Twisted Scars, page 14
Or could I?
An idea flashed in my mind. A dangerous idea. One that, if it worked, would change everything, and there would be no going back from it. That was if it even worked. The chances I could pull it off were slim, not to mention dangerous. But I didn’t care. If there was something I could do to save her, I had to try.
I peered into Wren’s eyes, but she didn’t seem to see me. “I’ll fix this,” I promised, brushing my thumb across her cheek. “You’ll see.”
She sucked in a shallow breath, and then her blue eyes dulled before rolling sharply back in her head. Her chest stopped moving, and just like that she was... gone. I could hear Misha behind me tugging his bonds in a desperate attempt to get to Wren. I turned. His frantic eyes met mine.
There was so much I wanted to say. That I was sorry, that I would try to save her. But what if I couldn’t? It was better to not give him false hope. So I shook my head once before turning back to Wren and lifting her unmoving form into my arms.
“Wren! No!” Misha screamed as I started carrying her away. “Leave her the fuck alone!”
I paused and shook my head. “I’m sorry, Misha, but I can’t do that.” I strode away from him to the nearest clean room, but his screams followed me.
“I’ll kill you, Darshan! I’ll fucking kill you!”
I stopped in front of a door and shifted Wren’s weight as I punched in a code. I felt my fingers shake from adrenaline laced with fear, but also from the pain of Misha’s words. Because Misha didn’t make idle threats. He meant what he said, and his last words followed me, echoing in my mind even as the thick steel door closed between us.
“You’re dead! Do you hear me, Darshan? You’re fucking dead!”
I knew I might deserve the death he wished for me, but right now, Wren’s life depended on my own. I laid Wren down on the steel table, ignoring the restraints and the drain for washing away blood. It wasn’t a hospital table; it was more like a coroner's table. A room for cutting and slicing. A table used to take life, but maybe—just maybe—this once it would be a table where life was restored.
I leaned over Wren’s still form and touched her neck, searching for a pulse. But there was no light fluttering under my fingertips. Her heart had stopped, and she was gone, drifting between this world and whatever came after death. There wasn’t much time left then. If I didn’t act now, it would be too late.
I closed my eyes and drew on my power. I dragged it up from my veins and into my chest. I drew and drew, pulling and pulling and pulling on every last drop I could feel flowing through me. I pulled until my chest burned and my limbs felt heavy and ached with power. I felt like a bomb about to explode as I laid my hands over Wren’s chest. I closed my eyes for a single second, steeling myself before I released it.
Wren’s body jerked, her back arching off the table as power radiated through my palms, seared through her flesh, and shoved itself into the wound in her chest. Her veins flashed and her skin glowed as the power shot from me into her.
My eyes rolled back in my head, and I screamed as I pushed the power into her. My hands were fused to Wren’s chest as I used my mind to knit her back together with my own life force. Pain ricocheted through my body, and my throat burned from the screams ripping themselves from my throat, but I couldn’t pull my hands away. Someone was pounding on the door, but I couldn’t open my eyes to see who it was. I couldn’t see anything but a small silver thread that was forming in the back of my mind and sewing my soul to Wren’s. The thread weaved and tugged, drawing her into me and me into her. Binding us, making us one. Until… it was finished.
My eyes snapped open. The wound in Wren’s chest was closed, but I couldn’t see if she was breathing. Wesley stood in the now open doorway, his eyes wide with shock. He opened his mouth and said something I couldn’t hear. I opened my mouth, but my knees buckled, and I was falling. My head hit the side of the table with a sharp thunk, and stars flashed behind my eyes as I fell to the ground. I tried to move, but my limbs weren’t cooperating. I felt myself fading… floating away… until I was surrounded by a bleak blackness with no way out.
I woke up in my bed. My head was throbbing, and my chest ached. I moved to sit up when arms grabbed mine, forcing me back down.
“Give yourself a minute to adjust,” a female voice spoke.
