Amaranthine (Willow Shadows Book 1) (18 page)

CHAPTER 19

K
halida opened her eyes to see Luke’s worried blue eyes burning deep into hers. She gently brought her hand up to the side of his face, softly grazing his cheek. The pain that shot through her body was too much to handle as a soft grunt escaped through her lips. Khalida had felt that a Mack truck hit her going full speed as the memories of the night before rushed back into her mind. Her eyes dampened, and she turned her head away from Luke so he wouldn’t see the tears falling down her face, but she was unable to stop the sobs that were now escaping from within. She could fell Luke’s arms wrap around her and his soothing voice whispering to her in a language that was still unknown to her. The sound of his voice and the words he spoke calmed her as he gently kissed her forehead. She buried her face into his neck, pulling him closer, holding him tightly.

“I miss her,” she whispered softly.

“I know you do, Khally. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stop this from happening,” Luke replied, regret hung in every word he spoke.

Khalida pulled back, looking deeply in his saddened eyes, “This isn’t your fault,” she tried to reassure him, her heart breaking because she knew he held her mother’s death as his responsibility.

“I hate seeing you hurt like this. We did everything we could to save your mom, but it wasn’t enough,” his voice was raspy as he spoke, breaking eye contact with Khalida, causing the strings on her heart to pull tighter.

For the first time, Khalida saw doubt spreading across his face as his shoulders dropped, chest heaving heavily, eventually pulling away from her embrace.

No way am I going to let him pull away from me, not now when I need him so much
.

“I love you,” was all Khalida said, her words were simple and pure.

Luke looked at Khalida in silence for what seemed like hours before he finally spoke. His dark blue eyes turned a lighter shade of cobalt, and the doubt that was once present in his eyes was replaced with taunting arrogance.

“I know you do. I love you,” Luke replied as he ran his hand down her thigh.

Once, again, his touch sent the ever present warm flood of butterflies throughout her stomach and warm electric streams gliding throughout her body. A smile formed at the edges of his mouth as he realized what the effect of his touch was doing to her, but still not in the mood, he sighed and lifted his hand from her leg.

“Your birthday is just a few days away,” he said, changing the subject and breaking eye contact as the words left his mouth.

Khalida’s eyes filled with tears once more as the memory of her mom and the knowledge that this would be her first birthday of many that would be without her. Memories of Fatin soared through her mind as she relived the events that had taken her from Khalida’s life making her wonder if she could have done something different, something that could have saved her.

“There’s nothing that could have stopped this,” Luke looked at her, “she lived her life, she didn’t hide. We all knew what the consequences of taking a stand against the Ubil’s were and what they might bring. I’m sorry it was your mother but she was brave, even at the end.”

Khalida’s ears started ringing, and loud voices boomed deep within her head. She covered her ears, trying to ease the overwhelming pain. Closing her eyes, she tried focusing on the sounds that were running through her ears. She heard the blowing of the leaves and the swishing of the trees outside and the soft tussle of the leaves as they blew across the ground, the wind scattering them all about. The loudness lasted a few minutes, but as it calmed, she slowly pulled her hands away from covering her ears. With concern in his eyes, Luke moved to her side as she began to sit up in the bed.

“You shouldn’t get up right now. You need your rest,” he suggested, slowly pushed her back onto the pillow, making sure he was careful with her as if she were a porcelain doll.

Khalida looked at him, his heartbeat singing loudly to her, drawing her to him more closely than ever. He laughed softly as she pulled him to her not wanting to release the hold she had on him as her head rested on his chest.

“Now, you know what I have been going through for months,” he replied smugly.

“What do you mean?” Khalida looked up at him innocently, still not understanding the depth of what just happened.

“Your hearing is becoming sharper, so your transformation is nearing its end.”

“You went through this for months?” she was dumb founded.

“No, that isn’t what I said; however, what I am saying is that you are hearing my heart beating for you, calling to you in a sense. That’s what happens to blood bonded soul mates. Our hearts call for each other. It was torment for me, having your heart calling for me knowing you couldn’t hear mine reaching out for you. The sound of it draws the other in like you’re lost until you find your soul mate. Even as I sit here, your heart softly calls for me.”

The sound running through her ears pulled to Khalida but she was lost, she only wanted to be near him.

“When we are apart, I feel your heart calling for me, pulling me towards you. I can feel if you are scared or hurt just through the beating of your heart. That’s how I found you last night. I heard you getting further away from me but I assumed you were still on the premises, just getting some air. All of a sudden, it was gone, too far for me to reach. I went looking for you and didn’t get worried about finding you until I could feel that you were scared. It scared me. I didn’t know if I could find you before it were too late.”

