by Leia Shaw
Geo’s arms reached toward her. Then he was gone.
“No!” She ran to the edge of the ring, ready to jump, when Aedan caught her.
“No, Samantha,” he said, wrapping his arms around her chest.
Her heart pounded as she fought him. Get to Geo. Save my demon.
“Now is not the time to mourn for him,” he rasped harshly in her ear. He spun her to face him and gripped her shoulders hard. “Your sister needs you.”
Geo was gone. Because of her. She couldn’t breathe. She gulped air but couldn’t seem to get enough.
“If you don’t snap out of it,” Aedan said, catching her gaze, “I’m going to slap you.”
What? She shook her head. Focus! Aedan was right. Her sister needed her and they had to get the hell out of there.
“Okay.” She swallowed hard and pulled herself together. “Okay. Let’s get Nikki.”
Aedan nodded. “There’s a good lass.” He patted her arm.
A rain of lightning shot down from the sky. Thunder boomed and the dimming sky lit up with blue streaks of light.
“What the…” she trailed off. That couldn’t be Nikki? She looked up at her sister.
Nikki cowered against the wall.
A woman in elaborate costume appeared in the center of the ring. Surely, she hadn’t been there seconds ago. Next to her stood a dark, terrifying man. The woman lifted her hands and a bolt of lightning hit the ground only feet from her.
Members of the audience screamed and ran for cover. Several bolts of lightning hit the stadium in random places. Pieces of the ground and benches exploded in the air. The mountain rumbled behind them. Murmurs of a queen started behind her.
She looked down at the powerful witch. Dressed in tall black boots, leather pants, and a purple and black corset top, with an elaborate headdress placed on her braided hair, she looked every bit an Underworld Queen.
Sage? How she’d changed from the insecure girl Sam had once met.
The stone guard ran toward the queen. With a simple squeeze of her fist, they crumbled to dust. She huffed as if blowing a kiss and a gust of wind swept through the arena, blowing the dust into the air. The mountain shook again, chunks of rock plunged to the ground.
She was bringing down the whole damn place.
The crowd panicked and fled in all directions. Samantha looked up at Nikki. She remained glued to the wall furthest from the action.
A pale shape moved like a blur, circling Shade, landing blows as he struggled to fight back. The rest of the guard was fighting other soldiers Sage must’ve brought.
Nikki yelped when a bloody body rammed into the wall inches from her. Her chest tightened. She couldn’t lose Nikki. She had to get to her.
Sam looked for a safe path through the chaos then caught the queen staring at her.
Sage looked puzzled for a moment, as if trying to recall how she knew her. Then recognition hit. She said something to the man standing next to her – a personal body guard? – then he looked up at Sam. He nodded once, put a hand on Sage’s shoulder then they both disappeared.
Samantha was still trying to understand it when they reappeared before her. She jumped back, startled.
“Sam?” Sage asked, her brows furrowed.
“Yes.” Should she call her “your majesty?”
“What are you doing here?”
Aedan jumped in. “Queen, I promised her mate I’d return her Topside.” He gestured to Nikki. “And her young sister. They’re mere mortals. They shouldn’t be here.”
To Samantha’s surprise, Sage nodded. “Marcelo will take you.” She turned to the tall, Hispanic-looking man beside her. “You’ll have to get Shade out of here to interrogate him. It’s about time I shut down the Games.”
Last Sam knew, Sage was mortal too. She cocked her head. No. Something was different.
“Bring them to Selene’s house in Salem,” Sage said to Marcelo.
That’s when Samantha saw it. A small pair of fangs. Sage was a vampire?
Marcelo nodded then looked up into the stands nervously. “Keep an eye on my mate, por favor.”
Samantha followed his gaze. A small fae girl balanced gracefully on a ledge, a bow and arrow trained on some target below. She let loose and a gurgled scream signaled she hit her target. She loaded another arrow.
“Looks like she’s doing fine to me,” Sage said with a smirk.
Marcelo’s eyes filled with concern. “I should never have let her come.”
