Edda tried to get there before him but he was quicker.
He forced his way in, finding the room empty. He then began searching through the bedside drawers, under the bed, the mattress, the covers, inside the wardrobe until, as he was feeling his way through her clothes, he stopped at the pockets of her leather jacket. Something lumpy was inside. It rustled as he pulled it out.
He stared at the pharmacy bag, opened it and looked inside. The familiar shaped roots, like the ones Garik had shown him, were packed inside a sealed, plastic bag. They were dry but he recognized them immediately. He also caught a whiff of the same, strange mouse smell.
The scent was familiar, though he wasn't sure why.
The smell of Jaz's natural scent on her coat and the poison in his hand, made him so mad he couldn't think. He scrunched up the paper bag in his palm and ripped his way out the room. “Where is she?!”
Edda stepped out his way, appearing docile as he rampaged round the cabin. It was then that the bathroom door swung open.
*
Jaz was in the shower when she heard the commotion. She turned off the water, jumped out and wrapped a towel around her. She listened at the door just as a furious voice bellowed, “Where is she?!” before she whipped open the door to find Driver with his back turned; Edda by his side.
The moment between her opening the door and Edda seeing her was barely half a second; Edda's eyes widened as if cautioning her and fearing for her at once.
In that instant, Driver turned to face Jaz.
Jaz's stomach plummeted to the floor, making her so nauseous she almost brought her lunch back up. Driver's expression was pure rage and it was aimed right at her. She stood frozen, paralysed by fear. Even when he thundered towards her she couldn't run away. Her wet, bare feet were glued to the floor.
He grabbed her by the arm so fast she thought her arm would dislocate. She swallowed a yelp as he dragged her into the living room, heading straight for the wall ahead; it was a bare wall lodged between the front door and the living room window. He threw her against it, pinning her there with one powerful hand. Her already injured back smarted. She wheezed at the pressure on her chest not knowing whether to attack or just surrender to him. She chose the latter knowing with the strength he was holding her she'd only injure herself more.
Though Driver could see that not only was she dripping wet, wearing only a towel, terrified, with bruises all over her skin, his fury took over any inkling of compassion, lust, concern or shame he might have felt on a normal day.
Right now he felt far from normal. “I have never been so angry with anyone as I am with you right now.”
Expecting him to shout only made Jaz uneasy when his voice came out in a spine-chilling whisper. Before she plucked up the courage to ask why, he held up a sealed plastic bag. Inside were the hemlock roots. She looked at it for a moment as if not certain what she was seeing. Her brain was moving slowly. Her eyes widened as what was in front of her sunk in and then her lip repelled the fear she felt, forming into a stubborn line. Her whole face deadpanned, shutting him out. “Why did you go through my stuff?” she accused.
“What the hell were you thinking?!” he roared, sending vibrations through the wall against her bare back.
Jaz closed her eyes, looked down and then gazed up into his face.
Nik shook the bag as he barked, “You could have killed yourself! We aren't invincible! This shit is lethal to us!”
“I was careful,” she replied.
The sound of Edda's faint gasp came from her place by the breakfast bar, as Jaz confirmed the accusation was true.
Nik threw the bag behind him into the air. It was caught by someone leaning in the shadows by the open front door. Only then did Jaz realize Garik was standing there, watching the whole scene with faint interest as if he'd seen it all before. His indifferent, almost mocking demeanour made her want to smash his face in. She didn't know how or why but from the look on his face, she suspected he'd had a hand in the discovery of the hemlock.
“You were careful?” Nik shot back in disbelief. “You allowed yourself to be poisoned? For what? What could be so damn important you'd risk your life for it?!”
Jaz glared at him, wondering how the hell he could not see it. How could he not understand?
“WHAT?!” He pressed on her chest harder, making her gasp.
“Stop,” she whispered.
“Answer me!”
She was so desperate to get him off of her, afraid he'd crush her ribcage it hurt so much; in a fit of anger and distress she said the first thing that came to her mind.
The wrong thing.
“Because I don't want to be a monster!” she shrieked.
The realization of what she'd just said hit her like a sledgehammer. But it was the look on Nik's face that really killed her.
He stared at her with hollow eyes. After a moment he collected himself, leant back, removing his hand from her chest.