His stance relaxes and he chuckles. “You’re right. I forget about that. It’s easy to take all of it for granted.”
Edge pops back in and I yelp. Edge shakes his head and Sabin swears. “Calm down.”
“I’m sorry. This poofing thing is little hard to get used to.”
Edge laughs and hands me a box. Then without a word, he saunters back in the sec center. I waste no time tearing the box open and swallowing the pill.
“Happy now?”
“I’ll be happier when I get my period.”
He mumbles something and I could swear he says he will be too. I pray he’s not as nervous about this as I am. All I need is an alien baby. I instantly have a vision of that alien movie where that disgusting creature pops out of the guy’s stomach.
Sabin cocks his head and asks, “What’s wrong now? You’re as pale as a white sheet.”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
He angles his head and stares. “Oh, no. You don’t really think that, do you? Tell me you’re just being overly dramatic.”
“I’m sorry. I just happened to think of it when the word alien came to mind.”
“For the love of everything. You humans and your silly imaginations,” he huffs. “That’s another reason I hate that word. You think anything other than yourselves have scales and large teeth that drip acidic saliva.”
“Well?”
“No! No, no, no! I’ve traveled the universe and never have I encountered anything like that!”
“I call bullshit on that. What about the Shaurok?”
Sabin’s mouth opens and closes a few times. He says absolutely nothing.
“Aha! I’m right, aren’t I?”
“No, you are not. The Shaurok are under the control of their mastermind. They don’t drip acidic saliva and they don’t implant nasty embryos inside the esophagus of their victims.”
“Yes, but they are equally creepy.”
“They are not. They are easily killed.” He snaps his fingers for effect.
I shake my head. “And is this why your intestines and ribs were hanging out?”
“We were outnumbered. Are you always this argumentative?”
I reflect on this for a moment, and then answer honestly. “No. When I was young I never argued. I was pushed around and bullied to the point I didn’t know up from down. But then I moved away and discovered freedom. Freedom to think for myself. To act for myself and that’s when I grew a backbone. I won’t apologize for it, Sabin. Ever. If it offends you, then maybe I’m sorry a little bit, but it’s the way I am and I have to say I’m proud of it.”
It shocks me when a huge grin spreads across his face. “I’m glad you have a backbone, Serena Callahan. While it will drive me fucking crazy at times I’m sure, I couldn’t tolerate some simpering, whiny ass woman spending time around here. Now stiffen that backbone of yours and accompany me into the sec center so I can get some damn work done.” He extends his hand. And how can I refuse this offer?
The atmosphere is so hostile when we enter, I want to run right back out of there. But Sabin has a firm grip on my hand and he pulls me along next to him.
“Nice of you to join us,” Rafe snaps. “I’m glad you two could pull yourselves out of the bedroom.”
Sabin tenses. “Keep your snide comments to yourself, Rafe.”
“They’re not only mine. We’re out here trying to do our jobs while you’re back there fucking.”
I gasp. I know it’s obvious what we’ve been doing, but I never expected any of them to actually be so crass about it. Sabin releases my hand and storms up to Rafe.
He says in a voice edged with steel, “I said, keep your snide comments to yourself.”
“And I said they’re not only my comments. We all feel this way. What the hell are you doing? We have a job to do? A mission, for fuck’s sake! One that doesn’t include fucking her!” Rafe jerks his head toward me.
“Goddammit, you leave her out of it,” Sabin says.
This is rapidly going downhill. I need to step in, so I run up to them and wedge myself in between them. “Stop it you two!” I put my palms on both of their chests but damn, it’s like trying to move two brick walls. Neither of them gives an inch. Turning to face Rafe, I say, “This is all my fault. Sabin was only trying to help me.”
“Is that so? And I suppose helping you included a good, hearty fuck?”
Before I know what’s happening, I slap him right across the cheek. “Don’t you ever speak that way in front of me again. If you do, the next time it’ll be my knee in your balls.” I stand and stare at him, with my chest heaving from anger.
