“What happened at the Captain’s meeting?” I ask, anxiously. “Am I going back to the Research and Development building?”
“Actually, the meeting was called to discuss your trail,” he reveals, cheerfully. “The Head Captain announced that he changed the verdict, since you were able to distract Arensmeier long enough so he was unable to get to the King’s Castle.”
“As soon as you are well enough, you are free to go back to the Living World and back to your family,” he announces. “They realized that, yes, you may have powers, but that doesn’t mean you are dangerous. They see that you could be of use, with some proper training.”
I can’t even express how relieved I am to hear that, but at the same time, I can’t help thinking about what it means for us. I doubt he will be able to return with me, but even if he can, it won’t be for very long. Being a Captain means he has duties here that can’t be ignored.
I’m, also, a little nervous about what he means when he says I could be of some use. I don’t want to know what the Reaper Captains of Eden have brewing for me. I really don’t like the idea of being stored in their back pocket.
“What does that mean for us?” I breathe, staring at our joined hands.
“What do you mean?” he feigns innocence.
He knows what I’m asking, he just stares at my wrists hoping I will let it go.
“You know what I mean, Degory.”
He sighs, and nods slightly. I think he just doesn’t want to give me more bad news after everything that has happened.
“I will accompany you to the Living World,” he announces, only covering half of the subject, “and stay there to protect you for a set amount of time. Once that is over, another Reaper will take over guarding you and I am to return to Eden, as a Captain should.”
“I guess we should enjoy the time we have together, then,” I suggest, faking a grin.
He smiles back at me, relieved I haven’t broken down from the news that he won’t be able to stay as long as I want. I already assumed that would happen, though, so it isn’t really news to me. It still sucks, but I can handle it.
“Yes, we should,” he agrees with a slight nod.
He kisses my hand, still playing with my fingers and watching me carefully.
I must look pretty pale and fragile still.
“What happened to Mary? I didn’t see her on that hilltop.”
“She didn’t take Arensmeier’s betrayal well. She is being kept in the Division Four barracks until further notice. Not only did she try to convince us that he was innocent, but she attacked another Reaper for trying to detain him.”
“Can we go visit her?”
“As soon as you’re able to sit up and walk without trouble, we can. I promise.”
He gestures for me to move over and I carefully scoot to my side while new waves of pain shoot through my stomach. I wince with every small movement.
He lays down next to me and wraps me in his arms. It feels like it has been years since I last laid in his arms, and felt the coolness of his skin. I lay my head on his chest and curl up against him.
It takes a week for my wounds to heal enough for me to walk on my own, and not fear falling down. Degory and I walk through the gardens outside his Division’s barracks as part of my physical therapy.
We even walk to the Division Four barracks and visit Mary. She seems very tired, but okay overall. I’m relieved, but worried. It seems like something inside of her broke when she finally realized her Captain really did betray Eden. I wish there was something I could do to help her feel whole again. Maybe someday I’ll be able to help her.
The next day, Degory and I return to the Living World through the same door I had been brought in through. The moment I see the tall doorway, I hesitate. I may be strong, but I was still kidnapped and traumatized by the experiments. Degory has to wrap his arm around my waist and walk me through the exit.
All of the Captains and their Lieutenants are present and accounted for to see us off, even though I haven’t even met some of them. It isn’t a large crowd, but there are fifteen Reapers paying their respects for the little I had done for them.
Mary isn’t there, and Degory is at my side, but the crowd still seems huge to me. Of course, the three Captain’s that betrayed Eden are not present, but that doesn’t bother me. I guess they all want a glimpse of the girl who knew she didn’t stand a chance against a Division Captain of Eden, but tried to help anyway.
It makes me wonder again what they think of me and what they have planned.
I don’t reflect much on it, though. It will be a while before they will call on me to ever help them. I hope. Even then, I can only ever see them wanting to use me as a distraction again more than anything else. I’m not nearly as strong as Degory or any of the other Captains, so I don’t know what to expect. Maybe they see something in me that I don’t see in myself.
Passing through the doorway is different from before, but, also, the same. The white light that surrounds us as we walk through doesn’t change, but I’m leaving of my own free will.
It feels strange, almost wrong, with the way I had been brought in, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I never want to not be able to control my actions again. I have comfort knowing Degory will do everything he can to keep it from happening again.
When we come through the other side, we are in the park where I saw my first Malighost transformation. Fittingly depressing for how my life has been since I was almost eaten that day. I have gone through so much worse in just a matter of days that thinking back, I’m astounded I believed that this was the worst thing that could happen to me.
Death is now the least of my worries. I won’t have to run forever from Eden, since they don’t want to hold me captive, but they still want me for something.
Without the spiritual energy of Eden, my injuries weigh me down more than I thought possible. I feel the pain grow in my limbs and belly when the door disappears behind us, cutting us off from all of Eden. Degory has to help me walk. I hope the scabs won’t pull away from my skin, but it seems like a moot point right now.
