“You’re changing it up.” Mack tipped his head to me. “Full or half rack?”
“Just half. I’m having ice cream later.”
His crooked teeth gleamed as he smiled. “You and your mom binge watching again?”
I winked. “You know it.” It was a tradition on Friday nights. Ever since we stopped moving everywhere, we tried to make an effort to spend time together. Even if my Blood Tree were tomorrow, it wouldn’t stop our pre-weekend ritual. “Do you want to know what we’re watching this time?”
He snorted. “Not really.”
I shrugged and turned my attention back to Jerry. “Anyway…what did you say?”
Jerry shook his head, used to my ways. “Anything new?”
I tapped my fingers on the bar, my words blunt. “Julius and I finally did the deed.”
“Holy shit.” He sat back on his chair, his grin wicked. “About damn time.”
I stole a fry from his plate. “Yeah, I know.”
Jerry’s grin gradually faded. His black brows furrowed, and he cleared his throat. His words were hesitant. “Is there…uh…anything you want to talk about? Do you have any questions about your encounter that—”
I slapped a hand over his mouth. “You can stop. It was fine.” I grinned and removed my hand from his face. “It was better than fine, actually.”
“Good.” He cleared his throat again, definitely uncomfortable with his offer of help. He slapped my back. Twice. Like a guy coming off a baseball field who had just hit a home run. “That’s good.”
I snickered. “You suck at this stuff.”
His cheeks actually flushed. First time for everything. “I know. I’m working on it.” He stretched his shoulders and relaxed on his chair. His dark eyes met mine, and the confident and cocky man was back. “How the hell did you get that prude to give in?”
“He’s not a prude.” No way in hell was he a prude. He had proved that last night. “Let’s just say I surprised him…and a full moon may have worked its magic.”
He stared. Eyed me. Then tipped his head back and laughed.
I grinned. Jerry had a nice laugh—which was rare to hear.
“So a little voodoo action?”
“Something like that.”
He shrugged his left shoulder. “Hey, whatever works.”
I winked. “Exactly.”
Jerry held the glass door open for me. “I’ll see you around.”
“Yep. Later-later.” I stepped outside the diner, still wiping barbecue sauce from my mouth. I glanced at my watch. “Shit. I’m late.” It was a half-hour past the time I was supposed to be at the cleaners. I nibbled on my bottom lip. Jerry and I had chatted too long. Mom was going to kill me. “I probably won’t make it there in time before they close.”
“Where?” His brows dipped low over his eyes. “Do you need help with something?”
I grabbed my key from my pocket and rushed to my car down the street. I shouted over my shoulder, “No help needed. I’ll either get there in time or I won’t.”
He waved farewell, but ordered loudly, “Wear your seatbelt if you’re going to speed!”
I grinned and slammed my car door shut. I was definitely going to break a few laws to get there in time. I buckled in, started my car, and shot out into traffic.
Three stoplights ran and twenty miles per hour over the speed limit—the entire way there—I made it. Just as they were starting to lock the door. I rushed out of my car and banged on the glass door.
They had mercy on my poor soul. I shoved the gown into my large purse, paid them a little extra—thank you, Mom—and happily walked outside.
Only to have brutal arms grab me from behind.
My mouth opened to yell, but a sweaty palm landed over it in the fading light. I dug my feet into the ground and shoved my shoulders forward, but the man holding me captive drug me easily into the dark alleyway next to the cleaners.
I bit down into his palm and tasted blood. He grunted behind me. Panic had me kicking backward in self-preservation, and I connected with his kneecap. A sickening crunch rent the cooling air as his knee snapped backward. He shouted in agony and his arms loosened around my torso.
I shoved back as hard as I could with my elbows.
He lost his footing, wobbling on one leg.
And fell backward.
Ting.
Such an innocent sound.
It was the slightest vibration from the dumpster.
Where his head hit.
Poised on the balls of my feet to run, I stalled.
