The Soul Mate

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Xan and I had slept through dinner the night I’d woken up in Drina’s RV. That was several days ago and still he wouldn’t let me leave. He’d practically confined me to the bed with a myriad of excuses, ranging from him complaining that I still had yet to fully heal to simply not allowing me my clothing.

He’d actually tied my foot to the bed with my torn t-shirt when, at one point, I tried to make a run for some fresh air.

Why Drina hadn’t come and kicked us out I did not know.

“So,” I said through a mouthful of raw carrot. “What excuse are we going to give for missing today’s chores?

Sitting in bed next to me, stark naked, leaning back against the wall in a very inelegant slouch was my… Xan? My boyfriend? Bed buddy? Captor? I made a mental note to ask him later.

“You don’t exactly need an excuse, you almost ended up as someone’s dinner.”

“Actually, I almost ended up as someone’s girlfriend.” I shuddered remembering the details of my near demise.

I closed my eyes as a ceramic water jug flew across the room and shattered in a corner.

“Hey!” I snapped. “That was like the last thing in here that you hadn’t broke!”

“Are you stupid Trinity?” He bellowed. “How did you end up outside the wards anyway? If you tell me you tripped over those dishes I found I will strangle you!”

My mouth dropped open. He thought I was clumsy? Angry, I began fumbling for clothing. Finding only my shredded t-shirt, I screeched in frustration and grabbed his.

Tackling me, he tore the shirt from my hands and pinned me down on the floor. “Tell me what happened,” He demanded.

“I’ll tell you what happened. Onyx pushed me out of the stupid wards! I’m not some invalid who trips over dishes you stupid… Xan?”

Xan was hopping out the door with only one leg in his jeans, cursing as he tried to get the other foot in. I scrambled for my own jeans, it took me several long minutes to find them, several more to find and throw on Xan’s shirt, and run out the door after him.

By the time I’d gotten outside he’d completely disappeared.

Later that night, I wasn’t surprised when Gerik sought me out; I was only surprised it had taken this long. Knowing how word traveled around camp, my “accident” had no doubt made its rounds several dozen times by now and had warped into something completely outrageous.

Gerik appeared from behind the grouping of trees that grew near the creek.

“Did she do it?” He asked, looking emotionally battered.

I sighed. What the hell was Xan doing?

“Where’s Xan?” I asked him, ignoring his question.

“Is there anyway you could have misunderstood what happened?”

“How do you misunderstand someone pushing you through the wards, waving goodbye as she declared her undying devotion for the man she loves?” I demanded.

He continued on as if I hadn’t said a thing. “Do you realize what Xan is doing right now?” He raised his voice several octaves. “He called ‘Kris’ against Onyx, forcing Jericho to hold court, and is right NOW presenting a case against her in your stead because you are not clan.”

Oh my Gods. I would have wept at the sweetness of it all if at this very moment I wasn’t faced with an angry Viking.

“And you know all this how?” I asked. “Did they seriously allow you as part of the court?” I scoffed. “How biased can you really be when it comes to her?”

Still ignoring me, he asked, “How is it that Xan just happened to realize you were missing only minutes afterwards?”

“Why does it matter? He saved my life!”

Gerik snorted. “From what? A rabid squirrel?”

“No Gerik, from a rabid human… There are Skin Eaters outside camp. Remember?”

“Skin Eaters? Not only are you smoking but you’re talking like him too? You do realize what an idiot he sounds like, yeah?”

Without thinking, I slapped him across the face as hard as I could, cursing as sharp needles of pain prickled across my hand.

Eyes blazing white Gerik reached out and snatched my fingers crushing them until they were grinding painfully against each other.

“Let go of me!” I screamed trying to shake free of his hold.

He went statue still, his expression one of equal shock and horror.

“Gerik!” I yelled, “Let me go!” I continued to beat against his chest with my free hand, trying to get him to release me.

