Anathema (Causal Enchantment, #1) (12 page)

I had my arms through the sleeves of the shirt
and was about to pull it over my head when Caden’s body suddenly
crushed mine against the cave wall, his arms wrapping around me in
a tight embrace.

“
Just go along,” he whispered in my
ear, close enough that his bottom lip grazed my earlobe, sending
ticklish shivers through my body.

And then he was kissing me.

I had only ever kissed a boy once in my life—a
chubby, awkward fourteen–year–old named Stewart who was staying in
the same foster home as me. The kiss had been the result of a lost
bet. It had been a dreadful, open–mouthed fish kiss and I was sure
he would swallow my tongue whole. Even I—unseasoned in the make–out
department—recognized that Stewart wasn’t going to get far with the
ladies without vast improvement. This kiss was
nothing
like that. It began soft and inviting, only to intensify into
urgency. Caden knew what he was doing.

Please don’t wake up right now!
I
pleaded with my subconscious, enjoying this too much.

“
Who’s back here?” a voice
called.

Caden’s grip around me tightened. His lips slid
off mine as he guided my face into his strong, broad chest, away
from the voice. I was relieved that my half–dressed body was well
hidden against his.

“
Do you mind? We’re busy,” Caden
spat toward the voice.

“
Indeed,” another voice said. “We’re
looking for Jethro. These are his caves. You wouldn’t happen to
know where he’s disappeared to?” The lilt in his voice screamed
suspicion.

“
Don’t know. This place was vacant
when we stumbled across it a few weeks ago,” Caden replied, his
tone icy.

“
That’s odd … Jethro’s occupied
these mountains since the war. I’m surprised he would abandon
them.”

War?
My palms began sweating at the
mention of Jethro, the image of those cold, spidery eyes clear in
my memory.

“
What can I say? I guess they needed
a change,” Caden answered, turning to caress my cheek with his cold
nose, feigning ignorance. Another shiver ran through my
body.

“
What’s with all the torches around
here?” a second male voice said. “You planning on burning
someone?”

I tensed up. Caden’s arms gripped my body more
securely. A warning squeeze.

“
We like firelight. Now beat it,
unless you wanna watch,” Caden said, his lips now running along the
side of my neck, as if he were dismissing the two men. My knees
buckled but he was prepared for my reaction, holding me
upright.

“
What’s that?” one of them suddenly
hissed.

Caden pivoted smoothly, turning so I was
completely hidden from them.

The dress,
I thought, panicking. I
scanned the cave floor but couldn’t see any green satin.

“
It’s called foreplay. If you don’t
know what comes next, I suggest you go find someone to teach you.
The Council has a bunch of prepubescent girls to practice on.”
Caden smirked, acting nonchalant, trying to steer them away from
whatever they had noticed. It didn’t work.

“
It looked like a wound.”

My eyes instinctively darted to the raw,
reddened skin on my shoulder where I’d hit the cave wall.
Why
would that matter?

“
You must be seeing things.” Caden’s
voice was light and humorous.

There was a pause. I thought his efforts had
paid off. They may have, had the sounds from a violent commotion
not drifted in from the main room just then.

“
Don’t—” Caden growled, but he
didn’t have a chance to finish before being wrenched from me and
launched across the room.

A tall man took three quick strides to stand in
front of me, his hand reaching out to roughly grip my arm as he
inspected my shoulder. His steely blue eyes searched my face,
stopping briefly at the light sheen of sweat on my forehead before
locking with my own terrified eyes. With his short,
strawberry–blonde hair and chiseled face, I would have considered
him attractive had he not been looking at me
predatorily.

He let out a low whistle. “I’m seeing it but
surely I don’t believe it.” He inhaled deeply. “I can’t
smell
it.” He paused in thought. “Where have you been
hiding, little one?”

I bit my lip and remained silent, though I
doubt I could have formed two words, had I wanted to.

“
Don’t hurt her,” Caden grunted.
“She can lead us to more.”

I glanced over to see him pinned beneath an
ape–like fellow with no neck, the kind who spends more time in the
gym than sleeping.

“
Oh, I would never hurt you,
trust me
,” the man crooned innocently to me, his voice so
soothing that my body intuitively relaxed,
wanting
to
trust him. He reached up to grip my chin with his thumb and index
finger, effortlessly pushing my head back until I couldn’t see
anything but the cave ceiling.

I sensed him leaning in.
Oh God, he’s going
to kiss me. And then probably rape me.
I cringed.

And then I felt pain. Sharp, stabbing pain as
something pierced my exposed neck. My mouth opened to scream but
only a gurgle escaped. I struggled to break free, swinging my arms
in defense, but every move sent jolts of acute pain through my
body, as if I were snagged on a barbwire fence. I stopped
fighting.

The ceiling began spinning as dizziness set in
and my body slackened. Soon my arms hung limply at my sides. The
pain finally dulled to an uncomfortable pressure. Only then did I
sense the extreme burning sensation against my chest.

“
Stop. Please,” I heard Caden
plead.

“
You’ll kill her before we find out
where she’s been hiding,” someone else—it had to be the ape
man—warned.

The pressure continued.

“
Hey!” the ape man shouted more
sharply a few moments later.

The pressure subsided as my attacker stopped
whatever he was doing to me. He held my body up as my head lolled
back. I didn’t have the strength to lift it anymore.

