by Lauren Burd
“Is it anything you care to share?”
“I expected Ethan and Emma to help us. Now...”
I took his hand in mine. “We’ll figure it out.”
His eyes darkened. Something in them reminded me of earlier when I had questioned him about what we were doing. An uneasy feeling twisted inside of me.
“You already have a plan,” I accused.
He sighed. “I think you should go stay with your father.”
“What?” I asked incredulously. I thought he was planning something, but packing me off to my dad’s was the last thing I expected.
“If Thanos is hunting me, it would be safer if you weren’t with me.”
I glared at him. “You’ve completely lost your mind. I’m not about to leave you here alone.”
“If sending you away will keep you safe─”
“That worked out great last time. Plus, have you forgotten what Ethan said? Thanos will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. So what makes you think he won’t hunt me down to get to you?”
Samuel said nothing, but I felt like he was still hiding something. I took a moment to think about what he could be planning. Why would getting me to my dad’s place keep me safe? The only way would be if...
“You’re not planning to go after Thanos by yourself?” I asked louder than I intended. Samuel flinched. “You really have lost your mind. There is no way you would get anywhere near him. Lucina and his guards would chew you up and spit you out before you could even get close.”
“Would you prefer I let him hunt me down like a wild animal? Or use you as bait? I’m not willing to take that risk.”
“You don’t have to. It’s my choice, and I’m staying with you.”
“I won’t let you do this.”
I had a sudden flash of a half-remembered argument. I couldn’t see the details, but it felt strangely familiar. “I’m not asking for your permission. I’m staying with you, and that’s final.”
Samuel’s mouth fell open in wordless protest as I turned to go back inside. I expected him to follow, but he remained outside even after I finished making up the sofa to go to sleep. I watched as he paced up and down the balcony until my eyes couldn’t focus anymore, and I drifted off to sleep.
A couple of hours later, I woke up in a cold sweat. Fragments of a nightmare clung to the edges of my mind. The hotel room was quiet other than my breathing. I glanced outside, but Samuel was no longer there. I lay back down and tried to go back to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw the shadowy monster from my nightmare looming over me. After spending thirty minutes tossing and turning, I eventually got up, hoping a drink of water might help clear my head enough to get me back to sleep.
Walking over to the bedroom door, I turned the handle. The door made a slight noise as it opened, making me flinch. It always amazed me how loud everything seemed at night when I was trying to be quiet. Tip-toeing across the room, I made it to the bathroom without disturbing Samuel. Luckily, the bathroom door was slightly ajar, so I slid inside to get a drink. I started back out to the living room, feeling the extra weight my lack of sleep put on me with every step.
“Alina,” Samuel said, stopping me just as I reached the door. “Is everything okay?”
I turned around and found him sitting up in bed. The moonlight streaming in through the window gleamed off his bare chest. I swallowed down the images clouding my head before answering. “Um, yeah. I just had a bad dream.”
“Oh. Did you want to switch beds?”
“No. Thank you, though.”
“Would you like to share?”
It took me a few seconds to answer. “Sure.” I knew I must be dreaming, so what was the harm in sharing the bed with him?
I walked over to the bed in a daze. The exhaustion I’d felt only a few minutes before vanished as I pulled the covers back and climbed in next to Samuel. I was careful not to touch him as I lay down, just in case it wasn’t a dream.
After a few minutes, a soft chuckle broke the silence.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“You are.”
“How am I funny?” I was confused as to what I could be doing that was so amusing.
“What do you think I’m going to do to you?”
Images of all the things I wanted him to do to me jumped to the front of my mind. “Nothing.”
“Then, why don’t you relax?” I could still hear the laughter in his voice.
I prickled at his question, even though I knew he was right. I lay on my back in the exact same spot since getting into the bed. “Maybe I’m comfortable like this. Did you ever think about that?”
“Well, are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Comfortable?”
“Aren’t we supposed to be sleeping?” I rolled onto my side with my back to him. The bed shook with his silent laughter. I resisted the urge to roll over and punch him.
The seconds ticked by in tense silence. I tried relaxing, but having my back to Samuel made it even harder to get comfortable. I was about to give up and go back out to the sofa when I felt Samuel’s arm moving beneath my pillow. My heart hammered against the inside of my chest as he wrapped his free arm around my waist and pulled me to him.
Though surprisingly comfortable in his arms, I didn’t believe I would be able to sleep. All I could think about was his bare chest pressed against my back. His breath blew across the back of my neck, making goosebumps pop up all over my body, like an electric current running through me. I knew I should go back out to the sofa, but the thought of leaving the bed and his embrace was enough to keep me in place. Somehow, sleep once again found me.
Skating
The sun streaming in through the window awoke me the next morning. I lay on Samuel’s chest with his arm wrapped around me. Listening to his heart and steady breathing was intoxicating. After a few minutes, the rhythm of his breathing changed, letting me know he was awake.
“Good morning,” I whispered, not wanting to break the bubble that surrounded us.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. How about you?”
