by J. L. Weil
It took me a few seconds to realize she was talking to me, but then again, who else would she be talking to? “I don’t want to leave him.”
“We won’t wander far. Come on. I insist.”
I didn’t want to leave his side, but I hadn’t stepped foot outside for days. “Okay. For a few minutes.”
The trees thickened around the marsh. Earthy scents of pine and cedar warmed the autumn night as we moved with unhurried grace. “Do you dream often of the future?” Celeste asked.
I shrugged. “The future, the past, they come in glimpses when I least want them. Lately, they seem to be getting stronger, more frequent.”
“I can’t imagine how you wield your gifts. It is hard enough with the one I’ve been given, but four…”
We wound around the marsh, branches clapping in the breeze. “It has proven to be troublesome for sure. My body has yet to sustain the use of more than one in a short time period without consequences.”
“And this worries you, as I imagine it should.”
“I really haven’t had much time to think on it, and frankly, I’d rather not dwell on it. I don’t think my brain has the capacity for any more problems.”
Celeste plucked the fluffy white cotton off the top of a plant. She held it up, letting the wind carry the seeds away like a dandelion. “You don’t strike me as someone who runs away when things get complicated.”
She was good at reading people or at least reading me. My gaze locked onto a rock across the marsh, and I tripped over my feet as a vision hit me. It was quick, just a snippet, but in it I saw hunger. Rage. Shame. Remorse. Fear. And then it was gone.
“What’s wrong?” Celeste asked. She had a hand on my shoulder, staring at me with worry.
I blinked. Ahead through the mist, a shadow moved, and I frowned. “There is something out there.” I was sure of it. “Can you feel it?”
“The mist?” she whispered.
A shiver rolled through me. “Yes and more.”
An animal that slightly resembled a deer stepped onto the murky path, its antlers a crown of silver in the moonlight. Still as a statue he stood, ears alert as if he felt the same sense of foreboding as I did. Then he turned and galloped regally through the swirl of the mist.
Celeste’s hand fell quietly to her side. “The air is full of enchantments, both dark and light.”
I scanned the white blanket draping the air, searching for a sign, but found nothing that could—
Wait. A streak of green in the center of the mist, like a tiny Christmas light bulb had been dropped. I blinked, and it was gone. “Whatever is out there, it makes my skin crawl.”
“I never much paid attention, but now that you’ve mentioned it, the air does seem different today,” she said after a few moments.
My brows drew together, and I wanted nothing more than to put as much distance between the mist and us as I could. “We should head back, check on Dash. Ryker might have returned.” And if Ryker wasn’t back yet, I would make the shifty bird wish he had never laid eyes on me.
Celeste and I quickened our pace, whisking ourselves forward to the little cottage.
I had spent the last thirty minutes wearing out the floor of Celeste’s house and finally sat on the edge of the couch. Did I leave? Did I stay? Did I wait around for Ryker to show up? The questions spun like a tilt-a-whirl in my head. It didn’t take long to make myself sick.
Ryker still hadn’t shown up, and I was starting to think he never would. Had the Institute found out he was a double agent? Had Ryker lied? Was he truly working for the Institute? Would an army of guards storm Celeste’s home and take us all?
I was furious. I was scared. I was pulling my hair out. But most of all, I was worried about Dash.
I studied him, seeing dark circles under his eyes, gaunt cheekbones, and a washed out complexion. He needed to wake up now before he withered away in front of my very eyes. I couldn’t let that happen, couldn’t stand to see him so lifeless when he was anything but in my eyes.
It tore me in half, trying to decide what to do. I knew what Dash would want, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. The pressure inside me amplified, climbing and building. Unable to keep a hold of the raw emotions shredding my soul, my power coiled inside me, wrapping around my very core. With a cry of hurt and fear, I let it go.
The cord on my control snapped, lighting up the ceiling with whitish blue lightning. My power recoiled, rushing over my skin, but there was something foreign about the feeling. A green haze misted my eyes, and I was sinking.
