Tirade (Heven and Hell #3)(19)
Author: Cambria Hebert

About halfway through the chores, Logan walked into the barn, stopping short when he saw Riley. Riley straightened rigidly and narrowed his eyes.

“Riley,” I said, tossing down the bag of feed, “this is Logan, Sam’s brother.”

Before he could say anything, I turned toward Logan. “This is Riley, Sam’s old roommate. I told you about him last night.”

“Last night?” Riley asked while he and Logan stared at each other.

“Logan is staying here with me and Gran until Sam comes home.”

“Hey, kid,” Riley said with no real emotion in his voice.

“Are you strong enough to get my brother out of hell?” Logan said, not even reacting to the “kid” remark and keeping his voice flat.

“I think I can handle it.”

Logan nodded. “Okay. Good. I might not look like much, but don’t let that fool you. You pull anything and you will answer to me.”

Riley’s eyes flashed.

Not gold.

Silver.

“Logan, Riley is here to help. We can trust him.”

“Sam didn’t trust him. That’s why he ran him out of town.”

I glanced back at Riley as he took a menacing step forward. I moved toward Logan, who drew himself up to his full height and then stilled.

Riley’s steps faltered and he looked around in disbelief. He held up his arms, straight out, and flattened his palms as if he were pressing against walls. Then his hands curled around something and he shook.

Like he was rattling the bars of a cage.

“Logan,” I hissed. “Stop it!”

Logan didn’t respond, just stood there watching Riley.

“We need him to help Sam. This is not the way to convince him.”

Riley let out a growl and then Logan blinked and turned toward me. “Sorry.”

“It’s sweet you want to look out for Sam… for me. But no more of your false worlds, okay?”

Logan nodded. Sometimes I forgot about Logan’s leftover power. Mostly because the demon that had possessed him had taken away so much from him. But it had left something behind. Logan still had the ability to look at a person and make their world, the room they were standing in, disappear. He could replace it with a new world, a false one, but one that completely fooled the person into believing they were exactly where he wanted them to be.

I knew exactly what it was like because I had been the victim of that ability more than once.

Riley didn’t take it as well as I used to.

With his actual reality restored, he lunged forward and caught Logan by the throat. “You want to play games with me?”

Logan’s eyes widened as his sneakers dangled above the barn floor.

“Riley!” I gasped and grabbed at his arms. “Stop it! Put him down.”

It was like he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) hear me. “No one threatens me.”

Darkness seemed to swirl right out of Riley while Logan clutched at the hand surrounding his neck, cutting off his air. Chills raced up my spine. Logan made a wheezing sound.

I pushed myself between Riley and Logan as much as I could and stood up on my tiptoes. “He can’t breathe! Put him down right now! He’s sick!”

Riley’s eyes flashed down to mine and I gasped and stumbled back. He released Logan and we both went falling to the ground, with me trying not to land on top of him. I rolled and stood, leaning over Logan, putting my hands on his chest. “Deep breaths, Logan.” He was gasping for air and struggling to get up. I pressed on his chest lightly. “Stay down, it’s okay.”

I spun toward Riley, whose eyes were glittering with sparks of silver. “If you ever touch him again…”

“You’ll what?” Riley said coldly.

“I’m not as helpless as I look.”

“I’m meaner than you think.”

“That’s obvious. He’s just a boy.” I turned away as Logan began coughing. I leaned over him, trying to calm him down, to help him breathe. Before his coughing subsided, blood leaked from his nose. I ran to get him a rag and held it out to him.

“I’m okay now,” Logan said, getting up from the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“Maybe you should sit down.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Riley said. There was more emotion in his voice than before.

I glanced over my shoulder. “He was possessed by a demon. It left him weak and…” My words trailed away because I didn’t want to say what I was thinking.

“You got that power from a demon?”

Logan nodded. “I shouldn’t have done that to you.”

Riley shrugged. “Why not? I would’ve done it to you.”

Logan wasn’t sure what to say. Neither was I.

“I guess since Sam’s gone, you’re the man around here.” Riley’s eyes slid to me, then back to Logan. “I don’t blame you for wanting to protect what’s yours.”

“Is that supposed to be an apology?” I said, turning back to Logan.

He seemed to be breathing normally and the nosebleed had stopped.

“It sounded like one to me,” Riley said, back to his usual sarcastic self.

My back stiffened, but Logan said, “It’s cool. I guess I deserved it.”

I wasn’t sure I agreed with that, but I wasn’t going to rehash it all. “I have training.”

“I’ll come with you,” Logan said, stuffing the rag in his pocket.

“Maybe you should go rest.”

He rolled his eyes. “I can rest while I watch you kick Cole’s butt.”

I laughed. “Okay, come on.” I turned back to Riley. “You coming?” I partially held my breath, wondering if Logan’s stunt would chase him off.

“How could I miss you kicking someone’s butt?” he said and motioned with his hand.

I breathed a sigh of relief as we all left the barn.

*

We beat Cole and Gemma to the orchard and were sitting beneath an apple tree when Cole appeared. His steps faltered just slightly when his gaze locked on Riley, but then he continued over, walking a little faster than before.

“Who’s this?” Cole asked, stopping directly in front of Riley. His aura radiated suspicion and mistrust.

“Cole this is Riley. Riley, this is my brother Cole.”

They assessed each other silently and it annoyed me. I stood up and put myself between them. “What do you have there?” I asked Cole.

“Your breakfast.”

“For me?” I rubbed at my ribs. They were aching.