Vote Then Read: Volume I

by Carly Phillips

  Because she’ll never truly be mine…

  His lips flattened. Since when did he care about the long term? Was it the element of the forbidden that taunted him into these thoughts and feelings? The fact that their relationship was a true impossibility, therefore making it safe to yearn for more? But why bother? Issac preferred one-night stands, easy relationships with no strings or expectations. Why would Astasiya be any different?

  He shook his head. This isn’t me. He needed to rein in these wayward inclinations and refocus on the task—to introduce Astasiya to the future.

  And for that, he needed Lucian. Her destiny.

  Okay, someone’s angry, Stas thought, gaping after Issac. He’d just stormed out of the room, his shoulders tense, hands fisted at his sides.

  And whatever he’d just done to Balthazar… wow. The man was still recovering, hands on his knees, his breathing harsh.

  “Why is he so pissed?” she asked, confused as hell. She didn’t want to be the object of an experiment. Was that really so infuriating?

  “No, it’s my fault,” Balthazar said, coughing. “I underestimated his fondness for you and pushed too far.” He shook his head and finger-combed his dark hair, righting himself. “Not that I regret a minute of it.”

  His licentious gaze made her snort. Sure, he was attractive—almost lethally so—but she only had room for one too-gorgeous man in her life right now.

  “I’m more than mere looks, sweetheart,” he murmured, his tone one that alluded to silky sheets and long nights spent naked between them. “Why else would your Issac feel so threatened?”

  She swallowed. First, not my anything. Second, I’m not even going to consider the first comment. Because if she did, she might believe him, and the last thing she wanted to do was fantasize about a mind reader.

  “Ah, but fantasy makes it all so much more interesting.” Sensuality seemed to ooze from his pores, his handsome face and deep voice a combination that no doubt brought most women to their knees. “Men, too,” he added for her.

  Her gaze narrowed. “You must get the biggest headache reading minds all the time.”

  “He loves it,” a deep voice drawled from the doorway. “B?”

  “She’s not a threat, but I would be happy to search her more thoroughly.” The wicked twinkle in his gaze only added to the smile he flashed her.

  A charmer—not in a creepy way but in an experienced way.

  This man knew how to seduce women, and if she weren’t so wrapped up in Issac, she might be more intrigued.

  “That won’t be necessary,” the newcomer replied, stepping into view.

  Her lips parted. Are all of Issac’s friends gorgeous? Because fuck, she couldn’t handle more of these guys. She had enough between Balthazar and Issac. Now she had a third.

  Lizzie would be losing her shit.

  Stas just, well, stared.

  “Can you give us the room?” the new male asked, his authority clear in both tone and stature. Tall, broad shoulders, sturdy jaw dusted in blond stubble, and emerald eyes that seemed to pierce her to her very soul.

  Why does he look so familiar? She tried to place the features, but the connection refused her. It wasn’t him she recognized, but something about him.

  “Be careful with this one, Luc,” Balthazar warned as he walked by him. “Issac has her all riled up.” He glanced back at her, devious energy smoldering in the depths of his chocolate irises. “I look forward to getting acquainted, Stas. Let me know when you’re ready for a real immortal.”

  The new male demigod—because what else could she call these guys? (They certainly weren’t human)—shook his head with a chuckle while shutting the door.

  “B will never learn,” he said, more to himself than to her.

  B is a nickname for Balthazar. Got it.

  And what was this guy’s name? She’d been too consumed by his size and striking features to hear it. Those features only grew more powerful and gorgeous as he approached her.

  “I’m Lucian, but call me Luc.” He held out a palm that was twice the size of hers.

  Yep, definitely some sort of god. “Stas,” she managed on a squeak as she shook his hand.

  He released her from his hold, his shake firm and quick. “Yes, I know.” He flashed her a devastating smile that had her taking a sharp breath.

  Okay, so not only did Issac belong to the hot-bachelor club, but he also seemed to be part of some sort of secret society for lethally attractive men. This… was distracting.

