The Spirit Seducer (The Echo Series Book 1) (13 page)

Z
eke tugged
on my arm and I fell, this time through something more solid than nothing. I landed in a heap on Zeke’s living room floor.

I threw myself into his arms, shaking, gasping. Water and dirt dripped from my hair, clung to my pants. His clothes were cold and wet, too. We huddled there, shivering.

“Where did Coyote cut you? How bad is it? Thank you for coming for me.”

Zeke cupped my cheek. “Stop. Breathe. I’m here. And you’re welcome.”

“Your arm’s bleeding,” I said, gesturing toward the cut just below his shoulder.

“It’s not too bad. He just caught the edge of my skin. How are you?” he asked.

“I’m not dead yet. So there’s that.”

Zeke’s lip curled up into the beginnings of a grin.

“Let’s hope we don’t have concussions.” His eyes grew wide. “Shit, Echo. Your neck.”

Zeke swallowed, his hand sliding up and down my sodden back. Concern poured off him. I wanted to bask in it, but I was too keyed up, the adrenaline jittering through my system.

“Jaguar did that. He . . . he tried to force me . . .” I looked up at Zeke, eyes wide. No more words would cross my lips.

“You’re alive,” Zeke murmured, his voice raw. “You’re here with me. That’s what matters.”

He hugged me, and I winced, sucking in a pained breath, as the bite on my neck pressed into his chest. He pulled back and tilted my head with a gentleness I didn’t deserve. If I’d been tougher, faster—better equipped to deal with demons and gods—I wouldn’t need his protection so much.

“I’m so sorry you had to come for me,” I said. “I tried to hold on. I did. But when Layla let go, I couldn’t.”

Anger coursed from his body into mine. I pulled my knees up to my belly, folding myself into a ball. I didn’t want him to see me like this. I was sore, bloody, and dirty.

And I was scared. The events of the past two days lined up in my head. Bits would jump forward in a flash of images, like I’d seen in various haunted house shows. I flinched at the memory of Jaguar’s teeth pressing into my skin.

Zeke gathered me close as the tremors wracked through my body. I pressed my face into his shoulder and my fingers spasmed against his arms.

“Will Jaguar come after me? I didn’t want him to touch me. He told me he couldn’t die. But he was dead.”

“I know,” Zeke murmured, stroking his big hand down my back.

“I couldn’t leave you. I was worried Jaguar would kill you.”

“Echo, I know.”

My teeth clicked together. I dropped the tablet onto the couch. Zeke reached out and steadied it, setting it on a narrow table next to us.

“You’ll feel better after you’re clean and dry.”

“The tablet. We need to talk about it. Will Coyote really give me my mom back if I give it to him? That’s what I hoped, but he’s known for breaking his promises and—”

“I’ve got you, Echo. I won’t let Coyote or Jaguar hurt you. And we’ll get your mom back. Just breathe.”

I rested my head against his shoulder. “I was really scared.”

“That’s understandable.”

Zeke rose, clutching me to him. I held on tight, eyes closed, trying to block out the violence I was responsible for tonight.

“I thought Jaguar was going to kill you.”

He paused, looking down at me for a long moment. His emotions swirled around us. Through my own haze, I caught a whiff of shock and gratitude.

That didn’t make sense.

He walked down the short hallway and into his room. He didn’t set me on the edge of the bed, but instead carried me into the small bathroom on the far side.

“You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Yes, I do. You worry about me,” I said. A frown built. “That’s what friends do—they care and worry about each other.”

He stared at me. He swallowed hard, and he shook his head. “Don’t get attached, Echo. I can’t give you what you need.”

“Don’t push me away right now, Zeke. Please. I just—I need you.” My voice cracked. I tried not to shiver but failed.

“I don’t want to be in the water.” I clamped my jaw tight.

“You’re Water. It’ll be fine.”

“It isn’t fine.” I struggled against him. “I nearly drowned.”

“Shh. No you didn’t,” he murmured, his voice soothing. “You panicked. Your mother transferred her fear of water to you. But you love water.”

I stared up at him, willing him to keep talking.

“Your favorite place in Santa Fe was the acequia behind your house. You saved me from slamming into the rocks earlier.”

“Shakola said that was her.”

Zeke’s mouth twisted downward. “She has her reasons to undermine your confidence.”

“Why?”

Zeke flushed. He didn’t meet my eyes. “She’s the cloud goddess, Echo. She can’t control water. You do. You saved me.”

