He glared at me. I wanted to turn and run but that would require my trembling legs to work. The fact that he was a very handsome man didn’t help either.
Dagger stepped closer. “If you try that again, I’ll…”
I baited him. “You’ll what?”
His hand shot out towards my face. I winced, bracing myself for the strike. A shuddered when his finger connected with my cheek.
“That cut healed pretty fast,” he said, pulling his hand back. I released the breath I’d been holding, relieved he hadn’t struck me. I really needed to learn when to hold my tongue.
Dagger took a couple steps back from me. He sighed and ran his hand down his face in what appeared to be exasperation. “I can explain everything to you tomorrow, after we get to where we are going. I cannot tell you anything right now as it could jeopardize the secrecy of the next safe house.”
He held his hand up to stop my interference.
Tears pooled in my eyes. I would not let them fall. He could not see me as weak. I spun away from him to the solace of my quiet room. I knew it would only be brief. Rainy and Jessa had heard the whole blow up, but had slipped out as I confronted Dagger. That made me wonder even more just what was going on here. They were never ones to back down…ever. What did they know that I didn’t?
As if on cue, the bedroom door opened and they came in. They wouldn’t meet my eyes as they each found a spot to sit.
“Spill it.”
Rainy fidgeted on the edge of the bed and Jessa worried her bottom lip.
Oh this was not good!
“Jade, you’re not going to like this but…” Rainy started.
“Oh, just cut to the point, Rainy!” Jessa blurted.
“Okay, look you two. Whatever it is, we will face it together,” I said to the guilty looking duo.
“It’s not that simple, Jade.” Jessa stood up and turned to the small window that overlooked the front yard.
Rainy began to cry. What the hell?
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
“When you leave tomorrow, we aren’t going with you. In fact, we’re all splitting up. For the sake of the safety of this Coven, we cannot stay together right now,” Jessa explained.
“Not together…safety of the Coven…? What Coven? Why not together?” My broken thoughts tumbled past my lips.
“Jade, when Matheson came for you, he put his whole Coven in jeopardy. If we split up, it gives us better odds. In fact, the Coven will be splitting up with us. Well, with Jessa and me that is.” Rainy couldn’t look at me when she stopped talking.
The Coven was splitting with Jessa and Rainy. Where exactly did that leave me? Did that mean they couldn’t risk themselves to protect me? No, that couldn’t be it. They would have just let me die when the Triad came after me at the cottage. So if we were splitting up and the Coven was being split up to cover them, then who would be baby sitting me?
The truth hit me. I knew who would be watching over me. It was Dagger.
Dagger, the one who looked like he was going to chew nails, because he was at his wits end? No wonder he didn’t want to talk to me. I was the reason he was being separated from his Coven. He’d officially just become my protector.
Jessa came to stand in front of me. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but it’s for the best, Jade. Dagger is the strongest of the Coven and he’s the smartest when it comes to staying hidden.”
“Jade, it’s the only way we can keep you safe now. Matheson promises that it will only be for a little while. At least until they exhaust their resources looking for you. Then, we will meet up at the final safe house and continue on like we were before.” Rainy’s tone pleaded for me to understand.
I know they didn’t like it but they were sticking together in order to keep me safe. After all, it’s what I would do for them.
“At least you’ll have some serious eye candy to keep you company.” She smiled “Although, I think if you keep kicking refrigerator doors at him, it could get ugly.” Jessa, as always, was being Jessa. Snarky comments aside, she meant well.
“I’m supposed to just be okay with this?” I asked them.
Rainy enveloped me in a tight hug. “We have no choice. I will do everything they ask of us to keep you safe.”
“If what Matheson said is true, you have magic like no one has ever seen. That will make the Triad desperate to either capture you or kill you. I won’t stand by and let that happen,” Jessa said.
Jessa’s loyalty to those she loves ran deep. I was lucky to have such a person in my life.
“Where will you go?” I asked.