  “You can’t read minds, right?” she asked, realizing that her thoughts were going south fast.

  “No, my gift is more strategic. Some call me omniscient, but it’s not the correct term. I also possess a sensual talent, but it’s not relevant to our discussion.”

  “Oh.” A sensual talent? Like a supernatural-style gift or just an overconfident statement about his bedroom skills? Given Balthazar’s introduction, it seemed appropriate to assume the latter.

  What is with these men? No, not men. Gods.

  “I hear you’re gifted with persuasion,” he said, his words dumping a figurative bucket of ice water over her head. “That’s a very unique talent, even more so since you can apparently already access it.”

  She swallowed, unsure of how to reply to that. Where’s Issac? He mentioned telling Aidan about… Her eyes widened. That was how she knew this man. “You look so much like Aidan.” The words left her mouth without thought.

  “Yes, he’s my father.” His eyes crinkled with his smile. “You met him last night, right? During the Conclave?”

  Her palms were clammy. “I… yes.” Wait, did those rules still apply here? She took a step back. Is this man an Ichorian? One who knows about my gifts? Oh, fuck, is he here for me? She searched the room, expecting more of them to appear, but hoping Issac would be among them. Where did he go?

  “Relax,” Luc murmured, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m not your enemy, Stas. I’m actually very much your ally.”

  Yeah, she doubted that. Not after the introduction she received last night, courtesy of Osiris.

  “Issac has explained that you’re a fledgling who will one day become a Hydraian, right?”

  She didn’t trust him enough to answer that, so she said nothing instead.

  “I’m a Hydraian, Stas,” he said softly. “The oldest, actually. Aidan is my Ichorian father, who created me with a mortal mother several millennia ago.”

  Her lips parted. “Several…” She couldn’t finish that phrase. How old is this guy?

  “Balthazar, whom you just met, is nearly as old. I met him during a time you can’t even begin to fathom, and we’ve existed together for thousands of years. It may seem impossible right now, but you can trust us, and you will. Because we’re your future.”

  Issac chose that moment to open the door, his expression far less irritated than before. “When I mentioned bringing some of the others, I didn’t realize you intended to invite an army to my house.”

  Luc grinned. “You’re just sour that B tagged along.”

  “One of these days, I’m going to shoot him.”

  Luc shrugged. “He’ll wake up.”

  “I know. That’s precisely why I’ve not bothered.” Issac stopped beside the blond male, their contrasting appearances giving her whiplash. Women everywhere would weep at the sight.

  This sort of thing should be illegal.

  “I was just introducing myself to your Stas, as she’s apparently unfamiliar with my name.” A hint of accusation lurked in those words.

  “Yes, we’ve not yet touched on Hydraian hierarchy.” His sapphire gaze captured hers. “Lucian is the eldest of his kind. Thus many refer to him as their King.”

  Luc rolled his eyes. “Great introduction.”

  “It’s true.”

  “It’s ridiculous and you know it,” Luc replied, not at all amused. “They consider me a leader because of my vast experience.”

  “He remembers everything,” Issac added h
elpfully. “He’s omniscient.”

  “See, this is what I referred to earlier, Stas. Everyone makes this assumption about my gift, but it’s really just that I store every detail from every experience, of which I’ve had many due to my age.”

  “Otherwise known as omniscience.”

  Luc shook his head. “Not by definition, which states—”

  “Okay,” Stas interrupted, grimacing when both men focused on her. “Sorry, I need some clarifications.”

  “Then you’re definitely in the appropriate company,” Luc replied, smiling. “What can I clarify?”

  Uh, everything. But she chose to start with the basics. “What are the rules for today?” It was something Issac should have covered with her prior to this introduction.

  “There are none,” Issac replied. “This meeting defies them all.”

  Because Hydraians and Ichorians weren’t supposed to consort with one another. Right. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

  “Absolutely.” This from Luc. “But you’re well protected here.”

