JUMP (The Senses) (16 page)

With Damien’s fierce
expression, it was common for Delara to take her usual way out of facing an argument and leave, however this time, she glared back. “You’re being an ass. Just because you’ve been sent to Rest doesn’t mean others deserve the same fate. And obviously sending you to Rest did nothing for your spiteful disposition.”

Waleron stood three feet away from Delara and his eyes hadn’t left her since the moment she appeared. Cold and calculating
, as if he were fighting a rage that had enveloped every molecule. “The council has made their decision, Delara.”

“Obviously, you didn’t fight hard enough. Appeal it
.” Delara kept her voice controlled, but her face read “get-me-the-fuck-out-of-here.”

Jedrik cleared his throat with unease
, and Keir’s younger brother Galen cursed beneath his breath.

Te
nsion emanated, a heightening of powers as each went on guard. The click of the Pez dispenser sounded as Waleron took a candy from the red duck head.

Delara was
petite, but her determination was visible with every tightened muscle. A bolt of lightning couldn’t break the magnetic stare she and Waleron shared.

“I will speak to you in private, Delara,” Waleron said. It was evident that Delara was blocking him from her
mind; otherwise they’d have all the privacy needed, using telepathy.

Her brows
raised a minute amount and the corners of her mouth went up. “That isn’t necessary.”

Waleron’s hands clenched, matching his jaw. His lips p
ursed and the books on the shelf behind Keir began to jiggle. The bar on the far side of the room shook and the air grew warm, as if his rage were heating the oxygen. “Delara,” Waleron cautioned in a husky voice filled with warning.

She had the nerve to ignore his threat. “I demand an appeal. And if you don’t ask for one
, then I will.”

Silence.

Balen was surprised to find her mind was open to him.
“Why do you help me, Delara?”

“
Because I know what Danielle suffered, and you protected her despite the consequences to your own existence. But I am here to warn you that something has been done that cannot be taken back. She will feel immense . . . pain and then . . .”

“
What the hell are you talking about?”
Balen asked, his stomach dropping.
“How do you know what she will and won’t feel?”

Delara’s gaze shifted to Waleron
, and her expression hardened.
“That’s why I’m here, Balen. I wouldn’t have returned otherwise. But I know what will happen if Waleron puts you to Rest. Danielle will die.”

“What?” Balen shouted and all eyes turned to him.

Delara grunted and her shoulders stiffened. Obviously, she hadn’t intended for the others to know that they had been speaking to one another. Why? Balen couldn’t begin to guess. Delara had never been a good friend of his. They’d fought together for a mere eight months, and forming any sort of friendship outside of that was null. He chose to live on his own, separate from the others at his own loft. Forming friendships with the other warriors had never been his prerogative.

Shit, Waleron looked
livid. They were a fierce group; however, facing the wrath of Waleron was not on anyone’s list of things to do in an immortal lifetime. This time Delara attempted escape, but before she had the chance to make it from the room, Waleron raised his hands and, with nothing but a push in her direction, a wave of air sifted across the space between them and seeped into her petite figure.

She froze.

Without a word, Waleron walked from the room. Delara glanced at Balen and then followed. The door slammed behind her and Balen guessed that was Waleron’s way of saying, “No one move.”

“Don’t ever defy me again in front of the warriors,” Waleron said.

Okay, he was pissed. She had overstepped her bounds, big time. She’d trained to be a warrior and listen to her peers, but shit
, she wanted to hurt Waleron the way she was hurting. But instead, all she’d done was release that immeasurable anger. Fuck, she should’ve never come back. But coming here had been forced upon her, and defying the order was not in her best interest, nor was it in Balen and Danielle’s.

“You send him to Rest, the girl Danielle will die,” Delara said in a calm straightforward manner, although
inside she was spinning out of control. She had to get away, leave here before her heart exploded again. She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t live like that.

“You mean she will commit
suicide?”

“No. I mean she will suffer and then die.”

“You speak riddles, Delara, and I grow weary of it. And lower your block.”

Delara would never let him read her thoughts again. It would be like allowing him to strip her naked
, touch her flesh and then have him walk away. Screw that. “If Balen is sent to Rest, she will die. If he is exiled . . . depending on how far he goes, well . . . she will suffer every minute he is away from her.”

“Delara, what
are you talking about?” Waleron looked uncertain, eyes widening and his stance shifting, which was unusual. He was characteristically steady as a rock. Well, he had the right to be unsure.

As soon as the judgment
was passed, she’d been approached. Once she heard what had been done, she had no choice but to come here and warn Waleron. If she hadn’t, Danielle would die and that was unacceptable to her as well as the one who had dealt the blasted situation.

“She is human. S
he cannot survive if he is away from her. I can’t tell you how I know this, but you must trust me on this.” Yeah, swearing to keep the culprit under wraps sucked, but blackmail spoke volumes. She had no intention of letting anyone know where the hell she’d been spending her nights recently. Most of all Waleron, as it was against the warriors’ code to do as she was.

“That trust left the day you walked away from us, Delara.” Waleron’s eyes roamed over her body and she knew he was trying to make her feel uneasy, get her to cave and explain herself.

“Pez, you will kill her. Do not put him in Rest. ”

“Who is responsible
for this meddling?” Waleron began pacing and her uneasiness climbed. He rarely paced. Steady as a fuckin’ mountain. Well, the mountain was having an avalanche right now and she was sitting at the bottom.