I kept my gaze locked on his. “Okay. I’ll go in.” Panic slammed into my chest, as painful as Jaguar’s grip earlier. “Just . . . don’t let go.”

He held me tighter with one arm as he pulled the lever that controlled the shower. He spoke a series of commands and when the temperature was right, he carried me under the cascade. The warm water hit my back until the shivers ceased.

“Your arm,” I said. “It’s still bleeding.”

“Stop worrying about it.”

“I don’t like kachina.”

“Smart girl.”

“Some people say cannibals brought kachina up from Mexico. I read it in one of the books my mom had.”

“Not true,” Zeke said. “They’re spirits from previous worlds. That’s why you can freeze them.”

“Didn’t work with Jaguar.”

“Did you try?”

My teeth chattered. I hadn’t. Shame heated my skin.

“Echo?”

“So they’re part of Masau’s realm?” I asked.

“Originally, yes. They were supposed to be messengers. They’ve mutated over time.” I relaxed, thankful he’d dropped the questioning. “Can you stand?”

“I think so.”

“I’m going to set you down.” Zeke slid his hand out from behind my knees and my body slid against his until my feet touched the slick tiles. He stepped back, his sodden clothes molded over his skin. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back into the water. The worry gnawed at me.

“Why couldn’t I freeze Jaguar? I didn’t want him touching me. I don’t ever want him to touch me.”

“Magic takes focus. Control.”

“So I could if I focused?”

“I think so.” Silence and steam swirled around us. “I need to take off your clothes. To get you clean.”

I opened my eyes and met his. Concern lit the dark depths and his wide mouth was set in a firm line. Coyote’s words came back to me. She yearns for him, but she will not fight so hard once he is dead. Did I yearn for Zeke? Did it even matter? He was with Layla.

Though, I guess I still wasn’t sure if he had a girlfriend. I should ask. I gritted my teeth.

“I trust you.” I sighed and shut my eyes. Coward. The word echoed through my head.

He pulled off my hoodie, throwing it behind him. My camisole followed, and Zeke ran his fingers lightly over the finger-shaped bruises on my ribs. He didn’t try to undo my bra and for that, I was thankful. He slid my ripped and dirt-encrusted flannel pants down my legs. I lifted each leg as he knelt before me, my hands on his shoulders for balance, as he removed my shoes and socks.

His fingertips started at the ragged gash at my ankle. He rose in a smooth movement to touch the wound on my neck. His hand slid around to the other side, where Jaguar had applied the most pressure on my windpipe.

“I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.” Zeke’s words were more powerful for their quietness.

“Don’t leave me,” I whimpered. I opened my eyes and stared up into his. They were dark and hard, like obsidian.

He forced a smile. “I’m going to wash your hair.”

I blinked up at him. “But I did that earlier.”

“Yesterday,” Zeke said. His mouth slid into a grimace. “It’s dirty again.”

I shivered harder. I’d lost an entire day to Coyote and Jaguar.

“Did you find out anything about my mom?”

“I was looking for you, Echo.”

While I appreciated his dedication—and I was really, really glad to be here, away from both Coyote and Jaguar—I wished Zeke had focused on my mother. I struggled to keep the tears from falling.

He dug into the clay pot on the shelf, a soft white soap cupped in his palm. He rubbed his hands together, forming a thick lather that smelled of sage and lavender. My shoulders eased a little as my favorite scents wafted around me, wrapping me in a cocoon of steam.

“Turn around.”

I obeyed. My back was to him and the water ran over my neck and chest, stinging as it hit my opened flesh. I bit my cheek so I wouldn’t cry out.

“Let the water wash out the cuts. I know it stings, but they’ll heal better if they’re clean.”

He massaged my scalp, his fingers moving in a gentle rhythm.

“Jaguar pulled out a lot of your hair,” Zeke said. Anger wafted off him, but it was muted by concern.

“That’s the least of my problems. I had enough for two people, anyway,” I said.

“I like it. It’s always so wild when you leave it down. Time to rinse.” He turned me around keeping his touch light, though rage torched his system when he glanced down at the damage to my front.

I stepped back, nearly drowning under the hot spray. Sputtering, I stepped forward and blinked the water from my eyes.

“I can finish,” I said. As the shock wore off, embarrassment at my near-naked state flooded my consciousness. Zeke was fully dressed—he still wore his boots.

He stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel from the rack. He ran it over his soaked hair.

“I’ll go change.” He left without looking back again.

I mashed my lips together, fighting against the tears.

I lathered quickly to avoid undue attention to my ugliness. I pressed my head against the cool tile on the back wall and sighed. When the water slowed, Zeke was there, shutting off the stream with an easy shove of the lever so far above my head.

“Feel better?”

“Yes, thanks,” I lied.

He narrowed his eyes. “Why do I think you’re not telling me the truth?”

No way was I answering that right now. I studied the spigot, still unclear how it worked. “How do you make it warm? The water?”

“A series of commands. You want to learn?”

“Yes.”

“Now?”

“No.” My teeth chattered and I pressed my chest more firmly into the wall.

“You need to get out, Echo.”

“I know,” I whispered. “But I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Like what?”

“Dirty. Bruised. Scared and tired.”

The silence was so deep and long I was sure he’d left.

“Look at me, Echo.”

I didn’t want to. I really didn’t. But Zeke waited, and I couldn’t help myself.

“You’re amazing. What you did tonight. How you stood up to both a god and a kachina. If anything, I’m even more impressed by you now than I was before.”

“I’m not sure that’s a valid statement.”

He trailed his finger down my cheekbone. “That’s how I feel.”

My jaw clenched against the need to cry, I stepped out of the shower and managed to grip the towel he held out for me and wrap it around my body. He hugged me to him and I sighed, burrowing into his chest.

“I’m going to get you some clean clothes. Dry off,” he said.

I mourned the loss of his warm arms but I did as he suggested. Adrenaline leeched from my muscles, leaving my legs achy and unsteady. My eyelids were so heavy; like I was drunk. Or at least what I assumed being drunk felt like. My mom and Layla monitored my beverage intake with the same keen-eyed overprotectiveness as they monitored my dating, so I’d never had to opportunity to do either.

I made it to the bedroom after accidentally slamming into the wall twice, my legs unstable. Just adding to the bruise collection, I thought with a giggle.

Zeke stood in the middle of his room, a frown tugging at his brows. His feet were bare and he’d taken off his armor. He wore a dry, black T-shirt and a clean pair of jeans. These were older, soft. The kind you spent a Sunday afternoon at home in.

I sucked on my lip. I might never have another of those lazy days with my mom and Layla.

An intricate tattoo slithered up his bicep under his sleeve. It looked dangerous and sexy. Who knew I had a thing for ink?

“What’s that?”

“A protective tattoo. Masau did it when I was thirteen. After I killed my first kachina.”

I stepped closer and caught a whiff of his clean, earthy scent. Not the lavender he’d used on me. I traced the edge of the design I could see.

“What’s the design?”

He didn’t answer right away. I tipped my head back and met his gaze. Beside the massive lump on his forehead, he looked good. Doable. At least I thought that was the right word. My mom found the book I’d read that in before I’d finished it, much to my disappointment.

“Get in bed.”

I blinked up at him. He seemed angry.

“You’re talking out loud.”

My cheeks flamed. “Oh.” Did I seriously just say Zeke was doable out loud?

“Look, you’re completely run down. Your emotions have to be all over the place, and I’m not willing to take advantage of you. I made promises, Echo, to Masau and to your mother. I take those seriously. So please, just get in the bed so you can sleep.”

“You said you’d get me clean clothes.”

He walked to his chest of drawers. “What do you sleep in?”

“Clothes,” I giggled.

His sigh was laden with amusement and frustration. He opened the top drawer then the one below it.

“Why do you have clothes for me, Zeke?” I asked.

“So you have something to wear.” His voice was curt and I could tell that his ever-present guilt was eating at him again.

Tears burned the back of my eyes. “You don’t want me here.”

He brought me the items and held up my panties.

“I want you here more that you’ll ever know, Echo.” Now that he was closer, his jumbled emotions clawed at my skin. Lust slammed into me, and I stumbled back, dropping the towel.

“I—”

“You’ve had a rough couple of days, sweet girl. It’s time for this one to end. Let me help you.”

I wanted to ask him what that meant, but then his eyes met mine—dark, serious—and I couldn’t breathe. He must have realized I’d reached my limit because he didn’t say anything more, just helped me out of my sodden old panties with efficient movements before sliding my new pair over my feet. They were lavender silk. My favorite color. I sucked on my lower lip, ignoring the telltale sting building in my eyes.