Set In Flames (Morningstars Book 1) (19 page)

Problem was, he considered the chances higher as well that Nox was out during the day. He wouldn’t expect any of them after all and that could be Jaden’s lucky break. Even if he couldn’t get that guy to tell him where Maya was, he maybe could manage to bring him back so Lex could go through all of his dirty thoughts,

As much as that appealed to Jaden, when the first huge raindrops hit his window he knew he wouldn’t go anywhere. Even the possibility of being killed before he could tell Maya what he really felt about her made his ass stay where it was. He needed to see her smile one more time and that wouldn’t happen if he was a cloud of smoke in the burning sun.

Another time the door opened and by now Maya knew she was fantasizing. Her father came in, pausing for a long moment before falling to his knees in front of her.

She had long given up trying to read the expression of the people coming in. She had no idea how long she already was a victim of her mother’s cruel torture, but in the many visions, or dreams, or whatever it had been, nights and days had passed in rapid succession. In the beginning she had tried to count them, now she just hoped that the next one would kill her.

She had loved and lost, survived and got killed, hoped and given up. She didn’t even know if the blood that covered her really was there or not.

“My beautiful daughter,” she heard and even though she hadn’t seen her father in years, she recognized the gentle tone instantly. Oh, how much she wished that for once the vision was real.

Having gone from seeing Jaden to having her worst fears come to life, she wasn’t surprised her mind had cooked up another figure to hurt her. And there would be nothing worse than seeing her father killed now.

“You are not real,” she tried to say, but her voice was nothing more than a broken whisper. She had screamed too much.

“Let’s get you out of here,” he said, not even reacting to the words she said.

“If you help me, she will kill you. I know she will, and she will make me watch. I couldn’t take it. Please, Daddy, just leave. Please,” she begged, trying to avoid his touch but he just followed whenever she moved back.

“I’m gonna bring you upstairs and then you can…” He trailed off as she tried to stand, but failed miserably. She hadn’t eaten in a good while, simply having refused the food after one too many visions of being poisoned, and her vampire side obviously had given up on her. She wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Her father finally held her in his arms and she felt tears streaming down her face. Again this vision felt too real, too good to be true and she just closed her eyes.

“Even if I would want to run, dad, I can’t,” she whispered and he nodded. She could feel it against her head.

“You are with a Morningstar warrior. Jaden is his name, right?” She knew it was a lie, yet she nodded. ‘With him’ wasn’t exactly how she’d describe that, but that didn’t matter.

“I know where he lives. I had to ask him about some victims he brought back once. Decent guy. There’s a storm outside. I’ll bring you as far as I can, my sweet baby girl,” he promised and Maya liked the sound of that a lot.  She closed her eyes, trying to think of something she could say when she saw Jaden, but nothing came to mind.

What was there left to say anyways?

‘Hey honey, I’m home. Sorry you were such an ass and I ran away?’ That was hardly the right thing.

Her father suddenly placed her back on her feet, only letting her go once she appeared to be almost steady on them. Only then did she realize that she was soaked. The rain was still coming down hard and she looked up, enjoying the big drops on her face.

“Go down that driveway until the end. You shouldn’t hesitate. He’ll be delighted to have you back. You do mean something to him, right?” he wanted to know and she focused back on him.

“Is this real? Am I really out?” she wanted to know instead of answering, reaching out to touch her father. She could feel him, and didn’t hurt herself, or touch cold stone.

“You are out, Maya. You are safe. And I wish you’d just stick to those warriors. They can protect you from the monster your mother so obviously is. You are… You haven’t killed anyone, have you?” he asked, his voice shaking.

“No, Dad, and I never will. I’m… What do you call it? An Origin Queen? At least that’s what the warriors think,” she explained and then stared as her father fell to his knees, sobbing quietly.

“You won’t turn into a monster and I did everything right when I decided against killing you. I knew you couldn’t ever be bad. I wouldn’t have fallen for you the moment I held you in my arms. I swear a father knows when his love is rightly placed. Thank the Creator! Go. Your mother has all the more reasons to hate you now,” he explained and she leaned down, kissing his cheek.

“We’ll meet again soon, right, dad?” she wanted to know and he got up, hugging her tight before pushing her towards Jaden’s house.

“Of course! I know where to find you now,” he grinned and she finally walked up to he house as he vanished, too fast for her human eyes to follow.

Jaden stared at the fireplace, wishing that night would return. The seating arrangement didn’t work long for him and he started prowling through the living room, pausing at the window another time.

