Tears stream ed down her face as she raced to her room. Confused and frustrated, she plop ped down on her bed , bawling her eyes out. They didn ’t even know she was gone. Austin didn ’t warn them. He didn ’t care enough to let them know she could ’ve possibl y be en in danger. Perhaps Callum was no t h reat at all. Who knew what the truth was ? A ll she knew now was that her life was not her own.
Focusing on why she was t here in the first place, she wiped her tears and stood up with the apple in her hand. When she turned, she jerked back , startled to see Austin standing right in front of her.
His eyes were locked on hers, but no words were exchanged. When he saw her teary eyes, the hurt and sadness eating away in her soul, the wall he ’d built around himself crumbled. It crumbled so fast that all he wanted was to pull her in to his arm s as feeling s of relief coursed through him from knowing she was safe and sound. All that time he ’d thought of her and wondered if she was in danger. All those seconds his heart ached, knowing she didn ’t trust him enough to come back with him , and had cho sen a complete stranger over him , was too much to b ear . It was easier not to care …at least it wouldn ’t hurt so much.
“Claudia, ” he said, reaching out for her hand .
Claudia backed away, but t here was no room. She fell on her back.
“Are you trying to seduce me ?” he joked, but Claudia was not in the mood for his playfulness ; in fact, she was heavily irritated , thinking he flirted with every girl he laid eyes on. Well…she had n ’t notice d it before, but she could only conclude that from what she ’d s een in his room. She pulled herself up, with the apple still in her hand.
“What are you going to do with that apple, ” he asked, furrowing his brows in curiosity.
“I ’m…nothing…it ’s none of your business. And what do you care?” Her tone was sassy and rude, very unlike her , and it took Austin by surprise.
“Everything you do is my business. Don ’t you know that by now?” Austin closed the gap between them to lay his hand gentl y on her cheek.
As if his touch would burn her, she jerked back before he could. “Obviously, everyone is your business. Why don ’t you go back to your friends and let me be ?”
“Claudia, t hey are your friends too. They —”
“No , they ’re not ! I barely know them. You think I ’m stupid? I know Patty was my friend from my past. I have proof.”
“What proof?”
“It doesn ’t matter. You th ought I would never find out. Who did this to me?” Her tone suddenly got louder and angrier. She couldn’t control t he rage inside, and it suddenly erupted. By the force of her will and unknown strength , she summoned the double doors to burst open. The breeze that was blocked behind the door s released tremendous force as it rush ed in, tumbling her hair and everything inside. Startled by what she had done, she looked at Austin as her eyes showed terror and disbelief.
“Claudia, calm down.” Austin rested his hands on her shoulders, slowly m a ssaging in a circular motion down her arms. “Hey, it ’s okay to be angry. Don ’t you know how much you m ean to us…to me?” he said softly , with eyes so tender she could almost believe him. Austin ’s word s befuddled her . She couldn’t think clearly . She didn ’t like the way she was feeling. It was messing with her mind, making her confused , and making her think twice about whether she should take the forbidden apple to Callum.
“I ’ve never in my angelic life cared about anyone as much as I care about you. You make me laugh, you make me smile, and you make me go crazy sometimes. I don ’t understand why you make me feel the way you do, but one thing you must know —I do care about you in more ways than you know , and that frightens me. But it’s too bad for me…I can ’t have you.” His hands cupped her cheek s and as he spoke, he drew her closer and closer , s o close that his lips were just a breath away.
Claudia took all of his words in. For as long as she could remember, she ’d kn own she felt something for him, but didn ’t know what it was. Was it his friendship that she loved , or did she truly care about him more than she should? Or was it simply that he was her guardian angel , and knowing that he would always be there for her brought about these feelings? As Austin moved closer, she didn ’t know what to do.