My eyes widened as I took in the wild hair and freckles of my friend. “Sia?” I gaped at her. Alessia was here? “How—”
She shrugged. “I came back. I couldn’t leave you to deal with your mess all on your own, now could I?”
My throat filled with emotion as I stared at her, afraid if I blinked, she’d disappear. “How? Wes—?”
“Thinks the Resistance took me against my will and found my way back.” She shrugged.
“He believed that?”
“I didn’t come back right away. After all hell broke loose here, I hid out in the city for the last day and a half. It must have been convincing enough.” She shrugged. “Besides, with Lynn dead, he needs all the help he can get.”
My jaw dropped. “Lynn’s dead?”
“Yup.” Alessia grinned shamelessly. “Apparently Greta ripped through her ribcage, and I’m pretty sure she ate Lynn’s heart out.”
“Greta...?”
“The girl who was captured with Manny.”
“And Wren—is—is she…”
“Alive?”
I nodded.
Alessia shook her head, disapproval clear on her face. “Yes, thanks to you and your stupidity, she’s alive.”
I sagged back into my pillow. “Good.”
Alessia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “What were you thinking?” she asked. “You could have gotten yourself killed.”
“Well, I didn’t,” I pointed out.
“But you could have.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered.”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
I closed my eyes and rolled on my side, turning away from her. “With all the things I’ve done… I deserve whatever comes my way.”
There was the sound of shuffling feet, and then the bed bounced painfully as Alessia threw herself across it. She reached over and lifted my eyelid with her thumb and stared at me. “You’ve made some mistakes,” she informed me.
I flinched away from her. “Getting people killed can’t be labeled ‘mistakes’.”
“You weren’t the one who killed them.”
“I practically put the weapon in their hands.”
“You did,” she agreed. “So what are you going to do about it?”
“Do?” I rolled onto my back. “What can I do?”
“Well, you can’t go offing yourself now. If you die, Wren likely dies along with you. Or did you forget that little detail about soul-linking yourself to another person?”
I hadn’t forgotten.
Alessia scooted closer, resting her head on my chest, as she wrapped an arm around me. She was squeezing me painfully tight. I didn’t deserve her as a friend. The fact that she could stand to even touch me after everything—
“You’ll have some time to figure out how to make amends while you heal, and then we’re leaving,” she said.
I blew a strand of hair out of my face. I really did need a damn haircut. “Leaving?”
“Wesley and The Council have decided that for now, this house is no longer safe for us. We’re going to stay at The Mountain for a while.”
The Mountain? Jesus, that place was a fortress—actually, a castle built solidly into the side of the mountains. No human knew it was there. It was cloaked and even Psi could only find it if they knew the exact coordinates. Why were we going there?
“The Council is currently located there, and they want to speak with you.” Alessia seemed to read my thoughts. “And they want to meet Wren. I’m assuming they have their own plans for the two of you.”
I groaned and closed my eyes. Plans. I was not looking forward to finding out what those were.
I sat at the large stone table, my hands folded tightly in my lap. There was a damp chill in the air. One that seemed to always be present at the castle. I stared off at the far wall, my eyes glued to a small window that looked out on the mountains. Snow drifted lazily behind the glass. It was beautiful, and yet, I didn’t get to enjoy it because I had to sit in this room and apparently have my life decided for me.
“Darshan, did you hear what we just said?” It was my mother who spoke from her Council seat directly across from me.
“I heard you,” I said, but I didn’t look at her as I spoke.
“Do you have questions?” Her voice held a heavy dose of exacerbation as she spoke. I wasn’t sure what she had to be annoyed about. She wasn’t the one whose entire future was being decided for them.
