“For what? For trapping you, for getting you into a world of trouble, for almost getting us killed?”
“For saving me.”
“Your welcome,” he said squeezing me against him. “Just don’t tell anyone, okay?”
I pulled back and smiled at him. “Your secret is always safe with me.” Then I dropped my arms and stepped back and became serious. “Have you seen Devlin yet?”
“No,” he said looking away. “But I’m sure someone else would like to see you. First door on the left, other side of the stairs. Come get me later, like, after noon.” He gave that big beautiful smile and closed his bedroom door.
I heard noise behind his door once he shut it. I wasn’t sure what the noise was exactly, but, oddly, I felt Halo’s emotion through his door. Waves of pain and frustration and… something sour. Something like… jealousy? My hand reached toward the doorknob, grasped it, but I thought better of it at the last minute and took a step back. My heart hammered in my chest. What exactly was I doing?
I shook it off, literally and turned to stare at the door down the hall. A little suspicious and very curious, I padded down the hall and stopped in front of the door Halo indicated, turned the knob and walked in, not bothering to knock.
On the bed, asleep, was the last person I would ever expect to find in Halo’s house.
Kamdyn.
A warm prickling traveled down my spine. I smiled and walked slowly, quietly toward the bed. I slid off my jacket and shoes and climbed in next to him. I reached up and wiped his disheveled hair from his face. His eyes cracked open slightly and a sliver of deep violet peeked through. His eyes fell to the side and gradually took in the appearance of someone who wasn’t supposed to be there. I let my fingers linger over his cheek and cherished the tingling that coursed up my arms.
He shot up quickly, like coming out of a bad dream, breathing heavy. He looked frantically around the room. I didn’t move beside him, afraid I would freak him out more. When he let himself fall back against the bed, he saw me leaning beside him. He didn’t hesitate; he flung himself on me, squishing me down into the mounds of pillows.
“I thought you were another dream,” he said into my hair. “I thought I woke up again and you were gone.”
“I’m right here, Kamdyn.”
He pulled back and rolled to my side, staring at my face but saying nothing.
“Is something wrong?”
“Not anymore,” he said and pulled me hard against his lips in an intense kiss that made my lips and tongue tingle.
“Don’t ever do that to me again,” he shouted as he pulled away.
There was nothing I could say to that, only because, if I had to make the choice again, between his life and my happiness, I would do it all again. So I just smiled. He smiled back and kissed me again.
I broke away from him and gave him a confused look. “Why are you in Halo’s house?”
“Why are you in Halo’s house?” he asked, eyebrow hitched up.
“Haha, Kamdyn. I’m serious.”
“So am I,” he suddenly looked very serious. He thought I was going to bolt, again.
I rolled my eyes and let out a breath. “I left my stuff here from when I stayed and… I had needed to be near… someone. I can’t explain it.” I looked away from him, I could feel him getting upset. I ran to Halo instead of him. “Plus, I thought, maybe, this is where Devlin would come…” I let my sentence trail off. I shook my head and pulled myself from the covers and out of the bed.
“Where are you going?” Kamdyn said, jumping up to stop me from putting on my shoes.
“I have obviously upset you and, I thought you would want me to leave.”
“I do not want to you go. I never want to you leave again.”
“You’re not mad at me for…”
“No, I could never be mad at you, not enough to push you away. And you forget,” he said trailing his fingers down the side of my neck sending chills running over my body. “I know what you are feeling. I can’t hear what you’re thinking, but I can still feel your emotions.”
My heartbeat skyrocketed and I forced myself to calm. He won’t know. He can’t know. On the outside, I smirked and pulled away. “You never answered my question.”
“What question?” he grinned back but that grin told me he knew exactly what I was talking about.
I gave him a look that explained he wasn’t fooling me and he laughed. A laugh that gave me the chills. “Alright, alright. I am here because I am moving in with Halo.”
I couldn’t help the surprise that I know my face gave away and he laughed again. “I know what you’re thinking,” he laughed at his pun and continued. “It’s a little strange given what has happened between us, but now that I know about my family and what I am, and that I have a brother, well, he asked if I would stay here with him. He promised to help me understand what we are and I promised to help him adjust to living outside of Faerie. Beside, Fae are stronger when they are together outside Faerie.”
“Wow,” was all I could say, but it did make sense, especially given how calm my body and mind have become since I entered the house.
“So you approve?”
“I didn’t realize it was my choice.”
He chuckled softly, but didn’t answer.
We were all downstairs eating breakfast, well, lunch, when there was a knock on the door. We all jumped and looked at each other, not sure who it would be.
“I’m just curious. Why do people spend hundreds of dollars to have someone install a doorbell, if no one who comes to the door uses it?” Halo asked genuinely curious.
