by Isis Rushdan
“Got it,” Carin said, tossing the last piece of the bullet to the ground. She placed her palms on Serenity, and they glowed and vibrated white.
He closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath of relief as he sensed her life force once again. Faint undulations of her energy stream rippled through him.
With trembling hands, he caressed her face. “Why isn’t she waking up?” he asked.
Carin rocked back on her heels, sweat dampened her pallid brow. “Too much…trauma,” she said, breathless. “It’ll take time.”
Chapter Forty-One
Come back to me my love,
And I will forfeit all that I have.
Return to me, plant sweet kisses upon my face,
And I will sacrifice all that I am.
Stand at my side once more,
And I swear, only your flame shall burn in my eyes,
All others extinguished.
Hasten home to my arms, carried on the wings of love
For without you, I am hopelessly forsaken, lost in the cold abyss.
Was it a dream or was Cyrus nearby, speaking to her? Serenity drifted somewhere in the shadows. Was it the underworld or purgatory?
Beloved, hold my hand again and I will believe,
Not in my brothers or sisters.
Not in the Creator or the promise of salvation.
No, all of my belief shall be saved for thee.
His velvet voice beseeched her soul to respond. He called to her, beyond time and space. Enveloped in the melody of his silken words, she floated, darkness receding, and opened her eyes. Cyrus looked down at her with a smile.
He closed a book he was holding and tossed it to the foot of the bed. His face was the most beautiful sight in her world. Whether she was alive or awake in the afterworld didn’t matter. They were together.
“What happened?”
“You passed out from losing so much blood. Carin healed you, but you slept for a day. You had a lot of internal damage, but somehow…” His voice trailed off. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “She kept telling me not to worry, but I couldn’t wait for you to open your eyes.”
He kissed her cheeks and forehead softly. “Carin said, with the severity of the injury and trauma of the experience, it wasn’t unusual for you to sleep for so long.”
She sat up. Although he said she’d slept for a day, her limbs were heavy with fatigue. She lifted the satin shirt of her pajamas.
The wound was completely healed.
She moved her face closer to his and kissed his luscious mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him, pressing her cheek next to his. “I love you.”
Drawing back gently, he cupped her face in his hands. “I came so close to losing you. If anything ever happened to you—”
She put her fingers to his lips. “If anything ever happened to me, I’d ask the almighty Creator to give us another chance. I’d beg to be sent back, with the same mark, so you could recognize me.”
“I would recognize your soul anywhere.” With a smile, he caressed her cheek, but sadness lingered in his eyes. “There is one flaw with your plan.”
“And what’s that?”
“You don’t believe in the Creator.”
“I’ll believe in heaven, hell, the Creator, fate…anything that’ll keep me with you.”
He grabbed her in a firm embrace.
Whatever lay ahead, they were one and would face it together.
He slid under the covers and they wrapped their limbs around one another. She found her favorite spot, a groove under his shoulder, where her body rested on top of him sideways. She ran her nose across his neck and felt him smile. He smelled of angelica and sandalwood.
“What happened to Artemis?” Using her alias dampened the sting of mentioning her.
“Abbadon kept his promise to Talus and brought her Lysandra’s head.”
“Is Evan okay?” she asked timidly.
He scowled. “He’s in much better condition than I’d prefer. He’s in the hospital. One crushed leg, a few cracked ribs, and he has a concussion, but he’ll live. I’ve already dispatched someone to erase his memories of Lysandra and Kindred.”
“Will he remember me?”
“Unfortunately, yes. It’d be hard to completely erase you over sixteen years without wiping away a large part of who he is. He’ll remember vague details about the break-up to give him a sense of closure, but nothing beyond that.”
She stroked the stubble on his face. She loved the scratchy feel of it against her fingertips. “What were you reading to me a moment ago?”
He curled his fingers in her hair. “A book of poems, translated from the scrolls of Julius. He wrote it in 606 AD, shortly after he lost his kabashem.”