“Neither one of us have been told where we are going, just that we will be heading in opposite directions to split the Triad forces. It will make them scramble to keep up. After the split, you and Dagger will leave,” Jessa replied.
“Wait a minute, that means you’re not just splitting up…you’re bait!” Panic set in. They were using themselves to pull the danger away from me. They could be killed - so that I could sneak off and hide. There was no way I could face that. If something happened to them, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
“No! I won’t let you do this. We go together or not at all. If I’m caught, then that’s the price I’ll pay, but I can not allow you to do this for me.”
“It’s already decided, Jade. Besides, it’s not up to you how I live my life and right now, this is the only chance we have to make it out of this alive.” Jessa wasn’t going to let me have my martyr moment. If anything, she’d be shoving me off that pedestal so she could earn the prized spot for stupidity.
“Jade, there is no other option for us right now. You might not like it, but it’s what has to be done. I want all of us to make it out of this alive. If that means we have to split up for a while, then so be it.” Rainy pressed her point. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but if it means we all live then I will do as the Coven wishes.”
I was out numbered and it pissed me off. But what could I do? Run? Yeah right, I probably wouldn’t make it past the front yard. Then Dagger would have his excuse to throttle me like he’d wanted to do in the kitchen.
Besides, I’m too selfish. I would want to know where Jessa and Rainy ended up will be. If I were to leave, then, I might never know.
“Promise me you’ll do what the Coven wants,” Rainy said.
“I have no choice, do I? I’m to do what they ask, even if it means putting you in the line of fire?” I knew I was being stubborn, but how could I let them take the chance on dying to save me? That was too much for the Coven to ask for.
“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re all in the line of fire. I don’t want to hear anymore on this, Jade. We’re all grown ass people, making grown ass decisions that may or may not kill us. Just shut up and stay alive, okay?” Jessa hugged me tight and then darted out the door. Goodbyes weren’t her thing and that was all I was going to get.
Rainy shook her head with a sad sigh before hugging me one last time.
“We’re leaving at first light, so this is it for now. We’ll be seeing you soon–stay safe.” She too, turned and left quickly.
I’d never felt so alone in my life.
CHAPTER THREE
Matheson’s Coven had split into two groups in the front yard. A shimmering bubble encircled the area as the last minute details were gone over between Matheson, Dagger, and a man I’d never seen before. I wasn’t allowed out of the house. The doors and windows were sealed. I’d tried every single one of them, in my last ditch effort to go outside to stop this.
An eerie green glow steadily grew on the other side of the shimmery surface. The Triad must have been mounting some sort of a fight to get through. Several members of each group kept a worried vigil at the boundary, as if they were expecting it to pop at any moment.
Dagger shook hands with Matheson and walked away with the unknown man to the group huddled around two small cloaked figures. Dagger wrapped his arms around the smaller of the two, in protection,
and then the whole group disappeared.
What the hell?
Matheson’s group huddled around another cloaked figure and with a pop, they were gone too. My body began to shake in fear. They’d left me.
A sob built in the back of my throat, but before I could let the terror take over, a strong arm banded around me, and a hand slid over my mouth to block my scream.
“It’s just me,” Dagger whispered into my ear. “We don’t have much time. Be quiet and follow me. Don’t say a word or you will blow our cover.”
I nodded my understanding as he slowly pulled his hand from my mouth. I might not be able to talk, but that was okay. There weren’t any words for the rage I felt at the thought that I had been tricked and abandoned. I turned on him and punched him right in the gut. The air whooshed out from between his pinched lips. Rage lit his eyes and I knew in that moment I was about to get a sound beating from him.
It took him a few seconds to get his breathing back to normal. As his breath evened out, he stalked towards me. I waited as he stood so close our noses almost touched. He pulled in a deep breath like he would detach my soul and inhale it, and then walked me backwards until my back hit the wall.
