Cade shook his head once we reached Chaniya’s room. He led us down several hallways and inside another room. The room was a nice version of a hospital room. In the center of the room, there was a hospital bed, and an IV stand next to it. There were four people standing in the room waiting on us.
Once Chaniya was laid on the bed, they all converged on her. When they stepped aside, she had an intravenous line in her right arm and a yellow plaid hospital gown on. I want to comfort Cosima, but she needs this time to talk to her sister.
I walked toward the door and turned to Cosima. “We’ll be in Luc’s room. When you’re ready to leave, call me. It’s not safe to go anywhere by yourself.”
Cade gritted his teeth. “I will find the people responsible for this, but in the meantime, it is not safe to be anywhere alone.”
Swinging the door open, I walked out. When the door closed, I turned to Cade. “It would take more than one man to take Chaniya down. We need to be careful how we investigate this.”
“We have never had an incident like this here before. This place is supposed to be a safe place, and…
Cade’s voice trailed out. He looked like he had swallowed poison. His faced was flushed and his muscles seemed tight.
“I pray we find them before Luc does.” I stalked away. When I reached Luc’s room, he was laying him on the bed.
Grabbing a cup, I poured him some cold water. Walking to the bed, I shook him. It almost seemed criminal to wake him knowing he’d be in hell once awake.
I shook him. “Luc wake up.”
Luc groaned and sat up. “Please tell me it was a nightmare. Tell me I didn’t see her bound and bleeding. They raped her. They have killed all the light inside of her.”
He lowered his head and turned away from me. A sound like a cat being strangled escaped him. His waves of agony rolled off him like waves roll in on Waikiki Beach. Anger rushed through me like seventeen hundred joules of electricity. No one deserves to be violated and humiliated. Luc can’t fall apart now. Chaniya needs him more now than ever.
I placed the cup of water in his hand and handed him a rag for the blood on his head. “Drink.”
He shoved the cup away from his face. “What good does that do? I’ve lost her,” said Luc.
“She needs you now more than ever. This time is different. She has you. You will not allow this to destroy her.”
Several hours passed before Cosima called me to escort her back to her room. I was glad Luc had fallen asleep. He could be stubborn when he wanted to, but the sleeping pill did him some good. After a quick glance at him, I softly shut the door behind me.
Today had been one disappointment after another. The only good thing that happened today was I saw Cosima again. Something about her just draws me into her, and I can’t figure it out. She is beautiful, but it’s deeper than that. Maybe one day, I will figure it out, but not tonight.
The hallways were empty. It didn’t take me long to reach the room. Before I could knock, she opened the door. Cosima closed the door behind her. Her eyes were swollen, puffy and red. She leaned against the wall and burst into tears.
Bending down, I scooped her in my arms. “Is everything alright?’
“She blames me. This is all my fault,” said Cosima.
I bit my tongue. Why do the victims always take responsibility for the attacker’s actions? No one has the right to rape another person. Some spineless jellyfish men try to make sure you think it’s your fault.
“This is not your fault or hers.” Anger traveled through me quickly, and my arms tightened around Cosima. Her body shook in my arms as she gripped her my shirt in her hands.
“I was supposed to pick her up in her room. I went there but I didn’t speak with her for myself. I was told she was sick.”
Pulling in a deep breath I smiled. This means she has a clue. The person who told her Chaniya was sick was probably part of the attack. “Who told you she was sick?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “He said his name was Nick Emerson.”
Rage surged through me. There was no doubt that this Nick was part of the attack on Chaniya.
I turned her toward her room and with one arm around her waist we walked. “I will deal with him. Let’s get you to your room.”
By the time I had her door open. She was a ball of tears, and all her strength had fled her. Placing her in my arms, I strolled to the bed, and placed her on it.
Pulling the covers over her, I strolled to the door. I had a name and one way or another I would make Nick Emerson talk, if that was the last thing I did.
