Kindred of the Fallen

by Isis Rushdan

  Serenity took a deep swig of wine to keep from saying something she’d regret. Heat bubbled up in her stomach. She glanced at the French doors to the terrace, longing for fresh air and to be left alone.

  “Now you need to set a wedding date. Make things permanent and marry the man already. Plan a fairytale wedding only a partner could afford.” Lila gave a wink.

  They’d barely been engaged two weeks. She was in no rush to make her sacrifice on the altar of the marriage gods, even if it’d secure the life of safe predictability she’d struggled to create. “Permanence is an illusion and marriage doesn’t mean happily ever after.”

  Lila chuckled. “And I thought I was a cynic.”

  The room seemed to close in as heat flared in Serenity’s chest. Hot flashes again? She was only pushing thirty. “It’s so warm in here. Would you excuse me? I need a little air.”

  Before Lila could object, Serenity turned, spotting Evan closing in with a bright smile.

  “Sweets, you have to meet my new client.” Evan slid his arm around Serenity’s waist.

  Lila teetered and grasped the crook of Evan’s arm. “I met him at the office. Some kind of venture capitalist. He’s a tall drink of cool water that could slide down my throat anytime, if I were ten years younger.” She ran her fingers over her coiffed blonde hair. “And single, of course.”

  Serenity’s vision blurred and the room started to spin. “I think I need some air.”

  “Want me to come with you?” Evan asked, stroking her forehead with his thumb.

  “Stay and mingle.” She made her way to the French doors and fled down the steps to the terrace. The tiled space was the size of her first studio apartment on the Lower East Side. She set her glass on the stone balcony, glancing at the top-heavy ring. The one image from her nightmare she could never bring herself to draw was of Evan, unshaven and distraught, holding the ring.

  A breeze carrying the remnants of a summer that had lasted too long caressed her skin. With a deep breath, she shoved all thoughts from her mind. Slowly, her dizziness subsided.

  Her skin tingled, but a tranquil wave washed over her, soothing her spirit. In the wind, her name drifted, as though someone had called her. She hadn’t heard a voice, more of a summons without words.

  She took a long sip of her wine, enjoying the crisp, fruity flavors rolling in her mouth.

  “You ran out of there so fast I was certain you’d trip on your heels.”

  She spun around and choked on the wine sliding down her throat. It was him, the man from her studio. The devilishly delicious customer she hadn’t been able to read. “You?”

  Chapter Three

  The stranger glided across the terrace with uncanny grace like he belonged to a world out of reach for mere mortals. As he strode toward her, butterflies flitted all over her body, and every cell sparked with excitement. Although he was no taller than six-two and had a powerful build, he seemed to take up the vast space around her. Nestled in the folds of his chest and arms, her five-seven frame would be cozy indeed.

  Her breath stalled in her chest, face heating at the notion. What was wrong with her? She didn’t go ga-ga over a good-looking guy, no matter how jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

  “Why are you here?” Serenity demanded, putting her glass down.

  He set his drink on the balcony close to hers. “I was invited. What’s your excuse?”

  “Are you following me?”

  He laughed, deep and throaty, and so sexy it sent a thrill shooting through her veins. “Thirty minutes after I left your office, I arrived here. One of the partners of the firm had me sequestered in a back room doing his best to schmooze me. So, unless you beat me, it’d appear as though you were the one following me.”

  Her mouth hung open as she searched for the right words. “I’m sorry,” she muttered after an awkward, speechless moment. “For the way I acted earlier. I treated you—”

  “It’s forgotten,” he said in a gentle tone she hadn’t expected, yet appreciated. “Let’s not speak of it again.”

  An involuntary smile floated to her face.

  He looked up at the sky. “It’s a lovely night. You were smart to escape outside to enjoy it. Too bad the lights here block out the stars. Have you ever seen a sky filled with so many stars it stilled your soul?”

  Every care cluttering her mind evanesced. Her shoulders dipped, and she stroked the hollow of her neck. He had the richest, smoothest voice. Listening to him reminded her of the time she’d tasted a twenty-year-old bottle of Primitivo. The balance of the wine’s velvety softness with bold, complex flavors was like his voice, perfectly harmonious.

