by Lisa Kessler
Lukas did the best he could to move closer to Gretchen—the only mortal in the room—without losing his balance. He still wasn’t sure what Zafrina had in mind, but if it didn’t work back then, why did she think it would work now?
His eyes met Gretchen’s. He reached for her thoughts and found the lullaby. Being unsure of her thoughts made him nervous. He tilted his gaze toward Zafrina. “So what happened?”
“I made a powerful fertility potion, lifting the mantle of his immortality for a single night.”
Lukas’s head spun, and not because his body was dying. “You’re saying, you made him mortal? He was a man?”
Zafrina nodded. “My magic made his body live for one night at my most fertile time. He laid with me, and we conceived a child of his blood.”
“Mulac never spoke of this,” Issa said. “Why should we believe you?”
“Because you have no other choice.” Zafrina glared at him. “Weeks later, as the child grew within me, Mulac forbade me to reveal him as the father.” She lowered her gaze to the floor. “I believe he did not want any of you to be able to bear your own children. As time passed, I watched him change. He thought only of his legacy. He knew my pregnancy would soon be evident to others and began to worry about my safety during the daylight hours. He started locking me away until nightfall. His hunger for power poisoned him. He became a stranger to me.”
Lukas frowned. “But you never had a baby, right?”
“No.” Zafrina shook her head and raised her chin. “One night he came to me and said the only way to be certain of his unborn child’s safety was to be sure that no harm would come to me. That night he gave me his blood. We made a fatal mistake.”
“His blood killed your baby,” Gretchen said softly.
“His blood killed my living body. My womb was no longer fertile. The baby will never grow or change, but it still remains inside of me, blood of my blood.” Zafrina stepped closer to Gretchen. “That is how we will be certain that you conceive an heir to the God of the North.”
…
Gretchen stared at Zafrina. “Me?”
Zafrina nodded. “Only a living womb can create life and give birth. You are the only one among us who still lives a mortal life. You are fertile. And you will be the one to save us all.”
Lukas could almost see the two tons of weight dropped onto Gretchen’s shoulders. He straightened, and in spite of the wave of vertigo, pushed himself off the wall to look at her.
“Gretchen, you aren’t seriously considering this?” He stared into her green eyes, unable to read her thoughts. She didn’t answer. “No. This is too much.”
“If it’ll help you get better, how could I not consider it?” She kept her gaze locked on his. “If you were mortal and needed a kidney, I wouldn’t hesitate to give you mine. We’re not in this alone anymore, remember?” She paused for a moment. “This isn’t any different.”
If he were stronger, he might have been able to mesmerize her long enough to make her forget Zafrina’s insane plan, but he felt like hell, so he’d have to try talking instead. “This is too dangerous, even if it could work. I don’t want my immortality back if it means losing you.”
“If the Night Walkers vanish, the human world will be next, right?” Tears welled in her eyes, stabbing him in the heart. “You’ve lost me already if I don’t at least try.”
He glared at Zafrina. “This is far from decided.” He took Gretchen’s hand. “We’ll be back.”
As he tugged Gretchen toward the door, he heard Zafrina’s voice behind him. “Time is running out.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lukas led her out of the pyramid into the thick, humid night air. Gretchen stared into the darkness. The world still looked so normal. The jungle noises had returned, and life seemed untouched by the banishment of the Demon and the death of a Night Walker god. The normality of it all settled the twisting in her gut, and she looked up at the stars, pulling in a deep breath to calm her mind. Lukas squeezed her hand, drawing her attention to his face.
He brought his free hand up to caress her cheek. She tried not to notice the way his fingers trembled. “You are so beautiful. I’m sorry I waited so long to tell you.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure I look gorgeous right now.”
His mouth brushed hers tenderly, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “I may not be able to move very fast at the moment, but my night vision is still pretty good.”
A tear spilled down her cheek before she could blink it back.
