I’m alive, barely alive, but at least I’m alive. I make a moaning noise when more pain rushes up the back of my head.
This is insane! Why didn’t she kill me? Why didn’t she finish me off and then walk away? There has to be a reason why I’m still alive.
“You’re awake? Oh thank God,” I hear Adam speak. His voice echoes from a million miles away. “Mage? Baby, can you hear me?
I attempt to lift my hand to him, but the pain is too much. Another moaning noise escapes my lips.
“She needs something for the pain. Someone give her something, please!” Adam yells at someone.
The noises go away and soon all is black.
When I wake up again there’s still pain, but it isn’t as extreme. I try to sit up but there’s no way that’s happening. Talking is impossible since my throat is so dry. Squeaking and cracking noises are the only sounds I can make.
I lift my right arm, there’s no pain. I feel the side rail of the bed I’m lying in. I use it to try and pull myself into a sitting position. The pain that shoots down my left arm nearly causes me to faint. A hand comes out of nowhere and stops me.
“No, sweetheart, you have to stay still,” Adam speaks right into my ear in a whisper. “Just relax, Mage. I’m right here with you. Don’t freak out and do anything bizarre, okay? You’re at Summerville Medical and you’re surrounded by people.”
I whimper in agreement before relaxing back into the bed. A tear runs down my cheek as the pain in my arm, back, and head intensifies. Adam wipes it away.
“I know it hurts. I wish I could make it go away.”
My throat feels like it’s on fire. I try to cough, but there’s no moisture to do anything.
“Water,” I croak.
Adam leaves my side and then returns with a little white cup with a bendy straw sticking out of the top. He leans the straw down to my mouth and I take a few drinks. The water feels so good going down my throat and soon I manage to speak again.
“Everything hurts…my arm, is it broken?”
“Yes, your left arm and your clavicle are broken. Oh, and you have a concussion. So just lay back and let them make you better, okay?”
“Clavicle?”
“Your collar bone.”
“That explains a lot. How long have I been here?”
“Four days. You woke up two days ago, but then passed out again. Don’t ever scare me like that again, do you hear me? I nearly lost my mind when I found you on the path to my house. I thought you were dead.”
I feel his face and mouth against my hand.
“I’m okay, Adam. I’m sorry I scared you,” I caress his face.
“What happened? Who did this to you? I’ll kill them myself, I don’t care who it is,” he growls.
I don’t want to tell him. I don’t want to take the chance of him blaming himself. I’ll die if he starts avoiding me again. He’ll be convinced that he’s the reason behind Eris’ return. The last thing I need is for Adam to go get killed trying to defend my honor.
I want to be truthful with him though, I never want secrets and lies between us. I suck it up and prepare to tell him. How can I convince him that Eris and this Craven character aren’t after me because of him?
“It was Eris.”
His body tenses up, this is going to bad. He lets go of my hand. I reach up and grab his arm to keep him from leaving.
“This is my fault,” he shakes my hand from his arm and backs away.
“No. Adam, don’t even think…”
“You were nearly killed because of me. That crazy, deranged lady almost killed you because I’m too weak to stay away from you!”
He’s serious and I’m stuck in this bed. He could walk away from me right now and there’s nothing I could do to stop him. I can barely keep my eyes open much less get up and go after him. I pull on the bedrail again and try to sit up. I feel his hand lay softly across my chest to hold me down.
“Just lay still, they want to do a few more x-rays on you and make sure nothing else is broken so just be still until they do, okay?” his voice is different, distant.
“Adam, this wasn’t your fault. Just trust me. She was trying to provoke me that day she made you leave, just like she was trying to provoke me this last time.”
Suddenly, I remember exactly how she provoked me. I can’t stop the sobs from rising from my chest and soon I’m in a full out raging cry. My grandparents and Thaddeus! Gone forever! Or at least until I can figure out a spell to bring back my ability to see spirits. If there’s a spell to take it away, there has to be a spell to bring it back.
“What is it? What hurts? I’ll get a nurse!” he turns to leave the room.
“No! I’m fine. She…she took it away!” I stutter in between sobs.
“Took what? What did she take?”
I know I sound crazy.
“My eye, she took my eye!” I cry.
Now I definitely sound crazy. If I continue with this babbling they’ll be wheeling me to the psychiatric floor in no time.
“Baby, your eyes are fine,” he says confused.
“No! I can’t see my grandparents or Thaddeus anymore. She took away my eye, the ability to see spirits! Oh, God! Adam, they’re gone for good now!” I cry harder.
“It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay.”
A nurse comes in to check on me. I try to control my tears.
“It’s okay, Miss McPherson, we’ll have that pain gone in just a bit,” the young nurse says, as she proceeds to stick a needle filled with something into my IV. “How long has she been awake?” she asks Adam.
“Not long.”
“Honey, you’ve been here for four days. Why don’t you go home and freshen up. Maybe grab something to eat. You keep this up and you’re going to be in a bed next to her,” the nurse says sweetly to Adam.
The drugs are starting to take effect and things are becoming even more blurry. Adam stares over at me as if he’s debating whether to leave or stay.