“It was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in months.”
I couldn’t help smiling. “What are our plans for the day?”
“I thought we could get something to eat, then go ice skating.”
I lifted my head off his chest to get a better look at his face. “You can’t be serious.”
“What?” he asked, confusion pulling down his brow.
“I’ve lived in Florida and California my whole life.”
“So?”
“I don’t know how to ice skate.”
A smile played at the corners of his mouth. “It’s not that hard. It’s kind of like rollerblading. Besides, I’ll be there to help you.”
“Great.” I rolled my eyes. Just what I wanted, Samuel as an audience to my humiliation.
I spent a few more minutes in bed enjoying the warmth and being in Samuel’s arms. Heading into the restroom, I took care of everything quickly, so Samuel wouldn’t have long to wait. After digging through my bags, I picked out a pair of jeans, a black sweater, and a pair of thick socks. I thought about layering up on underwear in preparation for our adventure, but figured it wouldn’t really matter.
We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the little café downstairs before making our way outside to the rink. Plumes of smoke escaped from the mouths of the other people, but remained curiously absent from Samuel and me. I almost laughed as I noticed the subtle differences between us and everyone else. If someone had paid close enough attention, they would probably realize that something was off. Luckily, people weren’t usually that observant.
Samuel got two pairs of skates when we reached the rink. They looked like rollerblades with the wheels taken off and a metal strip slapped down the middle. I strapped the things on my feet but was way too scared to attempt standing.
“Do you need some help?” Samuel stood on the thin metal strip as i
f it were nothing.
“I don’t know why I agreed to this,” I said, giving him my hand.
He chuckled as he helped me to my feet. My misgivings only grew as we made our way to the rink. Before we made it onto the ice, I almost fell twice.
Fear gripped me as Samuel stepped onto the ice. “I’m telling you this isn’t a good idea.”
“I promise; I’ll catch you.”
I gazed into his blue eyes and knew he was being honest, but it didn’t help my panic. I let him help me onto the slippery surface. I stood there, holding onto his hands. I was pretty sure he was losing blood flow to his fingers since I held on so tightly.
“Just put one foot in front of the other, like walking,” he said after a moment.
“Yeah, right,” I mumbled, but I did as he said.
An hour later, I did a passable job of skating around the rink without assistance.
“Do you want some hot chocolate?” Samuel asked when we passed the small restaurant.
“Sure.” I wasn’t cold, but the thought of having something warm to drink was still appealing.
“I’ll be right back.” He skated back toward the restaurant to place our order.
I wasn’t very good at changing directions, so I did my best to get out of the way of the other skaters whizzing past. I was almost to the edge of the ice when two kids slid by in front of me, nearly knocking me down. I tried to stop, but lost my balance and started falling backward. I reached out to grab something so I could regain my footing, but there was nothing but air. I had just enough time to consider how hard the ice really was before my head smashed into it. Lights exploded in front of my eyes, and my ears rang. The air in my lungs was pushed out in a huff, and it took me a few seconds to remember how to breathe.
As the seconds ticked by, the scene unfolding around me became clearer. Several voices chatted, and a few people leaned down. I tried to sit up, but I felt a hand on my shoulder, pushing me back down. I attempted to shake it off, but a gentleman with black-rimmed glasses and a pudgy face loomed over me. He said something, but I didn’t understand.
Reaching up, I felt at the back of my head. A large bump had already formed, and my hair felt damp. Expecting the worst, I pulled my hand back, but only clear liquid was on my fingers. I felt relieved until I heard a voice calling my name.
“Alina?” Samuel called with barely concealed panic in his voice. The crowd parted to let him through. “Are you okay?” He pushed the guy with glasses out of his way.
“Yeah,” I answered, feeling stupid, but grateful he was there. “I told you this was a bad idea.”
Samuel seemed torn between humor and anger. “Do you think you can stand up?”
I started to nod, but the throbbing in my head made me stop. “Yeah, but I don’t think I’ll be skating anymore today.” He rolled his eyes and helped me to my feet.
My head spun, and the pounding made my ear drums feel as though they might explode. Samuel practically carried me off the ice and over to a bench. He even helped me get the skates off and my shoes back on. The last bit seemed like overkill since I already felt a little better, but I wasn’t going to complain.
“Can you make it back to the hotel room?”
I knew he was asking if I could walk back on my own. “If I say no, will you carry me back?” I tried to joke. He gave me a strange look that gave me an idea. “Are you mad at me?”
“No,” he answered, sounding offended.
“You’re mad at something,” I accused.
“No, I’m not.”
“Then, what’s up with the ticked-off look?”
“I’m telling you, I’m not mad. Can we just get back to the hotel?”
I let it drop while I got to my feet, worried the change in position might make me sick. Thankfully, the throbbing in my head had reduced to a dull ache, and I didn’t even feel dizzy anymore. I didn’t even need the arm Samuel threw around my waist, but I didn’t bother to tell him.
“I’m sorry for ruining the trip.”
