Vincent’s hand tightened around mine. “Thank you for your help.” A growl echoed in the room. I looked up at Vincent and put my palm on his chest.
“Stop. No growling.” I put on my stern face and stood toe to toe with him. I may be more than half a foot shorter than him, but I could hold my own.
He blinked at me and sighed. “No promises but I will try.” He glared at Adreon. “You hurt her and all bets are off.”
I shivered, his threatening voice defending me doing something to my insides. He was doing something to me to make me crazy. My thoughts were always on him, my hands itched to touch him, my lips ached to kiss his bare skin. Now that I’ve had him, I wanted more.
“Stop those thoughts now, Theera, or this testing is not going to happen.” He gently kissed me on the temple and then backed away.
Adreon’s hazel eyes went wide for a moment, then he cleared his throat. “This way if you please, Lorelei. It shouldn’t take too long.” He added the last part more for Vincent’s benefit than my own. He swept his arm out, indicating I should follow him down the hall.
I looked around at the elaborately decorated hallway, lined with priceless works of art. They all depicted supernatural scenes of some sort. Angels, demons, vampires. They were beautiful and haunting at the same time.
Gasping, I stopped abruptly at one of the paintings. The stirrings of a memory formed in my mind, the scene looking vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it. When I tried to reach and grasp at the memory, it faded away. I regarded the scene with a sense of wonder and awe.
A dark-haired angel stood over a hill, his white wings were tipped in black and he held a long glowing white staff. His eyes were such a clear blue they appeared white. A strong nose and jaw line made the man classically handsome. He was dressed in ancient battle armor, etched in swirling designs and patterns.
This was the man I saw in my vision. I was sure of it.
He was standing before a man in full demon form. Blood red skin, black eyes, lips and horns. The full wings extended behind him were more like the wings of a bat, smooth and featherless and were slightly darker than his skin. I blinked as recognition hit me.
“Is this your father?” I turned to glance at Vincent, wonder reflected in my eyes. His expression tightened as he nodded.
Damius and Adreon noticed that we had stopped and turned back toward me.
“This was when the war ended. It was the signing of a peace agreement between the demons, vampires and Nephilim.” Adreon spoke with a matter of fact tone.
“Who is this?” I pointed to the man I was sure I saw when I had my out of body experience. When the Eye appeared on my arm.
“The archangel Akakaios. Unofficial leader of the archangels.”
“Vincent told me about him. He is the most powerful one, right?” I paused. “I feel like I know him.” The words were barely audible. I did know him.
The three men gave me a very curious look as they glanced back and forth between the painting and me. “Why do you say that, Lorelei?” Damius asked gently, his head tilted slightly to the side.
“I have seen him before. Just flashes really. I can’t fully place it. In a dream. When I was in trouble. And—" I hesitated. “—when the Eye appeared on my skin.” I ran a hand through my hair and chewed on my bottom lip. This man, this angel, was a part of my life and I needed to find out how and why.
The room fell silent. All eyes turned toward me and I turned my gaze to the floor. “Let’s get the tests done, I need some answers.” I turned away from the scene and we started back down the hall.
“All will be revealed soon, Thugater.”
I thought I imagined the deep voice, but the goosebumps pebbling my flesh told me a different story.
******
Adreon began to gather his supplies as I sat down in the medical chair. The room was white and sterile. Various medical tools lined the counter, making me shudder at their purpose. I had always hated doctor’s offices. I had rarely fallen ill—thanks to my Nephilim genetics, I guess—but the few times that I had visited medical facilities had not been pleasant.
Not to mention, the memories of Antionette’s tests still haunted me.
Vincent and Damius were right outside of the doorway, discussing something in voices too quiet for me to hear. My eyes darted between them and the needles that Adreon was gathering.
“How does this work?” I needed a distraction. Don’t think about the needles, Lorelei. Don’t think about that crazy psycho vampire who held you captive. These are people that Vincent trusts. Therefore, you trust them.
Surprise flickered over Adreon’s face at my question and his brow furrowed in confusion. “Well, we do a blood sample. I will just gather a couple of vials so that we can perform the various tests.” He set the vials on a tray next to me as he removed the needle and tubing from their sterile packaging.
“I put together a database using samples from the various vampire, demon and Nephilim lines. The tests gather your DNA and compares it to those lines, and it will tell me which vampiric line you descended from. We already know which Nephilim line you descend from, thanks to your mother.” He gathered my arm and tied a blue band just above my elbow.
“Just a simple poke, just like at the doctor’s office.” A simple alcohol wipe to sanitize my skin and he looked up for permission as he gathered the needle. “Three, two, one,” He counted down and the cold metal pierced my vein.
I watched in fascination as he gathered each vial. It filled with the red liquid quickly. “How are you able to deal with blood so easily?” I cocked my head at him. The smell drove me wild and it was my own blood. I couldn’t imagine doing this with someone else’s blood.
A genuine smile spread on his face. “I fell into medicine long after I was turned and had gained control of my thirst. It was more out of necessity that I started stitching wounds and drawing blood.” He placed a piece of gauze on top of the needle and slowly removed it from my flesh.
