by Andy Lewter
Luckily, he faltered. I had caught him off guard. I pulled the shoe back and readied myself for another strike.
But he flipped the light on.
I dropped the now bloody shoe and covered my mouth in shock.
Chapter 16
"A shoe?" Miles glared, annoyed.
"Miles! How did you… you're here!"
"A shoe." He yanked a random shirt off a hanger to wipe the steady stream of blood.
"What was I supposed to do? I was cornered in the closet when you broke in!" I snapped.
He stopped tending his arm and looked at me incredulously. "A shoe!"
I crossed my arms impatiently. "Fine. Teach me to fight!"
He tossed the bloody shirt on the ground. "I'm going to have to, seeing the mess that's happened." He peeked out the doorway. "Are you expecting anyone?"
I shook my head. "It's just me, the maids, the chef and all the security cameras." I blinked, thinking about the cameras. "They're going to see you!"
"You have no confidence in me. It's kind of disappointing." He sighed. "Dad and I messed with the recording schedule. It's repeating an hour's footage from earlier tonight over and over." He sniffed then thought a moment. "Wait, maids and a chef?" He raised a brow questioningly.
I nodded my head toward the door. "You hungry?"
He scoffed. "Forget that! We have to get you out of here." He started turning away then froze in place. "Whoa… what are you wearing?" His eyes looked me over, analyzing me for the first time.
"It's… nothing." I looked down at my robe, realizing it had pulled slightly open during my defense, revealing a deep slit up my thigh. I bit my lip, pulling my robe tighter around my body.
"Sure doesn't look like nothing. You look…" He paused then his eyes hooded. He closed the distance between us in one stride and wrapped a hand around my waist, pulling me against him. Never losing eye contact, he cupped the back of my neck and eagerly crushed his lips to mine.
Shock ricocheted through my mind as his lips teased and caressed. My eyes grew wide as the original shock dissipated and I placed my hands on his chest and shoved him away. "What was that Miles?"
He sighed as all expression dropped from his face. "I thought… I didn't know if I'd see you again. I'm just so happy you're safe." He lightly brushed his lips, watching me.
"So you kissed me?"
He shrugged, his expression never changing. "So?"
I placed my hands on my hips and felt my lips turn down in a frown. "Don't get carried away again."
He shook his head then let out a frustrated breath. "We have to get outta here. Now."
"But…"
"Why are you arguing with me? You were kidnapped!" He glowered.
I thought about my family. Nicholas’ family had no right to take me unwillingly from them. And Miles would assure I made it home safely. Nicholas had to understand.
I nodded slightly. "Let me change."
"This isn't a pageant show," he said in a condescending tone. "We need to go on foot from here — dress for the gym, preferably in dark clothing." He closed the closet door to allow me to change. "And hurry. It's only a matter of time until security realizes the tapes have been tampered with."
I grabbed some running shoes, a pair of really nice black workout pants with an airy, stretchy feel, and picked a random white t-shirt from the hangers.
"Abbs — now," Miles demanded.
"Sheesh… find something I can tie my hair back with since you have nothing else to do." I sorted through the hangers, looking for a light jacket.
Miles groaned. "I'm not a beautician."
A moment later, I heard Miles frantically pull drawers open and closed.
I found a nice black pullover jacket. I slipped it on and felt around all the pockets. There was a zipper pocket on the inside. Remembering Moui's jewelry, I thought it was perfect.
When I opened the door, Miles was standing, annoyed, with a hairband in his hand.
I smirked lightly. "Thank you, Captain Jack." I plucked the hair tie from his hand and stepped closer to the mirror above the sink. I opened the top drawer and pulled out the strand of pearls and earrings, securely zipping them in the pocket inside my jacket.
I glanced up at Miles’ reflection in the mirror, attempting to pull my thick hair up off my neck.
"They think I'm a leader."
"You are a leader."
