Low voices filter down to me, too muffled for me to make out. I turn my ear to the sound and let it guide me. The seventh stair whines in protest when I settle my weight on it. “That should be Laura. She looks just like Amanda, it’s strange really…” Leon trails off, and it sounds as if he’s speaking to an old friend. I don’t hear a response in return.
Quickening my steps, I rush to the top of the stairs. The possibility of my father being here provides too much of a lure for me to ignore. The hallway is wide, giving way to three closed doors and one that is slightly ajar.
I inch closer, my heart beating fast in my chest as I drag in breaths of air tinged with a chemical odor. “Come in, come in,” Leon beckons.
Peering into the room, I find him seated on the edge of a bed. There’s a thin lump under a white blanket. “It was hard being away from him while your mother was here.” Leon touches the end of the lump where you would expect feet to be.
“But I had to keep them apart,” he tells me, his voice strangely devoid of any real emotion.
I’m drawn into the room, even though the sense of wrongness permeates the air. The body beneath the blanket jerks, and it startles me enough that I jump. Whoever it is under those covers is frail, small, like a child.
I lick my dry lips and flick my gaze to Leon. I know I’ve heard that he was crazy—hell, I think I’ve said it myself—but this level of crazy is more than I expected.
“Why did you need to keep them apart?” my voice is whisper soft as I slowly make my way over to the bed. Please don’t let that be a decomposed body under those blankets. I’m getting Norman Bates vibes big time.
Leon looks at me with his head cocked to the side. “Your mother is our Synergist,” he replies, like I’m foolish for not already knowing.
“But you wanted me to meet him?” I’m close enough now that I could reach out and touch the bed, but I keep my hands balled up at my sides. My shoulders are up near my ears, I’m so freaked out. Whatever is in this bed scares me more than Leon. Why? I have no clue, but it kinda does.
“Yes, so then you’ll stay with us. Let me continue my work,” Leon reasons.
“What work is that?” I lift my hand, almost brave enough to reach for the blanket.
“I fear Wyatt has given about all he has to the cause.” Leon sighs, as if he’s put out with the shortcomings.
“He’s been working with you then?” My voice is breathy as I pinch the edge of the blanket between my fingers.
“He has. He was reluctant at first, but he saw reason in the end.” Leon nods with confidence.
I tug the blanket back with a jerk of my hand. The gasp of shock that leaves my lips is pure horror. The man lying on his side is so thin and frail, he’s barely recognizable as a person. His spine protrudes out from his back, along with every other bone that isn’t hidden under the thin pants he’s wearing.
I take a step back, my hands coming up to cover my mouth. This person can’t be alive. I shake away my horror at the amount of suffering a person would be enduring if they were, in fact, alive.
Then the body moves, and a scream rips from my throat as I scramble to get away. I end up on my butt with my legs kicking to push me back farther.
“Now, that’s no way to greet your father,” Leon chastises me. I glance up at him, then back at the bed. Could what he’s saying be true? Could that really be Wyatt?
“What have you done to him?” I’m not ready to accept he’s really Wyatt, but whoever he is, Leon needs to die for the torture he’s put him through.
Leon stands, his head tilted to the side. “I told you, child. He’s been working with me on my research.” His tone is indignant.
I push off the floor, feeling guilty for my response to the person in the bed. A hot seed of rage bubbles up inside me, overriding my guilt. The air around me warms as my hair lifts into the air.
“Ah, you see, you are much stronger than he is. While I hate to lose my companion, my research is much more important.” Leon settles his intertwined hands down at his waist and looks at me expectantly.
“You are one crazy motherfucker if you think you’re going to do that,” I point at the bed, “to me.” Leon’s brow furrows in confusion.
I peek out the door behind me and step to the side, making sure the other men in the house won’t be able to sneak up and grab me again. He actually has the nerve to look affronted by my response.
“Well…” He breathes, clearly offended. “You’ll come around, too, just like Wyatt did.”
A groan from the bed has me looking down. The sound is filled with pain and sorrow. I can’t help but take a step closer to the bed to ease him.
