Synergy (See #3)(12)

“And what are you?” Madison asked curiously.

“Not alive,” Silas said under his breath.

Madison raised her eyebrows as our eyes met. I swallowed hard, then looked up at Silas. “Who is he? Tell me who the biggest threat is. Should I be looking for him or Bianca?”

“I’ve already told you who the biggest threat is.”

I glared up at him. “We aren’t talking about Draven. Bianca is hurting someone else. Did you know that? She has two men, and one is very powerful.”

“They’re both powerful,” Silas said shortly.

“So she’s the threat?”

“No.”

“Silas, drop the jealously act. I’m doing the best I can here. I have a fifteen-year-old girl in my care who’s terrified, a boyfriend who’s horrified of who he is, and the demon that caused this has two more people – people that were supposed to help me get out of here.”

Madison looked quickly at me with confusion and betrayal in her eyes.

“That’s a lot of problems, Charlie. I only have one: keeping you alive,” Silas said, clenching his jaw.

“Well, if that’s your problem, then so is everything else because I’m not going to hide from this.”

We’d reached Wesley’s house. My car. I was trying desperately to think of a way to make him stay with me, talk to me. I knew he knew something, something that could help us.

“Listen,” he said as he opened the driver side door and pushed me in. “You don’t have to look for anything,” he said, slamming the door.

I tried to open it, but he was holding it closed. So, I turned the key and slid down the window as Madison climbed in the passenger seat.

“Why? Why do I not have to look for it?” I asked Silas.

“Because it’s coming right at you. You can’t stop it. All you have to do is survive it, and it’s my job to make sure you do.”

“Why is it your job?” I asked sarcastically.

“Because I never break a promise,” he said as he leaned in and forced his lips against mine.

At that moment, my mind was invaded. Sharp images that would shift and overlap came to me, and I heard myself say ‘Promise’ to him over and over again. As I saw him nod and pull me closer, I tried to see when this was, how it was a catalyst for what was happening now, but all I could see was a sky filled with stars, sand on my feet, but no salt in the air.

Silas pulled away and said, “Go home,” then he vanished.

“Well, that was interesting,” Madison said, relaxing into her seat.

“Is that what you call it?” I mumbled.

“He’s not what I thought he would be.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know...with that peaceful emotion you described, I kind of expected him to be the opposite of Draven.”

I angled my eyes at her to judge her words carefully.

“But he’s just like him. Only apparently, he’s not alive. Did you leave that part out?”

“I didn’t know that part. I don’t know what he is,” I said under my breath.

“Some kind of warrior.”

I felt a sick feeling absorb my stomach as I imagined Silas doing what I saw him do to those men to my Draven. “Would you believe me if I told you that I could do that before? In another life?”

“Would you believe me if I told you I could do it, too?” she said, raising one eyebrow.

“You remember that? Past lives?”

“I don’t know if I remember that or not. I swear, the more time we spend in The Realm, the more it messes with my mind. I remember things all the time, but it could be that I think I do because Britain described me vividly in a past life. Apparently, that’s what I was doing to him long ago, but something stopped me.”

“What do you think that was?”

“The same thing that’s stopping me now, stopping you.”

I took in a deep breath. “Do you love him?”

She was quiet for a moment as her eyes gazed into nothing. “I have empathy for him. He doesn’t want to be who he is. He chose to be an Escort because he doesn’t want to be lost in The Realm. Britain wants to overcome who he is, not take control of that place like Bianca.”

“Is that what he told you?” I asked with disdain.

“Why are you anti-Team Britain all of a sudden? If anything, you should be cheering him on. I told you, if he figures this out, with what he knows I could help you help Draven fight it, too.”

“I just want to make sure you’re with the person you want to be with. Not with him to help me. You should be with who’s calling your heart.”

“No one is calling my heart. I told you before; I will not be anyone’s second choice. What’s going on with Britain and I now is right for right now, but I can’t tell you it will be tomorrow. Besides, my love life isn’t what’s causing all the turmoil right now.”

I smirked at the irony in her words and tried once again to just tell her that the boy was real. Not only was he real, he was in the arms of Bianca at that moment.

As I opened my mouth, she spoke. “So what is this about Bianca having our way out? Did you forget to tell me something?”

“I might have had a chance to tell you if you hadn’t decided to chase after some bird.”