Tethered to the World: A Phantom Touched Novel
Page 15
“I am a prey animal.” The petite blond shrugged, completely unconcerned. “Most of the predators feel the same, they just have better control—or fear the consequences of killing one of us.”
The party noise receded as they made their way down by the beach toward a private bonfire, the crowd dissipating until only a small group of people remained. “Lionel!”
Loulou dragged her through the tangle of people, then flung herself at a tall boy at the center without letting go of Annora’s arm.
The guy didn’t hesitate to catch Loulou close, taking in her battered appearance with a swift glance, then pinned Annora under his murderous glare, his eyes turning a brilliant yellow.
Annora tried to discreetly wrench back her arm, and Loulou half stumbled away, stretched between the two of them. The rabbit smiled brightly up at her Lionel, her eyes full of so much love even as she pulled Annora inexplicably closer to him and the jaws of death. “This is my friend Annora. She saved me when Vicki trapped me in the bathroom.”
Annora lifted her free hand and gave Lionel an awkward little wave. “Hey.”
She twisted to escape Loulou’s grip, resisting the urge to use the darkness, and she carefully backed up.
The only sound was of the fire crackling.
“Thank you for rescuing my Loulou.” Lionel gave her a nod, his eyes not missing the gouges on her arms. His nostrils flared, scenting her blood, and the darkness began to swirl around her, little tendrils of smoke risking up from her skin, an instinctive reaction to being injured in the middle of a wolf pack. The light from the campfire dimmed, and it was only when everyone backed up from her, their hands lifted in surrender, that she was able to pull herself out of her downward spiral.
She clenched her hands into fists, inhaling deeply, forcing the darkness back inside, watching as the shadows were ripped away from the human world and wrapped her up in their comforting touch.
“Holy shit. That’s fucking cool.” Loulou gave her a bright smile, not an ounce of fear on her face.
Annora tentatively stepped toward the fire, almost mesmerized by the flames, not wanting to spook the group into running…or attacking. “Where is your sense of self-preservation?”
Lionel sighed while Loulou giggled. “You wouldn’t hurt me.”
She was so sure.
Annora peered at her over the fire. “How do you know?”
Loulou’s eyebrows lifted in surprise as she snuggled up to the wolf who was practically twice her size. “Don’t be silly. Why would you save me if you wanted to hurt me?”
She dragged her wolf closer, the rest of the guys following cautiously, then she blinked adoringly up at Lionel. “I’m thirsty.”
A flick of Lionel’s chin sent one of the guys trudging away to do as bidden, returning a few moments later with two cups. When he offered one to her, Annora smiled at him, making sure her movements were slow. “Thank you.”
As the others settled back around the fire, she glanced at Loulou. “Why did Vicki corner you? And don’t tell me it’s because you’re a prey animal.”
It was more than that.
Hatred burned in the wolf as she held the rabbit at her mercy.
The smile faded from Loulou’s face, and Annora winced at ruining the bunny’s good mood.
“She wants Lionel as part of her pack. Wolves don’t date rabbits.” She gave a negligible shrug. “She wanted to prove a point.”
Annora snorted at the absurdity. “Did she really expect that to work?”
The rest of the campfire fell silent. Loulou’s shoulders drooped, the animation leaving her until she was so subdued that Annora’s heart sank.
“It has in the past.”
But she saw the way Lionel curled himself around the rabbit and pulled her closer, saw the way Loulou sank trustingly against him and gazed up at him adoringly, and Annora’s anger boiled over.
“Don’t tell me I risked my life for nothing.” She glared up at Lionel. “Loulou stood up to a pack of wolves for you.” Then she rolled her eyes at Loulou. “And my guess is he’s strong enough to stand on his own without joining a larger pack. Are you two going to decide to live the life you want or live it the way they want?”
They both gaped at her.
“It’s not that easy,” he murmured.
Annora rolled her eyes. “No, actually it’s simple. You just have to make the decision. Do you want a life with each other or not?”
They didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Then they both glanced at each other in surprise and smiled.
“It won’t be easy, but I think you’ll find it will be worth it.” She would know. She’d lived a life of nothing but servitude, Life was easier if she obeyed. No starvation. No regular beatings. If she had something to live for—someone—she would never let them go.
It would be worth everything she’d been through.
“Annora!” A large shape separated itself from the shadows, and she turned to see Xander storm toward her. The wolves circled around her, and she blinked in surprise.
Xander stopped, his chest expanding as he examined the threat. His eyes swept over her, then stilled in a way no human could duplicate, like a predator right before he pounced. His eyes brightened as he cataloged her injuries, aggression pouring off him. He scanned the rest of the wolves as if debating whether he could take them, then lifted his chin and thrust out his hand. “Come here.”
He would fight for her. Warmth spilled through her at the foolish gesture, not sure how she felt at knowing he would do anything to protect her.
Loulou inched toward her side, her eyes lowered, her small frame practically quivering in fear. “You don’t have to go. We can protect you.”
Xander narrowed his eyes in response, silently refuting Loulou’s promise, but some of the tension in his shoulders eased when the wolves appeared more protective than homicidal.
