Embraced (The Eternal Balance #2)(40)

“I believe he sees it as a means to an end. You take it far too personally. More than likely, Heckle did what he did to right an imbalance. I imagine he already knows how this will end. Who will claim you.”

Sam jerked out of my grasp and stalked forward. Inches from Michael’s face she said, “No one is claiming me.”

Michael fixed a pitying frown on her. “It is inevitable. There’s no place for you to hide now.”

I stepped between them. “Not going to happen.”

“I suppose only time will tell.” He leveled his gaze at me and I fought back the urge to lash out. “I think you would be surprised at the kind of motivation that comes with her kind of power. I imagine after twenty-four hours of torture, most humans would agree to anything.”

Michael snapped his fingers. There was a weight in the room, followed by an echoing clap as darkness settled over us. The absence of light, of sound, was nearly crushing. But just as fast as it began, it was over. When it lifted, we were back outside the cabin.

I scanned the area around and sighed. “Guess he’s done with us.”





Chapter Sixteen


Sam


We were back on the steps, the huge white house again in its original, shack-like form. I let out a frustrated scream. The sound bounced off the trees and echoed through the woods with eerie resonance.

“Feel better?” Jax, unfazed by my uncharacteristic outburst, took my hand and tugged me down the steps.

“No,” I replied, following. We’d just wasted a chunk of time and were still sitting on square one. One of us could remove the cuff under the right circumstance? What the hell was that supposed to mean? If at all possible, Michael was even more cryptic than Heckle—and that’s something I didn’t think could happen. “Now what?”

“We’re running out of time. I’m not sure we have a choice anymore.” He glared down at my wrist and then back at me, studying my face with concern. “How do you feel?”

I flexed my fingers. Pins and needles shot up my arm, all the way to my shoulder. My hand was cold, like I’d been keeping it submerged in ice water. And every once in a while the cuff would constrict, sending a deep, throbbing pain rippling throughout my entire body.

“I’m tired,” was my response. “That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the cuff. It’s been a long day.”

Jax didn’t answer. Instead we started back down the mountain. I wasn’t sure how long we’d been inside Michael’s freaky blast-from-the-past, but the moon was high in the sky and the temperature had dropped.

The car came into sight before Jax spoke again. “I’ll do whatever I have to, Sammy. You know that, right?” He stopped walking as we cleared the path, and grabbed both my hands.

I knew he meant it, but that wasn’t the issue. It wasn’t just the two of us involved in this. There was a third party to consider. One with more pull than either one of us wanted to admit. “I know. But you need to consider the alternative.”

He pushed me away and closed the distance between him and the car.

“Jax.” I followed.

“Don’t.” He yanked open the door and threw himself into the driver’s seat. “Whatever defeatist crap you’re going to spout, just save it.”

Somewhere in the world pigs were cleared for takeoff and cats were dating mice. Jax was being the positive one?

I slid into the passenger’s seat and closed the door. As he stomped on the gas pedal, I said, “I’m going to ask you a question. Just one, and then I won’t bring it up again. Tell me the truth.”

“Okay.”

“Are you one hundred percent sure that you can take out Malphi?”

Without looking my way, he let his lips twist in a grin made of his trademark confidence. “Of course I—”

“That’s not what I mean.” I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “Are you certain that Azirak will let you take Malphi out?”

He clenched his jaw and gave the car more gas. We lurched forward and took the next turn fast. What bothered me most wasn’t his silence, but the feeling of utter despair I felt radiating from the link.



Jax pulled over about three miles into Harlow. We’d driven all night and made great time, but hadn’t said much to each other during the trip. In all fairness, I slept a chunk of the way. I was tired and my muscles had begun to ache. The chill that had been confined to my hand now seemed to have spread outward, enveloping both arms, my chest, and the right side of my neck.

It was a little after nine in the morning. I stretched and shifted in the seat as Jax killed the engine. For some reason he’d pulled into a park and ride on the edge of Flossmoor camping grounds.

He didn’t say a word as he undid his seat belt and threw open the driver’s side door. “Jax?”

No answer.

He slammed the car door and started for the woods. I fumbled with my own belt and hurried after him.

He must have walked a half mile into the brush before stopping beside a large boulder. Running his hands through his hair, he stalked back and forth in front of the rock, the gleam in his eyes so much more than haunted. Pausing, he threw back his head and let out a roar that was about as far from human as you could get.

“Jax…” I said again. I took a step toward him, then froze. His eyes flickered black for several seconds before returning to their normal, stormy gray. “Please.”