Titus

by Carly Fall

  "Where are they?" Nico asked, terror lacing his voice.

  Titus studied everything again. From what he'd seen, this place was a killing ground, and he swallowed the need to vomit. If Macy and Alaina had been here ... how had they survived?

  "What's this?" Nico asked.

  Titus went over to him and bent down to the pile of black substance that looked a lot like ash. He fingered a little bit of fine-grain dirt.

  He stood. "I'm hoping that's Daniel."

  Nico gazed at him. "We know Daniel has been here in the past. There's fresh blood on the floor. If that's Daniel, then where are the females?"

  He ran outside, and Titus heard him throwing up.

  He didn't see any access to another room, a place where Macy and Alaina could be hiding.

  Of course, it could be possible that Daniel hadn't even brought them here. But if not, where had they gone? Why had Daniel left his car at the bridge? And was that pile of ash Daniel, or had they stumbled on another Colonist?

  It just didn't make any sense to him—there were too many unanswered questions.

  Roman came in, his face pale.

  "There's no back door."

  Titus nodded. "That's what I figured. Look at this place. It's a fortress in here."

  Roman glanced around. "That's blood on the walls and floor, right?"

  Titus nodded. "It smells like it and it looks like it."

  "If it quacks like a duck ..."

  "Exactly. We think that pile of ash may be Daniel."

  "Yeah ... well, it smells horrible in back. He's got an area that's fenced in. I saw a coyote trying to dig in there. I couldn't really see, but the smell ..."

  “What?”

  “It smells like death. Like a lot of death.”

  "Bodies?"

  "I think so, and so does Chance. He’s out back puking his guts out.”

  Titus shivered as his stomach churned. His ray of hope he'd been carrying around in his heart was fading quickly.

  Nico returned, and Roman told him about what he thought was going on out back.

  "So you think it's like a mass grave?"

  "I don't know, man. It stinks to high heaven back there, and this one area is fenced off ..."

  "Let's go," Nico said, heading for the door.

  "We won't be able to see anything, Nico! It's dark out, remember?"

  Nico brought his forefinger to his eye, then flicked his contact to the ground. He did the same with the other. His silver eyes blazed, casting light around the room.

  Titus knew that bringing up the possibility of a human seeing him would be futile at this point. His focus lay on finding Alaina, either dead or alive. Unfortunately, he had the sinking feeling it would be the former.

  "Well, that's one way to do it," Roman muttered as they followed Nico out.

  The dirt crunched under his feet as they made their way around back, and he heard Chance heaving off in the distance. He tried to prepare himself for the very real possibility he would see Macy's dead body. As they approached the area, Titus brought his shirt up around his mouth and nose as he tried not to gag and vomit.

  Nico stood at the fence, his eyes lighting up the area just enough that they could confirm their suspicions.

  "It definitely looks like bodies," Nico muttered.

  Titus didn't know how many, and he couldn't tell how deep they went. However, he could make out the outlines of quite a few.

  "Oh, Jesus," Nico whispered.

  The last light of his hope vanished. If Macy had been here, she certainly would be dead now. She probably lay in that pile, and he tried to image what her last minutes would have been like. Surely, she'd been terrified. How bad had Daniel hurt her? What had he done? From the amount of dried blood in his little hellhole, he enjoyed torturing people.

  Macy didn't deserve that and neither did Alaina. In fact, he couldn't think of one person who did, except the Colonist himself.

  "I don't get it," Roman said. "If he killed them and they're in there, who killed him?"

  "This is your fault!" Nico yelled, pointing at Titus. "You were supposed to watch them at the park, and you didn't. You failed, you worthless piece of shit, and now it's a damn good possibility that my mate is lying in there like a piece of garbage!"

  His words stung, and Titus hung his head. Yes, he'd failed the females, and he understood that. "I know, Nico."

  "I should kill you myself!"

