Page 127

“Because he locked away all memory of this room and the pain it represented when he was a child. It’s a blind spot to him, which is why it doesn’t exist within his invisible realm. This room is outside of it, and why you were able to find me.”

“Jesus.”

“Up until yesterday, when he released his true nature, he hadn’t tried to hurt me, but as soon as he let that wall drop, he changed…and I, I knew I had to find a place to hide.”

“I’m going to fucking kill him. Right after I get you out of this place.” His fingers trembled as he gently cupped the side of my throat. “There’s no way you can climb out of here like this, though. And I won’t risk carrying you, not while the roof is wet and slippery.”

“And the moment we go through there”—I motioned to the trapdoor in the floor—“we’re back in Xavier’s fucked-up little world with the monsters he created.” More roars and growls came from below. “They only exist in his realm. They shouldn’t be able to pass through into this one, but I didn’t want to risk it. They’re afraid of light, it hurts them, but there’s nothing up here we can use, and I left my candles at the bottom of the ladder.”

His eyes blazed, his chest expanding with his rough breath. “You could’ve been killed.”

“But I wasn’t.”

He strode to the trapdoor and the trunk on top, about to shove it aside. “Wait here.”

I grabbed his arm. “I’m not even sure they can be killed.”

He shoved his fingers through his hair. “I want you out of this place right the fuck now.” He checked his front pockets, then the back. “My phone. Fuck. In my rush, I left it in the hearse.” He looked up at me. “If the only way to get you out of this room is through the house. I’m not leaving you here, not even for a moment. We’ll use the daylight to our advantage.”

“But if we go through the house, we’ll still be stuck back in Xavier’s hidden realm.”

He flashed me a grin. “Xavier knows you’re here somewhere, but he sure as fuck won’t be expecting me.”

The idea of Ren taking on Xavier terrified me, but I also knew what Ren could do. My pulse raced. “It’s almost dawn.”

The gold of his eyes glowed in the dim light. “There’s just enough time to tend your wounds.” He cupped my chin, running his thumb across my lips. “Then I’m getting you out of here and taking you home.”

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter 34

Ren

* * *

I scooped Jaz up and carried her to the bed in the corner of the room, crouching down in front of her. Blood still seeped from some of the deep scratches. Her wounds badly needed dressing. What they really needed was one of Else’s or Mags’s balms, but for now I would do what I could to keep them clean.

I checked my knife strapped to my thigh. The monsters below us were scratching and crashing into the trapdoor, making the trunk jump, desperate to get to Jasmine. And it was only a matter of time before Xavier remembered this place with all the shit he’d done to his head the last two weeks. Jasmine wasn’t safe. I reached back and tugged off my shirt, then used my knife to cut it into strips.

“You’ll get cold without your shirt,” Jaz said, as always worrying about everyone else before herself.

“I’m good, baby. I run hot.” I grinned at her, trying to remove the worry from her eyes. “Pretty sure you already know that. Woke up every night you were at my place with these ice blocks you call feet tangled with mine.”

Her lips curled up and some pink hit her pale cheeks. “Fine, you got me there.”

I carefully wrapped a strip of my shirt around her calf, another around her ankle, then her foot, tucking it under. “Not too tight?” She shook her head and watched as I did the same with the other foot. “That’s all I can do for now.” And I fucking hated it. Every one of my instincts demanded I get her to safety and have her wounds properly tended, then find her food and feed her. I couldn’t do any of those things.

The shadow on her face vanished as the sun finally rose higher, light glinting off her blond hair.

It was time.

Jasmine

* * *

“Stay behind me,” Ren said as he gripped the iron ring that would open the trapdoor. “If things go wrong, you run back here and lock yourself in, okay?”

“Okay,” I lied, because he needed to hear it.