I snorted and almost spit orange juice all over him. He jumped up out of his seat suddenly eager to get the door.
The kitchen was far enough from the front door that, even with my advanced hearing, I could barely hear anything. Then again, there didn’t seem to be much conversation. For some reason, I was nervous sitting there waiting for Halo to come back, like there was a shift in the air. I couldn’t eat anymore and pushed my plate away. Instead I occupied myself by watching as Kamdyn shoveled food in his mouth. I shook my head. He obviously didn’t feel it, but I did.
Halo reentered the room and without a word sat back down and began to eat. I crossed my arms and looked at him. I knew my expression of anything but nice.
He choked on his food. “What!”
I gave him a harder impatient look. But he only grinned at me, his eyes flicked over to the doorway.
I followed the direction of his eyes and saw Devlin walk through. I felt a single tear run down my face as I got up and ran to him. I jumped into his open arms. He pulled me in tight resting my head in the crook of his neck. The tightness that was in my chest slowly released and a great weight was lifted from me.
I pulled back to look into his handsome face, those emerald eyes. How happy I was that he was safe and we were safe because of him. I stared at him because I couldn’t do anything else. I hadn’t realized how tightly wound I was about his absence until he finally returned. It felt like I could breathe again.
What I truly didn’t expect was when I had pulled back to look at him, he would hook his hand at the nape of my neck and pull me towards him. My eyes widened and peeked to the side. At the last second, he planted his lips against my forehead.
This was not good. Not good at all.
Devlin released me and walked around the table to take the empty seat and fully relaxed as if it was something he had done all his life and he belonged here.
I smiled, but it quickly faltered as I realized I was in serious trouble. Somewhere is the course of this madness, I became someone else. I felt great, my body felt wonderful having these three with me. But my mind no longer belonged to me.
My feelings no longer belonged to me.
The unexpected had happened, and I started to fall…
But for who?
The rain continued to pour down around me as I cried. Great heaving sobs escaped my lips as thunder rolled and lightning crack
ed. I stared up at the sky and watched the huge drops fall and splash on my face, washing away the streaks of black tears.
Why am I crying?
Goosebumps erupted over my body and a chill creped down my spine. Awareness tingled in my very soul.
I pulled my raindrop filled eyes away from the dark clouds and casually peered around me. I saw nothing, but knew I wasn’t alone. Not anymore.
I knew I should be afraid, but I just couldn’t make myself feel it.
I was numb.
A few more sobs escaped and violent thunder boomed as more black tears cascaded down my cheeks.
Why won’t he come out?
For the first time, I noticed where I stood, at the edge of the lake in the forest. The once beautiful lake was now shrouded in grey. It only made me cry harder.
Without caring I let myself collapse on the rocky shore, my feet landing at the waters edge, licking at my shoes. My attention was caught on the waters surface as each raindrop hit. I let my hand wipe at the wet strands of hair blocking my view. The falling water ran down in rivulets around my face, plunging toward the lake from my chin.
“What do you want?” I finally whispered. I knew he could hear me. But he remained silent.
I jumped to my feet and spun around. “What do you want from me?” I screamed. My hands clenched, body stiff as lightening flash, filling the sky and illuminating the dark woods surrounding me.
It was then I saw him. He leaned against a large tree making no attempt to really hide. He didn’t really care if I saw him. I knew he wanted to see what I would do here. He wanted to push me. As far as I would go.
“If you want me, then come get me.” I spat through clenched teeth.
I heard his laugh then. Full of menace and promise. “We tried that approach already, I’m sure you remember.”
“What do you want with me? I am no one. What could I possibly have that you want?”
“You know so little about yourself, you know that?” He prowled towards me, all animal grace and beauty. “I simply want you to figure out who you really are and what promises your future holds. I want you to realize that you belong with me. Oh, the things we could accomplish together.” He grinned as he stepped forward and pried my hands out of their fists, soothing them before bring them both to his lips to kiss each lightly.
“You tried to have me killed.” I whispered because that was all I was able to do with him so close.
His eyes darkened and his face hardened. “No,” he stated it as if it could be nothing other than a fact. “I did not call them to kill you. They defied my orders. They were to only return you to me. I do not want to hurt you. Never. You are my future. The future of Faerie.”
“No.”
“Discover it for yourself. I know you will. Learn who you truly are, what you truly want.”
Lightning cracked the sky and I looked up to watch it split my world in two. When I looked back, he was gone, with no trace that he had ever been there except his footprints in the mud.
Wind whipped around me and screamed as the rain drive harder and my tears poured out of me, out of my soul.
Who am I?
I feel so alone…
Beautiful Nightmare Page 41