“If you do that again, I will personally deliver you to the Triad myself.” He was so close that his breath caressed my cheek. Goosebumps danced along my spine as his words chilled me. He pushed his body closer to mine, invading the last bit of personal space between us.
Dagger shifted and slid his hand along the wall. The only sound was our breathing as the book case gave way beneath my back. I stumbled, but Dagger’s arms tightened once again as he walked me backwards into a stone wall. The bookcase closed, leaving us on the other side. He put his finger against my lips, silently telling me to be quiet. I nodded.
The dark passage wasn’t easy to navigate. Dagger went ahead of me but kept hold of my hand as I bumped into the walls and him with every other step. He never said a word, just silently led us deeper down the darkened path.
The darkness became a little more bearable when I could make out shadows. After a few more minutes, there was just enough light for me to see where I was walking. It was nice to not feel like a human pinball.
The earth rumbled and dirt started raining down from the ceiling. Dagger’s hand pulled me onwards, urging me to move a little faster. The tremors started coming quicker, more dirt began falling. Before I knew it, Dagger had me up and over his shoulder and he was running. My head bounced against his back and my stomach began to roll. He darted around corners that barely cleared his shoulders as the earth groaned and bucked. Behind me, rocks were falling and smashing into one another. Plumes of dust chased us down the hollowed-out path that surely would become our tomb.
Dagger came to an abrupt stop and set me down. It was a good thing he still had a hold of me or I would have teetered off the ledge we were standing on. The drop below seemed to have no bottom. Sweat coated my body instantly.
Dagger spoke softly. “Trust me.”
I nodded as he squeezed my hand. Blind faith was the only thing holding my sanity together as Dagger wrapped me in his arms and jumped into the blackness.
Before I could scream in terror, we were standing face–to-face inside of an old barn. I leaned my head against his shoulder, willing my legs to hold me up as I rode out an adrenaline rush. I pulled in even breaths to calm my racing heart as I looked around. The ceiling was sagging and sections of boards were missing from the walls. How could this be a safe place to hide?
“We’re not staying here. I just had to come up with a quick alternate place to go. They were a little too close for my liking,” Dagger explained.
“So Matheson’s plan didn’t work?” I asked.
“It worked, but the Triad left a few Enforcers behind just in case. The little stunt you pulled when you hit me, alerted them that there was someone in the house still.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!” I snapped at him.
“You pack a hell of a punch, princess. Next time, don’t use so much power,” he said.
“Yeah right, like my girl punch could be that bad. I admit it was a low blow, but you’re a tough guy, so it’s not like I did any damage to you.”
Dagger looked at me in disbelief. “It wasn’t the ‘girl punch’, princess. It was the power you put behind it, that hurt.”
“Power?” Dagger let a menacing laugh escape him. “Christ, she doesn’t even know when she’s using magic…wonderful. Just great. How in the hell am I supposed to keep her alive, let alone hidden?”
“First of all, I don’t know what you’re going on about. Second of all, my name is Jade, not princess. Not sweetheart or honey or any other pet name you want to call me. It’s Jade, got it?” I cocked my hip to add extra emphasis. I wouldn’t tolerate being treated like some sort of school girl he couldn’t wait to shake loose from his coat tail.
“Let’s just get one thing clear. If you use magic on me like that again, I will not be held responsible for my actions.”
Dagger turned away from me and started walking. I watched in disbelief as he continued on without looking back. I had no choice, it was either follow him or get left behind.
What was that all about? It’s not like I wanted to pick a fight with him. I just want the same respect from him as he gives everyone else. How is it that we brought out the worst in each other? For now, I let the thought stew. Maybe with a little more time and understanding, I could figure out why just the sight of me set his teeth on edge.
Dagger turned and looked at me over his shoulder. “We’ve gained a little breathing room for now, but we have to keep moving.”
I sighed inwardly as I jogged to catch up to him. If we were meant to stick it out, just the two of us for who knows how long, then I needed to bite my tongue and play nice.
