An arrow whizzed through the air, landing perfectly in the center of one of the men’s heads, dropping him to the ground.
“I do!” Seth moved quick, lunging at Zane, taking him completely by surprise.
The men standing around us attempted to close on them as Seth knocked Zane to the ground, but they didn’t have time. Kesi was blurring behind them, slicing each of them with something sharp as she swept by. Each one fell to the ground one by one, and every one of them had a slash across their throat.
The site of so much blood jolted my stomach, and I rolled over, dry heaving over the dirt. Painful tears stung my eyes as the force rattled my ribs and shook my achy bones.
Hands smoothed my hair out of my face. “It’s okay, Layna. We’re here,” Kesi tried to reassure me. “Let me roll you over. I need to get you out of here.”
I picked my head up, my gaze catching Seth as his fist plunged into Zane’s stomach. His emotions had resurfaced, and they weren’t something I cared to see. Anger, hate, and rage. They came at Zane over and over again, pounding on his face until he was unrecognizable.
“Look away, Layna.” Kesi’s voice came back to me again. “Focus on rolling over so I can get a hold of you.” She placed her hands on me and I yelped as if her touch had burned me. She pulled her hands back.
Every time she attempted to touch me, it felt as if more bones were breaking inside my body. I didn’t know how she expected to carry me with her tiny frame, anyway.
I was right. She finally moved her hands under me and lifted, ignoring my sounds of agony this time. But I was too heavy for her. Her face shot up, looking in the direction of Seth and Zane. “Seth, just kill the bastard and come on!” she screamed at him, her voice hysterical, as she removed her hands and tossed something at him.
I managed to shift my head in his direction as he caught the dagger in the air. Without a second thought, he slid the blade into Zane’s chest. “Die you asshole.” He barely finished the sentence as Zane began coughing blood.
My mind begged and pleaded for me to shut it off, doing everything and anything it could in order to escape the flames engulfing my insides, but I fought it with everything I could.
Bigger hands slid underneath me this time, familiar hands. They had no trouble lifting me from the ground. “Meet me back in the cave.” The voice was broken, like it was choking up a million tears, drowning in a lake of sorrow without the ability to reach the surface.
But I savored those beaten and battered words. Only because it was the only thing I had left to hold on to.
Chapter 31
“Are you sure you have enough energy to heal her?”
“I don’t know, but I have to try.” His voice vibrated through me.
I had the sensation of being lowered, coolness absorbing into the back of my clothes as a firm surface pressed against my back. Part of me was partially aware of my surroundings, the fire burning inside of me, and the slight cracking sound as I inhaled and exhaled. The other part, the one that contained all my emotions, thoughts, and feelings had been locked away somewhere deep inside of me, the key tossed away so nobody would be able to find it. Maybe, my mind did this to keep me from going insane. For whatever reason it had, I was thankful for it. I didn’t want to think about anything right now. I didn't want to feel.
He placed his hands on my chest. I knew they were his because my body responded to his energy. Soon, a different kind of warmth flowed into my body, searching for the source of the fire. It moved slowly, efficiently, making sure it covered every corner, crack, and crevice.
The warmth drifted down to my ribs, making the heat grow hotter and hotter, increasing the fire even more. I screamed and shouted for it to stop, but the words never reached my lips. The fire soared out of control, taking me deeper under with it.
“Do you want me to take over for a bit?”
I could barely hear the words over the pleading and begging in my head. They were faint, and so very far away. But they were the only thing I had left to hold on to. And I’d be damned if I let them go.
“No, I’ll do this,” he answered her.
“Seth, what good is it for you or her if you drain all your energy? I’m here and I’m capable.”
“Dammit, Kesi! Just leave me be!”
The voices had faded away, but my mind was nothing short of silent. The fire in my ribs had finally eased, and the warmth moved on, scanning my insides for any more signs of the flames. It would hit a few other spots every now and then. Once in my upper arm, just below my shoulder. I had screamed with that one too.
