by J. L. Weil
“Precisely,” he agreed, eyes still scanning the tent for who knows what. There was nothing in here but a pile of blankets and a guard outside our door.
“It’s a good thing. A relationship between us would never work,” I said, pretending the air between us wasn’t charged. It was only a matter of time before one of us got electrocuted.
“And why is that?” he asked.
My eyes dropped to his poetic lips, and I berated my weakness. “Because I’m allergic to assholes.”
“I just saved your butt back there … unless you want to marry his son? Go right ahead. You have my blessing. I’ll even stay to attend the ceremony.”
“You’re such a jerk,” I spat.
He arched a brow. “A thank you would have been nice.”
“Thanks!” I yelled. Dash was a douchebag of the highest order.
“I’m going to check the perimeter; see if there is a way out of this place without setting off any alarm bells. Stay put,” he muttered.
“You can’t leave,” I reminded him.
“Watch me.” He slipped out of the tent, and a few seconds later a scuffle was followed by a thump.
Biting my nails, I gave in and snuck a peek outside. Dash was dragging the unconscious guard behind our tent. “Just great,” I muttered.
If he got himself killed, I was going to be so pissed.
Flopping on a pile of blankets, I closed my eyes and let out a long exhale, intending only to relax for a few minutes while Dash played James Bond. What a freaking day! I didn’t entirely understand what was going on or why Dash thought Brunlak had nefarious intentions about a gift I didn’t know how to control. It made no sense. How would Brunlak even know what I could do? The question ran through my head on repeat as I dozed off.
I opened my eyes and found I wasn’t alone.
The intruder wore a lacy halter that defied gravity and a colorful peasant skirt flowing to her feet. She had glossy, chestnut hair tied into two loose braids. There was something almost pixie-like about her features—dainty and soft.
Sitting up, I rubbed at my eyes. She was definitely real and not much older than me. My gaze looked left and right, scanning for trouble. Dash hadn’t returned, and my worry radar went up ten notches.
Did the idiot get caught? Were they stringing him up by his feet? Was he rotting away in the desert?
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said in a voice that was sweet and charming. I detected a tinge of a southern accent.
“It’s okay,” I assured her, clearing the frogginess from my throat and keeping my fears for Dash under lock and key.
She stepped farther into the tent. “I hope I didn’t startle you. It’s not every day a gal close to my age strolls into the Badlands.”
“I just bet,” I mumbled, running my fingers through my rumpled hair. It was hopeless.
In the sunlight streaming from the opening of the tent, her hair had a russet sheen to it that I envied—pretty. Mine looked like the juice of a maraschino cherry—frightening. She smiled. “I’m Vee. I was warned that you had the tongue of a viper.”
“Who do I have to thank for such a high compliment?”
She flashed me her hundred-watt smile. “My father.”
I paused. “You’re Brunlak’s daughter.”
“You sound surprised.”
My first impression of my capturer’s offspring was she was too beautiful to be tucked away in the desert. “I am.”
The silver bangle bracelets on her wrist chimed together as she moved. “He isn’t as ruthless as he portrays himself. He loves his family, and sometimes that love makes him do crazy things.”
My definition and her definition of crazy were worlds apart. My Aunt Betty was crazy. Brunlak was missing a few buttons on the remote control. He’d had a knife to my throat one minute and was matchmaking the next. “So, has he tried to marry you off yet?”
She laughed, light and bubbly. “Every day. Let me guess. He thought you would make Dustyn an ideal match.”
I nodded, assuming Dustyn was her brother. I never got the name of Brunlak’s son.
Was it really the smartest idea, opening up to the daughter of Brunlak? Probably not. But there was something about her that made me trust her. She had eyes of an angel, and it was so nice having another girl to talk to.
I didn’t realize how much I missed having a friend. I thought about Chloe and Bethany, wondering if they had survived the mist and if they were out here like me, struggling. The three of us had been best friends since diapers. Our parents had gone to college together, and we had basically always been there for each other.
