Don’t Leave
DON’T LEAVE
WREN
Something heavy is on top of me, pinning me in place. I’m warm and toasty, and I can barely remember what it feels like to be cold.
Have I moved next to a furnace? Maybe that would explain why I slept soundly. None of my usual nightmares haunted me, and I feel more refreshed than I have in ages.
Groggily, I blink open my eyes. It takes a moment for them to adjust to the dim, faintly red light in the room. Eleven days have passed since I was first released from my cell, and I’m getting used to the constant darkness.
What I’m not used to, what hasn’t happened until now, is the heavy arm splayed across my chest. Gabriel is on his side, his good hand is hooked under my breast, and my body is lined up with his.
I look around for the pillows that I distinctly remember putting between us last night before we went to bed, only to find them in a pile on the floor.
Well.
This is awkward.
The only consolation is that Gabriel is still asleep, so he doesn’t know we ended up in such a precarious position.
We’ve exchanged a few kisses here and there, but none like the one in the forest, and this is the closest we’ve gotten to each other in days.
Gabriel has been resting, letting his body heal, and I’ve been trying not to lose my mind from boredom.
Other than the twice-daily walks I’ve taken with Skyler to get food, Gabriel and I haven’t left our quarters. Skyler seems to have taken pity on me because a few days ago she brought me some romance books. Without them, I would’ve lost my mind entirely.
The water, I learned from Skyler, comes from pipes running through the mountain that distribute water to all the rooms. I’m not sure how they were installed, but since I can drink clean water, brush my teeth, and wash myself daily, I’m not overly concerned about it.
Perhaps the fresh water is a gift from the gods, an apology for the way they’ve fucked up my life.
Probably not, though.
I look over my shoulder, studying the Hunter. A lock of dark hair has fallen above his eye, and his lips are parted. He’s sleeping soundly, which means I can still get out of this situation before he notices. I’ll figure out how I ended up here later.
It’s rather difficult to think right now with Gabriel’s hard cock digging into my backside. It’s probably nothing, right? Just nature taking its course.
Only, it’s hard to ignore him, because not only is he big, but he’s right there. I’d sooner be able to forget about my glowing Mark than his presence. I’d felt the Hunter before, when we were riding Chaos, but this is different. We are different.
Fated by the gods.
The seer’s words cycle through my mind, and I can’t stop a smile from tugging on my lips.
There’s no doubt in my mind that she’s right.
Every time I look at Gabriel, something within me breathes a sigh of relief.
It’s as if I need to be near him, in the same way that I need water to drink and air to breathe.
But even if we’re fated to be together, I still don’t want to be caught admiring him when he wakes up. I hook my fingers under his arm, attempting to lift it and shimmy out from under him at the same time. I move slowly, gently sliding down the sheets until I’m free.
Well.
That’s what I intend to do.
In reality, I barely make it an inch before Gabriel groans, rolling towards me. He wraps his arm around me more tightly, gathering me against him.
“No,” Gabriel murmurs, his husky voice sending bolts of warmth shooting past my navel. “Don’t leave.”
I stiffen, doing my best imitation of a plank of wood, and stare at the shale in front of me. Is he awake?
I wait for several minutes before gathering enough courage to peer over my shoulder. His eyes are still closed, and his breathing has evened out, but his arm is made of steel, squeezing me against him.
I wiggle again, which results in his cock being firmly pressed against my ass. Which is . . . Well, it’s nice. I’d be lying if I said anything else.
“No, Birdie,” the Hunter says firmly, his nose nuzzling the back of my neck. “Stay.”
“But—”
“Stay,” he says more forcefully.
And maybe I lost my mind overnight, because I do. I’m fairly certain that if I push the issue, he would let me go, but I’m not sure it’s worth it. After all, being trapped here with my fated isn’t a bad place to be, all things considered.
I sigh, letting my eyes fall shut. I’m not tired, and won’t fall asleep again, so I allow my mind to wander. I think it’s early morning, but there’s no way to be sure.
On our third day of upgraded captivity, I asked Skyler about the lack of windows.
After a bit of prodding and reminding her that I was trapped here and all I wanted was to know about this place that would be my home for gods only know how long, she explained that the community of rebels—or the People of the Wilting Roses, as they called themselves—lives inside a series of connected caves inside the mountain.
I’d been stunned when she told me that, and so I hadn’t thought to ask anything else that day. Luckily, as someone assigned to watch our room, she was there the next time I opened the door. That time, as she took me to collect our dinner, I had my questions ready.
“Skyler?” I wait until she turns around to continue. “What are these?”
I point to a gem roughly the size of my palm, shifting the empty woven basket I’m carrying to my other hand.
She draws her bottom lip through her teeth, running her hands down her braid. “I’m not really supposed to tell you.”
No one would know—we’re alone, as seems to be the norm. Since that first day, the guards are the only people I’ve seen other than Gabriel.
“What am I going to do? Who would I tell?” I lift my arms, where the shadestone manacles remain around my wrists. At this rate, I’m fairly certain I will be wearing them until the day I die. “Even though our room is bigger, it’s still a cell, and you and I both know it.”
Gabriel hasn’t even been allowed to leave. It’s clear the community doesn’t trust him. Even though he told me he understands where they’re coming from, I can tell that being trapped in such a small space is grating on him.
Skyler frowns, studying me for several long beats before sighing. “Okay, fine. But just because I like you, Wren.”
I grin, delighting in this small victory. “You’re not so bad yourself, Sky.”
Of all the guards I’ve met—there have been five so far—she’s the only one who has spoken with me. She’s been kind, and she hasn’t mentioned or looked at my Mark once.
