Unbound (The Captive #7)(55)

“Croatoan was once associated with a colony of humans who came to settle this land in the fifteen hundreds. They disappeared, but left the word croatoan behind. Many believed the settlers were trying to say that they’d gone to live with the Native American tribe in the area, also of the same name, but they were never sure. Our informant told us Sabine was responsible for those settler’s disappearances and deaths. Why the settlers called her this, I don’t know, perhaps they believed she was one of the Native Americans. Sabine has been responsible for many mass disappearances over the years that have gone unsolved.”

“And after seeing her parade of humans in the woods, I think we know what she does with those people,” Aria said.

Max placed his glass down and walked over to her. She tried to jerk away when he clasped her hands, but he kept a firm hold on them as he lifted them and uncurled her fingers from where they’d torn her flesh back on her palms. Her forehead furrowed at the blood flowing from the large gashes, and he realized she hadn’t known what she was doing.

Daniel rose and entered the room the humans had left open for Aria to sleep in. He returned with a towel and handed it to Max who wrapped it around her hands. The cuts would heal quickly, but he didn’t want her to get any more blood on her pants.

“Are you going to tell us what happened out there?” Daniel inquired.

“There are some things that can never be unheard,” Aria murmured.

“No,” Max said.

She tugged on her hands again, and this time, Max released them to her before returning for his glass of wine. He stared at the wall as Xavier resumed his pacing.

“Would you please get him out of here? His pacing is driving me nuts,” Aria said to Daniel.

“Not leaving you,” Xavier said flatly.

“I’ll be fine. There are plenty of guards, and I know you’ll stay close. I need a moment of stillness.”

Xavier went completely still, but the tension radiating from him made him feel like a bomb about ready to explode as sweat beaded across his forehead and trickled down his temple.

“Xavier, please go,” she said. He made a disgruntled sound before turning on his heel and stalking over to the door. He opened it and walked into the hallway. Aria turned toward Daniel. “I don’t think he should be alone right now.”

Daniel rose to his feet. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Daniel bent to kiss the top of her head. “I don’t know what happened out there, but you did good, you all did. This is all useful information.”

Before she could respond, he turned and followed Xavier into the hall. “You two can have the room,” Aria said to William. “I won’t be sleeping tonight.”

“I’ll stay up with you,” William offered.

“No, rest. You look tired.”

“Someone took off and left me behind to worry about them.”

The corner of Aria’s mouth quirked into the faintest hint of a smile. She removed the towel from her hands and set it in her lap. “Serves you right for taking off after Kane.”

“At least I said good-bye.”

“Only because I stopped you before you could leave town.”

“I didn’t take two others with me.”

“Only because you insisted upon going alone. Go, get some rest.”

William hesitated, but when he glanced down at Tempest, Max knew he had lost the battle before he rose to his feet and walked out of the room with her cradled against his chest. Max filled two glasses of wine and returned to his seat.

“You know,” Timber said quietly, “ugliness is a way of the world. You have to accept that, but it’s when you let the ugliness eat at you until it makes you ugly too, that you truly lose a piece of yourself.”

Aria’s mouth parted as she turned toward him, but before she could respond, Timber’s chin fell onto his chest and he released a loud snore. “How does he do that?” she asked in awe.

Max stretched his legs out before him. “I wish I knew.”

Aria stared at him with her head tilted to the side. “Today made you think of your time with her again, didn’t it?”

He knew she’d avoided saying the name to try to spare him some distress, but there was none to be spared, not tonight. “With Katrina, yes.”

Aria’s mouth pursed, a muscle in her jaw twitched. “If she hadn’t already been put to death, I’d kill her again for you.”

Max smiled as he stared into his glass of wine. “I know you would.”

“You never talk of what happened there. Would you like to now? I’ll listen to anything you’re willing to tell me.”

“There are some things that can never be unheard,” he reminded her.

She removed her glasses to reveal her reddened eyes and set them in her lap. “I think we’ve all gone beyond the point of being sheltered in our lives.”

“Then why not tell them what we did today?”

“Because it’s not necessary for them to know. They shouldn’t have to carry that burden too.”

“And hearing my horror stories are necessary to know?” He couldn’t keep the sharp edge from his tone.

“I think it would be better if you let it all out instead of continuing to keep it in, you know, like that whole ugliness thing Timber said.”