I spied a small window. After making sure the stalls were empty, I climbed atop the radiator and pushed on the handle. It took several attempts to get it to creak open. A coat of paint crackled around the frame as I pushed it out. Outside, voices approached. I hoisted myself through the opening and onto a narrow metal deck. I didn’t have time to close the window, but doubted the two women would worry about an open window. They’d probably think the bathroom was being aired out.
I had no clue where I was but decided that my best option was to get back down to the street. Changing my face into a curly-haired brunette’s, I jumped off the ledge to the street two stories below. I’d planned on floating down—even if it wasted fire—but failed miserably and landed so hard that my vision blackened.
Limbs sprawled like a starfish, I took inventory of my body. Some of my bones had most definitely shattered, but slowly, they mended. Soon, I was pushing myself upright. I felt my face to make sure my dust hadn’t gusted away. My fingertips tingled from its presence. One of my heels had flown off, and I hurried to retrieve it. I raced down the dark alley toward the street soaked in bright neon lights. And then I reentered the lobby and steadied my pace to reach the elevator, my loot of chips swishing noisily inside my handbag. I scanned the lobby but no one looked my way. Keeping my arm tucked firmly around my bag, I pressed on the call button, and then once the door swept open, I pressed my card against the electronic security box at the bottom of the keypad and the top floor lit up. Praying the elevator wouldn’t make any stops on the way up, I worked on lengthening my breaths.
I almost couldn’t believe it when I reached my suite. My bag slid down my arm and dropped onto the marble floor. I leaned against the front door and laughed, my wound-up nerves finally releasing.
Tonight had been all at once tantalizing and terrifying, fun and perilous. I kicked off my heels and ransacked the mini bar for snacks and a drink. I tossed down a mini bottle of whiskey, savoring the trail of fire it left behind. Popping a bag of chips, I padded out to my private terrace and reclined on one of the moon-lit lounge chairs. The view of the city was almost as intoxicating as the whiskey. I ate the chips, and then I returned to the marble bar in the living room, grabbed a jar of smoked almonds, and ate those next.
I thought about returning to my terrace but worried about faeries sighting me, so I slid the patio door closed and retired to the bedroom. I watched hours of mindless TV, and even though I’d vowed not to fall asleep, I lost my battle.
I woke up to the brightest of sunshines. I sat up fast, blinking, half expecting yesterday to have been a dream, but the light beige walls around me were solid. The creak in my neck and the imprint of sequins on my thighs were also both very real.
I stretched, then tugged off my dress, slid my patio door open, and skipped over to the pool I’d requested jacuzzi-hot. The water coiled around my body, warming my submerged skin. I swam to the infinity edge and laid my chin on my crossed arms, trying to decide what to do with myself today. I’d never had so little yet so much time on my hands. Back in Rowan, there was always someone to see…something to do.
I pressed back my regret. I’d chosen this solitude for a reason.
After a long, quiet while, I got out of the pool, water beading from my black lace bra. I toweled off before my fire could counteract my skin’s wetness. However quick I was about it, curls of steam rose off my body.
As I changed out of my wet undergarments, I turned on the TV to offset the silence and tuned into CNN. While I scanned the in-room dining menu, I listened to the human news.
Diplomatic tension with Russian officials.
Oil stocks plummeting.
A school bus full of children capsized in Ohio. Three casualties. Ten gravely injured.
As much as I didn’t care for the two first subjects, the third heightened the pounding of my heart. Thank the skies my rapid heartbeat wouldn’t register on Kajika’s hand. I absent-mindedly stroked my palm that hadn’t glowed since the day I’d found Kajika bleeding in his bed.
I hoped he’d found out who did it.
I shoved my stringy hair off my forehead and used the hotel-linked tablet on my nightstand to place my in-room dining order. I tried to rekindle the excitement I’d felt the previous evening, but loneliness consumed me.
I needed a distraction. I looked up the timetable of shows on the tablet, booked front row seats to two, and then worked on altering my appearance. I painted my eyes hazel and my blow-dried hair chocolate brown. It fell in lustrous waves over the spaghetti straps of my short, red jumpsuit.
As I slid my feet in tall wedges, I heard my last name on the news. I turned to the TV and listened as the reporter showed clips of Beaver Island, entirely decked out in white tents in preparation for the wedding.
“Catori Price and Ace Wood have pushed back the date of their nuptials because of a Nor’easter that is scheduled to hit Michigan this weekend,” the reporter was saying. “Guests are extending their trips, which has benefited the hotels and restaurants in the region greatly. Here with us today is Beatrice Wells, owner of Bee’s Place, Rowan’s quaintest inn.”
As I watched Bee’s creased face, listened to her quiet voice, pang after pang of nostalgia hit me dead center. And then Cat’s aunt Aylen popped onto the screen behind Bee. Once she realized she was on camera, she became all flustered, but soon, she was chatting avidly with the reporter about her niece’s upcoming nuptials.
I watched her fuchsia-tinted lips move, but could hardly focus on what she was saying. Was a storm to blame for the postponement of the wedding, or was it simply a Daneelie-manufactured diversion? Were Cat and Ace looking for me? Had the lucionaga been tasked with locating the runaway princess? Had Kajika been alerted to my disappearance?
