Prologue 18 страница

I like my hands here too.

I smiled and thought back to the very beginning, when we first saw each other. We’d both had a reaction to the other before the imprint even took place. I remembered that I’d never told him how I’d felt before that. That I had been feeling similar feelings for him that he had felt for me from just our short little walk to Kyle’s house. I’d never shown him how I loved his curly hair and how affected I’d been by his eyes when he had leaned close to check my head. How endearing it was for him to be so worried about me. How I dreaded leaving him when Kyle was trying to pull me away. How I had no idea why I was so enraptured with him but seemed to be drawn to him somehow as I offered him my hand and told him my name, hoping he’d remember it.

You’re showing me now.

I kept forgetting that he was so in tune to me.

Well, it’s all true. You were very cute, all concerned for me.

He pulled back to smile crookedly at me.

I can’t wait for you to come up here with me for school. I’ve been meaning to ask you...

His hands flexed on my hips. His nervousness for the question he was about to ask was apparent as it pulsed through me. He was worried that I’d think it was too soon or inappropriate. Or I’d just flat say no.

Just tell me, Caleb. It can’t be that bad.

I was just wondering if you were planning to... live with me, at the apartment. I’m asking you to, I guess.

Oh.

I hadn’t seriously thought about it. Kyle had mentioned to me the fact that he was supposed to room with Caleb and I’d said he still could. I doubt that was still ok but I hadn’t really thought beyond that. So I answered truthfully.

I hadn’t really thought about it.

Ok. No pressure.

He so, so wanted me to live with him. Wanted for us to not have an obstacle in the mornings when we needed each other most anymore, to not have to worry about me at night with the echoling or sneaking in and out.

But I wasn’t so sure. I mean I did want to live with him but I didn’t want to lie to my dad anymore. I didn’t want to continue to have to come up with stories for him and other people about where and who I lived with.

Would I tell everyone else that I live with my boyfriend off campus if they asked? Would I tell my dad that I lived in the dorms? What if he tried to visit me, which I’m sure he would? Would I-Could I-tell him that I was eighteen and living with my boyfriend and he couldn’t stop me? He would be furious. Plus, I had always had a subconscious plan. To get married first before I moved in with my guy but things weren’t even in the same ballpark as normal anymore so exceptions had to be made.

Caleb was reading me.

It’s ok. You don’t have to worry about it right now. We’ll figure it out later.

It’s not that I don’t want to. I do. I’m just worried about my dad. It would be so much easier and safer if I stay with you. And more fun.

I sent him a little smile but he was still hung up on the worry; the worry for me if I wasn’t with him and how this was going to work out. It was not only his desire to protect; it was ingrained in his veins.

I decided to distract him because his feelings of worry and upset and need to protect were choking me.

I pulled his face to mine with my arm around his neck. He sighed in relief against my lips at the contact and release of coiled emotions. His arms tightened and his gratefulness was all around me. He knew I was saving him with this kiss as I tried to forget the things that would have to be dealt with very soon... but not tonight.

We continued to sway with the slow music as we kissed slowly and sweetly. The song was something I wasn’t familiar with but it didn’t matter.

Someone bumped us, breaking our kiss.

“Oopsy. Shouldn’t you be heading home, preschool, ” Ashley said as she swayed with a guy who was somehow even drunker than her. They both stumbled and grasped each other to keep from falling. She laughed. “Ahh! Did I interrupt something? ”

Caleb quickly pulled us further away from them when someone else bumped against us. We both looked up to Beck and Ralph, writhing in rhythm to the music beside us on the sand, practically dry humping and I felt like I needed to avert my eyes but then I saw hers and realized she’d been drinking. They both had. I sighed at her stupidity at taking alcoholic drinks from a bunch of college kids she didn’t know.

“Hey, girl. Having fun? ” she yelled over the music.

“Where have you been? ” I asked feeling very motherly at the moment.

“Oh... somewhere, ” she yelled and they both laughed maniacally, falling into each other, giggling and groping.

