by Austin, RB
He crouched in front of her. His palm cupped her face.
Emma began to cry. Her shoulders shook. Wrists started to bleed again.
“Chemda,” he crooned, pulling her close. “It’s all right. I’ve got you.”
“No. No.” She tried to push him away with her body. He held her tighter, holding her face into his solid chest. It was wonderful. Right.
It wasn’t fair.
Emma heard other voices. Two of them were familiar. Turning, he released his hold. She felt his absence as if one of the stars was lodged in her chest. Hallucinating again. Soon she’d wake and be back in this room. They’d be coming. She was going to die. Emma cried out when two heavy objects slapped her legs. They were already starting.
A shadow fell over her. She tilted her head back. Simply ready for it all to end. When had she stopped fighting? Her parents would be so disappointed in her.
It was him again. Still hallucinating. Maybe she didn’t have to wake up. Maybe they’d continue to beat her with their bats and she could stay with him until the end.
“Sshh,” he said softly. Emma was lifted. A loud gasp echoed through the room. Burning pain speared her shoulders.
He twisted his head. His lips moved like he was talking. Another familiar face came into view. Emma turned her gaze back to him. He was all she cared about.
“Sleep now, chemda,” he told her.
“Yes,” she whispered. In her dreams she could be with him. “Sleep. Forever.” The edges of her vision began to dim. Emma kept her gaze locked to his until he faded into black.
Chapter 26
Emma jerked to a seated position. Her heart pounded. It was dark. Where was she? Was this the same place? She felt around with her hands. A bed. No longer chained to the wall. Shoulders ached. Wrists were covered with gauze. Who moved her? Hood Guy? Chucky-slash-scary-teeth guy? Had they come? Was this what was next? Emma sucked in a breath, a small sound escaping. Where were her clothes? She yanked the blanket to her chin, arm muscles protesting.
Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs. Why was she naked? The last thing she remembered was hallucinating. He was there. He’d saved her.
The lights popped on. Emma jumped. A scream bursting from her mouth.
“Chemda,” his voice was a caress across her skin.
She twisted to find him. The blurred form moving toward her a welcomed sight.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Emma was gathered in his arms. Cocooned. Safe.
“I figured you’d sleep better with the lights off. I went into the hallway for but a moment.”
Tears pooled in her eyes. “I’m hallucinating.” She clutched handfuls of his shirt. None of this was real. “I’m not dead yet. Still back there.”
He let go. Emma tightened her hands in the fabric even though her wrists screamed in protest. Cupping his hands over hers, he began to gently pry them off.
“No. Please. Don’t.”
“Sshh. I’m not going anywhere.”
Emma shook her head.
“You’re hurting yourself.”
Her fists tightened in response.
Pain ran across his face but he stopped trying to remove her hands. “Still so stubborn,” he said. Laying down next to her, he opened his arms “Come.”
Emma eagerly fell into him dimly aware that holding on to his shirt, no matter how tight, wouldn’t matter when her abductors returned.
His arms encircled her. “You’re safe, chemda. I’ve got you.”
“Yes,” she agreed on a sigh. “Until I wake.” Even in sleep, she couldn’t live in delusion.
Suddenly she was on her back. He leaned over her using his arms to support his weight. This position was better. Emma felt the safety of his arms and could see his face. “I never get your face right when I’m awake.” She risked letting one of her hands go. His eyes warmed to the stroke of her fingers on his face. “Oh,” she sighed. “This is the way I want to remember you.”
He blinked and the glow vanished. Her lips pursed. This was her hallucination, wasn’t it?
“You’re not hallucinating.” Concern etched wrinkles in the middle of his forehead. “You’re confused. I can explain.”
Emma smiled. “Of course I’m hallucinating. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”
“I’m truly here. You’re touching me.” He placed his hand over hers on his cheek.
“Yes, I’m touching you. I’m able to do so when I’m hallucinating.”
“Emma,” his voice was stern. “You’re not.”
“I like it better when you call me chemda and you shouldn’t talk to me like that. This is my delusion.”
He growled softly, bending down until his forehead rested on hers. “What can I do to prove that you’re awake?”
She frowned, brain ticking over her last few waking moments. Wait. Maybe. Oh, no. “You can’t be here,” she whispered. Continuing to process, she shook her head on the pillow. “You can’t be here.” Her heart thudded and she unclenched her other hand to push at him. He didn’t move. This wasn’t a hallucination after all. Panic flared. “Move. Get off.” Cade sat back at once.
“You’re safe. There’s no reason to fear me. I know you’re confused. You don’t believe I’m a real person, but let me—”
“You have to leave.” Emma pushed herself across the bed, opposite him. Her shoulders and wrists protested along the way. By the time she made it to the other side he was standing in her way. “No.” She tried to push past him, but he wouldn’t move. Panic reared, her gaze darted to the door. “He can come at any moment. He can see without being here. You have to go.” Emma pushed at him again and went nowhere. A sob escaped. She headed to the other side. He’d moved too, blocking her way. “Please,” she begged.
