by Jamie Magee
Reveca had seen her eyes before—the enigmatic emeralds shrouded in thick lashes—each and every time she had looked into Adair’s.
Adair also had her heart shaped lips and perfectly shaped nose.
The heated wind whipped Ambrosia’s long locks around the barely-there gown she was wearing. The black silk crossed her chest in a V and left her stomach visible, as it fell around her legs in long slits.
There was no smile within her visage, only scorn.
“You come to me with an army. So you are a thief and a coward,” her voice brimmed with power, but Reveca heard the slightest trace of despair.
Steele and Rush bowed ever so slightly, causing Ambrosia to crinkle her nose, but she didn’t draw back.
“I did not come to you.”
Reveca’s obvious statement only infuriated her more.
“Tell your men to leave,” she ordered through gritted teeth.
“We shall all leave,” Reveca stated calmly. She was near positive Dagen and the others could whisk them away, back to very Boneyard if they felt inclined to do so.
At the moment they clearly didn’t, more than likely because they wanted this meet and greet to happen. They wanted Reveca to control the outcome.
It would have been nice if they had given her clear-cut reasons behind it all, but she was obviously being given the cold shoulder.
Ambrosia seductively drew her gaze toward Dagen; his arm was just behind Reveca’s, she could feel his power prickling against her skin.
“It’s been a while,” Ambrosia said with a slow grin meant only for him.
Reveca didn’t dare look up to see his response; she didn’t want to give the impression she didn’t know what it might be.
It must have been inviting for Ambrosia seemed all the calmer. “Have you found him, your fearless leader?”
“Still in death, I presume,” Dagen answered charismatically as ever.
“Shame,” she admitted, looking across the army of men that in some way resembled Dagen and King. “However I couldn’t say I would be eager to release him if he was in my care either.”
Dagen’s arm no longer brushed against Reveca’s. They were flesh-to-flesh, a position no one but he or she could possibly be aware of. Through his vim she felt a calm, one she sure as fuck didn’t want.
She wanted to claw this whore’s eyes out for trying to steal Talon back, for entrapping him with a child—and most of all for lusting after her King.
“If you were not standing strong before me, I would have assumed the Helco faction perished,” Ambrosia revealed as if Reveca was an annoyance she would deal with when she saw fit to do so. “Not one soul has come from your direction in over a moon.”
In some way, this did shock Reveca. It meant King had done it. He had managed to teach his people a new way to feed. The way he had been practicing drove the souls they tempted to the point of obsession—obsessed for their next hit of exaltation. It made sense this Lady of Death was profiting well off their lifestyle.
“We invoke emotions,” Dagen said easily. “We do not control them. Perhaps the souls have found a different one to cling to as the curse of death grasps them.”
“Perhaps,” Ambrosia said contemptuously. “The stars are aligned for needed change.”
With her last words, her eyes met Reveca’s. “The great Reveca, the thief, the barterer. The woman who hides in the mortal world and dares not enter the death she steals from.”
“So you’ve heard of me,” Reveca replied with a slight jest in her tone. She knew her boys were grinning just behind her because Ambrosia glared at them both before dropping her stare to Reveca.
“You have stolen from me. Numerous times.”
“Have I?”
“Those born of fire are mine.”
“Clearly they disagree.”
Ambrosia glared. “They should be here. They would be here if you had not taken the first. The one given to me by the Creator. My watch. My keep. My reward.”
“Gifts given by the Creator tend to stay with who they are made for.”
“On the contrary, they often stray. The given are expected to fight for their gifts. Appreciation is needed to flourish.”
“Touché.”
“You have placed my family in mortal danger.”
“Danger finds us.”
“Oh, it will. It is aimed squarely at you.”
It was unnerving how certain Ambrosia was, but Reveca didn’t let it show in her at ease expression. “Thanks for the heads up.”
After she paced before Reveca, looking her over with utter disgust and hate, she spoke, “This night I offer you forgiveness.”
