Chapter 15 Elodie
ELODIE
The tendrils of sleep threaten to leave me, unraveling me from their clutches as the essence of reality begins to slip back in.
I have no idea what time it is, but I know I slept hard.
For the first time in forever, exhaustion doesn't cling to me. I feel almost fresh and whimsical with the way my muscles don’t ache and my chest doesn’t feel like it’s going to crumble.
Yesterday was a lot, and the day before that, and the day before that. Damn, my whole freaking life at this stage, but today, I feel almost calm.
Stretching out my limbs, the calmness doesn’t last long when I struggle to straighten my leg because there’s a weight on top of the sheets blocking me.
Panicked, I startle, eyes wide as I hold my breath. It quickly subsides when I find the culprit, but my heart doesn’t quit racing immediately.
Ocean.
Her back is pressed against the wall, her head tipped to the side as she sleeps with her legs spread across the bottom of my bed, her feet dangling off the side.
I blink three times to make sure it is actually her and not a figment of my imagination, but it’s clear, she’s there.
Slightly confused, I push my hands onto the mattress and attempt to shuffle up the bed without disturbing her, but the second my back hits the headboard, her eyelids snap open and settle on me.
“You’re awake,” she blurts, patting her hands over her blonde hair, but even with her awkward sleeping position, not a single strand is out of place.
“Did I miss something?” I ask, trying to discreetly tame my own mane, but I’m far too aware of the purple waves sprouting in every direction.
She offers me a timid smile as a hint of embarrassment crinkles her eyes. “I couldn’t settle because I was worried something was going to happen to you,” she admits, looking down at her hands, and guilt instantly tightens in my gut.
“I’m sorry,” I breathe, knowing the words aren’t enough, but instead of accepting my apology, she hits me with a questioning stare as her eyebrows rise.
“Why are you apologizing? It’s not your fault you’re a magnet for maniacs,” she insists with a grin, and I find myself smirking back at her with the same wisp of amusement dancing through me.
Any hint of tension threatening to overwhelm me dissolves as she eases the air like always, and I sigh, flopping my hands at my sides as I glance around the room.
It feels good to be back here, in this room with my friend, but The Vale in general doesn’t offer the same level of contentment.
That single thought alone plays as a stark reminder that this is only temporary and I need to decide what the rest of my future looks like so I can start charging toward it.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I pause that line of thought before it consumes me. I need to deal with the present first and foremost.
“Do you know what time it is?” I ask, glancing at my nightstand, where my gaze fixes on my cell phone.
Ocean must understand where my attention goes because she quickly clears her throat. “Professor Grimm dropped it off the other day. He said something about finding it on the pathway to the library,” she explains, and I nod, recalling the moment for myself.
That entire day is a blur, but I remember running from Institute Thirteen, from my father and his truths, and from the three guys who kept hounding me to come back. There’s a slight crack in the cell phone case, but the device itself looks untouched.
“Thank you,” I breathe, daring to lift it from the nightstand. The second I do, the screen comes to life and I’m greeted with the flash of notifications lighting up the display.
My eyes widen in surprise and I hear Ocean snicker. “You might need a week to go through all of those. I had to put it on silent eventually,” she explains, shuffling off the end of my bed as I swipe my thumb across the screen, letting the notifications continue.
There are sixty-seven missed calls, from whom I don’t know, and at this point, it makes no difference to find out, so I disregard them immediately.
With those gone, I’m left with an overwhelming number of text messages and a few notifications from the surveillance app I have set up for the camera above my bed.
Clicking on the messages app, my eyes widen when I see how many are waiting for me.
Seven from Ocean.
Five from Thorne.
Twenty-one from Rion.
One from Kael.
I feel my cheeks flush as my nerves creep to the surface. I contemplate what to do as I rake my teeth over my bottom lip before I decide to start off easy with Ocean.
Ocean: Hey girl, where are you?
Ocean: Bestie, where did Kael take you? The game is literally a shambles and we need to head back to the Institute. I’m not leaving without you. Call me back. ASAP.
Ocean: Girl, I’m not playing!
Ocean: Get your ass back here so we can come up with a plan to slaughter Willow. That stupid bitch. I’ll get the shovel ready.
