Delude

I woke up to find that the pain had receded. I stared into the darkness and heard the bed creak as someone sat down. A hand reached out and touched my shoulder and I flinched, and then caught on: it was too soft.

“Are you okay?” Noah asked. He sounded weak.

“Where’s Nixon?” I asked. “Where are we?”

Noah moved to lie beside me, to bring me against his chest. I didn’t have enough energy to pull away, so I curled against his warn body and tried not to cry.

“He’s with your mother. We’re back in the bedroom.”

“She must be going out of her mind,” I said softly. “She doesn’t know what’s going on, where I am, or who any of you people are.”

“Evan said she spat at him.”

I moved my head to look at him and through the darkness I saw his eyes gleam. I watched the shadow that was his head tilt back and he let out a laughing snort.

“My mother was always so feminine,” I said, finding that despite everything, I had to grin. “Have you seen her?” I asked hopefully.

“Just when Jade brought her here,” Noah said. He touched my broken wrist tentatively. “My poor little doll,” he whispered. “Does it hurt?”

I shook my head.

“He’s not going to stop,” he said, brushing his lips against my forehead. “Not until he has what he wants.”

“What does he want?” I said. “He’s refusing to tell me.”

“Isn’t it simple?” Noah asked, almost like we were playing a game and I couldn’t see the move clearly.

I didn’t say anything.

“He wants your power.”

I let out a chuckle. “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m just normal.”

Noah’s voice was amused. “If you were so normal, why my darling, wouldn’t Evan Fynn just let you go?”

He had a point.

“Nixon told me I’m not human,” I said softly. “He said I’m the reincarnation of something or someone.”

“He’s your protector, Casey. He always has been there; you just never needed him until now. He tried to explain everything before I came along, and I’m sorry for the mess I’ve made, but believe me when I tell you I never wanted this to happen.”

“I believe you,” I said.

Silence filled the room. I didn’t need to say what I was thinking next.

“He’s keeping Nixon away from us to insure that we don’t plan anything and attack him. He is also tending to Abby. He’s very pissed that you hurt her.”

I didn’t say anything. He understood.

“She deserved it,” I snapped.

“I know,” Noah said as he started to stroke my hair. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” I mumbled. Then I started to cry. “It’s not going to be okay. If they died it would be my fault. I don’t want anything to happen to anyone.”

“Even me?” he asked.

“Even you,” I replied, sniffling.

When his lips touched mine, I didn’t stop him. His hands gathered in my hair as kissed me. He deepened it, his tongue tasting of something I couldn’t place. My hands locked around his back, securing my position, one of my legs thrown around his torso. His fingers left my hair and gripped my back, his nails pressing into my skin.

“Well, isn’t this interesting.”

I froze, my bottom lip caught in Noah’s teeth. He pulled away from me and sighed. I didn’t need to move to know that the door had opened or that Evan was there watching us. His tone suggested disgust but it didn’t matter.

I untangled myself from Noah and lifted my head, squinting as bright light from the hall filled my eyes.

“You,” Evan said, pointing at me. “Get up. I think your boyfriend would like to hear about your little infidelity, don’t you?”

I pressed my palms into the bed sheets, looking at Noah for any sort of help. He frowned, and as I opened my mouth to tell Evan to fuck off, that Nixon wasn’t my boyfriend, he crossed the room, reached a hand out and smacked me in the face.

I could feel the blood he drew before I even touched my cheek. I didn’t react. I knew that was what he wanted.

"I told you to get up,” Evan hissed. “Do as you’re told or I won’t hesitant to kill everyone you care about.”

I winced, knowing he meant what he said. Then I stood and looked at him. He looked at me, his eyes cruel. He wrapped a hand around my hair and pulled until I was on my knees. That smile never left his face.

“Remember how I said I needed you? We’re going to play a game, lovely.”

I nodded, fighting the tears that stung my eyes. “Okay,” I said.

“Do you want to play?” he asked.

I didn’t have any other choice. “Yes.”

“Good,” Evan whispered. He let go of my hair and looked at me. When I didn’t move fast enough, he kicked me in the stomach.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Noah go to move.

“Don’t you learn?” Evan said.

Noah’s body flew into the opposite wall.

“Leave him alone,” I muttered. “He’s not the one you need.”

Evan looked at me, a smirk playing on his lips. “You know something? You just might be on to something. I don’t need him.”

Before I could even blink, Evan was next to Noah, his hands around his throat. Noah could do nothing to fend him off. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on something else.

Objects rattled and someone screamed.

“Fuck!” I heard Evan shout. “Who is doing that?”

I was standing, my stomach fine, my eyes on the evil bastard who had done all of this. The rattling sounded again and the bed lifted, one of the posts breaking up. It hovered in the air for a moment, turned sideways, and sped toward him.

Another scream, more terrible than the first, echoed throughout the room. The lights flicked on, and with it a horrible, gut-wrenching sight.

Fed through the wooden post was Evan's body; blood pooled around the end and into his chest, his head down, hands limp at his side.

I felt the haze lift from my mind as Noah touched my hand.

“That, my darling, is what we were all waiting for.”

He kissed my temple.

“Their master is dead,” I said, my own voice sounding bored. “What will they do now?” Something like a smirk flitted across my mouth as I stepped out of the room. “I can take them all,” I told Noah.

“I know you can,” he said, nodding.

“He wanted to play a game. Well I’ve got one up on him.” I looked at Noah and he touched my cheek, the blood coming off on his fingers. I smiled at him mischievously. “The rules are set. Let’s see them win without their king.”