Without speaking, he reached out and gripped my hand in his. The mountain disappeared from underneath me, and the cool tile of my living room floor replaced it just as I collapsed.
CHAPTER FOUR
I woke disoriented to the sound of loud voices.
"What happened?" I heard my uncle demand.
"Shh, Mark, you're going to wake her," I heard Krista whisper, although the sting from her gently dabbing at my knees with a wet cloth didn't help either.
I kept my eyes closed, pretending to remain asleep. I was curious why Mark was so upset. So I had taken a tumble and bloodied my knees. It wasn't the first time I'd been injured, and I was positive it would happen again. Often.
"I want to know how he found her, and why he's suddenly so curious about her," Mark demanded in a lower voice, but still shaking with rage.
"He's a Trader, Mark. He can find anyone, right?" Krista said, obviously directing the question to Haniel.
"That is correct."
"Fine, but why is he interested in Jordyn?" Mark bit out.
"I am unaware of his intentions."
"What is The Light saying?" my uncle ground out.
I was surprised at his anger. I'd only seen him lose his cool once and that was when I first joined them. He and Haniel and had gotten into it in his office. I didn't know exactly what they fought over, but I had a rough idea it involved me.
"Mark, you know as well as I do that The Light doesn't just divulge information, even if you can get in to see him," Krista said gently.
My ears perked up at her words. I'd been asking them for months what heaven was like, but they always put off my questions, saying I would have to wait until I got there to see for myself. I thought their whole secretive attitude was pretty lame, but I eventually let the subject drop.
"Krista is correct. I have not been granted an audience with The Light."
"What do we do?" Krista asked.
"We enlist guard duty around Jordyn at all times," Mark answered gravely.
"What?" I asked, sitting up abruptly, no longer able to feign sleep.
"It's the only way, Jordyn," Krista soothed, scrubbing the dried blood off my leg.
"I can do that," I said, snatching the rag from her hand. "I don't need guard duty either," I said, scrubbing hard at my leg.
"Jordyn, it's our job to keep you safe," Mark said as he sat down on his chair.
"That's ridiculous. We all know I'm the best fighter we have," I said, still rubbing my leg with the rag.
"That may be, but this boy seems to have a power over you that renders your gifts useless," Krista said, grabbing the rag from me before I rubbed off a layer of skin.
"You guys act like he's out to get me or something," I said, swinging my legs around so I could sit back against the cushions. The scrapes on my knees protested as I bent my legs to prop them up on the coffee table in front of me.
"He must have a hidden motive," Mark said, meeting Haniel's eyes, who gave a nod of approval.
"Because God forbid he might actually be interested in me," I said sarcastically, rising to my feet. "Has it crossed anyone's mind that maybe he just likes me? Maybe after he saw me kick the ass of not one but two Daemons last night he decided I might be someone he'd like to get to know. Contrary to popular opinion around here, I might just be considered hot to the opposite sex," I added, attempting to stomp out of the room. My injuries made it more like a shuffle.
I slammed my door, cutting off anything they might have said, and threw myself on my bed.Just because I didn't share some freaky Link with someone didn't mean I was a leper or something.
A light tapping at my door interrupted my inner monologue. Krista opened the door before I could answer.
"Can we talk?" she asked.