I rolled my eyes and wanted to go away. It’s not like we could talk anyway. There was entirely too many people around and so loud and Beck, although I was happy for her and Ralph, had been driving me crazy all night. We were growing apart, in different directions. I still wanted to be her friend but it felt like we were just in different places. Right now, I wanted to spend my time with Caleb more than anything else.

Say no more.

He took my hand and tugged me away from everyone to a little trail in the wooded area off the beach. The music died down as we kept going, hand in hand, and I leaned my head against his shoulder.

“What’s your biggest pet peeve? ” I asked him finally after some minutes of comfortable silence.

“Hmmm. ” He scratched his chin in that familiar way I was beginning to adore. “Probably lying, but since I’m forcing you do it because of our imprint I guess that’s pretty hypocritical, huh? ”

“Caleb, ” I protested but he kept going.

“But if you want an easier, less in depth answer, I’d say... a whiner. Someone who complains about everything get on my nerves. I know there’s nothing wrong with letting loose sometimes but there are some kids, especially since I got to college, who just whine and cry about every little thing. They are so spoiled, it kills me. ” He looked over at me to see my smirk. “And you? What’s yours? ”
“I’d have to say, in depth would be cheating on someone. I can’t stand it, hate it. That’s one reason I’m so mad at my mom. But the easier, less in depth answer, would be meanness. What about... what you like to do when you go home from school? ”

“The same thing I like to do at school. Play music, write music, listen to music, attend concerts and friends’ gigs at clubs. I should really change my major, I think. I giggled and shook my head. “You? Favorite thing to do? ”

“Um... read, I guess. I’m a nerd. ”

“I like to read too, that doesn’t make you a nerd. Unless you’re calling me one. ” He cocked a comical brow at me and I smiled then bit my lip, thinking.

“Favorite person? ” I asked.

“You, that’s an easy one. ”

“That’s not what I meant, ” I laughed.

“I know, but we’re here. ” He pulled back one last tree branch, like a curtain, it opened up to a postcard pretty picture in front of me. The moon was casting a mirror reflection on the water. The sand was white and clear. The waves were small and there was probably fifty yards of beach, right in between two rocks that seemed to be deserted and un-messed with. It was gorgeous.

“Wow. ”

“Yeah. I found this place at another one of these parties. It gets to be a little much for me too, so I took a walk and here it was. ”

“And did Ashley follow you here, ” I joked and fluttered my eyelashes.

“She would have if she’d seen me. ”

He took my hand again to pull me to the waters edge. He took off his jacket and laid it on the white dry sand. He laid his head down on the jacket and beckoned me down to him. I smiled as I snuggled up against him, using his arm and shoulder as a pillow.

You liked the stars last time...

I turned my face to look up and saw that it was possible to be even more beautiful than before. There were a million of them up there and, as cheesy at it sounds, it took my breath away.

We just lay for about twenty minutes, just like that, watching, listening, being together. It wasn’t hot or cold, it wasn’t loud or quiet, the sand wasn’t hard or soft. Everything was perfect and add his calming touch to that, his hand coasting up and down my arm, and it couldn’t have gotten better.

He started to think about things. What he was gonna do when I was in class without him. What if our schedules conflicted so much that we never got to see each other during the day at school, he’d never get any work done worrying about me.

You’re in my head, remember? You’ll always know if I need you. Everything should be fine.

I know you think that and I’d like to but what if the echoling never stops? What if Marcus never stops? I don’t know what I’d do.

Caleb. I pulled his face close to mine with a hand on his cheek. I like it that you worry about me and I’d never tell you to go against that but, why worry about something that hasn’t even come near to time yet? Who knows what’ll happen by then. This whole thing may be sorted out.

He chuckled and tucked my head under his chin.

You’re so cute when you’re all optimistic and take-charge.

Ha ha.

You’re right. No point in worrying about it yet. But eventually, all this will have to be discussed. Especially... the living arrangements once you start school.

