Defiance Rising (14 page)

I release my hold on the motor and grip the edge of the boat as it rocks in the rising waves, careening out of control.
 
The soldiers hesitate as they glance between me and the swirling vortex overhead.
 

“What’s she doing?” The lanky alien cries.

“Playing with your head,” Red Eye grunts and pushes his partner forward.
 

A blast of wind hits the honey-eyed alien with the force a battering ram.
 
I can hear his ribs crunch as he flies out of the boat and smacks into the choppy waves nearly twenty feet away.
 
He sinks fast and without a fight.

I stare down Red Eye.
 
Instead of fear in his eyes, I see pure, unadulterated rage.
 
My stomach begins to twist as violently as the clouds as a funnel dips to the water’s surface.
 
With an explosion of mist, a waterspout forms.
 
The winds beat against the hull of the boat as I huddle down low.

Red Eye grunts as he’s tossed off his feet by the rising waves.
 
I swipe my water-drenched hair back from my face as I wrench the motor around to steer directly toward the tornado.
 
The alien’s head whips around and, for the first time, I detect fear in his dilated pupils.
 
“You’re insane!”

“Just figuring that out, huh?” I shout back, fighting to hold the boat steady.
 
A stinging pain grows just above my heart and travels toward my shoulder.
 
I grit my teeth and ignore the new tattoo carving its way into my flesh.

“You’ll kill us both!”

I nod.
 
“Probably, but then again, I’ve got a feeling you’re not man enough to stick around and play chicken with a tornado.”

With a menacing scowl, he swears and leaps over the side of the boat.
 
He bounces twice, tossed like a ragdoll, and sinks beneath the waves.
 
I watch for a second too long and scream out as the motor is ripped from my hands.
 
The world careens around me as the boat slams into a wall of water and hurls me out.

Pain envelopes my body as I slam into the lake’s surface.
 
I gasp for breath, fighting the pull of the swirling water as the clouds retract, silencing the tornado.
 
Everything hurts as I fight back to the surface.
 
My arms feel heavy and intolerably weak.

I dig and pull against the water, fighting to remain above the choppy surface.
 
Glancing at the shoreline, I realize I’m out too far.
 
I don’t have the strength to make it.

I pump my arms, spinning in a circle in search of the boat, but it’s nowhere to be seen.
 
It’s probably sinking to the depths of the lake by now.
 

“Help!” I scream, choking as water laps over my face.
 
I spit out the glacial water and scream again until my throat is raw.
 

I can barely feel my feet or my fingers.
 
The weight of my clothes is too much for me.
 
I embrace the exhaustion and feel sweet relief, knowing that my struggle is about to be all over.
 

Twelve

Wet hair whips about my face, tangling in my eyelashes.
 
I can feel lake water clinging to my skin as frigid winds nip at my face and bare legs.
 
My arms and torso are concealed within a warm, soft material I can’t quite place.
 
If feels almost like a coat, but I know I didn’t have one on.
 
I sway, moving in rhythmic motions as strong arms hold me close.
 

I try to remember where I am and why I’m being carried.
 
My thoughts are jumbled as my eyes flutter open.
 
I stare up into the dense treetops and see that night hangs thick over the forest, the moon glowing dimly behind the clouds.
 
I become aware of aches spreading the length of my body.
 
My lungs feel like fire in my chest and I feel incredibly weak as well.

What happened to me?
 

“Easy,” a deep voice soothes.
 
“You’re safe now.”

I roll my head and look up into my savior’s face, shrouded by dark shadow.
 
It’s hard to make out any definite details.
 
His scent is strongly masculine, tinged with pine and smoke.
 
His arms are strong, easily carrying my weight.
 
I close my eyes, overwhelmed by the effort it takes to think.

“That was quite a spill you took back there.”

I shiver, unsure if it’s from the cold or from the resonance of his deep voice.
 
“Thank…” I frown, forcing the chattering of my teeth to cease.
 
“Thank you.”

His teeth appear to glow in the darkness.
 
I can barely make out the fullness of his lips as he smiles.
 
“You’re welcome.”

