Amalgamate

Chapter 76

Rowan was completely exhausted and would have collapsed onto the sand, but Maitland sat down with her, pulling her into his lap. She weighed nothing in his arms, so fragile and thin he thought he'd break her. "Rowan, Jesus love. What did he do to you?" He gently pushed her fiery red locks out of her pale face so he could see her eyes...sunken and surrounded by dark circles. She was covered in dirt and dried blood.

"He trained me Maitland." She opened her eyes taking in the wide expanse of night sky above. "He used my weaknesses to make me stronger. I understand his reasoning, but being underground was just more than my psyche could handle." She lifted her palm to his face. He was staring at her like a concerned, protective older brother. "You're a good man, Maitland. Thank you for pulling me out of... whatever that was back there."

"You're welcome. No one's ever accused me of being a good man before." He chuckled. Ian hadn't stripped her of everything. His Rowan was still in there under the bruised and beaten layers.

"Well, like I said before big guy, I'm the only one who counts anyway." She smiled up at him, her fingertips gently stroking his stubbled cheek. Her muscles were relaxing, fatigue was settling in now that she felt safe enough to drop her guard.

"You're amazing, Rowan." Maitland smiled down into her optimistic eyes. How could she find humor when she'd only just escaped hell?

"Not amazing...just incredibly fucking motivated." Her head fell against his chest. For the first time in days she had fresh air to breathe, and while there was no sun in the sky, the moonlight was enough for her.

Maitland's phone rang, he recognized the number. "T, what's up?"

"Declan doesn't have them. We think Vertigen used his sorceress, Mairin, to take them from the demons." Tearlach summarized quickly knowing neither of them appreciated fluff.

"She exists?" Maitland had heard stories, but no one had ever actually seen her.

"Yep and Ian knows exactly who she is." Tearlach hoped this would be enough to bring them back. They certainly wouldn't go after Vertigen on their own. That would be suicide.

"Let me call you back." Maitland hung up the phone. He didn't want to tell her, but he wouldn't keep things from her just to keep her from feeling pain. "I have bad news honey." He cupped her tired face in his oversized palms.

"Just tell me." She didn't know how much more she could take.

"They think Vertigen has them. They're trying to find out where now."

Her tears pooled immediately and fell uncontrollably. How would she be able to do this on her own? She pulled herself into Maitland wanting to feel the comfort of another person, even if it was just for a little while because she was completely run down and good to no one in her current condition.

"What do you need love? Tell me." Maitland didn't know where to start. She was tired, filthy, probably hungry.

"I can't do this Maitland." She wept into his solid, warm chest gripping his shirt in her palms.

She was defeated and that was something he hadn't been prepared to see. She was tougher than that. "We... can do this." He hugged her to him. He would have never thought her capable of this level of self-doubt. She'd always been so strong. "First things first though, you need to recuperate, which means food and rest. You need to be at your best when we go after them, and we are going after them."

"Maitland, I can never thank you enough for this." She had never felt emotionally closer to anyone than she did to him right now.

"You don't have to Rowan." He kissed the top of her head.