Chapter 10

“And the award for highest average goes to… Bridjette O’Hare!”

I won? I actually won. I don’t believe it.

Blushing at Anna’s beaming, proud smile, I stood to my feet amidst the crescendo of clapping.

“Way to go, Jette.” Donnie, the football brickhouse, stood as well, slapping me on the back in congratulations.

“I knew you could do it. Well deserved.” Lexa Buttface grinned at me as I passed her by. Her and the whole Scooby gang cheering me on. That was swell of them.

Everyone was here. Bishop, my grandmother, my mother, Zoe, Jill, Kara. Even Sash. All smiling at me, so proud of my accomplishment.

I pushed my way through the wall of well-wishers, looking so chic in my red trench coat and matching graduation cap. But even feeling as proud and accomplished as I did, something didn’t feel right. Someone was missing.

My gaze scanned the cheering crowd, searching for… I wasn’t sure what. Or who. But then, a flash of green caught my eye. I strained my neck, standing on my tiptoes to get a better look.

Yes. It was him. Starke.

As if sensing our connection, the crowd parted, allowing him to walk toward me as their noise faded into the background. He was smiling just like everyone else. It was my Starke. I could tell. The love and warmth emanating from him lit up the room. His dark hair was longer than I remembered, and it fell over one eye, giving him that boyish, mischievous look I knew well.

“Hi, Princey,” I breathed, so happy to see him here for my moment.

“Hi, little rabbit. You did it.”

“I know right? Who would have believed I’d ever graduate with honors?”

“I did. I knew you could do anything you set your mind to.”

Warmth invaded my chest. He was proud of me. There was no better feeling.

“I’m so glad you’re here. I was afraid I wouldn’t see you again.”

He stepped toward me, his smoky pine scent tickling my nose.

“Of course I’m here.” He reached out and ran his hand down my cheek. “I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”

He smiled, his dimple deepening, and his eyes emerald bright. “I have something for you.”

Curious, I glanced around in excitement. What could it be?

The room darkened as the sun shining through the high windows was suddenly blocked. Icy fingers tickled down my spine as the cold wind came out of nowhere, whipping around us.

I heard the growls and snarls moments before they exploded through the windows, filling the room with their menacing presence.

Morquals.

My terrified gaze averted to Starke, who was still smiling. Only, his jade eyes were now ebony with his blood magic persona.

“Starke?” I whispered, my question drowned out by the screams saturating the air. Heat blasted me as the morquals’ fiery breath encompassed the room, scorching everything in their path. People were trying to run, but the molten fire was everywhere, cutting them down as they tried to escape. I watched in horror as Bish and Jill, rooted in spot, were consumed by the flames. The smell of burning flesh hit me, and I fell to my knees in complete terror, unable to tear my eyes away from the horror of their shriveled, blackened remains crumbling to the ground.

“Stop this!” my scream ripped from my throat. “Starke, stop this!”

“Bridjette.”

The voice tried to pull me away from the horror, but I was stuck too deep. The panic too real.

The morquals turned to me. I tried to run. To save my sorry ass. I couldn’t fight them. I couldn’t save anyone. I didn’t have enough magic. I was a failure.

The creature in front of me opened his mouth as in slow motion. I could see the ball of flame coming to life in the back of its throat. It grew bigger as I watched, turning into a massive cannonball of liquid lava. It aimed my way, the blast of heat from it hitting me long before the actual flame. The smell of singed hair assaulted me as the heat annihilated my skin. I felt the flesh crack and peel from my bones like overcooked chicken. A scream tore from my throat as the creature roasted me alive.

“Bridjette.”

The voice was more insistent this time and cut through the fog clouding my brain. I could still hear the scream, and it took me a moment to realize the keening sound was coming from me.

“Stop screaming. It’s just a dream.”

I peeled my eyes open to Starke’s concerned face. He wavered in and out of focus, dark Starke with the obsidian eyes superimposing over green-eyed Starke. I wasn’t quite sure which one was hovering over me as I tried to push him away.

“Leave me alone, monster.” I gasped, my throat raw from my shrieking. I pushed at his chest, but my arm suddenly felt like it was on fire. It felt tight and hot, and pain lanced straight down to my fingertips. What happened? Did I just get stung by something?

“Bridjette, you need to wake up.”

His voice barely registered over the pounding in my head and the agony in my arm. What was happening? Was this what being burnt alive felt like?

“You… killed them all,” I groaned at him, the images of burnt bodies still flickering behind my eyelids. His hands fell on my shoulders, and I retaliated, kicking out with my feet and hands. “Get away from me. Don’t touch me. You let the… morquals burn them all.”

