Distorted Affliction

Chapter Fifteen

My first instinct was to fight, but when I flung myself out of the warmth of the blankets I had been resting in, the world spun. Sin caught my arm, a grave look on his face that spoke a million words. This wasn't the time to fight, I realized. We weren't prepared, there was no backup, and our strongest asset--my own magic--was too weak to do the damage necessary to fight Lazarus's army.

"How did they find us?" I asked, allowing Sin to lead me away from the bed and down a small hallway that led off of the bedroom. "How long have I been..."

Asleep? Away? I wasn't sure how exactly to phrase what had happened. How long had I been trapped inside of my own psyche?

"You've been out for three days," Sin answered quickly as he guided me into another room, this one much smaller than the one I had woken up in. "As for Lazarus, well, we aren't sure yet."

"You don't think he followed us, do you?" I couldn't help but think back to what the Mouri had said before about three more replacing him. It occurred to me then that Lazarus would have to have a witch on his side to keep producing more warriors, but even one witch couldn't create that many Mouri alone.

I didn't tell Sin what I was thinking, but the thought played in the back of my mind as he opened a small closet door revealing heavy winter coats, the kind that were particularly nice for Montana winters. Glancing behind him momentarily to make sure no one was following us, he reached beyond the coats, his fingers feeling for something along the wall that my blurry vision couldn't make out. With a click, the wall slid open, revealing a staircase that led down into a dark abyss.

"Take the tunnel all the way to the end," Sinclair directed, his gaze shifting behind us once again. "Someone from the coven will meet you there and take you someplace safe."

"Wait," I demanded, grabbing hold of his arm feebly. "You're not coming with me?"

"I can't," he answered, his hazel eyes meeting mine again. His look softened slightly, and he leaned down to press his lips against mine. "Lucas is going to need some backup out there, but I'm going to come find you when we make it out of here."

I realized that he wasn't just phrasing his words for my benefit, that he fully planned on escaping this situation. Every part of me knew he was capable, I had seen the things he could do first hand before he had promised me he would change. No more bodies. I guess this would be the exception.

"Be careful," I warned, leaning in for one more quick kiss before he gave me a gentle shove of encouragement and I began to descend the steps.

My feet stopped suddenly, my heart pulling me to a standstill before I could make it any further. 

"Sinclair?" I said hastily, turning before he could shut the door completely. He paused, and something in his eyes told me he knew what I would say before the words even left my lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too, August."

There were no more words, there was no time for a sentimental reunion, no matter how much I wished for it. My legs moved quickly, the bare skin of my feet barely touching the steps as I rushed down into the darkness. There was no light to guide me, no torch lit walkway to show me the hidden path. No, there was only the absolute empty murkiness waiting for me with each step.

I used my hands to feel along the wall for a while, but when my foot caught hold of something and I tripped, all my sense of direction seemed to be lost for a split second. I didn't dare move, but my frustration turned into a string of curses that escaped my lips one after the other. My energy was still depleted, but I willed every ounce of magic I could touch inside of me to the forefront, holding my hand out in front of my face.