Even though she’s guarding me, our interactions feel almost normal. As if I’m not a gods-blessed on the run from an evil king who is desperate to kill me and she’s not assigned to make sure I don’t do anything insane. We’re just two twentysomethings who are new friends.
Skyler points to the nearest gem. “See the glow coming from within?”
I lean in to get a closer look. “It looks like there’s a star inside it.”
The ruby shines brilliantly, the light within pulsing as though it has a heartbeat.
“Exactly.” She beams, pulling back. “The rubies are imbued with special magic.”
“All of them?” I can’t keep the shock from my voice. There must be thousands—I’ve seen rubies in every room and tunnel I’ve been in.
“Every single one.” She starts walking again, and I hurry to keep up.
“But . . . how?” I ask when I reach her side.
“It took a long time,” Skyler explains. “A team of four Blessed, including my grandfather, spent an entire season working on it.”
My fingers tighten around my basket’s woven handle. “You mean . . .”
Skyler’s brows furrow, and she gestures to her forehead, swirling her finger, indicating a Mark. “People like you.”
“The Given?”
She hisses, her eyes widening in fear and anger. My spine straightens, and I wonder what I said wrong. Grabbing my arm, Skyler pulls me aside and lowers her voice. “We don’t use that word here. It’s cursed.”
“Because of . . . I see.” I shudder, the hairs on the back of my neck rising as an onslaught of memories flashes through my mind.
A silver knife. Screams. Blood. A flash of pink light. Amelia’s body falling to the floor. The horror that held me in its grasp as the priestesses laughed.
My throat dries. “That . . . makes sense.”
Skyler nods, and a long moment passes before we start walking again.
“They really didn’t teach you anything, did they?” she asks after a few minutes.
The question doesn’t strike me as cruel, but matter of fact. An acknowledgment of the shitty life I had before. Not just me, but all the others like me as well.
“No.” I shake my head, gripping the basket as if it’s the only thing keeping me grounded. And maybe it is. Suddenly, all I want to do is get back to my room. To Gabriel. “Not really.”
All they teach us is how to serve the gods, and clearly, that didn’t turn out well.
“I’m so sorry, that must’ve been so hard. I grew up here, in the mountain, and I’ve always known about the Blessed, since my great-grandparents were touched by the gods.”
Were.
The word stands out among everything else. There are so many things Skyler is saying that will need to be picked apart and studied later, but this is one I’m familiar with.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I say. “Losing people you’re close to is devastating.”
“It is.” Skyler turns back to the shale, running a hand down the gem-studded wall. “Every time I walk these halls and see the way they glow, I remember my grandfather.”
I trace a ruby. “It seems like an awful lot of work for lights that barely function.”
Skyler laughs, and the melodious sound reminds me so much of Amelia that for a moment, my chest seizes.
“Oh goodness, these aren’t lights,” she says, unaware of where my mind has gone. “The glow is a side effect.”
“They’re . . . not?”
“Nope.”
We pass a door with shrieking children behind it, and Skyler smiles fondly.
“What’s their purpose, then?” I ask as we turn the next corner.
“They form a web.” Skyler trails a hand across the stones, her voice low. Reverent, almost. “Together, they protect us, hiding us from the king. It’s how we’ve stayed undetected for so long.”
Skyler had gone on to explain that the rubies were topped up with new magic every now and again. Like blessed salve, they held on to magic once it was fed into them.
Opening my eyes, I stare at the nearby gem-studded wall. Reaching out, careful not to disturb Gabriel, I touch the nearest jewel. It’s the size of my thumbnail, and even in the dark, it glows.
I trace the stone, a shiver running through me. The gem is cool, and I hear a quiet hum. It’s low, and at first, I think it’s a trick of my mind. But when I squeeze my eyes shut, closing myself off from other distractions, I’m sure it’s there.
I open my eyes and trace the next jewel. Sure enough, that one is humming, too. It sounds a bit deeper than the first, almost as if they’re harmonizing.
In fact, all the gems are humming. The more I focus on them, the louder they get.
“What are you doing, Wren?” Gabriel’s fingers spread across my stomach, the tip of his thumb brushing across the underside of my breasts.
My breath stutters. How long has he been awake?
“I’m just . . . listening.” Rolling away from Gabriel, because it’s one thing for us to be so close while he was asleep and another while he’s wide awake, I sit up. “How are you feeling?”
He lifts a shoulder. “Honestly, other than my right arm being a little stiff, I’m good.”
And when I look him over, assessing him for injuries, I reach the same conclusion. His cuts have healed, his face has regained most of its color, and he looks much like he did the night of the Winter’s Eve Ball. He’s able to move the fingers of his sprained arm, curling them into a fist.
Relieved that Gabriel is on the mend, I take my time in the bathing room, taking care of my personal needs. I even wash my hair, taming the wet curls into a loose braid that stops above my breasts.
When I return, Gabriel is sitting up, flipping through one of the romance novels Skyler had brought me. He glances up, his lips kicking into a smile as he puts down the book. “You look beautiful.”
My cheeks flush as I take in the form-fitting dark green tunic and black pants I’d slipped on. They’re not particularly special, but they are comfortable.
“Oh,” I murmur. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, Birdie.” He lifts a brow, glancing at the closed door. “I thought that maybe today, we could—”
Several things happen at once.
The air shifts.
Thickens.
The rubies’ hum, which had been a soft murmur, morphs into an ear-piercing screech. I cry out, pressing my palms flat against my ears.
“What’s wrong?” Gabriel asks, as if he can’t hear the ear-splitting sound.
Shouts of alarm come from the hallway before I can answer him. Our door is thrown open, and Skyler and a male guard I don’t recognize burst inside.
Skyler’s eyes are wide. “Come quickly. There’s been a security breach.”