ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 8

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• Amir •

Amir was escorted to a nearby bathroom shortly after leaving the security room because he needed a moment to process everything he'd seen and learned. His wife, his Luna, was to blame for the death of Faisal — the person he'd never expressed directly but admired.

Deep down, he admired who Faisal had become. He just never shared it because he was shy. Standing quietly against the stall, he took a deep breath, knowing it would be difficult for him to look Luna in the eyes and remember what she'd done. But he was determined not to let anything cloud his judgment. If Luna did kill someone he cared about, she was forced to do so, or manipulated. That was the only explanation for it. There was no way out for her, and the organization had made certain of that.

The worst part was that, in the back of his mind, he kept having déjà vu. He had dreamed a world without his cousin. Though society had returned to normal, nothing seemed to be right. The fact that he must now move on without Faisal hurts him nonetheless.

Amir inhaled and ran his hand through his sweaty hair, then wiped the tears that formed in his eyelids. The image of Luna fighting Sam flashed through his mind, and a shiver ran down his spine. He did not doubt that he would be there for her no matter what. He'd also help her in getting through this. Nothing in the world could change that, but he didn't want her to relive anything that had hurt her.

Like killing Faisal undoubtedly would.

Luna needed Amir, and he needed her. They had to face this obstacle together.

A knock shook the bathroom door open, and Amir noticed the guard from earlier. Greer. The first thing the guard did was thoroughly inspect him to verify he wasn't concealing anything on his person.

Amir snarled at him. "I'm not carrying anything."

"Good to know," said Greer. "Done?"

"Yup."

He took a step back, allowing Amir to return to the hallway. He was glued to his hip as they walked to another elevator. "So, where are you taking me now?"

The guard entered a code into the control panel. "Mrs. Khan has been awarded time with you."

Amir stalled and twisted his frame toward the guard. "Wait. Luna killed someone, and this gave her more time with her husband? That's insane."

"I don't make the rules, Amir."

The guy was getting on Amir's nerves, but there was nothing he could do about it. All he wanted to do was be with Luna and tell her he doesn't blame her for Faisal's death. It wasn't her fault they'd coerced her to kill him.

He couldn't help but ask the guard as they made their way down the Oasis floor, "Have you seen her since the incident?"

The guard's jaw flexed, and his imagination ran wild until he answered. "Yes. I've been assigned to her. I'm sure you're overjoyed."

"Is she okay?" Amir asked, dismissing the cheap shot.

The guard looked at him, surprised. Trading insults and barbs weren't on his agenda right now.

"She is . . . She can be as expected. Her emotions are scattered," Greer said.

Amir didn't like how that sounded, but he shook his head and retained his composure.

"Luna was eating in her room this morning," the guard stated as the elevator shifted. "I guess she didn't want anyone staring at her if she went into the cafeteria."

He exhaled and followed the guard into a reception area. His heart skipped a beat, and his nerves were a garbled mess of emotions. Luna's presence became apparent when he reached the middle of a hallway.

A tingling sensation spread down his neck.

"I can sense her. My . . . my wife." Amir's voice was stretched.

Greer nodded. "Yeah. Luna had just gotten out of the training room and she's recovering."

Amir didn't have to tell him that he knew to tell she'd been beaten again and that no matter how she looked, he would fix it with one single touch. He would heal her lacerations so she would never have to look at them in the mirror again. It irritated him that the organization were abusing her for their amusement, but he couldn't do anything about it right now. They needed to get out and reunite with their families, no matter who they had to kill in the process.

After doing the eye-reading routine, Greer came to a stop in front of a door and punched in a code. The soft sound of locks clicking out of place echoed down the hallway. He cast a glance at Amir, his hand on the doorknob. "I'm not sure when they'll come to get you two because they have joint tests planned."

"Thank you," he said as the door slowly opened.

Amir moved forward without feeling the floor beneath him as if he were walking through quicksand or in a trance. The air seemed to thicken, slowing his progress, but he was rushing through that wide door and still not moving fast enough.

He entered her cell, his senses on high alert, vaguely aware of the door locking behind him. His gaze was drawn to the bed, which was pressed up against the wall.

His heart raced, and everything in his world came to a halt.

He took a step forward, but it was unsteady. He only saved himself from toppling to his knees at the last possible minute. His throat and eyes stung.

Luna was stretched out on the bed, facing the door, and appeared incredibly small. Gentle hair cascading in such rich autumn hues was the restful visual beauty of her soul, as she was the second he fell in love with her.

One strand fell across her cheek, covering the exposed sleeve of her arm. Her features pinched as if she wasn't completely at ease even when she was resting. Her small hands were tucked beneath her smooth chin, and her lips were slightly opened.

Luna's elegance struck him like a bolt of lightning in the chest. He froze there for an extended length of time, unable to take his eyes away from her, before taking two long strides to the edge of the bed.

He opened his mouth to speak, but there were no words. He was rendered speechless, and he swore Moon was the only person capable of doing that.