Rafe’s face is mottled and he says nothing for a few seconds. Finally he nods. “I apologize. My words were uncalled for.”
“Clearly. If you had been here when Sabin returned, you would’ve have seen his injuries. It’s been a difficult time for all of us. I think we need to put this behind us and move forward.” How is it that I’m the peacekeeper here?
“She’s right,” Sabin says. The two men look at each other, and then nod.
I take a quick glance around the room and note that all the men are looking at me suspiciously. Now what do I do? Run and hide in Sabin’s room? Hell, no. I’m not going to do that. Reaching for Sabin’s hand, I lace my fingers with his, and am happy to feel him give mine a squeeze. I decide I need to say something.
“I’m sorry I’ve interrupted your mission. I promise to help as much as I can and not get in the way.” I hear a few of them mumbling. Tugging on Sabin’s hand, he looks at me. He has to know I need his help here. Thank god he gets the idea.
“Bring me up to speed. What’s going on with Charity?”
Rafe makes a harrumphing noise and says, “She’s dead.”
His words are like a fist rammed into my sternum. I stagger backwards, and my knees give out. If it weren’t for Sabin’s hand, I’d be flat on the floor.
“Bloody hell, Rafe. Can you be any more blunt?”
“You asked,” Rafe clips.
“Serena, are you okay?” Sabin asks. I can’t respond. Dead. Charity is dead. All because of a stupid necklace I found at the bottom of the sea. My brain grows fuzzy and my ears buzz. Voices come from a distance and the next thing I know, I’m on the floor, with Sabin’s face hovering above me.
“What happened?” I ask.
“You fainted.”
Weird. I’ve never fainted in my life. My head pounds so I rub my forehead. “Do you have any ibuprofen? I have a bad headache.”
“Sorry. We don’t use that stuff.”
“I have some in my bag if you can bring it to me.” He pulls me up and the room spins.
“You’d better lie back down for a minute.”
“Tell me what happened to Charity.”
He frowns. “The men went to her apartment and found her dead. The Shaurok got to her first.”
“The necklace?”
“Wasn’t there.”
“So?”
He shakes his head. “We’re not sure. They may have it.”
Now I sit up. Woozy or not, I don’t give a crap. “What happens now?”
“We hunt the Shaurok.” His face is grim. This sounds bad. Fear seeps into my bones.
“But wait. How do you know if Charity had it?”
“We don’t. But what we do know is the Shaurok are no longer in Durham.”
“So now where are you going?”
His entire demeanor changes. He’s tense and for the first time, I sense fear in him. “For the present, nowhere. We stay and continue to track Judgment Day. Serena, we may need you.”
“Me? How?”
“As bait.”
“Bait?” I’m not sure I like where this is going.
His usually full lips stretch into one thin line. “Yes. If the Shaurok don’t have Judgment Day, they will still sense its imprint on you, and come after it.”
“I see. Led like a pig to slaughter, then.”
“What? No! Do you really think I’d do that to you?”
“I don’t know.”
Suddenly, anger replaces his fear. It rolls off of him in waves and permeates the room, invading my space. I’ve never felt anything like it. He moves like a predator, reminding me of a panther stalking its prey. His arm winds around my waist and I’m wrenched up against his chest, his scent flooding my nostrils. “If you think for one lousy second I would intentionally put your pretty neck at risk, then you don’t know me at all.”
“I don’t know you at all. I just met you.”
His eyes latch onto mine and he snaps, “You know more about me than most people. And my guess is I know the same of you.” He’s right. Very few people have penetrated my walls, but he most certainly has. He knows about my family and furthermore, I slept with the man, after only knowing him how long? Hours? One day, two? I don’t even know how long I’ve been here, for that matter. I want to slap myself on the forehead. I’ve never slept with someone so soon before. But the odd thing is, I feel like I’ve known him for years.
“Exactly.” His words tell me he’s once again gone digging around into my thoughts.