“You’re burning up. I’m sorry. I should have come back sooner. You have to let me help you.”

“You’re a monster,” I repeated, flailing at him. “You killed them all.”

“Bridjette… Bridjette, stop. It was just a dream. I need to help you.”

“A… dream?” I questioned, his words starting to register.

“Yes. But you have to stop fighting me. You’re very ill, and I need to help you. Do you understand?”

I managed a quick nod.

“My arm feels like it’s on fire,” I moaned, only seconds later to scream in pain as he ripped the bandage off.

“I’m sorry.” He didn’t sound like it. “There was no way to do that easy and…”

He trailed off, muffling a curse under his breath.

“What’s wrong,” I mumbled, just as the foul odor hit my nose. “Ewww, something stinks.”

“Your wound is badly infected. I need to clean it out now and get your temperature down.”

Even through the fog in my head, I knew that was not going to be good for me.

“How?” I blinked at him stupidly. “Infection needs to be treated with…. some of those… pill doodads.” What was the word? “You happen to have some of those… things handy?”

“You know I do not.”

“Then, I guess I’m shit out of luck.” It came out garbled, along with the tiny laugh that escaped me. “You and Asha too. I guess… the one good thing about me… dying… you’ll have to wait for the master Fae race plan…”

“You are not going to die, water wielder.”

Before I had a chance to yell at him ‘no’, he pulled me from the bed, gathering me into his arms and cradling me like a tiny child. My arm rubbed against his chest, and I cried out, the pain so intense black spots swirled in front of my eyes and I had to fight to stay with it.

He was across the cabin in two strides, smashing the door open with his foot. The cold air greeted us like a slap to the face, but it felt good against my fiery skin.

Dropping to his knee, he laid me gently in the fine layer of icy snow. It was probably my groggy head, but I swear the snow sizzled at the contact.

Scooping up handfuls of the stuff, he started covering me in the wet sleet. It didn’t take long for it to sink through my thin layer of clothing to my skin. The blessed relief it brought soon changed to pain, like little shots of electrical currents jolting through my body.

“I’m… freezing.” My teeth chattered with the effort.

“I need to get your temperature down.”

He packed the iciness around me like a second skin.

“Don’t move,” he growled.

Like that was an option. I watched him as he hurried back into the cottage, emerging a few minutes later with what looked like a knife and bandages and my sai in the other hand. Although, I was trembling and shaking so badly I was probably hallucinating.

His hand swiped away the hair plastered to my forehead as he leaned over me. “I’m going to clean your wound. It will hurt, but you cannot pass out. I need you to heal yourself after the infection has been removed. Do you understand?”

“Why can’t… you do it?” I questioned, gasping in pain.

“Because it is too dangerous to use more blood magic. Asha is tracking it. It will be traced, and if so, then this infection will be the least of your problems. It has to be you. But you are not strong enough to heal yourself totally. We have to deal with the fever and infection first. Just do as I say. Can you do this?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Use the spell resido. The spell is adequate enough to work but too weak to trace. It will help you deal with the pain and keep you from passing out. Then, when I am done, use the healing spell integro. Do you understand?”

I was shivering so badly now he probably didn’t even notice the nod I gave him. “Yes. Re… resido and… in… in…”

“Integro,” he spat. “Repeat it, Bridjette. We don’t have much time.”

“Integro,” I murmured, barely able to speak, but it was enough to satisfy him.

He steadied his knife, his gaze sweeping my face as he placed my sai in my left hand. I felt it hum with the contact. “Use the spell.”

“Resido,” I whispered as the sai in my hand jumped so much I thought I would drop it. “Resido.”

I kept repeating it, closing my eyes to his ministrations. I didn’t want to see what he was about to do.

Not seeing it did nothing for not feeling it. I screamed as the hot knife sliced open the scab on my wound, spell or no. I felt every nerve shriek in protest and my stomach churn viciously like I was about to puke.

“I’m sorry,” Starke huffed. “I need to go deep to get it out. Stay with me.”

“Resido, resido, resido,” I shrieked into the sky as he dug into the wound. The excruciating pressure eased for a split second before he began pressing on my arm, squeezing screams out of me as well as the infection. Ragged breaths sucked into my lungs as I fought against the black spots swimming in front of my eyes. It took every ounce of effort not to pass out. Or to stab him in the damn eye with my sai.

It felt like the punishment lasted for ever. I squirmed in the snow, trying in vain to move away from the agony he was causing me. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes and dripped down my face as I repeated the spell over and over.

