Scattered Souls, page 17
Jane scoffed. “Aunt Bess told you once before. The past resists change, especially from an outsider.”
“An outsider?” I shifted in my chair, rainwater squishing from my clothes as I fidgeted.
“You don’t exist in this time. You have attempted to change the past of another. Time is a stubborn creature, and for good or bad, Catherine Fairchild made her choices. She knew the consequences and accepted full responsibility. Nothing you might choose to do would change that.”
My head throbbed. “But I’m still stuck suffering for her stupid choices.”
Sadness crept into Jane’s eyes. “Yes, I’m afraid so. But there is still a way to break the spell.”
An invisible fist squeezed my heart until I couldn’t breathe. I already knew what she was about to say. “No. Don’t even… That’s not acceptable. There has to be something else we can do.” The thought of either of them dying nearly brought me to my knees. I sank my fingers into the front of my shirt, balling the loose fabric in my hand to keep my heart from pounding out of my chest. “I can’t accept that. I-I love him… them. I love them.”
Jane frowned. “Have you considered what would’ve happened had you managed to change the past?”
My mind went blank as I shook my head.
Her eyes softened, and I saw the pity reflected in them. “The boys you know wouldn’t exist in your world.”
“I’d…” The blood drained from my face, and the room began to spin as I struggled to make any sound. “I would’ve lost them both.”
“You would have lost them both.” Jane nodded. The words sounded even more final coming from her lips.
I swallowed back bile. “So there’s no other option?”
“I’m afraid not. One of the Fairchild brothers must sacrifice to the other. It’s the only way.”
“That’ll never happen.” I thought of Maddox’s jealous streak and Laith’s unyielding love for me. “They would never agree.”
Jane’s eyes hardened as she riveted her gaze to mine. “Then you need to convince them.”
“Convince them?” In spite of the seriousness of the conversation, I laughed. How could I possibly convince either of them to sacrifice his life for the other? And if I couldn’t, how would I possibly make the choice for them? “This is insane. You’re telling me I have to convince either Maddox or Laith to commit suicide? How is that even fair? They didn’t deserve any of this. None of us do.”
Jane’s smile was devoid of any humor. “Life is rarely fair, my dear.”
“I can’t do it.” I slid back and stood so fast my chair tipped over, crashing to the floor. Gripping my hair the way I’d seen Laith do at least a hundred times, I paced across the wood planks. “I can’t ask either of them to die for me.”
Jane eyed me like a cat stalking a bird on a fence. “Perhaps…” She let the thought trail off, folding her hands in front of her and sitting up straight. “I can’t be sure, of course…”
“What?” I stopped pacing. “You have an idea, don’t you?”
“There may be another way.” She tapped her chin with her index finger. “I can see it working, in theory at least. But as I said, I can’t be certain—”
“Tell me!”
Jane flinched at my outburst then quickly smoothed out her features. “I’ve just sent them to seek the aether, and if your story is true…”
“It is.”
She ignored me. “If your story is true, the aether did, in fact, send the Fairchild boys hurtling through time to find you. If you could somehow convince one of them to stay behind…”
I almost laughed at the ridiculousness of her suggestion. “I’d never be able to convince either of them to stay behind.”
“But perhaps you could…” Jane watched me intently. “Strand him in the past so he can’t follow. He would be allowed to live out his life, perhaps even find a measure of happiness, although without his soul mate. And that alone could prove difficult for him. He would eventually die of old age, thereby ending the soul bond in your lifetime.”
“In my lifetime?”
“Well, without a willing sacrifice, the bond would carry into the future, but this would certainly slow it down.”
“So let me get this straight…” I went back to pacing. “I’d have to either do the impossible and convince one of them to stay behind…”
“Or trick him.”
“Right. Or trick him into staying behind to die of old age. Alone.”
Jane nodded solemnly. “Yes.”
“And how would I do this? I have no idea where I’d find them at any given time. They jumped for over a century before landing in Maine.”
“You would need to merge your consciousness with that of your past self in another time. The combination of your soul and his will create a beacon allowing us to intercept him.”
My eyebrows shot up my forehead. “Whoa, hang on. Can I get an instant replay on that, please?” Time seemed to grind to a complete halt. “You want me to do what?”
“I would send your current consciousness—your memories, your feelings, everything that makes you who you are—into the physical being of a past version of yourself. A past life, if you will. It does seem quite unbelievable when spoken aloud, I must admit. And I’ve never tried it before, but with the right spell, I believe it is possible.”
