Reclaiming Her Heart

Chapter 12 - Waiting

Adam

A couple of weeks passed by since Chance and I held council with Constance. My time with her replayed in my mind:

I sat across the table from Constance. She was rather petite, with long blond hair cascading past her waist. Her hazel green eyes were sharp, and she had a smile that could knock the socks off anyone. And an aura like no other. Intense. Terrifying. Her powers beyond anything this world had ever seen.

She was the Phoenix, chosen by fate in order to save the world from the insurmountable evil consuming the land. She was, by far, the most powerful immortal to live, with the exception of her arch nemesis: Cerberus, who rose in power alongside her.

She listened to everything I had to say and said something I wasn't expecting. "We had our suspicions Jadea was alive. I have Allen tracking her already."

"Why didn't you say anything?" I fairly yelled at her, shooting to my feet, my hands planted on the table top, my glare fire. If she suspected Jadea was alive, then why hadn't she come to say anything to us? To me at least? Why leave us in the dark?

Behind Constance, her mate Gabriel shifted, his hand falling to the hilt of his sword at his hip in a silent warning. His hard blue-brown gaze watching me closely. His tousled black hair fell haphazardly into his eyes. He was in his demonic form. His large brown and black wings resting against his back. His black attire resembling the demonic guard's uniform. I was irate. I had lost my mate. Our bond had been severed. If memory served me correctly, Gabriel and Constance had gone through something similar. They had survived the severed mate's bond. They knew how empty it was, how lonely and absolutely shattering it was to be in such a position.

Taking several deep breaths, I forced myself to calm down. I took my seat once again.

"I didn't say anything, Adam, because I don't have proof she is indeed alive and well," she explained gently, not getting upset or defensive by my outburst. "Nor do we know what condition she is in, where she is being held, or who has her. And if she is even recoverable."

"Do you think it is Cerberus?" I asked. I knew he had tried obtaining her once before. She would be an asset for whatever side she supported: good or evil.

"Possibly," she mused. "Or, she pissed someone off enough in the underground trafficking rings they retaliated."

"Or both," Gabriel murmured.

She nodded at her mate's input. "She may be held under duress, given the opportunity to either fight for Cerberus, or be trafficked."

My heart constricted, not having thought of this beforehand. Either way, she may be unobtainable. I understood why Constance hadn't said anything, but it didn't lessen the painful ache deep in my chest.

"Your vision does give me hope though," she continued on gently, "That she has not been forced to choose yet."

"Is there anything we can do?" I asked, already knowing the answer, but I had to ask anyway. I had to know for certain.

"No. There is nothing you or your pack can do right now. Other than take care of yourselves in her absence."

She assured me she would keep us updated with any new information. Then, we were sent back home. I decided it was best to stay with Ty for a while, living in the two small cabins reserved for visitors. Knowing Jadea was alive, and it was a possibility we could be used against her, I wanted our pack, and children, to be better guarded. Ty's pack was larger than most. Plus, Caden's Draconian pack was not far away from Ty's lands. We were better protected on Ty's terrain than in Wyoming.

About a week after I went to see Constance, she sent word they had eyes on her, but no way to extract her safely.

Several more weeks passed, and there were no new updates.

I was riddled with anxiety. I was cross. I was emotional. And I prayed with every cell in my being she would be rescued in time.

As I was contemplating going back to the demon stronghold, to demand an audience with Constance again, to beg her to do something, when Garret came to me with some very shocking news.

***

Jadea

When I woke up, I was a bit disoriented.

I stared up at the stone ceiling, trying to figure out where I was and what happened.

And then it all came crashing back. I escaped Silas! I'd gone to Ariat Lykaios — my true blood father—for help. And, Allen had been there, waiting for me. Now, I was at the demon stronghold in Canada, where Constance and her guard resided.

Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as relief flooded me. I was safe!

My mind was no longer clouded. The demon's blood toxin burned off. Though, my body was aching from the long-term exposure. I was sure it would take time before I was completely healed.

Also frustrating was the fact my memories had yet to return.

