Scornful Sadie

by Felicia Tatum

  Chapter Twenty-Two-Truths And Tears

  “Aiden,” I said gently. We stood inside the room, our bodies pressed close. Resting my hand on his chest, I felt his heart beating beneath his shirt. “I have to tell you something.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “I’m going to Clorva as soon as I figure out my deepest secret. It’ll probably be tomorrow.”

  “Sade,” he said, shaking his head. He laid his hand over mine. “You can’t.”

  “I don’t know if I’ll come back,” I admitted. “I want you to know I care, and if I don’t survive this, please take care of yourself. Don’t put yourself in more danger than you need to. Have Mark or Grandma wipe your memories of me. I don’t want you to hurt over me.”

  “Sade,” he growled. His mouth was on mine before my name was completely past his lips. He kissed me fiercely, using his whole body to show his passion. Flush against him, I felt every inch of his muscled body as he moved his lips against mine.

  Pulling back, I left my eyes closed and leaned against his forehead. “I’m serious, Aiden. I have to know you’ll be ok. I can’t go into this worrying you’ll do something stupid because I’m gone.”

  “You aren’t going to die,” he said sternly. “Stop talking like that.”

  “I might,” I said. “I’m being real here. I got lucky killing Wolfe. If he hadn’t been flirting with me, I don’t know if I could have caught him off guard like that.”

  “You could have,” he reassured me. “I know you could have.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “Sade,” he said. His eyes welled with tears and he clenched his eyes shut. “I can’t imagine a life without you.”

  His words struck me deep. My own tears fell and he wrapped his strong arms around me. We stood there, crying, until no more tears would come. My face was red and streaked, his the same, but it didn’t matter. None of it mattered.

  A knock disrupted us, and I groaned. “I forgot to cloak us so they couldn’t find the room.”

  “You can do that?” he asked. He looked a little proud.

  I nodded. “Too late now,” I sighed. Walking to the door, I opened it to find Grandma looking enraged.

  “Sadie Mae, we have to talk,” she spat. She waltzed past me, stopping in the center of the room with her hands on her hips. “I didn’t say anything in front of the others, but I heard what you said to Bram. You’d see him in Clorva. Care to explain that to me?”

  Gulping, I shut the door. “I don’t think it really needs explaining, Grandma. It pretty much speaks for itself.”

  “You’re not unlocking that place,” she stated.

  “I have to,” I responded. “You can’t stop me.”

  “Sadie,” she said. She wasn’t as angry this time, her voice more concerned than pissed. “Why are you doing this?”

  Flinging my arm out in the direction of the door, I yelled, “Did you not see the destruction down there? Do you really think they’ll stop? I have to lead them away from all of you. How long until they figure out where Santos is, or Scott and Liv? I refuse to live in fear and let them hold that power over me, Grandma. I have the ability to send them to another realm, and I’m going to do it.”

  She blinked several times, seemingly fighting back tears. “But Sadie, you’ll go, too.”

  I nodded. “I know.”

  Aiden came to my side, holding me close. “I told her she can do this, Anna. I believe in her. You didn’t see how she killed that Wolfe guy. She was amazing. I absolutely believe she can destroy these people.”

  She stood there shaking her head, not speaking.

  “Besides,” I said. “I read that not everyone got out of Clorva, Grandma. No one knows how time works there. What if people have been stuck there all this time? Don’t they deserve someone to come in and help?”

  “They’ve wouldn’t have survived all this time,” she relayed. “There’s no way.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe not, but it’s not settling well with me. I’m going to check when I go.”

  Her eyes closed, and I saw her chest heaving as she fought to control her emotions. “Sadie,” she said softly. “I’m really proud of you.”

  Smiling at her admission, I rushed to her and hugged her neck. “I love you, Grandma.”

  “Listen to Aiden,” she said, rubbing her hand up and down my back. “You can do this. Don’t go into it willing to die. You are Sadie Tabors, the Dark Sorceress. If anyone can do this, it’s you.”

  Grandma always seemed to know what I’d do, how my mind worked, before I told her. “Ok,” I sighed. “I’ll try.”

  She pulled back, gripping my face in her palms. “No, Sadie, you will not try. You will succeed. You have to be positive and decide this now. Do you understand?”

  I nodded. “Ok. I will succeed.”

  “You have to. You contained Bram, you killed Wolfe. You’re so strong and so powerful, Sadie. I want you to believe in yourself,” she said. Smoothing my hair back, she then caressed my cheek. “Do you know when you’re doing this?”

  I shook my head. “I haven’t figured out what my deep secret is, yet.”

  She looked between Aiden and me, then her eyes twinkled. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  “Eventually,” I chuckled. “I’m gonna try.”

  “Relax tonight, Sadie. Enjoy time with Aiden, with your friends. You can do this tomorrow.”

  “Ok,” I agreed. “Grandma…if I don’t get to see you before I unlock this place, I want to thank you. You taught me everything I know about sorcery. You’ve always been there for me, and I really appreciate it. You believed in me when no one else did. I promise I’ll do everything I can to destroy these sorcerers so no one else has to deal with this.”

