Falling Darkness: The second book in the Falling Awake Series (32 page)

Caleb banged around in a few overhead cupboards and pulled out a medical box. He carefully wrapped each of my wrists up in bandage while I sat there quietly gritting my teeth in pain.

“By the time we’re back on the Island, these will have healed.”

“Are they broken?” I asked, watching his reactions carefully.

“More like crushed.” He tied up the end of the last bandage. “There.”

I couldn’t take this dodging around what I had done any longer, I had to get it out there. “Caleb-”

“Don’t apologize,” Caleb cut in. “It was my fault you were put in that situation. I pushed you away. I don’t blame you for what happened.”

“I shouldn’t have dragged Mellissa into this.”

“You probably shouldn’t have, no. But what’s done is done and all I really care about is that you’re alive.” Caleb started packing the medical kit away, locking it in the cupboard.

“I’m not really sure I understand exactly what happened tonight,” I said to him. “The lance, the witch doctor. What’s going on?”

“The witch doctor was the one who brought Sabre back to life. He was the one who made Sabre what he is in the first place.”

“How?” I asked.

“He sold his soul to the devil and through that he’s tied whatever soul Sabre had in him to himself, connecting them. The witch doctors dark powers are stronger and more evil in someone like Sabre who is stronger anyway because he is fallen and already rotten on the inside.”

“But I thought they both died?”

“Sabre did. No one hung around long enough to see what actually happened to the witch doctor. We thought he was dead, but looks like he managed to escape. He brought Sabre back. As long as he lives, so does Sabre.”

“And we just let him live?” I asked in disbelief.

“And so did you.”

“He’s gonna come for me. Again and again until he gets what he wants.”

“So we find it before he does.”

“The lance?”

Caleb shrugged. “Our only option.”

“I sure as hell don’t know where to find any ancient relic, do you?” My voice was getting higher and higher from my agitation. Caleb was acting like this was no big deal, just an everyday puzzle to be solved and all we were missing was one tiny piece that had gotten lost in the box, somewhere.

“We have no other choice. We have to find it before he does or there’s a good chance we’re all gonna be dead. I don’t know a hell of a lot about the lance, just stories. But if Sabre will be as powerful with it as he believes, then that’s something I’m not about to sit around and just let happen.”

Sabre with more control and power than he already had was not something I wanted to see, either. The world wasn’t ready for him. He was an abomination and I dreaded to think how much worse he could possibly get. There was nothing else for us to do other than stop him. He was going to find me again, regardless, so it looked like I was all out of more appealing options. There was one thing that still didn’t make a lot of sense to me. “How did you connect the dots, Caleb? Sabre, the witch doctor?”

“It wasn’t hard. I was on the reservation when I just happened to catch the witch doctor. I knew him being alive and there, where all this started was no coincidence, and I was right. He was practicing dark magic and then I got my answer when I followed him one night and he met up with Sabre. I knew then why Sabre is the way he is, and before I could get Leah and pull the witch doctor in, Sabre saw his opportunity to make his move on you.”

Matoskah was right, Caleb had been on the reservation and without me.

“But, I thought you were-”

“Sleeping with Tamara every chance I got? “Because that was what I wanted everyone to think. With me pretty much out of the picture and with a solid alibi… that left you wide open. It was the only way to catch out whoever was after you.”

“You were faking a relationship?”

“Not at first. I was turning into an asshole, and Tamara had a slight appeal about her. Then the more time I spent around her, the more I realized I could use it to my advantage. She pretty much done everything I told her to, and I was free to find out what I needed to without anyone knowing I was there. I couldn’t see it at first, but then I could feel myself changing. It was the witch doctor. He turned all the feelings I had for you into a slow, burning hate. I know now it was so you would lose your protection, and so that was what I let them think. That I wasn’t around and didn’t care anymore.”

I could feel my pulse pounding under my skin, forcing the blood angrily through my veins. This whole time, he had been making up an entire relationship. I was in pain over something that I didn’t even need to be.

“You could have given me a heads up, Caleb.”

“I tried.”

“When?”

“On the cape trail, I tried to explain and you just cut me off. You didn’t want to know and I thought, well, more believable this way. If even you’re in the dark, then no one can find out. It was the only way I could help you.”

“By hurting me?” I wasn’t sure if I was crying or not. My skin was still soaked from the rain and I felt numb. “Did Drake and Ressler know this?”

“They knew I was around. They didn’t know the truth about Tamara.” There wasn’t one thing about Caleb right now that told me he was in any way sorry for what he had done. Everything to him was a job and he just did what he had to do. It didn’t matter who he crushed to get it done. We were never, ever going to be on the same page and I was going to have to find some way of getting that through my stupid head.

“So what now?” I was going to try and not turn this into an argument, and just get on with whatever had to be done.

“We find the lance.”

“Until then, I’m going to see Mellissa,” I said, scooting up out of the bench at the round, wooden table.

“You should sleep,” Caleb suggested, stepping in my path. “You’ve been through a lot. The quicker you get your energy back, the quicker you can start to heal.”

“I need to see my friend,” I said to him. He was right, as always. I was tired and sleep was screaming my name, but I had to see Mellissa for myself and make sure she was okay. “Get out of my way, please.”

Caleb looked down at me. I was melting under his stare. His intense, misty green eyes were hypnotizing and I needed to look away. Look anywhere but at him. This was the wrong time to crumple and give into him. I had to be stronger than that. Eventually, he stepped aside and I rushed from the room as quickly as I could.

I found Mellissa in the main bedroom, tucked under Drakes arm.

