Torn (A Wicked Trilogy Book 2) (36 page)

Panic exploded through me like buckshot, and I shot straight up in bed. For a horrible series of seconds, I thought I was back in the other bedroom, locked away and waiting for the prince to show. I’d reached for my neck, feeling for the metal collar.

Ren had woken to find me sitting up and feeling my neck like a freak, and he seemed to know what was going on inside my head. He’d wrapped his arm around my waist and eased me back down beside him.

“You’re here,” he’d whispered into the dark room. “You’re here with me.”

I’d eventually fallen back to sleep, and I slept like the
dead
. There was a good chance I didn’t move once. I might have even snored. I don’t know. I just remember listening to Ren’s calming voice, and then when I opened my eyes again, daylight was streaming into the room, and I was alone.

Rolling over onto my side, I winced as my muscles ached and protested at the movement. I noted how that was different from all the other times I’d woken up after such a deep sleep. The difference was, I had fed those times. But I didn’t want to look too closely at that. Not right now.

I scanned the room, my gaze landing on the sofa in front of the TV. My heartbeat sped up as I saw Ren rising and turning to me.

Relief was etched into every line of his face. “Hey there,” he said, approaching the bed. “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to wake up.”

Feeling a little dizzy, I sat up and pushed the matted strands of my hair back from my face. “How long have I’ve been sleeping?” My voice was hoarse.

Ren sat on the bed next to me. “You woke up on and off the first night, but once you fell into a deep sleep, you slept straight through yesterday and last night.”

“Geez.” I dropped my hand, clearing my throat. “I didn’t mean to sleep that long.”

“It’s okay. You needed the rest.” Reaching over, he gathered my robe together. The material had fallen open, giving him an eyeful. I hadn’t even noticed. A slight flush traveled down my throat as he found the tie and redid it. His voice was thicker when he spoke. “Everyone understands that.”

“Sorry . . . for crying all over you.”

“Never apologize for that. Ever. You want to cry all over me again, I’m right here. I don’t want to be any place else.”

My gaze traveled over the black thermal he wore and how it stretched over his broad shoulders, and then I moved my gaze up to his full lips that had said such amazing words to me. My eyes met his. There were shadows of worry under them. “You love me,” I blurted out, and then immediately wanted to staple my mouth shut, because that sounded so dumb.

His smile traveled up to his eyes. “That sounds about right.”

Those words wrapped around me like a warm, soft blanket. Ren loved me. That hadn’t been a dream. None of this was a dream.

“You have something you want to say to me?” he asked, tone teasing. “I think there is definitely something you want to say to me.”

A grin tugged at my lips. “I don’t have anything to say.”

His brows rose.

The grin was slow to turn into a smile, but it did. “I love you,” I said.

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Leaning in, he brushed his lips over mine. I tensed just a little, still half-afraid I’d inadvertently start sucking his life force out of him, but he wasn’t worried. He stayed right there, his mouth hovering over mine. “I do wish you were awake yesterday just to bear witness to what I saw.”

“What was that?” I asked, resting my forehead against his.

He placed his hand next to my leg, supporting his weight. “Tink fashioned some kind of leash for that cat of his.”

“Dixon.”

“Yeah, Dixon. I saw him outside in the garden yesterday. Your window looks down on it. He was walking the little thing, but that’s not the random part,” he explained. “Tink was back to his other size. You know, bite-size height. He was flying and walking the kitten. I’m pretty sure he was also naked. Too far up to make out any details, thank God.”

A giggle parted my lips. “Dear lord, when that cat gets bigger, it’s going to eat him if he stays that size.”

“One can only hope.” He laughed as I drew back. “Just kidding. He’s kind of growing on me. Like a fungus.”

“Nice,” I murmured, relaxing.

Ren kissed my cheek and then leaned back. “You feel up to talking to anyone today?”

“Of course,” I answered at once.

His eyes searched mine. “You sure? You can take another day. I can grab you some food. They got cable in these rooms. We can find some movie and just chill.”

While that sounded amazing and I honestly would have loved nothing more, the world was still churning outside. The prince was still out there. Nothing was going to wait around. “I’m fine. I just need to shower. I feel like I need to wash a layer of sleep off me.”