  He needed clarification that Macy had indeed died, and then, Nico could do what he wished. "I just need proof that they're dead. Once I see bodies and can solidify the fact in my mind, you can do what you want with me, because if that's the case, I can't go on. I can't live with the guilt the death of Macy and Alaina would bring."

  "But we aren't dead."

  He turned to see Macy standing barefoot a few feet away, her grey dress ripped and bloody. Her crimson arms crossed her chest and she shook, her soft, tulip eyes glowing brightly.

  "Macy?" he whispered, wondering for a moment if he saw a ghost.

  Sobs wracked her body and she crumpled to the ground. He ran to her side, pulling off his jacket. As he laid it over her shoulders, she grabbed his forearm with such force, it felt like she'd pull it off at the elbow.

  Nico squatted in front of her, his gaze pleading.

  "S-she's in the car, Nico."

  "Is she alive?"

  Macy nodded, and he ran to the car as Titus held her in his arms. Relief flooded through him, and he felt the tension drain from his body. He caressed her hair as she cried, the fear radiating off of her almost palpable. He couldn’t imagine the terror she’d lived through, but as she buried her head in his chest, he felt certain this was exactly where she belonged, and he would never let her go.

  Chapter 46

  Daniel stood over her with a pipe protruding from his chest, taunting her. You can't kill me, Macy. You're a Healer, remember? You took a vow never to hurt another being, to always be the one who helps and heals. And now, you're trying to hurt me? You aren't a Healer, Macy, you're a killer."

  She sat up in bed gasping for breath, a light sheen of sweat on her brow. The light from the bathroom shone in her room, and she looked around. Daniel was nowhere to be seen, and although exhausted, she proved to be safe and sound.

  Titus slept soundly in a chair next to her bed, his lips slightly parted and his long legs stretched out in front of him. He still wore his boots and jeans, but had removed his t-shirt. His hair cascaded over his shoulders and down his chest.

  Her thoughts took her back to the previous night.

  Unable to fully sleep, she'd heard the voices from the car. Her fear had been off the charts and she'd slid herself and Alaina further down in the seat. When she’d thought she recognized Titus', she couldn't believe it. It had to be her imagination playing games on her, her hope causing hallucinations. How would the Saviors find them? She and Alaina had already established the chance of that happening hovered close to zero.

  But she had heard him again and lifted her head slightly. She couldn't believe her eyes as she’d watched Titus, Roman, and Nico walk around to the back of the house.

  "Alaina, they’re here for us!" she’d whispered, but hadn't received an answer.

  Alaina laid next to her in very bad shape. Macy had tried to focus and do a little bit of a healing, but she couldn't get her energy in the female. Her resources had been so depleted, and then there was the fact that she had killed someone. She'd broken an oath that she'd vowed to uphold, and Daniel had come back from the dead and wormed his way into her dreams to remind her of it.

  When her parents had recognized she had the innate power to heal, they'd nurtured her. The first time she'd tried to use her powers had been on a forest animal that had been attacked by the beasts who lived on the forest floor and left for dead. As she’d laid her hands on the suffering animal, it had come naturally to try to heal it. However, she couldn't meld their energies together, which she would later find out was required for the healing process to
work. The animal died, but after that, she had understood her purpose in life.

  She’d spent decades nurturing her gift under the guidance of other Healers much more experienced than her, and finally felt ready to take the oath to the Gods of Health.

  Loosely translated, it said:

  I vow to be of service to others. I promise that I shall never take a life. I shall not take part in plans to do so conjured by others, and shall never intentionally do so myself.

  My purpose is to give to others in the best capacity that I can, to heal whomever comes to me regardless of our differences, and to work toward a peaceful and loving world.

  As she mentally recited her vow, she couldn't believe how she'd broken it. It hadn't been a small fracture, but she might as well have taken a hammer to it.

  Tears streamed down her face as she looked at her hands, blood still crusted under her short fingernails.