“How would… what if something went… would I even be able to get out?”
“Yes, of course.” She patted my hand. “The spell is only temporary. I couldn’t merge you permanently if I wanted to. You’d have a day at the most before traveling to the next place.”
“From what I understand, all this time travel stuff is pretty complicated. You didn’t even believe me last time we talked about it.”
“Yes, well, that was before I realized Aunt Bess’s blessing had gone so horribly wrong.”
“That’s an understatement.”
Jane shot me a scowl. “How were we to know Lady Fairchild carried two babies?”
“Yeah, I guess ultrasounds are out of the question in the seventeenth century.”
Jane screwed up her face. “All-tra sounds?”
“Never mind.” I righted my chair and sat down again.
“I’ll need to gather a few items before we begin.” Jane stood.
“Wait.” I held up my hands in front of me. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Why?”
“I love Laith. I really do, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about Maddox anymore. I don’t know if I can doom him to a miserable existence like that. I’d have to take his stone and leave him somewhere without a way to leave. That’s pretty cold-hearted. He’d… God, he’d never forgive me.”
Jane leaned over me, bringing her face uncomfortably close to mine. “I imagine he would be hurt, but Ava, you can’t have them both. If they won’t decide, you must. This cycle will repeat itself until someone puts an end to it.”
“Do I have to decide now?” I grabbed the corner of my borrowed shirt, twisting the coarse linen between my fingers. “Can’t I think about it for a while?”
“You may do as you like. I have no idea how long before the situation escalates. At least one girl has already died. How many more must die before you see the urgency? Will it be you next?” Jane released a breath and backed away from me.
Her words cut me to the core, and I took a steadying breath while I considered my options. “I’m going back to Laith. I need to at least talk to him about it. Maybe I can… I don’t know. Maybe if I give Maddox a chance…” I couldn’t finish the thought. I knew better. Neither one of them would choose to stay in the past if it meant losing me. And if I was honest with myself, I wasn’t ready to lose either of them.
“Go back.” Jane squeezed my hands. “Search your heart. Speak to the one you love. I have faith in you, Ava Flynn. We’ll see each other again as we have before. Many times over, I suspect.”
“What do you mean?” The shock of her statement was like a slap in the face. “Are you saying… we’ve met before? In another life?”
“I suspect we’ve met in many lifetimes, though I can’t give you specifics.” Jane turned away from me, a faraway look in her eyes.
The blood drained from my face. “How is that possible?”
Jane shook the fog from her expression and let out a delicate laugh. “Souls aren’t only bound to their mates. My aunt wasn’t fond of the Greeks, but much like Plato suggested, we are naturally drawn to the same souls, time and time again. And yours has a particularly strong draw for my family.”
“Because of the curse?”
Jane raised her eyebrow. “Because of the blessing.”
Right. Because everything seems to go back to that damned blessing.
Chapter Eighteen
“Laith!” His name ripped from my throat the instant my feet hit the glossy hardwood floors in his living room.
Home. Exhausted, I collapsed onto his sofa with a groan. I didn’t care if my clothes were wet or if I’d most likely get blood on the expensive leather. I’d never been happier to see a piece of furniture in all my life. Curling onto my side, I hugged the seat cushions like a long-lost lover. I didn’t think I’d ever make it back. My bones ached. My skin burned. My stomach contracted from being empty for so long. My body throbbed in places I’d forgotten I had. I craved a hot shower, clean dry clothes, a huge pepperoni and sausage pizza, and…
And Laith.
My temporary euphoria faded, and I bolted upright. Where the hell is he? Other than the low hum of the electricity, the house was dead quiet. He should be storming the room, screaming at me for putting myself in danger, making me beg for forgiveness. I would too. I’d totally beg. Kissing me senseless. But he wasn’t.
“Laith?” With the slightest tremble in my voice, I called out his name.
No response.
Once again, my fingers itched to check my phone for messages I knew wouldn’t be there. “Hey, are you home?” Maybe he was sleeping. In the middle of the day? I gnawed on my lower lip as I crept up the stairs.
Maybe he left, packed his things and hit the road. Or maybe he went to see Capone again, put himself in danger because I’d broken his heart. Maybe he was dead in a ditch, all because of me and my selfish need to fix things… My subconscious taunted me with all the possible scenarios as I made my way to the bedroom.