“Oh, loosen up, big guy.” Sage rolled her eyes then slapped him on the arm.
Samantha winced. Marcelo didn’t look like the kind of guy you slapped around. He smirked. “So says the girl mated to James.”
Her eyes twinkled as she looked at the figure fighting Shade. “Yep. That’s my overprotective idiot of a mate.”
The blur stopped a moment to peer down at Sage. Slender, but muscular, with strawberry blonde hair, even bloodied up a bit, the man was a dream to look at.
“I’ll be right back,” Aedan said, staring up at the balcony. Then he ran off before Sam could question him.
Shade and Sage’s mate began their fight again. It was impossible to see who was winning – they moved too fast.
Samantha watched Aedan make his way through the chaos, dodging and ducking the fights that had broken out among the crowd. Where the stadium and the throne intersected, he leapt up and grabbed a decorative ornament with one hand. Swinging his body back and forth, he gained enough momentum to throw his feet up over his head and land, perched on the top of the balcony railing.
The guard standing near her sister didn’t stand a chance. Aedan jumped, feet first, knocking him in the chest. The guard fell and Aedan sliced his throat before he could even try to rise.
Nikki scrambled away from Aedan and his bloody knife, but he caught her easily.
“It’s okay, Nikki!” Sam yelled, but doubted her sister could hear her.
Aedan threw her over his shoulder then zig-zagged back down to the stands as if he held nothing more than a sack of rice. Nikki put up a small fight. She must’ve been weak from using her magic or she’d have fought more.
He returned and placed Nikki on her feet. Samantha grabbed her and hugged her so tight Nikki had to struggle to get free.
“You’re crushing me,” she rasped.
“Sorry.” Sam’s traitorous eyes started tearing again. “I missed you so much. Are you okay?” She looked her over but could see no serious injury.
“I’m sorry, little one,” Aedan said softly. “I hope I didn’t hurt…” He trailed off when Nikki turned to face him. His mouth popped open. Every muscle tensed as his eyes grew wide.
“Aedan,” Samantha said. “What’s wrong?”
He continued to stare though he closed his mouth. His eyes darkened and held such intensity, it actually scared her.
“Aedan!”
He flinched then gave his head a shake. With no explanation, he turned to Marcelo. “Take this one first, vampire.” He took Nikki’s arm and held it out to Marcelo.
Sage had left them already. From the corner of her eye, Sam saw her standing in front of the mountain as rocks continued to fall to the ground. They had to get out of there fast. Though Aedan was being scary weird, she agreed with him – Nikki first.
Marcelo took Nikki’s hand. He stopped and stared down at Aedan’s arm. For the first time, Samantha noticed a tattoo on his forearm. Some kind of symbol, but she couldn’t make out what it was.
“I can’t take you,” Marcelo told Aedan.
“I know.” He rubbed the tattoo then looked at Nikki. With that same intensity burning in his eyes, he put a finger under her chin. “Until we meet again, banphrionsa.”
What?
Then Marcelo and Nikki disappeared.
Seconds later, the vampire returned for her. Samantha took one last look around. She gazed at the pit where Geo had fallen, silently wishing for him to crawl out. She could almost see it. First a hand, followed by his muscular arm. Then his th
ick brown hair she loved to grab in handfuls, his horns hidden underneath. His warm copper eyes and slightly crooked nose. And the firm lips he used to melt her with just a kiss. The sexy half-smirk that made her all tingly. His husky voice calling out to her. Telling her everything would be okay. He would keep her safe.
But he didn’t crawl out.
Her knees threatened to buckle as a sob escaped her. A firm grip on her arm snapped her back to attention.
“Your sister is your life now,” Aedan whispered, giving her a small shake. “Grieve hard for him, but not too long. Samantha, you are all she has.”
She nodded. He was right. She had no idea why he cared so deeply, but that didn’t change the truth of his words.
“Thank you, Aedan.” She wiped her tears away and inhaled a deep breath. “You’ve done so much for us.”
He let her go with a smirk. “And you’ll pay it back one day.”
She frowned. “What?”
