“So that’s it, huh? We came down here so I could get harassed and branded?”
“No.” He raked his hand through his hair. “We came down here to be in a huge crowd and find out if this Sable Gage was the man we were searching for. That didn’t mean we were going to snoop or overstep our boundary. We’re on his territory; we don’t want to raise suspicions.”
I slapped my hands down in my lap, narrowing my eyes. “So we go home and sit?”
“No.” He stood and walked toward his bag. “We go home and search for the girl. She’s the only one, aside from you, that we know has seen the Kember—or will see him. Maybe she knows something about your mark.”
“We looked everywhere. We couldn’t find her.”
A glint of what seemed like determination shone through his eyes. “We’ll find her.”
His cell started to ring and he clutched it harder in his hand.
“That was fast.”
“It’s not Ian.” Aiden took a deep breath and lifted the phone to his ear. “Hey, Joshua.”
I pointed to the bathroom and whispered, “I’m gonna shower.”
Nodding, he leaned against the desk. “Good. Everything’s great here.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “We’re getting ready to head out.”
He hated to lie. I could tell. But…he did. Just as he promised. I bit my lip, feeling things I hadn’t felt in a long time. Trust. Gratitude. Climbing off the bed, I bent and grabbed my bag from the floor.
“Rygons?” he sounded bewildered.
I straightened my stance and glanced back at him. The suitcase fell from my hand as he pushed away from the desk, wide-eyed, jaw clenched.
Chapter 16
Aiden paced the room. “Four? What—”
I scrambled to stand in front of him and tripped over my suitcase in the process. Jumping forward, I yelled, “What happened?”
He held his hand up and turned away.
Running in front of him again, he must have seen my concerned expression. “Skyler’s fine?”
Oh hell. A sick feeling squeezed my stomach. I held my breath and waited.
He nodded, and I collapsed back onto the bed, relieved.
“We ran into two last night, but they didn’t give us any problems.”
Sitting with my legs crossed, hands in my lap, Aiden strode around the room. His free hand swept through his hair every few minutes as he talked. Finally, he lowered the phone and dropped into the chair. He seemed to forget my presence.
I snatched a pillow from behind me and chucked it at his head. He caught it, before it connected, and looked up.
“Hey, you gonna fill me in on what happened or sit there and meditate?”
“Oh…um.” He cleared his throat and straightened. “Joshua and Skyler were attacked by Rygons. Four very strong ones. ”
“Skyler said they weren’t going out.”
“They came to the house.”
I jumped from the bed. “What? Like— like—”
“The Whitmores? Yes. Only Joshua was able to hold the Rygons off. Two other Drea homes were hit earlier near Portland, and they weren’t so lucky. Kembers dead, Dreas missing…Something’s going on.”
I swallowed hard. If anything happened to Skyler and Joshua…I didn’t even want to consider it. “Think they’re the same Rygons?”
“I’m not sure, but it seems likely. All the attacks have occurred the same way.” He paused, staring into space. “It’s rare for Rygons to ambush homes. Usually they stalk Dreas and pick them off the street.”
“Maybe Kembers are making it too tough on Rygons, and they’re getting desperate.” I shrugged. “They could have a new game plan.”
Aiden seemed to consider it. “Maybe…” He stood and shrugged. “Either way, the Authority will deal with it. It’s not my place anymore.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself. So…we still on for breakfast?”
Still appearing distracted, he nodded.
*****
Breakfast was quiet. The ride back home wasn’t much better. Occasionally, I asked a question and got a simple, one syllable answer. I took the hint. Aiden kept his word, so I finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird in record time, convinced I could write a snooze-worthy paper about it. Three long hours later we arrived home and did exactly what I was afraid of: sat.
For two days, Aiden searched for the mark in all kinds of languages. What he really wanted was Ian to take a look. Um, no thanks. In that case, I’d down a bottle of vodka and take tattoo removal into my own hands.
