by Kali Willows
Arawn sat on the edge of the bed and leaned in. His striking charcoal orbs caught and held her attention. Warmth trickled down her solar plexus at the invasion of his tender energy, and then she clasped her hand over her eyes with fright. “Where are my glasses?”
He patted the nightstand. “Right here. You didn’t need them while you slept.”
She peeked between her fingers, and he flashed a gentle smile.
“May I?” He motioned to her face.
“Yes.” His aura held gold and orange, kindness and fierce protectiveness, a vision she could live with for the moment.
He leaned closer and checked her eyes then retreated. “Don’t be alarmed, but I want to call Sage.”
“Why?”
“Your pupils are severely dilated. I can hardly see any of your spectacular blue.” He forced the corners of his mouth back. “Maybe too much of Sage’s herbs? It could explain the headache.”
“I feel like I got run over by a train,” she confessed. “But I’ve been having these headaches for weeks. This is the worst one yet.”
Kane approached them with a steaming cup in his hand. “We’re fresh out of IV bags. Hope this is okay.”
Trinity sat up and accepted the warm mug.
“I took a guess…double cream, double sugar?” He grinned. “If not, I can make another one.” Kane’s aura emanated gold and green, another beautiful energy she could handle with ease.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to come across as so bitchy. This is perfect, thanks.” She blew against the steamy brew and sipped a mouthful. Sweet and creamy, the taste of perfection. She swallowed, and a hostile reaction took hold. Her stomach churned. “This may not be such a good idea after all.” She gripped the cup with disappointment. “Damn, it tasted good.”
“It’s okay, princess.” Arawn patted her hand. “After Sage’s herbal roofie, I found myself pretty disoriented, too.”
Trinity giggled, and then winced at the sudden escalation of pain in her head.
“We need to get Sage, now.” Arawn took her cup and placed it on the table. He eased her back and settled her pillow around her head with gentle movements.
She let her eyelids flutter closed, but it seemed like she’d just drifted off when a knock at the door startled her awake.
Kane opened the door and let Sage and Cemil into the villa.
“Hey.” Cemil took a few steps, and then halted. He gripped Sage’s arm and stared at Trinity, his face paling. He cringed and then shook his head. His knuckles whitened around his walkie-talkie.
“What is it?” Sage rubbed his shoulder as lines of concern fanned out from her bright eyes.
Trinity sat up and patted her face then smoothed back her hair. Surely she couldn’t be that hideous in the morning? “What’s wrong?”
“The pain.” Cemil shook his head and shivered.
“It’s really bad?” Sage’s confusion alarmed Trinity.
“What’s going on?” She winced again, agony rippling through her brain, and she dropped back onto her pillow. She grabbed the glasses from her bedside table and eased them on with shaking fingers. “I can’t tune anything out.”
The siblings approached the bed, and Sage sat at her side.
“Did you overdose her with the herbs?” Arawn stood on the opposite side of the bed, his voice low and serious.
“No, this isn’t herbal. Something is wrong.” Sage took her hand. “Tell us what you remember.”
Trinity searched her foggy brain. “Tea, salad, stone, wings—” She jolted. “My blabbermouth!” Her unfiltered confession whirled through her head. “I never meant to….”
“It’s forgotten, don’t stress.” Kane nodded, his lips pressed tight. “We didn’t hear a word, I promise.”
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t block it or push it aside. “I can’t take it. You’re all afraid, worried for me. It’s too much.” She curled into the fetal position and wailed. “Please, go away.”
“Sage, I need you to have Trixie and Serena meet us at the hot springs, right away,” Cemil muttered.
“I’m on it.” She jumped up from the bed and snagged the handheld radio from his grasp.
“Arawn, I can’t touch her right now. The overload is like a shockwave, and I’m just standing beside her. I need you two to get her to the hot springs, right away.”
“You got it.” Arawn bent down and scooped her up into his arms.
