Awakening: A Timeless Series Novel, Book Four

by Lisa Wiedmeier

  Maes and Andre’s conversation summed up my family’s fears. They were scared of me, as they probably should be. But I wasn’t going to sit back and do nothing. I’d follow their rules, at least for the time being, and avoid using my powers, but I wouldn’t let them dictate everything.

  Colt and I had decided to head for the falls. The sound of the water would possibly hide our grunts and groans from combat. It was also far enough away that if I got out of control no one would get hurt—except possibly Colt.

  The cool air caused steam to escape from my mouth. Timeless or not, running uphill would wind anyone. I glanced up. The cloud cover had returned, thick and full of moisture. It wouldn’t be long till we had our first snowfall, but I needed it to hold off a little bit longer. I needed more time outside, more time to train, more time before they could see tracks in the snow and follow them.

  I began to slow as I heard rushing water. I was close now. Colt should be ahead in the clearing. I stopped short, catching movement nearby. I crouched behind a large pine. I had to make sure it was Colt. I didn’t need to be caught and returned to our temporary home. If they found out, it’d be even worse than before. I’d never be left alone without watchful eyes.

  A blue denim jacket caught my eye.

  “Colt,” I said and moved out from behind the tree.

  He turned and gave me a faint smile.

  “What took you so long?”

  “The usual,” I said. I didn’t need to tell him of the conversation I’d overheard. I was sure he already knew. “We haven’t much time. The sun’s going to be setting soon, and we’ll have to get back. We need to get started.”

  He nodded and pointed towards the falls. “Why don’t we start here.”

  I stopped beside him, eyeing the falls. While the water was still flowing, it wasn’t as deep or fast as it had been the first time he’d brought me here.

  “How do you want to do this? I mean, what do you want to try first?” I turned to face him.

  He removed his jacket and tossed it to the side.

  “I want you to show me what Brogan and the others taught you at the estate.” He moved closer, his stance widening.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Colt. You’re not as strong...”

  He gave me a sly smile. “I’ll be fine, Cheyenne.” He waved his fingers in a come on move.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I replied.

  He had no idea what I’d been taught while he was away. I had a few surprises up my sleeves. I moved closer, my hands in a defense mode, ready for anything he wanted to start. I just had to be sure I didn’t use my powers.

  Without warning Colt lunged, catching my leg. He tried to trip me as he bent over, but instead I clamped my hands together and elbowed him in the back while twisting and rolling over and off his shoulders. I landed on my feet on the opposite side. He stumbled, but hopped up on his feet again, a wicked smile growing.

  “Not too bad. Skylar must’ve shown you that move.”

  “You have no idea what I’ve learned, Colt.”

  “Well then, I won’t take it easy on you.” He winked, and in the next moment, he grabbed my arm, tossing me over him. I hit the ground hard.

  I gasped, but recovered quickly.

  He took a few steps back. His hands rose and his legs spread, ready for another attack. I stood up and moved closer, waiting for his next move.

  His arm came out and around in a kickboxing move, but I blocked it and landed a blow to his stomach. He twisted on his feet and his leg swung out, nailing me in the back. Again I fell, but rolled away and leapt to my feet as he closed in.

  I dropped to the ground and swung my foot out, hitting his shins hard and knocking him from his perch. As he tumbled, he managed to grab my arm and flip me over beside him. A moment later he had me pinned to the ground, his weight holding me in place.

  His chest rose with each breath he took. This had winded him more than it would have in the past. He relaxed his shoulders, his eyes growing soft. He released one of my hands as he sat upright atop me.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  He thought he could still hurt me.

  “Colt,” I said as my hand pushed on his shoulder. “I’m fine.”

  He gave a faint grin. “Okay, then how do you get out of this situation?”

  It was a low blow, but I didn’t have a choice. I whipped my knee up and nailed him in the stomach. His hold loosened enough that I rolled him off and leapt to my feet. He crawled to his hands and knees. He looked up at me, wearing a smirk.