Aedan nodded to Marcelo. A warm hand fell on her shoulder then the Underworld faded away. It would only be a memory now.
The next second she was standing on Selene’s front yard in the dark of night. The teleporting reminded her of walking through the Underworld portal. Cold and creepy. She shivered.
“Takes some getting used to,” the vampire said with a small smile.
She snorted. “I only wish that was the weirdest thing I’ve been through.”
Nikki ran to her and they hugged again. She opened her mouth to thank Marcelo, but he cut her off.
“I’ll be right back.” He disappeared again.
Nicole buried her head in Sam’s neck, clinging to her for comfort. Sam rocked her instinctually.
“What do we do now?” Nikki sobbed against her.
“Shh.” She patted her back. “We’ll figure it out.”
Marcelo returned, dropping a beat-up lump onto Selene’s yard. Two bloodied black wings hung limply on the body. Shade?
Marcelo left again. Shade didn’t move. He was knocked out, if not dead. The urge to stick him with her sword a few times weighed on her. But Nikki had seen enough violence for a long time. So she continued to hug and rock her.
When Marcelo came back, he brought Sage’s mate with him – called James, she thought.
James kicked Shade in the stomach. “Come on, fucker. Wakey, wakey.”
Shade roused a bit and groaned.
Marcelo grabbed onto where his wing met his shoulder and pressed a knife into the bone. Shade made a horrible sound as he writhed under the blade.
“Where’s Maddox?” James demanded.
“Fuck you, Sorcerer,” was the answer.
Marcelo pressed the blade harder.
Samantha squeezed her eyes shut and covered Nikki’s. But she remained frozen to the spot.
“We’ll cut these off, soul-sucker,” James said. “Don’t test us.”
A woman’s voice filled the night. “Samantha?”
She opened her eyes and turned toward the sound. Selene stumbled out of her house, wearing a bathrobe and slippers. Her long gray hair was pulled back in a ponytail but she looked as warm and comforting as Sam remembered.
A small smile even tugged at her lips. “Yeah. It’s me.”
Selene took in the scene on her front yard. Her brows descended. “What on Gaia’s earth is going on here?”
Where to start? James and Marcelo ignored Selene and kept pressing Shade for answers about this Maddox. Nikki stayed in Sam’s embrace with a wary look at Selene.
“Are you alright?” Selene asked when she got closer.
Samantha looked down at her body. Well, they were a sight – covered in dirt and blood, eyes probably red and puffy from crying. Nikki was pale and sickly. She’d need some TLC for a while to heal.
As for Samantha…the worst of her wounds were in her heart. And she didn’t think that would ever heal.
Her eyes watered. “No, Selene,” she choked out. “We’re not alright.”
Selene’s face transformed to an expression of sympathy. “Oh, sweetheart, come here.” She opened her arms and Sam dragged Nikki into them.
More tears fell. Selene kissed her head then began to usher them inside. “Come along. I’ll fix you some tea and you’ll tell me everything.”
Would she insist Nikki return home? If so, Sam would leave too and they’d find their own way. But, God, she could really use some help right now.
Selene opened the door to the small cottage. As they shuffled in, she yelled to James and Marcelo, “Boys! Continue that somewhere else, please. And clean up after yourselves!”
“Yes, ma’am,” she heard from both men.
The door closed behind them and, for the first time in a long time, she was enveloped in silence. No painful screams. No swords clashing. No cheering crowd or boots stomping down the hallways. No soft snoring or gentle laughs or sweet whispers in her ear…
She collapsed on the couch and wept long and hard. Her eyes burned as warm tears soaked the pillow under her head. Would the painful ache in her chest ever ease?
Chapter 20
Four months later
“Grab that side, would ya’ Nik?” Samantha pointed to the end of the curtain rod sitting on the floor. She’d just shimmied the two blue plaid curtains across it. And after thirty minutes of cursing in frustration, she’d finally screwed the hardware into the wall to hang them.
“Sure.” Nikki lifted the end then reached up on her tippy-toes to place it in its spot above their picture window.
