did you even meet Mercy anyway?”

“She put a dagger to my throat,” she says with a grin. “She’s freaking good, bro.”

Parker frowns at me. “You pulled a dagger on my sister?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “I wouldn’t have pulled the damn thing if she weren’t creeping up behind me.”

Kai snorts and shakes his head, while Parker laughs. “Alright, I know you wouldn’t have done it if there wasn’t a reason, I was just asking.”

“Anyways,” Farrah says, impatience coloring her tone, “Mercy and I are going to go walk around. Bye now.” Farrah grabs my hand again and starts to turn us around again.

Before we even get a step in, Parker’s standing there in our way, eyebrow raised at his sister. “Seriously? You really think that’s going to work?”

“It was worth a damn shot,” Farrah mutters under her breath. “Come on, Parker. Give me some leeway, please?” She puts her hands together like she’s praying and bats her eyes at him. “Pretty please, big brother?”

Parker rolls his eyes. “That shit stopped working on me years ago, Fare. You’d have better luck pulling that shit with dad.”

“You’re an asshole,” Farrah grumbles, letting go of my hand again. “Then if you won’t let us go alone, will you at least walk with us?”

Parker stills, and I bite my lip to stop my smile at the indecision on his face. “I don’t know, Farrah.”

“Come on, you and Kai are more than capable of protecting us, and if the way Mercy came at me earlier is any indication, she can kick ass just as well as, if not better than, you guys. You know you want to,” she adds slyly, making him narrow his eyes at her.

“You’re too damn good at getting your way. I pity the male that ends up with you,” he says with a smirk playing at his lips.

“Mm, we’ll see,” she says with a smile. “I doubt I’d be a good partner for anybody, I’m not exactly easy to control.”

“No, you’re definitely not,” he mutters. “I don’t know,” he repeats.

They start arguing and Kai comes to stand on the other side of me and nudges me with his elbow, holding his hand out for me to take. “Come on, I’ll show you around a little bit while these two argue it out. They can be at it forever, trust me.”

I chuckle and take his hand in mine. “Alright. Let’s go.”

* * *

“So, did Hunter and Talon explain to you guys about what his dad said?” I ask Kai after we’ve walked for about an hour. Now we’re both sitting at the edge of a small pond, watching the moonlight dance across the water.

“You mean about the old seer’s visions of you? Yeah, they told us. How’re you feeling about it?”

I sigh. “Honestly? I’m scared to think of what it means. Without a necromancer or a vampire, there’s no other ways to come back from the dead. Roderick made sure I learned as much as I possibly could about the supernatural world.The fact that I’ll go rogue? That’s definitely not a comforting thought, even if she claims it’s not by my own doing.”

“Maybe there is another way. I know the guys and I are going to be looking into it, so you shouldn’t worry about that.” He pauses. “We’ve already started looking into it, so hopefully, we’ll come up with something soon.”

“Okay, sounds good,” I mutter, though I’m sure I don’t really sound that convincing.

Kai chuckles and wraps an arm around my shoulder, tugging me into his side. “We’ll get this all figured out, Mercy.”

“I don’t doubt you guys, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just kind of freaking out on the inside. I mean, on top of all of that crap that’s supposedly going to happen, I just found out that my dad’s alive. I only got to talk to him for a little bit before I had to leave again because yet another jackass is after me. I guess I’m just tired of running. Hell, I’m honestly getting tired of being on edge all the time. It’s all I know, so I know that won’t change anytime soon, it’s just tiring.”

I feel his mouth brush the top of my head. “I know, all we can do is hope that all of this shit will be over soon.” He falls quiet for a minute, his hand rubbing up and down on my arm. “So, what’s your plan, Mercy?”

I give him a look. “What do you mean?”

He chuckles. “I know you don’t plan on just sitting there and letting these visions become a reality, so what’s your plan?”

“I don’t really have one. I do have a theory, though,” I admit, picking up a rock and tossing it into the pond. I watch the ripples for a moment, entranced by the movement of the water. “I think the whole turning rogue thing? I don’t know that it’s necessarily me turning rogue. Or maybe not full rogue”

“How so?”

“I mean, think about it. Torn is after me, he also has the ability to control others’ minds. If he miraculously manages to control mine, after so long I’d turn out like Ada and Aiden. There physically, but not mentally.”

“So, you think that it’s all connected to Torn?”

“And Payne.”

“Why Payne? Isn’t he locked up right now enduring whatever the devil has planned for him?”

“He is. For now. Be honest, Kai, do you really think that he’ll be there for very long?” I ask a small smile pulling at my lips.

“I suppose you’re right. But what do you think he’s going to have to do with it all?” His fingers squeeze my upper arm for a moment before loosening slightly.

“Probably more of that baby shit, otherwise Torn’s playing him for a fool.”

“You mean, Torn’s probably acting like Payne will have everything he wants but is just using Payne to get what he wants and then will fuck him over in the end?”

“Bingo.”

He chuckles. “Bingo?”

“Shut up,” I say through a laugh. “It kind of just slipped out.”

“You know we’ll do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen, don’t you?” he asks, looking down at me, his expression completely serious.

I nod once, losing myself in his chocolate-brown eyes. “I know.”