“You’re not going to die. I won’t let you.” I lowered my head, resting my forehead to his, and then I kissed him, needing to feel close to him, for if he didn’t wake soon, I would have to decide whether to leave or risk both our lives. The moment my lips touched his, a tingle radiated between us, warmth spreading from me to him. It filled me with such a glorious heat. “Please don’t leave me. I can’t lose you,” I whispered against his lips, swimming in the intoxicating feeling that inundated me.
I rested my head on his chest, listening to the rhythmic beats of his heart. Please. Please. Open your eyes.
Do you love me? I could have sworn I heard him say in my mind.
Wishful thinking. I squeezed my arms around him, not wanting to ever let go. Of course I love you.
Gentle fingers brushed over my hair, and my eyes popped open. I stared in amazement into luminous eyes of silver. “Freckles,” rasped a voice that sent a shiver down my spine.
I blinked. “Dash?”
“Don’t cry.” He caught a tear on my cheek with this thumb.
I shoved back a bout of fresh tears that threatened to spill at seeing him awake. “You’re okay.”
“I am now. What did you do?” he asked hoarsely.
I shook my head. “Nothing. It was Celeste who healed you.”
“Then why are your eyes green?”
My cheek brushed against his. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. I thought you were lost to me.”
He buried his face into the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. “You brought me back.”
“I don’t know what happened.” Maybe I did have something to do with Dash waking up, or maybe it was coincidence, or maybe I willed him awake. I didn’t care how. All I cared about was that he was alive. “How do you feel?” I asked.
He took a deep breath as if taking stock of his body. “Okay. Better than I should be after being stabbed. How long have I been out?”
I studied his face, needing to make sure he was as truly okay as he claimed. “A few days.”
He struggled to sit up and teetered a bit. “Water,” he croaked.
I rushed out of the room and returned with a glass in my hand. He drank like a camel, and I took that as a good sign.
“Did I imagine Ryker shifting from a bird?” he asked, memories of the events coming back to him.
My lips twitched. “No, that happened.”
“I was afraid so.” His arms wrapped around me, drawing me closer. “So I guess this means I am not going to die.”
“Don’t you ever scare me like that again.” I held onto him until I was certain I could keep it together. He didn’t seem to mind.
“Did I really get stabbed?”
“You fainted too,” I added.
“I didn’t faint,” Dash rebutted, insulted. “Falling unconscious from a mortal injury is entirely different.”
I grinned. “You ever scare me like that again and I’ll stab you myself.”
His lips curled against my hair. “You know, you could just tell me you love me.”
I pulled back to stare into his face. “What makes you think that I’m in love with you?”
His grin said it all.
Chapter Twenty-Two
It didn’t take long for Dash to gain his strength back. I suspected Celeste’s healing hands had something to do with that. However, it didn’t really matter to me how it happened, only that he was better and we would be leaving soon.
; Dash parted my hair and tugged on the end of a curl, drawing me out of my reverie. He peered into my eyes. “A penny for your thoughts?”
“Are there even pennies anymore?”
“Good point.”
I could have stared at him for hours. He was so beautiful. So fierce. “Dash?”
“I know what is on your mind, Freckles, but you don’t need to worry. I’m fine. I swear it.”
“I was so scared.”
Dash rubbed his hand over the stubble covering his chin. “I know the feeling. It strikes me every time you’re in danger; it makes my heart stop.”
I dropped my forehead onto his shoulder. “It was so much worse than that.”
His arms settled around me. “We can’t stay here, not much longer.”
“Ryker never came back,” I mumbled, picking at a strand of thread on his shirt.
The front door to the cottage swung open, bringing in a gust of wind that blew the ends of my hair and swept in someone else. “Really, Red, you doubted me?”
“Ryker.” I sighed, stepping out of Dash’s arms to give him a hug of relief.
