Warm breath tickled my face. Dec. He was using his thumbs to massage my temples and the delicate bones around my eyes. It felt heavenly.
I felt his chest tense with anger. “Good, you’re alive. What the hell were you thinking? Are you trying to kill me?” His thumbs were working magic even through his scolding.
I tried to turn my head, and he firmly pushed it back down again. I said, “I tried to practice… you know what.” I looked around. “Where’s Dani?”
“I sent her home. I told her you had a seizure, but she shouldn’t worry about you tonight.” He was gritting his teeth.
“And she bought that? She would never leave me if she thought I was sick.”
“I can be very persuasive. She didn’t have a choice. I’m not happy about that either. You put me in very bad position tonight. It’s not cool for me to adjust Dani’s memories. I hate doing that. I hope it was worth it.”
“Oh, Dec, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for anything bad to happen. I just--” I started to explain, but he cut me off.
“Never mind the apologies--Just tell me everything that happened. Don’t hold anything back,” he demanded.
I told him about the nightmare of uncontrolled chaos and how it escalated and got more violent inside my mind. I shuddered as I told him about the pain in my eyes, and the overwhelming sensation of spinning. By the time I was done, I was crying in his arms with his hand patting my back awkwardly. The sound of another voice stopped me cold.
“Dec! What the hell are you doing here?”
“Killian, it’s not what you think!” I tried to get up, but Dec pushed me back.
“Sit!” he ordered.
With one last pointed look, he pulled Killian into the other room to talk. Killian was livid and didn’t bother to hide it. I curled back into a fetal position and tried to lie still. My head felt odd, and my eye was twitching. Worst of all, I felt guilty and stupid. What was I thinking? I had no idea it was so dangerous. I was an idiot.
A bit later, Killian read me the riot act and raked me over the coals. He had no sympathy for a stupid girl who was determined to play with fire. How did it feel to get burned? Was it worth the pain, the danger? Did I want to destroy my mind? What about Dani? Didn’t I care about her? Wasn’t she supposed to be a friend? How could I put her in danger like this? What if I had passed out before calling for Dec? He went on and on with scolding and accusations. He didn’t even need to raise his voice.
I got the point. I had no argument, no defense. I was a terrible person. I sucked. Damn. I was trying to get angry, but he was right. I was wrong. I sat stone-faced while I got my butt chewed. Eventually he wound down and slowed his pacing.
I finally noticed he was wearing black camouflage pants and a black tee shirt with black boots. He looked like a commando. He was armed too. The bulge of a pistol tucked under his shirt was unmistakable. He hadn’t shaved, and his face was shadowed. If possible, he looked more lethal than before. I gulped. Who was this guy? If I didn’t know he was protecting me, I would be very afraid of him.
“You should always be afraid of me!” he snapped in my face.
I had nothing witty to say to that. Did he just read my mind? I was too freaked out to ask at the moment. He continued to lecture for another few minutes.
Dec eventually interrupted. “Uh, hey, I think she’s still in some pain. I should probably finish healing her before, uh, we leave.”
Killian just growled, “Whatever.”
He stood brooding while Dec came over to me. I lay down with my head on my pillow. He put his lips against my forehead and closed his eyes. His hands were on either side of my head pressing gently. I felt a warm pulsing under my skin where he touched me. My blood flowed smoothly and gently under the surface but with more urgency than usual. I recognized the saol immediately and surrendered to it. Through my eyelids, I saw a faint light that wasn’t there before. Dec moved his fingers across my eyes again and paused at the temple. I felt a warm pulsing behind my right eye. Then the pain was gone, and his hands were still. When I opened my eyes, he smiled down at me and winked. Killian snorted impatiently across the room.
He said, “We’re not done, Mica. We have to leave for now though. We have important work to do.” He stalked over and gripped my hands in his, forcing me up to meet his eyes.
“Don’t try anything like that again! You have no idea what could happen, and I don’t have time to explain now. We have something urgent to take care of, and I can’t send Dec back here again for a while. I want your word on this. Promise me.” It wasn’t a request.