Ocean: I’m going to kill him. Or maybe I’ll hold him down so you can kill him. Kael, I mean. Everyone else too if you like, but don’t worry. I’m going to find you, even if that means I have to work with Rion to do it.
My heart aches as a vision plays before my eyes.
Seeing the panic from her while I was caught up in Jude’s web is too much, but it’s surprising to know that she was working with Rion.
My gaze drops to my new bracelet for a moment, a soft smile tugging at the corner of my mouth before I quickly refocus on my cell phone.
Ocean: How the hell do you deal with all of this male testosterone? It’s giving me a damn headache. I miss you.
I snicker because lord freaking knows I don’t know either.
Ocean: Thorne is being added to the kill list. He knows where you are, and he’s going alone.
I’m furious, but I miss you more, so I guess I can suck it up if it means you’re going to come back.
It would just be a hell of a lot easier if these stupid men knew how to communicate and keep others in the loop!
I rub my closed fist against my chest, willing the ache away, but it doesn’t do much. However, seeing Ocean’s messages gives me the courage to click on Thorne’s trail of texts next.
Thorne: Where are you?
Thorne: Answer my call or tell Kael to.
He really is a grouchy asshole at all times.
Thorne: Don’t worry, Echo. I’ll find you.
My heart stills. Six words and they make my heart flutter, even when it shouldn’t.
Thorne: You were in my dream. A first for me. I could see the doubt in your eyes and hear the certainty in your tone that you genuinely believe I won’t find you. I love nothing more than proving people wrong.
Of course, he would take it as a challenge. He might drive me insane with his hot and cold behavior, despite how understandable his reasons are, but my soul is eternally grateful that he followed through, even when I doubt him.
Thorne: Consider yourself found.
There’s a picture attached beneath his message. It’s me, sleeping in the apartment in Paris. My heart threatens to soar, but I swallow it down quickly, refusing to allow myself to go there with him when I know nothing will ever come of it.
Instead, I focus on busying myself, which involves the strength to tap on the text messages from Rion; all twenty-one of them.
Rion: Petal, where you at?
Rion: Let me know you’re okay. I saw the blood. I’m worried.
Rion: Please, Petal. I’m sorry. I know it’s my fault, but Tiran deserved it. No one says shit about you. Ever. You’re my girl. But I regret it now. I don’t know where the hell you are, and we have to head back.
Why on Earth does he think it’s his fault? Tiran was an ass, Willow and Brenna too, that doesn’t make it his fault.
Rion: I’ve been cutesy, Elodie. Don’t make me get growly. Answer my call. We have to leave right now.
Rion: Petal?
Rion: Fuck.
I shouldn’t like it when he’s grouchy too, but… I do.
Rion: What. The. Fuck.
Rion: Kael told us everything. My hatred for him can wait until I’ve found you. I’ve been distracted once before; I won’t be again. Hold tight, Petal.
I clutch my nightie. The ache in my chest is impossible to relieve, despite the fact that I know I’m safe now, but I can feel his distress through the texts.
Rion: I think you have the most annoying friend in existence. How do you cope with her? She’s so bossy.
Rion: She saw that.
Rion: She said I have to take it back.
Rion: I don’t.
I snicker. The two of them together are rather amusing.
Rion: I miss you, Petal.
Rion: I miss you so fucking much.
Rion: I’m drowning. Apparently, I wasn’t joking that time I said you’re the only good thing for me because I’m useless without you.
Rion: Thorne? Really? Why couldn’t you have come into my dreams? Probably because you were already there, only as a figment of my imagination, though.
Rion: That motherfucker has hightailed it alone. If he hurts you… Fuck, even if he gives you the side eye and you don’t like it, I will beat the shit out of him. Or go down trying at least. He is a shadow fae after all.
Rion: Petal. Fuck. You were right there. I almost had you in my arms. What the hell is going on?
Rion: Please be okay. I can’t function without you.
Rion: Petal…
Rion: I have three little words to say to you, but the first time won’t be over a text message. It will be when I’m staring into those stunning blue eyes.
Well, hell. Now I can’t even function. Backing out of his text thread, my thumb lingers over the final one. Kael. One message sits waiting for me, but I can’t bring myself to look. Instead, I close out of my messages altogether and turn my attention to the surveillance app.