I reached Cade’s bedroom. Knocking hard, I waited until the door swung open. As late as it was, Cade wasn’t asleep. He didn’t have a shirt on but his loose pajama pants hung low around his waist. At least he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep.
“It was Nick Emerson, who told Cosima, that Chaniya was sick.”
Cade swore something under his breath and shut his door.
“Nick is a sneaky one. I’ve never liked him.” He stalked down the hall.
When Cade halted in front of a door, he looked at me, and motioned for me to move to the side hidden from the door.
I moved to the side of the door flush against the wall, so he wouldn’t see me. When the door opened, I almost lunged for the red-haired guy.
Cade shoved inside the room. “We have you on camera talking to Cosima.”
Nick shrugged, and tried to close the door, but I swiftly pushed the door open, and strolled in. I closed the door behind me and put my arms across my chest blocking the door.
Nick’s gaze flickered over to me then back at Cade. “Why are you guys here. I was asleep.”
“You lie,” said Cade. He didn’t even glance at the bed at all but swung his balled fist to connect with Nick’s jaw.
The sickening cracking sound filled me with joy as Cade stood over Nick raining blows over his face. Narrowing my eyes, I watched as Nick was caught with a right upper cut and slid against the wall. He reached behind the desk at something and light flashed across something silver. Cade was on him in a second, but he grunted and doubled over a few feet away from Nick.
Nick jumped to his feet. He glanced at the knife in Cade’s side and moved toward him. I ran to him and punched him on the back of the head. Grabbing a handful of his hair, I slung him into the desk.
I lifted him off the floor by the collar on his shirt. “Did you rape Chaniya?”
“I don’t know who that is,” said Nick. He glanced passed me toward Cade who grunted when he removed the knife and it fell to the ground.
My other hand moved to his throat. If he didn’t want to talk then he could die. The pain that ripped through Cosima as she blindly accepted the responsibility of her sister’s rape turned my mouth sour.
“If you know nothing, then you are no use to me.” My voice was hard but I couldn’t keep the menacing tone from my voice. Nick’s type repulsed me, and I’ve never had a tolerance for liars.
My hand tightened around his throat. Once his air was cut off, he started making gurgling noises. His face turned blue.
Cade came to my right side holding his side. He was bleeding like a stuck pig. “His face is turning blue. Don’t kill him yet.”
The anger flowing through me almost took all my control to stifle it down. I allowed my fingers to loosen a bit so he could take in a short breath.
“Who were the others? I know you were involved. You went into her room and came out with her slumped over your shoulder. Talk now,” said Cade.
Nick’s lips curved in a snarl. “She brought it on herself. If she had just given Brad what he wanted instead of fighting him, this would have never happened.”
Cade’s eyes widen “Brad who, Brad Johnson? He has slept with more girls in this school than any other guy.”
Nick laughed. “He hadn’t slept with her. She should have just given him what he wanted and he would not have taken it.”
I leaned close to Nick’s face, and after a growl managed to b
ark out. “Who raped her?”
“Every guy that payed the entry fee to the room in the basement took a turn on her. She was still drugged and only woke when Brad took her. He wouldn’t take her until she was awake and lucid,” said Nick.
The picture Nick’s words painted made me shudder. Sweat dripped from my hands as I regretted having to touch this filth. He didn’t deserve to live.
“You took your turn didn’t you,” asked Cade?
“I don’t share so I took her first, so everyone after me samples my sloppy seconds,” said Nick.
My fingers closed around Nick’s throat again cutting off his air. He didn’t need to breath. When his body went limp in my arms, I dropped him on the floor and shoved my boot in his ribs as I stepped over him like discarded trash.
Storming into the hallways I took a deep breath. The need to kill Nick had overwhelmed me. The joy in his face when he said he raped Chaniya was too much.
Cade closed the door behind him. “I’m going to get this stitched up. Meet me in my room at twelve and we’ll go and confront Brad together.”
