They returned to an empty kitchen and two steaming mugs on the table. Had Dalir joined the hunt for Reid? If he had it wouldn’t take long for Dalir to find him. Right?
Lauren took a sip—chamomile tea with a hint of lavender. Nausea started to fade. “How did you feel, when Thane first told you?”
“Shocked. Relieved to have an explanation.” Celine rubbed her palm over her jean-clad thigh. “I was freaked out about how fast I was falling in love with him. I didn’t tell you and Ari, but I broke up with him. He had to tell me or I would have left him.”
Lauren recalled her and Reid in the chapel. Finding out his secret had the opposite effect. “At the motel today, did you have any second thoughts about saying yes to Thane?”
Celine chuckled. “When your boyfriend tells you he’s taken an oath to save the world, that’s as close to superhero as you can get. Why not trust him?”
“I didn’t trust Reid.” The knowledge brought an uncomfortable ache. “When he did remember who he was and tried to tell me, I accused him of using his power to take advantage of sleeping with me. I pushed him away. I should have listened or at least told him I’d wait for him to explain it better when he got back. We could have figured out what we wanted.”
“Oh.” Celine paled. She slumped into the chair. “Reid didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
Celine opened her mouth to speak and hesitated. “If Reid would have gone back to the present, you wouldn’t have been able to pick up where you left off. Any time they phase months or years, they’re wiped from existence. He would have had to convince you all over again to be with him.”
“But what about you and Thane? You’re together.”
Celine fiddled with the handle of her cup. “Something bad was happening to me in the future. I don’t remember it, but Thane said I would have disappeared permanently. He saved me. One of the consequences was he had to stay with me. He can’t phase ahead or back to the present. He gave up being with the team for me.” A sad smile tugged at her lips. “I know he misses them. I could see it in his eyes when he saw Reid again.”
Anxiety sparked up. Is that what caring and love always cost? A huge sacrifice that left gaping holes for regret and doubt to fall into? But Thane’s sacrifice had saved Celine, and the two looked so happy. Spending time with them at the cabin had erased her doubts about them belonging together.
“Thane really loves you, Celine. The way he looks at you, anyone can see all he wants to do is take care of you. If that involved a fight, he won’t hesitate.”
“I know.” Celine smiled softly. “In case you haven’t noticed, Reid has that same look in his eyes. I think he’d do the same for you.”
Reid inhaled sharply as he jerked to consciousness. Nerve endings fired pain from his scalp to his bound, bare feet. Metal bit into his wrists from chains pulled over a beam above him. A faint breeze seeped through gaps in the wooden slats of the old building. It heated the sweat running down his shirtless torso. Time to phase. Whoever strung him up would have to pardon him for not sticking around. As he focused on phasing, a golden light emanated from him. He drifted, but a force pressed down on him. He couldn’t break free. Not again. He tugged on his arms. The metal chains rattled. The chair, old and rickety looking, sat feet away, but if he could get his foot on it… He rocked his torso and stretched out his legs. His wrists stung. Gaining momentum, he tried again. Shit. Too far away. As the sway subsided, he swung again. Moisture soaked the waistband of his jeans.
Footsteps approached outside. The warped door, half off its hinges, creaked open. The pungent odor of manure clung to humid air. A tall, lean man entered. His blond hair gleamed in the sunlight beaming through the cracked windows.
The magazine reader who’d sat in the hospital waiting room. The bastard who’d made Lauren scream. A throat punch would wipe that arrogant look off his face.
“Saving your energy?” Kell, unruffled in his crisp-looking suit, stood in front of him.
“Yeah, so I can kick your ass.”
A backhanded slap whipped Reid’s head to the side. Shit. The fucker had packed some power behind that one. He forced a grin through a split lip. “Was it something I said?”
Kell stepped closer. A sickly sweet cologne smell mixed with the stifling heat and the stench of manure. “Keeping your captor on the defensive with insults—a bold but risky move.” The hint of a foreign accent wove into his words.
“Critique my performance later. What do you want?”
“You couldn’t be that clueless.”
He lifted up, trying to lessen the weight straining his shoulders. Thane had mentioned Kell possibly having a fixation. Did Kell actually believe he was an angel? “It would go a lot smoother if you told me what you’re after.”
“I’ll show you.” Kell’s multicolored gaze grew stormy.