Breakups. Divorce. Awkward adolescence. First kiss.
Would I ever see them again?
“You’re too lively and female for my brother’s taste,” Vee said, bringing my mind back to the present.
My brows drew together as I put together what she was telling me. “Your brother’s gay?” I hated to be presumptuous. Hopefully, she didn’t take offense, because that hadn’t been my intention.
Her head bobbed up and down. “My father refuses to accept the truth. He believes Dustyn’s duty is to populate mankind before we end up extinct.”
That was some old school thinking, but with the catastrophe that could have wiped out the planet, I could understand the concerns. “And you? Does he expect the same from you?”
“Absolutely. I’m positive he has your boyfriend cornered right now, praising his daughter’s unparalleled beauty. By the way, where is he?”
Dash, you fool.
If he was, in fact, getting an earful from Brunlak, then he was in hot water. He was going to want to know where the guard was. I pushed aside my concern for the slayer. Vee was stunning, that’s for sure, and I didn’t think she’d have any problems finding a line of suitors. Just not Dash. Jealousy licked through me as I thought about how adorable their kids would be.
The image made me sick.
I could still taste him on my lips, and I reminded myself what Dash did with his lips weren’t my concern. Finding my family was.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I rasped without thinking.
Oops.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a few seconds. I sucked at secrets. I sucked more at lying. It was entirely my lack of filter inherited from my mother. Saying whatever was on my mind got me in trouble—hopefully not today.
Vee giggled. “Don’t fret,” she assured, seeing the blunder on my face. “I already have my heart set on someone.”
I exhaled, thinking she hadn’t realized my slip. Her next comment crushed that relief.
“You sure the mouthwatering tracker isn’t your boyfriend?” she posed in a way that suggested doubt.
I bit my lip, knowing I couldn’t backpedal now, and settled for a half-truth. “It’s complicated.”
“Everything here is complicated,” she said sadly.
Amen. And it was time to change the subject before I dug myself into a deeper grave. “You’re the one who has the ability to cloak?”
She nodded, taking a seat beside me and folding her legs underneath her. “Yep, that’s me.”
We were about the same height and build, but that was where our likenesses ended. Her complexion was a beautiful olive. Her hair straight and silky, mine wild and unmanageable. I fumbled with the spot where my ring had once been. “How did you learn to control it?”
Her shoulders gave a graceful shrug. “One day it just clicked. The darkness swirled inside.”
“Darkness?” I echoed.
“Yeah. That’s what it feels like—something dark running through my veins, whispering in my ear. The first few times it happened, it was a defense mechanism. I didn’t even know what I was doing.”
That I could relate to. “I imagine it being a ton of pressure, having an entire village’s protection up to you.” I couldn’t fathom that kind of responsibility, especially at our age.
She leaned to one side, putting her weight on her flattened palm. “Honestly, I’m bored. The cloak stays
in place until I remove it. However, putting a shroud of this size in place had me in bed for a week. It drained me completely.”
“That sounds dreadful.”
“It was, I can assure you.” Her head angled to the side, staring at me. “You have the most unusual eyes. I think it’s why you fascinate my father. What’s your gift?”
“Um. …” I wanted to confide in someone, and Vee was so easy to talk to. She could probably even help me, but Dash had warned me. If word got out what I could do, as meaningless as it was to me, he believed the Institute would snatch me up before I could refuse. Not that the Institute gave you the option to sign up. There was no refusing. “I’m not a hundred percent sure, yet. I’ve been awake for less than a week.”
Was that all it had been? It felt like a month had gone by since I opened my eyes and saw Dash above me.
“You’ve got time. It will make itself known, but with eyes like those, you’re definitely gifted. It’s no wonder why he is so possessive.”
I assumed we were once again talking about Dash. He could be the most delectable and disturbing topic at the same time. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Her almond-shaped eyes got bright. “I was watching you when my father brought you in. The way he constantly put himself in front of you.”
