The Lost Savior

by Siobhan Davis

  Wow. I guess that explains the incident with the juice carton.

  “We can telepathically communicate with each other, but Maddox struggles to control it. Dane thinks it’s because his unique core gift is a physical gift that isn’t controlled by his mind. His mind muscles are weaker, and while he can communicate with us in our heads, he can’t shield his mind, so he projects his thoughts all the time, and it drives him crazy when we answer the thought in his head. Especially if it’s a private thought he hadn’t planned on sharing.” He smirks that annoying smirk I’ve come to know. “I love doing that. It pisses him off no end.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I scoff, thinking of how much he loves to wind Jensen up. “And that’s mean. You should be nicer to your brother.”

  He flips on his side, grinning at me. “And miss out on all the fun? Nah. I don’t think so.”

  “Now I’m remembering that irritating side of your personality.”

  He nudges my shoulder. “Now who’s being mean?”

  “You’re right. I apologize, and I guess I should say thanks for helping to make this easier.” I peer earnestly into his eyes. “Thank you for being here for me. For helping me through this.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad I, we, could be here for you. And, in case you’re thinking it, it’s more than just a duty.” He takes my hand, holding it to his chest. His heart beats furiously under the tips of my fingers. “You’re a part of us, Alinthia, and I’ve never felt whole, not until you came back into our lives. There isn’t anything I won’t do for you.” His words dial down to a whisper at the end.

  Sincerity and longing glimmer in his eyes, and I can only nod over the messy ball of emotion in my throat. His words hint at things I can’t contemplate. A sizzling energy vibrates between us as we stare silently at one another.

  He smiles, clearing his throat and ending the tense moment. “You’re handling it far better than I expected. I thought you’d totally freak out.”

  I’m grateful for the change of subject. “Oh, I’m sure the freaking-out part will come at some stage when I’m alone, but, for now, I’m dealing.”

  There’s a twinkle in his eye as he spears me with a mischievous smirk. “That’s an easy fix. Just move in here, and we’ll make sure you’re never alone. Problem solved.”

  “Eh, yeah, I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?”

  “For one, my parents.” I level him with a “duh” look.

  “And let me guess, your boyfriend?” He spits the word out like it physically hurts him to say it.

  “I know you’re behind all the stuff happening to Jensen like trays mysteriously jumping off tables to hit him and sodas randomly exploding. Why are you so hateful toward him?”

  “Because he’s in the way, and it’ll be simpler when you break up with him.”

  I glare at him, an angry red flush creeping up my neck. “I’m not breaking up with Jensen! I’ve known him practically my whole life, and I love him!”

  The look on his face conveys hurt, disbelief, and sorrow, and I don’t want to delve into that. I’ve had plenty of reality checks so far tonight, and I can only deal with one life-altering decision at a time. “And I don’t want to talk about Jensen with you. It already feels like a betrayal lying here and letting you touch me.”

  “You shouldn’t deny yourself the things you need, Alinthia, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for reacting to what’s natural. Besides, it’s not like we’ve done anything intimate.” He can’t contain his smirk. “Yet.” He winks at me.

  Yeah. I’m so not touching that. Ignoring his inciting statement, I redirect the conversation to safer topics. “Can we roll back a bit? You said I didn’t make Jack into that … that thing, but you haven’t explained what you mean.”

  A furious look crosses his face. “Jack’s been cursed. We don’t know by whom, or for how long, but someone knew you were here. Someone discovered you first, and they were using him to keep tabs on you.”

  A sour taste swirls in my mouth. “How? And what does cursed mean exactly?”

  We sit upright in the bed, facing each other with crossed legs. “I don’t want to delve into our history, because that’s Beck’s area of expertise, and he’ll explain it way better than me, but Verron has had its fair share of enemies over the years. The Lantockk are our most embittered rivals, and our races have battled one another for centuries. Traditionally the Lantockk were known as curse-infectors, because they were skilled in the art of cursecraft. It’s a skillset that’s diminished over the centuries, but there are still some gifted practitioners in existence. Once a curse has been directed on an unsuspecting subject, it lowers defenses, which enables the curse-infector to occupy the host body against their will. Where they have taken over a life-form, they slowly consume the body, gradually draining it of energy and life, trampling the soul and crushing their essence until there is nothing left of the person who once existed, except the outer core.

