Envisioned (Immortal Chronicles Book 3)

by Samantha Britt

  The Healer did not let the comment interrupt his process. His hands continued to trail down her left leg. Darcie looked at Henry over the top of the man’s head. He was frustrated. The warlock turned and gave Alexander a telling look. When the vampire only shrugged in response, Henry decided he had enough. The typically collected man let out a huff of annoyance before making his way to the exit and out of the room.

  Darcie’s eyes traveled to her friend. Alex tried to offer a reassuring smile, but she could see right through it. He was really worried.

  “I am going to be fine,” she told him, wanting to erase his anxious expression. “Trust me. This happens all the time.”

  Well, maybe not all the time.

  But exaggeration was necessary if she had any hope of reassuring the overprotective vampire.

  “That is not helping, little one,” Alex murmured, his eyes scanning her face. “You are as white as paper.”

  She thought he was joking, but the sincerity in his expression said otherwise. She swallowed a lump in her throat. “I-is it really that bad?”

  “Apparently so,” another voice said from the doorway. Its sound sent a wave of butterflies into her abdomen to accompany the nausea.

  Darcie turned and watched as Des took purposeful steps to the edge of the bed. Looking down at her, his mouth fell slightly open before he snapped it closed and glared at the Healer kneeling over her.

  “What are you doing?” he asked the Healer with barely concealed rage.

  The being appeared unaffected. “I am working to put her in a healing sleep.”

  Darcie’s eyes darted to the man, readying a fervent objection to being knocked out when Des beat her to it. “Did you not hear the warlock offer an alternative treatment?” Des gestured behind him, and Darcie noticed Henry accompanied the immortal’s entrance. Unwillingly, a blush pinched her cheeks as she realized she had not taken her eyes off Des from the moment she heard his voice.

  Alexander noticed the change in color. “Are you feeling feverish?” he asked, reaching out to touch her face for the third time.

  “No,” replied Darcie, leaning away from his touch, but the attention only caused the traitorous color to deepen. “Stop hovering,” she told him with as much sass as she could muster in her weakened state.

  “You will answer me, Healer Mark,” Des gritted out when the man did not respond to his question. Darcie felt grateful he did not notice her embarrassing reaction to his presence. Or, if he did, he chose not to comment.

  “This treatment worked well last time,” the Healer stated with little inflection. He remained totally focused on the task at hand.

  “We did not know the source of her trouble last time,” Des crossed his arms and laid his disapproving stare on the back of the Healer’s head. “Now that we are aware, we will defer to a warlock on the proper course of treatment.” On cue, Henry stepped forward, waiting for Healer Mark to abandon his cause so he might take over.

  For a moment, Darcie wondered if the Healer intended to listen to the order. His hands landed on Darcie’s shin, but he did not make a move to leave her side.

  Des released a low growl, and that was all it took to finally motivate the man to abandon his cause. Healer Mark stood up and departed, purposefully avoiding meeting anyone’s eyes on his way out. His frustration hung in the air around them.

  Henry took the healer’s place beside her. “Look at me,” he instructed.

  Darcie complied, focusing on the space between his two brows as Henry concentrated on her. Gently, he leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of her face. “I need you to maintain a steady breathing pattern,” he told her. “Can you do that.”

  She bobbed her head once but immediately winced against the rekindled throbbing.

  “It’s alright,” his voice was soothing. “Don’t worry about moving. Like I said, just breathe and relax.”

  Henry proceeded to murmur soft words in a language unrecognizable to the teenager. Despite not understanding a single thing he said, Darcie found herself transfixed by the melodic tone. Her gaze landed on his lips, watching them form the blissful and enchanting syllables.

  Vaguely, Darcie felt the fingers next to her head warm; her skin tingled from the contact.

  Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Darcie thought the sensation seemed familiar. It almost felt like the method of treatment had been performed on her before, but she was too preoccupied with listening to Henry to even think about voicing the distracted observation.

  As Henry continued to relieve the mental pressure threatening to compress Darcie’s mind and Alexander remained by her side with worried eyes, no one in the room took notice of Des as he swiftly and silently stepped back until he snuck out of the bedroom. It was like he’d never been there in the first place.

  6

  It may have taken a while, but Henry successfully completed the treatment. The warlock spent more than two hours meditating over Darcie, clearing her mind of the residual pressure from her visions as well as building mental blocks. He explained the blocks were to be utilized in circumstances when she desired to turn off her ability for a short period of time. They were not permanent solutions but should offer her relief if she felt like her ability was running rampant.

  The news was still music to her ears.

  “But how do you know how to do that?” Darcie asked after every lingering feeling of pain and nausea escaped her body. She was in complete disbelief that her trainer had access to the amazing and useful skill. “And why haven’t you told me about it before now?”

  Henry leaned back and cracked his neck, stiff from the hours of leaning forward. “You were managing the visions without issue,” he stated. “If you had still struggled with the aftereffects of your gift, I would have mentioned it.”

  “It was a mighty fine trick you had hidden up your sleeve,” interjected Alex. He held out his hand and gave the warlock a grateful handshake. “Thank you.”

