Dark Matter (25 page)

Gibbit’s expression turned hard as
though he was insulted. “No it don’t, and you can get that look off
your face because you ain’t getting no more.”

I hadn’t realized I was staring at his
hand. He gave me a shake of his head and a scowl before he buried
the thing back into the pile of whatever that was.

“
You ready?” he
asked.

I nodded vigorously. He blinked back
what looked like tears. I searched his face for some hint of what
he was thinking.

“
I’ve done all I can. I
can’t risk no more.” He hugged me quickly. “Go.”

“
Wait a minute. I thought
you were coming with me.” I understood his reasons, but I felt like
I was losing my best friend. “I don’t even know where the island
is.”

The sad expression on his
face deepened. “No but you know where
he
is.” He squeezed my hand. “Remember
this one thing and you might just have a chance—doubt is your only
true foe.”

I nodded, a tear trailing
its way down my cheek. I couldn’t ask him to risk his
life
,
and I
couldn’t go back to the fae realms and expect to get out again.
Even though I didn’t like it, I was in this alone. “Thank you for
helping me.” He smiled wider than I had ever imagined
possible.

I concentrated on my destination. His
small body began to fade, giving way to the weepy walls of Zach’s
cell. His scent filled my lungs. I recalled his vivid eyes, his
perfect lips, his tousled dark hair, his hands outstretched toward
me.

When I opened my eyes, he was there.
Real this time.

He didn’t stir at all. For one horrible
moment, I thought they had actually found a way to kill him. But
just then he sucked in a ragged breath and coughed. I rushed over
to him, falling to my knees at his side. He had several bruises on
his face and gashes all over his exposed arms and chest. I didn’t
dare touch him for fear I would make his pain worse.

He opened one swollen eye and a thin
smile spread along his lips. I smiled at him in return and shifted
my legs under me, brushing his arm as I did. He groaned.

“
I’m sorry,” I
whispered.

He shot upright, grabbing my shoulders,
but there was no strength to his touch. “I thought you were a
dream. What are you doing here? I told you to stay
away!”

“
I couldn’t leave you here.
Where’s Luke?”

“
I wish I knew. We were
separated and I was attacked. I came too in this room and they
haven’t let me out since.” His eyes shifted all around as if he
were hearing something I wasn’t. “You need to go.”

“
I am not safe anywhere,
Zach.”

He grabbed my arm. His fingers were
stronger than I thought they’d be. “You must find Finn. Bond with
him.”

He had to be delusional. “You don’t
know what you’re saying.”

He shook his head. I could see it was
painful for him to do it. “This is much more serious than I first
thought. You must do as I say!”

“
No!” I stood up, glaring
down at him. I was sick of people telling me what to do. I was not
going to bond with anyone until I was good and ready which may be a
big fat never.

“
Rayla.” His tone was
pleading, but I was not going to give myself to someone I didn’t
love. “Finn is the best choice. We have to protect you. Our very
existence is dependent on you.”

“
Finn is no longer
available, and I’ll be damned before I bond with Heath now.” I
tried to keep the hurt of his rejection from showing in my eyes. I
wasn’t sure what he had bargained for with Tabitha, but I didn’t
care. He could find another way to get it. “Don’t you want me
anymore?”

He sighed. “Find Jett then. We don’t
have time for this!”

I backed away from him, shaking my
head. “What have they done to you? You’re not thinking
clearly.”

“
You must get out of here!
They are working with her, Rayla.”

“
Who are you
talking—”

A tinkling laugh erupted behind me. My
stomach clenched with fear.

What other her was there?

I whirled around, glaring with all my
might. Ainessa stood there with her head cocked. Her green eyes
alight as if she had enjoyed watching our exchange.

I pointed at Zach. “How can you let
them do this to your own brother?”

She looked down dispassionately toward
him. “He lost the right to be called that millennia
ago.”

Zach rolled away from us without an
ounce of argument. Why wasn’t he fighting? He must have been in
worse shape than I thought. I took a step toward him, but Ainessa
grabbed my arm, halting me.

“
You will come with me,” she
said simply.

I planted my feet. “I’m not leaving
him.”

She smiled but there was no humor in
it. It was the most evil expression I had ever seen. “Suit
yourself.”

Before I could blink, she was gone.
That could not be a good sign.

A slow hiss filled the air. The light
bulb in the corner flashed a couple of times before dimming down to
a tiny spec. Blackness surrounded me, closing in until I couldn’t
breathe. I fell to the floor. Amorphous tentacles attached to my
skin and began suctioning what felt like my very soul from my body.
I heard a horrible scream come from across the room the moment
before my own drowned out the sound.

My muscles knotted and a spasm racked
my bones. I breathed through the pain, kicking and punching and
clawing at the unseen villain. It didn’t exactly feel evil. It was
merely the emptiness of nothing.

A void so large it could consume the
world…the galaxy…the universe opened up in front of me. The vortex
swirled as the tentacles drew me closer to the chasm. I couldn’t
tell if it was really happening or if this was my brain’s way of
processing something I couldn’t understand.

I found the strength to crawl over to
Zach. He was curled into a ball with his arms shielding his head,
moaning lightly. I reached out for him, but before I could touch
him he groaned so loud it startled me. His whole body started
glowing. Streaks of lavender light flowed out of him like wayward
streamers and were gobbled up by the blackness.

“
What is that?” I croaked
out.

He didn’t answer me. His moaning
started up again, or was that me? I couldn’t tell. I lay down
beside him, curling around his frame hoping to shield him. If I had
to die, at least I would be with someone I loved. I reached around
his shoulders and clasped his quavering arms.