Annora debated the wisdom of running, not going back with the guys, but she knew her uncle would eventually find her.
She was tired of running.
Tired of being the victim.
Though she hated to admit it, she needed them…at least for now.
Until she was strong enough to stand on her own.
The guys were the lesser of the two evils. But she would be smarter this time, keep her distance. Camden made it abundantly clear that they were not friends, family, or even a team.
She wouldn’t forget that painful lesson.
“It’s fine.” She waved away the wolves, still surprised they’d been willing to stand up for her. “He won’t hurt me.”
“You sure?” Loulou flicked a quick glance at Xander, some of her spunk returning as she crossed her arms, then looked him up and down. “I saw you when you came into the bathroom. You were running from something…or someone.”
Annora couldn’t help but smile at her gutsy friend. It took a lot for her to stand up to Xander. “You might be a rabbit, but you have the heart of a lion. Don’t ever forget it.”
To her surprise, Loulou blushed and ducked her head. “I’ll see you at school, right?”
“I would enjoy that.” Only then did the wolves break circle and gather around the fire once more. Lionel sized up Xander the way one beast would another, judging the threat, then gave the man a small nod of respect.
Xander didn’t wait for goodbyes before sweeping an arm around her and marched her away. Instead of heading back toward the party, he walked her down toward the docks, where the rowdy partiers fled after just one look from him. Then he sat down at the end of the dock, pulling her down next to him. He took her feet in his lap, slipped off her shoes and socks without a word, then placed them in the water.
Moonlight spilled over the calm surface, the music behind them and the murmur of people making her feel like a normal person for once. The current tugged playfully at her feet, the trickle of water calming.
“Danger is stalking the students. People have gone missing. Would you like to tell me why you ran?”
/> Her good mood shattered as he took her to task, and she shrugged. “The truth? I don’t belong here.”
Xander glanced at her and raised a single brow, amusement making his teal eyes shine brightly against the water. “If you hadn’t noticed, none of us on the team belong here. We’re all outcasts.” He skipped a stone against the water. “We’re downright assholes. We’re an unknown quantity to the other shifters.” He sent a quick glance over her shoulder at the students, then his intense gaze slammed into her. “Don’t give up on us yet. We need you as much as you need us.”
Not wanting to continue the conversation, she pulled her feet out of the water, only for him to latch onto her ankles and swing her legs over his thighs. Then his eyes landed on her injuries, a frown pulling at his brows, and he nodded toward them. “Will you let me treat you?”
She glanced down at the claw marks, then shrugged.
He leaned over, scooping up some water, then gently took her arm and trickled it over the cuts. He patiently did it over and over, washing away the blood. Then he frowned and leaned in closer, probing the injuries. “They looked like they started to heal, just enough to stop bleeding, then stopped.”
Annora glanced down then shrugged again. “It never pays to heal too fast in front of my uncle. It’s like asking for another beating…like he didn’t do his job well enough the first time around.”
His mouth tightened, but he didn’t say a word.
He understood.
“Shifters view things differently. They see injuries as a weakness.” He gently lowered her arm. “Are you able to heal fully?”
She bit her lip, debating the wisdom of revealing more about herself to him…to any of them. She glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the partiers, able to sense the otherness from them, and knew Xander was right.
It didn’t matter that she was stronger than the other students and getting stronger by the day, her powers changing and adapting the more she used them. She’d never seen or heard of another of her kind, but heeded her mother’s warning to avoid them, sensing they were an even bigger threat to her than her uncle.
If she wanted to live, she needed to learn the full extent of her abilities.
“I think so, but you’ll need to stand back.” His arms tightened around her legs in protest before he nodded. He dropped his hold, and she pulled her feet back, but he didn’t rise or walk away. Even if she asked, she didn’t think he would move.
They were only inches apart, the heat of him licking against her skin, and she stiffened against the impulse to lean against him. He was commanding and intimidating, and she wanted to curl up against him when she should be afraid.
Knowing he was waiting for her to act, she closed her eyes and allowed the darkness swirling inside her to rise to the surface. It tickled under her skin, and she pushed it outward. Dark particles swarmed around her, settling over her injuries. The tingles spread through her flesh like needles were being slammed into her wounds, burrowing deeper until the particles filled the injuries, slowly merging with her flesh. The pain twisted as the wounds began to stitch shut, her skin slowly smoothing over. The scabs were reabsorbed or fell off, the skin going from an angry red to white and shiny, before that too faded to nothing.
The relief from pain was euphoric, leaving her body feeling almost too tight as it tried to contain her. The darkness vanished with her injuries, and instead of feeling exhausted from the healing, using the darkness invigorated her. Any lingering effects from using her ghosting abilities earlier were gone. She smiled, then glanced up at Xander. “Better?”
How sick was it that she missed the feeling of hovering between pleasure and pain? Missed the way her bruises and aches intensified as they healed, the exhilaration gradually fading.
He lifted his hand and laid a single finger on her unblemished arm, running it from her elbow to wrist. “Amazing.”
She shivered, his husky tone causing the darkness to hum, setting her insides tingling. It took a conscious effort to push away his effect on her, and she pulled away, not liking the way the darkness seemed to reach for him. “Amazing? Why? I’ve seen shifters heal just as fast.”
