by Lynn Vroman
My fingers traced his dimples. “I’ll do anything.”
He kissed my nose. “What I’m thinking is, you’re right, we were meant to be together. I know it’s crazy…you shouldn’t have remembered me…”
Running my fingers through his silky hair, I said, “But I did.”
One more smile and a kiss later, he answered. “But you did. We’re going to Empyrean.”
A moment of panic invaded our bubble. “But my mom and Jake, I can’t—”
“Not now, not even in the next decade. When it’s time. When our bodies begin to wear out. Of course, we’d have to talk to Teenesee, but I think she’ll be up for it. She can make sure our energies meet during our next cycle. And…Wilma will help me make sure Exemplar stays away from us now.”
“Oh, okay, yeah, but…won’t you live like a hundred years longer than me or something?”
He cupped my cheek as his smile softened. “If I stay here, my body will age like yours. Won’t have Exemplar medicine and how did you phrase it, science bullshit, keeping me spry.”
I sat up, pulling him with me. Don’t think I’d ever get tired of touching him. “Spry, huh? Well, good. I won’t look like a cougar when I hit seventy and you still look twenty.”
He laughed untwining my arms from around his neck. “I’m not even going to ask.”
“Hey, where’re you going?” I stretched my tired body. His sharp intake of breath convinced me to take my time.
“Stop that.” He shut his eyes with a smile as wide as the ocean. “I need to find you something to wear besides that dress, scrounge up some food, and grab Jake’s phone while you shower.”
“Phone?” I went to wrap my body around his, wishing he’d kept off his shirt. “Why?”
“You need to call Zander.”
There was that real world crashing around my head. “And say what?”
He massaged my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. “You’re going to ask him to come over. I’ll take it from there.”
“Why Zander? What makes you think he’s got something to do with it?”
His fingers worked the knots forming in my back. “You ever feel fuzzy, dull, maybe feel like a magnet when he’s in the same room?”
Well, Jesus Christ. “Yeah? Like I can’t think when he’s around.” I frowned. “What’s it mean?”
Relief flooded his handsome face as he kissed me, kind of branded me, like that first time in Jake’s kitchen. “It means you’re not in love with him. At least, I don’t think so, right?”
“You need to ask?” My breath was ragged, his mouth an inch from mine.
This time, his smile was almost feral. “I wouldn’t care if you were–you wouldn’t be for long.”
“As much as I’d love to spend time with you showing me just how you’d change my mind if I were…Tell me what the fuzz means.”
“Guide energies are attracted to each other, just like Protectors. That spark is pretty strong when you don’t know what it is.”
“Shit. So, you’re saying he’s a Guide?”
“Exactly.”
Lena
We sat on the couch–well, I sat on Tarek’s lap–and ate Fruit Loops from the box.
Calling Zander was tough, what with the whole awkward breakup thing the last time I saw him. He didn’t seem to care. All he said was, “Give me thirty,” and hung up the phone.
“What’re you gonna do when he gets here?” I shook my head at his offer of another handful of cereal.
He shrugged, shoving it into his mouth, letting the crunching fill the space. His eyes developed that faraway look again.
Did he have to give every question the VIP treatment?
“It depends.” He threw a few more pieces of cereal in his mouth, talking around them.
I slid off his lap to stretch. “I waited all this time for an ‘it depends’?”
He grinned.
Fine, I forgave the dimples. Before I could stand, Tarek grabbed my wrist and pulled me back on his lap, giving me a smacking kiss. His mouth tasted like sugary cereal as he made loud, obnoxious noises moving from my lips to my entire face.
I laughed between kisses. “Stop, stop!” Yeah, no, I didn’t really want him to stop.
He nuzzled my neck. “If he’s a good guy or a bad guy, all depends on that.”
I shook my head, my patience thinning even as my body tingled. “So if he’s a good guy?”
“I let him live.”
Even though Zander might be the enemy, the thought of him dying stabbed my heart. Subject change time. “Tell me what you saw when Teenesee gave you that memory.”
