Dracian Legacy (22 page)

Axel struggled to defend himself, lying on his back, blocking the two Goarders’ sharp weapons from slicing him to pieces. A streak of blood ran down his bicep. He was hurt and there was nothing I could do.

Nothing.

Then, to my surprise and relief, Dean and the other allies joined the fight, throwing stars and magic at the unsuspecting Goarders, dematerializing them to dust.

Thanks,
Axel mouthed. Dean eyed him with a cocky smile.

Joshua, Elijah, and the others joined them, panting and swiping the sweat off their foreheads. They continued to clear out one room at a time, getting rid of all Goarders they came across.

Axel signaled that time was up. I turned around to follow, but got distracted when I saw a quivering dark figure in the corner of the room. Axel stopped beside me, unaware of my presence.

“Hello, Alexander,” she said in a weak tone. Then she glanced in my direction with a smile.

Could she see me? Who was she?

“Nala,” Axel breathed out.

Axel’s watch beeped. He tucked away the dagger and grabbed her limp body in both arms, securing her safely, and ran for it. I heard the first of the blasts not too far behind me. I ran down the stairs, following him into the awaiting river below.

I woke up screaming, patting myself as if my body were on fire. My breath came in labored gasps like hot air was shoved into my lungs. My hands went to my throat, coughing up smoke.

Thick. Black. Smoke.

My entire body was drenched in sweat and sizzled with burn marks. My eyes stung and hot tears flowed easily. I gasped between each sob.

What the hell?

A thousand needles stabbed my body. My chest contracted like I was about to have a heart attack. I placed my hand over my heart and shot out of the bed, still feeling it hammering against my ribs.
That felt too close, too intimate to be a dream.
I took a deep breath and before I let it out…

Joshua!
I ran toward his room. I knocked on the door, but he didn’t answer. A pang of panic overcame me.
Is it possible that wasn’t a dream? No, can’t be. I wasn’t…

But I knew. I just knew that something bad did happen. Every fiber in my body told me so.

As the time passed, the dream became foggy, but the panic tugged deep at my core. I ran back to my room and picked up my phone, hoping to see a missed call or text from Axel. Nothing. The clock read three a.m.

Oh. God. Nonononono.
He was supposed to call me. I tried to dial his number, only to select the wrong person several times. I threw the phone on my bed and wrapped my arms around my trembling body. I needed to calm down.

One, two, inhale. One, two, exhale.

After several minutes, I tried again.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

No answer.

I tried again.

And then again.

My breathing became shallower with each try. I ran down the stairs, tripping over the last step. I didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going. My body still itched like it had been burned. I needed something to cool me off… After yanking open the front door, I ran out into the yard. Everything around me turned blurry, like I was still dreaming. I screamed, falling to my knees, placing my hands on either side of my head, and cried, unable to control my sobs.

My heart felt like it was being ripped out, like someone punched a hole into my chest and grabbed hold of the beating muscle, twisting and pulling it out. I wanted to die. I would rather die than feel this pain.
Please let me die.
Then two strong arms engulfed me in an embrace.

“I’m sorry. I got here as fast as I could.” I knew that voice. Who was it? I didn’t care. All I knew was I was safe now. Safe in his arms. “I’m sorry, babe.”

He lifted me and before I knew it, I was lying in the warmth of my bed. I panicked, shooting up, grabbing his arm, urging him to not leave me alone.

“Please…” was all I said before he was beside me, wrapping his arms around my shuddering form, tucking me safely to his chest. Smooth, comforting coolness engulfed me like ribbons wrapping themselves around me, and the irritations on my skin began to calm.

“I’m here… I’m here…”

I sighed in response. Then blackness consumed me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I shot up from my pillow at the vehement sound of my alarm filling the room at a deafening volume. Feeling annoyed, I rolled over and hit the snooze button, still dazed. I almost shrieked when I realized I rolled back on top of someone. In the next second, strong arms pushed me forcefully enough that my butt connected to the floor with a thud.

“Ouch.” I grimaced.

I crawled to my knees, rubbing my hand over my sore butt, and peeked at the bed.

Figures!

“Dean Tristan Jensen.” Anger built up inside, the throbbing pain in my butt forgotten.

It’d been ages since I called Dean by his full name. Back in sixth grade, he provoked me to prove my bravery by placing an apple in the middle of my then bushy hair while he threw knives at it
blindfolded
. The first time he threw a knife, he’d purposefully nipped my ear. When I teased him for lack of talent, he’d pierced the apple dead on. That’s when I first knew Dean was going to be a pain in my ass for the rest of my life.

I remember it like it was just yesterday. He’d removed his blindfold and strutted toward me, pulled the knife from the tree bark above me, and taken a bite out of the apple.

“You were saying, Nellie?” He’d smirked arrogantly.

Even then, he was an arrogant jerk. So I did the only thing I could. I knocked the knife out of his hand and piggybacked him, pulling at his hair. Yup, that was my first ever catfight… with a boy.

Now for the problem on my bed… Throwing pillows at him didn’t work. He simply towed them along his body and went back to sleep.

