Dad chuckled. “I’ll admit, I wanted them. I didn’t know what she was at the time, but I knew she was powerful. I thought I could use her. But now I know that I can’t, Drake. She’s an Empath. She’s simply too powerful, and she needs to be destroyed before she does irreversible damage.”
Drake couldn’t feel the pain in his shoulder anymore. At first he thought he’d just lost circulation, but then he realized he couldn’t feel his entire body. Everything was numb. “I won’t let you hurt her,” Drake whispered.
“Like I said, I didn’t come here to hurt her. Not unless you ask me to. Because you’d never forgive me for killing her, would you? And, you see, I need you to forgive me. You’re nearly as powerful as she is, Drake. You might even be more powerful, in a few years. But you’re a type of power I can control.”
“I’m not that powerful,” Drake said.
Dad twisted around Drake’s wrist, so he had to stare at his palm and the bloody fingernail marks there. “Your blood is black,” Dad said. “You’re destined to be one of the most powerful Demons ever to live. And I know about your Mage abilities. You didn’t hide them well enough, Drake. You can do so much more than you say.”
Drake took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes. “You’re never going to control me.”
“I already have, and I will again. That’s why I won’t kill the girl until you ask. I’ll give you some more time with her and let you watch Flacks destroy her soul. I’ll give you the time you need to forgive me and need me again. And when you realize I’ve been right all along, and that the girl is in misery, you’ll come running to me to make me put an end to it. You won’t be strong enough to do it yourself. I know you well enough to be sure of that.”
Dad was right about that: Drake would never be able to harm Allai. Maybe all the rest of what Dad said was crazy, but that one thing was right. Drake wouldn’t hurt her. He couldn’t hurt her.
And he wasn’t sure if he could stand to watch someone else harm her.
Dad let go of Drake’s arm and patted him on the shoulder. “I may despise you, Drake, but I still need you to need me. And you will, someday. If you chose not to let me kill that girl now, you’ll need me to do it later.”
Drake straightened and looked right at Dad. “Her name is Allai,” he said. “Not ‘that girl’. And I won’t let you touch her. Ever.”
“I take it you’ve decided on the second option, then.” Dad slowly shook his head, and a smirk formed on his lips. “You’ll regret it soon, Drake. Flacks won’t wait long before he destroys her.”
Footsteps came from behind him. Drake’s heart raced, and his hand clenched into an even tighter fist. Dad had brought back up? He swallowed back a growl at the unfairness of it all.
Then he realized how unsteady the footsteps were. And how light. He whirled around, not caring that he was exposing his back to Dad.
Allai stood in front of him, but she wasn’t looking at Drake. She was looking at Dad, her eyes trailing over him and taking him in. She stopped when she reached Dad’s face, and their eyes met. Allai stared for a long moment, and Dad stared back. Drake held his breath and braced himself, waiting for Dad to make a move.
But he didn’t. Dad just slowly shook his head back and forth, a small smirk forming on his lips. Allai didn’t flinch. She just kept staring right at him, her knees shaking with fatigue and her chest heaving as she struggled to breath.
Drake turned back toward Dad to watch him more closely. He’d strike soon. He had to. Dad had a lot of things, but patience wasn’t one of them. And his target was right in front of him.
Drake edged toward Allai. He nearly tripped over his own legs, but he righted himself just as he reached her side, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, and he could feel her icy skin and the shivers wracking her body. But she never broke eye contact with Dad.
“You’re Rhaize,” Allai said. Her voice was hoarse and scratchy, but somehow it still sounded strong.
Dad gave her an ice-cold smile. “Yes. That’s me.”
She took a shuddering breath and straightened a little. “Get away from us. Now. Or else.”
Dad chuckled. “Or else? Or else what?”
“She’s a Caedes,” Drake said quietly. Then he looked up so that his eyes also met Dad’s. “And I have black blood. It’s a fair fight. That’s the or else.”
Dad raised his eyebrows in vague amusement. “You’re saying you’d kill me? Me, your father?”