The stranger wasn’t moving. At all.
Dark liquid pooled around his head onto the asphalt.
My adrenaline pumped for a whole different reason.
I kicked an empty soda can aside and dropped to my knees next to him. Uncaring if it was too hard, I whacked his face. “Wake up!” The blood pouring from his head started to soak into my jeans, the warmth of it making my stomach roll. I smacked him again. “Hey, asshole! Wake up!”
No movement.
“Oh, God. Oh, God.” I leaned down and placed my ear to his mouth. “Fucking shit!”
He wasn’t breathing.
I felt for a pulse.
Nothing.
“This can’t happen. This can’t happen.” I jumped to my feet, determined that this man wasn’t going to die. In the dark shadows on the other side of the dumpster, there was a back door to the cleaners. They had to be in there still. One of them could know CPR. I shoved forward, digging out my cell phone, preparing to call 911. Eyes on my phone, I grabbed the door handle. Thank God, it turned; it wasn’t locked. With blood covering my hands and clothes, I stepped inside, my mouth open to scream for help.
But I froze solid.
Inside the back of the cleaners…
Well, it wasn’t the cleaners.
Forty sets of eyes stared back at me. Forty people. The room I was in was dark, quietly lit by sconces on the walls. It was a massive room with couches and televisions on the walls.
It reminded me of the grand hall of the Light Elves.
But every person—except one in the right corner—had black hair. All of them. With black hair.
I had…just walked through the front door of the Dark Elves realm. I glanced at the door I still had ahold of. In the shadows, I hadn’t been able to tell. I hadn’t even been thinking.
The door was black wood. Oh… “Shit.”
I blinked at it, and then took two steps backward.
I shut the door in front of me.
The traffic on the street was the only noise.
I stared at the closed door.
Then glanced at the dead man on the ground.
It only took a second before my feet were peddling to the street. I ran. I ran until I arrived at my car. My seatbelt was an afterthought as I sped away.
I went to a cheap motel, too afraid to go home.
To face my mom.
I eventually left her a message far into the night, “Mom, I’ll see you tomorrow at the Blood Tree. I love you.”
Age 20
My eyes were bloodshot. I had a hangover from the booze I had stolen from a homeless man. I might even have bugs in my hair from the disgusting sheets I had slept on.
I had killed a man.
Happy birthday to me.
And I’d had to turn my phone off earlier.
The constant ringing was driving me crazy.
My mom was calling.
Julius was calling.
Susan was calling.
Hell, even Randor tried to call.
I sat in my car all day long, parked next to the lake house. All I had been told was I needed to be near a wooded area before the sun set. The Blood Tree would call me and lead me to my destination. The Light Elves informed the Dark Elves—and vice versa—on the twentieth birthday of any Elf child. They would be there. Light and Dark. Both halves together for the decision.
I rested my head back and stared at the trees in front of my car. The sun was l
owering closer to the horizon. My peaceful time was almost up. I could feel it resonating in my bones. Tonight would be interesting—and not in a pleasing way.
Just as the glare of the sun touched the top of the tree line, I stepped out of my car. I adjusted the silver hooded robe I wore. My feet were bare as ordered. With the top of my head covered with the hood, I stepped onto the grass and marched into the brush. There was no escaping destiny. A person merely had to face it straight on, instead of being blindsided by it.
I swiped my perspiring hands on my robe…and it came as the sun hit the horizon.
My call.
It was a charge to my blood, a pull in my veins. All I had to do was put one foot in front of the other. They knew where to lead to me. My flesh vibrated with a hum of electricity.
My energy.
What made an Elf immortal.
I ran my fingers through the air, each flick of a digit sparking a new current of pleasure-filled pressure through my system. My naked toes curled into the ground with each step, a pulse resonating deep inside the earth and tickling my tiny toes.
It was the best walk of my life.
And the worst.