Cemil held the door open for them. “I’ll go meet with Rekkus and Cyrus. There’s something big going on here, and we need to figure out what it is.
Chapter Six
Arawn cradled Trinity in the backseat as Kane drove the golf cart. This exquisite creature suffered terribly, and he was powerless to stop it. If he could switch places with her to save her from the pain, he would in a heartbeat.
She clamped her hands on the sides of her head and trembled violently. His heart sank, and his chest ached for her.
“Please, don’t worry,” she begged.
“Everything will be okay,” he hushed her.
“No, I mean stop thinking. I can’t take it,” she wailed.
“What do I do?” His helplessness amplified.
“Close your eyes. Let your mind empty….” She widened her eyes. “I can’t take the worry.”
“You’ve got it, princess.” Arawn closed his eyes and worked to still his thoughts. Impossible. I can’t not worry for her. The more he tried, the harder she shook. “I’m sorry, I’m trying.”
Kane pulled to a stop at the hot springs. Arawn planted his feet and rose carefully with her in his arms. At the edge of the water stood Serena, the resident mermaid, and Trixie, the half fae who instructed yoga and relaxation for the guests on the island.
“Get her into the water,” Trixie called to them as she waded in.
Serena followed and dove under. She emerged, and a multi-colored fin splashed the surface, replacing the legs she had just walked on.
Arawn carried Trinity into the springs. The heat of the natural pool enveloped him up to his waist. Glancing down at the woman in his arms, the urge to kiss her forehead caught him off guard, as did his need to keep her close.
“You’re sweet, but I still can’t take it.” She peered up at him then cupped his cheek with a shaky hand.
“What?” The kiss or the caring? I hope to Hades it’s not the kiss.
“You carried me all the way here, and you want to kiss my head, too. It’s charming, you big lug.”
Arawn grinned. “My pleasure, ma’am.” Thank Hades it’s not the thought of a kiss she dreads.
“We’ve got her.” Trixie and Serena eased her from his grasp.
“Can we stay with her?” he protested.
Kane joined him in the water.
“We’ve got this.” Serena offered a smooth but stern voice. “Besides, Rekkus and Cyrus want to see you both right away.”
“But—”
Trinity’s hand to his cheek made him hesitate.
“Please, do as she says.”
“What will you do with her?” Kane’s voice cracked.
“We need to get her relaxed first,” Trixie answered in a calm tone.
Serena supported her and guided her as she floated on her back toward the falls. “Close your eyes. Can you feel anymore thoughts right now?”
“No.” A tremored giggle erupted from her. “By the gods, it’s stopped.”
For the first time since she awoke this morning, she smiled and didn’t flinch in pain. Relief washed over Arawn at the magical transformation.
Trixie stepped into his line of sight. “Cemil stopped in before you got here and asked me to do some hypnotherapy. He said she’s missing pieces of her memory?”
“From what she…uh…admitted last night”—in her herbal daze—“parts about her parents’ deaths. She was only six, but she said she can’t remember her uncle’s death. I don’t know anything about it.”
Ka
ne cleared his throat. “She said she’s forgotten and misplaced things for weeks—headaches, nightmares, waking visions of death. She doesn’t understand it.” He furrowed his brows. “She thinks she’s lost her mind.”
“Yeah,” Arawn agreed, his buddy having jarred his recall of the details she had disclosed. “She said her mother went crazy and killed Trinity’s father and then herself. She said her mother was an empath and banshee, and it drove her mad.”
“And,” Kane continued. “She couldn’t recall anything after dinner in the hall until she woke up this morning.”
Trixie’s eyes widened. “How long ago?”
“At least two hours before we put her to bed.” Arawn’s gaze dropped to his floating angel. “She didn’t talk much more. She was pretty out of it.”
“Thank you both. Your information is very helpful. I need to find out why she has memory loss. It may explain the severe pain and how besieged she is.”
His feet sat heavy on the sand like piers of concrete—he had no will to move away from her.