Fear wriggled its way under my battered skin. The bed was rumpled but empty. Did he really leave? I wouldn’t blame him if he had. I’d abandoned him to run headfirst into the unknown, putting my life and his future at risk. And where had that gotten me? God, I’m such an idiot.
A muffled crash startled me out of my thoughts, and I took off toward the sound. Laith’s oversized boots thundered down the stairs as I ran. I probably should’ve called the police, but self-preservation flew out the window when I heard a low moan and a string of curses coming from the library. “Laith?” I shouted his name as I burst into the room.
Laith sat on the floor, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. Dark blood crusted around a deep gash behind his ear.
“Oh, my God!”
Laith’s head shot up, and he locked his eyes with mine, gaping at me like he’d seen a ghost. “Ava?”
“You’re hurt!” My pulse pounded in my throat as I dropped to my knees in front of him. Taking care not to hurt him, I ran my fingers over the knot in his head, and they came back bloody. “What happened?”
He blinked at me as if he couldn’t believe his own eyes.
“Laith?”
Without a word, he smashed his lips to mine, knocking me backward as he stole the breath from my lungs. He latched onto my arms, sliding his hands upward until he’d captured my face between them. “You came back.” His lips moved against mine frantically, his heart slamming between us. “I didn’t think you’d ever come back.”
“I’m sorry.” My fingers curled into his shirt, dragging him closer. I never wanted to let him go again. “I got caught in traffic.”
Laith chuckled into my mouth. With one last press of his lips, he rested his forehead against mine, out of breath. Dark eyes darted back and forth between mine. “I should be seriously pissed off at you right now, but I’m just so relieved to have you back.” With one more lingering gaze, he surged in to steal another toe-curling kiss then released me to catch his breath.
Fighting against tears, I tried to explain. “I’m sorry. I had to at least try.”
“And?” For the first time since I got back, I saw the disappointment in his eyes. I shook my head, and Laith nodded, running his gaze over every exposed inch of me. “You look like hell.”
“Me?” I let my mouth drop open, gaping at his disheveled appearance. I’d been too worried about the blood to notice the rest of him. He hadn’t shaved in days. His wrinkled blue button-down hung open. And his jeans were ripped to shreds as if he’d used them to fight off a band of ninjas. “What about you? Not only are you hurt, but you look like you haven’t slept since I left. Your jeans—did you climb into a cage with a bear?”
“Not quite.” He shrugged, brushing the hair back from my face and feathering his lips over a tender spot on my cheek. “What about you? Did you piss off a wet cat?”
My fingers shot up to trace the scratches. “I think it was an apple tree, actually.”
“And this…?” Laith leaned forward and kissed the bruise on my temple.
“That was a mound of dirt near the stable. They really need to clean up that path.”
“Hmm.” He nodded again, kissing every visible bump and bruise as if cataloging each one. Once he’d run out of wounds to kiss, he fastened his lips to the pulse point in my throat. “Your hair’s all knotted, and you smell bad.”
My lips curved at the corners. “But you still love me.”
“Forever…” His lips found mine again, kissing me until my toes curled.
Crawling as close as I could, I wrapped my legs around his waist and rested my head on his chest. He heaved a contented sigh, his heart stuttering beneath my ear.
“I thought I’d lost you.” His voice cracked, and he tightened his arms around me.
“I’m here.” We sat there on the floor in the middle of the library for several minutes. Until that moment, I hadn’t noticed the overturned chair, the shattered lamp, or the dozens of books lying open on the floor. “What happened in here?”
“My brother.”
“Maddox?” Against my will, my body responded to his name, but this time, fear accompanied the butterflies.
The muscles in Laith’s jaw tightened until I worried it might shatter. “The one and only.”
“I can’t believe he did this to you.” I jerked my head back to search Laith’s eyes. “That’s so not—”
Laith let out a cross between a groan and a growl. “Please don’t say that’s not like him.”
I dropped my eyes to my scraped hands. “Laith—”
“Are you kidding me?” Laith leaned away from me, taking his warmth with him. Shock registered on his face. “After everything he’s done, you’re still defending him?”
“No! I’m not. It’s just…” Laith was right. I’d seen Maddox’s violent streak more than once. But reconciling what my heart wanted to believe and what my brain knew was true didn’t come easy. I shook my head to clear the cobwebs. “I believe you.”
