Dark Demise

by Rebecca Royce

“Canyon.” I lifted my arm toward him. A roar sounded, and I dropped my head. Blackness took me under. All I knew was that I hurt, everywhere.

  I didn’t know how much time had passed when I heard my name.

  “Waverly.” A hand rubbed down my back, holding me against a strong chest. We were moving, fast. “Can you hear me?”

  It was Canyon’s voice. “I can.” I tried to open my eyes. They felt swollen. It was hard to see, hard to speak.

  “You will be fine.” He sounded like he was speaking through clenched teeth. “Your light will return to normal. I’ll see to it.”

  I heard nothing else.

  The sound of the buzzing medical machine woke me. I groaned. Why was I in the machine? Was I sick? Images from earlier rushed through my mind, and I wished they hadn’t. Three men who hated my father had attacked me. Somehow, Canyon had come to rescue me. How had that happened? I didn’t understand.

  I lifted my hand to tap the top of the machine. Patients often pounded on it, but…

  The lid came off, and I found Wade and Canyon staring at me. “I told you she was awake.”

  Canyon looked pale. He had dark circles under his eyes. I reached up to touch his cheek before I realized I couldn’t reach. My brain was hazy. “You okay?”

  “Am I okay?” He looked away then at Wade. “I told you she was awake.”

  The doctor nodded. “So you did. She healed faster than I would have thought. Waverly, sit up slowly for me. You gave us a scare. You were concussed. Burned. Cracked rib and lots of contusions. All healed. Two hours in the machine.”

  He’d very succinctly told me what I needed to know. It wasn’t Wade, but the very gentle Canyon who assisted me into a sitting position. He bent over to be on my eye level, the metal in his eyes glinting for a second. “Your light is better. Not where it should be, but closer.”

  “What does that mean?” He’d said that before. “My light.”

  Canyon stared at Wade and then back at me. “Another time.”

  There was a lot of that lately. I asked questions I didn’t get answers to. “Okay.”

  “Probably at this point, you need to sleep. You can do that in your bed since your vitals are okay.” Wade winced. “I’m so sorry, Waverly.”

  I nodded. “Well, if not for Canyon, this would have ended differently.”

  “I’ve told Canyon he doesn’t look well, but he’s refused to let me look at him.” Wade stepped back. “You’ve been through something awful.”

  Well, that was certainly a succinct way to put it. I sighed. “And you’re reminding me there is more to healing than the physical.”

  Wade rubbed his chin. “Yes.”

  “Thank you.” I went to get off the table, and Canyon picked me up instead. I guessed we were done with talking because he silently carried me away from the Med Bay and in the direction of my rooms. We were there significantly faster than I could have managed on my own. Canyon twisted the lock, and it opened. Okay, I was going to have to get that fixed.

  I really wasn’t focusing well. He set me down after he closed the door behind him. I stared up at him again. “You’re pale.”

  “I should be sleeping. My body is having a little trouble keeping my energy level up.”

  I wrapped my arms around him and held on to him tightly. A few seconds later, he wrapped his around me, too. We stayed there like that, quietly, for a second. I listened to his heartbeat. “Thank you for saving me.”

  “I’m sorry that it took so long.” He pressed his forehead down on the top of my head.

  “How did you hear me at all?”

  Canyon was so quiet I wasn’t sure he would answer me. “I’ll always hear you, Waverly.”

  “You’re supposed to be dead to the world.” I really didn’t understand.

  He took my face in his hands. “I’d have to be dead. Your light isn’t right. Go take a long hot, shower. And then sleep.”

  He wanted me to sleep? “I’m not sure I ever can again.”

  “You can. After the shower. Adrenaline is a tricky companion. I’ve lived with it a lot. Shower. Trust me.”

  I did. I always would. But the truth was I liked standing there right next to him. I liked how it felt to know that he cared. “What do you mean by my light?”

  My body was stiff. I wasn’t sure I’d been in the med machine long enough. Or maybe Wade was one of those doctors who thought the med machine shouldn’t do all the healing for the patient. There were theories. All I knew was I still hurt.

