Dark Matter (36 page)

Finn pulled Cassie aside and whispered
in her ear. I was thankful he hadn’t actually said it out loud.
Cassie’s eyes flew wide. “No way! I will not let you do this. There
has to be another option.”

I sighed. “Apparently not. It’s okay,
Cass. I know what I’m doing.”

“
I don’t think you do. You
don’t want Heath. You couldn’t. You risked everything to escape
him, yet now you’re suddenly willing? I don’t get it.”

Instead of being offended, Heath just
laughed. He tugged on my hand and pulled me over by the fire.
Facing me, he reached for my other hand. His fingers were warm and
gentle against mine. My stomach erupted in spastic
butterflies.

He didn’t look smug. No taunting light
shone in his eyes. In fact, he was acting blasé about the whole
thing as if he wouldn’t mind being someplace else.

I felt anger creep up my neck. I
expected more of a reaction from him. “You don’t have to do this,
you know.”

He cocked his brows. “Backing out
already? I wondered how long it would take you.”

I squeezed his hands. “Not on your
life. Let’s get this over with.”

“
Boy, those are the most
romantic vows I think I’ve ever heard,” said Roger. “Does anyone
even care that Rayla is already married to me?”

“
Shut up,” said
Finn.

Roger let out a huff, but he didn’t say
anything else. Finn and Levi stood on either side of me and Heath.
They lifted their faces to the sky, speaking in unison. “This
Elemental gives herself freely to this lord. Accept our solemn
witness. Bind their souls in strength.”

Who were they talking to? I shivered
with an understanding that hadn’t hit me before. Unlike what had
happened with Roger, I was literally going to be tied to
Heath.

I opened my mouth, but shut it when I
saw the look in his eyes. I was surprised to see uncertainty in
them. Was he just as afraid of this as I was? That couldn’t be it,
but he was trying to hide something from me.

Heath pushed my hair away from my face.
“I give you all that is mine.”

He laced his fingers into my hair and
pulled me against him. My heart leapt at his touch. I was so
confused. He’d been nothing but a pain in my backside from the
moment I met him, but he had come for me. Anticipation suffused the
air around me as if everyone in our small group was holding their
breath. I stepped closer to him and clasped a hand behind his neck.
I had no idea if I was supposed to say anything so I decided to let
my actions speak for me. I pulled his face toward mine, fully
intending to be in charge of this show. To my utter surprise he let
me do it.

When our lips touched, I sighed,
feeling as if I had just stepped into a warm shower after a hard
day. Light exploded behind my eyelids and my skin tingled from head
to toe. I felt the charge of the elements seeping into me, igniting
a part of me I hadn’t known existed. Heath was there in my mind
waiting at my door even though we both knew he didn’t have to. I
opened it uncertainly and he took my hand. Instead of stepping
inside, he guided me out.

I studied his handsome face hardly
believing what was happening to me. I started shaking when he
pulled me closer. “It’s okay, Rayla. Relax.”

I knew I was changing but I wasn’t sure
how. My body felt like a stranger’s home. “What’s happening to me,”
I asked him breathlessly.

He shook his head kindly. “Don’t over
think it. Just let it flow. I will explain everything when the bond
is complete.”

I found myself back in my body,
blinking my eyes open. Particles of light enveloped us in swirling
strands of golden splendor. They tickled when they touched my skin,
the soft kiss of tiny bubbles bursting.

Heath slid his hand down to the hollow
of my back, pulling me even closer. I lost all awareness other than
the amazement of being in his arms. A growing warmth blanketed me.
My chest felt full of something that I didn’t know much about. Was
that what joy felt like? I sank into him feeling as if I could fly
to the moon.

This was nothing like our previous
kisses. The sensations were glorious, pure, unguarded passion not
the dark uncertainty of lust.

His feelings mingled with
mine.

He did care about me. He had only been
worried about—

And just like that our connection was
severed. What was happening? Had he pulled away from me at the last
moment? Had he changed his mind again?

I might as well have gotten off a
rollercoaster for how steady I felt. With all my will, I tried to
shake off the emptiness that slithered through the cracks in my
heart.

Before I could gain any sense of time
or place my head exploded in excruciating pain. The noise of it
rocked the mountain. It came again and again—a ratcheting pounding
that threatened to send me to the depths of unconsciousness. From
somewhere deep inside, I realized the wailing was outside of
me.

“
Rayla!” someone was saying
urgently. I knew that voice, so why couldn’t I figure out who he
was?

I blinked at the face that was inches
from mine. It was familiar, but not. If I hadn’t recognized the
sound of his voice, I wouldn’t have known it was him. His eyes were
almost swollen shut. His lips were parched. His glorious blond hair
had been sheared to stubble and his sea blue eyes looked wary. He
was badly disfigured. Cuts covered his skin, and his nose looked
like it had been broken…several times. “Luke?”

His body collapsed around me in a heavy
sigh. “I wasn’t too late.”

“
For what?” I asked, still
feeling dazed.

He looked at someone that was standing
over his shoulder. “Why is she acting like this?”

I heard a growl. “What do you expect,
you idiot?” said Heath. His voice sounded thick with emotion. “You
should know better than to interrupt the bond.”

“
Heath,” I said softly. Even
his name felt like a prayer. I had been this close to pure ecstasy
before our connection was severed. I wanted that feeling again. I
turned toward him, but Luke kept me pinned against his chest. “The
feelings will fade. They are not your own.”

Heath’s face came into focus. “Don’t
listen to him, Rayla. You are mine. Remember that.”

His words felt right, but something
within me shied away from him. Had Heath been using a compulsion on
me? I hadn’t thought he was, but he was capable. I caught his gaze,
but he glanced away sharply. Why wouldn’t he look at me? Did that
mean he was guilty?

