‘So, what happens if she wakes up?’
‘When,’ Lincoln corrected.
‘When,’ Spence confirmed.
‘That’s up to her.’
‘What if she wants to go back to London? Stay with the Rogues?’
‘Then that’s what we’ll do.’
I waited for Spence to make some kind of barbed comment, but none came. Instead, he just said, ‘Fair enough, man. I hope you two get your chance at happiness. You deserve it. Call me if there’s any change.’
‘You got it.’
Time passed from there. I could hear machines beep. And more people as they came and went. Steph was a constant. She talked about her wedding and deliberated over candles or lanterns, sit-down dinner or cocktail-party receptions, honeymoon locations and music until I would sense her slump beside me, and sob as she begged me to wake up.
Dapper read books to me. Ancient tales intended for few to hear. Onyx came with him, throwing in his own biased recollections of particular events. And all the while I lay still, wishing I could heal myself, but my power remained dormant. Or gone.
I heard Phoenix come and go. Unlike the others he didn’t speak to me, but when he was there he always held my hand.
‘I know you still love her,’ Lincoln said, his tone matter-of-fact.
‘I’ll always love her. But she has always and will always love you. I won’t ever stand in your way again.’
‘That might be wise since you’re significantly easier to hurt nowadays.’
I felt their smiles.
‘What are you going to do now?’ Lincoln went on.
‘Wait for her to open her eyes and say the words we all need to hear her say.’
The darkness pulled me under after that.
Finally, dreams started to flit into the darkness. Growing up with Dad. Silly moments, such as making him a Father’s Day painting and breakfast in bed only to realise when I snuck into his room that he’d already left for work. And other things; the look of desperation on his face when he’d come to collect me from the hospital after a teacher had attacked and very nearly raped me. I’d never seen how badly that broke him at the time, but watching it now I saw the love, and the agony of not knowing what to do or how to help.
I dreamed of my first day at a new school after the court case and meeting Steph. She was like a blast of fresh air and I knew from day one I had a friend for life.
Then there was the first time I met Lincoln. The self-defence course that delivered me my very own guardian angel. He watched over me, and in my dream I saw in a new light how he cared, how he worried. I saw our friendship grow and the conflict in his eyes when it became so much more and his care turned to torment.
I dreamed of the night he first kissed me, feeling once again the overwhelming passion and sureness that this man was my other half; that we were absolutely meant for one another. How right I’d been.
And then suddenly I was outside his warehouse discovering the truth, feeling the sting of betrayal. But this time, I saw so much more. I saw his pain and fears for me and us. I saw my innocence drift away and my rage and I wished, not for the first time, that I’d found it in my heart to be more forgiving, and yet I knew that the path had been the one I’d had to travel to reach this day of understanding.
The dreams kept coming. Life and death, and love and loss. All painful and beautiful. All real.
I felt Lincoln’s hand, warm and wrapped around mine.
‘Come back to me, baby. Please come back to me.’
This time when I tried, my eyes cracked open and I saw him beside me, ruffled and beautiful.
‘I never left,’ I whispered. My throat was dry and my body ached all over.
Lincoln jolted then looked at me, his entire body sagging in relief.
‘Hey,’ he rasped, his fingers trailing along the curve of my chin.
‘Hey.’ I tried – and failed – to smile. ‘Where?’ I croaked.
‘We’re back in New York. We moved you here about a week ago.’
‘How long?’
‘Two weeks since the hurricane.’
I nodded. ‘New Orleans?’
He smiled, going along with my two-word vocab. ‘The city was saved. The outer areas closer to the ocean are gone but the navy managed to evacuate many people. Lives and homes were lost, but nothing near what would’ve …’
Then I felt something. It wasn’t my power but it was powerful. ‘Someone’s here,’ I whispered.
Lincoln looked around, shaking his head. ‘Just us.’
‘No,’ I replied, waiting. Sure enough, a few moments later I could see him. Michael.
‘Am I dying?’ I asked.
Lincoln immediately moved to stand between Michael and me.
Michael raised his hands gently. ‘I have come to take you both somewhere, but rest assured you will be returned.’
‘Can’t this wait?’ asked Lincoln. ‘She’s only just woken up. The doctors haven’t even seen her yet.’
‘Do you fear she may suffer a medical emergency while under my care?’ Michael asked.
Wow. Did he just crack a joke?