Twisted Together

by May, W. J.

  “That’s what I meant by: I technically work for the Privy Council, but it’s not what you think.” There was the sound of a door opening and closing, and without seeming to think about it, he grabbed her hand again, pulling her down beside him into a crouch. “Look, I understand why you’re a little jumpy, you just got arrested and all, but we can discuss all of this later? Right now, we’ve got to get out of here.”

  She yanked her wrist away with a vicious tug. “I can get out of here all on my own, thanks. I’m not going anywhere with the likes of you.”

  He pursed his lips and stared back at her with a mixture of frustration and amusement. “I know you’ve been searching for Jonathon Cromfield for the last month with your friends. I know he’s after a list of hybrids and you’ve been trying to keep them safe. And I know that when you spoke to the headmaster tonight, he told you—point blank—to run.”

  Rae’s breath caught in her chest. There was absolutely no way he could know all of that. Not unless…

  “Fine,” she hissed. Couldn’t Carter have sent her a different rescuer? One without…dimples? Devon had one. This guy had to have two. “See if you can keep up.”

  Without a second glance behind her, she darted silently across the lawn, staying in a low crouch and keeping to the shadows. She could feel the internal battle waging in her body, as it tried to decide which tatù would be most effective: invisibility or speed. She settled on speed, mostly because, while it would obviously help not to be seen, she could still be heard. And she happened to know of at least three working members of the Privy Council who were gifted with super hearing. In the long run, it was probably just better to get off Guilder grounds as quickly as possible.

  That was bad news for mystery guy, who was having trouble keeping up.

  With a stifled sigh, Rae circled around and came up behind him. “What the heck? Carter didn’t think to send me someone with a useful ability for this sort of thing?”

  “My ability is plenty useful,” he panted, glaring as he sprinted across the grass. “As for you, why don’t you just turn into a bird or something and fly on out of here?”

  Rae bit her lip as she flushed with automatic embarrassment. She had thought of that too, obviously, but her brilliant eagle shift came with one unfortunate consequence: it left her without clothes. Choosing not to reveal this little hiccup, she urged him forward. “Someone has to stay behind to save your ass,” she dodged his question rudely and pointed up ahead. “There! That’s the main gate.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he snapped back, clearly annoyed. “I went to this crappy Ivy League- worthy school too.”

  They both slowed down slightly as they approached, staring nervously ahead at the guards and cameras. Since when were there guards at the gate entrance? Since the PC locked me up.

  Rae didn’t know exactly what it was, but there was something different about the entrance to the school tonight. She’d driven this road a million times, and she was sure of it: something was definitely off. Her eyes flicked all around the forested lane, its old-fashioned street lamps giving the entire thing an almost-picturesque glow. They had managed to run through the forest line beside the school and twin tower entrance. She squinted at the gates.

  What was it? What was going on?

  That’s when she saw it: A little shimmer in the air above the iron gate, almost too faint to see, but most definitely there. Her eyes grew wide as she saw that it wound around the perimeter of the entire school.

  “What is that thing?” she whispered, pulling her companion to a stop. “In the air, what—”

  “It’s kind of like an anti-tatù force-field. It keeps people with abilities from coming in and from going out. It’s why we couldn’t get away through any other part of the school.”

  Rae’s face tightened in confusion. “And why’s that, exactly?” If this thing didn’t allow for the use of powers, she didn’t see why they were trying to escape at all. They were trapped.

  It’s probably exactly what my would-be prison cell is lined with.

  All at once, something squeezed her hand. She looked up in surprise to see the guy standing very close to her, staring into her eyes with a soft, calming encouragement.

  “Hey, calm down. I can feel you freaking out all the way from here, okay?” He squeezed her fingers again, and, for the first time, she didn’t pull away. “We came to the main gate because it’s the only part of the school that isn’t protected. They had to take down the shield to allow the cars of the people who actually work and go to school here.”

