Chapter Twenty
J erking forward, I threw up water all over myself, coughing until air passed through my lungs. Hard intakes of breath left my throat raw and dry, while I regained my sense of awareness. Leaning my head back, I stared at the ceiling, counting backward from ten. The front of my long, white night grown was soaked, the water dripping lazily down my legs. What the fuck just happened? My nerves were shot, and my body shook in a way it never had before. I needed to get a grip, otherwise I might pass out. Counting backward one more time, trying to steady my heart, I was able to lift my head enough to get a sense of where I was.
The room was furnished with multiple beds lined neatly in a row, with machines ready to be used. White bedspreads identical to one another covered every twin-sized bed I could see. I wiggled my toes and fingers, ensuring mobility and that my limbs were intact. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different about me. Soft light entered the room from a nearby window, dust dancing in the sunshine. Where the fuck was Heather? Was she in a different room? I hoped everything was okay, and maybe her reaction to the Blessing was less intense than mine.
My mind felt murky, almost like a thin sheet covered something important I couldn’t grasp right away, or at all, and that left an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Sitting up, a slight sting came from my left arm where I noticed an IV drip was inserted. I tugged, feeling where the needle was embedded. Breathing through my nose, I counted backward from three and ripped it from my flesh, a pool of blood spilling from the small wound down my forearm. Swinging my legs over, I planted my feet on the cold tiles, the chill running up my spine. Adjusting the nightgown, I braced myself, standing, surprised to find solidarity within.
Not a second thought crossed my mind as I made my way across the room, heading to the first door I saw, the taste of freedom on my tongue. If I could locate Heather, then I could get us the hell out of here and find a safe place to hide. Victory sprang forward when I reached for the golden doorknob, only to open it to find Josh standing just outside the threshold, a water bottle in hand.
He was wearing jeans and a casual shirt, his hair in disarray. He had sun-kissed skin and flushed cheeks from the heat of mid-September. Brown locks of loose curls dangled on his forehead, his eyes as blue as the sea squinting in suspicion.
“You’re awake and wet,” he said. It didn’t go unnoticed how his eyes traveled down my body, especially to the exposed wound where the IV was previously stationed, a dried line of blood down to my wrist. “And bleeding.”
My eyes darted from the small space beyond the door to Josh, contemplating kicking him straight in the balls to flee. If I aimed it just right, I’d have enough time to slip right by before he could catch up.
Between where I stood and the tiny escape route was enough to take the leap of faith. I lifted my leg without remorse, heading straight for his manhood.
He caught my ankle before it reached its target. “Easy, killer.” Josh’s reflexes were quicker than I expected.
I hopped backward, his grip tight around my ankle in midair. “Let go of me!” I used the door for leverage, trying not to lose my balance, unsuccessful in trying to shake him off.
“Why? So you can escape?” A sly smile crept on his stupid face, a set of beautiful teeth mocking me. Under the fluorescent light, every detail, from his perfect nose to his strong jaw, forced my mind to wander a bit. His thumb absentmindedly caressed a patch of skin, shooting a zap of electricity up my body, accompanying a familiar sensation in my lower region.
Embarrassment flamed my cheeks, along with shame.
When I didn’t answer, Josh released his hold, catching me off guard, and spun me around, one of his arms wrapping around my waist, his lips barely an inch from my ear. “I’m putting you back to bed.”
I jabbed my elbow in his ribs, and a grunt tickled my neck. “Ow, that hurt.”
With a strong hold around my waist, he guided us toward the messy, vacant bed. “Lie back down and drink this.” Josh tossed the bottle of water at the foot, crossing his arms, standing to block any attempted escapes.
“This is ludicrous,” I muttered, accepting defeat and crawling back under the covers, leaving the water bottle where it lay. A silent protest for his rudeness.
When it became obvious that I would behave, Josh sat across from me on the other bed. “Are you sore?”
“No,” I grumbled.
“Hungry?”
“No.”
“Tired?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “What are you, a doctor? Because the last time I checked, your dumb ass was getting a degree in music.”
“Are you always this vicious when you wake up?” The mocking tone in his words sent a pillow flying to his face. Josh dodged it, letting it zoom past his head. “Or physical?”
“You’re insufferable,” I commented. One minute I wanted my hands around his neck, cutting off all air supply, the other, well, I wouldn’t entertain those thoughts now.
He winked. “I’ve been told before.”
Groaning with frustration, I tilted my head back toward the ceiling. Although his questioning did annoy the living shit out of me, I mentally said no to all, but I refused to give him the satisfaction.
“Is there a bug up there?” Josh asked.
Dirty looks were exchanged, and I would be lying to myself if I said his eyes didn’t stir something in my insides. No, Remi. Stop thinking of him in that way. “Why are you here? To harass me to death?”
His laugh was something to behold, light and easy to join in, and there went my rational thinking, out the fucking window. He needed to leave. I wanted air and space to think without these sinful distractions.
“Well?” I edged angrily, crossing my arms.