He sat next to her, his heart pounding as she stirred but didn't wake. He hated the possibility of waking her. He could see faint ink smudges of dark shadows blooming beneath her thick lashes up close. And he was finally happy—no, thrilled—to be in her presence again, even if it meant wasting the entire time looking at her.

He couldn't help but keep his eyes on her.

Slowly reaching out, he swept the silky strands of hair back from her neck, stroking the long length over a stark white pillow. He could now see the faint bruises across her collarbone, a faded shade of purple and brown. There was also a large cut on her brow. Anger ripped through him. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.

After she and Sam fought, Faisal entered the room. It was almost too much for him to endure. Nobody told him what went down, but he has a pretty good guess as to what happened.

He lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to her wounds, silently promising that Sam would pay dearly for this. He let the healing warmth flow from him to her instinctively, erasing the injuries she'd suffered.

A soft, warm sigh drifted against his lips, and he lifted his eyes, hesitant to move too far away. Luna's lashes fluttered and her shoulders clenched as she inhaled deeply. He waited, his heart in his throat.

She slowly opened her eyes, her coffee-colored gaze drifting over his face. "Amir?"

Her voice, husky from sleep, was like a home-cooked meal. He'd enjoy it for the rest of his life. He leaned back and placed his fingers on her chin. "Hey, baby," he said, his voice raspy.

She set her eyes on him as the cloudiness in her vision cleared. "Are you really here?"

Amir's laugh was choked. "I'm not a ghost, Big Bird. But I think I'd like to be one right now, scaring these people."

A small but lovely smile spread across her lips. "One of my favorite nicknames from you is Big Bird."

"I don't know about you, but I think Sesame Street is a much better place than this. But to tell you the truth," he said, leaning in closer, "I'd much rather be on the moon."

Her brows furrowed as she looked up at him. "Do I hear some kinkiness in your words?"

"Maybe."

"You're so bad," she said, grasping his hand.

Luna rose on her elbows after a heartbeat. A strand of her hair fell across her face. Amir straightened up, making more room for her. His heart rate amplified to match hers. Then she was fully upright, her hands on his skin. He closed his eyes as the gentle touch traveled to his heart.

She slid her hands over his cheekbones as if trying to convince herself that he was there and not connecting with her telepathically. He opened his eyes and placed his hand over hers. Her eyes were wide and wet with tears. "I'm here," he confirmed. "They'd let me see you, Moon."

"What . . . what did you do?" She gulped. "They made you do something."

"I didn't have to do anything." He kissed the back of her hand. He reveled in that roll through her into him. "Everything is going to be fine."

She moved away, and he clutched her hands, refusing to let her go. "Amir, I . . ." She trailed off, her eyes narrowing. "I have something to tell you."

"No, Moon. You don't have to say anything." He slid his hands down her arms, caressing her skin. "You should get some rest. I'll stay here until you fall back asleep."

She shook her head and spoke in hushed tones. "But they'll come by and break us up. They'll—"

"I'd like to see them try, Luna. We've been apart for who knows how long, and I can't take it any longer."

She sighed. "Two weeks."

He caught her eye, and cupped her jaw. "That's like two decades for me. Never again, my love," he said, knowing his words were true. He was determined to break them out of the organization's stronghold in some way, but right now, all he wanted to do was hold his wife and comfort her. That was exactly what she needed.

"The things they made me do . . . and the things they'll make both of us do . . ." The moisture in her eyes grew, and a single tear escaped, rolling down her cheek. "It's only going to get worse, and—"

Amir kissed her tear away. "And we will face them together. You've been to hell and back. I'm not going to let you do this alone. I swear it." He smiled and continued after hearing her soft whimper. "Luna Khan, you're everything to me."

Her hands slid down to his shoulders, flexing until her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, and she stared at him for so long that he became worried. Then she leaped forward, throwing her arms around his neck and nearly tackling him.

He caught himself before he hit the wall, laughing against the top of her head. She was on his side one second and then in his lap, wrapping her arms and legs around him like a toddler. This was the Moon he loved.

"You're my everything, Mr. Khan," she whispered against his shoulder. "I love you, and without you, I couldn't do any of this."

He slid his hand down her back, curling his fingers around her thighs. "I'll never get tired of hearing you say that."

She pressed against him, her fingers buried in his hair. "Amir, I've missed you so much. You have no idea."

"I . . . I have some idea." Amir flashed a smile as he connected into her mind, into her memories, while she was distracted from him. "You've missed me." At that point, he was at a loss for words. Her being this close after so long was the best kind of torture. He felt each breath she took in every part of her body, some more than others. Really inappropriate, but she had a powerful emotional hold on him. Common sense went right out the window.

Luna sighed quietly, her gaze searching his, and then she reclaimed the gap, and the kiss was half innocent, half passionate, and completely enjoyable. His grip on her back tightened when she tilted her head, and although the kiss started softly, he completely took it somewhere else. He deepened the kiss, putting all of his anxiety into it, every second they'd been apart, and all of his feelings for her into it. Her breathy moan rocked him to his core, and when she moved, it nearly wrecked him.

Amir grabbed her hips and pushed her back. It was the last thing he wanted to do. "Remember, we have an audience."

