Embrace The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy Book 3)

by Jenn D. Young

  “Please, Father. I need your help.”

  My body jolted. My spirit jerking from my body and floating away. Astral projection? Vincent had mentioned that I had done this before. It must be how I’d been able to see my father and my mother those few times that we had connected. I thought it was just a dream, but it was something more. This was something more.

  I landed with a hard whack against a marble floor. Damn, that hurt. If I was in my astral body, why did I experience pain? Gods, being a supernatural being was utterly baffling now. I couldn’t keep track of anything anymore. I couldn’t even say what I was classified as. Was I even still a Nephilim? Or was I something… more?

  “Lorelei, you should have reached out sooner.” Akakaios approached on quiet feet, his booming voice echoing in the large hall.

  I blinked rapidly, getting my bearings, and looked around the room. “Holy shit,” I muttered taking in the stark white opulence of the room. It felt like I had stepped into an ancient Greek palace. Marble columns lined the edges of the room, holding up a ceiling that was painted in colorful geometric patterns and swirls. One end of the room was open, leading out to a lush green lawn that was surrounded by flowers of all kinds.

  “Holy shit, this place is crazy. I thought you said this wasn’t like Mount Olympus. It sure looks like it came straight out of ancient Greece,” I said, utterly awestruck at my parents’ home.

  My father laughed as he reached out a hand, offering to help me to my feet. I accepted it and rose with his assistance. “Welcome to our home.” He smiled broadly. “Except you still should have reached out sooner. Your Astrapi is out of control. You should have expended some of your energy, but you have been bottling up all of your true emotions for days now.”

  His scolding tone made me bristle. “How would you feel if you had all of those bombs dropped on you at once? Oh and right after you had been rescued after being tortured and held prisoner. Yeah, I had a lot to think about and process. Plus, I didn’t even know how to really keep control of this Asta-whatever it is.”

  He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “Lorelei, you really need to learn to ask for help.”

  I scoffed and took a step away from him, my irritation rising. “You didn’t exactly tell me that my powers would overwhelm me. I was perfectly fine managing what abilities I had until you gave me even more,” I growled. The lightning coiled within me, sparks escaping my fingers and arcing around me.

  “Lorelei, look at me,” he implored, his voice smooth and steady. “Breathe. In and out. Find your center. You want to let the Astrapi flow through you. Don’t fight it. Feel it in your blood as your heart pumps blood throughout your body. You’re one with your lightning.”

  My lungs filled with air as my eyelids fluttered shut. I forced my anger down, heeding his words. I couldn’t make this about our family dynamic. I needed to gain control of my powers. I had to let go of the rage and resentment that was holding me back. Calmness swept through me as I concentrated on my heart rate and breathing.

  “That’s it,” he praised. “Just keep breathing.”

  He was behind me, standing close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. “What do I do now?” I whispered.

  “You are going to raise your arm.” His strong hand circled my forearm and held it out from my body. “Concentrate on your powers. Let them course through you. Imagine them as the blood in your body. Now I want you to let it sweep through you, down through your arm, and channel it into one single strike. Then let it go from your fingertips.”

  The lightning coursed through me, surging in my veins as I listened to his words. I closed my eyes and concentrated, letting it move throughout my body. I didn’t fight it as I had before; instead, I just let it flow. The lightning—no, the Astrapi— was part of me and I needed to embrace it to harness and control it.

  “That’s it, Lorelei. Beautiful,” Father murmured from behind me. “Guide it down through your arm now, feel it gather in your palms and then out through your fingertips.”

  Air filled my lungs as I drew in a deep breath, the power coursing through me intoxicating. I was really doing it. I was controlling and harnessing it. Laughter burst forth from my chest, triumph racing through me as the sparks gathered at the tips of my fingers.

  “Yes! Let it flow out. Now aim it at that tree.” My eyes snapped open as he pointed to a large willow tree in the courtyard in front of us. Long green tendrils swayed in the slight breeze. The tree beautiful and majestic, just like everything else in their home.

