Burned

by Kensie King

  I held it in front of me, aiming straight at Gage’s face.

  He grimaced and held up his hands like he was preparing for surrender. Then he winced, pain racing across his features, and sank to his knees.

  I bolted from the room, my jeans still unbuttoned.

  “Lincoln!” Gage roared after me.

  Don’t stop! the voice within shouted at me.

  So I ran faster, straight to the kitchen. I hadn’t grabbed my shirt, but there was no time for that now. When I reached the back door, I prepared to smash the glass. But I remembered to try to the handle first, and to my surprise, it opened.

  I nearly fell out of the door. Night surrounded me, lit by the glow of the low moon. Shit! It was full and already starting to rise into the sky.

  Hurry, hurry…

  I didn’t stop to listen until I reached the gardens. With the necklace still clutched tightly in my hand, I turned back, trying to slow down my breathing.

  There wasn’t any other sound except for the wind slightly blowing the leaves on the trees. With my heart still pounding wildly out of control, I inched along the wall of bushes, trying to stay hidden. I got closer and closer to the front of house and the nearer I got, the more I was sure Gage would burst from the shadows and snatch me inside again.

  The chill of the night air made a shiver race down my body.

  But I was already wasting too much time.

  I swallowed hard and darted toward the front of the house. My shoes crunched on a few stray branches, but I didn’t stop. I raced in the direction of the road when I saw headlights.

  It took everything I had not to shout, Wait for me! Help!

  I ran faster, cursing when the headlights vanished like they were just passing by.

  Panting, I dodged a tree and then stepped in a small hole, twisting my ankle.

  “Shit!” I gasped as I tumbled to the forest floor.

  Waves of pain radiated up my leg and I clutched the necklace tighter.

  No time. I couldn’t stop for a sprained ankle.

  I struggled to my feet, but before I could straighten all the way, arms closed around me and a hand covered my mouth.

  I bucked against the body behind me until a familiar voice spoke in my ear. “Lincoln, stop. It’s me.”

  When he loosened his hold, I whipped around to see him. The relief that followed was instant and full, nearly making me jump into his arms. “Dylan.”

  His gaze moved from my bare chest to my still unbuttoned jeans, and he frowned. “What the hell?”

  “I’m fine,” I choked out, shaking my head. “He’s coming. We have to—”

  He didn’t hesitate, just gripped my arm to pull me along. He shot me a look of alarm when my knees nearly buckled. “What’s wrong?”

  “My ankle.” I shook my head. “There’s not time. We have to go.”

  He locked his arm around my waist, supporting me as best he could as we ran toward the road. I spotted a mass in the darkness.

  “Please tell me that’s your truck,” I said.

  “It is.”

  I froze when the sound of footsteps came up in the distance behind us, but still too close for comfort.

  “Dylan—”

  “Hurry,” he said, yanking me forward fast enough it was like my feet weren’t even touching the ground. But I could still feet the twinge of pain from every step I took.

  We when got to the car, Dylan yanked open the door for me and practically pushed me inside. I straightened in the seat and searched the darkness, my eyes racing across trees and patches of blackness, knowing Gage was out there somewhere.

  Dylan was around to the other side and shoved the key in the ignition. I gasped when I spotted Gage through the trees.

  “Go! Dylan, go!” I yelled.

  Gage lunged for the car and wrenched my door open, breaking the lock. His eyes were black as midnight and there was blood smeared on his chest.

  “No!”

  I held up the necklace, and it glinted in the light of the full moon. Gage cringed, losing his footing, and Dylan peeled away from the side of the road, tossing up dirt and leaves.

  I caught the handle of the door when we took another turn and pulled it closed. Whipping around in the seat, I spotted Gage on the ground of the forest, face pale.

  My body shook from adrenaline and my fingers were fused closed around the pendant of the necklace, holding on for dear life.

  Dylan reached out and touched my knee. “Take a breath. You’re okay.”