However, if I start to bleed in front of my family, I have no idea how I’m going to explain it to them. I’m already worried about what dad is going to say after I have been gone for so long without contacting him.
Will he be mad at me for not saying anything to him?
It’s all just a reminder in the back of my head.
All of our family drama and problems seem so trivial now. I, almost, don’t want to go back home to deal with them. I believe I will fare better on my own without the menial tasks of chores or homework bogging me down.
Still, they deserve to know that I’m okay. I have no idea how I will be able to finish school or spend time practicing my power if I don’t have my family to help me out. No family means I have to get a job to support myself, so there would be no time for me to focus on any training.
The air is cold and snow covers the ground now. It’s so weird seeing snow when Eden always seems to be in a perpetual state of spring. I’m happy to find out that time is the same in Eden as it is in the Living World.
Of course, I was held in Eden for almost two weeks and I have no idea what I’m going to tell my family about why I’ve been gone. Would they believe anything I try to tell them? Have they called the police about my disappearance?
“Wait,” I say, standing still so we don’t keep walking.
My wounds make the simple task of walking exhausting, so I’m breathing heavily, sweat dotting my forehead.
“What’s wrong?” Degory asks, concerned.
He leads me to a bench near a bus stop a few feet in front of us. We are still several blocks from home, so I have no doubt we will be safe from running into one of my family members before I can come up with some excuse to give them.
“What am I going to tell them?” I inquire. “What is my reason for being gone so long without trying to call home?”
He sits next to me on the bench
and sighs.
“I never thought about that,” he admits. “I must say, I haven’t needed an excuse for anything in a long time.”
He chuckles half-heartedly.
“You haven’t needed anything in a long time,” I tease.
“You are right,” he agrees, turning to face me, smiling.
He runs his fingertips along the edge of my face
. Does he miss my long hair as much as I do?
I can’t help thinking about it with his hand so close to my stubbly head.
“The only thing I need now is you,” he whispers before kissing me tenderly.
It feels like it has been ages since I have tasted his lips. I wrap my hand around his neck, pulling him closer.
When we part, my lips are blue from his slightly icy skin, and his breath is visible in the chilly air. Always being accustomed to the cold, that’s unusual for him but amusing.
He’s smiling when I open my eyes. He looks over my face, studying it, knowing he won’t see it in person again for quite a while when he has to leave again. He runs his finger across the bridge of my nose, and along each cheek bone, memorizing every inch of my features.
When his hand rests on the side of my face again, I grab it, holding it, and lay it on my lap.
“That was heavenly,” I say. “But we still have a little problem.”
I grin. It’s too easy for him to distract me.
“True,” he smirks. “Let me see…”
We sit and think together, tossing out idea after idea that won’t even come close to a valid excuse for my dad. It’s obvious to me that Degory hasn’t had experience with this in many years, since his ideas become less likely to work as time passes us by. I finally settle on a plan that I’m hoping will work, and he helps me back up off the bench.
The remaining blocks we walk take longer than expected because of my wounds. The longer we are out in the cold, the stronger the pain becomes, and harder for me to handle. I know that Degory can tell, but he keeps a straight face to make it look like he doesn’t notice so it looks like I’m handling it well.
He isn’t affected at all by any of it, but does what he can to keep me on my feet. I won’t allow him to carry me, but he asks every few minutes either way.
When we reach my house, I almost don’t recognize it. I tell him to meet me up in my bedroom again and I will meet him up there once my family has had enough of me, if he’s able to wait. He still hasn’t given me an exact time as to when he’s leaving, so I’m treating every moment like it’s our last until then.
Degory kisses my forehead, and uses his shadow step to disappear. Even without a word whispered in my direction, I know he will be there waiting for me when I make it upstairs. It isn’t fair of me to ask, but he would have waited even if I hadn’t asked him to.
I don’t see what direction he goes in, but it doesn’t matter. I know where he’ll be.
Either way, it’s time to face my family. I take slow, unsteady steps to the front door on my own, almost falling several times in the process. I have to take sharp breaths every time a wave of pain overcomes me, but it does nothing to stop it from happening. I’m surprised I don’t fall to my knees on my way to the door.
I open the plain, wooden front door, almost falling to the floor without its stability keeping myself standing. I hang onto the door knob to keep myself upright, almost, taking it down with me.
Ian isn’t in the living room, which surprises me more than anything. The entire house is really dark, almost creepy. The living room is almost ominous without my brother’s usual presence taking it over. There are no lights on anywhere, besides one in the kitchen.
“Hello?” I call, a little nervous.
Lana comes around the corner first. They must all be huddled near the cabinets hidden by the stairs and wall. Her eyes are wide with shock.
“Sunny?” she breathes.
She looks like she’s staring at a ghost. She is followed by dad, and then Ian after a few seconds. They stand in the doorway staring at me as if I’m a dream and not real.
“Hey everyone,” I greet with a half-grin on my face.
It isn’t the cleverest statement I’ve ever come up with, but I’m not sure what else to say right now. I would have waved, too, but I would fall without the door keeping me standing.
