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past Jonah. Please, God. Whatever happened, he didn t want Jonah to know that he
suffered as much and sometimes as often. It didn t happen all the time, but
frequently enough these days. Soon, he figured, his suffering would match his
brother s count for count.
He blindly reached forward, groping for the desk, shoving things out of his way
until he could touch Jonah. When they connected, a bolt of dark energy spiked up
his arm. He clenched his teeth to keep a hiss of breath from escaping. Jonah might
call the possession sensual, but when the dark reached him, all Elijah felt was
malevolent power arcing through his extremities.
Time passed, though he had no idea how long they remained in that position.
Minutes. Maybe hours. He used it to force himself to breathe through the dark
crawling over his skin, weaving through him, mingling with the light. He waited for
the balance to return, for the light to subside from his eyes. For the dark to recede
from Jonah.
He thought about Laurel. About her smile. Her sadness and her goodness.
Their kiss. All the while, he spoke to his brother, pulling him away from the place
that wanted him to assume permanent residence. Let it go& let it go.
The buzzing in his ears became a mild hum until it disappeared altogether.
Hesitantly, he opened his eyes, testing the light still lingering in his system. It
didn t flare, though, so he opened them all the way. Jonah swayed next to him,
perspiration trickling down his face. His respirations were even, and his palms
splayed flat against the desk. If the dark still crept through him, it must have been
just a residual amount. It wouldn t take him long to completely pull out of it.
Maintaining contact, he watched patiently for Jonah to open his eyes. When he
did after a few minutes, they were bloodshot. The aura of sadness hovering over
Interdependence 59
him made Elijah s heart sink. Jonah pulled his hand away. The brown of his eyes
darkened as he scrutinized Elijah.
You should prepare yourself for my departure, Eli. Our father s legacy is
consuming me, and there s not much either of us can do about it. Look, he said,
motioning with his chin.
Elijah followed his gaze to the palm of his outstretched hand. He couldn t tell
what he was looking for at first. But then his blood ran cold as his mind
comprehended what he didn t want to accept.
Dark shimmered above Jonah s hand, suspended over his skin. It snaked
between his fingers, twining around his wrist and covering his forearm like a glove.
It throbbed in tune with his heartbeat, ominous and encroaching.
Elijah didn t pause to think when he saw it. By some natural instinct, he called
forth balance, willing it into existence to counter what tried to take over Jonah s
body, one inch at a time. Elijah placed his hand over his twin s, grimacing without
cause when he touched the dark, already tensing for the rush that would travel over
him when they connected.
The impact affected him less than he d thought it would. A delicate spark of
electricity that sent a shock into his fingers but left no permanent damage. When it
diminished, Jonah raised his eyes to meet his, and he noted the color had at least
dimmed to its normal state.
It comes, Brother, Jonah said. Whatever magic we can wield, we have little
time to master it. If we re not ready, and I m pretty certain we won t be, it will be
the end of me.
I won t let it come to that, Elijah replied harshly.
Jonah s face saddened as he stood. I don t think you ll have a choice.
Where are you going now?
I have a date of sorts with Laurel. If I only have a few days left, her company
will help me forget that for a little while.
60 Dee Carney
Jonah&
Elijah pushed his hands through his hair as he watched Jonah s retreating
back. Damn their father. Only four more days.
* * *
The sting didn t bother him as much today as earlier. Maybe because he d
spent the time memorizing the fine features of her face while she leaned over him.
Thick brown lashes framed her gray eyes. A few faded freckles powdered her nose,
their faint outlines visible only at this close proximity. Her hair hung loose, and on
occasion she tucked errant strands behind her ear when it fell into her line of vision.
Hair cascading down the other side of her face tickled his chest when she moved.
The silky caresses contrasted pleasingly against the razor s burn.
Tell me about the first time, he said. Anything to distract himself from the
stinging lines.
He trailed his fingers over her back, afraid that if he placed them on her hips
again, he d put both of them in an even more compromising position. God knew
much-needed blood for his brain had traveled south at least twenty minutes ago,
and self-restraint had left his mind when the oxygen had.
She looked up at him, her eyes bright in the dim lighting of the room. The
first time I did this?
Yeah.
I really don t remember the details, Jonah. She wiped off the blade and
dropped it into the waiting bag. Soothing coolness from a cotton ball dampened his
skin as she cleaned the new cuts etched into his chest.
He didn t believe for one second she couldn t remember the details. Privacy in
this matter, to an extent, he would grant, though. Then tell me about what led you
to do it.
She remained silent for a long time, chewing on her lip. Her face stayed
downcast, her attention drifting everywhere but to meet his gaze. He let the pause
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