Cassie bent toward us. Her face was a
mask of rage as she turned her smoldering stare on Luke. “If you
hurt her—”

“
She’ll be fine,” he said,
lifting me to my feet.

My head lolled to the side, and I
couldn’t keep my eyes open very well. “What’s wrong with me?” I
asked.

Luke led me to a fallen log and helped
me to sit. “Give it a minute.”

I brought trembling fingers to his
bruised face. “Where have you been?”

He grimaced. “Ainessa captured me early
in the game. She kept me in a cell underground for some time now. I
can’t be sure exactly how long.”

I touched a trail of dried blood at his
temple. Tears stung my eyes. “I’m so sorry. I tried to find out
where you were, but they kept me locked up…”

He shook his head. “You should not even
be here.”

“
I heartily agree,” said
another familiar voice.

“
Zach!” I attempted to stand
up, but I was too dizzy. He was okay. A little worse for the wear,
I realized, when I took a better look, but he still had his swagger
when he walked toward me.

“
In the flesh,” he said with
a grin.

“
I hate to interrupt this
touching reunion, but hadn’t we better get her out of here?” asked
Heath with something dark in his tone.

I glanced at him. Our eyes touched
briefly before he looked away again. I hadn’t missed his pained
expression. I had never wanted to hurt him, but that was exactly
what I was doing. The fact that he wasn’t fighting this only proved
that his feelings for me were superficial.

I had been wrong to ever think it was
anything more.

Bursts of light exploded in the
distance capturing my attention. “What’s happening?” I asked,
trying my best not to let my face show how deflated I
felt.

Heath came closer, positioning himself
between me and Zach. “Seems Ainessa hit the self destruct button;
just like her to run from a fight.”

I glanced at Luke. “How did you get
out?”

He shrugged. “She left when she found
out the fae army was on the way. Without her here to protect them,
the Order has also started evacuating.”

“
Lacey!” I yelped. I
scrambled to get to my feet and started toward the
compound.

Zach grabbed my arm, halting me
mid-step. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“
I have to help my friends,”
I said sternly.

“
It’s too late for that.
They’re gone by now.”

I pulled my arm out of his grasp. “Stop
bossing me around. You are so freaking controlling!”

He frowned, looking at me as if he
didn’t know me. Maybe he didn’t anymore.

Zach’s mouth was set in a firm line.
“I’m only trying to protect you.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. If it wasn’t
for his insisting I stay in Ignis, I wouldn’t be in love with
another man. Had I really just thought that? I shut my eyes tight
and focused on calming myself. I didn’t have time to deal with my
messed up emotions right now. I still didn’t even know if they were
my emotions anyway.

I had people to save. “I’m not doing
anything until I make sure my friends are okay. If you want to
come, be my guest, but I don’t want to hear another word about
ditching them. I’m not leaving here until I know for sure where
they are and what has happened to them.” I wasn’t certain exactly
what I was going to do to stop the lords from taking me back to
Faeresia if they wanted to. I hadn’t forgotten that both Zach and
Heath had the ability to transport me into the fae
realms.

To my great relief, Roger piped up,
“Where were you supposed to meet them?”

“
They should have come to
get me at the cottage. Maybe I didn’t give them enough time.” I
hadn’t stayed there more than ten minutes before I ran. “They could
be there now looking for me.”

Heath stepped forward, “I’ll take Roger
and check it out.” He pointed at me. “You stay here.”

Yeah right. Didn’t he know me at all by
now? I stepped in line behind him.

He turned around and shook his head.
“Luke, come get her.”

Fire erupted from my fingers. “Just try
to make me stay here.”

Surprised was the only word to describe
his expression. He glanced behind us. “I could use a bit of help
here.”

Zach and Luke flanked me. Great. I
didn’t think I was strong enough to fight off all of them. I’d be
lucky if I could manage one at the moment.

“
Don’t tell me the mighty
Heath is afraid of a battle,” Zach said tauntingly. He winked at me
and my mouth fell open before he turned his attention ahead of
us.

Mighty Heath? What was that all
about?

Heath whirled around. His features were
expressionless. “If she gets hurt it’s on you.”

Zach gave him a nod that I was sure
meant something more than what lay on the surface.

We marched through the forest hardly
making a peep. The sounds of destruction intensified the closer we
got to the cottage. I covered my nose to keep out the acrid stench
that tainted the air. We weren’t all that far from the compound and
I was finally able to see what was going on. The whole place was an
inferno.

My gut clenched when I considered what
could have happened to all those girls. Had they been taken away on
the boats, or would they have been deemed expendable and left
behind to be devoured by insatiable flames? I glanced back at
Roger. He was as grimfaced as I felt. I knew he cared about Lacey
even if he wouldn’t admit it.

The cottage was dark, the back door
still open. I just prayed they were inside.

It felt odd to have Zach and Luke here
with me now. I had been so consumed with the desire to rescue them
that I hadn’t considered how awkward it would be when I finally saw
them again. I was beginning to think I had romanticized the
experiences I’d had with them.

Zach reached out and took my hand as if
he knew that I was doubting everything I felt about him. His
fingers were warm against mine, reminding me of when he had held me
in the hospital when Cassie was hurt. It seemed so long ago now,
again, as if I had lived a different life. Was that what the Order
had done to me?

Not to be outdone, Luke nestled my
other hand into his. This was ridiculous. Zach let go of me and
shoved his hands into his pockets.

I studied his slumped shoulders and
downcast eyes. Was he already giving up on us?

It would certainly make my decision
easier if he was no longer interested in me, but was that what I
wanted?