“
Strange. Her blood doesn’t taste
like anything,” I heard my attacker say, followed by, “She’ll
cooperate more as one of us.” His voice seemed distant, even though
he was standing right next to me.

Everything seemed distant.

And then I felt that uncomfortable pressure
again. This time a new sensation came with it, like an inoculation
pumping something into me to snake through my veins. It carried a
warm, numbing tingle through my limbs.
What can it be …
poison?

Something sharp and blistering hot suddenly
stabbed me in the chest. I moaned feebly, all I could muster.
Seconds later I was falling; my body hit the ground like a rag doll
at the same time that I heard a skin–peeling shriek.
Was that
me screaming?
No, it came from beside me.
Caden!

I struggled to turn my head. My attacker was
convulsing on the cave floor like an epileptic.

“
You alright?” a voice
called.

Another screech sounded. The cave plunged into
complete darkness.

I faded in and out of consciousness, unable to
move, my breathing strained and irregular. I had no idea how much
time had passed since the lights went out—seconds? Hours? Only
silence and darkness surrounded me.

“
Caden?” I finally whispered, my
voice feeble.

“
Shhh … it’s over,” a deep, soothing
voice murmured. Something cool stroked my cheek. A hand, I think. I
felt my body shift slightly and then I was being cradled in
arms—warm, protective arms. Caden’s arms.

“
What … happened?” I
asked.

“
It’s okay. You’re going to be
okay,” Caden said, his hand tenderly cupping my chin, followed
quietly by, “Please be okay.” His thumb caressed the corner of my
mouth.

“
I’m … cold.”

“
Here. Let me help you.” There was a
gentle tugging as something slid over my head—my shirt.
Oh,
right. I was only half–dressed. Why was I only … oh
right.

“
Sorry about earlier. You were too
slow. It was the only thing I could think of,” he apologized
softly.

My lips crooked into a tiny smile as I recalled
that incredible kiss. The smile only lasted until I remembered the
excruciating pain that had followed.

“
There’s a hole … in my chest … It
was on fire,” I croaked.

Caden’s hands fumbled with my shirt, his
fingertips gently inspecting me, careful not to expose or touch
anything inappropriate. It sent a quiver through my limp, weak
carcass of a body. My heart began to wallop against my chest wall,
as if in its last–ditch effort before handing in its
resignation.

“
No holes. No fire,” Caden confirmed
gently.

“
What did he … do to me?” I panted,
tears welling up in my eyes. Something about blood and the taste, I
remembered that much.

“
You’re okay,” he said
again.

“
I can’t see. Am I
blind?”

I heard Amelie’s voice then. “What
happened?”

“
Light, please,” Caden requested
softly and in the next instant a torch was burning again. Caden
looked down at me, worry tarnishing those perfect jade eyes.
Rolling my head slightly, I saw ape man lying facedown on the
ground, another torch jutting out of his back. My attacker lay
motionless where I had seen him last, his glassy, unfocused eyes
assuring me he was dead.

“
Where’s Rachel?” Caden quietly
asked Amelie.

“
Dealing with the last of them,”
Amelie responded levelly, her concerned eyes never leaving
me.

Caden turned back to gaze down at me. Despite
everything, I sighed. I could happily stay like that
forever.

He leaned forward, his mouth against my ear.
“Don’t tell her. Rachel can’t find out. Please.”

I nodded feebly.

“
Take her for me,” he whispered to
Amelie.

I felt a slight jostle and then Amelie was in
Caden’s place as my cradler.

Caden left, dragging the ape man with
him.

I lay in silence, mulling over his plea. Of
course Rachel couldn’t find out about the kiss. It would hurt her
even if it hadn’t meant anything.
If
she had a heart
underneath that prickly exterior.
Highly unlikely
. What
would she do if she found out? I didn’t want to find out. She
seemed like the vicious, jealous type.

“ …
and it killed him?” I heard
Rachel saying in her typical detached voice as she strolled in,
Caden and Bishop behind her.

Bishop grabbed my attacker’s leg and began
dragging him away, mumbling, “Let’s just make sure.” He glanced at
me as he passed by, the same worried look on his face that Caden
and Amelie wore.

“
Are you okay?” Fiona asked,
crouching down beside me.

“
I will be … when I wake up from
this nightmare,” I whispered.
I keep forgetting this isn’t real
…

She gave me a reassuring smile—a smile that
slid from her face when she glanced up at Amelie. “Do you think
she’ll change?” she whispered.

Change?
Does she mean back into my
dress?

Amelie shrugged.

They both looked back down at me
again.

Amelie’s hand grazed my throat. “It’s so
bizarre—all this blood and it could be mud, for all I care,” she
murmured, adding, “thank God.”

What blood?

“
It’s the pendant. It must be
masking it,” Caden said.

Rachel crouched down to inspect my throat. “It
doesn’t want her to become one of us.” Those eyes stared at me, in
deep thought. “How did they figure it out?”

“
A scrape on her shoulder,” Caden
was quick to answer.

Her eyes slid to my shoulder. She frowned.
“Where? I don’t see it. How could they see it?” she asked
slowly.

“
I’m as shocked as you.” The lie
rolled off Caden’s tongue as effortlessly as if it were the
truth.