"We all went out last night. I drank too much. I stayed over at Aurora's though I know I should've come home. I was so fucking stupid! When I pulled up this morning, I could tell something wasn't right. I don't know, Gabs … I just don't know what to do. "
Jared takes a moment to collect himself, clearly overrun with emotion. Only then do I notice James speaking to a woman at the front desk, flailing his arms wildly. I look back at my distraught friend, placing my arms around him. His eyes are glossy and drained. "We don't know what happened to her! It's like she had a stroke or something. She was just lying there in the floor, her eyes wide open. But she can't talk, she can't move. What the hell, Gabs! Something happened to my mom and even the fucking doctors are clueless!"
I whip my head around to look back at Dorian with wide, horrified eyes. As always, Dorian is perfectly poised and controlled, though I know he is secretly livid. I give Jared another squeeze before jumping to my feet and pulling Dorian down an empty hallway.
"You know what happened to her, don't you?" I whisper fiercely.
"Yes," he replies coolly. How can he be so calm? Just minutes ago, he was furious and remorseful. Bipolar much?
"So it's him? Whoever is after me went after Tammy?"
"Yes."
"Then why is she still alive? Why did he leave her like … that? Frozen?"
"She was petrified," a singsong soprano interjects. Aurora. "He petrified her so he could suck information out of her. We must've pulled up before he could finish the job." Aurora looks to Dorian and is suddenly filled with regret. "I'm sorry, Dorian. I watched him like you said. I had no idea his mom was in danger."
"I fucking told you! Get control of yourself! How weak and stupid can you be? I'm sick of your shit, Aurora! I swear, if you don't get it together, I will kill you myself," he seethes nastily. He's furious with her, though I'm not sure why. She tried to do everything he's asked of her.
"Dorian, it's not her fault. Just calm down," I say soothingly, trying to diffuse the situation. Aurora looks five shades paler and on the brink of tears. I can't help but feel bad for her. "She tried her best to help."
Dorian looks to me, the remains of contempt etched on his face. He really is angry. "She did nothing but help herself to that boy."
I sigh and shake my head, unsure of what any of that has to do with Tammy's predicament. I can't deal with their complex relationship right now. All I care about is helping my friends.
"Look. Enough about that. Can you help her? Can you fix their mom? Please?" I plead.
Dorian exhales, finally letting go of his anger then looks to Aurora. "What did you find?"
She shrugs before shaking her head. "Nothing. He's deliberately hiding from us. Leaving no trace, not even a scent."
"Do you think you could reverse whatever he did to her?" I ask, looking to a stone-faced Dorian.
"It depends. Petrifications are very specific. They are … personal. I don't know what kind of magic was used. But I will try. For you, I will try." He gently strokes my cheek, his way of apologizing for his foul temper and I see a flash of pain in his eyes. Tammy was petrified, just like him. Just the mere mention of his twenty year punishment hurts him.
"Dorian," Aurora mutters. "If you asked the king, maybe he could help. At least tell us what to do?"
"No!" Dorian growls, his eyes suddenly ablaze with hatred. "We will not involve him, do you understand? You will not go to him." Aurora drops her head in shame and nods. Again, I feel bad for her. "I will go now to see what I can find. Aurora, do not let them out of your sight. Not even for a second. Do you think you can manage that task?"
Aurora lifts her head long enough to mutter, "Yes, Dorian."
Before I can protest her harsh treatment or inquire what Dorian plans to do, he is gone, only leaving a dense wisp of grey smoke behind, which also quickly dissipates. I look at Aurora with compassionate eyes, unsure of what to say to console her. It is apparent that Dorian has broken her.
"Come on, we better get back to the boys," I murmur.
I lead Aurora back to the waiting room where both Jared and James are speaking to police officers. We pick a quiet corner to sit, neither one of us wanting to address the tension in the room or the sensual exchange the night before.
"He's right," she finally whispers. "I should have done better. I should have watched all of them."
"Aurora, there's no way you could have known someone would go after Tammy. I know I didn't."
Aurora shakes her head. "He's so protective. So loyal." She isn't talking about Jared. "It was easy for me to fall for him. He just had this pull. I just always wanted to impress him, make him proud of me."
