“Really?” she scoffed. The bratty attitude did not stop. “You could have fooled me.”
Silence settled again, but it was far from relaxing. Accusations, both unspoken and spoken, hung in the air between mother and daughter. Darcie did not regret a single word. Her frustration had been building since the moment Jennifer walked back into her life. She’d lied. She’d kept secrets. And she was overbearing with her protectiveness.
“You’re angry with me,” her mother stated. “I understand. Perhaps it is time we talk. Not about Adir, or anything like that. But about us… About why I left.”
“By all means,” Darcie crossed her arms. “This ought to be good.”
Her mother’s forehead creased. “Please don’t do that. Don’t dismiss the conversation before it even begins.”
She blew out a breath, causing a stray piece of hair to float in the air before falling back against her lips. She brushed it away. “Fine. I’m listening.”
Her mother’s gaze lingered on her for another second before she turned to look at the trees. “I was young when I left the Nightsbane Clan,” she began quietly. “I didn’t agree with the way the leaders ran things, and I was tired of being used for their own personal gain.”
Darcie nodded absentmindedly. She’d heard all of this from Alex. “Alex said the clan wanted to get rid of all vampires. Is that still a goal of theirs?”
“Hardly,” Jennifer smirked. “Alexander has greatly impacted the clan’s stance on the vampire race. While many still do not trust them, Alex has made it nearly impossible for them to wish him away. His funding is only second to his protection.”
“Funding?”
“He provides the clan with income for our ‘services’.” Her mother used air quotes on the last word. “Basically, witches and warlocks of the clan are bound to help Alex whenever he has need of them. Whether it is a protection spell or some other specific need.”
Suddenly, Darcie understood why Des had called on Alexander to help sway the clan to The Council’s cause. “I guess it’s hard to tell a person who pays you, no.”
Her mother’s neck turned and she smiled at her daughter. “No one has told Alexander no in years.”
“No wonder he’s so arrogant.”
Her mother laughed, and Darcie chuckled.
“Do not get me wrong, I absolutely adore Alexander,” her mother said in between laughs. “But he is definitely one of the most arrogant men I’ve ever been around.” Her face lightened substantially, and her smile grew wistful. Darcie’s stomach fell as she took in her mother’s expression, and a nagging fear rose from her subconscious.
Almost immediately, Jennifer noticed the change. “What’s wrong?”
Darcie thought about staying silent. The conversation was beginning to turn, and she suspected her question would ruin the semi-truce. But try as she might, she could not shake the need for resolution.
So, with a deep breath, Darcie asked, “Is my dad really my dad?” It was a question she hadn’t let herself voice before. But hearing how her mother spoke about the vampire, and remembering Alexander’s attentiveness since they met, she couldn’t shake away the fear that there may be something the two adults were hiding from her.
Across from her, Jennifer leaned away, looking like she’d just been slapped. She blinked for a few seconds, gathering her thoughts. Finally, she said, “Of course John is your dad.”
Darcie’s cheeks colored, but the immense relief was worth the slight embarrassment. “Good.”
“Good?” Her left brow lifted as she observed her daughter.
She shrugged and said, “Dad’s the most normal guy on the planet. At least I’m half normal.”
Instantly, the tension from her original question lifted. Once again, her mother released an amused laugh.
Shaking her head, Jennifer said without a thought, “You are not entirely correct in assuming your father is normal.”
Darcie’s back straightened. “What do you mean?”
With another shake of her head, her mother replied, “Your father’s ancestors are descended from Eros.”
Seeing her daughter’s expression, she quickly added, “I planned on telling you once things settled down, but since we were talking about your father, I figured it was a good time.” She looked worried that Darcie would take the information poorly, but the teen was too stunned to be upset at not knowing the information sooner.
“Eros?” her voice cracked. “Flirty, handsome as all heck, Eros?”
Her mother’s laughing continued. “One and the same.”
