by Fleur Camcho
“Gross, get a room.”
Laura looked towards the door and saw Jace pummel Urban. They grappled in the field and finally Jace landed on top of Urban and punched him in the face. Urban covered his face with his arm as Jace hit him over and over. Blood splattered all over their shirts and still, Urban refused to hit back.
“You just left me there!” Jace pulled off his shirt and hit him again. “You just left me.”
Urban spit blood on him. “You deserved to die.”
“You don’t abandon your brother. No matter what.”
Laura breathed in sharply? Your brother?
“And you don’t kill the woman your brother loves either.”
Jace, breathless and still mounted on top of Urban, yanked on Urban’s shirt. “I didn’t mean to do it.” He slumped. “I didn’t mean to kill her.”
“Then why’d you do it?” Urban was crying now.
“She would’ve killed Laura. You know she had no regard for humans. And I couldn’t let her do that.”
“Why do you care so much about this one girl? She’s just a girl.”
“Tell me why you stopped Cherry then? If she’s just a girl.”
Urban was quiet and they stared at each other, their breathing the only sound in the darkness. Suddenly Jace was thrown across the field and Urban was behind Laura. A knife was to her throat. “She means nothing to me.”
Laura stiffened. “Urban, please.” She tried to step back but he held her tight. Jace raced towards her and Urban dug the knife in. Blood began dripping down her neck. “Stay away, Jace.”
Jace froze and Laura saw the fear on his face. Jace held his hands up. “Stop it. You know you don’t want to kill her.”
Urban gripped the knife tighter. “You must suffer, the way I’m suffering. I want you to feel the pain I’m feeling right now.”
“You think I’m not suffering? That I don’t feel the loss of Camilla?”
Urban’s hand stilled on the knife as he stared at his brother.
“I killed her, Alexander. And I have to live with that every day.” Jace’s hands were balled beside him, then they softened. “I loved her, once.” Jace said the words so quiet that Laura could barely hear them. A stab hit her heart. Not of jealousy but of the pain, knowing how much it must have hurt Jace to love a woman who left him for his brother.
“Urban.” Laura knew she could get to him. His hand tightened on her neck and she paused.
“You know my name.” His voice growled in her ear, warning and deathly.
Emotion burst through her. “Why do you care what I call you?”
“Why won’t you call me my real name?”
“Because I don’t want to.” Her voice was breathy; the steel pointed at her neck made her take quick shallow breaths.
“Why won’t you? Do you know what it cost me to tell you my name? And you act like it meant nothing to you.”
“It meant everything to me!”
“Then why don’t you want to call me by it?”
“Because knowing it made me feel a small amount of compassion towards you. Something that I never want to feel. Especially after you tried to kill Jace.”
“I told you, I didn’t try to kill him.”
“You might as well have, leaving him there like that.”
“I told you. He deserved it for what he did.”
“And did Camilla deserve what she got? For burning his wings and almost killing me?”
Urban tightened his grip. “She didn’t deserve to die.”
“And neither did Jace.”
Suddenly the knife fell away and Urban stepped back. Laura took a deep breath and Jace raced towards her. Pulling her to him, he leaped several feet away from Urban and tucked her close. “Never do that again.”
Urban shook his head. “I won’t.”
Jace growled. “If you do, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
Urban stared at him, his eyes glazed and regretful. “Is that what we’ve come to, brother?”
Jace gripped Laura tighter. “If it puts her in danger, then yes.”
Urban’s face fell and he took a step back. “They’re planning something. They won’t tell me what, but I know it’s big.” His wings spread out behind him and their vastness fascinated Laura.
“Who’s doing something?” Jace started towards Urban but he was already in the air. The wind blew as Urban’s wings took him higher and Laura hugged herself against the cold.
“Just be on the lookout.” And he was gone.
❦
Jace raced toward the barn, pulling Laura with him. He shoved mowers, shovels and hoes to the side. He pushed a combine towards the back wall.
“Jace, Jace. What are you doing?”
Seeing nothing behind it or under it, he began walking towards the plow. “I’m looking for my sword.” Giving up on the plow, he grabbed a shovel and flung it. It exploded against the wall, making a small hole.
“Jace!”
He walked towards the tractors. “I need my sword.”
Laura raced behind him. “Okay, we’ll find it together. What’s it look like?”