Finally, I felt him wrap my arm with the clean bandage.

“You’re doing good, Jette.”

“I really hate you right now,” I screamed, unable to control my mouth. “You’re a dickwad.”

I was delirious. Even I realized it.

He reached for the trembling hand holding the sai. Placing it gently below the wound on my other arm, he leaned over me. Grabbing my chin with his hand, he forced me to look him in the eye, ignoring my ragged moans of pain.

“Concentrate. Stay strong. Once you stop the first spell, you will feel the full force of this pain. You cannot let it overtake you. You must perform integro. Clear your mind of the first spell and jump to the second. Are you ready? Integro.”

I nodded, still spouting the first spell in panicked, little breaths.

“Okay.” He nodded. “You got this. Now, let it go.”

As soon as I let the spell drop, I was walloped by pain so intense it felt like my damn arm was being ripped from my body.

“Integro!” I screamed. I felt the jolt of magic shoot up my arm seconds before I mercifully blacked out.

# ##

I awoke to a room of flickering light and shadow. Confusion was the first thing I encountered, followed by the gnawing pain in my arm. My brain wasn’t functioning properly. I blinked, staring down at the bandage covering my aching arm. It took only a few moments for clarification to set in.

Starke was holding me prisoner and had nearly cut my arm off to get rid of the infection. Right.

I was tucked nice and tight in the feather bed, the blanket pulled up to my chest. The room was warm, but not in a fever induced kind of way. I knew the fever had broken. My head actually felt the clearest it had in a while. And although my arm still ached, it was a healing throb. I was on the road to recovery. All because of him. Now, if I could only overlook the fact that he was the cause of the infected injury in the first place.

My gaze searched the room for the man in question. I found him at the hearth, stirring something he had cooking in the iron pot hanging over the fire. He looked deep in thought as he stared into the pot, like a man who had the weight of the worlds on his shoulders. The smell wafted around the room, and my stomach growled viciously in response. I was definitely feeling better.

As if he heard the growls emanating from my gut, Starke turned toward me. I wasn’t prepared for him to catch me staring. His gaze locked with mine for an embarrassing few seconds before he finally spoke.

“Your fever broke a few hours ago. I was wondering how long it would take you to wake up.”

A few hours ago? He had stayed with me the whole time? Watching over me? I refused to let his words bring any amount of hope. My heart was still too raw.

“No need for you to have been so concerned. Asha still has her prisoner. I think I’ll make it,” I croaked.

His eyes flashed with a tinge of what I perceived as anger, but he didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he dropped my gaze, turning his attention back to the pot.

“What are you cooking?” I asked, my hunger eclipsing anything else.

“Hardshell stew. You need something a little more substantial for your body to heal. Using magic has taken its toll on you.”

“Hardshell stew?” I questioned. That sounded as appealing as stone soup.

“Yes. Hardshell is a creature similar to what I believe you know as a tortoise.”

“Turtle stew? You killed a helpless turtle? That is so mean.”

I blinked at the appearance of a dimple in his left cheek, and I felt a tug low in my stomach. Why did evil Starke have to have such a charming grin? And why did I let it affect me so much?

“Do not feel bad for the hardshell. That is the cycle of life. He becomes our meal just as the fish or rabbit became his. It will kill and consume anything that comes near it. And there is nothing harmless about it. It is much bigger and more vicious than a tortoise. It has been known to take a man’s hand off in one snap.”

“Still, it’s a turtle,” I protested.

“Have you suddenly grown an aversion to meat?” He quirked a brow as he stirred the pot. “I seem to recall you being quite the carnivore on the air elemental’s planet. That fried chicken didn’t stand a chance.”

“No. I’d never turn my nose up to a juicy burger or fried chicken. But a turtle is diff…” I dropped what I was about to say as his words registered. He remembered us eating chicken at Madds? He had a memory from his time as good Starke? This was a freakin’ breakthrough. Swallowing down the flicker of hope, I tried to cover my slipup. I didn’t need dark Starke getting defensive and fighting his way back to the surface. Not while there was a small chink in the armor.

“What does it taste like?” I tried to distract him from his earlier statement.

His grin only deepened. “Like chicken. And delicious.”

“Hmm. I’ll be the judge of that. Is it ready?”

“It is. Think your stomach can handle it?”

“Hell yeah. No matter how sick I get, I have a cast iron stomach. Nothing interferes with my appetite. I’m a machine.”

