“What are you doing?” He asked as he let go of my wrist. “I could have hurt you.”
“Don’t worry, you didn’t. I just needed to wake you up.”
“Why, what’s wrong?” He sat right up.
“Well, I guess it could be classified as wrong. Guess where Naomi is?”
“Again?”
I nodded and the door opened, making us both turn our heads to it. It was Zayden and this probably looked awkward since I was still laying in his bed but I tried to make nice of it and greeted him. “Hey, Zayden.”
“I don’t even want to know.”
He started to turn and Darius was first to get out of bed fully. “It’s not anything like that. She just woke me up to tell me about Naomi and Troy.”
Zayden stopped and turned back in the doorway. “What about them?”
“They’re together.”
“You sure?” Zayden asked as he took a step back in the room.
“Look for yourself.” I said, getting up too. “I was just in there.”
Zayden quickly turned out of the room and of course we were going to follow. We went down to Troy’s door just as Cadence walked around the corner. “What’s going on?”
“Shh.” Zayden said as he put his finger up to his mouth and reached for the door knob.
“Are they in there?” Cadence whispered.
I nodded and Cadence’s eyes widened just like mine did but we were all ready to look inside. Zayden turned the door knob as quietly as he could and the door popped open. He slowly pushed it as it creaked and we all took a step inside. Naomi and Troy were still laying together in close range but Naomi slowly started to wake up and lifted her head up off of Troy’s shoulder to see us.
She gasped and quickly sat up. No one said a word. We wouldn’t even know what to say.
“Troy.” He didn’t wake up and she had to tap his shoulder. “Troy.”
“Go back to sleep, Naomi.” Troy said as he kept his eyes closed and pulled the blanket over his head. “We were up late and I am not ready to get up yet.”
“Ooh, wrong thing to say in front of company.”
“What?” Troy took the blanket off his head and looked over at her. She was still looking forward at us standing in the room and Troy looked too. When he saw us he sighed and fell back on his pillow like nothing were wrong with this. “What do you want?”
“Just proving a theory.” Zayden answered.
“A theory?” Troy sat up but was unusually confused about his question at first. “What, are you kidding me?”
“Are you saying this isn’t what it looks like?” Darius asked. “A beautiful woman in your bed that’s not your wife and nothing happened?”
“You have a lot of nerve coming in here and preaching to me about loyalty!” Troy’s voice was full of rage as he got out of bed. I’ve never heard him like this before and quite frankly, I was a little scared. “My wife and son are dying and all you four can think about is if I’m sleeping with Naomi? Unbelievable.”
Naomi started to get tears in her eyes and I guess this really only proved how foolish we were being.
“Come on.” Troy held out his hand to her and she got up off the bed with him. “We’ll leave them here to straighten out their priorities and maybe then they won’t think of such ridiculous stories.”
They walked by us and left the room.
“Well, that went well.” Cadence said.
“Yeah. Go follow Naomi.” Zayden replied. “We need to talk to Troy.”
Cadence and I nodded and we all left the room.
I kind have couldn’t believe how we were acting about this. Troy was right. It was ridiculous. Jaylyn and Bryce were dying. That was the real truth in all of this. I guess none of us really wanted to think about it but it became more of a burden that we couldn’t stop.
Chapter 68
Zayden
I dreaded having to do this but it didn’t make Troy wrong. It was something we would all have to face at some point.
Darius and I went down the hall and saw Troy in the room alone, sitting next to Jaylyn while holding her hand.
“Troy?” Darius called.
“I don’t want your pity.” Troy said as he kept his head down.
“Look, we’re sorry.” I said. “We didn’t mean to jump to conclusions. We just noticed you’ve been getting close.”
“Any ideas as to why?”
“We said we’re sorry. What more do you want?” Darius answered.
“I want my family back but that’s something you could never understand.”
“You’ll get them back.” I said.
Troy only laughed to himself as he looked at us for the first time. I could see the hurt in his eyes. “You know as well as I do that that’s not true. If we don’t see a change in them within five days, they’ll die and my life will be over.”
Darius and I shared a look. Troy was smart. He knew what was happening but it just made it harder that we didn’t know what to say to this.
“I won’t survive if I lose her.” Troy muttered, his eyes gazing down on Jaylyn. “She’s the only thing that’s ever shown me peace.”
“Fate wouldn’t be so cruel, not to us.” I said. “And we need to believe it. You will see them again.”
I’m sure he was going to reply with more doubt when he looked at us again but Jaylyn’s arm moved. Troy jumped to his feet and leaned over her.
“So, I wasn’t the only one who saw that?” Darius wondered as we stepped closer to the end of the bed.
“No.”
“Jaylyn?” Troy touched her face, sounding much more hopeful than before. “Can you hear me?”
She slowly started to respond by moving her head towards him and slowly started to open her eyes. Troy was so happy he was almost in tears as he fell to his knees next to her.
“My son. Where’s my—” Her voice was muffled and slow but she paused to take a few slow breaths.