  Henry pumped his arm. “Think nothing of it. I am only glad I managed to find Des and enlist his assistance. Healer Mark has a reputation for stubbornness, but I knew he would listen to his superior.”

  Hearing the immortal’s name finally brought forth the fact that Des was no longer among them. Darcie looked at both of the men. “Where did Des go?”

  Alexander looked over at the immortal’s previous spot. “I do not know. I did not hear him leave.”

  “Nor I,” Henry said. Then, he offered, “would you like me to go find him?”

  “No. That’s okay.” Darcie shook her head, unwilling to be seen as pining after Des. She did not want to spread any rumors regarding their relationship, especially not after the vision she had of the immortal family. Thane seemed eager to turn up the heat on the whole soulmate thing.

  “I’ll talk to him later, once I get my strength back,” she added when both men gave her curious glances.

  “Of course,” Alexander lifted a hand and brushed the hair out of Darcie’s face. “We should let you rest. I put your cellphone on the nightstand. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.”

  She tried to conceal the shiver his touch elicited by burrowing down further into the blankets. “Thank you. I will.”

  Without further comment, both Alexander and Henry left Darcie to her thoughts.

  Rolling over on her side, Darcie watched the seconds on the clock tick by. The relief she felt at being free of discomfort was immense. She had been so sure she conquered the debilitating side-effects of her visions that it was disheartening to realize she was wrong.

  Thank God for Henry.

  Darcie decided she would try to find some way to show her appreciation for her rescuer. She tried to think of anything useful she’d observed from her trainer. Something she could use as inspiration, but nothing came to mind.

  I think I saw him eat a cookie once. Maybe I’ll see if Cook will let me bake him something?

  It sounded lame, even to her, but she literally knew nothing else about the war
lock.

  The clock reached the top of the hour. Darcie flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling. It was plain compared to the masterpiece located in Bella’s suite. She remembered being both shocked and awed that such a work of art was located in an ordinary room. Then again, she shouldn’t have been that surprised. The brothers had multiple pieces of priceless art dispersed throughout their home.

  Pursing her lips, she blew out a breath to discharge the stay hair lying across her face. The strand floated above her eyes before landing in the exact same spot. Agitated, Darcie swiped it away and let her hand land heavily on the mattress.

  Now that she was feeling better, she couldn’t shake her sudden feeling of restlessness. Maybe it was the result of being bed-ridden for the better half of the day, but she suspected it had been building long before that.

  As she continued to stare at the ceiling, her thoughts traveling to Des’ subtle exit during the middle of her healing. Darcie did not even think he said one word to her. Des had walked into the room, demanded the Healer defer treatment to Henry, and then he just left.

  Wanting nothing more than to get out of the room and away from the all-too-familiar walls, Darcie sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She hopped onto the floor and quickly found herself in the hallway, on the way to Des’ room. She had no idea if he would be there that time of day, but she figured it was as good a place to start as any.

  The door stood wide open. Darcie could see beams of sunlight from the room’s window trailing out into the hallway. Slowing her steps, she carefully tip-toed closer to the door. Placing a hand on the frame for balance, she leaned over and peeked inside.

  Des sat with his back to her, papers sprawled out on the floor in front of him. He stared at a packet in his hands, flipping the pages periodically. Wondering why he wasn’t using a table, Darcie’s eyes traveled to the piece of furniture only to see it, too, was completely covered by pieces of paper.

  Darcie contemplated leaving him alone. It was obvious he was busy, and if it regarded the search for Bella, she knew it was important. She knew she should not disturb him and just leave, but the thought did not stop her from lifting the hand on the doorframe and lightly tapping her knuckles against it.

  Des leaned back and rotated until he made eye contact. “Darcie,” his greeting sounded tired, but she saw a slight tug at the corner of his lips.

  “Can I come in?”

  He nodded while gesturing for her to enter. “You are feeling better.”

  “Yes,” she answered even though it wasn’t a question. “Henry is a miracle worker.”

  “I am relieved to hear it.” His eyes followed her until she stood in the center of the room.

  Glancing around, she was trying to figure out something to say or somewhere to sit when Des cleared his throat. She looked back at him as he said, “You can toss those papers onto the floor.” He pointed to a cluttered chair in front of him.

  Darcie followed his instructions and sat down. Now that she was in the room, she was at a complete loss as to why she went there in the first place. It was like her mind completely erased itself and left behind a blank slate. She fisted her hands in her lap and nervously met his gaze.

  He observed her without a word. Putting the packet on the ground, he leaned back and crossed his arms, giving her his full attention. “Is there something on your mind?” he asked when she continued to remain silent.

  “Um,” she paused, clearing her throat. “Just wondering how you’ve been. We haven’t really talked since…” Her voice trailed off as the memory of their last conversation came to mind.

  Des and Darcie had been in the exact same room, sitting only a few feet from where they now were. The scene was tense, and she had been arguing with Des to join the hunt for Adir. After just seeing him attack Bella in a vision, Darcie wanted nothing more than for the powerful immortal to go try and help her friend.

  The pair argued, and it was during Des’ attempt at an explanation that he finally revealed how he felt.