I tried to push myself up on my good elbow into a sitting position before realizing something just didn’t feel right. The feel of the scratchy sheets underneath my butt felt… well, way too scratchy. In dawning disbelief, I pulled the blanket over my head to gaze at… my bare-ass torso. I was naked as a jaybird underneath the blanket. Like seriously, he had taken every stitch off me. Even my damn cotton granny bra.

“What the hell, dude?” My eyes wide with horror, I stared at him across the room. “Why am I naked?”

He paused in the process of filling a wooden bowl with the stew, shrugging at me. “It was the easiest way to get you dry before putting you in the bed.”

“You dried me off too?” I squeaked.

“I believe I just said that.”

“And I was naked?”

“That is the general outcome once you remove one’s clothing, yes.”

“No, no, no,” I groaned, my cheeks as hot as the embers of the fire in the hearth. “That is so wrong. I was unconscious. I didn’t give you permission to do that.”

“To do what? Save your life?”

“Save me?” I snapped. “I think I saved myself since you were too chickenshit to use an ounce of magic on me.”

He went back to filling his bowl like my indignation meant nothing to him. “You have a funny way of saying thank you. I had to get you out of your freezing clothes. Once your core temperature dropped, you were fast on your way to hypothermia.”

“So, you stripped me naked?”

He shrugged a shoulder, placing the full bowl on the table and going back for the second. “It is the easiest way to do skin-on-skin contact.”

My mouth dropped open. “Wha… what do you mean skin-on-skin contact? Whose skin was mine in contact with? And please don’t tell me you were in bed naked with me. Just don’t.”

My cheeks flamed hotter at the mere thought. Who the hell did he think he was?

“Fine. I won’t.” He let the silence drag out on purpose.

“Were you?” I demanded crossly.

“You just told me not to tell you.”

“Answer the damn question.”

His soft chuckle bounced around the room. “Relax, Bridjette. I was not. I’m just, what you humans say, pulling your foot. You are so easy to rile up. Must be a human thing.”

“It’s pulling your leg, dummy,” I grumbled, embarrassment competing with the flicker of hope. He was spouting stupid adages again, just like old Starke.

“Whatever. You were in wet clothes, and I removed them. No big deal. You do realize you are not the first female form I have seen in the nude. I have seen many sizes, shapes, and races, all beautiful and unique in their own way. Yours was just one of many—”

“Okay, okay, I get the picture, Casanova. Thanks for clearing that up.” I left out the part where that picture dug into my brain with sharp, little jealous claws. “Where are my clothes?”

“And you have nothing to be ashamed of,” he continued as if I hadn’t interrupted. “So, I don’t understand the anger. You should be grateful to me. I kept you alive.”

“Which wouldn’t have been necessary if you hadn’t injured me and left me here alone for far too long with infection running through my veins.”

He had the decency to look a little ashamed which told me dark Starke was still nowhere to be found at the moment. “That was unavoidable. I had… business to take care of.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “What business? What’s happening to my people. I know the rest of the elementals and Bish and Kara must have escaped you all during the jump, otherwise we’d be together and at the prism already. Asha wouldn’t wait long. So again, what business?”

“Matters not. We will not discuss this.” He cut short my inquiries, and I clamped my lips shut as the shards of obsidian flashed through his eyes. I could feel his dark energy ratcheting up, almost sizzling the air around us. Dammit. Dark Starke was lurking. I knew I wouldn’t get answers no matter how much I asked. Better not push my luck. I wasn’t strong enough to handle him. Yet.

I watched in silence as he pulled a chair close to my bedside and sat down with a bowl of stew in his hands. “It is time for you to eat.”

My gaze traveled from the bowl he was holding, up to his face. “And what do you think you’re doing? You think I actually need you to spoon feed me? Get me my clothes, and I’ll get up and eat at the table like a civilized person.”

He leaned back in his chair in frustration. “You are weak, Bridjette. And your arm is still healing. Getting up is not the best idea.”

“Get me my clothes,” I growled again. I didn’t care how close dark Starke was to coming out. I was not about to let him feed me, and naked at that.

“Have it your way. Your clothes are still wet, but there are others at the foot of the bed.” He nodded to the pile I had believed to be another blanket, but on further inspection looked to be a dress of some sort. Again with the dresses.

“Turn around.”

“I have already seen all you have to offer, including the bunny tattoo—”

“Turn around.”

He didn’t say anything more, but I swear I saw the beginning of a grin as he stood up and turned his back to me, dragging the chair to the table. I quickly grabbed the wool muumuu and shoved it over my head with my good arm. Wincing in pain but determined not to make a sound, I slowly inched my injured arm through the opening and pushed myself to my feet, the dress falling in folds to my ankles.

