Linked (The Shadow Chronicles Book 2)

by K. R. Fajardo

  “Do you do that often?” she asked, trying to use humor to distract herself from her misery.

  Jarod, however, did not seem to find the comment amusing. Instead, he turned and headed from the bathroom. “I’ll be out here if you need me,” he muttered, slamming the door shut behind him.

  Longingly, Maya stared after him. “I need you now,” she said softly into the emptiness. Once again left alone, Maya struggled to remove her underwear then carefully climbed into the shower.

  She cleaned the best she could with her limited movement, but mostly just stood beneath the steady flow and allowed the warmth of the water to soothe her aching muscles. There she remained until the warmth began to fade away, then solemnly she climbed out of the shower, dried off, and wrapped herself in a towel. Exiting the bathroom, Maya’s heart sank when she found Jarod sitting on the side of the bed, eyes glazed over and body rigid, as he stared blankly at the wall in front of him. It was a look she had grown to dread in her short time here, one that signaled her Jarod had left her, having been replaced by this cold, unsympathetic monster that the rest of the world had come to know as the Enforcer.

  Normally she preferred to leave him alone when he became this way, allowing him the space he needed to work through his demons, unfortunately, this time she didn’t have that luxury. There was no way she was going to be able to manage getting into one of those dresses without his help. Walking to stand directly in front of him, Maya tried to coax him from his stupor. “Jarod, I’m going to need you to help me.”

  But to her dismay his steadfast stare didn’t waver. “Jarod, did you hear me? I need your help.”

  The blank expression remained her only response. In a last ditch effort, Maya gathered the towel together in one hand, and with the other, moved to touch the side of his face, hoping she could use their connection to pull him out of whatever darkness he had immersed himself in. Instead he caught her wrist in mid-air, squeezing it tightly. “Don’t,” he growled shifting his icy stare to her. The hollowness behind his black eyes sending a shiver down her spine. “Don’t do it. I need to feel this.” His grip remained tight even as his eyes and voice drifted away. “I deserve to feel this.”

  “You’re hurting me,” Maya said calmly, trying to keep her fear at bay. “Let my hand go, please.”

  Turning his gaze to the hand grasping hers, Jarod frowned and released her. She pulled it back quickly, clutching it close to her chest as she worked to massage the blood flow back into her fingers. He remained sitting there, watching her for a moment, then without a word, stood, and brushed past her heading toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” Maya called after him.

  “I’m going to the training hall,” he responded flatly.

  Hurt and confused, Maya fought back the threatening tears. “And what about me?” she asked as he continued to walk away from her. “You are going to leave me here, alone, again?”

  Ignoring her he headed into the living area, not even bothering to look back. Realizing that he had every intention of leaving her in the apartment, naked and hurting, Maya’s sadness swiftly morphed into anger. Maybe she had screwed up, maybe she had done some things she wasn’t supposed to, but so had he, and she would be damned if she was going to let him just turn his back and walk away from her, again.

  “You listen to me, damn you!” she yelled, her body and voice trembling with anger. “You will not leave me here alone in this room, not today, not like this. You said if I needed you to tell you, well this is me telling you.” Maya paused, as Jarod finally stopped and faced her. “I need you … I need you to stay here with me.”

  “Maya—” Jarod started, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. He turned his attention from her to the door, appearing puzzled. Maya, however, was panicked, her mind filling with images of the Shadows and what else they might have planned for them. Trembling, she backed toward the bedroom, gripping the towel tightly against her, tears running down her cheek. “No, no, no.”

  Jarod stiffened as he walked silently to the door. Cracking it just enough to peek through, Maya watched as his massive form then visibly relaxed. She too breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped aside and Patches stepped into view carrying his medical bag. “Good morning, my dear,” he said, smiling. “I came to check on my favorite patient.”