  “You think that’s what happened to Jack? He was cursed and possessed?” A lot of things are starting to stack up.

  “We believe so, but we need to run tests to confirm it. The gray pallor of his skin is the usual giveaway, but we want to be sure.”

  “Is he dead? Or is he still there on the inside?” Neither prospect provides any comfort, but, at least if he’s still alive, there might be a chance of saving him.

  “We don’t know yet, but Beck will get to the root of it.”

  “But he’s either dead or dying? That’s what you’re saying?”

  He nods, and nausea swims up my throat. “If he’s still alive in there, is there a way to save him?

  “I don’t know. We’ve never come across this before, but Beck is studying everything to do with the old Lantockk legends and the cursecraft, and he’ll discover what we need to know.”

  “That could take weeks, and Jack may not have that much time!”

  Carefully, Cooper reaches out, caressing my cheek. “Stay calm, beautiful, and trust that we’ve got this. Beck has the gift of super memory, and his brain is like an encyclopedia of the universe. Either the information already exists in the vaults of his mind, and he needs to unlock it, or he’ll absorb the information in mere seconds. Like I’ve said, you don’t need to worry. We’ve got this.”

  “I feel awful now. I’ve been hating on Jack for weeks, but it wasn’t really him at all.”

  He tilts his head to the side. “Your actions may have saved his life. If you hadn’t reacted as you did tonight, we may not have discovered the curse in time. So, please stop beating yourself up about it. And there are more urgent concerns to think about.”

  Before I have time to let his words register, a commotion from downstairs captures my attention. Cooper curses out loud. “Shit.” He jumps up off the bed.

  “What?”

  “Your boyfriend’s here, and he thinks we’re holding you against your will. He’s about to go apeshit on Maddox, and, trust me, that is one fight he most definitely won’t win.”

  “Crap!” I fling the covers off, hopping up and racing out of the room as fast as my limbs will carry me.

  Chapter 25

  I hit the end of the stairs in less than a second flat. One instant I’m in my bedroom, and the next I’m at the bottom of the stairs, the distance blurring as my natural superspeed talent kicks into gear. Dane shoots me a cautionary look over Jensen’s shoulders. Thankfully, Jensen has his back to me and he didn’t notice the fact I just appeared out of thin air. Jensen is pushing Maddox—or at least he’s trying to—but every time he shoves him, Maddox doesn’t move a muscle. Jensen may as well be hitting the unyielding wall.

  “Jensen!” I reach out for him as I call his name.

  He twists around, the look of relief on his face transforming to horror as he rakes his gaze over me.

  I inwardly curse myself for my stupidity. I’m in my pajamas, wearing Cooper’s hoodie, and I don’t need to be able to read Jensen’s mind to know where it’s gone.


  “It’s not what it looks like. I promise.” I quickly strip off Cooper’s hoodie, handing it to him.

  Jensen’s scowl deepens. “What the actual fuck, Tori?” His eyes latch on my thin tank top, and my obvious braless state, and he yanks his sweater over his head, thrusting it at me. “Cover yourself up.” His disapproving tone cranks my guilt up another notch. I slip it over my head, and he helps to untangle my hair, pulling me possessively in to his side. “If you have harmed one hair on her head, I’ll make sure you pay for this,” he snarls, threatening all four brothers who are now lined up in a row, barely containing their annoyance.

  “They haven’t hurt me, Jensen. You’ve got this all wrong.”

  He turns on me, projecting the full force of his hurt, anger, and suspicion. “Enlighten me then, babe, because all I know is I’ve asked you to stay away from them, repeatedly, and you keep disobeying me! Hunter said you were with them the instant I left the fucking party for God’s sake!” He yanks fistfuls of his hair, and he’s close to blowing a gasket.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t have left her alone then,” Dane suggests.