A cold sneer came to Reveca. “I do not seek forgiveness. I saved lives. The souls I brought back saved even more. Some would argue doom would have been met in our world long ago without their fight.”
Ambrosia stepped forward, her long red hair whisking around her. The air popped with her power. “I forgive every soul you stole after my Talon. However he will return, and so shall our daughter. I will no longer allow you to torture him.”
“Torture,” Reveca mocked.
She leered as her fist clenched. “You’ve brought him to my doorstep countless times by your neglect alone, and then just as he realizes he is nearly safe, you rip him back. Calm him. Seduce him. And just when he lets his guard rest, you smite him again.”
Reveca scoffed. “Not once. Ever. Has he spoken of you before this night. His words were not kind when he did. You are death, and I am life. We have a kingdom to rule.”
Ambrosia thrust her arm to the side. “This is his kingdom. The King of Fire. The king of all phoenixes. The first.”
“You’re lying.”
Ambrosia reached to slap Reveca, but Rush stopped her hand. She pulled it way as if his touch burned her flesh.
“Talon was saved by the essence of a Phoenix, one who was birthed in another realm. He was not the first. You may believe he is. You may believe he is your gift. But I am here to tell you,” Reveca’s gaze raked over her, “you were not made for him. There is nothing in your form that would tempt him. Trust me. I know what kind of woman draws his attention. You are disillusioned, and I refuse to let him be pulled by you.”
“Who is this Phoenix you speak of? Who saved him?” she roared.
In all truth, Reveca didn’t know. She thought his given name was Sebastian Falcon, as ironic as it may be, but was sure most simply called him Phoenix. He was connected to Saige’s daughter—how, or the terms of the connection, was something Reveca didn’t care to know.
However, Ambrosia had just given Reveca the one answer she needed to abate her guilt in this matter. Ambrosia’s doubt, her rage toward this Phoenix, told Reveca she was right. Talon was nothing to her but a prize, a delusion she had manifested. In her mind she unquestionably believed all she had said, but it wasn’t the complete truth.
“I told you he is from another realm,” Reveca stated coolly.
Ambrosia’s eyes alit with understanding, she was clearly aware of every Phoenix created in this realm, in the dark universe, but not the light. Not the one Cashton hailed from, not the one The Selected, warriors against darkness, were birthed.
Reveca may have had the Helco faction at her back and two wolves, but now she had the fear of The Selected as well. There would be no way for Ambrosia to verify her story, but like Crass, she had reason to fear such souls. Their rise would stop the Lords and this Lady’s way of life. It would be their end of times.
“Saved one of my own,” she finally said as if her obsessed mind had a chance to churn this new information. “I told you. I have the favor of the Creator. The light saved my gift.”
“Sure,” Reveca said dryly.
She stepped up to Reveca. “My family is to return to me. You will release them to me.” She lifted her chin. “If my demands are not met, I shall be forced to reach out to Revelin, let him know the Helco faction is aiding a witch that hurt one of my own.”
At this point, Re
veca was no longer grateful for Dagen’s protection. In all truth, it made no fucking sense to her. If Ambrosia knew him well enough to know his weakness—why would he stand side-by-side with Reveca and display a vulnerability Reveca would be forced to contend with. It made absolutely-no-fucking sense.
Reveca had no idea where it came from because her mind was weary, but a sly streak came to her.
Of course, she paused for dramatic effect as if her words were hard to come by. “Vow to me that if I give your family free will, my blessing to come to you—you will not only never speak of the alliance I have with the Helco faction, but you will aid them in any measure, including warring with their sovereign, Revelin.”
Ambrosia leered, her tongue slid across her bottom lip as if she could taste a long awaited victory. “Vowed.”
Reveca reached for the knife on Rush’s belt and sliced her palm. “I will accept nothing less than a blood vow for this trade.”
