Synergy (See #3)(24)

We were told that by Britain. Well, he told Madison that. At first I thought he said that because he was playing some kind of game with her, saying that so he wouldn’t ever have to utter that word to her, but Madison said she felt the fear in him when he told her that. She said that the word ‘love’ was poison to them, that if they said it or felt it they’d perish from what they were, that whatever existence they had or could hope to have would end. That’s why Draven made it a point to say that word to me as much as possible. I made him say it every time he was mad or lost; most of the time it made him calm, helped him hold on, and subdued the hunger in his eyes, but sometimes it looked like the word hurt him.

“Their mom wasn’t an Escort; she was light. Grayson is vague with me when it comes to his mom. All he ever really said was that his mom told him that Monroe would protect them and that they were to protect her.”

“That demon, his entire mood changed when he saw Monroe – I’m terrified for her.”

He grimaced. “If there was a sacrifice that I would worry about, it would be her. She’s the key to this; she has to be.”

“Why do you say that? Did Grayson say something?”

“Just that she’s balance. That within her, both darkness and light reside. That she cannot find fault in either; she’s at one with who and what she is. Grayson thinks she’s a marker, an example of what we should all be. He wishes he was like her, that he could find a way to not hate part of who he was.”

I smiled slightly, and his eyes questioned me.

“In this life, both darkness and light are within me. I find no fault with what they think may be inside of you. I have no anger for the shadows or whispers that haunt me. I want the war to stop between good and evil and to use Madison’s words. I want to rise above dualities.”

A smile that I’d missed so desperately spread across his face. He leaned toward me and let his lips rest gently on mine. I kissed him back slowly at first, but then the passion in my soul took over and I became more eager. Greedy.

“I love you,” I whispered between his kiss.

My words ignited something in him. He pulled me to his lap, then picked me up and carried me to my bed. As he laid me down, I fought to get as close to him as I possibly could. I wanted him to feel how much passion and love I had for him. I wanted him to know that his soul was mine and that I’d never let it go. We pulled at each other’s clothes trying to get skin-to-skin as fast as humanly possible.

In the heat of passion, my phone beeped on my waist, letting me know that a text had come in. I pulled it off my waist and threw it across the bed, then gave in to my breathless passion, fighting to get as close to him as I could. A moment later, it began to ring. We ignored it at first, but just as the ringing stopped, it began again.

Draven’s lips halted. “Someone doesn’t want this moment to happen,” he said, trying to catch his breath.

“I don’t hear anything,” I said, pulling him back to me. He smiled through my kiss and reached for my phone.

I sighed and sat up. It had stopped ringing. I looked through the missed calls: it was Wesley. My eyes grew wide with hope as I read the text he sent: Told you so. He’s on his way to your house. Hope you’re there.

I glanced over my shoulder at Draven. He’d read the text; the only problem was, I didn’t see relief in his eyes. I saw a goodbye.





Chapter Six


My heart started to race as my skin flushed. I felt tension suffocate the room, taking away the essence of passion. I turned to look at him, hoping that I was reading him wrong, that now what I’d been waiting on was here, that it wouldn’t be too late.

“I’m not going without you,” I said timidly.

He sat up and moved to the side of the bed, then reached for his shirt. As he slid it over his head, I felt the room grow colder; I felt him closing a door.

“You need to.”

“Why?!” I protested.

“You have to take Monroe, get her there; we have to protect her. I don’t know why ... I just know that’s what we need to do.”

“We ... we have to protect her. I’m not leaving here without you,” I argued.

He squeezed his eyes closed. “Charlie, you can see your way to me anytime you want to. Take your body to Chara. Go to a place where you can’t be hunted.”

“I’m not hunted here.”

Abruptly his heated stare met mine. “Have you forgotten this morning? Do you have any idea how many Escorts could be here? Do you really think they’re going to stop?”

“No, but Silas will take care of them.”

“Silas...your hero,” he said shortly as he fastened his belt back into place.

“Don’t twist my words. If he’s killing them, he’s not killing you. He’s keeping me safe.” I argued as I put my clothes back in place.

“More like practice for when my time comes.” He sneered.

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” he asked in a solemn tone.

“Don’t slip back into that mood that I just pulled you out of,” I said as my eyes glanced at the bed behind us.

A smile threatened to invade his beautiful lips as the memory of my touch came to him.

“Look, we turned Britain into a friend instead of an enemy; we could do that with Silas. He knows stuff, past life stuff. What we are or were. I bet he knows more about this war than we could imagine. And I’d bet you money he knows where Monroe’s mom is. Maybe if we find her, we’ll have more answers.”