  “I deserved that.” He slowly stood and rotated his shoulders back. “Run, little mouse, ‘cause I’m coming for you.”

  He bolted after me, and I took off up the hill. Heavy footsteps pounded directly behind me. I knew he was faster than me, but I could use the trees to hide. I darted to my right, landing behind a large pine and used it to block him as I fled to the left.

  I glanced back. He was right behind me. My fingers grasped the thin pine branches and I released them like a spring, hitting him in the face. I heard his grunt, and ran on. I wove in and out of the trees as I climbed the ravine, but soon realized Colt was no longer behind me.

  I stopped, completely winded and hid behind a rock. Where had he gone? I waited a few moments for my breathing to slow before I inched around the side of the rock. The forest was growing darker; dusk was coming, making it harder to see between the shadows. There was no sign of him so I stepped out from behind my hiding spot. He had to be close…unless…

  My heart began to race. What if more Tresez had found us? What if they attacked Colt? He didn’t have the same strength anymore to defend himself. I strained to hear any sounds; any noises that told me Tresez were near.

  Bulky arms came around me, pinning my hands to my side, and a small screech left my lips.

  “Gotcha,” Colt whispered near my ear.

  Instant relief passed over me and I squirmed to turn around, but he wouldn’t allow it.

  “Colt,” I started to say when his hold grew tighter. “Colt,” I warned him.

  “Stop me then,” his voice grew low, dangerous. “One day you might be in this situation, someone grabbing you from behind. How are you going to get free?”

  He was goading me on purpose, but how was I going to break his grip without using my powers? I squirmed in his arms till he was nearly bent over trying to hold on to me. I managed to get him off balance and flipped him to his back.

  He fell hard, his back hitting the boulder, causing debris to fall on his chest and face. He remained still for a moment, and I immediately bent and began removing the rubble from him.

  “Colt, I’m sorry.” Blood was running down his cheek.

  He sat up, brushing the remaining dirt off himself.

  “I hurt you.” I touched the cut on his cheek.

  He pulled my hand away and stared at the blood.

  “Well, that’s a first,” he let out a small chuckle.

  “Are you okay?” I helped him to his feet.

  “I’m fine.” He smiled down on me. “I wasn’t expecting that move.”

  I gave him a faint smile, but then glanced around. It was growing dark.

  “We need to get back.”

  “Come on.” He waved me on as we made our way back down the hill.

  I’d hurt him. Blood ran from his cheek. Without his powers, he was weaker, weaker than I’d ever seen him. He had the strength of a human his size, but nothing compared to what he had…and it was all gone because of me. I couldn’t train with the constant fear that I would cause him harm, but what else was I to do?

  We paused for a moment as he picked up his coat. He turned slightly, and I saw the thick stream of blood running down his neck before we walked on. It was worse than I first thought.

  This was going to be hard to hide. Someone would figure this out. He was Timeless and would heal quickly, but he’d have to hide out for a while…and then everyone would wonder.

  I bumped into Colt’s back. I’
d been so absorbed with my thoughts I hadn’t noticed he’d stopped.

  “Sorry,” I whispered.

  He reached back and grasped my arm. We were at the forest’s edge, near the back of the building. I was going to have to make a run for it.

  “I’m going to enter through the front,” he said in hushed tones. “You go around the back. I’ll keep them distracted.”

  “You can’t! Your face!”

  Colt turned, frowning.

  “We both need to sneak in through the back entrance. It’s the only way,” I said.

  He remained silent for a few moments, contemplating his options. If he went through the front, they’d see him, question him. If he snuck in with me, they wouldn’t see him till his face was cleaned up, at least. But then that left him open to questions about how he returned without anyone seeing him. My thoughts drifted to Koda. He’d turned his head allowing me to leave. Was it on purpose?

  “Will Koda help?” I asked.

  He sighed. “He might. I’m already pushing it with him.”

  “Because he allowed us this time together?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s hesitant,” I said, but I didn’t need confirmation. I could tell from his actions earlier. “We don’t have a choice,” I added.