  Rae nodded quickly, eyes darting nervously to the three PC guards standing before it. They had what looked to be not only the standard Tasers the rest of them used, but actual guns as well.

  In a sudden flash of illumination, she realized that she had actually never wondered about Guilder’s security before. She’d always vaguely supposed that a virtual castle filled with people with super powers didn’t need much protection from the outside world.

  Now, standing on the wrong side of their little magical fence, she was beginning to rethink that.

  “So what are we going to do?” she asked nervously. If she used Jennifer’s tatù, she could take down the guards and pry apart the bars of the gate before anyone was the wiser. In fact, if she just approached from the—

  WHAT THE HELL?!

  Before Rae could make sense of what was happening, both guards were on the ground. Her mystery man had come out of nowhere, taking both of them down in a blur of speed like some sort of James Bond. He hadn’t used an ability—he’d only used his hands—but Rae had been through enough combat training to know that it took a special kind of talent to do what he’d just done.

  When he’d finished, he turned back to her with a huge grin. “What we’re going to do,” he ran his fingers over the iron bars, and, just like before, they seemed to melt away at his touch, “is walk right out of here.”

  Rae’s jaw fell open and she stood there in shock. “Who the hell are you?!”

  “Gabriel Alden… nice to meet you.” He extended his hand as if jail breaks were the most natural thing in the world, and pulled her gently through the open gate.

  A little spark buzzed through her skin as they touched, something she wasn’t sure was entirely to do with her mimicking ability, but she chose to ignore that possibility. Sure enough, she could already feel the telltale buzz through her skin as the new tatù settled in with the rest.

  She glanced up quickly to see that he was watching her closely.

  It must be strange, she thought, although it was something she was so used to, she rarely remembered. It must be so strange to watch someone else take an ability that was uniquely yours.

  “Do you have it?” he asked quietly. There was an odd note of strain in his voice, almost as if he regretted giving it away.

  “Yeah, um,” she cleared her throat awkwardly, “I do. You can manipulate metal…” she murmured, feeling it out. She was surprised by the potency of it. “And it’s…very developed.” Her eyes fell on his face inquisitively, suddenly wondering how old he was.

  He shook his head with a low whistle, clearly impressed. “You know,” he put his hand on her back and began leading her down the street, “I know about a million people who would love to get their hands on that fairy of yours.”

  There was a hitch in both their steps, and his cheeks blushed furiously. “That…” he laughed nervously, “definitely came out wrong.”

  She forced herself to laugh as well, before pulling discreetly away. Something about the words were hitting a little too close to home. “It’s fine.”

  A car with tinted windows started heading up the drive, and she pulled him quickly into the shadows, ducking behind some low-hanging trees. They watched with bated breath as it rounded the curb and vanished from sight. Just a moment later, it would be at the gate.

  …and would see the two disabled guards.

  Rae’s heart fluttered nervously in her chest and she turned back to her rescuer w
ith impatient, expectant eyes. “Well, you wanted to be my knight in shining armor. What comes next?”

  “Next?”

  He raised his eyebrows mischievously and pulled her further into the trees. They kept walking for another minute until they came to a little side road Rae had never known about before. Parked right in the middle was a black sports car; something she didn’t know the first thing about, but she was sure would have made both Julian and Devon drool.

  “Next, we go for a little ride…”

  * * *

  By the first hour, Rae had snuck enough looks at the gorgeous Gabriel to have memorized his face perfectly. It was the kind of face you didn’t see walking around on the street. It belonged in a magazine or on some billboard for the latest blockbuster. His long lashes framed eyes so green they were almost startling, and his perfect bone structure traced down to a pair of lips that…

  But Rae was very much in love, so she was determined not to notice those sorts of things.

  You can’t help but look, a little voice told her. It’s not like you like the guy. He’s just undeniably attractive, that’s all.

  By the second hour, it was very clear that Rae most definitely did not like him. Gabriel may have been good-looking, but he knew it, and he was smug. There was a constant cockiness that was incredibly off-putting and an arrogance about his skills that made Rae want to go one-on-one with him in the Oratory and wipe that smirk forever off his perfect face.

