by Shania Tyler
Piper lifted a brow. “Is that what this is about?”
Meg stepped out of her hold and turned away. “No. I love Ethan.”
“I know.”
And yet… “What if he’s distracting me from my destiny? What I’m only here because I wanted to be with Ethan?” She went over to Piper and grabbed her arms. “That’s why I really came, Piper. I didn’t want to be without Ethan.” Her heart was racing.
Piper shook her again. “Meg, calm down. I want to be with my man, too. I’d follow him anywhere.”
“Yeah, but you’re his—”
“Wife,” Piper said. “I’m his wife. We’re in love. Theo chose to love me, and I chose to love him. That’s what matters. Ethan chose you. You chose Ethan. Don’t feel bad for being happy, because it’s the worst thing you can do in the face of those who aren’t. Some people never find love, Meg. Some guys don’t save themselves for ‘the one’ and Ethan totally did that for you. Big, hot Ethan saved himself for you. You chose each other and you know what? You can also choose to do whatever the hell you want to do next. You have choices. That’s life. Win or lose. Triumph or fail. You make a choice and then act. Make it happen. Don’t worry. Slap a Nike check on it and just do it.”
Meg looked away and then bringing her eyes up to Piper, she said, “You’re right.” And with the next breath, she not only calmed. She smiled. She could choose. “Who says I can’t start working on the next temple while I’m here?”
Piper slipped her shoulder. “There you go! Now you’re thinking.”
She was. She hugged Piper. “Thanks.”
Piper hugged her back. “You’re welcome.”
Meg pulled away and said, “You get dressed. I’ll meet you outside the door.”
Piper went to her closet, and Meg slipped out of the room.
“She okay?”
Meg jumped and spun around. Her escalating heart went to her chest, but she took a calming breath when she spotted Maurice. “Oh. You scared me.”
Maurice was leaning against the wall, staring at her. His clear blue eyes looked hard, but she could tell he wasn’t giving her the look on purpose. It was simply his eyes. They did that, made one think he was hostile at times when he wasn’t. At the moment, he was relaxed. His arms were crossed and he had one booted foot kicked out in front of him. “She’s okay?” he asked again.
Meg nodded. “Yeah, she’s about to head downstairs.”
Maurice nodded and looked away while sweeping a hand through his gold hair. The diamond in his ear twinkled at her.
“Why aren’t you downstairs?”
Maurice shrugged. “Theo wanted someone to watch Piper, so I volunteered.”
“But aren’t you one of the leaders?”
He shrugged.
“Aren’t you close to Noel? Shouldn’t you be at the meeting?”
He shrugged again. He’d become so melancholy around her and Meg didn’t like it.
So, she decided she’d do something about it.
She walked over to him, and he jumped at her nearness. “My touch won’t hurt you.”
“I’d rather we not find out,” he replied with a lazy look.
“I’m dating your brother.”
“Congratulations,” he said without emotion before turning away. The earring taunted her.
Meg reached up and touched his ear.
And then her world changed.
The air was knocked out of her and Maurice’s blue eyes, when they came to stare at her, were hostile. Her knees grew weak, her heart escalated, and her entire body felt alive as though she could feel every molecule. Her fingers trailed down to Maurice’s jaw and she felt the muscle flex underneath her fingers. His breathing was labored and he held his body rod still underneath her touch. His eyes never left hers, but he looked like he was in pain.
“You feel it,” she whispered in a voice that didn’t sound like her own. “You feel it, don’t you?”
He closed his eyes and his nostrils flared. He pressed his lips together and said nothing, but she could already tell by his breathing and the sweat that had broken out over his brow. He felt it, too.
Oh, gods.
Meg wanted to stop touching him… No, that was a lie. She wanted to touch him more. She wanted to touch him everywhere.
And then he opened his eyes. Eyes that were identical to Ethan’s and yet so different. Eyes that had seen lifetimes.
And she wanted him to touch her.
She wanted Maurice to touch her in places that not even Ethan had touched yet.
It was that thought and the sound of the door opening that made her jump.
She stepped away from Maurice and her body felt depleted of all energy.
Piper said, “Oh, hey, Maurice.”
Maurice turned and left. Fast.
Piper frowned. “What did I do?”
“Nothing,” Meg quickly stated, because the problem lay with her. She’d asked for this. She’d brought it upon herself and now she had a choice to make.
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23
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
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Theo sank into the fine leather chair. His arms rested on the arms and the fingers of one hand kept his head from falling. He was sure his expression showed his irritation. Along with his posture, but he was growing weary of the negotiation.
“And on top of our commission,” Lus, the leader of the Mums said, “we require two more things.” He had the audacity to grin with the words and lean back in his own chair. He was a handsome man, taller than most with the build of a fighter, but it was his eyes that gave Theo caution. His green eyes were void of all emotion as though he’d seen too much to care about anything anymore. His eyes were soulless. He wore all black, which matched the hue of his hair. “First, my men want women.”
