by K. G. Reuss
“Where are you going?” she asked worriedly, reaching out for me. I nearly ran back to her, but I held it together. Now wasn’t the time. I had to keep her safe. And that meant leaving her. I couldn’t risk the Order—my father—finding out that I’d been there with her.
God, I needed her! I wanted her! I’d never felt that way about anything in my entire life. It was a painful, breathless feeling once I let it in. And I hated it, so I pushed it away, stuffing it back into the box I reserved for it in my heart.
“Why won’t you talk to me!” her voice was desperate, her hand still stretching out to me. Sadly, I bowed my head at her, knowing I had to go. I melded away, leaving the sound of her sad voice calling out after me.
“I’ll be back, Everly,” I murmured through the shadows. “I promise.”
Chapter 32
“I’m proud of you, man.” Damien clapped me on the shoulder as we walked—yes, walked—down the street. I didn’t want to go back to Dementon just yet. I needed some time away.
“You shouldn’t be,” I commented, looking up to the moon. “I wasn’t going to come. But then I saw the lengths Eric went through to keep her safe.”
“You’re worried he’s falling for her,” Damien replied keenly. I glanced at him with a half-smile—a sad one.
“Yeah, I am,” I answered. “He’s better for her than I am. He could be with her. If I am, it could be disastrous.”
“What are you going to do if she comes to Dementon?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.
“Look, you’d be a damn fool to not notice what the girl looks like. She’s beautiful. If she comes to Dementon, guys are going to want her. I know that should be the least of our worries—your worries—but hear me out. If you can’t be with her, don’t you want someone you trust to take care of her? Not some Special trying to impress her with his fancy tricks.”
“What are you trying to say?” I asked, stopping on the sidewalk and turning to face him.
“Talk to Eric. He can befriend her. Maybe show her a good time. If she’s kept interested in him, she won’t have eyes for anyone else. And you’ll feel good knowing she’s hanging with someone who’s a good dude.”
“You want me to set my best friend up with the girl I care about—the girl I’m meant to be with? What do I do if she falls in love with him? Or him with her? How is that a good idea?”
“Not to date. Maybe just as a male figure to keep her mind occupied. A close friend. She won’t have anyone once she starts at Dementon. You know Eric. You know he’d back down if asked. And if the Order thinks she has interests elsewhere, maybe they won’t ride you so hard about her. And by Order, I mean your father. She’d be even safer. He’d see her content with Eric and leave you alone about her. Not to mention maybe then you won’t be forced into marrying Amara. Plus, if you really don’t want to be with her, then maybe something could happen with Eric. God knows Eric could use a girl in his life. And you know he’d take care of her. It could really work out.”
I rolled his words over in my mind. He made a lot of sense. And as painful as it was to admit, maybe he was right. It would keep her safe. But I’d fall apart if she fell in love with him. It was a dangerous game to play, but then again, so was the alternative. And Damien was right—I wasn’t going to be with her as painful as that was. Everly deserved to be happy, that much I knew. Eric might make her happy. It was worth a shot.
“Do you think he’d do it?” I asked softly as we started to walk again.
“I honestly don’t know. You know Eric. He doesn’t say much. But I think if he knows what’s at stake, he’ll say yes.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t offer yourself up.” I chuckled quietly.
“I’ll do it if Eric won’t,” he answered with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “I just figured he’d be better at it than me. I’m not really good at keeping chicks around. I tend to piss them off.”
“You are pretty terrible.” We shared a laugh.
“You going to do it?” Damien asked after a few moments.
“Yeah, I think so,” I murmured. “I know she’s going to need a friend, and Eric would be a good one. Plus, he’s shown himself to her already, so she’ll probably accept his friendship knowing he protected her.”
“See? All the pieces are falling into place. Now, you’ll just have to figure out how you’re going to work it with all those rules you have about Conexus not associating with anyone at Dementon but our group.”
“Training.” I nodded. “He’ll be her trainer. She has to be trained in combat at Dementon. It’s a requirement. I’ll make sure he’s assigned to her.”
“There ya go, Gen. See? You’ve got it all worked out.”
“I hardly think so,” I said sadly, my throat tight as I thought about the repercussions. It was worth it though. I knew it was.
Chapter 33
I went directly to Eric’s room when I returned to our house. He was propped up in bed, wearing his pajamas and staring at the wall in front of him.
“Hey, can I come in?” I asked, poking my head into his room.
“Yeah, man.” He glanced at me and shifted in bed.
“How are you feeling?” I walked in and sat down in the chair next to his bed.
“I’ve been better.” He chuckled. “That was rough. I’ve never done such a big stitch. Didn’t even know I was capable of something so large.”
“Strange what we realize we can do when we don’t have another choice.” I laughed softly at the irony of it.
“Yeah,” he commented lightly, wincing. “I think I’m going to be out of commission for tonight. Are you going to go keep an eye on her?”
“No.” I shook my head. His face instantly darkened, and I rushed on, “Damien is going to go back after he eats.” Eric relaxed in his bed, his mouth still turned down in a frown.
“So… What else did you do at the diner?” I asked after a moment.
“Huh?”