Drake took a deep breath. “A real father would never have killed the mother of his son.”
“You know her death wasn’t my fault. I had no choice,” Dad said. He gestured toward Drake. “And you know who the real killer is.”
Drake’s stomach did a flip. His heart beat faster, and he could feel it all threatening to come back, to overwhelm him. The memory of the blood, the body, the tears and the running. But closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed back the emotions. Then he said, “Of course I know who the killer is. It’s you.”
“Go,” Allai said to Dad. She pointed with a shaking hand off toward where the fog met the road. “Get out of here.”
Dad smiled at them both and let out a short laugh. “You both think you’re quite brave, don’t you?” He shook his head. “But you’re just stupid.”
Before Drake could react, Dad lunged toward Allai. Drake yelled something. Or maybe it was closer to a scream. Whatever it was, it didn’t do anything to help. Allai collapsed, and Dad stood over her crumpled body, his hand clenched into a fist.
“What did you do?” Drake whispered. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t think.
“Nothing,” Dad replied. He stared down at Allai with an appraising look. “You should probably get her some help soon, if you really want her to live. She doesn’t have long.”
Drake kneeled down next to Allai. His instincts screamed at him not to; it was a vulnerable position, and he was practically asking for death. But he didn’t care. He needed to see if she was okay.
Allai lay on the ground, her breaths shallow and her body limp. She was struggling to look at him, her eyelids fluttering open and closed. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.
What would she be sorry for? She hadn’t done anything wrong. She’d never done anything wrong.
He took a few desperate moments to look Allai over, to brush the back of his hand across her cheek. But he found no injuries on her. Dad wasn’t lying; he hadn’t done anything to her. She must have fallen out of pure exhaustion.
So then why had Dad lunged at her? And why was Allai apologizing?
He looked up at Dad, the questions threatening to burst from him. Then he saw Dad’s hand, still balled into a tight fist. Dangling from his clenched fingers was Allai’s lockgem, the chain broken and the stone swaying back and forth.
Dad must have torn the lockgem away from Allai. That’s what she was apologizing for. Because now Dad held Drake’s life.
Dad lifted the lockgem so that its polished surface was level with his eyes. He examined it for a long moment, his lip curling into a smirk. “Someone bound you to her,” he said.
Drake opened his mouth to deny it, but then he felt the weight of his own lockgem hanging around his neck. He couldn’t lie to Dad. The truth was already obvious.
“A lockgem,” Dad said, slowly shaking his head. “Whoever bound the two of you should have known better. They’re such… fickle devices.” He let the stone turn slightly, until its red veins of color caught the faded light of the sun.
“Jog my memory Drake,” Dad continued. His voice grew more mocking with each word. “How do these lockgems work? The matching stones can be used by anyone, can’t they? So all I have to do is crush this stone…” His other hand moved to close around the lockgem. Drake flinched. “…and you die. Right?”
Drake nodded. He couldn’t help it; when Dad asked a question, he answered. Period. Especially when Dad was holding the lockgem that could kill him in an instant.
Dad chuckled at Drake’s reaction
, and then slipped the matching lockgem into his pocket. Just like that. It happened so unceremoniously that Drake almost didn’t believe it was happening. His life was in Dad’s hands now. Or rather, his pocket.
“In that case, I’ll keep this lockgem,” Dad said. “And I’ll give you three months to make up your mind. You either decide that girl is better off dead and come back to work for me.” Dad patted his pocket and smiled. “Or you die.”
Dad didn’t wait for a response, and Drake didn’t bother giving one. He didn’t think he could have if he tried. He was frozen.
Dad walked back to the Hummer and leapt into the driver’s seat. The engine started, and metal screeched as Dad backed his vehicle away from Drake’s ruined truck. And he drove off into the fog without a word of goodbye.
Drake stared after him for a long moment, watching as the swirling fog covered every trace of the Hummer. He stood there until he could no longer hear the vehicle’s rumbling engine. Until he was sure Dad was gone.
