Chapter 14
Standing beside the motel-room window, Aiden gingerly pulled at a corner of the seashell-decorated curtain and peeked outside.
No Rygons followed us. Or so it appeared. My body relaxed a bit, thinking the Guard members Aiden saw at the club might’ve stopped them. Could’ve been Aiden, as well. Maybe he intimidated them. I grabbed my bag off the desk and headed toward the bathroom.
“Taylee, wait…”
I bit the inside of my cheek, stopped and reluctantly turned. Aiden didn’t forget about the restroom incident like I hoped. His serious, deep eyes were evident of that.
He stepped away from the window. With two fingers, he motioned me toward him and settled in the blue chair across from the bed.
I fiddled with the zipper on my bag. “Look, I really…” Don’t want to talk about it. It’s not like I found out anything. No, the Kember held me against my will and said cryptic things. Nothing important. I sighed and dropped onto the end of the mattress. Might as well get it over with.
He leaned forward; a chunk of dark hair fell in his eyes. “I shouldn’t have let you go in there alone…I’m sorry.”
I blinked in surprise. “You didn’t know the creepster was in there.”
Aiden ran a hand through the wavy strands on his head and pursed his lips.
There went my public bathroom privileges. “It’s no big deal.” I spread my arms, trying to make him feel better. “I’m still alive and kickin’.”
His eyes swept me, but it didn’t lighten the gravity of his expression.
“You said you saw him.” I tried to divert his thoughts. “Do you know him?” Hope rose in my chest. Members of the Guard were defined and recognized by their mad skills. They knew everyone worth knowing.
He exhaled slowly and dropped back in his seat. “I’ve never seen him before tonight.”
My shoulders sank. “I—I tried to ask who he was but…” You barged in.
“He wouldn’t have told you.”
“Probably not.” I pulled at a string attached to the comforter. “I may’ve found out something.”
Straightening in his chair, Aiden’s gaze never left mine.
“He has, like, a thousand abilities.” I shook my head, hoping I didn’t look as scared as I felt. “He had me levitating. He communicated with me telepathically and screwed with my vocal cords so I couldn’t talk; I could barely breathe.”
Aiden’s brow furrowed. “Telepathy’s a Drea’s gift. No one—Drea, Kember or Rygon—can have both physical and mental abilities. The mixture’s…”
“Impossible, right? Either there’s something we’re missing or the Devil’s on vacation from hell.”
“Everything you told Ian: the fire, the disappearing…it’s all true.” He still seemed unable to wrap his mind around the concept of both abilities.
“See. I’m not crazy.”
He nodded, slowly. “I know.”
Everything we were both taught had been challenged and proved wrong by this discovery. He’d need a moment to process it, I knew that.
“You’re sure it’s the same guy?”
“Positive. I even asked about the girl—the one in the forest. He knew who I meant, but he wouldn’t answer.”
He stared across the room. “I’ll call Ian in the morning. See what he knows. This is way beyond my knowledge.” He got up and paced the room a couple times. “Anything else happen?”
I hesitated, not wanting to bring up the man’s words regarding me or my parents—it wasn’t true. So, why waste his time? The weird sensation I got when he touched me had to have been one of his abilities. No big deal, either. “Not really. I only had a few minutes.”
“It seemed a lot longer than that.” He frowned.
Yeah, tell me about it. I unzipped my bag and grabbed my tank top and shorts. “What about you? Hear anything worthwhile?”
He nodded and leaned back against the door. “Sable Gage has quite the reputation in Portland. A few of the Rygons talked about him, but…the way they referred to him. The things they said…he has to be a Rygon.”
“Well, keep in mind the Kember has a bazillion abilities, too.”
“That’s the thing…They didn’t mention anything about him being a Kember or having any physical gifts. It was all mental abilities and seeking energy.”
“Guess we’ll wait and see what info Mountain Man dug up, huh?” I tried to smile.
“I don’t know how much more Herman could tell us.”
“Yeah me either, but hey, people can surprise you.” I stood and walked to the bathroom.
“Taylee.”
I stopped in the doorway and leaned back, smirking. “Captain?”
“Leave the door partially open.” He paused. “Please.”
“Don’t be paranoid.” I rolled my eyes, wishing I felt as confident as I acted, and closed it, making it shut extra loud.
Once inside, I leaned against the door and covered my face with both hands. . An unsettling feeling danced in my mind, something that wouldn’t let me feel peace. Which seemed stupid. I was safe and Aiden acted as eerie as ever.
