“I’m so—so .” My teeth chattered.
He sighed.
“I know, Em. That’s why we’ve covered you up as much as we could.”
I realized the space between his hand and my head was a woolen hat, and that I was under heaps of blankets. I was also wearing gloves and thick socks, but still the cold came onto me. I looked up at his eyes warily.
“I’ll fix you. I promise. Do you trust me?”
“Of course I trust you.” What a silly question.
“Then I’ll see you when we get home.”
A spasm of panic shot through me as I thought he was leaving, but he only reached out his hand and touched my forehead. Then everything was black again.
****
Black. That is all that I can see—black. And no
matter what I did to try and break it, there was no light. I started to panic, unable to see any source of the light I desired. And then there was the cold. The frigid, uncomforting cold that pushed down on me from all sides. I felt a thick blanket at my feet and lay down on the floor, wrapping myself up in it. It became a sort of cocoon, but the cold still broke through the blanket.
So I tried to trick my mind into thinking I was warm, that I was lying in the summer sun. But then the sun died, and it was still black, still cold. . . What was I supposed to do to break it? To have light and warmth?
This is a dream . The thought brought only slight comfort. Still lying in the cocoon, I worked to force myself awake. I squeezed my eyes shut. When I open my eyes, they will be truly open, and I’ll be awake. I’ll be home with Zach. And it will be warm. . . and bright.
I kept them tightly closed, shoving the wish deeper and deeper in my consciousness. I took a deep breath, and then opened my eyes. I was in his arms.
“Zach?”
He looked down at me and sighed.
“You’re awake,” he breathed. He kissed my head.
“How are you feeling?”
“Warmer, but. . . but I don’t know what
happened.”
“Louisa said it was La’veer that made you sick,
Em. The cold was the only thing she could find that
attacked your system.”
“But—But Lucas drugged me, Zach.”
“I know,” he sighed, “but it was gone. That was
just to subdue you, it wasn’t to sedate you.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded.
“Louisa said it was completely gone out of your
system, except for the remnant she found. It was only to
stop you from escaping.”
“Which would have happened if I hadn’t gotten
away. I—”
“Emma, your parents’ house is warm. The sudden
change in temperature didn’t do you any good.” “Are you sure? Are you sure he didn’t do this?” “I’m sure, Em. I promise Adler didn’t do this to
you. He just put you in the cold.”
I pushed myself up so sit, and Zach copied me.
We were alone.
“Where is everyone?”
“Downstairs eating lunch. Our family is here, and
so is Mr. Monroe. When I came to get you, I had to
make sure they came, too. Adler isn’t going to be happy
you escaped.”
“But he can get back in here, Zach,” I reminded,
panic in my voice and surely in my eyes.
He shook his head, causing me to look at him
curiously.
“Horatio found out how to fix it, Em. It took him
an hour just to say the spell, and then he had to have
Galaxia, Mab, and Louisa help him with the Magic.” “It’s fixed?” I gasped. “When?”
“When you got home. Louisa made sure you’d be
okay if she left, and then went out back. Your mom
didn’t leave your side.”
“Is she okay? Everyone—”
“They’re fine, Emma. Vera is, too.”
I felt relieved.
“Good. I was worried about her.”
“She told us what happened, Emma. Why the hell
didn’t you leave, too?”
“I had to stop him,” I whispered, “and if I’d left,
he would’ve just found us.”
“Then he would have been faced with the entire
Council and us! We would have stopped him.”
I shook my head.
“You don’t know that. People could have been
hurt.”
“And what about you?” he asked, slightly angry. “I didn’t mean for him to get me, Zach. And I
didn’t mean for him to make e2 dark. He kept his hand
on my scar and I couldn’t breathe.”
“That bastard,” Zach muttered angrily, looking
away.
I touched his face, having him look back at me. “I’ll be fine,” I promised. “I’m with you now. I’m
home. Fixed.” I took a breath. “Everything will be okay.” He swallowed, but nodded. He didn’t seem
convinced, so I kissed him.
“Everything will be okay,” I whispered. He nodded, and leant up to kiss my forehead. “As soon as we kill him.”
I nodded now.
“Zach, Lucas knows you’re related.”
His brow furrowed.
“Did he say how?”
“All he said was ‘I know who my family is.’ He
thinks he’s going to be able to take you from me.” “He’s delusional, Em. I am never going to leave
you. I’m going to kill him, and we’ll never have to worry
about it again.”
“Go ahead,” I breathed. “I’d rather I never see
him again.”
I could tell he wanted to say something on the
matter, but instead he said Louisa was on her way up. “How long have I been out, Zach?” I asked
nervously.
He shook his head.
“Only a day, Em. You don’t have to worry.” “Worry? Zach, things could have gone so much
worse.”
He kissed my head.