Then he let his head drop into his bleeding hands. Because Dad would never be truly gone. Not ever.
Chapter Thirty
Allai let her eyes shut as soon as she couldn’t hear the engine anymore. She figured it was okay to look weak, as long as Rhaize wasn’t there, and as long as Drake was the only one to see. Because Drake would take care of her.
Although she wasn’t sure that was possible at this point. The pain was everywhere. In every joint, every muscle, every bone of her body. She didn’t want to move, but her body shook violently, and more pain tore through her with every tremor.
Allai squeezed her eyes closed tighter. There wasn’t much to look at, anyway. Just the fog and the shards of glass lying around her.
Then Drake’s arms were around her. He lifted her up, and she pressed her face into his chest. His familiar scent was soothing, and his touch as gentle as always. Drake carried her for a while, and she guessed he was taking her away from the ruined truck.
His footsteps stopped after a minute, and Allai peeked open one eye. They were a few yards away from the truck, right at the border of a wheat field. Fog surrounded them. She tried to peer through the thick haze, but it had enveloped them.
A ripple of pain ran up her spine, quivering the muscles in her back. She whimpered and bit back a scream. She couldn’t scream in front of Drake. She couldn’t let him see that all his efforts to save her weren’t working.
Drake dropped to his knees and held her close to his chest. “You’re going to be okay, Allai,” he murmured in her ear. “I’m going to get you to Flacks, okay? I’ll find a way to do it. You’re going to be fine.”
Allai tried to smile at him. She wasn’t sure if she actually succeeded, but she didn’t have the energy to try any harder. “It’s okay, Drake.”
She wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by that. Because it wasn’t okay. The edges of her vision were starting to darken, and the pain suddenly didn’t feel all that bad. She knew she should be panicking, because this had to be the end.
But she couldn’t panic. With Drake holding her, and his warm breath against her neck, and his comforting scent all around… She just couldn’t bring herself to panic.
“I should have taken better care of you,” Drake whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Allai said. Her voice sounded foreign, even to her own ears. It was weak and strained with fatigue. “You did everything right.”
“But—”
She reached up and pressed a finger against his lips. “No buts. You’ve always taken care of me, Drake. You’ve always kept your promise.”
Drake shook his head, and for a moment Allai thought he was going to protest. But then he brushed her hand away from his lips and leaned in to kiss her. This time Drake’s kiss was just a little rougher, just a little more desperate. He wrapped his arms around her more tightly, pulling her so close that she could hear his heartbeat thudding in time with hers. Allai pressed a hand against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her palm. Memorizing it. Savoring it.
Drake pulled away and then cupped her chin in his hand. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, and tilted her chin up so their eyes met. “I love you, Allai.”
She opened her mouth, but no response came. How could she respond? Was it even possible? Everyone and everything she’d loved had just been ripped out of her life. She couldn’t replace them. Not yet.
Drake smiled softly and kissed her forehead. “You don’t have to respond. I don’t expect you to. I just need you to know that I love you.”
She smiled back at him. Then her vision faded away, leaving nothing but darkness and the faint sensation of Drake’s comforting warmth.
Chapter Thirty-One
Allai woke to the gentle touch of sunlight on her face. She blinked a few times, and her vision slowly came into focus. She was lying on a bed, covered in a heavy quilt, with bare white walls surrounding her. A hospital; that’s where she must have been. But then she saw the vaulted ceiling above her and felt the silkiness of the sheets. And no hospital would have those things.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, sleepyhead.”
A deep, masculine voice said the words. Allai turned toward the speaker and groaned as her head spun. She closed her eyes to escape the whirling room and took a couple deep breaths until she didn’t feel so dizzy. When she opened her eyes, she found a man sitting beside the bed.
He was the strangest type of handsome she’d ever seen. His face was all harsh angles and topped with short-cropped hair so blond it looked almost white. He was just as muscular as Drake, but Allai guessed he’d be even taller if he stood up.
