by Scott, Helen
I heard shouting and screaming and felt like my whole body was on fire. It could have lasted as little as a few seconds, but it felt like it took an eternity. Everything hurt, and I was left reeling when the pain finally stopped. Much like anything that intense, I felt the aftershocks for a while.
When I had my wits about me, I was able to open my eyes and look around. We’d been thrown back and smacked against the trees once more, well, once more for Keir, at least. I felt like I’d been electrocuted, and when I saw the Lichtenberg figure on the ceiling, which no longer contained a realistic sun and moon but a simple painted version of them, I knew that we actually had been. Nothing like getting struck by lightning to brighten someone’s day.
A groan next to me had me looking over Keir and Cade, as Marcella rushed over and was busy checking us all over while my eyes drifted to the second oldest being in the room, Darius. The Enforcer had been thrown backward as well and was staring at the bed from where he’d landed as though he had been hoping the whole time that it wouldn’t work.
Once I was sure that the others were okay, my eyes followed his line of sight and found that the body on the bed was now breathing and out of nowhere, I could suddenly hear a heartbeat, whereas before there was silence.
The sound seemed to fill the small space, echoing around and reverberating until it was all I could hear. I noticed that the others seemed to feel the same way. Darius had raised his hands, covering his ears as though it was physically hurting him to hear the Sire’s heartbeat. Gideon was braced against the wall, while Barclay seemed to be more affected than the rest of us since he looked like he’d been beaten down, and was on his hands and knees on the floor.
Marcella screamed and we all pivoted toward her. My eyes didn’t know what to make of it at first, but blood was pouring from her ears and nose. Not only was I terrified, but my Vampire was terrified as well, which was a problem. It was like Arthur was putting off some kind of energy that was hurting her the most.
“We need to get out of here!” I yelled, trying to make myself heard over the rumbling thunder and the pounding of Arthur’s heartbeat.
I grabbed Marcella and swung her up into my arms, while Darius and the others crawled toward the stairs. As soon as we reached them, the overwhelming pressure and presence of the Sire seemed to ease off, and with it, Marcella stopped bleeding from her ears and nose—thank fuck. When we made it down the stairs, my own pain lessened even more.
Without consciously making a plan, we all seemed to move at the same time. We ran, using full-on Vampire speed, and within a minute we were back on the surface and the pain had eased. Marcella was quivering in my arms, and her face was smeared with blood, which had splashed onto me as well from the speed we had been moving.
“Some warning that was going to happen would have been nice,” Gid quipped with a groan to no one in particular, as he collapsed onto the wet grass.
It had clearly been a true storm up here. The ground was even more soaked than before, and the wind was still whipping about with thunder rumbling in the distance. None of that was my concern though, all of my energy in that moment was focused on Marcella, and trying to fix whatever hurt she had suffered from being too close to Arthur when his consciousness was rejoining his body.
4
Marcella
Why hello, little one.
I blinked at the appearance of the new voice in my head. It was surprisingly easy to get used to having six different voices in there, but this seventh one?
Nope, wasn’t going to work.
Why? Because it rasped against my nerve endings in a way that couldn’t be healthy. It was only now when I felt this other presence inside my mind that I realized the magnitude of the ability I had with my men.
The dick Masters at Westbrook had never taught any of the Sixths that telepathy was a side effect of joining with a brotherhood, so I knew this gift was exactly that—a gift. But after the recent past, I just couldn’t look at it with warmth or joy. This talent had been bestowed upon us for a reason. Everything came with a cost, and I just wasn’t sure how much I could keep on paying without finally hitting the overdraft fee.
Still, as alien as this presence was, it made me appreciate how my mates could speak to me and give my brain a little bit of a buzz. Cerebral orgasms were totally a thing, it seemed.
Who are you? I asked, deciding to stop thinking and start doing. Which, not surprisingly, was easier said than done considering I was aiming the question at the ether because I couldn’t direct it at anyone in particular, not like I did with my mates. This is weird, I whispered, hoping that the other man was actually hearing me. Are you Arthur? The Sire? I tacked on, because it was better to be respectful than for him to smote me, Ten-Commandments style.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the likelihood of the person talking to me was Arthur. Situated the way we were above his tomb, who the fuck else would be blasting into my brain like they had every right?
Indeed, was the purred response. Aren’t you an unusual one.
It wasn’t a question, more of a statement, and I tensed at hearing the words from one as powerful as he. After having seen his tomb, the power it must drain to maintain those levels of shields, as well as keep it in such pristine condition, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the hell the man could pull, but he considered me odd?
Great.
Talk about a compliment.
Peering around, I saw my mates standing around bickering, but I wasn’t wholly involved. I couldn’t even hear what they were arguing about. Far as I knew, there was nothing to discuss other than how fast we could get off Westbrook land. Any discussions regarding our next destination could occur en route. But the logic behind their argument was beyond me. I couldn’t hear it. Suddenly everything had a haze over it. Not just visually either.
