Page 90 of Kingdom of Chaos
With a small smile, I step through the door after Kade, casting one last glance over my shoulder just as it begins to close. Talon is watching me, his eyes locked on mine, and there’s something in his expression that tugs at my chest. Something I can’t unpack right now.
Because Becks. I’m about to see Becks.
The door Kade takes me through leads to a small outer room. He tells me I have thirty minutes with Becks, and that’s it, then nods at the only other door in the room.
“Go ahead,” he says.
“He’s just on the other side of that door?” I ask, a swarm of butterflies flapping like hell-bats in my gut.
“Yep.”
I push through my nerves and rush to the door, shoving it open before I can psych myself out. The moment I cross the threshold, I freeze. What the surveillance feed didn’t show was that Becks is in a cell. A surprisingly nice one, sure, but it’s still a cell, one wall made entirely of metal bars.
Becks sits on the edge of a twin bed, shirtless, wearing only green scrub pants. A large bandage is wrapped across his upper torso, leaving the lower half of his abs exposed.He looks like he might have lost a little weight, and he has a layer of scruff on hisface I’m not used to seeing. But his coloring looks good and he’s not holding himself like he’s in pain.
“Just leave the tray on the ground and go,” he snaps, irritation ringing from each word.
I go to say his name, but a sob rips from my throat instead.
Becks lifts his head, his green eyes flashing when he spots me.
Jumping to his feet, he stumble-runs toward the bars in his haste to reach me.
“Locklyn,” he says, his voice clogged with emotion.
I press my hand over his where he grips one of the bars, then reach my free arm through the gap to embrace him as best I can with the cold metal between us. I wish I still had access to my fire magic. I’d melt the blasted bars if I could, because touching him like this, knowing with my own hands that he’s alive and real, is not enough, Not nearly enough.
Tears slip down my cheeks, and when they dampen his neck, he pulls back just far enough to meet my eyes.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, voice rough. “How did you even get here?”
“In this room, or to this world?” I ask with a shaky laugh, my eyes still filled with tears.
“Either. Both.” He reaches out and cups the side of my face, his palm warm and steady.
The tenderness in his gaze, so open and full of love, breaks me all over again. Fresh tears spill down my cheeks.
“Are you real?” he whispers. “Is this really happening? Because every night I dream you’re here, but every morning I wake up alone.”
I place my hand over his, savoring the warmth of his palm against my cheek. “It’s me. I’m here. I came to find you and bring you home. Well,wedid.”
“We?” he asks.
I nod. “Ensley’s here too. Not in this building, but back at the hotel. She’s going to flip when I tell her I found you.”
His brow furrows sharply. “Wait. You and Ensley came here alone?”
I shake my head quickly. “No, not alone. Titus is with us too. And . . . also Talon.”
“Talon?” he repeats, the word landing like a blow. His expression darkens instantly. He takes a step back, hands dropping from me. The warmth he’d given a moment ago vanishes and cold tension fills the space between us.
I wrap my hands around the bars, leaning in as close to him as I can. “He was the only one who knew how to get to the human world. Without him, I’d still be stuck in the creature realm, wondering if you were dead or alive, not knowing where you were or how to reach you, maybe never finding you at all.”
“Oh yes. Talon is ever so helpful,” Becks says, voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m sure he’s not expecting anything in return.”
I bristle at the accusation. “It’s not like that. Talon gave up everything to get me here.”
“Like what, exactly?” he challenges.
