by Kailin Gow
“Of course I will, Liam. You're such a huge part of my life. I’d miss you terribly if I lost you.”
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Chapter 5
“Lead the way, Catcher. The sooner we find Torrid the better,” Rowan said.
“Not so fast,” Liam said, crossing his arms over his chest with finality.
“Liam, you said you’d help.”
“I can’t take him. It’s too dangerous.”
“I think I can take care of myself,” Rowan said with a mocking grin. “I’m not only the Crowned Prince, but I am a competent warrior.”
“I have no doubt that you are, and I mean no disrespect, but a djinn in a place where Catchers run rampant, you’d stick out in a far too obvious way.”
Rowan looked at me and I saw his desire to argue, but I interceded. “Liam, if a djinn is so easily detected in this secret place of yours, then how do you plan on protecting me? How will I survive so many Catchers?”
Liam kept his eyes on Rowan, taking in his agitation and angry stance. “This secret place of mine is a veritable fortress, protected, guarded and patrolled by the best Catchers in Arcadia. Nothing moves in or out of there without their detection, especially a djinn.” He turned to me. “As for you, you’ll be okay because you're your mother’s daughter.”
“What does that mean?”
“You're part human; just enough to keep the Catchers from detecting the djinn in you.”
I glanced at Rowan. “It makes sense. There’s no point taking such a huge risk.”
“It’s more than just a huge risk. It’s guaranteed suicide. These Catchers can smell a djinn miles away. They’ll be on him… on us in seconds.” He cocked a brow at Rowan. “Just think of the celebration they’d have if they had both Torrid and you, both princes from the Nethers.”
“He’s right,” I said. At least I hoped he was right, not only about the danger of Rowan coming, but that I’d be safe. “Since when do Catchers use scent to track down djinns?”
“These Catchers are different. They’re mongrels. They have just a few drops of djinn in them, enough to make them incredibly precise in their hunt.”
“I’ll accept that it’d be suicide for me to go, but how can you be so sure she’ll be safe… what with their precise hunting skills and all.”
“Because she’ll be with me.”
“Fine. Can we stop arguing about it and just get on with it.” I rolled my eyes at the two. “Rowan, you stay here. Liam, lead the way.”
“And what am I supposed to do while you guys go off to save my brother?”
“Sit tight and wait.”
The straight line of his lips didn’t even begin to express how unhappy he was with the situation. Narrowing his eyes, he glared at Liam. “I’m not comfortable with that, but I’m ready to compromise. I’ll follow you as far as I can safely do so. I’ll give you an hour to find Torrid and bring him back. If you’re not back in an hour I’ll come after you.”
“Fair enough.”
“And, let me warn you, Liam. If anything should happen to her.” He pointed at me. “If you harm her in any way, or let any harm come to her… you’ll learn just how precise my hunting skills are.”
I silently gasped and held my breath, taken aback by the ferocity of his statement. He’s eyes had turned deadly as he stared Liam down.
“I have no intention of letting anything happen to her. I know where you can sit tight and wait for us. It’s just outside the perimeter controlled by their power of scent and you’ll be safe… and relatively close.” Liam turned to me. “I’ll just let my group know I went off to a special mission. They were expecting me on a hunt for a small band of Sanz’s Magical Ones. I’ll let them know they can proceed without me.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, hearing the lack of conviction in my voice. Despite his reassurance, the idea of walking right into a fortress fortified by Catchers, Catchers dead set on catching all djinns and turning them into slaves or Magical Ones as they are known in Arcadia as, with the acute ability of smelling out djinns didn’t sit well with me. With all my heart I wanted to go out and find Torrid, but the prospect seemed unbelievably dangerous with just Liam and me against them all.
Liam’s eyes filled with concern and love, he came to me and took a hold of my hands. “I’ll protect you with my life, Kama. I won’t let you out of my sight. My greatest regret was to ever let you go.”
I smiled and nodded.
When he left to contact his group and get his car keys, I was left staring at Rowan. The creases on his forehead had deepened and his eyes were filled with suspicion. Our thoughts, doubts and fears remained silent as we waited Liam’s return.
And when we finally got in the car and drove off to the outer limits of Arcadia, I heard the message Rowan continually and silently sent out.
Don’t turn your back… on anyone. If things get dire, send word to me immediately.
Chapter 6
“How far do we have to go?” I asked ten minutes after dropping Rowan off at a nearby shelter. His insistence to be brought as close as possible to where Torrid was being kept has jostled Liam’s nerves and I now wondered if Liam hadn’t lied about the distance of our ultimate destination.
“It’s clear on the other side of town.”
“But you told Rowan…”
“I know, but he wouldn’t listen to reason. We can’t afford to have him that close to the Catchers’ Headquarters.”
“Clear on the other side of town, huh? Is that a deliberate and strategic attempt to keep the Coliseum as far as possible from these headquarters?”
“I’d never really looked at it that way. Then again, I’d never really known about the existence of either, so I couldn’t give it much thought, could I?”
His driving was slow and steady, unhurried and careful, methodical and well thought out. It was also excruciating as we inched toward our destination. I didn’t want to push him, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he was deliberately taking as much time as he could.
