Salvaged Soul (The Ignited Series Book 3) (26 page)

Chapter 26

{Kris}

I held Nathan’s letter in one hand, and knocked on his door with the other. As I waited, I cast Kim a look that caused her eyebrows to shoot up.

“Do you want me to stay?” she asked quietly.

“No . . . yes . . .” I sighed heavily. I had no idea what I expected by coming here. All I knew was that, after reading his letter, I had to see Nathan. “No. You don’t need to stay.”

The words had barely passed my lips when the door swung open, and Nathan’s imposing form stood before me. I almost told Kim I changed my mind, almost turned to her with a plea to stay, but she left while I was stuck staring at Nathan.

He ushered me inside, and it was just the two of us. Before the nerves got the best of me, I lifted the letter in my hand, and asked, “Is this true?”

He eyed the paper as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Every word.”

I rocked on my heels as I fought the urge to run into his arms. The letter, and the raw emotion in what he had thought were his last words to me, had floored me, but the way he looked at me now? That caused a painful, twisty sensation in my chest . . . that I knew could only be relieved by him.

He sighed heavily. “I miss you, Kris.”

I pressed my lips together to stop myself from reciprocating. Because if I did, I would end up in his arms.

But wasn’t that what I wanted?

I was so confused. He had hurt me, but I was hurting without him.

“And I meant everything I said in that letter.
Everything
.” He took a step closer. “When I said you mean the world to me, I meant it. When I said I never knew that love could be like this, I meant it. That you are the best thing to ever happen to me . . . I meant it all.”

Another step brought him close enough to touch. All I had to do was lift my hands . . . place them on his shoulders . . .

“And when I said that no one compares to you,” he continued, “I meant
no one
. Past, present, or future.”

  Another step narrowed the distance between us more, and I stepped back to maintain the space I needed to think straight. When the heel of my foot hit the wall behind me, I knew I was close to being trapped. I tried to skirt around Nathan, but he sidestepped to block me. My eyes lifted to his, and that was all it took. I was ready to surrender.

“You know how I feel, how I
really
feel. So my question is . . .” His hands pressed to the wall on either side of my head, and he leaned in to put his mouth next to my ear. “Do you still love me?”

My head involuntarily tilted toward his. Like a bee drawn to a flower, I was powerless to stop it. My breath escaped in a ragged burst, and my body trembled from being so close to him. Every part of me wanted to touch him, to kiss him.

The answer was surely written all over my face. Still, I whispered, “I’ve loved you my whole life. I could never just stop loving you.”

Nathan hooked a hand behind my neck, and the inches between us melted away as his head lowered. He hovered over me, his breath warm against my skin, as his hand twisted into my hair.

“It’s always been you, Kris. Only you,” he murmured before he finally pressed his lips to mine.

With a sigh of submission, I leaned into him. My hands ran up his chest and across his shoulders as I reacquainted myself with every defined inch of his body. My fingers dug into his back when he took hold of my hips as he lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist in one smooth motion. He pinned me against the wall, my weight supported enough for him to use his hands freely.

And boy did he use them. His hands slipped under my shirt and slid up my sides, bringing on a whole body shudder when his hands grazed my bare skin. My response was to frantically pull at the hem of his shirt in a desperate attempt to remove it. His lips left mine as he helped me to pull it over his head, and I saw the desire in his eyes.

Who initiated it was lost amongst a blur of moving hands and fiery kisses, but my shirt quickly joined his on the floor. He pulled me tight against him, his naked torso smooth and searing at every point it contacted my bare skin. He back stepped to the bed and slowly reclined, while pulling me down with him so that our lips never parted.

This is it
, I thought, and my breath hitched.

His hand cupped my face. “You okay?” he murmured against my lips.

“Perfect,” I said, trying to make it believable.

His eyes swept over me, taking in the sexy lace bra I happened to have put on that morning. Lust hooded his eyes when they lifted to mine, and I knew what he wanted. Because I wanted it too. His hesitation was only for me, and it made me want him even more.

“You don’t happen to be prepared this time, do you?” I asked in a hushed voice.

He smiled sheepishly. “I actually had to make a trip to the mainland for something, and I didn’t want you to yell at me again . . .”

I had expected him to say no, so my shock was genuine when I squeaked, “What? You got protection?” I leaned back and looked down at him with my hands on my hips.

His head tilted to the side as a slow grin formed on his lips. I realized too late the view I was giving him. My skin flushed under his observant gaze, but I made no attempt to cover myself.

Nathan’s eyes lifted slowly and finally settled on mine with an appreciative twinkle. My eyebrows shot up when he didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “What did you say? I’m a guy and . . . and, well, you don’t have a shirt on.”