  I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the base of the large tree trunk. I could do this. My father believed in me. Vincent believed in me. I could believe in myself. It was my time to shine. My time to take on the world and defeat Adrianna.

  “Right you are, my daughter. Now concentrate. Your Astrapi is an extension of your body. Use it to strike down your target.” He gently squeezed my forearm with one hand. His other hand rested on my shoulder as he whispered the words close to my ears.

  I nodded, resolve flooding me. I gathered my strength and let it drift throughout my body. It was an extension of my arm, part of my being. The bolt left my fingers in a flurry. My eyes fluttered shut, feeling rather than seeing. The crackle and pop of the explosion signaled my target had been struck.

  My breath left my lungs and my body sagged with relief. My arms tingled and my fingers felt numb after expelling the energy. I shook my head, trying to clear the wave of vertigo that swallowed me.

  “Good job, Lorelei.” My mother’s voice reached my ears along with the sound of applause. “I knew you could do it.”

  I opened my eyes and whirled around to face her, dizziness making my steps clumsy. My father dropped his arms from around me and allowed the movement but kept a hand at the small of my back to steady me.

  She beamed with pride, her green eyes shining with unshed tears. She wore an elegant cream-colored gown cinched around her waist with golden ties. Her auburn hair was draped in loose waves around her shoulders. She was positively radiant. My heart ached in my chest, the familiar tendrils of loss striking me as I stared at her.

  A shy smile spread across my face. It was still awkward, being in her presence. So much time had passed between us. I was a completely different person, a grown woman who had been through so much over the course of the past eight years. How was I supposed to act around her? What would be considered our new normal, and would we begin to rebuild this relationship?

  The past three days, spent in the solitude of my mate’s embrace, had been wonderful. I didn’t have to think about anything but being with Vincent, but now... reality had come crashing down upon me the moment that I couldn’t control the little sparks flying from my fingers.

  “Lorelei,” my father said softly, drawing my attention away from my inner thoughts. “It will take time. Just like all things. We don’t need to settle things immediately. We also don’t expect everything to be sunshine and rainbows.”

  I stifled a snort of laughter at the random comment.

  My mother arched her eyebrow. “Kai, you’re so strange sometimes,” she murmured and padded on silent feet toward us. She laid a hand on my cheek. “Although your father worded it strangely, he’s right, Iah. We don’t expect to be one big loving family right away. You need time. This battle won’t be an easy one.” She shook her head.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Kai?” This time I couldn’t stop the bubbling laughter that escaped me.

  “Yes,” he bit out through clenched teeth. “Your mother is the only one that is allowed to call me that and I don’t appreciate her using the nickname in front of others.” He pinned her with a narrowed glance. Heat radiated between the two, the promise of what was to come evident in the flush of color that rose into my mother’s face.

  “Okay, okay. I don’t need to deal with the sexual tension or the threat of kinky bedroom games from my parents. Just gross.” I stuck out my tongue and gagged. “I may be an adult with a mate of
my own, but that is still just… No.”

  “You’re impossible, Kai,” Mom muttered, shaking her head with a grin tilting the corners of her lips.

  “Kai,” I snickered again. “You so don’t look like a Kai.”

  “Lorelei,” he said with a warning tone, letting the syllables of my name linger in the air.

  “I think I’ll just call you Kai from now on. It’ll be so much fun. Or better yet, I’ll make Vincent call you Kai.”

  “Daughter, you’re just itching to be zapped right now.” His colorless eyes sparkled, the humor in their depths making the threat fall flat.

  “Hmm.” I tapped my lips with a forefinger. “I think Nic will really get a kick out of it too. The mighty Akakaios given a nickname. I like it.”

  My father just shook his head and wrapped an arm around my neck to pull me into his side. “You’re so my daughter,” he laughed.

  “She really is. Has your warped sense of humor and everything,” Mom added.