  Patches, in his normal jovial manner, walked past Jarod and took Maya by the arm, leading her over to a nearby stool. “Since you have already cleaned up this shouldn’t take too long. If you want I can wrap your entire torso, it will take some of the stress off the skin and alleviate the pulling sensation.” As he talked he pulled down the back of the towel to reveal her entire back. “Hmm, it looks like one of them has reopened.”

  But Maya wasn’t paying him any attention, instead she watched as Jarod began to head out the door once again. Patches, recognizing something was wrong, looked over at her, then followed her gaze to Jarod. “Sir, we will need your help with this so don’t leave.”

  Jarod stopped and spun around angrily. “What do you need me for?”

  “I can’t hold these bandages in place and wrap her torso at the same time,” Patches responded easily. “So I need you to stay and help hold.”

  Jarod seemed as if he wanted to argue, but when his gaze fell on Maya and the pleading look in her eyes he sighed and returned into the room, closing the door behind him.

  “What do you want me to do?” he asked, glaring down at them with his arms crossed.

  Patches studied the freshly opened wound. “For now, just be here for her, I am going to have to put a few more stitches in this area, and as inflamed as her back is …”

  “Can’t you put something on it to ease the pain?” Jarod snapped, looking around to the area Patches was referring to.

  Patches reached into his bag and removed a jar of salve. He applied a liberal amount to the each of the five lines, paying extra attention to the reopened wound. “This will help,” Patches said, working steadily. “But nothing helps more than the support of a,” he paused glancing up at Jarod and back to Maya, “friend.”

  “Now, Maya, this is going to sting but I promise to work quickly,” he continued, pulling the suture kit from the bag. “Enforcer, let her lean against you. She needs to be as still as possible.”

  Surprisingly Jarod didn’t argue. He moved to position himself in front of her then knelt down, allowing her to lean forward and rest her head against his shoulder.

  “All right, here we go,” Patches said, digging the needle into the raw skin. Maya gritted her teeth and grabbed tightly to Jarod’s arm. She buried her face deep into his shoulder, moaning as she tried her hardest not to cry. But with each prick Maya could feel herself losing the struggle to remain calm.

  She was on the verge of a complete breakdown, possibly even blacking out, when she felt Jarod’s hand move and cradle the back of her head. He held her gently against his body then, with his free hand, took one of her hands into his own.

  “Do it,” he whispered quietly into her ear.

  Maya didn’t need any further explanation. She dug down deep inside and brought herself to the place where everything was calm and right, the place where the light lived. So many times she had found sanctuary here as a child, hiding there as her father vented all his anger and frustrations on her. She pulled it back to the surface and allowed the energy to flow freely from herself into Jarod. His response was immediate.

  His breathing slowed and his body relaxed, allowing her inside to find what she needed. It took her barely a second to locate what she was looking for hiding deep in the dark recesses of his core. She latched herself to but a small piece of it and pulled it back into herself, filling herself with his strength and fortitude. Suddenly she felt as if she could endure anything. The pain faded into the background, her breathing became easier, and her body relaxed. And they remained that way, locked in each other’s arms, feeding off each other’s energy until Patches announced he was finished.

  “Good job, you
ng lady,” Patches said, pulling out a bandage. “Now let’s finish up.”

  She released the link and raised her head to look into Jarod’s eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered quietly. Jarod nodded slightly, and even though he said nothing back to her, Maya could see by the relaxed look in his eyes that the link had helped him as well.

  Behind her Patches worked to cover the wounds. “Hold these in place while I wrap them,” he directed Jarod. Jarod stood and took Patches’ place behind her while he settled down in front of her. “All right, dear, I will need you to lower the towel, to do this.”

  Maya obeyed, lowering the front of her towel down to her waist and sat still while Patches proceeded to wrap her entire torso from the waist up. He worked quickly and professionally, not once making her feel the least bit uncomfortable about her vulnerable state of undress.