I wish I could see more of his face, but he remains infuriatingly veiled as he shifts to focus on our path through the woods.
 
I reach up and rub my head, feeling a rather large bump over my temple.
 

Time seems irrelevant as I pretend not to stare at him.
 
I fight back against the exhaustion that weighs me down.
 
My curiosity over my guardian angel is too much for me to let go.
 

Strong calloused hands grip the back of my knees as he clutches me to his chest.
 
His powerful body propels us easily through the woods.
 
He never slows and never seems to fatigue.

“Who are you?”

His head tilts down as a wide grin stretches across his face.
 
“Wow, you must’ve hit your head pretty hard back there, Princess.”

“You!” I weakly struggle to be free of his grasp.
 
“Put me down, Bastien!”

“Not gonna happen.”
 

I fight to pull my fragmented thoughts together as I arch my back to make it harder for him to contain me.
 
“I’m warning you…”

A deep rumbling laughter vibrates in his chest as his arms clamp down on my legs.
 
Too weak to resist, I buckle and collapse against his chest.
 
“You’re going to get yourself hurt.
 
You nearly drowned a few minutes ago, so chill out!”

What had been an invigorating encounter has turned into a complete annoyance.
 
“Please?”

I can feel each muscle in his abdomen constrict as he chuckles.
 
“Still pathetic.”

I cross my arms over my chest and fume silently.
 
I refuse to let him see how much it hurts me to do so.
 
The muscles in my arms scream with pain and my back is beyond agony.
 
A sharp stabbing pain radiates through my skull making me wish I’d remained unconscious.

“You left me.”
 
Perhaps I should be thankful that he pulled me from death’s grasp, but all I feel right now is the sting of his betrayal.

His fingers tense around my arms as his stride lengthens.
 
“I knew you’d make it out.
 
You’re a fighter, you’re resourceful, and judging by that little display back there at the lake, I’d say you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself.”

“Apparently not,” I grumble as I wriggle in his arms.
 
It’s hard not to think about how solid he feels against my arm.
 
His strength is surprisingly pleasant.

My legs twitch involuntarily as sleep begins to snatch me away.
 
Bastien glances down at me as he moves in and out of the moonlight.
 
“You should rest.
 
There’ll be plenty of time to hate me later.”

“I’m not done with you yet,” I yawn.
 
My eyes grow heavy and I realize Bastien has added a bit more sway to his step, to rock me to sleep.

As my eyes flutter closed, I think I hear him whisper, “I sincerely hope so.”

When I rouse again, I instantly notice the difference.
 
The biting cold is gone, along with any sign of a wintry gale.
 
Flickering firelight dances along a gray stone ceiling overhead, which melds seamlessly with stone and trails to the floor that I now rest upon.
 

I swivel my head to take in my surroundings but halt when I find Bastien lounging against the far wall.
 
Self-consciously, I duck further into the oversized woolen sweater that envelopes me.
 
I tuck my knees up inside it, to hide my bare legs.
 
It’s only now that I realize how little I’m actually wearing.
 
“You undressed me?”

He shrugs, tapping his fingers against the wall at his sides.
 
“You were freezing.
 
I had to get you warm.”

Simply said, but the implication of his mischievous smile burns in my cheeks.
 
Butterflies dive bomb my stomach as I cast him a guarded look.
 
“Where are my clothes?”

“Back at the lake.
 
I plan to go back for them once I know you’re alright.”

“Did you look?” I demand.

He smirks.
 
“Now wouldn’t you like to know?”

My low growl only produces a wide grin, which infuriates me more.
 
“I didn’t really see anything.”

“How could you not?
 
I’m practically naked.”

I’m surprised when he looks unsettled.
 
There’s something lurking in the depths of his eyes.
 
Admiration?
 
Perhaps, but if I were to bet my favorite dagger on it, I’d say that it’s tortured longing that stares back at me.

I look away, worried that if I keep openly staring at him I might give him the wrong idea.
 
Or the right idea.
 
My waterlogged brain can’t seem to sort through the stunning man standing before me with the grimy vagrant I met back in the City.
 

His hair is clean, a contrast to the grungy matted hair he had the first time we met.
 
