The Evensong (46 page)

“Yeah right. I’m not leaving till you finish.” She shoved the bowl of oatmeal at me, and I tried not to grimace. It wasn’t my favorite, but Tally had her arms crossed and watched me with a hard gaze, so I took a bite.

I’d never liked oatmeal before, but this was the best I’d ever had. I attributed it to the fact that I hadn’t eaten for a while. I tried not to wolf it down too fast, and when I finished, Tally looked particularly smug.

“Feel better?” she asked, handing me the glass of water.

“Yes,” I replied sheepishly.

She smiled the slightest bit. “Well good. I thought you should be able to make it down to Linden’s room. He’s pretty much acting like himself again.”

I felt the faintest spark in my chest when she said that. She laughed at my expression and asked if I wanted to go now. I stood up fast; of course I did.

The house was quiet as I walked down the stairs, my knees somewhat weak. The spare bedroom door was closed, but Tally turned the knob without unlocking it.

“Is he really okay?” I asked in a whisper.

“Much better than the last time you saw him,” she replied, stepping aside. I nodded slightly as I peered into the dark room. Heavy curtains covered the windows, barely letting in a little sliver of sunlight. Tally quietly closed the door behind me as my eyes adjusted.

Linden lay on his back in bed covered by a single sheet. With his head turned to one side, I could tell his eyes were closed. I was afraid to approach; what if he still had those strange qualities? In the dim light I could see his skin looked normal again. I walked nearer for a better look.

I stood beside him and looked down nervously. His face was covered in a light sheen of sweat, but he breathed easily. I let out a small breath of relief; he seemed to be the same Linden with The Stranger gone. I reached out and moved the damp hair out of his eyes. He took a deep breath as he moved, opening his eyes. I quickly pulled my hand away. I expected his eyes to be unfamiliar again, but when he looked up it was the same golden gaze. When he smiled I could see his teeth were normal. “Hey,” he said, his voice scratchy; the same husky tone.

“Hi,” I replied. I couldn’t quite believe it was him. “Are you—do you feel okay?”

“I could be better, but at least I’m not dead.”

I flinched at the word but it was true; at least he was still alive.

I didn’t say anything for a moment, feeling slightly awkward. The shock of seeing him as someone else still stuck with me. I wondered if he even remembered.

As if I had asked the question allowed, Linden’s face fell a little and he cleared his throat. “Rhys said you saw me earlier . . . when they brought me back here.”

I nodded, staring at the pattern on the bedspread.

“And he told me what I said.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. To admit I’d felt something like devastation seemed dramatic, so I held my tongue.

“I couldn’t think clearly,” Linden explained slowly as if reliving the event. “The pain was pretty intense, especially after they brought me back. To consciousness, I mean. I couldn’t remember a lot of things . . .” His voice trailed off as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “You have to forget that though, all right? You know I know you.”

I couldn’t meet his eyes though I saw the slight fear in them. When he took my hand I was surprised at the heat in his palm.

“Seriously, Riley. Please. I don’t just forget big things, you know?”

I nodded and took a breath. “It was just—weird—to see you like that.”

He laughed weakly. “That wasn’t even the half of it.”

I wasn’t sure if that was a comfort or not but I felt a little relief. He could make anything seem lighthearted.

I hesitantly sat next to him, trying not to move the bed too much.  He was probably still bandaged under the covers. Though he didn’t look like he was in pain, he was still pale and the purplish shadows were still under his brilliant eyes. He reached up and put a hand in my hair, pulling me to him. Any fear I had of him was gone when he kissed me, lips hot. I wondered then how I could have been afraid this time.

“Thanks for not leaving,” he murmured, keeping me close. And he added, “I love you.”

Even if his true form didn’t know me, I didn’t care. All I needed was his words and actions as long as they were real. And this was real.

I lay with him for a long time, and neither of us said much. When I did speak it was to ask about his wound, which was nearly gone. He lifted the bandage to show me the rapidly developing scar; the skin was still red and delicate, so the bandage was just a precaution.

“That shell went through pretty clean,” he said as he gingerly patted the medical tape back into place.

“Shell?” I frowned.

“Yeah,” he said, pointing to the nightstand. “That’s what he threw. Pretty creative, huh?”

I picked up the white spiral shell from the table. It must have been the one Aidan had been tossing from hand to hand. I couldn’t believe this is what had caused all the damage. A dark something was in all of the lines and furrows; blood.

“All he had to do was heat it up a little. That’s enough contamination for one body,” Linden said as I stared at the shell.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not good to physically mix power like that. That’s why Elementals don’t stray to others outside of their kind. Same reason why we don’t’ have wars so often.”

I could hardly imagine what an Elemental war would look like. I put the shell down and brushed my hands off on my pants.

“So what are we doing about Aidan?” I asked.

“Rhys has been making contact with some of the other vulcani. I guess Aidan’s not really on their good list either,” he replied. “They say they haven’t been able to keep track of him for years, but they’ll try.”

“They better find him,” I mumbled.

Linden just laughed at my tone. “Someone will.”

“And then what?” I asked. “Some kind of punishment?”

He shrugged. “Something like that.”

I hoped it was worse than anything I could think of. After all he’d done, he deserved the worst. I was only basing my opinion off the events that had happened to me, but when I considered what he could have done before, it was even more justified.

“You’ve got some serious rage going on there,” Linden said as he watched me.

“Of course I do. Don’t you?” I asked, unlocking my jaw.

“Yeah—but I’m not about to go looking for him.”

“Neither am I,” I replied, a little defensive. “I’ll still hate him though.”

