Forget Me When the Sun Goes Down (Forged Bloodlines Book 11) (2 page)

BOOK: Forget Me When the Sun Goes Down (Forged Bloodlines Book 11)
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What was with all the gorgeous men in one room?

Darting a nervous look to Rob to see if I’d been caught ogling another man’s goodies, I was relieved to find him more interested in flipping light switches that didn’t work.  It was dim in there with only the light from the fireplace to see by, but I didn’t have any trouble making things out. 

Still, I left the hottie on the floor to kneel by the girl, taking a closer look at her delicate beauty.  She was somehow familiar, and yet not.  Her hair was the same shade as mine, and there was something about the shape of her face – we might pass for sisters.  Was I related to her?  I didn’t want to grope her body looking for ID.  She looked so still. A terrible suspicion came over me, and I grabbed her arm, feeling for a pulse. 

“I think... I think she’s dead,” I gasped as her lifeless wrist dangled between my fingers. 

“What you going on about?  Who’s dead?” Rob frowned, turning around to stare down at her. 

“She’s got no pulse and she’s not breathing.”  I rolled her flat onto her back, trying to remember the first aid basics.  “Do you think I should try CPR on her?”

His head tilted to one side with skepticism.  “If you think it will help.  If she’s really a goner...”

“I have to try.”  Tilting her head up, I plugged her nose and blew into her mouth, watching to make sure her chest went up and not her stomach, for two breaths.  Then I tried the chest compressions, humming along to the Bee Gees in my head, singing
Staying Alive
.  Where had I learned that from?  I didn’t bother to try and figure it out, alternating between the breaths and the compressions, but I couldn’t tell if it was working or not.  She seemed just as pale and lifeless, until she drew in a deep, shuddering breath.   

“You’re alive!” I cried out with relief as her heavily lashed eyes fluttered open.

“You won’t be for long if you put your hands on me again.  I’ll thank you not to touch my person again,” came the reply, her voice low and annoyed, but not particularly weak like one would expect of someone who was at death’s door only moments before.  I couldn’t place her accent; it was as though she’d learned a dozen languages and incorporated them into her own style, that sounded both cultured and elegant as she threatened my life.  Apparently I was the only boring American.

“Sorry,” I apologized, scooting back.  “It’s just… you were dead and I had to give you CPR, and I didn’t think it would work…”

“Dead?”  Her brows drew together, looking all around.  “Is that why I feel like I was struck by a carriage?” she murmured, sitting up with a long, breathy sigh.  “What is CPR?”

“It’s what she done to bring you back from the dead, so a bit of gratitude might not go amiss, yeah?” Rob pointed out, his voice mild.

“I’m meant to be grateful that I’ve been violated in my sleep?” she scoffed.  “That color doesn’t do a thing for you, dear,” she added with a haughty sniff, and I reached up to wipe my lips with the back of my hand, noting the stain of her lipstick that’d rubbed off on me. 

“Hey, I was just trying to help you,” I muttered, not at all thrilled with her attitude.  “Remind me not to do it again.”

“I didn’t ask for it,” she declared in a huff, rising up on her knees only to lose her balance. 

Rob surged forward to catch her elbow when she got all wobbly.  “Careful now, you’ve had quite a shock to the system,” he said gently, and she clung to his arm. 

“Oh, how kind,” the girl simpered up at him, changing her tune once she noticed Rob’s more obvious charms. 

“Not at all, miss.”  He smiled back politely, and I was happy to see that it wasn’t the same way he smiled at me at all, despite her pressing up against him.   

“Ah, excuse me?” I snapped my fingers to try and pry her attention away from my man.  “Do you remember anything at all about who you are or why we’re in here?” What were the odds all three of us would be struck with amnesia?

“Of course, I... That is...”  A furrow appeared on her brow as she took in our surroundings for the first time.  “I can’t say any of this is familiar,” she admitted, her nose crinkling with dismay.

“And do you recognize either one of us?”

“I feel like
we’ve
met before,” she smiled up at Rob, who gently, but firmly, pulled his arm free. 

“I reckon she’s as in the dark as we are.  The only thing we’ve been able to learn so far is that I’m Rob and this here’s Anja.  Don’t suppose you’ve got any identification on you?”

Her hands slid over her curves.  “I don’t seem to be carrying much of anything, but you’re welcome to search me,” she replied with an inviting smile, leaning toward Rob again.

