Chapter 50 Bonus POV #2
I take a moment to focus on my surroundings and calm my racing heart.
Pain surges through me, but by now, the persistent throbbing feels normal.
The house is not quiet. I hear footsteps echoing through the hallways, and the clang of metal resonates in the living space down the hall.
Hushed whispers bring me back to my senses, and I muster all the strength I can to sit up in my bed.
Oak is in the far corner putting on his clothes when he notices that I’m awake. He bounds over to me.
“I’m so sorry I woke you up,” he says, cupping my face. “You should go back to sleep.”
“What is going on?” I ask.
He sighs, and I watch his face harden into concern and misery. “The ships are here.”
My stomach flips, and a wave of nausea almost makes me sick that very second.
“It’s going to be alright, darling,” Oak leans closer, his delicious scent flooding my system and calming my pounding heart. “Rose is going to stay with you. She is more than prepared.”
“You can’t go,” I move my hand to his and tighten my grip. “Please don’t go.”
“I have to.” Oak’s hand, still cradling my face, begins to trace softly along my jawline. “I can’t let them do this alone.”
Silence envelops the dark room, and I grimace for several reasons. My body aches now, echoing the pain in my heart.
I lower my gaze. “You are right.”
“I’m coming back, Maines.” His dark eyes shine into mine. “I will always come back to you.”
“If anything happens to you, Hombern.” Tears begin to well in my eyes. “I’ll… I’ll…”
“Nothing is going to happen to me,” he interrupts, noticing my increasingly frantic state.
“Oak,” I whisper.
He wastes no time in crashing his lips to mine as he slips his calloused hand behind my neck, gently bringing my face even closer to his. Fragile state or not, he’s using this moment to say goodbye. His tongue sweeps through my mouth, and despite the pain, I kiss him deeper.
A low guttural growl escapes from his chest that vibrates into mine, and his fingers tangle in my hair as he curls his hands into a fist.
“Maines,” he whispers against my lips, and I pull him back into the kiss.
He gently pushes against my body, lying me back down against the warm mattress.
He carefully moves his hands to my waist, slipping them underneath the hem of my shirt, and a thrill rushes straight to my core.
His rough hands draw circles against my skin that chase away the icy feeling in my bones as they travel closer to my breasts.
I wrap my hands tighter against his neck and pull him to me as his body nearly falls onto mine. I shift under the pain that moves through me, uncaring of anything other than our connection, but he flinches.
“I hurt you,” he whispers against me, pulling back slightly.
“No!” I snap. “I’m okay.”
“Liar.” He playfully kisses me, his hands still wrapped in my hair.
I narrow my eyes at him, still only inches away, and he playfully licks my lips, then my nose, giving it a playful nip.
I smile.
“I need to get going,” Oak says, looking toward the door.
“I don’t want you to leave.” I feel the lump form in my throat.
“I’ll return to do that again as soon as I can.” Oak smiles. “I’ll be safe.”
“Stay by Briar,” I respond. “She will keep you safe.”
“That’s already my plan,” he winks.
“Be safe, Oakie,” I call, as he bounds toward the room's threshold.
“Seriously?” He pauses, slowly turning his eyes to meet my gaze. “Please don’t call me that right before I’m about to go into a literal battle. I need to be tough, Maines.”
“Oh, you are so tough, Oakie.” I tease.
He bounds across the room once more and presses his lips against mine, nearly making my eyes roll to the back of my head.
“You are only allowed to call me that in the bedroom.”
I smile. “We are in the bedroom.”
He quickly pulls away, our foreheads resting together for a second.
“Be back soon,” he whispers, breaking our connection.
“You better be.”
His chuckle follows him into the hall as he pulls the door closed behind him, and even though I giggle with him, my heart slowly breaks, matching my body as the distance grows between us.
I sit alone in the dark room, hearing the continuous shuffling of feet.
With every passing second, the hustle becomes more frantic, and I know my friends are out there preparing to fight with everything they have.
My anxiety bubbles in my chest like the rising sea, and I can’t remain here.
I can’t just sit back and let them go into battle without at least saying something to each of them.
I rip back the covers and stare at my legs—the first time I’ve allowed myself to do so.
My jaw drops open. My skin is healed, yes, but deep scars line my legs, and a blue discoloration paints them like bruises that will never fade.