Theo looked over at Mason, who’d straightened in his chair, reminding him that Theo was not alone. Noel stood by the entrance of the dark parlor. Lanzo stood at his right. An agitated Maurice on his left. Five of the Mum warriors stood around the room in various positions. The only women in the room, who were sitting around the table, were Vivi, Aymee, and Kelly. At first, they’d thought Aymee too young to be in the meeting, but they’d agreed that she was too important to not attend. However, Theo was ready to take that back after Lus’ last comment.
Theo sighed. “Your men may marry whom they please.”
Lus lifted a brow. “Marry? No, we plan to take slaves of our own.”
Theo had to fight the urge to roll his eyes and say something that would start a war within these very walls. Had the man not been present for the last hour? Theo was tired of talking in circles. “Our mission is to free the slaves. We’ll not be handing any back over into captivity once we are through.”
Lus narrowed his eyes. “I don’t mean elves. We mean vampires. From the Evaness. The best of the crop.” His sarcasm made it evident that he thought very little of the Evaness.
There was a laugh somewhere from one of his men in the shadows of the room.
Theo blinked. “You want to enslave the Evaness.”
“Not all of them,” Lus said. “Just some of their daughters and not forever. Once we’re done with them, we’ll send them back home.”
Some more laughing came.
“Oh, my god,” Kelly murmured under her breath.
“No,” Theo said.
Lus frowned. “Why do you care for their people when they’ve done nothing but take from the world their entire lives? They know nothing about sadness or misfortune. It would be good for them to learn what it is like to suffer.” He leaned forward and added, “Greatly.”
“You sound bitter,” Mason said.
“I am,” Lus admitted, turning his eyes to Mason’s. “After all, are you not seeking out my aid for reasons that go beyond a kind act? Do you expect me to believe you do this for the greater good?” He shook his head.
; Theo’s eyes connected with Noel and the look he received was one of resignation. In so many words he was saying, “I told you so.” The Mum were not a good group of men. They never should have thought so, but Theo had thought their numbers would bring the war to a quick end. Now he saw that it was not going to happen.
Theo sighed. “Whatever our motives, slavery is wrong. We’ll not encourage the enslavement of another group once the elves are free.”
“So, you simply plan to leave them as they are?” Lus asked. “Do you really believe the Evaness will simply bow down to your authority? Even without the slaves, they will find a way to ruin your lives all over again. You’re doing nothing but slowing them down. I have an army, men with skills that pick off the Evaness in their sleep. Be reasonable.”
Theo looked at Mason, who shook his head. Then he turned back to their guest. “It seems we have nothing else to discuss.”
Lus stood. “Send word when you change your minds.”
The door opened, and Piper strolled through like a breath of fresh air. Theo stood, and she came around the table to stand at his side. He looked her over, though couldn’t see anything underneath the long-sleeved shirt and jeans she wore. She looked well though.
Lus turned to her and bowed. “I am glad that you are well. I am Lus, leader of the Mum.”
Piper turned to him and smiled. “Thank you for saving us.”
Lus bowed again and then started for the door. He paused and gave Noel a once over and a grin before walking away.
Piper asked, “Is the meeting over?”
“It is,” Theo told her, and though he tried to keep the grimness out of his voice, he knew she heard it.
Lus and his men were gone when she asked, “What happened?”
Kelly answered, “He wants to enslave the Evaness once the war is over.”
Piper frowned. “Really?”
Theo shook his head. “Noel was right. These are not good men.”
“Though he makes a point.”
Everyone turned to stare at Noel as he came from the corner of the room. “While we speak about what the plans for the war will be, we should think about what happens next. He is right. The Evaness are used to being in charge. They will not bow easily.”
“You think we should enslave them?” Mason said with a shake of his head and narrowed his eyes. “That will only continue the cycle. Do you not remember the years of eternal light before the Darkness came?”
“Trust me, I do,” Noel said with darkening eyes.
“So, you think we should call him back?” Theo asked his friend to see what he was thinking. There was no way he would, however.
“No,” Noel said. “But not because of the women comment, but because he said he had two more requests on top of the commission and only named one. He was out of line to request women. I hate to think what he’ll ask for next.”
He brought up a good point.
Mason said, “We must find a way to bring peace.”
“Some people don’t want peace,” Noel said swiftly.
“Do you want peace?” Theo asked him.
Noel crossed his arms and let out a heavy breath. “I don’t know what I want most days.”
The room fell silent. They all had reasons to want harm caused to the Evaness.
Meg walked in holding Ethan’s hand.
Ethan looked in everyone’s eyes. “You don’t look like you have good news.”
Theo leaned on the table. “It seems we cannot agree on what should happen after the war. If we find victory.”
“Well,” Ethan began. “I was told by some of the other residents that the concert is about to begin. Maybe we’ll come up with something later.”
