What the Heart Keeps

Chapter 1 Dylan paced the floor inside his mother’s tarot room, fighting to temper the electricity coursing through his veins. Even the whiskey burning his throat did little to help. If anything, the four glasses he’d consumed had intensified his anger. He slammed the empty glass on the end table and glanced at the picture frame in his hands. A high-pitched c***k sounded from the rectangular object. He scanned the photo inside and cursed under his breath. The glass had shattered over the image of his face, but the image of Heaven’s was still visible. The smile on her face burned into his mind, just like the day the picture was taken on what should have been their wedding day. A month in Santa Barbara hadn’t taken away the hate flowing inside Dylan’s heart. Heaven and Layne were as good as dead. Dylan was certain of it. His brother and his ex’s life together had an expiration date, and Dylan vowed to be the person who placed them in the gutter, where they belonged. They brought this impending misery upon themselves. He couldn’t be held accountable for their demise. Death held no prejudice. Psi hearts didn’t differ from human hearts when it came to betrayal. Hearts lied. They led a man to believe he could attain something out of his reach. They ruined a powerful man and made him into something weak and unrecognizable. They twisted a man’s soul and tormented it until he lost his sanity. Dylan’s chest tightened at the thought. He knew this pain firsthand. His heart had lied to him the moment he and Heaven met. It lied to him when he opened up to her and allowed her to storm inside. Now, it was lying to him, telling him he should go back and make things right with her and his brother. It would never happen. The world would end before he stepped one foot on the Lewis estate and made amends with the people that not only crushed his heart but also his soul. Heaven and Layne deserved neither his forgiveness nor a minute of his time. But Adalyn… She was a different story. By leaving Brightsville, he had deserted his daughter, something he swore he would never do. His heart had made a liar out of him. If only he could rip it out of his chest and dispose of the useless organ. Then he’d have no qualms about doing the same to the two people who betrayed him. What a f*****g mess. Whispering filled the room, yet Dylan couldn’t discern the words. Multiple voices seemed to be speaking. He lifted his eyes and spun in a circle, but no matter where he looked, he didn’t see anyone. As he placed the broken picture frame back on the end table, he made cautious steps, straining to listen to what the voices were saying. The closer he made it to the three-tiered shelf in the corner, the more distinct the sound became. Be wary of the shadows. Let the sun smile upon you. Listen to your heart. Dylan narrowed his eyes on the brown box on the top shelf. It’s where his mother kept one of her tarot decks. She had several, but if his hunch was right, it was the same deck she’d used to give him a reading just hours before he and Heaven met. As he stared at the box, the intricate pattern of flowers seemed to swirl. He blinked his eyes several times, then lifted the box from the shelf. Holding it chest high, he eased the lid open and swept his eyes over the cards inside. It was just as he suspected. These were the cards his mother had used. These cards had whispered to him before, the same dreadful night he remembered moments ago. And their message had been simple. We hold the answers you seek. Damn the cards, and damn his mother for telling him lies. While he hadn’t allowed her to give him a full reading, what he remembered had partially come true. But the last card lied, the one that told him to listen to his heart. He did that, and what had it got him? Misery. An influx of anger heated his body. He slung the box and watched it collide with the wall. The cards inside spilled out, covering the floor as the box fell with a loud bang. His muscles tensed as he stared at the cards, the whispering he’d heard, long gone. He appreciated the silence until the sound of footsteps resonated from the hall. “Dylan?” Simone’s voice swirled around him as he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Great. She was worried. He heard the concern in her voice. It matched the rapid pounding in their connection. “I’m fine,” he gritted the words through his teeth, dreading the thought of her coddling him. It’s what she’d done since they left Brightsville. He waited for her to call his bluff. Instead, silence greeted him. It wasn’t until her icy fingers touched his shoulder that he opened his eyes and locked them with hers. “You should know by now that you can’t lie to me, Dylan,” Simone told him. “How many times do we have to have this same conversation?” He snapped back, “As many times as it takes for you to realize I don’t want to talk about every aspect of my life.” Her brows drew together, then she slowly lowered her hand. She moved her eyes past him to what he assumed was the empty glass on the table. Then her blue eyes