It was too late to think about it. His lips softly matched hers. Tenderly and slowly they moved , caressing her lips. With his lips parted, he gently tasted her sweetness and the salt from her tears. From what she could remember, it was their first kiss. She liked the way his lips felt on hers as he moved in deeper with his tongue. His arms pulled her in, feeling every inch of her body against his own. As their heart s thump ed faster in unison from the heat of passion, he kissed her madly.
Wildly his arms moved , feeling every inch of her small back that his hands could reach. His kisses intensified with wanting her for so long that the return of her kiss drove him insane. Without her permission, he lay them both on the bed. As passion grew even stronger, they rolled several times to the foot of the bed. The warm breeze shot through and Claudia looked toward the open door , thinking she saw something white, like wings. She thought she felt a presence, but she wasn ’t sure. Too wrap ped up in th e moment of ecstasy , she was confused and couldn ’t think straight.
Focusing back to Austin, Claudia didn’t realize he was shirtless until her hands lay on his firm masculine chest , t he kind of chest you s aw on guys i n fitness magazine s . Noting the tight curves on his abs as her hands ran over them, she blushed with the sudden desire of wanting more, but something within her told her to stop. Suddenly, all she could do was think of the guy she call ed Michael , and his face flashed in her mind.
Austin continued, and as his kisses trail ed down her neck and lower to the curve of her breast, she arched her back in pleasure. Panting and out of breath, she tried to pull away because now Austin was no longer in th e room with her …she was seeing Michael. In her mind , Michael took over and was kissing her. She tried to break her thoughts away from him, but it was overpowering.
Feeling Claudia slowing down, Austin knew he needed to as well . It was too good to be true to hold her this way , he thought. He rolled away and was now laying next to her.
“Sorry. I got too carried away. It won ’t happen again…unless you want it to.”
Claudia didn’t know what to say. What could she say? She ’d enjoyed it too until thoughts of Michael consumed her mind. Who was he , a nd what did he mean to her? She had to find out if there was a chance for Austin and her. Even though their relationship would be forbidden, she knew Austin could make it happen. Either way, it didn ’t matter right now. All she cared about was getting her memories back and finding out who she really was .
Austin sat up and gave an irresistible smile t hat made Claudia lose her thoughts.
“Hmmm…I need to take care of something. I ’ll be back .” She rose to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“I just need to do something.”
“And you don ’t want to tell me. Don ’t you think as your guardian angel, I should at least know where you ’re going so I know you ’ll be safe?”
Claudia heaved out loud, letting Austin know without words she wasn ’t going to give in.
“You can huff and puff all you want. I ’m not letting you go.”
“What? Don ’t treat me like a child . You can ’t hold me hostage.”
“Oh yeah ? I did it before.”
Claudia felt furious because she knew he could and would. She had every right to go and come as she pleased , and no angel was going to tell her what to do. After sh e grabbed the apple, she h ead ed for th e door.
“Fine . I f you leave, don ’t come back.”
Claudia glared at him. It fueled a fire that was already blazing inside her. “Fine. Don ’t worry , I won ’t come back. This isn ’t my real home anyway.”
“Is that how you really feel?”
Claudia didn ’t answer . She looked away feeling guilty, but for what?
?
??Fine. You go, but the apple stays here. It is forbidden to take the apple out of Island of Eden.”
“Says who?”
“Says the Royal Council , that ’s who . If you take it out of here, then the Twelve have the right to lock you up. Do you understand? And why do you need it in the first place?”
She had no words. What could she say? She so desperate ly wanted her memor ies back that she would do just about anything, even break the d ivine laws.
“Here, ” he said and tossed a small dagger to her.
Claudia caught it. It was the smallest dagger she had ever seen. The handle was made of silver, but the blade sh one like crystals. It reflected the same light her butterfly crystal necklace did. If she held it at a precise ang le , she could prevent it from being seen.
“I made it. It ’s made with the crystal that can kill any angel , so be careful not to use it on me when yo u ’re mad .” He cocked a brow.
