by C. L. Stone
Raven glared at him over the sheet. “And you’re here to tell me there’s a price.”
“I’m here to make this legal,” he said, grinning his charming boy smile. “I’m your officiant.”
Raven wasn’t sure exactly how this was going to work. The Academy had so many resources—they could help. The lawyer had been so concerned with making sure he didn’t get charged with murder while everything was straightened out. He’d told Raven to volunteer to stay in custody since his ID couldn’t be cleared through official channels. Was this their solution?
There was no way Raven would have been allowed to stay in the country. Not with his rap sheet. And he wasn’t sure about getting into bed with the devil. It felt like, by doing so, he was asking Kayli to do the same. “What do you want from me? For this?”
“Nothing, at the moment.”
Raven raised an eyebrow. He hated this game. “I won’t sign until I know the price.”
Blake pressed his lips together, staring at him. He was quiet for a long moment. “All right,” he finally said. “I’ll make you a deal.”
“What?”
“I want a fair shake.”
“Shake?”
“I want a do-over. A true fresh start with you and your team. Wipe the slate clean.”
“Why?”
“Because for God knows what reason, Kayli likes you and your friends,” he said. He combed his fingers through his hair, brushing back the locks. “For whatever crazy reason, she cares about you. I’ve seen how far you’ll go to save people, including her. That makes you just like me.”
Raven growled. “We’re not the same.”
“It’s a simple request,” Blake said, and he pushed the pen toward Raven, the metal scraping against the wood. “Sign on the dotted line, and you’re her husband. But that doesn’t mean I’m going away that easy.”
Raven held the paper and the pen in his hand, each item feeling like it was on fire as he questioned the wisdom in this plan.
Kayli wanted to marry him. Corey had come up with the idea, too. His heart melted, knowing why, but also knowing they didn’t have to and had chosen to do it. For him.
At the same time, Kayli believed in Blake enough to have risked her own life to try to save him on the ship.
Corey had said they hadn’t really given him a chance, and Raven trusted Corey more than anyone. With his own life, if it came to that.
“We have another problem,” Raven said, tapping the pen on the table. “The Academy…”
“What about it?”
Raven hated outing his own group. Corey wouldn’t like it. “They don’t like you. They wanted us to get rid of you. Not like…not like Sam did. Just to get you to go away.”
“Kayli isn’t in your Academy,” Blake said.
“The rest of us are.”
“So ask them to give me a second chance.”
“There’s a lot at risk.”
“I’ve got a lot at risk,” Blake said. “And it’s made me realize I can’t go charging in like I have been. This trip, with Kayli, there was more than just me, my life, at stake. That used to be the only thing I was putting at risk: myself. Now…now it’s all different.” He sighed. “I tried to involve her, thinking I could protect her, and she’d see I could be different. That I wasn’t like you with your guns and your rushing in. Then I did the same thing.”
“You thought it would be different because they were executives? People with money?” Raven blew out a loud breath. “You should have known executives that are in that deep will call in their dogs.”
“I told her I was sorry,” Blake said. He pointed to the marriage certificate. “I told her I’d make things right, starting with this. This is my promise to her.”
Raven bowed his head again, looking at Kayli’s name. “She knows my first name now,” he said.
“Yeah,” he said. “She seemed surprised.”
“Did she say anything?”
“She signed the paper.”
Raven smirked, and then used the pen, scrawling his name in big letters in the spot he was supposed to sign.
If she did it, he would too.
He’d go anywhere with her. He’d go after her again and again.
Blake winced. “Couldn’t have done that with a little more sympathy for me?” He put his palm over his own heart. “You’re killing me here.”
Raven traced the pen over his name again, thickening the black ink in the lettering.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t rub it in.” Blake reached for the paper, taking it and folding it over.
Blake reached for the pen next, and this time, Raven grabbed his wrist, holding it firmly. He met Blake’s eyes. “Wait,” he said.
“Let him go,” the officer warned behind him.
Raven released Blake. Blake took the pen but tucked it away. “Something else? You’ve already married her. Not enough?”
“Is she out of the hospital?”
“On her feet, but still in the hospital. They want to do an operation. Don’t know when yet.”
Raven had heard it from the lawyer. Kayli’s insides were messed up. Poison had gotten to her. “I need…a favor.”
Blake raised an eyebrow. “Another one? These are piling up.”
“Find her brother. He should know. Find Wil Winchester.”
Blake’s face fell. “What? She still hasn’t found him?”
“We traced him to a local high school, but he seems to be in over his head with something. We were asked to steer clear, and she wanted to lay low, let him approach her. Only on the ship, I think I convinced her to go find him.” He leaned in close, causing Blake to do the same. “Circumstances have changed. He should know she’s in the hospital. You should bring him to her.”
