Immortalis - Book 1 (The Keeper's Immortals)

by Marisa DeMaris

  If it was anything he couldn’t see it being more than lust, wanting something just so he could toss it to the side once he had had it. Blake wasn’t known for keeping things long term. He grew bored with things very easily. If Nora had developed some kind of relationship, whether it was friendship or more with Blake, he didn’t want to see her get hurt. The only other thing that bothered him about the situation was that she told him that she didn’t want to be with anyone because of everything that had happened the last time they saw one another; finding out that she was adopted. If she didn’t want any kind of relationship with him then would she still have one with Blake, someone that she apparently despised so?

  “Reid?’ Ashwin said, her words forcing him to lose his train of thought. ‘What are you thinkin’ about?” she asked.

  “Just what Nora is doing now.” He admitted.

  “Are you sure that is all?”

  He looked at his sister with a puzzled look, wondering if she knew something more than what she was saying. Ashwin wasn’t the most observant person in the world but she was good at finding out things no one else wanting the world to know. “Do you know of anything going on between Nora and Blake?”

  “Nothing other than a mutual dislike for one another and at times a friendship that’s underlined with hatred.” She advised him. She was being honest really. She was never told that Nora or Blake had any kind of relationship other than the one she just described nor did she know if they had any feelings towards each other than a strong distaste for one another. While in Spain Ashwin could sense that Nora had a secret but it wasn’t a secret that she was fully aware of yet herself but once she did it wasn’t something she wanted to share with the world. Being a girl had their advantaged about certain things.

  With her explanation Reid turned back to himself while Ashwin shoved her nose in a Vogue, looking at all the latest fashion styles and not understanding why a woman would wear such things. Reid had nothing to do but to go back into his thoughts and worrying possibly for nothing. Rather than keeping his thought on Nora and Blake he closed his eyes and after a while he passed out.

  The next thing Reid knew he was being woken up by Sebastian, telling him that they had landed. They all gathered their things and headed the car that they had waiting to take them to Reid’s barely used house. When they pulled up it looked like the house was empty. They knew that if there was any danger they would have kept a low profile even while indoors. Reid walked towards the front door as he pulled out his extra set of keys allowing them to enter without waiting on someone. Once inside and had a look around and found no one they checked their phones. “Oh Jaryn text saying they’re all napping.” Ashwin said reading from her cell. Knowing they must all have grabbed a bedroom upstairs Reid said that he would run upstairs and gather everyone together so that they could get started with whatever they were planning on doing.

  Reid hurried up the stairs and opened the first door he saw only to find Trish and her boyfriend Charlie. Unsure on why they were there in the first place he moved to the next one and found another person that wasn’t Nora or his brother, but was someone he hadn’t met. The next room finally had him finding Jaryn whom he woke up and made go downstairs to be with his family. The last room at the end of the hall was the master and where he hoped that he would find either Nora or Blake. Upon opening the door he stopped in his tracks. He was speechless and shocked when he found Blake and in his arms, Nora. They both were fully dressed thankfully but they looked more than comfortable together. Unable to process what he was looking at he slowly stepped out of the room. Knowing that they hadn’t woken up when he had entered he knocked allowing them time to gather though thoughts. “Hey it’s Reid were all downstairs and need to talk.”

  Blake’s eyes flew open as did Nora. They got up, fixed their hair then told him to come in. Reid walked in on the two of them sitting on the bed, acting as if they had been in there simply talking. “Are you alright brother?” Blake said after he hugged his sibling who had a meek expression on his face.

  “Yeah I’m fine, just a long flight. Um come on everyone else is downstairs waiting.” Blake left the room but Reid stopped Nora in her tracks by placing his hand on her stomach lightly. “How are you?” he asked her.

  “I’m alright, could be better since I have crazy immortal looking for me but I’m okay. You?” I asked him.

  “I could be better too.” He said. Before leaving he gently hugged me and without hesitation I gave him one in return. When he released me I could help but to notice that he looked sick.

  “Are you sure you’re okay Reid?” I asked again. He agreed that he was and we walked down the stairs together. In the front room I found Ashwin who was looking tense, Sebastian who looked ill at ease and Jaryn who stood with his arms crossed. Not seeing Blake I looked around but still didn’t see anything. I walked into the kitchen after excusing myself so that I could get a drink of water and that was where I found him. Standing alone. I asked him what was wrong but his look of guilt told me everything.

  “You don’t think he saw anything do you?” He asked. I could only shrug my shoulder, not knowing anything else.

  “I don’t know why I didn’t see him comin’?” Blake said next.

  “Maybe because you already knew he was but just didn’t know when?” I suggested. I then told him that everything will be fine and let’s just do what we have to do right now to keep ourselves alive. He agreed and we walked back to the others one at a time. Reid’s eyes were glued to me just as Blake’s were. To be honest I felt many sets of eyes on me at that moment which caused me to become a bit self conscience.