His thumb stroked her skin, catching the tear. “I don’t want you to do this, Gretchen. It’s too dangerous.” He kissed her forehead. “We stopped the Demon. That’s enough.”
“No, it’s not.” She shook her head. “I’m just exhausted and got myself worked up, that’s all.”
“Then why are you crying?”
“It’s nothing.”
Lukas rested his forehead against hers. His skin felt so cold. “If it’s nothing, then why not tell me?”
Gretchen smiled and blinked back another wave of tears. “When did you get so nosey?”
“When I fell in love with a scientist.” Her heart flipped, and he smiled, most likely hearing her protective emotional wall crumbling. “Now talk to me. Please?”
Gretchen sighed, her stomach tightening with emotion. “My head is spinning, but there’s no time to write out the pros and cons.” She swallowed hard and opened the dark box of emotion a little further. “I’m worried I’ll lose myself in this. I’m scared that I’m too selfish to be a mother. I…” She swallowed hard, keeping the tremor out of her voice. “My mother left me when I was two years old. I don’t even remember her. If this works, what if I want to run, too?”
There. She’d said it. She leaned up to kiss him, but he held her back.
“Whatever happens, you won’t be alone in this. As long as I am able, I will always be beside you. You are the light in my darkness, milaya moya.”
Gretchen stared at him. Even in the dim moonlight, she’d never seen such soulful eyes in her life. In his gaze, she saw all the years of pain and torment he suffered alone with his guilt and hunger. And in spite of all of his warnings to the contrary, she felt safe with him.
“What about you? If I agree to this, and Zafrina casts her spell, are you ready to be a mortal man again?”
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued.” A crooked smile warmed his lips. “I’m not sure I remember what being a man feels like.”
Heat filled her body at the sight of his grin. She ran her hands up his chest slowly, her eyes on his. “I’d like to help you remember.”
His arms drew her close, his lips caressing hers as he whispered, “Are you trying to convince me this is a good idea?”
She kissed him long and slow. Opening her eyes, she met his gaze. “If this is the end of the world, I can’t think of a better way to go out than in your arms.” She rose up on her toes, her fingers sliding back into his hair. “I love you.”
Lukas held her tight, kissing her temple. “I love you, too.”
Finally, he loosened his hold and took her hand, walking her back toward the pyramid. “Okay,” he said. “But we do this on our terms. So, follow my lead.”
Gretchen tightened her hold on his hand. Hope blossomed inside of her. They would face whatever came together. The weight on her shoulders lifted, and a smile found its way to her lips. “I think I like you bossy.”
His deep-throated chuckle sent chills through her body. “I’ll remind you of that later.”
Inside the pyramid, the wounded suffered, and Lukas himself struggled to keep his dizziness in check. When his fellow Night Walkers looked up at him, he saw the pain, the desperation, and he held Gretchen’s hand a little tighter.
“I will let Zafrina cast her spell over me, but that is the extent of my consent here. Tonight is not about any of you, or the Night Walker race, or the mortal world.”
He lifted Gretchen’s hand to his lips, gaining stren
gth from the affection in her eyes. “Tonight is about the woman I love, nothing more.” Lowering her hand, he glanced at the others. “Once the spell is cast, Gretchen and I are leaving this place. Alone.”
…
Zafrina had already begun smoldering the herbs when they returned. Gretchen recognized the scent of sage and something else. Peyote or maybe cannabis?
Zafrina opened her leather pouch. “She must wait outside.”
Gretchen turned to go, but Lukas caught her hand. “Gretchen stays with me.”
Zafrina didn’t look happy, but she didn’t stop her work, either. Gretchen smiled inwardly, her trepidations being swallowed up by her eagerness to witness Mayan fertility magic first hand.
“No shirt.” Zafrina mixed a black paste with her fingers.
Lukas pulled off his tank and handed it to Gretchen. Although his skin was much too pale, his body showed no other signs of weakness. Every muscle along his toned back and shoulder blades tempted her to touch him, but she kept her hands to herself. For now.
