Unfaded (45 page)

             
“They must not have heard about the fire yet. Otherwise he would have kept calling until I picked up. Dad’s a bit obsessive that way. I’ll have to call him in the morning and let him know.”

             
“He loves you,” Kian said. “I would do the exact same thing.”

             
I yawned again. “What about you? You must be tired too. Most of the energy inside my body is yours. You and Seito helped me while I slept.”

             
“I’m doing fine. I can replenish faster. I’m not the one with a hole in my stomach.”

             
“Ok.” I yawned again and rested my hand on his chest so I could feel his body breathe. “But don’t leave me if I fall asleep.”

             
“I won’t.”

             
He fell asleep before me and I laid there in the darkness and listened to his heart as his chest rose and fell to the rhythm of his breathing. It was soothing and the warmth of his body washed over me, making me stronger as every minute passed. I watched his face while he slept, admired the curve of his jaw and the fullness of his lips. His eyelashes were long and dark, they fluttered softly when he twitched in his sleep. Longish hair rested against the pillow, it was the exact same shade of freshly roasted chestnuts.

             
While he slept I was able to study him in a way I’d never had the chance. I’d never met anyone as beautiful as him before. It wasn’t just his looks, although I fully understood why every girl in the school was so interested in him. It was his soul.

             
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I’d met plenty of good looking people who became uglier once I got to know them better. I’d also met a lot of plain girls whose inner beauty made them shine brighter than any supernova. I didn’t believe in perfection. There was no such thing as a perfect face or ass or legs. Humans had flaws and so did Unfaded. Kian had plenty of faults as I was slowly learning. But he was perfect to me. I was accepting him for what he was. I wanted him regardless of what transpired in his past.

             
There was no force in the world that could keep us apart.

                                                        *              *              *

              It was the murmuring voices that woke me. I couldn’t have been asleep long, it was still dark out and my body ached like I’d only closed my eyes for a few moments.

             
Everyone was back in the room. Over at the table, Micah, Lina and Seito were talking in low voices. I pulled myself up a bit, giving Kian a nudge with my elbow to wake him. Lashes fluttering, he opened his eyes, giving me a slight panicky stare before he realised he’d just fallen asleep and nothing bad had happened.

Seito immediately noticed.

              “Aww, aren’t they just the cutest things.”

             
I blinked twice and Seito came over to the bed. Beside him followed Lina and she was smirking.

             
“Looks like the love birds made up,” she said. “It’s about bloody time. There was enough brooding around here to sink a ship.”

             
“Of course now we’re gonna have to put up with all this mushy stuff,” Seito said. “I’m not sure which is actually worse.”

             
“Ok, enough.” Kian’s jaw quivered. “Don’t make me take you outside, Seito. I won’t go easy on you like last time.”

             
“Ha! Try it, pretty boy.”

             
“I’m glad you’re all enjoying yourself,” Micah said from his normal spot across the room. “But perhaps we should see how Mai is feeling before we continue down this happy-go-lucky path.”

             
I caught Seito’s expression and he mouthed the words ‘happy-go-lucky’ and raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes at the same time. I had to bite down on my tongue to keep from bursting with laughter.

             
“How’s the stomach?” Seito asked.

             
I carefully pressed my hands against my body. There was still some pain but it was relatively minor compared to the extent of the injury. “Good.”

             
Kian got up off the bed, breaking the connection between us. I’d spent a lot of time wrapped in the warmth of his body, surrounded and being healed by his energy. Now that we were apart I could feel the coolness of the room. It was like breaking out of a cocoon after spending a few months in blissful sleep. I wanted to reach out and pull him back to me, but that didn’t seem like a feasible idea since we were no longer alone. It would just give Seito more ammunition, not that I minded in the slightest. There were far worse things to be teased about.

             
“Either way,” Micah said. “You’re to stay in bed for a bit. It’s going to take more than a few hours to recover from those injuries. I understand your parents are away so there’s no need to worry there?”

             
I nodded. “I’ll give Dad a call in a bit but they won’t be home until Sunday. Lucky break I guess.”

             
“Luck would have been not attaining the injuries at all,” Micah said, giving Kian a hard look. “But there’s no point in going there. There’s been enough pain and blame and it isn’t going to get us anywhere. The main fact is you’re alive.”

             
Micah was furious with Kian, which was perfectly clear.

             
“That’s not fair,” I said. “You have no right to be mad. I was the one who refused to talk to him. There is no one to blame here except me. If I hadn’t been so stubborn this could have been avoided.”

             
“It’s ok, Mai,” Kian said. “You don’t need to defend me.”

             
“Someone does,” I said. “I’m tired of all this bickering. We’re all here for the same reason. I think it’s about time you started acting like adults.”

             
Ok, so telling ancient Unfaded to stop behaving like children probably wasn’t the best I could come up with but I was getting tired. Micah might still be holding a grudge over Lina and Seito, but if it hadn’t been for them I’d be dead.

             
“She’s got a point,” Lina said. “Seito saved her life. He’s the hero. We’re here to help, Micah, whether you like it or not. The least we can do is be civil. Have we really digressed this much as a race?”

