Page 49 of A Touch of Gold and Madness (Celestials of Arcadia #1)

Chapter 48

Gray

A weight lifted from my chest while another sank to the pit of my stomach. I was relieved that Onyx and I were okay, but I was still not okay with Chrome. And the others were probably pissed at me after my little display in the dining hall.

I needed to talk to Chrome. As much as I tried, the rage toward him wouldn’t subside. With each step, my temper rose as the memories of earlier resurfaced. How we’d just been about to fuck in the middle of the training fields when he decided to turn into a sexist asshole, treating me like I was his to command.

My gait picked up to the point I nearly tromped through the lodge on my quest to Chrome’s room. I rounded a corner, only to slam into a chest. Said chest was much smaller than I anticipated. Still tall, though.

“If you wanted a hug, princess, all you had to do was ask,” a deep voice said.

“Dash.” I looked up at the tall, scrawny teenager, doing my best to keep my temper at a minimum. Although, I had a bone to pick with this little shit, too. I crossed my arms. “I shouldn’t be shocked to see that you’re still alive, but here we are.”

“I’m a good shot.” A smug expression took over his baby face .

“I recall,” I said, my voice dry. “That was really stupid of you shooting the Endarkened, by the way. That could’ve gone wrong in so many ways.”

Dash rolled his eyes dramatically in the way only a teenager can. “God, if I have to hear another lecture about this shit, I’ll go out there and hunt down an Endarkened and do it again just to prove a point.”

I raised my brows. “Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d just take the lecture…”

Dash blew out a breath. “Yeah, I’m enjoying the amenities too much. Gotta take advantage of it while I can.”

I snorted. “Do you know where Chrome is?” Onyx had said he was in his room, but I’d hate for that to have changed since I’d walked across to the other side of the lodge to find him.

“In his room. I just left.”

“You did? You and Chrome are close?”

“I keep forgetting that he goes by Chrome here,” Dash muttered to himself, scrunching his face in thought.

I slapped the back of his head. “Focus.”

Dash rubbed the offended spot on his head. “Hey! That wasn’t very royal of you.”

“Are you close to him?” I asked again, shaking my head.

“We’re friends. We stuck together while he was waiting to meet up with you.” The rebel shrugged.

“Meet up with me?” I deadpanned. “You mean kidnap, right?”

“Semantics, Princess.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. How did Chrome deal with this? I sure as fuck couldn’t. “I’ll see you around. I gotta talk to Chrome.”

As I stepped around him, he nudged my shoulder with his elbow. “Talk,” he snorted. “ Right ,” he said, drawing out the word. “You’re totally gonna bone.”

The look of horror on my face must have been the reaction he was aiming for because he burst out laughing so loudly it echoed. “Catch ya round, Princess!” Dash swaggered away down the hallway .

I shook my head, wondering how this kid was one of Sergeant Hogan’s most trusted rebels. He seemed a bit risky, in my opinion.

Taking a cleansing breath, I realized that, despite how angry with Chrome I was, and as much as I needed to confront him over the scout situation, I needed to give my emotions some space, instead of doing as I usually did and react rashly. That was growth, right?

Changing course and making my way back to my room, I decided to give myself a night of solitude and relaxation.

Between the conversations with Orion, Onyx, and Dash, I was at max capacity for dealing with people for the day. A hot bath, a strong glass of whiskey, and a book were what I needed for the night.

In the bath, I took the time to process everything I’d learned that day. It was a lot. I needed to breathe and just be with myself, something that was becoming less and less frequent these days.

The Elementals at the Hollow had become my friends, and I wasn’t sure when that had happened. I cared about them, and I was under the impression that they might actually care about me. At least, I hoped they did. I wasn’t sure if I could handle much more rejection.

All would be right in the world if only Scarlett, Hazel, and Cotton were here, too.

My breath caught as I realized the error of my thought process. I hadn’t included Slate in that list. The usual sadness that accompanied my memories of him washed over me like the bubbles filling the tub, but it was more with acceptance.

I contemplated the discovery of the stone in Orion’s office earlier that day, trying to work out how it could tie in with Forest’s plans. Going off what I knew about the properties of stones, and my father’s goals, I wracked my brain for the missing link .

My thoughts drifted to Chrome’s affliction. If the Endarkened had some connection to the dark magic in Arcadia, then perhaps there could be a way to undo it. What if there was a link to the stone in some way that could offer a solution?

I blew out a breath, convinced I was grasping at straws out of desperate hope to save Chrome from his inevitable fate.

My mind returned to Orion and the stone, my thoughts a maelstrom of wild theories that had nothing concrete to give them credibility.

Thoughts of Orion jolted the conversation we’d had about my mother. The photos. The letter . My heart lurched to a stop.

Where the fuck was the letter?

I sat up in the bathtub, the water sloshing over the edges onto the floor. “Shit.” Bolting to my feet, I climbed from the bath and frantically dried my body in a rush, my heart ready to beat from my chest.

The last place I’d had it was outside Chrome’s room, and I’d carelessly dropped it on the hallway floor. I’d intended to come back for it, but that was before Blaize had interrupted.

I needed to find that letter.

Throwing on a pair of leggings and a faded sweater, I stormed over to Chrome’s room on the opposite end of the hallway. My lungs felt restricted, locked down, as my heart raced to a violent beat. I couldn’t lose the letter. It was my only link to my mother. It was the only thing I had of her.

As I neared Chrome’s door, my head began to feel fuzzy, probably from the lack of oxygen amidst my panic. I beat on the door, causing random Elementals passing by to give me startled and uncertain looks.

