A frozen Goarder burst into red dust before Axel kicked up with his feet, coming to a standing position. His legs were in a diagonal stance, his hands before him to block or attack, ready for the oncoming fight. Axel’s fingers dug into the sleeves of his black Legion gear. The first two Goarders reached him with a jump. He drove forward like a spring, becoming airborne, as I saw blue streaks wrap around his forearm, wrist, and extend from his hand. He sliced into the first Goarder with his new weapon and dodged the second, landing gracefully behind him. The other two now joined the remaining one and circled Axel.
The music pumped louder and more bodies joined the chaos. I bit my lip so hard a metallic taste filled my mouth. All I could do was helplessly watch the horrid scene unfolding before me.
The one in front of Axel lunged with fury, slashing its weapon. Axel grabbed its arm and pushed it into the wall behind him, and his elbow immediately connected with the second Goarder’s face. He then did a tornado kick, full sweep, and elbow combo at the unsuspecting third Goarder. The second one was on his feet, black ooze dripping from his mouth and eyes, his knife swaying back and forth. Axel used the dagger to block and pulled him closer, plunging the blue weapon into the Goarder’s spine.
The remaining Goarders teamed up and attacked Axel at the same time. My heart rate spiked and I let out a helpless cry. He blocked the first sleeve punch to his jaw, but missed the second that caught him square in the kidney. He blocked the next two advances before falling on his back. I screamed, feeling anger course along every nerve.
Axel struggled to defend himself, lying on his back, blocking the two Goarders’ sharp weapons from slicing him to pieces. A streak of blood ran down his bicep. He was hurt and there was nothing I could do.
Nothing.
Then, to my surprise and relief, Dean and the other allies joined the fight, throwing stars and magic at the unsuspecting Goarders, dematerializing them to dust.
Thanks, Axel mouthed. Dean eyed him with a cocky smile.
Joshua, Elijah, and the others joined them, panting and swiping the sweat off their foreheads. They continued to clear out one room at a time, getting rid of all Goarders they came across.
Axel signaled that time was up. I turned around to follow, but got distracted when I saw a quivering dark figure in the corner of the room. Axel stopped beside me, unaware of my presence.
“Hello, Alexander,” she said in a weak tone. Then she glanced in my direction with a smile.
Could she see me? Who was she?
“Nala,” Axel breathed out.
Axel’s watch beeped. He tucked away the dagger and grabbed her limp body in both arms, securing her safely, and ran for it. I heard the first of the blasts not too far behind me. I ran down the stairs, following him into the awaiting river below.
I woke up screaming, patting myself as if my body were on fire. My breath came in labored gasps like hot air was shoved into my lungs. My hands went to my throat, coughing up smoke.
Thick. Black. Smoke.
My entire body was drenched in sweat and sizzled with burn marks. My eyes stung and hot tears flowed easily. I gasped between each sob.
What the hell?
A thousand needles stabbed my body. My chest contracted like I was about to have a heart attack. I placed my hand over my heart and shot out of the bed, still feeling it hammering against my ribs. That felt too close, too intimate to be a dream. I took a deep breath and before I let it out…
Joshua! I ran toward his room. I knocked on the door, but he didn’t answer. A pang of panic overcame me. Is it possible that wasn’t a dream? No, can’t be. I wasn’t…
But I knew. I just knew that something bad did happen. Every fiber in my body told me so.
As the time passed, the dream became foggy, but the panic tugged deep at my core. I ran back to my room and picked up my phone, hoping to see a missed call or text from Axel. Nothing. The clock read three a.m.
Oh. God. Nonononono. He was supposed to call me. I tried to dial his number, only to select the wrong person several times. I threw the phone on my bed and wrapped my arms around my trembling body. I needed to calm down.
One, two, inhale. One, two, exhale.
After several minutes, I tried again.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
No answer.
I tried again.
And then again.