Your parents are fine with my living with you? Because I know my dad would be livid.

No, they’re not ok with it, not really. I told you, they don’t really see another choice. It’s not like I can sneak into the campus dorms every morning to see you.

I know. I just don’t know what to do. Why does everything about this have to be so complicated?

Well, it’s usually not. Usually... we’re older when we imprint. No one else has ever had to worry about all this stuff before. We’re all knew and no one really knows what to make of it. See, before when they imprinted, they just got married and that was it.

I realized what he was saying. We were the first Ace couple to imprint and not get married.

How long did people wait to get married?
They didn’t wait. It was more like, how soon can they get married. My parents only waited three weeks.

I balked. My heart slammed. My head spun. What!! Three weeks!

Maggie. Breathe. It’s ok.

I’m sorry. I just... Three weeks? That just seems...

Crazy, I know but they’re meant for each other. It’s not like they were going to decide to date someone else, you know? They were it for each other, forever. Why not get married and get started on your life?

You’ve thought about this already, haven’t you?

Of course I have. He leaned to hover over me on his elbows and looked seriously at me. “I’ve thought about it every since you first touched me and I knew you were mine. ”

Why did you say to something like that, I didn’t know whether to run or cry in joy. I wanted to marry him, right this second, I knew he was it for me and there was no point in waiting but I was only seventeen. My dad wouldn’t forgive me nor understand and I’d have to tell everyone I met that I was a teenager and married. That shouldn’t matter, what other people thought, but for some reason, it kinda did a little.

I also wondered why we were chosen so young when everyone else imprinted in their early twenties. Appropriate marriage age. There had to be a reason. But right now, I was just scared.

We heard a ruckus behind us. We both looked up to see a couple drunk guys barreling through the brush at the edge of the woods in a clumsy and uncoordinated fight. Caleb groaned and got up. They were yelling loudly and taking swings at each other.

“Stay here for a second. Let me pull these idiots off each other. ”

He left and I sat up to look at the water. I continued to think as I heard Caleb trying to settle them behind me. I felt the stick in my arm before it registered that something was wrong. I felt one second of panic before my heart slowed to a sleepy rhythm. The last thing I saw was the beautiful scene of where Caleb had taken me before my eyes closed and I fell back into the sand.

Twenty Three

I woke up in the dark. I smelled Caleb all around me and moved my arms to feel that his jacket had been draped over my head. I pulled the jacket down to my shoulders and felt the chill hit my face. I was somewhere cold, musty and dark. I felt groggy and unhinged.

There was someone there, that’s why I’d woken up. They were laying my arms and legs out and strapping them down, my arms over my head. In my mind my heart spiked in panic but my body didn’t respond. My heart stayed at its slow lazy rhythm and I didn’t understand why. I didn’t even fight whoever it was.

I tried to focus my brain. Tried to tell myself to look around and see what was going on. Caleb. Where was Caleb? I popped my eyes open as wide as they’d go and looked up to see two faces over me. One I didn’t recognize but looked slightly familiar, a woman, and the other had my insides screaming.

Marcus.

I tried to move my hands and feet but they wouldn’t budge. My arm hurt. My eyes drifted to see wires and tape around my hand, an I. V. What were they doing to me?

I tried to speak.

“What-” My throat felt like sandpaper. “What are you doing? ”

“Maggie, finally, It’s been hours, ” Marcus said happily.

“Don’t talk to her, Marcus. This isn’t a game, ” the person I could only guess was his uncle barked at him. “Get out of here. ”

He smiled cruelly at me and left the room. I looked over to see a very heavy looking door slamming shut behind him as he left. The room I was in was small and metal, a box really.

“Now listen to me, ” the man said and I jerked my face to look at him instead. “You have medicine in you to keep your heart rate low so Caleb won’t be able to follow you here. You might hear him, he might get through enough to talk to you a little bit but you’ll just be torturing yourself if you think that he will come and rescue you. He won’t. I’m sorry to have to do this to you but we can’t allow the Jacobson’s to have the power over us anymore. They’ve always had a hand over us and now this? I saw an opportunity and I took it. ” He shook his head. “No more. ”

He started to leave.