Ambrosia narrowed her eyes on the knife not liking the source from where Reveca claimed it, then confidently took it and sliced her palm at length, holding Reveca’s gaze as she reached her hand forward.
Reveca never noticed Dagen was tense until she felt him relax at her side the moment the blood vow was made. Reveca had the strangest feeling she had just jumped through some imaginary hoop. It would have been a whole lot simpler if he had just come out and said they were seeking protection and a new ally out of this twisted meet and greet.
“Now,” Ambrosia said drawing her hand back. “Release them.”
Reveca smiled slowly. “They are not chained, nor restricted. Free will is theirs. Call them.”
Reveca lifted her chin and waited expectantly.
Ambrosia turned as red as her hair with rage. “You entrapped me!”
“I did not. They have free will. And now they have my blessing. I wish nothing more than for them to find peace, bliss, and gratitude in their lives. Wherever the fates may guide them, no matter what war they must endure...they have my wish and blessing that joys will be forever in their souls.”
“You conniving bitch! You brainwashed them! They will never willingly come to me!” She looked at her palm as if willing time to turn back. No blood vow could be broken, not even if her very life depended on it. Reveca may have given Ambrosia another reason to hate her but she had ensured the Helco faction was safe, and undoubtedly Talon and Adair always would be too.
Once again, Ambrosia’s words and actions were revealing to Reveca. She clearly stated there was no greater prize than her family.
“You’re right. Me loving them, living side by side with them was cruel. I should have haunted Talon’s Zen when he was the weakest. I should have begged him to leave his men behind, for any leader leaving his men is the cruelest of punishments. I should have possessed a body and fooled him into taking me flesh-to-flesh and birthed a child. And then once the child was born, I should’ve ensured she was left in a hovel with a cruel, insane woman who nearly killed her each night. And when all of that was said and done and I needed to get some attention, I should have manipulated my daughter into seducing Talon into your bed.” Reveca lifted her chin. “You. Are. One. Sick. Bitch.”
Ambrosia drew her head back as if she had been slapped. “This is how they see me?”
“You’d have to ask them. Before I left this night, Adair discovered who her father was, and he was indubitably chasing after her.”
Ambrosia began to pace again. After a long moment, one where her face construed into a mask of anger she spoke. “I was promised redemption. The manner of which was not spoken.”
Reveca arched a brow, wondering who else had pulled a fast one on Ambrosia. She was also willing herself to not speak a sly comment about how this woman needed to find someone to barter on her behalf. Clearly she sucked at it.
Ambrosia stopped before Reveca. “You will bring her to me.”
Reveca’s sly grin emerged. “Ah, see I can not do that, for I have a blood vow with you that states I can not entrap them. They would not willingly come here.”
Ambrosia pressed her lips together, anger engulfing her. “I will come to your world as the moon rises.”
“Where?”
“The one they call Jade will know.”
Now it was Reveca’s turn to wear the mask of anger and confusion.
Noticing it, Ambrosia grinned. “Though I walk with evil, I am not. My realm protects many...and it has been wronged by many.”
She may not be evil, Reveca thought. But she is bat-shit crazy obsessed. Reveca doubted the woman knew right from wrong. If she had been obsessed with Talon all this time, and Adair for the odd length of her existence, there was no telling how many foolish barters she had made in the name of her family.
“Evil like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Reveca stepped forward from her cocoon of protection. “No one makes a barter without expecting something in return. Remember such things when you are promised the impossible. Clearly your obsession is clouding your mind.”
“You insult me?”
“Yes.”
Ambrosia lifted her arms. “Out.”
The next thing Reveca saw was fire, it was as if the sky itself had fallen upon them. The wind burned her flesh and stole her breath.
As the boat began to spin once again, she found herself beneath Dagen. From the weight of him, she was sure there were others surrounding her as well.
The insane storm lasted longer than the first and was more brutal, so much so, Reveca was doubting their survival and was yelling at Dagen to move them.