Smoke billowed, filling the confined space. Gretchen fought the urge to cough.
Zafrina stepped forward, offering her hand to Lukas. “You must drink from me and take my blood, Mulac’s blood, into your body.”
Lukas took her wrist, turning it over. Gretchen’s pulse raced seeing a flash of his sharp white teeth before they sank into Zafrina’s bronzed flesh. A stab of jealousy surprised her. She’d never seen Lukas feed before, but when she felt him drink from her, the passion had been intense.
My passion is only for you. The sound of his voice in her mind warmed her all over, and also reminded her to shield her thoughts from the others.
When Lukas released Zafrina, she wobbled, but shook her head when he moved to help her. “No. I must finish.”
She retrieved the pitch from her leather satchel, chanting low in her throat. Gretchen couldn’t understand her words, but the repetition, combined with the thick smoke, made her mind feel thick and slow. Struggling to regain her focus, she gnawed at her lower lip, watching Lukas.
He stood taller, his shoulders rolled back. She wet her lips. He looked like a Russian warrior, proud and noble.
Zafrina dipped her finger in the pitch, drawing glyphs on his chest over his heart. Her chanting grew louder and faster. She held her hands out palms up, her eyes rolling back in her head. The fire in the torches rose higher, and the hair on Gretchen’s arms tingled with the electricity building around them.
Suddenly, Lukas screamed, falling to his knees. He tipped his head back, matching Zafrina’s chant. Gretchen squinted through the smoke. His hair brushed past his shoulders, and it looked…wet. She blinked hard, trying to clear her vision. His shoulders seemed to glisten in firelight and his skin looked…darker. Sweat ran down his face, and his skin flushed with life.
Zafrina sank to her knees in front of Lukas. “It is done.”
Lukas opened his eyes, holding his hands up, turning them over and over. Gretchen watched, holding her breath. He got to his feet and turned to face her. Her breath caught in her throat.
Lukas swept her into his arms, laughing. “You’re heavier now.”
“Hey!” She laughed, kissing the warm skin of his neck.
He pulled back, taking her hand. “It really worked. I feel…” He struggled for a word and smiled. “Alive.”
He turned back to the others, nodding to the three immortal brothers, before giving her hand a squeeze. “Let’s get out of here.”
…
Once they were outside, Lukas pulled her back into his arms, his lips claiming hers. Their tongues swirled together and he groaned at the taste of her mouth, heat shooting to his groin. Every touch, every taste, every scent, was different now.
He’d forgotten so much.
He pulled back, unable to wipe the smile off his face. “I think I might be hungry…for food.”
Gretchen chuckled, a happy sound from deep in her belly. It melted the past away, grounding him in this amazing night. She grabbed his hand. “Let’s get back to the tent. I have rations and water in the food locker.”
They jogged across the clearing toward the jungle. His lungs heaved by the time they reached the trees, his heart pounding.
Alive.
When they reached the tent, he went inside, lighting the lantern while Gretchen retrieved some supplies from the food locker. He glanced around their research area, surprised how the dim lighting affected his eyesight.
He walked over to his unused cot and sat down, marveling at the strange ache in his legs. He looked up when Gretchen sat beside him. “I think I might be out of shape.”
Her eyes ran up his body and she shook her head. “You’re shaped perfectly.” She grinned and handed him a piece of beef jerky. “Sorry there’s no steak or something delicious to give you. Seems horrible that you have one night to eat and the best we can do is beef jerky and a granola bar.”
He took a bite of the jerky and groaned, closing his eyes as the salty flavor assaulted his senses. A moan escaped his throat, his lips curving into a satisfied smirk. “This is amazing.”
Gretchen tore off a piece of jerky and popped it in her mouth. “It’s definitely been a long time since you’ve eaten anything, then.”
After enjoying every bite of the jerky and granola bars, he took a long swallow of water and chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Gretchen rested her hand on his thigh.