Thunder, lightening and rain played a dark symphony outside and they were calling to him, asking him to find the woman that made his heart race and his lips smile even if he didn’t want to.

An angry growl left him and he went over to the door, ready to get out and do something. He didn’t worry about the sun. He just worried about finding…

“Maya?” She was dripping wet, crying and still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “Babe… Cupcake… Maya.” He gathered her in his arms, not caring that he got wet, too. He just breathed her in. She sobbed quietly into his shoulder, holding onto him tightly.

“You shouldn’t have run!” He knew that fussing at her wasn’t the best thing to do, but he needed an outlet for the fear that was still bottled up in him.

“Seriously? That was exactly…” Maya tried to push him away, but it was something he was not going to let happen.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, knowing he needed to say so much more, but his mind was almost blank. She still was struggling against him and he just held her tighter. “I thought I had lost you. We all did. I could see it on their faces. Every day you were gone they lost more and more hope.” Her struggling stopped at his words and she looked up at him.

“Never again. This will never happen again,” he explained, before crushing his lips down on hers. He needed to taste her, needed his fill of her. He needed her close, closer than ever before and he didn’t care about plans or orders. She’d become fully his before she’d leave his house again.

He wanted to be able to feel what she felt, to hurt when she hurt, and to find her whenever he’d be stupid enough to push her away again. And he knew that was going to happen because he was scared of all that he was feeling. Besides, he knew that they still wanted to take her away from him. Fuck traditions. He’d always seek her out until they accepted he belonged to her.

Breathlessly she pulled away and only then did he realize that she was shivering and her lips were blue, despite the kiss that had left him almost burning.

Protectiveness rushed through him and he leaned closer again, kissing her forehead before he took her jacket off, then her soaked top, noticing despite the situation that she was half naked now.

She was beautiful, fragile and soft. He brushed her wet hair away from her shoulders, pressing his lips to her shoulder blades before picking her up to carry her over to the fire.

“You must be hungry and cold and…” He couldn’t stop himself from covering her body with little kisses, only stopping to look at the lines on her back. Soon they’d know what she’d carry around as her bonding tattoo.

“I’m not gonna get fed by that,” she said, her voice hoarse. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what she had gone through, and the way she tried to hide her arms from him let him know that she was injured.

“The blood washed away from the downpour,” she explained as he took her hands, seeing her torn nails, her open arms. It broke his heart.

She was shaking harder now and he kissed her fingertips, knowing it was time to change her. She would heal much quicker then and he wouldn’t have to worry about opening her wounds.

“It’s getting worse. I’ve lost almost all strength,” she confirmed his thoughts as if they already were one. “I know you didn’t really want me here, but my father… I didn’t think bringing him to the base was a good idea. I didn’t forget what you said or think. I just didn’t want to die in my mother’s cellar. So…” She tried to sit up and he stared at her. She seriously still believed all the hurtful things he had said? She hugged herself, making it look as if she tried to build a wall against him.

He had just kissed her and she thought she needed to go? Then he remembered that he had been tender with her before, only to push her away all the harder then. Her hesitancy was understandable.

She had her chin up, looking proud even though she felt clearly defeated. Jaden couldn’t help but think that she’d make an amazing Queen one day.

One day when he was ready to let her go out of the house.

“I need to call the order to let them know you are back. You need to… You should try to shower, and then…” He shrugged, not knowing how he’d get her from ice-cold to melting in his arms. It was where he’d make her end up though. He didn’t say that out loud and yet it was still a promise.

Maya wanted to beg for Kaden’s clothes. There was no denying that Jaden did his very best and was surprisingly gentle, but it scared her all the more. Except for the tiny rebuff in the beginning, he seriously looked out for her and she still had the feeling she needed to pinch herself in order to believe that she was free again.

How many days had passed? Was it true that his whole demeanor about her had changed? And if he said he’d want nothing of that anymore, did that mean he was ready to change her? Wanted to stay with her?

She shook her head. That surely was not possible.

Falling for Jaden, or just an illusion of him, wouldn’t make her feel any better than she had up until then.

Stepping out of the shower she found one of Jaden’s shirts there and hesitated. Everything of his so far had broken her heart and she was pretty sure that she was on the best way there yet again.

Contemplating hiding in Kaden’s room until she’d have enough strength to leave, she opened the door, finding her warrior, or rather the guy that never would be hers, standing there, waiting.