  I grabbed Colt’s hand and pulled him towards the shrubs and the hidden passageway. It was going to be harder to sneak in two people, but at least darkness was on our side. We just had to make sure Maes wasn’t roaming nearby. He’d catch our scent in an instant, and I’d never hear the end of it.

  Colt and I stopped at the edge of the forest. We’d only have one chance at this or risk being caught. Lights flickered on in the kitchen, and we lingered back in the trees. A lanky shadow drifted near the lone rear window. Brogan glanced out and then turned and suddenly walked away. We ran for the secret entry.

  Once we were securely inside, I latched the door tight and took a few moments to catch my breath. I bent and searched for the candle and match I’d left nearby. I couldn’t find it. We had to get upstairs before someone missed us.

  Colt tugged my hand as he led the way. We slowly crept along the wall, his hands and feet searching the gloomy, smelly space to find our way. The tip of my toe hit a stair and I tripped. Colt caught me before I fell, and step-by-step we made our way back up to the top landing. How we’d managed not to end up down the wrong corridor, I didn’t know, but finally we got where we needed to be.

  He paused at the door, pressing his ear up against it. The bedroom was silent, and he carefully opened the door and scanned the room. We exited the passageway the same way we’d entered it, quietly. Colt latched the door, and I had him wait near my bedroom door.

  I touched his cheek, my fingers running through the now sticky residue.

  “We need to wash this off.” I glanced over his clothes; even in the dark I saw the blood on his jacket and shirt. “Take them off,” I said and removed my own jacket.

  He removed his coat and shirt and I rolled them up in a ball. I opened my bedroom door and glanced down the hall to see if was clear, wishing they’d gotten my bathroom plumbing fixed so we could have done this here. I tugged on his hand, knowing we needed to wash the blood away. We hurried down the hall, and I had him pause outside the bathroom as I checked to make sure it was empty.

  We entered the bathroom, and I pointed towards the sinks. I ran back by the showers to grab a few towels, and loaded a wash bin with cold water. Whoever had designed this facility had made sure laundry could be done. Granted, it was old, and you had to run it by hand, but it was better than nothing at all. I glanced up; above the wash bin on the shelf were some cleaning solutions and hydrogen peroxide. This wasn’t the first time we’d had to wash blood out of clothes. I dumped them in and swished them around before heading back towards Colt.

  Colt had filled a sink with warm water and splashed it across his face, trying to remove the dried sticky mess.

  “Here, let me,” I offered.

  I dabbed the corner of a towel in the warm water and began wiping his cheek. He leaned against the wall as I cleaned his cut. I couldn’t help myself. As I moved closer, my free hand came to rest on his bare chest near his heart. I felt the life in him, the beat of his heart, strong and steady as he’d always been for me.

  One of his hands came to rest on my lower back while the other landed on my hip. Now it was my heart I felt beating strong. It was my heart racing at his touch and my heart that knew what it still wanted, even after all this time had passed, even after all the heartache I’d endured because of him.

  I lowered my hand and placed the towel on the sink. Icy blue eyes stared down at me, unsure, just like me. I couldn’t help myself as I gently stroked his cheek. I needed to move away, I needed to stop this, but I couldn’t. As much as I wanted to, my body wouldn’t cooperate. We stood in silence, absorbing the rare moment.

  The bathroom door swung open, and I turned to see Nakari’s wide eyes. It only took a moment for them to turn cold and vicious.

  I pushed back from Colt, but it was too late. She closed the door behind her and stepped forward. She pressed her clothes to her chest tightly as her fingers dug into them.

  “So that’s where you disappeared to,” she spat. “Running off with Colt behind everyone’s back! It didn't take you long to get over Callon, did it? The man who gave his heart, his life, his duty to you, who sacrificed his own happiness for the sake of a spoiled brat who doesn't know what it means to love someone!” She narrowed her eyes. "So you take his brother instead, making the cuts deeper, breaking his heart even more...” She stepped closer and visually inspected the cut on Colt’s cheek.