  “Would that be a yes or a no?”

  “No country skies filled with stars for me,” she said, wanting to have a normal conversation after her atrocious behavior earlier. “I never get a chance to get out of the city.”

  He adjusted his open shirt collar, drawing her focus to a glimpse of his bare chest.

  Her nerves tangled in a raw bundle between her ribs, like the sweet spot of a fireworks display, raining bright, hot flecks of joy and desire down her body. She tore her gaze from him, fearful she’d stare too long, took a step away and glanced over the balcony at the traffic below. Get a grip! Hot-looking plus smooth-talking equals trouble.

  “That’s a very interesting mark.” He moved in, the heat of his body caressing her, and brushed aside the curly wisps of hair barely concealing her birthmark. His fingers grazed her skin and electric sparks danced across her neck.

  Startled, she flinched. “Static electricity.”

  “Or kismet,” he said in a self-assured manner and reached for her hand.

  She stepped away, bumping into a potted Ficus tree, but he caught her before she fell.

  Blue-white sparks illuminated where his hot fingers curled around her arm. The spangle of light vanished. A figment of her imagination? Her body arched, drawn to him, and an unfamiliar sensation bloomed between her thighs. She stared at her elbow, where he held her in a firm grip.

  He released her arm. And her heart clenched.

  “Don’t.” Her pale voice sounded alien to her ears.

  “Don’t what?”

  Don’t let go. Flames dwindled and a chill swept up her spine. She smoothed her dress with shaking hands and her ring glinted in the light. Shame brought her crashing back to the harsh reality of her predicament.

  “Does it mean something, the mark?” he asked.

  She wrestled against the curious urge to touch him and leaned on the stone railing, putting ample space between them. “It’s a birthmark. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Even birthmarks can have meaning.” He raked wavy layers of hair from his face. The inky strands of silk swung forward from an off-centered part. The front was long, almost to his ears, and the back tapered nicely at his neck—an unexpected mix of polished and unruly.

  Her heart fluttered and her mind careened back to the feel of his fingers upon her skin.

  He edged closer and tilted his head. Light kissed his eyes, and they glimmered the deepest blue. He smiled. “I’m Cyrus.”

  “Serenity…” She shook her head, hoping to snap out of her lust-drenched daze. He already knows your name from the shop.

  He pushed the spiral curls framing her face to the side and tucked the hair behind her ear, stoking a brushfire through every strand of her nerves. “You should let people see your face.”

  Her toes curled. Heaven help me.

  “He’s looking for you.” A female voice came from behind them.

  A statuesque young lady, dressed in a navy suit with no shirt underneath and flat boots, approached with alacrity. Her coppery auburn hair, pulled into a low ponytail that fell to her mid-back, set off her green eyes. The barely legal nymph was tall, thin and flawless.

  “I need ten minutes. Ensure I’m undisturbed,” Cyrus said, as if giving an order.

  Serenity stepped back, eyeing them.

  “Forgive me. Serenity, this is Talus.”

&nbs
p; He nudged the young woman, and she gave a reserved nod of her head.

  Serenity tensed, bracing for a searing flux in the vibrations of her core at meeting the girl. The equilibrium of the current flowing through her didn’t waver, but a sharp, new emotion she couldn’t pinpoint percolated. “It was nice to learn your name and to meet your date. I should go back inside.”

  “Please wait.” Cyrus placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “Talus, leave us.” He spoke to the girl, but his eyes were fixed on Serenity.

  Talus bowed her head and withdrew.

  “She’s not my date. She works for me,” he said.

  He kept disarming her with his bulldozer confidence as if she were a foregone conclusion. Well, she wasn’t about to roll on her back and become the plaything of a rich womanizer. “Do you really expect me to believe that? Is she even old enough to vote?”

  Cyrus clutched her shoulder tighter. “There’s no reason for a phoenix to be jealous of a sparrow.”

