by Casey Wyatt
They had no idea, at first, what had hit them. Cal tested the limitations of his power that night. He learned how easily the flame could consume anything in its path and how it could be harnessed to inflict maximum pain and suffering.
When the killing was over, Cal stood over their charred remains, depleted and weak.
Ares appeared. “You’ve done me proud, boy. It’s time for you to join with your brothers and sisters.”
Cal closed his eyes. Of course, his mother wouldn’t have been Ares’ only conquest. Funny how it had never crossed his mind. Not that it mattered. “I’m not going with you.”
“You must. How else will you learn what you need to know to survive in the world? As my son, you must learn to control the fire so it doesn’t consume you. You will want to make war and cause death. You will need to learn to manage those desires. Channel them appropriately.”
Cal almost laughed in Ares’ face. “Fuck you.” He hated the tall, beautiful man standing before him, refusing to believe that Ares couldn’t save his mother.
Cal declined to join with his father that day. But Ares was stubborn and hammered away at Cal’s resolve. Eventually, the compromise was war camp—a neutral place for Cal to learn what he needed to for survival’s sake. In time, curiosity ate away at Cal. He wanted to know about his extended family, after being without kin for so long. For a brief time, he joined Ares and received a brutal lesson in how he didn’t want to live his father’s life.
Cal shook off the memories of the past. In many ways, his mother’s death was as raw now as the day it had happened. “I blamed you for a long time.”
“I know. I blame myself. I should have kept better watch over her.” Ares left the window and stood in front of Cal. “I truly did love her.”
“Why did she want to die?” Cal voiced the insecurity that had plagued him for so long. That somehow it was his fault. That his mother thought he was a monster.
“Stop that, Cal.” Ares gripped Cal’s shoulders hard. “Your mother loved you more than anything.”
“But not enough to stay with me.” Cal fought to unleash Ares’ hands. He hated feeling like a helpless child. “Damn you for digging this up!”
Fire erupted from Cal’s fists and landed benignly, unable to harm his father.
“No. That wasn’t it, Cal. She was already dying. She had cancer. And she was weary of her life. I know she seemed eternally young to you, but she was almost eighty years old when she died.”
The revelation was a kick in the balls. “I don’t understand.” Whenever Cal remembered his mother, she was young and vibrant.
“An illusion created for you. She wanted to stay alive as long as she could for you. She understood that time would pass differently for you than for mortals. That is why you always lived so far from others. The isolation was by design. She didn’t want you to worry about her age.”
“I never knew.” And he had never considered the passage of time. Nor ever questioned why his mother never went more than a mile from the cabin. “The house was protected.”
“Yes. And as long as your mother stayed within that border of protection, she aged more slowly.”
Another realization struck Cal. “Grace. She wasn’t kidnapped, was she?”
“No. We realized that she would start to appear older than you, so we made up the story—”
Cal slammed his fist into Ares’ face. “You bastard! All this time, I blamed myself for her kidnapping. Why didn’t you tell me the truth the day Mother died?”
Ares nursed his jaw. “You had enough to deal with. And you haven’t exactly wanted to speak with me much over that last couple hundred years.”
“Tell me she lived a happy life.” Cal hoped she had. Grace deserved that much.
“Yes. I made sure of it. She met a good man, had children, knew her grandchildren. Lived well.” Ares grew quiet.
Cal’s thoughts turned back to that dark day. Coldness chilled his bones. “How did those men get to my mother?”
Storm clouds crossed Ares face. Anger creased his forehead. “I have many enemies, Cal. Someone betrayed me. In all this time, I have not been able to learn who it was. But when I do, they will pay.” Ares pinned him with a dark gaze. “And you can join me.”
Cal ignored the invitation, his mind trapped at his mother’s final moments. “How could you stand to see her suffer in the end?” It wasn’t a fair question, but Cal didn’t care.
