Blue Blooded: Jessica McClain Book 6

by Amanda Carlson

  She closed her eyes no longer than two seconds. When she opened them, she said, “They are free. You may go retrieve them.” She abruptly turned and walked back into the church.

  “Go see them to safety,” I told Danny. “Leo said the abbey is a half a mile from here. Tyler’s on his way to this area. Get a hold of him, and hopefully, we’ll be able to follow shortly.”

  Danny looked unsure. “It will go against my wolf to leave you here,” he argued. “A second does not leave their Alpha in danger for any reason, including for a mate. Well, that is, a mate who’s not in danger. Naomi says they are already out of their cell, and she awaits our arrival. They are both in good health. She says that she and Jax can also come here and help.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I want you all away from here. I have no idea what’s going to happen in there. Enid may look unassuming, but if she wants me dead, there is no stopping her, whether you, Naomi, or Jax are here. I am ordering you to go retrieve them and take them to safety. That’s the highest priority.” I was relieved to know they were okay. My body felt more relaxed than it had in a long time. “No arguments, Daniel Walker. Do as I say. We will meet up with you later.”

  Danny surprised me by embracing me. “Please stay safe,” he murmured. “I can’t thank you enough for finding my mate. We will get through this. There’s no other way around it.”

  I pulled back and kissed his cheek. “I believe that too.” I had to. The possibility of my life ending right here in this church seemed unreal, even though I knew it could happen. “Now, go. Make sure Jax is comfortable and get him to Kayla as soon as you can.” Without looking back, I turned and walked into the church, Rourke right behind me.

  Once I stepped over the threshold, cold air abraded my skin.

  We had to pick our way over fallen stone and debris. Enid hadn’t bothered trying to make it homey in here. We had entered the main chapel of the church. Most of the roof was gone, but some pews were still in place, as was the altar. The large structure looked to be made of marble or some sort of granite.

  Enid stood on the top step, facing us as we moved toward her.

  I hadn’t anticipated her allowing Leo and Rourke in here with me, but I was glad she had. I rubbed my arms.

  “I had thought to kill you on sight,” Enid said, cutting to the chase. “But I’ve changed my mind. We will talk for a moment instead.”

  I hoped it would be more than a moment. “I’m happy to discuss whatever you’d like.”

  “You killed Ardat Lili.” She stated it as fact.

  “Yes.”

  “You regretted this decision.” Again, she phrased it as a statement, not a question.

  “In a way, yes,” I answered honestly. “Ending another life is something I will never take lightly, but when I saw all the hatefulness she had perpetuated, I knew I had no choice.” I didn’t regret removing such evil from this world.

  Enid began to pace back and forth in front of the altar as we stood in the aisle. “You took away the rebirth of my sister,” she chastised. “A rebirth I’ve been anxiously awaiting for over five hundred years.”

  “I did, and I’m sincerely sorry,” I said, bowing my head. “I had no idea at the time that killing Ardat Lili would have such consequences. But I’m prepared to make it right. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  She paused with her back to us. “When our sister was killed by Lilith, I had never really known what pain was. I had never grieved another personally, in all my years. At first, I thought Fate had played a cruel trick on us. That it was testing us. Pandora and I scried and scried, but to no avail. We could not find our sister. For many years, we thought all was lost.” She turned to us, sadness etched in her features. “Until one day, we were given the gift of sight that she would be reborn. We felt such joy. But it was to be short-lived. We saw that Ardat Lili would be killed before she gave birth to the child. We saw you.” Her expression was accusing, like I’d somehow known that my prophecy was to harm her, and I’d been determined to carry it out no matter the cost. I tried to speak, to tell her otherwise, but she cut me off, continuing, “We saw you end Bianca’s life before it had a chance to grow. For days, we scried, Pandora certain that our beloved Bianca would be born again. We did not see it. Instead, things became jumbled as they never were before. One day we would see one path, the next day another.” She began to pace again, her hands clasped in front of her. “Pandora saw something and insisted it was the correct vision. But I, on the other hand, saw something quite different. Both results would bring our sister back, but which one was true?” She paused as she turned, her face contemplative.

