A gust of wind carries him, and he lands in a heap. My eyes widen and laugh, covering my mouth.
He dusts himself off. “H- how?” he stutters. He quickly pulls me to him. “Shit,” he breathes, his warm breath caressing my cheek. “How long have you known you could do that?”
I shake my head.I didn’t.
He holds me away by the shoulders, meeting my eye. “The lightning, the rain, that’s all you. You’re doing that,” he says.
I’m not sure. I replay the conversation with Shadow before I was discharged. I hadn’t really noticed before.
Holding my hand, he crosses to the other side and sits, letting his long legs dangle over the edge. Chuckling, he asks, “You were checking out Shadow?”
Huh? How did we get fromI didn’t fall to my death because the wind saved metoI was checking out Shadow?
“I saw it in your conversation. You replayed it in your mind.”
I was merely making an observation. I cringe. That’s the second time I was caught doing so.
“Sure, like you weren’t checking out Charlie that first time we came to your room,” he deadpans.
I was not checking him out. If I was checking anyone out, it was… I clear my throat. I need to think of something else. Liam glances down and rubs his lip. I wish I knew what he was thinking.
Sitting in silence, I relish the feel of the night. The sky is clear, and I can see the stars. Liam trails his thumb along theback of my hand. He said he could hear my thoughts that night they came to get me from Whitemore plantation. He could hear the panic in my head. The panic started in the car.
I close my eyes. He was in the car with me that night. It was him, the man who calmed my fears.
“There are two places I like to go when I need to think,” he confesses. “Here and a place near the edge of the territory, near the cliff. You can see all of the seventh territory from there. I can show you the next time. It’s much prettier during the day.”
I see why he would seek such a peaceful refuge.
“When I learned that you couldn’t remember your past or what happened to you, I envied that—your ability to forget all the bad and horrible things, your ability to start over with a clean slate. But after watching you, hearing your thoughts, seeing your reactions, not fully understanding why you feel the way you do, reliving the nightmares that haunt you, I realized that it’s actually more of a curse than a blessing. You can’t work through your feelings if you don’t know why they exist in the first place. If I had to guess, you were made to feel inferior to them, made to feel like you had to earn everything, including feelings. If you showed any signs of weakness, you were probably punished for that, too. I know because that is how I was raised. I may not have the scars on the outside. All my scars are here.” He taps his temple.
Unshed tears fill my eyes. I squeeze his hand. He understands me, even though I don’t really understand myself.
How did you come to live with Elias and his family?
“I ran away from home. Anywhere was better than that hellhole. Then, I met an old man when I was living on the streets. He took me in and gave me shelter, food, a warm place to sleep at night. He educated me and taught me how to redirect my anger, how to fight. He became my best friend, the only personI could trust. Right before he died, Elias Blackguard showed up. After Eugene passed, Elias returned and brought me here.”
He sighs, releasing what sounds like the weight of the world. I briefly rest my head on his shoulder before he continues.
“When I first came to stay with Elias and his family, it took a while for me to open up. Even though I made one good friend, it was still hard for me to believe there were other good people in this world. I’ve lived with them going on three years, and I still can’t let them in completely. I tell you this because these are good people. You can trust them. They already love you like you are family. They will accept you as you are, maybe even love you harder because you are different.”
He releases my hand and holds it palm facing the sky. A ball of fire forms. When he closes his hand, the flames extinguish.
“Between my shitty ass-attitude, all the baggage I came with, and the magic I wield, they never once pushed me away. They still love me and protect me. They will do the same for you. So will I.”
Questions about his magic spin in my mind. Liam patiently answers them and keeps hold of my hand. Eventually, Liam decides it is time to take me back, but I don’t want to return to the mansion. I’m not ready yet. We agree to visit Anders.
We repel down the wall using the ropes. Liam touches the ground first. When I dangle only feet away, he lifts me off the wall. As he sets me on my feet, I feel the heat radiating off his body, his warm breath on my face.
His lips are close. If I lean just a fraction closer, I could feel them press against mine. Then, I remember my braces and broken teeth. I remember the scars and my glasses so big they nearly cover my entire face.
I squeeze my eyes shut and turn my head, embarrassed by my thoughts. Any teenage boy who looks like Liam would never find me attractive.
I quickly turn, pulling the hood of my sweatshirt over my head and shove my hands into my pocket. Liam follows me to Anders’s office, and I try desperately to divert my thoughts from wanting to kiss him.
When we arrive, Anders studies me. “Why don’t you find something to read,” he suggests. “Liam, may I speak to you outside?”
I step in front of Anders, not wanting Liam to get into trouble.Wait! I ran away from the mansion back to the clinic. We just talked. He helped me understand what I’m going through. He didn’t do anything wrong.