“Wait. How long am I going to be here? ”

“Until Caleb stops looking for you and forgets about ascending. ”

“That’ll never happen. ”

He looked at me poignantly and smiled sadly.

“I know. ”

The slamming door was like a nail in my coffin. I understood him exactly. They had no intentions of letting me go, ever, and they fully expected Caleb to spend the rest of his life looking for me in agony. Which from what I’d heard, when two imprinted Aces are not with each other, may not be long. I could already feel the ache in my back and legs for him which made me wonder how long I’d been here already. In just a couple days time we’d be in so much pain we could barely think from what I’d been told. And the medicine they were pumping me with apparently didn’t have pain medication in it because I could feel everything.

How had they pulled me away and Caleb not seen or heard them? What had happened to Caleb, had they hurt him? What happened to Beck at the party? My dad would be freaking if I hadn’t made it home by midnight. I couldn’t think anymore. My eyes started to drift closed and I could no longer command them to remain open.

I woke with a startled gasp as something warm and wet on my face. I looked up to see a girl, about my age, wiping my face and hands with a cloth. She dipped her rag and wrung it out moving to my neck and belly under my... wait a minute. Where was my tank top? I was naked under a sheet.

“What are you doing? ” I creaked through the pain in my back.

My head pounded behind my eyes, blood rushing in my ears so loud I could barely hear myself speak, the withdrawals. I needed Caleb.

“Washing you, ” she said with a ‘duh’ face. “You don’t want to stink, do you? ”

I saw she was being extremely careful with the extra large sponge to not touch my skin with hers.

“Who are you? ”

“Marla, Marcus’s sister. You’re Maggie, right? Marcus was a little shifty on the details. ”

“What are you talking about, ” I muttered and tried to sit up, realizing then I was no longer strapped down. But I may as well have been. My head swam and my arms felt like Jell-O as I tried to use them. “Where am I? What are you doing to me? ”

“Well, where you are is the million dollar question isn’t it? If you knew then your knight could come and rescue you couldn’t he? ”

I looked at her, hearing the disdain in her voice. She looked an awful lot like Marcus; dark, wavy hair that hung past her shoulder blades and down her front shoulders. Her face was pale and heart shaped with dark brown eyes. Very thin and looking at me with... envy?

“Are you in love with Caleb or something? ” I blurted.

She laughed a genuine laugh.

“Uh. No. Granted, that boy is hot. I would never date a rival clan. That’s like not only forbidden but disgusting. Why did you think that? ”

I tried to shrug but it came off jerky and very ‘seizurish’.

“I don’t know. Your brother kidnapped me and you’re helping him? ”

“I’m helping him because I have to and he kidnapped you because of exactly why they told you. The Jacobson’s have always had better abilities than us, always. So I’m told. I guess back in the day, like sixty years or something, they used to be friends, but then there was this girl. Almost sounds romantic doesn’t it? This girl was beautiful and of course everyone prayed they’d be the one to imprint with her. She apparently wasn’t waiting for that though. She secretly dated two guys from different clans without the other knowing it. They were of imprint age already and knew what they were doing but for whatever reason, kept seeing her. So, one of them finds out about the other. Guess who they were? A Jacobson and a Watson. So, they’re furious, right? They somehow all wind up together out on the cliff with the old well behind our complex. The guys fight and as she’s pushing them apart in between them... she imprints, with the Jacobson. Well, you can imagine how pissed the Watson was and was so enraged at what she had done, using him until she found her significant. Word is they even had sex which is just dirty without it being you’re significant. ” She visibly shivered like it was gross to think about. “So, he pushed them both over the cliff while they were too wrapped up in each other to notice. ”

I waited. Was there some punch line I had missed? She stayed silent and looked at me expectantly.