Dash did that? I guess he had, but I’d grown accustomed to him saving me.
“I almost had a heatstroke when he kissed you.” She air-fanned her face with her hand. “There’s an intensity about the slayer, and my guess, he doesn’t risk his life for just anyone.”
Thinking about his lips on my mine left my mouth as dry as the air. “God, is it always so hot here?”
She grinned. “Every. Stinking. Day.”
I picked the hair off the nape of my neck. “Another day in this heat, and I’m going to look like Bozo the Clown, not to mention I probably already sweated a pound off my boobs.”
Vee giggled.
“How come you’re not sweating like a pig?” I asked her. Talk about unfair.
“Before the mist, I lived in Louisiana. This heat is my bread and butter.”
That explained the cute accent and hospitality. I wanted to hate her for just being beautiful, but I found myself with a friend, one I could desperately use. “Hmm. Bread and butter. I’d donate my left ovary for a whole loaf.”
She tipped her chin back and laughed. “Maybe you should marry my brother. It would be so nice to have a friend.”
I agreed it was nice to talk to someone other than moody Dash, but I couldn’t stay. “I’m looking for my family,” I told her.
“Ah, isn’t everyone. So that’s what you were doing roaming so close to our borders.”
I nodded and opened my mouth to ask her how she had been reunited with her father, when Dash came barreling through the cloth flap. Our little girl talk had come to an end. A deep scowl was etched on his lips. Vee gave him a shy grin, but Dash barely spared her a glance. Nope. His signature glare was all for me. “Who is she?”
“Brunlak’s daughter,” I replied.
He turned around and looked at her and then stated, “Did anyone ever tell you that your father’s an asshole?”
Vee stood up. “My whole life. I should probably go before the guard wakes up.” She gave me a wink before leaving.
As soon as we were alone, Dash dropped enough f-bombs to bring down a city. His creativity was stellar.
“Wow,” I said. “Are you speaking a new language? I’m not sure I understood any of what came out of your mouth. But judging by the grisly frown on your face, I’m taking it your scout of the area was detrimental.”
“Are you trying to be cute?” he retorted.
“I don’t have to try,” I replied, taking a page from his ego book.
He snorted. “If you’re done being a smartass, we’ve got problems.”
Somehow I managed to refrain from saying the first sarcastic thing that popped into my head: When didn’t we have a problem?
Dash began to pace in circles with his fingers shoved into his hair. “This whole place is cloaked, not just from anyone finding it, but from anyone wanting to leave.”
My alarm pitched, reaching an all-time high. I had this unreasonable expectation that Dash would just fix everything. The idea that he couldn’t get us out of here never really crossed my mind. “Are you saying we’re stuck here?”
His eyes were guarded, but I knew he was concerned with our current situation. “Unless you know a way to break the shroud.”
We both knew I didn’t.
He eyed me closely. “What were you and Brunlak’s daughter talking about?” he asked, brows furrowing together.
I folded my hands, craning my neck to look up at him as he towered over me. “Nothing. I think she was curious about us.”
He plopped down on the bed of blankets, looking exhausted. My neck thanked him. “Yeah, well, we’re here for the night. We might as well take advantage of the bed.”
“What does that mean?”
He turned his head sideways at me, a one-sided smirk on his lips. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Freckles.”
Lying down, I pulled the covers up to my chin, doing everything I could to not think about our tumultuous situation. I should have been more scared than I was. In the week we’d been together, I’d grown dependent on Dash. There wasn’t a predicament he couldn’t get us out of. My faith in him was becoming unyielding … and that couldn’t be good. Even now, he was telling me he didn’t know how to get us out, but I couldn’t help believe he would—somehow, some way. He made me feel safe and secure; even with a knife thrust against my throat, I had known Dash would never let true harm come to me. I’m not saying I wasn’t scared, because I had been. There was something unique about Dash. And the wondering was going to keep me up.
