THE IMMORTAL: A Novel of the Breedline series

by Shana Congrove

  Her eyes rounded. “Are you saying I won’t become a killer?” God, she hated that word.

  Cronus shook his head. “No, Jena. That part I cannot take away. You’re still going to kill humans for their blood.”

  She threw her wolfish hands up in defeat and let out an aggravated groan. “I don’t understand.” Jena’s voice had hardened then. “So what part of this is supposed to be helping me?”

  “You will only kill evildoers,” a strange deep voice from the balcony said.

  When Jena looked away from Cronus and focused her eyes on the man—who resembled the other giant angel—peering into the opening of the sliding glass door, she found herself speechless. It was like she couldn’t move. There are two of them?

  Words could not describe the angel staring back at her with strange silver eyes that shimmered like crystals, which accentuated his handsome face. And he had the most fantastic head of hair, the kind most women would die for. The long, colorful shades of his golden-toned hair were outrageously gorgeous.

  Jeez, are all angels this attractive? Jena thought.

  As the angel ducked his head to enter the room, Jena took a few steps back. Then, to her amazement, another angel appeared in the opening of the balcony. As he ducked under the doorway and stepped inside, Jena looked up at him in awe. When he stood straight, he towered above the other angels by at least two feet. He had shimmering eyes and braids that trailed past his bare chest as thick as rope. The way he stood firm and mighty reminded Jena of an African King.

  “Who are you?” she asked, looking between the two angels.

  “My name is Icarus,” the blond-headed angel said. He bowed his head and then turned to the other angel. “And this is Helios.”

  Helios bowed to Jena in silence.

  “Cronus is our commander.” Icarus’s eyes shifted to Cronus and then back to Jena. “We’re here to help him, help you.”

  Jena swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat. “What did you mean by what you said just a second ago?”

  “In our world, ‘evildoers’ refers to the worst of sinners,” Icarus said, and he added, “child molesters, serial killers, rapists, and anything that walks on two feet with the intent of performing the most perverse acts on the innocent. I’m sure you get my meaning.”

  When Jena nodded, he went on, “We need you to help us rid the earth of these evil beings before they are sent to hell.”

  Jena smirked. “Why not just let them go to hell? Won’t that be a worse punishment?”

  Icarus laughed a little. “I’m sure burning for eternity would be far worse than being killed outright by you. But the curse you bestow will destroy their souls before Satan gets his hooks in them.”

  Jena narrowed her eyes. “But isn’t that how it works?” Her voice sounded frustrated. “You’re confusing me here. Why would you care if the devil gets the bad people? Don’t they deserve it?”

  “Yes, they deserve to burn in hell for eternity,” Cronus told Jena. “But what you don’t understand, some of those bad people will be converted into demons. Not all of them will burn in eternal fire. Satan unleashes his chosen to do his bidding. He wants to destroy us and take over. He sends powerful demons to a place called the In-Between. It’s the outer surrounding of heaven. That’s where all the battle angels like us reside, where we guard heaven’s gate. You will be doing us a big favor by eliminating Satan’s soldiers. As of now, his numbers are rising. If you agree to this, you will not kill innocent people, and you’ll be helping us.”

  “So what you’re saying is...” Jena momentarily paused to let out a deep breath. “...I’d be sort of like God’s grim reaper?”

  Cronus cocked a brow and Icarus made a noise in the back of his throat as though he was holding back a chuckle.

  “Yeah,” Cronus chortled. “Something like that.”

  Jena shrugged. “But how I am supposed to know if a person is good or bad?”

  “Trust me,” Icarus said to her. “You’ll know. The evil will call out to you.”

  Jena looked to the angel named Helios. “Are you always this quiet?”

  “He doesn’t speak,” Icarus stated. “He was born without vocal cords, although now he’s telepathic.”

  “You mean he can communicate with his mind?”

  Helios focused on Jena and spoke to her using his special gift. “Yes, Jena.” His voice was a deep baritone, softly whispering in Jena’s head. “I can communicate with everyone in this room at the same time, using my inner voice.”

