Profound Devotion

Chapter 22

July 30th
Monaia

Cassius cradled me against his bare chest throughout the night, but neither of us spoke a word as the darkness consumed us with a stifling silence. His arm draped over my waist, his hands clenched and hesitant to come into contact with my skin.

I let out a defeated sigh and rolled over so we were now facing. His warm breath fanned over my face and tickled the bridge of my nose.

The cracked window let in a soft breeze of the brisk night air. The sun had set nearly four hours ago, and yet we both remained wide awake.

My mind was racing with thoughts of Jackson. He would be here soon, residing under the same roof as me, and I was terrified beyond reason. My once recurring nightmare was now coming true, and he would finally get his chance to finish what he had started in the woods all those weeks ago.

I needed to savor every last second I had left before he brutally tears everything away from me.

Cass withdrew his arm and hugged his fist into his chest, his face contorted in phantom pains. I forced my overthinking aside and propped myself up onto my elbow. "Is everything okay?"

His eyes pressed closed as his full eyebrows darted downward once my words rang in his ears.

"Yes." He forced out through gritted teeth, but it was obvious by the tension in his body that he wasn't telling the truth.

I hesitantly rested my hand over his and watched the muscles in his body grow rigid. "You can tell me."

I flinched and retracted my touch as his eyes shot open, the once enchanting green now melted to a ghostly white. His adams apple bobbed as he swallowed, clearing his throat as the color trickled back.

"Sorry." He mumbled, his palms flattening over the mattress. "I have a hard time reigning in control when I use my gifts."

"What do you mean?" His pain was no longer masked, and it marred his perfect features with the same anguish that once plagued Carl.

"To make someone...feel something—" His voice sounded strained as he forced the words out through waves of pain, and he rolled over onto his back to stare up at the ceiling, "—it has to come from me. I have to make it up within myself, but some remains even after I have transferred it to another. That is why...why I choose not to use it often. It can take hours, maybe even days, to go away completely."

His hands clenched again, this time around the blanket that draped over the lower half of his body. His chest rapidly rose and fell, a trickle of sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Is there any way I can help?" I hated seeing him this way.

Did Raian know about these side effects? Why would he ask him to go through with something so dreadful?

His eyes pressed closed as he tried to breathe through the pain. Was there really nothing I could do for him?

I sat up in my spot and collected his clenched fist into my lap. Maybe my support through it all was the best I could offer.

The muscles in his arms began to relax as my thumb brushed over his knuckles, memorizing the uneven scars that were permanently etched into his skin.

As quickly as the tension melted away, it returned with a sincerity as well as a fierce growl that rumbled his chest.

Cass scrambled off the bed and tore his hand from my grip. "Why did you do that?"

I shook my head, my mouth gaped. Why was he so angry? "I'm sorry, I-I wanted to help you." I sunk deeper into my spot and watched as he began pacing the floor, mumbling incoherent words under his breath.