Rush (Roam Series, Book Four) Page 17
“Selfish?” He caught my chin in his hand, searching my eyes. “Take a second and think about what selfish means. Think about the moment you were born, and all that you’ve been through.”
The worst moment, the seven times that I stabbed Two with a steak knife, surfaced as I lowered my face to my hands. He reached for me, and I let him unbuckle my seatbelt and pull me into his arms.
“Do you hate me?”
“No.” He pressed his lips to my temple, and then my forehead. “No, I love you with all of my heart.”
I folded, fighting the burning tears. “Even if I can’t give you children?”
“Give me children? This isn’t the 1500’s.” He chuckled softly. “You know more than anyone- there are so many children without parents. We’ll find our child. Someday. And we have… a forever… of days.”
If I had any doubts about my love for him, they all extinguished at that moment. I kissed him slowly, so slowly, memorizing every one of his words.
We’ll find our child.
When we finally pulled into West’s driveway, we were beyond exhausted. Logan began to feel the effects of traveling so much in such a short time, and it was all he could do to make it up the stairs before falling in bed. The house was exactly as I’d left it- all locks were secure. Though he’d already turned on the alarm in the house, I checked it and rechecked it three times, finally dropping to the bed, into his arms.
Sometime later, his fitful shouting roused me, and finally a hard knee in the back forced me awake. “Vi- I’m sorry-…,”
“I’m fine,” I let him tuck me against him, closing my eyes at his lips on my bare shoulder.
“Maybe I should sleep in the other room.”
“Just hold me,” I managed to mumble before sleep claimed me once more.
The window was dark by the time I finally opened my eyes. Logan’s cell phone was buzzing incessantly, and his arm came down over me, reaching for the nightstand. After a moment, I heard his sleepy greeting. “Rush.”
“Anything?”
West’s voice on the speaker jerked me into a sitting position.
“No. You? How’s Roam?”
“No leads. She’s…,” he cleared his throat. “She’s out searching.”
“Is she… okay?”
“No.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but it couldn’t be good. “We slept all day. I’m awake now. I need a firearm.”
“Help yourself.”
They agreed to keep in contact. I slipped into the hallway and down the stairs, shuddering at all of the open windows in the living room. The multiple, darkened glass reflected everything within the house. I began closing the blinds, one by one, moving toward the front door. Eva’s toys were everywhere; her books, her crayons and artwork, everywhere I looked I was reminded of my sister’s absence.
It took me three full seconds to realize that I was staring at a face in the window.
My heart stopped beating.
Troy.
“Wait,” his voice through the door drew a scream from my throat, and Logan nearly flew down the stairs, a rifle in his hand.
“Get down,” Logan aimed at the window, but Troy held his hands up defensively.
“No,” I dropped behind the couch, pressing my hands over my ears and waiting for Logan to fire. How is he alive?
The next thing I heard was the door opening. I shot to my feet, staring at Logan open-mouthed as he lowered his weapon.
“Will,” Logan held the door open, reaching for me. “Violet, it’s okay.”
“Logan,” Will nodded once toward him, and then turned toward me. Will… the one who helped them escape from the castle.
Troy’s son.
“Hi,” I choked, extending my hand. I expected him to shake it, but he gathered my fingers, bringing them to his lips.
“Violet, so good to finally meet you,” he acknowledged, his frosted blue gaze much softer than Troy’s icy glare. “Logan, I had hoped to find you or West.”
“West is in North Carolina-…,”
“And young Eva?” He urged. Slightly taller than Logan, he turned and scanned the living room. “She is safe?”
“No,” I pulled my hand away. “She’s missing. A man- an immortal man- has kidnapped her, and-…,”
“I know.” He turned back to Logan. “She called for me to help. Through her dreams; Asher alerted me, and I came as quickly as I could.”
“Her dreams,” I covered my mouth, meeting Logan’s eyes. “Logan, she’s so smart… she called for help…,”
“She is somewhere unfamiliar. She is not harmed, but she is very frightened,” Will held his hand out to the kitchen. “May I?”
“Come in,” Logan urged, closing the door and securing the alarm system. He wore only boxer shorts, and pointed upstairs. “I’ll throw some clothes on. Violet, do you want to come upstairs with me?”
I shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Will, and he bowed, holding his arms out to the stairs. “I take no offense. I am a stranger to you. Please,” he urged.
Following Logan, I waited until we were inside the bedroom to talk. “Can we trust him?”
Logan nodded, tugging on his jeans. “I trust him completely. He saved all of our asses in that castle. And- he came all the way here to help find Eva. Absolutely.”
“Okay.” I searched through my dresser, finding white shorts and a blue, floral-printed cami. I grabbed a sweatshirt and zipped it as I followed Logan back downstairs.
Will stood at the counter with a crayon in his hand, gesturing to a piece of construction paper. “This is what she’s shown Asher. A lighthouse? I apologize for the crude drawing.”
“No- this helps.” Logan lifted the piece of paper, turning to Will. “What color is the lighthouse?”
“White, with a red point. And a building, with beds and a television.”
“A motel?” I suggested, staring at Will’s drawing.