I turned restlessly on the quilted blankets. Left. Right. Left again. I pressed my face into my makeshift pillow and stared at the guy sleeping beside me. His hands were crossed over his broad chest, long lashes fanned out over his cheeks. His lips were slightly parted, and several dark locks fell over his forehead. If I closed my eyes, I could picture every inch of his face. Dash had a masculine beauty I’d never seen before. He was such a conundrum—prickly as a cactus when he was in a mood, but underneath all the needles was a sweet, protective side that I don’t think many people ever got to see.
Which made me wonder, why did he choose me?
The heat made me groggy, and combined with the clusterfuck day I’d had, my eyes were heavy and my body ached. Yet, the idea of falling asleep still scared the ever-loving crap out of me. Would there ever be a time when it didn’t? Definitely didn’t help that I was sleeping in hostile grounds.
There was no denying it anymore. I was weary to my core, and after nights of fighting off sleep, my brain had had enough and closed shop.
I dozed and with it came the very thing I’d been trying to avoid: disturbing dreams. It started with those creepy laiders crawling over my body in great swarms of black hairy legs. Their beady eyes surrounded me on all sides. Screaming wasn’t an option, for the hybrid spiders had covered me in webs, cutting off my voice.
Jerking in my sleep, the dream rolled from one nightmare to another, mixing with reality in a cloudy stage of unconsciousness. I knew I was dreaming, but it felt real, as real as when Dash had kissed me, and in the dream, I was chasing my family. Sometimes Dash. I could see their faces, hear their voices, but every time I thought I was close, I was only farther away. It was an endless maze, like the Dying Labyrinth. I yelled their names, scrabbling in the dark, in the woods, in the desert to find them.
The nightmare went on and on until the comfort of strong arms wrapped around my waist and the soft murmurs of a deep voice calmed my seizure of panic.
Dash.
His scent, it had followed me into a deep slumber, not the drug-induced kind, but the sheer exhaustion form. The soothing tone of his voice replaced the cobwebs of sleep with a hazy desire. It was instantaneous. His bod
y molded against mine, and warmth flooded my senses as he trailed kisses along my jawline.
Dream or not, I was no longer afraid to never wake up. Dash made me feel things I’d only ever read in those trashy novels I would sneak from my mom’s room.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to kiss you,” he murmured, his voice soft and dangerous.
Goosebumps crawled over my arms. I think I had a good idea.
Dream, fantasy, or somewhere in between, regardless of what it was, I was in pleasure heaven.
My back bowed off the bed as his lips latched on to the lobe of my ear, sucking gently. I curled my fingers through his dark hair and bit down on my lip to keep from crying out, but I had a feeling that was exactly what he wanted—to make me scream.
But it wasn’t my scream that echoed in my head. It was Vee’s. At least I thought it was her. The cry was pure terror and was followed by a dark voice. Where is he?
Vee’s voice trembled. I don’t know who it is you seek.
The one you hide. He calls himself Dash Darhk, and the Institute wants him. To house a criminal is against the rules, punishable by imprisonment. If you do not turn him over, others will die.
Vee whimpered, as if whomever the gruesome voice belonged to was hurting her.
Their blood will be on your hands, Charlotte. Can you live with that?
Every muscle in my body seized as the voice suddenly addressed me, and he was clear on his intent. They’d already killed and would do so until they got what they came for.
Dash.
The voice continued to taunt me, promising to kill everyone in the camp, including me, until they found Dash. And I believed him. Even in the realm of dreams, I knew this wasn’t a joke. The murky voice had found a way to penetrate my mind when it was in its weakest state. It had the Institute written all over it.
I whimpered in my sleep, thrashed on the sheets.
“Charlotte,” Dash whispered.
I thought I felt him gently run a hand along my cheek, but this time, his warmth didn’t chase away the frigid chill of the ominous voice.
My head shook from side to side and another sob left my lips. I bit the inside of my cheek, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. The longer I resisted, the more persistent the voice became. If you surrender peacefully, we will spare your life.
