Don’t call me Seraphina.
He chuckled, though there was no humor in it. “Can you talk about it?”
She shook her head and felt the tears in her own eyes.
“That’s okay. Take your time and heal.”
Promise me you will not leave without me.
He looked at her with resignation. “I can’t make that promise.”
You cannot go after them without me, Darian. She wanted you, not me. Promise me you will not leave.
“I won’t go after them without you by my side.”
Thank you. Now take me home. I don’t want to be a spectacle for everyone to see.
“Can I move you?”
You better, or I’m going to walk out of here.
He snaked one arm beneath her knees and the other under her back. She laced her fingers behind his neck and buried her face against his chest. She needed his strength now more than ever, especially since he didn’t run away. She expected him to. She had to be hideous. But his only reaction was his desire for revenge for what they’d done and a promise he wouldn’t leave her. How could she not love him? As Darian lifted her from the bed, pain flared across her skin and deep in her muscles. She couldn’t stop the small cry that escaped her lips and the tears that rolled down her face as her Watcher carried her home.
Chapter 51
Darian
Darian left Sara asleep in her bed. She’d tossed and turned for over an hour before a sound slumber finally settled in. As he gently closed her door behind him, he saw Mikel and David sitting in his living room.
“I’m going to kill that bitch, Mikel,” Darian said, pacing back and forth between the living room and dining area. “She nearly killed Cyrus with the same torture, and now Seraphina!”
“Did Sara say what happened?” David asked.
“No, she’s not able to talk about it. I imagine it will take time if she ever can talk about it.” He thought of his own torment at the hands of Shar’Asur. He would never speak of it.
“You can see her memories, Darian,” Mikel reminded him. “She wouldn’t have to say it.”
“No, she’d just have to relive it.” He stopped pacing and looked at Mikel. “I won’t ask her to do that.”
“I imagine she’s going to do it anyway,” Mikel replied gently. “You know she’ll have nightmares for some time. Being with her might make it easier for her to deal with.”
Darian rubbed his hands through his hair. “I’m not sure I’m strong enough to watch that.”
“She didn’t have a choice, and neither will you.”
Darian glared at him even though he knew Mikel was right. Would it have been easier for him to share his week-long trauma with someone else? He didn’t think so. He still couldn’t think about the relentless days and nights that evil bitch put him through.
“Have we heard from Adalina’s team?” Darian asked, changing the subject.
“Not yet. Tell us how your team did and what you encountered,” Mikel demanded.
Darian and David told of their interactions with Captain Mills and his men, as well as the numerous civilians flocking towards Camp Guernsey. Finally, he recounted both battles.
“So, Zar’Asur wants to create human farms for his demons,” Mikel said after listening to the entire account.
“So, it would seem,” David replied.
“Just another reason to kill him,” Darian added, unable to contain his bitterness.
“They were taking the men north, presumably to the Citadel,” David continued. “We can only hope he doesn’t intend to make them undead soldiers.”
“I agree,” Mikel stated. “I’ll go to Adalina in the morning and see if she has more information.”
“Do you want our group to stay with Captain Mills or join up with Adalina?” David asked.
“Stay with Captain Mills for now, but let him know we might need him to move some of his troops north if Zar’Asur is really massing an army there.”
“Will do.” David rose to leave, and Mikel joined him.
“Stay with her, Darian,” Mikel said as he walked to the door. “She needs you more than we do right now.”
Silence filled the house when they left. He opened Sara’s door several inches and looked in. Her brows were furrowed, and sweat beaded on her face. He went in and pulled the thin sheers to allow more air into the room, along with the light from the moon. It cast shadows across her bed and illuminated the angry cuts on her face. Magdelin did a marvelous job, but Sara would still have scars running down each cheek. He didn’t care, but he knew she would. She wasn’t a vain woman, but she was still a woman. It mattered to her what she looked like, and these scars would be deep.
Darian didn’t have physical scars from Shar’Asur, but the mental scars were just as destructive, maybe more so.
Sara whimpered, pulling him back from his own brooding. It wouldn’t help his Sentinel. Tears rolled past her eyelashes. She was still asleep, but it wasn’t good. He kicked off his boots and lay down on top of the covers next to her. Closing his eyes, he reached for her mind.
Her pain immediately assaulted him. The sound of Shar’Asur’s voice broke through, and he barely suppressed his anger. The demon talked of what she would do to him and his blood boiled. Sara didn’t know it, but the bitch had already done those things. He felt Sara reacting to his anger, so he took a deep breath, redirecting his thoughts to the cottage on the beach. He imagined the sound of the waves and the salty air. The cool water lapping against his bare feet and the presence of the Being who saved him from a demon two hundred years ago.
Sara’s breathing slowed with her heart rate. He opened his eyes and saw her looking at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, backing away from her.
Don’t be, and please don’t leave. You showed me the beach just now, didn’t you?
He nodded.
Thank you for taking away the nightmares.
“I don’t know what else to do to help you.”
Please, just don’t leave.
“I can do that,” he said with a smile. “But can I make a request?”