“I don’t need you to believe me.” Laith ran a hand through his hair. My hesitation had hurt him. “I need you to trust me.”
“I do trust you. With my life.” I fingered the spot on his head again, making him wince. “Sorry. Guess I don’t have to ask if that hurts.”
Laith barked out a humorless laugh. “I’d like to say you should see the other guy, but unfortunately I am the other guy. He totally got the jump on me.”
“When?”
Laith stared out the window. The midday sun cast shadows across the floor. “Like an hour ago? Maybe? I’m not sure. I think I lost consciousness for a while.”
An hour? I’d just missed him. What would’ve happened if I’d been there? The question I hadn’t wanted to ask burned the tip of my tongue. “What happened?”
His shoulders tensed. “The usual. Maddox showed up looking for you, didn’t find you, bashed me in the head, and left.”
“Why do I think there’s more to it than that?” I searched his face for answers, but he kept them locked behind his eyes.
He shrugged as if it was nothing, but I could tell the altercation had shaken him. “He knew you had my stone. I tried to convince him to take me with him to search for you, but he decided he’d rather leave me here to rot.”
“Did…” My stomach rolled, and I had to swallow down the bile as Jane’s words came back to me. Strand him in the past so he can’t follow. Did Maddox know? “Did he say why?”
A dark chuckle rolled up his throat. “He’d hoped to strand me far enough in the past that I couldn’t come for you. He didn’t want me dead. He wanted me to suffer. If he’d succeeded…” Laith scrubbed a hand over his stubble.
“Hey.” I held his face in my hands. He looked so helpless staring down at me. “I’m here. I have your stone. I’m so sorry I took it without asking, but I’m back now. You won’t be stranded anywhere. Not without me.”
Laith nodded, blinking back tears. “I nearly went crazy not knowing where you were or if you were okay. Maddox was so convinced you’d left me to find him, I almost let myself believe him.”
My mouth dropped open. “How could you believe that?”
“Trust me. He believed enough for both of us.” He slipped his fingers between mine and squeezed.
As much as it killed me, I knew I had to stop Maddox before he hurt anyone else I loved. I had to follow through with Jane’s plan. But first, I had to tell Laith. “I saw the witch.”
Laith paled, and his hand twitched in mine. “Bess Floyd?”
“An outsider?” I shifted in my chair, rainwater squishing from my clothes as I fidgeted.
“You don’t exist in this time. You have attempted to change the past of another. Time is a stubborn creature, and for good or bad, Catherine Fairchild made her choices. She knew the consequences and accepted full responsibility. Nothing you might choose to do would change that.”
My head throbbed. “But I’m still stuck suffering for her stupid choices.”
Sadness crept into Jane’s eyes. “Yes, I’m afraid so. But there is still a way to break the spell.”
An invisible fist squeezed my heart until I couldn’t breathe. I already knew what she was about to say. “No. Don’t even… That’s not acceptable. There has to be something else we can do.” The thought of either of them dying nearly brought me to my knees. I sank my fingers into the front of my shirt, balling the loose fabric in my hand to keep my heart from pounding out of my chest. “I can’t accept that. I-I love him… them. I love them.”
Jane frowned. “Have you considered what would’ve happened had you managed to change the past?”
My mind went blank as I shook my head.
Her eyes softened, and I saw the pity reflected in them. “The boys you know wouldn’t exist in your world.”
“I’d…” The blood drained from my face, and the room began to spin as I struggled to make any sound. “I would’ve lost them both.”
“You would have lost them both.” Jane nodded. The words sounded even more final coming from her lips.
I swallowed back bile. “So there’s no other option?”
“I’m afraid not. One of the Fairchild brothers must sacrifice to the other. It’s the only way.”
“That’ll never happen.” I thought of Maddox’s jealous streak and Laith’s unyielding love for me. “They would never agree.”
Jane’s eyes hardened as she riveted her gaze to mine. “Then you need to convince them.”
“Convince them?” In spite of the seriousness of the conversation, I laughed. How could I possibly convince either of them to sacrifice his life for the other? And if I couldn’t, how would I possibly make the choice for them? “This is insane. You’re telling me I have to convince either Maddox or Laith to commit suicide? How is that even fair? They didn’t deserve any of this. None of us do.”
Jane’s smile was devoid of any humor. “Life is rarely fair, my dear.”
