Eternally Yours
Page 18
Shadow takes this second to look at me curiously about the exam. He’s smart enough to figure it out, I hope. Then he will understand what I meant when I told him that I had to. I didn’t have a choice.
“What are you doing?” Gabe finally asks, frustrated. “Why are you running towards the wall, hand in hand with a demon?”
I am at a loss for words.
“What the hell!?” He is losing his patients now.
“Gabe, I...I...” I what? I don’t know.
“We’re leaving.” Shadow declares boldly. Like he is daring Gabe to try and stop us.
“Oh?” Gabe scoffs.
“Yes. Oh.” Shadow retorts. He is scary. I wouldn’t want to mess with him no way, even I was someone as fit as Gabriel. Or the Captain of the Guard.
“See, that’s funny you say that, because I say you’re not. Especially, not with my wife.”
“I am leaving. Especially, with your wife.” Shadow taunts. “Even though she doesn’t want that title, I’m sure.”
Shadow grabs me tight and presses me against his big, muscular body and devours my mouth. I melt. Holy, wow, he is good at that. The only thought that I can think is I hope that I am not drooling all over him when he’s pushed away from me violently and him and Gabe are in a blur of motion.
They fight. The Guards come. Kaia gives me a look that hurts my feelings. And the Hell Horde shoots me with an arrow as soon as Shadow is taken off to the dungeon. But you already knew all of that.
*~*~* Chapter 21- Depression*~*~*
I awaken to a steady beeping rhythm that sounds familiar, like it’s been in my dreams and yet responsible for keeping me asleep by lulling me off every time I tried to wake up. I immediately despise it.
I glance around the white room trying to find where it’s coming from. Everything is blurry and I feel so groggy. I have to fight just to stay awake. I finally realize the beeping is coming from a tiny machine behind me and it has cords hooked to me.
I am lying in a white bed of course, wearing a light blue gown and my chest is extremely sore. In fact, so sore that I try not to move, much less sit up.
“Hey,” a voice says.
I look up towards the door where Gabe is leaned halfway in. “Hi,” I smile.
“How’re you feeling?”
“Like I got shot,” I reply.
He snorts. “You’ve been out for five weeks and you still have a sense of humor right when you wake up.”
Five weeks!
“How long have I been out?” I gasp.
He cringes, “Uh, five weeks.”
“Oh. My. Gods.”
“Yeah, it’s a miracle you pulled through at all. You got hit with Hordian arrow and they’re dipped in death poison. It spreads through your veins like a fire and goes straight for your heart. We have no idea how you survived or why they shot you.”
I am stumped too. So all I can manage to say is, “Huh.”
“Do you know why they would want to kill you?”
“No!”
He holds his hands up, “Sorry.”
I sigh and try to relax. “Sorry. It’s just a little hard to hear. So they didn’t attack us?”
He shakes his head. “Nope, only shot you and we never did catch them.”
I massage my temples.
“Anyways, I don’t want to start off with such bad news after five weeks. My apologies.”
I wave this off. “No need, tell me everything I missed. My memory is a little foggy.”
“Yeah because you’ve been dreaming for five weeks not awake to remember anything short or long term.”
I nod. I try my best to remember back to that day, before I got shot. Gabe is quiet, just watching me.
“Can you remember what happened?” he asks solemnly.
His total attitude just changed from happy and welcoming to hurt and confused. What is going on?
I rack my brain for something, anything about that day. I remember rain. Someone fighting. Gabe was there! He was yelling and fighting. With...I freeze. Shocked. I remember it all. Shadow.
“You remember.” It was a statement. He looks at his feet.
I inhale shakily. “I remember.”
We’re silent.
“Where is he?” I ask.
He shoots me an angry look. “Well I am fine, thanks for asking. I am great. For five weeks I have been in complete and total misery because I didn’t have answers. Because I was hurt. I was confused. And I was worried about you!”
Ouch. I am a bitch. A selfish one.
“Come here,” I whisper.
He looks doubtful but he comes. I reach my weak arms up signaling for a hug and he gives me what I want. Like he always does. I rub his back in a comforting manner. I whisper how sorry I am in his ear. He stands back up and pulls a chair up beside my bed and sits down. He grabs my hand.
He takes a deep breathe like he is about to say something he doesn’t want to, but he’s too good of a person to keep it from me. “He’s been in the dungeon since that day, Alexia. I can’t say I don’t hate him. I can’t tell you that I’m not glad he is out of the way. But I don’t know if he deserves what they’re doing to him.”
I cover my mouth, afraid to even ask.
His lips are a tight line and his expression grim. I don’t even have clearance to get to him anymore. For two weeks they had the Guards use torture methods on him, but they won’t kill him. We got close a few times and they made us stop until he healed enough to continue. It’s really messed up, Alexia. They’re trying to blame him for the Hell Horde attacks. Saying that he’s a spy for them, and he screwed my father over by convincing them to throw the deal and alliance off.”
I shake my head, not believing this! This is so messed up!
“We have to save him, Gabe! He didn’t do any of that, my gods! We have to...we have to...do something!”
“Calm down, Alexia.” He squeezes my hand.
“I know you don’t like him Gabriel, but he doesn’t deserve this! If you’re going to point fingers at someone for what happened point them at me! It’s my fault we don’t work, Gabe!” I’m getting hysterical again, and I don’t want to say anything rash. I don’t want to crush him again.
“Gabe,” I say calmly. “Even if he is gone, forever,” I choke out that last word, “I can never love you in that way.” I whisper. “You’re my best friend, and I love you like my own brother, but I love him, like a mate. And I am so. so sorry!” I sob.
He scratches his head. “I know,” he sighs. “I don’t like it, and it hurts like hell,” his voice hitches a little and I squeeze his hand for support and comfort. “But if you love him, Alexia, I won’t stand in your way. I know that our bond didn’t work, and if this is why then what choice do I have but to let this be?” He pauses. “Why fight it if I can’t change it?” he smirks.
I smirk, sorrowful and grateful at the same time. He has definitely had time to think about this. I would guess the whole five weeks, because he’s taking it amazingly well.
“So does this mean you will help me save Shadow?” I whisper, daring to hope.
He looks deep into my eyes, on into my soul and debates.
“It definitely does.” He smiles.
…Don't miss My Immortal, the next book in Anastasia's young adult series coming in 2013!
Gabe and Alexia set off to rescue Shadow from prison, but when they finally see what he has become, a lot of things are about to change.
*About The Author*
Anastasia lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband and her two year old daughter. She loves to dance, shop, see movies, swim, and lay on the beach. She is twenty-six years old and this is her first young adult novel.
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