I remind myself that the healers still work on my legs daily to dull the scarring, but my stomach falls at the sight.
I dangle one leg over the bed, and a blinding pain washes over me.
The air leaves my lungs, and I grind my teeth, pulling my other leg to join the dangling one.
With careful ease, I touch both of my feet to the cold floor.
The sensation is odd, considering I haven’t stood in days, but I trust my body to know what to do as I shift my weight onto both of my legs.
My body trembles, and I curse, already feeling defeated by my own body for betraying me.
Damnit.
I hang onto the bed, gripping my fists into the sheets, knowing I don’t have much time to get out there before they leave, and I’m possibly too late.
I release the comfort of my stability and allow myself to stand freely on my own.
Pain jolts through every inch of my body, but I ignore it and shuffle one foot closer to the door.
I reach the handle and pull the door open slightly to get a better idea of what’s going on in the house.
Hushed but panicked whispers fill the air, along with the rapid footsteps of the others moving to prepare for what’s coming.
Their shadows dance off the walls, and I know they are trying to be as quiet as possible.
For me.
I shuffle down the hallway and lay eyes on them as the room opens up.
They don’t notice me tucked into the last pocket of shadows in the corridor, but I watch them for a moment.
Briar talks quietly with Rose as she sips her tea while Fen and Oak finish dressing in their armor, and Silas watches the balcony—as if waiting for the creatures to rush into the house at any moment.
I clutch the wall nearest to me to keep it from crumbling, but I can do this. I can say goodbye to my friends.
“Briar?” I whisper, not realizing how weak my voice is.
They all pause and whip their heads in my direction as if they have seen a ghost. Briar bounds across the room in my direction, and she wraps her arms around my waist, keeping me upright.
I can’t help but smile, their faces registering pure shock, and I feel a sense of accomplishment that I’ve at least made it this far in my current state.
Oak quickly moves next to Briar.
“I’m offended you all think you could leave without saying goodbye to me,” I say.
Oak chimes back, reassuring me that he did say goodbye, and I know he did. I roll my eyes. I mean the others: Briar, Silas, and Fenmore. I needed to see Briar— my best friend—before she left.
“Promise me, Briar, that you will return.” My eyes fill with tears, and I can’t stop my body from trembling from the pain and sadness flowing through my system like a river.
“I will come back, Maines,” Briar says. “I promise.”
I hear her words and register them; however, it’s her tone that puts me on edge. I know she will return, that I will see her again, but she made that promise to me, not knowing in what state she would be in when she returned.
I glance at Silas; his face is as hard as usual, but he gives me a nod without speaking—our silence an understanding that we’ve grown to share between each other.
I understand what he means at this moment.
He’s going to do everything in his power to return her to this house in one piece, regardless of what that means for his own life.
He will protect Briar and will make every effort to do so.
Silas Nastronde might be many things, but he is loyal, and I’d happily entrust Briar’s life to him.
Oak places his hand on the small of my back and leads me down the hallway back to the bedroom.
“I’m going to lay her down, and then I’ll shift to the pier to meet you all shortly.” He calls to the others, and they nod.
Briar keeps her gaze fixated on me as I disappear down the dark hallway.
My hands begin to tremble, and I feel as if my chest is caving in.
Panic rises in me, and with each step I move away from my friend, the more isolated I feel and the more I feel the darkness creep inside—as if it thrives when I’m alone.
Oak opens the bedroom door, crosses the room, and assists me into bed once more. A tear rests heavily on my lower lid and drops, swiftly rolling down my cheek like rain. Oak uses his thumb to wipe away the tear before sitting next to me on the bed.
“Are you alright?” he asks.
The tears don’t let up. “I think something bad is going to happen.”
“I’m going to be okay, darling.” Oak grabs both of my hands, pulling me to face him. “Nothing is going to happen to me, because I won’t allow it.”
“How do you know?”
“I told you I will never leave you, Maines Madden, and I meant it. I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life, but lying to you will never be one of them. We have too much left to do in our lives for that.” He cups my face tighter. “Too much to do together.”
I nod, and Oak leans closer, pressing his soft lips against mine.
“If you needed another kiss,” he says against me, “you should have just said so.”
My tears wet his cheeks, and he pulls back, gazing into my eyes. I chuckle at his ridiculousness, and he takes the opportunity to smile at the sound.