Cade knelt in front of her. Placed his hands on her knees. “You’re safe. Your abductors won’t harm you. I’ll make sure of it.”
“No. Not them. You have to go. I can’t be here with you.” Emma stood and he let her, dropping his hands from her and falling back onto his legs.
The pain shooting across his face stopped her. “I’ll take you home as soon as you wish it.”
Indecision raced through her, but the need to erase his torment was strongest. Wait. Her gaze swung around the room. He’d brought her to his home. His room. She’d lain on his bed. With his sheets. I thought I’d never be here again. How would she be able to go on after this time? You will because it’s better than the alternative.
A knock at the door startled her. Emma inhaled sharply. Her words emerged in a whisper. “He’s here. He knows.”
Cade’s eyebrows drew together. “It is Jeeves.”
Her breath left on a whoosh. “Good. There’s still time for you to take me home.”
Cade opened his mouth to speak when the soft knock came again. “Let me get this, then you and I will talk.”
Emma shook her head. No time for talking. They’d talk in the car.
A low growl rumbled through the room. She whipped around. He was at the door, gaze roaming over her body. Oh. Grabbing the sheet, she wrapped it around her. “I’ll wait in the bathroom.”
“Great idea,” he said around his fangs, eyes glowing.
Emma paused for a moment, drinking him in, memorizing the moment, until tears blurred her vision. He started to walk toward her but she hurried in the bathroom. “Jeeves is waiting.” After using the toilet, she stood at the sink, water running as she stared at herself in the mirror.
The door opened and Cade was behind her. “Emma,” he said softly.
If anything, this proved she wasn’t in mirage-land anymore. There were two large purplish bruises on both sides of her face, from hairline to the middle of her cheeks. Dried blood crusted the corners of her mouth and streaked her chin.<
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“I tried to clean it all, but you’d start to whimper whenever I turned on the light.”
Because if the light was on she was awake and not dreaming. Her gaze trailed down her face to her shoulders. They ached the worst but the bruises there were faint.
“Martha said your shoulders aren’t dislocated, only severely bruised from the position you were kept in.” Emma jerked her head at his tone. His whole body was stiff. Fists clenched so tight the muscles in his arms popped. His expression held a torrent of fury. She spun and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, standing on tiptoe
“I’m sorry,” he said into her hair, voice breaking. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you in time.”
Emma ran her hands down his back. “You got to me. You found me.”
Cade shuddered and tilted his head until his nose touched her skin in between her ear and shoulder.
“Take a shower with me?” They didn’t have much time but she wanted this moment with him.
He nodded. Slowly she unwrapped the bandages from both wrists wincing at the red, broken skin that resembled two thick skin-scarred bracelets. Cade took one of her hands and gently inspected the wound.
“I could kill him all over again for doing this to you.”
“Not now. I want the two of us here. No one else.”
In the shower hot steam surrounded her body. It felt wonderful until the water cascaded over her wrists. She winced.
Cade made a low sound. Before she could say anything he positioned himself behind her, allowing his body to take the brunt of the spray. “Let me take care of you.” Cade took the shampoo bottle out of her hands and poured some into his palm then massaged the cleanser into her hair. His fingertips prodded her scalp, the action both soothing and arousing. Closing her eyes, she tried to put every sensation to memory.
“Tell me what you meant when you said, he’s here.”
Emma stilled. She didn’t want to talk about this now, but Cade was right. They didn’t have much time left. “Elias,” she said finally.
He stilled. “Elias?”
“Yes.”
His fingers started the slow dance on her head again. “Did you dream of him as well?”
“No, I didn’t dream of him.”
Warm water from the showerhead cascaded over her head. Emma let her body relax completely against him.
“How do you know him?” Cade’s fingers sifted through her hair, helping the water rinse the suds.
“He came to my house.” Emma turned and he moved to block the spray from her body. “To erase my memories. You called him there.” She should be furious with him, and she was, but they had three, four hours at the most. Their time wouldn’t be wasted with fighting.
“Yes, I called him.” At least he sounded like he regretted it. “But how do you remember him?”
Emma’s eyebrows pulled together. “He didn’t erase my memories.” She scrutinized his expression. Why was he acting this way?
“He didn’t? Are you sure?”
Her blood ran cold at Cade’s expression. “You didn’t know?”
“No.”
“Why wouldn’t he tell you? You could’ve run into me. You could’ve come over . . .” she trailed off. “Of course. Elias knew you wouldn’t come to see me. He’d no worries you’d contact me.” Cade tried to erase her memory. He was the one who’d called in Elias. His job, his life, was more important than their relationship. Cade was a protector over mankind for Chrissakes.
Truly.
“Chemda?”
Emma forced herself to smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll go back home and not contact you. My love isn’t as important as your duty. I won’t stand in your way. I have these new memories plus the old ones. Then my dreams and hallucination, although that one seemed . . .” She stared at him, mouth falling open in a small O.
“You love me?”