“If you’re sure you’re okay, I’ll go out to the spring and catch some fish. With you here, when she wakes up, maybe she’ll eat.”
The voices had returned. They were much clearer this time.
“What do you mean by maybe?”
“She only eats when you’re here, Seth. When you go away, I can’t get her to touch anything. Not even fruit. She tells me she doesn’t feel well. She isn’t feverish, and she doesn’t seem to be losing weight, so I let her go. I think it’s all the stress.”
“Why haven’t you said anything to me?” he asked in a tired, angry whisper.
“I didn’t think it was important.”
“Didn’t think it was important?” The warmth suddenly jerked, taking my body with it.
This time the moan did escape my lips.
“What the hell, Seth! What did you do to her? You didn’t hurt her, did you?”
The voices disappeared as I was pulled back under.
When I surfaced this time, the warmth was still there, but there was no sign of the fire. All my emotions, thoughts, and feelings had been released from their prison. It didn’t hurt to breathe and there were no cracking sounds when I inhaled or exhaled. Finally, I opened my eyes, blinking a few times while they adjusted to the dim light.
The walls of the cave surrounded me, the slight glow of the fire marking the center of the cavern. There were no voices, only the sound of heavy breathing. I shifted a bit, noticing the weight over my stomach. Reaching down, my fingers came in contact with a warm hand. Seth. He was holding on to me.
I rolled over, letting his hand slip away from me while I located his face. I watched him for a moment, his steady breathing calming to my soul. Finally, I reached out, tracing the outline of his face with the tip of my finger.
His face jerked from the touch, and then he opened his eyes. The oceans shimmered when he saw me. “Layna.” My name was but a whisper on his lips.
I smiled, feeling the remaining warmth of his energy center in my chest. “I missed you.” My fingers drifted over to his bottom lip. It was smooth and warm.
“As I did you.” He took me in his arms and held me close, the scent of him causing my heart to stutter. He brought his lips to mine and kissed me gently, like he could shatter me with his touch.
I parted my lips, allowing him entry. He tasted me slowly, rolling his tongue inside my mouth, twisting it around mine in short delicate motions. I don’t think he had ever kissed me so slowly before. I rather enjoyed it. There was something sensual about it, something that caused my cheeks to flush.
He broke away from the kiss and rubbed his nose against mine. “I’m sorry you had to endure so much pain before I stepped in. I wanted to rip that asshole’s head off his shoulders with my bare hands as soon as I saw you lying on the ground.”
“It’s okay. Really.” I pressed my forehead against his. “I knew you were outnumbered. And,” I scooted down just a bit so I was level with his eyes, “I knew you were waiting for something to happen so you could save me.”
“How did you know?” He watched me in curiosity. “I thought I hid my emotions well.”
“You did,” I agreed. “But you were tapping your fingers against your thigh. That’s what gave you away.” I smiled and then kissed him on the tip of his nose.
“Kesi was late. I had to wait for her to create the distraction.” Lines invaded his forehead as he recalled the memory.
“Seth, I don’t want to discuss this right now. I just want you to hold me.”
He fell silent as his grip tightened on me, and we lay there, looking into each other’s eyes. Every now and then his lips would brush against me. My cheek, my nose, an eye, and even on my brow. His kisses were soft and greatly desired.
At one point, I had fallen back asleep. When I woke, he was gone, his kisses no longer lingering on my skin. I turned over, my eyes drifting to the center of the cave where Kesi stood in front of the fire, stick in her hand, cooking a few fish.
“Where’s Seth?” I asked, finally finding the strength to sit up and place my feet on the ground. The room began spinning and my stomach was queasy. I took a few deep breaths and swallowed hard.
Her head turned and her eyes lit up when she saw me. “You are awake.” She grinned. “He said you had woken up during the night, but I thought he had been dreaming. But here you are, eyes wide open and talking to me like nothing ever happened.”
