Bad Memory

~ Questions Without Answers ~

"His eyes are so green," I said under my breath.

"You recognize him?" Warner asked hopefully.

I shook my head again as I set the photo down. "I'm sorry."

"Sure you are," Quade muttered.

"I would do anything to help take them down," I insisted. "But I really don't remember."

"It's alright, Shiloh," General Warner told me. "But if you do end up remembering anything, tell Ezra. He knows how to contact us."

I nodded.

"Do you have any questions before we leave?"

I had so many. But I knew their question was a pleasantry, not an invitation. Besides, Ezra could hopefully help me fill in some of the gaps. "Could you take the handcuffs off, please?" I asked.

General Warner smiled. "Of course. Let me go get the key from security. And I'll send your husband back in, too."

Once Warner exited the room, I became acutely aware that I was chained to a bed in a room alone with General Quade. The general didn't scare me as much as the Shadows, but he certainly came close. And as he smirked when my heart rate spiked again, I had a feeling he knew it.

"Precious Shiloh," he drawled as he walked closer.

"Ezra will be back any minute," I said, my voice not coming out as confident as I had intended.

"Oh, yes. Your husband," he said, dragging out the word as he got even closer. "Think, Shiloh. There's only one reason those terrorists would have kept you alive that long. And when dear Ezra figures out that you're no longer the pure little prize he was promised, he'll toss you out. But don't worry. I'll still take you. I don't care that someone else had you first. I'm going to have you last."

I had dealt with Quade's vile comments for years, but for some reason, I was finding it difficult to ignore them now. I found myself speaking before I could even think about stopping myself.

"I don't have any memory of my Binding Ceremony," I said coolly. "It's unfortunate. I wish I could remember the look on your face when I picked Ezra over you."

But my words didn't pierce him the way I had hoped they would. Quade simply smiled. "Ezra can't handle you," he said as he twirled one of the tubes attached to me with his finger. "But I can. I look forward to breaking you one day, Shiloh."

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew both our attention to the door. Warner had returned with a key and my husband.

Quade stepped away from me quickly, making space for Warner to unlock my handcuffs. As he did, Quade moved near Ezra. "I wish you both nothing but happiness," he said in an overly saccharine tone.

"Thank you, sir," Ezra responded simply, either not picking up on Quade's tone or choosing to ignore it.
With my hand now freed, both generals left the room.

"Are you okay?" Ezra asked gently.

"Four years?"

Ezra gave me a sad smile. "You're here now."

"Why didn't you call it off?"

Four years was a long time. He would have been well within his rights to move on to someone else.

"You're worth waiting for," he answered. The smile that spread across his face with his answer was completely disarming - effortless, genuine, kind. The kind of smile you could tell wasn't intentional. It was just a natural manifestation of someone's emotion.

"How did we meet?" I asked him.

"On your Binding Day. I didn't expect you to pick a stranger. But when you did...it was the happiest day of my life."

Ezra's words wrapped around me like a warm blanket. I was beyond thankful to have him.

"Do I get to go home with you now?"

"They're going to release you tomorrow. You can stay with your parents until you're ready to move in with me."

"I'm ready now," I blurted out.

Ezra's brow creased. "Maybe we should give you time to recover before you rush into this."

I shook my head. The past four years might have been traumatic, but I didn't remember any of it. Maybe that was intentional. Maybe that was my brain's way of blocking out whatever they did to me.

What I knew was that I had a perfect man sitting next to me-more perfect than I could have conjured in my dreams - wanting to start a family with me. That had been my goal since I was a little girl, and I was going to make it happen as soon as possible.

"If you're sure," he said.

"I am."

Before either of us could say anything else, my mother barged back into the room with my father.

"Sorry," my father apologized to Ezra. "The doctor told us that Shiloh needs her rest, and my wife wanted to make sure to get a chance to say goodbye."

"That's alright," Ezra replied. "Shiloh and I will have plenty of time to get acquainted when I bring her home tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" my mother protested before falling silent at my father's grip on her shoulder and steely expression on his face.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Abbott," Ezra assured smoothly. "I'll take good care of her."

My mother looked unconvinced, but with my father's hand firmly on her shoulder, all she could do was nod.

A medical assistant entered the room with a more cheerful expression than any other staff member I had encountered at that point. "Visiting time is over," he announced happily. "But you're all welcome back in the morning."

My mother barreled towards me, once again squeezing me so tightly that that I wanted to cry out from the pain. "I love you so much, baby," she told me as she buried her head in my hair.

My father simply nodded. "See you tomorrow, Shi," he said before escorting my mother out of the room by the waist.

"Is that your nickname? Shi?"

I found Ezra looking at me with a soft expression, a smile playing across his lips.

"You can call me as you please," I replied.

Ezra grabbed my hand and gave it a kiss so soft I could barely feel it. "Until tomorrow, Shi," he murmured.

He gave me one last smile before leaving my room. It was infectious; I grinned as I closed my eyes and fell back into the bed.

The assistant approached with a syringe. He held it upright, squirted out a bit of liquid, and then inserted it into my IV line.

"This should help you fall asleep in no time," he said with a gentle smile.

Drowsiness hit me quicker than I had expected. I tried to keep my eyelids open, but they were simply too heavy. They slammed shut, plunging me into darkness.

But before I could fall asleep fully, I heard the medical assistant speak again - this time, his tone serious.

"The Shadows will find you," he whispered in my ear. "They're coming for you. And they won't give up until they get you back."