Page 142 of Ravaged Soul

“Em?” I ask nervously.

“You… Why? Why did you do that?”

The strange sensation crawling all over me could be confusion. It could be fear. Or simply emotional exhaustion at the sudden loss of adrenaline now that we know they’re both relatively intact.

I’d be lying to myself if I believed any of that crap, though. Ember may be concussed, but even injured, she’s always known her own mind. The alarm bells firing inside my skull point in one very real direction.

“No,” she moans. “You have tattoos now. D-Different.”

“My… tattoos?” I repeat.

Ember blinks again, blue-grey irises swimming with moisture. “They were gone. B-But you looked the same.”

“Where, Em? Where did you see me?”

“No… no. Not right… Something… Something else. Different name.”

Her rambles descend into unintelligible noises, but I’ve picked up enough to feel sick.

“Axel.” Madden grabs my attention. “Don’t push her.”

With a sinking weight filling my gut, I turn away from Ember and Warner. Madden backs up a step at the arctic glower that I train in his direction. My words are laced with such intense malice, I almost don’t recognise my own voice.

“What did you do?”

“Ax? What is it?”

I ignore Warner, focusing on the criminal thug. “Answer the question.”

Madden rolls his neck, mouth opening and closing several times. “She’s concussed. Confused. Ember knows you weren’t really there.”

“Then why is she so damn sure?”

“How should I know?” Madden’s shoulders jump.

The worthless motherfucker actually thinks he’s a better deceiver than I am. Like I can’t see through his bullshit. I’ve lived a lie my entire life.

“He saved me.” Ember’s voice sounds like it’s getting stronger. “Then… he hit me. Knocked m-me out. Axel, you hit me! But… it wasn’t you. Was it?”

“What the hell is this?” Warner thunders.

Madden exhales, still acting evasive. “Beats me.”

“Tell me what the fuck you’ve done, Blaine Madden. Before this hospital has to make a space in its morgue for a fresh fucking body.”

“Someone explain,” Warner demands. “Right now.”

“Nothing.” Madden smiles wide, the smarmy fuck. “I’ve done nothing. Ask your teammate.”

“Don’t lay this at my door,” I seethe.

“Your business, your door,” he snarks back.

“Until you decided it would be fun to meddle, and now Ember is hurt! I warned you. I damn well warned you to leave this be. Are you happy now?”

I’ve stepped closer, fists balled at my sides and itching with the desire to pummel Madden’s face into a meaty, unrecognisable pulp. He squares his shoulders in preparation, eyeing my body language.

The female doctor inches between us, hands outstretched in a plea for calm. “Do I need to call security and have you both removed?”