  She turned on me in an instant.

  “And then you try and kill his family, too!” Fire burned in her words. “You're nothing but a weak coward! You should be ashamed to even call yourself Timeless, let alone Kvech.” She pushed on my shoulder, causing me to step backwards. “Go rot in hell with your cowardly mother. It only makes sense her daughter would abandon us to the Sarac, just like she did!”

  I stood completely still, stunned at her words. I could’ve spoken up, should’ve said something, but I had no words. Colt stood immobile as well. I moved away from the sinks and headed for the door. There was nothing I could do to make things right with her—ever. I’d burned that bridge, and I’d never be able to rebuild it. I pushed the door open and headed for my room.

  “I do know what it means to love someone…” I whispered.

  “Cheyenne,” Colt called after me, but I ignored him.

  It was best if I left him alone, left him out of this. He’d been so careful with me, assuring me that our time was over. He just wanted to help me heal, help me find my strength, Callon, and I’d gone and done this… I entered my bedroom and closed the door, locking it behind me. I leaned against it, hearing Colt’s footsteps nearing. The knob turned, but he couldn’t enter. This is what I should have done before—lock him out of my life. He didn’t need to endure any more misery than he had. I needed to keep him out, keep everyone out, so I could accomplish the one thing I was set upon this earth for—destroy Marcus.

  “Cheyenne,” he said, his words heavy with worry. “Don’t lock me out.”

  It was too late—I already had.

  Nakari’s words hit home. Callon had sacrificed everything for me, and I’d done nothing in return. He’d given me love and I’d pushed it away, pining for something I could never have. When I finally did give in, when I finally realized I could love him—it was too late. I’d broken him, injured him so profoundly he’d left us—me—to find solitude to heal his wounds. I was the sole person to responsible for this. He’d abandoned me, and I couldn’t blame him.

  What hurt worse was that Nakari thought I would bring harm to Colt, and to the rest of them. She probably thought I was trying to pick them off one by one. The one thing I was trying to do was protect them, and I was now hated for it. I was a coward in her eyes, just like my mother. Regardless of my mother’s words
, knowing I’d be judged harshly for my choice, deep down I’d hoped she was wrong about my family’s reaction. I’d hoped they’d come to understand and support me. But it wasn’t going to be, as much as they said otherwise, and it was time I came grips with it.

  A single tear streamed down my cheek. I was truly all alone.

  I heard Colt’s heavy weight sliding down the door at the same time I did. He was going to wait it out, hoping I’d change my mind, but I wouldn’t. I couldn’t for his sake and the sake of the others. I had to go this path alone.

  I’d continue with my training, but I’d leave him out of it. I’d find a way to hone my skills by myself, to prepare myself for battle. I was already secluded from everyone else, and as soon as they heard about what Nakari saw, any hope they had left in me would die.

  Lilly would think I’d gone my own way. She may or may not say anything, but I’d see it in her eyes—all the disappointment I’d brought her. All the disappointment I’d brought the clans. Dex, Andre, Bree, Daniel, they’d lose any hope in me they still had alive and view Colt differently as well. They’d think he was up to his old ways. I needed to protect him from myself before this went too far. I was married now, even if I’d married a man I didn’t love. Marriage meant commitment, and I was committed to follow through on this task that had been laid out before me—regardless of the cost. I had to, for the sake of the Timeless clans. It was all up to me to end this once and for all.

  Chapter 8

  I stoked the fire, bringing the flames back to life. A chill ran over me. The room had grown colder than I liked, in spite of the morning sunshine outside. I sighed, and grasped the metal bucket beside the marble fireplace. I needed more wood. I was completely out. But that would mean I’d have to leave this room to gather more, and leaving this room meant I’d see Colt and possibly Daniel, not to mention the others. I’d managed to keep myself locked away from them for the past week, securing the secret passageway too, but now I was getting desperate. I was shivering, not to mention my stomach was growling loudly. I was way past being hungry.