“Will she be okay?” “We’ll get her settled, I’m sure she’ll be fine. The water seems to have helped already. Go, now.” Trixie patted him on the chest. “We’ll take good care of her. Once we’re finished, we will meet you back at the Haus.”
Kane shook his head. “If there is trouble on the island, we can’t leave you here alone.”
“Cemil has already sent for more security. They’re on their way. Hang out at the water’s edge until they arrive, but I don’t want her to see you right now. We need her complete focus.”
Arawn followed Kane to the underwater ledge farthest from where the women worked with Trinity.
They stood in silence as he watched from afar, devastated that the women got to stay with her when he couldn’t. They held her and talked to her. The anguish of not being close enough to hear what they said jabbed icicles of bitter envy through his veins. Not a demigod who gave in to the need of prayer, Arawn contemplated any potential benefit to Trinity if he murmured a few words to whichever deity might be listening. Hell, he’d sell his soul back to his own father if it meant saving her, regardless of the endless suffering he knew awaited him there. Days ago, his life was satisfactory, having never known Trinity. Now, the prospect of her not surviving this caused his gut to churn with terror at the very thought of losing her. Although he had an acute need to protect her, she wasn’t helpless. The power her slightest smile had on him was mindboggling.
The softest growl from his buddy beside him roused him from his state of self-pity. He had become so consumed with the banshee goddess, he hadn’t even paused to consider how Kane felt about the situation. Protecting the innocent was his best friend’s genetic coding. As much as Arawn felt like he’d failed her, Kane, for sure, would take the inability to shield her from harm even harder.
“How you doin’, partner?” He nudged Kane’s arm.
“It’s not me I’m worried about.” The soft rumble of his buddy rattled him. His friend stood and folded his arms tight across his chest.
It would seem she’s managed to get under more than just my skin.
In all their years of friendship and comradery in service, he had never witnessed Kane fixate on any woman except the one human he saved before they joined the force. The same woman who shattered his heart when she screamed bloody murder and ran from him as if he were the devil incarnate.
Once security arrived, Arawn and Kane left the golf cart for the girls and jogged back to the Haus. Arawn appreciated the physical outlet. Tension and worry strained every muscle in his body, despite the cold, wet clothes which clung to his skin from wading into the hot springs with Trinity. The vision of her in so much pain and both of them being so helpless to shield her in any way, traumatized him. It was a far cry from the protection they offered as Para Elite Forces men.
Never in his existence, even in the Underworld, had Arawn felt so powerless as a protector. Even when he crusaded against his namesake, his father, standing for what was right rather than his birthright of war and revenge. The epic battle had been easy as pie compared to this. Then again, in those circumstances, he’d known exactly who the enemies were and could determine what action would readily be needed. He rubbed his sternum as the memories stabbed through his head and straight down to the scars over his chest and arms.
They ran at a moderate pace along the beaten path of the forest. The fresh scent of greenery filled his nose with each inhale. The wind rustled the leaves and the breeze brushed his skin, cooling the beads of perspiration along his face and neck.
“Arawn?” Kane called to him as they jogged.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“You think she’s gonna be okay?” Kane slowed his pace and then halted.
Arawn stopped and spun around to face him. He bent over and rubbed his thighs as he caught his breath. “I hope so.”
“You’re as scared as I am, aren’t you?” Kane set his hands on his hips and twisted his upper torso from side to side in long stretches.
“Yeah, I hated to see her in so much pain, it….”
“Broke my heart, too,” Kane finished his exact thought.
Arawn took a leap of faith and confided in his best friend. “We both seem to have some strong feelings for her.”
Kane nodded. “I can’t understand how I managed to fall so hard for her in such a short span of time.”
“You and me both, brother.” Arawn raked his fingers through his hair. “This is kind of a first for us,” he prodded. “If you want me to stay away…?”
“I planned to offer the same thing to you.” He cracked a grin. “I mean, if you think she’s into your ugly mug.”