I could hardly meet his eyes so he shook me. “Okay, Killian, I promise. I feel horrible and stupid. I won’t do it again! You have to believe I don’t want anything to happen to you guys. I know what you do matters.” Whatever it is…
He nodded and motioned for Dec to join him. He was wearing the same clothes as Killian from the tee shirt to the boots. Does he have a gun too? He raised his eyebrows when he caught me checking him out. He picked me up in a bear hug and pressed a kiss against my cheek. I felt the slight shock at the contact and looked at him with a question in my eyes.
“Everyone matters, Mica. You’re part of us now. I hope you’re ready.”
Chapter 14: Welcome to the Family
I SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER. But how was I to know my journal scribbling would be prophetic?
JOURNAL ENTRY: Thanksgiving Day
So much to write; but nothing I can say. I’m in love with Sean, and he says he loves me… in my heart, I know it won’t be easy. Killian says we can’t be together. Sean never talks about the future. I get the feeling we aren’t in control of what happens to us, but I’m still not sure what to think. Today, he’s busy in his world and I’m busy in mine. I’m strong enough to handle that. Tomorrow, we’ll see.
I hadn’t seen Sean in days. I accepted he was out working on whatever it was they worked on. I had no idea what they did, but apparently it involved lots of traveling and guns. Mental note: frisk Sean. I glanced sadly over at my little stun gun and wished for a real one. I’ve been hearing more nasty rumors about Scott and his plans. I guess he still hasn’t given up on screwing with me. I wasn’t going to make it easy for him. He’ll go down hard next time. You’d think he’d give up after the last time Sean nearly killed him. I was refining my skills in the ring and could knock out an opponent with a couple of well-placed shots. As long as I had a second’s notice, I would be all right. Assuming he didn’t bring too many friends or shoot me with any kind of gun.
Well okay, my plan wasn’t perfect, but at least I was ready. Today was the day of Stefan’s going away party. I wanted to bring Sean with me, but he wasn’t back yet. I’d just have to go solo. At the moment, though, I was facing down a crisis of epic proportions. My closet was a mess. How can something so full be so empty? I couldn’t decide what to wear. Jeans? Skirt? Cute little dress? The options were staggering. Nibbling on a nail, I stared at the mess. It was supposed to snow so jeans were a definite yes. I pulled out a hoodie and put it back. Not dressy enough. I grabbed a long-sleeved purple sweater. Hmm, maybe this would work. It was clingy and soft and made my boobs look bigger. I looked sideways in the mirror. I wasn’t Betty Boop, but I looked pretty good. I’d wear the sweater. Ricki would approve.
A little later, I popped in my new Linkin Park CD and cranked up the volume. It was fabulous! The thumping music pumped me up all the way to Dani’s aunt’s house. She had a big place outside of town and agreed to let us have the going-away party there. After all, Dani’s family hosted Stefan and wanted to send him off in style. Dani invited half the school to stop by. It was going to be a crazy night.
“Mica! Hurry up! We’re waiting for you!” Dani waved from the front porch. The sprawling house was lit warmly in welcome, and the front yard sparkled with Christmas lights. A fluffy layer of snow completed the Christmas card scene. I wished Sean was here to see it with me. Not that he’d probably be impressed; he was a guy, after all. Maybe he’d show up lat
er. I hoped so because my heart was aching to see him.
Stefan appeared in the doorway behind Dani. He was smoking hot in a red sweater and jeans. His hair had grown out to curl up at the ends, the tips bleached by the summer sun. I would miss him but didn’t regret anything that didn’t happen between us. After the party on the fourth of July, he kept a respectful distance. I had demanded to know what Killian said to him, but he refused to explain. He just said he didn’t want any trouble so we should be friends without benefits. I didn’t mind that part of it, but the idea that Killian had butted in really pissed me off. Who did he think he was anyway?