I looked back at the door. “What about Nick?”
Several footsteps headed this way. Looking passed Cade, there were several people heading his way. Cade nodded his head toward the door. A few minutes later, they had Nick’s hands bound behind his back and were hauling him off down the hall.
7
Chaniya
The bright light poured into the room and warmed my face. This wasn’t my room. My heart slammed against my rib cage, as I sat up in the bed. An intravenous line along with the needle was inserted in my arm. A yellow duvet covered me as I pushed it down on my lower legs. Rubbing my eyes, I looked around the room.
Soft yellow curtains hung on the decorative rod. The room was pretty and much bigger than my room. A queen bed in the middle of the floor made me feel better, so I took a deep breath and pushed the duvet off me. My head pounded and I was lightheaded.
Holding my head against the stabbing pain in my skull, I hunched over the bed. A second later, the door opened, and I dove into the duvet pulling it over my body. My mouth opened on a silent cry, but nothing came out.
Luc padded into the room but stopped a few feet before the bed. His face held no color and his eyes seemed haunted.
I closed my eyes. Why was he here? He had to know that seeing him was like thousands of daggers buried in my heart.
My tongue ran over my lips and I took a breath. The pain in my groin and lower limbs didn’t compare to the sharp pains stabbing my heart. Closing my eyes, I quickly forced my thoughts to go blank. It wouldn’t do us any good to see me crying.
“Please, leave.” I closed my eyes and waited for the sound of the door. After a few minutes of hearing nothing, I opened my eyes. He wasn’t standing near the door. Closing my eyes, I hoped he silently left, but the way my stomach trembled I could feel him.
His knuckles rubbed against my cheek. “Are you hurting?”
I flinched away from his tender touch. My tears slid from my eyes, as I crumpled into a ball. The air drained from my lungs and I hoped death would cradle me in its arms.
He picked me up and held me close to his chest. “Are you hurting?”
“No.” My voice was so low I’m not sure he heard it.
Luc pulled my head back so he could stare in my eyes. “The doctor said you won’t have any personal damage, and there were no diseases.”
Heat flooded my face, and I couldn’t meet his gaze. He knew. The doctor told him that I had been raped and discussed the results of sexually transmitted disease tests.
Pushing against his rock-hard chest, I buried my face against my forearm. “Please, leave me alone.”
He wiped the tears running down my cheeks. “Never. I love you. You are mine.”
His lips touched mine. The feather light touch of his lips sent a rack of tremors down my spine. Tearing my face away from his, I bit my lower lip until I tasted blood.
“What about next month when I come down with a disease that wasn’t found today?”
He touched my cheek, and then my trembling lower lip. “It will change nothing. I will never leave you. You will share your pain, worries, love, and disease with me for as long as we both shall live.”
Something broke inside me. When his lips touched mine again, my mouth opened and his tongue slid in my mouth. My tongue ran along his. Just once, I wanted him to feel everything I can never tell him with my mouth.
The kiss turned into something indescribable. Pleasure, hot and deep flowed through me, as my hands wrapped around his neck. I kissed him with everything I had. His strong arms wrapped around my waist like steel.
When I pulled back, I closed my eyes soaking up his warmth like sunbathing on a beach.
“Goodbye, Luc. I love you, so much so that I am letting you go. I’m not what you need.”
Forcing myself out of his arms that had stiffened. I rushed to the bedroom door. I turned so I could get one last look at him. Luc sat there with tears flowing down his cheeks. When he stood up, I held my hand in the air.
He took three steps then stopped. “Don’t leave me. Don’t give up on us. We can get past this, past anything, as long as we do it together,” said Luc.
My tears blinded me. My heart hurt so bad I almost fell to my knees. “I’m sorry, Luc.”
Yanking the door open, I ran down the hall. I didn’t care if the guys who raped me got their hands on me again or not. There was nothing left of me.