My ears—it was like listening to something underwater. I could feel the breeze against my skin, but it felt like it was covered by a blanket that shielded me from it. I could smell my mates, their unique and distinct scents were certainly there, but not packing a punch to my ovaries that was usually the way—a way that had my pursang constantly demanding I fuck them. It felt like my pursang wasn’t even in the fucking building! And taste? Well, I had nothing in my mouth to taste, but I had a feeling that particular sense would also be muted. Especially as the low-level hunger I’d been fighting ever since Darius had bound himself to me as my final mate was dampened too.
My brow puckered in confusion as I took all that in, but eventually, I had to ask, What have you done to me?
You can see the world as it is. How interesting.
More of the weird backhanded compliments.
Great.
Blowing out a breath, I tried to take in the ‘world’ as Arthur called it. It looked like the one I was always meandering through, but it was odd. The haze reminded me of hiking to the peak of a mountain and having to wander through the mist and fog as the altitude changed. It was a gold haze too. Not white or gray like I might have imagined. Everything… Maker! Sparkled?
Like glitter, Arthur rasped, sounding amused. That it was at my expense was a given.
Why? And how do you know what glitter is? I thought that stuff wouldn’t have been around in your day and age.
Of course not. Things were far more boring back then, he grumbled. However, this isn’t my first Awakening. I’ve wandered this world before.
Is that why your tomb looked so new?
It is. But it would look like that whether I awoke after two centuries or two decades.
A breath escaped me at that. How?
That’s a conversation for another time, little one. Now, let me look at you. Three walkers, a shifter, a druid, and a pursang… What an infinitely curious combination. He paused. It makes sense that you would connect more with me. With three walkers, the balance falls in my favor.
He sounded so fucking smug about that that I wished I could ram my fist into his nose. That was another issue with conve
rsing telepathically. When there was no physical entity to attack, it wasn’t as much fun.
Still, it wasn’t like I could argue. It made sense. Three walkers definitely tilted the favor his way, but…
Morgana seems to think she has a hold on me.
A snort. My sister always was deluded. But she is right to a point. You and your full-blood mate are Vampires, and the others are all halflings. Still, the Stained trait stands for more in these circumstances… He trailed off, and I knew he was bored by the conversation. Who sent you for me? Let me guess, Elayne?
His curiosity didn’t faze me. I’d be interested too after my Sleep had been disturbed by seven people sneaking into my tomb and shoving an alarm clock in my face.
Yeah, I told him, reaching up and rubbing my temple as I absorbed his words and this bizarre fog that surrounded me.
The sparkle seemed to gather around objects that had life to them. The ground beneath us, for example, looked as though a glitter bomb had exploded around us. But the men? They sparkled even more than that. In the sky, the birds were the same but on a smaller scale.
What is this? I murmured, needing to know what the hell was going on with my vision.
It’s life. That essence that makes our lungs work, our hearts pump.
Why am I seeing it?
Because I’m scanning you.
Can you stop? I demanded. It’s way too weird.
A hum. I’m surprised you consider this strange considering your recent past.
That had me stiffening. What do you know about that?
Enough. No details, of course, but you’ve come across Morgana and Elayne. That is definitely unusual. Two of my sisters are Awake, and now you come to break me from my Sleep? Nothing normal about this situation.
That had me gnawing on my bottom lip. Can’t you come out and talk to us all?
In good time, in good time. His tone was almost soothing now, and I knew it was to put me at ease, but it was failing. You’re the bond, my dear. It’s more important that I come to know you than I come to know the others.
I released a shaky breath and closed my eyes to let the Sire get on with it. I seemed to fall under the radar of whatever issue the guys were arguing over, my input unnecessary, and for once, I was relieved about that.
I’ve scanned many, and they’ve never seen the essence.
You scan a lot of people? It sounded like the punch line for a bad joke, or the line an X-ray technician might pull on an unlucky lady.
Only those who are worthy.
Worthy? Oh, Maker, no. I mean, I was talking to Arthur. The guy who’d dragged Excalibur out of a stone, for fuck’s sake. This did not bode well.
Indeed. Seemed like the Sire wasn’t about to give that much away. Typical.
Reaching up to rub my temples from the ache that his voice caused in my head, as well as the brewing storm of being considered ‘worthy’ by a Sire, I jerked when Cade touched my shoulder, dragging from this strange world into the one that I lived in. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing,” I lied, my voice so shaky that it belied my remark.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s going on?”
“Arthur’s awake, and he’s in my head,” I whispered, appreciating the way his eyes widened and darkness littered the orbs as he stared at me with all the rage he was feeling.
“Why isn’t he in my head? I’m one of his kind.”
“He says I’m the bond.”
“Why do you look like you’re in pain?”
“Because I am. Whatever he’s doing, it’s making the world look weird.”
“Look weird?”
Keiran’s voice jolted me, made me realize that I’d come to the attention of all my mates. Before I could speak, Darius was there. He hauled me up into his arms like I weighed nothing—and even for a girl who was used to supernatural strength, that was hot as fuck—and strode over to the SUV.