  Jena’s eyes rounded. “Wow. That’s incredible.”

  Helios smiled at her.

  “Seeing all of you here is amazing, but I can’t help but feel like this is my fault,” Jena regretfully said. “I feel guilty every single day because Todd and Sophie died and I didn’t. I’m the one that led them to that cemetery. They died because of me. I’d give anything if I could go back in time. I would have never gone there. I—” she began, then broke off with a gasp. “I don’t deserve to live.”

  Cronus drew closer to Jena and kept his voice low. “I regret what’s happened to you, but what is done is done. There is no turning back. You have to know this is not your doing. The wicked creature had you spellbound. You had no other choice but to submit to his bidding.”

  “You were born with a purpose, Jena,” Icarus chimed back in. “Your ability to speak to those who have passed on is not coincidental. God gave you this gift for a reason.”

  Jena narrowed her eyes in question. “But why?”

  “To help them move on,” Icarus explained. “Those who cannot pass on to the other side turn to people like you that are gifted with sight.”

  “You mean like that girl, Carla Rosi?” she asked.

  Icarus nodded. “Yes, Jena. And you’re not to blame for anyone’s death. You went to that cemetery for the sole purpose of helping Carla’s family. You had no idea something evil was lurking in the shadows.” He loomed over her with tenderness in his mesmerizing gaze. “Jena, you gave Carla and her family what they desperately needed.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Peace,” Icarus simply said. “Carla can finally rest in peace, and her family can heal from her death.”

  Jena held steady. She drew in her breath and reached for the last of her strength she had left. “All this time, I thought I was a freak,” she muttered, her words ragged and choked. “My family thought I was crazy.”

  “You’re anything but that,” Cronus said, his words soothing. “You have a special gift.”

  Jena’s eyes softened. “So, I guess all this leaves me with no choice. I have to do what I have to do. Even though the thought of becoming this monster makes me sick to my stomach, it’s the right thing.” She sighed again. “At least I won’t be killing innocent people.”

  “There’s one more thing,” Cronus went on to explain. Before he continued, he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. The instant he made contact, Jena shifted back to her human form.

  She looked down at her body, and her eyes went wide. It was as if she’d just witnessed a miracle. Thank goodness she’d put on a robe this morning, Jena thought. Otherwise, she’d be standing buck naked in front of three angels. Then her eyes lifted to meet Cronus’s stare.

  Jena let out a long breath as if all the air in her lungs expelled. Tears immediately gathered in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say,” she said in a low voice. “Thank you.”

  Cronus smiled and removed his hand from her shoulder. “You’re welcome, Jena. But in order for all this to work,” he began to explain, “the creature that cursed you can no longer exist. You must destroy it. You’re the only key to its destruction.”

  Her face grew pale at the horror of what he told her. It was so inconceivable. No, Jena painfully thought as she slumped and looked down. Her unease was growing with each passing moment. Then tears fell from her eyes. Swallowing back the sobs that welled in her chest, she lifted her chin. As her eyes roamed the faces before her, she finally mana
ged to say, “I’m sorry.” The words came out as shaky as her hands were. “I cannot kill him.”

  “You have no choice, Jena,” Helios said, his inner voice a deep, resonant baritone. “Innocent lives depend solely on you. We depend on you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  When Sebastian woke the next morning, he automatically reached for Eve. As time passed while he was away, separated from her was like having a part of his soul ripped out. Now, she was here, and he’d be damned if he’d let her go again. Sebastian had ached for so long to hold Eve, to touch her, and to make love to her. Things were different now. Although they had experienced more suffering than any person should, they no longer lived in the past. Eve had changed. He had changed. Letting go of the pain had led them to a better place.