  Leo cleared his throat. “Pandora believed in her visions enough to be reborn. To entrust that her sister would live again.”

  “She did.” Enid’s voice was bitter. “She left me over fifty years ago to see this done.”

  “And you haven’t forgiven her,” I said. The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could take them back. I’d been caught up in the story, feeling Enid’s pain and anger like they’d been my own. She’d already lost one sister, only to lose another because of me. The pain must’ve been excruciating. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I spoke out of turn. I don’t presume to understand how you feel. I was only projecting how I would’ve felt in the same situation. If I lost Tyler, the grief would be overwhelming. He’s my twin, and he’s been with me every moment of my life—if not physically, mentally. I wouldn’t know how to be myself without him. I can’t imagine losing two siblings. It must’ve been hard. I’m sorry.”

  She stared at me for so long, I began to fidget. “Yes, it continues to be hard.” She turned her back on us once again. “Pandora and I separated on bad terms. I was angry with her for not siding with me, with my vision. I’m still angry with her. But more than that, I want her back by my side where she belongs.”

  “Killing me won’t achieve that,” I said, feeling the need to explain. “Juanita…I mean, Pandora will not forgive you if you make that choice. Not after the sacrifice she’s made to keep me alive.”

  “Don’t you think I know that, child?” Enid snarled, whipping around to face me. “But I will not risk Bianca’s chance at life one more time! I have been without her for far too long.”

  “Jessica stands before you, the vision that Pandora foresaw,” Leo said evenly. “Do you not see the same as she now?”

  “I do.” It sounded final. I didn’t understand Leo’s statement, but before I could ask him to elaborate, Enid continued, “But so many things could still go wrong. If I end her life, I will be certain. I will have my sister back. If I don’t, things could change.”

  “If you end Jessica’s life, there will be needless death and destruction for far too many, and Pandora will not stand by your side,” Leo stated. “Letting Jessica live is preferable to all, and in the end, you will get both sisters back.”

  “Perhaps,” Enid said as she stepped off the altar and strode up to me. My mate growled, but she paid him no attention. It was like he wasn’t even there. If she hadn’t been pursuing me, kidnapping my friends, and in general trying to kill me, I would’ve considered her fairly reasonable. She was hardly the cruel and conniving Hag I’d envisioned. “My hunting you happened for a reason, don’t doubt it for a moment. It is because of my actions that we stand here today, and nothing else. You are as you are, because of me.”

  Huh? That was more than a little confusing.

  “I don’t doubt it,” I said, deciding to roll with it. “I am well aware that everything happens for a reason. But, ultimately, my purpose here is to get back on track.” Our eyes locked, and I saw compassion there, which I hadn’t expected. But I also saw anger and resentment. “Am I close to achieving that?”

  “You might be,” she answered, turning and striding back up toward the altar. “But I’m not entirely certain you will be able to make the sacrifice that is needed to complete Pandora’s vision.”

  I took a breath in. “I don’t know if I am either,” I replied,
the words once again tumbling out before I was ready to speak. She spun around, her face registering something close to surprise. I kept going. “I can’t stand here and tell you, in all honesty, that I’m willing to do absolutely anything, which is what you expect me to say. If I don’t know what it is I must give up, how can I tell you I will?” Enid picked up a small chalice and focused on it, not me. I took that as a sign that she was listening and kept going. “In this moment, if you asked me to take my mate’s life, I wouldn’t do it. No matter the benefit. Even if it would ensure the greater good for the entire supernatural race. I’m not wired that way. I love too deeply and care too much. I would never be able to kill someone I love. So if you asked, I would say no. But that doesn’t mean I will fail all tasks. If you want assurances that I will make a sacrifice, tell me what it is, so I can give you an honest answer.”