“Where’s Drake?” she asked him. Her voice was nothing but a scratchy croak.
“He’ll be back soon,” the man said. He had an odd accent, something between Irish and English.
She blinked a couple times, trying to understand his words and the situation. “Did… Did I die?”
The man chuckled, his lips lifting into a smile. His teeth were even paler than his hair, but the smile was still friendly. “Die? Of course not. We’d never let that happen to you, love. You’re much too precious.”
Allai bit at her lip. She tried to press a palm to her forehead, but her hand was stuck beneath the sheets, and she was too tired to untangle it. “Are you… Flacks? Did you save me?”
“I helped save you. But I’m not your father.” His smile faded a little. “You don’t remember me? Not at all?”
Allai slowly shook her head. “Sorry, but no. I don’t remember you. Should I?”
His face fell a little, but he quickly changed his expression to a small smile. “I guess I can’t really expect you to remember me. You were young.” He offered her his hand. “I’m Corinth Ashton. Although you used to call me Uncle Cory.”
Corinth. The name made her heart beat faster, and she tried not to let a gasp escape. But she was pretty sure she failed, because Corinth’s lips pursed with concern.
She stared at his hand, knowing she should shake it, but not wanting to. Because she’d heard the stories about Corinth. He was Flacks’s right-hand man and a ferocious warrior in battle. Shieldak had warned her about Corinth once: ‘Flacks has brutal cunning, and Matthias has brutal strength. But Corinth is still a threat, Allai. Out of the three Caedes, he has the most control over his powers, and he’s been using it to his advantage for centuries.’
Corinth slowly withdrew his hand when Allai didn’t take it. He sighed. “I guess you’re probably not too comfortable with me, are you? With Shieldak raising you, and all. He probably told you some pretty nasty stories about me.”
Allai nodded and looked toward the door. She’d have to run right past Corinth if she was going to make it out of the room. And, if she did make it out, where would she even be? Her head started to pound as she realized she still didn’t know where she was.
“Don’t look so scared,” Corinth said in a soothing tone. “I’m not going to hurt you. See, that’s the thing about me. I can be viciou
s when it comes to fighting for the Keepers. But I wouldn’t dare harm anyone I love. And you’re one of those people, Allai.”
“But I don’t know you,” Allai whispered.
Corinth shook his head. “You just don’t remember me, love.” He paused for a moment, and his smile came back. “I was your favorite, actually. You used to follow me around everywhere.”
Allai closed her eyes as a strange mixture of excitement and panic settled in her stomach. Because Corinth could tell her about her past, and maybe even unlock some of mysteries she’d always wondered about. Where had she grown up, who was her mother, when was her birthday? Dozens of questions begged for answers, and Corinth could be the key to getting them answered.
But so far his explanations—even his presence—also brought confusion. Or maybe it was fear that was making her heart beat wildly. What he was telling her seemed surreal—she’d spent part of her life surrounded by the Keepers, the three Caedes Mages, and with Flacks as her father.
Corinth chuckled, but it was a kind sound. “You’re probably a little confused, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “What… What happened?”
Corinth clasped his hands together and leaned back in the chair. Allai waited for it to collapse under his weight, but it just creaked a little. “Apparently, you had a little run-in with Rhaize.”
Allai stopped breathing. She stared at Corinth, waiting for him to take back the words. But he didn’t, and her heart beat even faster, making the room start to spin again. She closed her eyes to shut out the spinning and whispered, “Is Drake okay? What happened to him? Where is he?”
“Drake is just fine, love,” Corinth said. “He’ll probably be back in here any minute. I made him leave to go sleep for a bit. He hadn’t left your side for almost two days.”
“Days?” she said. “How long have I been out? And where am I?”
“Why don’t I start from the beginning?”
Allai nodded. That sounded like the best option. Like a welcome option. After nearly a week—or had it been longer?—of confusion, her mind was craving solid answers.
Frost Fire (Tortured Elements) Page 21