Intrinsical - Lani Woodland [90]
“Love?” He asked the question guardedly, clamping down on the emotions I could read from him.
My heart rose to my throat. I tried to speak but found myself stuttering instead, “I . . . that . . . isn’t what I meant . . .” I gulped, dropping my hand from his arm.
Brent spun around. “What did you mean then?”
Words, thoughts, feelings all abandoned me as I stared into Brent’s eyes. A wide chasm seemed to separate us now and I wasn’t sure if a bridge could be built. A drop of water landed on my arm and was followed by more plinks of moisture. It took me a moment to realize that it was my tears that were wetting my arm. I was crying and I wasn’t sure why.
Brent rocked back on his heels and rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing how to respond. My slip of words had totally freaked him out. My chest constricted as I stared at him. I mean, it’s not as if I had meant the words, not in the way he was thinking; I totally didn’t—well, maybe I meant them a little, but he was completely overreacting. It was almost physically painful, like my heart was actually being squeezed hard, twisted in a vise. It released and then crushed in agony again. I brought my hand to my heart pressing against the pain. I felt an echoing, a reminder of something that had happened long ago, something I had experienced before but that I never had thought twice about. He let out a puff of air, avoiding my gaze. He stared at Steve, still bent over my body like it was fascinating, like he hadn’t seen it seventy times before.
The pain in my chest returned and I gasped from its intensity, folding myself in half. A clammy chill kissed my skin as the light dimmed, a black fog slipping past the corner of my vision. Pupils dilating, I glanced at Brent, his fingers flexing and unflexing, preparing for battle. He motioned for me to move closer. Still doubled over, I slid my foot closer to Brent but pain spasmed in me again and I stumbled, grabbing my chest, crumpling to the floor. I screamed in a mixture of terror and pain as a strong force grabbed my waist and yanked me away from Brent. He had been tracking the mist’s movement but wheeled toward me as I was dragged away from him, still struggling against my unseen foe.
The mist swirled angrily, following behind me. I didn’t understand; if the mist was still trying to capture me, then what had me? I had no idea where I was being taken, but I was more concerned for Brent who seemed unaware that the mist was drawing closer to him.
“Run!” I screamed. He stood frozen in place, watching me being pulled further from him, his hand outstretched. Each side of Brent’s face stood out in stark contrast to the other. The flickering fluorescent light illuminated one half and the other was wrapped in darkness. It seemed to paint him as half hero and half villain. “Go now!” I begged hysterically.
Brent stepped toward me and I felt him trying to pull me back. Despite his strength, I continued sliding further from him, his efforts no more than a gentle tug.
My voice came out weakly, “Please, save yourself.”
The sensation in my chest was increasing in frequency and pressure. It had been painful at first but faint and irregular, now it was steady and strong. The feeling again reminded me of something. And suddenly I knew; my heart was beating again. Wildly I looked at Brent. He returned my gaze in understanding; he knew, too. He dropped his arms, his shoulders and head sagged as he released me. Brent’s shape was becoming lost as the world became too light and too dark at the same time.
I needed to make sure Brent was all right. I needed to know he had hadn’t been captured. I shook my head violently, trying to clear my vision. Everything had lost its color. In my stomach I felt a wrenching sting as the link between Brent and I was severed. In vain I tried to feel his fate before the darkness enveloped me.
Chapter 15
From far away, I heard a voice sweetly call my name, a voice I didn’t recognize. My eyelids felt like they had been anchored down and it required superhuman strength to open them. For half a second, I managed