  I did as he said, pulling in a shuddering breath and letting it back out. Fuck me. I’d stabbed a vampire and barely escaped.

  Then my gaze jerked to the window again. “The moon—do we have time?”

  Dylan’s expression didn’t change, but I could tell he was worried. “We’re going to the border right now.”

  Headlights reflected in the rearview mirror, and I jerked in my seat. “Dylan—”

  “It’s not him,” Dylan said calmly, though his hands were tight on the wheel. “We’re almost there. Lincoln, breathe.”

  It was a lost cause. I couldn’t catch my breath until I was out of town. And even then, what the hell was I supposed to do? Flag down a ride and tell them to break the speed limit to get me the hell out of there because a vampire was after me?

  Or could Gage even cross the border? It seemed like Dylan and Grace couldn’t so how was it possible that I could?

  Or my mom?

  “I stabbed him,” I murmured, my voice hoarse.

  “Excuse me?”

  I closed my eyes briefly. “I stabbed him with a letter opener.”

  Dylan didn’t respond. What was he supposed to say anyway? Good job? It wasn’t like I’d passed a test in school. This was a matter of life and death and I could have killed a man.

  No, vampire, I had to remind myself. But he hadn’t seemed like such a horrible person…

  He’d probably be fine by tomorrow anyway.

  We rounded another corner and my stomach leaped when I saw the town welcome sign, the same one I’d driven past when I’d arrived in Knob Creek what felt like an eternity ago but was only a few days.

  Dylan’s hands clenched tighter on the wheel, jaw tightening with determination. We were so close.

  But the moon was higher now, mocking us.

  When we were several feet from the sign, Dylan slammed on the brakes and the truck screeched to a stop on the asphalt. We both shoved our doors open at the same time and raced to the front of the truck.

  “Do we still have time?” I asked, breathless.

  He glanced to the sky and the moon reflected in his eyes. “Don’t know. But we have to try.”

  I faced a split moment of indecision. It almost felt like I was running away, leaving Dylan here to deal with who knew what. But I didn’t have a choice.

  “Lincoln,” Dylan said before I took a step. He touched my arm. “Thank you.”

  I nodded and took another step toward the border.

  “Just a few more feet,” Dylan told me.

  I almost expected to see some sort of line on the road. Or a physical border, a mark that told me when I was safe. But it was a normal road that went on for miles.

  I took another step. Then another.

  Dylan’s voice lifted in the darkness. “You’re almost the—”

  And on that last step, something slammed into me. Like a bolt of lightning, as though I’d run into an electrical fence. My body stiffened in pain and a yell lodged in my throat as a thousand volts of electricity ran through me.

  Then I collapsed.

  “Lincoln!” Dylan raced to my side. I was too shocked to tell him to stay back. “God, Lincoln—are you okay?”

  My body felt like it was humming. But my eyelids flickered and after a moment, my gaze locked on his. Then my breathing stalled.

  “Lin—breathe!” He leaned close to my mouth, listening. “You can do it—just breathe!”

  My lungs seized, trying but failing to take in the crisp night air.r />
  “Lincoln. Shit.” Dylan leaned down and pressed his mouth to mine, giving me his breath. He pressed on my chest so hard but all I could think was, Keep going. I need air!

  After another moment, my lungs relaxed and air rushed in. I heaved in a hard breath and coughed.

  “There you go,” Dylan said, sliding an arm under me while my body shook with coughs. He glanced around. “Keep breathing.”

  I clutched at his arm, still feeling the urgency racing through my battered body.

  “Okay, we have to get out of here,” he said, hauling me to my feet. Not quite as strong as Gage, but close.

  My legs wouldn’t function. But that didn’t stop Dylan. He just scooped me into his arms and ran us back to the truck.

  “I didn’t work,” I said, voice gravelly.

  “No it didn’t,” he said, but shook his head. “Don’t worry about that now.”

