Find Me If You Dare (Dreamcatcher Book 2) (39 page)

I shot upright and slammed my lips on hers, not caring who saw. Butterflies danced in my stomach, my chest, my limbs. Kayla whimpered, and then the cup fell from her hand, clanking on the floor. She wrapped her arms around my neck as our mouths opened and closed. I stuck my hands in her hair, kissing her so hard it hurt, every part of my being floating.

We’d won. We’d really won. I was alive, and she was herself again. For the first time, we were free to be together and not worry if tomorrow was our last. For the first time, our future was bright.

She pressed her palms against my bare chest, and her touch, her warmth, sent waves of craving through my body. I ran my hands down her neck, her shoulders, her waist. I ached to throw her on the bed, touch her, and kiss her until the end of time. But as my longing for Kayla grew, so did the reminder that we weren’t alone.

Gently, I held her face in my hands and pulled away, kissing her nose and forehead. “You have nothing to be afraid of, love. You will always be the world to me.”

Kayla grinned, squeezing her eyes shut and leaning into my left hand as a tear rolled down her cheek. I caught it with my thumb and pulled her to me. Her warm cheek on my bare chest was like Heaven.

“Well, that was awkward,” Seth said, standing next to a smiling Samantha. Lian and Ivan stood in each other’s arms in one of the corners. Tears glistened in Lian’s eyes.

I took a moment to absorb my surroundings. The bed I lay on was one of the only pieces of furniture in a small room that resembled a Hawaiian hut. In fact, the air even smelled like the ocean, and a slight breeze blew in through the open door. Before I could ask where we were, Vinny walked through the entryway, Bartholomew behind him.

Seeing the small, thin Arab alive and healthy brought a smile to my face. After two hundred years of studying with and learning from him, he was a piece of my afterlife I’d become accustomed to—a friend. And after he sanctioned my relationship with Kayla, I owed him everything.

“I see you’re feeling better, my boy,” he said, returning my smile.

“I am, but how did I get here? I thought for sure I was dead.”

“You were,” Samantha said, her happiness fading. “I tried to stop the bleeding, but I couldn’t. The bullet destroyed too much when it went through you.”

“It’s a long story, man,” Seth said. “But I’m not sure we’re the ones you should hear it from.”

My eyebrows scrunched. “What are you talking about?”

Bartholomew stepped to my bedside and touched my forehead with the back of his hand. “Kayla’s asked to be the one to share the story.” He shot her a soft nod before stepping away from us. “Daniel will make a full recovery. Let’s give them some time alone. It’s going to be another hot day. I say we go swimming.”

“Ooh, skinny-dipping!” Seth shouted, to which the others replied a firm “no.”

I shook my head. Things still hadn’t changed, not really. “How long have I been out?”

“Two days,” Samantha said, stepping outside.

Two days? Blimey. “Where are we?”

Bartholomew grinned. “My own private getaway. Welcome to Saltum Island.” He opened his arms wide and backed through the doorway. The rest of the group followed, still arguing with Seth about the necessity for bathing suits.

“He has an island?” I asked Kayla, trying to joke, but her smile was gone.

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about him,” she replied, sitting up out of my hold. She tucked loose strands of hair behind her ears, not meeting my gaze.

I touched her knee. “All right. Tell me. What’s going on?”

Her chin trembled. She swallowed, her eyes filling with tears again. “I messed up, Daniel.”

I rubbed her thigh. “No, you didn’t. The dark magic… yeah, it consumed you for a moment there. But you saved everyone, you stopped Richard, and Alex was still alive at the end. Even in the darkness, you could tell good from evil. You were brilliant, Kayla. And though I can’t say I wasn’t terrified, I’d never been more proud of you.”

Her face scrunched, and another tear fell. She shook her head. Her voice wavered when she spoke. “You won’t be when you see this.”

“What are you talking about?”

Kayla finally looked at me. She bit her lip. “Columbus sort of tore down the walls on my powers, so…” She held out a hand. “Let me show you what you missed.”

eart racing, I slipped my fingers between Kayla’s. She closed her eyes.

I startled when the world around me changed, like I’d been sucked into a kaleidoscope. Next thing I knew, I was back in the factory. I saw the room through Kayla’s eyes, felt her emotions, and heard her every thought. It was like what Tabbi had been able to do as Kayla’s Weaver through their supernatural bond. Except, this time, Kayla plunked me in her head by herself.

Rage and power filled every molecule of her being. In a daze, Kayla turned her eyes from her father’s dead body, supercharged with elation.
God, this is amazing,
she thought.
Why did Nolan warn me about this? I can do anything, be anyone, destroy the people who’ve hurt me.

Kayla…
My voice filled her head. My last words played back in her mind.
You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you for saving me.

An image of the bullet entering my stomach flashed through her thoughts.
Daniel…

As Samantha screamed, “Kayla, help!” cold slammed into her like a boat hitting an iceberg. She snapped her head toward where I lay on the ground, unmoving, a large pool of dark red blood beneath my stomach.

“Daniel!” Kayla screamed, racing toward me and away from Alex and the fire that still glowed red. “No, no, no.” She fell to her knees next to me. Her hands shaking, she slipped them beneath the tourniquet Samantha had tried to use to save my life, and pressed her palms against the hole in my spine.