Slowly, I got up out of the heavenly bed, dressed in clothes that had been left for me, and exited out into a common area. This had to be Obsidian's wing—the Demon Lord's quarters. At the round table located in the middle of the common room sat Constance. She was instantly in motion, coming over to pull me into a strong, healing hug. My chest cracked and I started sobbing.

I had needed that hug.

"You are safe now, dear one," she reassured me.

We spoke of safe topics while I broke my fast. I had so many questions for her, but knew she would come around to them. She was trying to give me a little bit of time before I had to relive the terrors I'd been subjected to. Soon after I finished my meal, Raphael, the renowned demon healer, came to look me over. "While you were in your healing sleep, I did an extensive scan of your mind," Raphael said. "Ariat mentioned you lost your memories. I did find a lot of damage to several axons within your brain. Most of the damage was done after you suffered the initial wound."

"The initial wound being?" I asked.

"You don't remember the attack?" Constance asked curiously. When I shook my head, Constance told me I had been shot point-blank in the head by someone at our last concert. Then, a fire immediately started, which hindered my pack's ability to retrieve me. By the time they had the flames under some semblance of control, I was gone.

I told Constance how I woke up in some type of exam room, where I had been strapped to a chair. Without further prompting, I told Constance everything I could remember after I woke up at Silas's compound. She listened intently, her gaze glossing over at certain events during my recantation of events. However, she never interrupted me. I was surprised I was able to make it through everything myself without getting really emotional. Which meant I was suppressing the emotions and distancing myself from them. And I knew that wasn't good.

"After you were safely recovered and confirmation Silas was indeed the alpha who held you captive, I sent some of the guards to arrest him and his pack. However, they had fled."

Which meant they were at large and were still a threat to me and those who were important to me. Though, I wasn't entirely sure who those individuals were anymore. "Will I ever regain my memories?" I asked Raphael.

He shrugged. "I am not sure. I tried mending them as best as I could. However, the damage was rather extensive. Whoever took you didn't want you to know your past. They were probably trying to re-write your history," he added.

It was the same conclusion I had drawn myself. "Thank you, for all you have done," I told the healer. With that, he excused himself. Once again, it was just Constance and I. "Would you be willing to tell me, or show me, everything you know about my pack and I and what I have been doing these last several years?" I asked her, praying she would help fill in some of the gaps.

She nodded. While I told her what Silas said about Adam and my pack, and about Lucien, she hadn't refuted anything. She hadn't wanted to interrupt me. I was afraid the lies Silas told were true.

Without hesitation, Constance opened her mind to me and showed me everything she knew about my life. And what she had to show painted a completely different picture than what Silas told me. While it wasn't everything, it did assuage my fears and doubts around my mate and pack and how they felt about me. My heart ached, and I longed to go back to them. Alas, I was afraid to do that. I had been gone for so long and the remnants of Silas's terror still remained. I wanted some time to try to work through some of the fallout I was sure to suffer before returning to them.

Constance, a silent bystander in my mind, saw this longing. "I have a place in Mystic Montana. A cabin. You can stay there as long as you need. Though, I wouldn't wait too long to re-connect with your pack and mate," she stated. "They have been waiting for you, Jadea. As much as it hurts you to be separated from them, they have suffered greatly in your absence as well. They have grieved you. They grieved your death. Then grieved to know you still lived, but were being held captive. They are waiting anxiously for your safe return. Don't make them wait too long," She allowed that advice to sink in before continuing. "Since we have not captured Silas and do not know the extent of Cerberus's intentions, I will assign a protection detail to you. Until such a time as we know the threat has passed or those responsible for attacking you, a council member, have been caught, the protection detail will remain with you."

Constance knew how antsy I was to leave. She could feel the pent-up energy starting to tighten around me like a vise. While the stronghold was probably the safest place I could be, I wasn't cut out to be in an underground cavern. I needed wide open spaces. She quickly wrapped everything up, assigned my protection detail and gave me directions to her cabin in Montana. Then, she sent me on my way with Agamemnon—a hellhound shifter who was directly descended from one of the lords of hell—and his pack.

While I was free from Silas and the torment I suffered at his hands, I knew it would take a while to heal from the wounds he inflicted. I just prayed I would be able to survive the fallout without hurting anyone close to me.