“You’re awake,” I said, coming into the room. There was a desk lamp on and the room was cast in a grim, yellowish glow. Mellissa climbed out of the bed and ran over, throwing her arms around me. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said.

“Sorry I can’t hug you back.” I looked down to my bandaged wrists.

“Drake told me what happened.”

“He did?” I looked over nervously at Drake. I didn’t think it was safe to tell her everything, but when he nodded, I said to Mellissa, “Everything?”

“I know about Drake, and Caleb and Ressler. I know you’re in trouble. You should have told me.”

“I was trying to keep you safe.” I laughed in irony. “Look how well that turned out, huh?”

“I’m not going to force you spill every last secret, but I’m always going to be here for you.”

“We didn’t want you involved,” I explained. “And now you’re hurt and it didn’t need to happen. This is not your fight.”

“Your fight.
My fight
. Best friends. I’m sure it’s in a clause somewhere.”

“You don’t know how hard this going to get.” There was a small bruise on her forehead along her hairline, and I didn’t ever want to see another mark on her because of me.

“I’m fine as long as you are.” Mellissa rubbed her thumbs over my bandages. “Your hair is a mess. I’ve seen dogs tail’s look prettier.” I laughed as she brushed her fingers through my mangled locks.

“I think I’m just gonna sleep,” I said, stifling a yawn. My body and my mind was exhausted.

“Have this bed,” Mellissa said, pulling me towards the double that I normally slept in. Drake got up off the bed.

“No. There’s bunks in the other room. Really, I’m okay. You stay here. I could sleep on the hard floor I’m so tired.”

I settled for the bottom bunk in the cabin next door, considering I was in no state to be climbing any ladders to the top.

“Take those clothes off. They’re wet.” I was startled when Caleb’s voice crept up behind me. I hadn’t heard him come in here. The light was off but I could see him just fine in the light from the doorway. He was a prefect shadow.

“I don’t have anything else,” I said.

He threw a bundle of material at me and laughed unapologetically when it landed in a heap by my feet. “Let me get that,” he said, walking over and picking the bundle up off the floor.

I could barely get out my protest when he started to pull my sleeves down over my hands and then pulled my top up over my head. He threw it onto the floor and eased a baggy, dry t-shirt over my head. It smelled of him and my insides were twisting in pleasure. His hands were on the zipper of my jeans next and I bit into my lip when he pulled it down in one swift movement, tugging my jeans further down my legs. His eyes were on me the whole time and I couldn’t find the strength in me to look away. He wouldn’t let me even if I wanted to. I was a prisoner of this heart stopping moment, held against my will. I shook my legs free of the jeans that now felt like they were restricting me and kicked them away.

“Now you can sleep.” A smile peaked in the corner of Caleb’s eyes and he licked his tongue over his lips, slowly and deliberately. Really? He was going to leave… now? My eyes flashed an inch wider in frustration and if my wrists would have allowed it, I would be clenching my fists until my hands fell off. Instead, I climbed into the bed and let Caleb pull the covers up around me. When he was gone, I let my body relax enough to fall asleep, but it wasn’t long before the dreams grabbed a hold of me and turned peaceful obliviousness into something much more terrifying.

I knew it wasn’t real and my mind was still in turmoil from the night before but watching my mom stand on the cliff edge under the full moon, my heart was in my mouth. I knew it was her from her long, raven hair that was swept up behind her in the night gale, and the lean frame of her slight figure. I would know her anywhere.

I took a step closer to her, not daring to move too quickly or loudly in case I scared her into jumping.

“Mom,” I whispered. I heard the soft sniffle of tears. She was crying.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice carried faintly with the brutal wind, and I barely caught the gentle tone of her voice.

“No, please, don’t,” I sobbed. I reached out a hand towards her, to touch her. “Please don’t.”

“The lance is yours now. Don’t ever let him have it,” she said, her voice more prominent now. Stronger. Her crying had stopped.

“How can I find it?” I took another step closer and she gasped when I knocked loose a stone from the ground.

“Stay there,” she ordered me. “I don’t want you to see this.”

“You don’t have to do this.” I sounded desperate and childlike. “Just stay, please.”

“He can’t have it, do you hear?”

“Yes,” I said at her clipped tone. “I won’t let him get it.” She was getting angry and I needed to find a way to calm her down. She wasn’t thinking, she was upset and if I could get her away from the edge…

I screamed when she stepped over the edge into thin air and disappeared.

***

When we got home, the first thing I done was take a shower. My wrists were feeling better and I could move them now. This self-healing was something I could easily get used to. My wrists still hurt but I could live with that. Feeling helpless was something I couldn’t live with. Drake had taken Mellissa to his place. Her parents weren’t due home until Monday dinnertime and it was now almost five pm, Sunday. I still had school tomorrow, injured wrists or not. Life went on and I would go along with it for as long as I needed to.

A quick check on my dad and I could see that he was no further forward. He still lay there, motionless in his own dream world. I sat on my bed and the more I dragged the brush through my hair, the angrier I was getting. I couldn’t stop thinking about earlier. Caleb had the witch doctor at his very dispense. He was held at knife point and Caleb could have gotten anything out of him in that time. He could have demanded that he give my dad back every single one of his memories. Take him out of the coma he had put him in. He could have made him reverse what he’d done to Caleb. Taken his hatred of me away, but no. Caleb didn’t do any of those things. Why?

I was furious by the time I had mauled my head with the comb, and I threw it down onto the bed and stormed into the kitchen where Caleb was standing reading a piece of paper. He folded it up and put it away in his back pocket. That was the second time I had caught him hiding something from me. What was it, his diary?

I was staring at him, furious. I was so angry, the words were jumbled up in the back of my throat waiting for their escape.