Sure the mark freaked me out, but I still couldn’t quite decide if I wanted to know what it meant. Possibly, Ian knew. I just didn’t know if I wanted to be informed about my impending doom. If the mark was slowly sucking the life out of me, or if the Kember placed it there to lure me in front of a semi going full speed, fine. I’d face it head on. Nothing like being thrown into the water to learn how to swim.
Chewing the bottom of my lip, I continued brushing my pencil across my sketchbook. I stopped on a dime, realizing I’d subconsciously drawn the mark. I snapped out of my zone further. Aiden knocked on my door. Lying on my stomach, I shoved the sketchbook under my pillow and pulled my Algebra book and notebook back in front of me.
“I know. I know. I’m studying.”
Aiden stepped into my room holding a cardboard box big enough to fit all four of my school books in.
“You know, I was thinking bonfire, but I like this idea better.” I closed the book and held it out to him.
“Nice try.” Sitting on the end of the bed, he reached in the box and pulled out an iPhone. “Here I programmed in my number, Joshua’s and Skyler’s.” He held it out to me. “Call Skyler soon so he’ll stop calling me.”
I sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. Giddiness took over common sense as I snatched it. “It’s mine?” I turned it around in my hands, noting Aiden had the same one, only black, and admired the sleek design. Music and connection to the outside world, all in one. “You’re a saint!”
He blinked. “Uh…I have music on my laptop you can download onto it, if you want.”
I tried to arch an eyebrow like he did to me sometimes. “Country?”
He bit back a smile. “None.”
“Sweet!” After everything, this brought a bit of light in. “Um…” I glanced around the room unsure how to say the next part. “T-Thanks.”
He dropped his gaze and nodded. The corner of his lip lifted into a small, crooked grin.
Bam! I stared stunned. A smile. An actual smile. Okay, more like a half one, but still, enough of one to send his “good looks” status off the charts and into the “words couldn’t even skim the surface” category. I briefly wondered if I’d ever get to see his full grin.
He stiffened. “Did you hear that?”
I cocked my head and listened. “Hear—”
“Shh.”
“You just—”
“Shh.” Aiden held his hand out in a “shut up” gesture. His eyes locked with mine, but his attention appeared far away. I jumped when he sprang from my bed. He bolted out of the room.
Before I could comprehend anything other than “damn,” he rushed back through the doorway. “Get your shoes.”
Damn was right. My adrenaline kicked into high gear. I leapt from the bed. My mind jumbled, unable to comprehend what I needed to do. “Wh—”
Aiden grabbed my DC’s from beside my dresser and dropped them at my feet. “Now.”
Wind ruffled the curtains when he threw open the window. I stared blankly, anxiety creeping up on me when I heard Delmari’s words in my mind. Run. The brief picture of him grappling with the Kember rolled through my mind.
“Taylee!” Aiden had already hopped out and was beckoning me. I snapped out of my zone, adrenaline spiked, and slipped into my shoes. I didn’t know what was going on, but by now, I knew not to question. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I grabbed his outstretched hand and jumped into the night.
My feet hit the ground and we sprinted toward the towering pine trees, twenty-five yards away. I’d always been active. The running I could handle. Darkness, on the other hand, proved a challenge. When we passed the tree line, the little light the moon cast got completely swallowed in the thick coverage of branches and foliage. Why we were headed into the forest and not for the truck, I didn’t know. I only knew a threat was coming. Weaving around boulders and logs, underbrush tangled my feet. I tripped and stumbled on the uneven ground, even slipped on leaves like the most ungainly idiot while I struggled to keep up with Aiden. The snapping of branches echoed and carried over the sounds of the howling wind. Mercifully, he tightened his hold on my hand and kept me from face planting.
My eyes watered, but I ignored the branches scraping against my cheeks and tugging at my hair. We’d run for so long my throat turned dry and my lungs felt ready to burst. I couldn’t take it anymore. Not all of us possessed his forbearance. “What’re we running from?”
He didn’t answer; he only pushed forward harder.