“Why ask me?” Blake asked. “I thought she found him before now, because she hasn’t said anything about him in a while. Not that I mind, but shouldn’t you be asking your friends to do this?”
“The Academy,” Raven said. “They were the ones to ask us to give Wil some space. They’ve been watching him. He’s mixed up with some kids. He should know about this, though.” He pointed to the paperwork. “I’m her husband now, though. I can ask for her. She’d want this. I know it.”
Blake nodded slowly. “I’ll find him.”
Raven remained at the table as Blake stood. Blake was escorted out first, and then the officer came back for Raven.
He was guided back to his cell, but it felt like he was floating the whole way.
Married. He was married.
Seemed right.
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Books by C. L. Stone
The Academy Ghost Bird Series:
Introductions
First Days
Friends vs. Family
Forgiveness and Permission
Drop of Doubt
Push and Shove
House of Korba
The Other Side of Envy
The Healing Power of Sugar
First Kiss
Black and Green (coming soon – turn the page for an exclusive sneak peek!)
The Academy Scarab Beetle Series
Thief
Liar
Fake
Accessory
Hoax
Tempest (coming in 2017 – turn the page for an exclusive sneak peek!)
Other C. L. Stone Books:
Spice God
Smoking Gun
Bonus!
Turn the page for an exclusive snea
k peek at Tempest, the next book in The Scarab Beetle Series!
The Academy
The Scarab Beetle Series
Tempest
Written by C. L. Stone
Published by
Arcato Publishing
Glow
A hospital room is a horrible place to sleep. There’s always a light on and nurses come to check on you at odd hours.
I stared at the popcorn ceiling panels, anticipating another nurse coming in to check the IV bag, again. A floor light cast an eerie glow that reflected against the shiny tile, and there was another light somewhere behind my hospital bed. The IV needle itched in my arm, and the stupid plastic get-up they made me wear, I just wanted to rip off and go naked.
Corey was asleep in a chair next to the bed. His head was tilted back, mouth open in an O shape as he breathed. He wore a dark sweater and jeans, his arms across his broad, strong chest. How could he sleep in here? I hadn’t really slept, except for short naps, in days.
Maybe it was the medication I was on, but I was wired and antsy.
I was restless.
I wanted out.
I felt fine, but my uterus wanted to bleed all the time, which was annoying. I wanted to tell them to go ahead and take it out.
Yet I didn’t. As annoyed as I was, I stayed in the hospital, hoping they could fix it.
Hoping this wasn’t the cancer that killed my mother that they just somehow hadn’t detected yet.
I watched Corey sleeping, the rise and fall of his chest. He’d been here the most, but I was pretty sure it was because he managed to keep me reined in when I was ready to leave often. I didn’t think I needed to be here, I wasn’t so sick to need supervision.
Part of me was sure they did it to keep me safe. They claimed the hospital was the safest spot in Charleston.
I didn’t want to be ungrateful, but a week in a hospital, staring at the same four walls, and having nurses bark at me to take medication on time was getting to be too much for me.
The sound of soft-soled shoes scooting along linoleum out in the hallway directed my attention to the door, anticipating another nurse.
The door opened.
A tall figure with wide shoulders loomed, looking in.
I couldn’t tell exactly which one, as his face was in shadow, backlit by the lights in the hallway, but I was sure it was one of the guys.
He came in and touched Corey on the shoulder. “Hey,” he said. “Awake?”
Axel. Still in shadow, but now I could at least recognize the shape, the way his shoulder-length hair was tied back on his head at the base of his neck, and the jacket he wore bulked out his shoulders.
Corey sat up quickly and rubbed at his face. “Did I miss something?” he said in a groggy voice.
“No,” Axel said. “Just wanted to give you a chance to go home.”
“I can stay,” he said, stretching and yawning, sitting up. He looked at me. “How are you?”
“Perfect,” I said, letting the sarcasm drip heavily. “If you don’t want to go, want to change places?”
He stood up and came to the bed to stand next to it. He towered over it since he was so tall. “Need anything?”
“Steak,” I said, picturing a sirloin in my brain, my mouth watering already. “Proper steak. Not the chopped mush they serve here.”
Corey glanced at Axel. “If I go find her something...”
“I’ll stay with her,” Axel said. He turned and a reflection of light glinted off the glasses he wore. The lines of his face deepened with dark shadows, making his face a little eerie.
Corey nodded to him and then leaned over, kissing my forehead. “I’ll sneak you in something.”
“Two steaks,” I said. “And apple pie.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He shuffled to the door, closing it behind him.
It darkened, but when my eyes adjusted, I watched Axel.
He stood at the foot of the bed. He reached over, grasping my ankle. “How are you?”
“I wish people would stop asking me that,” I said, and sat up completely, pulling my leg from his hold. I swung my body over to sit on the edge of the bed. I stood up, stretching as much as the IV line would allow.
