Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(44)

"I love it. Your name, I mean. I love your name." I fidgeted, grasping the fringe on the pillow beside me, and bit my lip to keep myself from saying something ridiculous.

I hadn't been aware of him moving, but suddenly I felt his weight beside me on the chaise. He pried my fingers from the pillow and turned my hand over to examine my palm while I looked up at him. His eyes were narrowed, regarding my hand.

"What is it?"

Kai glanced up before settling his gaze back on my palm. "Just trying to see the parts of you kept secret."

I tore my hand away. "If you can keep yours, I can keep mine." I nodded at the balcony and stood, placing distance between us. It made me feel cold, which only irritated me further.

He narrowed his gaze. "My touch makes you that uncomfortable?"

It was clear he thought I was sickened by him. It was tempting to explain, but I knew it would be better if he thought his touch was abhorrent to me. It would keep him from initiating contact in the future, but the pain reaching towards me was unbearable. To keep myself from speaking, I turned and left. Just before I cleared the doorway, I looked back to see him in the same position on the chaise, staring at the empty space I had just occupied. My soul ached for the hurt I had caused, but it was for the best. It needed to be done, right?





CHAPTER 10


Savannah's Journal

A swarm of envy had taken hold of my sanity. Life was too chaotic, a collaboration of bad experiences, a screwed up present, and a future I was certain held more pain than my childhood. Sometimes I wondered if I had never truly left my cage. After so many years, perhaps it was possible that I had descended into a state of delusion, unaware of the truth behind the fictitious reality I had built. I envied ordinary humans with their simple lives. It would have been nice if my only problem were getting an A in Spanish or finding a date to a dance. I would have cherished a life in which I didn't need to worry about survival, or which loved one would die next. If my only problems were guys and school, I would be able to find a semblance of tranquility. If I were blissfully unaware of the paranormal undercurrents that were constantly at war around me, I might have enjoyed each breath for what it was, rather than worried that it might be my last.



SAVANNAH

I gasped, fighting for oxygen, while the others congregated in a protective circle around me. A small laugh escaped between my wheezes. Their attempt to guard against my mental breakdown was futile, but flattering. Even Isis had taken a defensive stance, altering her gaze between corners, the door, and the skylight. She was ready for a fight, and it was too bad I couldn't hand her one.

Ash held my head in his lap, gazing down at me, while Liam applied a cool cloth to my temples. Ash's eyes were fiery. At first, I thought he was angry since he usually was when his element displayed itself in his irises. Then I realized that though the color spoke of fire, the movement within was closer to soft waves of lava. I had never seen his eyes take on that emotion.

Tears slid past the corners of my eyes, making their way towards his hands that were entangled in my hair. Instinctively, I grabbed one of them while he brushed away my tears. I planted a kiss on his palm. The others danced nervously, looking away and clearing their throats, embarrassed at being a part of such an awkward moment. Though I wasn't bothered by them witnessing my vulnerability.

Caught in the moment, I didn't initially notice Izzy as she broke through their ranks to come to my side. Her movements were exact and defensive, but with a glide that told me she was ready to go on the offensive. She exchanged a peculiar glance with Ash before touching my forehead.

"I'm okay." My voice was raspy, the way it would be after a bout of screaming at a rock concert. I winced, and that slight movement caused aches to spread throughout my body.

"Okay, is not how I would describe you right now," Ash said, looking away. I wasn't sure he was aware that he had spoken aloud until he looked down at me with worry in his eyes. "You look like hell," he laughed.

The others dispersed, going back to their search and giving me a few moments alone with Izzy and Ash. "It was a vision. I'm kind of getting used to them, but I don't normally get knocked on my ass from them."

"A vision? Do you normally scream like a banshee? You're lucky that Liam is quick on his feet and locked the sound in this room. Otherwise, we would have the entire compound arresting us right now." His mocha-colored eyebrows drew together; his lips thinned into a line that screamed judgment at me.

As if I could have stopped myself when I hadn’t been aware I was making noise. "I can't help when they happen." Shrugging, I sat up as slowly as I could manage. "They surprise me too."

I tucked my chin into my knees and looked around the room. Izzy maneuvered herself to sit on the opposite side of me, away from Ash. Holding my hand, she helped me to my feet. Dizziness swept through me, like a tidal wave of anxiety engulfing the core of my being. Luckily, both of them helped me regain my footing, holding on until the moment had passed.

"I saw Asmodeus again." The name created a sense of chaos in an already chaotic environment. Griffin dropped the paperweight he had been holding, Liam slammed backwards into a wall, Isis gawked in disbelief, and Izzy's nails drew blood from my arm.

"What do you mean, again?" Ash half-screamed, tempering his voice with a descent into a whisper towards the end. He was filled with rage, and not the oceanic waves of lava from before. This time, his eyes held pure acid.