His lips stopped their assault and his body tensed. Guess that was the mood-killer question. After a deep breath in, he set me beside him. “The K stands for Kendal, a Protector who went missing a couple years ago.” A thankfully brief pause later, he continued, “She’s Mateusz’s woman–the guy who told me where you were.”
Crap. “You think he has something to do with this?”
Those gray eyes went distant again. “Guess your boyfriend will have to answer that.”
I smacked his arm. “Ex-boyfriend and whatever he has to say, we’ll be okay, okay?”
Another kiss. He was pretty awesome at this kissing thing.
“Okay.”
My fingers ran through his long hair, still damp from a shower. “In my dreams, your hair was short.”
“Didn’t really care about much after you were taken. Haircuts weren’t exactly high priority.”
My fingers weaved through all the silky strands, giving it a tug. “I like it.”
“Then I guess it’ll stay.”
A knock on the door interrupted our moment. God! If we could just get rid of our problems so we could get on with forever.
Tarek stood, pulling me up with him. His face no longer registered the sweet, playful guy eating Fruit Loops. At that moment, Tarek was all warrior. “Answer it. I’ll be right behind you.”
Nerves went into overdrive as my hand twisted the knob. When the door opened to Zander and the fuzz settled in, I wanted to punch him in the throat. “Thanks for coming.”
His dark face, so familiar, the face I saw almost every day for three months, had worry all over it. In that southern drawl, he said, “Of course I came. You all right?”
“She is now.” Tarek opened the door wider, yanking Zander in by his overpriced sweatshirt.
His brown eyes grew so wide the whites of them took over. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
Tarek’s smile scared me a little. “Neither are you.” He shoved my ex onto the couch.
Zander’s wild eyes whipped from me to Tarek, his usual put-together self gone. “I can explain.” Ah, and so was that stupid southern accent.
“You sonofabitch!”
My giant’s hands grabbed hold of my waist as my fists flailed inches from Zander’s face.
“Let him talk, love. If we don’t like what he says then we can kill him.” His deep voice, so calm and quiet, had the boy on the couch curling into a ball.
Tarek gave me a light kiss before loosening his grip. He then went to grab two stools from the kitchen bar, setting them in front of the couch. With a gentlemanly wave, he gestured toward the seat next to him. Wondering about this new Tarek, I straightened my T-shirt and sat, keeping my eyes on him.
“Now,” his smile stayed in place, “let’s start with an easy question.”
Tarek’s cool attitude didn’t fool Zander. I just hoped there wouldn’t be a puddle on the cushion when he got up.
Zander’s brown eyes found mine, and a slight twinge of empathy sliced through my anger. “I swear I didn’t come here to hurt you.”
Words froze in my throat. What to say to the boy who for three months pretended he was my best friend?
Tarek slapped Zander hard enough to get his attention. “Don’t talk to her, talk to me.” Some of that calm evaporated for an instant before Tarek straightened and swiped the hair from his eyes. “Who’s your Protec
tor?”
The only answer that question received was a room full of silence.
Tarek crossed his arms, tucked his feet in the rungs of the stool, and kept on smiling. “Probably shouldn’t make me ask again.”
Zander’s bottom lip danced as his eyes filled. “He’ll kill me if I tell you.”
“And I’ll kill you if you don’t. But not here. No, that’d be too easy.” He stood, taking Zander with him. A slit in the atmosphere opened at the tips of his raised fingers. “You think Arcus is the worst dimension?”
Zander began to yell, but the slit grew larger, the wind stronger. “Okay, okay! Put me down, close the portal.”
Tarek threw him back on the couch, closing the tear. Taking his seat with elbows resting on his knees, Tarek said, “Talk.”
A tear escaped before Zander could swipe it away. “My Protector is dead.” He hesitated. “Mateusz Fuchs, the Synod’s authority commander, took over after.”
The temperature in the room lowered as Tarek sat back. His smile was gone, replaced by a sort of smirk as he kept his eyes on Zander’s anxious face. He didn’t say a word, and I didn’t intend to break the silence.
Tarek managed to do that all on his own.