  “All done,” he said once he finished pinning the last of the wrapping in place. “That should allow you to move about more freely. Leave it on a day or two and I’ll come back then to see how it’s healing.”

  With his work complete, Patches rapidly gathered his things back into his bag and headed for the door.

  “Thank you,” Maya called to him as he walked away, “for everything.”

  He turned back and smiled, then disappeared out the door without a word.

  “Let’s go find you some clothes.” Jarod stood and offered her his hand.

  They returned to the bedroom where Maya pulled on a loose silk gown and covered it with a robe. In the process, she was delighted to discover that Patches prediction of her being able to move about better was correct.

  To her relief, Jarod didn’t make any more attempts to leave her and they spent the rest of the afternoon together in the apartment. They didn’t talk much, but they didn’t need to. Instead they spent the remains of the day watching people from the balcony as they went about their mundane lives, only occasionally leaving the room to stroll the corridors of their floor. And as evening began to fall, they settled onto the couch where they watched the remnants of Maya’s bloody dress turn ash and disappear within the burning flames of their fireplace. The evidence of the nightmare had all but disappeared when a knock sounded on the door.

  Once again, Maya’s gut twisted in anticipation as Jarod stood and left her on the couch to answer the door. And she nearly lost it when his entire body tensed after peeking through the crack, but when he moved to the side and Jade stepped through, she understood why.

  Not now, Maya thought, her heart sinking to her feet. She had all but forgotten Jade’s warning the day before of her impending arrival.

  “Maya—” Jarod turned, his face clearly displaying the turmoil he was battling over this situation.

  “No!” Maya shouted, grimacing as she stood and stormed across the room toward the surprised pair.

  “Maya, it’s all right,” Jade interrupted. “You don’t have to—”

  “I know I don’t have to,” Maya snapped at her. “But I refuse to keep doing this, especially not after—”

  “Maya, listen,” Jarod interrupted, “you don’t understand.”

  “Oh I understand all right.” Behind them, just outside the door, Maya noticed a few passing guards stopping to watch the drama unfold. Knowing what she had to do, Maya dug in her heels and released her pent up anger on the perplexed pair. “I am not a child,” she yelled. “And I am tired of you, her, and the Shadows treating me like one. I have kept my mouth shut long enough, but no more. This will not be happening.”

  Jarod looked on, trying to maintain his stoic appearance, but his shock at her sudden outburst was difficult to conceal. Jade, on the other hand, looked apologetic. Maya knew she probably never intended for her to go through with their plan after receiving the lashings yesterday, but the truth of the matter was that everything she was saying was true and she had held it in long enough.

  “Maya, just go for a while and I promise to explain everything later,” Jarod said, attempting to calm her. However all he succeeded in doing was angering her even more.

  “And you,” she snapped stepping toe-to-toe with the giant, “will not tell me what to do.”

  Jade, shocked and afraid to see her yelling at the Enforcer, moved forward to intervene. “Maya, listen this isn’t necessary, especially after what happened yesterday.”

  “You mean when he beat me with a whip?” she snapped around. Jarod and Jade both stepped back in utter disbelief. “I am tired of being ignored, I am tired of being babied, and I am tired of being asked to leave my own room and wander around while the two of you—”

  “Maya!” Jarod bellowed. “Control yourself!”

  “That is exactly what I am doing!” she yelled back at him. “Now I am telling you that this,” she pointed back in forth between the two of them, “will not be happening anymore.” She turned, glaring up at Jarod. “Not while I am breathing anyway.”

  Jarod clenched his fists at his sides. He was doing his best to keep his temper in check but Maya knew she was pushing his limits.

  “Maya, please,” Jade pleaded with her. Afraid for her safety, Jade grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away from him.

  But Maya wasn’t having it. She snatched her arm loose from her grasp and swung around with her other arm. The punch landed squarely upside Jade’s cheek, knocking her to the ground. Jarod immediately grabbed Maya from behind, pinning her arms behind her back and sending a wave of pain surging up her spine. Unable to suppress the need, Maya yelled out, the sound a mixture of pain and frustration.