Kayla pulled on every ounce of energy she could muster. Nothing happened. No yellow glow beneath her palm, no tingling in her arms. She closed her eyes and spoke the spell aloud. Sweat trickled down her neck. Still, my wounds didn’t close.
Why isn’t it working? I don’t…
she thought. A whimper escaped her.

“Why isn’t it working?” she yelled, her shout broken by a cry.

Seth touched her shoulder, and her eyes popped open.

“He’s gone, Kayla.” His voice wavered when he spoke.

Samantha’s fingertips were against my neck, and tears streamed from her brown eyes. Every muscle in Kayla’s body constricted. Her gaze flickered from Samantha to me to Ivan and Lian and back again.

Pulling my face into her lap, Kayla screamed. The building shook. Her shoulders curled over her chest as her fingers dug into my scalp. “I’m so sorry, Daniel. I’m so sorry.”

“My Lucifer. If I’d known it’d take you that long to kill him, I would’ve picked a different vessel.”

Kayla’s sobs stopped instantly, an icy chill vibrating from the top of her head to her toes.
Not possible
… That voice was Richard’s.

Vinny swore. Ivan shuffled Lian behind him, and Seth yanked Samantha to her feet.

“Stand up, kid. Let me see you,” Richard’s voice said to Kayla. “I mean, I do have all of this to thank you for.”

Trembling, Kayla rose to her feet and turned around. Richard’s body stood next to the fire, smoothing his hair back with blood and brushing off his clothes. His eyes were solid black, the color of shiny coal, except for the very center—which glowed red.

“My, my. Aren’t you beautiful? Kayla, right?” He strode toward her, a smug look on his face and his gait strong and arrogant. “I mean, from down there, I could see why Daniel would want to get in bed with you. But up close… Boy, what I wouldn’t do to you.”

“Leave her alone, you smug son of a bitch,” Samantha yelled.

The villain laughed. “What, are you feeling left out? Please, come here. A girl like you should know what it feels like to lie with the devil, too.”

Samantha tried to charge him, but Seth held her back.

“Who are you?” Kayla asked, gripping her trousers’ legs.

He stopped, putting a hand to his chest and making a wounded noise. “I can’t believe you don’t recognize me. Got to tell you, that stings a little.”

“Answer her question,
mudak
,” Ivan said, snarling.

He rolled his eyes. “Honestly, your little band of misfits doesn’t scare me. But, fine, whatever. A formal introduction, it is. Apollyon, Prince of Hell, at your service.” He bowed.

Dizziness hit Kayla like a tornado.

“Please, don’t hurt me,” Alex begged, slithering across the floor. “I did everything Richard asked.”

Apollyon smiled at him. “You don’t need to fear me, kid. I will be a much nicer master. Besides, I need you. Our work isn’t done, yet. With that Adelynn chick gone, you need to ‘fulfill her destiny’ or something.”

“What if we take him with us?” Ivan said. “You can’t force him to do anything, then.”

Apollyon rolled his eyes. “Really?” From the ground, a Catcher blade magically lifted into his hand. When he stabbed himself in the stomach, Alex screamed and fell to his knees, gripping his abdomen.

“See,” Apollyon continued, “my blood is in his blood, and he swore an oath to always serve me. Therefore, until
I
release him, Alex is mine.
Comprende
?”

Kayla’s legs buckled. She was full of Apollyon’s blood, too. Had she not also felt the pain simply because she hadn’t made an oath? Seth rushed to her as she melted to the floor.

The front door to the warehouse blew off its hinges. From outside, Bartholomew strode into the room, a bright, bluish-white aura around him.

“How dare you show your face here! Step away from them. Now!” Bartholomew yelled at Apollyon, his voice as loud as an earthquake.

Kayla slid back on her bum, her heartbeat thrashing in her ears.

Apollyon spun around. “Hey, look who showed up. How’s it hanging, angel boy?”

“Get out of here, Apollyon,” Bartholomew replied.

“Or, what? You’re going to ‘smite me?’ Please. Without permission from Geppetto, you can’t hurt a fly.” He pretended to work a puppet.

“Losing my wings is worth stopping you.”

Apollyon rolled his eyes. “All right, fine. I’ll leave the monkeys alone. For now.” Looking over his shoulder, he winked at Kayla. “Later, doll.” He snapped his fingers, and the fire rose to the ceiling. Apollyon turned to black smoke. Into the flames he flew, and with a loud
boom
, he was gone, Alex along with him.

Bartholomew sighed then stepped farther inside. “You’re all safe now.”

The strength Kayla had maintained against Apollyon broke. She dropped her face into her hands. “Oh, God, what have I done?”

Bartholomew touched her shoulder. “It’s all right, child. I heard the chatter moments ago. Had I known Richard had made a deal with
Apollyon
, I would’ve gotten here sooner.”

“So… you’re an angel?” Ivan started.

“Holy shit,” Seth agreed.

“Can you help him?” Kayla asked, looking up at Bartholomew, her chest crushed beneath a skyscraper’s weight. “Can you bring Daniel back?”

Bartholomew looked down, and the tough expression on his face disappeared. His eyebrows furrowed, and his thin lips fell into a deep frown. A long, silent pause stalled Kayla’s heartbeat. Her chin wavered as Bartholomew’s gaze darted from my body to the floor.