  Not at all like Devon, that same little voice chimed in. Devon was just as hot as this guy, some might even argue hotter, but he didn’t wear it on his sleeve. He was modest and kind. The perfect boyfriend. Perfect…in a lot of things.

  By the third hour, Rae was starting to realize that they were quickly leaving England behind.

  “Where are you taking me?” she finally demanded, staring out the window at the black, star-studded sky. The landscape all blurred together, and considering she had never had the greatest sense of direction to begin with, she had absolutely no idea where they were.

  Gabriel looked up with a little grin. “Scotland.”

  Scotland?!

  Rae tried to keep it together, leaning back in her chair and trying to act as casual as him. “Naturally...”

  Not ten minutes later, they pulled onto a side road that led down to the darkened sea. Rae’s eyes grew wide as they climbed out of the car, and she pulled her coat tighter around her as the frigid salty air bit into her skin.

  Before her lay what looked like the ricketiest, most unstable, most unseaworthy excuse of a boat she’d ever seen in her life.

  “Please, please tell me we’re not going on that,” she whispered, leaning into Gabriel so as not to offend the giant man who was wandering down the wooden planks to meet them.

  “Of course we are,” he answered cheerfully. “Petey’s a good friend of mine. And, while he usually uses this thing to catch mackerel, he said he’d give us a ride to Scotland, free of charge.”

  Her eyes flickered again to the ticking time-bomb. It was bobbing up and down on the choppy sea, like a bath toy that had reached the end of its rope. One good wave was sure to do it in.

  “What,” Gabriel smirked down at her, “are you scared?”

  She glared. “Well actually, I’ve seen Titanic, so, yeah… I am… a little.”

  “Relax.” Ignoring her protests, he pulled her into a tight, one-armed hug. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  On most any other day, she would have shoved him firmly away and shown him just exactly how relaxed she could be. But between the freezing gusts of wind and the spray from the icy waves crashing up against the hull, she actually nestled in a bit closer, taking full advantage of the heat radiating off his body.

  How was it that boys always ran so hot, she wondered absently as he spoke in low tones to the fisherman. Must be all that annoying testosterone…

  “Alright,” Gabriel turned to her with a small smile, tightening his arm as he looked down at her pink nose and chattering teeth, “he says we can stay below in the main cabin. Doesn’t want a little thing like you to catch your death of cold.” He winked.

  “Whatever,” Rae muttered, bracing herself against the chill. “Let’s just get inside, okay?”

  He led her down the narrow stairs, steadying her when she slipped on the slick wood, and pushed open the door with a grand relish. “Our chamber awaits…”

  ‘Chamber’ was a bit generous. There was one bed, pushed into the center of the room, with not much space for anything else. A small thick-paned window above the mattress steamed over the second they walked inside, but Rae could still hear the sudden onslaught of heavy rain just outside.

  “Our chamber?” she repeated, raising her eyebrows.

  If she was hoping this statement would make a difference, she was sorely mistaken. Gabriel was already taking off his thick jacket and the sweater beneath, leaving him in nothing but a tee-shirt that hung deliciously on his muscular frame.

  “Yes,” he grinned as he hopped onto the bed, “our chamber. You don’t expect me to sleep outside, do you? And, I hate to say it, but there’s not much room on the floor.”

  Rae glared, but it didn’t seem like there was much she could do. She followed suit, slowly removing the wool trench coat she’d conjured on the drive over, before coming to pause at her dress. The silk was wet almost all the way through, clinging to her skin in a way that made her turn quickly around, trying to tune out the way Gabriel watched her every move with a sly smile.

  “Do you mind?” she finally asked, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

  He leaned back against the headboard, folding his hands behind his head. “Not at all.”

  Her eyes narrowed in a warning. “I have a boyfriend, you know. One that you and your little metal magic don’t really compare to.”