The instant my skin connected with his,
the creature withdrew. I could feel it trying to gain a hold again,
but that little bit of respite sparked a hope so bright in me that
it filled the room with glorious light. A wail split the air before
the void collapsed in a thunderous clap.

I lay there confused about what had
just happened. Zach stirred and turned in my arms. He was trembling
slightly, staring at me in wonder. I didn’t know what I could do to
help him, but I reached my hand out to smooth the lines on his
forehead.

He slapped my hand away. “There is no
time for that. You need to leave before you can’t anymore. I don’t
know how you managed to do that, but I don’t need your help. I
don’t want you here.”

“
Zach!”

“
Go! Damn it!”

I stiffened. “I will not.”

“
You stubborn, pigheaded
girl. Don’t you get it? Once the Order knows you are here, they
will take you, use you and…hurt you.”

The pain in his eyes seemed only for my
welfare. How could I leave him here for that creature to terrorize?
Unlike me, he would not die from his sessions with the beast. He
would regenerate or whatever it was his body did.
Endlessly.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I
wiped at them furiously. I needed to toughen up. I wouldn’t be any
help to Zach like this.

I should have never come here alone. It
had been a stupid decision, but I had been so terrified of being
tied to Heath for good that I hadn’t dared risk going back to
Ignis.

For a moment, I considered trying to
find Finn and Cassie now, but I didn’t want to bring them into this
mess. I couldn’t just leave my family, either. I needed to get them
out of here. I needed to do so many things, but I didn’t know
how.

I looked Zach square in the eyes and
said, “I don’t care.”

He shook his head at me. “Why can’t you
just listen for once in your life?”

“
You haven’t given me a good
enough reason to leave you. I would go to hell and back for you,
Zach. Don’t you get it? I love you!” The minute the words escaped
me I realized they were a bit of an exaggeration. How much did I
really love him? I still didn’t know and it scared me to realize
that. I’d thought our connection was genuine, but now that I was
here with him, I didn’t feel the pull I had before.

When I thought about it I was sure I
cared about him. At least that was real. When we got out of here I
was going to insist that we date for a while before I made a
decision.

His expression changed. His odd eyes
shone with a light so bright it rivaled the sun. Yet it flickered
then died when doubt and fear that probably mirrored my own crept
into his gaze. “It won’t matter that you love me if they get
you.”

I clenched my fists. “What makes you
think I will let them?”

He smiled. “So you actually think
yourself stronger than me?”

I hadn’t meant it that way, but at the
moment I felt as if I could do anything…even save the world from a
foe they didn’t know existed. “What if I am?”

He laughed, but his body stiffened as
if the movement hurt him. He reached out and pulled me closer. “I
think you just might be, but it isn’t safe. I’m not telling you to
leave for any other reason than that they must not be allowed to
have you. It is too dangerous. We had no idea how powerful they
have become in such a short time. I don’t know how they have
managed to harness the darkness, but my sister is behind it. I
should have taken you the moment I found you, but I had to be
selfish and want a real relationship this time. It might just be
the undoing of my people, Rayla. Please, I need you to do as I
asked.” He slid a finger down my cheek, frowning. “The thought of
someone else bonding with you is unimaginable…but necessary. I am
not strong enough at the moment to do it myself.”

I gritted my teeth. “No.”

He didn’t even acknowledge my reply.
“Jafan is a good man. I know it is difficult to see in him, but he
would take care of you. We could still be…friends.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“I don’t want to be your friend, Zach, and Jafan is in love with my
mother—”

The door let out a ragged groan. I had
to make a decision fast. Zach was right about one thing at least. I
couldn’t stay with him. I had to get out of here, but I had no idea
where I should go. I didn’t think anywhere would be safe from
Ainessa, but I had to try.

I stood up and concentrated on my
favorite bluff back home. I could see the stone creatures below,
feel the hot wind blowing my hair around my face, smell the sultry
scent of the cedar trees, yet I wasn’t completely there. Something
was tethering me to the room on the island. My body burned with an
ache that ate at my muscles and bones. I focused harder, but it was
no use. The scene fizzled away, and I was left in that cold room
with Zach on the floor by my feet.

When I shook off the disorientation of
being in two places at once, I found the room crowded with men.
Some I recognized, some I didn’t.

Roger Wayne gave me a triumphant grin
just before his two man goon squad grabbed my arms, hoisting me off
my kicking feet. I glared at Roger wishing I had laser vision that
could melt the smugness of his face.

He was pristine in a navy suit that fit
him like a second skin. His hair was perfectly coifed and his nails
manicured. I hated him in that moment. He had obscene amounts of
money. The cash he paid for that suit alone could have fed ten
families in Mexico for a year. He could have done anything with his
wealth but instead of helping the poor and unfortunate, he was
trying to buy power.

I couldn’t see the appeal. What was the
point in having power if the people you ruled hated you?

He walked over to me and ran a hand
over my tangled hair. “You look as if you’ve been dumpster diving,
but I’m sure you’ll clean up just fine.”

I tried to yank my head away from him,
but found myself further sandwiched between his two guards or
whatever they were. He held my face firm in his hands and inched
closer.

The moment his lips brushed mine I felt
vomit stall in my throat. I gagged which made him step back. His
face held contempt for me when moments before he had been studying
me as if I were a living Picasso. His voice was ragged when he
spoke. “I am so revolting to you?” He clamped his fingers around my
jaw and twisted my face to where Zach lay on the floor. “Take a
good look, Rayla.” His fingers dug into my skin, and I yelped. “It
is your last.”