by Anne Hope
“No. I can’t accept that. I won’t.” She beat Adrian’s chest with her fist. “I can’t let him go.”
She understood then. Understood how Adrian had felt when Angie died. Understood why he’d held on to the memories and the pain for so long. The mind might know how to reason, but the heart knew only how to love—unconditionally, irrevocably.
“Please.” The plea strangled her. “I’ve never asked anything of you. Please.”
“Whenever one life is spared, another must be sacrificed. Are you ready to pay the price?”
“Yes! Just save him.” She’d pay any price to see that dimple bite into his cheek again, to have him hold her one more time.
“As you wish.”
The words had barely registered when Adrian bucked, then gulped down several mouthfuls of air. His blue-tinged lips reclaimed their color, and renewed life warmed his flesh. Emma’s muscles turned to rubber, and she collapsed over him, blanketing his body with hers.
His hand rose to her back, tracing the curve of her spine, the arc of her neck. He wove his fingers through her tangled hair as she shook helplessly against him.
“It’s okay. It’s over now.” Adrian’s voice was a soft rasp in the breeze, and the sound of it made her want to cry. She thought she’d never be blessed enough to hear him speak again.
She didn’t know how long they stayed that way, wrapped in each other on that desolate one-lane road. All she knew was that it wasn’t nearly long enough.
“How do you feel?” she asked him, her nails digging into his shoulders.
“Better than I expected. I don’t know how I survived that.”
Something undefinable constricted inside her. “Guess you’re made of tougher stock than you thought.”
He rubbed her lower back, drew her close enough so that his stubble scraped her cheek. His earthy scent overpowered the smell of mud and mildew in the air and filled her with the most glorious sense of peace.
“What happened to the flood?”
“I willed it to stop.” She swallowed to wash the grimy taste from her mouth. “And it did.”
Hard muscles tensed against her. “Just like that?”
“Yeah, just like that.” The reality of what had transpired was far too complicated to explain. The power had sprung from deep within her, coupled with an unshakable sense of faith. She’d known on a deep-seated level that if she visualized the water receding, then it would. It was as though the earth was a ball of clay and she could mold it into anything she wished.
“Your home.” The grimy feeling in her mouth returned. “It’s all gone. Everything.”
His silence was as deep as the night. “Not everything,” he finally whispered, his hold on her growing fiercer.
A heated flush swept through her. “What happened to the others?” She had to know if the Rogues had perished in the flood, Eddie and William and the soft-spoken Ralph.
“No one was here.”
Surprise made her withdraw from his arms. “No one?”
A bitter hardness entered his eyes. Moonlight chiseled his features and gave his skin a pearlescent glow. “Something tells me they knew the Kleptopsychs were coming. Someone warned them. The same someone who sold us out.”
So that was how the Kleptopsychs had tracked them down. “Who?”
Before he could reply, three shadowy figures emerged from the gloom, and she had her answer.
Chapter Forty
Many people had let Adrian down over the years, so betrayal was nothing new to him. But seeing Eddie approach with Kora delivered a sharp kick beneath the belt. He’d accepted his mother’s depravity ages ago, but Eddie’s disloyalty rankled. The man had been like a brother to him.
Trapped between the two advancing figures was the frail shape of a woman. She dragged her feet, struggled to break free from Eddie’s grasp, but the slouch of her shoulders suggested she’d already accepted defeat.
Tina.
Adrian mouthed an oath. This hellish night was far from over. Both he and Emma were unarmed, while Eddie had a shiny black Glock holstered at his waist. A Glock that undoubtedly housed bullets soaked in Emma’s blood.
Rising to his feet, he pushed Emma behind him. “Hello, Mother.” The word tasted foul on his tongue. “It’s been a while.”
“That was your choice, darling, not mine.” His mother’s tone was smooth and sultry, a spoon of warm honey laced with arsenic. “First you leave your home in the catacombs, then you let everyone think you’re dead. I thought I taught you better manners than that.”