  She felt her life as she knew it was over, like the part of herself she admired the most had up and vanished. It seemed as though the goodness in her heart had been erased in that killing field, and she'd become everything she detested.

  Glancing over at Titus again, she felt worthy of nothing in this world. If she couldn't uphold her oath, what good was she as a Healer?

  But you needed to do it to save Alaina and yourself.

  The logical part of her mind understood this, but still, when she’d shattered her oath and killed Daniel, she'd also shattered a part of herself—the part that led an honest and simple life, the part that lived by her promise to the Gods of Health.

  Titus stirred and opened his eyes. She met his gaze, and couldn't help the tears streaming down her face.

  "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

  She shook her head, unable to speak, yet the sobs emanating from her body seemed to convey volumes to Titus.

  "I'll be right back."

  He stood and disappeared in the bathroom. A few moments later, he returned and held out his hand.

  She took it and slowly got to her feet, her body aching from head to toe, which she found strange as she hadn't endured anything close to what Alaina had. If she felt like she'd just been run over by a truck, she couldn't imagine the pain Alaina was in.

  Three flickering candles dimly lit the darkened bathroom. They smelled of vanilla and lavender, and she immediately relaxed as she breathed the scent.

  Titus stood in front of her and grinned. He pulled off her nightshirt and dropped it to the floor, then unbuttoned his jeans, letting them pool at his feet.

  They stood nude together, and he reached for her hand again. Leading her over to the Jacuzzi tub, she noticed the inviting frothy bubbles and realized Titus had predicted exactly what she needed.

  He got in and sat down, then motioned her to follow.

  The warmth seeped into her bones. When she'd arrived back at the silo, she’d wanted nothing but her bed. At least, she now felt strong enough to be physically clean.

  She leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes. The water lapped at her breasts as he wrapped his arms around her upper chest.

  They sat in silence for a long while as Titus refreshed the water every few minutes with his toe working the spigot so they didn't have to move. After so many hours of torment, terror, and blood, she finally felt safe.

  "I'm sorry, Macy. I'm sorry I failed you."

  She opened her eyes, surprised at his words. "What do you mean?"

  "I'm sorry I didn't stop your abduction."

  She shook her head, the wet strands of her hair brushing his shoulders. "You weren't responsible, Titus. In fact, if you hadn't used the restroom when you did, he could have taken all three of us, and the children would have been abandoned at the park."

  They sat in silence for a moment.

  "I was there to protect you, Alaina, and the kids."

  She grinned. "I thought we were all there to enjoy a beautiful day at the park."

  He chuckled. "Yes, but as a male, I shouldn't have left."

  "And what would you have done? Peed on the people next to us?"

  She got to her knees and turned around to face him.

  "You're not responsible for what happened to us. The only one who carries that weight is Daniel. Do you understand me?"

  He palmed the side of her cheek and pushed her hair behind her ear.

  "Can you tell me what happened?"

  As she gazed into his dark eyes and studied his face awash in concern and curiosity, she realized she wanted to share every last detail with him. Before, she thought she'd be more inclined to take the memories and lock them away in her mind forever, but maybe telling Titus about it would help her work through the mess of emotions she had rolling through her body.

  "Is there any vodka left down here?" she asked.

  "Macy, it's noon."

  "I don't care what time it is, Titus. I just want vodka and juice ... or a vodka and soda. I just need something to calm my nerves."

  He nodded. "Don't go anywhere."

  She tried to smile, but couldn't. The tale would be horrible to relive but telling it would bring relief. Yes, she needed to confess the sordid details and get her sins off her chest.

  "I won't."

  He stood, the water sluicing down his body as he stepped from the tub. She gazed at the rivulets dancing down his butt and legs, appreciating their strength as the muscles moved beneath his skin.

  He returned a moment later with a glass for her, and she took a long drink as he settled back in the water. She leaned against his chest and closed her eyes.