“Why is it such a big deal?” I stood up and stretched my arms in the air, hoping to relieve some of the cramping. At least I was more in control of my muscles than I was my stomach. “I was only out for the night.”
“Are you serious?” She removed the stick from the fire and placed it on a rock next to her. “You’ve been unconscious for a few days. You were in such bad shape it nearly drained Seth of everything to heal you.”
“That’s impossible.” I couldn’t have been out that long, could I?
“I’m telling you, Layna.” She now concentrated on removing the fish from the stick and placing a piece each on the three pieces of curved tree bark on the rock. “At one point, I thought I was going to lose you both. I swear, he’s just as stubborn as you.” She grabbed one of pieces and brought it over, setting it down next to me.
My stomach wasn’t having it. As soon as I caught the scent, it lurched. My hand flew up to my mouth and I ran from the cave, barely making it behind a bush before the dry heaves started.
I dropped down to my knees, the palms of my hands lying flat on the ground beside me. Closing my eyes, I tried not to think about vomiting, but that only made it worse.
Hands gently pulled my hair away from my face, and next thing I knew, Seth was situated beside me, holding my strands so they would be out of the way. “How long have you been like this?”
I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to cause him anymore worry, hoping he would just let it slide. I should have known better.
“Tell me, Layna.” He pushed the subject.
“I don’t know.” I steadied my gaze to the ground. “A few weeks maybe. I think it’s the fish. Every time I catch a whiff of it my body has this reaction. I think I’m just sick of it. Literally.” I managed to laugh.
Seth didn’t find any humor it. “Kesi found a wild strawberry patch. She picked quite a bit. We’ll have to try to see if you respond any better to them. But first, let’s get you cleaned up a bit.” He helped me to my feet, and with that gesture, I knew he wouldn’t accept a refusal.
Seth kept his arm around my waist as he led me to the spring, his touch was warm and comforting. When we reached the water, he kept me close until I was waist deep. “Feeling any better,” he asked, dipping his hand in the water, cupping it in his palm. He ran his cool hand down my arm.
I nodded my head, unable to deny the tingles dancing over the surface of my skin. It was amazing. The nausea and vertigo finally faded away by the time his hands roamed down my left thigh. Not only did he work his fingers over every inch of my body, but he also helped me submerge my hair and massaged the top and the back of my head. By the time he was finished with me, I felt renewed.
He took me back to the cave and fed me strawberries, which surprisingly, my body happily accepted. With a full stomach the craving of a nap snuck up on me. Seth lay down beside me, and I closed my eyes.
“See,” I whispered. “I told you it was just the fish.”
Seth laughed, his body shaking with amusement. “Yes, Layna. So you did.”
Chapter 32
I had made up my mind. While Seth was out hunting something other than fish, Kesi was out picking more berries and seeing what different fruit she could forage. That left me sitting near the entrance of the cave. Alone. I had already watched as many birds as I could while I waited for one of them to return. Things had gotten pretty boring. So, as I ran my palm over the surface of the grass, I began to think.
Seth had saved me multiple times, and Kesi a couple. I was tired of being defenseless since I couldn’t get my magic to work the way I wanted it to. My only option was to learn to fight. Sure, my father taught me a few things on how to protect myself when I was younger, but that was a long time ago, and I had forgotten most of it. I needed to relearn the basics. It would also be beneficial if and when we decided to go to war against the Capital. Using magic weakens a Natural. If I learned to fight, I could use it for back up. And the only person who would be able to teach me how to fight was Seth. He had trained the Rebellion. Even though my brother was dead and the Rebellion more than likely split, the men returning to their homes in the various villagers scattered across Sector Twelve. They knew how to protect themselves. And I needed to know too.
Seth didn’t even have time to greet me before I hopped up off the ground. “I want you to teach me to fight.”
“Not an option,” he said, carrying two dead rabbits in his hand as he made for the entrance of the cave.