“Then you were caught in the Coliseum? All this time, I thought you were safe with Torrid…”
I didn’t want to dwell on what I’d been through, but I let him in on what the past days had truly been like. As I told the story, his eyes narrowed and darkened and I saw the tension grow and intensify in his tightening jaw.
As he turned a corner, he glanced at me, his eyes filled with determination and something I’d never seen before; a degree of fear that mingle with intense love. And there was the passion; passion that had always been boyish, pubescent and adolescent. That passion had matured into a man’s passion, which now smoldered in his eyes and in the parting of his lips. Liam had become the man I had always hope he would.
“Liam,” I whispered, my voice husky with uncertainty.
He pulled the car over and silenced the engine. For a long moment he stared at his hands that still gripped the steering wheel. “I thought I’d die of worry when I didn’t hear from you. No one could give me any news about you.”
As he turned to me, he reached out to take my hand. “You know, I remember hearing this story when I was a kid; the old man down the street from us had died suddenly, and though his wife was perfectly healthy and could have lived on for many years, she died six months later. Everyone said she died of a broken heart.”
I swallowed the ball of emotion that had gathered in my throat.
“I thought it was so bogus; a broken heart. You can’t actually die of a broken heart.” He squeezed my hand. “But these past weeks of knowing I no longer had a place in your heart, it was pretty rough. And these past days, not even knowing if you were alive or dead… well, I began to understand how that old woman felt.”
“This was never part of the plan, Liam. I didn’t mean for things to turn out like this.” I felt an overwhelming need to explain and justify.
“I know, Kama, and I don’t blame you. Stuff happens and a lot has been happening to you. I get that. Look, it hasn’t been all bad. I think your leaving
me gave me the push I needed to really come out from under my dad’s wing. As hard as these past days have been, I’ve learned a lot about myself; what I’m capable of, what I want and who I want to be with.”
The heat of his fingers bore through my skin, coursed through my veins and touched my heart. The love I’d always had for him bubbled up and the sense of comfort I’d come to take for granted returned, filling me with emotions I couldn’t even describe.
When he leaned into me, I felt my body pull toward him. I knew I loved Torrid and I knew these past days had been concentrated on him, yet… The pull Liam now had on me, lured me closer.
“You’ve changed,” I suddenly said in a voice that had also changed.
“You changed me.” He cupped my cheeks, not with the boyish fingers that could sometimes be clumsy and unsure, but with fingers that knew of love and desire. He gripped me and pulled me closer, kissing my lips with an intensity that left me breathless.
I’d never been so lost in a kiss.
“I love you, Kama. If there’s anything I learned these past days, it’s just how much you mean to me. This isn’t just the puppy love that we grew up with. It’s so much more than that.” His fingers raked through my hair as he pulled me in for another smoldering kiss. It was blissful, sweet, powerful and I was helpless to fight it.
When he pulled back, I leaned into him, hungry for more.
“I’ve always known that I love you, and I’ve never doubted how much I desire you, but I recently realized just how much I need you. I need you, Kama, not just in my life, not just as the woman I love, but I need you if we’re ever to rebuild Arcadia like it deserved to be rebuilt.”
“What about what I am? I’m part djinn, Liam. Can you really live with someone, run Arcadia with someone who is part djinn?”
His fingers ran down the back of my neck, rubbing the tender spot that always made me sigh. A smile came to his eyes, curled his lips and as he touched his nose to mine, he let out a light and loving chuckle. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Surprised and taken aback by my own feelings, my brain went numb as I tried to juggle my feelings for Torrid with these re-emerging emotions for Liam. I pulled back and pressed my head into the headrest.
“I don’t want to push you, Kama. I know these past days have been rough, but…” Biting his lip, he shook his head. “Though it killed me, I was ready to accept your decision. You're in love with another and I couldn’t imagine myself standing in the way of your happiness. But…” He looked pointedly at me, almost stern. “I trusted Torrid to take care of you, to be there for you.”
“Liam, it’s not his fault. He was captured.”
He smashed the palm of his hand on the dashboard and I jumped.
“He was supposed to protect you,” he shouted. “Where was he when you were being thrown to the dogs?”
“Liam. You're not being fair.” I heard how feeble my argument was. “You weren’t there either.”
Glaring at me, he drummed his fingers along the dash. “That’s because I had entrusted you to him.”
“You can think what you want, but I refuse to blame Torrid for my misadventure.”
“Really?” he said with a cock of his brow. “Is that what you're calling it? You were just inches from being torn to shreds.”
I stiffened and sat up straight. “Regardless of what I’m calling it, I want to put an end to this argument. We have to move if we’re going to make it to the headquarters.”
Liam turned to the steering wheel, started the car and put it into drive. “Right. Let’s go save your hapless new boyfriend,” he snarled.
He took to the dark streets, strewn with debris, swerving left and right with less care than he had earlier. With his foot heavier on the pedal we finally arrived at the headquarters.
The moment he stopped the car, I pulled back the door handle, but Liam was quick to reach out and stop me.
“You can’t just go in there like that.”