“We’ll take good care of her while you’re gone. I promise,” the nurse says after realizing Adam’s conflict.
He comes and stands beside my bed again. He reaches out and rubs the top of my hand.
“Will you be okay while I run home for a bit?” he looks like he’s in more pain than me.
“I’ll be fine,” I slur.
He turns to walk away from me and I suddenly have a feeling that I’ll never see him again.
“Adam!” I call out.
He returns to my side—there’s two of him now.
I grab for his hand and hold it tight. Partly because I want to feel his warmth and never let go of him, and partly because the bed now feels like it’s spinning.
“Promise me you won’t go away again. I can’t lose you…you’re all I have left. If you go away I won’t have a reason to fight back next time,” I squeeze his hand as I feel the tears returning. Dizziness sweeps over me and I sleep.
Chapter 24
The Road Trip
When I wake up again the pain is the first thing I notice. The second thing I notice is that it’s completely dark outside and in my room. The room’s quiet, too quiet. I try to sit up, but the pain knocks me back down.
“Adam,” I call out.
He’s nowhere to been seen. He’s gone and he’s never coming back. When he left the sun was up and now looking out the blinds of my hospital room I see the moon. If he was going to come back, he’d be here now.
I start to panic. I have to get out of this bed. I have to go to him and make him understand that he’s not the reason for any of this. I have to tell him the whole reason I was coming to his house in the first place. I’d completely forgotten about the fact that my mother’s still alive, at least I hope she’s still alive. I need to go to New Jersey and I really need Adam to be there with me when I finally meet my mother for the first time.
Grabbing the bed rail with my good arm, I struggle to pull myself into a sitting position. It takes me a long time and it hurts l
ike hell. Once I’m sitting straight up, my head starts to swim. I wait for the room to quit moving before I start to move again.
Painfully, I turn myself in the bed and then I slide down until I feel the floor beneath my feet. I’m afraid I might fall, but I hope for the best as I slide off of the bed completely and plant my feet firmly on the floor. The blood rushes from my head and the room begins to spin again. There’s no helping it, I’m definitely about to pass out. I feel myself leaning and suddenly there is a pair of strong arms holding me up.
“What are you doing, Mage?” Adam practically yells at me.
He lifts me in his arms like I weigh nothing. Being careful of my arm and shoulder he softly settles me back into my bed. I hold on to him with my good arm for a little longer than normal. It feels so good to be in his arms.
“You came back,” I’m so happy I forget about the pain.
“I just went to grab a soda. Geez, Mage, I can’t leave you alone for two minutes. You’re so needy with all those broken bones and such,” he grins at his own sarcasm.
“I thought you were gone…for good. I was coming to get you back.”
Adam laughs as he brushes the hair from my face and plants a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth.
“You’re impossible, woman.”
I explain everything that occurred before I fought Eris. I tell him about my mother’s journals missing and about how she’s possibly still alive. I give him all the details I can remember about my fight with Eris and how I lost my grandparents and Thaddeus.
“How long do I have to stay here?” I ask.
The look on his face scares me a little.
“They’re going to let you leave the hospital tomorrow. They just wanted to make sure your head and neck were okay. Especially considering you were unconscious for four days. The only problem is, the nurses are asking about your guardian.”
“Oh my God, what are they saying? Are they going to let me go home? I want to go home! I want to go home now!”
I start to get up and Adam stops me.
“Just relax, I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. Just get better, okay.”
“When I get better will you go with me to New Jersey? I have to get to my mother, maybe she can help me get my grandparents and Thaddeus back.”
“When you get better we’ll talk about it. Let’s just deal with one thing at a time, okay?”
“Then I need to make sure I get better super fast,” I slyly smile.
I lift my good arm, putting my right hand over my left shoulder. This has to work. If I can fix iron gates and broken trees, then why not broken bones, too?
If people are starting to ask about my guardian it won’t be long before I’m forced into some foster home. Plus, I need answers as soon as possible. Craven’s coming for me soon and I need to be able to defend myself properly. If I can’t beat Eris, there’s no way I can beat Craven right now.
I start slow just in case this is a bad idea and I blow my own arm off. I feel a slow burn throughout my right arm that spreads into my fingers. A purple glow forms around my hand. The simmering heat from my right hand gradually penetrates the broken parts of me and it feels so good. The pain slowly dissolves, I keep the heat flowing into my left shoulder. Soon there’s no pain at all.
I move my hand down lower onto my arm and let the heat dissolve under the cast I’m wearing. The heat soothes my broken bones. I feel little sparks where the bones are beginning to connect again.
I continue this process, moving my hand in different spots all over my shoulder and arm. Once all the pain has dissipated, I very slowly start to sit up. There’s no pain. I still can’t move because of the cast I’m wearing, but I know without moving that I have no more broken bones.
“Want to help me take this cast off?” I say with a large smile.
“Yeah, right. There’s no way you’re better. Not just like that,” he snaps his fingers.
“Want to have the doctor take more x-rays? I’ll do it if it proves to you I’m fine. Nothing’s broken.”