“Nice.” Arawn snorted. His amusement dissipated quickly. “How do you think she’d feel about…?” He couldn’t bring himself to entertain the thought, not while she suffered so.
“I think it’s fair to say, there’s a connection with the three of us, I mean, I can feel it.” Kane patted his shoulder. “It’s new territory for you and me, for sure. It wouldn’t feel right if only one of us had her to ourselves.”
“You think she’d be into both of us?” Arawn tilted his head with surprise. “I mean, she did make the comment about us….”
“Tucking her in together. Yeah. I caught it, too.” Kane bit his bottom lip.
The fact this possibility didn’t trigger the severe jealous streak he’d experienced earlier at the mere thought the danger could have been an ex of Trinity’s baffled him. A bizarre comfort came with the thought of sharing her with Kane. Not Arawn’s norm, and he and his buddy were both straight with no inclination toward romance with one another. Share was not a word he used often. Hell, even the suggestion of splitting a meal with the big guy was enough to spark competition between the lifelong friends.
“It’s a possibility, but I have to put it out there if there’s even a remote chance she might be interested.” Kane smirked.
“Go on,” he challenged.
“If we ever have a chance to get together with her, it’s about her…not….” Kane motioned back and forth between them both.
“Whoa, yeah. That’s a given, dude.” Arawn grimaced. “Even if I were into guys, which I’m not, let’s be clear”—he shuddered at the notion—“I couldn’t handle your hideous mug naked.” The subtle jab eased some of his tension and brought him to a chuckle.
“To be honest”—Kane’s smile faded—“I don’t know if I could take the rejection. I’ve never met anyone like her before.”
“She’s under my skin, too. I thought being in the forces would reduce the temptation to fall for a woman. Then she landed…right on top of me.” Arawn scrubbed his face at the recollection of her arrival in the portal room.
The heat of her body against his, the sweetness of her breath brushing over his lips. It had taken every ounce of self-control not to claim her as his own, right there in the middle of the floor. The awareness of the boss man, Rekkus, who stood right
there, had been the only thing holding him back from his primal impulses.
Neither of them spoke the rest of the way back. The strain on Kane’s face at the cabin and the water had been unmistakable. Their talk confirmed it. They had both fallen, hard for this flaxen beauty.
Kane had been by his side since the battle of Annwn and never had Arawn seen him so shaken by another’s pain. Something was seriously wrong here, and they both sensed it.
Arawn held the door open to the Haus for his buddy and followed him in.
“Good morning, gentlemen.” Myron sat at the front desk and flipped her cards. “They’re all in the office, waiting for you.”
When they entered the room, Rekkus and Cyrus stood in the corner in deep conversation. Sarka, Cemil, and Sage huddled around the desk. Arawn cleared his throat to announce their presence.
“Come on in. We need to talk.” Rekkus waved them over.
“What’s the news?” Kane folded his arms over his chest.
“Did you sit watch over the villa last night while she slept, Kane?” Rekkus approached him, his teeth clenched tight.
“I did, from the moment we got her back until after sunrise.”
“Did you sense anything out of the ordinary?” Cyrus joined them.
“I can’t describe it.” Kane paused. “At the dinner hall, there was a hint, for a moment, of something, but I couldn’t smell, hear, or see where it came from, and it disappeared as quickly as it showed up. Last night on the rooftop, I saw and heard nothing. Even my radar for dark energy didn’t pick up any indication of anything out of the ordinary, but I felt kind of dazed, almost like a daydream.”
The fair-haired Rowan brother stepped toward Kane and held out his open palm. “May I?”
“Sure.” Kane accepted.
Cemil held his hand and closed his eyes for a moment then sucked in a sharp inhale. “Trance-like?” He opened his eyes and released his grip.
“Yeah, I would say tranced was pretty much how it felt.”
“If even you couldn’t sense anything, we have a serious problem.” Rekkus dropped his head back and heaved a sigh layered with frustration. “How are we supposed to protect her?”