I tried to walk across the five feet separating me from him, but even with the first step, my body refused to cooperate as my blood rushed to my head, and I felt myself falling.

He moved faster than should have been possible, sweeping me up in his arms before I hit the ground. He held me close, his pine scent engulfing me. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and relax into his chest. Pretend everything was okay. Instead, I pushed at him with my good arm.

“Put me down. I’m fine.”

“Says the silly girl who almost just passed out. I will never understand the stubbornness and stupidity of humans.”

“It was a dizzy spell, that’s all. I can stand on my own two feet. I don’t need your help.” I hated how petulant I sounded.

“Hmm,” was his only response as he took a couple of strides to the chair and dumped me unceremoniously.

He ignored my hateful glare.

“Eat,” he commanded as he sat across from me.

I wanted to disobey and throw the damn stew in his face. I resented being called silly and stupid. Stubborn? I’d give him that. But the smell of the stew and my growling stomach won out. Yanking the spoon off the table, I dug in with way too much forcefulness, muttering, “Your turtle stew is weird,” under my breath.

And of course, the concoction of turtle and what looked like mushrooms and carrots tasted delicious, no matter how much I wanted to hate it. I dug in with way too much gusto.

I’m sorry, Ninja Turtles.

“Take your time. You don’t want to overload your stomach too quickly.”

I glared at him and his advice, but I did slow my roll. He was right.

We ate in silence for a bit, the only sounds in the room the crackling of the fire and our spoons clinking against the bowls. I finally broke the silence.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

He looked up from his meal. “Sorry, what?”

“Haha, funny. You heard me.”

He dimpled up again. “You’re welcome. Although, you did most of the work. You stayed strong, water wielder.”

“No, that was due to the spells you taught me. As soon as the magic stopped, I passed out like a little bitch. If it wasn’t for my sai…”

My words dropped off. My sai. He’d given me my sai. Right. Which meant he carried them with him. He didn’t have them locked up in Asha’s stronghold. My gaze flitted to his canvas bag sitting in the corner. Were they in there? Could I retrieve them somehow and jump myself from this frozen world? I needed to find my people desperately so we could restart the prism, take Asha down, and get her out of Starke’s head. His yoyoing was playing with me way too hard.

“You underestimate yourself. You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

I pulled my attention back to him, keeping my eyes lowered so he wouldn’t read my thoughts.

“Yeah well, having confidence was never my forte.” I glanced around at the room. “Neither are enclosed spaces. Seriously, I’m useless without my sai. What’s the harm of letting me go outside? Not like I can escape this Alcatraz you stuck me on. You don’t need to keep me locked up inside with not even a book or Netflix to keep me company.”

“Again, gibberish.” He pushed his bowl away and studied me from across the table, arms crossed. He ran a thumb over his lips, seeming to consider my words for a moment. “But you are correct. The fresh air would help with your healing and being able to gather your own water and firewood would lessen my having to bother with you.”

Bother with me? Really?

But then the rest of his comment registered.

“Why would I need to gather my own water and firewood? How long are you planning on keeping me here?”

“Until all four elementals are in our possession. As long as it takes.”

“No.” My head shook in denial. “You can’t do that. You need to take me back to my people. I demand you take me back.”

His eyes flashed black, and I held my breath.

“You do not command me, human,” he rumbled, and fear hitched in my chest.

“Okay, okay. Relax.” I held my palms up to him. “We don’t need to wake the Hulk. I’ll take what I can get. Being allowed outside is a good start.”

His green gaze stuck to me for so long I fidgeted. Did he know what I was up to? Finally, he let loose a sigh, like this was the last conversation he wanted to have right now.

“Whatever lame idea is running through your brain right now, remember this: you cannot open a portal under this ward. And even if you manage to break the ward, there is nowhere for you to go on this world. You would freeze to death long before you would ever encounter another living being. And if you were stubborn enough to stay alive, then that being would probably eat you rather than help. This is not a very… hospitable planet.”

I hated that my shiver of fear was so evident. “I hope you are seriously joking about that.”

His gaze never wavered. “Are you willing to find out?”

I believed he was telling the truth. Or at least his dark version was. Maybe? Was he able to lie to me now that we weren’t bonded? I ripped my eyes away from him and shrugged in pretend indifference. “Whatever. I was just asking to be allowed outside for a few minutes. Not like I wanted to leave the Shire and go on a world adventure. Chill, bro. Now, how about some more of that turtle stew?”

If what he was saying was true, then my idea to steal back my sai was my one and only option. It wasn’t going to be easy. I had me some planning to do. Good thing I had some time on my hands.