“Oh please. That zombie deadbeat didn’t get the best of me. Sure, he got in a few good punches, but I got back up.”
Fate lifted her gaze. “Really?”
“Aye, I’m right here next to you, love. In the flesh. All you have to do is stay here and wake up.”
She frowned. “I’m awake.”
“No, you’re not. You’re dying in my arms at this very minute.” The overwhelming sadness in his eyes made her turn away.
“No I’m not. Look at me. I’m stronger than ever. There’s no more pain. I’m free.”
“Is that why you’re leaving us?”
“Us?”
“Me, your father, Gerdie, Sithias… and Jessie.”
Fate’s heart plummeted into the pit of her stomach. “She’s gone. My best friend’s gone.”
“We’ll get her back. I promise.”
Pain and distrust rushed in. “Nobody can keep that kind of promise. Not even you.”
“So that’s it? You’re giving up?”
“I don’t want to, but I’m tired of hurting all the time. I need to stop feeling.”
Finn took her hands in his and held them close to his chest. “Even love?”
“Love hurts the most.”
“But it heals too.
“You really believe that?”
“Abso-bloody-lutely. No matter how bad it gets, love is what sees me through.”
Fate smiled, but it was short-lived. Finn let go of her and receded into the shadows. “Don’t go,” she pleaded.
He vanished and all that was left was his voice. “You need to come to me, Fate. I’m waiting. All you have to do is wake, my sleeping beauty.”
Panic flooded through her veins the moment he left her sight. The thin whooshing of her heartbeat became a stubborn, hammering drumbeat. Blood pulsed hot and fast, warming her, pushing her to move, to fight against the weight of her heavy lids.
Fate opened her eyes to a ceiling filled with diffused light. Pain bit at the back of her eyes. She squeezed them shut and groaned.
“Hello, sleepy head.”
Her breath caught in her throat and she let out a half sob, half laugh. Cracking her lids open, she squinted at Finn.
He smiled down at her, his eyes shining bright with love and relief as his gaze traced over the curves of her face. “There you are. Back to the land of the living.” His voice cracked with emotion.
She was suddenly aware of his body lying next to hers. His weight shifted infinitesimally, as if he feared hurting her with even the slightest movement.
“You’re here,” she croaked, her throat too dry to swallow. She touched his chest, pressing her palm to a wall of muscle. His heartbeat thudded fast against her hand.
“Always,” he whispered as he carefully leaned to kiss her forehead.
Fate closed her eyes, savoring the soft graze of his lips against her skin. Nuzzling against his neck, she inhaled the woodsy scent of sandalwood soap lingering on his skin. Her lungs filled with bliss as the gaping hole that had been in her chest since the day they were torn apart healed. She was whole again, as if the wound had never existed.
“Finn, I missed you so much. You have no idea what it was like.”
“Oh I think I do, love. Every minute we were apart was pure torture.” He stroked his thumb along her jaw and then across her lips.
Shivers of delight passed through Fate’s body. She wriggled onto her side, pressing herself against his body. A storm of heat and desire churned inside, bursting to be free. Hungry for more, her mouth found his. Her heart pounded out a chaotic rhythm as she coiled her fingers into his hair and pulled him close.
The sound of someone clearing his throat rang through the quiet room.
Alarmed by the familiar noise, Fate drew back, staring at Finn while struggling to steady her breathing.
“You guessed it, we’re not alone. You’re dad’s here,” Finn whispered as he slid off the bed to stand next to her.
Cold air rushed in to replace the warmth of his body, leaving her with the sharp pang of separation. Now that she had Finn there, any distance at all caused untold pain. She reached for his hand, holding tight as she rolled onto her back and turned to look behind her.
Eustace was sitting on the next hospital bed. He did his best to smile, but the tightness of his mouth betrayed his discomfort. “Hey, Doodles. It’s good to see you’ve…woken.”
Fate’s face flushed with the heat of embarrassment. “Dad, I didn’t know you were here just now.”
Eustace’s smile remained wooden. “Mmhmm, I picked up on that. Hence, the need to be noticed.”