  “Hence the Guardians taking over my kitchen,” Issac muttered.

  Luc chuckled. “I’m fairly certain the majority of them came to see you, not to protect me. You’re missed on the island.”

  They shared a moment, some hidden conversation flowing between them that left Issac nodding. “I should visit more.”

  “Yes. You should.” The command in Luc’s tone startled Stas. This man truly was a leader, and it showed in the way he gripped and squeezed Issac’s shoulder. But something else lurked between them, something brotherly.

  Aidan is Luc’s biological father.

  Aidan also turned Issac.

  Did that make them family?

  “Where does Amelia fit in all this?” she wondered out loud, earning her an arched brow from Issac.

  “My sister is dead.”

  “Right, I know. I’m just…” She winced, uncertain of how to word it. “This is all, well, confusing.”

  “Aidan is my father,” Luc said, repeating what she already knew. “He was also Amelia’s birth father. Making her a Hydraian, just like me.”

  That was the connection she needed. “So you’re all friends because Aidan created you.”

  “Yes, but not quite.” Issac scratched his stubbled jaw, his expression thoughtful. “My father died when I was two. Then my mother—a widow—met Aidan a year after, and he became her consort of sorts because my mother didn’t wish to give up her title and fortune. Amelia was born shortly after.”

  Meaning Amelia and Issac shared a mother. “And then Aidan turned you into an Ichorian later.”

  He nodded. “Precisely. I grew up with him as my father figure, even referred to him as such for many years. Which is why I consider Lucian a brother.”

  Luc grinned. “In a world of black and white, there is also gray.”

  “Yes. So perhaps now you see why I’m not a fan of our archaic laws, hmm?” His lips quirked at the sides.

  “Why have the laws to begin with?” she asked, still uncertain of that part. “I mean, why would fathers want to hurt their children?” Because clearly they did. Case in point—Owen.

  “Ah, families have fought over much less throughout existence. But in this case, it’s the oldest reason known to man: fear.” Luc’s gaze took on a faraway gleam, seeming to lose himself in the past. It was then that she saw it—his age.

  Like Osiris.

  Luc resembled a normal man. Well, a ridiculously handsome man captured in the body of a god. But not exactly old.

  Yet those eyes held thousands of lifetimes of knowledge.

  “What are they afraid of?” she asked softly, both curious and confused.

  “Power,” Luc murmured, still seemingly lost in his own mind. “And blood.”

  She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  He blinked, refocusing on her. “Hydraians are dually gifted, while Ichorians are singularly powerful. That’s how the jealousy began, long, long ago. Our kind inherits the talents from their fathers and their mothers, both of which manifest during rebirth. Many thought to use us, even isolated us on an island. But then they realized the darkest secret of all, something we kept hidden for nearly two thousand years.”

  Issac’s face was artfully blank, his gaze almost bored. Very unlike Stas, who felt as if Luc had left her on the edge of her seat. “What was the secret?” she asked, hoping he would tell her.

  “Our blood is toxic to Ichorians,” Luc replied. “Which means, Stas, that once you’re reborn as a Hydraian, you will be hunted by every Ichorian in existence. Because not only can a single drop of your blood kill one, but you’ll also be able to persuade them to drink it.”

  20

  A Crumpled Charade

  Issac caught Astasiya’s hip as she swayed, his gaze locking on Lucian. He could have eased her into that truth rather than flaying her alive with it.

  “But… But…” She touched her neck, gingerly stroking the healed mark against her skin. It had disappeared overnight, something that disappointed him more than it should.

  “You’re a fledgling,” he reminded softly, his lips at her ear. “Your blood isn’t venomous to me yet.”

  She clutched his shirt, burying her face against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Lucian raised his brows, the display of affection evidently surprising him.

  “Let’s prepare for dinner,” Issac suggested, knowing Cherie and Robert would be over soon with a feast. “We can discuss more later.” Because they were nowhere near done yet. They hadn’t even skimmed the surface.