I jump out of bed, happy to be able to move without pain.
“Mage, this is a bad idea.”
“Help me find my clothes.”
Quickly, I start walking around. I spot my ripped up clothing in a chair on the side of the room. I snatch them up and start to undo the hospital gown that’s wrapped around me. There’s no way I’m doing this with a cast on.
“Could you help me, please?
His cheeks are stained with a crimson blush and his face turns dark and serious.
“Gladly,” he gives me a lopsided grin.
Emerald eye connect with mine as he slowly reaches for the tie of the hospital gown behind my neck. I feel cool air touch the back of my neck when the tie gives way. His eyes never leave mine. It’s such a deeply passionate moment. He gives me a tiny kiss as he reaches his arms around me and pulls me closer to him. I feel cold air touch my lower back when he unties the bottom of the unattractive gown. His fingertips run down my spine then down the sides of my hips. He cups my thighs.
The back of me is completely exposed. The air feels nice on my hot skin. He doesn’t break the stare as he very slowly brings his hands up my sides, past my waist. Then he slowly pulls the sleeves down my arms and removes the gown from my body. He reaches over and grabs for my clothes then begins to dress me. His eyes take in every part of me, but he doesn’t touch me anymore. It’s complete torture.
Once I’m completely dressed he leaves my side to sit on the bed. He rests his head in his hands and I hear him breathing deeply.
“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he shakes his head. “I’m going to have to take like five cold showers.”
We manage to get out of the hospital without being noticed. Once we are in Adam’s truck I go to work on the cast on my arm. I’ve gotten nowhere by the time we get to my house.
I run through my room grabbing as much clothing as I can. After I’m all packed up I take a quick shower and put out plenty of food for Sire. I grab as much money as I can find and soon we’re on the way to Adam’s house so he can do the same. Luckily, Adam finds this really great miniature saw that takes my cast right off.
Once we’re on interstate ninety-five there’s no stopping us. We stop at the North Carolina visitor’s center and I call Bernie and tell her I have a family emergency out of town. She’s extremely worried about me. Adam and I haven’t been in school for a week now and since I don’t have a phone, she couldn’t reach me. I don’t tell her about my little hospital visit.
After driving for hours, Adam admits he needs sleep. We stop off in Virginia to get a room. We pay double for it just so the guy behind the counter will give it to us. Us both being under eighteen made it next to impossible to find a room—thank God for crooked, money hungry people.
I sit next to him in bed and watch him as he sleeps. He’s done so much for me in the last couple of months. I’ve never been more thankful for a person in my life.
He’s adorable when he sleeps. When I brush a few strands of hair out of his face, he makes a soft mewing noise. I don’t think I’ll ever love another person the way I love the boy sleeping peacefully next to me. He rolls over closer to me and soon I’m sleeping soundly next to him. Tonight, there are no nightmares, just sleep.
When I wake up the next morning Adam’s gone. I rip the blankets off of me and run to the door. His truck is gone! I look around the room, all of his things are still there. I’m in complete freak-out mode when I notice the note on the bedside table.
Hey, Sleeping Beauty! I ran to get some breakfast so don’t freak out if you wake up and I’m not here. Hope you like sausage biscuits. I won’t be gone too long. I love you.
Adam
I read the letter over and over again. It still feels like a dream when I think about my relationship with Adam.
I get myself together and jump in the shower. I hum softly to myself as the hot water washes everything away. For the first time, in a long time, I feel
like things are going to be fine. I’ll go to Trenton Hospital, get information from my mother, figure out how to get the eye back, and live happily ever after with my whole family and the love of my life, that’s the master plan.
I turn off the shower water and start to dry my hair. Wrapping the big white towel around myself, I step out of the cloudy bathroom. Once I’m out of the small steam room, I drop the towel and start to dress myself. I have no idea I’m not alone in the room until I hear someone behind me.
I scream out as I spin around naked. Adam drops his drink, soda splashes all over the floor of the motel room.
His eyes devour me, I feel his gaze all over my heated skin. His breathing gets heavier. He throws the bags of food on the bed and leaves the room. I hear him mumbling something about more cold showers as he shuts the door behind him.
Once I’m all dressed, we eat in silence and soon we’re all packed up and back on the road.
Three rest stops and a drive-thru later, we enter New Jersey. It doesn’t take long to get to West Trenton and before long we’re settled in at a cheap motel and planning our trip to the hospital for the following day.
We spend the rest of the night watching sitcoms and laughing about all the crazy things that had happened in the last couple of months.
He tells me about how he spent the time that we were apart and how it was so hard for him to stay away from me. It’s just a normal, wonderful night. You’d never know there’s a completely deranged group of people after me.
We start to wrestle in bed laughing and tickling each other. I get the best of him and pin him to the bed.
“I love you,” I sigh.
He pauses and looks at me differently. His deep, green eyes get darker.
“I love you, more,” he whispers.
“Well…I love you, most,” I start to tickle him again.
Wicked Fate (The Wicked Trilogy) Page 18