After admiring the dagger, she thankfully and carefully slipped it inside her right boot .
Austin continued. “We ’re not suppose to have access to the crystal , but you know I always find a way. And now Katherine knows about it , so it ’s fine . After the return of Aliah, I suggested we make some special weapon s just for monsters like him.” Austin ’s tone became lighter and sweeter as he approache d her. His hand rest ed on her back as he embrace d her loving ly . “Please, Claudia. I ’m sorry. Don ’t leave. Stay here with me. I need you.”
His words were so kind and tempting, but she had to be strong. “I ’m sorry Austin. I need to do something, ” she whispered , her body trembl ing .
“Go if you must, but please don ’t take the apple. If the Twelve find out, you will have to face the consequences. I know it sounds strange, but the apple is not allowed to be taken off of the island. Please…I ’m begging you.”
Claudia took small steps back, passing the safety of her room to the pebble d ground. Austin turned his back on her and felt his heart tearing apart. She might as well have p i erce d the dagger through it . It was such torture to feel this pain so deep ly that the wall he ’d let down was building itself back up again. He didn ’t want to see her leave so he couldn ’t report what she did. If he didn ’t see it with his own eyes then it didn ’t happen.
Claudia felt awful for giving Austin grief after all he ha d done for her, but the need to get her memory back was so strong it outweighed everything. To her, Austin turn ing his back was his way of letting her know he had lost hope and faith in her. After this was over, she had to find a way to make it up to him. As she prepared herself to leave, she let out a deep sorrowful sigh. Without warning, she was swept away so fast she couldn ’t even call Austin for help. All she saw before darkness enclosed her was something white , and she felt something soft to her touch.
Chapter 20
Michael traced Claudia’s step out of Spec u s into Paradisus . He waited anxiously when he could n ’t find her there, unaware of the hidden world beyond the waterfall. After what felt like a lifetime, he was able to trace her steps and felt relief she was no longer in the hands of Callum. He followed her again, but kept his distance. Knowing she would be safe for the time being, he flew back to Caspian.
When he arrived, guessing she would return to Island of Eden, he used his ultra-vision to see Claudia hanging out with venators. I t was difficult to hear with the music blasting, but he could tell she didn ’t seem happy when she stormed out of the room. Wanting to give her space, he leaped onto the top of the roof. Glancing around, he stood among the watchers. They stood bold and tall, bigger and taller than him. He felt sorry for them, but at the same time, it was their own doing. He sat there gazing at the moon reflecting it s beauty across the land and thought how peaceful it was. How he wished he could share this with his beloved.
Time had passed and the music stopped. He jumped in front of the double door only to have it almost squash him flat against the structure wall, not knowing it was Claudia ’s doing. Moving away from the opened doors, he listened to Austin and Claudia ’s heated argument .
When the voices became low and soft, Michael’s heart pounded . He could almost feel what would happen next. He had no right to stop it , nor did he have the right to claim her as his. He would have to endure the hurt and the pain if they were doing what he thought . Unable to control his curiosity, he peeped in . Claudia was in Austin ’s arms . Immediately, h is heart sank as if a knife had twisted in it .
Michael’s back s lid down against the wall for support and he scrunched low on the ground. With his hands covering his face, he was beyond agony. A part of him wanted to give Austin a piece of his mind with his fist, but how did he know it wasn ’t Claudia who kissed him first ?
Such feeling s of torment ran to every nerve in his body and immobilized him. His heart was hurting so badly from th e sight that he wished he hadn ’t follow ed her t here. Darkness and anger fell upon his soul , and the pain of what he ’d s een was unbearable. All hopes of getting her back crashed along with the waves on the shore. He felt as if he had already lost her and wanted to take flight to escape.
Michael had known the possibility of Claudia and Austin sharing some tender moments was inevitable since Austin was the sly one. But knowing and seeing was two different thing s . Th e pain stung so hard , he thought he would die right then and there, but he had to bear it for Claudia ’s sake and refocus on her . From this point it couldn ’t be about him, it had to be about her . She was about to do something she would regret , even though he wasn ’t quite sure what she planned to do.