  He slid me into the front seat, making sure I was mostly upright before shutting the door. He ran to his side and got in, closing the door firmly and backing the car up.

  “Lincoln,” he said, glancing over.

  I waved him to go. “I’m fine.”

  “Fuck. I thought—” He broke off and focused on driving.

  My hands were limp and tingling in my lap, electricity still racing through me. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “But…” I’d tried and I’d failed.

  Dylan’s jaw tightened as he turned the truck around and headed back to town. He reached out and squeezed his hand around mine, giving it more life. “Lincoln—you could have died. You did the best you could do.”

  We rode in silence for a few moments, his hand still warm on mine. The tingles were fading, and I was starting to feel normal again, though completely and utterly worn out. The adrenaline had washed away, and I could barely keep my eyes open, let alone stay alert to make sure we were safe from Gage.

  “Lincoln,” Dylan said, his voice deep. “You okay?”

  I gave a brief nod. “Why…why can’t you leave?”

  “Leave town?” He glanced over and saw me nod again. “Only witches can leave. They’re the only ones who can travel outside the cursed area since they were the originators of the spell.”

  “But…what about Gage? He said he just came back into town.”

  Dylan’s fingers tightened on mine briefly. “I should have said, at least one person in the bloodline has to be in town. Gage’s brother was here before…” He shook his head. “Don’t worry about that now.”

  “So what do we do?”

  He sped up slightly, eyes darting to the rearview mirror. “Get somewhere safe.”

  He released me, and I flexed my hands, bringing them the rest of the way to life. It was warm in the truck, which helped. But it didn’t settle the pit of dread in my stomach.

  “We can try tomorrow, right?” I asked.

  Dylan didn’t respond.

  “Or the next day?” I continued, though my voice didn’t hold any conviction.

  Dylan’s hands clenched on the steering wheel. “No. This was our only chance.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “A member from all four original families was here, inside the town border, when the full moon was at its peak. That means the first part of the reversal of the curse is complete.”

  I shook my head. “But what does that mean?”

  He glanced at me with eyes full of sorrow. “It means, for now, you’re stuck here, too.”

  #

  My eyes drooped shut soon after and didn’t open again until the truck stopped, and Dylan appeared at my door to open it. He reached inside and unbuckled me before I could move. Then he lifted me off the seat.

  “I’m okay,” I murmured, my voice slurred.

  He only shook his head and kicked the door closed. He raced to the house, carrying me like a child, and then shoved the door open. It wasn’t locked.

  “Is it true vampires can’t come in without permission?”

  “It’s true,” he said, though this time, he locked the door after us. “Especially now that the first phase is complete.”

  I guessed that was why Gage hadn’t come into my room at the motel the other night. He’d stayed in the doorway, letting me know he wanted in, but he never stepped a foot inside because I hadn’t asked him.

  Dylan glanced to the stairs. “You can stay here tonight.”

  I remembered breaking into this house, and then it had seemed dark. Dangerous. Now it felt warm. Inviting. Or maybe it was because I was beyond exhausted.

  “Gage has everything. My phone, my mother’s Book of Shadows.”

  He frowned. “We can try to get it back.”

  I could only nod numbly. It was stupid to be thinking about the phone. But the Book of Shadows—I knew I was going to need it.

  Dylan lowered me to my feet, waiting for me to hold onto the post at the bottom of the stairs to make sure I was standing okay. “I think right now it’s best for you to rest. Or—” He glanced to the door again. “Hell, we should probably get you to a doctor.”

  “I’m fine,” I told him firmly. Besides, seeing a doctor meant leaving the house again most likely and there was no way in hell I was doing that with Gage still out there.

  He frowned. “I don’t…” He cleared his throat and took a step closer to me, though he wasn’t able to meet my eyes. “I’m so sorry about what you went through tonight. And…when you were with him. Did he hurt you?”

  Considering the state I was in when Dylan found me, I’m sure that was exactly what it looked like. And, in fact, that brought a flush of shame to my face because I hadn’t exactly been fighting Gage off. I’d kissed him of my own accord more than once.