My pulse whooshed in my ears, drowning out everything around me, except the fact that Chrome wasn’t answering his godsdamned door. I pounded on it harder. The wood threatened to give under my abuse. “Chrome! Answer the fucking door!”

Nothing .

My breaths came in shorter and shorter while my chest clenched too tight. I spun and ran down the hallway, then sped down the spiral stairs, doing my best not to trip and break something vital in the process.

It was too much. Everything was getting to be too much. I’d been working on keeping control of my emotions, but it wasn’t working. I had all of this immense power confined within my veins, and yet, I felt as powerless as I had under my father’s control.

And the only thing I had to physically hold onto was my mother’s letter. And now, it was gone, and I had no idea where to even look. I could only hope that Chrome had it.

And that thought pissed me off because, once again, I was at someone else’s whim and mercy.

“Gray, what’s wrong?” Aella grabbed my arm and whirled me to a stop, making me come face-to-face with her as I reached the bottom of the steps. “What is it?”

“Where’s Chrome?” I grabbed my chest, feeling like my heart would implode any second.

Aella looked taken aback. “I…I don’t know. Have you checked the lake? Sometimes, he meditates out there.”

“Thanks,” I said in a rush and jerked away, sprinting toward the front doors of the lodge.

Icy but refreshing air relieved my lungs the moment my foot touched the wraparound porch. My eyes adjusted to the darkness. A storm approached as brisk winds swirled around. I tossed up an air shield, protecting me from the cold and harsh breeze.

My energy dwindled, my legs feeling like jelly and my arms like lead. I was exhausted, yet I was pushed forward by either fear or hope. I wasn’t sure which one.

A shadowy figure sat poised in the grass, his back straight against a tree. “Chrome!”

Slowly, he angled his head to face me, not disturbed by my interruption. “Little savage.”

“Where’s my mother’s letter?” I dropped the air shield protecting me .

Silence claimed the space between us. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I closed the distance, still leaving a large enough gap to keep him at bay. “Where the fuck is her letter?” I repeated.

Chrome rose to his feet. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Honestly.”

My lip curled, and I huffed in disbelief. “ Honestly? You? Everything that comes from your mouth is such a fucking lie.” My hands shook from the anger and betrayal I felt from him.

The calm and carefree demeanor he’d just exuded was wiped clean, replaced by coiled fury and a clenched jaw. “Watch yourself, Princess.”

Somehow, Chrome erased the space separating us, his nose only an inch from mine, his warm breath brushing against my face. “Why? Don’t like being called out on your shit? The truth hurt?”

His eyes softened. “I hurt for you, Gray. Don’t you get that?”

“Yeah.” I snorted. “Only because you feel my emotions. Now that you ate my pussy, you think you can control me. Think again.” I summoned my electric Kinetic magic, ready to hit him with a strong blast.

It fizzled out before it ever left my palm. He’d countered it with his own form of electricity. I growled in frustration. “Why? Why wouldn’t you let me go with you to see the scout? I could’ve helped with getting information from him. I could’ve known him and that…’

“Exactly,” he snapped. “And if he did know you, Gray, that’s the last thing you need to risk. Because if something happened to you because of an error I made on an emotional basis, I’d never forgive myself. That scout could’ve found a way to alert your father with his abilities.”

“That’s not your call to make!”

“It is when this Hollow was entrusted to me!” Chrome yelled, his deep baritone echoing off the lake surrounding us. “The Elementals are my people. They’re yours too, yes. But you’re still new.”

“You can’t order me around like I’m your servant, Chrome.”

“No, but I will if it protects you at times.”

“The fuck you will,” I seethed. “I don’t need anyone’s protection. ”

Chrome fisted the base of my hair, pulling me flush against him and forcing me to meet his molten eyes. “Yes, you do.”

I shoved him away, needing to clear my thoughts. Everything about him was clouding my judgment, and I wasn’t ready to drop my issues yet. “Don’t touch me.” I pointed a finger at him.

Pain lanced my heart at the hurt that crossed his face, all his vulnerability shutting down. I breathed out a sigh and ran my shaky hands over my face. “Where’s the letter?”

In a clipped tone, he replied, “I told you. I don’t know.”

“I had it the other day before I went into your room. I dropped it on the floor and planned to come back for it. But then Hogan showed up, and Blaize interrupted…”

“I’ll ask Blaize about it.”

“He didn’t give it to you?” My voice shook, my throat tightening and my face heating simultaneously at the last sliver of hope he might have had it.

Chrome shook his head. “No,” he said, his tone gentler than before.

“Don’t!” I snapped. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.” I might have been overreacting, but I needed that godsdamn letter.

Once again, I fought to get a breath. It felt like a wall blocked off access to my lungs. “I…I need…” I grasped my chest, panic seizing me in its unrelenting grasp. “Help.”

Chrome rushed over to me, wrapping me in his strong arms and slowly lowering us to the ground. “You’re having a panic attack.”

“I can’t breathe,” I gasped, squeezing his bicep that caged me against his chest.

“I know.” His voice was calm and sturdy as he stroked his fingers through my hair. “What do you need? I’m here. Take whatever you need from me…”

I was going to suffocate to death. I just knew it. “Chrome…” I whimpered.

Soft lips caressed my temple. “I got you,” his deep voice murmured in my ear, chasing away the wall around my lungs. “You’re safe, Gray. Do you hear me? No one can hurt you anymore. I won’t let them. ”

The copper taste of blood oozed onto my tongue from biting my trembling lip. I was trying so hard to hold back years of suppressed rage and pain from abuse. Chrome tightened his arm around my shaking body.

My anchor.

“Stay with me. I’ve got you.”