He grinned and a scalpel flashed in his hand. He pressed the flat of blade against my stomach. I couldn’t help a gasp at the chill of the blade. My eyes screwed shut.
The blade slashed against my stomach. Agony filled my head. I arched and screamed and screamed.
I screamed and screamed. It was happening all over again. My skin burned. My insides writhed. Hard hands gripped my arms, shaking me.
“No, please, not again.”
“Wake up, lands sake. Wake up. Please, Elizabeth.” Marin shook me until my eyes opened and met his. His were fierce. The guards streamed into the room. Jace raced to the middle of the room while Bob remained near the door and checked under the bed. I moaned in Marin’s arms and tried to pull away.
“No,” he said, nestling me closer. “No.” His hands smoothed down my face. I looked at him, unseeing. All I saw were those eyes—Xade’s eyes. Nausea rose and I dove for the corner, throwing Marin off. With only a few seconds to spare, I made it to the pot and emptied my stomach.
Marin came up behind me, placed his hand on my shoulder, and hunkered down next to me. “Are you well?”
“No,” I whispered and let my head hit the wall beside me.
The guards milled around us. Marin cut them a look. They left the room. He sank next to me on the floor. His hand stroked along my back.
After a few minutes, I climbed onto his lap for comfort, nothing more. Shivers racked me and he held me close, resting his head on top of mine.
“I thought I told you, no more dreaming,” Marin teased, hands keeping up a soothing rhythm on my back.
I snorted into his neck. “I tried not to. I don’t think I want to remember anymore.”
“Shh, it will be all right. I will make it all right. For you, anything.”
I nodded into his neck, crawling deeper into his arms.
A little while later, I rose and dusted off my clothes, hands still shaking. Marin stood up and stretched. I went to the basin and splashed my face, rinsed out my mouth.
Marin nuzzled me from behind and tears burned. I turned and cupped his face, my thumbs smoothed over his cheeks.
There was a knock somewhere in the house. Marin cursed and pressed his forehead to mine.
Sure enough, he got called away a minute later.
The morning passed in a blur of reading. I knew knowledge was important, but I felt numb. A stroll in the gardens was just what I needed. Maybe I could try out the maze, play with my magic.
I loved having the gardens nearby. The plants looked different, but I could pretend I was home for a little while. I still had these odd moments where everything seemed so normal, I thought I was home, then bam, it hit me. I wasn’t home. I never would be.
Being here in Marin’s house was hard. I knew he was limiting his movements because of me. The guards were assigned to him. So if he left, people would expect the guards to follow.
He also lingered because of me, personally. I knew he wanted me. We hadn’t discussed it again since we sparred, but his actions reflected his desire. I didn’t know how things operated here, but Marin made me feel like his entire world revolved around me.
I couldn’t trust it. I shouldn’t trust anything here, or get attached, but I couldn’t help myself. I felt so much more, wanted so much more, needed so much more. The uncertainty of my past made the comfort these men offered me much more desirable. I didn’t know what do with it all. I shouldn’t do anything at all, to be honest. Sighing, I continued through the kitchen and out into the garden.
Marin sat in the same spot as yesterday. Somehow, I knew he’d be here. He patted the seat beside him in invitation.
“There you are.” I walked up to him. Seeing him sitting all alone made nerves flutter in my belly. I raised my hand and ran the back of my fingers down his cheek. Marin rested his hands on my waist. I leaned down and kissed him.
This was the first time I’d initiated anything with him; he responded eagerly. Eyes sparkling, his mouth caressed mine. He wrapped his arms around me and yanked me onto his lap.
Lightning shot through me, heating my blood. My simple kiss hello spiraled into a hell of a lot more than I intended. It scared the shit out of me. I pulled my mouth away.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“Want to spar?” I threw my arms around his neck.
“After Midday. Did you eat?” He pointed to what looked like several sandwiches on the bench beside him.
“Did you just have this waiting here for me?” I asked as I wiggled off his lap, sat next to him, and wolfed down the food.
“Maybe…you do not eat enough.”
He took my hand, kissed the palm, and pressed me to his side. He slid his fingers down the bare skin of my arm; I rested my hand on his thigh.
“We used to have a garden at home. Nothing as grand as this, but my mom grew roses,” I said.
“You are welcome to do what you want here. I do not know much. I just know it makes me happy. I close my eyes and see my mother tinkering around.” He placed his cheek against my hair.
When he left, I lingered outside, enjoying the weather. Fear kept me seated and not examining the flowers. The last one bit me. I’d have to ask Zanth to show me the gardens and introduce me to the non-carnivorous plants.
I took a deep breath. My hands still shook every now and then from my dreams and memories.
Deliberately, I straightened my spine. What would my daddy say to my bellyaching? Get over it, little girl. That was what he would say.
I watched a speck float in the breeze, hanging midair. Sunlight glistened off it; motes of dust danced in the air. I wanted to practice my magic. Upstairs was not the best location. Here would be better.
Every time I used the magic, it got easier. Most of what I did was instinctual. I felt things. My body healed. The haze came when I asked. But I couldn’t defend myself with any of those skills.
