Chapter 57: Damon
AYLA
"I saw you." He continued. "I saw him look at you and shake his head. I remember him putting hands on you, Ayla and you were terrified of him."
I shook my head."
"I do not... we do not..."
"Do not lie to me, Ayla. I have been watching you and I have seen the way he looks at you."
My breath caught in my throat and try as I might, I could not get it to free up.
"Is he your lover?" Damon shot at me. "Is that why you are..."
"No." I cut him off. "He and I are not like that."
"Then what is it?"
He pushed his fingers through his hair.
"Damn it , Ayla... tell me now or I will take it up with Cassian and Ares."
My eyes shot up to his in alarm.
"You cannot do that."
"Then I will ask you again, Ayla. What is with you and Alistair?"
The tears I had been holding back spilled over. They tracked hot paths down my cheeks, and I could not stop them. My shoulders shook with the effort of keeping the sobs inside, but they escaped anyway, wracking my body until I had to press my hands to my face to muffle the sound.
Damon looked like I had struck him. He touched my shaky shoulders.
"Ayla..."
"I killed them."
The words came out muffled, barely intelligible through my hands.
Damon went very still.
"I killed them, Damon." I lowered my hands, meeting his eyes. "The two traders. They attacked me. They tried to rape me and something inside me snapped and a light exploded out of me and it killed them... both of them."
His face did not change. He did not recoil or look at me in any way.
"And Alistair?" He asked. "How does he factor into this?"
"He saw it happen." My voice cracked. "He disposed of the bodies. He said he wanted to be friends, but he has been watching me ever since. And tonight... tonight he found someone to take the blame."
"You killed them with a light that exploded out of you?"
I nodded my head.
"I know how this must sound but I swear it is the truth."
Damon was silent for a long moment then he reached out. His hand found mine, his fingers wrapping around my trembling ones.
"Thank you for telling me the truth."
His words were so unexpected that I had no idea what to say.
"I am a murderer," I whispered.
"Oh no, Ayla" His voice was rough as he spoke. "Those fucking men attacked you and you defended yourself. That is not murder."
I shook my head, fresh tears spilling down my cheeks.
"But someone has died for it. The pack and its laws will not see it that way."
"Fuck the law" Damon’s grip tightened around my hand. "I will burn this while compound to the ground before I let anyone touch you and those men should consider themselves grateful they had you to deal with and not me for what they tried to do."
The words hit me in the chest, knocking the air from my lungs.
"I..."
"Listen Ayla, I am no better than them for what I tried to do to you. Hell, I should be grateful I am not dead like they are." He smirked.
I laughed, suddenly weak in the knees.
"What are you going to do with me now?" I asked.
Damon reached out and swiped a lone tear trailing down my cheek.
"First, we are going to get you to calm down." he led me back to the edge of his bed where I sat, grateful for the support.
He settled on the edge beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off him then he looked at me, his eyes soft in a way I had never seen before.
He looked at me, his eyes soft in a way I had never seen before.
"You must have been terrified."
"I had just been angry" I murmured, looking down at my hand. "I remember being so angry at them... at everything and I don’t know how it happened. How I was able to summon such powers... how do I even have powers? I have no idea what it all means." I looked at him and he was nodding, patting my hand in understanding.
"We will understand what is it soon enough but has it happened again after that?"
I nodded slowly.
"When?" He asked.
"The time you came to apologize to me and I said those things to you."
Damon’s lips curved up in a smile.
"I bet you wanted to blow my head off"
I laughed weakly.
"The thought crossed my mind."
"Well, I am grateful you did not. I kind of like my head very much."
"I am sure you do. It is a nice head." I smiled at him.
He chuckled at this, going silent for a bit.
"This is the part where you tell me what happens now." I said.
"Are you calmer?" He asked.
I nodded.
"Then you must know that we cannot tell anyone what happened."
I blinked at him in surprise.
That was not what I had been expecting from him.
"My mother knows" I blurted.
"Oh... well, I am sure your mother will not be blurting that to anyone in her lifetime so this is between you and I and it is going to be our little secret until we can find out what Alistair is up to. I think there is more to him than meets the eye and I want to know what it is."
"I am sorry," I whispered.
"Do not apologize." He murmured. "We also need to find out what these powers are and what they mean."
"I was thinking going to the archives room. Something in there should tell me what is wrong with me."
"Then we will go to the archives room."
"We will need to get the key from Cassian or your father and they will want to know why."
I watched Damon’s lips curve up in a smile.
"We do not need them to get into the archives room, Ayla."
"What do you mean? They are the only two persons with access."
"Oh come on... do you really think there is a room in this place that I cannot get inside?"
A smile tugged at my lips.
"I suppose not."
"Good. Now you need to get some rest" He rose, extending a hand to help me up. "Tomorrow, we break into the archives."