“Ah, my
wife
, Anja,” Rob clarified, wrapping a possessive arm around my waist before I could lose my temper, and she gave him a disgruntled sigh. 

“Pity.  Well then, who else do we have?” she wondered aloud, looking around the room until her gaze fell on the guy lying on the coffee table.  “My, he’s a handsome fellow, isn’t he?” she added her approval.  “What’s his name?”

A handsome fellow?  I didn’t disagree, but who talked like that?  “You don’t know him either, huh?” I mused aloud.  “Would it be weird if we went through his pockets looking for ID?”

“I’ll do it,” she volunteered with enthusiasm, her face crumpling as she got closer.  “He’s bleeding.”

“Maybe we’d better worry about identification later.  Does anybody have a phone we can call 911 with?”  I didn’t have one on me, and the girl gave me a blank look.

Rob pulled out a cell and held it up high.  “No signal.” 

“Hey, are any of us in your phone?  Maybe we can find out who Princess, Injury-man, the criminal, and Hot Naked Guy are?” 

“Who’s naked?” the girl asked with interest, but we both ignored her. 

Instead, I earned a raised brow from Rob, probably over my hot naked guy comment.  “Nah, the contacts are empty.”

“That’s weird,” I frowned.  Who didn’t have any contacts?  Maybe it was new?

Rob didn’t seem too concerned over it.  “Is there a house phone?”

“I didn’t see one... oh, here!”  My triumph was short lived when it was completely dead, not even a hum of energy when I picked up the old fashioned handset.  “It’s dead.  Maybe we’d better go for help?”  Wherever that might be. 

“I’ll fetch him and bring him to the car,” Rob offered.  “Go on and get the engine warmed up.”  He tossed the keys to me in a high arc. I caught them deftly, already turning for the front entrance, a wooden monstrosity heavily banded with iron like something out of a dungeon. 

Only I couldn’t get the thing open.  In fact, my hand stopped in the air about three inches from the door itself.  “Guys… check this out!” I called out, sliding a few inches down and trying it again, but my hand kept coming up against the invisible barrier.  Feeling like a mime in a box, I felt my way along the door, testing for weak spots.  “There’s something keeping me away from the door,” I reported as they approached. 

Rob carried the injured guy easily in his arms, but set him back down on the ground as he tested the phenomenon himself.  “Huh,” he remarked, hands pressed hard against the barrier.

“It’s gotta be aliens,” I murmured, jumping up to see how high the barrier extended, which was way over my head.  “This has alien technology written all over it.  We don’t have the tech for this kind of force field.” 

“Don’t be daft,” Princess sneered.  “It’s obviously magic.”

“Uh huh, like that makes more sense,” I snickered to Rob, but he took her side.

“It feels like magic to me.  Which means we have a witch on our hands.”

“I hate witches,” she scowled, backing away from the wall.

“Witches?  Seriously?”  I wasn’t sure I bought into the existence of magic or witches, but I resolved to keep an open mind.  If we actually were magically sealed in the building, we were in serious danger.  “Let’s see how far the barrier extends,” I suggested, moving farther down the wall.

“I reckon there’s probably a back way out of this place,” Rob agreed, and we started feeling our way into the great room.

“Oh, are you okay to stay behind with him?” I nodded to the wounded guy on the ground when the girl made no move to follow us or help in any way.

“Yes, of course,” she said, sinking down to the ground beside him.  “I would like that very much indeed.”

Chapter Three

 

He felt a gentle touch to his brow, and his eyes fluttered open to see a beautiful girl smiling down at him, golden curls framing her face like a halo.  “Hello, how are you feeling?”

“I...” He studied her face for a long moment before dragging his eyes away to view their surroundings.  “I’m feeling... confused.”

“I suppose that’s to be expected,” she laughed softly.  “I don’t suppose you remember who you are or what you’re doing trapped in this place, do you?”

Her smile was dazzling.  It took him a few seconds to process what she’d asked, a furrow appearing on his brow when he came up at a loss for answers.  “What?  No... to all of the above.  How long have I been out?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” she admitted.  “We were all similarly unconscious, though I think you’re the only one to be injured.  Does it hurt much?”  Gingerly, she touched his shoulder, which was sore, but not too bad. 

“No, I’m good,” he replied, more worried about the amnesia.  “So, you don’t remember who you are either?”

