Chapter 7
DARCIE
Two agonizingly long hours later, Henry clears my mind of the residual pressure from my visions and builds mental blocks to prevent them from reforming.
“These blocks are voluntary,” he tells me, leaning back and rolling his shoulders. “You trigger them when you want the visions to stop. They won’t erase your gift, and they won’t last forever, but they’ll suppress them long enough to keep their effects from overwhelming you.”
The news is music to my ears.
“But how do you even know how to do that?” I ask once the last lingering threads of pain and nausea finally drain from my body. I still can’t believe my trainer has access to something that incredible. “And why haven’t you told me about it before now?”
Henry cracks his neck, clearly stiff from hours of bending over me. “I thought you were managing the visions without issue. If I’d known otherwise, I would have mentioned it.”
“It was a mighty fine trick to keep hidden up your sleeve,” Alex cuts in. He steps forward and clasps Henry’s hand in a firm shake. “Thank you.”
Henry pumps his arm once before releasing him. “Think nothing of it. I’m only glad I managed to find Des and enlist his assistance. Healer Mark has a reputation for stubbornness, but I knew he would listen to his superior.”
Hearing the Immortal’s name reminds me that Des is no longer here.
“Where did Des go?” I ask.
Alex says, “I don’t know. I didn’t hear him leave.”
“Nor I,” Henry says. “Would you like me to go find him?”
“No. That’s okay.” I shake my head, unwilling to be seen pining after Des.
I don’t want to spark rumors about our relationship, especially not after the vision I had of the Immortal family. Thane’s already too eager to turn up the heat on the whole soulmate thing.
“I’ll talk to him later,” I add when both men give me curious looks.
“Of course.” Alex lifts a hand and brushes a sweaty strand of hair out of my face. The gesture feels brotherly. “We should let you rest. I put your cellphone on the nightstand. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Without another word, Alex and Henry leave me.
I roll onto my side and watch the seconds tick by on the clock on the nightstand. The relief at being free of discomfort is immense.
Thank the Creator for Henry.
I need to find some way to show my appreciation.
I saw him eat a cookie once.
Maybe I’ll see if Cook will let me bake him something?
It sounds lame, but I literally know nothing else about the warlock. I never see him outside of training.
The clock reaches the top of the hour. I flop onto my back and stare at the ceiling. It’s plain compared to the masterpiece in Bella’s suite.
I purse my lips and blow out a breath to move the stray strand of hair across my face. It floats upward, then settles right back where it started. Annoyed, I swipe it away and let my hand drop heavily onto the mattress.
Now that I feel better, restlessness coils inside me. Maybe it’s from being bedridden for most of the day, but I suspect it’s been building long before that.
My thoughts drift to Des’s subtle exit in the middle of my healing.
My fists curl into the sheets as hurt pricks my chest and frustration twists my stomach.
I hate how much he still affects me despite my best efforts.
Unwilling to sit here and wallow, I sit up and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. I hop to the floor and head into the hallway, making my way toward Des’s room. I need to speak with him. I need to clear the air between us.
I have no idea if he’ll be there, but it’s as good a place to start as any.
The heavy wood door stands wide open. Beams of sunlight spill from his window into the hallway.
I slow my steps and tiptoe closer. Bracing a hand against the frame, I lean in and peek inside.
Des sits with his back to me, papers sprawled across the floor in front of him. He studies a packet in his hands, flipping pages every few seconds.
I glance at the table. It’s covered in documents, too.
I bite my lip.
He’s busy. If this has anything to do with the search for Bella, it’s important. I shouldn’t interrupt him.
But when I remember how he left my room so abruptly, I lift my hand and lightly tap my knuckles against the doorframe.
Des leans back and turns until our eyes meet.
“Darcie.” His voice sounds tired, but there’s a faint tug at the corner of his mouth.
“Can I come in?”
He nods and gestures for me to enter. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah. Henry is a miracle worker.”
“I’m relieved to hear it.” His eyes follow me as I step into the center of the room.
I glance around, trying to figure out where to sit or what to say, when Des clears his throat.
“You can toss those papers onto the floor.” He points to a cluttered chair in front of him.
I follow his instructions and sit down. Now that I’m here, I have no idea why I came. It’s like my brain wipes itself clean, leaving nothing but static. I clench my hands in my lap and nervously meet his gaze.
He watches me without speaking. After setting the packet aside, he leans back and crosses his arms, giving me his full attention.
“Is there something on your mind?”
“Um…” I clear my throat. “Just wondering how you’ve been. We haven’t really talked since…”
The memory of our last conversation rushes back.
We were in this same room, sitting only a few feet apart. The air was thick with tension. I had been arguing with him about joining the hunt for Adir. After seeing Adir attack Bella in a vision, I wanted Des to go help her.
We argued. And in the middle of it, he revealed how he felt.
“I care for you, Darcie. That’s why I have to stay. That’s why I can’t risk leaving you.”
Then Alexander burst in with the news that Bella and Adir were missing, shattering the moment.
Des and I haven’t had a second alone. He’s consumed by the search while I bury myself in training with Henry. Even knowing how hard he’s working to find Bella, I can’t ignore the disappointment that simmers beneath the surface when he doesn’t try to seek me out.
After all, he already told me how he feels…
Forcing myself not to back out of why I came here, I meet his gaze. “We haven’t talked since the night Bella disappeared. I…I was hoping you could explain why.”
His expression is a careful mask. “We have talked.”
I sigh. “I mean, we haven’t talked alone. Since… you know… what we talked about that night.”
I cringe.
I’m butchering this.
Completely.
“You are referring to what I said?” he asks, slower than before. Almost cautious. “About caring for you.”
“Yeah.” My heart thumps. “That.”
He exhales through his nose and looks away for a second.
Tension coils around my lungs. It’s difficult to breathe.
“It’s okay,” I rush to say. “If you didn’t mean it. Or if it was just—”
His eyes snap back to mine. “I did not speak carelessly.”
The weight in his voice makes my pulse stumble.
“Oh.” My cheeks burn. “Okay. Good. That’s—good.”
Wow. Brilliant, Darcie.
“You must understand,” he says, voice somber, “it has been a very long time since I have allowed myself to feel anything that could compromise my judgment.”
Compromise.
The word lands heavy.
He looks almost frustrated with himself. “I am not avoiding you. I—”
He stops. Swallows. His jaw tightens.
My heart pounds so loudly I’m certain he can hear it.
“You, what?” I whisper.
He rises from his chair.
I copy his movement.
Des steps closer, close enough that the air between us hums. His hand lifts like he’s going to touch my face, but he stops midway, fingers flexing instead.
“I am attempting,” he says carefully, “to proceed in a way that does not frighten you.”
Frighten me?
My lips part. “You don’t—”
“I have not felt this pull in centuries,” he admits, the words rougher now. “And when I said I care for you, Darcie, I meant—”
The door behind me creaks open.
The sound slices through the moment like a blade.
Des’s eyes flick past my shoulder.
Alex stands in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.
“Well,” he says, his tone deceptively calm while his eyes flash with fury. “Am I interrupting something?