“That wasn’t a stress-induced hallucination?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Oh no.” Emma covered her mouth with her hand. She stepped back until cold tile pressed into her back. Cade followed. “You were in my room. You were there. Deep down, I think I knew that. But I was so scared. My memories are all that I can have of you.” She placed her palm over her cheek, remembering. “I touched you.” Tears filled her eyes.
“I was there. I couldn’t stay away from you. I love you, Emma.”
“What?” The word left on a breath, barely audible.
“I love you.”
The tears she’d been fighting finally ran down her cheeks. “I love you too. So much it hurts to breathe sometimes.”
He was kissing her. Her forehead, eyelids, nose, mouth. Always careful of her injuries.
“I don’t want this moment to end,” she whispered. “I don’t want to have to forget.”
“You won’t.”
“Elias said if I contacted you he’d take them all. If I tried to find the house. Told anyone. He’d erase them.” Her arms encircled her waist. “I don’t want to forget you.” Emma’s voice broke. “I don’t want to forget any of this. I have to leave before he is aware. I have to go before he knows I’m here.”
Cade shut off the water. “I won’t let him take your memories. I promise.” He gathered her shaking limbs in his arms and carried her from the shower to the next room.
“No,” she whispered. “You can’t. Your job—”
“Will never be as important as you are to me.”
Emma shook her head.
“I won’t let you go this time,” he promised.
Chapter 27
“I can’t let you do that, Cade. You can’t abandon your duty for me. I’m not that important.”
Cade set Emma down on the bed, pulling the covers over her before he lay down next to her. He growled softly. “Do not ever say that again. You are everything.”
Emma reached up and cupped his cheek. “I love you so much, but I won’t be responsible for causing hundreds of humans’ deaths all because I want to be with you.”
Cade’s arms tightened around her. He wouldn’t lose her. Not again. “I can still fight and have you in my life.”
Emma stilled, seemed to consider his words.
“I was no good without you. Distracted. Unable to lead.” Although honestly he was never all that good at the leading part, but when she was gone, he really, really sucked at it.
Hope flared in her eyes then died. “No.” The word was barely audible. “I can’t. Elias—”
“I’ll talk to Elias.”
“No! Don’t do it, Cade. Promise me you won’t talk to Elias. He can’t know that I’m here. He can’t.” She pushed the covers off. “I’ve been here too long. I have to go home before he finds out.”
“Emma.” Cade pulled the covers back over her. “Stop. It’s all right.”
“No, you don’t understand. He’s going to take my memories, Cade.” Her voice rose. Panic in her eyes.
“I know. You said that, but I can talk to him.”
Emma pushed the quilt off her and made another move to get up. “If I leave now, maybe he won’t know I’ve been here.”
Cade grabbed her hand. She pulled to get free but he didn’t let go.
“Please,” she said, half sobbing. “I can’t forget you.”
Sitting up, he pulled her in his arms. “Sshh, chemda. Don’t be afraid. I promise I won’t let him take your memories. I will fight him if I have to.”
Emma burrowed her face in his chest, wrapped her arms so tight around him, he worried she was going to hurt herself again. With his finger he lifted her chin until he could gaze into her watery, honey colored eyes. “Do you trust me?”
Her breath hitched. “Yes, but—”
“No buts.
” He lay down and pulled her gently until she relaxed against him. “I will protect you, Emma. I won’t let you go again.”
Emma didn’t speak, but the warm drops of her tears on his chest spoke her doubts. Eventually her breath evened and she fell asleep. He continued to hold her, breathing in her scent.
Cade hadn’t told her that Elias wouldn’t need to catch her in the act. With one touch he would learn what happened. Elias had probably been aware of the situation ever since he’d healed Lucas. When she woke she’d be inconsolable and determined more then ever to leave his side.
He detached himself from her arms. She mumbled in her sleep and a soft cry escaped from her lips. Cade stilled, ready to hold her if she even whispered another note of despair. But she only curled around his pillow and drifted back to sleep.
In the closet he donned his scarlet robe. The material was smooth on his skin, but it didn’t bring the automatic calm it used to. Cade glanced back at her sleeping form. He was fully aware of what he may have to do in order to keep her in his life. It was a price he was willing to pay.
Leaving his wing, he walked down the stairs then moved through the house and across the lawn to the entrance of the chamber. His bare feet padded silently across the cement as he made his way to the ceremonial chamber. It felt like he was walking on ice.
Candlelight flickered ahead but he wasn’t surprised. This was where Elias healed Lucas. He reached the entrance to the chamber and stepped from cement to marble floor. Jerking in surprise, he quickly bent to one knee.
“My sire,” he breathed to the floor. “I didn’t realize you were here.”
Cade sensed Elias moving toward him but not from any noise he made. Silence and his own heartbeat echoed in his ear.
“Caderyn.” Elias voice held all the love a father felt for his child.
Cade inhaled, drawing in Elias’s warmth and holding it to him for a moment before he exhaled. The warmth was immediately replaced by fear and worry.