“I’m afraid not,” she sighed.  “Pity, I was hoping you might remember my name.  Though I don’t mind answering to Princess.”  She smiled again, and he got a flicker of memory, of her smiling down at him in almost that exact way, her face glowing in the shimmering candlelight.  She was stunning. 

“Princess, that sounds about right,” he murmured, still half in a daze, and that seemed to please her to no end.  “Wait, did you say trapped?”  He sat up gingerly, expecting to find more parts of his body in pain along the way, but he felt stiff more than sore.

“I’m afraid so, but don’t worry, our companions are working to find a way out.”  She gestured to a guy and a girl, who looked slightly ridiculous, feeling along the walls. 

“What are they doing?”  The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile, and Princess returned it. 

“We’re sealed in with some kind of magic barrier, so we’re trying to figure out how far it extends.  That’s Rob and Anja, by the way.  They’re married, apparently, so don’t think to come between them, she can be quite clingy.  No matter though, I have a feeling you and I are already intimately acquainted.”  Her hand slid across his bicep, leaving tingles in its wake.

“I think you might be right about that,” he agreed, distracted enough by the touch that he forgot about the other couple.  There was something so familiar about her, and that flash of memory – a girl didn’t smile at a guy like that without there being something between them.  “I think I remember you, if only I could figure out from where.”

“All that matters is we’re here together,
cariad
.” 

Cariad
.  Did he know what that meant?  Lover... though he couldn’t say what language it was from.  Maybe she was the type to throw that kind of pet name around, but he thought it meant more than that. 

“And what shall I call you?” she asked brightly.

He floundered for a moment, not quite sure what to say.  “I...” 

“Oh good, you’re awake,” Anja said, approaching with a friendly smile.  He was struck by how similar the two girls were in appearance.  They were like opposite sides of a coin, one of them polished, the other rough, but both beautiful in their own way.  “How bad is it?  Do you need a doctor?”  Her face scrunched up in sympathy.

“No, I’m fine,” he insisted, proving himself right by easily bounding up to his feet and offering the princess a hand up. 

“Oh, a gentleman,” she smiled up at him, and he couldn’t resist bending over her wrist after she rose, kissing the back of her hand. 

“At your service.”

“I like this one excessively,” she dimpled, wrapping her arm around his. 

“There’s no way past the barrier from this room as near as I can tell,” Rob reported, coming to join them, offering a polite nod, but none of the smiles that the lovely ladies gave so freely.  “There’s more of this place to be searched yet, but I’m starting to think we’re sealed in well and good.”

“I don’t suppose you have any ID on you, do you?” Anja asked with a hopeful smile.

“Ah...”  He patted down his pockets and came up with a cell phone, but no wallet.  “I’ve got this.  No signal,” he reported, paging his way through the screens.  There was no sign of what his name was, though he did find a familiar face.  “I see an Anja Evans here in my contacts, so I guess we know each other,” he said with a brief smile.  “And a Hanna Evans with no picture, but no entry for Rob.”

“Am I in your device, Ulrik?” Princess asked, her head butting in to see, and he turned to her with a frown. 

“Ulrik?”

Her eyes went wide with surprise.  “I... it just came to me.  Ulrik... it seems to fit you well, I think.”

Somehow it didn’t sound right to him.  “Ulrik?  I don’t know, it doesn’t feel like me.”

“How about we call you Rick then?” Anja suggested.

“I guess it’s better than Ulrik,” he agreed, though just about anything else was. 

“We could always go with something else.  What’s your favorite movie?”  Anja grinned. 

“Something tells me my name isn’t Legolas either,” he smirked, and she laughed with delight.

“Good one!  Though you look more like an Aragorn to me.” 

“No way, Legolas is way more badass.  All the elves were.”

“Elves aren’t bad,” Princess remarked, her forehead puckered with confusion.  “And you have a perfectly good name without searching for a fanciful one.”

“If you’re done playing, I reckon we’ve got more important things on our plate than movie trivia,” Rob interrupted, his brows drawn together into a single dark line like a disapproving parent.  While it ticked at his nerves to be scolded like a child, he supposed Rob was right.   

“Sorry,” Anja immediately backed down, chastised.  “He’s right.  We’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

He went to the wall, eager to feel this barrier they spoke of.  “Whoa...” he breathed at the tingle of energy.  “This is like something out of science fiction.”

