Deadlands (The Healer Series, #2) (8 page)

Willow stared strangely at him. “Everyone has light and dark inside of them, Declan. It’s the part we choose to act on that defines who we are.”

Declan smiled. “Exactly. You choose to act on the light, and I…the dark side. You heal, I destroy. I never knew I had this power inside of me, but somehow, you being in trouble just brought it out in me. This connection we have to each other balances us out. When I took your hand, I immediately felt calmer. You settled my darkness instantly, Willow. I knew you were safe because I was touching you. You are the light to my darkness. And the fact that you want to remain apart kills me inside. I need you,” he nodded in confirmation, and repeated, “I need you. And you need me.”

His confession stunned Willow and left her breathless. “So there’s my theory,” he stated
matter-of-factly, then lowered his voice to a sexy tone and scooted closer to her. “Now tell me something…what do you feel when you touch me? Do I take your darkness away? Do you have dreams of evil if I’m holding you all night long?”

Willow didn’t have words to say to Declan. What would she say? That she was screaming inside for his touch? That she desired him so b
adly it physically hurt? That he was undoubtedly right about his theory and every time he touched her she felt safe and comforted, that no harm would ever befall her? Declan stared intensely into her eyes. “Tell me,” he demanded (like usual). “Tell me you need me, Willow. Tell me you need me as much as I need you.”

Willow jumped when a soft voice cleared her throat. Elirana was sitting up alert, watching the two of them
with interest. “I believe it is my turn to take watch. Declan, you are free to go to sleep for a while.”

Declan turned to Willow and smiled deviously. “Time to test that theory, Willow
,” he said and wrapped his arms around her forcing her to lie down. He snuggled against her, pressing her head under the crook of his neck. She couldn’t even protest it happened so fast. The breath escaped her and Willow let out a very embarrassing moan at being held so confidently in Declan’s arms. He didn’t say anything, only nuzzled her closer, and Willow drifted off quickly into sleep.

Willow felt someone shaking her awake. The first thing she noticed was that Declan’s arms weren’t around her. The second thing she noticed was how rested she felt. She wasn’t tired anymore! Sitting up and stretching, she rubbed her eyes and looked around feeling refreshed. Chase was standing above her. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” he said, blocking out the blazing hot sun radiating down on her. It was back in all its glory as a massive orange ball high above. Willow was sweating profusely. It was disgusting. She was in dire need of a cold shower with lots and lots of soap.

She saw Declan standing next to Elirana talki
ng to her with his arms crossed, which drew her attention to his biceps popping out of his arms. Willow sat and took the time to admire him from afar. Declan was tall with broad shoulders and was very slender with a flat stomach and tight muscles. His tribal tattoo banded on his left arm showed at the edge of his shirt. His hair was out of his face as sweat glistened his forehead. He was much tanner than the pale Elf standing beside him and his bronzed skin color contrasted greatly with Elirana’s skin tone.  

She hated to admit it,
but Declan was right. She didn’t have any dreams of Hekate while he held her all night long. He chased away her nightmares. Declan saw she was awake and met her eyes. A sexy smirk crossed his face. Willow rolled her eyes at him and then his smiled widened to show off his pearly whites. As if he couldn’t stand to be so far from her, Declan made his way over to her and helped her to her feet.

“Sleep well?” he teased knowingly.

Willow cleared her throat, trying to calm her nerves. “I’m not so incapable of helping myself that I can’t stand up on my own,” she grumbled, hating to admit that he was right.

Declan leaned forward
looking deep into her eyes and whispered, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Willow’s heart fluttered
and her knees trembled. Declan’s dark Chesnutt colored hair looked almost black when it was wet. How was it that even the greasy, sweaty version of Declan still looked incredibly hot? Did Declan know how much he affected her? 

“Are you ready to admit you need me?” Declan asked bringing her back
to the subject. He was relentless!

“Are you ready to admit you have some serious ego issues?” Willow asked him back.

Declan frowned at her remark. “Stop being stubborn, Willow. You know I’m right and you
will
admit it. I’m letting you know right now, I’m not giving up. I will never give up on you. And when you get it through your pretty little head and are finally willing to admit your need for me, then there’s nothing that will stop me from possessing you in every way. And I mean
every way
.”