“Sometimes we have to let the things we love go. I loved her and respected the hell out of her. Too much to force her to stay alive for me or for you.” Ares pulled Cal into a strong hug. “She understood so much more about life than we immortals ever will.”
The shock of Ares’ embrace stunned Cal. The only touch he had ever received from Ares had been from the end of his fists as he taught his children to be warriors. Still wary of Ares’ intentions, yet torn, Cal savored the moment and thought about Nix.
What would his mother have said about her? Let her go? Or fight to the end for the one you loved?
Nix sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room, the Destroyer’s Mantle unfurled across her lap while her head swirled with information and images. If only she could purge them. But you couldn’t un-ring a bell. What was done, was done.
Most of the revelations weren’t a surprise. Not really. If she were being honest with herself. On some level, she knew the Destroyer’s job. There was a difference between hearing about something and actually knowing it firsthand. Except, she didn’t have true knowledge, did she?
Are you going to let me help you now?
Nix gripped the Mantle. It was back. The voice. She had almost forgotten about it.
“Go away.” Oh Gods, she was crazy. She couldn’t deny it anymore. Voices in her head, talking to herself . . .
You’re not crazy. I’m really here. Look down.
“What the hell. Might as well go all the way.” Nix lifted the cape off her lap and examined the floor. Nothing. Of course.
Not the floor, your lap.
Nix raised the Mantle, eyeing it. No way. Could it be . . . alive? She flung the cape to the floor.
You bet, sister. No need to toss me around.
“I don’t understand. What are you?” Nix scooped the cloth up with her forefinger and thumb and placed it on the bed. “And why didn’t I know about you before?”
We’re prohibited from interfering.
“So why are you starting now?” Nix was exhausted. Sleep had eluded her. She yawned hard, her jaw clicking. “And who is we?”
If you merge minds with me, I can show you.
Nix stopped mid-yawn. From their earliest days of training, there was one guideline above all others—Do not open your mind to the Mantle’s power. The power, they were told, would consume the mind of the wearer. In fact, part of Nereus’ justification for the mind wipe was to limit their exposure to the cloak’s power.
“Why should I trust you not to take over my mind?”
I want to be free. A wave of sadness rode into her head. She could understand that sentiment. Maybe she was overtired or just fed up with all the lies, but she didn’t care. Cal’s life was in the balance.
“Okay, let’s do this.” Nix donned the Mantle and opened her mind completely to its power and—
Held on for dear life. Vivid images flooded her senses. The bitter smell of smoke, burning acid or plastic. A thousand tiny stings pricked her skin and made it burn. Vertigo twisted her mind. Her stomach rose to her throat, then dropped suddenly. A high-pitched alarm whined in the background.
Then impact. Darkness. Pain. Capture.
Realization slammed into Nix. The cloak wasn’t a sentient object, it was a separate being. “How did you get this way?”
Images of stars filled her mind’s eye. Another galaxy.
“Aliens?”
Yes. Long ago, we were explorers. Observers. We came to this place merely to watch the life. Our ship crashed and we were captured and brought to a great and terrible being. He
harnessed thunder and lightning. He enslaved us, made us weapons.
For the first time, ever, Nix was fully aware of how the Mantle operated. It formed to her skin, a full body suit of indestructible armor. While in Destroyer mode, the wearer followed the mission and used the suit to accomplish the task. With her mind opened and free, she realized the truth.
“The Mantle. It’s made out of your skin.”
Sorrow, anger, desperation, all competed for airtime in her skull. Yes, Zeus did not bargain in good faith. He promised to set us free to return home, if we shared our knowledge. We were ignorant of the rules of the game and didn’t see the pitfall until too late. Our skin was taken for its strength; our minds for their control and vast knowledge. Souls were bound to the skin, the rest of our bodies discarded.
Damn Zeus. How cruel. Nix had a ringside seat to the creature’s memories. The violation, the trauma of being skinned and trapped.