“The Aces usually go over the logistics, but long story short, I am your guardian.” He spoke in such a matter-of-fact tone that I almost threw the water bottle at his head.
“My guardian?” I repeated.
He nodded. “Yes. The correct term is Tutelary Saint. Saints are chosen at birth to train and prepare for the Scarlet that will be assigned to them. Some are not chosen right away. I’m to help you train in combat and—”
“Sounds like you’re my little bitch.” I snickered. If his goal was to be a cocky bastard, then I had no problem being a bitch back.
Josh glared, the muscles in his jaw tensing. “I get you’re angry, but these are dire circumstances.”
I rolled my eyes and said, “I highly doubt that.”
“My God, do you ever stop being so argumentative? It must be tiring.”
White hot rage burst through my core. “Do you ever stop lying?”
Josh looked taken aback by my accusation. “Why would I be lying about this?” He leaned forward with a serious expression. “What do I have to gain? Remi, we’re all fighting the same battle. Surely somebody from your family told you—”
“No,” I interrupted. “Nobody told me. Nobody even hinted at it. I’ve been living in the goddamn dark since my invitation. So, excuse me for having a hard time trying to wrap my head around this.”
“Your grandmother?”
“My grandmother? What does—” Suddenly, a woman in all white entered the infirmary, pushing a cart with medical supplies. She first took notice of Josh lounging casually on the bed and then me, where her eyes bulged from their sockets, most likely because of the absent IV and dried blood down my arm.
“Did you get into a bar fight since the last time I saw you?” she asked, coming to my side, examining the wound with her cold hands.
I flinched from the contact. “I move a lot in my sleep. I must’ve ripped it out by accident.” Better to lie than admit to my half-assed escape.
Josh coughed back a laugh, clearly amused by my feeble attempt.
A stethoscope hung around her neck, her nape exposed by the tight bun, crow's feet at the corners of her light brown eyes. She then put the rubber pieces in her ears and positioned the round part to my chest. “Breathe in and out deeply for me.”
I did it awkwardly a few times, Josh watching, peeking around the nurse to get a better look, which irritated me. Nosy bastard.
“You sound great,” she commented.
“As opposed to?”
She didn’t answer, just moved on to extract the portable blood pressure machine from the cart. Taking my right arm, she cuffed it securely in place and pressed start. “Having fun?” joked Josh over the sound of the cuff expanding.
“Can I stab him?” I asked the nurse.
She smirked. “Only if you clean up after.”
Josh found it hysterical by the sound of his chuckle, but I had every intention of kicking his ass after my check-up.
The cuff slowed, finally releasing the pressure and relieving my arm. She wrote something down on a clipboard, checking the time on her watch. Next was the eye and ear check, asking if I felt weak or sore, moving my limbs, and testing my reflexes. All were normal, according to her. Unbeknownst to me, a table was attached to the side of the bed, and she set it up, gave me a closed takeout container, a set of utensils, and snagged the water at the end of my bed.
“I want you to eat and drink all of this before you leave,” she instructed, handing me the water bottle. I took it without protest, getting a smug look from Josh, and flipped him off in response. He pretended to grab it and stuff it in his pocket for later, adding a sassy wink to top it off.
“I’ll come back in a little while to give you the okay to leave and some fresh clothes. It seems you were sweating a lot during your recovery.” The nurse strutted along with the cart, exiting as calmly as she’d entered.
“You can go now too,” I sniped, avoiding the steamy takeout container on the table. I wouldn’t lie, whatever she gave me smelt incredible, but I was too stubborn to find out.
Josh sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Please eat and drink something.”
I pursed my lips, holding in a nasty comment, and opened the white takeout container, discovering white rice, steamed broccoli, and two seasoned chicken breasts inside. The steam rose out and into the air as I took the fork out of the plastic and stabbed a piece of broccoli, eating it without acknowledging Josh and forgoing any snide remarks in my attempt to follow directions.
“I expected hostility. It’s not easy being chosen and going through the Blessing. I’m sorry, truly,” he said.
I halted mid-bite, the broccoli hanging on for dear life on the fork. The sincerity in his words struck a chord because not only did I get an apology for what had been happening, but I got it from somebody who belonged to the Order. I knew in my gut I most likely would never hear it from any other member. “You are?”
Josh nodded once and said, “Yes, Remi. I never got a choice either.”
Well, I’d had a choice, but my dumb ass decided to show up anyway to save my roommate.
And in the end, I was wrong to assume she needed saving.
I continued to eat my meal in silence. What I couldn’t understand was my own behavior. Before the Blessing, I never saw Josh in a negative light, or rather, in an intimate one. Yeah sure, the first night at Summerfest, I thought he was attractive, but I was also on drugs, and I’d accepted him choosing Nickie. But now, it felt like a weird invisible string tied us together, or maybe it was just me because he was now involved in my extracurricular activities. Then again, there were a few times he was not so nice to me, and that all revolved around the Order. It finally made sense.