“I can’t do it.” I slid back and stood so fast my chair tipped over, crashing to the floor. Gripping my hair the way I’d seen Laith do at least a hundred times, I paced across the wood planks. “I can’t ask either of them to die for me.”
Jane eyed me like a cat stalking a bird on a fence. “Perhaps…” She let the thought trail off, folding her hands in front of her and sitting up straight. “I can’t be sure, of course…”
“What?” I stopped pacing. “You have an idea, don’t you?”
“There may be another way.” She tapped her chin with her index finger. “I can see it working, in theory at least. But as I said, I can’t be certain—”
“Tell me!”
Jane flinched at my outburst then quickly smoothed out her features. “I’ve just sent them to seek the aether, and if your story is true…”
“It is.”
She ignored me. “If your story is true, the aether did, in fact, send the Fairchild boys hurtling through time to find you. If you could somehow convince one of them to stay behind…”
I almost laughed at the ridiculousness of her suggestion. “I’d never be able to convince either of them to stay behind.”
“But perhaps you could…” Jane watched me intently. “Strand him in the past so he can’t follow. He would be allowed to live out his life, perhaps even find a measure of happiness, although without his soul mate. And that alone could prove difficult for him. He would eventually die of old age, thereby ending the soul bond in your lifetime.”
“In my lifetime?”
“Well, without a willing sacrifice, the bond would carry into the future, but this would certainly slow it down.”
“So let me get this straight…” I went back to pacing. “I’d have to either do the impossible and convince one of them to stay behind…”
“Or trick him.”
“Right. Or trick him into staying behind to die of old age. Alone.”
Jane nodded solemnly. “Yes.”
“And how would I do this? I have no idea where I’d find them at any given time. They jumped for over a century before landing in Maine.”
“You would need to merge your consciousness with that of your past self in another time. The combination of your soul and his will create a beacon allowing us to intercept him.”
My eyebrows shot up my forehead. “Whoa, hang on. Can I get an instant replay on that, please?” Time seemed to grind to a complete halt. “You want me to do what?”
“I would send your current consciousness—your memories, your feelings, everything that makes you who you are—into the physical being of a past version of yourself. A past life, if you will. It does seem quite unbelievable when spoken aloud, I must admit. And I’ve never tried it before, but with the right spell, I believe it is possible.”
“How would… what if something went… would I even be able to get out?”
“Yes, of course.” She patted my hand. “The spell is only temporary. I couldn’t merge you permanently if I wanted to. You’d have a day at the most before traveling to the next place.”
“From what I understand, all this time travel stuff is pretty complicated. You didn’t even believe me last time we talked about it.”
“Yes, well, that was before I realized Aunt Bess’s blessing had gone so horribly wrong.”
“That’s an understatement.”
Jane shot me a scowl. “How were we to know Lady Fairchild carried two babies?”
“Yeah, I guess ultrasounds are out of the question in the seventeenth century.”
Jane screwed up her face. “All-tra sounds?”
“Never mind.” I righted my chair and sat down again.
“I’ll need to gather a few items before we begin.” Jane stood.
“Wait.” I held up my hands in front of me. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Why?”
“I love Laith. I really do, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about Maddox anymore. I don’t know if I can doom him to a miserable existence like that. I’d have to take his stone and leave him somewhere without a way to leave. That’s pretty cold-hearted. He’d… God, he’d never forgive me.”
Jane leaned over me, bringing her face uncomfortably close to mine. “I imagine he would be hurt, but Ava, you can’t have them both. If they won’t decide, you must. This cycle will repeat itself until someone puts an end to it.”
“Do I have to decide now?” I grabbed the corner of my borrowed shirt, twisting the coarse linen between my fingers. “Can’t I think about it for a while?”
“You may do as you like. I have no idea how long before the situation escalates. At least one girl has already died. How many more must die before you see the urgency? Will it be you next?” Jane released a breath and backed away from me.
Her words cut me to the core, and I took a steadying breath while I considered my options. “I’m going back to Laith. I need to at least talk to him about it. Maybe I can… I don’t know. Maybe if I give Maddox a chance…” I couldn’t finish the thought. I knew better. Neither one of them would choose to stay in the past if it meant losing me. And if I was honest with myself, I wasn’t ready to lose either of them.
“Go back.” Jane squeezed my hands. “Search your heart. Speak to the one you love. I have faith in you, Ava Flynn. We’ll see each other again as we have before. Many times over, I suspect.”