He stared at Zander for a second, not moving. Next second, his chair went flying across the room, hitting the little breakfast bar in the kitchen. The wooden stool splintered off in a few pieces and scattered over the new carpet. There wasn’t any yelling, but Tarek went to stand by the window as his back heaved with deep breaths while he watched the morning traffic.
Forget this!
I slid off my stool after shooting Zander a sneer and went to put my arms around Tarek’s waist. Resting my cheek against that strong back, I said, “We’ll be okay, remember?”
The crazy breaths stopped after a minute, and his hands covered mine. “Sorry…about the chair.”
I smiled against his back. “I’ll give it a proper burial.”
The rest of the tension finally left those wide shoulders. “Funny.”
He turned and kissed the top of my head before moving to stand in front of the couch. I took my seat and waited to find out what happened next.
That calm slipped into place, but Tarek’s smile didn’t give an encore. “The dead Protector…Kendal, was it?” When Zander nodded, he continued, “You’ve got three minutes to tell me why I shouldn’t kill you.”
“Casimir has Kendal’s energy…h-he offered a trade.”
“A trade? For Lena?”
“No…Wilma.”
“Oh, shit.” Tarek’s soft curse had me stiffening. “Offered a trade with Mateusz?”
Zander’s throat bobbed. “Yes.” A small sob escaped. “He’s been trying to get Kendal’s energy out of there for two years.” He took a deep, shaky breath. “The Warden said if he had Wilma’s energy he’d give back Kendal’s, and I’d be able to take her somewhere, let her start over, have some peace.”
Tarek scrubbed his head, anger radiating from his large body. “Wilma’s ener–so, what you’re saying is Mateusz promised Casimir Wilma’s energy. And you–”
“I’d do anything for Kendal.” When Tarek’s lips pursed and his eyes shot fire, Zander rushed on. “Mateusz needed me to make sure Lena was vulnerable so Casimir could get to her. Kendal’s energy isn’t strong enough to do it without some help. I…I told him Lena’s schedule…and about her dad.” He turned to me. “But I got to know you and things changed.”
Tarek said, “So, Mateusz used persuasion on her parents an–”
“Got inside my head!” I jumped off my stool and slapped Zander across the face. “You made sure I stayed weak, scared? Things changed?”
“You weren’t supposed to find out! I love you. I swear I do. After you went to Arcus, I tried to make him leave you alone, but he kept saying it was the only way to get Wilma there. He promised you wouldn’t get hurt!” He looked to Tarek, pleading. “He’s the one who told you where to find Lena, right? Why do you think he did that?”
When Tarek didn’t answer, Zander went on. “Because he wanted you to get rid of me when I told him I was done. I even sent Cassondra messages to let her know someone was messing with Lena. He wanted to kill me when he found out, but it’d be a sure way to get a Tainted.”
Zander stood, grabbing my shoulders.
I jerked away. “Don’t touch me.”
After that, his voice sounded tired. “I wanted it to end. But then Wilma was gone, a-and I thought maybe somehow Casimir had her, and everything was fine…”
“Sit down.” Tarek crossed his arms as Zander sat. “What about your energy? You ever think about your own being Tainted?”
Zander held his head in his hands. “I don’t really care. I wouldn’t have chosen to go back to Exemplar after this cycle, anyway.” His head lifted. “And…there’s one more thing. I found Lena’s Tainted decree the last time I went back, after she broke up with me. It said Mateusz was her accuser. After that, I was definitely done.”
Tarek began to pace. “That piece of….”
Zander’s eyes pleaded with mine as Tarek ranted under his breath. “I’m so sorry, Lena. I never wanted you to get hurt.”
“How old are you, really?” Stupid question, seeing as it didn’t really matter, but I wanted to know.
Shock colored his face. “I…eighteen.”
“Like really eighteen or…”
Tears then hovered in his eyes. “No, really eighteen.” He swiped an escaping tear on his cheek. “This is my first cycle.”
Now I did feel sorry for him. Only eighteen and his life was pretty much over, all for a Protector who didn’t care about him. I thought of Wilma. Would I do the same thing?
Yes, in a heartbeat.
