Claiming Trinity (7 page)

“No,” she lamented. “I mean, I can’t. I don’t remember anything about that night.”

Kane couldn’t see clearly through her tinted lenses, but he would bet his life tears threatened to spill down her beautiful face. An urgent need to wrap his arms around her and shield her from sorrow caused a deep ache in his chest, and the conscious decision to refrain from his impulse was almost impossible to adhere to. Their inquisition needed to stop, now. “I’m so sorry for all you’ve been through.”

“I know you are. I can feel it.” Trinity glanced at him with a curious grin. “But I’m amazed that you do…with a heart of stone.”

Kane held his breath in shock.

“And you, too.” She motioned to Arawn. “Why do hounds with red ears hunt you down?”

The pounding in her head amplified as she battled groggy fatigue. Bright light penetrated her eyelids, and, grabbing a pillow, she hid underneath it. She rolled back and forth, groaning in agony.

“Hey, are you okay, princess?” a raspy voice called out.

Trinity bolted upright, panic racing through her veins. “What the hell?” She grimaced at the sharp pain stabbing her temples. Upon a quick glance around, she found herself in the villa’s king-sized bed and spied hunk number one across the cabin, on the pull-out couch.

A brief thump sounded on the roof over her head then a huge thud outside the door.

“What the hell was that?”

“Oh, Kane’s up now.” Arawn tucked his hands behind his head with a grin.

“Up? From where?” She frantically scanned the room for the ginger.

Arawn pointed to the ceiling. “The rooftop.”

“Excuse me?”

Kane opened the front door and strolled in, stretching his arms out with a yawn.

“Why the hell are you two in my cabin?” She grabbed the sheets and pulled them over her chest. “And on my roof?” Suspicion roared through her aching head, and she glanced down, relieved to find she still wore her summer dress. “Oh Hades, what did I do?”

“It’s okay.” Kane held his palms up in surrender. “Remember, we’re your bunkmates this week?”

She glanced to his side where the hunk with dark eyes lay on the couch. Thankfully, they both were still fully clothed. “Mind telling me how in Tartarus I got into the bed?” The blur of the evening horrified her. Minor blackouts had become more common than she cared to admit, recently, but this one was a complete blank slate.

“Yeah, Sage went a little overboard on the…relaxation cocktail last night.” Arawn climbed off the couch. He tidied his bedding, folded the pull-out bed, tucked it away and then replaced the cushions. “We brought you back to the cabin and tucked you in. As per your orders, if I do recall correctly.” He flashed a sheepish grin.

Dismay washed over her at the recollection of her words in her euphoric state of intoxication.
But only if these two will tuck. Me. In.
“Oh, right.” She covered her blazing cheeks with icy palms, desperate to wake up from this humiliating moment.

“If it makes you feel any better….” Arawn’s tone was kind but comical. “I’ve had the same thing happen when I got a charley horse in training a few months back.” He rubbed the back of his thigh and shuddered.

“Time for caffeine, I think.” Kane headed for the kitchen. “Are you a tea or coffee kind of gal?”

Trinity’s pulse raced. How did she manage to get herself into this situation? “Normally, I would say tea, but the way I feel right now, I’ll take coffee intravenously if you’ve got it.” She dropped back onto her pillow as the current bunk arrangements slowly came back to her. Right. Cyrus and Rekkus ordered these two to be her personal bodyguards. So much for a week of relaxation. “When Sage dosed you”—she studied Arawn with narrowed eyes—“did you have a hangover?”

“A little.” He shrugged. “Felt a little drunk in the morning.”

“Is there any aspirin? My head is killing me.” She rubbed at the painful throb in her temples.

“I didn’t get a headache.” He approached her bedside.

“Whoa there, buddy. I don’t have any desire to play doctor.” Although the thought did hold some appeal, she’d never admit it, especially given how much she hurt.

“Let me check your eyes. No funny business, I swear.”

Sensing his genuine concern, she caved. “Fine.”

Arawn sat on the edge of the bed and leaned in. His striking charcoal orbs caught and held her attention. Warmth trickled down her solar plexus at the invasion of his tender energy, and then she clasped her hand over her eyes with fright. “Where are my glasses?”

He patted the nightstand. “Right here. You didn’t need them while you slept.”

She peeked between her fingers, and he flashed a gentle smile.