My breathing became shallower with each try. I ran down the stairs, tripping over the last step. I didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going. My body still itched like it had been burned. I needed something to cool me off… After yanking open the front door, I ran out into the yard. Everything around me turned blurry, like I was still dreaming. I screamed, falling to my knees, placing my hands on either side of my head, and cried, unable to control my sobs.
My heart felt like it was being ripped out, like someone punched a hole into my chest and grabbed hold of the beating muscle, twisting and pulling it out. I wanted to die. I would rather die than feel this pain. Please let me die. Then two strong arms engulfed me in an embrace.
“I’m sorry. I got here as fast as I could.” I knew that voice. Who was it? I didn’t care. All I knew was I was safe now. Safe in his arms. “I’m sorry, babe.”
He lifted me and before I knew it, I was lying in the warmth of my bed. I panicked, shooting up, grabbing his arm, urging him to not leave me alone.
“Please…” was all I said before he was beside me, wrapping his arms around my shuddering form, tucking me safely to his chest. Smooth, comforting coolness engulfed me like ribbons wrapping themselves around me, and the irritations on my skin began to calm.
“I’m here… I’m here…”
I sighed in response. Then blackness consumed me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I shot up from my pillow at the vehement sound of my alarm filling the room at a deafening volume. Feeling annoyed, I rolled over and hit the snooze button, still dazed. I almost shrieked when I realized I rolled back on top of someone. In the next second, strong arms pushed me forcefully enough that my butt connected to the floor with a thud.
“Ouch.” I grimaced.
I crawled to my knees, rubbing my hand over my sore butt, and peeked at the bed.
Figures!
“Dean Tristan Jensen.” Anger built up inside, the throbbing pain in my butt forgotten.
It’d been ages since I called Dean by his full name. Back in sixth grade, he provoked me to prove my bravery by placing an apple in the middle of my then bushy hair while he threw knives at it blindfolded. The first time he threw a knife, he’d purposefully nipped my ear. When I teased him for lack of talent, he’d pierced the apple dead on. That’s when I first knew Dean was going to be a pain in my ass for the rest of my life.
I remember it like it was just yesterday. He’d removed his blindfold and strutted toward me, pulled the knife from the tree bark above me, and taken a bite out of the apple.
“You were saying, Nellie?” He’d smirked arrogantly.
Even then, he was an arrogant jerk. So I did the only thing I could. I knocked the knife out of his hand and piggybacked him, pulling at his hair. Yup, that was my first ever catfight… with a boy.
Now for the problem on my bed… Throwing pillows at him didn’t work. He simply towed them along his body and went back to sleep.
When I tugged at those pillows, an irritated groan rumbled from his chest along with some incoherent words. He sleeps like there’s no tomorrow. I stomped off and returned with half a glass of water.
“Last chance, buckaroo,” I said with a sly smile. He mumbled something. “Your funeral. One… Three.” I dumped the glass of water on his face.
He shot up, growling and pulling me on top of him, earning a knuckle-punch to his chest. I squealed, trying to free myself, only to have him pull me closer. I jabbed him in the chest with my elbow.
“Ugh… Let me go, jackass.” I snarled.
“What the hell, Pernell?” He loosened his grip and opened his eyes into
thin slits. “I’m trying to get some sleep here.”
“What are you doing in my room? In my bed?” I smacked him on the head.
“Hey!” He rubbed his head and gave me a look.
I didn’t know what to make of it.
“You asked me to stay.”
“Are you freaking kidding me? I would never—”
“Before you go ape shit on me…” He turned his back to me. “I came home last night and found you on the front lawn. So I brought you back here and you asked me to stay. I never meant to fall asleep.” He faced me with a lascivious smile. “I gotta say, even with no action and you snoring like a pug, it was the best night of my life…”
“Ha. Ha!” I threw a pillow at him. “Get out.”
Dean chuckled, rolling off the bed. “You should probably put some clothes on though. It was hard to be a gentleman last night.”