Khalida said nothing as he spoke, she just listened to the sound of his heart, and it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. He gently brushed his lips against hers, pulling her away from his chest. She could hear the pace of his heart beat as it peaked during their kiss and a slow smile escalated across her face.

“Don’t look so smug.” he said arrogantly, as he smiled, “yours is about to pound out of your chest.”

She laughed as he looked at her, his eyes dancing, laughter threatening to pour from him.

“I worry about you, Toot.”

“I’ll be fine,” she murmured as reality slammed back into her mind, again, like waves crashing against the embankments of the ocean during a hurricane, “I just need some time,” were the only words she could manage to muster.

“Don’t push me away, Khalida,” he said softly, placing her hand over his chest.

She pulled her hand away not wanting to have this discussion with him, at least not at this moment. All she wanted was everything to go back to being normal and to have her mother beside her. Khalida didn’t want her transformation to happen. She didn’t want to be the reason for anyone else to get hurt. She rolled over, forcing some much needed distance between the two of them. Luke silently rose, and all she heard was the door closing behind him as he left the room. Finally alone, emotion escaped as she sobbed uncontrollably, burying her face in the pillow.

How many more people will get hurt because of me? I can’t allow anyone else to get hurt because of me.

Thoughts swirled through her head, rippling and tearing away at the confidence she once held. One thing was painfully obvious, she had to be stronger, and weakness was no longer an option. She had to get prepared for the show down that she would not be able to avoid. She had to figure out a way to get her head on right, and she had to do it without losing Luke in the process.

CHAPTER 20

T
he next couple of days flew by for Khalida as her new future took hold. She distanced herself from everyone in the house, including Luke. She trained with Razi and Luke by night, growing stronger as each day passed. As she trained harder, she withdrew more and more. Luke patiently waited for her to come back to him. He could feel her through their bond. Khalida was taking all her anger and pain and throwing it into her training. It was the only way she could release everything that she was keeping bottled up inside of her. He knew determination drove her like a moth to a flame. Khalida didn’t know much at this point in her life, but the main part of the Ubil clan was still out there, that much she was sure of. She no longer had desperation or fear dwelling inside of her as she grew stronger. There were moments of peace and a feeling that Braedon was far from her, but there was always a darkness lingering in the background, and she was sure whatever it was taunted her with its presence. Her birthday was less than a week away, and she had little time to get prepared to battle whatever darkness was coming her way.

Sleep wasn’t much of an option, anymore. Khalida’s body became so tired she would just collapse from exhaustion. Most nights she would lie awake at night, staring up at the ceiling, reliving the moments of her mother’s death over and over until she felt she was on the verge of going mad. Khalida could feel Luke, knew he was calling for her, but she would shut out any attempt he made. There was just more to lose than she was willing to give up, Luke being the most important thing that she could lose, and that was a loss she was not willing to wager against.

As the days went by, Khalida’s abilities enhanced to the point Razi was even amazed with them. Her agility was rock steady and she carried a strength that even impressed Luke. Her ability to handle knives was what Razi called on kill target and she found them to be her favorite of all weapons. She was even strong enough to take on Vega which surprised not only her, but her best friend as well. Defense moves were drilled into her mind from the beginning but as time passed, she found being the attacker came natural as she stalked her intended victim, preying on them before they realized she was no longer defending herself but taking control in a calculating and aggressive manner.

Khalida had a new found freedom in the ability to leave the house on her own without a babysitter. She could always feel Luke around her as she walked down the street, but she knew that was only for his own peace of mind. Each time she walked, the distance got greater, but after a couple walks, Khalida found that running was a great release. It helped just to feel the wind against her face and the ground beneath her feet. Her legs were leaner, carrying more muscle just as the rest of her body became more defined.

She decided to go for a run the day before her birthday, grabbing her iPod with the latest downloads of her favorite music and strolled down the driveway. Khalida knew Luke and Razi were off on some covert mission, so this run would be just her, and she found that fact comforting. Her feet pounded against the pavement with every step she took. Controlling her breathing came easy now; she didn’t get physically tired or become out of breathe as she once did before she became abnormal and her transformation started to take place. The only downside to becoming a hybrid vamp was the fact that her eyes were super sensitive to the sunlight now, and she had to wear sunglasses until her eyes adjusted. Razi assured her it would only take a few days, but after that, she would be good as new.

