Shadowed (Unbound, Book 2)

Chapter Four

"Why do you and Devland hate each other?" I asked once Calin had finished tucking me into his car, literally just a step away from picking me out of the wheelchair to place me into the passenger seat. But I wouldn't let him, forcing myself to stand despite how much easier it would have been to let him help. I barely glanced at him as I bit my cheek to push myself forward and didn't notice much except for the emblem on the hood. I knew less about cars than I remembered about myself—or even if I cared for them enough to own one—but his shiny black Mustang was pretty, though it was probably the last thing I should say to his face.

"That's complicated," he said, shoulder-checking to turn right out of the hospital parking lot, which I'd learned wasn't even in Wickenton.

We were in a town two hours away. I didn't bother asking for the name. All I could think was that Calin had made the trip—and stayed for over a week—when he couldn't even see me until yesterday. Then, once the implications of that connected to the conversation we'd had in the hospital room, I realized I had two hours alone with him.

"It's not too complicated for you to explain it to me. I may be memory-loss-girl, but I think I'm fairly intelligent," I said and stared out the window.

"I don't disagree. You're still way smarter than me but despite how much I'd love to stick to him and tell you, I'm smart enough to listen to your doctor."

I screwed up my face. "So you're not going to tell me what you meant when you told him you wouldn't lie to me?"

He looked over to me and back to the road with a drawn-out sigh. He slowed to merge onto an exit I couldn't read and finally said, "He didn't ask me to lie to you. Not really. The doctor doesn't want anyone filling in the blanks for you. Your memory could come back at any time, either all at once or, as you regain your strength, in snippets here and there. It'll most likely come in snippets, though, which means you're going to have questions."

"And Devland doesn't want anyone to answer those questions," I ground between my teeth, suddenly angry. Who was he to determine what I should know? It was my life, dammit. "I already have questions."

"I know." He didn't look at me, but I could see the tick moving at his jaw. It must be hard for him not to help.

"Do you think the doctor is right?"

"I don't know." He clenched his fingers around the steering wheel tighter. "It's Devland's doctor."

"Then I want to see a different one."

"What?" He looked over to me, back to the road, and then back to me. Calin blinked repeatedly as though in surprise. "Why?"

I pushed off my sneakers and rested them on his dashboard. Calin shook his head but didn't say a word against the action. I snuggled deeper into my seat and pulled my jacket around me like a blanket, entranced by the trees surrounding us on all sides like a forested tunnel of freshness whizzing past.

"I guess I just want answers, you know?" I leaned my head on my hands like a pillow against the window and felt my eyes start to droop. "I don't know anyone—including myself—so how do I know this doctor is saying what she's saying because it's best for me... or because Devland wants her to say it? I heard them talking, you know, before anyone knew I was awake. She was totally intimidated by him for whatever reason. When she checked on me last night, he had to be there.

"Besides, a second opinion never hurts, right?" I looked up and smiled sleepily. "I'll keep going to doctors until someone gives everyone permission to tell me who the hell I am."

He laughed. "You see why Maible called you stubborn now?"

"It's not a bad quality."

"No, it's not a bad quality." He looked to me and sobered, his eyes caressing me into a net of safety. "Why don't you rest? I'll wake you when we're close. Once you settle in at the Manor, if it's really what you want, I'll help you find another doctor."