  “Shut the fuck up! No one asked you.” I balk at the aggression in Jensen’s tone. That is not who he is.

  Dane steps up, putting his face right in Jensen’s. “No one tells me to shut up in my own house.”

  I flinch from the dark look on his face, but Jensen has clearly thrown caution to the wind. “Do I look like I care, asshole?”

  “Jensen.” My voice is pleading.

  “You should care,” Dane spits. “If you hadn’t left Tori alone, we wouldn’t have had to intervene. You should be thanking us instead of mouthing off.”

  Alarm bells ring in my head, and my eyes dart among the four protectors, but they are a united front, staring at Jensen with superiority.

  “What do you mean?” Jensen’s voice falters as he looks between me and them. “Did something happen, Tori? Are you okay?” His eyes rake over me in concern this time.

  “I’m okay.”

  “No thanks to you,” Maddox adds.

  “Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?” Jensen asks, throwing his hands in the air.

  “Jack was assaulting Tori when we came across them outside. We fought him off before he could hurt her, but it was a close call,” Dane confirms. I bite down hard on my lip, hoping the shock isn’t displayed on my face.

  “What?” Jensen roars, his gaze bouncing around the hallway again. “Is this true, Tori?”

  Tell him the truth, except for what happened to Jack after.

  “Yes.” I nod. “I went outside to confront him about what he said, and he ambushed me at the pool house. I tried to fight him off, but he was stronger than me. If the guys hadn’t shown up, I don’t know what he would’ve done.”

  Jensen doesn’t hesitate, reeling me into his arms. “I’m so sorry, Tori. I shouldn’t have left you there. This is all my fault.”

  I ease back, resting my hands lightly on his shoulders. “It’s not your fault. This is all on Jack.” Silently, I beg forgiveness.

  “I’m going to kill him.” A muscle tenses in his jaw.

  “You’ll have to find him first,” Dane supplies.

  “What’d you mean?” Jensen’s brow furrows.

  “He left town,” Cooper cuts in. “We went after him, but when we reached his house, he was gone—his room is cleared out, and his Jeep is missing from the drive. I think it’s safe to say he’s running scared.”

  “And so he should be,” Jensen growls. “Because I will not be responsible for my actions if I get my hands on him.”

  “On that, we can agree,” Dane says, folding his arms.

  Jensen rubs the back of his neck in an obvious tell. “I guess I owe you an apology then, and my gratitude for looking out for Tori.” I can tell how hard this is for him, but I’m proud of my boy. He circles his arm around my shoulders, keeping me tucked in close to his side. “Thank you for what you did, but I’ve got it from here.” He turns to me. “You ready to go, baby?”

  “Sure.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Cooper says. “What if he comes back?”

  “Then I’ll protect her.” Jensen tries his best not to glare at Cooper, but he only half pulls it off.

  Cooper’s smug face is back, and he has his mouth half-open when I interject. “Don’t even say it.” I pierce him with a warning look. “I’m leaving with Jensen, and I’ll talk to you all tomorrow. Thanks again.”

  The four guys look suitably unimpressed, but they let us leave without another word.

  Silence swathes us in an uneasy blanket on the ride home. I’m quiet because my brain is cluttered with the intel I’ve gleaned, and now that I’m away from the guys, the freaking-out part is becoming my new reality. The part of me that’s bound to them—the connection that thrums in joyful delight when I’m near them—is unhappy at their loss, only adding to my edginess. The other reason is I don’t know what to say to Jensen. I can’t explain my relationship with them without revealing my identity or lying to him. I won’t compromise his safety, or that of the guys, by telling him who I really am. Besides, I haven’t had time to come to terms with it myself, and I desperately need to try to figure this out in my own head first.

  Which leaves lying.

  And I’m sick of all the lies I’ve fed him already.

  I’ve no desire to add more on the pile.

  So staying silent is the best option.

