Page 7 of The Last Aether

“But the others?” Because I sensed a large but coming.

Wisps of shadowy smoke swirled around Phoenix. “They’d do anything to hurt one or all of us. They want the money The Network would pay them for our location. Or they believe their kingdom should be the one true ruler. Or they just don’t want to go back to a time when we were one people.”

I swallowed, my throat sticking on the movement. So much hate pointed our way. And for what? Greed. The desire for more.

“And they’d hurt my mom and Charlie to get to me.” Everything in me ached at that knowledge that I couldn’t go to them. Not until it was safer. Tears burned the backs of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

Kai slid his hand under my fall of hair, massaging my nape. “We’ll figure out a way for you to see them. It just might take a little time.”

I nodded, but hope wasn’t something I was feeling a lot of at the moment. “Can I take a shower?”

I could feel the sobs building in my chest and I didn’t want to let them free here. Not when the guys looked so worried, afraid I’d break and never recover.

“Are you sure you’re up for that?” Atlas asked.

The smile I attempted felt foreign and forced. “I want to get clean.”

He untangled himself from me and rose, pulling back the blanket. I missed his heat the moment it was gone.

Kai helped me sit up, and I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My chest still ached and burned. It wasn’t as bad as when I’d first woken up, not nearly as awful as when Riven had walked away from the house. But the pain was still there, a steady reminder that none of my problems had magically disappeared.

I pushed to my feet, wobbling slightly. Atlas reached out a hand to steady me, concern creasing his brow.

“I’m okay. Just getting my sea legs,” I assured him.

Atlas’s lips thinned, but he said nothing.

Phoenix stood, walking to a closet and pulling out a stack of clothes. “We got you a few things.”

“Thank you.”

He set the pile inside the bathroom. “Call if you need anything.”

I nodded and moved into the space. As I walked, I could feel the silvery strands tying me to each man. They weren’t painful, it was more of an awareness. A physical manifestation of our link.

In some ways, it was comforting. A deep-rooted knowledge that I would never be alone. In others, it was terrifying. Because I knew that if something happened to any one of them, I would never be the same.

5

I shut the door softly behind me. It closed with a quiet snick, and I leaned against the wood. My body trembled as I sucked in air.

Hold it together. I chanted the silent command over and over until I had a little more control. I pushed off the door and moved into the bathroom. Taking in the space, I realized I still didn’t have any idea where we were.

The bathroom was gorgeous. Intricately tiled floor. An antique clawfoot tub with a chandelier hanging over it. A large shower with glass walls.

I moved towards the double sinks surrounded in marble. A toothbrush and toothpaste sat by one sink. I made quick work of brushing my teeth, feeling a bit more human afterward.

Human. Something I wasn’t. Not entirely, anyway.

I pushed the thought from my mind as I slipped out of my pajama bottoms. My gaze locked on my reflection in the gold-gilded mirror as I unbuttoned the pajama top. I couldn’t look away from the silver lightning bolts streaking my chest.

The cracks stretched from my sternum, across my ribs and breasts. The array wouldn’t be visible under most shirts, but I’d have to be careful. My finger traced one of the lines to the center of my chest.

A tiny circle was present there. I shuddered as I skirted it. Memories flashed. “You’ll never live to rule.” The pop. The flare of heat. So much pain. A burning like I was on fire.

My body shook. Then it wasn’t just the memory of the bullet assailing me, but the fire too. I was trapped beneath the beam, unable to get free. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.

Some part of me knew I had to make it into the shower. The water would help. It could clear it all away.