  I stumbled slightly as we walked, my limbs feeling weak. The dizziness intensified, making black spots dance across my vision. Pinpricks of sensation spread out across my toes and fingers, as if the blood flow was being restored painfully. I hissed as I righted myself, trying not to let the uncomfortable feelings bother me.

  A serious look crossed over my father’s face as he noticed my discomfort. “While we love having you here in our home, Lorelei, it seems you aren’t able to spend so much time here. Your form can’t handle it. Just as our bodies can’t be on Earth for too long. I hoped that you would be able to handle more time, but it seems that it’s speaking loud and clear for you right now.”

  My mother nodded. “It’s time for you to go back to your mate now, Iah. We’ll see you soon, I promise.” She smiled, her lips exposing sharp white fangs.

  “I think next time I’d like to know a bit more about how Father saved you.” I arched an eyebrow. “And how you have fangs too.”

  Her lips closed over her teeth, hiding the view of her fangs. She sighed and nodded at my father. “It’s not quite time for you to hear the full story. We must defeat Adrianna first. Then we’ll tell you everything you wish to know.”

  “We hide no secrets from you anymore, Thugater, but now isn’t the time to discuss them.” Father draped an arm over my shoulders and hugged me to his side.

  “I understand.” I nodded my head, my vision clouding and the feeling in my limbs trailing further up my arms. “I think it’s time for me to go,” I added with a thick tongue.

  “Yes,” my father answered severely. “You’ll need to feed when you return. Make sure your mate takes care of you.” He gave me a knowing smile.

  “Now, just like you came to us. Let your spirit fade away and think of your mate. You’ll connect back with your body and be back in his arms in no time, Iah.” Her words faded in my ears as the world went black.

  I jolted back into my body and Vincent caught me just before I fell backward.

  22

  Vincent

  I stared down at Lorelei’s prone form. My jaw was clenched so tightly together I was surprised I hadn’t cracked any teeth. She had been in her astral form for what seems like hours. When I woke up and padded out to discover her lying on the couch, my temper flared. I knew she needed to visit with her parents, but not for this long and not at the cost of her health.

  No movement came from her body. Not a muscle twitch, a swift intake of breath, a flutter of her eyelids.

  Nothing.

  It was grating on my nerves. I didn’t like not being by her side, even her spirit’s side. She was mine to protect, damn it. I should be there with her, but I couldn’t go where she went. I didn’t even know where the Archangels resided or what their realm was like. I’m sure that it was a place that not even my astral form would be able to handle. My demonic nature would no doubt not like the pure vitality that came from their realm.

  I rose to my feet for probably the fiftieth time since Lorelei had departed her body. Pacing along the length of the room, I fought the urge to reach into my pocket and pull out my phone to call Nicolae. He was too busy tending to Layla. They needed time to rest, recover, and settle their bond before I disturbed them.

  But the urge to reach out to my second in command was strong. I needed someone to talk to. Someone to update me on the progress of strategy talks. Of where The Syndicate was at with their rebuild after Kristoff’s death.

  “Fuck!” I exclaimed running my hands through my hair. I fucking hated feeling helpless.

  “Vincent,” came a soft whisper from Lorelei. I snapped to attention, rushing to side her with supernatural speed to gather her into my arms.

  Her face was pale and drawn. Her lips were cracked as her tongue darted out to moisten them. “Theera,” I murmured soothingly, brushing a strand of her hair off her forehead. “Tell me what happened? Why are you so weak?”

  Her eyelids fluttered shut and she groaned. There were lines of pain etched around her mouth and eyes. She needed to feed, but first I needed to know what had happened to put her in such a condition. “Just like they can’t be on Earth for too long, it seems that my body can’t handle being in their realm too long.”

  The words were said on such a low whisper I could barely make them out. “Lorelei, you can’t put yourself in danger like that. Damn it.” I was angry with myself for not realizing the fact earlier. Yet, I also couldn’t believe that her parents would allow her to stay so long that her condition would have deteriorated so severely.

