Chapter 21 #3
The air shimmered, and Drakos’s image appeared a few feet from them. A pissed-off Drakos, given his sour expression. “You have both failed me. Though you carry the essence of gods, you are but weak humans.”
“Weak? I am strong! I hold the power of many.”
“You are weak of spirit and mind. You would do anything, believe anything, to get your fondest desire. But it was your fear of dying that gave me the most power over you … and made you gullible.”
Pilar’s expression contorted in a pain much harsher than the physical. “Are you saying you lied about giving me immortality?”
His chilling smile was her answer. “And now I shall take what you have been gathering for me.” His image moved closer.
Violet wasn’t about to let him take Pilar’s power.
Nor could she take it. As Drakos began to suck in Pilar’s life essence, Violet pushed her into the water.
The gators were faster than Pilar, tearing her apart before she could Catalyze.
Drakos tried to finish pulling in her essence, but Pilar’s death was too quick.
The gators had waited long enough, teased by the blood and food.
A hand on Violet’s shoulder made her jerk, nearly dislodging her from her position. Kade gripped her, barely keeping his own balance. “You okay?” he asked.
She nodded, unable to get any words out to describe everything she felt. Horrified. Shocked. Relieved. Together they made their way back to the solid portion of the walkway.
Violet’s mother raced forward and clutched her. “Vee, you were foolish to put yourself in danger for your old ma.”
Violet held her tight. “My old ma means a lot to me.”
It was the first time she’d seen her mother express any kind of emotion. Tears streamed down her face when she pulled back and whispered, “Thank you.”
Sounds from the doorway drew her attention to Jessup, Ryan, and Mia. Behind them, several members of the other clans pressed close, rage on their faces.
“We heard a woman talking about killing our Kaitlyn,” Bren said.
“Pilar Garza,” one of the Murphys said.
Violet merely pointed to the pit where gators were still fighting.
Several of the men raced forward and looked where Violet could not.
They backed up with expressions of grim satisfaction.
They all walked out into the fresh air. Violet helped her ma outside.
Those gathered peppered Violet with questions, and she tried to answer the best she could.
“Never heard of a dying god before,” one said.
Kade took the keys from Jessup and unlocked Violet’s cuff. “He lied to Ferro and Pilar about their just rewards. He was probably lying about the dying part, too.”
No one apologized for the murders. One by one the other clans trailed off, their anger and bloodlust still simmering. When the last of them were gone, Jessup turned back to her. “You did good, thinking of the speakers.”
“And you did good getting them to listen.”
He shook his head. “Wasn’t easy. I wanted to kill ’em. But sometimes…sometimes peace is better.” He gave her a begrudging smile.
She’d take full credit for bringing her brothers around to that reasoning. It was nothing shy of a miracle. “I want to live my life not being afraid. I want to raise kids who can run free without fear.”
“Kids?” Jessup and her mother said at the same time.
“In the future.” Far in the future, she hoped. She resisted the urge to put her hand to her belly. Not ready for that yet. But they had sex without protection. She couldn’t afford to stop the fantasy with a condom request.
Jessup pointed to Kade, but his gaze was on her. “Now that this is over, is he going?”
She turned to Kade, who stood so close beside her that she could feel his body heat. Are you?
His hands squeezed her shoulders. “I’m her husband. I’m not going anywhere.”
Had he slipped into his pseudo memories again? He had that content expression he’d worn when they nuzzled and cooked together as husband and wife.
“He doesn’t remember…” Jessup let his words trail off meaningfully, the question clear.
Violet wasn’t sure, and she wasn’t going to risk losing Kade by telling him. She moved into his embrace. If he wanted to stay, she wouldn’t kowtow to her clan’s prejudices. “I love who I want.”
Jessup rolled his eyes, then shifted them to Mia and Ryan. “What about her?”
Ryan ran his fingers down her arm. “Hey, if Vee gets to keep him”—he gestured to Kade—”I can keep her.”
Mia swung around, looking both indignant and intrigued.
Ryan lifted his hands. “Kidding. How ’bout we have lunch and see what’s what?”