Dash scowled as Ryker’s golden gaze shifted to him. “Welcome back, my friend.” Ryker held out a hand.
Dash eyed the Night’s Guard before he shook his hand. “You and I have much to discuss.”
“Don’t tell me you plan on grilling me too. Charlotte has already chewed my ear off.”
Dash tried a smile. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
Ryker’s lashes swept up, and he met Dash’s stare. “You’re a lucky fool, but then you already knew that. Luck hasn’t always been on your side. You’re due for some good fortune.”
“Then let’s hope it lasts long enough for us to make our way out of the marsh.”
Ryker nodded. “At least you haven’t lost your common sense. The Night’s Guards are on the move. They will be on Celeste’s doorstep in due time, as the commander has ordered us to expand our search to the edge of the Heights.”
Dash and I shared a strained look. “Have you recovered enough to travel?” There was no denying it was rough in the Heights. I felt apprehensive about his strength, having been so close to almost losing him. I wasn’t willing to take chances where Dash was concerned.
“I’m fine. The wound has completely healed,” he said like a true guy.
“Just do me a favor: don’t ever get stabbed again,” I pleaded; my heart couldn’t take it.
Laughter flickered in Dash’s bright eyes. “I don’t have plans to ever repeat the experience. You killed the guard who stabbed me.”
I stared at the fibers on his black T-shirt. “I didn’t have a choice. It was either him or you. I will choose you every time.” The lengths Dash and I would go to, to keep each other safe were deadly.
He hooked a finger under my chin, lifting my face. “I’m only sorry it wasn’t me who ended his life. It should have been me.”
He didn’t want me to carry the guilt of taking a life. “I would do anything to protect you.”
“And I you.”
Ryker sniffed, rubbing at fake tears under his eyes. “That was beautiful. A Titanic worthy moment.”
Dash gave Ryker a sideways look. “Isn’t it time for you to grow wings and take flight? She doesn’t need you when she has me.”
Oh boy, a power struggle was coming on.
“Whether you like it or not, Slayer, you wouldn’t be standing if it weren’t for me. So the way I see it, you owe me.”
Dash snorted. “I think this makes us even or have you forgotten?”
I laid a hand on Dash’s chest, mostly for show. If he decided to actually use his muscle, there was no way I could stop him. “You guys need to calm down. We’re on the same side here.”
“Red is right,” Ryker agreed.
“Red?” Dash echoed, his brows slamming together, clearly not liking the nickname Ryker insisted on using.
I put pressure on his chest.
“They know you were in Hurst,” Ryker said, wisely diffusing the situation with a distraction.
“Shit,” Dash muttered.
Oh, God. Star. My hand curled against Dash’s. “Star,” I breathed. “Will she be all right?”
Dash nodded, his fingers interweaving with mine. “Cyan will keep her hidden, but we need to leave in the morning.”
Dash and I curled up on the bed in Celeste’s spare room, the one I’d been sleeping in when forced to leave Dash’s side. Lying down alongside Dash, exhaustion hit me like a giant wave. He was right about resting for the night and leaving tomorrow. I wouldn’t have lasted more than an hour before I started tripping over my own feet.
“Just how close did you and Ryker get during your time in the Institute?” he asked as he brushed through my curls.
My fingers doodled lazy hearts over his chest. “It wasn’t like that. We’re just friends. He was the only person who didn’t try to kill me.”
“Ryker definitely doesn’t want to be just your friend.”
I lifted my head, resting my chin on his heart. “And how would you know that?”
“The way he looks at you,” he said, peering deep into my eyes, searching for... what? A sign that I had feelings for another guy?
I scoffed. How did Ryker look at me?
Dash lifted his arm under his head, and ice frosted over his eyes. “He’s been spying on you right under my nose.”
“Well, not always under your nose. Besides, you forget that he also helped me, even if in disguise.”
His expression darkened, reminding me of a storm about to break. “Still, I don’t trust him. He’s shifty.”
