Anstice and Keir had warned me Kilter was oddly protective of Rayne; however, I hadn’t expected having to put him in Rest. I didn’t like putting any Scar in Rest, except Tarek. That asshole deserved death for what he did to Delara.
Jedrik collapsed onto the couch, Hack beside him, books scattered at their feet. Anstice crouched beside Kilter’s motionless body on the floor and checked his pulse.
“That was seriously fucked up,” Jedrik said.
Keir walked over to Anstice, putting his hand on her shoulder, and she glanced up at him. “He’s okay. I don’t understand though. I know he felt responsible for her, but he—”
Jedrik finished off her sentence. “Lost it?”
I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms. “To him, Rayne is Gemma all over again.”
“Gemma?” Anstice asked.
“The woman Kilter loved over a century ago,” Keir replied. “She was there when his brother, Ulrich, kidnapped him then had him tortured.”
I continued, “He’s trying to protect Rayne where he thinks he failed Gemma. What he refuses to listen to is that he owes nothing to Gemma.”
Jedrik looked at me. “Rest is harsh.”
I kept my expression neutral. “He shouldn’t have attacked us. He knew the consequences.” I ran my finger over my Ink when I felt the burning of its eyes on my skin. “Rayne cannot repair if he tries to do it for her. She needs time to heal.”
“He’s cold as ice,” Anstice remarked, her hand on Kilter’s head.
“That’s normal, love,” Keir said.
Anstice was new to the Scars and had never encountered a Scar put into Rest. Kilter’s body would shut down until I removed him from Rest.
“Kilter will remain in Rest for six months,” I said.
Anstice gasped. “Six months? That’s so long. He was afraid for her—”
I cut her off. “He went against me. That’s unacceptable and against our laws.”
I tensed when I smelled Delara approaching the house. The front door opened and closed, and then I heard her quiet footsteps on the stone foyer tiles that led into the living room.
I peered over my shoulder and nodded to her. “Delara.”
She avoided looking at me, but she had that stubborn glint in her eyes. “She’s leaving.”
I sighed. We couldn’t allow that to happen. “She cannot leave. Go after her.”
Delara raised her chin and met my eyes. “I’m not taking her to a rehab center. It may be the right approach for some, but Rayne isn’t like others. Kilter is right. It’s the wrong environment for her.”
I looked at Kilter on the floor and then to Keir who had his eyes on me, waiting to see how I’d react to Delara’s disobedience no doubt. I didn’t. “Take her to the gallery. She can stay with you.”
“Huh?” Delara’s brows lowered with confusion.
“I’ll find a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Rayne can live with you and go to therapy daily.” Kilter’s argument had merit, and I was willing to compromise, especially since Rayne was already on the run, meaning she’d overheard us and more than likely wouldn’t stay in rehab anyway.
“And if she refuses?” Jedrik asked.
“We will deal with that if it comes to that,” I said, but she wouldn’t. Not when she had no money and no place to go. She was one of us, whether she wanted to accept that or not. “We need to find out what they were doing in the compound.”
“You think she’ll tell us? I mean, she’s pretty messed up right now,” Jedrik said as he kicked a book aside.
“Ryker was too drugged to recall what was done to him there,” I said. “Once Rayne is strong, she will be able to tell us more. But we know she was vital to her husband.”
Keir frowned. “Vital how?”
I walked over to Kilter and glanced down at him. “With her malnourishment, her body has been functioning on very little. It’s in survival mode. Meaning her abilities have diminished and we haven’t been able to detect them. But Genevieve sensed them when she touched her.” I raised my head and looked at each of them. “Rayne is a Scar.”
I slid one leg through the slate in the gate next to the stone pillar, then my upper body. I winced as the iron pressed into me as I squished to fit. I managed to get halfway through when a hand latched onto my arm and yanked me the rest of the way.
Before I could scream, my back was locked up against a hard chest and a palm covered my mouth.
I screamed anyway, but it came out muffled and pathetic. I kicked back at my captor, but hit nothing but air.
“Rayne, stop.”
I froze while I violently sucked air in and out of my nose. Roarke?
“I’m going to remove my hand. No screaming.”
Roarke?
I nodded and he removed his hand.
He turned me around in his arms, hands settling on my hips. “Thank fuck, you’re okay. Jesus, I came back to the compound and everything was destroyed.”