“Was she the one that died in childbirth?”
He nodded. “The grief was too much for him to bear. He put barenpetium shackles on his hands and feet. Then he threw himself from a cliff and drowned.”
She tugged at his shirt, which was tucked in his pants, until there was an opening. She pushed her hand through the hole and rubbed his chest.
His skin was hot. The feel of his body, the curvature of his muscles, his intoxicating scent, made her sigh. Her body yearned to make love, but she wanted to linger in that sweet space, drawing it out, letting it build…allowing the desire to tangle with the energy, until it was enough to make her quiver with pleasure.
She brought her face close to his and licked his lips. From the corner of her eye, she saw Abbadon. He hovered in the doorway, watching them with a peculiar look on his face. Cyrus adjusted his body, but didn’t appear disturbed by Abbadon’s presence.
Abbadon walked next to the bed and picked up the book Cyrus had been reading. As he stared at the spine, his jaw tightened.
“If I didn’t know you, I’d think you weren’t happy to see me alive,” she said.
Abbadon crossed his arms, still holding the book. “On the contrary, I’m relieved to see you awake. I was merely wondering why Artemis didn’t kill you. Why would she go through the hassle of kidnapping you? I spoke with Evan before I dropped him at the hospital. He explained about the sterilization, but it would have been far tidier for Lysandra to snuff out your flame.”
“Gee, thanks,” she said grimly.
“Killing you would have been much simpler,” Cyrus added.
“Artemis said she had orders from someone named Ravich not to kill me, only to do a quick snip, snip, so I couldn’t have any children.”
Their faces went blank.
A crease formed on Abbadon’s brow. “You’re sure you heard her say that name?”
“Positive.” She thought about it. “Actually, Evan mentioned Ravich. He wanted to know when he was going to meet him.”
Abbadon and Cyrus exchanged dire looks.
“Who is Ravich and why is he so important?” she asked.
“He’s one of the immortals,” Cyrus said.
A chill so cold it burned flashed across her skin and she recalled Seshata’s disturbing visit. The names of all four immortals should’ve been seared on the forefront of her mind after one deemed them important enough to leave the Citadel of Lights and cross the Atlantic.
Cyrus caressed her cheek. “Just before the Great Divide, Ravich disappeared. Nefertiti stated he’d been banished and declared him an enemy to all Kindred.”
Serenity sat upright. “What has he been doing all this time?”
“No one knows.”
“In over three thousand years, no one has come across him except Artemis?”
“Neith has never reported any sightings of him. At the last Pesedjet, House Sekhem raised the issue of Ravich. The immortals and Herut didn’t have any knowledge of his whereabouts,” Cyrus said.
“What do you think it means, with Ravich and the attempt to sterilize me?”
Cyrus shook his head.
Abbadon’s gaze traveled, settling on nothing. “Ravich may have thought killing you would have been a short-term solution, not
knowing when you’d be reborn.” He hesitated. “There is a rumor, I have no proof of it,” he clarified, “that when the era of Isfet began, Sekhem took dark measures and killed every Blessed baby born in their House, without provocation of the child having a kabashem. It is said that for every child they slaughtered, two Blessed Kindred were born. They ceased the practice, fearing they’d only hasten what they sought to avoid. If it’s true, then there’s logic in letting you live. Sterilization would have eradicated the potential threat of your union with Cyrus for the remainder of your days.”
“But why would Ravich care?”
“I don’t know why he would fear the birth of the redeemer.” Abbadon’s gaze fell to the book in his hands. “The good news is you’re alive and intact. And we have every intention of keeping you that way.”
She couldn’t help but wonder how his feelings for her would’ve changed if she’d been sterilized, and rendered useless to produce their redeemer.
“Are you two still determined to marry here and go on a honeymoon or have you come to your senses?”
She smiled at Cyrus. “Let’s get married today.”
