Destiny's Revenge (Destiny Series - Book 2) Straight, Nancy (book club reads .TXT) 📖

I contemplated the prospect of being alone, not just living alone, but not having any interaction with anyone because I’d only put them at risk. My parents, my friends, everyone I’ve ever known could be attacked at any time. I couldn’t let that happen. It’s much better for them not to know whatever happened to me, than it is for something horrible to happen to them and it be my fault.

As I reflected on and savored the moments we’d shared this last month, I could feel my passion for Max morphing into steely resolve. I wouldn’t let this beast ruin the life I was rebuilding. I wouldn’t remain content to have had those few weeks with Max. I would do whatever it took to get my life back.

I still had Max’s truck. I would worry about how to get it back to him tomorrow. Once I found another way to get around, I would just leave it somewhere and mail him the keys.

While still petting Peanut I said out loud, “Looks like it’s just you and me, boy.” Peanut gave me one final whine and stretched out in the back seat.

Chapter 16

“Lauren, are you well?” I could hear Rewsna’s voice in my head. “Lauren, Max found me today. He wants to see you.”

“Rewsna, stay out of this one. Tell him I don’t want to see him. Tell him to stay away from you and to not think about me.” I had no sooner pushed the thoughts out telepathically before a memory from three mornings ago of Max freshly showered wrapping his arms around me appeared. The wetness of his towel dried body, the scent of clean and Max all swirled together in my mind before I could stop myself.

“Lauren, I can see Max is on your mind. You need him as badly as he needs you. Tell me where you are and we will come to you.”

“Rewsna, send him away and stay out of my head.” I purposely started concentrating on the periodic table of elements, at least those that I could remember from freshman Chemistry.

She somehow blocked out my review of elements, and said loudly, “Lauren, what happened? Max’s mind is blank, as if it were erased. Show me what happened.”

I did as she asked, from the moment Max had come into Joe’s house, until Peanut and I had sped away down the road. “Satisfied? Tell Max to go away. I don’t know what happened to him, but whatever had a hold of him seems to be gone. If Max doesn’t know where I am, maybe it won’t come back. Just get Max away from all this!” I concentrated harder on the periodic table, anything to keep my mind from wandering while I knew Rewsna was paying attention. I had gone through the entire chart one element at a time when I listened and realized she was no longer there.

I decided I would use my talent to listen in on what she was doing. I closed my eyes and thought of her: the tunnel appeared instantly and I stepped in. On the other side I saw her in a very nice house on the beach. Max was with her. He looked terrible, like he hadn’t slept all night.

“She won’t talk to me, Max. She told me to get out of her head and blocked me. I can’t make her listen.”

“She will listen to you; she always does. Just try again. Tell her I’m sorry. Tell her whatever I did, I won’t ever let it happen again. Tell her I need her to come back, or just to know where she is. Just….make her listen.”

“It doesn’t work that way, Max. Her fear has nothing to do with being fearful of you. She fears for you. Whatever attacked you could come back. I know you think you are invincible, but once you have been possessed, it marks you in a way that the demon can come back whenever it chooses. She was right to run away from you. She was also right not to tell you where she’s hiding.”

“Rewsna, I have to find her. I know you know.”

“Truthfully, Max, I do not, but if I did, I would not tell you. You need to keep your distance. You need to go on about your life right now. The Council will help Lauren. You have been marked by a demon. This mark will only draw the Beast to her. Stay away.” I could see Rewsna all but shoving him out the door.

I was right. If it happened once, it could happen again. Marked? So the demon could find him, and now the Beast could, too? That idea sent shivers up my spine. What if the Beast decided to go after Max? Max had to be okay. I couldn’t let something like this happen to him again.

****

I checked on Max several times throughout the day. He went back to his house instead of Joe’s. He sat on his front porch for hours, never moving. In four hours time he hadn’t moved once. Initially it looked like maybe he had dozed off in the rocking chair, but his eyes were open, and I saw him holding his cell phone.

I told myself it was just the shock of everything. He would be fine. He just needed to get back into the swing of things. When darkness fell, I looked in on him again. He had left the porch and was inside lying on the couch, the cell phone still in his hand. No one was anywhere. He was alone in the house. I heard him say, “I know you’re watching. Lauren, I’m so sorry – I don’t even know what happened. Just come home.”

My heart froze. He couldn’t be talking to me? He continued, “Lauren, I know you can see me. Just come back, I can’t stand not knowing where you are.”

I pulled myself back to reality and