“May I?” He motioned to her face.

“Yes.” His aura held gold and orange, kindness and fierce protectiveness, a vision she could live with for the moment.

He leaned closer and checked her eyes then retreated. “Don’t be alarmed, but I want to call Sage.”

“Why?”

“Your pupils are severely dilated. I can hardly see any of your spectacular blue.” He forced the corners of his mouth back. “Maybe too much of Sage’s herbs? It could explain the headache.”

“I feel like I got run over by a train,” she confessed. “But I’ve been having these headaches for weeks. This is the worst one yet.”

Kane approached them with a steaming cup in his hand. “We’re fresh out of IV bags. Hope this is okay.”

Trinity sat up and accepted the warm mug.

“I took a guess…double cream, double sugar?” He grinned. “If not, I can make another one.” Kane’s aura emanated gold and green, another beautiful energy she could handle with ease.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to come across as so bitchy. This is perfect, thanks.” She blew against the steamy brew and sipped a mouthful. Sweet and creamy, the taste of perfection. She swallowed, and a hostile reaction took hold. Her stomach churned. “This may not be such a good idea after all.” She gripped the cup with disappointment. “Damn, it tasted good.”

“It’s okay, princess.” Arawn patted her hand. “After Sage’s herbal roofie, I found myself pretty disoriented, too.”

Trinity giggled, and then winced at the sudden escalation of pain in her head.

“We need to get Sage, now.” Arawn took her cup and placed it on the table. He eased her back and settled her pillow around her head with gentle movements.

She let her eyelids flutter closed, but it seemed like she’d just drifted off when a knock at the door startled her awake.

Kane opened the door and let Sage and Cemil into the villa.

“Hey.” Cemil took a few steps, and then halted. He gripped Sage’s arm and stared at Trinity, his face paling. He cringed and then shook his head. His knuckles whitened around his walkie-talkie.

“What is it?” Sage rubbed his shoulder as lines of concern fanned out from her bright eyes.

Trinity sat up and patted her face then smoothed back her hair. Surely she couldn’t be that hideous in the morning? “What’s wrong?”

“The pain.” Cemil shook his head and shivered.

“It’s really bad?” Sage’s confusion alarmed Trinity.

“What’s going on?” She winced again, agony rippling through her brain, and she dropped back onto her pillow. She grabbed the glasses from her bedside table and eased them on with shaking fingers. “I can’t tune anything out.”

The siblings approached the bed, and Sage sat at her side.

“Did you overdose her with the herbs?” Arawn stood on the opposite side of the bed, his voice low and serious.

“No, this isn’t herbal. Something is wrong.” Sage took her hand. “Tell us what you remember.”

Trinity searched her foggy brain. “Tea, salad, stone, wings—” She jolted. “My blabbermouth!” Her unfiltered confession whirled through her head. “I never meant to….”

“It’s forgotten, don’t stress.” Kane nodded, his lips pressed tight. “We didn’t hear a word, I promise.”

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t block it or push it aside. “I can’t take it. You’re all afraid, worried for me. It’s too much.” She curled into the fetal position and wailed. “Please, go away.”

“Sage, I need you to have Trixie and Serena meet us at the hot springs, right away,” Cemil muttered.

“I’m on it.” She jumped up from the bed and snagged the handheld radio from his grasp.

“Arawn, I can’t touch her right now. The overload is like a shockwave, and I’m just standing beside her. I need you two to get her to the hot springs, right away.”

“You got it.” Arawn bent down and scooped her up into his arms.

Cemil held the door open for them. “I’ll go meet with Rekkus and Cyrus. There’s something big going on here, and we need to figure out what it is.

Arawn cradled Trinity in the backseat as Kane drove the golf cart. This exquisite creature suffered terribly, and he was powerless to stop it. If he could switch places with her to save her from the pain, he would in a heartbeat.

She clamped her hands on the sides of her head and trembled violently. His heart sank, and his chest ached for her.

“Please, don’t worry,” she begged.

“Everything will be okay,” he hushed her.

“No, I mean stop thinking. I can’t take it,” she wailed.

“What do I do?” His helplessness amplified.

“Close your eyes. Let your mind empty….” She widened her eyes. “I can’t take the worry.”

“You’ve got it, princess.” Arawn closed his eyes and worked to still his thoughts.
Impossible. I can’t not worry for her
. The more he tried, the harder she shook. “I’m sorry, I’m trying.”