"No — they think I'm their light, their answer to everything that's confusing. They think I'm going to have Valens step forward as who we are. To the humans." I watched him carefully in the reflection, wrapping the band one last time around the messy bun I had just created.
Miles shook his head minutely. "They're lost, Abbs."
I turned to face him, furrowing my brows. "They need me!"
Miles raised his brows, surprised. "You need training."
"Who says I can't have that here?" I thought about Nicholas — about all the promises.
Miles’ face went expressionless. I wondered what he was hiding.
"Please… just come home." He clenched his jaw.
At least he wasn't taking me against my will.
I put my hands on my hips, releasing a defeated sigh. "How are we leaving this place?"
He pointed toward the balcony. "The same way I came in." He tossed me a pair of gloves, turned on his heel and walked toward the balcony. "Consider this your first lesson of training."
"Repelling?" I blinked, confused. "There's a door, Miles."
He slipped his gloves on. "Thanks for the obvious. But we can't afford to be seen — not even by your servants," he said sarcastically.
I rolled my eyes and fidgeted with my gloves, trying to pull them on. "Don't I get a harness?"
He smirked. "You're Valens. You're hardly frail."
I leaned over the ledge, trying to find the ground in the dark shadows. "How far down is the ground?"
"Far enough." He motioned me toward a rope that was looped with an anchor into the ledge. There was a matching one a few feet away from it. How did I not see this before?
"You have the strength to hold yourself up. I'll be right next to you, just in case." He climbed onto the ledge and stood, towering over me. He picked up his rope, motioning me to mimic him.
A slight breeze picked up, raising the gooseflesh on my skin. I climbed onto the ledge, careful to keep my balance. I picked up my rope, looking at Miles for further direction.
He nodded once in approval. "Always keep the rope between your feet. Watch me." He casually let himself lean back and held his weight with ease. He repelled a few feet to demonstrate, and then stopped to watch me.
I laughed nervously. He made it look easy.
I gripped my rope with my life, relieved I had gloves for this. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and leaned back.
"That's right… now let gravity pull your weight. Keep your footing in place, and only allow slack on your rope when you're ready," he ordered.
I nodded, trying to keep my focus. I let one foot step down, and slipped. The tread on my shoes failed to grip the wall. I yipped, holding the rope tighter to keep from slipping more. I bent my knees, placed the rope between my feet once more — then I grew terrified.
"I can't Miles…"
"Don't give me that. You're probably more capable of this than me. Try again. Keep your footing — use your toes."
I pictured myself taking the next step. But I was frozen with fear.
"If your feet don't grip, don't give yourself any slack," he said. I heard him readjust his weight on the wall.
"I'm stuck."
He sighed. "I'm here with you. You'd fall on me if you slipped, and I'm strong enough to hold us both if that happened."
I swallowed. I had to do this to prove to myself that I could.
I took a hesitant step back, and then another, releasing a bit of rope to give me some slack. The weight I held was refreshing to my muscles — adrenaline surged throughout my body. I could hold myself up with ease. Miles was
right.
Miles slowly repelled with me — I shook my head minutely at the familiar crunching sound beneath our feet. I needed to be more aware of my surroundings.
We came across an overly large window along the wall. Miles pointed that I shift my feet to the left side of the window while he took the right — then put an index finger over his lips, telling me to stay quiet.
I nodded and shimmied to the side. I couldn't help but peek in. One of the maids was dusting furniture in the room, the dim light gleaming through the window. I thought for a moment what it would be like to live in such luxury. Maids, a chef… the whole bit. It made me feel uneasy.
"Let's keep going," Miles whispered.
I snapped out of it, got a good grip on my footing and proceeded to release slack.
"Where's the bottom?" I whispered, continuing my way down with Miles at my side.
"Watch out for the vines," he warned.
I took a short glance down and saw heavily thorned vines that rested on the side of the house. I had never seen such vines before — they looked fierce and dangerous, all twisted with pointy leaves and thick black thorns — large and intimidating.