  I glance at the clock on the dash as Jensen turns down the lane for home, squealing when I notice the time. It’s after three a.m. and I’ll be grounded for sure. I’ve never missed curfew, and I’m sure my parents are worried sick. There’ll be hell to pay for this.

  Jensen kills the engine a hundred feet from my house, allowing the truck to gently roll forward. He switches off the lights and engages the handbrake at my door. “Tori. I’m really sorry for not believing you earlier.” His pained expression and remorseful tone speak volumes.

  “It’s okay, Jensen. You don’t need to apologize. I get it.”

  “Don’t do that. Don’t appease my guilt. I should’ve been there for you tonight. Instead I left you alone because I let Jack play on my fears and I let my jealousy get the better of me.” He takes my hands in his. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  “Jensen.” My tone softens. “There’s nothing to forgive. Jack manipulated the situation, and that’s not your fault. I just want to put it behind me.”

  He looks out over the fence, at the field beyond. “I’ll bring you to the station tomorrow to make a statement.”

  “No.” My tone brokers no argument.

  “Do you have an aversion to police stations or something?” he asks, quirking a brow.

  “No one else knows what went down tonight, and I’d rather keep it that way.”

  “But—”

  “No.” I cut across him. “This is my decision, Jensen. It happened to me, and I don’t want anyone to know, especially not Kenzie.” I curl my hand around the door handle. “Thank you for coming to get me. I’m exhausted, and I just want to crawl into my bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I blow him a kiss as I climb out of the truck, stifling a yawn. I wasn’t lying about that.

  “Tori.” He gets out after me, whispering. I turn around and he pulls me to him, pressing his lips softly to mine.

  I kiss him back, but my heart isn’t in it. The connection stirs inside me, uneasy and unhappy. I can’t stop thinking about Cooper’s arms around me, his concerned blue eyes trapping me in place, and the bone-deep contentment I’d felt enveloped in his warm embrace. I pull away from Jensen, upset and confused, and he reads it all over my face.

  He hangs his head, and my heart aches for him, but I don’t know how to fix this.

  If there is a way of fixing it.

  “I love you,” he whispers. “Just don’t forget that.” His shoulders are slumped as he gets back in the truck and drives off.

  A lone tear sneaks out of my eye, rolli
ng down my face.

  Everything is changing, whether I want it to or not.

  I tiptoe into the house, fully expecting Mom or Dad or both to be waiting up for me, and I’m conjuring up all kinds of explanations in my head as I peek into the downstairs rooms, gobsmacked when confronted by dark emptiness.

  Huh. That’s weird.

  I ascend the stairs with trepidation, presuming they’ll be waiting for me in my room. Sure enough, I spot the glow from my bedside lamp under the door of my room, and I brace myself as I step inside, gasping when I see who’s waiting for me.

  Maddox is slouched in the tub chair by my window, a coverlet loosely draped over his lower half.

  “What are you doing here?” I hiss.

  He frowns. “I thought Beck explained we keep watch over you?”

  “In my bedroom?!” I shriek, clamping a hand over my mouth and anxiously looking over my shoulder to see if I’ve woken my parents up. Both are notorious light sleepers.

  Maddox smirks. “We freeze our asses off outside until you fall asleep, and then we move inside.”

  “That is creepy as all hell and I don’t like it. That is a major invasion of my privacy.” I’m frozen in place as I remember the night I had a nightmare and I thought I’d imagined hands on my face and soothing words in my ear. My cheeks inflame. “Did you touch me in my sleep?” My hands ball into fists at my side.

  “What?” He sits up straighter in the chair. “No, of course not. Why’d you ask?”

  “Because someone did, when I was having a nightmare.” And even though it was innocent, and a comforting gesture, I still don’t like the idea of someone touching me when I’m unconscious. “Cooper,” I guess, because he’s the only one who seems to have an issue keeping his hands to himself.

  You don’t seem to mind when I touch you.

  Steam practically billows out of my ears as the thought lands in my mind.

  “Get lost, Coop!” I hiss, knowing he’s listening in to this conversation.

  “What’d he say?” Maddox asks, fighting a grin.