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“He's the youngest of us and turned fourteen that day,” Kai says sadly, and my eyes fill with tears, my heart breaking once again for what these boys have been through.
“Well, think of that night as the kick start of our training,” Kai continues. “After that, we were expected to learn our various roles and crafts.” Kai's nose wrinkles at this. “We would be taken to the training camp, which is at the back of the cabin, every weekend and school holidays and put through our paces both physically and mentally. Jax even spent time in South Africa learning how to be a medic so that he could keep people alive while he...” he trails off, but I know what he is referring to. So Jax could torture people better, longer.
“Mentally?” I ask, dreading the answer.
“Have you noticed how the others are always playing music?” he queries, turning to look at me.
I nod. It was definitely something I'd spotted, but not thought too much about, as I love listening to music too.
“One of the ways we were conditioned was to be put in isolation. A white, padded, soundproof room with no windows. We'd be kept in there for hours, sometimes days. Poor Loki was once in there for over a week when his parents went abroad and forgot about him.” Kai's eyes are full of anger as he recalls the memory. “The guys were left in utter silence the whole time, so now they can't bear it.”
My soul aches at hearing this.How can their parents be so cruel?
“And you?” I ask softly as we make our way along the path, still side by side. “You don't listen to music as much as they do.”
“My uncle went the opposite way with me and played only very loud thrash metal,” he says with a shiver. “I still can't listen to it after all of this time.”
Suddenly, I feel freezing, as if the sun is no longer in the sky. I can see it shining through gaps in the trees, but this is a cold that is on the inside, and I'm not sure it'll ever warm up.
“Oh, Kai,” I say in a choked voice. My heart bleeds for them all.
“Hey,” he says, stopping and taking my other hand in his. “It's okay, Lilly.”
“It's not okay. How can it be okay?” I almost sob, and I feel hot tears tracking down my face.
His thumbs come to brush them away, then he pulls me in close, surrounding me with his fresh woodsy scent. It's different from the forest that surrounds us. He smells like grass and leaves after the rain, and it soothes me, despite my heart still hurting.
“I wish I could get you away from them,” I murmur into his chest, my hands grasping his thick padded jacket.
“You don't need to worry about that, Lilly,” Kai says. “We won't be under their rule forever. Trust me.” And I look up into his eyes, realising that I do trust him. I trust them all unequivocally.
I nod, too full of sadness for the boys that lost their early teens to monsters, to be able to speak.
We head off again, and soon approach a clearing in the trees. My mouth hangs open as we get nearer. Surrounded by trees all around is a rocky pool that looks like it's steaming.
I look at Kai who's smiling broadly now, his gaze on me.
“Welcome to Highgate Springs,” he tells me, dropping his backpack and undoing his jacket.
“Kai! What are you doing?” I ask. I mean, I know what it looks like he's doing. It looks like he's taking his clothes off.
“Getting in, of course,” he says with a boyish grin, laying his jacket on a large rock.
“Kai, it's fucking freezing!” I say, pointing to our feet. “And there's snow on the ground!” We had a small flurry last night that was melted by the academy, but obviously, the sun hasn't reached it here in the middle of the forest.
“Yes, there is,” he agrees calmly as he pulls off his black jumper. He's still in his jeans, hiking boots, and a grey t-shirt, which he pulls off next, in that sexy guy way, and my breath hitches.
It’s then that I realise his glasses are missing. “Kai, where are your glasses?” I question, my brow furrowing when he reaches into his bag, pulling out what looks like lengths of red silk. He tucks these into his back pocket then walks towards me.
“Don't worry, Lilly,” he says with a devilish smile that I’m not used to seeing on his face. “I've got contacts in, so I can see you perfectly,” he tells me, continuing to stalk towards me with a predatory gleam in his eyes.
“Do you remember your safe word?” he asks, standing in front of me, his voice dropping an octave lower, and I shiver inside my big coat.
“Yes,” I breathe, anticipation lighting in my stomach.
“Yes, what?” he probes, raising one of his brows.
“Yes, sir,” I say obediently. I love this side of Kai, and it gets me hot as all hell.
