Chapter 1: Bentley
It’s been two weeks. Two creator damn weeks, and they still haven’t woken up. When I saw Miles grab Reegan, I thought it was a figment of my imagination. When he dragged her off while we were in the middle of fighting the creatures set in the trial, my heart stopped. I had to get to her. Jaymes was busy dealing with a massive shifter that we found out later wasn’t part of the trial. This shifter had been spelled to do Miles’ bidding.
Damn witch. That fucker and Calista had Reegan tied to a tree with her clothes removed. When those magic balls launched, I tried to get to her. I didn’t even see Asher jump out of the woods. I didn’t see the magic hit him. All I saw was the ball that hit her and I swear my heart shattered into a million pieces. I have spent months building walls to keep her out. She’s the reason my parents are dead. She claims they aren’t, but how the hell would she know? I need to talk to my uncle. I need answers but first, I need to know she’s ok. I need to know my brother is ok.
Trent’s with Asher now but I can’t bring myself to leave Reegan. I’ve showered in the ensuite, the cook brings my meals up to me, though they go mainly uneaten. The only time I leave is when Maddie comes in to bathe her. I stand right outside the door until she’s done. I feel as if I let her down, as if I let my parents down. Mom always told me it would be my job to protect her. I think I understand now.
Mom knew something was going to happen to her, dad, and Reegan’s parents. Thinking back to before they died, mom always seemed to know things before they happened. Maybe it was one of her angelic abilities. Maybe it was something else. But if she knew, why didn’t she prevent it? Why did she let them get her and dad? Or is Reegan right? Did mom somehow know and pull off some elaborate scheme to disappear?
This has been my life for the last two weeks. I sit here by Reegan’s bed and think about everything. I know it’s not healthy but I can’t help myself. I’m more cranky than usual and the other guys are starting to get frustrated with me. I won’t let any of them be alone with her. It’s not because I think they’ll hurt her. I know better, but my heart won’t let me part from her. My soul reaches out for hers. Even Marcus and Dain can’t get me to leave this room.
I go take a piss and when I come back out, Reegan is thrashing on the bed. She’s done this a few times in the last two weeks. I walk over and take a seat on the edge of the bed. I grab her hand. “Come on, Princess. Fight through it and come back to me.” I run my finger along her jaw and she immediately stills. “That’s it, just a nightmare.”
“Another one?”, Trent asks from the doorway. I didn’t even hear him come in.
“Yeah. This one didn’t seem as bad though.”
“Doesn’t she have dream abilities? You’d think with that, she would be able to prevent them.”
“Maybe, but we don’t know what Miles’ magic did to her. Speaking of, have they found out anything yet?”
“No. The bastard clammed up immediately and called Senior in to defend him.”
“Is he? Defending him I mean.”
“Yeah. That prick is claiming that Miles had no clue what he was doing. That he’d been under some sort of blood spell himself.”, Trent tells me.
“Likely story. Either Senior plans to handle him on his own or he’s trying to cover up his part in it. What about Calista?, I ask
“Ah, this is where things get interesting. We can’t get near Miles but they’ve left Calista open. They don’t realize we have our own magic reader with the ability to dispel magic in our group of misfits. Anyway, Aldair read Calista and sure enough, she reeked of foreign magic. What we don’t know is who’s. It took some work but Aldair was able to remove the magic. Once the magic was gone, Calista had some very interesting things to say, though we don’t know what’s true and what isn’t.”
“You going to tell me what he found out or just sit there and bust my balls all evening?”, I ask, getting frustrated.
“Yeah, yeah. So, Calista admitted that she likes Asher but she isn’t in love with him and she swears she would never hurt Reegan. She doesn’t remember the spell being placed on her or what the woman’s name was, but she did say she was a stunning woman with long blonde hair and bright green eyes. She also told us that she changed the intent of the ball that hit Asher. It wasn’t meant to kill but to knock out. She thinks the reason that Ash and Beauty are still out is because of Miles. She begged to come over when they wake up to apologize and man, she was really sincere.”, Trent relays.
“Or she’s acting and biding her time until she can finish the job.”, I huff.
“She’s not that great an actress. Plus, she even said we could put her in front of a truth seer and she’d tell them everything she told us and let them determine if she’s telling the truth. I mean if they wake up, we should do it right?”, he asks.
“When they wake up, Trent, not if. When they wake up we’ll make the decision. Actually, Reegan will make that decision.”, I raise my voice when I say this.
“Dude chill. I didn’t mean to word it that way. Do you think I don’t want her to wake up? She’s my fucking mate too you asshole. And I didn’t push her away the last few months.”, he practically yells. Reegan starts thrashing again. I rush over and try to calm her.
“Alright boys, I heard yelling. Both of you need to leave for a bit, get out of this room Bentley. You need fresh air. OUT.”, Marcus orders as he rushes in.
“I’m not leaving her.”, I tell him.
“You are. Either on your own or by force. It doesn’t matter either way to me. I get that you care for Reegan, that you feel responsible for what happened but it wasn’t your fault. Now out. Both of you. Go to town and get something to eat. Maybe bring me back some of those delicious pulled pork tacos.”, He orders again.
“Fine.”, I grumble and sulk out of her room and down the stairs. I don’t want to go up against him so I do as he says.
Chapter 2: Reegan
I smell tacos. Why do I smell tacos? I’ve been stuck in the dreamscape for two weeks. It was weird this time. I could hear the guys talking to me but every time I would try to go to them, I would be lost in nightmares that I couldn’t fight my way out of. I knew Bentley hadn’t left my side. There were times when Nevaeh would join me in the meadow and we’d talk for hours about her life but she was always cryptic when I asked questions about me, about who was after me, or where my parents were. I missed my guys, all of them and I was worried about Asher. I couldn’t call him to me in the dreamscape so I didn’t know how he was. I knew he wasn’t dead since I could hear the guys unless I was in a nightmare. Right now, it wasn’t Bentley with me but Jaymeson. He was talking to me but I couldn’t make out everything he was saying. But seriously, why the hell do I smell tacos?
I can see the darkness behind my eyes so I know I’m not dreaming anymore. I try to open them but the light is too bright.
“Mmmm. Too bright.”, I croak. Is that my voice? I guess that’s what happens when you sleep for so long.
“Sweetheart. Can you hear me?”, Jaymeson asks.
“Ye..yes.”