“What do you mean?” The shock of her statement was like a slap in the face. “Are you saying… we’ve met before? In another life?”
“I suspect we’ve met in many lifetimes, though I can’t give you specifics.” Jane turned away from me, a faraway look in her eyes.
The blood drained from my face. “How is that possible?”
Jane shook the fog from her expression and let out a delicate laugh. “Souls aren’t only bound to their mates. My aunt wasn’t fond of the Greeks, but much like Plato suggested, we are naturally drawn to the same souls, time and time again. And yours has a particularly strong draw for my family.”
“Because of the curse?”
Jane raised her eyebrow. “Because of the blessing.”
Right. Because everything seems to go back to that damned blessing.
Chapter Eighteen
“Laith!” His name ripped from my throat the instant my feet hit the glossy hardwood floors in his living room.
Home. Exhausted, I collapsed onto his sofa with a groan. I didn’t care if my clothes were wet or if I’d most likely get blood on the expensive leather. I’d never been happier to see a piece of furniture in all my life. Curling onto my side, I hugged the seat cushions like a long-lost lover. I didn’t think I’d ever make it back. My bones ached. My skin burned. My stomach contracted from being empty for so long. My body throbbed in places I’d forgotten I had. I craved a hot shower, clean dry clothes, a huge pepperoni and sausage pizza, and…
And Laith.
My temporary euphoria faded, and I bolted upright. Where the hell is he? Other than the low hum of the electricity, the house was dead quiet. He should be storming the room, screaming at me for putting myself in danger, making me beg for forgiveness. I would too. I’d totally beg. Kissing me senseless. But he wasn’t.
“Laith?” With the slightest tremble in my voice, I called out his name.
No response.
Once again, my fingers itched to check my phone for messages I knew wouldn’t be there. “Hey, are you home?” Maybe he was sleeping. In the middle of the day? I gnawed on my lower lip as I crept up the stairs.
Maybe he left, packed his things and hit the road. Or maybe he went to see Capone again, put himself in danger because I’d broken his heart. Maybe he was dead in a ditch, all because of me and my selfish need to fix things… My subconscious taunted me with all the possible scenarios as I made my way to the bedroom.
Fear wriggled its way under my battered skin. The bed was rumpled but empty. Did he really leave? I wouldn’t blame him if he had. I’d abandoned him to run headfirst into the unknown, putting my life and his future at risk. And where had that gotten me? God, I’m such an idiot.
A muffled crash startled me out of my thoughts, and I took off toward the sound. Laith’s oversized boots thundered down the stairs as I ran. I probably should’ve called the police, but self-preservation flew out the window when I heard a low moan and a string of curses coming from the library. “Laith?” I shouted his name as I burst into the room.
Laith sat on the floor, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. Dark blood crusted around a deep gash behind his ear.
“Oh, my God!”
Laith’s head shot up, and he locked his eyes with mine, gaping at me like he’d seen a ghost. “Ava?”
“You’re hurt!” My pulse pounded in my throat as I dropped to my knees in front of him. Taking care not to hurt him, I ran my fingers over the knot in his head, and they came back bloody. “What happened?”
He blinked at me as if he couldn’t believe his own eyes.
“Laith?”
Without a word, he smashed his lips to mine, knocking me backward as he stole the breath from my lungs. He latched onto my arms, sliding his hands upward until he’d captured my face between them. “You came back.” His lips moved against mine frantically, his heart slamming between us. “I didn’t think you’d ever come back.”
“I’m sorry.” My fingers curled into his shirt, dragging him closer. I never wanted to let him go again. “I got caught in traffic.”
Laith chuckled into my mouth. With one last press of his lips, he rested his forehead against mine, out of breath. Dark eyes darted back and forth between mine. “I should be seriously pissed off at you right now, but I’m just so relieved to have you back.” With one more lingering gaze, he surged in to steal another toe-curling kiss then released me to catch his breath.
Fighting against tears, I tried to explain. “I’m sorry. I had to at least try.”
“And?” For the first time since I got back, I saw the disappointment in his eyes. I shook my head, and Laith nodded, running his gaze over every exposed inch of me. “You look like hell.”
“Me?” I let my mouth drop open, gaping at his disheveled appearance. I’d been too worried about the blood to notice the rest of him. He hadn’t shaved in days. His wrinkled blue button-down hung open. And his jeans were ripped to shreds as if he’d used them to fight off a band of ninjas. “What about you? Not only are you hurt, but you look like you haven’t slept since I left. Your jeans—did you climb into a cage with a bear?”