  Her eyes welled with tears and she nodded. Placing a kiss on my forehead, she walked away, stopping to hug Aiden. I knew this was the last time I’d see her before this journey. Once I unlocked Clorva, I had no idea what would happen, but the sinking in my gut told me I wouldn’t have time to say goodbye.

  As I watched her go, I wrapped my arms around my stomach and let the tears fall as soon as she was gone. Aiden rushed to my side, catching me before I fell, and held me while I cried. I cried for Tarann, I cried for the innocents who were gone downstairs, I cried for Sebastian, I cried for the journey I knew would change me forever.

  I cried for Aiden. He wasn’t mine, and I’d known that for so long, yet I wanted him. I wanted him so very badly, and my feelings for him were embedded in my soul. If this was what it felt like when he wasn’t my heart mate, what would a heart mate love feel like?

  Once the tears subsided, I laid my head on his chest, allowing his heartbeat to soothe me.

  “Sade,” he whispered.

  “Yeah?”

  “I have to tell you something.”

  Tensing, I pulled away to look at him. “Ok.”

  “I,” he stared, but was interrupted by a knock.

  Mel yelled from the other side. “Sadie! Let us in!” She continued to pound on the door.

  I held one finger up. “Hold that thought.”

  Jumping to my feet, I dashed to the door and opened it. Mel and Tessi stood there, waiting impatiently.

  “Finally,” Mel groaned. She let herself in, dragging Tessi behind her. “Anna just told us you’re up here saying goodbyes.”

  “No,” I said. “Not really.”

  “Listen, Sadie,” Mel started in her scolding voice. “You can go do your Dark Sorceress stuff and you can go save the world, but you are not allowed to die. You didn’t say that was an option when you revealed your plans, and we’re here to tell you it’s not. You aren’t allowed. You just aren’t. You’re one of my best friends, and I won’t lose you.” Mel had a tough shell, but deep down she was loyal and a great friend. She wouldn’t cry, but I saw the emotions playing on her face.

  “Mel,” I said. Taking her hand, I guided her to sit down. “I won’t lie, I did originally think I was going to die. A
nd let’s be honest, it’s a possibility. But it was a possibility all those times I fought evil all over the US, too. Danger doesn’t come without consequences, but I promise you I will watch my back. I’ll do what I have to do and find a way back.”

  “You don’t know how to come back?” Tessi asked. She sat on the other side of me.

  Taking her hand, I shook my head. “No. I know how to unlock it, and I suspect that I won’t find out more until I’m there. I’ve read up on it. We know about the Sorcerer Wars, and we know all of the Six were resurrected. I don’t think I’ll be able to find out more information until I visit Clorva.”

  “Can I go with you?” Mel asked.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The prophecy doesn’t say anything about others.”

  Tessi squeezed my hand in hers. “Sadie. I’ve seen you destroy vampires, fae, and unbound beings like it was nothing. You killed Wolfe without even really thinking about it. This will be a piece of cake.”

  They leaned in, their heads resting on my shoulders. We didn’t speak. I didn’t say goodbye. Even if I did die in this new realm, I wouldn’t say goodbye. Going into a battle with the mindset of death wasn’t a good strategy.

  Negativity and all those bad vibes aren’t good for a winning attitude.

  They left soon after, Tessi fighting back tears and Mel looking unsure about leaving me. I shooed them away because I wanted time with Aiden before I figured out what my deep secret was.

  Bram said I had to accept it, reveal it, but to who? How did I accept a secret? Wasn’t it a secret for a reason? His words replayed through my mind, but I still didn’t understand.

  “What is it?” Aiden asked. He sat beside me, studying me intently.

  “How do I accept my deepest secret?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Bram said I have to reveal and accept it,” I mused. “I don’t know what that means.”

  He rested his hand on my knee, massaging gently. “Maybe it’s something you don’t want to admit and that would be how you’d accept it.”

  Why didn’t I think of that? “You’re smart,” I said playfully.

  He grinned. “Good looks and intelligence. You lucked out,” he winked.

  Swatting at his chest, I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

  “Wanna whip us up some food?” he asked.

  Waving my hand over my shoulder, I created a pizza and sides, sodas, and even some dessert. “There.”

  His eyes widened and I heard his stomach growl. “I love pizza!”

  Giggling, I reached across the bed and grabbed the box. “Who doesn’t?”

  He opened it quickly and stuffed half a piece in his mouth. “True,” he mumbled with a full mouth.

  “Ew,” I chuckled.

  He made a kissy face at me, pizza sauce lining his lips, and I couldn’t control my laughter. Once it subsided, we at in mostly silence. He’d throw a napkin at me, then I’d poke a hole in his pizza. He would rest a hand on my leg, then I’d reach over and wipe his face.

  Aiden was a messy eater when it came to pizza. He didn’t play around.

  Our dinner was enjoyable, lighthearted, and everything I needed after today. Aiden made me smile like no other, his kind words and actions filling my heart to the brim. I’d return from Clorva if only to see his smile again.