Twisting my hair in a loose knot at the back of my neck, I brushed my teeth. Once finished, I untied my halter top strings and let the shirt drop to the floor. One hand reached for the tank top on the counter, while the other adjusted my black strapless bra.
My hand stopped midair as I glanced in the mirror. I blinked. A long, slightly curvy black line ran along the inside of my left hip bone, like I’d gotten carried away with a marker or something. Except, I didn’t sit around sketching in my underwear, despite what guys liked to think. I hadn’t even used a marker on a drawing since I was, like, two.
I unbuttoned my jeans. The straw sized line began right above the thin strap on my underwear and continued up until my hip bone began to arc. I licked my finger and rubbed it. Nothing washed away.
My heart accelerated, and I wiped harder. Didn’t even smudge. “What the—?” I said under my breath.
I stared in disbelief for a few moments then put both palms on the countertop and looked down into the sink. My chest heaved. A sick feeling stirred in my body. I squeezed my eyes closed and felt around for a washrag.
“Everything okay?” Aiden asked from outside the door.
When my fingers brushed the soft material, I turned the faucet on and submersed the rag in cold water. “Yup.” My voice wavered.
The washrag dripped all over, drenching my pants, as my shaky hands scrubbed the discolored skin vigorously. Come on. Come on. It wasn’t coming off—not even fading.
The door creaked, and Aiden poked his head cautiously around the corner. His jaw dropped, and he shoved it the rest of the way open, handle hitting the wall. Snatching the blood-tinted washrag from my hand, he tossed it into the sink.
“What’re you doing?” He stared down at the mangled, bloody skin, cocked his head and dropped to his knees. “Your file didn’t say anything about a tattoo.”
Hysteria built in my chest. “H-He did this to me!”
Aiden glanced up, eyes wide. “What? What do you mean?”
“When the Kember touched me, I-I felt all funny—weird. What did he do? Why the hell isn’t it coming off?”
“Calm down.” The uncharacteristic concern in his expression didn’t invite serenity. He grabbed both my arms and helped me sit on the toilet. “Does it,” his intent eyes fell to the strap on my underwear, “go lower?”
My hands shook as I pushed the strap down a little, double checking.
He looked away.
“No. I—it ends there.”
“It’s nowhere else? Just there?”
“Not that I’ve seen.”
Aiden stood and leaned over me. His fingers brushed against my back as he swept my hair over my shoulder.
Goose bumps surfaced on my skin and I swallowed hard, trying to breathe.
“There’s nothing on your back.” Without meeting my gaze, he walked to the sink and turned on the water.
He wrung the washcloth out a few times and handed it to me. “Here, hold this on it. Don’t rub.” Then he walked to the door.
The small kernel of composure I’d felt vanished when he did. “Wh- Where’re you going?”
“To call Ian.”
I jumped up and hurried after him. “Ian? What? Why?”
He grabbed his phone off the nightstand. “To ask him a question.”
“You’re not gonna tell him, are you? About this—me?” I motioned to myself.
He seemed to make a conscious effort to keep his gaze locked on the wall. “I don’t know what that is, Taylee. It could be—”
Your potential. The man’s words echoed in my mind, sending a surge of panic through me. “Dangerous? You think I’m dangerous?”
“No.” He sounded a little shocked by my blunt question. “It could be dangerous for you. We need help—we need to tell someone.”
“No we don’t. We can figure this out.”
He shook his head and scrolled through his phone. “This is serious. Way beyond us both.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I yelled. “That doesn’t mean we have to go running to Ian!”
“Nothing bad can come from telling Ian. Worse things can happen if we don’t.”
I threw my hands up. “Are you serious? Ian controls my life. At the snap of his fingers, I’ll be locked up.” I shook my head, voice like ice. “Not that you care, though. You’ll get rid of me, and all your problems are solved.”
Finally, he looked at me. Anger flashed in his narrowed eyes. “I don’t care? I’ve done nothing but try to help you.”
“Help me or help you? For all I know, you brought me down here, hoping to pawn me off to Rygons.” It was an irrational accusation, but they kept coming. “Or maybe, you knew that man was in the bathroom with me, but you were biding your time, hoping he’d take me off your hands.”
He stepped forward, our bodies inches apart, and stared at me, eyes dark and tone tight with control. “That’s what you think? That’s how you perceive me?”