“Nothing.” I smiled nervously. “I’m just surprised.”

My eyes dropped to take in the taut abs my hands were splayed on. There was nothing to stop us now. Except ourselves.

“But that doesn’t mean . . .” Nathan started. “I don’t expect—”

I stopped him with a look. “I know.”

His eyes locked on mine, and his head nodded fractionally. I held his gaze for a beat before I lowered my eyes to my hands as I moved them up, over his ribcage and across his chest. I moved slowly as I memorized not only the sight, but the feel, of him at my fingertips. My hands slid over his shoulders, and then down his arms, thick and hard under smooth skin. He shuddered slightly from my touch, and when my eyes lifted to his, he let out a ragged breath.

“Come here,” he ordered gruffly. His hands entangled in my hair as he pulled me toward him.

A knock at the door stopped my descent an inch from his lips. I looked at Nathan, and he shrugged.

There was a moment of silence, then Lillian’s voice carried through the door. “Nathan?” 

My eyes narrowed. I started to slide off of his lap, but his hands gripped my waist to stop me.

“I had no idea she was coming by,” he whispered quickly.

“Nathan,” she called again. “I got your note . . .”

Nathan tossed his head back with a curse, and I wrenched myself free. I shot daggers at him as I collected our shirts off the floor. I threw his to him a little harder than necessary, and slipped mine over my head.

“I know you’re in there, Nathan. Please. You’re right. We need to talk,” Lillian pressed.

Nathan stood and grabbed my shoulders before I had a chance to turn away from him. “I was going to do what you wanted me to do, and spend time with her, and then tell her about you.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Nathan?” Lillian’s voice lifted in concern.

“Just a minute, Lil!” Nathan called to her through the door.

I threw my hands up in the air. “What am I supposed to do?” I whispered harshly. “You want me to just open the door and walk right by her?” I gestured wildly with my hands. “Say
‘Hey, Lil, sorry, you caught us at a bad time. I guess it’s your turn. See ya later!’
”

Nathan looked down his nose at me. “You’re way off base.”

“Oh, am I?” I pushed against him, but froze when my hands met skin. “Put your shirt back on. I can’t think with you walking around like that.”

He slid his shirt over his head, rolling it down over his hard abs, and my brain cleared some of the fog, but I still wasn’t any closer to a solution.

“You stay here,” Nathan suggested in a low voice. “Lillian and I will go for a walk. I’ll come back after we’re done talking.”

“What makes you think she doesn’t have every intention of coming in here?”

He stared at me, and it was clear from his hesitation that he couldn’t rule that out as a possibility. I wanted to throw something at him, but the only thing within reach was a pillow.

“I won’t give her a chance,” he said as he maneuvered me into the bathroom.

He glanced at me over his shoulder as he moved to the door. I wasn’t sure what his expression was trying to portray. He might have been reminding me to be quiet, or he was trying to tell me he was sorry. Only he knew.

A second later, he opened the door and stepped outside.

Then it was just me, alone in his room, while he was out on a walk with the only other woman on the planet who came close to loving him as much as I did.

Chapter 27

{Nathan}

The sun set over the horizon as Lillian and I moved through the village center, and my thoughts temporarily drifted to the mission that was supposed to be kicking off, well . . . now. In the midst of making up with Kris, I had nearly forgotten, but now I wondered if my intuition was right about something happening soon. If so . . .

I needed to get through this talk with Lillian fast so I could get back to Kris. And then we would have to start making arrangements to get off the island.

Lillian remained silent beside me as we wandered closer to the beach. Finally, she cleared her throat, and said, “I know you probably want to talk about what happened on the pier the other day, but there’s something else I need to talk to you about first. Yesterday, I remembered something about your friend, Callie.”

“Okay . . .” She had my attention.

“I remember now. I remember doing that spell on her. There were others. Lots of others. I cursed entire towns, all over the world.”

“I know,” I said. “I mean, I kind of suspected you were behind it.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Oh.”

“Do you know why you cursed them?” I wondered if she had any knowledge of the demigods’ ultimate plans.  

“It’s all a part of an immortality spell,” she gushed. “I can’t reverse it. I don’t have that power.”

I hung my head. “That’s a blow.”

“I’m sorry about your friend.” Lillian’s voice cracked as she held back her emotions. “But there is so much more to this than anyone realizes . . .”

“I learned about it in Greece. The demigods are after immortality. The gods asked us—”

“No.” She grabbed my arm to interrupt me. “It’s not the demigods, Nathan. It’s Circe. She’s behind the whole thing.”

{Kris}

I paced Nathan’s room until the walls started to close in on me, and I stepped out onto the balcony for a much needed breath of fresh air. I propped my elbows on the railing as the evening’s events replayed in my head.