peered into his eyes and she scoffed at his remark. “How many times have I told you that drinking won’t help?” She waited for him to answer, but he didn’t. Why bother? All it would do was lead to an argument. He had enough pain and confusion to deal with as it was. “Why is it so hard for you to talk to me?” she asked. “I’m the one person who hasn’t abandoned you, yet you keep pushing me away.” Dylan prepped a retort, but decided against speaking. He lowered his eyes to the cards as he slumped his shoulders and sighed. Did she realize what she was asking? “What do you want me to say, Simone? That I’m struggling with the fact that the one person I let into my heart crushed it? That this person not only broke my heart, but she also fell in love with my brother? Or do you want me to tell you how much I hate them, how much I want to wrap my hands around their necks and choke the life from their bodies?” “If talking about it helps you move past what happened, then yes. You need to talk to me, Dylan. It’s therapeutic.” He fisted his hands and clenched his jaw. “I don’t need therapy or a self-proclaimed therapist. What I need is my f*****g daughter. Two of the closest people in my life betrayed me. They hurt me more than you can fathom. Yet, they’re the ones my daughter wants to be with. Why is the universe against me?” Simone retreated a couple of steps and shook her head. “The universe isn’t against you. Fate is at hand, and Fate is what’s deciding your path in life. But I don’t believe for a minute that Fate intends to keep you from your child any more than I think it intends for you to succumb to darkness.” "If you truly believe that, then help me, Simone.” Dylan inched closer. “I need Adalyn in my life. It’s my fault she doesn’t want to be around me, but if I could see her and show her how much I love her, she’ll understand. She’ll let down her guard and reopen the emotional connection between us.” Simone pursed her lips and glanced at the cards on the floor. “What exactly do you want me to do?” Was she serious? How many times did he have to tell her the plan? “Simone, you know we’ve discussed this a trillion times. We go to Brightsville and sneak onto the property. You can use your powers to freeze anyone who comes in contact with us, even Layne, if he doesn’t see us coming. Once everyone’s subdued, we’ll find Adalyn, gather her s**t, and get the hell out of there.” A dip formed between Simone’s brows, then she cast her gaze onto him. “First, I’m not using my abilities to freeze anyone who isn’t attacking us. Second, I can only freeze so many people at a time. And third, I will not go against the Keeper’s code. When it comes to their Seeker’s children, Keepers have the final say in how the child is protected. It is the law.” “You’re my Keeper, right?” he waited until she nodded her head before continuing, “Why does Layne get a say in this, but you don’t?” “Because I’m your Keeper.” Simone’s chest rose and fell with a deep breath. “Male Seekers don’t have Keepers, but since you’re the reincarnated Moon King and a hybrid, you have a Keeper. That doesn’t mean I’m in charge of your offspring, like a regular Keeper, especially one who’s the reincarnated Sun King.” “No one should have the right to say what happens to my child, especially that son of a bitch.” Dylan shouted. Simone didn’t flinch. She stood there, staring at him, unaffected by his outburst. “Had you been born a Keeper, that would be the case, but it isn’t. I’m sorry, Dylan, but there’s nothing we can do to change the law. What we can do is work on healing your heart and helping you get back to the path of light.” “Who said I left?” Dylan gritted his teeth. “I’m not dark.” With downcast eyes, Simone replied, “You’re slipping further into darkness by the day. I’m trying my best to help you, but you keep pushing me out.” Dylan’s anger resurfaced. So did the electrical current in his veins. With no regard to her feelings, he grabbed Simone by the arm and squeezed. She winced, then she met his eyes. The pain on her face increased when he zapped her with a tiny current. It was nothing compared to what he could have done. He expected her to use her abilities and freeze him like she had in the past. Instead, tears filled her eyes. The guilt of what he’d done weighed on him. He released her arm and took a few steps back. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to hurt you, Simone, but I need you to back off. If you’re not willing to help me get my daughter, then you’ll need to respect my decision to do it alone. And quit telling me I’m going dark. I haven’t joined The Fallen. I just need time to work through my emotions. “Maybe so, but I’m afraid I’m running out of time to save you. If you try to take Adalyn from Heaven, you’ll end up dead. Layne will kill you. And if you keep using your hybrid abilities, you’ll go dark. Either way, I’ll lose you, and I’m not willing to do that, Dylan. I care too much about you.” “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get my daughter, except forgive those assholes who have her. Either you’re in this with me, or you’re not. I’ll be okay either way.” His words inflicted Simone with the pain he’d intended. He knew it by the way her lips trembled. He didn’t wait around to see if she would cry. Instead, he opened the sliding glass door and walked on to the deck. The beach in the distance seemed to call to him. It was his place of solitude, his own private little sanctuary, where he could lose himself in his thoughts and process them in silence. Perhaps it’s what he needed, because right now he was regretting the hurtful words he’d told Simone. Yet he didn’t have the guts to apologize. Holding on to his anger was easier. Without giving it another thought, he rushed over to the steps and descended them in haste. He was at the edge of Simone’s car when his cell phone buzzed to life. As he stopped near the passenger door, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone, barely missing the text bubble that held a message. After a few taps on the screen, he found the message he’d missed. Whoever had sent it had their number blocked, but it had come from the same person who messaged him a month ago, after he left Brightsville. He noticed the previous conversation they’d had, then scanned over the newest one. A month has passed since we last spoke. Are you ready to take me up on my offer, young Seeker? Dylan glanced at the previous message again. If you help me, you won’t regret it. I’ll make sure you get what you want most—Heaven and Layne’s death and custody of your daughter. Still stunned by the statement, he questioned who was behind the mysterious messages. His worst fear was that someone was setting him up for a tragic fall. But there was a small possibility that someone truly wanted to help him get custody of Adalyn. He held his phone in his hands and used his thumbs to type a reply. Are you ready to reveal your identity yet? Several seconds passed before he got a response. You’ll learn everything you need to know when we meet. I only need to know a location. If you’re afraid of a setup, then you choose the location. I will come to you. Dylan lowered his phone and looked at the surrounding houses in the neighborhood. He didn’t want anyone to come here. For all he knew, this was some psycho with an old vendetta against his family. As much as he despised his mom for convincing him that he and Heaven were soulmates, he wanted nothing to happen to her if she returned to his childhood home. But leaving the property would cause him problems. If Simone realized he’d left, she would do her best to track him down. Until he knew who was offering him help, he couldn’t put Simone’s life at risk. That only left him with one choice. How soon can you be in Santa Barbara? Holding the phone near his chest, he waited for a response when he heard the sliding glass door above. After lowering his phone to his side, he peered up and met Simone’s intense gaze. She asked, “Are you going somewhere?” Dylan shrugged. “I was thinking about walking to the beach for a few minutes, just to clear my head. The water always seems to help.” Simone shifted her eyes across the street and sighed. “Let me grab my tennis shoes. I’ll walk over with you.” “You don’t have to,” Dylan assured her. “Yes, I do.” She turned her troubled gaze back on him. “We don’t know if someone is looking for you. After the way we left things in Brightsville, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone came searching for us. I trust no one.” He understood her concern, but right now, he needed a few minutes alone. If she accompanied him, she would hover. That would hinder any chance he had of meeting the person texting him. “Simone, I’ll be fine. If you feel the need to keep an eye on me, you can view the beach from the house. Besides, the last time I spoke with my mom, she said everyone was focused on protecting the new king and queen. We’re the least of their concerns.” When Simone parted her lips, Dylan expected her to argue her point, but she focused on the beach again and nodded. “You promise not to go anywhere else?” “Yes. Where else would I possibly go?” Appeased with his response, she nodded her head and said, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m going to lie down for a bit. I feel a migraine coming on.” Perfect. If she was distracted, it would give him ample time to meet with the mysterious messenger. “Get some rest,” Dylan encouraged her. “I’ll check on you when I return.” After a brief nod, Simone turned to walk back inside, but stopped the moment Dylan said her name. When their eyes met again, he said, “I’m sorry about earlier.” With a curt nod, she replied, “I forgive you.” By the time she made it inside and shut the door, Dylan looked at his phone. A message awaited him. Trust me, young Seeker, I’m closer than you think. Where in Santa Barbara do you want to meet?” Releasing a sigh, Dylan typed back his answer, then he shoved his phone in his pocket and proceeded across the street. It was time to get this over with. The sooner he did, the sooner he would get Adalyn back in his possession, where she belonged.