Leon moves in my direction with his hand lifted as if he might try to touch me. I retreat. “I’m warning you, don’t touch me.”
I can feel Ollie’s energy pouring into me. I’ve never been able to sustain this much power without it feeling like my insides were vibrating, but I can now. Whether it’s because we’re all fully bonded, or because I fear ending up like the poor person in the bed, I don’t know and I don’t care.
“Now, don’t try that nasty, little shifting ability. You might end up hurting yourself,” he cautions. I back up as he approaches; I need time to think. Should I shift and try to cut him with my claws? It’s a risk. I have no idea how strong he is, or if I could actually do enough damage before he could touch me and use his ability to influence me and, God forbid, do what he did to Wyatt. Or, I could take a chance.
My back hits the wall and Leon is still stalking over, his hands raised out in front of him. I lift my chin in defiance, waiting for exactly the right moment: for him to think I’m trapped and at his mercy.
“That’s it, this will all be over soon,” he croons. When he’s centimeters away from me, I meet his eyes and let the current building inside me flare to the surface. His mouth pops open in a circle, and his eyes go wide in shock as a bright, white light fills the room. When he pulls back like he’s going to retreat, I reach out and grab his wrist.
The door bursts open at the same second. Dante is standing in the doorway, his chest heaving as he roars out an inhuman sound.
But it’s too late; the damage is already done. I pushed every bit of power I had right into Leon. He is crumpled on the floor at my feet, with smoke coming off the top of his head and a thick, black line of char snaking up his neck.
Chapter 19
I drop to the floor right next to Leon. Every ounce of energy I had moments ago is now gone. Dante rushes over and drags me away from Leon’s body. The smell that fills the air is enough to make me choke.
“Up here!” Dante shouts, while stroking his finger over my cheek. “You’re okay, it’s okay.” I think he’s talking more to himself than me. I close my eyes and swallow thickly. I can taste the ozone in the back of my throat.
“I’m pretty sure he’s dead.” My voice sounds hollow.
“Shush.” Dante cradles me against him, rocking me like I’m a child. “I’m so sorry I was too slow,” he mutters into the top of my head. “He took you,” he states, still talking to himself. The noise of the others bounding up the stairs comes before I can even see Ollie. I tug on the string that connects us, and he stumbles through the door, grunting. Milo grabs him under his arm and hauls him over like a sack of potatoes.
Ares walks over to Leon and nudges his body with the front of his shoe. His face is set in a grim mask when he turns to face me. I look away, not wanting to see his gaze if he thinks less of me for doing it. Leon deserved it.
A low sound has everyone in the room spinning to face the bed. The room grows dark as Ares pulls the shadows. The darkness is like a living thing, rising up from his shoulders and arms like it could reach out.
“It’s Wyatt.” I lean into Dante’s embrace, hiding my face against his soft shirt. I feel him go rigid, then he gathers me closer against his body.
The sheer shock of my statement sends the room into a flurry of activity. Dante stands up with me cradled in his arm
s. My head lolls against his chest as I look over at the bed.
Wyatt lifts his frail arm a few inches off the bed, before his eyes close, and his hand drops back to the mattress. I struggle to get out of Dante’s arms as a sense of urgency comes over me.
“Help him, we have to help him.” I push away from Dante, stumbling a little as I make my way over to the bed. The horror of his appearance has worn off, leaving behind only sympathy and the need to help him.
“Get my mom.” I wipe at my blurry eyes as I move to the side of the bed, much like Leon was seated not long ago.
There are some shuffling noises behind me, hushed voices, but I ignore them and gently lay my hand on Wyatt’s forearm. I can feel his bones under my hand. I have to grit my teeth to keep my palm in place, but I do. “It’s okay, we’re getting help,” I tell him, not sure if he can even hear me. I choke on a sob when his eyes slit open. “Hi,” I breathe out.