“Not quite.” He shrugged, brushing the hair back from my face and feathering his lips over a tender spot on my cheek. “What about you? Did you piss off a wet cat?”
My fingers shot up to trace the scratches. “I think it was an apple tree, actually.”
“And this…?” Laith leaned forward and kissed the bruise on my temple.
“That was a mound of dirt near the stable. They really need to clean up that path.”
“Hmm.” He nodded again, kissing every visible bump and bruise as if cataloging each one. Once he’d run out of wounds to kiss, he fastened his lips to the pulse point in my throat. “Your hair’s all knotted, and you smell bad.”
My lips curved at the corners. “But you still love me.”
“Forever…” His lips found mine again, kissing me until my toes curled.
Crawling as close as I could, I wrapped my legs around his waist and rested my head on his chest. He heaved a contented sigh, his heart stuttering beneath my ear.
“I thought I’d lost you.” His voice cracked, and he tightened his arms around me.
“I’m here.” We sat there on the floor in the middle of the library for several minutes. Until that moment, I hadn’t noticed the overturned chair, the shattered lamp, or the dozens of books lying open on the floor. “What happened in here?”
“My brother.”
“Maddox?” Against my will, my body responded to his name, but this time, fear accompanied the butterflies.
The muscles in Laith’s jaw tightened until I worried it might shatter. “The one and only.”
“I can’t believe he did this to you.” I jerked my head back to search Laith’s eyes. “That’s so not—”
Laith let out a cross between a groan and a growl. “Please don’t say that’s not like him.”
I dropped my eyes to my scraped hands. “Laith—”
“Are you kidding me?” Laith leaned away from me, taking his warmth with him. Shock registered on his face. “After everything he’s done, you’re still defending him?”
“No! I’m not. It’s just…” Laith was right. I’d seen Maddox’s violent streak more than once. But reconciling what my heart wanted to believe and what my brain knew was true didn’t come easy. I shook my head to clear the cobwebs. “I believe you.”
“I don’t need you to believe me.” Laith ran a hand through his hair. My hesitation had hurt him. “I need you to trust me.”
“I do trust you. With my life.” I fingered the spot on his head again, making him wince. “Sorry. Guess I don’t have to ask if that hurts.”
Laith barked out a humorless laugh. “I’d like to say you should see the other guy, but unfortunately I am the other guy. He totally got the jump on me.”
“When?”
Laith stared out the window. The midday sun cast shadows across the floor. “Like an hour ago? Maybe? I’m not sure. I think I lost consciousness for a while.”
An hour? I’d just missed him. What would’ve happened if I’d been there? The question I hadn’t wanted to ask burned the tip of my tongue. “What happened?”
His shoulders tensed. “The usual. Maddox showed up looking for you, didn’t find you, bashed me in the head, and left.”
“Why do I think there’s more to it than that?” I searched his face for answers, but he kept them locked behind his eyes.
He shrugged as if it was nothing, but I could tell the altercation had shaken him. “He knew you had my stone. I tried to convince him to take me with him to search for you, but he decided he’d rather leave me here to rot.”
“Did…” My stomach rolled, and I had to swallow down the bile as Jane’s words came back to me. Strand him in the past so he can’t follow. Did Maddox know? “Did he say why?”
A dark chuckle rolled up his throat. “He’d hoped to strand me far enough in the past that I couldn’t come for you. He didn’t want me dead. He wanted me to suffer. If he’d succeeded…” Laith scrubbed a hand over his stubble.
“Hey.” I held his face in my hands. He looked so helpless staring down at me. “I’m here. I have your stone. I’m so sorry I took it without asking, but I’m back now. You won’t be stranded anywhere. Not without me.”
Laith nodded, blinking back tears. “I nearly went crazy not knowing where you were or if you were okay. Maddox was so convinced you’d left me to find him, I almost let myself believe him.”
My mouth dropped open. “How could you believe that?”
“Trust me. He believed enough for both of us.” He slipped his fingers between mine and squeezed.
As much as it killed me, I knew I had to stop Maddox before he hurt anyone else I loved. I had to follow through with Jane’s plan. But first, I had to tell Laith. “I saw the witch.”
Laith paled, and his hand twitched in mine. “Bess Floyd?”