  “Jealous?” How presumptuous, and how deplorably true. “You misread the situation. I’d have to be interested to be jealous.”

  No need for him to know the truth. This was going nowhere.

  A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest like she’d just told a charming joke. “I’d love to show you that country sky at night. I have a home in Valhalla, not far from here. We could have dinner one evening and do a little stargazing. Would you like that?”

  Uncertainty crashed into her and her willpower faltered. Evan, she reminded herself. He was her anchor.

  Cyrus stroked Serenity’s arm, his heart tight as a fist and throbbing. His pool of energy gushed and swelled inside of him. Exhilarating jolts, unlike anything he’d ever felt, set his skin aflame. His nerve endings tingled like bare wires.

  He’d watched her for the last ten days from a distance, waiting for the perfect opportunity to meet her. After his reckless disaster earlier in her office, he needed this to go the way he’d planned. For more than two hundred years, he had imagined this, when he’d finally meet his kabashem, the other half of his soul. If he ever found her, his mission was clear.

  Claim her at any cost and put an end to the curse.

  “My house outside the city offers a spectacular view. It’s the perfect place to appreciate the stars. And I promise you’ll enjoy a meal you’ll never forget.”

  Was he being too forward? His impulsive, less aggressive tactic at her studio had backfired.

  Sweat slicked his palms and his pulse raced. Ten days should have been long enough to prepare. What was wrong with him? He’d never been nervous going into battle, not even the first time he held a sword ready to kill. But having her within reach threw him off kilter worse than taking a fist to the head.

  “I can’t have dinner with you,” she said in a solemn voice that wavered.

  “We both have to eat. Why not do it together?”

  She raised her left hand with the ring facing him. “I’m engaged.”

  “Happily?”

  Her eyes grew wide for a moment. From shock or anger?

  “You’re used to getting what you want, aren’t you?” Her gaze slipped from his face. “Women probably throw themselves at you all the time, tossing away their morals along with their panties, eager to get into your bed. I hate to disappoint you twice in one day, but I’m not that type of woman.”

  He sucked in a breath, smooth and slow. “You’re right, I am used to getting what I want, but you’re wrong about the women. Casual sex is for the undisciplined, and none of the pursuits in my life are casual.” He leaned closer. “I didn’t mean to offend you with my invitation. I admire your moral compass. Means you’ll never get lost.”

  She rolled her eyes and snickered.

  Time for uncensored honesty. “Forgive my forwardness, but I sensed a connection between us and thought you had as well.”

  She met his gaze.

  “The kind of connection one can’t deny or ignore,” he continued. “The kind that happens once in a lifetime. The kind for which rules are meant to be broken.”

  The soft, dreamy look on her face made his lips curl in a smile. Pictures of her from the file he’d received conveyed her beauty, but not the brilliance of her aura. She was radiant, as if she harnessed the luster of every star. Her caramel skin glowed in the soft light of the terrace lamps. The tight dress skimmed every slender curve. His gaze bounced from her full rosy lips to the mounds of her breasts and back to her almond-shaped violet eyes.

  Thick cords of energy flowed from him, mingling with her stream, and goose bumps rose on his skin. She shivered, wrinkling her brow, and edged backward.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, stepping in to close the gap between them.

  Waves of her life force receded from him. He needed to take this slowly. Their energy streams had to fully merge to awaken the latent abilities inside both of them. Kindred raised as a human. He’d never heard of such a thing. They always stayed in groups, never alone and certainly never abandoned. Her frame of reference must be so different. He had to choose each word, each action with care. He tempered the flow of his stream, throttling back to tendrils.

  A smile flickered over her face, but lines of uneasiness remained. “Yes…it’s just…” She chewed her lower lip and narrowed her eyes.

  He dared to move even closer, taking in her scent, crushed roses and mimosa soaked in summer rain. Desire coiled through his energy stream, tightening inside his flesh.

  “It’s just what?” he prodded.

  “This might sound strange and I don’t want you to take it the wrong way because I’m not hitting on you, but I feel like I know you, or should from somewhere besides earlier today.”