When I pulled power, I felt heat and sparks rolling in my tummy. Most of the time, I didn’t even realize I called power to me. That wasn’t too smart. I could inadvertently hurt someone. I wished there was a text that explained how to use magic, but after all my reading, I’d found nothing. The Fost wrote about the characterization and the abilities present with certain types of magic. Their history with the Imani precluded them asking the how’s and why’s behind it. I was on my own, learning this stuff.
I imagined a breeze. The heat pooled, and my hair blew in the resulting wind. I imagined a gentle rain, and mist formed beads on my face.
I tested the limits of my power. The magic bent to my will. I broke out in a light sweat. The more I concentrated, the more it twisted the way I wanted it to. Wind, rain, heat.
The magic was heady stuff, addictive. I opened my eyes and saw a cloud drifting in the air in front of me. I didn’t change the weather everywhere, but I did in my little corner. It was enough. One day, I’d be the storm that washed this world clean.
I tried to call the glowy butterflies like Marin did, but that was a bust. So far, nothing negative happened with the power. I called and it answered, but what fed it? Was it part of me or the land? Was it a gift I tapped or intrinsic to me? All I knew was that it tuckered me out.
Yesterday, Finn sought me out at Midday. He came to my room. I contemplated going to see if he’d snuck up to see me again. After last night, I didn’t think the possibility of that was high. Finn had refused to look at me. He’d shut down and insisted on talking to Marin alone, excluding me. Plus, if he was about to be mated to Lara, that was a big deal. She didn’t mention it, nor did he. To them it might not matter, but to me, it did.
I believed in love and monogamy. I wasn’t sure Finn even understood the concept. Getting involved further with Finn or starting anything with Marin was just asking for heartache. What I’d done already pushed me far past my usual boundaries. I wasn’t even sure why I did half the things I’d done.
At home, I’d dated a little, but I wasn’t what one would call a social butterfly. I had one serious rela
tionship in high school that fizzled after he went into the military. I was attracted to the air of command, I guessed. And other than Billy and his back seat, there was no one else. I wondered what became of him. I wondered what became of my mom. Stomach twisting, I got up and paced back to the pool, staring at the water.
I shouldn’t be thinking about this now. What I should do was concentrate on my abilities and remembering what happened to me. Figure out why they were still after me. Maybe if I gave them what they wanted, no more children would have to die.
Marin found me in the same spot an hour later.
“No sign of the murderer,” he said. “He was spotted prowling around the guard gate. He has been spotted all over. He does not appear to be trying to hide anymore, and there have been no more deaths.”
His hair was messy and lines bracketed his mouth. He had on dark gray leather. His vest and pants were laced partway. When his gaze met mine, his honey eyes glowed. He moved his hand down his chest to hook on his pants.
“Ready to spar?” The words were meant as a tease, a dare.
Embracing the distraction, I sauntered toward him, adding a sway to my hips that I watched him admire. Stopping in front of him, I ran my hands down that chest. “Think you can keep up?”
His pupils expanded, and then narrowed on me. “Oh, I will definitely be able to keep up.”
I snickered and trekked upstairs to the training room. The flirting helped break my funk even though it was wrong.
“You ready?”
Marin took it easy on me today. I found my center and practiced kicking and punching, warming up. We went through throws as we’d done yesterday. He transitioned to wrestling moves, and I knew he did it with less than honorable intentions.
His body braced mine on the ground. His lower body trapped me. I slid my left leg between his and twined it around his leg. He pressed harder, and I tugged on his leg and pushed on his shoulder at the same time. He flipped and I ended up on top. Nice.
Then he immediately flipped us back and sniggered. “That was fun. Want to try again? I like it.”
I punched his stomach. “Ass.”
He shuddered as my hands trailed down his sides. Oh my god. Marin was ticklish. Screw fighting. It was time to tickle.
My heart swelled each time I wrung a laugh out of him.
Eventually, we started actually training again. He showed me ways to get out of the prone and supine position. I focused and forced myself to learn. I slipped one of Marin’s holds and jumped on his back, tickling him in a sensitive spot under his armpit.
He wheezed in laughter. “Stop, please stop.”
“Oh, honey, I’m going to need so much more begging to stop.” I ruthlessly dug my hands in when Zanth walked in. My fingers stilled, and I fluttered my eyelashes at him. Zanth backed up, holding up his hands.
“I do not want to know.” He turned and exited the room as we exploded in mirth.
The laughter felt good. I was still in hiding, and we were in a holding pattern until something happened. That something didn’t take long.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A guard rushed in. Marin held himself above me, my hips held in place by his. I twisted to roll out from under him, but he moved with me.
“Marin, there has been an explosion!”
Marin jumped up, teasing done. “What? Where? Are there any casualties?”
“Uncertain at the moment. It was at the mines.” There was a despairing look on the guard’s face.
Mental note: find out about these mines.
“The mines.” Marin strode to the doorway. I was fast on his heels. He turned to me, his hands going to my shoulders. “You wait here.”
“I think I should come. I can look, see what he did. It sounds like this is important.”
“Do not be stupid. He could be using this to draw you out, and everyone thinks you left.”