He kissed her. “City hall, then a ceremony here. And I am definitely taking you on a honeymoon.”
“I don’t need city hall. Being sealed in the Kindred way is enough.”
Abbadon looked at her and gave a small nod of approval. “I’ll inform Mrs. Carter.”
After Abbadon left the room, she stroked the stubble on Cyrus’s cheek. “If they had sterilized me, would you have still wanted me?”
“I’ll always want you, no matter what.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Talus helped Serenity dress and adorned her hair with flowers.
“I forgot something in my room. I’ll be right back,” Talus said, rushing from the bathroom.
Serenity spun in a circle and stared in the mirror. The golden gown was perfection with the embroidered shawl. The necklace Seshata had given her gleamed in the light. She couldn’t make out what kind of stone was in the middle of the amulet because of the fine gold threads wrapped around it, but she loved the outstretched wings on both sides.
The cyan, red and green matched her dress. The small charm was the most dazzling piece of jewelry she’d ever seen, but apparently it was useless.
There would always be something; some new tribulation if they were going to be together and a silly amulet hadn’t helped her one bit. She had to take the bitter with the sweet. She was tired of resisting. The harder she tried to deny who she really was, what her life meant to Kindred, and what her choices would mean for Herut, things only got worse.
It wasn’t too much to ask for a sliver of peace and happiness she could hold on to during the trials that were in store for them. Maybe she could make a deal with fate, strike a bargain for the unavoidable sacrifices she didn’t want to make.
“Let us have one week in Morocco, without anyone trying to kill us or making us feel guilty for our love,” she said softly under her breath, hoping the universe, or the Creator, or anything with power to aid them, would hear her. “One week, safe to love each other…no Paladins…no scouts, no training, no judgment and I’ll do whatever needs to be done.
“I won’t be selfish. I won’t take Cyrus from Herut. And I’ll keep trying to have a child. Not for the love of my husband and not even to ensure our own safety. I’ll have a child for all of Herut, to end the suffering, to give generations yet to come an unburdened future, to spare any lives that might be lost in a war. Just give us one week of normal, and I swear it on everything in this world I hold dear.”
Serenity hoped fate or the Creator had heard her prayer. And after she gave Herut their redeemer, she’d go to Aten to learn more about her parents.
“Got it,” Talus said, returning with the wedding band Serenity had purchased for Cyrus. A ring with two interlocking knots, one in gold and the other platinum, with an inscription that read: My heart will always belong to you.
They strolled down the stairs, and Serenity let out a shaky breath, her heart pattering with an eager cadence. Today she would marry the love of her life, her kabashem.
Talus steered her away from the courtyard and out the side door.
A breeze carried the strong fragrance of blossoms as they strolled through the garden. In front of the path to the grove, she grimaced at one of Seshata’s stone gifts. The statue resembled a gargoyle. It stood four feet high in a seated position and had a grotesque face and long fangs. Turning away from the ghastly creature, they walked up a small knoll.
At the peak, the gazebo came into sight. It was lovelier than the first time she saw it. They had decorated the pillars with thick ribbons of colorful flowers. Dressed in white, the warriors were lined around the periphery of the gazebo. Cyrus and Spero stood under the dome.
Her life force pooled into Cyrus’s and his arms curled around her as soon as she was within reach. She gazed into his Black Dragon eyes, a beautiful blend of blue and black just like the flower. He smiled and the weight of responsibility melted away.
Spero stepped forward. He took her right hand and placed it on top of Cyrus’s. Pulling a shimmering, silver cord from around his neck, he wrapped it around their hands and wrists. He raised his hands, palms up, and spoke for ten minutes in their old language. What he said didn’t matter, the meaning was clear.
From that day forward, she would be forever bound to Cyrus. She was marrying the most amazing male. He was stubborn, bossy and completely infuriating at times, but he was also exactly what she needed.
Spero removed the cord and Cyrus kissed her, enveloping her in his arms.
