He looks exhausted, tired to the bone, and I hate it.
I lift my hands in surrender as I take a step toward him. “Kael, it's going to be okay,” I breathe, and he shakes his head. His breath comes in short, sharp puffs as his eyes flicker between green and black. “How about you listen to what we have to say before you come to your own conclusions,” I add before he can verbally refuse.
Ocean takes a step toward me so we’re standing side by side, while Rion flanks my right, lacing his fingers with mine, sharing his strength and giving me the support I didn’t know I needed.
My friend clears her throat as she blinks at Kael. “I was able to catch up with Thorne before they took him away, and?—”
“Took him away?” Kael interjects. “Who took him where?” he grinds out, and Ocean tries to wave him off, but he’s not having any of it. “No. If you want me to listen, then you’d better start talking. Who's taken him, and where the hell did they go?” he insists, and Rion sighs.
“Willow and Tiran tried to attack Elodie. All I really understand is that Tiran is dead and they carted Thorne away as punishment.”
Kael’s eyes drag to mine and I nod. That's the simple version of it. The details don't matter right now, and we've got other things to face.
“What happened when you caught up with him, Ocean?” Rion asks, trying to guide the conversation back to where we want it to go.
Shaking her head, Ocean tries to refocus, mumbling something under her breath about giving Thorne a high-five for his slaying efforts when she next sees him. “He said two words to me,” she explains, and Kael scoffs.
“How ominous of the fucking fae,” the vampire grumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose, and I scoff despite theseriousness of the situation. “And what two words might they have been?” he adds, and Ocean clears her throat once again.
“Oblivisci. Aeternum.”
Kael’s eyebrows gather in confusion, the level of bewilderment mirroring the facial expression I had when she told me. “Am I supposed to know what that means?” he snarls, and I glare at him, giving him a pointed look that makes him roll his eyes when his gaze connects with mine. “I’m sorry,” he reiterates. “Please explain,” he tries again, and I almost skip over the distance between us and high-five him, but I decide against it since he seems quite temperamental as it is.
“You’re just about forgiven,” Ocean replies, folding her arms over her chest. “It means he thinks there's a spell that we can use. Instead of just barricading Jude from being able to continue to harm you, it possibly means that whatever is hidden in your brain will be forgotten forever.”
“That doesn't sound very positive,” Kael mumbles, and Ocean shrugs.
“It sounds like he understands there's a route to this, a starting point, and we might need to get to that source to stop your mind and body from falling under his control,” she explains, and Kael runs a hand through his hair, deep in thought.
“What did Thorne think about this, exactly?” he questions after a moment, and Ocean shrugs again.
“I don't know. He said two words to me, and then he was carted off. That's all I have.”
“It sounds like it's worth a try to me,” Rion states, and Kael runs his hand through his hair before planting his hands on his hips. I watch, locked in as he takes a deep breath, considering his options.
My fingers flex at my sides, itching to reach out to him, desperate to soothe him, but I don’t want to push my luck with him either.
As if sensing my thoughts, Kael’s eyes land on mine as he speaks to Ocean. “Do it,” he orders, dragging the wooden seat to the center of the room before he flops down in it. An air of defeat clings to his every move.
Rion and I take a step back, giving Ocean the space to pull out the few trinkets she already had in her hand when she made her way over to Rion's dorm. She takes a few moments combining things I don’t even understand, then holds up a small vial in her hand.
“Take this,” she mumbles to Kael, who looks down at it with caution. “Oh, don't be such a baby,” she flusters, giving him a pointed look. “Do you need me to add a little flavoring to it so you can swallow it like we do for the children?” she says with smug amusement, making Kael glare at her.
It’s no surprise when he takes the bait, slamming the liquid down in a single gulp before his face scrunches in disgust. “That's fucking awful,” he gripes, and she shushes him as she sweeps her hand over his eyes, closing his lids before she brings her fingertips to his temples.
“In aeternum oblitus. In aeternum verus. In aeternum vincula rupta. In aeternum oblitus. In aeternum verus. In aeternum vincula rupta. In aeternum oblitus. In aeternum verus. In aeternum vincula rupta.” Her words swirl through the air as I watch, but nothing visibly happens.
There's no glitter or sparkle in the air, no smoke like Thorne; there’s absolutely nothing until Kael snaps his head back, inhaling sharply before his shoulders slump and his chin finds his chest.
Ocean takes a few steps back, looking at me with uncertainty. “That's it,” she whispers.
I release Rion's hand to hurry toward the vampire in question, stopping a foot away from his lap, desperate toeliminate the remaining distance, but I don't want to overwhelm him.
His eyebrows gather in confusion, but when his gaze sets on mine, they’re that perfect shade of green I love. “I feel weird,” he slurs, his head still not lifting, but I spy his eyelids fluttering, so I crouch down enough to meet his stare.
“In a good way or bad?” I ask, my pulse thundering through my veins as I blink at him.
He uncurls his hand in his lap, palm up, asking for mine, and I gingerly place it against his skin, shivering as I bask in his touch before he pulls me into his lap. His mouth finds mine, the graze of his lips searing as I cling to him.
