Awakening: A Timeless Series Novel, Book Four (10 page)

Maes had stopped pacing and was staring at me and frowning.

It’s dangerous, Cheyenne,
Maes said, his gaze intent.

Why is it dangerous?
I asked.

Dex told me of your vision.

I stilled. Dex had heard me after all, and he’d told Maes.

You opened a bridge to Marcus with your mind
, h
e continued.
He now has an open connection with you. Once he figures you out, then he’ll control you.

I shook my head.

No, we share powers. He can’t control me.

You
’re no match for him…time will show you what you refuse to believe.

If this is so dangerous
, why are you talking to me now in my thoughts?
I asked.
If he has control over my mind, he’d hear my thoughts and anything you say to me, right?

Because you have questions.

Now I was the one who looked away. I traced the cording on the plush comforter. He’d been reading my thoughts this whole time.

You
know more about your curse than you let on, don’t you?

He didn’t reply.

If Marcus dies, will that break your curse?

No.

I looked up. I needed to see his eyes to know his true response when I asked my next question. It was a question that I’d had myself.

If both Marcus and I die, will it break the curse? There will be no more living heirs to the
Kvech, and to the Sarac—no more link.

His eyes flickered with emotions so fast that had I not be
en watching closely I wouldn’t have seen it.

“
No, Cheyenne,” Maes replied out loud.

Either he was lying or he didn’t
know. It was obvious that he’d had the same passing thought at one time. But neither of us would know for sure till that moment came. There had to be another way.

“You’re not being banished either,” Maes said. “You’re right
. If you die, your powers go to Marcus. He’s up to something. He’s not attacking, he’s not searching…he’s waiting.”

“
Waiting for what?” I replied.

“
He sent those Tresez to do one of two things. To kill you, or to get you to use your powers. Either way was a win for him.”

“Does he want to locate me?”

“No…maybe. I’m not sure anymore.” He shook his head.

“
Your connection to him is deep,” Dex said, realizing the possible truth. “We think the sudden bursts of power are linked to him as well.”

Maes crossed his arms again.

“And my dreams,” I added, knowing the direction they were headed.

Colt
sighed.

Marcus and I
were connected through marriage, uniting our powers. Surely he couldn’t control me, but what if Maes was telling the truth? How was I supposed to fight and defeat him if I could do nothing?

Chapter 6

I studied the room I’d been
placed in. I’d been in there once before, and I vaguely remembered the gold chandelier hanging above the bed. Now that it had been cleaned and opened up, the marble fireplace took center stage, and a black velvet couch had been uncovered before it. There was even a private bathroom, not that I wanted to use it. Besides, there were some issues with the plumbing anyway, until they got it fixed I couldn’t use it.

I
could feel Marcus’s presence in the room. No one had needed to tell me it was his. I could see it in the opulent design. I didn’t want to stay here, but it was the safest decision after our last conversation.

My connection with Marcus had grown deeper
. I’d felt a power running through my veins, and it wasn’t like before. It was as if the crimson-eyed beast that had come to life in Ireland didn’t want to fight it. Maybe it had been swallowed, or maybe this new power had calmed it. I wasn’t quite sure. At least Maes confirmed that Marcus’s army wasn’t on the move searching for us, but he’d sent those Tresezes for a purpose. Marcus’s silence also didn’t mean he wasn’t searching for Callon. It’d be days, if not weeks, before we’d hear anything back from Skylar and Clayton. Days or weeks that we might not have.

My fingers drifted over the plush bedding as I wandered to the black velvet couch. Colt ha
d left the fire burning for me, knowing I’d be cold after taking a shower. I pulled my damp hair over my shoulder. No blow dryers here. I had to dry it the old fashioned way or be chilled all day.

The rain pattering against
the windowpane was somewhat soothing, even if the slow steady rhythm reminded me I was trapped in this room until the weather cleared.

My nose caught t
he scent of freshly baked bread. Lilly was making dinner tonight; a venison stew, Daniel had said. I’d go down later when the kitchen was empty and eat something. At least that’s what I’d promised Colt, Daniel, and Lilly.

I
sighed. I missed Andre, Layla, and Bree’s company. They were being kept away from me for obvious reasons, Layla of course because Brogan wouldn’t allow her near me. I twisted my hair between my fingers. I’d overheard him telling her to stay away, demanding it. It was best this way. I didn’t want to hurt her.

I tossed another log on the fire and stoked the flames. Soon the fire began to roar
, and I felt its heat finally warm me. I stared at my hands, rolling them over and inspecting my palms. It was odd that I didn’t need to use both hands to defend myself in this last battle. But then again, I’d used a different kind of power this time. In the past, it took both hands and I always produced a blast of air, not like this blue light that came from me now. This was from Marcus.