“You look beautiful,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “I think you need your head examined.”

“Nope.” He paused. “After you shower, we’ll grab something to eat and then we’ll meet up with everyone. Okay?”

His steady gaze snagged and held mine. We still had a lot to cover. There were a lot of details he didn’t know. Details I needed time to come to terms with myself and time to share.

“Okay,” I said.

I closed my eyes as Ren kissed the tip of my nose. He pushed off the bed, and I got up after him. My legs felt a little wobbly as I grabbed the bag Tink had brought me and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

I wondered if Tink was out walking the kitten naked again.

Taking a quick shower, I stepped out and dried off. I rooted through the bag, finding a pair of worn jeans and a long-sleeved green shirt. I got dressed and then gathered up my wet hair, twisting it into a knot.

Steam had evaporated from the mirror, and I caught sight of my reflection. I stopped right in my tracks. It was the first time I’d seen myself in days. I barely recognized the girl staring back at me.

There was a streak of red still in my left eye, which reminded me of someone infected with the zombie virus. My face was paler than normal, and a bluish bruise stretched along the side of my jaw. I looked . . .

Haunted
.

Definitely not beautiful. That was kind of Ren to say, but there was a bone-deep exhaustion in the unforgiving shadows under my eyes, and a wariness in my blue eyes that hadn’t been there before, not even after what had happened to Shaun, Holly, and Adrian. It mirrored the coldness inside me that had dug its claws in.

Now was not the time to think about the cause of all that. I grabbed the bag and pried it open, realizing Tink hadn’t brought any of my makeup. There was no camouflaging this hot-mess express. Maybe I could sneak a trip back to my apartment. I had to. There were not enough clothes to get me through a week.

Ren was waiting out in the room, sitting in the chair, flipping through a magazine when I stepped out. Something occurred to me then. “Did you stay here the entire time I slept?”

“Mostly.” He closed the magazine and tossed it onto the coffee table. “Tink stayed while I left to get a change of clothing, but I showered here. Didn’t want you to wake up alone.”

Oh.

Oh man, that was sweet.

“Hell, I almost forgot.” He stood up and reached inside his pocket as he walked over to me. “I think you’ll want this back.”

My breath caught. Ren held out my necklace, the four-leaf clover dangling from his fingertips.

“The chain was broken, so I got you a new one.” He unhooked the clasp and draped it around my neck, securing the clasp.

The moment the tiger’s eye hit my chest, I had to press my lips together to stop from crying like a baby all over him again. I placed my palm over the stone, feeling a relief that couldn’t be described. Four leaf-clovers were not easy to find, and the process the Order took to preserve them was unbeknownst to me. Having this necklace back was a godsend.

“Thank you,” I told Ren.

He said nothing as he curled his hand around the nape of my neck and drew me to his chest. We stood there for several moments and then he kissed my forehead before drawing back.

“You ready?” Ren extended his hand, and I took it without hesitation.

I was as ready as I would ever be.

~

“This is so weird,” I whispered to Ren as we walked down a long hall on the first floor. We’d just gotten done eating breakfast in the cafeteria, eating with fae who apparently didn’t feed off humans.

“Tell me about it.” Ren’s hand squeezed mine. “It’s only been me these last couple of weeks. It takes a lot to get used to.” He paused as we passed a fae woman and a young child who was staring up at us with wide eyes. The woman, I assumed the child’s mother, smiled faintly in our direction. “Going from hunting them down to eating dinner with them and sleeping in the same building with them is a trip.”

It most definitely was, especially when I’d been with the kind of fae that were more likely to punch you in the face than smile timidly at you.

Ren stopped in front of a pair of double doors and knocked. A second later, the right side swung open, and there was Brighton.

“Ivy!” She folded her arms around me, squeezing tightly. I was a little stunned. I don’t think we’d ever hugged before. “I’m so glad to see that you’re okay,” she said.

I patted her back awkwardly, swearing I heard Ren chuckle. “It’s good to see you.”

She drew back, her blonde hair swept away from her face. “Come in. Everyone is here.”

