Page 83 of Love and War

Only I wasn’t punched. His arms wrapped around my shoulders, and this felt oddly familiar. Even if this giant was someone I didn’t know… I felt as if I knew him. I somehow did, but who?

“Who are you?” I asked, stepping back from his embrace. I could barely see his eyes, the mask he wore covered the entirety of his face.

“Killian…” Salem said somewhere behind him.

I couldn’t look away from him, though. I knew him. I had to know him, because…. Holy fuck.

“Z–Zion?” My voice was rough. It didn’t make sense.

“You trust them?” His voice was somehow even rougher than before and deeper. Looking around his large frame, Zane and Salem stood a few feet back watching us.

“Yeah, I trust them.”

Nodding his head, he walked around the kitchen island. Staring at us, he began to remove his mask, revealing himself. His hair was a little darker than his blond from before. His eyes were the same shade of blue they always had been. But now his eyes were dead. Something was wrong, he looked the same but not.

“Holy fuck,” I found myself mumbling, unsure on how to feel. Z, he was here. I couldn’t believe it. I opened my mouth to say something else, but my head snapped to the side. A sharp pain connected to my cheek.

“Where is she?” Salem growled. Again I opened my mouth to say something when she threw another punch at me. I should block it. It would be a smart thing, but I deserved this. “Where IS SHE?”

No one stopped her as she punched me over and over again. My face was becoming a punching bag for Salem. I deserved this, I did. I lost her, it was all my fault. She was gone, maybe even dead. Oh god, she was probably dead. Oh fuck… no no no no. I couldn’t handle it, I can’t. Fuck.

“Salem, stop,” someone said from somewhere, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t even know when I fell to the ground. Curling my legs to my chest, I felt the tears running down my cheeks.

“What’s happening?” someone mumbled. I couldn’t handle the voices. Covering my ears, I tried everything. I needed them to stop. To shut up. The fucking voices won’t stop.

A hand pressed against my shoulder, trying to bring me back. But I didn’t want to come back. I didn’t want to. If she’s gone, I’m nothing. She can’t be gone.

“Killian Amery!” That was Z. I’d know that deep voice from anywhere. “Where’s Aziza?” His voice was close.

“She’s gone,” my voice cracked. “She’s gone, she’s fucking gone,” I screamed. My hands in fists, I hit myself. Over and over again. Suddenly I was stopped, my wrists confined, and my eyes shot open.

Z gripped my hands to the side; Salem was frowning while Zane tilted his head to the side. I didn’t like their pity. I didn’t want it.

“Please explain what you mean by she's gone?” Salem asked, stepping forward. I expected her to be angry, maybe even murderous. But she was… should I say sad?

Swallowing the limp in my throat, I tried taking a deep breath. Looking over at Z, I tried to plead with him. He knew me better than anyone besides Aziza.

After Richard used to beat the shit out of me, I would run to Z’s house. Him and Ma somehow always knew what I needed. I hated feeling weak, and right now I felt weaker than I had before.

“Killian, whe—”

“Back off!” Z snapped. Salem flinched from the command in his voice, and that was surprising.

“Who do—”

“Quiet!” he once again demanded.

When no one said anything else, Z finally began to let my wrists go. Taking a deep breath, I sat back up against the wall.

“Tell me what happened?” Z sat in front of me.

“Whe—” Salem began.

“Don’t listen to her, you look at me,” Z huffed. At least Dimitri wasn’t the only one who appeared to dislike Salem.

“Tell me what happened?” he asked again.

“He took her,” I blurted out. “Fuck, fuck. He fucking took her.”

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