Dread filled my belly. I was walking straight for the smallest dust storm possible, except it was black and white dust that swirled around each other. A small tornado of power.
My destiny.
With my eyes glued to the revolving magical storm, I clenched my fists and readied myself. I could do this. I could do this. Either way the Blood Tree decided, I was my own person. That would never change. And neither would the fact Julius was my mate—only one per immortal…forever.
Bits of black and white dust brushed my face the closer I drew. I blinked against the sparking charge that pelted my exposed flesh. It didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t pleasant, either. It was raw energy pulling me in.
I sucked in a harsh breath and crossed my arms, my feet skidding across the grass. There was no turning back now, the trees surrounding shaking with the force. The power had ahold of me. I closed my eyes as the energy storm swallowed me whole.
Then silence.
There was no wind. My cloak no longer fluttered.
There was no grass. My feet rested on a cold, hard ground.
I opened one eye, and then the other. Both widened.
I stood inside a room filled with Elves. And one hell of a huge tree in the center.
On the right, the Light Elves stood silently on a curving staircase all the way to the top.
On the left, the Dark Elves stood quietly on an identical staircase all the way up.
The right side had light shining down on them from an unknown source, their white hooded cloaks glowing with pureness. While the left stood in shadows from the tree, their black cloaks obscuring even their features. I couldn’t see the top of the balcony on the Dark side—it was pitch black up there—but I could see Julius sitting on a chair at the top, the farthest Light Elf away from me. It was least powerful to the most powerful. A foot of distance separated him and Samuel, a railing set on each side, with a drop to the floor between them. Always separated.
I squinted, trying to see the most powerful of the Dark side. But it was too…dark.
My mom stood on the ground level with me. She was posed right next to the tree, wearing her white cloak. Her chest lowered in relief at the sight of me. Her grin would have lit my soul if I weren’t so frightened. She gestured for me to come forward.
I lowered my arms to my sides, counted to ten in my head, and then walked directly in front of the Blood Tree. My eyes flicked up. What I had initially thought were leaves on the branches were actually green birds. Small birds all staring down at me as if they wanted to peck my eyes out. I shivered and hurried to peer away, my attention on my mother.
Her hood was far over her forehead, but her green eyes held mine. Her voice was strong and proud as she stated loudly, “Today, my daughter, Kenna Julius, mate to Julius, receives her immortality.” And designation. The sleeve of her robe hung in a sweeping arc as she raised her arm and pointed to the ceremonial knife on the table next to her. “Kenna, if you would, please?”
I swallowed down bile and picked up the knife.
I knew this part.
I placed the tip of it to my left index finger and pressed. A small pool of blood formed on my finger around the blade. I sat the sharp object back onto the table. My eyes stared at the deep grooves of bark on the Blood Tree.
I inhaled. Exhaled.
And placed my bleeding finger against the tree.
The power that jarred my system sent me crashing to my knees. I threw both hands down to the ground to stop from completely falling on my face.
My limbs shook with raw energy.
Caws of birds filled the air, so loud it was near deafening.
I lifted my head. The tree and birds…were black.
I groaned and closed my eyes. “Mom, I’m so sorry.”
She grabbed my wrist and jerked me to my feet. The birds quieted, but their black wings still beat the air. “This can’t be right.” She shook her head. “You’ve experienced none of the warning signs.”
I pulled my arm back. My words were quiet. “I have.”
“Damn, this is bad,” a male whispered on the right.
Mom’s eyes rounded. “What have you done?” Her head jerked up to look at Julius. “What has he done…”
I shook my head, not looking anywhere near my mate. “It’s not his fault.”
“Did you have sex with him?”
“Mom.”
Her voice quieted to a peculiar calm. “Answer the question.”
I closed my eyes against the onslaught. “Yes.”
“Have you been to the Dark realm?”
I opened my eyes and stared straight into hers. “Yes.”
Her nostrils flared, her tone whisper soft. “Have you killed someone?”
