with him, holding her with one arm while rooting through his black duffel bag with the other.
I turned back around. Micah was directly in front of me. I shook my head and whispered, "You should have left."
He must've read my lips. He replied, "Never."
Rage continued to dominate, and I raised my hand to slap him. If this earthquake wouldn't knock some sense into him, maybe I could. "You have her, now take what you came for and go!"
"I came for you!"
I lashed out. He caught my wrist, mid-strike. His eyes blazed, matching my temper, flare for flare.
The intensity of the earthquake grew, coming to its peak. Another glance over at Alex and Bee. He had Bee wrapped in a camouflage military flak jacket, and was holding a helmet over her head. Her neck wasn't nearly strong enough to support the weight.
For a moment, I felt she would be ok. Even if the fight between Micah and I came to a head, destroying us both. I turned back to Micah, his eyes still blazed. I lifted my chin, almost daring him to hit back.
Instead, his fingers intertwined with mine.
I held my breath as I felt the familiar sizzle from his touch. I began to breathe again.
The shaking simmered to a dull roar. Even then, small pieces of ceiling fell.
The corner of Micah's mouth turned up slightly. "See? Together we can do this."
He was right, of course. That damned man was always right.
I curled my hand into my chest, taking his with me and causing him to come up right against me. I ducked my head into his chest and his other arm curled around me.
The building stopped shaking, the last bits of ceiling and wall still falling around us.
Alex broke us out of our trance. "Come on, we need to get out of here before the thing collapses around us." He climbed out from under the table with Bee, motioning for us to follow.
Micah went back for Alex's duffel bag under the table, and my carryon bag on the couch. I looked around, scanning the apartment for anything I should salvage. It was unrecognizable to me. Bare of all personal belongings that made it mine, now littered with dry wall, insulation and other debris that was supposed to be holding it together.
I walked out, following Alex's footsteps, closely trailed by Micah. I moved forward but was completely numb. I had hit rock bottom.
As we crossed the street, Alex ushered us into his rental car. The door closed behind me and I stared at my apartment through the window. An explosion burst out of the bakery on the ground floor. It could have been a gas leak, or a machine rupture by the earthquake. The cause didn't really matter. What was left of my apartment after the blast was quickly being melted away by flames.
Panicked, I looked for Bee. She was safe in Micah's arms. He straightened from the crouch he had folded into, covering her body with his at the explosion. Alex put the car in gear, pulling away, dodging bits of flaming debris in the road.
He looked in the rearview mirror. "Where to?"
Micah raised one eyebrow at me. "Home?"
Whether he meant the place he purchased for us at Reunion Island, or the Chakra, I couldn't be sure. I scooted closer to him, laid my head on his shoulder, and let Bee play with my hand.
"I am home," I said softly.
Chapter 25
Gambling
Shawn kicked his way out from under the debris. "God damn it!"
The sun had sunk well below the horizon by now. He didn't get up yet; his body wasn't cooperating. He strained his neck, turning left – then right. Micah and Alex were nowhere in sight.
"Probably already off this God-forsaken island," Shawn mumbled to himself.
He couldn't complain too much. Kaitlyn's blast would have killed him if he hadn't called for the Shades to form the shield around him.
Where did Micah learn to use energy like that anyway? Shawn thought as he lay still, willing his numb limbs to work. Probably from the Athame, when he was talking to Arianna .
Next time he took a trip there he'd have to address that.
No rush , he thought.
A trip there meant
I turned back around. Micah was directly in front of me. I shook my head and whispered, "You should have left."
He must've read my lips. He replied, "Never."
Rage continued to dominate, and I raised my hand to slap him. If this earthquake wouldn't knock some sense into him, maybe I could. "You have her, now take what you came for and go!"
"I came for you!"
I lashed out. He caught my wrist, mid-strike. His eyes blazed, matching my temper, flare for flare.
The intensity of the earthquake grew, coming to its peak. Another glance over at Alex and Bee. He had Bee wrapped in a camouflage military flak jacket, and was holding a helmet over her head. Her neck wasn't nearly strong enough to support the weight.
For a moment, I felt she would be ok. Even if the fight between Micah and I came to a head, destroying us both. I turned back to Micah, his eyes still blazed. I lifted my chin, almost daring him to hit back.
Instead, his fingers intertwined with mine.
I held my breath as I felt the familiar sizzle from his touch. I began to breathe again.
The shaking simmered to a dull roar. Even then, small pieces of ceiling fell.
The corner of Micah's mouth turned up slightly. "See? Together we can do this."
He was right, of course. That damned man was always right.
I curled my hand into my chest, taking his with me and causing him to come up right against me. I ducked my head into his chest and his other arm curled around me.
The building stopped shaking, the last bits of ceiling and wall still falling around us.
Alex broke us out of our trance. "Come on, we need to get out of here before the thing collapses around us." He climbed out from under the table with Bee, motioning for us to follow.
Micah went back for Alex's duffel bag under the table, and my carryon bag on the couch. I looked around, scanning the apartment for anything I should salvage. It was unrecognizable to me. Bare of all personal belongings that made it mine, now littered with dry wall, insulation and other debris that was supposed to be holding it together.
I walked out, following Alex's footsteps, closely trailed by Micah. I moved forward but was completely numb. I had hit rock bottom.
As we crossed the street, Alex ushered us into his rental car. The door closed behind me and I stared at my apartment through the window. An explosion burst out of the bakery on the ground floor. It could have been a gas leak, or a machine rupture by the earthquake. The cause didn't really matter. What was left of my apartment after the blast was quickly being melted away by flames.
Panicked, I looked for Bee. She was safe in Micah's arms. He straightened from the crouch he had folded into, covering her body with his at the explosion. Alex put the car in gear, pulling away, dodging bits of flaming debris in the road.
He looked in the rearview mirror. "Where to?"
Micah raised one eyebrow at me. "Home?"
Whether he meant the place he purchased for us at Reunion Island, or the Chakra, I couldn't be sure. I scooted closer to him, laid my head on his shoulder, and let Bee play with my hand.
"I am home," I said softly.
Chapter 25
Gambling
Shawn kicked his way out from under the debris. "God damn it!"
The sun had sunk well below the horizon by now. He didn't get up yet; his body wasn't cooperating. He strained his neck, turning left – then right. Micah and Alex were nowhere in sight.
"Probably already off this God-forsaken island," Shawn mumbled to himself.
He couldn't complain too much. Kaitlyn's blast would have killed him if he hadn't called for the Shades to form the shield around him.
Where did Micah learn to use energy like that anyway? Shawn thought as he lay still, willing his numb limbs to work. Probably from the Athame, when he was talking to Arianna .
Next time he took a trip there he'd have to address that.
No rush , he thought.
A trip there meant
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