  Jade stared up at her in a look of complete disbelief, hand cupping her face. The guards, who had been watching off to the side, rushed in to help her up off the floor.

  “Take her out of here,” Maya yelled, fighting against the pain. The guards stared at her in utter disbelief and confusion. “Now!” she screamed.

  The guards hesitated a moment longer, then deciding that maybe she was best left to be dealt with by the Enforcer, gathered up Jade. Maya could see the beginnings of a large bruise appearing on her cheek as they escorted her out of the room, closing the door behind them. Once the door was closed and latched, Jarod spun her around to face him. The look in his eyes struck fear deep inside her as she realized just how far she had managed to push him.

  “What was that?” he bellowed, holding her arms tightly.

  “That was me standing up for myself.” Maya said, looking into his black eyes. “I can’t keep living like this, Jarod. I have lived my entire life doing what I am told and playing the victim.” She paused as he slowly eased off her arms. “And I am done with it. Did you know that I am over thirty-five years old?”

  The confused expression on his face said it all.

  “I didn’t think so.” She walked across the room and took a seat on the couch, resting her face inside her hands. “And it’s time for me to start acting like it.”

  “But your tag … and the patrols in Vicaras …”

  “It was all a lie and the patrols knew it,” Maya huffed. “Most of them my dad bribed, but those he couldn’t buy off he forced to look the other way by other means …” Maya turned to Jarod, and seeing the confusion still on his face, sighed. “Sam was more than just a hot tempered drunk, Jarod. He was a hired thug, a mercenary.” She shuddered as the vivid memories of life with her father flashed into her mind. “He was paid by the rich and powerful to ‘take care’ of things that they couldn’t be bothered to get their hands dirty with. In return for his services they provided him with false tags, money, and even moved us to new locations if people started becoming too suspicious.”

  Maya watched quietly as Jarod tried to piece things together in his mind. Running his hand through his shaggy black hair, he walked over and joined her on the couch. “How did I never get wind of this? If I hadn’t just randomly showed up that night at the inn, he would still be out there killing and you would still be there getting—”

  “No I wouldn’t,” she interrupted. “Have you already forgotten what I told you
that night at the clinic?”

  “You wouldn’t have gone through with it,” Jarod said, glaring at her. “I don’t believe you would have killed yourself.”

  “I told you I was tired,” she replied, leaning back into the seat. She forgot about her stiches until they hit the back of the couch. Gritting her teeth, she adjusted her position and leaned to the side, propping her body against the arm rest. “I was fed up with living the lie my father had created. He forced me to tell everyone I was a teenage girl, too young to work in the factory so he could keep me at home. He kept me isolated so that there was no fear of me telling anyone his secret. Not even Dirik knew and he was my closest friend.” Maya paused and smiled at Jarod. “But I don’t expect you to understand any of this. It’s not like you have ever been forced to live a lie.”

  His mouth quirked. “I might understand more than you think.”

  Maya could feel his tension releasing and decided if she was ever going to have this discussion with him, now was probably the best time. She took a deep breath, watching as he relaxed into the couch beside her. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “I don’t see what it can hurt. You already know more about me than anyone else here. And I can’t imagine anything else I tell you will put either of us in any worse danger than we are already in.”

  “I want to know if you have feelings for Jade.” Maya paused, searching his face for any reaction. “And please be honest with me.”

  Jarod didn’t flinch or hesitate. “No, not like that. She’s a friend and I owe her. She was the only one who helped me when I first came here by doing for me what I am trying to do for you. She taught me how to behave around the Shadows, what to say and when to say it, and even helped me get through the times when I screwed it up. The only reason we—”

  “I know why,” Maya interrupted. “Jade already told me.”

  “She did what?” Jarod looked over at her, not even trying to hide the surprise on his face.