  Suddenly I noticed that Ashwin’s eyes were on me as well, frozen. She looked ill at ease but I had to admit as we started talking about what was happening we all looked the same way. Jaryn explained what had happened at the school and with Emmalee as well as why there were three other mortals in the house other than myself. That fact alone didn’t make any of them happy especially Blake who loathed mortals, or at least that’s what he wanted people to think. I knew better.

  “So Emmalee, your former and apparently extremely, crazy wife is back and terrorizing our family and what do you plan on doing about it Blake?” Ashwin snapped at her older brother.

  “What do you want me to do Ashwin? I don’t know her full plan. Hell I didn’t even know that she was alive until yesterday. For Christ sake I feel as if I’m being held accountable for it, as if you think that I knew something. That I knew she was alive and coming.” He barked. Ashwin marched towards her brother without fear.

  “Well you can see the future so why not!”

  “You know that my power doesn’t work that way Ashwin!” He roared back, defending himself.

  “Both of you stop it! We have got figure this out and do what we must because if not all of our lives maybe lost.” I yelled finally, not being able to handle the fighting anymore. They all looked at me without shame in their eyes. They were so used to fighting they didn’t know how to stop some times and when someone else butted they were a bit shocked.

  “Nora’s right and it’s not just our lives that we need to worry about right now. There are three mortals in this house who shouldn’t even be involved but they are because Emmalee has bad timing.” Jaryn explained and they all knew that he was right. Sebastian placed his hand on his youngest brother’s shoulder, acknowledging his wise words and walked forward stopping in front of me. He looked at me with kind words as if he knew what I was thinking.

  “Were not gonna let anything happen to them Nora, I assure you.” He told me. His words meant well but they didn’t ease my mind on the fact that three of my friends were in a house full of immortals while we were being chased by immortals that were slightly off the rocker. I excused myself from the Hollings and their bickering while so that I could go check on the others. I walked up the stairs and entered the room where Trish had been sleeping with Charlie to find not only the two of them but Adam as well. Upon entering they all only looked a
t me wondering what was happened. Charlie had said he was woken up when Reid had entered the room but didn’t say anything.

  I explained that Sebastian, Reid and Ashwin had arrived while we were sleeping. They were here to help with the situation but not wanting to think about anything at the moment I left the room only to walk back into the one I had passed out earlier. Laying my head on a pillow I tried to forget the problems at hand but they were always there, always swirling around in my head. In the room below me plans were being made for me and once they were solid someone fetched me, ordering me down the stairs and to the cars where we drove to the location on where I had hidden the katana. It was placed under a loose board in my brother’s bedroom, in his closest where he would hide anything he didn’t want our parents to know about. It was the one secret that he had shared with me so when I said I needed to use the space for something important he didn’t fight me on it. Knowing no one was home at that time I walked in carefree and scooped up the katana, happy to be getting it out of their house. My family would have been more casualties that didn’t need to be involved. Once the katana was in my hands we made our way to the landing strip where we board the plane.

  At least I wasn’t the only mortal who was there this time around. Trish, Charlie and Adam was still being dragged along with us and although I didn’t like having to do that to them I was happy because I didn’t feel so alone. They knew that I didn’t want to talk about curtain things without me having to tell them. The perks of being friends with people for so long. Rather than surround myself with Hollings I surrounded myself with friends I had known longer. “I’m really sorry that you guys have to come with us.” I announced.

  “Well we didn’t have too…” Charlie said but stopped suddenly when Trish slapped him in the gut. She gave him a shut-the-hell-up look and turned back to face me with a forced smile. Adam who sat beside me took my hand warmly and smiled without so much force behind it.

  “We know that you just want to keep us safe Nor.” He explained. Just after Adam made my heart warm I heard a knock on the door that separated us from the others. We had been allowed access to Sebastian’s office so that we could have a bit of private time but now it seemed as if our time had expired. From the other side of the door walked Sebastian. He walked in with gentle smile, warm cheeks and with a heavy heart. After explaining that we were getting ready to land he left us again. They had taken us home with them, back to Ireland; the Emerald Isle. It was beautiful but I wasn’t missing enough to see it again so soon after leaving it only a few months before.

  “Wow this house is huge!” Trish said as they walked in the front door. They walked into a large, beautifully decorated room that was covered in colors of chocolate brown and blues. Ashwin sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs rubbing her shoulders stating that she was cold. Without warning Reid held up his hand towards the fireplace and with a bold of lighting struck the dry wood making flames for. The smell of a roaring fire sent chills up my spine.

  “It’s good to be home, even if it’s for a short while.” Jaryn said. He was home, the Hollings were home but we weren’t. I wasn’t home and it would never be my home whether I was bloodily related to them or not. Rather than stay inside a stuffy house I ventured outside so that I could be alone and I didn’t care if there was an Emmalee being around or not. I couldn’t stand being in the same room with more than one set of eyes glued to me. I breathed in the cool air as I sat on a wooden bench. I must have been out there longer than I thought because the next thing I knew I felt a finger tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Jaryn smiling as he sat down beside me. He asked if I was okay showing pure concern for my well being. I told him that I was fine overall, just tired - jet lagged. He took that answer and left me alone after I had asked to remain there for a bit longer. I could feel it, the dread of going back into the house and sleeping under the same roof as Reid, as Blake as well as the rest of them. Looking down at my cell phone I saw that it later than what I thought it was. I stood and slowly walked into the house again then without saying a word to anyone else I walked up to the same room I had been allowed to stay in so many months ago.