“Shh.” Troy said. “Just relax. He’s next to you.” Jaylyn was very weak but she was able to slowly turn her head to the other side and got a glimpse of Bryce next to her, still unconscious. She started to get upset when she saw him and Troy got to his feet to calm her down by turning her head to him. “Jaylyn, it’s all right. He’s still with us.”
The next thing we knew, the girls were rushing into the room like they heard her name.
“Jaylyn!” They all raced over to the bed.
“You’re back!” Cadence continued.
“Barely.” Troy replied. “She’s still very weak.”
Jaylyn slowly lifted up her hand towards Naomi and Naomi walked over to her, taking her hand. Troy moved out of the way and Naomi sat on the bed next to her.
“Don’t be worried.” Jaylyn said, softly. “He still has time. He’s my son. He won’t leave you like this.”
Troy looked up at Cadence and Lana and they both slowly started to move so he could get to her again. “I’m going to take her back to our room. Are you going to be okay to stay in here at night, Naomi?”
She was upset but nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. I’m happy that she’s going to be okay for your sake.”
She then glanced down at Bryce and we were all starting to feel it.
“Bryce will be too.” I said. “You just have to believe it and we’ll be here to take care of you until then, all right?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
I leaned down and kissed her head while Troy began to pick up Jaylyn to bring back to his room.
This was all a step in the right direction. All we needed to do now was wait a little longer and I was sure Bryce would come back to us. He needed to.
Chapter 69
Naomi
Four days went by. There has yet to be any change in Bryce and I hear Jaylyn wasn’t getting any better. I was at my last nerve because I knew time was running out for Bryce if he didn’t wake up soon. Every second I spent at his side, I dreaded the moment I would look up at him and he would no longer be breathing. I know
the others did the best they could to keep my stress down but my hopes were fading in his survival. I refused to leave his side and tried everything I could to just get him to wake up, even if it was only long enough to get some food in him until he got his healing power back.
I always sat next to him on the bed and was too afraid to fall asleep. I didn’t want to stop looking at him. I haven’t stopped crying for a few hours while laying over him and Troy walked in the room. “Naomi? Naomi, you need to get some sleep.” I couldn’t move from here. Troy had to come over and pull me away from Bryce. “Naomi. Think of the baby. You can’t be like this.”
I fell into his arms and cried. “I’m going to lose him. I don’t know what else to do.”
“It’s the hard truth but there’s nothing you could ever do. It’s up to him to find his way back to us and he will.”
“You’re just trying to make me feel better. I can’t live without him, Troy. I just can’t!”
“If it comes to that then you’re going to have to.” Troy pulled me away so I would look at him. “There’s a part of him that will always be with us and it’s in you right now. You cannot let this destroy what he’s created. You must stay strong.”
I understood but was still in terror of the idea.
“Now, get some sleep.” Troy turned me around and I climbed in bed next to Bryce. “I’ll come back first thing in the morning to check on both of you, okay?” I nodded as I wiped my eyes and Troy kissed my head. “Good. Just relax. You need to sleep.”
I turned over, facing Bryce and hugged the pillow as I closed my eyes. Even after he was gone, Troy’s words kept running through my mind until I finally drifted off to a hopeless sleep.
I woke with the sun just starting to rise and I instinctually rolled away from the light and faced Bryce again. I moved his arm so I could put my head on him more comfortably and my eyes got wide when he brought his arm up and held it around my shoulder, keeping me close to him.
I immediately sat up and looked at him. “Bryce?”
Most of Bryce’s energy was drained but he was able to get his eyes open a little bit and looked at me.
I was in tears of joy to finally see his eyes looking back at me again. “It’s really you! I don’t believe it!”
“What’s happening to me?” He asked very quietly and slowly.
“You’re sick.” I tried to explain while holding back my tears so I could speak.
“How?”
“The comet on our wedding night striped us of our powers. We thought we were going to lose you.” Bryce tried to speak again but I put my finger to his mouth so he wouldn’t. “Shh. You need all the energy you can get to get better.”
He took my hand and I truly smiled in that moment. All my thoughts I previously had vanished. He was going to be okay now. I leaned over him and kissed his lips for the first time in a while. I couldn’t express my happiness any other way.
Chapter 70
Troy
I went back to their room that morning to check up on them like I said I would just when Naomi was about to go out the door.
“Oh, you scared me!”
I instantly noticed she said it with a smile and even laughed a little, something we haven’t heard her do in quite some time. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m great. I’m just going to get some breakfast for Bryce.”
My eyes widened and I let Naomi keep walking while I rushed in and looked towards the bed. Bryce was laying there still but his hand was covering his eyes. “Bryce! You’re awake!”
“Father.” His voice was just like Jaylyn’s was when she woke but I was just happy to see him being responsive.
“How do you feel?” I pulled up a nearby chair and sat next to him.
“Awful. What of mother?”