I turned off the TV and fled my suite, praying it was a real storm.
That no one would come.
After the first show, I grabbed a burger and lunched alone at a little table set in the sun, then walked around another casino. I didn’t dare sit and play, even though I itched to try my luck at blackjack. I did end up trying my luck at the slots. Each time I won, and the machine blared, my heart would snake up my throat and remain suspended there for long minutes. No one paid me any mind, so I finally began to relax.
Finally the time came for my second distraction of the day. I stuffed my new winnings into my bag and left to attend the concert. The show was mesmerizing and emptied my mind of thoughts, filling it entirely with music. I walked back to my hotel after that, heels clicking against the cooling asphalt. My mood had lifted, but the effect faded the moment my hotel came into view.
I blinked and blinked, and then I ducked my head and watched as Cruz Vega, flanked by Silas and two lucionaga, strode right through the main entrance of my hotel.
29
Lost And Found
Heart pounding in my throat, I whirled around. Even though I didn’t look like Lily Wood, I was afraid Cruz would see through the dust. I retreated the way I’d come, hands shoved deep in the pockets of my tan leather jacket. I wouldn’t be able to return to my hotel. As much as the fae’s presence the night before had to have been a coincidence, Cruz’s arrival couldn’t possibly be one.
Either the fae had gotten wind I was missing and mentioned he’d played poker with a cloaked faerie who refused to speak to him, or Ace found out about the jet that had left Rowan the morning of my disappearance, or Faith had noticed the Vegas charge.
I was walking too fast, drawing attention, so I slowed, hesitating to head into another hotel. Cruz and the guards couldn’t canvass the entire city…could they?
I veered off the main road onto smaller ones, drifting through parts of the city that didn’t glimmer and shine. I ended up in a shabby motel with none of the amenities of the luxurious resorts. Cruz wouldn’t look for me here. I rifled through the zippered pocket of my handbag for my remaining cash. I came up with a wad of twenties—enough to get me a room in the establishment for a few nights.
I’d have to cash
in the thousands of dollars’ worth of chips, though, if I wanted to leave Vegas. I really didn’t want to end my days here—in this yolk-yellow and brown-carpeted hole. The attendant handed me a clunky room key and collected three of my twenties. She gave me change and then led me to a room that reminded me acutely of the room I’d spent the night in back in Manistique.
Skies, that trip felt like eons ago.
I sat on the bed that was as hard as a slab of wood. The springs creaked under my slight weight. I didn’t take a shower that night. I brushed my teeth with my finger, then surfed channels for hours on end, and then I slept.
Another wasted night.
The following morning, I remained in bed until the growling in my stomach turned painful. I dusted myself, choosing a pink, pixie haircut and adding piercings through my nose and eyebrow that clashed violently with my red jumpsuit, but I was past caring.
Watching the sky more than the streets, I returned to the hotel in which I’d played the slots, to cash in my chips. The cashier in the cage tendered me the cash for those chips. However, when I pushed the chips from the other hotel his way, the man frowned as he tallied up the amount.
“That’s a large sum, miss. Give me a minute. I got to ask my superior if I’m authorized to cash it for you.”
When he reached for his phone, I spun and abandoned my thousands worth of chips. He would probably assume I’d stolen them and send guards to retrieve me. I hurried across the floor, wending my way through the already dense crowd, and discreetly pressed my palm against my hair to change my short pink do into a razor-sharp blonde bob. Security guards dashed past me, but neither glanced my way. Sure enough, they headed for the cashier cage I’d just run from.
I sped up, knocking into a cocktail waitress. She gasped as drinks spilled all over her feathery outfit. I shoved a large bill onto her tray and took off again. My wedges didn’t make any sound against the carpeted floor, yet in my head, they resonated, broadcasting my presence to everyone.
I needed to slow down and stop swiveling my head like a tracked criminal, so I concentrated on my feet.
No one is coming after me.
No one is coming after me.
Mud-splattered black boots stepped into my line of sight. I almost tripped over them but swung to the side, changing course to avoid the person. A hand shot out and gripped my arm, reeled me back.
Shit.
Noise faded as my gaze climbed up to my captor’s face.
30
Betrayal
Kajika’s eyelashes and eyebrows had grown back. That was the first thing that struck me. The second thing was the livid, red sheen of his dark eyes.
“Are you aware of how many people are out looking for you, Lily Wood?” he said through gritted teeth.
Again, I lowered my gaze to the wedges that pinched my feet. If only I’d worn flats… I assume a lot.
“You assume right. What were you thinking? What the hell were you trying to achieve?” Although it sounded like he was shouting, it was more of a growl.
I shrugged him off but made no attempt to run. It wasn’t like I could outrun Kajika. How did you find me?
“A lucionaga showed up at Holly’s farm, blubbering that you had vanished. Your brother was certain I was hiding you, but I told him he would have better luck finding you at the house of the man with whom you had spent the night.”
He paused for so long that I looked back up at him. His eyes were so chillingly cold that I hugged myself.