He would’ve laughed had the situation not been so damn grim. “The only thing you ever taught me was how to recognize a snake.”
He turned to Eddie. “Speaking of snakes, I didn’t think you’d have the balls to show your face around here again after the stunt you pulled.”
“You left me no choice.” Eddie had the decency to look remorseful. “I told you I’d get in bed with the Kleptopsychs before I got in bed with the Watchers.” He shrugged. “You chose not to believe me.”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Adrian hated the hurt he caught in his own voice. It implied weakness, and right now he needed to appear strong and unshakable.
“Yes,” Eddie countered. “I did what you refused to do. I saved this community.” The frantic lilt in Eddie’s voice convinced Adrian that the Rogue had been feeding on the sly, courtesy of Kora, he wagered. What better way to gain Eddie’s cooperation than to fuel his addiction to souls, then promise him an endless supply of them?
Bitter regret pooled in his throat. “No. You betrayed it.”
“You’re the one who betrayed us,” Eddie lashed back. “You sold us out to the Watchers.” He directed a sneer Emma’s way. “For her.”
Disappointment gave way to rage, and Adrian would’ve lunged had Emma not seized him by the biceps. The urge to pummel the man he’d once considered his closest friend ripped through him. His muscles twitched and bulged as the animal within him prepared to pounce.
Emma slid out from behind him. “He’s not worth it.” Disappointment drenched her tone. “I once thought everyone could be redeemed. I was wrong.”
Eddie squared his shoulders. “So it’s true. You remember.”
“Yes.” She lowered her arm, lacing her fingers with Adrian’s. “I remember how I convinced Adrian to take you in, to give you a chance. I should’ve listened to him and shown you the door.” She shook her head mournfully. “You really are soulless.”
Eddie tightened his hold on Tina, and the woman flinched.
Emma’s whole body tensed in response. “Let my mother go.” Her voice cleaved the night, strong and sure. He’d never heard her speak with such confidence before. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
“Oh, but I do.” Kora pressed a dagger to Tina’s side. “That’s why I needed your mother as insurance. As luck would have it, I found her wandering through the woods like a stray pup.”
Tina hung her head. “I heard sounds, so I came out of the stables to see what all the commotion was about. I didn’t see them till it was too late. They took my blades. They took everything.”
Adrian sensed the woman wasn’t referring solely to her weapons. The Kleptopsychs had robbed her of her home, her life, her peace of mind. He hadn’t noticed the cracks in her spirit before, her determination to protect Emma had masked them, but suddenly he saw the toll this endless plight had taken on her.
“What do you want?” He could hear the wild sprint of Emma’s heart, feel her fear in the death grip she had on his hand.
Kora flashed a strip of perfectly white teeth. “Why, your soul, of course.”
Emma kept her expression neutral, even as a greasy sense of foreboding swelled within her. Was this the price for Adrian’s life? Had fate come to collect already?
“When I was a little girl,” Kora said, “my father told me an inspiring tale.” Her gaze met and held Adrian’s. “It was about your great-grandmother. She, too, was one of the Sacred
Four. Did you know that?”
When Adrian failed to reply, Kora continued, “Devastated that her son had turned into what she considered a monster, Grandmother longed to save him from his cursed existence. She believed that, had he only been born with a soul, he would’ve been good and honorable. So she made the ultimate sacrifice—she gifted him with her own soul.”
Moon shadows embraced the Kleptopsych, giving her a specter-like quality. “It is said that her soul was so powerful, not only did it sustain him for thousands of years but made him the most formidable Ancient that ever lived.” A greedy sheen entered her eyes. “That’s all I want, all I’ve ever wanted, and you’re going to give it to me.”
Eddie’s cool composure splintered. “That wasn’t the deal. You said you were going to make sure the Watchers never got their hands on her soul.”
“And they won’t. It will be safe within me.”
“What about the community?” Eddie’s skin grew pale, as though he’d just realized the mistake he’d made trusting Kora. “What will sustain us if a flood comes?”