Grinning hugely, I gave him a big hug that surprised him. He pulled back to lead me into the main room. There were already a lot of people here. I recognized Billy Powell and Don Thomas from English; and Amy Wan from the drama club. Two people I didn’t know were sitting apart from the others. One was a tall dark-haired guy with huge shoulders. He wore a leather jacket and oversized jeans. He looked wary and uncomfortable. The other guy was as tall but had a rangy build. He had dirty blond hair that needed combing. It was stringy and too long to be in style. I didn’t recognize either of them. I asked Stefan if he invited them. He thought they were friends of one of Dani’s cousins. That’s strange. Before I could figure it out, Ricki and Kevin showed up and cranked up the music.
The place was packed within an hour, and I was making my rounds. The living room was so full of people dancing that I had to turn sideways to weave my way through. The regular lights were replaced with club lights. The music was loud, and the lights were flickering to the beat. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. A couple gyrating on the dance floor caught my attention. The girl was wearing a really short skirt which was hiked up to her crotch, and the guy was taking full advantage of the easy access. Their faces were hidden by the curtain of her long blond hair. Wow, get a room people! They were practically doing it in the middle of the room. Who were they? I didn’t recognize either of them. It was hard not to watch though--my body responded with an ache that set my teeth on edge. I groaned to myself. Where was my boyfriend? This was torture. I started to turn away when a voice spoke into my ear.
“I have a message for you.”
I swung around in surprise and saw the guy in the leather jacket looming over me. I planted my feet, ready to swing at him or dodge the other way. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Instead of attacking me, he gripped my arm, pulling me towards the patio door. I tried to jerk my arm back, and he held it tighter. I reared back to clock him with my fist, but he froze me with the point of a knife against my side.
He put his mouth against my ear, and whispered harshly, “Oh, stop fighting me. I’m not interested in you. I need to give you a message for your friends. Trust me. You want to hear this… unless you don’t care about your friends? You do care about them, don’t you?”
Oh crap, now what? My instincts were screaming that going outside was a bad idea, but my curiosity was peaked. What kind of message? Was this a trick? Would I go outside to find Scott Flynn and his merry band of psychopaths? I didn’t have much time to think it through as he was towing me along, and we were soon outside in relative quiet. He let me go as soon as we got to the patio. I stood with my back to the door resisting the urge to rub my arm. I looked around warily, but we were alone.
“Okay, so what’s the big message?”
“Tell your friends to stop fucking with us or someone’s going to die.”
“What friends are you talking about?”
He barked a laugh. “Don’t play stupid with me. You know exactly who I’m talking about.” He leaned into my face like he was sharing a secret. “And here’s the thing, Mica Thomas. When I say someone I really mean you. So don’t fuck around with me. Just give them the message and pray to your God they listen.” With that, he turned around and vanished.
“Oh, yeah? Well get in line. Everyone wants to kill me!” I yelled into empty space.
I drooped against the wall and closed my eyes. I focused on breathing for a full minute. Breathe in, breathe out. I am not having a good year! Why does everyone want to kill me? It was starting to piss me off. Okay, there’s no reason to panic. So what if another creep wants to kill me? I rolled my eyes at the thought. It wouldn’t be the first time. This time, though, I didn’t know who the creep was. I had no idea what was going on other than I was being used as leverage. I didn’t know if my death would stop Sean’s mission. They had work to do, and I was an added complication. I didn’t want to cause them trouble, but I also didn’t want to die. What to do? What to do?
I yanked out my phone and sent Sean a text to call me NOW. I paced back and forth for a whole minute, but he didn’t call. I hit the send button again but still no response. What if he was out of range? Damn.
Feeling silly, I looked up at the sky, and said hesitantly, “Sean? If you can hear me, come quick. We’ve got a big problem.”
I could call for Dec, but Killian said he needed Dec someplace else. I was afraid to distract them. What if they were in the middle of a fight or something? I didn’t want them to get hurt. Visions of flamethrowers flashed in my mind. I could still see Killian carrying Sean away from the fight. It would break my heart to see any of them hurt like that again. Shivering in the cold, I sat on the patio trying to come up with some options. I totally lost track of time and nearly jumped out of my skin when I sensed I wasn’t alone. Out of the corner of my eye, a light, like a flashlight, winked and then vanished again. I know what that is! I jumped up to search the darkness.