  “No,” I said quietly. “He didn’t hurt me.”

  Dylan met my eyes head on this time, as though searching for the truth behind my words. “You sure? We could still, uh, find a doctor. Maybe get one to come to the house—”

  My lungs seized again, and I started coughing, which made him look even more concerned. “No,” I said between coughs. He looked torn between helping me and running for help. I held up a hand. “Really. You said it was safe here.”

  He nodded. “I did.”

  “Then I want to stay.” I met his eyes. “I mean, just for tonight. I won’t—”

  “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to,” he said firmly.

  “Then…I just need some rest, I think.”

  “Of course.”

  I glanced to the living room, but he shook his head. “No. You need somewhere comfortable. Let’s go upstairs. Do you need…?”

  He looked like he was going to pick me up again, so I shook my head and turned. “I’m good.”

  I pretended like it was easy but in fact, climbing that set of stairs was one of the hardest things I’d done. My body felt completely used and tired and didn’t want to cooperate.

  At that moment, I wished I had Gage’s regenerative powers. Or I could summon enough magic to do a spell of my own to get me back on my feet.

  You will soon… The whisper of words came from Savannah again. Somehow, she was still linked to me. Maybe it was the necklace.

  But she was probably right. If I was stuck here because of a curse, it stood to reason some sort of spell was in order to set things right again. And, as I was the only witch in town—as far as I knew—then it was up to me.

  Dylan wrapped his arm around my waist again when we reached the top of the stairs and turned me in the direction of his bedroom.

  I slowed down. “This is your room.”

  “I don’t have a spare bed,” he said apologetically. “Only the couch.”

  When I didn’t respond, his eyes widened. “Oh, I meant I’d sleep on the couch.”

  That made me smile a little. I hadn’t been worried about his advances, just worried about putting him out.

  “That’s not what I meant,” I told him when he continued to look mortified. I hoped it was
because he didn’t want me to think ill of him rather than he was actually repulsed by me. “I just didn’t want to kick you out of your room.”

  He encouraged me to step inside and then stopped next to the bed, looking nearly as weary as I felt. His eyes were still full of sorrow, and he looked immensely sorry. “You could have died tonight.” He swallowed hard. “You tried to help me, help this town, without even knowing what you were getting yourself into and then you got kidnapped. I need—” He propped his hands on his hips. “I want to help you. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

  He wanted to take care of me? After losing our small battle tonight, which meant everything he’d fought for was ruined, he still wanted to take care of me?

  I was overcome with a sense of gratitude. And something more.

  So I simply nodded. “Thank you.”

  He was so different from Gage. No guile. Just facts and feelings. Dylan was straightforward. He said it like it was. And right now, it looked like he felt guilty.

  He gestured to the door. “I’ll grab some sheets and make up the bed for you if you want to use the shower or whatever.”

  “Thanks.”

  I shut myself in the bathroom and turned on the shower, though my body was so eager to lay down. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do anything more than step inside and stare at the wall. But I forced myself to keep going for a few more minutes. To get inside and rinse off the dirt from running through the forest, and even the memory of what Gage and I had done tonight.

  Putting that out of my mind was the only way I was going to get through the rest of the night. I scrubbed my hands over my face and let the reality of the situation settle in.

  I was stuck in Knob Creek. And I had no idea for how long. Or what would happen next.

  Once I shut off the water, I wrapped a towel around my waist and peered into the bedroom. Dylan was gone, but he’d left a pair of sweats and a flannel shirt I knew he’d gotten from his closet. They smelled like him. So did the sheets, even though I knew they were new.

  But it all felt safe. Like maybe I’d be able to get a normal night of sleep because I knew there wasn’t a vampire waiting outside my bedroom door.

  Once I was dressed in his clothes, which were a little big on me because he was so much taller and more muscular, I crept to the door. I heard his voice, low and deep.