Daughter of Kaos (The Daughter Trilogy Book 3) (12 page)

if I don’t find a way to make amends.”

They all just sit there silently, staring at me as if I’m that man on the ledge. Then they disperse

when they can’t think of anything else to say.

Camara’s phone rings just before she escapes and her eyes drop as she glances at her screen.

“Hey, give me just a minute,” she says to the silent other half of the phone.

I just watch her disappear into the padded room. I can’t help but hope it’s Adisia calling to tell

Camara she’s coming back. I pray she’s telling her she wants to surprise me.

I know it’s a waste of time to wish such a thing though. The way she ran away from me… I worry

I’ll never have her back again.

Everyone is huddled around laughing
and drinking, and for the first time since Adisia left me, I

join in with them - though I listen to the conversations rather than engage. I’m sure they’re tired of

me bringing them down.

Camara and Deacon hold each other in a smoldering embrace that makes me sick with envy to

see.

I miss Adisia so terribly it physically hurts. Seeing another happy couple only pushes me to the

brink of losing all control and flooding the whole damn city. I hold it back though.

I’ll get her back.

Kry laughs with Ther, and Gemma flirts lightly with the man she has no idea is in love with her.

It only pisses me off to see everyone else so happy when I’m desperate to find my girl.

“Let’s head out to the bars. We need a night of peace before we go looking for the next attack,”

Ther says too obviously while tugging at Gemma’s hand.

“Sounds good. Kry? Deacon? Camara? Hale?” she asks hopefully.

She knows better than to fucking invite me after our earlier spat when Camara randomly inserted

herself once again.

“I’m game,” Kry chirps.

“Me too,” Hale murmurs before patting my shoulder.

“Not us. We’ll see you guys later,” Deacon says while swirling Camara around.

I almost smile when Camara gives in and lets her hair toss around, but my envy stirs again

instead. I only miss my wife more by the second.

Camara giggles wildly as Deacon tosses her over his shoulder, and they disappear from the room.

Her phone buzzes on the counter as soon as the door to their room shuts, and I pick it up to see the

letter
A
and the picture of a dove flashing across the screen.

I get sick, and I freeze rather than answer it like I should. I just stare blankly, my hope forming

and begging not to be ripped free from my grasp.

If it’s not her, it’ll shatter me. If it is, I don’t know if I can speak without falling apart.

The buzzing stops and I just stare at the inanimate device in my hand as I try not to crush it. I

take several deep breaths, and I try to plan out what I’ll say if it’s her. I have no idea if I can do this

without pushing her farther away, but I have to try.

This is the first time I’ve caught a break since she disappeared - other than the wedding that

proved to be a disaster rather than a chance for redemption.

Fucking Jace. I swear I hate that son of a bitch.

I steady my breaths, and I slide the screen to show the dove once more before selecting the call

option. My breath hitches as I listen anxiously, and my whole body tenses as I await an answer.

“Thank you for calling back. I’m so sorry, but I have to hear his voice right now,” the girl I love

says through a heap of tears falling.

It’s her. It’s really her. She has to hear my voice?
Oh thank God
.

“Adisia?” I ask while choking back the emotion that tries to spring free.

I’m almost worried this is a dream when she doesn’t answer back. It’s possible I’m delusional at

this point after being so desperate to hear her voice.

“You’re calling Camara to hear my voice, but you won’t speak to me,” I murmur softly, doing my

best not to spook her. “I want to hear your voice too.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… I need to go,” she sobs out, and I feel more knots forming in the

pit of my stomach as fear strikes me.

“Please don’t hang up. Tell me why you’re crying. Did Jace do something?” I demand.

Give me a reason to kill that electric bastard, please.

“No,” she whimpers. “I’m hanging up now.”

“Please don’t. I’m begging you. Just talk to me,” I plead.

“Bye, Devin,” she murmurs in a near whisper, and the line is dead in that instant.