"Just watch your footing, step on top of them. Don't get your foot caught — the thorns are poisonous." He propelled onto the vines, showing me how to step on them. He emphasized each step in the same motion as one would walk through ocean waves. He made sure each foot was right before he moved the other.
I took a hesitant step onto the vines, mimicking the same emphasized movement with my legs. I was just getting the hang of it when a dog started barking, spotlights placed around the house immediately flashed on, blinding us both.
"Abbs, hurry!"
I picked up the pace, letting more slack go between each footing placement. I glanced toward the ground and I realized we were almost there. I couldn't see the dog, but it continued barking, coming in our direction — we both needed to get down fast.
Miles was already on the ground waiting for me.
I decided to drop down one more step and jump. The fall wouldn't be that far if I landed on my feet properly. I lowered my right foot and steadied my balance to let go.
And then the dog found Miles.
Miles ran into the shadows beyond the spotlights, the dog nipping at his heels. I needed to get down to him. I planted my foot on the wall, let go of the rope and used my weight as leverage to push away. I realized too late that my footing had been misplaced. A vine caught my ankle, the thorns tore into my skin as I fell to the ground and landed on my side.
I pulled in a ragged breath and rose from the ground, full of adrenaline. Miles was able to run up a tree to avoid being mauled — but apparently not unscathed. His pants were ripped on the bottom hem. I didn't see any blood other than his arm wound from earlier.
I steadied my mind. Unbeknownst to the mutt, I crept carefully behind the dog and placed a hand on its hindquarters. "You're not doing your job. Now go find the intruder," I strictly ordered through my teeth. The dog whirled around to see who was invading its space, lashed its teeth, then instantly cowered — its tail tucked between its legs. It bowed its head as if to recognize its Alpha and then trotted off to the front of the house.
"How did you…" Miles questioned, jumping from the tree and landing on the ground with a dull thud.
I shrugged. "You were right. I'm a deceiver. Apparently it works on animals, too."
He paused thoughtfully, his brilliant green eyes meeting mine. "That makes two gifts for you."
I looked away, wanting more than anything to avoid that topic. "What now?"
He checked his watch. "We're late. We can't go down to civilization — you'll be recognized. We need to go down the other side of the mountain. On foot." He nodded toward the dark rainforest then took off in a brisk jog.
I followed him, feeling the soft ground give slightly beneath my feet. "How are we going to be able to see?" I asked once we passed the perimeters of the property.
"Shh…" He came to a halt and held up a hand to motion me to stop. He pulled out a compass and adjusted it where he could read it from the moon's light. He turned in a half circle to get the right degree, and then picked up his pace again.
We continued jogging — but going deeper in the rainforest meant there was less light. And I was getting slapped with leaves, vines and branches along the way.
"Miles." I slowed, out of breath. "I'm tired. My ankle hurts."
He stopped somewhere close to me. The forest was too dark for me to see.
"What? You're tired?" He asked, hardly out of breath.
I plopped down on the damp rainforest floor and leaned against a tree trunk.
"Just… let me sit." My eyelids were so heavy.
A sudden light was shining on me. Miles must have had a flashlight stashed on him.
"You got caught in the Salvus vine." Miles noted, disappointed.
"Hmm?" I yawned.
"That's what the vine on the house is called. It fatigues Valens, making it possible to be caught when trespassing. It's used for security a lot around here."
"Now you pull out the flashlight?" I pushed for sarcasm, but failed.
"Light attracts attention."
Before I knew what was happening, I was lifted in the air. There was a sudden breeze gently brushing my face, the soft crunch of grass and rocks on the ground beneath me.
"Miles…" I whined weakly.
"Go to sleep, you'll come to in an hour," he ordered, carrying me.
"I don't want to sleep."
The next instant, the rainforest grew darker. Furious winds screamed through the trees, one drop of rain turned into hundreds of thousands within a second.
I knew this could mean only one thing.
Nicholas knew I was gone.