Sithias burst into the infirmary carrying a book. “It took awhile, but I finally found a wonderful book of fairy tales I think she’ll like.” He stopped when he saw Fate. “Misss, you’re awake! Oh, thank the gods. Well then, I’m happy to say we won’t be needing this.” He set the book on a nearby table, before slithering to her bedside, his wings fluttering with excitement. “I was preparing to read to you. To give you something to anchor to in case Finn failed to pull you from the Reaper’s grip.”
Fate smiled wearily. “That’s thoughtful, but don’t you think you’re over exaggerating a bit? I wasn’t that far gone.”
His amber eyes turned alarmingly sober.
She glanced at her father and Finn. “Was I?”
“We were all scared, miss. But all is well now. You’re back where you belong.”
Fate gazed at Finn. “Yes I am.”
Picking up a glass of water with his tail, Sithias handed it to her. “Thirsty?”
A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of Fate’s mouth as she squeezed Finn’s hand. “Very.” She sipped the water.
Finn squeezed back, rubbing his hand over her forearm. Tingles raced over her skin, making her hungry for more. They desperately needed some alone time.
An angry voice from the hall carried into the room seconds before Darcy stormed in. “That’s it, Mason. We’re done!”
Mason followed her into the infirmary, battle armor still on, and with scorch marks. “You’re breaking up with me? Why? I thought you were happy to see me.”
“Happy to see you alive, but that’s all. Why do you keep volunteering for these missions, even when I ask you not to? Do you have any idea what it’s like staying behind and worrying about whether I’ll ever see you again? It’s torture. I can’t take it anymore!”
“So you’re going to fix it by breaking up? That’s insane!”
“Would you two shut up?” Brune called from the hallway at the same time Gerdie entered the infirmary.
Fate held out her hand. “Gerdie! You’re safe.”
Gerdie marched across the room and gave Fate’s hand a squeeze. “Thanks to Finn.” She smiled at him then climbed onto the bed to sit next to Eustace.
Mason skirted past Darcy, who’d fallen into a silent pout. “Fate, you need to prepare yourself.” He kept his voice low as he began removing his scorched armor.
“For what?”
“You haven’t seen Brune yet.”
“She’s out of the coma and up and around?”
“Oh, yeah, and it’s not pretty. She’s–”
Brune walked in before he could say another word.
Fate drew back in horror when she saw the Gorgon.
“Don’t fret, love. She’s on our side. At least for now.” Finn muttered the last part.
“Good to see you didn’t croak.” Brune made her way over to Fate’s bed. She leaned against the wall, tilting her snaky head as she gave Finn a sidelong glance from behind her goggles. “And the lovebirds are back together.” Her forked tongue flicked between her lips as she smiled at them both.
“Uh…so how’s it going, Brune?” Fate finally managed to say.
Brune rubbed her gloved hands together. “Well, other than having to wear these goggles all the time, so I keep from turning you guys into stone, it’s not as bad as it looks. I’m strangely calm about the whole thing, probably because this beats b
eing a zombie any day. Once you’ve been undead, you find a whole new appreciation for being alive, regardless of what that looks like.”
Fate nodded in surprise, but she was still nervous. “Good attitude. So…there’s no chance you’ll get all Gorgony on us?”
“Can you promise you won’t get that monthly bad mood?” Brune asked.
“Well, no.”
Brune lifted her hands and shrugged. “There’s your answer.”
“That won’t do, Brune,” Farouk said from the far end of the room, where he was busy instructing the medical robots. He turned his cage and trundled forward. “We can’t be trepidanxious about a loose cannon in our midst. You’ll need to submit to lock-up until I can investispect the full effects of your monstramorphosis.”
Brune pushed away from the wall with fists clenched, her stance plainly displaying the obstinance that drove her every decision, whether for good or bad. Fate imagined if they could see Brune’s glare from behind her goggles, the entire room would become filled with stone figures.
Several tense seconds of silence ticked by. “Sure, do what you have to.” Brune sighed.