Willow swallowed thickly
, fully understanding his meaning, but trying not to let her attraction for him get in the way of what she had to say. So staring hard into his eyes and trying not to be affected by him, (something that was very difficult to do), she said, “What if I’m trying to protect you? Everything I love gets taken from me Declan!” Willow put her hands on her hips obstinately. Her argument seemed legit in her head. She couldn’t have Declan, because if she told him how much she needed him, she would lose him, just like she lost her sisters. He would become one of Hekate’s targets, and she couldn’t allow it. Not when she had a chance to save him.

“Are you s
aying you love me?” Declan widened his eyes. Crap! She walked right into that one.

She stuttered over her words. “I’m just saying…I just…o
h, well…the thing is…”

“It’s so cute when you’re at a
loss for words, because you know that never happens.” He started to turn and walk away but then stopped himself and turned back to her. “And you can’t protect me, Willow. See, you’re so concerned about saving everyone else that you’re forgetting one very important detail.”

“Oh yea? What’s that?”

“
You
should be the one who needs protecting…from me.” Declan smiled darkly and stepped back, watching Willow’s stunned expression with amusement. He went back to join the group leaving Willow standing speechless.

Declan was pursuing Willow hardcore
and she had to admit it made her feel special. She thought, (and hoped), that when she broke up with him, Declan would move on, meet someone else, and live a long and happy life, void of any dangers or having to constantly watch his back. Maybe he would be heartbroken for a time, and yea, maybe he would be upset and lonely at first. Getting over your first love is hard to do. What she didn’t expect, however, was for him to do just the opposite-refuse to give her up.

She knew what Declan was to her, her dreams of what she always wanted, but
her life was so crazy and messed up, who knew if it would ever be normal? Maybe if things were different she could be with him. But dreaming and living were two different things, weren’t they? This was way more complicated than she ever thought possible.

When W
illow walked up to the group to listen to the conversation, they were discussing the possible locations of where the key might be.

“What if it isn’t in the middle of
the Deadlands?” Chase wondered. “What if, since the entire place has become some other kingdom, it’s lost? Or worse, in the hands of this Deadland King guy?”

Elirana contemplated. “If we only knew what element the key was made of, I could trace it. Is it iron, gold, silver,
or copper? With my magic I can channel the elements. I can seek it out. Yet we do not know what it’s made from.”

“Yes we do,” Willow spoke up. Everyone turned to
gawk at her. She elaborated quickly. “Before Hekate tried to extract my powers, she showed me Pandora’s Box. The keyhole was made of gold. I didn’t see the key, but I would bet that the key is also made of gold. Hekate is a Queen and she would have nothing less or
thinks
she deserves nothing less than the most precious and priciest element available…which is gold.”

“Sure. That makes sense.” Chase nodded in agreement. “
The bitch thinks she’s some famous royal or something.”

“She is a Queen, Chase,” Willow noted.

“Who needs to be dethroned,” he retorted.

“So you truly think the key is made of gold?” Elirana asked Willow
seriously.

“Yes, definitely,” she
said matter-of-fact.

Elirana crouched down and touched the ground with her fingertips, closing her eyes.
Willow raised her eyebrows at Chase. What was she doing?

“I
call it her zoning out,” he explained. “It helps her concentrate.”

Elirana tensed. She stood slowly and turned to Chase, narrowing her eyes dan
gerously at him. “Do not act like you know me, Werewolf.”

“But I do know you, Eli,” Chase said getting closer to her. Elirana stepped away from him, but Chas
e continued his pursuit of the Elf, as a predator would pursue his prey. Werewolves could be very cunning when they needed to be. They were powerful hunters, rarely ever letting their prize get away. Chase stalked Elirana like she was a delicious, juicy meal. Willow was thankful she was not in the Elf’s position. Being stalked by Chase did not look enjoyable.

Chase continued smooth talking the Elf with his deep, seductive voice.
“And you know me. You have three older brothers, two of which died in battle, and you’re so afraid that Etienne, who happens to be your favorite brother, will meet the same fate that even the mention of war causes you fear. You have a gentle spirit and hate to kill things, and will avoid it at all costs. Only when it’s the last resort will you kill.” Elirana side stepped to the left, but Chase moved right along with her. “Your favorite color is blue like the sky. Secretly, you like a challenge, and will fight for what you desire, even if it’s against your own race. That desire of course…is me.”