I tried to shove him away, but he caught my wrist and held it firmly in his strong grasp. “I can’t trust you—I won’t.” I tried to pull free. “Not if you’re gonna run like a little girl to Ian every time something goes wrong.”
“I haven’t told Ian a negative thing since the funeral.” Aiden spoke through clenched teeth. “The things that happened in the forest, I could handle. I knew nothing bad would come of any of it. I knew you were safe. But something’s going on, and I don’t know how to help you this time.”
Fury rushed through my body. I thrashed against him, voice falling short of a scream. “I don’t need help. I don’t need you.” Aiden grabbed my other wrist like he suspected my urge to punch him. Tears welled, blurring my vision. My anger hit an all-time high—bad for even me.
A stabbing pain ripped through my hip. Heat, like boiling water, seared my veins, burning me from the inside out.
Aiden released me and took a huge step back, hands stretched out toward me. “Taylee, calm down. Take a deep breath.”
I cried out, slapped my hand over the mark and slumped back against the wall. I slid down until my butt hit the floor; the sting radiated through my whole body. Pulling my knees to my chest, I rested my head against my legs and trembled.
He knelt next to me, sounding a little panicked. “What’s wrong?”
“It—it hurts.” I held my breath.
“The mark?”
I nodded.
He seemed to make a decision quickly. “Sit on the bed. I’ll be back.”
I lifted my head and grabbed his arm. “Aiden…please don’t. Can’t—can’t you give us a few days before you tell him? I mean, it may go away.” Though, I seriously doubted it and given his uneasy expression, he did, too.
“It could get worse.”
“Please.” I half-surprised myself. He couldn’t tell Ian. Ian would lock me away.
Aiden must’ve felt my desperation and fear. He stared at my hand gripping his arm, seeming conflicted. At last, he let out a slow breath and lifted his gaze to mine. “Damn it, Taylee . . .”
The tense feeling left my shoulders, hearing his defeat. I leaned my head back against the wall in relief. “I know. I’m a pain in the—”
“You’re right. You are.” He stood and walked to his bag, leaving me wondering if he was kidding or not. “We’ll see how things go over the next few days. If something else happens, I’m calling.”
I nodded, taking deep breaths, and gradually the sting dissipated as my adrenaline did. Now, however, heat rose to my cheeks. Sure I had some anger problems, but I never remembered feeling so out of control…or screaming like I had…it came on so quick. So violently. Then again, it’d been a very long night.
When Aiden came back, black kit in hand, I’d managed to climb on the bed. “Here.” He unzipped the case, revealing: gauze, tape and some sort of ointment. He tossed it next to me. “Do you need help?”
I glanced up.
His eyes were soft, sincere. His expression let me know my earlier freak out was behind us. Good.
“I think I’ve got it.” I squeezed a dime-sized amount of cream on my skin, conscious of Aiden watching me. As carefully as I could manage, I dabbed the raw, red skin. I flinched. “Guess I should leave tattoo removal to the professionals.”
“Or get a clue when it’s not coming off.” He knelt in front of me and examined it closely. “It’s bigger.”
Sure enough, the line above my underwear now loosely coiled upward. If I wasn’t totally and completely weirded out by it, I’d say it was kind of cool.
What did it mean? How did the Kember place the mark on my skin? In a creepy way, it reminded me of the energy veins Rygons had on their faces.
I finished putting the bandage over it and looked up. “I…” I stopped breathing.
Aiden still knelt in front of me, but the concern momentarily left his features. His intent eyes brightened as he watched me, studying me in a way he never had before. His gaze wandered over my face…my curves.
My chest tightened. A warm flush radiated through me. The gawking wasn’t anything new—I just would’ve never expected it from Mr. Stoicism. I stared back, very aware of our situation and my apparel. The sudden urge to push back the hair that, so often, hung in his face itched. I always knew he was good-looking. I did have eyes, but something struck me about him. Maybe it was because he listened. Or maybe the fact he never made me feel as pathetic as everyone else did.
No, no, no! In a hurry, I realized what I’d been thinking and even more, feeling. I cursed myself, not caring about rules. No. There weren’t even regulations about Kember and Drea attractions. It didn’t happen. It was unnatural. Then what the hell was this?
“Committing me to memory?” I groaned inwardly. Of all the things I could’ve said.
Like I’d kicked him, he blinked and averted his gaze. I could’ve sworn a flush spread over his cheeks, but he stood and strode to his suitcase before I could be sure. “Get some sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”
I bit my lip. Sleep. Right.