Delude

The pain was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It felt like all of my organs were being crushed simultaneously. When I started to have trouble breathing, I let out a gasp, sank to my knees, and began to panic.

“Am I hurting you?” Jade said. “Just a little longer and the pain will be gone.”

“Stop,” I managed to get out. “Jade, please.”

“Please?” she hissed, her grip lessening. “I suppose since you asked nicely.”

I felt the air fill my lungs as I wheezed. My chest burned as I shut my eyes, my fingers trembling. Above me, I heard Noah mutter something but I couldn’t figure it out; it was muffled.

A hand touched my shoulder and I flinched, expecting another attack. When it didn’t come, I looked up into Noah’s eyes.

“You have injured my doll,” he mumbled, glancing over at Jade, who appeared halfway down the hall.

“She was already damaged,” Jade shot back, glaring.

I felt Noah pull my weak body up. I stumbled against him and wanted to cry out but I couldn’t make the sound, couldn’t force myself to sink to that level. As I was half-carried, half-dragged down the hall, I let his name fall from my lips.

“I killed him,” Jade hissed.

I looked at her horribly deranged expression and her broken nose. I almost laughed just to piss her off. Instead, I spit on the floor next to her.

“Fucking psycho,” I muttered. “When I’m all healed you better believe I’m coming after you.”

“That’s a big threat,” Jade said, smiling slightly. “But before you do any unnecessary killing, I should tell you that your boyfriend is alive, just not well.”

Noah watched my face, knew what I wanted to say. He smiled at Jade, flexed the fingers of his right hand and shoved her back – straight into the black hole he had been creating behind her as our argument allowed enough distraction.

She wasn’t able to catch herself as she flew back. For a second I thought her back was going to hit the wall beyond the mass. I guess she didn’t know or understand what Noah’s power was. Before she disappeared into the darkness, she was able to scream a few choice words.

“Where did you send her?”

He shrugged. “No idea. She was getting on my nerves though.”

My laugh doubled as a moan as I winced and looked at him. “Where is my mother?”

“Evan is taking care of her,” Noah told me, brushing the hair from my eyes.

Before I knew what was happening, he picked me up and pressed me into his warm chest. I curled against him, whimpering like a wounded animal, relishing the heat emanating from his body.

“She’s safe?”

“Yes,” he said, nodding. “Evan would not hurt her. He would not want to hurt you.”

“He kidnapped her,” I reasoned.

“Think about it. Why would your mother go with a stranger? It had to have been someone she knew.”

“Jade,” I whispered, horrified.

He nodded again. “I will take you to Nixon.”

“Is he okay?” I asked. All this walking and turning hurt my head.

“For the moment.” Noah’s voice betrayed him.

“Tell me,” I begged weakly. “What did Jade do to him?”

“She shattered his wrist,” Noah said grimly. “It’s alright though. He’ll recover.”

“How?”

“Evan has more than one power, Casey.”

I didn’t realize that we had stopped until I heard a door being opened. Noah walked inside and placed me down. I sank into the mattress and rolled over so that my back was to him. Then I became alarmed when I hit something.

A groan filled the quiet and all I heard was my name being repeated over and over.

“Nixon!” My voice was a hushed whisper. “Oh, Nixon.” When I felt his arms go around me, I leaned into his shoulder, took in his scent, and cried.

“It’s okay,” he replied, his lips against my ear.

I never heard Noah leave the room as I fell asleep. My mother was in good hands, because I had placed my trust in the word of a stranger.

When I opened my eyes, it was morning. I squinted and raised the upper half of my body to look around. I was presently residing in what I could only describe as a room that mimicked that of an old shack.

“This is a shithole,” I heard Nixon say. He groaned and looked at me through wisps of dark hair. “It looks like something out of Harry Potter. Jesus Christ, did I just make a book reference?”

I nodded, fighting back a smile.

“How long have I been in here? I’m starting to go nuts.”

“Relax,” I mumbled. “You’re fine. You’ve only been in here for half a night.”

His hand – I assumed his good one – cupped my cheek gently.

“We’re going to let your mother and get out of here, okay? Today.”

“Noah can help us,” I said. “He banished Jade from here.”

“That bitch deserves to not come in here after what she did.”

“No, I mean he banished her from this house. He created a hole and pushed her into it.”

“I hope he sent her to hell,” Nixon said darkly.

The shell of my former friend was somewhere, floating maybe, and I secretly hope she got what she deserved for what she did to all of us.

“It’s too bad," I said, frowning. “I really wanted to be the one to hurt Jade.”

“Oh, you’ll get your chance,” said a voice. Noah smirked from the doorway. “She’s back. I don’t think she was quite finished with you yet, darling.”