I glanced down at how I was dressed. My tattered pants and a once white shirt that was now grey.
“That’s not what I mean. For one thing my dad is probably here.”
“I’m surprised he’s not barricaded himself in the governor’s mansion.”
“Well, turns out it’s safer for him to be here.”
I looked out at the large and imposing building. Black and windowless, it seemed like a bleak place to work in, never mind live.
“Anyway, I’d rather not run into him. The less I’m questioned the easier it’ll be.” He reached into the backseat and grabbed a few garments. “You're going to have to wear this.”
“What is it?”
“A Catcher’s uniform.”
Without thinking I pushed the garments off my lap and onto the car floor. “What do you want me to do with that?”
Amused, he chuckled. “I want you to wear it, silly.” He reached down, gathered the uniform and put it back in my lap. You don’t want anyone to recognize you, do you?”
With disdainful fingers, I picked up the garment and looked at it. “But this thing is tiny. I’ll never fit into it.” Not that I wanted to.
“You’d be surprised just how expandable it is.”
“Wow. They really make you wear this thing?”
Again, the air filled with the sound of his amused chuckle. “Yeah, not exactly fashionable, is it?”
Royal blue, the shimmering uniform was made out of a fabric that was at once soft and malleable, but super strong and resistant. I stretched out the neckline and was surprised by how much the fabric gave.
“Not only will it help you remain unnoticed, but it’ll protect you. Catching Magical Ones can get nasty sometimes and you’d be amazed by how much torture that suit can take.”
“Fine, but where do you propose I squeeze into this thing.”
“I’m afraid your only option is the backseat.”
“You're kidding, right?” I glanced over my shoulder at the cramped backseat.
“I wish I were. I can run into the building there and change while you do your best to manage in here.”
“Great,” I muttered as he opened the door.
Then I thought of Torrid and knew I had to do whatever needed to be done. Hopping into the back seat, I shimmied out of my old pants and tore off my shirt. As I slipped into the Catcher’s uniform, I felt the strength of the fabric caress my skin.
“Ready?” Liam whispered. He popped open the door and peered inside.
“Yeah, but I feel ridiculous.” Feeling more than just ridiculous, I stepped out of the car.
Liam, however, took my hand and twirled me around while his eyes appraised me. “Honey, you have nothing to feel ridiculous about. You look hot. I’ve never seen the Catcher’s uniform look so good.”
I glanced at him and had to admit he looked good too. The royal blue that had glistened to the point of looking tacky was now mat as it hugged his muscles. Flexible armor that was integrated into the uniform squared off his shoulders and molded to his chest.
“You're just like a warrior, Liam. I’d never imagined you could be so…”
Laughing, he echoed my sentiment. “And I never thought I could find this uniform so sexy. How am I going to concentrate on the task ahead?”
“How ‘bout if I follow behind you. That way you won’t be distracted by my curves.” I couldn’t help but laugh as the words sounded and I was instantly brought back to all the times we’d teased each other and laughed.
Eager to find Torrid, I was reluctant to admit to myself just how enjoyable it was being with Liam again.
He popped open the trunk and pulled out a large weapon that looked like a machine gun. “You’ll need one of these.”
“Need as in to protect myself, or just for show?”
“Hopefully it’ll just be for show.” He glanced at the building and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”
As I followed him into the building I felt dwarfed and unsure. Surfaces shined and gleamed; the black fl
oors, the charcoal walls and even the dark blue ceilings.
In sharp contrast to the ancient and dusty walls of the Coliseum, everything here spoke of the advances in architecture, building materials and techniques. But the smell of death, of unhappiness… of torture filled the air just as it had in the Coliseum.
The first corridors we passed were empty and bare. Not a soul walked about and not a sound was heard. Not even the sound of our own footsteps, encased in the cushioned footwear that accompanied the uniform, could be heard.
After a few more steps, I realized I couldn’t hear my breathing, or the pounding of my heart, though I felt it thundering like never before.
We were in a vacuum and I could almost feel the air being sucked out of my lungs.
I swallowed my fear and uncertainty, but felt the first few droplets of sweat form on my forehead despite the slight chill in the air.
“Hold yourself straight,” Liam ordered as we approached two large metal doors. “Look like you belong and don’t avert anyone’s gaze. If anyone looks at you, you look right back at them, nod and move on.” He turned to look at me. “You got that?”
Pulling myself together, I straightened my shoulders, looked him in the eye, my gaze steady and strong, nodded and walked past him.
“Perfect,” he said as he regained the lead and opened the door.
In sharp contrast to the vast and static corridors, the room we entered was alive with activity. Catchers, dressed exactly as we were, milled about, some leading in Magical Ones, others engrossed in heated conversations and others still preparing to go out on the chase.
The few Magical Ones that were being led about appeared lifeless. Their eyes were glued to the floor, their backs rounded and the shoulders slumped in resignation.
As disgusted as I was by the sight, I kept my shoulder straight and strong, look in the eyes of every Catcher I passed and carried on. Liam chatted with a few in passing. When he came to a Catcher who had caught not one but two Magical Ones, a young mother and her child, Liam patted him on the back and told him what a good job he’d done.
