Chapter 51 #2
I smile at his words, looking back at the courthouse. “Good.”
Rayden shifts out of the corner of my eye, standing steady the other side of Jace, here for him—and likely for me, too. Meeting his deep green gaze, I smile. His own expression mirrors mine, and he opens his mouth to say something, but Jace gets there first.
“Are you going to tell him?”
My eyes snap to Jace. “What?”
He scoffs, amused. “You trying to tell me you don’t have feelings for Zac?”
I blink at him, head flinching back. I shake my head. “I don’t.”
Rayden’s jaw tenses, eyes swerving back to the double doors, his expression hardening.
“Oh,” Jace murmurs. “My mistake.”
“We’re focusing on you,” I say, leaning to nudge his shoulder.
“I just hope she’s—”
The words die in his throat as the massive wooden doors open, groaning loudly.
The sound echoes around their hollow courtyard, and we all snap upright, feet shifting.
Four Enforcers stride into the courtyard, towering monsters in dark green, dragging something between them.
My chest tightens, lungs contracting as panic claws upward.
A small body is carried in their arms, dragged like a rag doll, head lolling, legs trailing behind. The Enforcers let go, one of their palms delivering a harsh shove. The fragile girl stumbles before collapsing onto the white stone.
“Kayla!” Jace’s voice surges through the air. Rayden moves beside him, both lunging towards her. The world narrows. The Enforcers retreating from her still form, the courtyard, the courthouse, all of it fades away as my feet take over, moving faster than I can comprehend.
I’m sliding onto my knees in front of her as Jace and Rayden try to lift her torso. Kayla’s wide, terror-filled eyes lock with mine, brimming with tears and fear and something so dark, I don’t know how to react. A long, deep, bloody wound slices across her cheek.
“Kayla?” I whisper, hand trembling as it brushes her knotted hair away from her face. She flinches violently, shrinking back, but Jace and Ray are there, whispering words of comfort into her ear.
“You’re okay,” I say softly.
“Mils?” Her voice is thin, brittle, and hoarse. Her lids droop, exhaustion lining her features, and her shoulders drop. “Are you really here?”
“I am,” I assure her, slowly lifting a hand to brush another strand of hair behind her ear. She blinks at me. “Jace and Rayden, too.”
“You’re really… Mils?”
“It’s me.” I force a smile, even as a tear escapes, streaking down my cheek. “You’re safe now.”
Her eyes flutter closed, and her body sags, both Rayden and Jace catching her from either side. A raspy gasp leaves her lips, and she tries to open her eyes, but they immediately droop once more.
“Zac. He’s…” she trails off, falling silent.
“We’ll get her back to their house,” Rayden says. Jace nods, hooking his arms under her knees and spine before struggling to his feet.
“I…” I stutter, rising to my feet and stepping back. My eyes dart from Kayla to Jace, to the courthouse to Jordan, to Rayden to Claudia. “I…”
“Emilia, it’s fine,” Jace says softly. “Kayla will understand. You need to wait for Zac.”
“But—”
“Mils, we’ll take care of her,” Ray assures me, eyes filled with fierce promise.
Hesitantly, I nod.
They begin to make their way across the courtyard, Ray’s arm resting on his mate’s shoulder, Kayla’s bare, bloody feet bobbing as they carry her away from this hell.
It’s Kieran who steps beside me as I watch them go, resting an arm on my shoulder and squeezing. Turning towards him, I drag a hand down my face before exhaling.
“I’m okay,” I say, though it’s shaky and utterly unconvincing.
Over his shoulder, the doors open once more. My jaw tightens until it hurts, and Claudia grabs tightly onto my hand.
This is it.
My lungs burn from holding my breath, the scars on my ribs aching more than ever before. Every second stretches unbearably as I watch and wait. A single Enforcer steps out, the door swinging shut behind him. He disappears around the corner, dragging my hope with him.
“Where is he?” I whisper. Claudia shakes her head, her hand trembling against mine, and Kieran curses under his breath.
We watch the unmoving doors for what feels like hours.
My fingers ache from clutching Claudia’s, my nails biting into her skin, and hers into mine.
The doors open again. And again. And again.
Four times. Four more empty-handed Enforcers.
Each slam makes me flinch, and my hope dampens into despair.
Jordan has given up standing still, pacing in front of us; Claudia hangs onto my arm for dear life; Kieran’s breath is ragged at my side.
They aren’t letting him go. Or maybe there’s nothing for them to let go of. Maybe he didn’t make it. I swallow that bile inducing thought before it can splatter onto the white stones at my feet.
The door creaks.
Another Enforcer, moving slower than a fucking snail.
“Where is he?” My voice cracks as I wrench my arm from Claudia, stepping forward, fists clenched.
The Enforcer turns, unimpressed, a sneer on his lips as he takes me in.
“Emilia,” Jordan exclaims, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me back as another Enforcer emerges, his gun drawn.
“You said you’d let him go!” I yell, words ragged and desperate. Terror spirals through every inch of me. He’s not here. He’s not coming back. They’ve killed him. Jordan yanks me to his chest, strong arms winding around me.
A sudden surge of Enforcers at the doors has me freezing. My breath catches and my eyes narrow on the group, just as they shift, revealing someone being dragged between them, flailing just enough to prove they’re alive.
Jordan’s grip loosens.
A few seconds pass, each one longer than normal. Then, finally, they step back.
He’s standing, trembling and bent forward, but standing nonetheless.
Jordan’s arms fall away.
I take a cautious step forward, and then another. My eyes trail over their released prisoner, taking in his tangled and matted hair, and his skin mottled with black and blue and purple, as though no longer human. He’s gaunt, lacking the familiar strength that I know.
His right arm is crusted in what looks like dried blood.
But it’s him.
“Zac,” I breathe out.
His eyes lift, meeting mine.