frowned at Griff who continued to
scowl at the two of them. “Come on, you. Have you even reported in to Bethany
since you got back?”
At his chagrined expression, she pulled him up with her as
she took off. That said something about Brooklyn’s strength because Griff was no lightweight with his 6’2” muscular frame. “Go
take care of your patient, Marcus. I’ll take care of this one. He’ll have a
better attitude the next time you see him, I promise.”
“Hey!” Griff yelled as they took
off into the sky. Brooklyn knew he never liked to be man-handled. That’s why
she did it every chance she could. Marcus shook his head.
As they left, Marcus felt a sudden urgent need to be by
Lori’s side. He shot into the sky, pushing his wings to get to her quickly. He
landed on the platform outside her room and worked to calm his out-of-control
emotions. Sensing him near, her psyche reached out to him.
He entered the room and gently lowered himself onto her bed.
He brushed his lips softly against her forehead to check her temperature. Her
forehead felt several degrees cooler. What a relief. He reached around and
pulled her onto his chest…a position he’d come to love with her over the last
couple of days.
As her fever lowered, he could sense her mental state
calming, too. He lay there, savoring the comfort of her in his arms when her
muscles tightened. He glanced down and found her eyes open and watching him.
“Marcus?”
“Hey, beautiful. Have you decided to come back to us
finally?”
“It wasn’t a dream? I’m actually free, aren’t I?” Her voice
echoed her astonishment.
His heart ached for what she’d been through and he’d just
seen a tiny glimpse of it. What would it be like to be imprisoned and tortured
for so long? He tightened his arms protectively around her.
“No, you didn’t dream it, although you have been having lots
of really bad dreams.”
She stiffened and her eyes widened. “You were there with me,
weren’t you? In the lab?”
He nodded and rubbed her back again as her mental distress
spiked.
“They caught William again.” The despair in her voice tugged
at him. “I have to help him.” She sat up suddenly, immediately swayed and
closed her eyes against the dizzy spell.
He lowered her back
down to the mattress.
She groaned as her body fought the sudden movement. “Whoa,
how long have I been lying here?”
“About three days. You’ve been up briefly to answer the call
of nature, but this is the first time you’ve been really aware. I’m glad you’re
back.” He kissed her forehead. “I know you want to help your friends, but let’s
get you sitting up on your own before you go charging off to save the world.”
“Thank you for taking care of me. I’m sorry I’ve been such a
demanding guest.” She looked up at him again and her eyes softened. “I could
hear you. You sang to me and soothed me in my dreams.”
“I promised you I wouldn’t leave and I haven’t.”
She gave him a gentle smile. “Can we try that sitting up
thing now?”
“Sure.” He sat up first and leaned his back against the
headboard of the bed. He pulled her so she sat in between his legs with her
back leaning against his chest. This felt so natural, and combined with their
mental connection, it seemed like something more was being forged between them.
She belonged here with him. He savored the comfort of her closeness, while at
the same time, he worried that he was setting himself up for another
devastating fall.
“Do you have any family or anyone waiting or looking for you
back in the ES?” he asked her.
Her muscles tensed and she ducked her head. “No, I was an
only child. My parents died when the Veil fell. Luckily, the kids who used to
babysit me lived next door and were older since I was only ten years old when
it happened. They took me in until I hit puberty and left because I decided I
was smarter than everyone else. You see how well that worked out for me in the
end.”
scowl at the two of them. “Come on, you. Have you even reported in to Bethany
since you got back?”
At his chagrined expression, she pulled him up with her as
she took off. That said something about Brooklyn’s strength because Griff was no lightweight with his 6’2” muscular frame. “Go
take care of your patient, Marcus. I’ll take care of this one. He’ll have a
better attitude the next time you see him, I promise.”
“Hey!” Griff yelled as they took
off into the sky. Brooklyn knew he never liked to be man-handled. That’s why
she did it every chance she could. Marcus shook his head.
As they left, Marcus felt a sudden urgent need to be by
Lori’s side. He shot into the sky, pushing his wings to get to her quickly. He
landed on the platform outside her room and worked to calm his out-of-control
emotions. Sensing him near, her psyche reached out to him.
He entered the room and gently lowered himself onto her bed.
He brushed his lips softly against her forehead to check her temperature. Her
forehead felt several degrees cooler. What a relief. He reached around and
pulled her onto his chest…a position he’d come to love with her over the last
couple of days.
As her fever lowered, he could sense her mental state
calming, too. He lay there, savoring the comfort of her in his arms when her
muscles tightened. He glanced down and found her eyes open and watching him.
“Marcus?”
“Hey, beautiful. Have you decided to come back to us
finally?”
“It wasn’t a dream? I’m actually free, aren’t I?” Her voice
echoed her astonishment.
His heart ached for what she’d been through and he’d just
seen a tiny glimpse of it. What would it be like to be imprisoned and tortured
for so long? He tightened his arms protectively around her.
“No, you didn’t dream it, although you have been having lots
of really bad dreams.”
She stiffened and her eyes widened. “You were there with me,
weren’t you? In the lab?”
He nodded and rubbed her back again as her mental distress
spiked.
“They caught William again.” The despair in her voice tugged
at him. “I have to help him.” She sat up suddenly, immediately swayed and
closed her eyes against the dizzy spell.
He lowered her back
down to the mattress.
She groaned as her body fought the sudden movement. “Whoa,
how long have I been lying here?”
“About three days. You’ve been up briefly to answer the call
of nature, but this is the first time you’ve been really aware. I’m glad you’re
back.” He kissed her forehead. “I know you want to help your friends, but let’s
get you sitting up on your own before you go charging off to save the world.”
“Thank you for taking care of me. I’m sorry I’ve been such a
demanding guest.” She looked up at him again and her eyes softened. “I could
hear you. You sang to me and soothed me in my dreams.”
“I promised you I wouldn’t leave and I haven’t.”
She gave him a gentle smile. “Can we try that sitting up
thing now?”
“Sure.” He sat up first and leaned his back against the
headboard of the bed. He pulled her so she sat in between his legs with her
back leaning against his chest. This felt so natural, and combined with their
mental connection, it seemed like something more was being forged between them.
She belonged here with him. He savored the comfort of her closeness, while at
the same time, he worried that he was setting himself up for another
devastating fall.
“Do you have any family or anyone waiting or looking for you
back in the ES?” he asked her.
Her muscles tensed and she ducked her head. “No, I was an
only child. My parents died when the Veil fell. Luckily, the kids who used to
babysit me lived next door and were older since I was only ten years old when
it happened. They took me in until I hit puberty and left because I decided I
was smarter than everyone else. You see how well that worked out for me in the
end.”
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