With each connection to Makyle, she felt something deep inside of her soften, release, and emotions began to confuse what she had always known of herself.
Chapter Five
Holly’s feet hit the marble floors of Evan’s Vegas compound home with unearthly speed. For as much as she loved being back in the Middle World with her Fae family, she missed her vampire family like crazy. Lothar held back a twinge of jealousy as Holly threw herself into Evan’s arms. The vampire leader held her tight and placed a kiss on the top of her head. Lothar didn’t do well in hiding a possessive growl as Evan’s lips made contact with her honey curls.
Evan let Holly go and smirked at Lothar. “It sounds like your man takes issue with my greeting you, Hols.”
Holly arched a brow and shook her head at Lothar as she extended her hand and pulled him to her.
“Knock it off,” she scolded.
Lothar sighed. “Apologies. I may be spending too much time with your brother.”
Evan grunted. “That simply won’t do… I would bet that Bain still hates me.”
Holly tilted her head and frowned at him.
Evan laughed. “Well, at least a little.”
“He won’t after this,” Uriah said as he, Kat, and Marie, with Makiah in her arms, approached the group.
Evan smiled as he looked down at the child and extended his arms. “May I?”
Marie’s gaze shifted to Uriah with barely hidden panic. Uriah kissed her temple and lifted Makiah from her arms. “He won’t hurt him. He’s the reason we brought you here.”
Marie sighed and looked to Evan. “I’m sorry. It’s the whole vampire thing.”
Evan chuckled, studying Makiah as he grasped at Evan’s fingers. “That’s because you were raised human. Believe me when I say there is no place safer from the Immortal Rulers—or anyone for that matter—than inside the gates of my coven’s home.”
Marie worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment before finally nodding.
“Now, follow me, and I’ll show you to your rooms. Then, we can take a seat, and you can explain to me what sort of trouble you all have found yourselves in… again.”
“You make it sound like we’re the troublesome younger siblings,” Holly mumbled.
Evan turned and grinned at her. “You, my dear, were the source of all my trouble.”
“Hey!” Holly exclaimed.
Evan laughed. “I’ve always loved a little trouble and pushing against the rules that define us. You know that.”
Holly shrugged. It was true. That was how Evan’s coven came to find themselves living in the Human World.
Marie’s eyes widened as she was ushered into the room she and Makiah would be calling home for the foreseeable future. It was beautiful and lavish. The large bed was covered in plush turquoise bedding with thick, lined, silk drapes blocking out the sun from the massive windows. The room was furnished with dark, polished wood furniture, including a crib and changing table with everything she would need to care for Makiah.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, admiring the room.
“As long as you are a guest in my home I want you and your son to be comfortable. So, if you find there is anything else you require, just let me know, and we will get it for you,” Evan said with a smile, as Marie continued to take in the details of the room.
She paused briefly when he called Makiah her son… it was a foreign thought, and yet, there was nothing that brought more peace and love to her heart than the idea of Makiah and Uriah being hers. They were a family, and now she would be living among a coven of vampires to protect at least one of them.
“Thank you. It really does look like you covered it all… dare I ask who helped you?”
Evan smirked. “That would be my Synawen who prepared your room. Katarina, yours is just through that door.” Evan gestured to his right, where a small seating area and a single door adjoined their two rooms. “We thought having you close might make Marie feel more comfortable.”
“It’s perfect.” Kat smiled and headed for her room with Kale in tow, carrying her bags.
Evan smiled. “I’ll give you all a few minutes to get settled. When you’re finished, I’ll be waiting in my study.”
Holly nodded, her gaze drifting from Evan to the door Kat and Kale had disappeared into.
“What’s wrong?” Lothar asked.
Holly smiled and arched a brow at him. “Don’t you already know?”
“I’d rather you talk to me than having to read you.”
“I feel bad for Kat… she’s been through so much and spent so much time without Kale, and now she is being asked to willingly give up more of that time. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t anything that any of us wouldn’t do for Makiah. I just feel for her. Not to mention, as much as she cares for Syna, being around her will likely bring up unwanted memories.”
Lothar nodded. “For what it’s worth, what Kat is feeling right now isn’t bad; she is feeling useful, yet sad. Now, what is causing her sadness, I don’t know for sure, but it has more to do with her and Kale than this situation.”
Holly’s brows furrowed. “Are they going to be okay?”
Lothar smiled. “That I can guarantee you. She just needs to come clean with him, and the sooner the better.”
“Come clean about what?” she inquired.
He kissed her softly, then whispered, “Not my secret to tell.”
Holly narrowed her gaze. “That’s not cool. Tell me.”
“What wouldn’t be cool is me telling you something I am not even supposed to know.”
Holly grunted and slapped her hand against his chest before walking off to Uriah and Marie.