Dad walks over to me first. He gently moves Lana out of his way and takes me into his arms, squeezing me tight. I groan from the pain and he pulls away to check me out with concern in his eyes.
My brother and sister come over and circle me, wanting to touch my arm or my shoulder to make sure I’m real. That I’m really standing there in front of them after being gone for so long.
Dad is keeping me upright so Lana carefully shuts the door to keep the cold air outside. It makes me feel a bit suffocated though. The cold air is starting to be a comfort to me and reminds me of Degory.
They help me into the kitchen where Lana fixes me a sandwich. They keep commenting on how I look pale and thin. They ask me where I have been, why I never called, and so many other questions that I can’t even catch my breath. I don’t even have time to answer most of the questions before another is thrown at me.
It takes them an hour to calm down enough to let me speak and give them some form of explanation. Even then, it’s only enough time to take a small bite of the sandwich before they start asking more questions. It’s as if my entire family has been switched out for aliens – all of them care that I have been missing.
After another half an hour of them bombarding me with questions, and being able to finish half of my sandwich, they quiet long enough for me to spin them a story. I tell them that a girl from school wanted to become closer friends and took me to her family’s cabin north of here for a couple of weeks.
I say that she hadn’t informed me there were no phones or service to call them and let them know what had happened. The whole reason we had come back from the cabin was because of an accident which caused me to be injured. I tell them I had fallen off a four-wheeler and onto a stick that punctured my abdomen.
Fibbing, I say that my friend wanted to accompany me home, but I wouldn’t let her, and it’s why I was alone. I tell them my friend, also, tried to cut my hair and that’s why it looks so terrible. It’s a stretch, but it was the best story I could come up with while sitting in the cold at the bus stop. Thankfully, they eat it up.
They ask a few more questions but seem satisfied with the story I give them. Even if I had wanted to tell them the truth, no one would believe I had gone to Eden – heaven – and been captured, and tortured, because I can produce fire from my palms.
No, the lie I concoct is much better for them than the truth. It gives them a somewhat valid excuse for why I’m injured and had been away, rather than a fantastical story. Telling them the truth will probably make them ship me off to a mental hospital indefinitely.
I can’t finish my sandwich, but I down the glass of water. They are all so happy to see me that they want to spend the rest of the night just visiting with me and talking about all the little nothings that happened to them while I was gone.
Unfortunately, I can’t handle it in my current state, my strength is quickly dissipating. It’s wonderful to be accepted as part of the family rather than just living with strangers. It’s amazing to know how much my family really cares.
They are kind enough to understand when I excuse myself for the night, but make me promise that when I’m better, I will take a night or two to spend completely with them doing family activities rather than being alone in my room.
I can’t argue with that, I kind of want to get to know my family better again.
Chapter 25
Dad carries me upstairs. I ask him to let me walk, but he won’t let me. He said he wants to take care of his daughter and that I don’t have a choice in the matter. I can’t help but chuckle and smile hearing him care like that.
I pretend like it bothers me, and pout the whole way up the stairs and into my bedro
om. If he’s going to act like a father, I’m going to act like a bratty child then. It seems to amuse him because he laughs every time I complain.
Lana follows us with a filled water bottle for the night. I tell them I’m tired from the walk and want to be left alone for the evening, and they are understanding enough to respect my request. I know they will be up most of the night in case I ask for something, but at least they will keep away from my room while I spend time with Degory.
Well, I hope so. They will probably try to check in on me periodically throughout the night. They won’t be able to see Degory, so it won’t be too strange.
With each step dad takes, I’m nervous Degory will be lying comfortably, lounging on my bed when the door is opened. I know dad and Lana won’t be able to see him, but it will be weird trying to act like I don’t see anything if he’s grinning like a lunatic while dad carries me like a baby.
I trust that he knows better than to mess with me around my family and will hear us coming, but that doesn’t stop the subtle worry that gnaws at the back of my head.
The door is opened by my sister and dad carries me inside, gingerly. It’s as if I’m going to break if he doesn’t handle me with care.
To my relief, Degory is nowhere to be seen. Dad lays me down on my bed and Lana sets the water bottle down on my desk near my head. Dad kisses my forehead and wishes me good night, while Lana is super sweet and tells me to just yell if I need anything.
Dad lingers at the door, unsure whether he’s able to leave me alone. It breaks my heart seeing dad so worried about me. It takes all the strength I have left not to call him back into the room and have him stay with me a bit longer.
After a lot of hesitation, he takes a deep breath and shuts the door behind him and Lana.
I sit up, leaning my legs over the side of my bed. My closet opens and out walks Degory, moving a few of my garments to get out. I giggle at him. He walks over to me and lays his chilly hands on my cheeks.
If my skin had been any warmer, there would be sizzling when we touch. He kisses my forehead, lingering a few moments before pulling back. It feels like home when he is here.
Waiting a Lifetime (The Waiting Series Book 1) Page 23