When I tugged at those pillows, an irritated groan rumbled from his chest along with some incoherent words.
He sleeps like there’s no tomorrow.
I stomped off and returned with half a glass of water.

“Last chance, buckaroo,” I said with a sly smile. He mumbled something. “Your funeral. One… Three.” I dumped the glass of water on his face.

He shot up, growling and pulling me on top of him, earning a knuckle-punch to his chest. I squealed, trying to free myself, only to have him pull me closer. I jabbed him in the chest with my elbow.

“Ugh… Let me go, jackass.” I snarled.

“What the hell, Pernell?” He loosened his grip and opened his eyes into thin slits. “I’m trying to get some sleep here.”

“What are you doing in my room? In my bed?” I smacked him on the head.

“Hey!” He rubbed his head and gave me a look.

I didn’t know what to make of it.

“You asked me to stay.”

“Are you freaking kidding me? I would never—”

“Before you go ape shit on me…” He turned his back to me. “I came home last night and found you on the front lawn. So I brought you back here and you asked me to stay. I never meant to fall asleep.” He faced me with a lascivious smile. “I gotta say, even with no action and you snoring like a pug, it was the best night of my life…”

“Ha. Ha!” I threw a pillow at him. “Get out.”

Dean chuckled, rolling off the bed. “You should probably put some clothes on though. It was
hard
to be a gentleman last night.”

“You aren’t the boss of—”

“I’ve barely slept and I don’t have time to argue.” He sounded half angry and half amused.
Moody much?
“One way or another, I’m driving you to school. You have thirty minutes and then I’m dragging your cute little ass out there, even if you’re wearing
that
.” He gave me an onceover, top to bottom. I swear his cheeks turned pink before he shut the door behind him.

I looked down to find myself still in my nightclothes—pink cami, white boyfriend shorts, and no bra. Good God. I might as well have been naked.
Utter mortification of the century.
I flopped back onto my pillow with a groan of frustration, rubbing my eyes with the heel of my hands.

The events of last night slowly crept into my mind, along with the pain that prickled deep in my core. I untangled my legs from my tousled comforter and headed to get ready for school.

I checked my phone. It was almost eleven a.m., on a Monday. Ah hell, I just missed half a day of school. I went down the stairs to find Dean in the middle of a family feud with his parents.

“…Don’t know…,” Dean said between his bites. “She was hysterical. She freaked out, Dad. I’ve never seen her like that.”

“She doesn’t remember what happened?” John sighed. “How…?” John noticed me coming down the stairs and halted the conversation. “Ren. How are you?”

“Come join us for brunch, sweetheart.” Sandy gestured for me to sit on the barstool by the island.

It was no surprise that the Jensen family was in our kitchen after the kind of night I had. Since my parents’ death and my brother having to work so much, the Jensens always stepped up to take care of me. I had dinners made, impromptu game nights, and even an occasional sleepover against my protests that I could take care of myself.

“I’m fine. Thank you.” I looked around for Joshua. He wasn’t here. A pang of worry coated my voice when I asked, “Where’s muskles?”

“He’s with Cassie.” John responded, his eyes straining at Sandy like they were speaking in some secret, telepathic code.

“Oh, good.
Good
.” Joshua was okay.

Some weight lifted off my chest. That dream must have just been my overactive imagination. But there was still something that just didn’t feel right. And I knew why.
Axel
.

“Do you think you could call in an excuse for being late?” I asked John.

He nodded. I didn’t wait for Dean to catch up to me before I sauntered out of the house with a mission in mind.

Find. Axel.

“Wait up.” Dean followed me to my car.

“I’m driving.”

He let out a disheartened grunt and got in the passenger side. “You’re so infuriating.”

“Well, no one’s asking you to tag along,” I snapped back. Then I felt like a complete tool. Dean had been nothing but nice to me. He could’ve left me out in the cold or taken advantage of my situation. But he did neither. I looked straight ahead, my hands on the wheel in a death grip. “Dean.”

“Yeah?” From the corner of my eye, I saw his eyebrows shoot up, possibly wondering what else I could blame him for.

I felt my chest tighten for being such a horrible friend. He deserved better. So I said one thing I rarely ever told him. “Thank you.”

My body hummed with numbness; a trickling sensation replaced the pain. I made it to the gym just in the nick of time. I changed quickly and waited for Axel to show. He was going to get an earful when I saw him. He knew how nervous I was last night. He could’ve at least called or texted or something to let me know he was all right.

I waited and waited and waited. Nothing.

Waiting. Sucked.

The rest of the day moved at a snail’s pace. No matter where I looked—the clock, my watch, my phone—it didn’t move any faster.

Argh.

I was going to break somebody’s jaw. Axel better be on his deathbed for ignoring me. I had the urge to skip and go directly to his place, but I knew that would only get me in more trouble with Joshua. So I waited patiently for the last bell to ring.

I texted Dean while making my way down the crowded hall.

Me: Hey, can you hitch a ride home?

Dean: Yeah. Everything okay?

Me: I just need to check on something
.