“And rightfully so,” he said as he pushed himself up on his elbows. He grimaced and pressed a hand to the wound for a second. Anger flared in me again. “This healing better speed up. I’m sick of lying here.”

“How much longer?” I asked, pushing up the pillows behind him.

“Thanks. I’m not sure; a couple more days maybe,” he said.

That wasn’t too bad. As he lay back I could hear voices coming nearer in the hall. One definitely belonged to Rhys, and Linden looked annoyed.

“He’s going to ask you to leave,” he mumbled. “I still need my ‘rest’.”

I didn’t mind though. Just knowing he was all right was enough for me. I quickly bent down and cupped his cheek, kissing him before the voices stopped outside the door.

I stood to leave, but Linden took my wrist. “Wait—come back tonight okay? I hate sleeping alone.”

I smiled and instantly promised I would.

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After that morning, I snuck into Linden’s room every night after Rhys went to bed. To an extent, I think Rhys knew but did nothing to stop it. We didn’t do anything but lie there, and Linden seemed to be getting better faster. The vicious fever he had before went away within two days, and he was slowly getting back his strength. The wound was gone too, leaving only a relatively clean pink scar. Linden didn’t mind it, and he claimed it would be gone in a year or so.

When Rhys wasn’t busy contacting every vulcani he could, I tried to ask him questions about auctorita. It was still there, I knew that much, but what did it mean now?

He explained that it was somewhat under control now. When he had talked to Linden’s true form he learned a few things that Linden himself couldn’t have told him. The auctorita had taken its major toll on the body, but it was possible to control it. Linden was strong and clear-minded, so it couldn’t overtake him easily.

“He has a lot of desire to override this,” Rhys had said, “and I think the worst of it is over. Now it’s just a matter of getting used to what it feels like.”

So far, Linden hadn’t tackled that yet. His biggest issue now was getting out of bed.

Rhys finally allowed it one morning after Linden had been complaining. I stood by as Linden stood and gripped the end of the bed for balance.

“Feels weird after so long,” he said after taking a few steps. I kept my hand near my mouth, hiding a smile as he stretched his muscles again. “Go ahead, laugh. Just know that once I can actually move I’ll be taking revenge.”

“Sorry, I’m not laughing at you,” I said quickly.

“Right,” he grinned, picking up the shirt from the end of the bed. He slipped it on and flexed his fingers. “God, this is lame. Rhys should install a hot tub out here or something.”

“Take a really hot bath,” I suggested.

“Oh I will,” he replied, “but first, come here.”

I walked away from the corner and stood in front of him, watching him anxiously as he just smirked. He hugged me to him firmly, and I returned the embrace, pressing my cheek against his chest. Just feeling a solid body was a comfort, and the dull thud of his heartbeat was even more assuring. I lifted my head to kiss him but missed his lips as he straightened.

“Hold that thought. I’m headed for the shower first, all right?” he said.

I pouted. “Fine, fine. I’ll be waiting.”

He smiled fully, and I remembered how sharp his teeth had been. Then I forgot when he gave me one of those short, but deep lingering kisses. He pulled away abruptly and turned for the door, so it was my turn to yell, “Tease!”

I drifted into the kitchen while I waited for Linden. As was usual for the day, Rhys was on the phone, so I veered into the living room where Tally was sitting in front of the windows.

“How’s he doing?” she asked as I sat across from her.

“Well he walked successfully, so I guess that’s good. He’s showering now,” I replied.

“He needs it,” Tally scoffed. I knew she was joking, so I laughed with her. It was strange how things between us had changed so rapidly in the past few days. We weren’t exactly friends, but she didn’t avoid my eyes now or leave the room when I entered.

As Nerio thumped inside, I glanced at him and knew that it was definitely a different case for him. He still was slightly repelled by my presence, though he just put up with it now.

“So what’s going on?” I asked as he moved on to the kitchen.

Tally ran a hand through her hair. “I’m not so sure anymore. None of the vulcani has seen Aidan in a long time. No one’s really sure what he’ll be doing next, but Rhys doesn’t want you going anywhere alone.”

“I won’t,” I replied, glancing out at the beach. I clearly remembered how Aidan had said he would see me himself sometime. That was right before he’d thrown the shell, and it had almost been erased from my memory had Rhys not brought it up again. He gave me the strict rule of staying inside at all times and if I did go outside, someone had to be with me. So far I didn’t have a need to be outdoors, but I wouldn’t go alone if I did.

“And no one’s seen Omar?” I asked quietly.

Tally shook her head. “From your description, no. Nerio and I walked around town and on some of the busier beaches yesterday, but there was no sign of him. We probed for auras, too. Maybe he was smart enough to leave.”

“I hope so,” I sighed.

Tally smiled as she stood. “Well, this has definitely been the most eventful reunion I’ve been to in a long time. And to think that I was going to skip it.” She laughed. “I feel sorry for the ones who did.”

She was still laughing as she made her way out. I was still trying to grasp her personality, but she constantly surprised me.

Linden trudged down the stairs soon after, bracing a hand on the wall for balance. Despite that, he did look better, and he smiled as he stood in the middle of the room. “It’s amazing what a shower can do.”

Calder heard his comment as he drifted into the room. “I bet. You’d been lying in bed for a while there.” He laughed, and Linden laughed along sarcastically for a few seconds. He stopped abruptly and looked serious as he walked towards me. I grinned as he plopped down next to me, his arm draped around my shoulders.

“Well aren’t you two cute,” Calder said, tilting his head to the side.

Linden shamelessly kissed me, and I blushed while he smiled wickedly. “I know, right?”

Calder opened his mouth for a comeback but Rhys interrupted as he called for us to come into the kitchen. Calder jumped up quickly while Linden groaned.