“Stone and wood.” He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the counter. Logan clasped him on the shoulder.
“Will, sit down. You’ve come a long way.”
“She called for me… she asked for me to come to her.” His even voice, so collected, was a refreshing change from West and Logan’s constant, urgent tone. “I will not rest until I’ve found her. Roam and West must be devastated.”
“They’re searching for her, in North Carolina. There are lighthouses all over the world,” Logan was already at West’s laptop, Googling ‘white lighthouse red tip.’ “Washington… North Africa… fucking Norway,” he groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. “Where do we start?”
“She refers to a child’s game.” Will took the paper again, using the black crayon to sketch something else. “Marbles. Asher told me she focuses on the word ‘marbles.’”
“Marbles? What kid plays marbles anymore? I can tell you she’s never played with those in her life. Unless there’s a Wii version of Marbles that I don’t know about.” I shrugged, shaking my head.
“Marbles,” Logan mouthed, moving the curser back to search ‘marbles lighthouse.’ “Marble flooring, installation, sales-…,”
“Logan, no,” I reached for the laptop, replacing his fingers with mine. “Marble Lighthouse.”
“Marblehead,” he watched the images of the white lighthouse appear on the screen, shoving the mouse away. “Ohio. She’s here.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Logan
“West and Roam are on their way- they’re flying. Morgan and Jason are staying with Christopher.”
I drove, and Violet sat next to me with Will in the backseat. “How dangerous is this man?” He asked. “You say that he is immortal?”
“Apparently, I also father immortal children. I had a child in 1955, and he watched me kill Roam… Annie,” my knuckles whitened over the steering wheel. “And he knows about the prophecy. He thinks he’s protecting Eva by keeping her away from me.”
“Asher claims that Eva possesses magic.”
“The child did this?” Will asked. “She understands, then, what she is?”
“I don’t think she understands. I think she just does what she wants,” Violet smiled fondly, her eyes sparkling. “She’s… one of a kind.”
I glanced down at Violet’s phone, checking our ETA from her navigation app. One hour and forty-five minutes. “Roam and West have another child.” Will confirmed.
“Christopher,” she answered.
He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I suspected as much.”
“I’m sure they’ll have more. All they want are children.” I tried to catch Violet’s eyes, but she kept her gaze rooted out the window.
“They cannot.” Will sighed, leaning back against the seat. “In their… love for each other, they have forgotten the prophecy. It is their child… any of their children… that burn my world. Christopher’s birth has returned the second sun. My people see only one; the second creates a halo behind the first.”
I tapped the brake, turning in my seat. “It’s not just Eva…,”
“No.”
“Fuck,” I reached for my phone, but Violet grabbed my hand.
“Wait Logan, don’t tell them like this, not while they’re flying here and scared out of their minds for Eva’s life. Not a good time.” I let her thread her fingers through mine. “I really don’t believe they thought about this, Will. Please believe that.”
“I do believe that, Violet. I have never known a love as powerful as West and Roam’s. After what my father did to her… to both of them… she deserves happiness. If Christopher and Eva bring them happiness, I am willing to do all that I can to wait for as long as possible.”
“Wait?” I hit the brake slightly.
“For Eva.” He met my eyes in the mirror. “Her presence in Icepond is the only way to stop the burning sun. Now, it is Christopher that must stop the second son.”
“Or their deaths.” I added, trying to drive and read his expression at the same time.
“I have vowed to protect her- with my life.”
His even voice made me want to believe that he was sincere.
“And Chris? You won’t hurt the baby?”
“Of course not. I will find another way. Asher is working on developing spells to try to reverse the curse.”
“He can do that?” I asked.
“No,” Will loosened the collar of his shirt, and I reached for the air conditioner button. “It has become apparent that there is no way, but he never stops trying.”
“Did Eva give any indication that she’s hurt?” Violet finally asked, and Will shook his head again.
“No.”
The tense silence in the Jeep had me securing the Glock at my side and checking the knife at my belt. I had to be twenty-one for a concealed carry license, so if we got pulled over I’d definitely be put in jail. I checked my speed.
“How is your mother?” I asked Will.
“She is well. A general happiness has returned to Icepond; I have incorporated many of Roam’s diplomatic ideas into my rule. Fairness, equality, and due process. Though many… terrible things happened to her there, she was by far a most impressive queen.”
“She’s smart.” I agreed, deciding not to elaborate on how fucked-up she was since the castle. “We’ll check motels near the lighthouse, but he may have taken her over to the islands.”
“He may have moved. What if he just continues moving around? How will we find her?” Violet’s voice shook in a way I’d never heard. I reached for her hand.
“I think she will find me,” Will said softly, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror. “I do not know how, but I sense that she can.”
By the time I reached Marblehead Lighthouse, we were all on edge. It was nearing midnight and the park was closed to visitors. “Now what?” Violet demanded. I knew she was hungry; we all needed to eat, but no one wanted to stop now that we’d come this far.
“Let’s check out the motels around here. We’ll grab something to eat on the way. Will, you said something about stone and wood?”