“Come on, Seth.” I followed behind him. “I could use it for backup when my powers drain me, and you wouldn’t have to worry so much when you have to leave.”
“I will always continue to worry about you.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Whether you can fight or not.” He dropped the rabbits on the boulder next to the fire.
“I know, but…” It was time to pull the guilt trip on him. “If I would have been trained to fight, maybe those men wouldn’t have taken me so easily by the spring. Kesi and maybe I could have taken them. If…I would have been shown how to do some moves.”
“Why me? Why not Kesi?” He turned around and looked at me, obviously falling for my trap. I knew it would work.
“Because you trained the Rebellion. And you know how to survive, no matter what.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, Layna.” He tightened his jaw at the thought.
“Then don’t. Show me what you know. You don’t have to perform the moves on me.”
“Fine. You want to learn.” He picked up one of the rabbits and tossed it on the ground at my feet. “Skin one of these rabbits.”
“What?” I looked down at the dead animal, lip curling up. I had just found a way to get rid of my nausea, and now he wanted me to dissect a rabbit. “I can’t do that.” I brought my eyes back up to him.
“If you want to learn to fight, you’ll do it.” The edges of his lips twitched. He was the one trapping me now. “You need to get used to the sight of blood.”
“Fine.” I puffed my cheeks out and scooped up the animal, holding it with the tips of my fingers by the end of its ears. “I’ll skin the damn rabbit, and then you’ll teach me to fight.” I walked out of the cave without saying another word.
***
Needless to say, I had been traumatized.
I walked up to the entrance of the cave and stopped, bloody dagger in one hand and carcass of what used to be a rabbit in the other.
Kesi was adding more kindle into the fire as Seth held his impaled bunny by the end of a stick over the flame. She just happened to look my way when the log she had been holding dropped from her hands. Then she screamed, startling Seth.
As she rushed over to me he tried to hide a snicker and failed miserably.
“Layna, what happened?” She was hysterical, her eyes darting every which way and her hands shaking like mad. “Where are you hurt? There’s so much blood. You’re bleeding from everywhere.”
“It’s not my blood,” I said, no emotions at all in my words as I narrowed my gaze on
Seth. “Here’s your damn rabbit!” I tossed the remnants of the critter to him. It landed on the ground with a sickening plop.
“What?” She looked at me, to Seth, back at me, and to Seth again. “You didn’t,” she gasped.
“He did,” I answered for him, turning and slowly making my way back out of the cave. I needed water. And lots of it.
An argument exploded between Kesi and Seth, but I had no desire to stick around or hear what they had to say. I didn’t care.
When I reached the spring, I didn’t bother shedding my clothes or dropping the dagger. I just walked into the water until I was as deep as I could go. Only to my waist. Then I lowered my head, the blue water around me turning crimson. That was when I cried.
I never knew someone could have so many tears. But obviously I did since they were coming and coming with no end in sight. My body quaked in the water, hands shaking so bad I was surprised the blade of the dagger hadn’t stabbed me in the leg.
Yes, the rabbit was dead beforehand. But that didn’t make it any better. The blood, the internal organs. All the damn blood. I cried harder as I thought about it, picturing it in my mind as if I were doing it over and over again.
A hand wrapped around my wrist. Sliding down over my fingers where I gripped the handle of the dagger. “Let it go, Layna.” Seth’s voice was soft and gentle.
The thing was, I couldn’t let it go. My hand held it so tight it hurt.
He squeezed my fingers, and I finally released the wretched thing, my shoulders shaking as I continued to cry. He removed the dagger and slid it into the scabbard at his waist, but the weight of it still lingered in my hand.
Placing his hands on my shoulders, he walked around me until he was standing in front of me. He lifted my chin so he could meet my eyes, and smiled lovingly, but the two oceans dimmed from his sadness.
“Why, Seth?” His face was blurry through the moisture raining down my face. “Why did you make me do it?”
Forbidden: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 12) Page 14