Relief filled the room.
Fate frowned at Farouk. “Seems a bit harsh to keep her behind bars, Farouk.”
“Soft, weak thinking like that’s what gets people killed,” Brune snapped. “You know you never should’ve brought me back after I was infected. I’m a threat, and I’ll always be a threat. The same goes for your friend Jessie. She’s the enemy now.”
“She’s being mind-controlled.” Fate struggled to sit up in bed, but an overwhelming fatigue had her slumping back onto the pillow.
Finn stroked his hand over Fate’s arm to calm her. “Speaking of which. How did things play out down there?”
“Jessie got away from her,” Mason offered. “Wounded, but alive.”
Fate’s stomach clenched with fear. “Whose fault was that?”
Brune shifted uncomfortably. “Hey, I was going easy on her. She’s lucky she left with a hole in her hand and not in her head.”
Fear streaked along Fate’s nerves as she stared at Mason. “If Jessie was hurt, why didn’t you go after her?”
“And do what?” Mason asked. “Hand her a bandaid before she said thank you and killed me?”
“Jessie doesn’t know what she’s doing right now,” Fate argued.
Brune surrendered her weapons to Mason and offered her hands behind her back to be cuffed. “Doesn’t matter, you can’t focus on why she’s the enemy. You just have to accept that she is and stop thinking of her as your friend.”
Tears stung Fate’s eyes as she looked at her father. “I won’t give up on her.”
Eustace gazed back with an equal measure of sadness, but there was also a hint of defeat in his eyes. Did he think she was fighting a lost cause?
“I suppose not,” Brune continued. “Now that you’ve lost your proxy and I’m out of the running again, you must be dreading your life sentence as Keep Guardian.”
Fate scowled at her. “That’s not all there is to life. You should think about getting one.”
“At least I’m free to pursue one. Unlike you.”
“What’s she talking about?” Finn asked.
Fate looked at Finn, but she couldn’t find the words to begin to explain. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin their reunion with bad news.
“She’s chained to this place until she dies,” Brune explained. “Which could be sooner than later. Kaliena’s down, but she not out. From what I can tell, she’s just getting started.”
Mason tugged on Brune’s arm. “Come on, snake girl, let’s get you in lock-up. I think Fate’s had enough cheering up for one day.”
Farouk shifted gears, navigating his cage to lead the way. “Follow me. I’m the only one with keys to high security.”
Darcy stomped her foot. “That’s right, Mason. Go do your job. I know that’s all that counts.”
Mason stopped and pointed at her. “This isn’t over. Go to my room and wait for me. You and I need to have a talk.”
His commanding tone took Fate by surprise. Darcy looked shocked as well, but it was nice to see Mason finally standing his ground. It appeared as though Darcy’s henpecking days were about to come to an end.
“Now.” Mason stared Darcy down until she headed for the door.
Gerdie stretched and yawned. “Romance. If you ask me, it’s for the birds.”
“After my time with Elsina, I mussst agree,” Sithias added.
“I’ll bet.” Gerdie jumped down off the bed. “I’m tuckered from that nasty ordeal. I’ll see you all tomorrow after I’ve had a good long sleep.”
“We should all get some sleep.” Eustace pointed a stern gaze at Finn. “In our respective beds.”
Finn leaned down and kissed Fate lightly on the lips. “Aye, he’s right. You need your rest. We’ll have plenty of time to catch up afterwards.”
Fate grabbed his arm in a panic. She didn’t want him out of her sight now that he was finally with her. “No, please stay.”
Finn took her hands and positioned them gently at her sides. “Sleep. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when you wake. I promise.”
Her chest constricted as she watched Finn cross the room. He turned and gave her one last glance before leaving. The familiar ache bloomed in her heart. She shot her father an angry look and caught the instant hurt in his eyes. He suddenly looked tired and aged, more than she’d ever seen him.
Eustace stood and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll check in on you a little later after you’ve slept a bit.”
Fate remained silent. Her anger was too fresh to do anything about his hurt feelings.
He lingered for a brief moment then left the room.
