Carry On Wayward Son(30)
“Don’t worry, I can handle him.” She touched the bandage on his hand. “The fence?”
“I took part of it with me. Eric yanked the splinters out. He’s got finesse, for a vet.” He caught her arm before she could move past him. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.”
“You are a rotten liar.”
A smile tugged at her mouth. “Thank you for pointing that out again. There are things about myself I’m not ready to tell you, Simon.” She eased out of his grasp. “Please go. This is one time you can’t help.”
“We need to talk about those things, Claire.”
Panic skated across her face. She managed to control it, but for just a second, she looked terrified. And it made him wonder just how dark her secret really was. “When this is over, we will sit down, and I will tell you what you want to know. Then you can decide if you want to have anything to do with me again. But now you have to leave.”
“Fine.”
She looked startled by his easy acceptance, but she nodded. “I’ll escort you.”
He moved toward the door, making a detour to the bed. “Hey, Annie.”
“My hero.” He smiled, his medic’s eye scanning the damage. “Nothing fatal, so you can tell Eric he won’t get out of marrying me today.”
“He’ll be—relieved?”
“He better be.”
This time he laughed. If her humor was still sharp, she was as close to all right as she could be, under the circumstances. “This’ll be over soon—”
“Hey.” She gripped his wrist. “Don’t do anything stupid. You have no idea what Claire’s up against.”
“She told me—”
“And you don’t believe her.” Annie’s voice was flat. “Don’t, if it makes this easier. But do as she says. Get out. You can’t help this time, Simon.”
“Starting to get that.” Leaning in, he brushed his fingers across her cheek, relieved when her skin wasn’t feverish. “We’ll get you out.”
“Don’t count me out yet, mister.”
“I never do.” Winking, he straightened. “Be safe. I’ll come back for you.” His glance included Regina and Hillary. “All of you.” He joined Claire at the door.
“Thank you,” she said. “You didn’t have to reassure—”
“I did. And I meant it.”
She paled. “Simon—”
“I’ll go. But I’m not going far. Not until all of you are out of here and safe.”
“I never expected anything else.” She led the way down the hall, back toward the basement door. “If you could help, believe me, I would be asking for it. But Zach—” She froze, grabbing his wrist. “God above—move!”
They ran, skidding to a halt at the basement door. Claire yanked it open, all but pushing Simon through. He felt the slap of power just before she met his eyes, and nodded. The door closed between them—and a second later, an angry male voice overshouted her. The door heated so fast Simon had to back away from it.
“Where is he? I felt him, Claire. You managed to distract me with your pretty words, then you sneak in someone to banish me—”
“He came on his own, Zach. And I meant those pretty words. You have to start trusting me, or what you want will not happen. Trust is the only way this will work. Do you understand me?”
The power retreated, the wood cooling even as he touched it.
Simon stepped back, found a place to sit. He’d made his promise. He left the house. But he was damned if he would leave them alone.
*
“You want me to trust.” Zach stalked forward, trapping Claire against the wall. Right next to the basement door. She surprised herself by throwing up a diversion spell almost by instinct, and having it work. Power had been leaking through, despite her efforts to shore up the cracks in the wall. Now she was grateful for what she could grab on to, as it protected Simon. “Give me a reason.”
“What do you want?”
“Prove to me you can do what you say.”
Swallowing, she closed her eyes for a moment, and did what she had avoided since Azazel sent her back—she reached in, through the cracks, and deliberately touched what lay behind. Shock nearly dropped her when what she felt was not the demon, but her true self. The part of herself she thought she lost forever when she was cast out of Heaven.
Shaken to the core, she let it filter out, wrap around her new soul. The light, gentle touch left her breathless. Unable to speak, she held out her hand. Zach took it—and stilled, his eyes widening.