“Yes.”
The quiet that descended on the Elves was immense.
“When did this happen?” Julius’s voice boomed throughout the room. His tone was so frightening the birds froze in place. “Tell me now, Kenna.”
I ground my jaw together and lifted my gaze. My mate was standing and squeezing the railing in a white-knuckled grip. His hood had fallen back and his normally pristine white hair was a chaotic mess all over his head. His cheeks were rosy red and his lips were formed into a thin line.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
“Now, Kenna!”
“Last night!” I shouted, throwing my arms wide. “A would-be rapist pulled me into an alley. I fought him off and he hit his head. It was an accident. I went for help, but I ended up in the Dark realm.”
His blazing eyes held mine for so long.
I wasn’t sure he was even breathing.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered again.
My chest constricted as he turned.
And placed his back to me.
“Julius?”
He dropped his head and placed his forehead onto his right palm.
“Julius…”
My mate didn’t move. Didn’t speak.
“Asshole,” Mom muttered under her breath. Her gaze darted back to mine. She stared at whatever expression I was wearing. “None of that. Not right now.”
I sucked in a harsh lung full and blinked until my eyes no longer burned with tears.
Mom was still in shock, but she gestured to the left side of the room. She choked, “Go find your place.”
Keeping my mouth shut, I nodded my head.
My bare feet were chilled on the ground, and as I trekked closer to the Dark Elves, my entire body was freezing. It was fear that gripped me hard, unknowing these people, the new family I was to enter. I stepped next to the first Elf on the ground level. The magic didn’t stop me, so I kept moving, passing person after person.
The power of the Blood Tree would stop me when my magic level was lower than someone in line. The tips of my toes touched the stairs. I lifted one foot after another
, climbing the curving staircase. When I was halfway up, I no longer watched the Dark Elves faces. Each one was pissed when I passed them by.
Murmurs from the Light and Dark stilted the air when I reached the balcony. The Elves were seated up here, so I kept my head down, watching where I stepped in the darkness. Closer and closer, I drew to the end of the line. Until my head bashed into an invisible barrier.
I halted and lifted a hand. I pressed against the air, and I could go no further.
I was directly next to the original Dark Elf.
His second in command, sitting next to him growled a nasty curse. “Samuel, this is bullshit. I am one of the ten you created. It’s not possible for a twenty-year-old to be more powerful than I am.”
A hush fell on the room. I continued to stare at my toes peeking out underneath my cloak.
The man directly next to me, Samuel, cleared his throat, and then he stated evenly, “The Blood Tree doesn’t lie, Valkor. She now sits next to me.”
My eyes widened, and I jerked my head to the side. “Jerry?” My mouth bobbed seeing my friend. “What the fuck are…”
His black brows lifted. “You were saying?”
Oh. My teeth clicked as I shut my mouth. “Really? You spied on me that entire time?” Dark Elf. Scheming and manipulative.
His lips curved into a cruel smile. “I would watch over any of mine.”
I snorted. “I was supposed to be a Light Elf.”
“That was a wish.” He gestured to the seat next to him. The one Valkor grudgingly vacated. “This is your reality.” His head tilted to my mate, who was standing against the railing splitting us apart. Staring silently. “And he is an asshole. Your mother was right—even if for different reasons.”
My lips pinched. I turned my attention to my mate.
Narrowed onyx eyes lifted from Samuel.
His gaze found mine.
Until he turned and walked away.
I glared at Jerry…Samuel. “Where are we going?”
“To your house so you can change into normal clothes.” The original Dark Elf glanced away from the road and eyed my features. “It’s your first night as an immortal. You need to feed.”
My nose scrunched. “Where do we do that? A prison?”
His lips twitched, and he turned his attention back to his driving. Of my car. “While that is quite entertaining, we won’t be having a felon party.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I thought I would start you slow. We’ll go to the city park.”
Blood Tree: Silver Edition Page 5