Making her way down the street, she found her mind wandering over to thoughts of Luke. He had been so patient with her over the past few days, making sure he kept his distance, giving her the space that she had so badly needed, always putting her needs and wants before his own. Khalida was ashamed of how she had been so unfair to him. Khalida pushed him away, not giving into the emotions that floored her every time he was near. Her heart lingered for him when he was near, and her body wanted him close, but fighting all those urges only left her with empty feelings and a craving that only he could fulfill.

As her iPod shuffled to the latest from
My Darkest Days,
Khalida realized that the sun was going down and she had scurried outside of her normal routine, running to outskirts of her old neighborhood. She slowed down and planted her feet firmly when she realized she stood only a couple blocks from what use to be her home. Khalida had not returned back to this area since her mother was killed. Emotion coiled inside her stomach as waves of nausea crashed over her. Placing her hands on her knees, she hung her head low, trying to get a grip the heart rate and emotions that poured through, causing her to feel even more nauseated, pacing her breath until the feelings had passed and she could inhale more comfortably.

The papers proclaimed the house fire was an accident and that her mother was a victim of this terrible accident. Police tape blocked anyone from passing on the property. There was not much left, anyway; shambles of her home were broken down to ashes, and she stared in dismay at the mess that was once her home. Razi had clean up detail, going from door to door and catching people on the street, erasing their memories and replacing them with scenes of a fake accident.

I would have never guessed that he had the ability erase and alter memories. Luke can read minds I can’t imagine what Josephine can do.

Shaking out of her daze, she heard a soft rumble of thunder in the distance and noticed since she had begun her run, grey dark clouds had rolled in with the threat of a storm raging in the distance. The thunder grew closer as the wind picked up. Still, she stood unable to make herself move any further, not yet able to turn away. She just stared at everything that was familiar to her, knowing that nothing would be the same and everything continued to change. Hairs stood up at the base of her neck, and shivers crawled down her spine. Unable to ignore all the warning signs her body was gleaming off, she sensed someone had been following her and it wasn’t Luke. Blood rushed through her veins in response to the adrenaline being released, sending a chill of goose bumps on her arms. This was not the same feeling that came from Braedon. It was something or someone different, so she stood her ground, less willing to defend herself than she was to attack the sinister and eerie source that radiated around her.

Khalida showed no sign of weakness, her eyes still scanning the area as she looked for the cause of her sudden discomfort. The wind blew harder and shifted in swirls, sending her hair tossing all around her while lightning flickered above her head as the thunder rumbled with a hunger only she could sense. Minutes passed before she could feel the entity pull away, leaving her with only the words of a hiss. She turned around to head back to the house and ran smack into Luke. She never heard him sneak up behind her.

“Oh. My. God. Luke! You scared the crap out of me!” she screamed at him while slapping her hands on his chest.

He just stood there with a smile threatening to cradle along his lips, placing his arms gently over Khalida’s shoulder, pulling her to his chest, protecting her from the presence she knew Luke could feel. When she wrapped her arms around him, the fear that once crawled over her skin disappeared as she once relaxed into the comfort of his embrace.

“I missed you,” Luke said simply as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. She knew he was talking about the distance she put between them and tears filled her eyes.

“I’m sorry.” That’s all she could say. There had been no explanations about why she was pulling away. The warmth of his arms told her that he knew her reasoning, and he was willing to wait until she came back to him. He was willing to give her the space she so badly needed, but inside he knew that she would come to her senses, he knew she would always come back to him. Khalida tilted her chin up to look deeply into his gentle blue eyes wanting so badly to kiss him. His eyes danced knowing that her want for him was in full force. Her body melted into his as his lips gently grazed against hers. Her kiss was hungry and demanding more, and Luke’s kiss met hers with more necessity.

He wrapped his hands around her neck, kissing Khalida harder with a primal need that arose from within. Luke instantly pulled away as a low growl flowed from his lips.

“I think you are trying to drive me crazy, Toot,” his desire was instantly replaced with an arrogant calmness, refusing to let her have the upper hand so quickly.

Khalida couldn’t help but smile at his cool demeanor as she intertwined her fingers with his. Pulling her to him and wrapping one arm around her shoulders, they started walking back to the house, content to let the silence deafen them. There were no words passed, just the sound of their hearts racing. Half way home, Luke finally spoke, “You want to tell me what happened back there before I showed up?”

She fiddled with the right words to speak, but the truth was she had no idea what happened, “I can’t say for sure,” Khalida managed to say.

“Whatever it was apparently wasn’t happy that I showed up,” his face was hard, showing no emotion.

Khalida knew he was right. She wasn’t sure what was out in the woods but whatever it was, hate motivated it. And it was coming for her.