Samantha said a little prayer that the brackets held. She let go of the rod and stepped back. When it didn’t fall, she smiled. “There. That proves it. I can do anything I set my mind to.”
Nikki giggled. “Uh, Sam. They’re a little crooked.”
Samantha frowned. Were they? She cocked her head to the side. “Oh, yeah.” There was no way she was messing around with those brackets again. “Well, we’ll just hang all the pictures in the room a little lopsided. It’ll even out.”
Nikki, God bless her, just smiled and nodded. This whole playing house thing was more difficult than she’d thought. But with Selene’s help, she and Nikki had just moved into their very own cottage – well, rented anyway. It was small and plain, but a few coats of paint had turned it into a cozy nook.
She looked around the bright yellow room and smiled. Yes, they had done alright.
Since returning from the Underworld, Sam’s powers had strengthened, and continued to grow each week she trained with Selene. Nikki had surprised them all, harnessing amazing abilities, not just for spells and potions, but manipulating nature as well. For some mysterious reason, Gaia had lifted her curse. To remain on the safe side, Sam prayed to her every day, thanking her for showing mercy. And in secret, she whispered a little prayer for Geo, wherever he was – if he’d even survived.
Her heart still ached from the loss and sometimes she still cried herself to sleep. Just the memory of that week and a half – had it really been so short? – spent in a world so far away made tears prick her eyes and her gut twist in knots. More than once, she had stared out the window, wishing, hoping he’d miraculously appear, wearing that sexy half-grin and flashing his smoldering eyes. But he never appeared. And when the vision faded, it left her crumpled in a ball, fighting back deep, angry sobs.
Would she ever fully heal from all that had happened in the Underworld? Probably not. But she could live, for her sister, even with the void inside her.
The tap tap of rain bouncing off the window filled the quiet room. She hated silence. It reminded her too much of…she swallowed hard and shook her head. “Let’s put on some music,” she said to Nikki.
Her sister nodded. She understood without words.
Samantha sighed, staring out the window at the gray day. The steady drizzle turned to sheets of rain. Thank God she’d painted the little white fence last week.
“Hey, we should bake some cookies,” Nikki said from down the hall.
The smooth voice of Bill Withers fil
led the house. She opened her mouth to tell Nikki they were out of flour when something outside caught her eye.
A tall figure walked through the rain, head tipped down. He pounded through puddles, kicking up water on his already soaked pants. He was heading straight toward their house.
She went to the window to get a closer look. Something about the way he moved seemed familiar. When he stepped onto the path leading to the front door, she could make out more details.
He wore a black t-shirt stretched tight across his shoulders and chest. A pair of jeans hung loosely on his hips. Wet hair fell down to his chin, but it had a slight curl to it. She was sure it would be wavy when dry.
Her heart jumped to her throat. She’d recognize that head anywhere. Only…there were no horns.
She ran to the front door and flung it open. The man stopped halfway up the path. Slowly, he raised his head.
Warm copper eyes stared at her.
She sucked in a breath then flew into the rain and launched herself at him.
Geo caught her in his arms and lifted her off the ground. She pressed her face into his neck and sobbed. Even with the rain, he still smelled so good – just how she remembered him.
He held her, there in the rain, for a long time – neither of them saying a word. If this was a dream, she was going to kick her subconscious’ ass when she woke up. Rain dribbled down her forehead and into her eyes. She squeezed them shut.
“I missed you, my love. My life. My angel,” he said in her ear. “I’m sorry I took so long to find you.”
Finally, she released her death grip around his neck and he set her down. She stared up at him. With a trembling hand, she touched his forehead. She ran her fingers down his cheek and across his jaw. “Is it really you?”
He smiled then bent and kissed her. The rain made it slippery, but he plundered her mouth, taking her breath away. He pulled her against his body, pushing his tongue deeper.
The kiss slowed then reluctantly came to a stop. “It’s really me,” he said.
Were his eyes glistening with tears or was it just the rain?
Gazing down at her with an expression of reverence, he pushed the wet hair from her face. “You’re more beautiful than I remember.”