“She’s in the same condition as you, I’m afraid but she woke up days ago. A group of the others set off south about a week ago to Madam Carla’s but they won’t be back for another two weeks with our gifts.”
“It will be too late for me by then.”
“Don’t say that. You’re awake now. We can get fluids in you and get you back to normal.”
Bryce used what energy he had to lightly laugh but let out a cough after. “I’m dying, father.”
“No.”
“I know I am. I can feel it. Just don’t tell Naomi. I don’t want her to worry.”
“Bryce, you need to stay positive. Naomi has been in tears from day one and you’ve just given her the first sign of hope. Don’t take that away by giving up. Think of your child. Naomi doesn’t want him growing up without a father.”
“Him? How do you know?”
“Just a feeling. You wouldn’t want your son to grow up without his father, would you?”
“No but I’m not in control how this ends.”
“Neither am I but I can guarantee you one thing, I will not burn a son. Got it?”
Bryce slight smile to my determination and we even shook hands on it. I was not going to let him give up now. He was going to make it through this, whatever it took. It just had to be long enough for the others to return with his gift. I hoped they’d hurry.
Chapter 71
Adele
It took us what seemed like forever but the group that chose to travel south to Madam Carla’s arrived with me at the coast. We rode up over the small hill and looked across the water towards the island.
“Oh, no.” I noticed the first sign of bad news.
“What is it?” Seth asked.
“There’s no smoke.” Ruby said. “She’s gone.”
“Great.” Dirk muttered. “Now we’re greeted with despairing tides on two sides of the world? That’s nice.”
“Did we just come all this way for nothing?” Seth wondered.
“No.” I cut in. I wouldn’t let this be for nothing. “We go across and make sure.”
“Awe! Does anyone else smell that?” Rory covered his nose with his sleeve and a disgusted expression. “It smells like—”
“A rotting carcass.” Jinx had his horse on the far right side of the bank and was looking on the beach.
I feared this but rode over. Kiki was washed up on the beach and seagulls were gathered all around her, squawking over her rotting flesh.
“Oh, shit!” Seth said. “It’s a shark.”
“This is bad.” I muttered. “If Kiki is dead then that means Madam Carla is too.”
“How do you know?”
“Kiki has always been Madam Carla’s other half. They’re sisters, caught under a spell for hundreds of years. They can’t survive without the other. It’s always been her down fall.”
“So what now?” Rory asked.
“We go over there.” Ruby and I got off our horses first.
“You mean swim?” Dirk wondered.
“We have to.” I said. “The bridge is broken.” Everyone else sighed at the same time but they all got off their horses too. We tied them up to some nearby drift wood and started out towards the shore. “We must make this quick. We’re running out of time.”
We got into the water and started swimming towards the island. It took us several minutes and when we reached the other side we were all tired.
“I really hope we figure out something here because there’s no way I want to do that again.” Seth said. “Swimming in real time sucks.”
“Then let us hope she left us something.” I said, starting walking towards the old familiar cottage.
We walked inside and everything was destroyed. There was broken glass everywhere and all the shelves where bare.
“This doesn’t exactly answer our needs.” Dirk said.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Hey, Adele! Come look at this.” Ruby called me to the back room where we were first given our gifts but it was empty. “What do you make of this?”
“I don’t know. It’s odd.”
“Hey! Over here!” Jinx called from the doorway of the other back room. “I found her.”
&n
bsp; Ruby and I quickly went to him and looked inside. It was her. She was laying on her bed but she looked like she had been dead for years.
“Madam Carla.”
“More bad news?” Rory wondered.
“Shh!” Seth snatched.
Rory kept to himself but I still tried to get some answers. “You knew this would happen and we need your help. Tell us what to do.”
It would have been nice but nothing happened.
“Adele.” Ruby reached for Madam Carla’s hand and freed a key hanging on a chain.
“A key. I remember this but she never takes it off.”
“Maybe she wanted us to use it.” Seth said. “What’s it go to?”
I paused and looked around. Then I leaned down and reached under the bed. I pulled out a small chest and set it on the table next to the bed.
“How did you know that was there?” Jinx asked.
“I’ve seen her open it once. Let’s see what she left us.”
Everyone gathered around as I unlocked the chest and slowly opened it. Everyone leaned in and looked inside but it was empty.
“Well, that’s helpful.” Dirk sighed.
It couldn’t be empty. There had to be something else. I kept looking in the chest and noticed a small loose piece of cloth in one of the corners. I reached my hand in and pulled on it and the bottom of the chest opened up, revealing a secret compartment. Everyone got a smile on their face when I revealed it and pulled out a folded up piece of paper.
“Let’s see what this is.” I opened it up and everyone looked at it.
“It’s a map.” Ruby said.
“But of what?” Seth wondered.
“Kiki’s cave.” I answered. “It’s located under the island.”
“And that’s where we have to go?” Dirk asked.
“This is showing an air pocket, here.” I said, pointing to it. “I think it’s where she hid everything.”
Despairing Tides (Fate's Intent Book 12) Page 31