  “I can’t see colors or people. My eyes have been changed. I explained that to you.”

  He had. “Yes.”

  “I see light. Heat signatures. Humans are just that. But sometimes I can tell one from another. They have distinct light. You have your own light. It’s Waverly’s light, and right now, it is wrong. It isn’t as strong as it should be. All I want to do is fix it.”

  I had my own light. That was so beautiful. I didn’t know why his words, his phrasing, brought tears to my eyes, but as I stood there next to him, all I could do was cry. Canyon held me and didn’t try to stop my meltdown. Instead, he just hung onto me while I lost my mind.

  And when I was done, I did as he said and got in the shower.

  7

  Sweet Dreams

  The hot water helped, but it didn’t stop the memories flooding over me, one by one. Why had the assault happened? Why was I there right then? Why hadn’t I just stayed by Wade and let him ask questions? Why didn’t I think to take a different name when I came here?

  Finally, when I was officially a prune, I came out of the shower, dried off, and put on the long shirt I’d brought in to sleep in. I wasn’t tired. I hadn’t lied to Canyon; I’d never sleep again.

  I came out in my t-shirt, which went down past my knees, to find Canyon sitting in the chair across from my bed. He leaned his elbows on his legs. If it was possible, he was paler than before.

  “Canyon.” I stopped in front of him. “You don’t look well.”

  He nodded. “I’m not going to lie. I’m wiped.” Some his hair, which he must regularly shave off his head, was coming back in. Was it blond? Was it brown? Was it somehow both things?

  “You should go back to bed.” I hated seeing him like this. “Did I say thank you? I can’t remember if I said thank you.”

  He raised his gaze to meet mine. “You did. I’ll go sleep when you get in bed. Your light isn’t back yet. Not to full force.”

  I didn’t know what my light looked like, but he really wanted it back. I’d gladly give it to him if I had the slightest idea how to do that. “I can’t go to sleep. I’m going to sit up for a bit. Heat up some tea. I’ll read. I’m scared.”

  It felt weird to say it aloud. He didn’t see outlines of people, so he wouldn’t know I was shaking just a little bit. Not owning it diminished what happened. I couldn’t make light of this, not yet.

  He rose. “I’ll stay. You can sleep. You’ll know you’re going to be safe with me.”

  I knew he had broken down a metal door to get to me. I’d never forget that, not for as long as I lived. He needed to rest. And truthfully, so did I.

  “Canyon, I hate to ask anything else of you.” I couldn’t believe I was about to ask what I was. Maybe it was because he’d saved my life and I’d hugged him. Maybe it was because he said I had a special light. Or the fact that he’d held me when I cried, not something anyone had done in a long time. “I need to lie down. You’re right. But do you think you could do it with me? Like in the bed? I won’t touch you if you don’t want. It’s big enough. You can have one side, I’ll have the other and…”

  He took my hand, drawing me first to him and then guiding me over to my bed. I guessed that was a yes. He took his shirt off. That was the first time I noticed the blood on it. His skin was clean. He must have washed off.

  Canyon was muscled. Everywhere. His ears were both pierced and so, it would seem, were his nipples. It wasn’t a look I’d thought I would like, yet I nearly melted into a pudd
le looking at him. He was beyond handsome. He was stunning.

  Finally, when he was down to his boxer shorts, he climbed into the bed. I guessed it was a good thing he’d gone to sleep in the clothes he’d been wearing to time travel because he’d clearly not stopped to change.

  I got into the bed and then scooted over so he could be with me. I expected him to stick to his side, but instead, after leaning over to turn off the light, he tugged me up against him, my back to his chest. His arm came around me, holding me tight.

  “I’ve shared beds, in times of battle, but not like this.” His voice was low. “I dreamed about this. With you.”

  With me? I swallowed. Canyon couldn’t see me. Maybe that was why. I liked the idea of him seeing my light, as he put it. I liked the idea there was something about me he found appealing that wasn’t anything to do with my physical features.

  I was nice enough. I could be funny. I was smart, enough. There were things I could offer in a relationship. Wow, I was really getting ahead of myself. All he said was he dreamed of sharing a bed with me. Sleeping.