It has not been all bad. We work with the Destroyers to help others.
“If you call murder and destruction helpful.” Bitterness threatened to choke her.
The alien added, his voice optimistic, when we are not on duty, Nereus lets us mingle in a mainframe.
Okay, that didn’t help make the situation any less horrifying. The only time they were free was to witness death or mayhem and then in their downtime, they got to hang out in a server somewhere. “My father knows you are in the cloaks?” More lies from him. Not a surprise. “Is there any way to reverse this?”
Not for me. But there are others of our kinds trapped in stasis. It would be nice to be allowed to interact with our hosts. It gets boring being folded up.
“I bet.” Nix’s breath caught hold. “Do you have my memories?” If she could get them back, maybe she could find out what she was doing the night Cal’s soul was taken. What mission was she on? Was it good, or something sinister? “Did I take Cal’s soul?”
No, you did not. But your memories—
Nix cried out as their minds were torn apart. Bright light momentarily blinded her, then was blocked by Cal’s hulking form.
“What the fuck? Are you trying to destroy your mind?”
Busted.
Chapter 17
“Are you going to tell Nereus?” Nix stared down at her feet.
Cal didn’t know if he should hug her or shake her. He should turn her in, but he wouldn’t. “Of course not. But I want an explanation. Merging your mind with the Mantle. What were you thinking?”
Nix stood, her head tilted up toward his face. “I was trying to save you.”
Cal dropped the Mantle on the floor and pulled Nix tight against his chest. Words escaped him. “That was too great a risk. We’re partners in this, remember?”
“Yes. And I will do whatever I have to,” Nix said, tone defiant. “Besides, no harm was done.”
“You were lucky. Next time, let’s talk first.” Cal felt Nix tense in his arms. “What’s wrong?”
“What do you think of me now, after reading my file?” Nix burrowed deeper against his chest, as if afraid to face him. “How can you stand to be so close to such a cold-blooded monster?”
“Stop that. Nothing has changed. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” The words came out short, clipped. Too angry. He took a deep breath and softened his tone. “You’re a warrior. A soldier. A defender of the innocent. I am proud to stand by your side.”
She pulled back, holding him at arm’s length, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “But Cal, my gut tells me I had something to do with your soul. I may not have taken it, but I could be an accessory.”
Cal cupped her chin, tilting her head to face him. “I don’t care.” His soul was hers to take and keep. Gods grant him the strength to tell her the truth. “Nix, did you notice we had a mission together?”
“Yes. Pannis.” Breaking away, she picked up the Mantle and smoothed it across the bed. “That’s the mission where I ended up with a jar of Satyr gonads in my uncle’s fridge.”
Christ, that wasn’t all she took away from that mission. “Did you read the other details?”
Nix closed the distance between them. “About my sister? Yes. Although the file never said which one it was, I think I know.”
Cal wanted to pull his hair out by the roots. He was acting like an idiot. Reading the file wouldn’t have magically granted her memories back. He squared his shoulders. It was now or never. Time to come clean and just tell her the truth. But not so close to a bed. Gods, that was tempting all by itself.
“Come on, I need to tell you something.” Taking Nix by the hand, he led her into the kitchen. She leaned against the granite island, waiting, her pale skin like spilled cream against the black backdrop.
After a moment of pacing, he faced her. “Pannis wasn’t the only one who lost something to you.”
Nix blanched and clutched her stomach. “Oh God. I didn’t castrate you, too, did I?” What little color she had in her face drained away.
Cal shuddered, his balls shriveling at the thought. He smoothed his hands down Nix’s arms. “No. I’m all good.” His cock hardened and jerked in his pants as if ready to prove the point.
“What did you lose?” she whispered.
“My heart. To you.”
Nix’s mouth formed a small O. He didn’t wait for her to respond. He kissed her. Her lips, a perfect rosebud, pale pink and petal soft, were exactly as he remembered. Sweet, warm, all his. The only problem—the heat seemed to be all one-sided. Reluctantly, he stopped.