Finally, a dim light peeked through an opening in the distance. A meadow. Aiden stopped abruptly before we got there. I slammed into him. Grabbing my other arm, he pushed me back against something that felt suspiciously like bark. He stepped close to me. Very, very close. Every part of our bodies touched.
And I thought his hands were warm…Heat flowed from him, cocooning me. I couldn’t see him too well, but the darkness heightened all my other senses. And wow, he smelled good. Did his gift make him this aware all the time? Even of me? His arm brushed my cheek as he reached past my head and rested his palm on the tree trunk centimeters from my head. His other hand was still wrapped securely around mine.
“W-What’s going on?” Talking. Breathing. It all became difficult. Not just because my mouth was crushed against his chest, either. I took some breaths, trying to focus on the life-threatening situation.
“They’re here.”
“Who?” The Rygons who attacked Skyler? The ones who followed Sable Gage? I didn’t know which was worse. I took a deep breath. This wasn’t the time to be a wuss. No, my cruel mind had other ideas. It raced back two months, to a forest similar to this one. Delmari’s thrashing body, the shock of pain showing through his blue eyes. The desperation…Oh man…
Aiden’s whispering jolted me back to the present. “Rygons.”
“W-Why didn’t we take the truck?”
“There’s only one road out of here. If they recognized my truck, we have no idea the abilities or weapons they possess.” His lips touched my hair as he spoke. “I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew—not with you here.”
I swallowed. “Do—Do you think the Kember is with them?”
“There were multiple voices. At least five. I’m not sure what’s going on.”
A cold, biting wind blew through the forest, rustling the leaves at our feet and tossing my hair in both our faces. Freeing my hand from Aiden’s, I pulled the strands away from my mouth and gathered my hair into a loose knot at the back of my neck.
He snatched my hands and placed them on his firm chest. Drawing himself in even closer, he pressed me tighter against the trunk. “Don’t move.”
“I. Don’t. Think. I. Can.” In that moment, I realized something. He wasn’t trying to keep me warm. He wasn’t holding me close just to feel me. No. He was trying to cover my energy. Placing me between him and the tree—both minimal energy sources—would make it harder for Rygons to sense me.
“Are they coming?”
“Yes. They still feel your energy, but out here, we have an advantage. They’re coming to us.”
My heart dropped and my voice cracked. “They’ll set the whole forest on fire looking for me.”
“They won’t. You know they don’t possess Kember abilities.”
“Ever heard of matches? For all we know, the Kember is with them.”
“I’ll handle it, either way.”
Voices echoed through the woods. I closed my eyes, relying on my average ears to alert me the moment the shit hit the fan. My breathing rushed out sharp and panicked. I tried to slow it by taking deep breaths. No use. I’d had too many bad memories in the woods. It was all I could do to not bury my face in his chest and hide.
“It’s okay.” Aiden’s fingertips lightly touched my arm. Carefully, tentatively, they half-tapped, half-rubbed against my skin.
Possibly he was lying. Maybe he knew we didn’t have a chance. Five Rygons weren’t going to die easily. Whatever thoughts stirred in his mind, only the confident ones came through to me. He stood calm, composed and…a little stiff. I found myself relaxing into him, getting lost in the feel of his fingers swirling circles into my skin. I began to tip away from “shit, we’re going to die” and drift toward “feeling safe,” regardless of our situation.
In a single breath, the security disappeared. Aiden stepped back from me. “Stay here.”
My jaw dropped open to protest, but the words stuck in my throat.
The tiniest bit of light leaked through the treetops and cast over Aiden’s intense face. The dangerous, determined glint in his eyes returned as it had the night on Portland. His protector instincts kicked in. It was sick to find him so attractive right then, but I did.
He crouched and disappeared.
Oh hell. I inhaled and stood unmoving against the trunk, exactly like he told me. As if this wasn’t creepy enough.
Branches cracked nearby. My heart stopped beating.
Grunts and rustling bushes nearly made me sink to the ground. Pop. Slice. I winced. Fear welled in my chest threatening to burst. Intake of breath. Silence…
“Well, well.” A male voice sneered. Definitely not Aiden’s low voice.