Lothar looked to the door that separated his youngest brother and his mate from them.
****
“You gonna be okay, Kitten?” Kale asked as Kat stood in front of the large window. She had pulled the drapes back and was gazing out at the desert oasis laid out before her.
She nodded. “I’ll be fine… I know this all won’t end with simply getting Makyle out of the Underworld. I know I’ll be stuck here until all is clear, but you better check in, Kale.”
He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her against his chest. “I promise, Katarina.”
She knew he was serious; it was the only time he ever called her by her full name.
“Kitten, will you tell me what else is wrong?” Kale asked, as he spun her in his arms to meet her gaze.
She smiled sadly and cupped his face. “Nothing’s wrong. I just love you too much.”
Kale’s lip curled into that sexy, troublemaker smirk that she loved so much. “It’s not possible, Kitten, you love me as much as I love you, and there is nothing more vital in my life.”
“Things are changing… I don’t want them to ruin us.”
Kale pushed his fingers through her thick, blonde hair and tipped her head back. “There is nothing that could ever ruin us.”
She smiled, and in that moment, she believed him. Lifting up, she captured his lips.
A throat cleared from the doorway. Kale smiled against Kat’s lips, stole one more kiss, and then turned to see Uriah standing there.
“Sorry to interrupt. However, Evan is waiting for us to fill him in, and Cree and the others are waiting for us to return.”
Kale sighed. “Come on, Kitten.” He laced his fingers with Kat’s and pulled her towards the door.
Chapter Six
Izzy’s bare feet wore a pattern in the thick rug that blanketed the polished wood floors of Cree’s office. He had finally started using it as his office again and not as a makeshift bedroom. Her gaze drifted over the once again pristine room, her eyes landed on a picture of Rowan’s smiling face.
She felt a small twinge of sadness and a bit of guilt, they were going to knock on Hells’ door to get Makyle back, she wished that Rowan’s situation had been more like this one. That there had been some way to bring her back to her family, but there was no re
aching her.
Looking away from the picture, Izzy continued to pace, her damn nerves were shot—everything was taking too damn long. She felt like she was going to crawl out of her own skin; every minute they wasted was another minute Makyle was suffering in the Underworld.
Cree watched her from the doorway of his office, concern lining his face as his gaze tracked her.
“Isabelle?” Cree finally called to her from his position in the doorway. “Are you okay?”
She spun at his voice, her hand flying to her chest. “You scared me.”
Cree smiled and made his way to the sofa near the window she was pacing in front of. “Not my intention. Are you all right?”
She nodded, but there was no fooling Cree. He patted the seat next to him with a knowing look. Izzy sighed but came and sat next to him.
“Talk to me.”
“We have to save him. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”
“Not from our perspective, but from his brothers’, I would guess this feels like a very fitting punishment.”
“Did you see it coming?” she asked. She shared his gift and still she hadn’t seen any of this shit coming.
Cree shook his head. “To be honest, I don’t see much anymore. Flashes of things that I can’t place in our timeline.”
She furrowed her brows. “You mean you don’t know when any of it will happen?”
“I don’t, and most of it makes little sense. I see Rowan… a lot.” Cree looked away from her, but Izzy could hear the grief in his voice. “I see us together again, but she’s different… I don’t know what it means.”
Izzy nodded. “Do you think they are really visions?”
“I think they may be glimpses of our next life, but that’s not how my gift works.”
Silence fell as they drifted into their own thoughts. The reflective moment hung between them as they both contemplated what the visions could mean for Cree’s future. Izzy wished she could find the words that would soothe what remained damaged within him. Still seeking for something to say, the calm in the room was broken by the brothers. Lothar, Kale, Uriah, and Bain entered the room with Samira and Holly in tow.
“Are they settled into Evan’s compound?” Cree asked, lifting his gaze.
Uriah gracefully settled into the seat across from the sofa. “Yes. Marie was a little uneasy with the thought of being surrounded by vampires.”
“She seemed better by the time we left,” Holly added.
Izzy smiled. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Holly asked.
“For finding somewhere safe for my baby sister.”
Holly smiled and shrugged. “It’s what we do for family. So, now let’s talk about the plan for rescuing Makyle.”
“They moved him.” Samira spoke from the corner of the room.
All eyes landed on her, making her feel uneasy in their presence.
“What do you mean they moved him?” Izzy questioned.
“I believe they are moving him through the different levels of their domain in the Underworld. It seems like he spends a few days in each level. Today, I was pulled to him… it was different from before. I was there; I talked to him.”
“Wait, he talked to you?” Uriah asked.
“Well, he didn’t believe I was really there. The important thing is that he is in a different part of the Underworld than he was yesterday, which is good. It means you have a few days to get to him, and I actually have an idea of where you need to go. I don’t know a ton about his domain, but I know that he is on the shores of Phlegethon River.”