Would I be able to generate lightning or conjure up storms? Or would
this power remain as it was now? At least now I wasn’t helpless if captured. I’d only need one hand to free myself. But I had no plans to be captured; no one was going to get close to me. I’d fight and they’d lose. There was no other option.

I yawned. My rest after the attack hadn’t been long enough, but at least it didn’t contain nightmares. I slouched down into the soft fabric and rested my head on the armrest. A blanket lay nearby
, and I curled up underneath its warmth. I stared into the flames, my body growing relaxed, and soon my eyes took longer and longer blinks till they finally closed.

“Everyone’s safe,” I whispered as a reminder before sleep took me.

Snow crunched beneath my feet, and a thick fog lingered over the forest floor. I pushed a branch aside and studied my surroundings. It was familiar somehow, yet different. I continued on and soon the trees thinned, opening up to a grassy area. I searched the fog as I waited near the forest edge; I had no idea if this was a small meadow or rolling valley. I hesitated.

Paws padded behind me, and I turned to see amber-rimmed eyes…but it wasn’t Maes. This Tresez was smaller than Maes and had a white patch running down its nose. It stared at me
intently, as if trying to read my mind. It moved closer and then nodded, directing me forward.

I wasn’t afraid, nor did I have the urge to fight this Tresez. It was
as if all my emotions were gone. I was empty inside…

We walked side by side through the thick fog, the Tresez leading the way. A light snow started to fall
, and the fog lifted. A stone-walled structure began to emerge before us, a stone-walled structure I knew too well. Marcus’s fortress…

Everything inside me told me to run, but I couldn’t. I was marching to my death and didn’t even fight it. I
knew I had no other choice.

The heavy wooden gates parted
, and a tall, dark figure approached. There was no smile, there was no warm embrace…there were only cold, dark eyes. Eyes filled with hatred and betrayal, eyes wanting to control and devour, eyes ready to condemn me to the sentence he saw fit.

My hand rose without my consent and touched the Tresez’s head; a moment later
, it lay dead on the forest floor. Marcus had used me, my powers, to do his bidding!

“You’re mine now, angel,” he whispered. “My weapon that shall destroy them all.”

I couldn’t catch my breath, and I fell to my knees.

“No!” I hissed.

This couldn’t be! This was not what my mom intended. I was to destroy Marcus, not become his weapon! The loud snap of the fire caused me to jerk my head up with a gasp of breath.

I glanced around
. I was still in my room, the fire was still burning…it was a dream, but I was kneeling on the floor. I sat back on my legs and pressed my hands to my face.

“It wasn’t real,” I whispered. It wasn’t real.

Was Marcus trying to speak to me in my dreams? Or was this just my imagination running wild? If this were Marcus, why would he show me his plans? He wouldn’t. He’d know I was the weapon made to destroy him, not for him to use.

Unless this was just a scare tactic,
and he was trying to make me so fearful of what I might do that I’d come running back to him. No, this wasn’t going to work. He wasn’t going to get inside my head…I couldn’t allow it. It was just a dream he used to play on my fears. A reality that would never exist—never. Unless Dex and Maes were right…

I picked the blanket up off the floor and tossed it
on the couch. The fire had dwindled, and the room was dark. I’d been asleep for a while. I glanced towards the door. The hall was quiet. Dinner should have already been served, and it would be safe to make my way to the kitchen without Brogan giving me the death stare.

I
stepped into the hall, peeking around the corner. Regardless of my pep talk, fear still plagued me. I could handle a lot of things, but the death of those I loved would push me over the edge. I still needed to keep my distance to ensure their safety. I could control this…I had to.

I
padded down the hall silently, my socks cushioning any noise. I should have put shoes on, but I didn’t want to be heard. I wanted to sneak by everyone before they realized it.

I
stopped at the top of the stairs. Murmurs rose up to greet me. They were still around. I’d just have to keep my head down and make my way to the kitchen. I descended the stairs and rounded the corner to the hall when it grew quiet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Koda and Daniel stare at me in curiosity. I glanced over at them only to run into what felt like a brick wall.

I fell back and looked up. Brogan’s massive frame stood before me.

“You’re in my way, princess,” Brogan grumbled as he chewed on a chunk of bread.

I wasn’t about to apologize; he’d done it on purpose.

Daniel came and helped me to my feet. He didn’t say a word as we walked around Brogan and headed towards the kitchen.

“Just ignore him,” Daniel whispered near my ear. “He’s been a jerk since…”

“Since I condemned the Timeless race,” I finished his sentence.