She raised an eyebrow at him.
“The bed in my room is bigger. This one was not made for two people, and definitely not one my size.”
Okay, Lord Darian. Let’s move rooms.
He slid off the bed and started to pick her up.
Let me walk. I feel well enough to make it a few dozen feet.
The sheet slid from her body, and he couldn’t help but notice the layers of bandages wrapped around her. The only piece of clothing on her body were her pink panties. The rest of her torso was wrapped up like a mummy.
He held her elbow as she shuffled to the next bedroom and guided her to the bed.
“Sit here for a moment,” he said as he went to his closest and pulled down one of his silk shirts. He helped her slide her arms into the sleeves and button most of the buttons.
You didn’t have to give me the most expensive one. What if I bleed on it? It’ll be ruined.
“Let me worry about that,” he replied. “You deserve a night of comfort. Now move over.”
He lay on top of the blankets after she crawled beneath them. Short gasps escaped her lips as she tried to get comfortable. She finally settled next to him and placed her hand on his chest.
Thank you, Darian. I know this is not comfortable for you.
“You can pay me back later,” he replied.
She pinched him, and he wrapped his hand over her fingers. Her breathing slowed, and she fell asleep once more.
She woke him several more times in the next few hours, and he got a pretty good glimpse of her conversations with the two Overlords. He struggled to temper his anger, and during her short bouts of sleep, he planned out a few ways to kill the Overlord and his sadistic sister. Darian had always hated the two, but this was the straw that would break him. He allowed himself to fall into the dark place he created in his soul, the one he retreated to when he put the Csökkents’ impale
d bodies on display. In that place, he could become the evil needed to defeat them.
Chapter 52
Seraphina
For two days and three nights, Darian stayed with her. She was grateful for his presence. Every time she felt herself falling into a nightmare, he would redirect her to something more pleasant, which meant many visits to the beach. The waves calmed her immediately, so it turned into the go-to place. She knew she should’ve felt bad for asking him to stay, but she didn’t. He never mentioned the long, angry scars stretching down her face and never looked away from them. That alone boosted her spirits and made her feel better.
By the third morning, she was ready to get out of the house. Magdelin was there every day insisting she wasn’t ready, but the cuts were closed, even if the skin felt drawn and tight. Sara stood in the bathroom, looking in the mirror above the sink. It was difficult, but she forced herself to see the hundreds of small healing cuts that crossed her torso, both front and back.
She always loved her dark skin. She assumed there was some Native American blood in her ancestry somewhere, or possibly one of her ancestors was from Africa. She honestly didn’t care but loved the result of the permanent deep tan that so many of her high school and college girlfriends could never achieve.
But the evil bitch took that from her, too. The white scars would stand out like beacons on her skin. Her gaze returned to her face, and she scowled at the twin lines on her cheeks. She had never hated anyone the way she hated that demon. Sara would kill the bitch for the pain she’d made her endure. Not just the physical, but emotional torment as well.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she struggled to control her breathing. Even long, deep breaths did not calm her. She needed to get it under control before she had company.
The bathroom opened, and she dropped her chin to chest. Too late.
“I’m fine,” she said, not looking at Darian. “You don’t have to come running every time my heart rate elevates.”
He looked at her face, and she didn’t need to read his mind to know his emotions. He was afraid she was breaking.
“I keep hoping you’re thinking of me,” he replied, smoothing the furrow from his brow.
“Maybe I was,” she replied, knowing he was trying to diffuse the tension.
“Then, you were considering my death, not my other more endearing qualities.” He winked.
She smiled. “I have not experienced your endearing qualities, Lord Darian.”
“That didn’t stop your heart from racing the last time you thought about them,” he replied, his gaze wandering from her face. She normally enjoyed their banter because it was innocent, but the fire in his eyes betrayed his desire for her. How could he still want her scarred and mutilated body? What made him stay by her side for the last three days and endure her nightmares?
“So, what’s making yours accelerate right now?” she asked.
He closed the space between them in two steps but didn’t touch her. The slow burn in her chest ignited once more. She’d nearly forgotten about it despite the many nights she’d spent with him by her side. But he was a complete gentleman, always keeping a blanket between them and only taking her nightmares from her. He could’ve left her with Magdelin and joined the warriors back at Camp Guernsey, but he didn’t.
“I’m certain it’s all your fault,” he whispered, looking down at her.
She uncrossed her arms and removed the space between them. It had to be their bond pulling her towards him. She couldn’t feel the longing and attraction otherwise, could she?
“I don’t mind taking the blame for that.” She raised her hand to his neck and pulled her fingers through his hair. It had to be their bond.
“Don’t start something you don’t intend to finish, my lady.”
She looked into his eyes, knowing she did want to finish it. She couldn’t continue to drag him to the edge and walk away. He’d slept by her side for three nights and never once acted on his desire. His affection might turn to resentment if she continued to push him away, and she didn’t know why she was still denying her own feelings. It had been less than ten days since her world was torn apart, but it felt like a lifetime ago. There was no room in her life for what she used to have. Holding onto it now wouldn’t bring it back and would not help her cope with what was coming. But the man before her could and would. He proved he wouldn’t leave her, even now.
