Page 44 of One Last Touch

I wouldn’t do this without him. It would be wrong, so I waited until Sage burst through the door and ran his eyes over me in confusion before I called the name I knew he dreaded most.

“Jared. Come out from wherever you’re hiding. We need to talk.”

Nothing. Well, nothing except for Sage’s fury hitting me like a ton of bricks as he threw himself onto the couch beside me. “What is wrong with you? Why are you still here?”

I sighed. I hadn’t really wanted to have this conversation but it was only fair that he was here. “Because this is where I’m needed.”

“No.” He stood up and paced in front of me. “It’s not too late. I’ll call you a car myself.”

“I don’t have long,” I called out and Sage’s eyes went wide as he realised I was no longer talking to him. “So if you want one more chance to make things right, you’d better hurry.”

“What do you mean?” Sage whispered and I couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t bear to hear that tone in his voice. “Georgina.” I looked up and the wounded look on his face was almost enough to stop my heart. “Georgina, what did you do?”

“Yes, Georgina. Tell the class.”

I let my eyes linger on Sage for one more moment before I looked at the man responsible for so much terror. So much pain. I couldn’t leave them here with him, they had tried to protect me, and now it was my turn to do the same for them.

Jared prowled forward and caged me into the barrier of his arms as he leaned over the sofa to look at me and I sat back, nonplussed. Because what could he really do to me? I would be dead in a matter of minutes anyway.

Sage stepped forward but it wasn’t his hand that pushed Jared back. No, this hand was more delicate, pale in a way that nearly glowed.

“Don’t you dare lay a finger on my daughter.”

My heart shattered at the sound of her voice, my eyes filling with tears as I turned and found her standing behind me, like she had followed my footsteps across this place to end up by my side. “Mum.”

Jared straightened from where he’d stumbled back, clearly having been surprised by the force of the shove. “I think you mean our daughter, Natalia.”

“Georgina is, and always will be, mine.”

Jared opted to ignore my mum, focusing his attention on me as he cocked his head. “There’s something different about you.”

“Maybe.” I chuckled and his eyes flashed with anger, but he stopped after taking only one step forward. Not, as I first thought, in fear of my mother or Sage who lingered nearby but because someone else had finally joined us.

“My invitation must have become lost in the post,” Edward remarked before hauling back and punching Jared in the face. Interesting. So while Jared was the stronger of the two spiritually, it seemed like he wasn’t immune to an old fashioned socking. “That was a long time coming, brother. Maybe if you hadn’t hidden your cowardly face in the shadows whenever I came calling, I might have done it sooner.”

Jared sneered before his arm snapped out, as quick as a snake, and struck Edward. He flew backwards and my eyebrows furrowed as I watched this unfold—clearly the more spiritual energy you had, the more capable you were to affect things on both planes.

“What is the point of this? Why have you called me here, girl? Is this some attempt at a reckoning?” His face was like ice and I blinked as it melted and re-formed, the room streaming around me in a whirl of colours.

“In a sense,” I said, trying to steady myself.

“Tell me!” he roared and I wanted to laugh but could only cough, deep wracking hacks that made me feel like my lungs were falling apart inside me. Clearly he didn’t know that patience was a virtue. I straightened, wiping my mouth with my hand and jolting at the smear of purplish-red that came away. I had expected it, but somehow it was still a shock. “No.” Jared’s face was a mask of shock and then fury as he lunged towards me and found himself held back by Sage.

“If you touch her,” Sage whispered, just loud enough that I could hear, “I will rip out your soul and send it to burn in hell myself.”

“I expected an escape attempt,” Jared snarled, “but this is beyond stupid. You would really die for them?”

“As long as it means you’ll go with me.” I smiled as he strained to reach me, to try and end me before the poison I had consumed could do its job. “They deserve to be free.”

My mum’s hand tightened on my shoulder and I reached up to touch it, flicking a quick look at her as the room spun and warped. “I missed you,” I choked out and she brushed my hair back from my face.

“Are you sure about this?” Her eyes on mine were completely clear, her faith in me absolute.

I nodded. “This is the only way.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered and I tried to smile and wasn’t sure I succeeded.

“I love you.”

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