“That’s crazy.” Darcie imagined the attractive immortal next to her bookish father. She could not see the slightest resemblance.
“Wait,” she stared meaningfully at her mom. “Eros doesn’t have any crazy powers that are going to assault me at any minute. I mean… his offspring aren’t a different type of witch or anything. Right?”
“Well,” her mother paused, trying to read Darcie’s reaction. Carefully, she continued, “Eros’ abilities tend to draw the opposite sex to him, and the trait is passed down to his offspring. In addition to being rather attractive, his offspring also have an undeniable pull to them. People cannot resist being drawn to them.”
Darcie gaped. What a weird ability to pass on. What was the point in attracting the opposite sex? It hardly seemed as impressive as vampire speed or magical powers.
She pulled her jaw closed. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Dad attracts women?” She thought her dad was many things, but a chick-magnet was not one of them.
Her incredulous tone was not missed. Jennifer grinned. “Don’t be fooled. Your father tries to hide it with his plastic rimmed glasses and baggy professor clothes, but underneath all that is a handsome man. I certainly couldn’t resist him.”
Darcie grimaced despite the sweet statement. “Gross.”
“It’s where you get your beauty from,” her mother revealed. “Surely you know how stunning you are.”
“But you’re pretty too,” she pointed out, trying to push the new information away. Darcie did not feel comfortable thinking men might have an unreasonable draw to her. She didn’t want that burden of not knowing if someone liked her for her or the trace Eros in her blood.
Des’ face came to the front of her mind.
“Don’t worry,” her mother seemed to read her mind. “While the pull is present, it is not able to make others fall in love with you. Think of it as an advantage with first impressions. After that, the pull has little to no influence. I don’t even believe Eros is aware of the relation.”
Darcie nodded, relieved. “That’s good to hear.”
Jennifer smiled knowingly. “I remember seeing your dad in the university library. I couldn’t explain why, but I just had to go talk to him. It wasn’t until we’d been dating for a few weeks when I realized the reason behind my initial draw to him.” Her eyes grew distant as she was lost in memories from more than two decades ago. Darcie watched the woman, acknowledging that her words and actions spoke of affection for her father.
“Then why did you leave?” Darcie let the question leave her mouth without hesitation. “You seem like you loved him,” she added for clarification.
“I did–I do,” her mother quickly corrected, then sighed. “I did not leave for lack of love for either you or your father. You already know my history with the Nightsbane clan was complicated. Master Ben’s father, the old leader of the clan, was adamant in his search for me. He would not let the fact that I left of my own will go.”
“So, what?” Darcie did not see the big deal. “What if he found you? What could he do? Force you to work for him again?”
Her mother’s lips formed a tight line. “That is exactly what he could do. I had a mask put on both of our powers,” she said, gesturing between them. “And your father and I moved to a small town. I thought we were secluded. I thought we were safe, but I was wrong.”
Darcie waited for an explanation, not realizing she held her breath until she f
elt a slight burn in her lungs. She inhaled and asked, “What happened?”
“I was at the local store,” her mother resumed staring in the distance, getting lost in the memory. “And I heard someone call my name. At first, I thought it was one of our new neighbors, but it wasn’t. It was a witch… one I knew since I was a child. She recognized me, and she immediately started asking me about my life.”
Her mother’s blue eyes swept back to her daughter. “I was terrified. Your father did not know the truth about me, and I didn’t want the clan to know about either of you. Once the leaders learned my location, they would send for someone to retrieve me. I had dampened both of our powers, but once they got close, there would be no way they wouldn’t recognize me… or you. So… I left.” The last two words hung heavy in the air, cushioned by the older woman’s sorrow and regret.
Darcie struggled with her thoughts. They were conflicting. Part of her understood the reason behind her mother’s departure, but the other part of her did not understand why the woman did not try some other alternative before abandoning her family. Did she even stop and try to think of another option?