“You didn’t ruin it. You told me it was a bad idea. I should have listened.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. Up until I decided to see how hard ice was it was really fun.”
“Please, don’t do that.”
“Do what?” I asked, confused.
“Make this into a joke. You could have gotten really hurt.”
“Well, it’s a good thing my head is so hard.” Samuel glared at me. “Sorry. I just can’t take something like this too seriously. It’s not like I haven’t done stupid things before. Besides, I think it would take more than a bump on my head to do any real damage.”
He mumbled something under his breath I couldn’t quite make out. I felt like an idiot as I connected his sullen behavior with my fall. I should have realized he wasn’t mad at me; he was mad at himself.
“You know me falling isn’t your fault, right?”
I felt his arm tighten around me. “I promised to catch you.”
I rolled my eyes. “You won’t always be there to catch me. I’ll just have to learn how to fall forward next time.”
“You don’t get it. You want to stay with me, but how am I supposed to protect you from Thanos and his thugs if I can’t even stop you from hurting yourself?”
“Stop worrying about something you can’t control. I’m an accident waiting to happen sometimes, but when it matters, I’m usually pretty good at taking care of myself.”
Samuel shook his head. “You say that after hitting your head hard enough to crack the ice.”
“That just proves my point.” He raised an eyebrow in a question. “I really do have a hard head.” We both laughed.
Rude Awakening
I woke up to an empty bed. The moon and stars filled the sky with their light. I checked the clock and wondered where Samuel could have gone. I turned on the bedside lamp and found a note and cellphone on the nightstand.
Alina,
I went to see Herr Bläser. If you need to get in touch, I programmed my number into the
phone. It’s prepaid so we shouldn’t have to worry about it being tracked. I’ll be back soon.
Samuel
I checked out the phone and found his number. It took some effort, but I resisted calling him. Instead, I decided to call Tabby’s parents’ house. I knew she probably wasn’t there, but I could at least get my new number to her. It rang several times before voicemail answered.
“Hey, this is Alina. I was just calling to touch base and get Tabby my new number. I forgot to write it down, but it should show up on the caller ID. Give me a call whenever. Talk to you later.”
As soon as I hung up, my phone began to ring. I glanced at the screen and was shocked to see the Bishops’ number. Fumbling with the new device, I only just managed to answer it in time.
“Alina?” Mrs. Bishop asked before I could even utter a greeting.
“Hi, Mrs. Bishop.”
“Thank goodness it’s you. We’ve been trying to get a hold of you for two days.” I heard the panic in her voice.
“What’s going on?” I did my best to keep my voice even.
“It’s your mom. Someone broke into her house a couple days ago and attacked her. She’s in the hospital.”
Mrs. Bishop kept talking, but I couldn’t understand a word she was saying. My mom had been attacked. Why? How? Who? The questions flooded through my mind.
“Alina, are you still there? Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah, I’m still here.” My voice sounded so distant.
“When can you get here?”
“I don’t know. I’m in Switzerland.”
“Well, get here as soon as you can. Your dad said she isn’t doing very well.”
“Could you make sure my dad and Tabby get this number?” I asked, slowly coming back to reality.
“Yes. Just keep in touch and let us know what you’re doing or if you need any help.”
“I will and thank you for the information, Mrs. Bishop.”
&nbs
p; “Be careful getting here, okay?”
“I will.” I hung up the phone and stared at the screen until it went black.
As feeling returned to my numb body, I went to work. Grabbing my luggage, I started packing. Halfway through the process, I remembered I would need a plane ticket. I called down to the concierge, hoping Samuel had given him the same instructions as he had Mr. Bennett.
“What may I help you with?” the concierge asked when he came to the line.
“I need a ticket on the first flight out to Gainesville, Florida. I don’t care how much it costs.”
“I’ll call when I have the details.”
I hung up and continued packing. As I finished throwing the last of my things in my bag. I realized I hadn’t yet called Samuel. Would he want to come with me? After all, he’d planned on sending me off to stay with my dad while he confronted Thanos. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to do just that. My stomach twisted at the thought of being separated from him.
Before I could consider it for too long, I heard the door open, and Samuel’s scent filled the room a moment later. He came into the bedroom holding a small bouquet of roses. The smile on his face fell when he caught sight of what I was doing.
“What’s wrong?”
Without warning, tears jumped into my eyes. I kept moving, refusing to let the tears fall. “Someone broke into my mom’s house and attacked her. She’s in the hospital.”
“How bad is it?”
“Bad enough that my dad is in Florida.”
“When was she attacked?”
“I don’t know, a couple days ago. Why?”
“No reason.” Samuel shook his head. “I’m just being paranoid.”
My mind raced to the conclusion he’d drawn. “You don’t think Thanos had a hand in this, do you?” I was incredulous. “What would that accomplish? He’s not after me. He’s after you.”
“You’re right,” Samuel acquiesced.
“Did you get everything from Herr Bläser?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Yes. I’m having it mailed to a prepaid box. Do you need me to do something?”