Her pleas were ignored. Long, agonizing moments later, water waved onto the deck. The swampy smell was easy to ignore, because as murky as it was the water was cooling their flesh.
Reveca pushed her way out from under the thick bodies holding her down and stood with rage.
“Did you not hear me say MOVE?” she snapped at Dagen. Oddly he looked a bit weary, a deer in the headlights, but he was recovering.
“I can’t pull you from a place I should have never been.”
“Nev—what he fuck, Dagen!” Reveca exclaimed in an exhausted tone. “You told me you were supposed to protect me there!”
“I was. She flung you across your Edge. All we could do was ride the storm.” Dagen glanced at his men who were finding their balance once again. His shallow nod must have told them to leave when they were able because one by one they started to.
Steele raced to the helm. “We have to take this back, it will be a red flag at the Boneyard.”
He was right, they had docked their boat in the Edge and boarded this one, which mimicked a pirate ship from another time.
As Rush and Steele moved to turn the boat around and look for damage, Reveca faced off with Dagen.
“What. The. Fuck.”
His only response was one lifted brow.
“You know her.”
Half smirk. “In what way are you speaking?”
Reveca slammed her palms into his chest. “I don’t give a fuck if you have a thing for that skank-ass dead bitch. I want to know why you went there. Why King allowed you to go there when that bitch could have proved to be more dangerous than Crass himself if she opened her fucking mouth.”
“What I went there for was accomplished,” he answered, grinning coolly. “If you want to know why, then I suppose you need to ask King, you know, when you’re face-to-face with him.”
She stepped up to him. “You listen to me. I don’t know why King pulled some girl-card and went running his mouth to you about something that went down between us, but I’m here to tell you it’s our business. Something you have no right to even try to understand. You hear me?”
Dagen’s smirk vanished, the lethal warrior he was had emerged. He looked down at her, somehow silently pointing out how small she was compared to him. “I answer only to King. And in his absence, I ruled this faction. In truth, I am still the face of it to most. King didn’t tell me shit.”
Reveca, aghast, glared up at him.
/>
“You heard me. I am aware of any threat to this faction. I know when energy is expelled in large quantities. And I know when King is threatened in any way—it’s built into my soul.”
He stepped back. “I don’t know what the fuck went down. I don’t know your reasons. And I don’t care to know them. I do know King is a better man than I, for I would have stopped it. I would have been hell on Earth.”
“You chose to shame me all the more.”
“No. I chose to tell you the truth. I’m not a fair-weather friend or warrior. You were troubled tonight and you did not reach out to this faction. We had to come to you without call.”
“Why would I reach out for help? I’ve survived this long without it.”
“Survival is not living,” he responded, jutting his chin up. “We protect you for good reason.”
“Because I belong to King.”
“Do you?” he asked with a lifted brow. “No, that is not why.”
He vanished at that moment, rendering Reveca speechless.
***
The moment Jade texted, I see you are well. We should speak, Talon left the Boneyard.
Thrash was on his heels. Talon demanded he return to the Boneyard but was blatantly ignored.
Instead, the pair rode out to a remote home that nestled close to the swamp but not in it.
Light came through the windows, but it was dim and low.
“I don’t like this,” Thrash stated, turning his bike off but not dismounting.
“Find Adair, call Judge. Fucking call King.”
Thrash nodded stiffly as Talon stomped toward the home, opening the door as if he’d been there a thousand times before.
Jade sat primly in a high back chair sipping tea from a china cup. She grinned over the brim of it.
“My, not once have I seen you this powerful.”
Talon glared in response. He and seers got along just fine because the ones he had incorporated in to his life didn’t boast about their gifts or make him feel as if he was the last one to the party…unlike Jade.
“What the fuck is up with Miriam?”
“Troubled witch, for sure.”
“Troubled!” Talon scoffed, stepping forward. “She all but told Adair to seduce me!”
