Burning in a Memory (40 page)

             
“Good. They’re safe then, I’m sure. And that means it’s just you and me in here.”

             
She returned to watching him.

             
“Why did you come here?” she asked.

             
Her parent’s house was at least a state over from everything that made up Adam’s life or the Hawthorn’s base. Finding it may have been somewhat simple, but coming here had been a trip. Adelaide knew that last fact for sure—it’d been one of the most painful trips of her life.

             
“Why do you think?”

             
“That’s not an answer! You came here because you still think I’m one of them. That I’m a shade and I’m evil,” she spat, but couldn’t sound very angry. She sounded exhausted and scared, and she regretted speaking at all now.

             
“I’m not sure what I think, but I know what I saw. And Leon tells me that you’re okay. That you’ve come back to us.”

             
She stared him down.

             
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I guess.”

             
Not having control over her body for even a day left her wondering what being in control of herself even meant. Every step, every blink, every emotion left her wondering if she’d done it, or if Jane had. Adelaide did know one thing. Since the incident at the Hawthorn house, she hadn’t felt Jane’s particular surge of anger. Or even the wild raw power. She felt like her weak, tired self.

             
“When I saw you after the fact, you were in so much pain. I searched for you. I was…worried.”

             
His voice sounded genuine and she believed his words. She just couldn’t grasp why, even now, Adam was still his sweet self.

             
“I’m fine,” she said.

             
“You don’t look fine.”

             
She scoffed at him.

             
“Adam, I discharge you of any guilt for which you shouldn’t have had in the first place!”

             
She felt drained now so she sat down on the bottom step and looked up at him. Clasping the banister for support and comfort, she waited for him to leave.

             
“Guilt is not what brought me here,” he pointed out.

             
She eyed the door. The chill of exterior sought its way inside, and, yet, Adam hadn’t moved.

             
“You’re afraid of me,” she said.

             
Adam put two and two together, closing the door with a passing glance outside. Part of her hoped he’d leave. When he didn’t, any resolve she had lessened. He crossed the floor and sat down on the carpet before her. Only a foot remained between them now, and Adelaide was absolutely aware of every inch.

             
“I’m not afraid of the shade. I’m not even afraid of you being a mage. I’m still not very afraid of you blowing me to bits.”

             
A small smile lit his face after he said it and his dimples showed. This close she couldn’t picture the look of horror he’d worn when he saw her as a shade. She could only see his smile. Her heart churned.

             
“Har har,” she quipped.

             
A momentary quiet developed between them. He sat so close—so tempting. Above the pain of her body, she still itched to touch him. With the passing minutes, the desire grew. She wanted to feel his body heat again, smell his distinct scent, and see him smile for her. But she hesitated.

             
“Why did you come back here?” she whispered.

             
“I came for you. I’ve decided I’m not going to let you go.”

             
“You’re crazy.”

             
“Crazy and stupid. I feel like I’m being insulted a lot today,” he laughed, but she refused to acknowledge him.

             
“Did you miss the memo about what I did before I became a shade? It’s all fine to make peace in a jail cell awaiting death, but we’re not there anymore.”

             
He groaned.

             
“I’m going to cut to the chase on this one,” he said firmly, but she strongly suspected he was struggling as much as she was. “I know. I’m well informed. I might be crazy, but hell, that’s my choice. I followed you because I tried to let you go and couldn’t. I feel like I should at least re-meet you, officially. I feel like you have no reason to lie or hide from me now, right? Adelaide, your story may have changed but your actions haven’t. You attempted to help me save my brother when you had a clean slate to go home.”

             
His long-winded attempt to convince her worked only a bit. She looked up and met his gaze now, but immediately she wished that she hadn’t. She’d fixated on him now. Her fingers reached out slowly and he met them with a grasping hand and his warm lips. She gasped and her cheeks flushed. Her own reaction embarrassed her, but she never pulled her hand away.

             
He turned his face and spoke again.

             
“Adelaide, will you come with me while we figure this out? Your family will be safe. You will be safe. Together, mages are always safer.”

             
She swallowed the lump in her throat.

             
“You might be crazy, but I don’t think your coven is. Adam, they’re not going to want me around. Tony might even try to kill me.”

             
The moment between them shattered, Adam released her hand entirely.

             
“They’ve already broken off from my brother and me. Tony and Priya. Angie went with them. They’ve gone with his mother for now. I don’t think you had much to do with it honestly.”

             
She shook her head quickly.

             
“Your coven’s broken? What are you going to do?” she exclaimed.

             
“Restart one. With myself and my brother for now.”

             
She watched the floor, unsure if her expression would show more dread than she intended. The Hawthorns might have been blown away temporarily, but they’d be back. Adam must have known that too.

             
“Adam, your brother is…okay?”

             
He grunted.

             
“Worse for the wear but they never got a chance to try and turn him. He’s too much a fighter to make it easy. Honestly, had you not pulled that whole forcing-shade-out thing then we never would’ve gotten the upper hand. He’s in the car now, resting.”

             
“Good,” she whispered. Talking about him now brought up bad memories that wouldn’t go away.

             
“He was one of the people who convinced me to come here too, Adelaide. So far, you are the only two mages that have escaped the shade transformation. That’s something huge.”

             
She nodded slowly. It made sense for Leon, when he was in his right head, to have questions. And, moreover, it made sense for Leon not to be afraid.

             
“Preeti?” she asked so inaudibly, she was surprised Adam could hear it. He might not have, and just knew from her coiled body what she referred to.

             
“I don’t know,” he said.

             
She bit her lip until it turned white. If the past day had taught her nothing else, it was how to control hedging hysteria. She took a few careful, calculating breaths, hopeful that the images of Preeti’s beating wouldn’t haunt her now.

             
“I’m not going to lie, there’s going to be problems there but…” he started but found no way to finish.

             
She silenced him with her hands in the air.

             
“I can’t believe you came back for me,” she said, suddenly finding it funny. She laughed and felt more daring. Her fingers reached out and grazed the frame of his face. He grabbed her hands with his and squeezed. She stopped laughing. In the next moment, he released her hands and circled his arms around her waist. He drew her into a firm embrace. The angle on the stairs was awkward, but he tightened his grip.

             
Her mind blanked. She forgot the world around her, the memories plaguing her, all in favor of being close to him. She wasn’t certain how long he held her there, but she only reluctantly moved.

             
“The door,” she said her thought aloud. With the broken, loud, unsecure hinges, it’d opened again; the breeze beating it gently against the wall. Adam’s hands left her back and trailed down her arm, as he watched the same thing. His face fell and it seemed he remembered where they stood or that his brother still sat the car.

             
“Let’s go, Adelaide.”