Storm (Blood Haze: Book Two) A Paranormal Romance (20 page)

combined energy of her, Liam, Kai, and myself to

do this, so you have to hurry. We only have

seconds. Fall through it. I’ll catch you, I

promise.”

I saw a swirling vortex of fog slowly start to

appear in front of me.

“Go. Now! I’ll catch you,” Alexi said.

I trust you
, I thought.

With that, I stepped into the swirling vortex.

*****

Chapter Fourteen – Calm

One moment, I was inside the cage. The next

moment, I was falling. True to his word, Alexi

caught me. I fell safely into his arms, and I

immediately threw my arms around him.

“Alexi!” I shouted, squeezing him tight.

“Alice…” he whispered into my hair.

I kissed his cheek, and said, “I knew I could

trust you.”

With reluctance I could easily sense, he

lowered me to my feet. His arms stayed around

me for a moment more, and he finally let me go.

“Alice,” I heard Kai say.

I turned to face him. He was trembling in the

floor, and blood was oozing from his nose.

“Oh, my God, Kai!” I gasped.

I ran to his side and kneeled beside him. I

brushed his hair away from his face, and I pulled

him into my arms.

“What happened? Are you alright?” I asked

him.

“I had to help…” he said weakly.

“You did,” I told him. “I’m here. I’m safe.”

“This has weakened him badly,” Alexi said.

“He isn’t as strong as the rest of us.”

“I’m fine…” Kai said, but he still trembled

badly.

“No, you’re not,” I argued. “You’re not fine

at all. I’m so tired of people getting hurt because

of me.”

I gently smoothed his hair as I held him, and I

kissed his cheek gently.

“Someone hand me a tissue or something,” I

said.

Alexi stepped into the dining room and

quickly returned with a handful of napkins. I

took one and blotted the blood away from under

Kai’s nose.

“I’m fine, really,” he said, trying weakly to

push my hand away.

“Okay, then stand up,” I challenged him.

He tried to push himself up, but his arms

shook so hard he just slipped back down.

“You’re not fine,” I insisted.

“I’m just weakened,” Kai said. “I’ll be fine in

a little while.”

I’d been paying so much attention to Kai, I’d

forgotten about everyone else. I scanned their

faces. Max looked brooding and angry over Kai.

Liam and Alexi were whispering against the far

wall. And I noticed a stranger – a woman. She

had rich ebony skin and cropped blonde hair, and

her black eyes glared at me as she stood with her

arms crossed.

“Hillary?” I asked, standing and extended my

hand toward her.

“That’s me,” she said, without shaking my

hand.

“Thank you so much for helping me,” I told

her, lowering my hand uncomfortably.

“No need to thank me,” she said. “I did it as a

favor for Alexi. I must be going now.”

She shot a look at Alexi, but I couldn’t tell

what it meant. He nodded at her, and after a

moment’s hesitation, she left.

I looked at Max, leaning against the wall with

his arms crossed. He was still glaring stormily at

Kai. He noticed me looking his way, and his face

instantly softened. I smiled at him, and he crossed

the room and planted a kiss on my cheek. I

wrapped my arms around his neck, and he

enclosed me in a gentle embrace.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered into

my ear.

“I’ve missed you, too,” I told him. “I’m so

sorry I haven’t been around much.”

Alexi cleared his throat, and Max loosened his

embrace, but he did not release me entirely.

“We need to get you back to the compound,”

Alexi told me. “It’s safer for you there.”

“But I’ve hardly been able to spend any time

with any of you,” I complained.

“Alice, I clearly can’t keep you safe here,”

Alexi said remorsefully.

“I don’t care!” I shouted. “This is the only

chance I have to spend time with any of you, and

I’m not going back, yet!”

“Alice, please listen to him,” Liam said. “We

can protect you at the compound. My father

wants you to return at once. He is very

concerned.”

“No,” I insisted. “Just give me a little while.”

Alexi whispered something into Liam’s ear,

and Liam looked at him quizzically. Then he

nodded, and quickly left the room.

“I don’t like it when people talk about me

behind my back,” I mumbled.

Alexi crossed the floor and Max instinctively

stepped back to allow Alexi to put his arm

around me.

“Liam is making a call. Just be patient, okay?

We’re trying to figure out the best course of

action,” Alexi said.

“I want to stay here,” I grumbled.

Alexi shook his head. “That cannot happen. I

don’t have the security here to protect you

adequately. But there might be another option.”

“What other option?”

“I don’t want to get your hopes up. Just wait

until Liam returns.”

“Fine,” I said resignedly.

I sat down beside Kai, who was still severely

weakened, and I put my head on his shoulder. He

took my hand gently.

“I love you,” he whispered, kissing the top of

my head, and I squeezed his hand.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Max’s

hands clench into fists, and he disappeared up the

stairs. I sighed. Why was life so complicated?

Last year, my life was so simple. Now, I had

three guys in love with me, the people I loved

had their lives had been turned upside down, and

I’d been kidnapped so many times I couldn’t even

remember how many times it had been.

Liam came back into the room and nodded at

Alexi.

“Let’s go,” Alexi said to me. “Now.”

He reached his hand out, and I took it. He

pulled me to my feet.

“Liam, take her to the car,” Alexi said, and

Liam nodded.

Liam put his arm around me and gently

pushed me toward the door.

“Wait, what about Kai?” I asked.

“Max and I will get him out to the car,” Alexi

promised.

Liam got me into the car quickly, and a few

moments later Alexi and a very moody Max

appeared with Kai’s arms around their shoulders.

Kai could barely stand, but Alexi and Max held

him firmly and helped him get into the Guardian

beside me.

“Where’s the driver?” I asked Alexi.

“I’m not taking any chances right now,” Alexi

said. “I’m not trusting anyone else to be around

you until we get to the compound.”