Tarek stopped his pacing in front of the couch. “You do realize what would happen if Casimir had Wilma’s energy, right? Her energy would create a floodgate between dimensions.” The pacing continued as he spit out the next question. “And what the hell could be gained by Kendal going to Arcus?”
Zander’s face fell as he rubbed his eyes. “I wasn’t thinking–I just wanted Kendal out of that place. And…and Mateusz said Casimir promised her that they could live in Arcus during their next cycle and still remember everything without the pressure of being an Exemplian. I guess that’s why she kept giving him strong energy. He said it was the only way for his dimension to sustain humans.”
“You have any idea what kind of shit pile this is turning into?” Tarek eyeballed my stool, but at my warning glance he kept his arms at his sides. “Wardens can’t make memories stay with the energy, you know that.”
“Yeah, but what if…I mean, Lena dreamed about you. Explain that.”
Tarek shook his head, his lip curling, not bothering to explain anything. “Casimir knows where Lena and Wilma are. Using Mateusz or some other asshole, he’ll keep trying until they’re both his.”
Zander looked lost, his hands out and fingers spread wide. “I’m sorry.” He gave me his attention, “I’m so sorry. Please, I’ll do anything to fix this.”
Tarek moved behind me and massaged my shoulders as if the contact helped to keep his cool. “Listen up, boy. I’m going to give you two choices.”
Tarek
Tarek kept his hands on Lena’s shoulders, trying to maintain the calm. Having her watch him lose it was not in the plan.
“What are my choices?” The boy tried to act cool, but his direct eye contact and clenched jaw didn’t hide how the couch shook under his ass.
Giving Lena’s shoulders one more squeeze, he said, “Well, I could kill you. Here. This Warden might be nice and funnel you back into this population next cycle if I put in a good word.”
He let that sit for a minute, enjoying how Zander’s eyes bulged as the couch twitching became stronger. His Adam’s apple did a little jig before answering. “What’s my second option?”
“You can leave your body with us and go find Mateusz. Tell me exactly where he is at this moment. You do that, and I’ll take y
ou somewhere safe. You can start over.”
That probably wouldn’t go down easy either, but it was all the boy would get.
“What…what will you do if I take option two?”
Tarek laughed; he couldn’t help it. He bent to kiss Lena’s neck, loving that he could, before taking a seat beside the Guide. Resting his elbows on his knees, he gave Zander his full attention. “You really want to know?” At the kid’s nod, he said, “Kill him.”
The boy sputtered, his mouth hanging open. “But, you–you’re going to kill him? In Exemplar?”
“Yes.”
Zander’s eyes grew wide and his mouth formed an O. “That’s suicide.”
Lena gasped. “Is he right? You’re not doing it. No way. We’ll figure something else out.”
He stood to wrap his arms around her. “Trust me.”
“Tarek–”
“He’s wrong,” Tarek said.
She pulled back, drilling him with those green eyes.
Yeah, he definitely loved the green.
“Promise me,” she said.
Tarek winked, taking the time to bend down and enjoy her full lips. He wasn’t going to admit he did it to rub it in the kid’s face. “You think I’d do anything that’d take me away from you?”
Her smile made him feel invincible.
One more kiss, and he gave his attention back to Zander. “You decide?”
The kid’s tears didn’t do shit to him. He could cry all he wanted.
“I’m about to make the decision for you.”
“Okay, fine, I’ll do it.” Zander wiped the tears off his face. “What’s another dead Protector? Not like I can ever go back to Exemplar again.”
“Now, that’s the spirit.” Tarek went to lock the door as Zander lay down on the couch. “You have, oh, about fifteen minutes to get back here before I pull out your throat.” When Zander just stared, he added, “And kid? I don’t make idle threats.”
Zander didn’t give an answer and Tarek didn’t expect one.
As the Guide closed his eyes and his breathing calmed, Tarek went to hold onto Lena. “Listen, when his energy leaves, it’ll have a pretty strong effect on you. Just–”
“It’s beautiful!”
Zander’s light was already on its way out of his slack mouth and heading toward the roof before Tarek could get the warning out. The comet-like fire shined bright blue with a tail of red following as though the orb were burning fuel. The energy dazzled her–exactly what he knew would happen.