Surprised blanked his face. “We usually have to shift into our beasts, it takes time, and we still sometimes retain residual injuries. The change itself is taxing. You look…rejuvenated.”
He rose to his feet, then offered her a hand. “We should head back to the others. They’re getting restless.”
Annora lifted her brows, glancing around before slipping her hand in his. “How can you tell?”
He towed her to her feet, then lifted up the phone and tipped it toward her.
Forty-two missed text messages.
Even as she watched, another message popped up from Camden.
I fucked up.
Xander read the screen, then sighed and pocketed the phone. “Camden is an ass. Obviously he said something to upset you, but you should know he couldn’t help it.”
Annora glanced at him from the corner of her eye as they left the dock, already missing the solitude. “What do you mean?”
“He likes you.”
She snorted, then nearly choked on her laugh when he glanced at her without a hint of amusement. “You’re serious?”
“He’s afraid of you getting too close. He’s dated other girls, but his touch always presented a problem. He broke things off before they could get too serious. It only takes one time of almost killing the girl you’re falling in love with to leave scars that won’t heal.” He grabbed her hand and helped her up the hill, squeezing her fingers until she looked up at him. “He’s terrified of you…terrified of getting too close. You have the power to hurt him, and he has no idea how to deal with it.”
Annora wasn’t sure she believed him. While Camden might have been brutal, he didn’t lie.
His words were something she’d needed to hear.
She opened her mouth to ask him a question when a florescent blue light caught her attention. She stopped dead when she saw that the person’s veins seemed to glow. A quick glance showed nearly a dozen people were similarly affected.
Alarm slammed into her, but everyone acted normal, like they didn’t notice anything wrong. “Do you see it?”
Xander stood protectively in front of her, his body tense as he scanned the crowd. “Where?”
She edged around him, easily spotting the altered students. “You don’t see it.”
Confusion swirled in her mind. Some sort of danger must have triggered her to see things from the afterworld, as if the afterworld was somehow seeping into real life, but she couldn’t pinpoint the threat.
“Show me.”
She hesitated, twisting her hands together as she dithered. “I’m not sure—”
“Do it.” He slipped his hand between hers without any qualms.
She clutched at him, debating the wisdom of pulling him farther into her world. The afterworld wasn’t a forgiving place. If anything happened to him, she would never forgive herself.
He squeezed her hand reassuringly, waiting for her to look at him. “This is important.”
Resolve took over his expression. While she knew the team urgently needed a clue to help with the case, she couldn’t help wondering if he’d asked because he wanted to know more about her.
That she was important.
Trusting her instincts, she called up the darkness from where it prowled restlessly inside her, waiting to do her bidding. It wanted to prove to the others that she was someone who deserved to be respected and worshipped.
A trace of dark particles rose from her skin, then swirled down her arms. Xander followed her gaze, and his eyes widened in shock. The tiny strand of dark fog clung to him as it snaked up his arm, curling around him almost possessively, before slipping under his clothes to skate along his skin in a caress.
He shivered, then locked eyes on her, his breathing rough as he pulled her closer. Then she saw the particles slide up his neck like vines, gliding along his jaw before th
ey splashed into his eyes like a puff of dust.
He gasped, his hold tightening as he pulled her into his embrace, ducking his head down to bury his face in her neck. Every muscle in his body tensed, and he grunted as if she were gouging his eyes out.
Horror clawed up her insides, and she shook off his hold, reaching up to cup his face. Tears streamed down his cheeks as she tipped his head up, his unfocused eyes darting back and forth as if he couldn’t focus on anything. A liquid black swirled together with the teal color, and she slipped her hands along the back of his neck to hold him steady.
“Give the shadows a chance to work. I won’t let them hurt you. Focus on me.”
He turned toward her voice, blinking rapidly, then gave a jerky nod. “Aye.”
Whatever he saw held him captivated, leaving her suddenly bashful. Not wanting to examine his reaction more closely, fearful that he was seeing more than she was ready to reveal, she turned his head toward the crowd. “Do you see them?’
He obeyed reluctantly, but instead of letting her escape, he latched onto her fingers, tucking her close to his side, then stilled as he surveyed the students. “They’re…what…how?”
“Think of the darkness as the breath of Hell. You’re seeing into a space between this world and the next, like peeking in a window to the afterworld. You mustn’t stay for long or you’ll become tainted. It will weaken you.”
He glanced at the students, the way their beasts flickered in and out of existence like ghosts superimposed over their human form, a quick flash, then gone. When the creatures caught them looking, they would hiss or roar, but they would all do the same…run in fear to escape her attention.
Then she touched his arm, drawing his attention to the people gathered behind the Mill. “Look.”
An iridescent blue seemed to throb in their veins with every heartbeat. Instead of just a few, more than a dozen shifters were infected…with something. They gathered in the corner, yelling and cheering as they pitted themselves against each other in a vicious fight, as if testing their strength and dominance.
There was something unnatural in their cheers, a malice in their laughter.
They wanted more than blood—they wanted to annihilate each other.