“I know you’ve done big stitches before. What else did you do?”
He looked at me guiltily before speaking, “I wiped her father’s mind. All of them. Everyone at the diner has no recollection of me, Everly, or her father.”
“Completely?” I frowned. I knew Eric had been practicing with wipes, but I didn’t know if he’d gotten better at them. Last I knew, he was only able to erase small bits of memory, but they seemed to come back to the person only hours later.
“Just of the event.” He swallowed hard, not looking at me. “I wanted to kill him. I had my blade at his throat. You told me all the stories of how awful he was to her. And he was stitched. I could’ve done anything to him, Shadow. Anything. I looked down at the table and saw the photo Everly had. She was her on her dad’s lap. They looked happy. Normal. But behind them were all sorts of wanderers. The dead. I-I just knew I couldn’t kill him. He was haunted, maybe even possessed. I saw that photo and realized that at some point she loved him and him, her. Who am I to take that from her? He needs help, not death. But that doesn’t change the fact that I hate the man. If he comes near her again, I will end him,” his voice was hard.
“How do you know the wipe worked?” I asked, the passion in his voice making my stomach clench.
“Because,” he sighed. “Something happened in there. It was like something clicked inside my head. Maybe it was her presence. Maybe she can make Specials around her stronger. I just don’t know. I can’t explain it. I just know. It’s an overwhelming feeling I get.”
I nodded. I understood overwhelming feelings.
“So what’s the plan?” Eric asked, his voice shaking slightly. “What are we going to do with her?”
“That’s actually one of the reasons I came to see you.” I cleared my throat and looked down at my hands, Everly’s beautiful green eyes flashing in my mind, making my heart ache. “I have a mission for you.”
Chapter 34
“You want me to befriend her?” Eric frowned, sitting up in his bed and staring at me
.
I quickly explained the reasoning behind it, and Eric sat shaking his head.
“No. I won’t do it,” he declared, his voice soft. “And not because I don’t want to help her… because I do want to more than anything. It’s because getting close to her would hurt you, man. Our friendship could suffer if I became friends with her. I don’t want that. I know how you feel about her. Even just being her friend would cause you pain. We’ve been friends way too long. I can’t.”
“Listen, you’re my first choice. If you won’t do it, I’ll assign Damien. And if Damien fails, I’ll assign Brandon. Or Adam. Or Jared. Or any other male we have in our chapter. But it will be one of you—”
“Why can’t it be you?” Eric snapped, his blue eyes flashing angrily. “She’s your girl! Your destiny! You want me to befriend her? And then what? Huh? How do I get away from our members being mad about me socializing outside our circle? How do I keep all our secrets if she starts asking? How do I draw the line between friendship a-and more? We have rules for a reason!”
“I know what I’m asking of you is insane,” I said softly, my eyes downcast. “But I trust you, Eric. I trust you with her. I know you’ll do right by me. More won’t happen. You’ll just be her friend. Her guide during this.”
“But I’d be doing wrong by her,” he countered. “I’d be there under false pretenses.”
“They aren’t false pretenses. If you didn’t care about her you’d never have kept protecting her,” I argued. He shook his head, a muscle thrumming along his jaw as he glared at me. This had to work.
“My father has arranged my marriage to Amara. Damien is right. If we can make it look like Ever has interest elsewhere, it could get him off my back. It could buy me some time until I figure out what to do. Plus, it’s for her own good.” I finally looked at him. “I know you care about her. I can see it in your face, hear it in your voice, and even tell by your actions.”
“Of course, I care! But I’m like you, man! I don’t even know the girl. I’ve spoken to her once. You and I are the same page here! How the hell would I even get her to trust me enough to hang out with me? And where the hell would I hang out with her at? It’s not like I’m some normal dude at school. It’ll put her in the spotlight if she’s seen with me. I probably seriously freaked her out in the diner. I didn’t tell her shit about anything other than she needed to run! Plus, you know I suck with women. The longest relationship I’ve ever had was a month with Kylie Newmar before she transferred to Rover Heights. And that was a secret relationship because I was in Conexus. If I couldn’t make that work, an actual relationship, what the hell makes you think I can make this work, and it’s just a friendship? I’d still be sneaking around with her, just like with Kylie, and for God’s sake, she’s your girl. Do you know how freaking awkward this would be for me? I don’t want you hating me because I get close to her. This just isn’t going to work.” He let out a deep sigh before continuing, “I hate that you’re being forced into marrying Amara. I know you don't love her, and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. It’s not fair. You deserve to choose, man. I get where you’re coming from on me hanging out with Ever when she gets here. I do. I know what it could mean for you.”
“Yeah, it sucks,” I mumbled. “But I’m more worried about Ever than me right now. Believe me, I’ve thought about everything you’ve just said. You’re right. Neither of us has anything with her—”
“Except you, her freaking Reever!”
“She’s just a girl to me. That’s all she’ll ever be.” The lie was painful. God, she was so much more than just a girl to me. “She and I won’t ever be together, Eric. And she’s going to need a friend. She knows you. She’ll trust you. I’m not asking this of you as your general. I’m asking as your friend. Please help me?”