Well, what d’ya know?
“Hell, no,” Jessup said, but Ryan wasn’t paying him any attention. He and Mia were already wandering away. He gave them a look of disgust and turned back to Violet. “Want to grab a bite at the house? I’m starved.”
Violet did put her hand to her stomach this time. “I can’t even think about food right now. We’ll come up later and check on everyone.”
Jessup looked like he wanted to force her to go with him, but he merely gave her a nod. “Ryan and I will come back later and get your wrecked wall fixed proper.”
“Thanks.”
She and Kade started back toward her house, coming up on the barn.
He was taking in their surroundings. Not in a worried way, ready for attack, but almost in an admiring way.
“I thought it was marsh and bugs and snakes, but it’s beautiful here.
” His gaze moved to her. “Really beautiful.” He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek.
Her heart twisted. He was once again caught in that fake memory, still living the lie she’d fabricated. She took his hand, stopping him. “You know we’re not really married. Right?”
He gave her a pulse-pounding smile. “I know. I was just tweaking your brother.” He looked up toward the tops of the trees. “Teach me how to swing on those ropes. I have this bit of memory where your brother swings down at me from up there.”
She remembered when he talked about how she tugged at his wild side. “You don’t remember everything, do you?”
Kade rubbed his head. “It feels like rubber bands snapping inside my brain. With every snap, something else fills in. But there are still a lot of blank spots.”
“Let’s swing on the rope.”
They kicked off their shoes, and she led the way to the tall live oak.
She showed him the crevices for footholds and mounds that were once branches and now served as handles.
He kept up easily, and soon they were stepping across the thick branch to where the ropes hung.
She pulled one up and handed it to Kade, then brought the other one up for her.
His fingers wrapped around the rope, but he was looking at everything around him. She could see that wild side he’d talked about; it sparked in his eyes and shone in the way he seemed so natural up there.
She felt as precariously balanced inside as she did perched on that branch, her toes curled over the rough bark.
She tightened her lips, but the words needed to be said.
“Kade, we’ve been wrapped in a bundle of lies since you came here.
You’re investigating, you’re in love with me, you’re not in love with me, we’re married.
” Trying to have a baby. She pinched the bridge of her nose.
She would tell him about that later. “I feel things for you that don’t make sense at all.
And the thought of losing you made them even stronger. ”
He released a soft breath. “But you didn’t lose me. I’m here.”
“But do you even know who you are? What you feel? What’s real, Kade?
” She let out a breath of exasperation. She was about to get herself all tangled up in her words and emotions.
Instead, she grasped the rope with both hands, jumped and swung down.
Speed tickled her tummy as she flew through the air.
All too soon, her feet touched down on the earth.
He clapped, the rope shaking in his hold with the movement.
“Nicely done.” He mirrored her moves and flew down.
She stepped out of his trajectory, but he came in at a slightly different angle.
She put her hands out to slow him, he tried to shift, and they both ended up in a pile of limbs on the ground.
He hovered over her. “You okay? Sorry about that.”
“You’ve been knocking me on my ass since that moment our eyes met across the pit at Headquarters. Figuratively and literally.”
“Ditto.” He lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was soft and sweet, and he studied her for a moment afterward. “You’re afraid I’m going to hurt you…break your heart. Because someone else did.” He narrowed his eyes, trying to recall something obviously. “Bren.”
“No, I never loved him. I never felt like this with him.”
“Like what?”
Crazy, madly in love. “Like I’d break into the Guard prison to save him.”
“Which astounds me that you did. And succeeded.” He brushed her hair from her face. “But he hurt you anyway.”
She shook her head, but the truth prickled through her. No more lies between her and Kade. “I guess he did. I thought I was in love with him, that he wanted me for who I was. I know I’m in love with you, and I’m scared that you don’t feel the same way.”
He sat back, pulling her hands up so they faced each other, their knees touching.
He didn’t let go. “Vee, when I shot you down—Gods, I’m sorry I did that—I knew you’d been lying about us being married.
I started getting pieces of memories, a flash of me coming up behind you, about to terminate you—”