“You’re home now, and that’s what matters.” A knock on our door pulled us apart, and then I
was being hugged by my mother. She had tears in her
eyes.
“I’m fine, Mom,” I whispered. “I’m okay.” “He hurt you, Emma. He keeps trying to take you
away from us.”
“He won’t be able to, Rachel. I promise.” She looked over at Zach, and nodded. Jessie
hugged me, as did Clara, and then Louisa was by my
side.
“How are you feeling, Emma? Any pain?” I shook my head.
“No, no pain. I feel fine, Louisa.”
She put her hand against my head.
“Well, your fever broke.”
I stared at her, then at Zach.
“What fever?”
“You caught one when you came back here,”
Mom said quietly, standing at the end of the bed with
Jess and Clara. “We tried everything, but it wouldn’t
break.”
I looked back at Zach.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I don’t want you to worry.”
Louisa looked back at me.
“You are healthy, Emma, but please let me know
if you feel ill, all right?”
I nodded and she left. Soon Mom, Clara, and Jess
left, so I was left with Zach. Of course that was fine, that
was what I wanted. We were both silent, me picking
lightly at the knit afghan lying over the comforter. A
slight twinge of pain came back, and I pulled my legs up
to my chest, hugging them and placing my forehead on
my knees. I closed my eyes.
“Em? What’s wrong?”
Zach’s hand touched my head
and I looked up at
him. The tears in my eyes made him move closer,
panicking.
“Emma? Emma, please—”
“I couldn’t do anything, Zach!” I said through the
tears. “Nothing! I couldn’t stop him from touching my scars, I couldn’t stop him from taking the sun away! I
was powerless and I hate it!”
Zach pulled me to him, holding me.
“I am so sorry, Em, I want to help you. I want to
fix this.” I leaned back and looked at him. He sighed.
“You look so broken,” he whispered.
He pulled me close and kissed me, holding me to
him tightly as he moved his lips over mine. I wrapped
my arms around him, urging the current forward. Soon I
was pressed between Zach and the bed, holding him as
close to me as I could.
I warmed. I had been so cold, but Zach has always
been so warm. But soon I had no breath left, and I pulled
my lips from Zach’s. He looked at me, his eyes lighter
than they had been before, and rolled to his side. He
tucked me against his side, holding me close. He
wrapped a blanket around my back singlehandedly. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“You don’t have to thank me. I don’t want you to
be in pain.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
“His mind has become so evil since we first met
him. So much more.”
“I won’t let him hurt you like that again, Em.” “I won’t, either.”
“I wish I could help you,” he whispered. “I hate
seeing you in pain, and I can feel how cold you are.” “I’m warmer than I was, Zach.”
“But not as warm as you were before he took you
away. He broke you,” he said furiously.
“And you fixed me. Zach,” I sighed, “you made
sure I wasn’t broken anymore.”
Zach rotated, half-hovering over me.
“You are still broken.” He held my face with his
right hand. “Your eyes are so weak.”
I looked away, but he moved my face back to face
his, holding my eyes with his.
“Don’t lie to me, Em. What’s wrong?”
My eyes watered slightly and I shook my head. “Something was wrong. Something is wrong and
I can’t figure out what it is, Zach. He wasn’t himself; he
wasn’t that manipulative bastard he always has been. He
kept—he kept saying he wasn’t going to kill me. But
what’s that supposed to mean? He hates me, I know he
does, he proved that when he used my Magic, but flatout saying, ‘I won’t let you die’. . . I don’t understand and
it’s driving me crazy.”
Zach frowned.
“He said that?”
“Yes.”
“He was trying to trick you,” Zach assumed. “If
you’re less on-guard, it’s easier for him to hurt you.
Which he did.”
“He didn’t hurt me because I was off-guard. I was
completely aware and I called him out on what he said.
He just said he doesn’t want to die, so he’s not going to
kill me.”
“Using your Magic could have damn-well killed
you!” Zach very nearly shouted.
“I know. H-He said he wouldn’t have let that
happen.” I swallowed.
“Don’t dwell on it. You need to build up your
strength after the cold, and then the fever. . .”
I frowned, remembering that he had not told me
of the fever when I woke. Zach saw the slight irritation
in my eyes and he stroked my head with his hand. “We were afraid it wasn’t going to break,” he said
gently. “You kept shaking. We knew you were still
freezing, but we had to break the fever, so we took all the
blankets except the quilt off. But I held you.” Zach rolled
to his back, pulling me to him again. “I tried to make you
well again, but nothing I did would help. Not even the
current.”
“You must have done something right,” I
murmured, wrapping my arm around his chest, resting
my head on it, as I closed my eyes. “I’m awake, and I’m
not—I’m not sick anymore.”
“No,” he responded, kissing my head, “you aren’t.
Emma, I will keep you safe. No one is going to hurt you
anymore. Not while I’m here.”
