Chapter 15 Cameron #2
That question put me more on edge than it should.
Along with my new powers, every one of my emotions seemed to be in overdrive.
But it was more than that. Xavier was … He never was …
We weren’t … That right there was the problem.
We’d never defined the unspoken thing between us.
I’d pushed it away because of my stupid, foolish fears.
How could I risk telling him how I felt when I was responsible for the raid that stole his sister away?
“Liar,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“I’m not lying,” I grumbled, placing another piece and offering her the dice, but she refused to take it.
“But you love him?” she asked. “Like Dianna loves Samkiel?”
My heart thudded like a starved, rabid beast in my chest. Love seemed like such a simple word for what I felt.
I’d give my last breath if it meant he existed.
Dying for him would be easy. I remade myself for him, gave my life, and burned away my celestial blood until only the Ig’Morruthen beneath my skin lived.
Love? No, it had been more than love for a while now.
My only regret in all of it was that I feared he would never know.
“Are you trying to distract me to win?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
A grin lit up her face as she rolled, hitting the perfect number to collect my totems and win. “Yes.”
I faked a gasp but was secretly proud of her. She’d definitely been spending way too much time with me. “Absolute trouble you are,” I said, shaking my head and gathering our pieces to start over.
She stuck her tongue out, and I chuckled at her sass. A crack came from above, and our heads snapped up. Miska rose and nearly fell into my chair, sitting as close as she could get.
“What was that?” she whispered.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe Dianna came back early?” I rose to my feet and Miska did too, her hand fisting in the bottom of my shirt.
“I thought she said it may take a few days?” Miska asked.
“Me too, but maybe they went and didn’t find anything?
” I said with a half-shrug and strode toward the door.
Miska followed me, and we started to ascend the stairs.
About halfway up, something washed over me, and I stopped.
Miska was so close she nearly ran into me.
My shoulders shook as a shiver ran up my spine, my body reacting involuntarily to … something.
Miska’s small hand fisted in my shirt at my lower back and pressed to my side to peek around me. “What is it?”
I shook my head. “Not sure. I just felt a chill, I suppose. Let’s go see what they found, yeah?”
She nodded, and we continued up the steps. We reached the top of the stairs that opened into the main living area. The overhead lights usually came on when we entered, but not this time. I slapped at the small panel on the wall, but the darkness remained.
“Of course, when Samkiel isn’t here, his shitty electrical system fails,” I murmured.
“Cameron, it’s cold.”
I turned toward her as she glanced up at me.
Her breath curled in front of her, and she lifted her hand to dance her fingers through the puff of fog.
“It is,” I said, small, misty puffs giving my words physical weight.
“Maybe the ventilation system is messing up, too?” I suggested although I had no idea what the fuck was going on.
Miska looked up at me and shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
It felt like someone had left a window open, but even if they had, it wouldn’t be this cold at this time of the year.
I stood very still, my Ig’Morruthen allowing me to see easily in the dark.
I looked at each window and saw a thin layer of frost on the glass.
My brows furrowed, but I needed to make sure Miska didn’t freeze before I could check any of that out.
“Wanna see something cool?” I asked, glancing down at Miska.
She nodded, her eyes wide and pinched with fear.
I turned toward the fireplace, thanking Dianna for insisting we put one down here.
With a snap of my fingers, flames flickered to life at the tips, quickly coalescing into a ball on my palm.
Miska’s eyes lit up. With a flick of my wrist, I sent the small fireball flying to land on the neat pile of logs.
“So cool,” Miska said, her face glowing as she looked up at me. The golden light gilded her light pink skin and reflected in her big eyes.
“Right? Dianna taught me,” I said.
The flames illuminated the familiar lines of the room, warming the air. Miska smiled and stepped toward the fire, raising her hands to the warmth.
“Better?” I asked.
She nodded and angled her body so she could still see me while keeping her body close to the heat of the flames.
“All right.” I grabbed the throw from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders. “You stay here and keep warm. I’m going to check the rest of the house.”
Her eyes flickered nervously around the room before landing back on me.
“You’ll be fine,” I said. “Besides, I don’t think the house is haunted.”
Her eyes widened, and she snapped, “Why would you say that?”
I snickered and flicked her nose. She swatted me away and slowly sank onto the hearth, her eyes massive in her small face as she peered nervously into the shadows where the firelight didn’t quite reach.
I left the room, taking one last look back at her before heading toward the kitchen.
I did a sweep of every floor and came up empty.
No windows were left open, and the farther away I got from where I’d left Miska, the more the cold seemed to ease.
Maybe it was just a faulty system. My nerves slowly relaxed as I made my way back downstairs.
“Well,” I said, rounding the foyer. “I think Samkiel’s system is flawed—”
“I’d agree.”
My blood froze, my heart racing as a massive form loomed behind Miska, blocking out the entirety of the fire.
A large, clawed hand cupped Miska’s mouth and chin, completely covering the lower half of her face.
She stared at me with wide, panicked eyes, her body shaking so hard I wasn’t sure how she was still standing.
Kaden.
His ragged cloak was pinned across his chest, the dirty hem draped over Dianna’s pristine floor.
He seemed larger than I remembered. Or maybe he just looked more forbidding because he held Miska like a shield, his claws hovering threateningly over the pounding pulse in her neck.
I held very still, knowing that he could end her life before I got anywhere near him.
Miska’s eyes caught mine, and I could see the pleading in them.
I let my lips curve the slightest bit and gave her a small nod, trying to ease her mind.
Every instinct I had was screaming at me to move, but I had to be smart.
Any sudden movement and he’d hurt her. And then I’d never forgive myself.
“You’re dead.” It was a stupid thing to say, but it was all I could manage. I realized now that the cold we had felt wasn’t from the weather but the lingering touch of Death.
Kaden’s shoulders rose, the cloak he wore doing nothing to hide the line of muscle beneath it. “More or less.”
“Hurting a child?” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “That’s low, even for you.”
“I’ve done worse.” He ran a single claw under her chin. His touch was light, but she still winced.
My hands rose in surrender. “I won’t move.” I all but pleaded. “Just don’t hurt her.”
“Look at you. You have grown, little hunter, and now here you are, trying to hide the last living Jade City healer from me.” He clicked his tongue. “Nismera will be pleased to know one survived.”
My heart thudded in my chest, the Ig’Morruthen raising its head at the threat. Even if I fought him and he killed me here and now, I couldn’t let him take Miska.
“Are you going to protect her?” His eyes scanned my posture. “Like you protected Xavier. How many times can you fail before you give up?”
A growl slipped past my lips, which earned me a wicked grin. “You tell me.”
A corner of Kaden’s lip rose, and his eyes flicked to something over my shoulder. “I think,” he said, “you should worry about yourself.”
Chains scraped on the floor behind me, and a feral, wild snarl lifted the hair on the back of my neck.
It made sense now why Kaden was here. He had freed his brother, releasing a starving, ravenous Isaiah.
Before the thought had fully formed in my mind, my head was yanked to the side, and fangs pierced deep into my throat. Isaiah fed, draining me dry.