“I-I can’t, man.”
“Eric…” I sat forward. “You care about her.”
“Of course I care! I’m not some heartless asshole! I also care about my mom’s cat, Mittens! Does that mean I’m cut out to be its vet? No!”
“You care just a little bit more about her than you do a damn cat, Eric,” I said gently. He didn’t say anything, his mouth twisted into a deep frown. “Please do this.”
“I don’t want to hurt her.”
“If it keeps her safe—” I argued.
“It doesn’t. It’ll break her heart if she finds out none of it was real. That I wasn’t really her friend. And I saw the whole ordeal with her and that Dylan dweeb firsthand. I don’t want any part of this. Don’t make me,” he said fiercely, his blue eyes wavering as he stared at me.
“Fine.” I nodded, knowing I wasn’t going to let it go. Tonight, I’d let him win. I think he knew it too when I got to my feet. “But it wouldn’t be fake. You know you already care. It would be real. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Sleep on it.”
“I really hate you right now.”
“I know,” I said softly, closing the door behind me as I left his room. “I really hate me right now, too.”
Chapter 35
“Shadow, there’s a fire message for you,” Sloane greeted me as I descended the stairs after my visit with Eric. She handed me the charred piece of parchment, and I snatched it out of her hand.
You are being summoned to the council to stand before the Order. Your presence is required immediately. You are required to bring your first and second in command. We will be expecting you.
Signed,
Sir Wesley R. Hawthorne, Grand Sigil, First Degree Conexus Elite, First Chair of the Order
“Shit!” I hissed as the parchment sizzled, the flames licking it until it was reduced to ash.
“Is it bad?” Sloane ventured.
“I don’t know. Get Damien.”
Sloane scampered off as Amara entered the room.
“Trouble in paradise?” She sneered as she glanced at my face.
“I need you to accompany me to a meeting with the Order. Eric’s too ill.” I ignored her jab.
“Are you asking me or telling me?” Her hands came to rest on her slender hips as she surveyed me with narrowed eyes.
“I’m commanding you as your general. Get your things. We leave at once.” I didn’t have time for her crap. Something was going on, and we needed to get there. Fast. I looked over my shoulder as Damien entered the room, a slice of pizza in his hands.
“We’ve been summoned to appear before the Order. We need to go. Now,” I said.
“Why do they always do this shit?” he grumbled. “I just got my dinner!”
“Tough luck. You can eat it when you get back,” I said, wrapping my black cloak around me. Amara was already dressed and ready to go. I gave her a nod of approval which was met with a roll of her eyes.
“If I get to come back,” he mumbled, handing Sloane his slice of pizza. She stuffed it into her mouth and winked at him.
“You’re such a tease,” he sighed, wrapping his cloak around himself. “You better not eat all of the pizza. I’ll kick your ass so hard if there’s none left when I get back.”
“Ooh, I’m so scared.” She rolled her eyes, dancing away from him. He looked like he wanted to tug the pizza out of her hand. I put my hand on his shoulder and led him to the basement to the portal.
“Did they say what was so important?” Damien asked with a sigh as we stood in front of the portal.
“No.” I shook my head, placing my hand on the emblem to activate it. It glowed brightly, the edge of the city in view through the gateway. “But let’s try to stay positive.”
“Easy for you to say. You probably already ate.” Damien took a frustrated step into the portal leaving me behind with Amara.
We looked at one another for a moment before she spoke in a soft voice, “My father told me we’re to be married.”
“I won’t marry you.”
“I know,” she answered simply. “But I also know you can’t be with that ghost whisperer. So I know there’s hope for us someday.”
“There really isn’t,”
I stated dryly.
“Keep telling yourself that.” She chuckled softly, taking my hand in hers and pulling me through the portal to Xanan.
Chapter 36
There was no one there to protect Everly. The thought weighed heavily on me as we entered the Citadel and went into the Circle. The members of the Order sat waiting for us, looking just as stern as ever.
“Good evening,” the sigil stated as we stood before him. “I’m impressed at your prompt response.”
“And I’d be impressed if we moved this little pow-wow along,” I growled.
“Do you have plans, General?” Sir Broderick asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I have raids to do. I have a school that’s starting in just a few short weeks. I have to ensure the safety of the people within its walls. There is much that needs to be done. So please, say your piece so we can get on with it.”
“I must say, I thought we asked for your first in command. I see you’ve brought your betrothed instead.” My father smirked at me, making me want to punch something.
“Eric is ill. He performed a stitch earlier that left him drained. I brought Amara in his stead simply because she was there, not for any other reason,” I returned.
“You speak so lowly of your future bride,” Sir Mathis commented.
“We’re not engaged,” I shot back. “And any who claim otherwise are liars.”
“Shadow, man. Chill,” Damien whispered.
“The agreement I entered into with the sigil suggests otherwise,” Sir LaCroix spoke up, looking from his daughter to me.
“Then perhaps the next time you decide to enter into an agreement, you should get the other people involved to actually agree to it. Amara and I have broken up. There’s no room for reconciliation at this time.”
“At this time?” Sir Broderick chuckled. “But there will be.”
“No,” I said firmly.