He opens his mouth and a wheeze of air passes his lips. “Don’t try to talk.” I wipe my eyes again and glance up at the ceiling. It feels as if I have a lead ball in my throat. I force myself to swallow and look down again. He’s blurry, but I give him my best smile and graze my fingers over his arm. His fingers twitch with the touch. “Ares,” I call over my shoulder. “What can we do?” I can’t stop the tears or the whimper in my voice.
A warm palm lands on my shoulder. “Your mother is coming,” he promises. I look up at him with the question of if it will be enough written in my eyes. Ares’s lips thin into a tight line. He’s not going to give me an answer he doesn’t know.
Instead, he crouches at the side of the bed, placing his hand on my knee. “Amanda will be here soon,” he tells him. Wyatt’s eyes close on a shallow exhale. His face is almost skeletal, it’s so thin. I cover my mouth with the back of my hand, uselessly trying to hold in my horror.
I can’t help but think about all the times I went to bed hungry, how hollow my stomach would feel until I eventually fell asleep, only to wake up feeling even worse. How has he survived? Is this what Leon did to him to keep him from trying to leave, or is this the result of his research?
Dante strokes his hand over my hair, stepping up to my side. I turn my head and bury my face in his lower stomach, my shoulders shaking with each silent sob. Is there any coming back from this? And if he does survive, will he even be sane?
Dante makes soft sounds of reassurance as he cradles my head against his belly. I feel another hand on my back, and another, until I’m connected to all of my guys. Another wave of guilt spills over me—this time for falling apart.
It takes me a long time to pull myself together. The room is quiet except for my sniffling. When I pull back from Dante, his shirt is wet and clinging to his stomach. I try to fluff the fabric, embarrassed that I cried so hard. He swats my hand away with a click of his tongue.
“They should be here soon,” Ollie announces, his voice thick with emotion. I nod and drag in a shuddering breath.
“Should… should we warn them?” I peek at Wyatt’s prone form, hoping he doesn’t take offense. Thankfully, it looks like he is sleeping, or something close to it anyway. His chest is rising and falling quickly with little pants. I look away again.
“I mentioned something on the phone,” Ares replies. “Why don’t you all go downstairs; I’ll wait here. Dante, you should talk to Mamma and Amanda. Just tell them, tell them…” Ares shakes his head, at a complete loss for words.
“Wait.” I grab Milo’s arm. “There were three other men here, the ones from the car,” I rush out, looking over at the door, surprised they haven’t come in here yet.
“Not an issue,” Ollie informs me. Before I have a chance to ask what happened, the door downstairs slams open.
“Where are you?” Rosa shouts.
“Wait for us, Rosa,” Mal scolds her. She reponds quickly with a long string of Italian, and even though I have no idea what she’s saying, I cringe for Mal. It sounded like she just gave him an earful.
“I’ll go get them,” Milo offers, hustling out of the room. I hear him stomp down the stairs, then a few seconds of hushed conversation follows.
“You’re lying,” my mom accuses in outrage. Another round of low voices passes. I’ve accepted Wyatt is the man in the bed, and he stirs again with my mother’s voice, his head moving from left to right in tiny increments as he makes a low, mournful sound.
“Shush, it’s okay. She’s coming,” I assure him.
“No.” He pushes the sound out more than actually speaking.
“No? Why?” I look over at the guys, wondering if I got this wrong.
“Run.” His voice sounds like it hasn’t been used in years, all gravelly and hoarse.
My heart falls, as do my shoulders. “You’re worried about Leon?” It’s not really a question. “He’s gone. He can’t hurt you anymore, he can’t hurt anyone anymore.” I’m crying again, but I don’t know why. Wyatt shakes his head again like he doesn’t believe me.
A sound of anguish draws my attention to the door. My mother is standing there with tears already falling down her cheeks, and her hand held against her lips. She’s frozen, her eyes locked on Wyatt’s form. I pull the covers up a little to cover his emaciated back. I’m trying to protect both of them.
Wyatt draws in a deeper breath and his eyes pop open with a feverish light. A loud thump sounds. My mother is on her knees, her face white as a sheet. Ollie rushes to her side, but Rosa is there first. Mom gasps, sounding like she’s been starved for oxygen.