“We’re still going to the compound?” I

groaned.

“We’re
all
going, Alice,” Alexi assured me.

“What… Kai and Max are coming, too?” I

gasped. “Are they going to stay there?”

“For now,” Alexi nodded, and we pulled out

of the driveway.

I took Kai’s hand and squeezed it. I was so

happy that I wouldn’t have to leave him again –

at least not right now.

“How’d you pull this off?” I asked Liam.

“I simply explained to my father that there

might be difficulty getting you to stay if he didn’t

allow it. Plus, I told him it would mean more

protection for you, and he agreed,” Liam

explained.

“It was that simple?” I asked.

“Well, not exactly,” Liam admitted.

“What do you mean… not exactly,” I said,

narrowing my eyes skeptically.

“I had to convince him you would be safe,” he

responded.

“How’d you do that?”

“He said we would have to stay with you

twenty-four hours a day.”

“All of you?”

“Yes, all of us. They’re clearing out a room in

the basement of the Elder house. It’s the most

secure location on the premises. We all have to

stay there until further notice.”

“A room? One room?”

“Yes, just one room. My father doesn’t want

you out of our sight.”

“I just don’t understand what’s going on. Why

is all this happening? Why do they want me?”

“Well, my father says he and Dmitri have

some old quarrel, and he wanted to use you as a

bargaining chip. He also said Dmitri probably

would have been happy to use your powers for

his own gain if he’d been unwilling to bargain.”

I shuddered. “You mean he would have kept

me… forever?”

“If my father had been unwilling to make a

deal, I suppose he would have tried.”

“But we would not have let that happen,”

Alexi added quickly.

Max turned around in the front passenger’s

seat and looked at me.

“He’s right, Alice,” Max said. “We wouldn’t

ever let that happen.”

“I know,” I told him, smiling weakly.

Kai squeezed my hand tighter.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the

compound. The gates opened, and we were

greeted by a security detail of six cloaked

Council members. Barnabas was standing in the

doorway of the main building, and he waved his

hands to beckon us inside. He looked around

anxiously.

Max and Alexi helped Kai out of the car.

“Hurry!” Barnabas hissed. “Get her inside!

Quickly!”

Liam took my arm and led me inside very

quickly. I looked back and watched Max and

Alexi helping Kai up the stairs. Barnabas

breathed a sigh of relief once we were all inside,

but as quickly as relief set in, it was taken away.

“Elder Barnabas!” shouted a cloaked figure

from down the hall. “He’s coming!”

“Who’s coming?” I asked Alexi, looking up at

him with alarm.

“Get her to the bunker!” Barnabas shouted.

“Now!”

Liam quickly ushered me into the Elder

meeting hall, and he pushed against a piece of the

wall in the back corner. A section of the wall

popped open, revealing a staircase, which

descended into the darkness.

“Hurry!” Liam shouted to Alexi.

“Just get her down there!” Alexi snarled at

Liam.

Liam grabbed my arm and led me down the

stairs into a long, dark passageway. I looked

back, and Max and Alexi were slowly helping

Kai down the stairs. I knew Max’s eyes wouldn’t

see well in the darkness, but there was nothing

that could be done.

The door slowly creaked shut behind them,

and the faint light that had been streaming in

ceased to exist.

“Ow!” Kai muttered.

“Sorry!” I heard Max exclaim.

The passageway ended at a very large metal

door. It looked somewhat like a bank vault, but

there was a keypad and some sort of scanner set

into it. The scanner held spots for two

handprints.

Alexi and Liam placed their hands on the

scanner. It whirred, and then beeped. Liam

quickly punched a series of numbers into the

keypad, and I heard a grating screech and then a

metallic clang. The door slowly creaked open.

“Go, go!” Liam shouted.

I hurried through the door, followed by Alexi

and Max with Kai. Finally, Liam rushed through

and pulled the massive door shut behind us. We

rushed down another dark passageway, and I

noticed a faint light up ahead.

At the end of the tunnel was a single large

room. It was outfitted with bunk beds, shelves

full of food and bottled water, and some other

essential items. It appeared to be a type of bomb

shelter. The walls appeared to be made of thick

concrete, as was the floor and ceiling. The only

light came from a single light bulb hanging from

an electrical cord.

“Well, it’s not much,” Liam said. “But for

now, it’s home.”

“There’s a bathroom over there,” Alexi said,

nodding toward a door with his head as he and

Max lowered Kai onto one of the bunk beds.

I gasped.

“What it is?” Alexi said urgently.

“My mother! Will! Jamie!” I gasped. “Are they

in danger?”

Alexi sighed with relief.

“I’ve already taken care of that,” Liam said.

“A security detail has been dispatched to take

them to a secure location at another facility.”

“Oh,
thank you
, Liam!” I gushed, throwing

my arms around him and hugging him gratefully.

“Of course,” he said, his cheeks blushing

crimson.

I sat down beside Kai and said, “You should

lie down and rest.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted.

“Please, Kai,” I begged. “Lie down. I know

you’re tired.”

He started to object, but I added, “Please?”

“Fine,” he groaned, and he lowered himself

slowly to the bed.

“We should all get some rest,” Alexi

suggested.

“Should we take security shifts?” Liam asked.

“Good idea,” Alexi said. “I’ll go first.”

“No, you go ahead and rest with Alice,” Liam

offered. “I’ll take first shift.”

“Thanks, brother,” Alexi said.

Liam nodded.

“Alice, you choose a bunk,” Alexi suggested.

“I’ll take the one across from the bathroom,” I

said, pointing to the one right beside Kai’s bed,

and Alexi nodded in acknowledgement.

“Max?” Alexi asked.

“I’ll take the one above Alice,” Max returned.