“I can’t . . . shit.”
Okay, lie when you have to.
So not her style. So not a warrior’s style. “I’m uncertain and it could cause a great disservice if I name the wrong person.” He’d smell her lie a mile away. Big problem with Senses, one way or another, they’d figure you out. Learning to block your thoughts was of highest priority, considering all of them had the capability.

“Who?” Waleron repeated.

Blast it all. He was pounding on the door of her mind, and if he broke the barrier down he’d find out the who and she’d be up shit creek. “I . . . I . . .” Goddamn Waleron was forcing her to tell the truth. She fought his power, a struggle of mind that he would soon win. A sudden sharp pain came bolting through her body and she staggered, falling to her knees.

“What the hell?” Waleron came to her side, his hand reaching out to touch her, but she leapt to her feet and jumped backwards. His touch would heighten his ability to get into her mind, something she could never allow.

“Don’t touch me,” Delara said.
Okay, get this done and leave.
“If you care at all for Balen and Danielle, listen to me. Do not put him in Rest.” She felt the other in her head trying to read her thoughts. The push was debilitating, and she winced as she lowered her block. The coldness seeped through her body and then words that warned her to leave.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Waleron’s voice became stronger and he
Traced to stand in front of her, stopping any escape. “Answer me!”

“I came here to warn you. I’ve done that. Whether it has done any good remains to be seen,” Delara said. “I must leave. I will return if the warriors are in need.” She saw his face blanch and then his eyes flashed red. “Let me go, Waleron. You’ve been quite eager to do it before. It’s the same process.”

His eyes narrowed. “Are you in trouble?”

A whole hell of a lo
t. “Just do as I say.”

She walked around him, ignoring the fear she heard in his voice. “I can force you to stay.”

“Yes,” she said, not turning. “But Tarek already did that and look what happened.” She knew that would get to him. If the pain weren’t so intense, she’d actually smile. Waleron was feeling—what a concept.

“Stay,” Waleron said. “Because I ask it of you.”

She stumbled. God, did he have to say that?

But she kept going. She
’d done her part to help Danielle. Balen . . . well, that would come to pass as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

She opened the front door and a cold breeze gusted across her chest, pushing her back a step. Waleron caught
up to her and she knew his hand was rising to touch her shoulder. His voice, soft and calm, whispered her name like a finger drifting across her skin.

Love me like I know you can
, Delara said to herself.
If you love me, I can survive what I have done. Just tell me, my love.

But his hand never touched her shoulder
.

She left before she was retrieved by the other in front of Waleron. If that
happened, a war would rise, one that Waleron would lose. He’d never allow a warrior of his to live as she did because he had no control of her and that Waleron couldn’t stand. She had done what she came to do. Now it was up to him.

Waleron came back into the living room, and Balen instantly saw the uncertainty in his eyes. He looked directly at him and held steady as if he was contemplating what to do. Delara was nowhere to be seen. Something had transpired between them, and he was clueless as to what, for Waleron never allowed any to read his thoughts.

“Exile, in the Pyrenees mountains until an appeal is heard,” Waleron announced.

Balen lifted his brows with curiosity. Obviously, Delara’s arguments had done some good. Exile was certainly better than the hell of Rest.

“But the . . .” Jedrik began.

“I will deal with the Wraiths,” Waleron said.

“This is crap,” Damien said, his fist slamming into the wall and leaving an indent.

“Damien.” Waleron’s voice held a tone of warning that said cool down, or he’d do it for you.

Keir, Galen and Jedrik all gave a curt nod. Damien hesitated until the other three glared at him. They all knew that defying
council’s decision would have repercussions. Therefore, having all their willingness was imperative. Damien finally consented and then Waleron turned to Balen. “We leave.”

Balen gave a single nod, his chest tightening. He knew from the day he decided to return that staying with Danielle was an impossibility. Yet the gauntlet had just come down
, and he was bleeding. Bloody hell, he just wanted to hold her in his arms again.

One look from Waleron and Jedrik, Galen and Damien left the room without a word. Keir approached him and held out his hand. Balen took it. “My wife wishes to know her brother. When this is over, I ask that you make that wish come true.”

Balen swallowed. What Keir was asking was a high compliment. Why Anstice wanted to see him again was beyond him. Maybe she wanted to kill him herself.

He gave a nod to Keir, although he didn’t expect
him to follow through—after all, exile for fifty years was a long time and his sister would soon forget she had a brother. A brother who was an asshole.

Balen did one final thing before he walked away
. He sent Danielle a wave of his scent.

The pain upon waking and finding him gone for the second day in a row was worse than the first. Yesterday, it
had sucked. Today it was as if reality had punched her in the stomach. It felt like her emotions were in a Cuisinart with the shredding blade going full tilt. Usually, she was the one leaving the guy, not the other way around. Actually, she couldn’t ever recall a guy breaking up with her first. And this hurt.

Emptiness was a desolate emotion
, and sure as shit she felt it. God, was it possible to have physical pain when you were emotionally hurting? Her stomach was killing her, and her head pounded as if she were hung over after a night of mixing Jack Daniels, Tequila and Absolut.

She
threw back the covers and lay immobile, adjusting to the sensations that were pumping oddly through her body. Her heart raced, and anxiety built with each breath she took. She groaned as a sharp, jagged pain gripped her stomach and then . . .
Oh, crap.
She vaulted from bed, diving for the bathroom just in time to spew the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

God, she felt like hell
, and to top it off, she still sensed Balen’s presence, his scent lingering in her hair, on her skin. She crouched over the toilet until her insides settled enough to stand.