Page 40 of Wicked Savior
The bed is empty. I spin around to head back in the hall when the sound of the shower penetrates my panic. I stop. My heart slows to its normal beat. I’ll wait. Once she’s out of the shower and resting, I’ll head to the cottage.
I pick up my papers from earlier and put them on the nightstand. It was nice to share my plans with someone outside of the Underworld. It’s not a place many visit, so they can’t begin to understand how different it is to every other world.
With a wave of my hand, I replace the sheets and blankets on the bed with fresh ones. I wonder if Evren has a favorite flower? With barely a thought, I bring in a vase full of a variety of flowers. Bright and interesting like her.
A loud sob breaks the silence, and I move to the bathroom door. “Evren, are you okay?”
She doesn’t reply. I stand there indecisively for ten seconds.
Fuck it.
The bathroom is full of steam, but I can clearly see her crouched down on the floor of the shower, crying. I sit down beside her, wrap a towel around her body, and gather her in my arms.
“Let me go,” she cries, barely able to get the words out.
“I won’t,” I tell her, uncertain whether I mean now or at all, but knowing I mean the words.
My response makes her cry harder. “Why are you doing this? It’s my fault all those people are dead. Forty people.” Her sobs continue. “Forty lives cut short. I don’t know what to do with the guilt.”
I stroke a hand down her back. “You find a way to live with it and learn from it. Whatever you do, you can’t let it consume you,” I reply. “If you do, it will break you. Trust me. Guilt can change you into something you don’t recognize in the mirror. It took me forever to find myself again.”
She tilts her head to look at me with her sad green eyes. “How did you do it?”
I give her a wry smile. “I channeled all my energy into the Underworld. You have to find your own way. But I’ll be here to help and protect you while you figure it out.” My finger reaches out to catch the tear lingering on the edge of her lashes. I close my fist to capture it.
She nods and her head drops onto my chest. I shut off the shower and stand with her in my arms. With little thought, I dress her in clothes similar to what she’s been wearing and carry her into the bedroom.
When I lay her down, her eyes are closed, and her breathing even. The freckles across her nose stand out against the paleness of her skin. I can’t help but lightly rub a finger across this very human characteristic. Not wanting to disturb her much-needed sleep, I decide to leave and stock the cottage with some food and other necessities in preparation for our move. Maybe Arden will be willing to help. I grab the sketches and leave her resting.
Daire’s right. The cottage isn’t a long-term solution. If Gabriel continues to stalk her, I’ll need to find a new world for her. I consider the options. Elven would be the best. Arden’s father might consider it, given his daughter is half human. He’s also one of the few allies I have that likes me and might be open to my visiting. It’s worth running the idea past her first to see if she thinks he would be open to it.
ChapterTwenty-Two
EVREN
When I’m absolutely sure he’s gone, I open my eyes. My thoughts are swirling in my brain. I don’t know what to think. One minute, I’m a pawn, and the next, he’s holding me in the shower while I cry. Are we friends? Or is he my temporary protector? Tears trickle down my face, but I scrub them away. No more tears. I need to get out of here.
The world spins when I stand, but it settles after a few seconds. Thankfully, Arden brought my things down from my room and the lab a couple of days ago, so all I have to do is add a jacket and shoes, then find a portal. I slip my feet into some tennis shoes, then bend to carefully slide the backpack with my computer, along with the duffle, onto my right shoulder. The left one is still a bit sore.
That’s it. I’m ready to go.
A piece of paper catches my eye, and I bend down to pick it up. It’s one of the sketches for the campus. Without thinking, I tuck it into my pocket.
There’s one last thing. Closing my eyes, I place my right hand on my heart and left hand on the wall. “Theia, please accept my apology for the pain and suffering I caused the people in this sanctuary. It was never my intent to put anyone in danger, especially those under your roof. Thank you for the protection you extended to me. I’ll never forget it. I hope by leaving, you can offer sanctuary to those who need it most without any concerns my presence might cause.”
The walls pulse with a return message, but I can’t understand the words. It’s probably better that I don’t know. She warned me about the will of a goddess being more powerful than fate. My choices certainly proved that correct. If I hadn’t intervened, John and Aurora would have died a human death, and Becca, while grieving, would still be alive.
Making my way to the elevator, I take it down to the main floor. It’s utterly silent without the staff and patrons. Everything is immaculate again, but all I see are the bodies still lying on the floor.
What did Daire say? Thirty-seven supernaturals and three humans. Forty people. Gone because of me and my experiments. No, my arrogance. Why did I think it was up to me to change the future of mankind? To save it? I totally ignored the fact that humans have adapted and saved themselves many times since their creation.
A few tears fall, and I let them coat my face in sorrow. Not for me, but for them. Lives cut short because of my actions. My hand automatically reaches up and makes the sign of blessings to help the ones who died find the peace they deserve.
Hearing a noise near the kitchen, I stride quickly to the portal. It opens when I get close, and with one last look, I step in and return to the warehouse. It spits me out on the top floor, but instead of the neat, orderly bedroom I expect to see, there is only rubble. Tripping over a rock, I set everything down and make my way through the debris to the stairs.
When my feet hit the last step, I stop. There’s nothing left. Not a single machine or beaker. It’s all been destroyed. Even the massive steel fridge with all the specimens is flattened as if a giant stepped on it. Nothing is salvageable. The old me would be furious. Right now, I’m glad. The thought of running another experiment sickens me.
“Bravo. Look at you. Creating beasts and killing innocents. Your talents know no bounds,” a dark voice full of hatred spews from the corner. He starts clapping, and the sound echoes loudly in the cavernous room.