“That’s a terrible story. ”

My headache was only getting worse by the minute.

“I’m just giving you a history lesson. ”

“So, because your ancestor pushed Caleb’s ancestor over a cliff, I’m supposed to feel sorry for you and Marcus? ”

“No. You’re supposed to see why we hate the Jacobson clan. ”

“I still don’t get it. That was so long ago. Three stupid people, that has nothing to do with any of us. ”

“Oh, but it does. She imprinted with the Jacobson. Though she had used them both, the Jacobson’s always won when we battled for something. He won the girl then, and the Watson never imprinted. He was the first in our clan to never imprint with anyone and therefore never to ascend. ”

“It was probably punishment. ”

I couldn’t help but spout the first thing that came to my mouth and I wondered if they’d slipped me something to make me speak the truth into my medicine.

“Probably. I’m not saying I condone what he did. I’m saying it wasn’t fair that the Jacobson won twice. Not only did he imprint with the girl they were both in love with but then the Watson didn’t imprint at all, a double whammy. It was bad enough that the Jacobson’s always have better abilities. ”

“What are your parent’s abilities? ”

“My mom is an empath. She can feel what other people feel, totally useless in a clan of vicious bitter people and my dad is a weather man. He can tell you what weather is coming our way; also, totally useless. ”

“That’s harsh. ”

“Their words, not mine. They hate it. The Jacobson’s can move metal and do things in each other’s minds. Our gifts are lame and have been for a long time. They think you are gonna solve that somehow. ”

“How? ”

“Not sure. First, they are going to see how long we can keep you from Caleb. And if you live through that, I’m not sure, but I guess my uncle has some experiments planned. ”

“Experiments? ” I squeaked.

“Yeah, like blood work and other stuff. My uncle said you have to have come along for a reason. He wants to see if we can find out what that is. You’re a celerity you know. Every clan from here to London is talking about you and Caleb. ”

“Why? ”

“Because you’re the youngest to imprint and no clans have imprinted in a really long time. I’m sure they explained this to you. ”

“They did. I just wanted to see if you’d lie. ”

She laughed again.

“We could so be friends if you weren’t the enemy. Sorry, I gotta go. Here are some clothes. They aren’t going to tie you up anymore, but you will be pumped with meds often so don’t try anything. Someone will be down to check on you and feed you. I put a couple magazines on the nightstand and the bathroom is in the corner. But soon, you’ll be in so much pain, I’m sure you won’t care about any of that. ”

I looked over to see a solitary toilet, with no walls sitting in the corner. No sink, nothing else; great.

She stood to leave and I panicked but once again my body didn’t respond, just my brain. I decided to plead.

“Please help me. I didn’t mean to imprint with Caleb, we can’t control it. I have nothing to do with your fight. I love him. It hurts so bad, please, please help me. I can’t stay here. ”

“Sorry, ” she said but didn’t look a bit sorry to me.

I slumped against the bed. The room looked like a cell; an old, musty, nasty cell. There was nothing to do but wait and feel the wretched pains and kinks in my muscles from withdrawals. Would it be like drugs? Would I withdrawal and sweat in pain for a few days then be ok and not need him anymore? I knew that wasn’t true but I had to think that the Watson clan had a purpose. Not just to kill Caleb and I with our own bodies turning against us just to see what happens. But that could be exactly what they were doing.

Caleb. Caleb, can you hear me? Please hear me.

I waited. I waited so long. I kept saying his name, trying to send him my feelings of longing, even letting him feel my pain, anything if I thought it would help nothing.

But then something, faint, hazy and broken. Like a CB radio that’s way out in the boonies.

Maggie? Can you... me?

Caleb! Are you ok?

I’m... you better be ok or I’ll... Oh, G... Maggie. Please be ok. Tell me... you are?

I don’t know where I am. A cell or basement maybe? The Watson’s have me.

I know. I’m... sorry. Baby, p... forgive me. I’ll get you... there, I promise. I’ll find you. What happened? Your heartb...