In a blindingly fast move, he gripped my face and captured my lips with his own. He was relentless and unforgiving, leaving me no choice but to open to him or be unable to breathe. Knowing a losing battle I stopped struggling but still refused to kiss him back.

My Daddy always said that sometimes I’m a little late to dinner but I usually arrive before the food gets cold. He said it was typical of left brainers.

Xan and I had not only made it possible for us to be intimate with each other but our joining appeared to have stripped the bond between Gerik and I. Normally I would have rejoiced at this revelation but I doubted very much Gerik was in the mood for rejoicing unless it was going to be in a pool of my blood.

“What have you done?” He roared, grabbing my neck.

“Nothing,” I squeaked. His hand tightened on my throat.

“Shit, Trinity.” His chest heaved angrily. “Fucking shit.”

I knew I smelled Drina’s herbs on you…” His nostrils flared. “I can still scent you, but it’s faint now and you…you smell like cigarettes and sweat and …” Gerik’s hand clenched, causing me to cough.

For the first time ever I too could smell Gerik. The thick, sweet scents were still there but no longer muddling my senses. A few days worth of sweat and lingering smoke from the bonfires clung to his clothing. The proximity of him even allowed me to taste the salt of his skin.

This was just me and Gerik. Nothing magical here. And apparently neither of us liked the other very much. Soul mates who didn’t like each other. How ironic.

“What I don’t understand…” He seethed. “Is how you managed it?”

The ground beneath us started to shake when I wouldn’t answer him.

“How?” He roared.

I shook my head. I was not going to tell him a damn thing; it was none of Gerik’s business what or who I did.

“Tell me!” He yelled again.

“Let go of me!” I screamed back.

“Does it really matter?” I asked him, backing away after he’d let go. “It’s done. It’s over.”

The incredulous look he gave me was full of murderous rage.

“Does it matter?” He repeated. “You fuck Xan and actually have the nerve to ask me if it matters!” He started laughing, a horrible, maniacal sound.

“Do you know what you’ve done to me?

I had an idea. But I could honestly say I didn’t care, especially after how he’d just treated me. If Gerik wanted a storage facility for his excess power he could find another, or explode, whatever, it wasn’t my problem.

“Do you know what you have done?” He roared. I nearly jumped out of my skin as a blast of lightening struck a nearby tree causing it to split down the middle. The charred braches and leaves lit up in flames.

I held my hands up out in front of me. “Gerik, please, stop. You’re going to hurt someone."

“I’m going to hurt someone? Oh that’s precious Trinity. It’s great to know that you actually care about others, when you have destroyed me!

Do you have any Greek mythology for this? Any words of wisdom to share about a stupid, selfish bitch that has damned someone to a life of madness?”

I did actually, but I didn’t think Gerik would appreciate me telling him about it.

The sky suddenly begun to darken, storm clouds were rapidly rolling in and heavy raindrops started to fall. Gerik’s hands were fisted, his eyes blazing white. There was no doubt that it was Gerik causing the storm. Every shudder that tore through his large body was followed by a booming blast of thunder.

“I could take you anyway, yeah? Maybe it will still work. Maybe you haven’t ruined every-

The sound of a gun’s slide being cocked behind me cut off Gerik’s rant.

“You’ll have to kill me first,” Xan told him, raising his semi-automatic at Gerik’s head.

“I should have killed you the first time you looked at her like she was something other than mine!” The ground beneath us shook harder and all three of us faltered. The nervous clucking coming from the chicken coop grew louder.

“She’s a person frate,” Xan said, his voice deceptively quiet. “Not a pair of shoes.”

Gerik let loose a roar filled with anger. “I am not your brother!” With a wave of his hand a blast of wind wrapped around Xan. His dreads flailed wildly as he fought for his footing.

His gun hand, however, didn’t waver. “You were once,” He told Gerik. “Remember?

And you were right,” He continued. “What you said that night…” Xan looked at me and his dark gaze softened. “I do love her.”