Theo nodded. “Good plan.” It could take them weeks or months to decide exactly what they would do after the war, but the most important thing would be winning the war and freeing the elves. As the rest of the group began to leave, he asked Piper, “Are you feeling well enough for the concert?”
Piper’s eyes widened. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Her smile made her nose scrunch and her freckles spread.
He chuckled and touched her cheek.
She leaned forward and kissed him lightly. “You’ll figure out what needs to be done,” she said, referring to war. She kissed him again, brushing her lips against his and Theo deepened it.
Her mouth was warm and she seemed to pour her soul into their joining, just as she’d always done since they’d both stopped hiding their feelings. There was no holding back from him. She gave him everything. Everything he needed just when he needed it.
A moment later, she broke the kiss and said, “If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”
He kissed her nose and nodded. “Thank you,” he whispered, though he had no idea what he was thanking her for. For the kiss, her generous smiles and touches. For her love. For marrying him. For simply being in his life. The list of the reasons Piper made him happy was much too long to name if they wanted to make it to the concert on time.
Piper’s smile softened and she said, “You’re welcome.” As if she understood exactly why he’d shown her gratitude.
And in the moment, he realized, that for the first time since his parents died, he was undeniably happy.
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24
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
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Not in a million dreams could Piper have imagined what the Sleepy Gala would be like. It was amazing and strange. Thousands of people sat in a stadium that sat like ‘C’ with an opening that led to a graveyard where the singers’ magic aura would rise and perform some of their greatest songs. At first, Piper had felt it almost cruel to make resting souls rise just to satisfy an audience, but Theo had assured her that it wasn’t their soul, but their magic aura, laid on them by Orry when they’d entered the temple. The dead remained dead. Only the essence of their voices was called forth.
Theo had managed to get the group front row seats, and Piper had been up on her feet for one performance after another by some of the best voices she’d ever heard in her life. The singers she heard were nothing like those from Earth. The notes were clearer and their voices smooth like liquid, falling into the listeners’ ears and their hearts, calling to inner emotions, and leaving everyone breathless.
But what impressed Piper more was the Conductor. A short petite woman with black hair and a cool studded leather jacket held up a baton and spoke words toward the graves as if casting a spell. Then a ghost would slip out of the grave, a white shapeless form, and would soon form legs and arms until it created a person and the crowd went wild every time. Piper knew she didn’t have the same connection that most of the audience did with the various singers, but when the singers opened their mouths and sang their words, Piper felt a connection to them as though the words could have easily come from her own mouth, as though she knew the words, though she was sure she’d never heard them before.
Because of the shape of the auditorium, and perhaps magic, the sound carried better than any speakers Piper had ever heard and at the perfect volume.
Piper was clapping along with the crowd when she looked over and was startled to find Theo watching her. “What?”
He grinned but shook his head. “You’re having a good time.” It was a statement.
She smiled. “I am. Are you?”
He nodded and then leaned over and whispered, “Just seeing your smile is enough for me. You light up my Darkness.”
Her heart raced at his words and she wondered why they touched her so much. He’d already confessed on numerous occasions that he loved her. Why were those words so different?
The music changed and then Piper realized it wasn’t the music that changed, but the atmosphere. She looked up and noticed birds filling the sky, flying wildly and making noise. She frowned, thinking about the birds that the Mum had sent with their message. Was this them ag
ain?
Theo took her hand. “We need to move.”
“Why?” She’d asked the question, but she didn’t slow her feet as Theo rushed her from their row and toward the stairs. She did turn to see Kelly and Meg following quickly behind. They both wore worried expressions on their faces. The men, however, all seemed determined.
Then Piper heard a thump and a hiss and looked around. People were looking around at one another and then they began to choke. Smoke flowed from various rows and began to fill the auditorium.
Someone screamed and the audience began to run.
Theo’s hold on Piper tightened and she started walking faster. Luckily, her legs were long enough to keep up, but they came to an abrupt stop as smoke overtook the auditorium. Piper began to itch and found it hard to breathe. She coughed and felt Theo pushing her down to the ground. The taste of metal was in the air, but underneath the smoke, it was easier to breathe.
“What is that?” she wheezed.
“I don’t know,” Theo said after a hard cough of his own.
Piper could hear the sounds of the crowd around them, their lungs being racked by the smoke. But then slowly, the smoke died and everyone got up.
After the final coughs, there was silence.
And then there were footsteps. Many.
Piper looked toward the arena, but saw no one. She turned to the top of the stairs, where a man with a dark expression appeared. At first glance, he looked like Mason, but Piper could tell from his green eyes that he was a cruel man. She had no idea who he was, but he didn’t look friendly. More men appeared, making a barrier and blocking the exits.
The man with the green eyes was looking in her direction.
Theo cursed.
Piper looked at him. “Who is that?”
“Asher,” Theo whispered. “He is the leader of the Evaness army.”