  Despite his burning desire to make love to Eve, they stayed up most of the night talking. Just being in her presence again was more than he had ever hoped. After Sebastian explained to Eve the reason he’d been given a second chance to do the right thing—which involved the human who had been bitten by the creature—she told him all the things about the boys that he’d missed out on. Then there was the matter of showing his face to the Breedline Covenant. The battle angels had given him a huge task. It was Sebastian’s responsibility to relay to them the details about Jena. And they weren’t going to like what he had to say. He’d be lucky if Jace didn’t kill him before he got a word out. After the vile things he’d done to him and his bonded mate Tessa, who could blame him.

  Eve had only been asleep for a few hours, and he hated to wake her, but time was ticking, which meant she needed to be awake and prepared for the worst case scenario. It was crucial that he speak with the Covenant about Jena. She was their only hope of destroying the creature.

  Sebastian pulled Eve into his arms and molded her tight against his chest. At last, he was holding her, and he had never felt something so right in his life. She stirred with a small sigh and melted into his embrace, her body so soft and warm against his.

  Eve looked up and their gazes locked. Her crimson eyes filled with love.

  “I can’t believe you’re really here,” she whispered to him. “I was afraid to open my eyes this morning.”

  As he reached for her hand, he intertwined his fingers with hers and said, “Why would you be afraid?”

  Eve sucked in a breath. “I was afraid to wake up and find all this to be nothing but a dream.”

  The sadness in her voice made Sebastian’s gut tighten. “Everything is going to be okay, Eve,” he murmured, smoothing his thumb over her cheekbone. “I’m here now, and I don’t plan on going anywhere.” He prayed he was right as he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly.

  When he pulled away, he said, “As much as I would love to spend the rest of the morning here in this bed with you making love, it’s important that I speak with the Covenant. I have to tell them about Jena.”

  “But what about Jace?” she asked, a protest forming on her lips. “I’m scared. What if he—”

  “Shhh.” He briefly put his fingers against her lips. “I know, I know,” he whispered, nodding an understanding.

  Sebastian knew all too well what he was getting himself into. Facing his half-brother was like poking at a hornet’s nest. Pissing Jace off would most likely bring forth his Beast, and the outcome would not be pleasant.

  “I don’t want you to worry, Eve.” He released her hand and then smoothed it up her arm and squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll work this out, okay?”

  She went quiet for several long moments. It seemed as though Sebastian wasn’t looking at the seriousness of the situation. Almost as though he had blinders on. He was walking straight into the line of fire without a plan.

  Eve hesitated a moment and then said, “We need to talk about our options.”

  “Okay, what do you propose we do?”

  She sat up and let out a deep breath. “Let me talk to my sister first. Mia will explain everything to Jem. Surely, he will understand. Maybe Jem can talk some sense into his brother. So far, Jace has come a long way. He has accepted me and the boys living here. Maybe he’ll have a change of heart after he sees that you’ve changed.”

  Sebastian shook his head, his lips twisted into a grimace. “I don’t think my brother will ever forgive me. He still thinks that I...” He briefly paused, barely able to stomach what he was about to say. “... raped Tessa.”

  Eve eyed him steadily. “But I know you didn’t. You have to tell him the truth.”

  “I still hurt her, Eve.” He let out a ragged sigh. “I used my succubus-side and put those images in her head, leading her to believe I did, just to hurt Jace.” He swallowed back the tears that were building in the back of his throat. “I wanted to punish him, and I wanted to punish Jem. What I’ve done is unforgivable.” His lips trembled and he brought his hand to his face to wipe at his eyes. “I was jealous of my father’s love for them,” he went on, shame evident in his voice. “All I wanted was for my father to love me. I was willing to do anything for him. He used me to do his dirty work, and then discarded me as if I was nothing. After what my mother had done to me, I just couldn’t bear the thought of feeling abandoned again.”

  Eve’s blood ran cold hearing the pain in Sebastian’s voice. “All that is in the past,” she said as she took hold of his hand and lightly squeezed. “Sebastian, your father is not the same man he was before. The demon that possessed him is gone. Alexander is a good man with a loving heart. He is a wonderful grandfather to our boys, and they love him. When my sister and Jem announced their engagement, Alexander knew she did not have anyone to walk her down the aisle. He offered to take the place of the father we never had,” she went on to explain. “Even Jace has accepted him. Everyone in the Covenant respects and adores him. He has put his life on the line more than I can count to protect everyone here.”

