82
EMERSYN
That night I climbed into bed with Fang and got hit with such an intense wave of deja vu it extended into my dreams. I was back at the cabin with Sacha, and the longing for that place slammed into me. It wasn’t long before Sacha warped into my father—
Don’t look back.
Don’t leave me.
Why did you leave me?
I surged up in bed. Tears ran down my cheeks and anxiety had my chest in a vise.
Fang lifted his head and blinked sleepily.
He was used to my nightmares. He licked my hand before he buried himself deeper in the covers and went back to sleep.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep anymore, so I climbed out of bed and peeked out into the dark hallway.
The house was silent, although it breathed like there were people around every corner. It felt alive, even at this hour.
I hesitated in front of Griffin’s door. The bizarre urge to knock made my fist clench at my side.
“Coming to visit me?” A voice rumbled in the dark, and I whirled around.
Griffin materialized in the deep shadows of a small sitting area across from the bedroom doors where he’d obviously been the entire time.
“Not like you to get startled—must have been thinking about something…deep,” he said.
Amusement dripped from his words, and I glared at him.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I said. “I was just going to see if you wanted to check on Seven.”
Yeah, that was a nice excuse. I was proud of that one.
“Sure,” he said.
Griffin rose from the shadows. He looked like he belonged to them as they swirled and wrapped around him, loath to give him up.
He approached, and the darkness followed him.
The amusement I’d heard in his tone glinted in his eyes, but it dissolved into concern as he got closer.
He brought his hand up and smudged at my cheek.
“Are you alright?”
I sighed and turned away. “You can’t kill my nightmares,” I muttered.
He followed after me down the stairs. I could feel the intensity of him at my back.
“You sure about that?” He asked. “I have some things we could try.”
That made my skin heat at the underlying innuendo in his voice. I was sure if I stopped, he’d be able to hear my thrashing heart. I changed the subject.
“Were you sleeping out here?”
“Sleeping is not quite the word I’d use.”
“Why?”
“Old habits I guess,” he mused.
I scoffed quietly. We hit the main floor and headed to the room Seven was in.
“Old habits—you mean like watching my cage?”
He didn’t answer, and I suddenly wondered if he had even slept at all the last few days. But, I didn’t get a chance to ask because we were at Seven’s door. Griffin pushed it open, and we walked in to find a very awake Seven who was throwing playing cards at a cup across the room.
“Oh good,” he grumbled. “You can pick them all up for me.”
I raised my eyebrows and looked around at the ground. “How many decks did you go through? I can hardly see the floor.”
“Well, Kyllion wouldn’t help me, so I had to find another deck,” Seven griped. “And, then Rune poked his head in, took one look at me and said absolutely not, so I had to find another one—”
I attempted to hide a smile and failed. “I see.”
Seven looked grumpy. He threw the last card and slouched back against the pillow.
“How about breaking me out of this joint? I feel fine, man.”
“Doc said another few days and you can do light activity,” Griffin said. “Meaning, you can walk your ass to the couch or the kitchen and sit down.”
Seven waved away the comment. “Why are you two awake at this hour?” His face lit up. “Oh! Did it happen? Did you kiss him? Oh God, and I missed it? Can you do it again so I can watch—”
I laughed and felt my face heat. “You haven’t missed anything.”
Seven’s eyes glistened mischievously. “That wasn’t don’t-ever-touch-me, it’s-not-gonna-happen.
” He looked over at Griffin and then back at me and leaned closer.
“He’s notoriously slow in that department, so you might have to make the first move—” Griffin threw a throw pillow at him. “Hey! No attacking the invalid!”
Seven sat back with a groan. “Ugh, I feel like I’m missing all the action.”
“Not really. Lachlan tried to burn down the kitchen yesterday and Emersyn got in her first father/daughter fight,” Griffin sighed and sat down in a chair while I perched on the edge of the bed.
“See, Nyx needs me,” Seven sniffed. “I could be helping him feed all you beasts.”
“With what? The five things you have in your arsenal?” Griffin asked dryly.
“Atlas made him order pizza last night,” I smirked. “He looked so offended.”
“First mistake was letting Lach in the kitchen,” Seven shook his head. “I’ve seen him burn water.”
“How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, I was very impressed,” Seven said around a breathless laugh.
His face grew serious as he studied me. “You and North? Are you guys good?”
I nodded. “Yeah. He tried to bench me, but we talked about it.”
Seven nodded. “Understandable. No one here has seen what you can do besides us.” He winked. “I’m sure this won’t be the last time papa bear comes out. I hope you know he means well.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered.
Seven turned his attention on Griffin and narrowed his eyes as though he just noticed something.
“You aren’t sleeping, are you,” he stated.
“I’m fine.”
“He was creeping around the landing upstairs,” I said smugly.
“Ah, old habits,” Seven nodded sagely.
Griffin leaned back in his chair and shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“Sure,” Seven still had a wary look in his eyes as he studied Griffin. “Keep an eye on him. He tends to do this—”
“Enough, or we’ll leave,” Griffin growled.
Seven groaned and threw up his hands. “Fine. But pick up all my cards first? Please?”
We spent the rest of the dark hours with Seven, picking up cards and then throwing them again in what turned into a heated, but good-natured competition. I’d just won after a grueling shoot out with Seven when the door opened.
Seven groaned. “It’s Mr. Party Pooper.”
The man wasn’t phased at all. “You’re supposed to be resting.”
“I feel great, Doc,” Seven said.
Doc looked like he’d seen and heard his fair share of men say similar things, because he completely ignored Seven’s protests as he switched out the IV and checked over Seven’s various stitches and bandages.
“Another few days—” Doc said, and Seven groaned dramatically.
I fought against the smile that threatened to break out at his antics.
This had to be killing him to stay in bed.
Doc tinkered with a few more things and poked and prodded Seven, until Seven had a scowl on his face and a glint in his eyes I recognized as him scheming.
Doc seemed completely unperturbed and left when he was done without another word.
“Bet he’s the life of the party,” Seven muttered once the door shut. “I’m breaking out of here soon—I’m getting butt sores.”
“No, you’re not,” Griffin sighed.
“How would you know?” Seven insisted. “You been peeking at my ass?”
Griffin rolled his eyes, and together he and I painstakingly picked up all of the playing cards that littered the room.