Kora swatted his comment away like a pesky fly. There was something undeniably regal about her. She stood, cool and composed, her black hair secured in a tight bun, her legs swathed in a long, flowing skirt. “How is that my problem?”
It seemed betrayal was the flavor of the day, and Eddie obviously didn’t like the taste of it. “You lied to me.”
“Lied is such an undignified word. I merely failed to reveal all my cards. You of all people should understand that.”
“I never agreed to this.”
Ignoring Eddie’s protest, Kora focused her attention on Emma. “So, are you ready to negotiate?”
Emma snickered. “Because you people have proven so trustworthy? No thanks.” She channeled the energy inside her, felt her hands begin to glow.
Kora noticed and stuck the knife in her mom’s side. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Emma decided to try a different tactic. “If you take my soul, you’ll destroy your own son.”
Adrian released a bitter laugh. “Like that’s going to make a goddamn difference to her.”
“Don’t be so harsh, darling. It was Kyros who sought to control you. I only wish to see you rule by my side. Your ridiculous little conscience has done nothing but hold you back. Once the link is severed, you’ll come to see things my way. You’ll be the man I always envisioned you could be.”
She turned her keen stare on Emma. “So what will it be? Your soul or your mother?”
Another hostage situation. Another impossible choice. If Emma had learned anything these past few hours, it was that there was no honor among the soulless. Adrian and the Watchers seemed to be the only exceptions to that rule.
She needed to take control, to trick Kora into believing she’d won so she’d lower her guard. Then Emma would tap into the well of energy within her and reduce the creature to ash.
“Please, don’t hurt my mom,” she implored, feigning surrender. “I’ll give you what you want.” She took a step toward Kora.
Adrian seized her by the arm. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What I need to do.” She gave him a meaningful stare.
“Trust me.”
He jolted at the mental assault. This was the first time Emma had willingly breached his mind and spoken directly to his thoughts. Reluctance thinned his mouth, but he released her. Emma took another step forward.
“No,” Eddie spat at Kora. “I can’t allow you to do this.” He reached for his gun, froze when he realized it was gone.
The next few minutes played out in slow motion for Emma. She heard every sound, smelled every scent, felt the sharp edge of fear. A cloud scuttled across the moon, scattering shadows across the land. The wail of a coyote echoed in the distance, ripe with regret. The lingering smell of mold and devastation rode the now-calm breeze.
Her mom raised the Glock to her forehead, her gaze connecting briefly with Emma’s. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed.
Emma vaulted forward, but she wasn’t fast enough. Christina compressed the trigger, and the smell of mold and devastation gave way to the scent of blood and death.
An agonized cry shattered the night, and it took a few seconds for Emma to realize it was hers. Energy stirred at her core, burned a path straight to her twin soul. Adrian’s comforting hand came to rest upon her shoulder, dragging her back, his arms encircling her waist as she kicked and screamed.
The energy building within her snowballed out of control, and she had no choice but to release it. Waves of blinding light spilled from her body, turning night into day. With every scream she let loose, a new burst of energy escaped, burning everything it came in contact with. Trees splintered in half, grass withered and died, the road melted away, leaving nothing but a deep crater in its stead.
When fury morphed to grief, Emma sank to the ground, still wrapped in Adrian’s arms. Both Eddie and Kora, along with her mother’s body, were gone. Her rage had reduced them all to cinders. Only Adrian had survived, and she thanked the heavens for the birthmark that, according to Marcus, provided some kind of protection against her.
“Why?” She wished she could cry, but the tears refused to come. An arid desert stretched within her, as cold and barren as the land she’d razed.
Adrian stroked her hair. “She probably didn’t think she was fast enough to take them both out, so she did the only thing she could think of. She took away their insurance.”
She clutched his shirt with both hands, panting, unable to draw enough oxygen into her lungs. “I could’ve handled it.” The dam finally broke, and another flood swept in to consume her. “Why didn’t she trust me to handle it?”
