Chapter 24 Noelle
NOELLE
The cold metal floor of the cell was far from comfortable, but somehow it didn’t matter.
Noelle lay on her side, nestled between two massive Kindred warriors, their warmth radiating into her on either side like living heaters.
Burn was at her back, a solid wall of heat and muscle, his breathing deep but not quite steady.
Bright was in front of her, his long legs tangling lightly with hers, one arm draped protectively over her hip.
The guards had called for lights out half an hour ago and now the cell block was shrouded in absolute darkness.
A thick, velvety black that seemed to swallow everything.
No emergency exit signs glowing faintly.
No flicker of light beneath a door. Just pitch blackness, wrapping around them like a blanket.
Both big warriors had insisted she use their shirts—one to lie on, one to cover her. She’d tried to argue, of course, but neither of them would hear it.
“You’re much too delicate, my lady,” Bright had said with a teasing grin as he spread the soft fabric over her as a makeshift blanket.
“And besides, Kindred run hotter than humans,” Burn added in that growly voice of his. “We can keep ourselves warm.”
And now, sandwiched between their shirtless bodies, Noelle could confirm that was absolutely true.
Even through the thin silk of her negligee and the thicker, satiny material of their uniform shirts, their combined heat wrapped around her, soothing and comforting.
She should have felt awkward sleeping between them with so little on—should have felt exposed. But instead, she felt…safe.
Safer than I’ve felt in a long time, she admitted to herself, just before sleep pulled her under.
But rest didn’t bring peace.
The dream started gently at first—just flickers of light and movement. Then sound began bleeding in—the happy chatter of children…a woman’s laugh…the thrum of a shuttle in motion.
Noelle stood somewhere above the scene, as though perched on the ceiling, watching it unfold.
She saw a Kindred family of five—two tall warrior fathers, a beautiful dark-haired woman who must be their wife, and two young boys who looked so much alike she was sure they had to be twins.
They were laughing and teasing each other.
The woman ruffled one of the boy’s hair and he wrinkled his nose at her, grinning.
But their joy turned quickly to terror.
A horrible, screeching noise split the air—metal shearing against metal. The mother gasped. One of the fathers called something back in a voice thick with forced calm. Then—violence.
Explosions of sound. Shouting. The cabin doors burst inward.
Noelle’s heart clenched in her chest as monstrous pirates stormed the shuttle. They were huge—eight feet tall, with gray-green skin and jagged weapons. The two fathers fought valiantly but were cut down almost instantly. The mother screamed, grabbing her sons.
One of the twins—so small, so brave—threw himself between her and the pirates.
No! No, don’t! Noelle wanted to shout at him.
But it was too late. They shot him. And then… the screaming started.
Noelle wanted to wake up. She tried to wake up. But she was trapped, frozen in the dream—forced to watch as the mother was dragged away, her long hair tangled in the pirate’s fists, her cries echoing through the ship.
The remaining boy—left behind, all alone—collapsed onto the blood-slick floor, reaching out a trembling hand as if he could still stop it.
Her heart twisted.
Oh, Blessed Virgin…
The pain in that child’s eyes, the loss, the helplessness—it wasn’t just a dream, she realized.
It was a memory.
A low groaning sound broke through the horror. A deep, guttural moan filled with anguish. Noelle woke with a jolt, heart pounding, her breath catching in her throat.
The sound hadn’t come from her or from Bright—it was Burn, she realized.
She turned in the darkness, reaching behind her to gently touch his broad, bare back. He was curled away from her, the muscles in his shoulders bunched tight as if he were preparing for a fight even in sleep.
“Burn,” she whispered, brushing her hand over his hot skin. “Burn, wake up… I think you’re having a bad dream.”
He stirred but didn’t wake.
“They killed them all…” he mumbled hoarsely. “All but her. And I couldn’t save her—I couldn’t move… couldn’t move.”
Noelle’s heart clenched. That dream—his dream.
We were Dream Sharing, she realized. She’d heard of the phenomenon before, whispered stories about how the Kindred could connect so deeply to the people they cared for that even dreams weren’t private anymore.
She shook him gently again.
“Burn, it’s all right,” she murmured. “It’s just a bad dream.”
But was it? she wondered. Or was it a piece of his past?
She shook him more firmly.
“Burn!”
He bolted upright with a gasp.
“Gods!”
Even in the pitch blackness, she could see the eerie glow of his eyes—like an animal’s caught in onrushing headlights. They glittered with grief and loss that tore at her heart.
“Burn, what is it?” she asked urgently. “Were you dreaming of the family too? The one with two fathers and two sons? Were they…were they your family?”
“They were,” he rasped. He ran a hand down his face, the sound of his rough whiskers scraping against his palm, loud in the silence. “Gods, I can never get away from them—the memories. I push them down but they always come back. Fuck.”