Color crept up her throat and splashed across her face. "You're right. Darn it."

"No. The bathroom," he said, noticing her surprised expression. "They've explained some things to me."

"What things?" she mumbled.

"About where the cameras are located."

Her rosy cheeks faded, and she clambered out of his lap. She returned to his side, her stare narrow. After a few moments, she exhaled deeply. "We have to be careful."

"I know." That statement didn't offend him.

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Amir, I did something . . ."

He placed two fingers over her mouth and shifted her attention back to him. "It's fine," he said, looking her in the eyes. "I saw what happened between you and Sam, and they told me about—"

"I did something you'll never forgive me for," she said quickly, slipping her hand between her bent knees. "I didn't mean to."

Concern grew within him, but he forced a smile. "You don't have to talk about it." He slid his arm back around her shoulders, drawing her in closer. There was no resistance. She sank into his side, her fingers curled into his shirt. He kissed her on the lips and spoke softly. "I'm going to get us out of here before things get too bad. I don't want you to do anything."

She lifted her head, her hand clenched around his sleeve. "Do you have a plan?" she wondered.

He leaned in close to her ear. "Baby, they're watching us, and I can't say anything. And I don't want to give them an excuse to keep us apart."

She nodded in agreement, but her mouth tightened. "Have you seen what they've been up to in here?"

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Not a lot. I just know that this place seems to be worse than St. Matthew's, and I vaguely remember anything from there."

"Any facility they control is horrible," she grumbled, running her nose against his.

She crossed her leg over him, and that pretty color crept back into her cheeks, complicating matters. He moved his hand up her arm, sensing her shivering. "What would I give for some privacy right now? Not just the bathroom."

Her lashes dipped and she laughed. "You're a disaster."

"Only around my moon."

Her expression darkened. "I have a feeling something bad is about to happen that we won't be able to stop."

"Don't even think about that."

"It's hard not to. The rest of the world is . . . According to what I've been told, it's not pleasant."

After a brief pause, Amir held her cheek, his thumb smoothing over the delicate bone. A few seconds passed.

"I miss our family," she said quietly, and his heart sank. "And I miss Sarah."

He was speechless. Telling her that he felt the same way wouldn't cut it. He missed Faisal, and she had no idea he was aware of what she'd done. He'd finally gotten a clearer picture of what had happened after connecting to her mind. His cousin inadvertently walked into a battle between her and Sam. They made sure he'd get hit by the energy from her hand.

Understanding the circumstances had nearly killed him, so as he sought a distraction, he reacquainted himself with the angles of her face, the graceful column of her neck, and the slope of her shoulders. "Tell me what you've been dreaming about." A second passed, then he added, "Other than me, of course."

She chuckled. "I want to adopt a Mogwai."

"A what?"

Luna's lashes still fanned her cheeks, but she was finally smiling, and some of the pressure on his chest lifted. "It's so unfair that the family in Gremlins got to adopt Gizmo." She continued after he buried his face in her neck and laughed. "Liberty and I were obsessed with the little creature. We'd even fought over a stuffed animal of him. I took care of him most of the time, and I even made sure he wasn't fed after midnight or gotten wet. And when it started raining, Little Gizmo hid under my shirt until we were out of the drizzle."

Amir leaned his chin on her brow and smiled at the image of the little brown and white furball-sprouting pods. "I'm picturing us with a Mogwai."

"Seriously?" She moved in closer, slipping her fingers into his shirt.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and took his first deep breath in weeks. "Yeah. If I had one, I'd definitely feed it after midnight. That Mohawk gremlin was iconic."

He felt about a thousand pounds lighter after she laughed again, the sound fluttering inside him. "You'd have a great relationship with a gremlin," she said.

"Of course! It's because of my spunky personality!"

"All we have to do is cut your hair into a Mohawk."

Amir raised a brow. "Do you want me to have a Mohawk?"

Luna nodded.

"Okay, fine. Challenge accepted."

"All right, Mo." She kissed the corner of his mouth.

Amir looked up and bit her lip. "Gizmo."

She laughed and pushed back. "We have an infinite amount of nicknames for each other, don't we?"

He grinned. "All the time."

"I think we're on the verge of setting the World Record For Spousal Nicknames."

His hand ran across the back of her neck, tugging her forward. "I like the way that sounds."

When the door to the room suddenly opened, Luna jerked just as Amir did. He turned around to see Alisha Bankole and Major Thibeau standing beside Greer at the doorway.

She groaned and hopped off of him, snarling at them.

"I'm assuming you're both now . . . happy?" Alisha was curious. "Are you ready for more testing?"

Amir snorted. "We're never ready, Mrs. Bankole."

Which was the truth.

What awaited outside the room was unknown.

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Did anyone catch that? Amir dreamed of the SAME FUTURE that Luna did at the start of Book Three. And Tethered History tells us that Amir's dreams come true. So many conflicts, and so many discoveries to go. I can say, both Amir and Luna are embarking on a new shared ability (that started early in the series!), and I cannot wait for it to be unveiled. *ah!*