by Lynne Ewing
“Well?” she asked.
Her anger made him want her even more. Before he knew what he was doing, he had reached out and pulled her to him, pressing his lips against hers, so surprisingly warm and open. His tongue traced over hers. He felt a jolt of pleasure as he eased into her mind and she invited him to stay.
Then his resistance failed and the demon inside him took control. He reached deep into Serena and trapped her as he had always feared he would some day. She trembled, trying to escape his mind, but his power cut through hers easily.
He felt her struggle and part of him enjoyed the feel of it. He wrestled against the side that was anxious to turn her to the Atrox. Finally, he pushed it back, but just barely. It curled near the surface, patiently waiting for another chance to explode.
He grabbed Serena’s wrists. “You see?” he said. “That’s what will happen. If you ever cared about me, just stay away. I was trying to tell you that on Olvera Street. The reason the Atrox took me and not my brothers is because it saw the future even then. It knows what part I play in the transition.”
She stubbornly shook her head. “No one can know the final outcome. Besides, if you truly believe that, then why are you here?”
“I wanted to protect you.” He breathed, finally admitting the truth, “I can’t stay away from you.”
That seemed to please her. He wished he hadn’t said it. Now it would only be more difficult to convince her.
“I’m the danger, Serena.” The knowledge throbbed inside him. “I’ve always been the danger. I’m the one who will destroy you. It’s my destiny.”
She didn’t seem surprised and she didn’t back away. “I’ve always understood your fear,” she said softly. “I’ve known since we first met that you were capable of destroying me.”
He looked at her not believing what he had heard. “But what you don’t understand is that I’m not always able to control it. Even now it’s becoming stronger. I feel it.” He touched his chest.
She smiled. “I’m not scared.”
“How can you not be?” He took a step back. “Don’t you know what just happened?”
“Nothing,” she answered. “You were trying to pull me into your world, but you didn’t, did you? You fought back. I could feel you protecting me.”
He looked away. “This time. But maybe the next or the time after that…”
She stepped forward and touched his face. “Look at me, Stanton.”
He turned but he was afraid to stare into her eyes. He was losing control again.
“I don’t think your good side could ever let anything harm me,” she explained. “That part the Atrox can’t reach. You said it yourself. You’re invitus.”
He started walking away, going to the back corners where kids were making out. He quickened his pace. He was going to blend into shadow, leave, go to his car. Maybe disappear forever. It had been too close tonight. He raged against his own foolishness.
Serena ran after him and held tight to his sleeve.
Give me a chance. The words came softly across his mind. Try. Please.
She slipped her arms around his waist.
“Don’t.” He tried to push her away but instinct took over. He twisted into her head.
She was startled by his sudden attack. She sent all her force back in an attempt to stop him. That was a dangerous mistake. Now he kept her power inside him, leaving her vulnerable, with no defense.
She trembled and he thrived on her fear. It drove him deeper and deeper inside her until the music was gone and all he sensed was Serena around him. Slowly he pulled her deepest self back to the dark cold inside him.
“Meet the Atrox, Serena,” he whispered, turning her mind to the menacing shadows.
He could feel her soul turning and as it did a violent grief rushed through him. He had destroyed what he loved. He lifted his head and screamed until his throat was raw. The sound blended with the fast-moving music.
The Atrox had won.
CHAPTER TWELVE
HE GLANCED DOWN AT her, her green eyes already turning phosphorescent. His hand caressed her face. Shivers of regret ran through him as he realized what he had done. Still he didn’t try to help her this time. He couldn’t. She had to break free on her own now. He felt her struggling.
“O Mater Luna, Regina nocis, adiuvo me nunc.” She repeated the prayer over and over. Her voice became stronger each time the words flowed from her mouth.
Finally, she spoke clearly, “I refuse to come to you. The power balance shifts in favor of the dark if I become a Follower.”
Then she blinked and shook her head. Her eyes looked normal again, but he could see the residue of fear in them. He felt disgusted with himself.
“Serena,” he whispered and reached out for her, his fingers tentative as he touched her cold arms. He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry.”
“Remember, I’ve met the Atrox before,” she said with a shudder. “I’m not immune, but I know that its offers are empty.”
He pressed his lips against her soft cheek.
“I was right,” she said. “We can fight it.”
“I don’t think I could stand to witness that again,” he uttered softly.
“I’ll only get stronger each time,” she insisted.
“Let me take you home.”
She nodded and he took her hand. They shoved through the crowd of dancing kids and made their way to the door.
When they were at the entrance, Jimena stopped them. Catty and Vanessa stood with her. They wore shiny elastic tube tops and heart-shaped crystal tattoos on their chests. Vanessa kept glancing at her moon amulet and looking at Stanton with wide-eyed worry.
“Why don’t you let me have a moment alone with Stanton.” Jimena smiled at Serena, but there was anger in her eyes.
Serena seemed unsure. She glanced at Stanton, then shrugged and backed away with Vanessa and Catty.