“You aren’t the boss of—”
“I’ve barely slept and I don’t have time to argue.” He sounded half angry and half amused. Moody much? “One way or another, I’m driving you to school. You have thirty minutes and then I’m dragging your cute little ass out there, even if you’re wearing that.” He gave me an onceover, top to bottom. I swear his cheeks turned pink before he shut the door behind him.
I looked down to find myself still in my nightclothes—pink cami, white boyfriend shorts, and no bra. Good God. I might as well have been naked. Utter mortification of the century. I flopped back onto my pillow with a groan of frustration, rubbing my eyes with the heel of my hands.
The events of last night slowly crept into my mind, along with the pain that prickled deep in my core. I untangled my legs from my tousled comforter and headed to get ready for school.
I checked my phone. It was almost eleven a.m., on a Monday. Ah hell, I just missed half a day of school. I went down the stairs to find Dean in the middle of a family feud with his parents.
“…Don’t know…,” Dean said between his bites. “She was hysterical. She freaked out, Dad. I’ve never seen her like that.”
“She doesn’t remember what happened?” John sighed. “How…?” John noticed me coming down the stairs and halted the conversation. “Ren. How are you?”
“Come join us for brunch, sweetheart.” Sandy gestured for me to sit on the barstool by the island.
It was no surprise that the Jensen family was in our kitchen after the kind of night I had. Since my parents’ death and my brother having to work so much, the Jensens always stepped up to take care of me. I had dinners made, impromptu game nights, and even an occasional sleepover against my protests that I could take care of myself.
“I’m fine. Thank you.” I looked around for Joshua. He wasn’t here. A pang of worry coated my voice when I asked, “Where’s muskles?”
“He’s with Cassie.” John responded, his eyes straining at Sandy like they were speaking in some secret, telepathic code.
“Oh, good. Good.” Joshua was okay.
Some weight lifted off my chest. That dream must have just been my overactive imagination. But there was still something that just didn’t feel right. And I knew why. Axel.
“Do you think you could call in an excuse for being late?” I asked John.
He nodded. I didn’t wait for Dean to catch up to me before I sauntered out of the house with a mission in mind.
Find. Axel.
“Wait up.” Dean followed me to my car.
“I’m driving.”
He let out a disheartened grunt and got in the passenger side. “You’re so infuriating.”
“Well, no one’s asking you to tag along,” I snapped back. Then I felt like a complete tool. Dean had been nothing but nice to me. He could’ve left me out in the cold or taken advantage of my situation. But he did neither. I looked straight ahead, my hands on the wheel in a death grip. “Dean.”
“Yeah?” From the corner of my eye, I saw his eyebrows shoot up, possibly wondering what else I could blame him for.
I felt my chest tighten for being such a horrible friend. He deserved better. So I said one thing I rarely ever told him. “Thank you.”
My body hummed with numbness; a trickling sensation replaced the pain. I made it to the gym just in the nick of time. I changed quickly and waited for Axel to show. He was going to get an earful when I saw him. He knew how nervous I was last night. He could’ve at least called or texted or something to let me know he was all right.
I waited and waited and waited. Nothing.
Waiting. Sucked.
The rest of the day moved at a snail’s pace. No matter where I looked—the clock, my watch, my phone—it didn’t move any faster.
Argh.
I was going to break somebody’s jaw. Axel better be on his deathbed for ignoring me. I had the urge to skip and go directly to his place, but I knew that would only get me in more trouble with Joshua. So I waited patiently for the last bell to ring.
I texted Dean while making my way down the crowded hall.
Me: Hey, can you hitch a ride home?
Dean: Yeah. Everything okay?
Me: I just need to check on something.
It was the longest six miles I ever drove. When I got there, I heard loud grunts and a metal-on-metal clanging sound and panicked. I didn’t even bother to close my car door before I ran into the building, my heart pounding in my chest and head spewing horrible images of the possible scene inside. I came to a halt, panting like I needed every breath to save my dying body. Axel was in intense combat with Dimitri.