“Cat said you had been with Faith and Remo, and then she called Faith, and Stella Sakar’s daughter confirmed you had looked after her son the entire night.” Again, he stopped talking. “Is there a reason you left the age of your companion to my imagination?”
I didn’t answer him. Instead I repeated, How did you find me?
“I have been viewing security footage for the last twenty-four hours.” It explained the burst blood vessels. He scrutinized my face, which he could see perfectly through the layer of dust. “Why did you leave?”
I tipped my head to the side. Why do you think?
“I do not know what to think.”
You can read my thoughts, Kajika. I left because you can read my thoughts.
He frowned, but then he didn’t because he understood. “And you had something to hide…” he said in a low voice.
I squeezed my eyes shut and desperately tried to block out my secret, but his breathing hitched, and I knew he’d uncovered it. I pried my lids up, cursing the day I’d marked him.
His body had become one solid, pulsing muscle. A beat passed during which he tugged on a lock of my real hair. When it didn’t detach from my scalp, the hard line of his shoulders became slightly less hard…which wasn’t saying much.
“Since when?”
I bit my lip. The din of coins spewing from the neighboring row of slots angered the pounding at my temples. Or maybe it was having this conversation that was giving me a headache. Since you were attacked with the opal.
His Adam’s apple moved underneath a couple days’ worth of stubble. “Cruz is waiting for you.”
Did you ever find out who did it?
“I have to get you to Cruz.”
No, you don’t need to get me to Cruz. I don’t want to see him. Or anyone, for that matter. I ran away for a reason.
“And now that I know your reason, there is no way I am letting you out of my sight.”
I inhaled sharply. You can’t tell Cruz my reason!
“He needs to know so he can act accordingly.”
He’ll kill himself to save me.
“If he does not die, then you do, and I am not willing to let that happen.”
You don’t have a say in what I choose to do!
He narrowed his eyes and dipped his chin lower.
I’m serious. Don’t you dare tell him. Or…or—
“Or you will run away again?” His lips arched in a dark smile.
I gulped. What was he going to do? Chain me to him?
“Possibly.”
Stupid mind link. If you tell him, I will never speak to you again.
My threat made his smile falter. But only briefly. Soon it returned full force. “It is not as though you have ever spoken to me.”
Was he really making light of this situation? I tossed my hands in the air. I mean I will never communicate with you voluntarily or involuntarily ever again.
“I will take my chances.”
I’d expected him to back off, not to defy me. It’s my life. My choice!
“Your life affects others.”
My life is worth nothing in the grand scheme of things, but Cruz…he deserves to live. Look at what he’s done for Neverra. For your tribe. Look at the changes he’s brought about. What have I done, Kajika? Nothing! I have done nothing to better any world.
He shook his head, and his bangs shifted over his weary eyes. “You give yourself so little credit, Lily.”
I huffed. Name a single thing I made better.
“You stole the book from Gregor and gave it to Gwenelda.”
Cruz helped.
“You sacrificed yourself so Cruz could stay in Neverra and orchestrate the removal of the mist.”
I snorted.
“You brought Derek, Faith, and Cassidy much joy.”
Again, I snorted. Those aren’t accomplishments. They’re just…
“Just what?”
Normal things. Friendships.
“Why do you have such little regard for yourself?”
Because the things you are speaking about are trivial.
His jaw clenched. “You saved me. Do you consider that trivial?”
Saved you? From what? The piece of opal? I doubt it would’ve killed you.
“I was dead inside until you marked me.”
What are you talking about?
He cocked his head to the side, observing me with the acuity of a quila. “What do you think I am talking about?”
My heart knocked against my spine, and fire
rushed into my cheeks. You can’t save me because you like me better than you like Cruz. It wouldn’t be fair.
“Because watching you die would be?”
Kajika… I forced back my frustration. I won’t run away again, but don’t tell Cruz about my fire.
“I am sorry, Lily, but I will not watch you sacrifice yourself again.”
When he slid his phone from the back pocket of his jeans, I backed away. He stepped forward, then cinched his arm around my waist. I tried to break free, but his grip was a vice.
“I have found her,” he said into his phone.
No. You haven’t found me. You’ve just lost me forever.
I felt his pulse quicken, saw the W flare against the dark hand pinning me against him.
I will never forgive you for this, Kajika.
31
Diles And Declarations
My welcoming committee at the suite turned out to be larger than anticipated. Cruz and Silas were there, as well as Ace, Cat, and five lucionaga, stationed at each exit. I felt like an enemy of the state about to face a trial by fire.
“Lily!” Cat, whose face was as pale as it had been after the portal lock had been altered, launched herself off the couch and hugged me.
She was the only one who hugged me, though. All the others simply gazed up at me through lowered lashes. Glared more than gazed. Except Cruz. There was no bite to his look. If anything, his look was worse than the others because it mirrored mine…devastating apprehension.
“Drop the guise, Lily,” Ace said.
Right. He couldn’t see through my dust like Cat and Kajika could.
I ran my hands over my hair and face until my pale skin and limp blonde hair bled back to the surface.
Raging Rival Hearts Page 18