“Do you think the others are okay?” I asked.
“I hope so. They should be at their second stop by now,” he replied.
“Second stop?” How many stops were there before they would be safe?
“There are numerous stops and splits happening. It will lead the Triad on a pretty good chase for a while. It also allows us to gain more ground without too much notice,” he answered.
We exited the decrepit-looking barn into the bright sunshine. My eyes instantly watered. Across from where we stood was an abandoned-looking house. Dagger led me around the back of the house and stopped in front of a root cellar door. It looked like it was about to fall apart, but the door pulled up from the ground on well-oiled hinges, soundlessly inviting us into the depths of the earth. Once again, we were walking in a tunnel of earth and rock.
I didn’t say much as I continued putting one foot in front of the other, following Dagger as he navigated the different tunnels that led us further away from the danger that was surely following us. The path continued downward for some time. I wanted badly to ask if we could stop for just a few minutes to let my aching feet take a break. Instead, I pushed through the pain and continued following.
The tunnel opened up once again. Dagger turned us down a short corridor to a room dug out of the earth with no other tunnels in sight. He walked in a circle, muttering under his breath. My legs were begging me to sit, but I forced myself to stand, as I watched Dagger make two trips around the room before coming to stand in front of me. He leaned in and wrapped his arms around me again and the ground gave way under my feet in a free fall.
My head rested on his chest as our feet silently touched the worn carpet of a small room. A fire danced cheerfully, warming the chilled air. Dagger released my tired body to stand on its own.
“We’ll be safe here for the night. I’m going to go get some food. Bathroom is right over there.” He pointed at a door across the room before he turned to leave.
I didn’t know where here was, but I was glad we were stopped for the night. A long, hot shower was much needed right now and I planned on taking full advantage of it as soon as I could peel the nasty dirt-encrusted clothes off of my body.
It took a few attempts to get the dirt-caked shirt off without needing a pry bar, but I managed. The steam coming from the shower coated the mirror making the air heavy to breathe, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to wash the dirt from the last few hours away. I lathered up with large amounts of sweet-smelling soap and washed my hair three times before the water ran clean.
I dried off and quickly dressed in pajamas that had mysteriously appeared while I was scrubbing layers of skin off. Dagger was setting food on the small table and turned as I opened the door. “I hope you left me some hot water,” he said with a smirk.
“Don’t worry, I hear cold water is good for the skin,” I tossed back at him.
He actually chuckled at my reply. It was weird, but a good kind of weird.
“I’ll be out in a minute. Help yourself.” He pointed at the food and then scooped up his change of clothes before shutting the bathroom door.
My stomach groaned at the scents coming from the thick stew and biscuits on the table. I didn’t want to be rude and eat before him so I did the next best thing…I snuck a few bites as I dished out the stew between two bowls.
The bathroom door opened, shutting off my wandering thoughts. Dagger was freshly scrubbed and appeared to be in a better mood for it.
“Smells good,” he said, as he pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit.
This new, refreshed Dagger made my nerves jump and left me speechless. It wasn’t like he was a vision of perfection. His hair, dark as night, was tousled and his nose had been broken at some point. His eyes were a piercing green, almost too green to be real. The hard planes of his body reminded me that he was a fighter. His arms could be a safe haven or a nightmare depending on the situation. Thankfully, he was on my side.
We ate in silence until all the food was gone. Dagger gathered the dishes and left without a word. I let the quiet soothe me. I really needed to get a handle on being alone with him. I’d never been alone with anyone except for Rainy and Jessa. That was totally different though. They were girls. Men made me uneasy. I’d never had to deal with them other than…no, I wasn’t going to torture myself with remembering the past. I had to rein in my fear before I let it get the best of me. Dagger was here to keep me safe, nothing more. I shook my head to clear the thoughts that lingered. It did no good.
Casted (Casted series) Page 4