Jimena took his arm and pulled him to a far corner near the door. “Catty and Vanessa keep telling me that part of you is a nice guy, un tipo simpático.” Jimena’s voice was low. “But I’ve had enough premonitions about you lately to see your diablo side.”
“Tell me what you’ve seen.” He wondered if she had some clue about the meaning of Lamp.
She sighed. “No puedo. I can’t. The premonitions are my gift to help me fight your kind. The images I see warn us. They’re not meant for you.”
“All right.”
He could tell that she thought he had agreed too readily. She put her hands on her hips. “And don’t try to go in my mind to see. It feels like worms are crawling though my brain.”
She gathered her power like a storm, ready to strike any attempt to read her thoughts. He wondered if she really believed she could defeat him.
Then her hands went back to her sides. “But I can tell you this,” she continued. “My premonitions show me that you’re still the enemy. For Serena’s sake I hope that isn’t true, because I don’t want her to get hurt.” Then she looked at Stanton, her black eyes steady and sincere. “I can’t stop the future from coming, but you’d better be careful with her. She’s my very best friend.”
Stanton nodded. “I care about her, too.”
“I hope so, because I don’t know what I’d do if something did happen to her.” She tilted her head. “No, I guess I do know. Maggie says an Immortal can’t be killed.” She smiled menacingly. “But I bet I could find a way. Nothing can stop a homegirl from el Nueve once her mind is made up.”
Her daring amused him. “I bet you could, too, Jimena.”
She left him and he walked back to Serena. She was standing next to the concession stand alone, a Pepsi in her hand. She looked pale and tired.
“Did she tell you what she’s seen in her premonitions?” Serena asked.
“No, she can’t. Hasn’t she told you?”
“No,” Serena said as they walked outside. “She says it’s better if I don’t know.” She answered his look. “She does that a lo
t. It’s nothing new.”
He nodded. “Jimena’s a good friend.” He opened the car door and helped her inside, enjoying the stretch of her body as she eased into the seat.
They drove to her home, then parked in front. A breeze had picked up, making the tree branches sway lazily overhead.
Serena wasn’t anxious to go inside. She looked at him boldly.
“Goddess,” he whispered and brushed a hand across her cheek. She closed her eyes as he savored the feel of her skin. He smoothed his hand down her neck, then leaned over to kiss her. His lips hovered above hers, feeling her breath and the warmth radiating from her skin.
“This moment feels too perfect,” she murmured. “That scares me.”
“Why?” he asked softly, lost in her sweet perfume.
“Because my best moments have always been followed by my worst,” she whispered in a haunted voice.
“It doesn’t have to be that way.”
“I know, but for me it always has been.” She looked off into the distance. “My best Christmas ever was right before my mother left.”
He felt sad for her.
She turned back to him. “I guess she wanted us to have one great time to remember her by.” She tried to laugh, but failed. “Maybe that’s why I want to hold this moment forever. I’m afraid of what tomorrow will bring.”
He felt a tremor of premonition of his own. When he spoke again his words were quiet and strong. “No matter what happens, always remember how much I care for you.”
“All right,” she answered.
“I better walk you up to your house.” He started to open the car door but she stopped him.
She pulled him to her and kissed him gently. “Now, we can go.”
They walked up the tinted stone sidewalk to the Spanish Colonial house, his arm tight around her waist. He stood near the spiked paddles of a cactus as she unlocked the large plank door.
He kissed her lightly, then waited until she was safely inside before turning and walking back to the street.
As he approached the car, he thought he saw something in the front seat. It had to be a trick of light and shadow. But when he stepped closer he saw Cassandra. She turned and gave him an icy smile.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CASSANDRA GLARED AT him as he slid into the driver’s seat. Her eyes looked wet; for a moment he thought she had been crying.
He turned the ignition and pressed hard on the accelerator. The car shot away from the curb with a squeal of tires. Music pounded, making the dashboard shimmer.
“I told you about the rumors,” Cassandra shouted over the music. “And you’re still seeing her!”
He grabbed behind her neck and pulled her to him, forcing her to look into his eyes. “How long have you been spying on me?”
She tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let her go. He pushed the accelerator harder and turned down Beverly Boulevard. Cars honked and screeched to a halt.
“Have you ever seen what becomes of a human body in a car accident?” He ran a red light.
“Slow down,” she whimpered.
“Tell me your plan,” he ordered.
“I don’t have one!”
“Don’t lie to me!”
“Go in my mind then,” she offered.
He could go in her mind so easily, but the idea repulsed him. Instead, he sped into oncoming traffic to pass the slow-moving cars in his own lane.
“I’m an Immortal, Cassandra,” he threatened. “I’ll survive. But you’re not even a Follower. You’re an outcast. Imagine what will happen to your pretty face.”
He could smell her fear. Still, she didn’t back down.
“I don’t have a plan!” she insisted.
“My body will already be repairing itself before the paramedics even arrive,” he sneered. “But what will become of yours?”
She tried to pull away from his grasp. “Please stop.” Her tears flowed freely now.