He shrugged. “It looks like a sword. Why? Do we have to shift through a pile of swords?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m just trying to help. Why is this so important to you?”
He grabbed her by the shoulders. “Because I need it.” He fell, pulling her with him as he crumpled to the floor. “Because I can’t protect you if I don’t have it. I’m useless without it.” His face was ashen and Laura held him close. “I thought that they would leave me alone. Us alone, when I came back.”
“Why?”
“Because they wouldn’t need to bother me now. Now that…” He stopped and stared at the ground and she stroked his hair.
“Now that what?” Her voice was soft, encouraging.
He was quiet, his eyes troubled. Laura gently tugged his chin and he faced her. “What’s going on?”
He closed his eyes and leaned towards her. “I just need to find the sword. I can’t trust Urban. Or anyone else now.”
“Jace.” She leaned in and blinked her eyes, brushing her eyelashes on his cheek. “Tell me.”
He kissed her softly, rubbing his thumb on her cheek.
“Tell me.”
He kissed her again.
“Tell me.” She growled now. “Tell me.”
He grinned. “I’m enjoying myself too much.”
He tried to kiss her again but she moved her head to the side.
He groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Fine.” He sighed. “I didn’t think that anyone would come back for me here.”
“Why?”
“Because…” He hesitated.
“Jace.” She was serious now.
“Because I can’t go back.”
“What?”
“You’re not allowed to keep going back and forth. It would bring too much attention to us and so I had to make a choice.”
She stared at him in shock, her mouth open. “Why, Jace?” A chill ran through her body. I’m not worth it.
He knit his brow. “Why what?”
“Why did you choose me? I don’t want you to leave your family!”
He shrugged. “I’ll see them again, one day.”
“Oh.” Silence descended over them and Laura studied the ground, a cold feeling flooding her body. She wrapped her arms around herself. “Is that because I’ll grow old and die someday and then you can just go back home?”
“Just go back home? Why do you say it like that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, I mean, you must be a million years old or something. My lifetime will be short for you.”
He laughed and she growled, “It’s not funny.”
“I am not a million years old.”
“A thousand then.”
He grinned, not answering.
“How old are you, then?”
He groaned. “Not this again.”
“Why won’t you just tell me?”
“I won’t think it’s weird.”
“Maybe you will.” He fiddled with the cuff on her jacket.
“It won’t matter.” She pulled his chin to look him in the eyes. “It won’t.”
He gazed at her. “I was born the day I met you.”
She groaned. “Jeez.”
“What?”
She stood up. “Come on. Let’s find your sword.”
He jumped up and walked over to the hole from where he flung the shovel. He rubbed the edges. “I’ll fix this.”
She raised her eyebrow. “I know you will.”
He pulled her towards him. “Laura?”
She gazed at him. “Yes?”
“There’s something you’ve got to do for me.”
“What’s that?” She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Introduce me to your family.”
She groaned.
❦
When they walked into her house, her dad sat in the living room watching tv with beer cans scattered around his feet. Laura skirted towards the stairs, pulling Jace with her.
“Laura, is that you?” Her mom was doing dishes in the kitchen.
She scowled at Jace. “I told you we should’ve climbed in my window.”
“And I told you I’m gonna have to meet them sometime.” He walked towards the kitchen, now pulling Laura, who suddenly became very heavy, along with him.
“Yeah, that doesn’t mean tonight though.”
“Oh, hi. Who’s this?” Her mom wiped her hands on a dishtowel.
“Mom, this is. Wait.” She turned to him to whisper. “Can I tell her your name?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“It’s okay if you tell her. Cuz you’re not an Angel.”
“Oh.”
“Not yet anyway.” He grinned and she smiled, turning back to her mom.
“This is Jace. He’s my… friend.”
He held out his hand. “I’m Laura’s new boyfriend.”
Laura released a strangling noise. “Jace!”
“Oh how nice. I’ve never seen you around before. Where’re you from?”
“I’m from up North.”
“Oh, Canada, eh? That’s wonderful, I’ve always had an affinity for Canadians. Never met one I didn’t like.”
He looked around. “And you have a wonderful house. Very welcoming.”
Her dad burped from the living room and crushed a can. Laura’s mom looked uncomfortable. “Why, thank you.”
He looked at Laura. “Is that your dad in the living room?”
Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head, just slightly. He began walking towards the living room, dragging Laura once again.