By now, my hands fist his shirt near his hips, and even though we have an audience, the urge to kiss him is overpowering. I’ve never been one for public displays of affection. What is it about him that does this to me? What is wrong with me?
His words interrupt my thoughts. “Not here. Not now. Tell me you trust me.”
And I do. Don’t ask me why. I guess I’m fucking crazy.
“You’re not. You know I’ll protect you with my life.” He’s still in my head.
“You’re right.” And he is. I saw what he looked like when he came back from Tara’s. His hand moves to my cheek and I tuck my head into it. “So what’s next?”
“We come up with a plan.”
So they decide I’m to be paraded around in town, without an escort, supposedly, to draw in the Shaurok. Of course, they’ll be nearby, in case of an emergency. Translation—in case the creepy things come tearing in after me.
That night I go to bed alone, while Sabin stays in the sec center with the men. A hot shower relaxes me and afterward, I crawl into bed and fall fast asleep. I never hear Sabin join me, but sometime later, he awakens me as he dreams. He talks gruffly, but then he lets loose what I believe to be a series of expletives in a language I don’t understand. I try to wake him, but it takes awhile. When I succeed, his skin is covered in a sheen of perspiration. Though the room is dark, a lamp burns in the corner and I can see his eyes dart wildly around the room before landing on me. Then he asks me something, but it’s in that odd language again.
“I don’t understand you, Sabin. Speak English.”
It takes a second before recognition sinks in and I see the tension in his body dissipate. One arm pulls me into him and he’s trembling.
“Hey, are you all right?”
I hug him as hard as I can, hoping it will help calm him.
“Talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong,” I urge him.
He buries his face in my hair and murmurs something I can’t understand. Whatever has rattled this steely man must be pretty damn bad. We sit wrapped up in each other, silent, until he eventually speaks.
“I’m sorry I woke you,” he murmurs.
“Don’t be. What were you dreaming?”
He shakes his head, unwilling to share.
“Look, if we’re going to be sleeping together, I think it’s safe to say you can tell me about your nightmares.” I take my hand and push his thick waves off his forehead. “Whatever you tell me will stay right here in this room. I promise.”
“It’s not that. I trust you. It’s that I don’t like to talk about it.”
“I see. It must be a terrible memory for you to be so rattled.”
His eyes pin me, and even in the dim light of the room, I can feel his emotions through them. “I’m sorry for whatever happened to you.”
“It wasn’t me it happened to.” His voice is so low, I have to strain to hear it.
“But it has affected you deeply.”
“Yes.”
What terrible thing could have happened? Did a loved one die? A relative or even a lover, perhaps?
I move to my knees, straddling him, and take his face in my hands. “I’ve never experienced loss before, but I have a feeling this is what you’re dealing with. Let me help you.”
“You are helping. By being here. I’m worried about our situation. That must be what triggered the dream. I haven’t had it in quite some time.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t let anything happen to me.”
That gets a half-smile out of him.
“I’ll fight to the death to save you.”
His words unsettle me because I know how true they are. I saw the evidence of that. “Why do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“This? Fight the Shaurok?”
He shrugs. “Someone has to.”
I shake my head. “It’s more than that, isn’t it?” Our eyes haven’t left each other’s and the clarity in his hits me. “It has to do with the dream, doesn’t it? It’s the same reason, isn’t it?”
“Serena …”
“Tell me, please.” I need to know the answer, only I’m not sure why.
“Yes! It’s the same reason. I vowed to hunt them down.”
“But, why?”
“Because they killed my sister. She was the keeper of Judgment Day. It was her duty to see it remained safe and they killed her to get to the damn thing. When I found out, I became one of the hunters. One of the Seven. They were formed to find Judgment Day and to guard it. That was and is my duty. We are bound to serve the ones who possess it, who are imprinted by it, and we seek it out when it has been unjustly stolen. Now that I’ve told you far more than I should have, I think we should try to get some sleep.”