Blood Tied by Jacob Z. Flores Read Free Book Online Page A

these years had returned, and Aiden had had something to do with that. It wasn’t just his kiss, which had been pretty damn amazing. It was like a refreshing spring breeze had cleared all the cobwebs in my soul.
    Aiden’s presence and self-confidence weren’t like the smug warlock self-assurance I found so aggravating, which probably explained why my brother Pierce and Ben rubbed me the wrong way.
    Aiden’s assurance was pure, almost untainted. It reminded me of my mother. Though she’d had more power in her pinkie than most had in their entire bodies, she’d never let it distort the image she presented to the world.
    Perhaps one day I’d learn how to find the balance that would set me free.
    But now that I once again found my center, I could focus on what needed to be done—solving the burning questions my family needed answered.
    I turned onto the cobblestone driveway that led to my house. The three-story colonial estate and the spectacular grounds opened up before me. The gray-shingled roof with the white wooden trim welcomed me back in the role I always assumed—the responsible one.
    I had a lot of work to accomplish while I was here, and that was where my mind needed to stay. The task ahead of me wasn’t going to be easy, but I would find the answers. Of that I had no doubt.
    I pulled into the four-car garage, and the door to the house immediately opened. Mason and Pierce stood on the porch. They were both almost the spitting image of our father. They had inherited his dark locks and blue eyes while I had my mother to thank for my strawberry blond hair and hazel eyes. I looked and acted so differently from them, it was sometimes difficult to believe we were brothers, especially when they were glaring at me with their arms crossed. Ah, home.
    They were both dressed for the Samhain celebration. Pierce wore a form-fitting, blue plaid button-down with the sleeves rolled up and tight khaki denim. He naturally chose clothing that displayed the muscular body he worked so hard on. Surprisingly, Mason hadn’t donned his favorite pair of jeans and a T-shirt. That had to be Drake’s doing. A black collared shirt showed underneath his gray cashmere sweater, and he was actually wearing black slacks.
    Would miracles never cease?
    “What cheery tidings do you bring me?” I asked as I exited my vehicle.
    “Took you long enough, Brainiac,” Pierce quipped. A playful scowl wrinkled his upper lip. I hated that nickname, and he knew it. But this was what we did. The Blackmoor brothers didn’t greet each other with hugs or pats on the back. Teasing and hostility were how we embraced.
    “I talked to Dad on the way here,” I replied, choosing to not take the bait Pierce dangled in front of me. “So simmer down.”
    “Simmer down?” Mason asked. Of my two brothers, he and I were the most distant. It was probably because he lived life with his thumb up his ass. How he tapped into the power of darkness was beyond me. I shivered at the thought of the immense power he possessed. “Because of you, we’ve been busting our asses.”
    I couldn’t feel any less sorry for him if I tried. “What? You two actually had to get off your butts and do some work?” I shot them both a blank stare. “My trip here wasn’t exactly a piece of cake. I ran into some trouble on the road.”
    That got their attention. Their pretend pissiness vanished. After our most recent problems, we’d all been waiting for impending doom to come crashing down around us.
    “What happened?” Pierce asked. As usual, my older brother thought with his fists. His hands clenched, and the hum of his electrical powers buzzed.
    “Was it the shadow weaver?” A dark aura surrounded Mason. While he had yet to truly explore his shadow weaver abilities, I was pleased to see he no longer had trouble summoning his active power.
    “No. A banshee.”
    Pierce and Mason locked eyes with each other before gaping at me. “A fairy?” They asked almost in unison. The