“Thanks. Did you want to ask more questions?” Aaron inquired as he settled deeper into the couch cushions.
“You’re not too tired?” Carter hated to keep Aaron up when it was obvious that he didn’t get much sleep.
“I like talking to you,” Aaron replied. “And your couch is comfortable.”
“Put your feet up here,” Carter ordered. He grabbed the colorful knit blanket from off the back of the couch and placed it over Aaron as he stretched out his legs.
“Thanks.”
“Can you tell me more about what being an oracle means?” Carter knew he should be asking more about the family and all the different species. Maybe even bring up Lucifer again. Except Carter was dying to know more about Aaron.
“I wish I could tell you more,” Aaron replied. “For the longest time, the council trainers didn’t know what I was.”
“But they still took you to the home? School? Whatever you call it.” Why would they do that?
“Yes. I only have a few memories about my life before being taken in by the council. I was young, so I guess it makes sense that I don’t remember a lot.” Aaron’s voice lowered. “I can clearly remember my mom, dad, and sister dead in our living room.”
Carter hissed.
“The council guards came in and took me away. The only reason I know where they are buried or even their names is because I stole my file when I was a kid. Okay. Bas shifted and snuck in the office and stole it for me,” Aaron explained.
“That…I bet the three of you caused all kinds of havoc,” Carter said.
“We totally did,” Aaron agreed.
Carter sobered. “I’m sorry about your family.”
“Thanks.” Aaron peered back at him intently. “And I’m sorry about your parents.”
It seemed tragedy was something that they had in common. “Thanks.”
“Anyway.” Aaron waved his hand in the air. “There I was a kid with no family locked in a building with shifter, vampire, and other paranormal kids. They knew I was different. I smelt funny to them. I was bullied a lot until Leo was assigned to my room. Then Bas came. With the two of them by my side, we began to run that place.”
“Sounds about right.” From what he’d seen, Aaron, Bas, and Leo were all very strong-minded guys. “How did you find out about being an oracle if no one knew?”
“I kept waking up screaming from nightmares and passing out during the day. The trainers called in some mages that tested me.” Aaron winced as he said tested.
“They hurt you?” Protectiveness burned in Carter’s chest. How dare anyone hurt Aaron, especially when he had been a child.
“Sometimes. I was mostly afraid because I didn’t know what was happening. I couldn’t shift like Leo or Bas. I didn’t need blood like the vampires. I had no magical abilities that I could control.”
“It sounds terrible.” Carter shoved his hands under the end of the blanket so Aaron wouldn’t see the way they shook. His palm smacked into Aaron’s socked foot and he grabbed Aaron’s toes.
“Once they had a name for what I was, the research began. They sent out a request for any other oracles, but none came forward. It was determined that they must have been wiped out during the great hunt.”
“The what?” Carter questioned.
“It was a time long ago when humans hunted down paranormals or who they suspected of being paranormal. It was when Leo lost his family. Bas too. Most of us in the compound were there because of the great hunt. We had no family remaining,” Aaron shared.
“A long time ago? You can’t be much older than me,” Carter pointed out.
Aaron laughed. “Oracles have an expanded life span like some of the other paranormal.”
Carter squeezed Aaron’s toes. “How old are you, Aaron?”
“Let’s just say that the age gap between us would be one for the books,” he replied mysteriously.
* * * * *