Daniel squeezed my arm and pulled a stool out for me. I glanced at the doorway to see Andre, Lilly, Bree
, and Layla standing there.

Lilly motioned for Daniel to leave
, and his sad eyes met mine. His shoulders slumped forward as he headed for the door. Bree’s fingers traced his arm as he passed.

“We were wondering if you were ever going to come down,” Andre said and made her way into the kitchen. She pulled out
the stool opposite mine and sat.

“You hungry?” Lilly asked as she hurried to the stovetop. “I’ve kept some warm for you.”

“Sure,” I replied, unsure of what they all wanted with me.

Bree slid in beside Andre
. She fiddled with an empty coffee cup in front of her. Wisps of her brown hair fell from her messy bun. She tucked them behind her ear.

Layla gave a forced smile and moved to Lilly’s side, cutting some bread on the wood counter.
It was obvious who was missing, Nakari.

I glanced around. The kitchen wasn’t small by any means. An old industrial gas stove housed itself along the back wall. Open metal cabinets hung on the wall
. Underneath there were base cabinets with wooden tabletops forming an L-shape. A large wooden sliding door closed off a pantry or storage room on the other side. And a long kitchen bar stretching the length of the room was where I sat.

Lilly slid a bowl of steaming soup in front of me and sat down. Layla handed me a large chunk of bread and leaned on the counter behind me. Were they going to watch me eat?

“You’re not supposed to be around me,” I said and took a bite of soup.

“We
know,” Andre replied. “You know how much we love following rules.”

She lifted a brow in warning. My protest would’ve fallen on deaf ears.

Obviously Dex and Maes were nowhere to be found to prevent them, but Brogan would have seen them. Why wasn’t he in here screaming? I leaned over the edge of the counter to peek down the hall. He wasn’t eavesdropping either. What were they up to?

“I don’t
know what to believe, Cheyenne,” Bree said quietly. “All that’s taken place…Daniel is worried sick for you. He’s jittery, fearful. He’s lost without his powers.” Her hazel eyes met mine. “I don’t know what to do for him, how to help him or help you.”

Andre touched her arm, squeezing it.

I lowered my spoon into the bowl and stared at the stew. Bree didn’t need to tell me about Daniel. I’d felt it in his touch. I’d been trying to stay away from him, but I’d only made matters worse.

“We’re all concerned about the future,” Layla said,
resting her hand on my back. “There is so much unknown.” She sighed and began braiding my hair as if she needed a distraction. “Brogan’s just as hurt as the rest of us. He, well, he’s not good with showing his emotions properly, Cheyenne. He wants to do what’s right, but none of us know what’s right anymore. He wants to protect the clans, but isn’t sure how.”

“We’re all a bit lost, Cheyenne,” Lilly said, her fingers resting on my arm. “We just don’t
know which way to go.”

This was new territory for all of us, but I
knew which direction I needed to take. They might never understand the sacrifice I made, but I’d rid them of this threat forever. I had to.

I fiddled with my stew, turning the chunks of meat and potatoes around with my spoon.

“Cheyenne,” Lilly faced me, trying to capture my attention.

Now they were deciding to support me? Why couldn’t they have done this when they stole me from Marcus? Why did they make me feel so alone and abandoned? They could have possibly helped before, but now…now I needed to stay away from them so I didn’t hurt them.
I looked up, making eye contact with each of them, knowing the reaction I’d get.

“You can’t help
. It’s beyond you,” I said.

“No.” Lilly shook her head. “It’s not beyond us. We do this together, Cheyenne, always together.”

“This isn’t your fight anymore. It’s mine, Lilly. It always has been.”

She looked like she was going to protest but I interrupted her.

“We just didn’t know it till now,” I said.

“You can’t do it alone, Cheyenne,” Andre said, her eyes narrowing. “You can’t make
the decision for the rest of us. We always stick together—.”

I cut her off. “Just like you’ve stuck by my side
up till now, right?” I stood up and pushed away from the counter.

“Run then,” Andre said her gaze focusing. “
Give up, or better yet let us find another way.”

I wanted to snort at her retort to find another way. I’d given them other options, but they’d denied them all. I knew which path needed to be taken, but they refused to see
it.

“Every single one of you doubts me, doubts the decision I made.
I made the choice to marry Marcus; I made the decision to end it all. I…me…alone.”

I
brushed past Layla as she tried to grasp my arm. My feet quickly took me down the hall and past the large great room. I made it to the stair landing when I caught Colt coming up fast behind me. I didn’t stop till I made it back to my room. I stood before the golden embers of my fire. They were dying out, the last of their light flickering in the darkness. Not unlike me.