  “Can I have a moment?” Astasiya whispered. “Please?”

  “Of course, love.” He kissed her temple and signaled for Lucian to leave with a nod of his head. I’ll handle it.

  The much older man nodded. “I look forward to getting to know you better, Stas.”

  She didn’t return the sentiment, her body shaking against Issac.

  Lucian didn’t press, merely left the two of them alone, the door closing quietly behind him.

  “We’re alone,” he murmured, stroking his fingers through her hair. “I know this is a lot to take in and understand. It’s why I wanted to introduce you to it slowly.” Because he knew it would overwhelm her, specifically when she realized her future—not just that she would become a Hydraian, but also a powerful one. Perhaps the most powerful in existence.

  She would have many enemies.

  Fortunately, she would be equipped to handle herself. There was a reason the Elders survived as long as they did, and they would teach her as they had many others throughout their millennia of existence.

  Rendering me useless to her.

  He pushed that thought away, focusing on the trembling woman in his arms. “Ask me anything,” he whispered. “I’ll answer it.”

  She shook her head, her arms twisting around his waist. “I don’t even know where to start.”

  “You could ask me when or how immortality will occur.” That’s what he wanted to know when Aidan first told him about this world. “And I would tell you it’s your decision. You won’t become a Hydraian until you die, even if it’s a decade from now. As long as your bloodline remains, you’ll be reborn.”

  “My bloodline?”

  “Hmm, yes, it’s speculated the immortality lives in our blood. Destroying it, such as by fire or severing the flow to the mind, are two ways to kill an immortal, including a fledgling.”

  She shuddered. “The Conclave.”

  “Yes, the ceremony is driven by the final death—the only way to guarantee an immortal will not awake.”

  “Owen…”

  He nodded. “Exactly, yes. Whoever killed him knew how to ensure he would be unidentifiable to the authorities, and never rise again. I suspect the same was applied to your parents.”

  “Yes.” She fell silent, her body no longer quivering. He continued combing her hair and lightly rubbing her back, offering what minimal support he could.

  “Lucian and the others are n
othing like the immortals you witnessed last night,” Issac promised. “Have dinner with them and give them a chance to prove it to you. I’m certain you won’t regret it.”

  She cleared her throat and finally looked at him, her eyes clear. “I have so many questions, Issac.”

  “I know, and the others and I can answer them. We won’t lie to you. I have never lied to you.” He added the last part to prove a point, to remind her that he’d done everything in his power to earn her trust, even when trying the slow approach.

  Astasiya studied him for a long moment, her wariness evident in the way her nostrils flared. But eventually she nodded, the motion tentative. “All right.”

  He wrapped his palm around the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss, needing to taste her. Tonight would change everything. She’d learn more about her destiny, which didn’t involve him.

  She’s not for me.

  His gut ached with the thought, his grip tightening as if to hold on to her for just another moment. He’d never felt this way about anyone, had never desired to be this close to another. But Astasiya had changed him on an irrevocable level.

  He wasn’t fond of it.

  Preferred to avoid it.

  A night in bed could cure them both, or worsen it.

  Maybe I should end it now, before this feeling deepens.

  Her tongue slipped into his mouth, distracting him from his thoughts, her talented mouth returning his kiss.

  Oh, fuck the idea of pushing her away.

  No, he wanted her closer.

  He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her in the position he preferred, and devoured her. Her nails bit into the back of his neck as she clung to him, hanging on as he kissed her beyond reason. This was how he would take her body—hard and thorough. All night. Until they both couldn’t walk, and then he’d do it again. Because he needed her out of his system, and their time together was limited.

  “Aya,” he breathed, the nickname falling from his tongue unbidden. It came to him last night, and hell if he cared to analyze it now. If there wasn’t a room full of Hydraians waiting for them, he’d take her now. “Fuck, I want you.”