“Where are we going?” I asked, but my voice was soft. Not just because I was dazed by all the glitter that was dusting every-fucking-thing, but because I felt that way.
Darius was taking charge. Of me. He was looking after me, my best interests. Caring for me.
Loving me.
A shudder racked its way down my spine, and I turned my face into his chest, needing him so intrinsically at this moment that I didn’t know what to do with myself.
“We’re getting out of here,” he stated grimly.
I reached up and cupped his throat. “Okay.”
His lips twitched, breaking the stern line he’d made with them a second ago. “Okay? No argument?”
“No, I want off Westbrook land. I hate being here.”
“Wait a second. What about Arthur?” Barclay called.
“He’s Awake,” I said.
“But he’s not out here.”
Oh, Barclay. Ever the King of the Obvious.
I sighed. “No. But he’s been having a conversation with me, so I assume he’s on the way to getting out of bed sometime this century.”
Darius stiffened, and he paused his fast stride. “This century?”
“Just teasing,” I murmured. “I think he’ll be out of the tomb soon.”
“Can’t you ask him?”
Raven was suddenly in front of me, and I wasn’t sure when that had happened. I reached out to cup his face, loving the strong lines of his jaw, and the hard Cupid’s bow that rarely quirked into a smile unless he was being sarcastic with it. His eyes glittered like gems that had been shoved into a fire for hours on end. Burning forever but never breaking.
Swallowing as I saw the gold glitter in his irises, I whispered, “I don’t want to.”
Now I’m offended.
My brow puckered as pain jerked its way through me again. I almost fell from Darius’s arms as my body stiffened and then went slack in response to the words after a brief respite from the pain that resulted from Arthur being in my head.
Fainting or swooning wasn’t on the docket, but fuck, it was a relief to pass out.
* * *
Gideon
Panic swirled inside me when Marcella slumped in Darius’s arms. Striding over to her, I called on the same runes as she had earlier with Keiran. The agony in my bones was beyond anything I’d ever experienced and I’d just been fucking poisoned. I struggled through it, fought to call on the powers from the earth and the wind around me, but whenever I tried to funnel the healing talents to her, I couldn’t.
I staggered to my knees as panic and desperation swirled around inside me, but it was the pain of trying that had me tumbling to the floor.
I tried again, but it was like she was surrounded by a goddamn Faraday cage.
Something blocked me.
“Yes. I am.”
I jerked back at the words, but it was the voice that had me pushing the remnants of agony to the side and surging to my knees. Intent on attacking whoever the fuck was hurting Marcella, on razing him to the ground, I let my pursang drag to the fore and practically launched myself in the direction of the attacker. Before I even thought about connecting, I jerked back, my pursang was outraged but the druid was just fucking bewildered.
The man was naked.
Butt naked.
I blinked at him. “Who the fuck are you?”
The male smirked. “Guess.” He jerked his thumb back at the opening to his tomb, then stared around the world as though he was a newborn, and figuratively speaking, I guessed he was.
He wasn’t interested in the trenches Marcella had made to rupture through the shields to his tomb, didn’t care about the damage to the environment from the earthquake he’d triggered, no, his focus was on our SUV.
“What is it?” He tilted his head to the side.
Cade, ever Cade, stated, “Why the fuck can I see your cock?”
The Sire waved his hand in disinterest. “You’ve seen one before, I’d assume.”
Cade scowled. “Uh, yeah, but I don’t like seeing random cocks. Where the fuck are your
clothes?”
“I sleep raw,” was all the male said to that. “And what is this?”
“It’s an SUV,” was Cade’s reply.
“SUV?” Arthur asked, tilting his head to the side like a confused puppy. “What does that mean?”
“S.U.V.” Cade shrugged. “Sport Utility Vehicle. It means we can take it off the road if we have to.”
“Off-road.” He tapped his chin. “There was nothing like this back when I was last here.”
“They’re new... What?” Cade looked around at us. “Nineties?”
“Thereabouts.” Darius, with Marcella as limp as fucking two-week-old celery in his arms, demanded, “What did you do to her?”
“I had to make sure she was worthy.”
For a second, his words didn’t penetrate. Then I gaped at him, the naked motherfucker who thought he had the right to judge my woman. I didn’t give a fuck if he was one of the Sires, didn’t give a fuck if his power could frazzle me faster than a lightning bolt to the heart.
“Say that again and prepare to lose your balls,” I ground out.
But Keiran, ever calm, merely asked, “Worthy of what?”
He sounded perplexed. Like what Arthur had done wasn’t an abomination, dammit!
“Why the fuck does that matter?” I spat. “He has no right to judge Marcella.”
Arthur’s lips curved, and the fucker looked more amused than he had the right to when his balls were the target of my displeasure. “Fear not, druid. I mean your woman no harm.”
“No? Then why the fuck is she unconscious?”
“Because,” he said with an irritated sigh, “I had to scan her and deem her worthy—which she is.”
Reading between the lines didn’t exactly lessen my anger. “You mean if she hadn’t passed whatever the hell it is you did to her, she would be in danger?”