“I don’t know.” He kissed the top of her head and tenderly gathered her in the warm circle of his embrace. Then he held her beneath the pale glow of the moon as she wept.
Chapter Forty-One
The motel room they rented in the neighboring town painted a familiar canvas for Emma. An outdated television set topped a wooden dresser. A ratty carpet—which was undoubtedly home to countless colonies of bacteria—stretched from wall to wall. The small nightstand beside the king-sized bed offered the promise of sustenance through the various takeout menus scattered across its scuffed surface, and salvation through the Bible it housed in its top drawer.
She withdrew the Bible and placed it on her lap. Her gaze journeyed to the lone boot on the nightstand. Adrian had pried it from the earth and used it to house her mother’s ashes, after Emma had reduced everything but a few buried items to dust. She wasn’t sure if the earth had provided some kind of shield, or if the boot had survived due to its proximity to her and Adrian, but she was happy it had because it now served as an urn.
Reaching over, she stroked the hard leather with loving fingers. The act caused thin flakes of dirt to break free and rain down over the menus, but Emma didn’t care. That muddy boot was all she had left of her mom, and she treasured it.
She opened the Bible and scanned the pages, longing to say a few words, but unsure how. Some angel’s daughter she’d turned out to be. The Bible may as well have been penned in a foreign tongue. She wished Ralph were here to send her mother’s spirit off with his gentle, calming voice. Maybe he wasn’t a real chaplain, but at least he would’ve known what to say.
“What are you reading?” Adrian had gone out to get them some clothing from the small store across the street. Neither of them had any money on them, and everything they’d owned had gotten washed away in the flood. Thankfully, Adrian was blessed with the gift of persuasion. He could convince anyone to give him anything at any time.
“The Bible. I figure seeing as I’m part angel, I should know what it says.” She’d taken a shower to wash away the thick, dry muck encrusted along her skin. Since the motel didn’t have the benefit of robes and she had absolutely no desire to slip back into her dirty clothes, she’d wrapped herself in a towel and stayed that way.
It seemed wrong, somehow, to be
reading the word of God half-naked, so she placed the Bible back in the nightstand and pushed the drawer shut.
Adrian bent down and pulled off his boots. The laces were stilled caked with mud, and a spray of dirt fell to darken the already suspect carpet. Next he stripped off his pants and shirt and tossed them in a pile by the door, quickly replacing them with the new ones he’d acquired. He’d cleaned up earlier, but unlike her, he’d had no choice but to don his soiled clothing again before heading out to secure them a new wardrobe.
When he was done changing, he walked up to the bed, placed the bag at the foot of the nightstand and sat down beside her.
“You look a lot more comfortable now.” She touched his arm. The soft feel of the cotton fabric created a striking contrast with the hard muscles that lay beneath.
“I couldn’t wait to tear my clothes off,” he confessed. “After all these hours, they still felt damp.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder and breathed him in. He smelled clean and fresh and familiar. The combination of scents made emotion turn in her chest, despite the numbness that had clung to her since her tears dried.
“I still can’t believe everything that happened,” she said. “I feel like I’m trapped in a bad dream.”
He folded her in his arms and stroked her back, a gesture she’d come to expect and appreciate. Nothing warmed her more than Adrian’s soothing embrace, but right now, even his tender touch couldn’t chase the chill from her heart.
“I was so mad at my mother for lying to me all those years,” she whispered, “I didn’t tell her how happy I was to have her back.” She experienced the harsh bite of guilt, followed by the sting of regret. “Now I’ll never get the chance.”
“She knew.”
“How?” Her fingers dug into his hard shoulders. “How could she know?”
“She just did. The same way she knew you’d come back to us.”
Emma allowed silence to envelop them. Beyond the window, stars winked at her from an ever-blackening sky. It was hard to believe mere hours ago that sky had bellowed and wept with deadly intent. The heavens seemed unnaturally calm now, as though the angels, too, were in mourning.