He took her hand in his and met her eyes. “For the first time since I became a Night Walker, I’m wishing for more time.” His smile faded as he reached up to caress her warm cheek. He wanted to memorize every curve of her face. “I have a confession to make.”
Gretchen’s brow furrowed. “All right.”
“When I hired you to come to the altar to work with me, it wasn’t to discover the origins of Night Walkers.” He stroked her hair back from her forehead. “Before I met you, I spent years trying to find a cure, some way to make me human again. When nothing worked, I started searching for an end.”
“So, when you found the altar…”
He nodded. “I knew they had killed a Night Walker, but I couldn’t translate how they made it work.”
Gretchen pulled back from his touch. “Wait a minute. You’re telling me that every translation I gave you brought you closer to suicide?” She shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around his confession. “You let me think I was helping you.”
“Spending eternity trapped in an existence you never wanted, with no hope of escape, made each night unbearable. I just wanted it to be over.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Gretchen pressed her lips together.
He caught her hand, marveling at the way her fingers entwined with his. He met her eyes again, suddenly aware he could no longer read her thoughts. He swallowed hard. “Because if this is our last night together, I want you to know how much you mean to me. You’ve changed my world. Being with you, seeing you smile… Gretchen, for the first time in centuries, I want another night.”
Her eyes shined in the dim light of the lantern. A smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “I want a lot more than one night with you.”
Unable to find words for the emotions brewing inside him, Lukas leaned in and kissed her with everything he couldn’t say.
…
She moaned into the kiss, feeling his warm hands slide under her shirt, holding her tighter. Their tongues danced together in a way that heated her bloodstream and made her body ache for his touch.
He laid her back on the bed and broke the kiss, slipping her shirt over her head. He dropped it beside the cot, his gaze sliding over her body before meeting her eyes again. “I don’t want anything between us.”
She nodded, lifting her hips as he unfastened her pants and slid them off. Her panties and bra quickly followed. Lukas kept his eyes on hers as he stood and pulled off his tank and dropped it beside her clothes. The glyph on his chest smeared, marking his heart. She wet her lips, watching him get out of his pan
ts. Her gaze slid up his muscled legs to his full erection, his trim waist, and finally up his toned torso.
Heat pooled between her legs, as Lukas came closer, covering her body with his. Gretchen moaned, feeling his flesh pressed against hers. He felt warm and powerful and hers.
She ran her hands down his back and over the curve of his perfectly shaped buttocks. His hips pressed harder into her, his erection insistent against her thigh. Gretchen ached to feel him even closer.
Lukas cupped her breasts, his fingers rubbing at her nipples until she needed to gasp for air. His hair brushed her sensitive skin as his lips trailed down her throat. The moment he took her nipple into his mouth, she moaned his name, writhing under him.
“I need you…now.”
He sucked at her breast and lifted his head, his voice deep and throaty with desire. “Your skin tastes salty.” One more lick. “I want to taste the rest of you.”
Pleasure shot all the way to her toes as he kissed his way down her body. Gretchen wrapped her fingers in his hair, parting her legs for his broad shoulders. His hands moved down her body to her hips, lifting her toward him.
His lips and tongue caressed her inner thigh, moving closer. Gretchen’s fingers tightened in his hair, tense with anticipation. The moment his lips caressed her core, her entire body erupted in flames of passion she’d never known.
Lukas hummed against her, groaning as his tongue tasted her, teasing her higher, marking her as his. Hearing her crying out his name sent heat to his groin, making him hunger to bury himself inside of her. His hand moved around her hip until he slid a finger inside of her, then two, her inner muscles trembling around him until he felt her surrender, her body melting against him. She trembled, gasping for breath, as he kissed his way back up her body.
She opened her eyes, looking up at him, her cheeks flushed with color, sweat beading on her brow, a spent smile on her lips. He’d never seen anything more beautiful. He rested his forearm beside her head as his hips settled between her thighs. Her hands ran down his back, and he marveled in the feeling of the heat radiating off of their bodies.