Without thinking, I throw Camara’s phone against the wall, and the pieces fall to the ground with

a trembling jolt.

“Fuck!”

I grab my phone from my pocket and then I dial the number I’ve already memorized after seeing

it only once. It goes directly to voicemail, and I grip my head as I try again.

I jump when my damn phone buzzes in my hand, and I answer without even noticing who’s

calling.

“Please talk to me,” I blurt out.

“That’s kind of why I called,” Kry says with a bit of a naïve chuckle.

“Hey,” I sigh out in disappointment.

“You’re on speaker. We’ve got a problem with hellhounds now. I suppose it might be a good

idea to call in some electrical powers. What do you think?” he leads, and a hopeful rush of air enters

my lungs.

“I think it’s the perfect excuse to bring her back. Does this mean you finally believe me?”

“This means we know Adisia and you are not meant to be apart. Whatever happened, we’ll all

help you find a way to move past it. I know you love her, we all do. Hale’s going to call her in the

morning.”

“Call her now. I can’t wait that long,” I bumble out like a pitiful, eager teen.

“We can hit the jets and be there within a few hours,” Hale murmurs softly.

“You know where she is?” I accidentally bark.

“No, but Camara does. She’s already told us we needed to find a way to draw Adisia back in.

She’ll tell us. Just tell the jets to get ready. We’ll ambush your girl before she has time to hesitate.”

My heart finally beats again, and I nod to the phone even though they can’t see me.

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll call the jets right now. Just get back so we can head out.”

“Done,” Kry says with a happy tone.

Finally.

I start dialing her again, but the phone doesn’t even ring before going to voicemail this time.

I start sending her texts. Each one tells her I love her, and I have to be with her, but she doesn ’t

respond. It doesn’t matter though.

She won’t refuse to lend her help, and in time, she won’t refuse me anymore either. It all makes

sense now.

Camara was constantly showing up at random and fishing for me to converse with her. Now I

know it was only so Adisia could hear my voice. She’s been trying to get over me, but she can’t.

For the first time in months, I have hope, and I’m not going to waste my opportunity.

Chapter 6

Filling in the Blanks.

“So, your brother’s wedding is in two days, and it looks like you’ll need a date,” Jace chirps.

“I can’t believe he’s getting married right now. He’s barely known Jane for five months, and I’m

really not into the whole idea of leaving the house,” I grumble.

“It’s been four months since you and Devin called it quits. I think at some point you have to

make the first step.”

“I smell terrible,” I gripe while motioning to the invisible fumes radiating from my tired body.

“On the contrary, you smell incredible, almost erotically intoxicating, which is a real problem,”

Jace seduces while giving me his best devilish smirk.

“You promised,” I growl.

“I promised I wouldn’t badger you. I’m just being suggestive, and I’ve done good considering

we’ve been living together for
four months
,” he playfully exasperates.

“That doesn’t give you a free pass,” I chuckle.

With a light laugh and a casual shrug, he stands to his feet and walks toward me.

“Well, I’ve got some stuff to do. I’ll call Camara and see if she has any suggestions on how to

contain your scent,” he murmurs softly while kissing my forehead.

“Tell her-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know the routine. Tell her not to tell Devin she spoke to either of us,” he rattles

out sardonically while repeating my words as if in mantra.

I half smile to keep from crying as I pull out the ice cream. I feel a little dizzy, and I fight a

stagger. Considering it’s been weeks since I indulged in anything substantial, I’m sure that’s normal.

My phone buzzes, and I smile when I see Hale’s name flash across the screen with a sun rising

from the horizon as his backdrop picture.

“Hey,” I murmur sweetly.

“Hey, gorgeous. How are things?”

“About the same. How are things on your end?”

“Devin is still calling your old number just to hear your voice on the voicemail, and everyone is

growing tired of his relentless search for you,” he mutters in exhaustion.

“How are you?” I sincerely request.

“I miss our little Aphrodite. I wish you’d work things out with him,” he requests with hesitance.