Fingers to her lips, Nix stared at him thoughtfully, as if seeing him for the first time. “It’s you.” She choked back tears. “You’re the reason why I wake up crying.”
Well didn’t that make him feel like a complete shit? “I’m sorry. I never meant for us to be apart, but Nereus wiped your mind before I could say anything and—”
“You knew. All this time.” She backed away, frowning, betrayal written all over her face. “Why didn’t you find me and tell me the truth?”
“Nix, by the time I found you again,”—Cal struggled, his emotions out of control—“You had moved on.”
“To Nate fucking Adonis!” She threw her hands up, then tightened them into fists by her side.
“You seemed happy. I didn’t want to interfere. Besides, all I had was my word. Would you have believed me?”
Nix stalked into the family room, stopping at the coffee table covered in scattered folders. “What shocks me the most is how we kept this a secret from my all-knowing father.”
“Contrary to popular belief, your father is not omniscient.” Cal joined Nix beside the couch. “We were very discreet.”
A range of emotions played across Nix’s face. Her body was rigid with anger, while her face had softened, frown lines less pronounced. “I don’t know what to say or do right now.” She looked longingly at the water outside his windows.
“It’s too dangerous for you to leave. The water is the first place the Furies will look for you.” Cal backed away, finally settling against the kitchen island. “I can leave if you want, for a few hours.”
Nix shot him a dark look. She didn’t appear to like that option. “No. Don’t go.”
Wariness filled Cal. The emotional roller coaster ride was taking its toll. If something didn’t change soon, he would snap. Nix approached him like a skittish fawn, tentative. Her hands by her sides. She stopped in front of him.
What she thought about him mattered. It always had. Nix raised her hand to touch his face. He braced himself, the hard granite digging into the edge of his ass. She hesitated.
He gripped her wrist. “Go ahead. Touch me. Hit me. Whatever makes you feel better.” Anything. As long as she didn’t shut him out. He closed his eyes as her fingers trailed lightly across his jaw. He didn’t move a muscle when she leaned into him, tiptoed, and planted a soft kiss on his lips.
Tentatively, she deepened the kiss, her arms wrapped around his waist. Her body molded into his. Her lips crushed against his, greedy, hungry, passionate. The ef
fect on him was instant. His body hardened, ready to take her.
Cal pulled back and asked, “Nix. Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“This means more to me than to you.” Gods, he wished Nix could remember their love, but he would take what he could get.
Nix’s beautiful blue gaze fixed onto him. “Cal, I’m sorry I can’t remember before. But I know you now. You are the male I want. You matter to me.”
Her arms snaked around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair. When her lips captured his, his control snapped. To equalize their heights, Cal lifted Nix, without breaking the kiss, onto the granite island.
She moaned, the same sweet sound he remembered. When she split her legs wider for him, he wedged his torso between them, snug inside her warmth. She ran her hands under the back of his T-shirt, the sharp tips of her nails raking his back. Her tongue tangled with his, sweet and salty like taffy, melting in his mouth. A warning went off in the back of his mind. He should slow down. For her this was all physical. Did he want to reopen already sore wounds?
That concern flew out the window when Nix reached down the front of his jeans and stroked the tip of his erection. With a single motion, his hands were over the mounds of her breasts, unencumbered by a bra. The only thing separating him from her was her T-shirt. She arched her spine. Her nipples tightened into tight, little beads, beckoning his mouth.
He broke the kiss and trailed his tongue down the hollow of her throat. Nix heaved her shirt over her head. She was gorgeous. Perfect breasts, flawless skin, the pink hue of seashell. All as he remembered, only more beautiful.
“Nix . . .” he croaked out as he breathed in the fragrance of her skin. Like fresh air, sunshine, the salt of the surf. “I thought I would never be able to touch you again.”