She stood on her toes and wrapped her other hand around his waist, pulling herself towards him. If he’d seen her hesitation, he didn’t comment on it. He also didn’t tell her she wasn’t ready or mention his promise to not intrude on her emotions. He responded instantly with a passionate kiss that led them back into his bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes on the floor all the way there.
~~~~~~~~~
Sara lay on her side watching Darian’s chest rise and fall in a slow, methodical rhythm. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him sleep. She slept all the time, but he was always awake when she finally pulled herself from her slumber.
A thin, white sheet covered the lower half of his body, and her eyes roamed towards its edge. Her hand hovered over his chiseled abdomen, and she longed to run her fingers across it. But she didn’t want to wake him.
She tilted her head to look at his face. His eyes fluttered back and forth beneath their lids, and the edge of his lips turned down. His jaw clenched several times, causing the rough stubble on his face to shift with his skin. He really was extremely handsome, despite the unpleasant dream she suspected he was having. She wouldn’t intrude on his thoughts, even though her curiosity screamed at her to do so.
Like an invisible trigger, her curiosity set her mind into overdrive. She hadn’t realized it was calm until that moment, but now her doubts and insecurities assaulted her. Did she really just sleep with another man? How could she? Her husband hadn’t been gone for two weeks, and she already gave herself to someone else. She felt the betrayal of her wedding vows threatening to drown her, but her heart pulled her towards the man next to her. Was it her heart or the invisible bond between her and Darian? She rolled onto her back and rubbed her palms across her face.
“I’m sorry, Seraphina,” Darian’s voice whispered next to her. He rolled to his side facing her with his head propped on his hand. “I should not have…”
“You should not have what, Darian?” she snapped, pulling her hands from her face. “Should not have given into me? Should not have reacted to my very obvious desires? Don’t go there. This is not something you need to be sorry for.”
His blue eyes bore into her, and that damned lump in her throat tried to choke her yet again.
“What’s wrong with me?” she asked. “Why can I not sort out my emotions? I should despise you for taking me away and throwing me into this chaos, but I can’t.” She pulled the thin sheet to her chin and wrapped it around her fingers. “I should hate everything about this place and every single person here, but I can’t do that either. I feel like I’ve known them my whole life and that it’s completely natural for me to be friends with them. How?”
“Magdelin and David aren’t the only ones who looked after you,” Darian replied, rolling to his back and lacing his fingers behind his head.
“Really? Who else was stuck babysitting me?” She turned her head towards him, watching his profile.
“You don’t remember?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “There was always someone with you.”
Sara thought back to elementary school. She had a ridiculous crush on David and was devastated when he wasn’t there the next year. Of course, so were all the other girls in her class.
“Oh, my God!” she gasped and sat up, turning sideways in the bed. “Adalina was my gym teacher until high school. We complained about her competitiveness and relentless pursuit of perfection!”
Darian grinned but didn’t reply.
“And Kadir,” she whispered his name and looked at Darian. “We were terrified of him when he substituted for her. Most of my friends’ parents were
furious he was even allowed to be there.” Sara’s mind came back to the present. “Why was he there? Why not one of the other warriors?”
“He was only there when we believed there was a real threat,” Darian explained, turning towards her and draping his arm across her pillow. “Kadir has a unique set of skills. He could almost be a scout if he could conceal himself. But, one of my scouts was also there, as well as Mary.”
“I remember,” Sara said, twisting the sheet around her fingers again. “Mary was always there, regardless if Adalina was gone. She was always kind and patient while still being stern. She made a great teacher.” She bit her bottom lip and thought about her high school years.
“You were at the high school, weren’t you?” she asked, scowling at her Watcher. “You were part of the security detail. And you were also the reason all of the boys avoided me like the plague.”
Darian chuckled, and she watched the tips of his ears turn red.
She tucked the sheets between her knees and pulled them all the way around her body, exposing almost all of Darian. He grabbed the edge and snatched it back, the corners of his mouth twitching.
“I do have some modesty,” he said, tucking the edge of the sheet beneath his hips.
“No, you don’t,” Sara replied, unable to take her eyes from his body. “How many other people have seen you naked? You admitted to losing your clothes on more than one occasion.”
He waved one hand in the air, towards the closed door. “In case you hadn’t noticed, almost everyone here is male, not female, and we are all built about the same.”
“I think a woman would argue that,” she said with a grin. “Maybe I’ll ask Adalina.”
“Why don’t you do that?” he replied and closed his eyes, resting his hand on his chest.
She knew he was trying to suppress his desire for her. She could feel it in their connection and see it in the rise in the sheet below his waist. He wasn’t fooling her. Her own body reacted, and she struggled to tamp down the emotions that swelled to the surface. She was back to where she started. Confusion. Desire. Guilt.
Sentinel's Rise: Book 1 - The Watcher and the Sentinel Series Page 33