  “That’s the quandary, then, isn’t it,” she stated. “I must wait a long time—possibly too long—for you to fulfill this sacrifice. And in the end, if you do not, time will have passed and your death might not set things to right. I will no longer have a guarantee, and I will be stuck.”

  “Stuck is perhaps not the correct word,” Leo said gently. “Your sister will be alive, and maybe that will have to suffice. Is that not the end goal?”

  “No.” Enid’s voice was sharp. “The end goal is for me and my sisters to be reunited. For us to stand by each other’s side until the end of time. It is not to have her alive but unreachable, for her to love others more than she loves us. She was taken from me, and I will have her back as she was.”

  I wasn’t getting the whole gist of the story, but I did understand what Enid was worried about. I cleared my throat. “Um, if your sister is reborn, I don’t think it’s possible for her to be exactly as she once was. She will be reborn, just as Pandora was, but with a different set of experiences. As we grow, we’re shaped by our environment, by what we experience. Things are vastly different today than they were five hundred years ago. It’s not possible for her to be the same, but,” I pointed out helpfully, “she will still be your sister.”

  “You don’t know that,” Enid said, tossing the chalice aside. It skittered across the floor, making hollow clinking sounds. “You have no idea what she will be like! Or how she will think, or what she will remember. We are powerful supernaturals! The most powerful. Bianca is strong and courageous. She will weep when she finds out how long she has been away from us. When we reunite, we will be as we once were.”

  “That’s a fairy tale,” I said as Rourke tensed beside me. I had to speak up, no matter the cost. “Something you’ve conjured in your mind after all these years. And I don’t blame you for it. If Tyler was gone, and then I found out he was coming back, I would fantasize about picking up right where we left off too. But if Tyler was reborn to a new family and grew up with a different set of experiences, there’s no way he would be exactly the same as the brother I once knew.” I met her gaze. “But I would love him just the same, and I’m certain we would forge a new relationship, one that was just as fulfilling.”

  “Your opinions mean nothing to me,” Enid replied snidely. “You don’t know our ways, who we are, or where we come from. I will not allow you to influence my decision. I will have my sister back the way I want her, nothing less!”

  Before I could respond, the church door flung open with a loud bang.

  Leo, Rourke, and I turned, surprised by the intrusion.

  “If her opinion means nothing to you, maybe mine will.”

  22

  “Juanita!” I raced up the aisle and embraced my friend. She laughed in her good-natured way. “I guess I should call you Pandora now, since that’s your real name. It’s so good to see you. I wasn’t sure if you would come.”

  “I wasn’t sure either, Chica,” she answered in her same Spanish accent. “If it had not been for Leonardo, this wouldn’t be possible.” She beamed at the angel who had also come to greet her. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this happen.” She settled a small, perfectly manicured hand over his. This time, her nails were colored a bright fuchsia. “I know the life you have chosen, as a mortal, has given you much peace. And now that peace has been interrupted. But you have provided a great service to us—one that neither myself nor my sister foresaw. Fate has always been tricky, and it has proven to us once again that it is the one who is powerful, not us.” She bowed her head to Leo.

  “Even though I play the mortal, which I do enjoy,” he said, “I am not one, or am I without my wits. When Jessica entered my sanctuary yesterday, I knew what had to be done. She is special. Her aura is bright, unlike any other I have ever seen. You were right to protect her. I only hope that your sister sees the same thing before it’s too late.”

  Pandora nodded as she made her way past us, walking slowly toward Enid, her heels clacking against the stone floor. “I know you have seen the same thing as I, dear sister. And I am here to assure you that even though Bianca will be reborn, as I have been, she will retain the same memories, feel the same love, and be connected to us as she once was. But Jessica is correct.” She turned and flashed me a brilliant smile. “I am not exactly the same as when I left you, as you can see. This life has given me many new experiences and has made me the richer for it. There is value, where before it had been waning. There is love, were none was before. I am stronger, the weakness that lingered all but flushed out. I would not trade it for anything.” She spread her arms wide. “I stand before you, remembering our life together, yearning for your love and companionship once again, and it will be the same for Bianca. You must believe it.”