I clenched my jaw so tightly it ached as I slid my eyes to hers. “What’s the point? Nothing I say will have any sway on this decision, will it?” My eyes drifted to the other members of The Council, who sat around the table in eager silence. I stopped at Wesley, who leaned back in his chair, his elbows propped on the arms and his fingers joined with their counterpart in front of him. He lifted a single brow at me, and I wanted to shove my fist in the smug bastard's face. He was disgusting. I’d raised my complaints about his methods with my mother as soon as I’d seen her, and she’d merely told me to mind my place.
Whatever the fuck that meant.
“This is what’s best for everyone,” a woman’s voice spoke, and all eyes turned her way. Despite the cold, the woman wore a simple linen dress, and her grey hair was long and twisted into a simple braid. She looked like an old hippy, and yet, every person in the room deferred to her as her piercing grey eyes assessed me. She was, after all, the most powerful Psi in the room—in the world, even. She was the Chairman or Chairwoman.
“Our people need to see a win, and this will be something that brings hope to all during these troubled times.” She spoke as if she were speaking of throwing a parade, which maybe this was to her. A political parade.
“With all due respect,” I spoke through gritted teeth, “In my opinion, forcing two people to marry is hardly a ‘win’.”
“Darshan!” my mother hissed from across the table. I was embarrassing her. Well, fuck her! If she couldn’t care about her children more than this, I couldn't care less about her fragile ego. In the time I’d seen her since being brought to The Mountain, she had said nothing of children or orphans needing protection. She said nothing of dark times or troubles ahead. She seemed like she couldn't care less about anything but my sister’s upcoming nuptials… and now apparently mine.
The Chairwoman’s mouth curved in a slash of a smile, and she cocked her head. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Darshan. But like you said just a moment ago, nothing you say will have any sway on what we’ve decided. You will do this, end of discussion. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
She smiled brightly. “Good, now before we let you leave, there is one last order of business.” She nodded to Wesley.
“Darshan,” Wesley spoke, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from sneering in his direction. “During your training to become Caretaker, you showed how far you are willing to go for the truth and how dedicated you are to The Council. You have also shown exceptional leadership skills with your students, and they all are excelling and are more prepared than we ever could have hoped.”
“Prepared for what?” I asked before I could stop myself.
Wesley waved a hand. “A question for another time. For now, we want you to know that all you have done has not gone unnoticed. I knew you were strong, and I knew if you set your mind to it, you would be ready for this role.”
“What role?”
“Commander.”
I frowned. “Commander of what?”
“A Commander in our army, of course.” Wesley’s mouth curved into a wide grin. “You, my boy, have proven that you can lead and train and that you’ll be a great leader in our armies when war is upon us.”
I choked out a laugh. “You want me to help lead an army? I have absolutely no military training.”
“You have the training and abilities we need. The rest you will pick up quickly, I’m sure,” the Chairwoman said. “Your uniform will be sent to your room, and there will be an induction ceremony within the next few weeks. When the girl is well enough to attend. We want her seen at the celebration.”
“But—”
“That’ll be all for now.” She cut me off with a sharp look. “You’re dismissed.”
I felt frozen to my seat, my mouth ajar as I tried to understand what the hell they were thinking. I was about to ask that very question when a sudden stab of shock jolted me in the back of my mind, and I winced.
What the hell…?
“Are you quite all right?” Wesley asked, and I realized I was holding my head.
“I’m fine.” I straightened and got to my feet. I looked to the Chairwoman and nodded. “Thank you for the honor.” I tried my best to sound sincere, but I was pretty sure I was failing horribly.
She nodded, seeming pleased with me falling in line.
Then I turned and left the room.
I walked away from the meeting room at a casual pace, but once I rounded the corner, I broke into a sprint. I bounded for the stairs, taking them two at a time until I made it to the third floor. The air was chilly on the third floor, but I barely noticed. My mind was burning with confusion that wasn’t my own, and I winced at a sudden burst of shock.
I reached Wren’s door and found the guard who was meant to be watching her nodding off in his chair. I gripped his shoulder, and he jolted awake.
His eyes widened as he met mine. “Sir.” He jumped to his feet, nearly falling over in the process.