Glancing back at Ren, he winked at me. Alrighty then. I walked into what reminded me of a corporate boardroom. There was a conference table at one end of the room, next to a credenza stocked with liquor. A huge desk sat at the other end, in front of a window overlooking the street.

I saw Merle and Faye, happy to see that the former was alive and well, but my attention was snagged by the male fae rising from the desk. Everything about him was a shock to the system.

He was older, his dark hair salt and peppered. Fine lines creased the silvery skin around his ears and mouth. In human years, I would’ve pegged him to be in his sixties, and I had never seen a fae that old before. Never.

Holy crap, he was aging just like a human.

Ren placed his hand on my lower back. “Ivy, this is Tanner. He runs this place.”

The male fae smiled as he walked around the desk and extended his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Ivy, and that the mission to retrieve you was a success.”

In a daze, I reached out and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“My real name is a bit unpronounceable, but Tanner is a good abbreviation of it.” He laughed as he squeezed my hand. “You look a little shocked.”

I checked out his ears just to make sure they were pointy. “I . . . I’m sorry. I’m a little out of it.”

“Understandable,” he replied smoothly. “And I also understand that it must be a shock to be here, around my people.”

I nodded slowly.

“You’ll find that a lot of things about us will come as a shock,” he added, dropping my hand.

I nodded again.

“As Faye explained to you, this is a safe haven for fae who have the same principles and moral compass as we do,” he explained. “We do not believe in feeding on humans, and as such accept our much shortened lifespan. Once upon a time, we used to work side by side with the Order. Unfortunately, our joining did not last very long.”

Merle muttered something under her breath, but I couldn’t make it out.

“Our ancestors left the Otherworld, because they didn’t agree with what the ruling court was doing. They were killing our world and turning all of us into monsters. We did not come here to do the same to your world,” he explained. “And we will do everything to ensure the prince and those who follow him do not succeed.”

“Most of the fae here are descendants of the summer court,” Brighton explained. “They started escaping before the gateways were closed because they were being hunted.”

“Hunted much like your friend Tink and his kind were—hunted to near extinction,” Tanner said. A wistful look crossed his face. “He is the first brownie I’ve ever seen, but my parents spoke of his kind. What you’ve done to save him is awe-inspiring.”

I glanced over at Ren.

He rolled his eyes.

I grinned.

“The fact that you took care of him, healing him when he was injured, and kept him hidden told me that we could trust you.” Tanner inclined his chin. “It is also how we knew we could trust Ren.”

It’s a good thing Tanner didn’t realize the antagonistic nature of their relationship. Something completely random occurred to me. “Did you guys try to seek me out before this?” I asked.

“No,” Tanner replied. “Why do you ask?”

I glanced at Ren. “Before . . . before the whole thing with the prince, a fae followed me into a parking garage in the city. Where you parked that Monday night? I was looking for your truck,” I explained. “Anyway, he didn’t do anything. Before he got the chance, a female fae showed up, killed him, and then literally impaled herself on my dagger.”

Tanner blinked. “That was not us.”

“Any idea what could be behind that?” Ren asked.

He shook his head. “I will put some feelers out. See what I can find out.”

I turned as Merle approached me from the side. She looked calmer than the last time I’d seen her. Her blonde hair was smooth, and her eyes were alight with curiosity and intelligence.

Merle clasped my cheeks. “Did he plant his seed?”

I cringed. “Can you never phrase it like that again, ever?”

“Did he?” she demanded.

“No,” Ren answered, standing beside me. His hand was still on my back. “We got her out in time.”

Merle’s eyes held mine. “I need to hear her say it.”

“Merle,” Tanner said quietly.

She ignored him too. “We need to know for sure.”

“He didn’t,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat. “I swear.”

“Good.” Merle smiled, and then hugged me before stepping back. “I would’ve hated to have to kill you.”

My eyes widened.

“Mom,” exclaimed Brighton from where she stood by the table.

“What?” Merle shrugged as she walked over to one of the chairs and sat. “If she was carrying the prince’s child, we would have had to kill her. It’s a fact.”