“Jace, no.”
He ignored her.
“Jace.”
“Hello, sir.” He stood in front of her dad, but just to the side so he could still see the TV. The smell of alcohol permeated the room. Her dad didn’t look up. “My name is Jace. I’m Laura’s new boyfriend.”
Her dad looked up, glaring at Jace. “Laura doesn’t have boyfriends. She’s too busy working.” Then he turned up the game.
Laura turned red. “Dad.”
Jace turned around to peer at the football game. “Is this the Vandals?”
Her dad glared at him and took a swig on his beer. “The Broncos.”
Jace snorted as he watched the play. “Good. We don’t watch the Vandals in our home.”
Her dad took another sip. “We’re not allowed to even say that name in this house.”
Jace grinned and, a miracle happened: her dad smiled back. Jace leaned over him conspiratorially. “Unless we’re watching them getting spanked by the Broncos.” Her dad laughed.
Laura stared at the two. What had Jace done? She pulled on Jace and her dad turned towards her. “Looks like you’ve finally found a good one, Laura.” His nostrils flared. “Not like that last one.” His eyes darkened. “Alright, get on outta here.” He turned back to the game and Laura sped out of the room.
“Don’t stay up too late.” Her mom waved at them from the kitchen as Laura fled up the stairs.
Once they were in her room, she spun on Jace. “Why did you do that?” She was shaking.
He pulled her in an embrace and stroked her hair. “Shhh. It’s going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not. It would’ve been better to just leave him alone. Why did you do that?”
He stood holding her, waiting for her to calm down. “It’s okay.” He peered into her eyes. “What if we can’t find my sword by searching the house? We might need to ask him.”
“It’s not like he has a secret compartment in the house or something.”
“You never know.” He grinned, trying to make her laugh, but she just sighed heavily. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close, rubbing her back. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“It’s just…” She pulled back. “I just don’t want you to have to be exposed to him.”
His eyes softened. “Laura, I promise. It’ll be fine.” He touched her cheek. “I’m tougher than you think.” He smiled. “I won’t judge you based on your dad.”
She stopped. “That’s not what I meant.”
He put his finger to her lips. “Yes, it is and, it’s fine. I know everything, remember? I know you, Laura.” He gazed at her lovingly and she glowed. “And you are the most amazing, beautiful being I’ve ever seen. Despite your dad.”
She shivered, not knowing what to say.
He stepped back, unzipped her jacket and pulled it off her. Then he glared at Urban’s shirt. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “Hands up.” She lifted her hands up and he pulled it over her head. “I don’t like this on you.” She gazed at him in awe. Her heart pounded and her knees were weak. He pulled off his shirt and her hands traced his bare chest. He kissed her tenderly, softly tracing her arm. “You are so beautiful.”
He left her standing there, cold with his absence. He turned on the water in the shower and brought out her pajamas, handing them to her, along with his shirt. “Here, take a warm shower. You need to warm up.”
She disagreed. She was already on fire.
❦
Laura lay in her bed, wrapped in Jace’s arms. She dreamed she was in a vast desert, holding a cold bottle of water. She swallowed; her throat was dusty and dry. A fetid smell reached her nose. She gagged, and then struggled with the lid to the bottle. She needed water. She put it up to her lips and a hand cuffed over her mouth.
She jumped as hands jerked her off the bed.
She stared wide eyed towards Jace. He was fast asleep.
“Whmmph.” She jerked her head but couldn’t move it. A foul smell permeated the air. She sucked her breath in, struggling to breathe through the hand cuffed to her mouth. How could Urban take her like this? Especially after what happened earlier.
She elbowed him in the stomach as he pulled her towards the window. It was open and the curtain fluttered with the wind. “Jmmphhh!” He gripped his arms tight around her and she kicked at him. He yanked her through the window and she felt the flow of air around her, indicating his wings were extended.
He jumped, racing high into the air and she shivered from the cold.
“Hello Laura.” He kissed her ear and her heart sank. It wasn’t Urban.
It was Cherry.
Order the next book in the series, Broken, here.
What if your love for someone could get them killed?
Jace’s decision to be with Laura ignites a series of events that explodes around their sheltered world. Jace must race against time to save their small town from going to hell, but will he be able to keep Laura safe at the same time?
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cho, The Edge: (Ignite, Book 1) (Ignite Series)