Noelle sat up beside him, her body chilled now without the warmth of his.
“Maybe you shouldn’t push them away,” she said gently. “Maybe you need to face them.”
“Face them?” he growled. “Now why the fuck would I want to do that?”
“Because talking about what happened to you can help,” she said. “I felt better after I told you and Bright about what happened to me today in the…” She had to swallow hard before she could finish. “In that weird rejuvenation lab.”
Burn’s shoulders sagged.
“I don’t… I don’t know.”
“What happened to you—after?” she asked quietly. “After they left?” She knew he would understand what she meant and he did, but when he answered, his voice was low and hoarse.
“The pirates must have thought I was dead. I felt like I was—I could barely fucking move. It was like half of me had been amputated after I lost my twin. I somehow managed to drag myself into the O2 safe room—they have those on the older shuttles, in case of a hull breach,” he added.
Noelle put a hand to her mouth.
“I’m so sorry—that’s awful. How…how long were you in there?”
He shrugged, his massive shoulders rolling.
“Who fucking knows? Days? Maybe weeks? I was lost inside myself—numb without my twin. I can't even explain what it's like, losing half of yourself. When you can hear someone’s thoughts and feel their feelings all your life, and then they’re suddenly just…gone.”
“I’m so sorry,” Noelle whispered again, tears pricking against her eyes.
She reached out and gently slid her smaller hand into his. His palm was calloused and hot against hers, but he didn’t pull away.
“It was a long time ago,” he said roughly.
“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t still hurt.” She looked up at him, her voice soft. “What… what happened to your mom? Did anyone ever find her?”
“Yeah. I did. When I was sixteen, I was able to go looking for her. Tracked her for a year, only to find out she died not long after my fathers did. Her heart couldn’t take the separation—the breaking of the Soul Bond she had with them.”
He sighed, the sound heavy with sorrow.
“I still don’t understand why I was the only one who survived. Why did I live when my twin died? Why am I still here when everyone I love is dead?”
“Not everyone, I hope,” Noelle said softly. “Burn, I’m so sorry for what you went through, but I’m glad you’re here with me and Bright.”
She pushed to her knees and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“Come here—I want to hug you.”
At first, he sat stiffly, allowing her embrace but not returning it. She pressed close, resting her cheek against the top of his head as he just sat there.
Then, at last, it was like a dam breaking breached inside him. With a low, broken sound, Burn turned into her, burying his face between her breasts. His arms came around her, thick and strong, clinging tight.
“I…I couldn’t save them,” he whispered. “Couldn’t save them.”
The Dark Twin’s shoulders trembled as he hugged Noelle fiercely. He wasn’t exactly crying…but he wasn’t far from it either.
She stroked his hair, murmuring soothing nothings.
“It’s okay… You’re safe now… You’re not alone.”
They sat like that for a long moment. The metal floor was hard on her knees but Noelle barely noticed. She just wanted to take some of Burn’s pain away—wanted desperately to ease this ancient ache that had burdened him so long.
Then a voice on the other side of her whispered,
“I want to hug you too.”
It was Bright and the emotion in his voice was almost enough to make Noelle cry.
“I thought you were asleep,” Burn muttered hoarsely, looking up.
“I shared the dream as well,” Bright said softly. “And I heard what you told Noelle.”
Noelle held her breath, waiting for Burn to lash out…but the Dark Twin only let out a deep sigh.
“I’m glad. I don’t want to repeat myself.”
“Can I hug you?” Bright asked gently. “If the two of us are ever going to form a Twin-Bond, we need to get closer.”
“We already sleep in the same bed every night,” Burn pointed out. “But… yeah. I guess.”
Bright moved around to his other side, and the two men embraced. Noelle’s eyes had adjusted to the dark enough to make out the faint outlines of their big bodies as they clung to each other.
She leaned closer, wanting to be part of it. They opened their arms, and soon she was wrapped in the circle of both warriors, their warmth and strength surrounding her.
“I’m fucking sorry I couldn’t tell you before,” Burn muttered to Bright. “It’s just… fucking hard to talk about.”
“I know. I’m sorry… Brother,” Bright said.
Burn gave a half-laugh.
“You sure you want to be my brother? Now that you know what happened to my first twin?”
“I want it more than ever.” Bright’s voice was hoarse with emotion.
Noelle’s heart swelled as she snuggled between them. She sensed that this deep wound had been standing between the two best friends for years—putting distance between them.
Dios, they’re really bonding. Or at least, they’re getting closer.
She didn’t know if there was a place for her in the sacred Twin-Bond the two of them hoped to form. But for now, she didn’t care.
She was here with them and the three of them were safe in each other’s arms
And for tonight… that was enough.