  "When he first came over to us at the park, I thought it may have been one of Alaina's friends before she met Nico, and I shook his hand. He seemed so nice and friendly, but I could tell from Alaina's face he wasn't a friend. Then I noticed the ash on my hand."

  "You must have been terrified."

  "Yes. The only thing I could think about was that I didn't want him to get his hands on the children. At that point, it seemed like he hadn't seen them. So, when he said we were leaving, neither of us put up a fight. We just left."

  She told him about the drive to the wash and the awful car they'd gotten into. "It was old and the inside was stained with blood ... it was disgusting."

  "We wondered why he abandoned the car at the wash."

  "Probably because he had his good car that he drove around in, then his killing car. People could bleed all they wanted and it wouldn't make a difference."

  As she told the rest of the story, how Alaina fought Daniel, the healings, the pipe, and finally killing him, he listened quietly, squeezing her shoulder when she became emotional and urging her to continue.

  "I've broken my oath, Titus," she whispered. "I don't think I can heal anyone again. I don’t feel it inside of me. It’s like the ability has completely disappeared."

  "You saved your life and Alaina's life, and the life you did destroy deserved to die."

  She shook her head. "That's true, but my oath as a Healer was my life. I lived by it, and now, I feel as though my own personal code had been ruined. I don't feel worthy to be a Healer."

  "Macy, come on, now. You'll heal others again. Right now, you're very tired and you've had a horrible experience. You are worthy of being called a Healer. We need you and your skill."

  Shutting her eyes, she tried to move on from that horrible room and what she'd done.

  "What will happen to all the bodies in back?" she asked.

  He sighed. "We've notified the police anonymously. They'll think they've found a serial killer, which they have, but they'll obviously never be able to prosecute anyone."

  She noticed how he left off the 'why' there wouldn't be a prosecution—because she'd ended the killer's life.

  "Let's get you back to bed and let you rest. I'm sure you'll see things differently in the near future. You're needed and wanted and an asset to us—the good guys."

  She smiled, feeling the vodka, warm water, and the companionship seep into her bones. Yes, it seemed the time to sleep again
had rolled up on her.

  Standing, she allowed Titus to dry her off and lead her back to bed. As she slipped into the sheets with Titus wrapped tightly behind her, she felt as if she'd just nestled into a cocoon of safety, a place where the outside world couldn't get to her, and she quickly drifted off.

  Chapter 47

  An hour later, Titus carefully untangled himself from Macy's grasp. He wished he could stay with her, but duty called. If he didn't show up to his meeting with the other Warriors, they would guess something was up with him, and he didn't want anyone to be aware of his feelings about Macy. Roman knew, but hopefully, the male would just keep his mouth shut.

  He'd tried to play it cool when they’d returned to the silo. Both females had fallen asleep on the way home, both traumatized, and Alaina badly beaten. He'd barely been able to hold it together—he had wanted to lash out at everything and everyone around him—but Nico took center stage with Alaina. He'd screamed and yelled, telling Cohen to heal her immediately. He'd demanded Beverly get up and check her out also. As they'd found her almost naked, Nico wanted to be certain no sexual assault had taken place.

  As he’d bullied his way around the silo at four in the morning, Titus had told Beverly he'd see Macy to bed. Macy had assured her that she didn't need anything right then, and they'd simply walked away from the mayhem of an SR44 male with a hurt mate.

  He’d longed to tell Macy his feelings for her, but her mental state had seemed too fragile to declare his love for her. He could sympathize with her on her thoughts that she'd never be able to heal anyone again. She had broken the code she lived by, and he'd done the same when with the Platoon. The things they'd done had gone against the vow they'd all taken as Warriors. He’d often wondered back then if he'd ever regain his pride, if he'd ever feel like he could live by the Warrior code again. After Simon died, he didn't care, but Macy had been the one to bring him around, to make him realize he had a life worth living.

  He could only do the same for her. Self-doubt and confusion could really tear up one's mind. Hopefully, with rest and talking to him, she'd be able to see she had no other choice.