Souls Entwined

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty
Elle's POV

I awoke the following morning to a sharp rap on the door. Blinking blearily, I thought about turning over and forcing myself back into the relative peace of unconsciousness. A bluish glow haloed the curtains as night turned to dusky dawn. I sunk deeper into the comfort of blankets, trying to soak in the warmth before facing the brisk winter air seeping through the windows.

I could almost convince myself that I'd imagined the sound when those knuckles rapped against the door again, and I was forced to turn my eyes towards the sound, wondering who it could be.

Ashen was one possibility. He was still pulling the night shift and had been out there when I'd gotten a glass of water before bed. His job was to protect me at all costs. The job description did not mention waking me up in any circumstances other than immediate peril. He would have already been inside the room if he was trying to wake me, and even then, there was no guarantee he'd even wait for me to wake before dragging me from bed.

Fallyn and Conner were a similar story.

Jacobi would knock, but only a fool would have sent him to run errands for them. No one here had that sort of power over him other than Kaden, and he was no fool.

It hadn't been explicitly stated, but the pack members in this house had made a unanimous decision to leave me alone, and there was no reason they'd want to seek me out. Unless, by some miracle, Moira and Nona had been inspired by my speech last night and wanted to hear more. But, after Kaden had practically chased them from the room like a grizzly, I doubted they wanted to hear from me.

That left me with only one culprit.

I swept my legs out under the blanket and immediately missed the warmth. Fallyn had urged me to pack slippers, and I lamented having ignored her as I tiptoed across the hardwood, trying not to let the cold seep through my bones.

Sleep had been elusive, close enough to send me in and out of consciousness but not enough to drag me under. I'd thought about what I'd said last night, how I might have said it differently, over and over, more than a hundred times as delirium took hold. I couldn't find the energy to open the door when I reached it. Instead, I dropped my head against it, ears prickling as I tried to hear him on the other side.

'Elliot,' his voice was soft, muffled through the wood, and I felt it like a caress deep inside my head. 'What are you doing?'

I didn't have the energy to snort, but I thought about it. 'Sleeping,' I mumbled, desperate for the familiar kick of caffeine. 'What time is it?'

His response, 'five-thirty', had me ready to surge past the door and insist he tells me what was wrong, but, as if sensing my panic, he added in a hushed tone, 'Nothing's wrong. I have to do something and won't be here much today. I was wondering if you wanted to come?'

I pried the door open and wondered if I looked as haggard as Kaden. Deep bruises were under his eyes, and his face was sunken as though he were caught on the end of a sigh. The air escaped my lungs in short puffs as I tilted my head back to study him. I wanted to ask questions, but I just said, 'Okay.'

***

The twisting road caused a sense of nostalgia to settle over me, a reminder of the snaking roads on the outskirts of Aucteraden. They threaded through and around the mountains, deep veins that ran into the other territories.

A car had been trailing us since we'd left the packhouse in Dornwich, and Kaden assured me it was just Fallyn. We were heading towards the Umbra territory or possibly even driving through it.