I snapped my head to the side. A silhouette with glowing blue eyes emerged from the lighted area. Immediately, I moved away from the tree, stumbling over a rock.
Okay, shit just hit the fan.
Chapter 17
I caught myself before falling and peered through the tangle of hair in my eyes. A Rygon. Shit. I’d never been in a faceoff with one. Hadn’t planned on it, either. They were monsters and killers and…I stifled back a scream. My feet begged to move. How far would running get me? To the meadow? Maybe. Not a risk I could take. I wasn’t completely helpless, and no way would I stand here and let him suck my life and ability away.
Cocking his head to the side, the Rygon strode toward me.
Aiden burst through the trees on the right, a Rygon on his heels. Gun drawn, Aiden fired several shots at my pursuer. The Rygon ducked, easily evading what would’ve been perfect shots to the head.
Spinning around, Aiden kicked the Rygon following him. The Rygon staggered back. Aiden leapt forward, shoved me back against the tree and took a protective stance in front of me. I peeked around him. Both Rygons crouched, eyes set on their target. Me.
They lunged. Aiden met their attacks, blocking, punching and slicing faster than my eyes could take in. Skyler told me, weeks before “Aiden’s freakin’ amazing.” I knew, now, what he meant. In fact, I’d be willing to argue for a more suitable word, but I didn’t know one that would capture what I saw. His agility, pace—every strike blew my mind. It seemed choreographed. Neither Rygon could get around him.
I couldn’t tear my gaze from the mesmerizing battle: A lot like a tornado whirling toward you. Common sense screamed for you to run or take cover, but something about the swirling vortex of doom captivated you and kept you immobile.
Unlike a tornado, Rygons weren’t an unstoppable force of nature. Aiden looked like he could fight ten more at this rate, but I knew they needed to be defeated quickly and efficiently. Whether they touched you or not, they could still gradually weaken you by pulling your energy.
I closed my eyes and focused, pushing my mind toward the Rygon on the left. My breath caught. I flinched, feeling the strange gooey texture of his mind. Something close to what tar would feel like. The abnormality almost made me draw back. Almost. A chill shot up my spine. A
shrill coldness wafted throughout my body as I pushed deeper. I worked my way through the muck then beyond his paper thin wall of resistance. Moving it aside, I grabbed hold of his mind and took control of his better senses. The power burned within me. Satisfaction. Relief.
He stopped in his tracks and stared at me, glassy-eyed. Aiden hit him and sent him flying into a nearby tree.
I took a step toward the Rygon. Aiden, still in full-blown fighting mode, managed to force me back against the tree. “Stay back!”
Balling my fists, I continued to keep eye contact with the Rygon. The longer I stared, the more dominant the yearning in my body became. My leg bounced. Fire swelled in my chest—a heat I didn’t understand. The need—no—the want to hurt him, took over everything else.
Faster than I believed possible, I bolted past Aiden. No hesitating. No second thoughts. I jumped on the Rygon and swung my fists as hard as I could. There was a sickening crunch beneath my fist and blood gushed from his nose. Under my skin, a faint burning sensation built on my hip.
“Taylee!” Aiden grabbed me by the waist and jerked me off the Rygon. “Stop. Stay out of this.”
Heart hammering, breathing rutted, my eyes settled on the knife in the Rygon’s hand. The knife he would’ve, no doubt, used on us. Stab yourself.
He raised the knife to his chest.
“Let him go.” Aiden shook me. “You’re gonna drain all your energy. I’ll deal with this.”
I wanted to. I needed to. For Delmari. For the girl. For myself. Somewhere buried in my mind, I knew I should listen and let him go.
“Come on,” Aiden said carefully. “I’ll handle it.”
Blood trickled from the Rygon’s chest. It thrilled me—made me feel powerful and not like the weak little Drea I was forced to be. He couldn’t harm me. I was in control. I could hurt him as much as I needed to.
As if to break my concentration, Aiden stepped in front of me. He cupped my face in one hand, staring directly at me. “Let him go.”
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