Had we really almost had sex? Would we have gone through with it?

Yes, I believed we would have. I smiled as I thought about what had almost happened, what could have happened, and what might still happen when he got back.

My smile faded when the familiar throbbing started in the calves of my legs. An unseen force pulled me flush against the railing until I could go no farther, and I pressed my palms into the wood beam in an attempt to resist crawling over the side to seek the source.

“Not again,” I muttered.

A scream arose somewhere in the distance, and my head snapped up to scan the horizon. From three stories up, I had a decent view of the island, but parts remained hidden. The advancing night, and deepening shadows didn’t help, but nothing appeared out of place. A few Kala moved through the village center, coming or going from the dorms. Some sat on benches, talking. None of them looked alarmed.

Then another scream shattered the peace, and all heads turned in the same direction. Toward the beach.

In a move that caused me to cry out from the pain it caused in my legs, I turned and ran into the room. But I didn’t stop there. I dashed down the hallway, then bounded two steps at a time up the two flights of stairs to Alec’s room.

Bruce stiffened when he saw me coming. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know . . .” I slowed when I reached the door, and gripped my side as I fought to catch my breath. Before I could tell Bruce what I heard, the door swung open, and Alec stepped into the hallway.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking between Bruce and me.

I grabbed Alec’s hand, and pulled him into the room. Bruce trailed behind us, but stopped when I slid the balcony door open and stepped outside with Alec.

“Do you feel it?” I whispered.

Alec glanced at Bruce before nodding. He dropped his voice for my ears only. “It started a few minutes ago, but . . . I mean it’s happened before.”

“Did you hear the screaming?”

Alec’s eyebrows shot up. “Uh . . . no.”

“
Listen
.”

A few seconds of silence followed before another scream came, closer and louder than the last one. The shrill cry abruptly ended, and my stomach soured at the realization of what that meant.

Bruce stepped out onto the balcony. “What was that?”

Before I could say anything, the pulling sensation intensified. Alec and I took collective steps forward until we were both pressed against the railing.

“What is happening?” Alec groaned against the strain.

“I’m going to go find out what’s going on,” Bruce volunteered. “You two stay here.”

I gritted my teeth against the pull, pushing against the rail with my hands as I fought it. I wanted to tell Bruce not to leave, to tell him I didn’t think it was safe, but I couldn’t.

“Kris . . .” Alec ground out. “Look.”

I lifted my head to look at Alec. His eyes were on me. On my hands. I followed his
gaze . . .

And saw the wooden railing through my hands. They faded in and out, as if they were hovering on the threshold of invisibility. I lifted them to examine them closer, and saw that my arms were flickering in the same manner.

Suddenly, the force pulling Alec and I pulsed. When it subsided we simultaneously sagged in relief.

Alec turned and grabbed my shoulders. “What’s happening? You’re flickering.”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. But I was scared to death of whatever it was.

“Pull yourself together,” he ordered me. “No unauthorized Incantation shit right now, okay?”

“I’m not . . .”

“I know. That’s what worries me.” Alec pulled me into the room. “We need to find Bruce, and find out what’s happening.”

“Nathan’s out there,” I said. “I have to find him.”

Before I made it to the door, it swung open and Micah burst into the room with Richie and Bruce behind him.

“It’s the Skotadi,” he panted. “I can sense them. They’re on the island. A whole bunch of them.”

I turned to Alec. “They’re here for us.”

“We need to get you somewhere safe,” Micah said to me.

“No, I have to find Nathan.”

I started to push past them, when a chorus of shouts and gunfire erupted outside.

{Nathan}

They advanced from the beach like a wave of death, overtaking everyone they encountered as they barreled toward the village center—hundreds of Skotadi, wielding guns and knives, and sparing no one.

I grabbed Lillian’s arm. “Command Center, now!”

As screams and shouts of warning sounded behind us, the Kala in the village center shot to attention. Twenty of us raced to the entrance of the Command Center, and the closest weapons cache. I reached the door first, and stopped to pull the alarm to warn the entire island, but came up short when I saw that it had been smashed.

Lillian gasped. “Who would do that?”

“Spies,” I muttered, but didn’t stick around long enough to explain. I needed a weapon.

I met Jared as he walked out of the weapon’s hold. He handed me a gun, and asked, “What about the fire alarms in the dorms?”

“It’s worth a shot.”

“Go. I’ll buy you some time,” he said, and then he disappeared out the door and into the advancing night.

“Stick with me,” I ordered Lillian.

As I raced across the village center to the girls’ dormitory, I heard Jared ordering the small group of Kala to form a line of defense directly in front of the building. A deafening eruption of gunfire opened up behind me as I reached the door.