  No, I couldn’t talk myself out of this. That was a pretty direct statement.

  “I’ve never shared a bed, ever. I don’t think.”

  Canyon must have liked that. He made a happy noise and tugged me slightly closer. “I want to tell you some things about me. Some things you should know.”

  “I know that you see colors in the universe when you time travel. You told me that.” I liked how it felt to be cocooned with him in the darkness like this. It was as though we were alone in the universe.

  “Do I? I don’t remember that. Things fade in that hour. Memories of where we were and what happened, like dreams. Thank you for telling me. I like knowing I can see color during that time.”

  I hated what had been done to him. I wanted to rip the eyeballs out of the men who had done it.

  He kept speaking. “I was a Super Soldier for Evander and good at it. I was a marksman, a sniper. I killed many people because the corporation that bred me and raised me told me to. I believed that was my purpose in life. And then they sent us on a mission where children died.” His voice broke just a little. When he spoke again, he sounded calm once more. “I told them I would not kill any more children. Ever. They assured me it had been a mistake and not one that would be repeated. And then it was. Part of me not being able to see anything but outlines and heat signatures means I don’t always know who I am looking at. When I found out, I left. I meant to destroy the place. I was going to take the shuttle and just start firing, go out with a bang. Instead, I found Sterling. He was trying to get back to Diana. I decided perhaps there were other ways to go on.”

  I ran my hand down his arm. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that.”

  “The people I am sorry for are the ones who were my victims. Even if I didn’t understand what I was doing for a while. I will never get over their deaths.”

  Sincerity echoed in every word. “I don’t think you should carry that blame.”

  “I can’t do anything about how I feel about it. I can only move forward now. But I am not a man who wanted to cause harm. I want you to know that.”

  I nodded, knowing this close to me he could feel it in the darkness. “Well, since we’re being honest, and you can’t see me, I want you to know that I’m not pretty. Not physically. You should know that before we go any further down this road together.”

  “What?” He jolted a little bit next to me. “Waverly, you are beautiful. I hear that your hair is like a sunset and that your smile lights up a room.”

  Who had told him that? “I’m afraid you were misinformed.”

  Canyon shifted slightly, somehow getting even closer behind me. “I think it’s you who have been misinformed. You’re beautiful.”

  He seemed so sure of himself. I wasn’t going to argue anymore. I’d told him. He couldn’t ever say he didn’t know. “Do you want to just be my friend or are you interested in me in other ways?”

  Canyon nuzzled the top of my head. “I don’t want to just be your friend. Your light is getting better. But it’s time for us to sleep. We can work out the details of this at another time. I suspect this might be complicated.”

  “Why?” I meant, this was me. Things were always complicated. But he didn’t know that, yet.

  “Another time.” His voice was low. “Sleep, Waverly. No one will get in here who you don’t wish to see.”

  I didn’t think I was going to sleep. Canyon did, almost immediately after saying that. I could hardly hear him breathe. He was so quiet, so still. I lay in the darkness with him, and exhaustion caught up with me. He was warm, and it seeped into me, his body heat doing things that neither the shower nor the blanket could. I closed my eyes. I was safe.

  I woke to the sound of pounding on my door. My tablet pinged. I hadn’t moved, and neither had Canyon. He still held me close. His eyes shut, he spoke to me. “It’s Jackson. My guess is he is both banging and pinging your tablet. He really wants to see you.”

  Canyon let go of me, and I swung my legs over the bed. The floor was cold, and the air chilled. Or maybe it was the lack of Canyon’s heat that made everything feel colder.

  My back was still sore. I groaned as I opened the door. Jackson stared down at me, breathing hard. “Fuck. You’re okay. I read the report after I woke up. Fuck.” He yanked me into his arms, and I wrapped my own around him.

  “I’m okay. Thanks to Canyon.”

  “Right,” he nodded. “Where is he?”

  “Here,” a call came from inside the room. “Go away. I’m sleeping.” He still hadn’t opened his eyes.

  Jackson let go of me to step in my quarters. “In her bed?”