I can actually see the raven’s wing color tint in his hair.
 
His face still sports light stubble, but it looks well kept.
 
His pants, although still wet from his dive in the lake, look free of stains.
 
It’s amazing what a proper bath can do for a guy.

“I thought you were just a dream,” I mutter.

“Do you always dream of handsome guys rescuing you?”

“Hardly,” I scoff, rolling my eyes.
 
“Besides, I never said you were handsome.”

He gives me a knowing wink.
 
“You didn’t have to.”

I scowl and rub my cheek against the neckline of the sweater.
 
It is soft against my wind burned cheek.
 
I blink, finally registering that Bastien stands before me completely and utterly shirtless.
 
I look up and instantly wish I hadn’t.

My gaze roams over the hard planes of his chest.
 
When I dip lower to take in his wet pants, I flush and stare fixedly at the floor.
 

“Like what you see?”

“I’ve seen better,” I snap, purposefully meeting his direct gaze head on.
 
It’s true that Eamon is nice to look at, but he’s got nothing on Bastien.
 
I bite my tongue and silently berate myself for even noticing Bastien’s looks.
 
“Aren’t you cold?”

His muscles shift as he shrugs, but I refuse to show any reaction.
 
“You need the sweater more than I do.”

I’m tempted to rip it off and prove to him that I can handle the cold just as well as he can, but the thought of being practically naked in front of him, while conscious, is more than my pride can bear.
 
Instead, I tuck my hands under my arms and lean back against the wall.
 
“So where are we?” I ask, looking around the small space.
 
A small bundle of twigs rests against the far wall.
 
I spy two overstuffed burlap sacks near the back of the cave.
 
My stomach growls at the thought that they might contain food.
 

I let one hand drop to my side and curl around the blanket I sit on.
 
It is thin and patched, but provides a satisfactory barrier between the floor and my skin.
 
A small cloth bag has been stuffed to create a makeshift pillow.
 

“You living here now?”

His mood darkens as he looks toward the cave entrance.
 
“It’s homier than the subway car.”

The sharp edge to his voice betrays his emotions.
 
Bastien has never lived in the woods before.
 
I can only imagine how difficult this transition must be for him.
 
“I’m sorry you had to leave.”

“It was bound to happen sooner or later.
 
I’d just hoped to make it until summer.”

I drop my gaze and tuck my arms around my calves as I press my cheek to my knees.
 
The silence is thick between us, but not uncomfortable.
 
“Thank you for saving me, twice.”

He clears his throat.
 
“Yeah, it’s no big deal.”

I shift to give my tailbone a break from the unforgiving floor and wince as the wool sweater grazes my side.
 
Bastien is on the move before a gasp fully crosses my lips.
 
His kneels before me and reaches for my side.

His face hardens as I bat his hand away.
 
“You’re hurt.
 
We have to clean your wound or it’ll get infected.
 
I would’ve done it earlier but I was more concerned with getting you warm.”

“I’m fine,” I insist through gritted teeth.

I hardly see the flash of his hand before he cups my side, squeezing.
 
I cry out and tears sting my eyes.
 
“Fine, huh?”

I gulp down my cries, fighting for a credible defiant glare.
 
Bastien pulls his hand back and shakes his head.
 
“You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”

A pained smile pinches the corners of my lips.
 
“I’ve been accused of that a time or two.”

I half expect him to start lecturing me like Eamon or Toren would in this situation, but instead his familiar smirk settles into place.
 
“I like that.

“Really?” I blink, shocked.
 
“Most people hate that about me.”

“That’s a shame,” he says walking over to kneel beside one of the burlap sacks.
 
He opens the neck of the bag and rummages through the contents.
 
“I find it rather appealing when a girl’s not afraid to speak her mind.”

I blush through the entire palette of reds before he shifts his attention back to me.
 
I drop my gaze as Bastien approaches with a small bottle and cloth in his hands.
 
He sets them down beside me before disappearing through the cave entrance.
 
He returns with a handful of snow.

“Oh no.
 
No way!
 
I’m not letting you play doctor on me!” I hold out my hands in protest.