Once inside, I pointed a finger at the guard on duty. “We’ve got Skotadi incoming. Pull the fire alarm. Unlock the weapons hold, make sure everyone arms up, and send them outside.”

As the siren wailed throughout the building, I sprinted next door to the boys’ dormitory. Behind me, the Kala struck down the Skotadi as they swarmed the village center. But there were so many of them . . .

Even with the female Kala joining in the fight, eventually the Skotadi would overrun us.

I yelled out orders as I swung open the door to the boys’ dorm. Once the siren sounded, I turned to Lillian.

“What are they here for?” I demanded. “Do you know?”

She nodded hesitantly.

“They’re here for Kris, aren’t they?”

“I think so.”

As confused Kala filled the lobby, I grabbed Lillian’s arm to keep us from getting separated. “Go to my room. Tell Kris to stay there. Do not let her come down here.”

Lillian blinked in surprise, and I realized what I had just admitted. But I didn’t have the time to explain. Not now.

“Go! We can’t let them find her!” As Lillian pushed against the horde of Kala pouring into the lobby, I called after her. “If she’s not there, try room five-oh-seven!”

Surely Kris had heard the commotion by now. It wouldn’t have surprised me if she had gone to Alec’s room. It didn’t matter where she was, as long as she stayed there, and we kept the Skotadi away from her.

As Lillian disappeared into the crowd, I turned to follow the others into the village center. We filed out the door shoulder to shoulder, and straight into hell.

Jared’s line had been overrun, and the girls’ dormitory had been set on fire. Skotadi flooded the village center while Kala withdrew. The few experienced soldiers we had mixed with the inexperienced and the young hybrids, and struggled to maintain some order among the chaos. Lines retreated and regrouped closer to the boys’ dorm before resuming firing positions against the Skotadi.

I spotted Jared among them as he barked out orders. I ducked low to avoid the bullets whizzing by my head as I scrambled across the open, and hunkered down behind the cover of a bench alongside him.

“Pretty shitty cover!” I told him as I rested my gun on the bench and opened fire. No point taking aim. There were so many, missing one meant hitting another.

Jared grunted. “We got overrun. Had to abandon the girls’ dorm. Got about twenty girls trapped inside by Skotadi. Can’t get enough organization together to go get them.”

I took my eyes off the advancing Skotadi long enough to survey the situation. A line of a dozen Skotadi had grouped in front of the entrance to the girls’ dorm. I couldn’t see the Kala trapped inside through the thick black smoke that poured out of the door. If any of them were still alive in there, they wouldn’t be for much longer.

“I’ll take it.” I turned to the two Kala on the other side of me, and yelled, “You two, with me.”

They followed as I maneuvered through the sea of Kala toward the dormitory. Along the way, I spotted a face I recognized.

“My sister is still in there,” Kira yelled.

I motioned for her to follow, and she and two of her friends joined us. As we approached the line of Skotadi, I motioned for the girls to veer to the right in a flanking position. We opened fire on the Skotadi from both sides before they saw us coming. A grenade from one of the men with me finished them off.

While the rest of us held the position, Kira ran inside the building. She came out a minute later with at least twenty soot-covered and coughing Kala. The fire would take the building, but it appeared that everyone was out.

I heard a blast come from somewhere behind me a second before the force of it knocked us to the ground. My ears rang as I scrambled to my feet . . . just in time to see a second explosion demolish the entrance of the boys’ dorm. My feet were moving before I had fully regained my balance, and I stumbled toward the front of the building as a fire erupted in the lobby.

But how? No Skotadi had gotten past the second line. Not yet.

As I neared, I saw the entrance blocked off by a mountain of wood and stone. The fire created an orange glow that seeped through gaps in the debris, and illuminated the man-shaped shadow that stepped in front of me.

Supervisor Jeffries. My gaze dropped to the explosives he held in his hands, and my finger instinctively flexed on the trigger of my gun.

“The war has changed,” he said to me. “We all had to make choices.”

“And you chose to turn your back on your own?”

He scoffed. “It’s not that simple anymore.”

As he spoke, his hand moved slowly to his side, to the pistol I saw partially hidden under the waistband of his pants. My eyes remained fixed on his, and he would never know that I noticed.

“This is the only way to survive the war. You will see. You all will see,” he continued as his fingers encircled the butt of the pistol.

His hand rose quickly, and I fired. One shot to the center of his chest dropped him to my feet.

“I’m not a traitor,” I said to the wisps of his soul as it dissipated into the night. 

Too late. The damage he had orchestrated had already been done. In front of me, flames engulfed the boys’ dorm.