  Canyon sat up, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at Jackson. “Out.”

  “He’s exhausted,” I explained. “Somehow, he woke up and heard me screaming for help. He came for me.” His color was better. “He’s not had enough rest.”

  Jackson leaned against my wall. “Thank the universe that happened. Nolan has them in lock up. I’m going over there, now.” He took my hand, lacing our fingers together.

  They were alive? “I was out of it. I thought they were dead.”

  Canyon leaned back against the headboard. “I’d have killed them—in fact, I planned on it—but your light was fading. That took priority. I knocked them unconscious, called for the authorities, and got you to the doctor.”

  “Her light was fading?” Jackson squeezed my hand. “How badly were you hurt?”

  “I…”

  Canyon interrupted me. “Badly. Concussion. Ribs. Burned. Beat up. Two hours in the machine.”

  Jackson hissed in his breath. “They’re going to wish you’d killed them.”

  He was serious. I could see it in his eyes. Jackson planned to hurt those three men, and maybe it made me a terrible person, but that thought didn’t bother me at all. “Thank you. They scared me pretty badly.”

  “They were trying to do more than scare you, beautiful.” I winced at that nickname. He was just trying to make me feel better. “They were going to rape and kill you. That’s what they said.” He tapped his ears. “Really good hearing. Your heartbeat was too fast and your light wasn’t right. It’s back to normal now.” He leaned forward. “Thank the universe, it’s back.”

  Jackson visibly swallowed. “I’m so glad you were there, brother.”

  “Not fast enough.”

  “Well, I couldn’t have gotten there at all. I’d never have heard her even if I was awake. So this is happening, then, Canyon, what we talked about?”

  The Super Soldier on my bed nodded. “Yes.”

  “I’m missing something.” I was getting a little tired of not knowing what was happening around me.

  Jackson let go of my hand. “Earlier this week, Canyon and I discussed how certain things would go in the event that something else happened. Nothing to worry about. He and I are both fine. Other parties may not be. We haven’t brought it up. Have dinner with me toni
ght?”

  “I…” Was he asking me out? Right here, with Canyon in my bed?

  Canyon grinned. “Have dinner with him. It’s okay. If you like both of us, that can work. He and I are close friends. He called me brother before. Our trips through time have been somewhat bonding. He keeps saving my life, and I keep pulling him out of trouble. If you like both of us—and it’s okay if you don’t, Waverly—but if you do, we can make that work. Assuming that’s what you want.”

  My cheeks had to be bright red. So hot I thought they might explode. Jackson wanted to date me, too? But he could see me. “I…”

  “I think we stunned her.” Jackson turned my chin to look at him. “If you don’t like me like you do him, it’s okay. I get it. But give me a chance to prove that you could like me, too. Before you and Canyon close ranks and it’s just the two of you.”

  “I do like you.” I had to look at the floor. This was not a conversation I ever expected to have. I had no capacity for knowing how to manage this. Was I awake? “I’d like to have dinner.”

  He was quiet for a second so I lifted my gaze to regard him. He smiled. “Sounds good. I’ll get you at seven. Canyon, if anything gets said from the other two parties, tell them to come see me.”

  Canyon gave him a wolfish grin. “Imagine heads exploding. Were either Ari or Ro up yet?”

  “Nope. Still out cold. Hits Ro hard, and Ari is still adjusting, which is always hard. They’ll be fine. See you later, Waverly. Dress warmly.” He winked at me.

  “Hold up,” Canyon called after him. “I want to go see those guys myself. If you’re going to throw punches, I want to help.”

  Canyon, suddenly energetic, leapt from the bed. He tugged me into a hug. “See you later, beautiful.”

  After the door closed behind them, I could hardly breathe. There were still lots of things they’d said that I didn’t understand. Who were the other two parties? They’d talked about this? Heads exploding? I sank to the floor.

  What was going on? Was this some kind of joke? No, I couldn’t see Jackson or Canyon being so cruel. Canyon had woken from a sleep that should have made him basically comatose to save me. Jackson was nothing but kind. No, they liked me.