             
“I can’t be on the same side as someone who wishes to destroy humanity.”

             
Lina’s eyes flashed with anger. “Oh, give it a rest you crank pot. Just because we don’t share the same goal doesn’t mean we’re not on the same team. Or is that what’s bothering you? It must kill you to know that the only Unfaded who side with you, are the enemies. Get over it. Your precious council wants nothing to do with you. Aelin is your enemy and that’s not going to change any time soon. We need to make it through today and worry about the future later.”

             
“Fair enough,” Micah said. “But when the time comes, I will not let you exploit that girl. I’d rather die than let you manipulate her soul.”

             
“Have you even met Mai?” Seito said. “I seriously doubt she’d let anyone tell her what to do. Give her more credit than that. She’s her own person.”

             
I could have kissed him. It was nice to see him take a position for once even if it was only for a short second. He’d said his piece and was back to playing non-caring guy by ignoring everyone and daydreaming out the window.

             
“Did you find Anique and Sobek?” Kian asked. I guess he figured it was a good time to change the subject.

             
Lina frowned. “No. Wherever they are, it’s not here. We turned this town inside out and didn’t come across a single blonde hair.”

             
“They might have skipped town,” Micah said. “But I don’t believe it.”

             
“At least we agree on that,” Lina said. “I think they’re still here. But who knows if they’ve contacted anyone. It’s time we put a stop to this before it really starts to get out of hand.”

             
“And just what do you propose we do?” Micah said. “Should we just wander around and hope we stumble across them by accident?”

             
“I suggest you think of something soon,” Seito said, speaking up for the second time in a row. His eyes were still focused on the parking lot. “Because it’s about to get more interesting.”

             
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kian asked.

             
“We’ve got company.”

             
Seito stepped back to let them look. They all raced to the window. Lina and Kian got there first, followed by Micah. There was no mistaking the look of surprise on all of their faces. I sighed, it would have been nice to join the rush but jumping out of bed wasn’t on my list of things to do immediately after being stabbed. Whoever was in the parking lot couldn’t be that bad because Seito gave me a wink as if to suggest this was about to get interesting.

             
It did.

             
“You traitor,” Micah hissed at Lina. “You promised us. Those were your words. You said you wouldn’t bring him into this.”

             
“Don’t look at me,” Lina said. “I kept my word. It wasn’t me.”

             
Micah turned to Seito but he just shook his head. “Not me either. I’ve never even seen the guy before. I certainly don't have his phone number.”

             
It was obvious that Kian knew nothing about it so Micah didn’t even bother asking him. Backing away from the window Kian came over and sat down beside me, putting an arm around my shoulder. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to be possessive or protective but I could feel the nervous energy bubbling just beneath his skin.

             
“Who is it?” I asked. No one answered me.

             
There was a sudden banging on the door. A tense jolt of electricity surged through the room, forcing the lights to flicker. The television turned itself on and off. I could see the energy as it moved across the room, a bright white light that travelled from Unfaded to Unfaded. My body began to tingle as the light studied me, trying to determine who I was. I’d never seen anything like it. Whoever was outside had a lot of power.

             
Micah stood in front of the door, his body blocking the entrance.

             
“Let him in,” Lina said. “It’s not like you can keep him out. You’re only going to anger him more by ignoring him.”

             
“Who is it?” I asked again. No one answered. However it didn’t really matter. I knew who it was. I’d known all along, only it had taken me a bit of time to fully understand. Blood called to blood and no matter how many times I was reincarnated, his blood still flowed through my veins.

             
The memory hit me stronger than the electricity that was still making my skin twitch. A man with black hair and blue eyes, they were the exact same colour as my own.

             
A flicker of light. A match in the darkness.

             
If you ever need me I’ll come. All you have to do is wish it. You’ve spent enough time in the darkness. I can keep you in the light.

             
“It was me,” I said and everyone in the room turned at the sound of my voice. “I called for him and he came.”

              “Mai?” Kian’s arm tightened around my shoulder.

             
I reached out and took his hand, squeezing it, warming it with my own energy. He was cold, perhaps for the first time since I’d known him.

             
“Let him in,” I said. “He’s just going to break down the door if you don’t.”

             
Lina smiled triumphantly and Micah had no choice but to back up while she unlocked the deadbolt and let Rafferty in.

             
He was taller and wider than I’d expected him but most of my memories had been accurate. His hair was long and black, the curls pulled back in a ponytail. He wore a cowboy hat that shadowed his eyes. Looking into his face would be like looking into a mirror. Stepping forward into the room, he was trailed by four other Unfaded. They were all armed with swords. Three male, one female, they were his bodyguards. I recognized them instantly even though I was positive I’d never seen them before in this life. He’d always travelled with a pack.

             
Rafferty scanned the room, nodding briefly at Lina as she gave him a respectful bow. His eyes paused at Micah whose eyebrows were twitching in anger. He completely ignored Seito and his attention finally came to fall on Kian and I as we waited on the bed. He smiled, revealing large white teeth and held out his hands as a gesture of welcoming.