She tried to get her brain to put together all the things he said about this world and the one he came from. She hated to admit it, but the crazy fact these people were aliens made her life and her powers and the darkness she felt make sense. She might not be mad after all. Heath still confused her with caring one moment and being distant the next. Not to mention the wild mind sex. She didn’t need confusion right now, she needed him to help her, but it seemed too much to ask.
The rest of the day had been spent poking into corners of the house and finding books and artwork, which would have been more suited to a gallery than a family home. This wasn’t a family home, though. It was his enclave. Apart from Marge and her husband, they weren’t even human. She made her way around the house, and realized she was being watched by Suzie or one of the others. Heath had gone to his study, making it clear he didn’t want to be disturbed. It didn’t seem to matter whether she had more questions.
She ended up in the kitchen and helped Marge with the food for the evening meal. This time, most of the people came in two at a time and ate. Obviously, they didn’t want a repeat performance of the morning and her panic attack. Evie took a tray upstairs and ate by herself.
She finished her food, laid down on the bed, and sighed. The room was ridiculously lavish and not her sort of place at all. If she wasn’t going to die imminently, was this the future? She wanted her bedroom back, though it would not have been safe. If she was going to stay here, she needed more of her own things. More clothes and her laptop and her snake, Cecile. She hadn’t told anyone about the snake yet. Cecile would be fine for a while but would need water soon.
It was getting dark outside, so she decided it was time to have a bath. That always relaxed her. A pair of silk pajamas was on her pillow with clean underclothes. They were thinking of everything, and she should’ve been grateful, but this just wasn’t her. No matter how comfortable they made it, she felt trapped by this house. In truth, she had been trapped at home anyway.
She rubbed her temples. The darkness was coming back in her mind, and it was making her head ache. So much for the bonding getting rid of it. Sadness wafted over her at the thought. The feeling of freedom earlier had been temporary. She headed to the bathroom to run a bath and stripped off the beautiful clothes. Naked, she was just her normal self. The bathroom had walls that were painted pink with pretty cream flowers. There was a roll-top bath with legs that looked like a lion’s paws. She shook her head and laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.
She slipped into the water, and for a moment, the warmth provided comfort. She closed her eyes for a second, and when she reopened them, the room seemed different. Above the water, her skin had goosebumps. She was not alone, and as she gazed down, her feet started to turn black. It was coming back with a vengeance, and she didn’t think she could bear the pain and heat anymore.
It was an easy decision. In the past she had fought it, but this time she knew she had no right to draw these other people into her darkness. Her legs were almost completely black, and her skull ached as if it would crack open. The solution was all around her. She didn’t bother to take a breath as she sank below the water. What was the point of delaying the inevitable? Heath didn’t really think he could save her anyway. It was a blurry world beneath the water as the lights of the room twinkled above.
The water was hot, but she felt cold to the core. The darkness was screaming in her mind at what she was doing. Good. It had made her feel scared on so many occasions. If succeeding this time gave it the shits, then so be it. She would be free and dead, and these people could get on with their lives. She couldn’t hold her breath any longer, so she let the water in. It was easier than she thought, and it would all be over soon.
Arms scooped under her and pulled her from the water. Her lungs went into spasms as her body tried to expel the water. Her lungs ached as she coughed and flailed her arms around, not even knowing who had grabbed her. She didn’t want to go back to dealing with the darkness. She just wanted to die. She heaved up the water onto the floor as someone held her, holding back her hair. When the retching stopped, the shakes started. Her whole body was freezing cold, and her teeth wouldn’t stop chattering. She turned in the arms that held her to see Heath gazing down at her wide-eyed with fear.
He grabbed a towel off the rail beside the bath and started to wrap her in it. He rubbed, to get some warmth back into her, but she doubted she would ever be warm again.
“What the hell did you think you were doing?”
Evie could hear the anger in his voice but didn’t have the strength to retaliate. Plus, when she looked up she could see tears streaming down his face and reached up to wipe them away. No one ever cried for her, and yet this beautiful man was shedding tears. He sat on the bathroom floor in his expensive clothes and rocked her back and forth while she shivered. He bent down and kissed her forehead. “I can’t lose you, Evie. We’ll figure this out.”
His arms were strong as he picked her up with ease and carried her into the bedroom and over to the bed. She had just had a hot bath, but her body felt like ice, but at least her skin was no longer blackened. She perched on the edge of the bed, the towel wrapped around her and didn’t even have the energy to move.
Heath stood back and pulled off his frockcoat and threw it on the floor. His shirt was ripped off with buttons flying across the room. Her eyes watered, staring at the magnificence of his body. He closed his eyes for a second, and his glorious wings appeared. They reached above his shoulders and down to his knees, and she could see threads of gold running through them. He reached out and pulled her close to him. Her towel dropped to the floor, so her cold body was pressed against his warm chest. His wings wrapped around them and shuddered. She didn’t know how he was doing it, and she didn’t care, but warm air surrounded her body as if a hair dryer was blowing on her. She rested her head against his chest, and his steady heartbeat comforted her as the tremors eased and the darkness receded.
She was naked, but she didn’t care. This was the only place in the world she wanted to be right now. His arms were around her waist, and she moved hers so they rested on his lower back. The vibration from his wings tickled her forearms and made her smile. His body was strong, like a rock, and for the first time in so long, she let herself take support from another.
There was a golden glow surrounding them within the wings, and she peered up at his face. She wanted him to kiss her. He bent his head down but hesitated, and her heart skipped a beat at the thought he would kiss her for real again and not in a dream. His mouth was slightly open, and she could feel his breath against her lips. He closed his eyes, but she kept hers open. This glorious man, who was not of this world and had wings, was gently running his lips from side to side on hers. She couldn’t help herself as a groan left her lips. It had an instant effect on him, as his tongue ran across her lower lip and entered her mouth. His hands moved down over her lower back and pressed her hips to him. He was hard for her, and she ached with need at her core.
His tongue fought with hers as he explored her mouth. So long she had wanted to be close to someone, and now that she was, that someone was not human. Go figure. With his wings around them, she had to accept him for what he truly was. How long they kissed for, she didn’t know or care, but she didn’t want it to end. When it did they were both breathless.
“Are you warm enough?”
Evie nodded and he closed his eyes and his wings disappeared as quickly as they had arrived. Without the wings surrounding them her nakedness seemed so much more apparent. She didn’t miss the look of adoration in his eyes, and it made her feel warm inside.
“I should let you dress.”
Heath turned his back to her so she could grab the pajamas that had been left for her. Staring at his back, she saw the tattoos for the first time. They were of wings, and the feathers disappeared down into the band of his pants. If they were like the real wings, then they would at least reach his knees. Somehow she had an idea this tattoo had nothing to do with a tattoo artist. She got into bed and pulled the covers over her as he turned around. Would he join her? She didn’t want to be alone.
Heath pulled off his shoes and got into bed beside her. He had left his pants on, presumably as a barrier to them taking this any further after the kiss. He lay on his side and stared down at her. Taking one of her hands in his, he kissed her palm and the action sent a shiver up her spine as she closed her eyes. His kiss stopped, and she could feel him run his thumb back and forth across the scars on her wrist. She bit her bottom lip as she gazed up at him, not wanting him to think less of her, which was stupid when they were fighting demons and darkness. He held his wrist out before her. Evie peered at it, and though the scars were not fresh and as angry as hers, they were still there. She took his other hand in hers to find scars on that wrist also. To know he had experienced the same desperation she had, and had wanted to end it all, made her breath catch in her throat as her eyes watered.