Three dark shapes appeared in the shadows and gradually took form as they got closer to the house lights. They were still dressed in black and were spattered with something that looked like ash. All three sets of blue eyes blazed with that stunning electric blue color. It was unnerving to see the three of them together as if they just came from some kind of battle. Their bodies moved as one taut and lethal machine. Their faces were rigid as they scanned the property with those terrible eyes. I wanted to run to Sean, but I was rooted in place. I wasn’t sure if they knew I was there or not. They seemed to be focused on something I couldn’t see. They stopped in front of me and relaxed.
Before I could move, Sean pulled me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hung on for dear life. His heart was racing and his body was extremely hot. I pulled back and looked up at his face. His eyes weren’t as bright and his expression was less severe. He was calming down. It was almost a total transformation. Fascinating... Dec showed his dimples and pushed his hair off his forehead. My arm started to itch. What the hell? I had some of the ash on me. I brushed it off, and my fingers began to burn. Within seconds, it felt like my skin was on fire.
“What is this? It’s burning me!” I was frantically brushing at my clothes. “Get it off!”
Sean looked down at himself and started swearing before yanking my sweater over my head. Shocked and embarrassed, I was left in jeans and a very tiny bra in front of Dec and Killian. Dec politely turned his head. Killian came closer and muttered something I didn’t understand. He picked up my arm to study the skin. It was pretty dark so I don’t know what he saw. Then we heard voices coming, and I panicked. Killian shook his head with resignation and grabbed me with both hands.
It happened so fast. One minute I was standing on the patio, and the next I was in their house in the clearing. I didn’t have time to feel disoriented since I was dragged into a running shower as soon as my feet hit the floor.
Outside the shower curtain, Sean yelled, “Sorry, sweetheart! Just take off your clothes and wash everything with soap. It’ll be okay.”
Normally privacy is a good thing; however, my skinny jeans turned into plastic wrap as soon as they got wet. I pushed. I shoved. I yanked. They refused to budge. My skin burned like fire, the pain traveling wherever the water flowed. Once it reached my crotch, I lost it. Totally freaked out now, I threw the curtain back, and demanded, “Get these things off of me!”
Rolling his
eyes to Heaven, he climbed in and squatted. Between my pushing and his pulling, my jeans finally slid free. We both fell backwards against the shower walls. I jumped up and frantically rubbed everything down with soap twice. When the soap was rinsed away, and I didn’t feel any new pain, I opened my eyes.
Sean was still with me. His eyes were closed as he let the hot water run down his clothes. The tee shirt was clean now and clung to every muscle in his chest and shoulders. His black hair was pressed against his skull. He had dark circles under his eyes and a long scratch up one side of his neck. He needed to shave. The dark shadow on his jaw made him look even more dangerous than usual. His hands were a mess. There were bruises across one set of knuckles and fingernail gouges on the wrist. One ring finger looked swollen and crooked as though it were broken. He was also asleep on his feet. How long had it been since he’d slept? Was he hurt anywhere else? I couldn’t tell with all the clothes he was wearing. He seemed oddly vulnerable standing there. My heart swelled with pride. This is my man! Mine.
I wrapped my arms around his waist. We stood there like that until the hot water ran cold.
Much later, the sun woke me when it snuck through the blinds. I stretched across the bed only to find Sean’s big, warm body lying in the way. Asleep on his side, he was facing away from me. His back was bare, but he was wearing shorts. I held the cotton material of his old tee shirt to my nose and breathed in. It smelled subtly of Sean. I stretched it over my butt, curled against him and went back to sleep.
A tickling along my cheek brought me out of a deep sleep. Snuggling closer, I wrapped my arms around Sean’s waist. He was so warm and smooth. I ran my hands over the ridges of his torso, and he sucked in his breath with a jerk.
“Mica…” he warned.
I slid my hands over his chest and back down to his stomach. He sucked in his breath and twitched. Was he ticklish? I allowed myself an evil smile before I tickled him on purpose, just to be sure. He laughed and struggled to keep my hands off of him, but I was relentless. We were both laughing and twisting around on the bed when he suddenly pinned me under him and held my hands over my head.
The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) Page 14