“Put pressure here for a moment.” I took over pressing the pad into my skin.
“I like the research side of things. I’ve always had a natural curiosity about the unknown and it just kind of became my role within the council.” He shrugged, thinking nothing of his words. Nodding, he gathered up the vials and placed them in a centrifuge on the counter.
“You should be all healed up now. I will test these right away and let you know within the hour.” Adreon inclined his head to Vincent as he approached me.
“I want to show you something.” He held his hand out. I accepted it and he helped me to my feet.
“Thank you, Adreon.” I smiled at him. My kindness earned me a scowl from Vincent, who tucked me closer into his body with a growl building in his throat.
“You are very welcome, Lorelei. I will call you back up when I have everything back.” He swept the dark hair out of his eyes and began typing into the computer furiously.
Vincent settled his hand into the small of my back and led me out of the laboratory. “I have a couple of portraits I wanted you to see,” he whispered in my ear.
A shiver ran down my spine as his warm breath danced across my neck. Damius gave us a curious look as he followed at a discreet distance. I glanced around, taking in the elaborate oak walls and statues. I felt like I had stepped into a millionaire historians’ mansion.
I ran my fingers along a marble bust of a handsome man with wavy hair. My eyes lingered on a scene of a formal meeting with several familiar faces. Vincent grabbed my hand to gain my attention and pointed me to another door. We walked through and I was greeted with the largest library I had ever seen.
Thousands of leather-bound books lined the shelves of the two-story room. Large solid wooden tables with leather chairs had various volumes scattered about, some opened to random pages or stacked in piles. One end of the room was a large fireplace with an elaborate mantle and enormous wingback chairs facing the hearth. The smell of books entered my nostrils and centered me. I always loved the smel
l of libraries and books.
My steps echoed through the room from the boots I was wearing. I glanced up at Vincent, a pinched expression lingering on his face as he turned one of the open books toward me.
As my eyes glanced over the book, my mouth fell open on a silent gasp. My knees wobbled, causing me to fall into a plush chair.
“This is one of many books that we have put together over the centuries to catalog our history.” Damius sat down in the chair across the table from me. “Specifically, this is a collection of prophecies and predictions that our seers have recounted.” He looked at me with piercing red eyes.
“You can see why this one is of explicit and utmost importance to you.”
The book had a very detailed and accurate drawing of me.
Right down to the same pattern of scars I had on my neck.
Except I was being sacrificed on a stone altar, my veins sliced open and blood pouring down the stone to be collected in a vial below my feet.
Horror choked me as the one that was holding the knife that was slicing open my flesh was Vincent.
Chapter 6
Vincent
I let out a violent curse as disbelief and terror washed over Lorelei’s face. I didn’t want to show her this. Damius convinced me that we needed to be prepared, which meant researching and evaluating all visions that could relate to her.
She flinched as I set my hand on her shoulder. I drew back immediately, my jaw clenching so tightly I was surprised my teeth didn’t crack from the pressure. Damius sent me an apologetic look as his eyes drew back to Lorelei.
“Lorelei, there are hundreds of visions that are recorded every year from the various immortals that have the sight. We have been reviewing all of them that may lead us to discover what The Syndicate thinks they know. This is just one of many things that we have found and many of them contradict each other.”
Damius was not one to reassure or comfort anyone, but as he reached his hand out to touch her arm, I saw a spark light in his eyes. He knew more than anyone else what it was like to be kept in the dark about your supposed purpose. We had all known Lorelei would be important, but until we put together all the pieces, we didn’t know what that destiny would be.
Her mouth hung open, tears gathering in her eyes as she read the words of this specific prophecy.
Born of the angel and the holder of the all-seeing eye,
She will rise to her powers.
Shadows will plague her, all will hunt her, her blood is the answer.
Reborn in night, she will be the key to awakening the Dark God.
Mate of the Seraphim,
Destroyer of worlds,
She will rise and take flight
On wings as black as night.
“What the hell does this mean?” She slammed her fist on the table, making the book jump. “I will awaken the ‘Dark God’, destroy the world and fly away on black wings?” Her fingers swiped at her cheeks, whisking away the few tears that had escaped her eyes.
I knelt and took her hands into mine. “It is a prophecy, one of many that refers to the resurrection of the Dark God. It doesn’t mean it will happen. There are thousands of visions cataloged in this room that have never came to pass.” Her blue eyes flashed red as she worried her bottom lip. She was scared, but she didn’t want to admit it.
“But it does mean something doesn’t it?” Her voice shook slightly. She was trying desperately to hold it together. My strong brave mate. She didn’t want to show weakness. Didn’t want to break down in front of Damius or me.
“You’ve seen this image before, haven’t you?” Damius pointed to the drawing of her on the altar. She nodded slowly.
“Where?”
“It was a dream.” Her brow furrowed and her eyes darted around the room as she tried to recall the details. “It was a few days before Kyara…” she paused to collect herself. “Before Kyara was killed and I had to run away.”