“Everyone thinks I ran away outside of town. The mines are outside of town. I can help you. Please. I will go crazy waiting here.”
“It is not a good idea,” he exclaimed.
I pushed the door closed.
“Please,” I murmured and threw my arms around his neck.
He sighed and ran his hands down my face, then up through my hair, his fingers sliding through the waves. “I repeat, it is not a good idea.”
“I know it isn’t. That doesn’t mean I still don’t want to go. I need to be there. I don’t know how I know, but I do. I need to be there.”
He rubbed his nose down my face, breathing me in.
“Fine.” As I was starting to smile, he said, “But, and this is a big but, you must promise to listen to me. I will run you there. I will clear all but the people who know where you are staying. I will bring you back the same way. No deviations and no arguing.”
We both knew that would be a problem for me.
He waved a finger under my nose. “Understood?”
I hoped my smile didn’t show my triumph.
“I wouldn’t dream of arguing with you.” I grabbed his finger and smiled. His grunt let me know he understood.
He pointed back to the gardens. “We will leave that way. You will not be seen.”
The journey to the mines was quick. I could get used to his super speed. Flash oh oh.
He left me waiting behind a boulder while he headed toward the mines to investigate and clear the area.
As I waited, I felt the familiar cold slide across my skin. I fought the instinct to run and forced myself to stillness. I turned in a circle. The killer—Xade— was nearby.
Where are you, you fuck? I tensed, awaiting an attack, but nothing happened. Jace and Bob watched me and then scanned the trees.
I focused on Marin. “Marin?”
A whisper of a wind. “Yes.”
“Where are you?”
“In the mine.”
“He’s here.”
“Who?”
“Xade.”
“Who is Xade?”
I needed to keep track of who knew what. “The bad guy.”
“I am coming.”
The cold swirled around me. Dread skittered down my spine. Something was about to happen. I waited, but then the cold receded.
Not here.
There.
I started to run in the direction Marin had taken. Urgency rode me hard.
I entered the clearing, my guards fanned out behind me. There were several people gathered around the entrance to the mine. It looked exactly like I remembered. As I got closer, the cold intensified. The first explosion was to draw people in and it worked.
“Get out of there!” I screamed. Desperate, I ran across the field. Several people turned at my shout and stared at me as if I was one brick shy of a load. Marin exited the mine as I got about halfway there. They weren’t listening to me. They needed to get out!
“Get out of there! There’s another bomb. Get out,” I screamed again. I’d almost reached Marin, who relayed my shout.
“Out now.” He stepped into my path and caught me. I plowed into him, and he rocked with my body weight. He turned me and pushed. “Back, Elizabeth, back.”
People streamed out behind him, running away. Finn and Ute passed us. Once I saw them go by, I stopped struggling, and Marin and I both bolted to the closest rock.
Time slowed.
I could hear my heart beat. Once, twice. We weren’t going to make it. I pushed Marin down as the blast went off.
My body went flying up and over in a wicked somersault all limbs and elbows with a rough landing. Spots danced in my vision. Something was wrong with my hearing. I saw people rushing up to me and speaking, but my ears rang too much to understand what they said. I lifted my hand, rubbed at my ears, and pulled my hand back. Blood. Red. The world swam out of focus.
Marin’s drawn face loomed above me. My hearing was back. Still ringing, but voices filtered to me. My head hurt. The suns were too bright. Wow, this seemed way too familiar.
“Wake up. Please wake up,” Marin
said.
“Hey,” I drawled.
He smiled and hugged me. His relief waned and his anger rose. “What were you thinking?”
Finn and Ute rushed over as soon as they heard my voice.
“Are you all right?” Finn asked. He gripped my hand tightly.
Voice husky, I replied, “I’m okay.” I glanced around at the damage.
“How did you know?” Ute whispered.
“I could feel him when I arrived, but I couldn’t figure out where he was. Then I just knew. He was here, but I don’t feel him anymore.” I attempted to sit up, but Marin pressed me back down.
“Not yet, go slow; you took most of the blast. What were you thinking?” he repeated.
“I can heal.” I covered my eyes with my arm. Marin growled in response.
I turned to look at the mine. Debris blocked the entrance. The apparatus they were looking at the day I arrived was off to the left of the opening, surprisingly intact. I saw Santa near the entrance, waving at people. He looked like he was organizing the cleanup. “Was anyone hurt?”
“I do not know yet. They are checking.”
I sat up again. Marin braced my back with his front. “Go slow, I said.”
“This is slow,” I exclaimed, inching up.
Finn stared at us, a pinched expression on his face.
Marin didn’t look at Finn as he ordered him to go find out about any casualties.
Finn leaned toward me, quite deliberately, and tapped my chin. I looked into his eyes, his very pissed-off eyes. Blue swirled and radiated out. He kissed me with a lot of tongue, being quite thorough about it. Whoa.
My hands rose and shoved him away. He cut a deliberate glance at Marin, nodded at me, then strode to the mine.
My heart thumped as I followed his progress.
Marin tightened his arm around my waist. Ute made sure to glance away.
“You scared me.” Marin’s breath tickled my ear.
Must Remember: Dead or alive, they want her back. (Solum Series Book 1) Page 16