My heart stuttered. Reality had never felt more right than it did right now. Despite what Nature did or demanded, it was Xan who had my heart and soul. Or half of it anyway.

Xan looked back at Gerik, his grip tightening as he held the gun higher. “So you see, you will have to kill me because the only way I’m letting her go is if my heart no longer beats.”

Silence.

Then Gerik surprised me. He walked away. He walked right through the wards and disappeared inside the shadows of the forest, his storm following him.

Later, I found out that Xan had presented my case in front of the “Kris-Romani”, which was essentially the traditional court of the Romani people. Usually the court would be made up of several Clan Baró’s. The Baró’s would appoint a neutral member of one clan to preside over the court, who conclusively would pass judgment on the person in question. In light of the circumstances that wasn’t an option, so Jericho had appointed Stefan, the most neutral man in camp. I had to agree, Stefan was very kind.

It had been ultimately decided that Onyx should be banished as was the typical punishment for attempted murder on a clan member. However, true banishment would be a death sentence in today’s world so she was ostracized instead. As far as the clan was concerned, even through Onyx would continue to live in camp, the clan would treat her as if she’d gone.

I had to admit, even as much as I hated her, it seemed rather brutal. But something else was nagging at me. I sat up in my bed and tugged on one of Xan’s dreads.

“Attempted murder on a clan member?” I asked, confused.

I could honestly say I’d never seen Xan look sheepish before. Shifting in bed, he began clearing his throat. I raised my eyebrows.

“I…uh…well…”

“Xan! You what?”

“We’re married,” He said quickly.

I blinked. “No we’re not.”

“Trin.” Xan looked uncomfortable. He cleared his throat again. “That night… when I found you in the woods and then… Fată, you honored me when you gave yourself to me.”

Embarrassed, I threw a pillow at him. “Careful Xan, someone might start to think you’re a nice guy.”

He shook his head. “No. That’s just it. I am a bastard. Always have been. But I feel different with you, better. And I meant what I said to Gerik. I love you. God, I love you.” That intensity I’d glimpsed in his eyes earlier had returned.

“What you went through, all that crazy shit, just to give yourself to me.” He shook his head again, his face full of wonder. “It’s probably the most selfish thing I’ve ever done but fuck if I was going to let you go after that.”

Oh Gods. I sucked in a breath. “Drina’s!” I shouted, scooting away from him. “You wouldn’t let me leave! You even tied me up!”

“That’s the thing Trin. I couldn’t let you leave. Not without giving us a chance.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. There was real pain in his eyes.

“Fată, I never wanted to trick you but knowing that you might have walked out of my mamă’s after what happened between us and still ended up with Gerik…” He cursed.

“I would have rather died before I watched him take you from me. I needed something to make you mine that was just as strong as the bond he has with you. Marriage is sacred in the eyes of my people. It’s everything.”

I wanted to be mad, I really, really did. After the lies and manipulations I’d been through with Gerik, what Xan had done should have felt like a betrayal. I’d trusted him, gave him all of me and he’d tricked me. Tricked me into marriage!

And yet… it didn’t hurt. I knew how Xan felt about me. I heard him tell Gerik he loved me despite the obvious danger he’d been in. And I knew with a certainty I’d never felt before that I shared his feelings. Without magic.

“Why would Jericho believe you?” I asked, skeptical. “Who’s to say you weren’t lying about marrying me?”

Xan opened his mouth to speak.

“Drina!” I yelled before he could get a word out. Why Drina had never returned to her trailer now made sense. I kicked him playfully in the leg. “Your damn mamă’ was in on it!”

He grinned. I shook my head. “I’m going to kill you,” I told him, very seriously. .

Bracing myself on his knees, I lifted up his shirt.

“This is really going to hurt,” I promised as I kissed my way up his stomach, delighting in how his muscles tightened as I went.

“That’s cool fată.” He said thickly. “It’ll be a good way to go.”