He put his hands back into the pockets of his jacket. He was quiet for a long while, like he was waiting for me to answer him truthfully.
“Do I have to stay here?” I asked.
“Do you want to get out of here for a while?” he said at the same time as I did.
I opened my eyes wide, and pushed my hand to the center of my chest, between my breasts. “Can I go?”
“Not officially,” he said, but he nodded to the door. “But if you want a break, I could sneak you out for a while.”
Hell yes.
I found some clothes, a pair of sweatpants one of the guys left behind. Axel took off his jacket and passed it to me, leaving him in a T-shirt.
He was wearing sweatpants as well, an odd look for him. Had he just put on whatever to come by and break me out of here?
I was ready except for being barefoot, but he peeked out into the hallway and then motioned for me to follow him. “Keep your head down,” he whispered.
I followed close behind him, becoming his shadow, keeping my face to his back.
We walked through dim hallways and some areas where I was sure it was supposed to be doctors only.
Eventually we were downstairs and going through a hall of doctors’ offices.
At the end of the hallway stood Dr. Green, a familiar face to me now as he had stopped by often, usually to check in and drop off a piece of candy. I liked him a lot.
However, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t allow me to leave the hospital.
He had his back to an exit door and then looked at Axel and me.
I braced myself to be told I should go back to my room. At least I had gotten to walk around the hospital a bit.
Axel approached him, and as he did, Dr. Green pushed his back against the door, opening it to the outside.
“I’ll have her back before sunrise,” Axel said as he hurried past to the sidewalk outside.
“I never saw a thing,” Dr. Green said, sharing a conspiratorial wink with me as I walked past.
He was letting me go! I really liked him now.
Axel’s red Jeep Cherokee was parked out along the sidewalk.
“You planned this,” I said as we approached the vehicle. I stepped carefully since I was barefoot. “You got him involved.”
“You could have said no,” he said, and then opened the passenger door for me.
I got in quickly, and stopped caring if I got caught at all. I breathed fresh air, so different from bleach and the cleaners used in the hospital. I nestled into the seat and even put my seatbelt on.
Axel got in, buckled up, and drove out of downtown.
I thought he was just going to drive around downtown, but he eventually got on the interstate and headed toward Folly Beach.
I had my head back, eyes out the windshield, not talking, just curious. He seemed to have a destination in mind and since he wasn’t talking either, I was letting him surprise me. I didn’t even care what it was, I was just so glad to be free.
Most everything was lit by a bright moon as we traveled. A bluish light lit up some buildings and trees along the way. He drove to the south end of Folly, to an expanse of flat, green grasses, and a parking lot placed close to a small sand dune. A wooden bridge was built over the dune, giving access to the beach beyond it.
I jumped out of the car the moment he parked, taking in the cool air. I listened for waves but everything was quiet here.
Axel came around the Jeep and took my hand, guiding me toward the steps. “I hope we’re on time,” he said.
“For what?”
He said nothing, but urged me on.
I followed behind, glad to be barefoot and to feel the sand under my feet. The beach here, once beyond the dune, was ve
ry flat, and the waves were barely cresting white. There was the smallest breeze to make it a little chilly.
There was no one around that I could see. We had the beach to ourselves. There was one lone lifeguard tower nearby, but it was dark.
There was something odd in the water as well, some sort of whiteness just below the surface.
He brought me to the edge of the water and then motioned to my feet. “Roll up your pants. It’ll be a little cold.”
It was November. Or was it December already? I wasn’t sure, but I was more than sure it would be freezing. “Are you nuts?” I asked.
“You won’t want to miss it.” He bent over, rolling up his own pants.
I did, too. Was the water exceptionally warm for some reason? Some sort of strange tide?
I rolled my pants up to my mid-thighs, tight so they wouldn’t fall back down.
He let me go in first, urging me out.
The whiteness in the water started to follow my feet, and as the first splash of a gentle wave rolled over my ankles, it became a blue, luminous glow.
Sea Sparkle.
I stood in the water up to my mid-calf, letting it wash over my legs again and again as the waves rolled round me. With each wave, very, very tiny marine life reacted, glowing around me.
I tugged off the jacket, not caring that I was half naked now. Maybe I should have kept the hospital gown on anyway but no one was around, so it didn’t matter. I wanted to reach my hands in and make the glowing continue.
Axel took the jacket from me, and I bent over, sticking my hands into the water.
The more vigorously I shook my hands, the more shimmery, the blue illumination glowed around me.
“It’s the dinoflagellates,” Axel said quietly. “There was a lot floating this way. It’ll be gone tomorrow. I knew you wouldn’t want to miss it.”
I stood up, looking at him, feeling only a little odd that I was standing with my pant legs rolled up so high, my bare breasts exposed under the light of the moon, and glowing little organisms crashing around me with the waves.