  Enid’s face was hard to read. Then she frowned. “It has been a long while since you sought me out. Why is that? If you are the same sister I remember, and you have retained your whole soul, why not come to me before this? It’s been over fifty years. Make me understand.”

  “I could not see you without interfering in Fate’s plan.” Pandora shook her head. “You and I were given different visions on that day for a reason, as well as each day afterward. What I see is not always what you see. Fate has not tested us, it has changed us. If I had come, it would have interfered with getting Jessica to this very moment, right where she needs to be. Maybe you would’ve understood, maybe not. Or maybe you would’ve killed her before you saw the proof standing right in front of your very eyes. It was not my place to make you understand, until today.”

  What proof was she talking about?

  “I come to you in love,” Pandora went on, “and implore you to let her live. Allow her to make the sacrifice she needs to make things right again. Save the world from the chaos you know will descend upon us with her death.” As I watched, Pandora’s visage wavered, changing into something else. Her hair became thicker and longer. She grew a foot taller, and her short skirt and blouse morphed into a long white dress, much like what her sister wore.

  Enid’s expression changed from angry to satisfied. “Now you look as I remember you. It seems your human bonds are not that strong after all.”

  “Do not let the human guise fool you. I glamoured myself by choice at a young age,” Pandora said. “I wanted to mirror the family and the culture I grew to love. It allowed me to live as Leo does”—she gestured to him—“to fully immerse myself in the human world. I will be sad to see it go. But my place is here with you and our beloved Bianca.”

  “Bianca will not be with us for some time,” Enid stated, turning to pace.

  “That’s true,” Pandora replied, heading up to the altar by her sister. “But if you allow Jessica to live, it will save us one thousand years of heartbreak and even more waiting. Why do that when we have already waited for five hundred years? In the scope of things, what’s another twenty?”

  “This is not a guaranteed path,” Enid insisted. “The wolf could still die. I will not play Russian roulette with Bianca’s life!”

  “What are your terms, then?” Pandora asked.

  Enid looked surprised. “What are y
ou talking about? What terms?”

  “I believe Jessica’s sacrifice is guaranteed, you don’t. In order to make it a success, what are your terms?” Pandora turned to give me an encouraging smile. I returned her smile with a sharp intake of breath. She was beautiful, with long, flowing dark hair, wide eyes, full lips, all her makeup gone. I missed the old Juanita, but the person in her place was elegant and regal—a powerful supernatural in her own right. I couldn’t believe she’d given up so much to be my guardian.

  When Enid didn’t respond, Pandora turned back to her. “Surely there is something that will make this a certainty for you.”

  Leo spoke, surprising me by getting down on one knee, facing Enid. “Let me help you with this decision. I vow to be your sister Bianca’s protector, beginning now until she returns to you. She will have no greater guardian angel than I. Those who seek to harm her will not succeed. You have my solemn oath.”

  I cleared my throat. I was getting worried. “I don’t understand what’s happening,” I said. “Does anyone care to explain?”

  Pandora came down the step and grasped my hand. “I realize this is confusing for you,” she said, her voice low and melodic. “But the timing to tell all is not right just yet. There are still things in motion that must happen without our interference. But you will find out soon enough.”

  Rourke stood shoulder to shoulder with me.

  His tension rolled off of him in waves. He pinned his gaze on Enid. “What are your terms?” he said. “I will see my mate safely from this place.”

  Enid appraised him thoughtfully. “On second thought, I do have terms, and if they are not met, I will kill your mate. She is in a precarious position. I will not sacrifice my sister’s life for anyone, no matter how much you try to convince me.” She turned her eyes to me. “You are missing a member of the Coalition, and she will not be given up easily. There will be fighting, and there will be bloodshed.” Her gaze was piercing. “My conditions are as follows: When all is revealed, you will come to me. Alone. I will be the judge and jury of your sacrifice. If I deem your answers satisfactory, you will live. If not, you will die. Do you accept?”