When Claudia stepped out the double doors that were already opened, Michael stood up and backed away, out of her sight. She was still holding the forbidden apple, determine d to take it with her even after Austin inform ed her it was not allowed. Michael could only conclude she wanted to take it to Callum, and t here was no way he was going to let her fall because of him . But why did she need it? A f orbidden apple was just an ordinary apple. It would not bestow nor take away any type of angelic po wers. He calculated her move , and when he was ready, he enclosed his wings and arms around her and vanished.
He took her to one of the places he knew might give her comfort , a place they ’d once shared. Afraid of what she would do or say and too hurt from seeing Claudia in Austin ’s arms, he left her standing on a boulder as he stood nearby the waterfall.
Surprised by where she was and by the fact she was alone, Claudia turned to the sound of the water. Up ahead toward the right, she saw a figure. It was difficult to see him as she tried to block the sunlight that shone brightly in her eyes. She squinted and moved to a different angle in hopes of getting a clearer view . When her vision cleared , she saw wings so grand that they cast a shadow in the shape of a heart. She gasped sharply, knowing the angel standing afar was Michael , and just like in her dreams, he was dreamy.
Claudia suddenly felt nervous and her heart started hammering faster. His presence alone made her so lightheaded that she couldn ’t gather the thoughts of what she wanted to say. He had literally kidnapped her, taking her without her consent, but strangely, she wasn ’t upset. When she took steps to shorten the distance between them, she could see so much happiness and yet so much pain that it saddened her , and she wondered what he had been through. Thinking of questions to ask, she asked the most obvious one. “Why did you bring me here?”
Michael closed his wings and relaxed when Claudia ’s tone was level. “Tell me first…why do you need the forbidden apple?”
It had n ’t dawn ed on her until now, but the apple that she ’d held a second ago was now missing. Claudia turned to look f or it, thinking she had dropped it, but it was nowhere in sight. “What did you do with my apple?”
“You need to answer my question first.”
“No…you need to answer my question firs t,” Claudia retorted.
Darn that stubbornness of hers. She’d surely broke n out of her shell, but she was just as adorable in his eyes. In fact, he found it amusing she was f
ighting back. “I guess we ’ll have to stay here all night.”
Claudia scowled, turned her back and walked away, letting him know she was not happy with his answer. Biting her lip, she contemplated what she should do. Thinking she had no choice, she would have to answer him. “I wanted to eat it.”
“Then why didn ’t you eat it at Island of Eden?”
Claudia frowned. She didn’t like answering his questions. “Were you following me?” She gathered he was. In fact she didn ’t mind, she only pretended to be upset. She smiled inwardly. He cared about her in ways she had n ’t realize d until now.
Michael didn’t answer her. He didn ’t want her to think he was a stalker , so he changed the subject. “The forbidden apple is the property of the Twelve. It would be like s t ealing from them. There would be consequences not to your liking.”
“Why do you care what happens to me?”
With a swift graceful jump, Michael was now standing behind her with his body so close, he could almost feel her heartbeat. His fist s cl e nched tightly, he f ou ght the urge to pull her into his hold, because if he did, he would never let go. “I ’ve always cared.” His hot breath brushed her neck, sending weak chills all over her. How he made her feel this way was very unnerving. She wanted to break away from his spell, but all she could do was stand still and hope she could control the temptation she was feeling right at th at moment.
Slowly she turned, her eyes still pe e led to the ground, moving upward to his jeans, then to his waist , and then she saw the same trinket that she had t aken from her backpack. Staggered that he would have one too, she flashed her eyes to his. As their eyes lock ed in place, she knew she cared about him , even though she could not remember. Strangely , at the same time, she felt heartbroken and could not fathom the reason.