But before she had the chance to ask any of her questions, a loud crash sounded on the opposite side of the porch door. Both women were immediately on their feet.
“Stay here,” her mother commanded, scanning the porch for any sign of trouble.
“It’s probably nothing,” Darcie countered, although her heartbeat had picked up its pace.
“Regardless, you need to stay here,” she replied firmly. “I’ll be right back.” Her mother disappeared into the house, closing the patio door quietly behind her.
Uneasy, Darcie crossed her arms and moved back to lean against the wood railing farthest from the door. She stared at it and the surrounding windows but saw no evidence of movement.
Without warning, another crash met her ears, causing her to jump in surprise. This time, the crash was accompanied by the sounds of a scuffle.
She was torn. She wanted to go see what was going on. But with the bind on her powers still in place, there was no way she would be any help in a fight. Darcie reached to her back pocket and cursed when she felt nothing. She’d left her phone inside.
Just as she was contemplating climbing down the patio and finding a better hiding spot in the backyard, the patio door opened. Henry walked out, looking disheveled with an askew shirt and messed up hair.
“Darcie, thank The Creator,” he said in a huff, stumbling towards her. “Come. We must leave.”
“What’s happening?” Darcie asked, stepping forward to reach him. He looked ready to collapse to the ground.
“Darcie! NO!” The loud, masculine voice drew her attention. Darcie watched as Gregory leapt out of the third-floor window. As he was in mid-air, she heard Henry shift. She turned just in time to see the warlock reach out and latch onto her arm. His grip was tight and unrelenting.
With a cold smile, he said, “Gotcha.”
An oddly familiar sensation traveled up her arm, emanating from his touch. Darcie realized a moment too late that she should have pulled away. The patio scene disintegrated, and it was replaced by a growing darkness.
Darcie couldn’t be sure, but as the black curtain fell, she was sure she heard her mother’s horrified shout before she didn’t hear anything at all.
27
The floor met Darcie’s face as she collided with the hard surface. She groaned as she pushed herself up, mourning her tender spots. Wherever Henry had taken her, he hadn’t done so gently.
Remembering the warlock, she turned her head and gave the man a glare. “What the heck, Hen–” Her censure was cut short as she took in the sight before her. Henry was pinned to the ground. Gregory leaned over him, putting pressure on the weaker man’s throat. Apparently, the vampire had managed to join them in their surprise transportation.
“What are you doing?” She shoved herself to her feet and rushed over to the men. She grabbed Gregory’s shoulder and tried to pull him away. “Stop it!”
The vampire did not heed her command. If anything, his fingers tightened around Henry’s neck.
She started to panic. The warlock’s eyes bulged, and his cheeks took on a bluish-tint. “Gregory,” her voice was pleading. “You are going to kill him.”
The only response she got was a low growl. Gregory seemed perfectly okay with the knowledge he was depriving the weaker man of oxygen. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what to think. She strengthened her hold and tried to pull him back again.
Keeping one hand around Henry’s throat, Gregory rolled his shoulder and effectively shrugged her off. Once freed, he resumed his strangulation with both hands. The warlock released a pathetic gurgling noise.
Darcie couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t stand by and watch as someone was choked to death. Without really knowing what she was doing, she lunged forward to try and tackle Gregory from the side.
The maneuver wouldn’t have had an impact if it wasn’t for the addition of the sparks flying across her palms. The moment she made contact with Gregory’s larger form, the power covering her fingers found its way into the vampire’s side and he shouted in protest. Leaning away from the painful touch, Gregory’s fingers loosened their hold.
Darcie’s brain barely had time to register what was happening before Henry surprised her by sitting up and shooting a purple bolt towards Gregory.
“No!” she shouted to warn her friend, but it was too late. The purple beam hit him square in the chest, and Gregory collapsed to the floor. He did not move.
The floor seemed to tilt as Darcie scrambled the distance towards her friend. Rolling him over, she pressed her ear to his chest. She didn’t hear a heartbeat.