  “Maybe in another life we were lovers.” Only death would keep them from being lovers in this one.

  She flushed. “Unfortunately, I don’t believe in reincarnation.” Turning from him, she rested her forearms on the balcony.

  His eyes homed in on the birthmark on her neck. She had no idea what the symbol meant or how special she was. They were the only Blessed mates and the only ones capable of saving their species from extinction.

  “You don’t think we get a second chance to resolve unfinished business?” he asked.

  “It’s a comforting idea, but it’s more likely this life is the only chance we get.”

  “How tragic not to believe in second chances. Well, if this life is the only one you’ll have, let’s hope you get it right.” He stroked her arm with the back of his hand. Every time he touched her, all the empty crevices in his soul filled with sweet warmth. His cold heart, usually heavy as stone, was now hot and light as flames.

  Twisting the ring on her finger, she peered up at him, the sexy curve of her lips lifted. Her arresting violet eyes stirred something deep inside of him, heating his blood.

  The instinct to touch her—the need to possess her—was unexpected, but as natural as breathing. Roping in all of his willpower, he swayed under the force of the impulse to ravish her and gripped the stone parapet to resist.

  He had to have her. Body and soul. The fate of his people depended on it.

  And the aching hunger invading his flesh and laying siege to his mind demanded it.

  “There you are,” the human said in a jovial tone, trotting toward them.

  Cyrus gritted his teeth as he dropped his hand from Serenity’s shoulder and picked up his drink, keeping his mate behind him.

  “I see you’ve finally met my fiancée,” Evan said.

  Cyrus stood in front of the male, rigid as a shield, wishing he had the power to make him disappear. Patience.

  Serenity reached for her wine glass, knocking it onto the stone floor. “Damn it.” A delicate, trembling hand covered her mouth.

  Her energy stream sloshed and pulled from his as she slinked toward Evan. Cyrus clung to the tendrils of her electric pool still intermingled with his. This was not the way it was supposed to happen. She was supposed to realize the human was all wrong.

  “Cyrus A
mbrose, this is my fiancée, Serenity Shaw.” Evan put his arm around her waist.

  Cyrus clenched his hand into a fist, longing for his sword. With one clean swipe, he could sever her ties to this man. Better yet, he could strangle the life from him with his bare hands.

  “You know each other?” Serenity asked in a fragile voice that cracked.

  “He’s the new client I’ve been raving about,” Evan said, grinning.

  Serenity’s gaze whipped to Cyrus. She stared at him with pure disgust as though he was some vile creature that had crawled out of a swamp.

  “Evan, now I can see why you barely told me anything about her. She’s definitely a secret I’d keep all to myself as well.” Cyrus took a business card with his cell number from his pocket and offered it to her. “Please, take my card.”

  Stiffening, she gave a pinched smile, gripping Evan’s arm. “I’m sure Evan has plenty.”

  His chest constricted. He was losing her. For the first time in his life, he was failing.

  He’d been patient, done proper recon, observing first to better understand her before making contact. He even made it his business to know the man she lived with. He’d done everything right. Surely she had felt the undeniable bond, the connection between them.

  Still, his mate clung to this unworthy human.

  Serenity flashed a grin at Evan. “What exactly did you say about me? Did you mention what I do?”

  All that sweet talk about a connection. If Cyrus turned out to be one of those twisted individuals who only wanted what someone else had, she’d be sick. She prayed this second meeting was only a lovely act of chance.

  Tightening his grip on her waist, Evan gave a forced chuckle. “You know I don’t advertise your shop.”

  That was code for “I’m ashamed of what you do and never volunteer the information”.

  She glanced at Cyrus while Evan continued to speak.

  Cyrus’s jaw clenched and his brow furrowed. He shoved the card back in his pocket and chugged his drink in a single swallow. His eyes darkened. His gaze traveled up her body and lingered just a second too long on her waist. His upper lip twitched and the bridge of his nose wrinkled. She checked to see what was wrong with her dress, besides the hideous color, but there was only Evan’s arm hooked around her.