She shivered and I ran my hands down her arms, trying to provide some comfort. “It was dark and raining. I was tied down to the altar; I felt my blood running down my body.” She cocked her head. “Kristoff and Antionette were standing over me. They kept saying I would free him.”
“I—"
A violent sob wracked her body and I gathered her into my arms, placing her on my lap. I reassuringly rubbed her back as she regained her composure. I realized what she was referring to. It was the night of her eighteenth birthday. The night that she had astral projected to me and our small amount of contact had cracked open the seal that contained her power.
She pulled away from me slightly. “Vincent wasn’t there, other than when he pulled me out of the nightmare. But that is the same altar. I’m sure of it.”
Damius’ red gaze met mine. “This was the night you resealed her powers?” Lorelei stiffened at the words, her back going straight and her fingers digging into my shirt.
“Yes.” I lifted her chin so she could look me in the eye. “The day you turned eighteen, your abilities started to break through the barrier your mother originally constructed. It was why you had that vision and it was why I reinforced the hold on your powers.” I didn’t mention the fact that it was more than likely because of the fact that we had connected for the first time when she was of age.
She got to her feet and started to pace. “Your abilities manifesting that night sent a wave through the collective supernatural community. I am sure that was the reason why The Syndicate was able to find you shortly after that.” I ran my fingers through my hair and gritted my teeth.
“We never knew exactly how Morgana had bound your powers, but we used a protective ward to strengthen the seal. It was not as effective, but it was enough to give you another couple of years,” I sighed.
Kaniul walked in the library and gave me a knowing look. “It was all your mother ever wanted for you. A normal childhood away from the supernatural world.”
She whirled around, the fury clear on her face. Her blue eyes blaze with an internal fire and she pinched her lips into a thin line. “She said that in her letter, but why Kaniul? What was so goddamn important about me being raised in the human world by a bunch of abusive assholes?” She clenched her fists at her sides. Flashes of red flickered in her eyes as she looked from Kaniul to me.
Kaniul stood toe to toe with her. “You may have not had a normal childhood and yes, you experienced things no child should have to, but it is nothing compared to what you would have been subject to had the council raised you.” His own anger rolled off him. “Trust me on that. You would be nothing like you are today had you not been raised in the human world.”
I saw the confusion cross over her face as she tilted her head up at him. “What are you talking about?”
He rubbed at his forehead before pinching the bridge of his nose. He was debating what he was going to tell her. Morgana and Kaniul had both had visions of Lorelei prior to her birth. And what she would become if left in the wrong hands. Lorelei would have been the ultimate weapon and a killing machine had she been raised under the council’s tutelage.
We had agreed that no matter what she had experienced, it was just a drop in the bucket compared to the lives that she would have taken and the person she would become. Even our bond would not have been enough to save the soul of the woman before me.
I shuddered as I recalled those images that Kaniul had shown me of Lorelei standing over piles of bodies, her clothes and face dripping with blood. It was that version of the future that would have led to me standing over her tied to an altar with a knife in my hands.
“Visions are a fickle thing, Kishka. The future changes based on free will and the decisions we make in life.” He cupped her cheek in his hand, his eyes softening. “Had your mother not sacrificed herself for you, you would have become a monster.”
Her mouth hung open as she glanced from him to me. “It’s true. He showed me the visions and we knew that couldn’t happen.” My voice was low and steady.
“Show me.”
“Now. Show me. One of you.” She stabbed her finger into Kaniul’s chest but pinned me with a stare. “I know you can. Now do it.”
I stood, inclining my head to Kaniul. He stepped back and allowed me to step in front of Lorelei. I took her hand in mine and placed it to my chest. “It won’t be pleasant. That drawing?” I tilted my chin at the book still lying open on the table. “This path would have led to that.”
She nodded, eyes sparkling. She was strong, my mate. I would expect nothing less than the fierce woman that stood before me. “Everything you are now is because of your experiences. We can’t claim to be all knowing, but this is who you are. Not what I’m going to show you.”
“Now, Vincent.” Her voice was low. Her eyes pleading with me. She was practically shouting her thoughts, her insecurities. It was painful for me to try and unravel her mind. Everything inside of me screamed to protect my mate, but in order to do this she needed to be aware of everything. I couldn’t deny her this request. Even if it killed me to show her these images.
“I will show you what Kaniul showed me. It is a combination of the visions they both saw.” I placed my palm on her face, tilting her head up to be level with mine. “Close your eyes.”
Her eyelids fluttered shut. I glanced at Damius and Kaniul who both nodded. I am sure they suspected the emotional toll this would have on both of us. There was a danger in letting either of our emotions get out of control. Nephilim powers were tied closely with emotion. Her powers could become erratic and consume her. I would need both of their help to ground us if this became dicey.
I closed my eyes and opened my mind to her, urging her to connect fully with me. She gasped as our minds fully merged. I gritted my teeth as I sifted through my memories to bring up the fateful day that I learned that she would come into my life.
1985
Morgana and Kaniul burst through my door just as I removed my fangs from the woman beneath me. She squealed and threw her head back on a keening cry. I was toying with her. Her frustration far more sustenance for me than her faked passion.
Out of The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy Book 2) Page 4