Maybe if I played nice, Josh might be more forthcoming regarding my questions. He hadn’t tried to murder and hide my body yet, so that seemed like an okay sign to me. Even though warning bells went off in my head about pretty much everything else. “I’m sorry too. For being so hostile.”
Josh looked relieved and a little taken aback by my apology, but instead of a sarcastic comment, he smiled and said, “The Aces, who you saw in the white cloaks during the purification ceremony, run this sector of the Order. They will meet with you after you get the okay from Nurse Amelia to leave.”
I chugged the water Josh brought almost all in one go, surprised to find myself beyond parched. “They seemed… nice.” A blurry memory of the others in stark white cloaks came to mind, but I couldn’t recall much of their faces. Having no recollection of anything prior to last night didn’t sit well with me either.
He chuckled. “They can be.”
Picking up a knife, I began to cut off pieces from the seasoned chicken breast. “Is it normal to not remember the Blessing?”
Josh cocked his head to the side. “You don’t remember?” I watched as his face revealed the gears turning inside that pretty little head. “So, you don’t know why you woke up all wet?”
“Doesn’t everyone wake up puking water?”
He scratched his head, not quite sure how to answer. “Not really. Are you sure you don’t remember anything?”
Taking a bite of the chicken—which was delicious—I shook my head.
“I’ve never met a Scarlet who didn’t. They usually tell us they were in paradise, greeting the Lord himself, baptizing them in Hundrath Lake,” explained Josh.
I talked around the food I chewed. “Not me.” The more I ate, the better I felt. “It’s like I have a thin layer of film over my memories, and I can’t wipe it away.”
Josh contemplated what I said, leaning forward with his hands underneath his chin. “Maybe with time, it’ll come back to you. Either way, you’re here, and not many can say that.”
Closing the container, satisfied with a full stomach, I leaned back against the comfort of the soft pillows. “I was under the impression that all go through it.”
“Yes, but you could’ve died during the Blessing. Not everyone survives.”
I blinked a few times, trying to understand the words coming out of his mouth. If I made it… did that mean…? Heather’s face came to mind as I shot forward, ready to race out the door, when Josh caged me in his thick arms.
“No, no, Heather!” I thrashed against him, his feet staggering back with every push I gave. I kicked the table, the closed container tumbling to the floor, the contents of my half-eaten food scattering in different directions. We ended up on the other bed, him underneath, my legs kicking in the air. The food I devoured sloshed around in my stomach.
“Remi, please stop!” shouted Josh.
“No! Where is she!?” I screeched. I put all my weight on his stomach, the sound of struggling grunts coming from Josh’s throat. If I continued to push all my weight on him, it might loosen his hold enough to slip through and run.
“Remi…” A whoosh of air escaped from him, “Heather…” he choked, “…is.”
He didn’t have enough air to finish that sentence, when my elbow slammed down on his stomach one more time, knocking the breath completely out of him. I rolled off the bed, slipping to the floor, then regained my balance, sliding on lukewarm rice, and dashed toward the exit.
Before I made it to the door, I slid on a wet spot, only to end up back in the arms of Josh. “Now, let’s behave.”
“Bite me,” I snarled.
“And there goes that apology out the window,” muttered Josh.
“You can shove that apology right up your ass,” I snapped.
“Easy, ya little porcupine,” Josh growled, getting to his feet, keeping me locked tight in his embrace.
“I want to see Heather now, ” I demanded, twisting, and shoving against him.
“Would you just hold on a second?”
“I said now.”
“Oh, good, you’re awake.”
We turned our heads to Father Benedict’s voice under the threshold, observing us. His long, flowy white robe touched the floor; his hands clasped securely behind his back. Gold trim lined the bottom and around his sleeves, while intricate art swirled in patterns across his chest. His salt and pepper hair was slicked back neatly, his brown eyes sparkling under the lights.
“Nurse Amelia said your vitals are good,” he mentioned, speaking directly to me.
“So?” I snapped.
The corners of his mouth twitched as if he were suppressing a smile. “So, it would seem the Blessing was a success.”
“Yeah, about that…” I paused. Josh’s eyes were wide with fear, waiting for my response.
“Yes?”
“Does the dean of the school know you’re running a cult?”
Father Benedict laughed as if I’d told the funniest joke in the world. “He is one of the Aces.”
My back stiffened in response to his answer. No way in hell was the dean of one of the most prestigious schools involved. “You’re lying.”
“Please, come with me, and I will explain everything,” he offered.
“Not until I know Heather is okay,” I said.
“She is in recovery in another wing.”
“Why another wing? Why isn’t she in this one with me?”
“Her process through the Blessing wasn’t as quick as yours. She needed extra care.”
Josh’s silence behind me had the hairs on my arms standing.
“Come. They wait for us back in the dining room.” He motioned with his hand toward the door.
Stepping on Josh’s foot, I heard a hissed curse before he released me. Flipping him off behind my back so Father Benedict was unaware, I stomped out of the room, ready to find my friend and to get the fuck out of that place.