Элисон Ноэль - Dark Flame

"I thought you liked it there," I say, carefully avoiding his gaze. "I mean, after all, you're the one who created it."

He nods-nods in the way that you do when you're not just striving for patience but also trying to hide what you're thinking. And the truth is, I can't take it. I seriously can't stand it.

I just want to go-now. Before this strange invader takes over completely.

"I do like it," he says, voice low, measured. "As you pointed out, I'm the one who made it. And while I'm glad you seem to really like it too-I'm also concerned."

I blow my hair out of my face and cross my arms before me, doing my best to broadcast my annoyance. I mean, it's not like I have a lot of time to waste here.

"Ever, I-" He reaches toward me, but I quickly squirm out of his way.

Yet another symptom of my awful addiction, and it's completely involuntary. The very reason I need to get out of this place.

He shakes his head and starts again, gaze deeply saddened when he says, "What's going on with you? You haven't been yourself for days. And just now, back at Miles's"-he glances over his shoulder as he quickly changes lanes-"well, I hate to say it, but the moment you saw Jude, well, let's just say there was a definite change in your energy, and then when Roman came into the room-" He swallows hard and clenches his jaw, taking a moment to pull it together before he says, "Ever, what's happened to you?"

I bow my head, aware of the sting at the back of my eyes as I try once again to tell him-but I can't-the magick won't let me.

So instead, I turn to him and pick a fight, knowing the beast has no problem with that, and willing to do whatever it takes to convince him to follow me, to go away with me.

"This is ridiculous!" I say, instantly hating myself but left with no other choice. "Seriously. I can't believe you're saying this! In case you haven't noticed, my dream summer of lying on the beach with you doesn't seem like it's going to come to fruition anytime soon, so excuse me for wanting to grab the few moments I can to head off to Summerland!" I shake my head and look away, crossing my arms even tighter but mostly to hide the fact that they're shaking so badly I can barely control them. Knowing I'm being unfair, completely unreasonable, but if he'd just come with me, if I could just get him there, then I can explain everything.

Aware of the weight of his gaze on my face, the way he's taking in the newly dark circles just under my eyes, the fresh sprinkling of acne covering my chin, the way my clothes are starting to hang on me all droopy and loose, thanks to the weight that I've lost. Wondering what's brought this on, why I seem to be failing at just about everything. So genuinely concerned about me-it makes my heart ache.

And when he narrows his gaze even further, I know he's trying to reach me telepathically, to communicate in a way that's no longer an option-or at least not here anyways.

So I turn, turn toward the window, desperate to shield him from the horrible truth that I can no longer hear him. No longer have access to his thoughts, his energy, or even the tingle and heat his touch used to bring.

All of that's gone. Eradicated. The beast has taken it from me.

But only here. In Summerland I'll be rested, clear-skinned, just like the old me. And the two of us together will be everything we were ever meant to be.

"Just come with me," I plead, my voice hoarse and weak. "I can explain-but only there, not here. Please?"

He looks at me and sighs. Torn between wanting to please me and doing what he thinks best.

"No," he says in a way so unequivocal, so nonnegotiable, there's no mistaking what it means.

Not only is it a no to Summerland, it's a no to me. A no to the one and only thing that I need.

He shakes his head, face heavy with regret when he adds, "Ever, I'm sorry, really I am, but no. We're not going. I think it's better if we head home, back to my house, where we can sit down and have a nice long talk, get to the bottom of just what exactly is going on with you."

I sit beside him, hollow-eyed, zit-faced, twitchy and edgy, barely able to contain myself, barely holding it together as he makes a long verbal list of concerns. How I haven't been myself lately, how I don't even look like myself anymore, how much I've changed in every way, shape, and form-not one of these changes for the better.

But the truth is, the words sail right over me, like a vague and distant hum. I'm going to Summerland, with or without him, there's really no choice in the matter.

"Are you drinking your elixir? Do you need a new supply?

Ever, please, talk to me-what's going on?"

I close my eyes and shake my head, blinking back the threat of tears, unable to explain that I can't stop this runaway train. I'm no longer the conductor in charge of this thing.

He narrows his gaze, making one last attempt to reach me telepathically, but it's no use. I couldn't guess the message if I tried. My system is fried.

"You can't even hear me anymore, can you?"

He stops at a lighted crosswalk and reaches toward me again, but if nothing else I'm still light on my feet and quickly jump out of the car. My arms wrapped so tightly around me they're about to go numb. My fingers twitching, body thrumming, knowing if I don't get out of here quick, I'll have no choice but to go find him. Roman. No choice at all.

"Listen," I say, voice tremulous, completely unsteady, but knowing I need to get this settled either way, I'm down to the wire, I've no time to waste. "I'll explain when we get there-I swear. Just-it has to be there-not here. So-you coming or not?" I clench my jaw and grit my teeth, trying to keep them from chattering, keep my lips from trembling in a way he can't miss.

He swallows hard, brow slanted, eyes saddened, the word requiring a great deal of effort when he says, "Not," so quietly I almost missed it. Then repeating it again when he adds, "I'd much rather stay here and get you some help."

I look at him, look at him for as long as I can stand, which, truth be told, isn't long at all. Wanting so badly to climb back into his nice warm car and hug him in the way that I used to, to feel his arms wrapped around me, to be soothed by his tingle and heat, and confess all my sins 'til they're washed away clean. But unfortunately that sentiment comes from the smallest part of me-the small glimmer of sanity that's quickly crushed by the part that prefers its fruit dirty, evil, and the more forbidden the better.

So, instead, I just nod, seeing his look of astonishment as I close my eyes and picture the portal-that glorious, shimmering portal. Stepping right through as I say, "Oh well, guess I'll go it alone then."

I land on my butt. Crash-land smack dab in front of the replica of that beautiful eighteenth-century palace where French royalty lived. But I don't go inside. Even though I begged to come to this very place, I can't bear to enter without Damen.

It's our place. A place we share. A place where some of my fondest memories live. And there's no way I'll go there without him.

I get to my feet and brush myself off, glancing around as I try to get my bearings and determine my whereabouts. Knowing I could just imagine a destination and find myself magically there, but I'd rather walk, stroll at my leisure and take my sweet time. Enjoy the fact that I'm freed from the beast-even though it's probably just coiled up somewhere, just biding its time 'til I leave. But for now I'm determined to enjoy some relief.

I raise my hands before me, waving them through the shimmering mist, the hazy glow that originates from everywhere and nowhere. Soothed by the comfortably cool air that wafts over my skin, trusting I'll eventually end up somewhere great-somewhere I really want to be. That's the beauty of Summerland-all roads lead to good.