  “I… care for you Darcie,” Des said with effort. “It’s why I need to stay. To protect you.”

  “I know you do,” she said, choosing to believe he meant he cared for her as a friend. She knew he worried about her safety. “And I care for all of you. Please understand, I cannot stomach the thought of not doing everything I can to help Bella.”

  “No,” Des shook his head. “You don’t understand. I care for you, Darcie.”

  It had taken a moment to process the words. But when she did, her heart sang in happiness. Darcie had never felt so surprised or elated. She and Des discussed the implications of what he revealed, and it was agreed that they would be patient and wait for things with the rebellion to settle down before they made any decisions.

  Unfortunately for them, the happy moment was shattered when Alexander returned and revealed Bella and Adir were missing.

  Since then, Darcie and Des had not had a moment alone. He was preoccupied with search efforts, and she kept herself busy training with Henry. Even though she knew he worked hard to try and help his sister-in-law, her friend, Darcie could not ignore the disappointment she felt when Des did not try to make an effort to spend time with her. After all, he already revealed his feelings.

  Forcing herself to not chicken out, Darcie met his curious gaze. “We haven’t talked since the night Bella disappeared. I-I was hoping you could explain why.”

  Des lifted a brow. “We have talked.”

  She sighed, noting his genuine cluelessness. “I meant, we haven’t talked alone. Since… you know… what we talked about that night.” Darcie cringed and wanted to kick herself. She was butchering it. Totally and completely butchering it.

  His face illuminated with understanding and something akin to amusement. “You are referencing my declaration?” he asked, doing his best to hide a threatening grin.

  Darcie was mortified. Declaration? She wouldn’t have called it that. “Yeah. I guess so.”

  Des stopped trying to contain his smile. “We are alone now. We can talk.”

  He was absolutely loving her awkwardness, and it was so strange to see him in such a light-hearted mood. Darcie did not believe she’d ever seen him look so happy.

  “Is this funny to you?” she asked, trying not to sound too upset.

  “Only a little bit.”

  She felt humiliated. She turned her head down to hide her flaming cheeks.

  “Hey,” Des said with worry. “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. Forget it. How is the search for Bella going?”

  Des did not fall for her thinly-veiled attempt to change the subject. “Darcie,” his voice was gentle. “Look at me.”

  “I’m good, thanks though.” Wanting nothing more than to escape her mortification, Darcie stood with the intent to leave.

  Before she could manage a goodbye, Des was on his feet and standing directly in front of her. “Please, look at me.”

  With a gulp, she complied and lifted her chin. She was immediately lost in a deep sea of green. His beautiful eyes scanned her entire face, searching for some clue as to what was wrong. “I have offended you,” he finally said.

  Darcie shook her head. “No.”

  “Then will you please tell me what I have done so I might fix it.”

  He sounded so sincere. Darcie felt guilty for making him believe he did anything wrong. “It’s nothing. I-I’m just embarrassed.”

  “Embarrassed?” he said like he never heard the word before. “Why would you be embarrassed?”

  Oh god. Darcie felt an increase in the blood rushing to her face. “Because I mentioned that night we talked, and how I haven’t seen you alone since. And… I don’t know. I thought you might be avoiding me.”

  Des’ expression sobered instantly. “I did not realize you would take my absence that way. I am sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” she dismissed his apology. “Honestly. No harm, no foul.”

  “It’s not fine,” D
es countered. Without warning, he reached out and grabbed her hand. The familiar sparks ignited. Darcie’s hand twitched, adjusting to the change.

  Des continued, “I have not dealt with this situation in a very long time.”

  “Situation?” she asked, staring at their touching hands to see if she could see signs of the spark.

  “A situation with feelings,” he said vaguely. Darcie looked up into his apologetic gaze.

  “Time moves differently for me, Darcie. I have lived so long, days pass by with me barely noticing. I have been working diligently to find Bella, I did not realize so much time had passed since the day she left.” He took a breath. “I did not stop to consider how you might view the situation. I apologize.”

  Darcie eagerly absorbed the information. She had not known it, but she secretly hoped there was some reasonable explanation as to why Des did not seek her out aside from being busy. It soothed her underlying insecurity.

  “I thought you might have changed your mind,” she admitted, surprising herself.

  Des’ fingers tightened. “No,” his voice grew soft. “I have not changed my mind.”

  Now, Darcie blushed for an entirely different reason. Des’ eyes roamed her face, and his lips turned up into a smile.

  Unable to focus with his heated gaze, Darcie moved her attention over his shoulder and landed on a sight she did not expect.

  Alexander stood in the doorway, arms crossed, looking anything but amused.

  7

  It was the second time Darcie found Alex in the condemning posture in recent days. Though, this time, she could not imagine what put the disapproving look on his face. No one was slacking in their duties at the moment. She tilted her head to the side, silently asking him for an explanation.

  Des, noticing her preoccupation, rotated and saw Alexander. He dropped her hand. “Alexander,” he greeted.

  The vampire’s jaw clenched. “What are you doing?”

  Darcie frowned. “Talking with Des,” she answered. She did not understand why her friend looked so angry, and she definitely did not appreciate the tone.