This is the edited chapters. It seems I missed the chapter that explains what happened to cause Shorn to bring Dove into his Darkness.
CHAPTER 21
The rain turned freezing the closer winter approached. I didn't have much time outside to feel it, but I got an earful at mealtimes when the outside guards came in. Many of them were volunteering cleaning duty just to get a brief spate of relief from it. I had been to three different safe houses and Miguel trimmed down how many I helped transitioned to one of his choice. Occasionally, he'd ask me to do two at a time.
I was getting better with practice, and I could generally get them out of the limbo stage within a couple days if I could focus without distraction. It wasn't to say it made it easy if anything it was harder on the hunters to be subject to something that fast and brutal. If anyone got in his face over any of his decisions, he'd take them outside where I couldn't hear. Sometimes forcefully with help.
Besides guard rotation, many things changed since that night Shorn stayed in the bed with me. Miguel was on his cell once a day speaking Spanish, I assumed with Carlos, all mirrors were removed within the houses, and Shauna finally got a power boost and left.
Oldavai went through a change as well. He shined a small hidden lock of my hair. It was barely noticeable and at first, I thought it was him when I saw the tiniest specks of golden glitter on the pillows. When I figured it out, I confronted him. He just grimaced and asked nicely for me to indulge him. Seeing me sprawled over Shorn had confused him and he did the only non-violent retaliation he could think of. I stared at him while I mulled it over, finally agreeing that he was showing incredible restraint since we both refused to have sex while in a house full of hunters.
The other change was more disturbing for both of us. My magic was getting out of control and Oldavai was on constant alert. He hid it well from the hunters, snapping me out of my trance, absorbing traces of power that would bounce around in him and back to me anyway, and taking a hit from emotions so it'd redirect itself away when I was too busy defending myself from the untethered magic. He even pushed more of his own into me when he felt the voices start to cajole me to take and take and take. Unfortunately, the thinnest streams of magic were getting past my shields from who Shorn called, the broken ones. Mentally I was exhausted, and I felt that I wasn't trying my hardest to shield. That I was letting the addiction get its hooks into me.
When he left to quickly recharge himself on an incubus hunt Gan watched me from the shadows. He got close twice, I burned him both times, the second time while he was in the shadows. I don't think he would have let that go if it wasn't for the fact that he believed I belonged to Shorn. I knew that, because he used those words when I apologized profusely to him one night while I was getting ready for sleep.
It unnerved me so much that I spat out, "Does Miguel belong to you?"
"Of course," he said matter of fact.
I grimaced but didn't correct him his belief that Shorn had any sort of hold over me. I wasn't sure it was in my best interest. I just retorted, "I wouldn't tell Miguel that."
His shadow face got close to mine, "Hunter, if we could do so without repercussions, we would chain you all to us."
I shivered from the magnitude of his belief enveloping me, "To use us as a power supply."
He moved back, "That wouldn't be the main reason."
"What's stopping you from trying?" My anger lashed out in disgust at his words.
Gan laughed and I knew it echoed through the bedroom walls. He transformed out of his shadow being and started to bring his fingers to my chin. I reacted quickly, shoving his hand away, not wanting him to touch me so intimately. I could feel the ice flow over the tips of my fingers, and I hastily put them behind me on the mattress. He didn't answer me, so I hastily spoke again, hoping to distract him from the frost I could feel spreading out on the comforter behind me.
"So?"
"Ask Oldavai if you're so curious."
I narrowed my eyes at him, "Go away."
He bowed his way into the shadows, "Be at ease, Dove. We never mean any harm."
"Tell that to my dead mother," I said as I pulled the blankets over me. I was cold in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature. They always believed that, but they never realized how much harm they did. If they violently harmed us when they were too young to understand I didn't see how that exonerated them. With that thought, I pushed those meanderings into their box and brought out my Zen to soothe me to sleep.
Conner followed us, but never followed through. His constant bickering came to a head before we left one of the safe houses and Miguel threw him out. It turned out there were a few who couldn't take that final step, willingly or even fighting. Some simply because it hurt their egos to know Miguel was better than them.
I watched Miguel's behaviors fluctuate between testosterone and pride to weariness of the fighting, whining, and rain. Even though I never asked him, I knew he was ready to go home, back to California. Throughout it all Ila never issued him a warrant, maybe she knew he was the one in charge here in Seattle. I wondered, if she did, was she doing it for every leader in the movement.
I had just started to sleep when Gan poked me in the ribs. "Go away," I grumbled.
He poked me again and I swatted the air. "Get out of the shadows so I can hit you properly," I mumbled into the pillow.
I felt the bed sag under his weight, and his molasses smell swamped me, "Come on, Dove. Patrick is here."
His name penetrated the fog and I groaned, "Does Miguel want me down there."
"No, in fact he wants you to hide."
That got my attention, and I sat up. "Why?" I yawned.
"Don't trust him."