Elirana was cornered. Chase had back
ed her up against the rock cliff, wedged between two trees. “You dare,” Elirana lowered her voice and stared hatefully at Chase. “I do not know where you received this information about me, but know this, I have never-nor will ever-desire a Werewolf. I am an Elf. We do not, cannot love another race. We simply respect them and go about our lives in our
own
realm.”

“Yet you’re
so good at interfering in others affairs,” Chase crossed his arms and stood his full height, towering over the small Elf. “For instance…I don’t know…stealing Wolfsbane?”

“Ugh!” Elirana threw her hands up in the
air frustrated. “Move, Werewolf!”

“Make me,” Chase smirked.

“Don’t tempt me,” Elirana said drawing her sword. Even though Chase seemed ten times bigger than the she Elf, with bigger muscles and agility, Elirana looked more like the aggressive one. A cornered animal, afraid to be eaten by larger prey, could attack back at a much fiercer level if their life was on the line. And Elirana looked as tense and high strung than Willow had ever seen her-in pure attack mode. Her crystal teal blue eyes narrowed precariously. She was about to take the plunge.

“
But I thought you liked it when I tempted you,” Chase said sultrily and closed the space between them, almost pressing his body against hers. Elirana ducked under his arm effortlessly and escaped the corner quickly. She rushed up to stand by the magic casters and turned towards Chase, who looked flabbergasted and a little too cocky for his own good. Elirana had thwarted the Werewolf and beat him at his own game. Perhaps that was why Chase was so attracted to her, she kept him on edge, like a dangling temptation that Chase couldn’t grasp.

“Do that again, and I’ll
chop off your favorite body part,” Elirana threatened.

Chase chuckled and asked, “Do you even know what my favorite my body part is?”

Willow saw Elirana swallow nervously beside her as she quickly glanced at the zipper of Chase’s jeans, and then snapped her eyes back to stare him in the face. Of course by now, Chase was smiling so wide he looked on the verge of bursting into laughter at any second. “I think I can guess what it is,” she stated blandly.

A
s Willow and Declan stood there watching these events take place, the pieces of the puzzle were slowly starting to come together. It was all very entertaining for Willow to watch, but there was a deeper level to this couple than she ever thought. Even as Elirana tried to stare hatefully at Chase there was something else hidden behind her eyes. Willow knew that look: longing, want, need, a little amusement, and playfulness. Elirana and Chase were definitely lovers at one time. Now, if only Elirana’s mind was healed, the truth of their relationship would indeed be fully exposed.

“Now,”
Elirana said ruffling her dress and sheathing her sword, “the key, or what I think is the key, lies northeast. Over there,” she pointed in the direction. “It is a generalization, of course, but I have faith that the closer I get, the more attuned I will be. We will find this key. Come, we cannot linger.”

Elirana took off in the lead again, not looking back. Chase sauntered up to where Declan and Willow stood
. A goofy grin was stuck on his face. Chase lived by his name. He loved a good chase, and Elirana was the finish line. “Do you have to upset her like that, Chase?” Willow asked him as they started walking to catch up with Elirana.

Chase looked ahead as he watched Elirana’s back. “
I know she wants me. I can feel it. And she knows I want her. She just won’t admit it.”

Declan snorted beside her. “I know the feeling.”

Willow’s back erected tensely at his jab, but she chose to ignore him. “What happened between you two?”

“It’s a long story…” Chase
said. “The hurt is too fresh in my mind. I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“Is that you being serious?” Willow asked teasingly.

Chase looked down at her and then nudged her playfully in the shoulder. “You know how I like a woman to challenge me,” he flirted, “but unfortunately, Elirana’s code is hard to crack. Why does she have to be so damn complicated?”

“Because all women are,” Declan said rolling his eyes.

“Got that right,” Chase agreed.

“I think she can be healed,” Willow said changing t
he subject. She didn’t like where the conversation was headed. Chase looked at her with wide eyes and a careful expression.

“
Um…I know she can.
You
can heal her.”

“You saw how she deflected my powers at Carmela’s. She didn’t want me to heal her. But I think if something
traumatic enough happened, her memories will return on their own.”

“Traumatic? Like what?”

“Like realizing she fell for a smelly, flea-infested Werewolf,” Declan chimed in, “because we all know how disturbing that is!”

Willow laughed along with Declan. She couldn’t h
elp it! That was freaking hilarious! “I resent the flea-infested remark!” Chase declared crossing his arms and sticking his nose in the air snobbishly.

“So you agree to being smelly, then?” Declan asked through his laughter.