“He cheated, Hale. They’ve yet to find any supernatural occurrence. Devin just wasn’t ready. He

did it a day before we were supposed to be bonded together. You know as well as I do he was just too

scared to go through with it, and this was his way out. For some reason, he just didn’t think he’d lose

me all together,” I exasperate.

“I don’t know. He’s still holding firm to the fact it couldn’t have been him,” he counters.

“Did he know what he was doing?”

“Yes,” Hale sighs.

“Did he feel like a puppet?”

“No.”

“Did Theia find any sign of supernatural activity or divine intervention?” I whimper.

“No,” he grumbles.

“Then it was all him,” I huff. “I don’t like it either, but I also know the taste of betrayal.”

“Has Jace made a move on you?” Hale pries.

“Several, but he’s not getting anywhere. He knows he and I aren’t going to be together. As bad as

I hate Devin, I still love him too.”

“He’s in Connecticut right now talking with your mom,” he murmurs. “He’s been calling Persia

nonstop, but she won’t tell him where you are either. He’d be super pissed if he knew we’ve all been

talking to you.”

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk to me. I don’t want you to have any problems because of me,”

I guiltily reply.

“I didn’t say that. I don’t care if he gets mad or not. You’re my friend too, and I’ll be damned if

he gets us in the divorce,” he chuckles out, and then it shifts into a sudden uncomfortable silence.

“That was a terrible joke,” he mumbles. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. I would laugh, but I sent him the annulment papers two days ago,” I explain.

“Oh. Hell. He hasn’t told me about that,” he gasps.

“I figured a normal marriage deserved a normal end. I can’t be someone’s wife when I’ve seen

their lips on another woman’s. Please tell me he’s not going to the wedding,” I sigh.

“He’ll be there. He’s paying for your brother’s honeymoon, and he bought Jane a new car just to

make sure they didn’t leave him off the guest list. He’s pretty determined to see you.”

“I can’t believe this. How am I going to keep him away from me in such a closed in area?” I huff.

“He’s not going to cause a scene in front of so many mortals,” he assures.

“You saw him on the beach.”

“Yeah, I did. There was hell to pay for us all that day,” Hale sighs. “But he’s had four months to

calm down. I’m sure he can be civil. He looks like hell, and I’m sure it would do him some good to

get out for more than harpie killing,” he adds.

“You’re still having issues with them?”

“They’re popping up more and more. It’s weird. There’re usually not so many, but don’t worry

about it. We’ve got it under control. I suppose I’ll see you at the wedding,” he chimes with a

worrisome tone.

“I suppose I have no choice. I can’t miss my brother’s wedding.”

I put the phone away and grip my aching head. How can I make it through a whole wedding with

Devin there?

Jace walks in smelling
horrific
. I start laughing ridiculously hard while holding my nose.

“Oh good grief. What’s that smell?”

He glares at me with exhaustion. “Skunk,” he mumbles.

“What the hell? Why have you been playing with skunks?” I chuckle.

“Camara said it would help neutralize your delicious smell, and we have five hours to hop on a jet

and make it to the wedding. You need to mix this with a drink, and I hope you have better luck than I

did,” he gripes while handing me a vial of skunk juice.

“Why didn’t you get Camara’s help?” I giggle out.

“Oh, I asked for it, and instead of one skunk spraying me, there were twenty. I told you she didn’t

like me,” he gripes in a sulking tone.

I laugh even harder, and he pulls his shirt off to throw it in the trash.

“I’m going to go take a shower… or ten,” he growls.

I laugh a little more while pouring out the contents from the vile vial into my blender. I turn my

nose up as I mesh the fruity drink with the skunk spray, and I hold my breath while I gulp it down.

I almost throw up, but I manage to chug the rest of it.

Pulling out the ice cream, I sigh and then walk over to turn on the news while I wait for Jace to

clean up. I laugh a little as I think of how crazy we’ll smell walking in together.