  Everything was the same. The woods were still dark, the fabrics were soft and the window looked out over the ocean. I stood there for a long time looking out over the vast sea feeling as if I was drowning, not in the water though. “Hey.” I jumped surprised to see Blake beside me.

  “Oh hey…sorry I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “Yeah you were pretty out of it. Are you alright?” he asked me. I nodded furiously but I was trying to hold back my tears that were forming just under the surface. He walked close enough to me to place his hand on my cheek making my heart ache. As if he knew that I was lying he pulled me into a warm embrace but the door slamming stopped the warm moment creating chaos within the room.

  “So how long has this been goin’ on?” Blake and I both turned to face Reid, together for the first time.

  Eighteen

  I was speechless but Blake took charge like he always did. “How long has what been goin’ on brother? Comforting a friend when she’s upset?” He was coy about it, almost in a comical way like he was with situations. I knew myself though, I was sure that I had a look of guilt on my face.

  “I meant what you’re doin’, toying with people Blake! I’ve seen you eye her, watch her like you ached for her. Hell you’ve flirted with her right in front of me but I never have two thoughts about it because I didn’t think that she would fall for your tricks but it seems like she has.” Reid said gently as he looked over at me. Blake and I were both afraid that this would happen even though we were careful. Blake looked hurt by the words but he tried to keep a stiff upper lip when it came to his brother.

  “You don’t know what you’re talkin’ Reid so I would shut your mouth if I were you.” Blake said as he stood closer to his brother almost as if they were fighting deer getting ready to butt heads. I couldn’t say anything. I literally couldn’t force words to come out of my mouth.

  “Do ya love her?’ Reid asked his brother with a snickering tone in his voice. ‘You don’t love anyone but yourself, you never have. You had Emmalee and rather than try to make things work with her you left her for the pub and some random whore you met there.”

  “I never loved Emmalee and she never loved me. That fact was made apparent when I found out she had been sleeping with Jaryn.” Reid was slightly taken back by Blake’s words. “Yeah that’s right. I told you that you didn’t know what you were talking about.”

  “The point is that you’re incapable of loving someone other than yourself. You’ve fooled Nora into believing that you actually care for her but I see the truth. You’ve always been a spoiled, self centered prick and I will not stand by and let you do this to her.’ he shot me a look although it was hard for me to read what he was thinking when he did so. ‘And as far as you’re concerned Nora…the choice is yours.”

  “Reid…” was the only thing I could squeak out. My voice was mousy and weak. I was weak in every sense of the word.

  “Don’t Nora, just don’t. You have to see things for yourself. I finally have seen everything that I was denying before. I’ve seen you embrace each other, leave mysteriously together and I know, even though I don’t want to that you two have done much more than that.’ He turned away just to turn back to face me once more. ‘Just know that I will be fighting for you as well.”

  Then he left. I didn’t move until Blake came towards me only to have me back away from him. After I explained that I needed to be alone he left and I finally rested my tired and swimming head on the pillows. I looked at the clock that hung on the wall; it wasn’t even eleven at night and already so much had happened. I never knew what to believe when it came Reid or Blake. Everyone always made Blake seem like such a horrible person but I had seen a side that not everyone had. As far as Reid he seemed to be perfect at first but the more time that passed there seemed to be a darkness about him, just under the surface. Forcing my
eyelids shut I attempted to sleep only to toss and turn to nightmares that were manifesting themselves in my head. After what seemed like hours of twisting around within my bedcovers I jolt up with tears in my eyes.

  I through my feet to the cold hard wood floor and walked towards the window, looking over the same ocean as before. I couldn’t contain myself anymore. I wanted and needed to know more about the situation. There were things that weren’t being told, that weren’t being explained and more to the story than anyone seemed to be telling me. I hurried to get dressed, grabbed my shoes and put them on just as I was opening the bedroom door. Quietly I walked down the stairs and out the back door heading for the plane in hopes it would take me to Medina without the Hollings but before I made it that far I was stopped just outside the gates by Blake. His pale skin almost glowed in the moonlight, his eyes were dark and his face lacked a smile. Even with the scowl across his face I couldn’t help but want to be close to him but my defenses were up after what happened earlier. I was scared to get close to anyone but especially Blake or Reid so keeping space between us was best. “And where might you be goin’?” he asked me. I stood there, looping my fingers around the iron gate thinking what was best to tell him not knowing if I could lie to him or not. He obviously knew that I was leaving because the door that I left from was on the other side of house from his bedroom so I knew that a white lie was out of the question.