Kane pulled to a stop at the hot springs. Arawn planted his feet and rose carefully with her in his arms. At the edge of the water stood Serena, the resident mermaid, and Trixie, the half fae who instructed yoga and relaxation for the guests on the island.

“Get her into the water,” Trixie called to them as she waded in.

Serena followed and dove under. She emerged, and a multi-colored fin splashed the surface, replacing the legs she had just walked on.

Arawn carried Trinity into the springs. The heat of the natural pool enveloped him up to his waist. Glancing down at the woman in his arms, the urge to kiss her forehead caught him off guard, as did his need to keep her close.

“You’re sweet, but I still can’t take it.” She peered up at him then cupped his cheek with a shaky hand.

“What?”
The kiss or the caring? I hope to Hades it’s not the kiss.

“You carried me all the way here, and you want to kiss my head, too. It’s charming, you big lug.”

Arawn grinned. “My pleasure, ma’am.”
Thank Hades it’s not the thought of a kiss she dreads
.

“We’ve got her.” Trixie and Serena eased her from his grasp.

“Can we stay with her?” he protested.

Kane joined him in the water.

“We’ve got this.” Serena offered a smooth but stern voice. “Besides, Rekkus and Cyrus want to see you both right away.”

“But—”

Trinity’s hand to his cheek made him hesitate.

“Please, do as she says.”

“What will you do with her?” Kane’s voice cracked.

“We need to get her relaxed first,” Trixie answered in a calm tone.

Serena supported her and guided her as she floated on her back toward the falls. “Close your eyes. Can you feel anymore thoughts right now?”

“No.” A tremored giggle erupted from her. “By the gods, it’s stopped.”

For the first time since she awoke this morning, she smiled and didn’t flinch in pain. Relief washed over Arawn at the magical transformation.

Trixie stepped into his line of sight. “Cemil stopped in before you got here and asked me to do some hypnotherapy. He said she’s missing pieces of her memory?”

“From what she…uh…admitted last night”—
in her herbal daze
—“parts about her parents’ deaths. She was only six, but she said she can’t remember her uncle’s death. I don’t know anything about it.”

Kane cleared his throat. “She said she’s forgotten and misplaced things for weeks—headaches, nightmares, waking visions of death. She doesn’t understand it.” He furrowed his brows. “She thinks she’s lost her mind.”

“Yeah,” Arawn agreed, his buddy having jarred his recall of the details she had disclosed. “She said her mother went crazy and killed Trinity’s father and then herself. She said her mother was an empath and banshee, and it drove her mad.”

“And,” Kane continued. “She couldn’t recall anything after dinner in the hall until she woke up this morning.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. “How long ago?”

“At least two hours before we put her to bed.” Arawn’s gaze dropped to his floating angel. “She didn’t talk much more. She was pretty out of it.”

“Thank you both. Your information is very helpful. I need to find out why she has memory loss. It may explain the severe pain and how besieged she is.”

His feet sat heavy on the sand like piers of concrete—he had no will to move away from her.

“Will she be okay?” “We’ll get her settled, I’m sure she’ll be fine. The water seems to have helped already. Go, now.” Trixie patted him on the chest. “We’ll take good care of her. Once we’re finished, we will meet you back at the Haus.”

Kane shook his head. “If there is trouble on the island, we can’t leave you here alone.”

“Cemil has already sent for more security. They’re on their way. Hang out at the water’s edge until they arrive, but I don’t want her to see you right now. We need her complete focus.”

Arawn followed Kane to the underwater ledge farthest from where the women worked with Trinity.

They stood in silence as he watched from afar, devastated that the women got to stay with her when he couldn’t. They held her and talked to her. The anguish of not being close enough to hear what they said jabbed icicles of bitter envy through his veins. Not a demigod who gave in to the need of prayer, Arawn contemplated any potential benefit to Trinity if he murmured a few words to whichever deity might be listening. Hell, he’d sell his soul back to his own father if it meant saving her, regardless of the endless suffering he knew awaited him there. Days ago, his life was satisfactory, having never known Trinity. Now, the prospect of her not surviving this caused his gut to churn with terror at the very thought of losing her. Although he had an acute need to protect her, she wasn’t helpless. The power her slightest smile had on him was mindboggling.