“Tell me,” he demanded again. “That wasn’t a chance meeting at Olvera Street. How long have you been following me?”
He let go of the steering wheel. The car lurched to the left, sliding dangerously close to the fender of an oncoming car.
“Three months!” she screamed, her face distorted by the glare from the headlights of the approaching cars.
He grabbed the wheel and swerved across the right lane, then continued with a shriek of tires onto La Brea Avenue.
“For almost three months now,” she confessed, through ragged breaths. “Not always. It’s hard because you can become a shadow. I haven’t seen everything.”
“To catch me with Serena, so you could turn us over to Regulators and win back your status?”
“Never,” she answered quickly.
A police siren stirred the night air, followed quickly by another.
“Then what?” He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw flashing lights.
“I’d hoped you had stopped seeing her,” she said bitterly. “But I wanted to make sure. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being with her. We were always destined to be together, you and I.”
“Jealousy? You expect me to believe that’s all this is?” He released her.
“It’s the truth.” She fumbled with the seat belt and snapped it around her.
“What makes you think we could ever be together?”
“A member of the Inner Circle told me.”
He jerked the steering wheel to the left and made a sharp turn onto Third Street. He shut off the headlights and music, then spun down Orange Avenue, the back end of the car fishtailing. He parked in a driveway and shadows swallowed them. Then he turned off the ignition and waited.
The police cars sped down Third Street, and the sound of their sirens became more and more distant.
“Tell me the rest,” he commanded.
“One of its members told me a prophecy.” Her hands were shaking violently as she sobbed.
“What prophecy?” he asked.
“That you and I would be together for eternity.”
Stanton started to laugh.
Her voice turned indignant. “That’s why I never turned you in. You thought I wanted to get my own revenge, but that wasn’t it. I never would have betrayed you because I knew you were going to be mine one day. I wanted to be an Immortal like you. I wanted you to love me. I never expected it to turn out this way.”
Her mood changed to sudden sadness. “I’m an outcast and still I didn’t turn you in.” She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “That’s proof. You can look into my mind and see if I’m telling the truth, so why don’t you?”
“I don’t need to,” he said finally. “I believe you.”
She turned and even in the darkness he could see the rage in her eyes. “I didn’t report you then, but I will now. I’m sure the Atrox would give me back my old status if I told it what you’ve been doing.”
He studied her.
“I heard other rumors about a Follower betraying the group.” She was regaining her composure now. “Someone trying to stop the transition. I never thought it was you, but now I have my doubts.”
“I’m loyal to the Atrox,” he sighed. “How can I not be?”
“I want to believe you, but I need to know.” She sniffed. “I want proof.”
That made him laugh. “An outcast is going to demand proof from me? I’ll show you nothing.”
“You will,” she warned. “Or I go to the Atrox with what I’ve seen. You may not be concerned for yourself but I know that goddess has some kind of hold on you.”
Her words were no idle threat. He had to protect Serena. “What do you want, Cassandra?” he asked at last.
“How long has it been since you crossed someone over?” she asked. “I’ve been following you for three months and haven’t seen you do it once.”
“I couldn’t.”
She turned sharply. “Couldn’t? Why not?”
“I’ve been trying to seduce Serena,” he sai
d, lying. “So I can bring her to the Atrox and win a place on honor for myself in the Inner Circle. She would know if I had harmed someone. I had to convince her that I was trying to be good.”
She snorted. “Right. You expect me to believe that? You’re taking an awfully long time.”
“Maybe that’s why the others failed—they didn’t take enough time.” His voice was soft and convincing. “I won’t fail.”
She studied him, considering what he had said. “Why didn’t you tell me before now?” There was new anger in her words. “Do you know how much you hurt me?”
“I knew, but I had to make it look authentic.” He could tell she was starting to accept his story. She desperately wanted to believe it. “Serena can read minds, so I couldn’t tell anyone my plan.”
Her mood seemed to lift for a moment, but then she bit her lower lip. “I think my duty is to report you. Unless…” The word hung in the air as tantalizing bait. “I haven’t seen you recruit anyone for a long time. Do it and I’ll believe you’re still loyal to the Atrox.”
He took her dare. “Let’s find someone then.” He started to turn the ignition but she caught his hand and pulled it to her.
“Not tonight,” she murmured. “Tomorrow is soon enough. Tonight is for us.”
She slid next to him and kissed his cheek, then traced a cold finger over his ear and whispered, “I never stopped caring for you, Stanton. You’re my everything. Someday you’ll love me and that’s all I live for.” Her hands brushed over the sides of his face and she bent his head to hers.
At last, he returned her kiss, thinking of Serena as he did. He had to keep her safe.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, Cassandra walked toward Stanton down Hollywood Boulevard, her smile easy and inviting. Her jeans were low, revealing the heart-and-dagger tattoo on her right hip. A gold chain hugged her slim waist and a skimpy top showed off her perfect arms and shoulders. She opened the car door and got in, looking at him as if she feared that he would change his mind.