“I’ll be here for a while. Why don’t you head to the kitchens and get yourself a cup of coffee?” I suggested.
His face flushed. “I’ll be fine—”
“I insist,” I said. “Please, things might get… angry in there in a moment, and it’s best you’re not here to witness the verbal ass-whooping I’m about to receive.”
His brows lifted. “Sir?”
“Finding out she’s been soul linked without her permission is bound to be upsetting.”
“Of course.” He nodded. “I’ll come back in half an hour?”
I smiled. “Perfect.”
After he left, I stood outside the door with my hand hovering over the handle. I leaned my head against the thick wood. She was going to be furious; I knew this. But I hadn’t expected the panic clenching my chest.
“Oh my god!” Wren’s voice drifted through the door and jerked me out of my worry.
I pushed the door open to find Wren leaning heavily against the windowsill, the window wide open and Geoff, one of the Psi who worked as a guard at The Mountain, sitting on the ledge in his hawk form. I eased the door closed behind me and leaned against it, watching her.
Wren was leaning past Geoff, peering out the window at the snow and mountains beyond. Her head shook, and I could feel the shock mixed with confusion and fear that she was feeling in my mind. “How—”
“Did we end up in this shit storm?” I spoke for the first time, and she whirled. Her eyes were wide, and I saw the sharp breath she inhaled at my sudden appearance. I crossed my arms. “That’s a damn good question.” I nodded to Geoff. “I can take it from here.”
Geoff gave me a slight nod before flapping his wings and soaring off into the crisp, snowy air.
“What…?” Wren watched him, her eyes widening with sudden understanding. “Was that thing watching me?”
I gave a sharp nod. “From now on, it’s best to assume that someone will always be watching you.”
She opened her mouth like she was about to say something, and then her eyes widened further until they were two blue orbs that seemed to take up most of her face. Wait. I heard her say the word in my mind, and then her legs gave out and she dropped to her knees on the cold stone floor. I resisted the urge to rush to her side, knowing from experience that she didn’t love being touched when she was angry, and she was about to get really freaking pissed at me.
“What did you do?” she asked as she grasped her head like it pained her. “You’re—”
“In your head?” I stepped hesitantly towards her. “Yeah. You’re in mine too, by the way. It’s delightful.” I rolled my eyes. God, it was the complete opposite of delightful. To think some people did this on purpose.
“What the hell did you do, Darshan?” Wren’s eyes burned as she glared at me.
What did I do? “I saved your life. You’re welcome, by the way,” I snapped.
She shook her head again, and her panic washed over me, causing my heart to thunder in my chest like the emotion was my own. I gripped my head and winced.
“How could you?” she asked.
I felt the leash of my patience fraying as I scoffed, “How could I save your life? You didn’t give me much of a choice when you stabbed yourself, did you?”
Wren groaned and gripped her head, and I felt flashes of fear and pain as she remembered what had happened at the Psi house. Each emotion was like being punched in the gut. It felt sharp and sickening. I eased down onto the small bed and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“You could’ve just let me die,” she whimpered from her spot on the floor.
“No,” my jaw clenched as I said the word, “I couldn’t have.” I knew she believed I was a monster. How could she not when I believed that about myself? So maybe that explained how she could think I could ever let her die. Maybe I should have—maybe it would have been better for her than being pulled deeper into this war, but like I said, I was a monster, and monsters were selfish creatures. I didn’t want to lose her. So I didn’t let her get lost.
Wren lifted her head and finally looked at me. Tears brimmed her eyes as she asked, “Did Misha and the others get out?”
I felt a twinge of jealousy at her question, but of course she’d want to know. She loved him, after all. Him. Not me. “Yes,” I answered.
The relief that washed over me was instant, and somehow it felt worse than the panic. Maybe I should have lied and told her he hadn't. Maybe it would take all that was to come and make it a little less… fucked up. Or maybe it would make her hate me more than she already did.