I stand, my concern blooming. She crumples to the floor, her mouth gaping like a fish. Her eyes are locked on the bed. “What’s happening?” I shout, searching everyone’s faces for an answer.
Milo wraps his arm around my waist and draws me back against him when I would have moved to go to my mother. “Leon starved him of power,” he tells me, just above a whisper.
“He’s killing her,” I accuse.
“He can’t help it, Cara. He won’t take too much, I promise.” Ares settles himself in front of me and cradles my cheeks in his hands, blocking my view.
Seconds tick by and, if I didn’t trust him so much, I would fight him. But I do trust him, so I just stare at him while feeling completely useless.
Murmurs of comfort start to filter in. Ares breaks our stare and looks over his shoulder. He takes one hand off my face and turns so he’s facing my mom. She’s still on the floor, but her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes are thrown wide in disbelief.
She pushes against the ground like she’s going to try to stand, but her legs wobble. Mal reaches for her arm and steadies her, not releasing her as she lumbers over to the bed.
“Wyatt?” She sounds so unsure. I glance at the figure in the bed. He’s still shockingly thin, but I can already see the difference her presence is having on him.
His eyes are open and alert. He lifts his lip like he’s trying to answer, but only a low moan escapes. My mom hits the floor again, her knees smacking against the wood, but this time it’s different. He’s not drawing power from her. This time, it’s just her inability to stand against what she’s seeing. Her head hits the mattress, and she lets out a howl of pain.
Milo tightens his arms around me. Slowly, Wyatt reaches over and places his hand on top of Mom’s head. His eyes fall closed with a sigh as sobs rack her body. She starts muttering incoherently through her tears.
“Let’s give them a few minutes,” Ares suggests, turning his back on the scene to offer what little privacy he can. Reluctantly, I follow him out of the room with everyone else trailing after us. Rosa is leaning against William, not bothering to hide the fresh tears on her face.
We make our way downstairs in the strange house. I look around, and the creepiness hasn’t abated even though I know Leon isn’t here anymore. “What are we going to do about Leon? Should we call the police?” I bring my fingers up to my mouth. It’s the first time I’ve actually thought about the consequences of what I’ve done. Could I go to jail for this?
&nbs
p; “I’ll handle it. We’ll notify the council, but we don’t need to get the police involved, they wouldn’t understand,” Ares answers, looking around the wide hallway.
Rosa is the first to make her way into the kitchen. Mal pulls out a chair from a small, four-seater table stationed near a nook in the corner. She almost falls into the seat.
“My goodness, I never expected…” Rosa doesn’t even finish, but we all know what she’s referring to.
“Do you think he’s going to be okay? He looked… so not okay,” I murmur, stumbling over the words.
Rosa reaches across the table and takes my hand in hers. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure he recovers,” she promises, meeting my eyes.
Chapter 20
“Are you sure we should be leaving?” I look back at Ares, who’s standing in the side door of the house. “Won’t I need to be here to tell them what happened? What I did?”
“Ares is going to take care of it, you don’t need to be here for that.” Dante continues to usher me to the black SUV parked next to the house. I feel like I’m abandoning Ares, Milo, my mom, and Wyatt. Rosa and the guys are already in the car waiting for us.
“He’s not going to get in trouble, is he?” I lower my voice so Ares can’t hear me asking.
“No, Muenster, he’s not going to get in trouble.” Ollie opens the rear door ahead of Dante and me.
I bite my lip. Should I leave him to deal with my mess? “It will be easier on him if we’re not here,” Ollie reasons, understanding my hesitancy.
That gets me moving. I duck my head and slide into the backseat, going all the way over to sit behind William, who’s driving. “Why?”
“Because then he won’t be worried about you. He’ll be able to go over everything that happened with them and not have to wonder where you are, or if anything that you hear will bother you,” Dante tells me, as Ollie slides into the middle seat next to me and he climbs in after him, before closing the door.
Infinity Chronicles Book Four: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Series Page 17