“Right?” Anja crowed, hopping up and down with excitement.  “That’s what I said, but they think it’s magic.  I’m not saying it was aliens, but...”

He had to laugh over her enthusiasm.  “It was aliens,” he finished the quote for her. 

“Not you too,” Princess sighed.  “It’s clearly magical in origin.  The markings on the ground suggest a spell.”

He looked at the chalk circles and the runes with interest.  “I hate to say it, but yeah, this looks like a spell to me.  These two runes here are for strength and gift... I can’t tell what the others are, they’re too smudged.”

“You can read runes?” Anja blinked in surprise.

“Apparently,” he shrugged.  “Not that I know what to do with them for any kind of magic.  What about you guys?”  They all shook their heads. 

“Hey, look and see if you’ve got the two other guys in your phone.”

He was halfway to complying with Anja’s request when he realized what she’d said.  “Two other guys?”  He’d been too preoccupied to notice the other two men in the room, but he saw them now, frowning over the one chained to the wall.  “What’s going on here?”

“No idea,” Rob shrugged.  “We were hoping one of you knew.”

Looking down at his phone, he scrolled through the contacts, but the screen flickered and went blank.  “Damn it, the battery’s dead.  So much for that idea,” he sighed, tucking it back into his pocket.  “How about everybody turn out their pockets and see if there’s anything useful at all?”

“I haven’t got any pockets,” Princess reported.  “What about the others?  Shall we search them too?”

“I ain’t going near the naked bloke,” Rob snorted. 

Her hands moved over her curves, distracting him, but he found his voice soon enough.  “I suggest we leave them both alone for now.  Let’s not borrow more trouble than we already have.”  In his other pocket, he found a small velvet box with a ring inside, the diamond sparkling as he held it up to the light to read the inscription inside.  “To the stars and back.”

“Ooh, look at the pretty,” Anja smiled, pulling out a tube of lip balm with a waft of cloves as she applied it.

“I accept!” Princess declared with glee, pulling the ring from his numb fingers to slide it over hers. 

Anja’s smile faded.  “What makes you think it’s for you?”

“Of course it’s meant for me,” Princess snapped back at her.  “
I’m
the one who remembered his name, even you’re all too daft to honor it.  I accept, Ulrik,” she repeated, throwing her arms around him in a clinging hug. 

He didn’t know what to say. Had it been meant for her?  She did seem familiar, but... marriage? 

The memory struck fast, like a blow. 

Her hands slid up his chest as she inched closer, a smile curving her lips.  “I am the one you love, I’m everything you’ve ever wanted and more.  You love me.”

“I love you,” he repeated, and in that instant, he knew it was true.  Carys was the one he loved, she was everything he’d ever wanted and more.  It seemed so simple, how could he ever have doubted it?

“Do you remember that night we first met?” she asked, her smile stretching wider as he saw the light.

“Of course.”

“That is how I would have you remember me.  Erase any displeasure of past hurts or slights, remember only the good times we shared.  We will start a new life together.”

“New life,” he repeated, his hands settling on her hips, where they belonged.  It was happening, they were finally free to be together as he’d always wanted them to!

Her face tipped up to his, blue eyes surprisingly bright in the fading light.  “Tell me then, do you love me?”

An overwhelming rush of love went through him, and he could barely contain the words.  “I love you Carys, I’ve always loved you.  When I thought you’d died, it destroyed me.  I wanted to die too.”  The pain washed over him as he relived that terror, but one touch from her and it all went away. 

“Shh, cariad,” she whispered, tipping her lips up to his.  “We will never be parted again.”

“Never again,” he pledged, covering her lips with a passionate kiss.

“Your name is Carys,” he gasped as the memory faded away.  “I remember now.  You’re Carys, and we were in love.”


Are
in love,
cariad
,” she corrected him gently, her head resting against his chest.

Ulrik supposed she was right.  He remembered her clearly, and that all encompassing feeling of love – just not in the moment.  But that probably had to do with his missing memories.  He’d probably come to love her all the more as the gaps filled in.  After all, he’d had the engagement ring with him, and the only other girl in the room was already married.  Somehow he didn’t think he’d been about to offer it to the naked guy snoring on the couch. 

His arms wrapped around Carys, holding her close.  Maybe this was how it was meant to be?

BOOK: Forget Me When the Sun Goes Down (Forged Bloodlines Book 11)
2.88Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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