I love you, Cain, he heard her words echo in his mind, though her lips hadn’t moved.
Always, he responded by sending her his thoughts.
Then something white flashed in front of his eyes, shot through his head like a spear and made him jolt backward. Pain shot through his head. He pressed his hands against his temples, trying to stop his skull from exploding.
“Cain! Oh God, what’s wrong?” Faye’s panicked voice brought him back to earth.
Slowly he released his head. The pain was gone as quickly as it had come, but it had left something with him.
“I remember everything. Faye, I remember us.”
38
Fully dressed, Cain took Faye’s hand and looked at her. Faye had given him his old life back. His memory was fully restored. He remembered every moment of their time together, their love, their plans for the future. But he also remembered what had happened in the night of the assassination attempt. And that knowledge demanded that he act immediately.
“God, I wish we could stay in bed and celebrate our bond, but—”
Faye put her finger on his lips. “You don’t have to explain anything, my love.”
He pressed a quick kiss on her lips, contentment filling him. To know that there was a person who instinctively understood what was going on inside him was a blessing.
Cain opened the door into the hallway. Wesley still stood at his post outside the queen’s suite and immediately straightened when Cain and Faye stepped out.
“Wes, get Gabriel and Maya and have them come down to my suite. Immediately.”
Seemingly alarmed by the curt command, Wes asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I think I know who the assassin is.” Still holding Faye’s hand, Cain rushed past him, heading for the king’s suite. He ripped the double doors open and entered the foyer. “Haven? Thomas?”
A sound came from the room Haven was occupying with Blake and Wesley, and Cain stalked toward it. The door opened before Cain reached it.
“Cain?” Blake stared at him.
“Is Haven up?”
“He went back to the cells to see if he could find any other evidence about the assassin.”
“Get him. Now!”
Blake pulled his cell from his pants pocket and tapped it. “Uh, shit, I’m out of juice. Forgot to charge it.” He shoved it back into his pocket. “Back in a jiffy.”
When Blake hurried toward the double doors leading into the corridor, Cain called over his shoulder, “Thomas back?”
“They’re on their way. He and Eddie should be here any moment,” Blake answered as he ran outside.
Alone with Faye now, Cain turned to her and pulled her into his arms.
“Why do you think your memory suddenly came back?” she asked.
“I can only assume that your blood did that to me. It was one of the last things I did that night before I was attacked. I drank your blood for the first time. Perhaps it triggered something in me that made everything rush back.”
“I’m so relieved that you have your memory back.” Faye smiled at him, though her smile faded quickly and her face became serious. “But I’m so sorry about—”
“What’s so urgent?” Gabriel’s voice came from the open door, interrupting their conversation. Behind him Wesley appeared, too.
Cain released Faye and waved Gabriel and the witch to enter. “Thank God you’re here. Where’s Maya?”
“She went to check on her patients to see whether they are fully healed yet. Shall I get her?”
Cain shook his head. “That’s fine. Let her take care of them first. We’ll fill her in later.” He listened for any sounds coming from the corridor. “Let’s wait for Haven and Blake, so I don’t have to go over it twice.”
Gabriel tossed him a concerned look. “Are you okay?”
Rubbing a hand over his head, Cain searched for an answer. He was okay. More than that. Having bonded with Faye had made him whole again. But remembering the events of the last night of his old life now forced him to take action. Swiftly and without mercy.
Before he could find the right words to answer Gabriel’s question, Haven and Blake stormed into the foyer.
“Shut the door,” Cain ordered Blake, who followed his command instantly.
All his friends looked at him expectantly, nobody saying a word.
“Something’s happened,” Cain started, and glanced at Faye. “Faye and I blood-bonded.”
Several mouths opened, obviously to congratulate him, but he raised his hand to stop them. “Thank you. I’d celebrate with you, but there’s no time right now. I have my memory back. I don’t know how, but I assume it has something to do with Faye’s blood. In any case, it doesn’t matter right now why I remember, just that I do.”