“Yes. On the shore; trees surrounding the building. Rooms with outdoor access, and she sees the interior… a room with two beds.”
“It has to be a motel.” My phone was buzzing, and I lifted it to my ear as I climbed into the Jeep again. “Hey West.”
“Anything?”
He must have had the exact time we’d reach the lighthouse programmed into his own phone. I sighed, glancing at Violet. “Nothing. Will says she sees a building- we’re going to check it out. We think it might be a motel.”
“If he sees you or Violet, he may try to take off.”
“I know. Where are you?”
“Cleveland. We’re driving straight there. Let me know when you find something.”
“Okay.” I disconnected as Violet grabbed my arm, gesturing out the window.
“Logan, look,” she ducked down in the seat slightly, and I followed her gaze. A motel loomed along the shore, fitting Will’s description exactly; wood paneling, several rooms with outdoor access, and large, gray stones. A deck extended along both floors, allowing access to the several rooms. “Will?”
“I did not see the image, but it is as Asher described. Logan, pull along the road,” he suggested. I killed the headlights and parked under a massive oak tree. “We must check with the owner of the inn.”
“The lobby,” I turned to Violet and Will. “Listen, stay here. Watch to make sure he doesn’t try to take off, if he’s in there. I’m going to talk to the front desk- it looks like they’re still open.”
“Please be careful,” Violet begged. I kissed her softly, nodding.
I scanned the parking lot on the way to the lobby, finding all Ohio license plates and no vehicles matching the black Nissan description. The lobby was empty, the front desk unattended. I leaned over the counter, searching the back room. Come the fuck on. The screensaver on the computer monitor bobbed with a geometric design, and I bumped the mouse next to the keyboard.
Some software filled the screen, and I scanned for anything related to guests.
“Can I help you?”
A tanned man, mid-forties, slouched to my left. “Hi, I’m looking for a guest who may be here. Cole Mathison. He has a red-haired little girl with him.”
I stared him down, and when recognition passed over his scruffy face, I almost darted out the door for the rooms. Slow down, get more information.
“Wrong name, but he’s here. You sure that’s his name?”
“No,” I pulled out my phone, scrolling to my photos. Eva’s picture filled the screen before I turned back to the man. “Is this the girl?”
“That’s her. Do I need to be calling the police?” He asked nervously, already weighing his cell phone in his hands.
“No, no. Not yet. What room are they in?”
“I don’t think I should be telling you-…,”
I struck before he could finish his sentence, a fistful of his greasy hair in my hands as I slammed his face to the countertop. The mouse pad did little to cushion the blow, and he groaned. “What room are they in?” I hissed.
“Nine. Second floor.” He managed. Cool down… cool down…
I lifted him back to a standing position before knocking him out with one blow.
The gun in hand, I crossed to the back of the motel, knowing that Violet and Will could see me from the car. Taking two stair steps at once, I held my hand up flat, indicating they stay where they were.
Three… five… nine. The window next to the door was darkened.
If Eva is asleep, I’ll scare her if I shoot the lock.
After endless seconds of contemplation, I finally decided to just knock. I tried five non-threatening raps, waiting.
The sound of a chambering round beneath me sent me flattening ag
ainst the door just in time; the gunshot from below the deck splintered the wood where my feet stood only seconds earlier.
“Fuck,” I watched the shadowed figure move beneath me, nearly missing five stairs as I ran after him. He’s heading toward the water.
“Rush!” His voice halted my finger at the trigger, and I flattened behind the giant trunk of a tree. An overturned canoe lay to my right, and I finally noticed a car- the Nissan- parked in a small scenic overlook by the shore. “You’re not going to kill her!”
“You’re fucking right I’m not going to kill her,” I called, steadying my hands. “I’m going to put a bullet in your fucking immortal head.”
“I won’t let you do this again,” he called, and I sensed this time that he was more to my left, hidden in a group of three trees hanging over the sand. “You’re the Alter.”
“I know what I am. I know what I’ve done,” I added. The moonlight was bright enough to light the night around us. Keep him talking. “But the nightmares can’t change me this time.”
“What’s so special this time?”
“I love her. I love Roam, and her children, and I’d never hurt them.”
“Bullshit.”
“If you won’t give her to me, then give her to her sister,” I suggested, thinking as quickly as I could. “Violet won’t hurt her.”
“Do you know what will happen if she dies?” Cole’s voice carried through the darkness, the southern accent catching me off guard. “This entire world burns. Melting faces. Like a fucking nuclear bomb. Only mortals, they get to just die. For immortals… we feel. We live through it. All of it.”
This world burns? I knew about the sun in Icepond, burning their world. But Earth? If Eva dies here, our world burns?
I could hear his panting breath. Goddamnit. I knew that fear meant he was no longer in control. “You’re wrong. Roam and I were kept prisoner in the other world, Mathison. The world burns slowly. And we are a sophisticated planet- we would adapt, just like the other world is adapting right now. You don’t know all of the facts.”
“I know I listened to my own father talk for years about his purpose. About the prophecy, about his immortal soul, and about a fucking king who wanted vengeance. You called yourself the ‘Prophet of Vengeance.’”