This moment was worth more than anything else in the world, worth more than knowing the truth about her parents and that fateful night. Taking in the smell of him, she embraced the sanctuary of his arms and relinquished thoughts of House Aten.
One week of this, she promised silently, and she would face the future with courage and concern for the collective. She would find a balance between what she wanted and the sacrifices that had to be made, if they could only have a few precious days of this.
“I know you changed your mind about having a human wedding,” Cyrus said. “But I researched the custom and I’d like to exchange vows and rings.”
“I don’t have anything prepared.” She glanced away embarrassed. To express what she felt for Cyrus, what he meant to her, she needed days or at the least a couple of hours to come up with something eloquent.
Talus handed her the wedding band. “Just speak from your heart.”
Beaming, Cyrus gave her his left hand. She held it nervously, her hands trembling.
Her thumb grazed his knuckles and bare ring finger. He had removed the Herut crest. She peered up at him in surprise, sliding the ring on him.
“Thank you for finding me and for awakening my soul which was asleep. Thank you for your patience and your friendship. I never knew love could fill me with such extraordinary wonderment and joy. I would do anything for you. I would give up anything for you. No matter what the future brings, I will never stop loving you.”
Tears of happiness blurred her vision. He wiped them away and kissed her damp lashes. He pulled a ring from his pocket and held her hand. His signet ring now rested on his right hand. He slid the wedding band on her finger, and her eyes widened as a smile spread across her face.
The ring had two overlapping eternity bands. One made of diamonds and the other sapphires. It was ideal.
“All of the stories I heard about what others felt when they found their kabashem or the bond they experienced didn’t prepare me for what I feel. I was raised to believe I could do anything and instructed not to use the word can’t. But it wasn’t until I touched you that I actually felt like I could do anything, felt capable of accomplishing anything. Loving you has given my life new meaning. You have reshaped and redefined the world as I know it. There is nothing in this universe more important than you. You are first in my heart. And I will love you faithfully in this life
time—beyond death—and into the next.”
Cyrus cupped her face and gazed at her. Then he kissed her hard, his mouth on fire with passion. She threw her arms around his neck and did her best to memorize his words and the feel of his arms around her. She wanted it etched in her mind and heart. He whisked her in a hug, lifting her from the floor, his warm breath brushing her ear.
All of the warriors approached them with smiles and words of felicitation.
All except Abbadon.
As they left the gazebo, Cyrus curled his arm around her shoulder. She brought him even closer, wrapping hers about his waist.
With a cloudless azure sky, a brilliant sun shining down on them, and a warm gentle breeze, it was as close to a summer’s day as possible for mid-October.
Decorated with fresh cut flowers strewn everywhere, including the fountain, the courtyard had a timeless beauty. Platters of sumptuous food and pitchers of lemonade covered the stone table adorned with fragrant blossoms. An additional table had a decorated two-tier cake. Every time the wind blew, it stirred the sweet perfume of flowers in the air.
“Do you like it?” Talus asked.
Serenity hugged her tightly. “Thank you.” She looked back around at everything. “I’ll always remember this. Thank you so much.”
Jazz music flowed while everyone ate and celebrated. Talus convinced Micah to dance with her. Mrs. Carter drank wine and talked excitedly to Spero.
Soaking in the happiest day of her life, Serenity’s gaze fell to Abbadon. He stood off to the side—not eating, not drinking—a pensive expression on his face. He had been an excellent mentor. If she had bothered to listen to him, she would have given up everything in the human world sooner, and Evan and that psycho Artemis never would’ve had a chance to ruin her happiness. Just like in the dream, he had tried, but failed.
Serenity loaded food on a plate and went over to Abbadon. She stood beside him, gazing out at the lake as he did. “I thought you might be hungry.” She waited for him to acknowledge her with a glance or some dark lecture about the fate of Kindred, but he remained quiet and still.