  Sebastian looked at Eve with total bewilderment. His mouth opened, but then shut it as though he had no idea how to respond to what she’d just told him. Then he finally said, “Does my father remember anything? I mean, when he was possessed by the demon?”

  “No, he doesn’t, which is best.”

  “Does he ask about me?”

  “Of course he does,” she murmured. “He told me he feels responsible for everything that has happened to you, even though all the terrible things were not his doing. He loves you, Sebastian. And he wants nothing more than to be the father you always deserved.”

  “I want to believe that, Eve. I want to believe it more than anything.”

  “I know you do. Maybe soon this will all be over and you can get to know the family you never had.”

  Sebastian gave her a half-smile. “I would like that.” He stiffened as though he had remembered something horrible... something completely despicable that he had done in his past. A painful, faraway look instantly took hold of him. Images were crowding his mind, filling him with remorse and despair. Sebastian thought of what he had done to Tessa and the people whose lives he had taken, which included his birth mother, his spoiled half-siblings Camille and Edward, and his stepfather, although he did not regret killing him. William Montgomery was a monster. He’d raped Anna as a child. She was like a sister to Sebastian. William deserved his fate. He deserved to burn in hell for eternity. Sebastian started to speak about it to Eve but decided against it.

  “Has Tessa forgiven you?” he asked, coming back to focus as a mixture of grief and uncertainty rang clear in his eyes.

  “Yes, honey,” she honestly replied. “And so has everyone else.”

  Sebastian stared at Eve in a way that made her want to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything was going to be all right.

  “What about my sister?” he asked in a nervous voice. “Does Anna know what I’ve done?”

  Eve nodded. “Anna knows all about our past, and she doesn’t judge either of us. She knows I am not the same person I used to be. She knows deep down who you truly are. She loves you with all her heart. Anna has always
considered you her brother even though you are not blood. And she has done some healing herself. Anna has found true love.”

  “With who?” Sebastian asked, cocking his brow.

  “His name is Zeke Rizzo. You’d like him, Sebastian. He’s a good man. And he is good to your sister.”

  Sebastian sighed. “I’ve missed out on so many things. How can I ever make up for all that I’ve done?”

  “Honey, both of us have suffered more than anyone deserves,” Eve continued. “Yes, we have hurt others and done terrible things, but God has forgiven us. He healed our broken hearts and brought us together again. He gave us two beautiful sons as proof. This is our second chance at life. You have to start forgiving yourself.”

  Sebastian’s fingers tightened around hers as tears streaked down his cheeks. He loved that she didn’t seem turned off by his moment of distress, and all the sins of his past. She gave him strength. She made him feel whole again.

  “You’re right, Eve.” His lips curved up into a smile. “I didn’t think it was possible to love you any more than I already do and yet here you are, proving me wrong.” Then he leaned until his forehead touched hers. “I love you to infinity and beyond.”

  “You are my love,” she whispered. “My only love.”

  A few minutes later, they made the decision to reach out to Mia and Jem. Eve went through her contacts and found Mia’s number, irritated with how nervous it made her feel to make that call. As Eve explained the situation over the phone to her sister, the irrational part of her didn’t want to involve Mia, but she was left with no choice. Mia had already given her more help than she ever deserved, especially after what she’d done to her not so long ago. Then again, who else could she have turned to? At this point, Eve was desperate, and she knew her sister would do whatever it took to keep peace within the Covenant. And having Sebastian under the same roof as Jace could end up in disaster. She couldn’t dispute that. Eve knew she was treading on thin ice bringing the two together.

  When Mia had agreed to talk to Jem, Eve sagged in relief. Mia was everything that she had come to know when she needed the support of a loving family. She was the kind of person that Eve came to trust, no matter the circumstances.