Running around the corner, I ran into a small body and fell back on my buttocks. My breath came out in hard pants as I stared up at Cosima.
Jumping to my feet, I tried to sidestep her. “Get out of my way.”
Cosima flinched. “Why are you out of bed. You need rest.”
I’m so tired of my sister acting like she knows everything. “How would you know? Have you ever been raped?” My chest burned and I blinked back the tears pooling in my eyes. I don’t have time to cry nor do I welcome the pounding headache that comes with it.
The hallways were packed, and every time a student saw my face the whispers started. It was enough for me to start casting nasty dark spells to get even, but I’m better than that. I’m trying to be better than that.
I forced the lump in my throat down before I left my stomach lining all over the hall. I’m broken but I am not weak. My hands balled into fist as I stalked toward the side door.
Her fingers latched on to my arms and swung me around to face her. “Where are you going? This is not the time for you to go off alone. We need to stick together,” said Cosima.
When the noisy girls scurried away, I swallowed my blood that I had allowed to pool in my mouth. The pain allowed me to gain a bit of my control and not fall to my knees in a puddle of tears.
I glanced at my sister. “Where were you when I needed you? I’ve always been there for you, saved you and watched your back. You have never been there for me.”
Cosima’s face paled. “I never asked you to. You know we are not close, but I have been trying to fix that,” said Cosima. She touched my arm.
I jerked away from her like her skin was coated in acid. “What happen to all of us going to catch and kill Nora? You left without me and I was gang raped.”
My teeth bit into my lower lips until I tasted my own blood. Watching a few ladies standing off to the side waiting for me to explode, I gave them a look that promised bloodshed if they didn’t get out of my business right now.
Cosima silently wept. “I did come to get you, but Nick told me you were sick so I left you to get rest.”
Tears continued to roll down my face despite my nails digging into my palm. “With a sister like you, who the heck needs enemies?”
“Chaniya. We only have each other.” Cosima took a step toward me then stopped. Her mouth opened then shut. Tears ran down her cheeks.
“No. My family died when dad did.” I saw her through the glass window in front of me. Cosima stood behind me like a statue weeping.
>
I ignored the pain in my chest, the acid that rose up my throat and the wetness on my cheeks that blinded me. Thrusting the door open, I inhaled the air deep trying to ignore the suffocating feeling in my throat.
“Chaniya, yelled Luc.
Adrenaline leaped at my wrist. I ran fast. Leaping over the stone retaining wall, I dashed down the street. Spotting a building, I ran around the side of it and closed my eyes, willing my heart to slow down.
Luc bellowing my name was like nails stabbing my eardrums. Closing my eyes, I channeled the black magic, allowing it to consume me, and began chanting a spell to become invisible. Just as Luc came to the side of building facing away from me, my body became invisible. When he turned facing me, he couldn’t see me.
Luc fell to his knees. A deep roar that sounded like a warthog being tortured tore from his throat. He sat there weeping. I had to hold my breath to close out the sight of him. If I cried now, he would discover me. I closed my eyes not caring if it was my last breath. Seeing him hurting was worse than death.
Sunlight was bright and the heat welcoming. It was beautiful outside today despite me feeling like white crunchy dog poop. Everything inside me was different. The scars and bruises on my body didn’t compare to the scars on my heart. Why was this rape different than the first one?
The further I traveled away from the academy the worse the pain in my chest stabbed. Luc’s face flashed in my mind over and over again and I doubled over grabbing my stomach. Tears stung my eyes, and I wiped my damp face roughly. How can I cry, when I left him? This was better for Luc, and I need to let him to find love.
Shaking my head, I rushed down the road and around the corner toward the C&T Nightclub. The building was on a quiet street nestled between a convenient store and an old thrift store. Nancy’s Thrift Store looked like it was stuck in the roaring twenties. I doubt the store gets much business, since the advances in technology have corrupted society.
Unwanted Witch Page 4
