Dark Faïz (Book 2) [Completed]

Chapters 12-1

Voices that seemed to come from far away woke me up. My sore arm under the weight of Asarys' body pulled a grimace from me. She'd fallen asleep right next to me in the vehicle that was taking us back to the inn. Next to her was Lexy, who slept just as deeply, head resting against the window. My gaze fell on our tunics, scattered before us on the carpet of the car. We'd thrown them off in a hurry, so happy to be able to get rid of them when we left the cemetery. I looked away through the window and was surprised that I had already arrived. The time on the dashboard told me that the night was already far advanced and that the day would soon be here. I gently pushed Asarys' head to get out of the vehicle as gently as possible without waking up my two friends.

"They must rest," Min said to the small group gathered in front of her.

I decided to stay back to listen discreetly to the conversation.

"We can go back there without them!" Ray insisted.

"David says it's impossible," William replied in a worried tone.

"Shit," sighed Barthey, annoyed. "The hard part will be to convince Faïz to let the girls finish the mission. Besides, where did he go? He was here a moment ago."

"In the conference room," said Ray. "Talking with David about the mission's progress for tonight."

I took advantage of the fact that the group was busy debating the situation to subtly slip away inside the inn, with the help of the fog that was beginning to circle the premises. I rushed quickly into the entrance hall and then ran through the long corridor. When I arrived at the door of the conference room, I decided to open it gently so that I could hear the conversation.

"I only had sound!" David said. "How could I have done more? They got away."

"You were supposed to call us if the mission went wrong! It could have ended badly," Faïz preached.

"They needed me at all times! I couldn't let them manage this all alone while I reached you. Asarys was found and they returned."

In the doorway, I saw Faïz sitting, his arms on his knees, holding his head in his hands. He stayed there for a few moments before standing up to suddenly turn off the videoconference.

"I already told you that it wasn't okay to spy on people behind the door."

Ashamed, I wanted to disappear. I timidly cross the door to join Faïz, his back still turned to me.

"Stop blaming the whole world, especially my best friend," I begged, placing a hand on his neck.

To my amazement, this gesture made him shudder slightly.

"Tell me you want to get back home, Zoe, and I'll find you a jet in the next few hours."

I took Faïz's face in my hands to force him to look at me.

"My place is near you and with my friends, there, outside. I would never leave you."

His gaze shifted from anger to despair at that moment. It was then that he wrapped his hands around my hips and made me sit on his lap, burying his face in the crook of my neck, trapping me in his arms. My hands were against his chest. I wouldn't have moved for anything in the world at that moment. He was the only person who made me vulnerable. I adapted the rhythm of my breathing to his and I would have liked my heartbeat to do the same. Without realizing it, my eyelids started to close.

"You're exhausted, Zoe."

I lifted my face and put my lips on his, not giving him time to continue his sentence. With my fingertips, I gently touched his arm and then went up to his neck. His breathing quickened and his kiss took over, getting deeper and deeper. At this moment, Faïz released one of his hands to come and caress the arch of my hips over my clothes, and then went down along my thigh. My blood was coursing so hard through my temples that it was almost painful. I could hear his jerky breathing. Faïz still held me firmly against him and finally seemed to let go of all the barriers he had put between us since the first day I met him. I understood that his reason had just lost a relentless battle against the strength of his feelings. After a long time, huddled together and almost out of breath because the moment was so intense, he finally moved his lips away from mine. I hardly tried to regain my senses when his hand came to brush my cheek, surely still on fire, and his eyes were welded to mine.

"I'm sorry," apologized Faïz in his softest voice.

"Sorry?"

"About my often too excessive and perhaps primitive reactions in your eyes. If you really became aware of the danger you have to face at all times, then you would better understand my behavior towards you and others."

Faïz allowed me to rest my forehead against the top of his chest. His heart was still beating fast.

"The only fear I have is losing you."

I looked up at him again to watch his reaction. He seemed anxious, as if tortured by a situation that seemed to overcome him.

"Zoe, I...I have to tell you something." He hesitated, looking down.

I pulled away from him, worried and panicked about what I could learn in the next few seconds. My pulse quickened again and Faïz's gaze plunged into mine. What was he reading on my face at the time? Whatever it was, he seemed to change his mind.

"Nothing important. It's about your father. His emails are more and more insistent. You're going to have to call him to reassure him before he turns the whole world over to find you."

Suddenly, his hand went to my hair to dishevel my big bun. My heavy curly hair fell on my shoulders. Faïz gazed at me in silence, as if hypnotized. Embarrassed by the insistence of his gaze, I couldn't help but blush slightly. I reluctantly stood up, freeing myself from his vice at the same time.

"I'm going to get Barthey," I said with a sigh, disappointed that I had to leave him already.