Geomancist (Seven Forbidden Arts 5)

The moment the click sounded, her composure slipped. Burrowing her face in the pillow to muffle the sound, she cried big, ugly sobs. What Sean had done hurt more than a bullet in the shoulder. She wasn’t certain if her heart could survive that kind of blow.

Fuck.

Sean slammed a fist against the wall next to Asia’s bedroom door. Pain shot through his knuckles and up his arm. He shook out his fingers as he considered the mess they were in.

Asia was hurting. Of course, she was. What had he expected? The fact that he couldn’t fix it made him feel infuriatingly helpless.

Pacing on the landing in front of her door, he considered his options. He had to be patient, to prove to her how much he cared. Trust was an issue for her now. Naturally. This wasn’t something he could force. It would take time, lots of time. For now, though, he needed a vent for his cooped up anguish and frustration.

Following Bono’s advice, he changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt before going to the gym. For an hour, he drilled his body on the free weight equipment until every muscle ached and he was close to collapsing.

Maya entered just as he dragged himself to the door.

“Hey, geomancist.” She grinned. “Working off some excess energy?”

He wiped his face with a towel. The question didn’t need an answer.

“You skipped dinner.” She looked him up and down. “There’s food in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”

“Thanks. I wasn’t in the mood for a dinner party.”

“Things didn’t go well with Asia, huh?”

“Not exactly,” he said, moving around her and heading for the door.

Maya patted his shoulder as he passed. “Good luck. If you need anything, just shout.”

That made him stop. “You’re staying? I mean, here in Santiago?”

“We’re all staying for a week.”

“Holiday?”

She dropped her towel on a bench and pulled an arm over her head in a warmup move. “We try to take time off after each mission. There’s also the debriefing, admin, and shit like that.”

Sean glanced at the rooms on the first level. “This place is enormous. What was it before? A cloister?”

“Monastery.” She widened her stance, propped her hands on her hips, and bent sideways. “Lann found the building abandoned and the grounds neglected when he visited to buy some old books, fell in love with it, and decided to turn it into a home for himself. And later for him and Kat. Cain thought it would make a good base in South America.”

He chuckled. “You’re an eccentric bunch.”

“Speak for yourself, mixologist.” She flashed him a smile and bent over to touch her toes.

Leaving her to her workout, Sean went to the kitchen to fix a sandwich before going to his room for a shower. He stood under the cold water for a long time. It reminded him of the island and taking a shower with Asia in the small cubicle, feeling the curves of her body under his palms.

When his body was numb with cold, he turned off the water, dried himself, and pulled on a pair of boxers. For a long moment, he stared at the door that connected his and Asia’s rooms. Putting his ear against the wood, he listened. No sounds came from the other side. He placed his hand on the knob. After a few seconds, he retracted it and went to bed in the dark. He crossed his hands behind his back and stared at the ceiling. Despite being physically beat, it took a long time to fall asleep.

A scream woke Sean. It wasn’t very loud, but he was a light sleeper. His senses went on high alert. In a flash, he was fully awake and lucid. Throwing back the covers, he jumped from the bed and rushed to the door that gave access to Asia’s room. There was no time to look for a weapon. If someone was attacking her, he’d use his bare hands to pull the motherfucker apart.

A muffled protest sounded as he yanked open the door. There was no one but Asia, looking small and vulnerable in the light from the medical equipment that illuminated the big bed. The adrenalin pumping through his body dropped as he registered the fact.

Walking over, he switched on the nightstand lamp. Terror reflected in her green eyes.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he took her hand. “Bad dream?”

She pulled free and wiped perspiration from her brow.

If she had a fever, he had to call Eve. He pressed his palm against her forehead, but her temperature felt fine. “Do you need some water?”

“If you don’t mind.”

On the contrary. Being useful, in whatever trivial way, made him feel a hell of a lot better.

Bracing her back with an arm, he helped her to sit up. She didn’t utter as much as a chirp, but her wince sliced right through him. He reached for the glass on the nightstand and lifted it to her lips. She only took a few sips before leaning back, looking exhausted.