I held onto Zach tighter, causing him to do the
same with me.
“Please don’t leave,” I whispered, opening my
eyes. “Please don’t ever leave me. I couldn’t bear it if you
left; it would kill me.”
“I won’t leave you, I swear to you. But I need the
same promise from you.”
I looked up at him, seeing him looking down at
me. I pushed myself up and kissed his cheek, resting my
head near his.
“I promise.”
Desperate Times Call for War
Everyone was happy that I was awake and well. I
learned that my whole family, including Mr. Monroe but excluding my aunt and uncle (who were working in an underground research facility and were therefore safe), is here, staying in the next hall. I felt reassured after learning that; Lucas cannot harm them here.
Night had fallen, and Zach never let go of me. I’m sure he was afraid Lucas would manage to get me again. Part of me must have been, as well, for my sleep was riddled with nightmares.
Lucas’s actions against me on La’veer were eating away at me. I kept replaying him using my Magic, and it was so real that I could feel his hands on me and feel the Magic being used. Sometimes, he would throw me off the roof of his house, and I’d wake, shaking against Zach.
He had to be stopped.
****
I didn’t fall back asleep after around three thirty;
my head was racing with too many thoughts. I continued to lie in Zach’s arms, ignoring the pain from my scars that had resulted from those nightmares.
Zach’s left arm was wrapped around my shoulders and I kept winding and unwinding my fingers through his. I did this until the sun had been up for nearly an hour. When my stomach started growling I decided it was time to get up. I hadn’t eaten in nearly a week, I realized.
As carefully as I could, I moved Zach’s arm off of me and made to climb out of bed. I felt Zach jump and then his hand shot out and grabbed my arm, holding me back.
I looked back at him.
“Zach? What’s wrong?”
“Where d’you think you’re going?”
I frowned.
“Breakfast. My stomach’s finally woken up; I
haven’t eaten in nearly a week and it stared growling. I just didn’t want to wake you.” I watched him, moving back closer to him. “Everything’s fine, Zach.”
He sat up, still not letting go of me.
“I just don’t want him to get you again.” “Zach, he won’t. Horatio fixed the Barrier,
remember? We’re safe.”
“I remember, but that’s not the only way he can
get to you.”
I sighed.
“I know, but my Barriers are stronger, now. I’ve
been building them back up. I can’t risk him getting me
again.”
“I can’t, either,” he said, looking at my eyes. “D’you want to go downstairs? I need to check
with the Council for the news and get some breakfast.” He nodded, climbing out of bed with me. I was
surprised when I didn’t stumble. In fact, I felt very
strong. Whole. When I knew Zach wasn�
��t looking, I
looked down at my scars, sure that my Galaxies had
something to do with my healing.
We both Magic-Changed, and then he took my
hand as we headed out.
“Em, Zach, wait up!” said Jessie, running after
me.
We turned around. “Hey, Jess.”
“Hey. Going down to the den?”
We started walking and I nodded.
“Yep, news. Breakfast.”
“Same here.”
We came into the fire-lit den in a matter of
minutes. Galaxia, Mab, Louisa, and Horatio are sitting
around a table. They looked up at the sound of us
coming.
“Good morning,” said Louisa. “How are you
feeling, Emma?”
“Better.”
“Any news?” Jess asked.
Horatio told us, “No, none yet. Turn it on.” We sat on the couch, but before we could turn on
the wall television, it blurred into a picture. The four of
them looked, simultaneously, over to the wall and
watched as we did. Lucas’s face fizzed into view, though
it looked as if this were previously taped. I scowled. “Your act last night was incredibly foolish,
Emma. I told you that your Galaxies would never be rid
of me, and I’m going to make sure they know it. I am
going to destroy your cities, your precious Galaxies,” he
said, his voice the same as always when he mentioned
my Galaxies. “I’m starting with Capitol City on Theve.
If you don’t come, I will only murder more. If you come.
. . Well, you know how our game of leverage goes. I will
burn Capitol City to the ground with everyone you care
for in it. Don’t think I won’t.”
His face disappeared, and I swallowed thickly. “Em?” asked Jessie, looking at me.
“We have to go,” I whispered.
“Emma, are you out of your mind? He’ll take you
again!”
“No, he won’t, Jessie. He’s not going to win. I am
not going to let him win!”
“Em—” Zach started.
“Emma, I happen to agree with Jessica. He will
try to take you again,” interrupted Galaxia.
“That’s exactly my point, Galaxia! He’ll try! But
he won’t win.”
“We have to go!” Zach shouted, jumping up. “We
have to finish this today! I can’t let him keep hurting
her.”
“I agree with them,” Mab cut in. “Emma is right:
Adler will not win. We should not underestimate her,
Galaxia. You’ve seen what she can do when she puts her
Starlight (The Lightning Strike Trilogy Book 1) Page 28