Do vampires have heartbeats?
She couldn’t remember. She turned her attention to his mouth. Holding her fingers over his lips, she silently prayed for him to breathe. The faintest exhale brushed past her fingers, and Darcie nearly wept in relief.
Finally, the continuous coughing behind her registered. Darcie whirled around to face Henry but remained crouched at Gregory’s side.
The warlock struggled for breath, but he was on his feet now. He gave her a stern look.
She willed herself to not tremble under his gaze. She may have believed the possibility that he’d taken her away from the safe house with good intentions, but that ended the moment he struck Gregory with whatever power he wielded.
I should have let Gregory strangle him.
Finding her voice, she asked, “Where are we?”
The warlock smirked, but promptly coughed. The action made him seem less threatening. Darcie told herself to not be afraid.
“Where are we?” she repeated, throwing more strength behind the words. “Where did you take me?”
This time, Henry did not smile. In fact, he did not even look at her.
Instead, the warlock turned on his heel and strode out a tall, metal door on the farthest wall. Darcie hadn’t even noticed it. Glancing around, she realized she was in a room lined with concrete. It looked like some unfinished basement or cellar.
Or a prison cell…
“Wait!” she called out, frantically searching for a way to make sure Henry did not leave them locked in the windowless room. “Henry. What is going on? Why did you bring me here?”
He did not respond to any of her questions. Henry continued to approach the metal door. But just as he was seconds away from touching it, Darcie saw the rod-shaped door handle turn ninety degrees and swing inward.
Bracing herself for whoever was on the other side of the door, Darcie reached out and latched onto Gregory. She shifted her body and made sure she covered the majority of the unconscious man’s form. She wouldn’t let anyone else touch him.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she focused on the impending visitor.
The sound of fabric rustling met her ears before Darcie saw the newcomer step into the room.
The air in the room stilled. Henry’s coug
hing subsided, and even Darcie’s frantic pulse seemed to slow down. Her gaze locked onto the figure across the room.
Standing in front of the doorway was the last person she expected to see.
“Bella?” she choked out in a whisper. Her brain could not believe what her eyes were seeing. “Is that really you?”
The immortal woman smiled, but the expression did not meet her eyes. “Hello, Darcie. Welcome to Italy.”
“Italy?” she echoed, her voice continued to sound small and unsure. “Why are we in Italy?”
Bella ignored the question. The immortal turned to face Henry. “That is enough for now. You are needed in the parlor.”
The warlock bowed low and promptly disappeared through the doorway, closing the metal door behind him.
Darcie barely acknowledged that she was closed in the windowless room. All of her attention was focused on her friend.
Bella had changed so much in the few weeks she’d been gone. Her youthful glow was dim, and the blue dress she wore seemed to hang off her small frame. The joyous presence she normally imparted was absent, and in its place stood a stoic and withdrawn young woman.
Despite her state, Darcie had never been so happy to see anyone in her entire life. She hadn’t been able to admit it out loud, but a part of her feared the worst when Adir captured Bella. It was a huge relief to see her friend unharmed and standing before her.
“What’s going on Bella?” she asked when the immortal finally turned back to look at her. “Where are we?”
“Adir’s home in the Italian countryside,” she replied with little emotion. “Henry was supposed to bring you to the main house, but I assume he changed his mind when he realized Gregory had managed to accompany you.”
Darcie spared a quick look towards her unconscious friend. Turning back, she asked, “You know Gregory?”
“I know of him,” she replied. “But we have never been introduced.”
Everything Bella said was so formal. So… lifeless. Darcie did not know what to think of it. Was her friend acting, or was she really that unfeeling?
“Why am I here? Why are you here?” It did not escape her notice that Bella was currently on her own. If the immortal wanted to leave, couldn’t she just transport herself out of the house? Couldn’t she move people from place to place like all of the immortals?
Envisioned (Immortal Chronicles Book 3) Page 21