Chapter 17
The rain came down like bullets, the wind angry and unforgiving. Miles set me down and pulled me under a tree, the large leaves created a barrier from the weather. I shivered from the rapidly decreasing temperature and internally kicked myself for not grabbing a heavier jacket.
"It's him."
"Who?" He shook his hair with his hand, water flinging sporadically.
"Nicholas." I swallowed. "He can control the weather. He knows I'm gone."
Silence. I wished I could see him.
"Anything else I should know about?" His tone was flat.
"Um… he can read emotions. Like me."
Miles swore. "He's the Ludovics' son, correct?"
I nodded, and then realized he couldn't see me. "Yes."
"Right," he huffed, throwing a rock in frustration. "Navi should see we've stopped."
"Navi… she's here?"
Suddenly, the storm grew increasingly severe. The winds screamed through the branches, dangerous sized hail following with each gust. I could feel Nicholas’ fury. It was imbedded into the storm — each raindrop pierced my skin as it leaked from the thick cover above. Wherever we were, we were protected from the dangers of the weather, but not enough to keep dry. I could feel my teeth chattering.
Miles scooped me up, placed me on his lap and pressed my cheek against his chest. He pulled my legs in and wrapped an arm around my head for protection from the weather, using his body heat to keep me warm. He adjusted himself against the tree trunk for support.
My body was too stiff from the cold to protest.
"You have control of your senses," he whispered calmly in my ear, the storm and its endless fury pressed against me like weights. "Focus on your breathing."
"Is that breathing method the answer to everything?" I whined, exhausted from the poison circulating in my system. I clung to his sweatshirt and pushed with all my might to focus. I listened to the erratic pattern of my beating heart, pushing out the sounds of the everlasting blasts of wind and hail beating down around us. I pulled in slow repetitive breaths, focusing on steadying the beating rhythm.
A calm feeling overcame me… it took me a moment to realize what was happening.
"You'r
e so calm," I sighed, "I can feel it." He pulled his arms tighter around me, insuring I stay warm.
My lungs suddenly filled with the essence of sea, leaves and wood. "And you smell nice."
He chuckled lowly. "I think that vine affected your head. How are you feeling?"
I wiggled my toes. "I'm warmer."
"Mmm-hmm. You took charge of your senses." I could hear a smile in his voice. "Lesson two. And once the storm eases, you'll find you can see better."
I yawned, nestling into the contours of his chest. "Why are you so nice to me? Is it because you're supposed to be?"
"Shh," he crooned. I yawned again, falling deeper into the depths of Miles' calming aura. He gently brushed my forearm with his thumb, lulling me to sleep.
"But I want to know." I tugged on the string of his hood, playing with it between my fingers.
His body went rigid. "You want to know if I'm nice to you because it's my job."
It wasn't a question.
"Mmm-hmm," I mumbled.
He shook his head and returned to lulling me to sleep, the soft strokes on my arm making my eyelids heavy. "You worry about the strangest things sometimes." He paused, considering something. "No, Abby. You mean more to me than a chore." With that, he started humming a low tune I'd never heard. It was sweet and slow. I sighed, finding comfort in his soft gestures and beating heart beneath my ear. My lungs filled with Miles’ scent — sea, leaves and wood. It was all I needed to fall into the slumber my body yearned for.
****
Nicholas. I could feel him. His torment. His anger. He was looking for something. Something precious to him — something that would break him if lost forever. I searched for him, running down a thin path with brilliantly colored flowers perched randomly along the way. But something caught my eye — I slowed my pace and tilted my head in thought. It was different than the other flowers I'd seen. I reached down and gently plucked a single white flower. Too perfect to be real, but there it was. I dug in my memory for the name. Plumeria. That was it. White, perfectly curved petals with a golden center. Beautiful. I tucked the flower behind my ear and turned back toward my path. I had to crane my neck to see the tops of the trees, a thick haze resting along the trunks. I furrowed my brows. I've been here before…
