Charade (Heven and Hell #2)(49)
Author: Cambria Hebert

I thought of the place he dragged me to and of his anger and power that he gave off, and I shuddered. I thought of him demanding that I be his queen.

Sam jerked like he’d been slapped and stared at me. Queen?

It’s never going to happen. I assured him.

“You’ve already begun trying to destroy the thread.” Airis told me.

“I have?”

“Yes. The headaches,” Airis began, but I cut her off.

“The two parts of my head fighting with each other.”

“Your newest supernatural ability is trying to assert itself, but first, it must rid your mind of what doesn’t belong. If your new power asserts itself too early, then the demon could use it to gain knowledge that you don’t want it to have.”

“How do we get this thing out of Heven’s head?” Sam asked, pacing around in front of me. I was busy trying to wrap my head around the idea of another new ability.

“Destroy the thread,” Airis said simply.

I laughed. Like it would be that easy.

“How?”

Before responding, Airis glanced behind her like she heard something that we could not. She turned back around to say swiftly, “Use your Mindbond.”

Sam nodded, grim.

“I must go,” Airis said.

A muffled, far away voice carried to me. “Please, Airis, let me in.”

There were no doors in the white space that surrounded us. I couldn’t understand how someone would be kept out or why. Airis glanced at me worried, and I was confused.

“Please,” the voice said again. Something familiar stroked over me.

“Goodbye,” Airis said, stepping forward to lay her hand upon us to send us home.

I couldn’t allow it. I jumped back. “Wait! Who is that?”

“You must go,” Airis said, looking more flustered than ever.

“Dad?” I asked, whispering his name in awe.

Airis became alarmed and grabbed me.

“Dad!”

But it was too late.

Everything went white.

*   *   *

The soft pad of Sam’s thumb brushed over my cheek to catch a tear and carry it away. I watched as he brought his thumb to his lips and sucked. No more crying, sweetheart.

I couldn’t stop. So close to my father, yet so far away. I replayed his voice over and over again in my head. The voice I thought I would never hear again. Renewed sadness swept through me and fresh tears fell. Why was he there in the InBetween with Airis? Why wouldn’t she let him see me?

I stared up at the clear blue sky and considered screaming again. Sam knew my intention and tightened his arms around me, trapping me in his embrace. “Screaming will not get you anywhere. Airis is stubborn when she decides she’s done helping someone.”

“You seem mad at her,” I said, momentarily forgetting about screaming to the heavens.

“When Airis makes up her mind not to help, there isn’t anything that can change it.”

“What?” I said, wiping the last of my tears away.

“We can talk about Airis later. It isn’t important right now.”

“If it’s important to you; then it is to me.”

He smiled. “I know. But the day has been long enough already.”

I looked back up at the sky. Sam was right. Screaming for Airis wasn’t going to bring her back. I could beg and demand all I wanted, but nothing would make her come back. My father was gone. I lost him again.

We were quiet as we went back into the house and up into my room. I looked at the bed with a mix of longing and fear. I was so tired, but it seemed like sleep was the enemy now. Who knew what that Dream Walker would do next? Sam kicked off his shoes and unfastened his jeans with a yawn and yanked them down over his hips, tossed them on the floor with his shoes and climbed in bed without a word. I stood there a little shocked, staring at him. When he caught my stare he frowned.

“I wasn’t thinking. I’ll grab some shorts.” He made a move to toss the covers back.

“No,” I protested, moving forward, recovering from my momentary shock. It wasn’t that I was all naïve and embarrassed, I mean, we had been sleeping in the same bed for a while now, but this was the first time he hadn’t put on a pair of shorts. “It’s okay. It’s not like I haven’t seen your boxers before.”

He yawned widely. “I’m so damn tired.”

Something inside me warmed. I liked that he was comfortable enough to just toss his pants on the floor without thinking about shorts. I liked the fact that he would admit to being exhausted. It was a new side to him, a closer side to him. He wasn’t just an invincible hellhound who could deal with everything. He might be rock solid, he might be heroic, but he was real. He might be able to dish out an ass kicking, but it made him tired. Part of me was secretly thrilled he felt comfortable enough to show me that side of him.

“There are a couple hours till morning. Try to sleep.”

“Oh, there’ll be no trying. But then I gotta head home, after you are awake.”

I didn’t bother to tell him I wasn’t going back to sleep. “Aren’t you training with Gemma again in the morning?”

He made a sound I took as a yes.

“What happened with Logan, Sam?” I knew his brother was the reason he was late and needed to get home. I wondered if it had anything to do with Airis.

“Sam?” I asked again, after he didn’t respond.

The soft sound of a snore reached me through the dark. He hadn’t been kidding, he was exhausted and he was also asleep.

*   *   *

I gotta go. Sam said, and I felt brief kisses on the tip of my nose, my temple and then both my eyelids. I smiled and stretched out like a cat. I was too comfortable to get up. I didn’t want to. Then reality came bubbling to the surface and I realized I had been asleep. After I swore I wouldn’t sleep the rest of the night.

I fell asleep. I said, my eyes popping open. Sam had already tossed his legs over the bed and was pulling on his jeans. He paused to look over his shoulder.

You were exhausted. Besides that, the Dream Walker knew he better stay out or I’d clobber him. He held up his fist and shook it at me with a grin.

I giggled.

That’s a nice sound to wake up to.

I let my eyes stray down his bare back. I think I had the better view.

He stood up and shoved his feet into his shoes. I glanced at the window. There was barely any light filtering in around the blinds. It’s early.

I gotta go check on Logan. He paused and looked at me. I’m worried about him, Hev. Something isn’t right.