They’re keeping me drugged so you won’t find me. They want to keep us apart so we won’t ascend and then find out why we imprinted. Caleb...

I choked. I didn’t want to tell him how scared I was. He was scared plenty for us both and it would just make him feel worse.

I know. I know. I... I’m coming for you. Just...

My dad? Beck?

He hesitated.

It’s been a day and a half already. I had to... dad. He freaked. Call... cops. They are looking... find you. But they won’t. They are... things worse. I’m keeping... on your dad. He’s fine. Are you ok?
I’m ok. I hurt, so bad.

Me too. Baby... sorry.

It wasn’t your fault.

It was... trick. They followed... to get to you.

I know.

No, no! You’re fading out. Stay with me.

I felt like I was fading out too. My head swam worse and I felt drained and even sleepier and out of control.

I’m sorry. They did something to me. Can’t stay awake.

I will find you... promise. I love... Magg... you’re scared. Don’t be. I love you.

I love you, too. I’m sorry I didn’t say it before.

Me too.

And then he was gone and I was in so much agony I couldn’t even enjoy the fact that he said he loved me. It seemed for the short time we’d talked, I felt a sliver better but as soon as our connection broke, I felt like cold water had been thrown on me. Too cold, freezing, stinging water and it hurt all over to be separated from him. I believed his words. That he’d keep my father safe and would never stop looking for me. But if he never found me and spent his whole life looking in pain and agony, somehow, that sounded worse than even death.

I woke up again some time later with the worse headache of my life. I felt nauseas as my back was locked in spasms. My legs cramped, curling my toes painfully. I heaved over the side of the bed but they hadn’t given me anything to eat or drink so nothing came up. My stomach cramped violently as I leaned back on the pillows and tried to catch my breath.

I now had an even bigger respect for Gran.

And this was only day two. As my body jerked on it’s own accord, I heard the creak of the door opening. I looked over as much as I could and saw Marcus there. Smirking.

“Dead yet? ”

“Get out, Marcus. ”

Someone else was already in my room. I looked further over to the corner to see his uncle sitting in a chair, watching me.

Marcus slammed the door, leaving me alone with his uncle.

“The next time you’re alone I’d put those clothes on Marla gave you if I were you. ”

I looked down and saw my bare legs tangled up in the sheets. I quickly pulled them under with me and tried to glare at him but I felt terrible and I’m sure I didn’t pull it off. He was handsome, which irked me. His hair and eyes were dark and he couldn’t be more than forty five. If this was Harry Potter, he’d definitely be in Slytherin.

“What are you doing in here? ”

“Watching you sleep. Watching you withdraw. Studying you. ”

I continued to feel like death was kicking in the door but I kept my eyes on him. I did not feel safe with him in my room, especially with a lack of clothing.

“So, you’re the one who hacked my dreams. ”

“Yes. You are very special, Maggie. ”

“I wish everyone would stop saying that, ” I muttered. “I definitely don’t feel special. ”

He laughed and leaned back to cross one leg over his knee.

“Well, we could argue about it all day but, you are. And Caleb too, ” he grumbled, “though I hate to admit that. This has happened to you for a reason. I can only imagine the abilities you would have possessed. I bet they’d have been exquisite. But that’s behind us. ” He sighed and leaned forward on his knees. “I am not happy to do this to you, by any stretch but, I feel, as the champion of my clan, that I have to stop this. For my clan. ”

“Even though I have nothing to do with your stupid feud? Even though Caleb wasn’t even born yet? We met at a stoplight. It wasn’t something we could control. We didn’t choose it, it chose us. ”

He stood abruptly startling me.

“Yes! Exactly. That’s why! Why you? Why him? Of all the clans to pick from, why the Jacobson’s again? They are always favored with whatever it is in the universe that controls us and our imprints, our lives. Why them again when the rest of us have plenty of willing and waiting people to claim their mates and abilities. ”