Page 88 of Semper

Nicolette, her voice filled with rage, called me a name, but her words were lost in the storm. She kept moving, determined, heading down the embankment toward the boat at the bottom.

I turned back, glancing up. The wind and rain lashed at my face, stinging my eyes, but I knew that heading toward Nicolette was not an option. She wasn’t a safer choice. In fact, she felt more dangerous now than ever.

I kicked off my boots, the cold mud squishing between my toes, and shoved my wet hair out of my face. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and began to climb, each step upward a battle against the slick rocks and the pull of gravity. I needed to get away, to find safety—away from Nicolette, away and whatever madness she was suffering from.

I froze, straining to hear over the relentless storm the sound of men's voices. Shouting. And then—dogs barking. My heart leapt into my throat. Glancing down, I paused to catch my breath, blinking against the rain as a flurry of movement unfolded below.

Masked and unmasked disciples scattered across the ground, surrounding Nicolette as she tried to make a desperate run for the boat. Before she could reach it, a blur of black shot out from the shadows—a dog. It leapt, fast and fierce, tackling her to the ground. My stomach twisted as I watched her go down, her screams swallowed by the storm.

Swallowing hard, I turned and forced myself to keep climbing, slipping on the wet rocks. My breath came in choppy bursts, my fingers aching, blood still dripping from my cut hand. I was almost there—almost to the top—when a hand suddenly clamped down around my arm. I screamed, panic overtaking me, but then a voice broke through the storm.

“It’s me, Lolita.”

I looked up, my vision blurred by rain and tears.

“It’s alright,deliciae.” His touch, firm yet careful, guided me the rest of the way up the steep hill, never letting go. "Easy."

At the top, I barely had time to catch my breath before he lifted me effortlessly into his arms. His clothes were soaked, just like mine, and yet all I could do was press my head against his chest, the warmth of him grounding me against the cold chaos of the storm. His heartbeat was steady beneath my cheek. He carried me through the woods, moving with purpose, the storm raging around us but distant now.

Finally, I was placed in the back of a car. Disciples hovered nearby, masked and ready. I could see more vehicles blocking off this part of the Isle altogether. I sat there, soaked to the bone, my body trembling as Alexander gently closed the door behind me. The world outside the car was a blur of rain and shadows, the storm still raging.

Inside, there was only the sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my ears, and the question that gnawed at my mind.

What was going to happen now?

Nicolette had tried to take me, to drag me from the Isle, and I’d fought back but if I never would’ve showed up at that store this wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Would he be angry?

Would he punish me?

I’d failed to protect his trust. A chill ran through me, not from the cold, but from the uncertainty of what awaited me once the car started moving. Alexander was always one step ahead. He knew how to control every situation, every outcome. I knew he wouldn’t have liked this kind of unforeseen variable. And now… now I felt as unsteady as that boat would have in this storm, waiting for him to decide my fate.

CHAPTER TWENTY

I sat in the backseat with Lolita, the rain pounding against the car windows in a relentless rhythm. She was soaked through, her clothes clinging to her skin, her hair plastered to her face, trembling in the aftermath of what had just happened. Without a word, I took the towel the driver had handed me and began drying her off. The silence between us was thick.

I didn’t speak, and neither did she, but I didn’t need her to explain. I already knew everything. The moment she left the estate, the Isle had eyes on her. I wasn’t angry at her.

She wasn’t leaving me.

She didn’t want to go.

That much was obvious. She was scared and anxious—but still mine.

As I gently wiped the water from her face and from her arms, I thought of how close she could have come to making a mistake she could never undo. I knew what drove her wasn’t rebellion. It was fear. Uncertainty. She didn’t fully realize how deeply rooted she was in this life—ourlife.

Each time the towel moved over her skin; I felt my own frustration simmer. Not at her. Never at her. But at the idea of losing what I had worked so damn hard to mold, to shape, to make perfect. Lolita wasn’t like the others. She hadn’t been brought up here, but it didn’t matter. She was adjusting, close to thriving. The thought of her being dragged away by a traitor like Nicolette made my jaw clench.

My fingers tightened around the towel for a second, and I had to force myself to relax. Lolita was safe now. With me. That’s all that mattered. I glanced at her, at the way she avoided my gaze, her bottom lip trembling slightly. She thought I’d be furious. That wasn’t what she needed right now. She didn’t run because she wanted to leave me. She ran because she thought she had to. Because part of her still feared what and who I was.

That would need to be fixed.

Gently, I brought the towel up to her hair, dabbing it dry. She let out a shaky breath but didn’t pull away. She never did anymore. “You shouldn’t have done that,deliciae,” I murmured, my voice calm, almost soothing as I continued to dry her off. "But we’ll deal with it. Together."

She looked up at me then, her pretty brown eyes wide, searching.

For what, I wasn’t sure—reassurance, forgiveness, perhaps both.