He frowned. “If you have to ask that, then you don’t feel that unexplainable something that exists between us. It just means I’ll have to try harder and wait until you do.”
Her heart melted. She did feel the connection, which was the problem. It was ridiculous, though, that a feeling this powerful could happen so fast. Plus, the logistics would never work. He didn’t understand how perilous it was for a sky boy to come to the areas she frequented. “You can’t.”
He pulled her close. His mouth inches from hers. His other hand sliding up to cup her shoulders between his hands. “If that is really what you want, then I won’t go looking for you.” He said it in a way that demonstrated that he clearly didn’t share the same opinion. “But you must agree that if you change your mind, you will come to me. I want to see you again. You must know that.”
He reached up to slide his fingers along her cheek. “I don’t want to let you go. Not now that I’ve found you.”
She wouldn’t promise him. No, she couldn’t promise him. But she couldn’t deny him either.
He leaned forward, pressing his mouth to hers. And then they were kissing as if they needed each other to complete their next breath. It was raw, and needy, and hot.
Arden pulled back, gasping.
“This isn’t goodbye,” he said, stepping away.
She watched as he slipped inside the door and out of her sight.
CHAPTER TEN
Arden’s unit was near the top of the housing wall. A sea of doors, all mismatched, poor lighting, and the crumbling exterior made the apartment block look haunted. What the structure had been prior was no longer discernible. Brick extensions had been added between previous buildings, grouping what had been separate structures into one long wall that spanned several blocks. The streets had been domed for travel, with housing above creating cutouts where the walkways intersected.
Precarious stairwells dotted the structure. Some only accessed floors near the bottom, while others extended higher, bypassing the floors beneath. Inside the units, the floor plans didn’t make sense, and the walls were too thin to stop neighbors from overhearing.
Inside her family’s home, several shadows moved behind the murky glass. Their images were distorted like grotesque marionettes, illuminated by the dim glow of lights. It wasn’t unusual to have visitors at this time of the morning. The Lasair members often used her house as a gathering place. It was a central location, directly in the middle of their town, but, more important, it had quick access to the outer spokes of the city where they could use the bolt-holes for the majority of their jobs.
Arden wasn’t up for visitors, especially during the twilight hours of the morning. Not when she felt this unsettled. The pieces of armor she usually hid behind had cracked, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable. It worried her. All she knew was that she didn’t want to face anyone before she could come to terms with what it meant.
Dade’s kiss had shaken her to the core. Even though she still felt its high and the ghost of his lips on hers. The walk home hadn’t cooled that any. Its memory made it harder to resist seeing him again. Already she wavered.
She firmed her resolve for the fifth or sixth time since she’d left him. She would not be swayed. That was it. She’d never see him again.
Pausing before the warped front door, she took a deep, calming breath to center herself. She lowered the hood of her cloak and straightened her shoulders, and then she pushed her way inside.
The minute she walked in, Arden knew something was very, very wrong.
Colin sat hunched forward on the edge of the faded orange couch. His head was bowed, resting on his fisted hand. What caught her attention was not his body wound taut, but rather the blood splattered across him. It dotted his clothes, a large swath over his middle. Long streaks had dried down his arms, and matted in clumps in his hair.
Arden’s heart lurched. Followed by a pounding, pushing pressure on her ears. She found it hard to swallow. Colin hurt was her worst nightmare.
Then she realized little things. The blood didn’t start from any specific place on his body. And he didn’t appear injured. She was moderately reassured the damage wasn’t his.
She exhaled.
Knowing that he wasn’t in imminent danger of bleeding to death eased her anxiety. The pounding in her head lessened, and she was able to draw a full breath for the first time since she’d stepped into the room. It calmed her enough to absorb the rest of the scene.
Uri paced the living room. His path wound him in and out of the rickety furniture. He ran his hands repeatedly through his hair, making it stand on end. His face was drawn and haggard, and his skin was more translucent than it had ever been. She could see the blue veins running down his arms as he gripped and regripped his fists.
His body vibrated with suppressed rage. While he walked, he mumbled under his breath. And then he swung his fist out, connecting with the wall. He screamed at the same time, a heartbroken wail of a sound. Plaster fell where his fist connected. When he pulled his fist away, it was covered with blood.
“Uri?” Arden asked, not sure what she should say. Worrying that he’d crushed his hand, she shut the door and took a few steps into the room. She stopped short before she got close to him.
When he turned, she saw that his nose sat at a funny angle, dried blood underneath. His eyes were wild. Uri, who was always in control, always the bedrock of calm and unfailing strength, was gone. That scared her more than anything.
Arden swallowed. She’d missed whatever awful thing had happened. She’d been off traipsing around, kissing Dade, when she should have been with her family. Truthfully, she felt afraid to find out what had caused this panic. Because she knew it would change things. Reset her life back to where it had been. Just like she knew would happen if she let herself get sidetracked by a pretty face.
Where was Niall? Whatever errand he’d been on tonight should have long been over. Unless he had gotten caught in a raid. Confusion and fear over what that might mean sizzled up her spine.
Arden’s mother shuffled into the room. She looked tiny and frail, her skin parchment thin. She’d lost most of her hair due to malnutrition and neglect. What was left of it hung in a stringy, uncombed cloud. She’d given up on life a long time ago. All Arden remembered was growing up with a mom who was just this side of a zombie.