I nod, understanding what Aurora is trying to say. "You still love him."
"Yes. I do. I always will. We die for love, you know. But he never did for me what he did for you. We are bonded, yes. But he never made the link. He never linked his life to mine. He never trusted me like he trusts you." She is so full of anguish, it's hard not to sympathize with her, even if she is talking about my Dorian.
"I never asked him to do that. I never wanted it. It scares me to think I have so much power over his life."
Aurora looks at me, her blue eyes searching mine. "Does it scare you that he has power over yours?"
I take a moment to process her question. Am I afraid that Dorian has control over whether I live or die? Honestly, the only thing that scares me is losing him. If he were to stop loving me, I'd be nothing but an empty shell anyway.
"No. I trust him completely. He could have killed me a thousand times already. But he's only shown me kindness and generosity. And love. If he deceived me, I'd want to die anyway."
Aurora nods, and I know that it's a possibility that she could feel the same way too. Now I can begin to understand her. Maybe even forgive her one day. I know she probably made more of a production of their power exchange than absolutely necessary to get under my skin, but she couldn't help it. She loves Dorian. It was her only chance to be close to him. Had I'd been in her shoes, I probably would have done the same thing.
"I'll have to come back," Dorian's silky voice breaks us from our individual ponderings. Our heads both whip around behind us. How long has he been standing there? Long enough to hear our unexpected heart to heart?
"Didn't you find anything?" I ask. I stand to my feet and quickly close the distance between us. I can understand Aurora, but that doesn't mean I trust her.
Dorian rubs the small of my back, sending tingles up my spine. "Too risky right now. I'll try again tonight." He turns to Aurora, hostility in his glare. "Stay with the boy and his family. I mean it." Aurora quickly nods before bringing her attention to Jared as he approaches.
"Hey, the cops need to talk to you, Aurora."
Reluctantly, I release my hold on Dorian to give my friend a hug. "I'm so sorry, Jared. We're gonna come back later. I need to get home and check in. Keep me posted, ok."
Jared nods. "Good idea. Thanks for coming, guys." Then he turns to usher Aurora towards the police officers.
***
"Do you think you'll be able to help her?" I ask Dorian as we make our way to my childhood home.
"I don't know. I don't even know what type of magic it is."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know if it's Light or Dark. Or something else entirely."
"Well obviously it's Dark, Dorian! You think the Light is capable of this carnage? Besides, they want nothing to do with me until I ascend. They vowed to stay hidden until I'm 21."
Dorian shrugs before turning onto the street that houses my parents' home. He parks his Mercedes on the curb, and cuts the ignition. Neither one of us are ready to get out.
"I think you're being too hard on Aurora. I know that sounds funny coming from me, but she didn't mean for this to happen." There. That's my good deed for the day.
Dorian chuckles before removing his shades and looking into my eyes. "Aurora can't be trusted, Gabriella."
"But you trust her, right?"
"That's because I know her. I know what she is."
"Well, enlighten me," I say folding my arms in front of my chest. The more I know about Aurora, the better.
Dorian sighs before angling his body towards mine. "Ok, Aurora is an órexis."
Okay. Now what the hell does that mean? Though the name does sound familiar …
"The meaning of that is desire" he continues. "Now the órexes are known for their ability to manipulate the more carnal emotions. They thrive off sexual depravity. It's what sustains them."
"Oh," is all I can say in response. There really is a lot to learn about the Dark. Not to mention, the Light, whom I know virtually nothing about.
"When I met Aurora, we were both very young and untamed. I was stubborn and eager to become a man. Aurora wanted to aide my efforts. She was incredibly opportunistic, you could say. We did a lot of bad things together, and I'll admit we had a lot of fun. But Aurora was insatiable, just as she is today. She has no self-control. She is completely ruled by her desires."
I get it now; Aurora really is a sex kitten. No wonder Jared is putty in her hands. She has clouded his judgment with sex, and because he is so filled with lust for her, it feeds her. Explains why Dorian was so pissed at her. She has been so wrapped up in quenching her sexual thirst instead of doing the job she was instructed to do. And now Jared's mom is in the hospital. So much for thinking I understood her. I don't even know if she has the ability to truly love Dorian.