I giggled … shifty. “You’re jealous. It’s kind of cute.”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “So what if I am? I don’t like competition. Bad things happen when I’m angry. I only have to think about killing him and it could happen.”
I didn’t want Ryker hurt or dead. Dash’s ability was very different than mine. I didn’t have to worry about accidently killing someone with a careless thought. “But you can control it,” I reminded him. I didn’t know how, but he only used it in dire situations when our lives were threatened.
“Most of the time, but since you, I can feel that control slipping.”
Guilt pierced me. “And it scares you.”
“I like being in control, and I don’t see the point in senseless killing, but lately, it feels like all I’ve done is hurt people.”
“What else are you worried about?” I sensed that he had more on his mind.
“You. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you’ve lost consciousness twice since leaving the Institute.” The ice had thawed in his eyes as they moved to my lips.
“It’s nothing.” I downplayed my own problems.
Dash gave me a knowing look. “We don’t lie to each other.”
I huffed. “Fine, but I don’t know what it is. Maybe it has something to do with using more than one of my abilities at once, like it sucks away all of my energy.”
“Your body is trying to tell you something.” His hand drifted down my side to rest on my hip as he spoke, playing with the hem of my jeans and sending shivers over my skin. “You’re pushing yourself too hard.”
“A small price to pay for keeping us out of the Institute’s clutches.”
“I won’t take risks with you.”
I turned so our bodies faced each other and weaved my leg between his. “Something we can agree on.” Unable to stop myself from touching him, I brushed a stray hair from his face. So many emotions hid behind the layers of steel in his eyes. I wanted to soften his heart, if only for the night. Leaning forward, I pressed my lips against his.
His fingers tightened at my waistline as his chest rose sharply. I sighed, missing the taste that was uniquely Dash, but I also tasted so much more: love, hope, our future. We accepted each other. The good, the bad, and the unusual.
My heart somersaulted and our gazes met, the tension smoldering between us, hot and strong. His breath, a soft puff
in my ear, whispered my name. “You’re mine.”
The possessiveness in his voice wrapped around my heart. Pulling back, I locked eyes with his, my breath catching from the wealth of emotions shining in his silver eyes. I flipped over so I straddled him and nipped at his bottom lip. “There’s only one way I’m yours.”
He lifted a brow
“If you’re mine,” I answered.
Cupping my cheek with one hand, he ran his thumb along my bottom lip. “Freckles, you can have me every day, of every year for as long as I live.”
I grinned, guiding my lips so they hovered just a breath’s length over his. “I’ll take forever,” I murmured.
“Forever is yours,” he said, reclaiming my mouth in a kiss that seared my soul.
Electricity seemed to hum through my veins, snapping and pulling inside me. It gave me a wild rush, turning my mind to mush, and my breathing became erratic. I was satisfied to stay in his arms, kissing him for the next hundred years.
If only it was possible.
His hands slid past my hips and curved around my backside. I sunk my fingers into his hair as I pulled him closer. I needed to feel that he was alive and real. Our legs were tangled, and I could feel every inch of him, but it wasn’t enough. My fingers dived under his shirt, running over the hard planes of his lower abs.
He sucked in a sharp breath, his muscles jumping under my touch. “I want you,” he hissed and smashed his lips against mine. He was delicious and addicting. His hand roamed under my shirt, kneading the swell of my breasts, sparking a fire inside me.
I pressed against him, swimming in a heady sensation that encompassed every pore of my body, and even though this wasn’t our first time, it was every bit as thrilling, a slow exploration of two hearts beating together as one, more perfect and beautiful than I remembered.
His pupils started to glow silver as we lay wrapped up in each other. “You’re my heart and I’m your armor. I would destroy anyone who tries to harm you, Freckles.”
Butterflies fluttered in my belly. “Ditto.”
“I love you,” he murmured. “I love you so damn much it hurts.”