  The room filled suddenly with his loud laugh. A happy sound, despite the undertones that ran beneath it. “Oh, Rae…you clearly don’t know me at all.”

  The words hung between them, and, after a second of blatant shock, Rae couldn’t help but smile. This guy had absolutely no shame. None at all! It was unbelievable.

  Still shaking her head, she held out her hands and conjured a thick down duvet. Even the almighty Gabriel couldn’t hide his surprise as she spread it carefully on the bed, snuggling down under the covers as far away as she could get.

  Once she was settled, she glanced over her shoulder in false concern. “Oh, I’m sorry—did you want something?”

  The threadbare comforter on the mattress couldn’t provide much any heat.

  “Well, actually I—”

  “—Guess I just assumed you had your ego to keep you warm.” She grinned into the pillow, proud she had cut him off just at the right moment.

  Those were the last words either of them said until morning.

  Chapter 3

  When bright morning light streamed in through the window, Rae moaned, and brought her hands up to her eyes. A part of her couldn’t believe she’d actually fallen asleep on this dilapidated monster of a boat. Another part couldn’t believe the thing had made it through the night in one piece.

  “And she finally opens her eyes,” a superior-sounding, incredibly sexy voice said from somewhere over her shoulder. “Well, good morning, princess! Turns out you wanted to share that blanket after all.”

  Wait…what?

  A pair of warm arms tightened in a circle around her waist, and Rae let out a gasp of shock.

  Somehow, in the night, she and Gabriel had ended up spooning in a warm cocoon under her down comforter. Her back was nestled snugly against his chest, while the rest of her body was cradled tightly in his strong arms. She could feel the tip of his chin resting on her hair, and, just to increase her humiliation, even their legs were comfortably intertwined.

  “What did you do?” she accused, struggling valiantly against his arms.

  “Me?” The arms tightened playfully and she felt his warm breath by her ear. “I
f I recall correctly, it was you who scooted over here when the storm picked up. You know,” a pair of long fingers curled a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “you’re a lot nicer when you sleep…”

  “Get the heck off of me!”

  In hindsight, the strength tatù was poorly-timed. The second she slipped into it was the same second he chose to let go. What resulted was a magnificent fumble in which Rae sent herself flying not only off the bed, but into the opposite wall.

  She hit the wood with a soft crunch, sliding slowly down to the floor as her pale skin bloomed red in furious humiliation.

  “Careful,” Gabriel chimed in cheerfully, sitting up with the sheets wrapped around his waist.

  Rae pulled herself to her feet, prepared to finally let him have it, when she stopped short in disbelief. “Where is…why are you…?”

  Only Gabriel’s triumphant smile could have made her angry enough to pull her attention away from his bronzed, sculpted abs.

  “Why the hell did you take off your shirt?!”

  “What? Oh—this?” He gestured down to his bare chest with a wicked smile. “I got hot in the night. You were cuddled in so close…I couldn’t wear it a second longer.”

  Rae was beside herself. The NERVE of this guy! As if it was something she’d want. As if they weren’t in the process of fleeing the country. And after she’d specifically told him that she was already seeing someone.

  “Calm down, sweetheart. It’s not like I took my pants off—”

  “Oh…that’s bloody it!!!”

  A second later, he was cowering on the other side of the room—clutching the blanket around himself as he raised his hands up like a shield.

  “Rae! Rae, think about this! I really can’t stress enough what a bad idea it is to create an electrical storm when we’re out on the open water!”

  Damn science! It had to work against her every time!

  Rae lowered her smoking hands to her sides, but her dilated eyes locked onto his, keeping him standing straight at attention. “Let me make this perfectly clear.” Her voice was dangerously low. “You do not touch me, ever. You do not, for a second, take this lightly. This is my life we’re talking about. This is my freedom. And let me assure you, blondie, I’m not remotely interested. So why don’t you take a breath, remember that you were sent here for a reason, and go find out where the hell we are?”