Feeling guilty and miserable about her father, Fate turned on her side and curled into a ball. Eustace had always encouraged her to get out into the world and socialize. Even meet boys. He used to say she was missing out on life. But that was before all this, when she’d preferred staying in the comfort of home to write. At that time her stories had always been far more interesting than anything ordinary life could offer.
So why had he turned into the typical, protective father, giving her boyfriend a hard time? He should be happy for her. Her heart sank. Why was it that every time she had a modicum of happiness with Finn, it was overshadowed by turmoil? Was it too much to ask that she be allowed to enjoy her reunion? She let out a shaky sigh as the truth sank in.
Even if Eustace had welcomed Finn with a big handshake and an invitation to smoke cigars together, she wouldn’t have been completely happy anyway. Not after she’d lost Jessie. Darcy was right. Fate was to blame for losing Lincoln and putting everyone else in continual danger. She needed to fix that, especially for her father’s sake. If anything ever happened to him, it would absolutely destroy her.
Sithias poked his head down in front of her. “I’ll stay and read until you fall asleep, misss. The way we used to on those long wintry nights by the fire in the cabin when we were stuck in the Twisted Bone Forest. Remember?” He flashed her a fanged smile. “Big points for guessing what story this is before I’m done with the first paragraph.”
“Oh joy,” Fate muttered.
Sithias slid onto the empty bed next to Fate’s and coiled himself neatly over the mattress before opening the pages. “Once upon a time a woodcutter lived at the edge of a great forest with his wife and their two children. They had a boy called Hansl and a girl called Gretl. The family’s house was very small–”
Fate lifted her head off the pillow. “Really?”
Sithias drooped. “I wasn’t expecting the clue would come that soon.” He rifled through the pages. “I’ll find another story that doesn’t have the title in the first few sentences.”
Fate’s turmoil lifted slightly as she smiled drowsily at her friend and took comfort in his presence. Sithias was a gentle reminder that no matter how bad things got, they always found a way through the trouble, somehow, som
e way. She wanted to believe the same would hold true for the future. Was it too much to hope they would find a way to get Jessie back safely before Kaliena and Wodrid mounted an attack?
Before the answer came to mind, Fate slipped helplessly into a deep, dreamless sleep–her only rest from a long and perilous journey, which as far as she could see, had no end in sight.
51
Together
“ARE WE THERE YET?” Fate asked. “Can I take off the blindfold?”
Finn chuckled as he pulled her along by the hand. “Just a few more steps.”
The dusky odor of damp earth and sweet scent of honeysuckle, peaches and jasmine suddenly enveloped her. She inhaled the perfumed air and moaned. “What is that heavenly smell?”
“You’ll see.” Finn stopped and she felt him turn toward her. His fingers were warm as they caressed her cheek then cupped her face gently. Barely able to contain her excitement, she stood still, listening to the sound of his step drawing close. The heat of his body radiated warmth as his breath brushed her face lightly. Then his lips pressed against hers, soft yet insistent. Her body shivered with need. She leaned into the kiss, only to fall against air when he withdrew.
Laughing softly, Finn caught her in his arms and lifted the blindfold. She gazed at her surroundings and gasped. Shafts of golden light streamed through a dome of lead glass windows, cut into diamond shaped patterns. A distant moon shone bright amongst the stars, and down below, a view of the Keep glimmered beyond the wall of glass. Refracted light cast bright spots of color over a lush garden filled with exotic flowers, giant mushrooms and mounds of blooming moss.
“I had no idea this was here. Where are we exactly?”
“We’re on the other side of the sanctuary. The garden is positioned further outside the axis, so as the hoops revolve, our view of the Keep and sky will change.”
“How’d you find it?”
“I had lots of time to explore while you were recovering.”
“You should’ve brought me here sooner. The infirmary’s boring.”
Smiling, Finn shook his head. “You have the patience of a five-year-old. Meaning zero.”
“You have no idea how patient I’ve actually been.”
Fate's Keep (Fate's Journey Book 2) Page 39