No Goarders or the evildoers that were to annihilate the universe. But Dimitri. I would’ve even accepted him fighting puppy snatchers as an excuse for not returning my calls.
Axel moved with such grace and speed, it was hard to even notice the sword in his hand. His toned, lean arms moved with control, each stroke dealt with the grace of a dancer. Dimitri backed him into a corner and Axel bobbed under his massive arm and ran away from him, leading him across the room toward the wall. Dimitri chased after him at full speed. Axel dodged, spun, and pushed off the wall into the air with a backflip, leaping toward him just as Dimitri dived in with his sword.
They collided in midair, Dimitri shouting and slashing at Axel. He kept a firm grip on Dimitri as they crashed into the ground, making me wince at the hurtling sound their bodies made upon contact with the hard floor.
Axel slashed the sword as they moved across the room, but Dimitri deflected his blows easily, moving faster than I could follow. Dimitri kicked Axel in the gut with a triumphant grin on his face. Axel smiled slyly, holding onto his stomach, and stabbed Dimitri’s leg with the point of his sword.
A string of curse words—might I add a very impressive curse words—echoed around the training room. Axel responded with an impressive torrent of obscenity that involved Dimitri’s lack of skill and bruised ego that had everyone in the room laughing. I was impressed.
My lips twitched up in a curve at the image of me kissing that dirty, dirty mouth.
Axel finished off the demonstration with a combination of back roundhouse kicks and attack sequences, disarming Dimitri. He stood over his fallen opponent, sword over Dimitri’s throat. A crooked smile spread across Dimitri’s lips as he placed his hands above his head.
"You’re excelling." He chuckled, taking Axel's awaiting hand. "Maybe it's time you got a new bodyguard?"
Bodyguard? I frowned. What kind of trouble was Axel in?
"Not a chance, my friend. Not a chance.” Axel patted Dimitri's shoulder and walked back to the group of eagerly awaiting students.
The rest of the group paid close attention to Axel’s instructions. All eyes, filled with admiration and respect, followed him. He stood in front of them with command. I could tell the very reason they all listened to him was because he was a leader. A serving leader with patience, understanding, and clear mind.
A slight thrill passed through me, almost making me forget the reason I was here.
Almost.
Then anger whirled along
every nerve ending like I was Mother Nature seconds before unleashing her wrath. The ground trembled beneath my feet. Tyler’s eyes flickered in my direction, but I stormed out of the place without a second thought, letting the door close behind me.
After what seemed like hours cooped up in my room, I heard a knock. I ignored it, increasing the volume of my stereo. The chorus of “I Get Knocked Down” by Chumbawamba rang loud and clear, leaving very little guessing room as to my present mood. The door opened slightly and I threw the closest thing I could get my hands on. Joshua caught it without hesitation.
He turned down the volume a notch before he looked at me, his features amused. “Boy, am I glad you hate playing darts.”
“Who says I do?” I gritted out.
I knew my anger was directed at the wrong target, but I’d never felt these emotions before. I had always been a grounded person, but lately… emotion was my middle name.
“What is it, Joshua?” I sighed in a lame attempt to calm myself.
“Well, I thought I’d bring you some dessert.”
He handed me cheesecake. Oh, how my brother knew the way to my heart. He sat beside me on the floor, next to my chemistry and calculus books.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” I didn’t want to. And the next second, I did. “I mean, if he’s able to sword fight, you’d think he’d pick up the damn phone and call me. But nooo! Why would he care if I couldn’t sleep and was worried sick for the past twenty-four hours? I saw him almost die, Joshua. I saw you there too.”
His eyebrows shot sky-high. I took a small breath, willing my heart to pace itself.
“It was a stupid dream, but it felt so damn real.” My heart hurt thinking about the events of last night’s dream. I sighed heavily in defeat, the heels of my hands rubbing against my eyes. Joshua placed a hand over my shoulder and squeezed in a comforting gesture. “I was stupid to think I was important to him. Guess what? He’s not that important to me, either.”
Dracian Legacy Page 15