  “Not their fault, Vincent. Didn’t know. Thought I could handle it. As soon as I showed signs of weakness, they sent me back.”

  “I wish I could go with you. You never know your limitations.” I ran a finger down the smooth skin of her cheek. She smiled slightly but agony was still etched across her lovely face.

  “Didn’t feel it until it just came on me in a rush. But it was a good visit. I learned what I need to do when the Astrapi gets too strong within my body.”

  “That’s good,” I said absently. I was glad that she had found a way to control her powers, but I didn’t accept the consequences if they made her this vulnerable. My arm slid beneath her prone body and I lifted her to my chest. She tried to lift an arm to wrap it around my neck, but her limbs were too weak to make it.

  I growled and tucked her hand around my neck. My feet ate up the distance to the bedroom in short order. “Never again, Lorelei. You can’t put yourself in this much danger.” I almost winced at the severity of my tone, but I was so overwhelmed with my protective instincts that my demon took control.

  “Vincent,” she keened. “I won’t apologize about going to seek my parents out. I will apologize for not listening to my body and coming home sooner. Now please drop it and let me feed and fuck me until I can’t remember my name.”

  The smile that spread across my lips was nothing but devilish in nature.

  Lorelei lay draped across my chest, her fingers tracing along the lines of my tattoos. “Better?” I rumbled, a satisfied grin playing out across my lips.

  “Mmm hmm,” she hummed, her grin matching mine.

  My thoughts whirled. I wanted to savor the afterglow, holding Lorelei in my arms and never leave this bed. But it wasn’t the way that things were going to play out. We had a war to fight, a battle to plan, and a sadistic bitch to kill.

  “Why did your thoughts turn all dark and moody?” Lorelei muttered with a slight pout twisting her swollen lips.

  I tucked my free hand behind my head and looked down at her sheepishly. “Just thinking about what is coming next.”

  She sighed. Her hands stilled a moment before she turned away and sat up with her back facing me. “Can’t we just hide in our bubble for a little while longer?” she said on a choked whisper.

  I smoothed my palm against her back, savoring the feel of her silky skin beneath my touch. “I wish, Theera, but I have a feeling that our time of hiding has come to an end. I’ll bet that I already have missed calls and texts from Damiu
s, Leo, Kaniul, and every other damn member of the council waiting for me.”

  “I know.” Her shoulders hunched forward. The dark strands of her hair cascaded over her face, obscuring her from my view.

  “Hey.” I leaned toward her and brushed her thick locks back over her shoulder. “I’ve survived much worse in my life and I didn’t have half as much to lose then. I will make sure that we get through this battle alive and unscathed. You have my word, Lorelei.” I cupped her cheek in my palm and turned her face to meet my gaze.

  Her brow furrowed. “How can you say that Vincent? Nothing is certain. You can’t make those kinds of promises to me because we don’t know if it will really happen.” The pain radiating off her cut through my heart like a knife. She was right, of course. I wasn’t a prophet, I didn’t know what would come next, but I knew that I would protect her until my dying breath. No one would take my mate away from me.

  I swung my feet up and over the side of the bed to sit beside her. My arm draped over her shoulders and she immediately snuggled into my side. She would always crave my touch or contact. Just as I would always crave hers.

  She exhaled and pulled away from me to straighten her shoulders. I watched the resolve wash over her. Her face hardened into an iron mask, her chin lifting as her posture changed. “I don’t want to be ready for this, but I know I need to be. The only way we can defeat Adrianna is if we work together.” Her hand slid across my leg to grasp my hand. I squeezed her fingers before bringing it to my lips.

  “I love you, Lorelei. I don’t say the words out loud enough, but I know you need to hear them.” It really had been too long since I expressed my love for her in words. I worshiped her body, told her through my touch, but the words didn’t come out nearly as often as they should.