Bain grunted, and Kale cursed under his breath. “The Phlegethon stretches for miles throughout the Underworld.”
Izzy shook her head. “I’ve never heard of this river.”
Kale smirked at her. “Let me guess—the only river of the Underworld you are familiar with is Styx?”
”Maybe,” Izzy quipped. What did he expect? Most of what she knew of the Underworld came from Greek Mythology studies in the sixth grade… it hadn’t been necessary for her career path.
“Well, the Phlegethon is a river of fire and one of the largest in the Underworld.”
“Figures you’d know all about it.” Izzy’s mouth quirked, as she teasingly rolled her eyes. “So, how do we pinpoint where he is?”
Samira blew out a deep breath. “How many forests reside along the river?”
Kale narrowed his eyes. “Three. All of which are in different levels.”
“Why do you know this?” asked Izzy.
Kale grinned at her. “I like fire, and a massive river of it sounds pretty fuckin’ cool to me, so I’ve studied legends of the Underworld. Some are likely fabricated; others are a bit more reliable. As far as the shores of the Phlegethon, there are three forests that reside along it: Kore, Hade, and Rahm. Was there anything distinctive about it?”
Samira pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she recalled her time with Makyle—the noises, the smell, the landscape.
“The sand was black, and heat radiated from it… it looked like an orchard of oaks. There was low-lying, gray fog, and I remember looking out at the river and thinking it was beautiful the way it arched and almost came back on itself.”
“Sounds like Kore… If it is, then he’s in level seven.”
Izzy brightened slightly. “That’s good; you said there are nine levels, so he’s close to the top. That should make getting to him easier.”
Kale shook his head, and Bain wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Nine is the lowest level,” he said softly. “We will have to travel deep into the Underworld to get to him.”
Lothar felt the air thicken around them; everybody’s emotions were flowing freely. Most of what he felt was determination, laced with resignation and a realistic amount of doubt. They all knew this wouldn’t be easy, but they were used to the odds being stacked against them.
Uriah folded his muscled arms across his chest. “We need to decide how we plan to do this, who we intend to take the journey, and who will stay behind to protect the castle and our people.”
Cree cleared his throat as he replied, “There is not much to the plan, aside from the route that will be taken. The thing to remember is that those who reside in the Underworld may no longer wield magic, but their character remains the same. They were put there for a reason, and that part of them is still alive within their souls. As for our people and this Castle… they are my responsibility, I intend to protect them.”
Bain looked from Cree to the others occupying the room. “As much as I fear it, and completely despise the thought of you stepping one foot in The Immortal Fours’ domain, still, I know you will be going, Iz, and that means I will be at your side.”
“I probably know the most about the Underworld, so I will go be going too,” Kale quirked his lips, as a playful glint lit his warm brown eyes. “Besides, how could I pass up the chance to see a river of fire?”
“And I will round out our rescue team,” added Uriah. “That will leave Holly and Lothar to help Cree protect our people and Samira as a link to the Underworld.”
“I’m a link to Makyle,” she corrected. “Not the Underworld. I don’t know how much help I can be.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek for a brief second. “But I am willing to help in any way I can.”
Bain looked to Izzy. “Is there anything you can do to link you and Samira?”
“I’m sure there is some spell that we can cast together. That way, there is a link between our groups and a link to Makyle, should something change with him while we’re in the Underworld.”
Samira listened and watched the group as they came together as a solid, fluid unit, yet bantering, as they prepared to save one of their own. It still felt odd to her seeing a group that was so clearly different, yet so similar.
Was this what a true and loyal family looked like… she thought probably so.
Pushing out of the corner, Samira made her way towards the door. “Let’s go see what we can come up with.”
Exiting the room, Samira and Izzy walked in silence for most of the way to Rowan’s office. The room housed shelf after shelf of books, many of which were based in some form of magic.
Samira finally broke the strained quiet around them. “He didn’t believe I was there.”
Izzy turned her head to face the woman with the sharp and striking profile. Her high cheekbones and slightly pointed nose were accented by beautiful, haunted, golden eyes and a full mouth. She could see the pain hidden behind the beauty. She wasn’t sure where Samira would end up after they rescued Makyle, but Izzy suddenly hoped she would be close enough to find comfort in what this castle, and its residents, had to offer… Izzy knew a portion of Samira’s pain was born of loneliness. “What do you mean?”
“I tried to show him kindness and compassion… he said that was how he knew it was an hallucination—that I would never lay a kind word upon him.”
Izzy bit her tongue and listened as Samira continued.
“I hated him for so many years, and still I wish he had given me my freedom. I always believed that even if I ended up in the Underworld, it would have been better than the life he forced upon me. I was wrong. It’s horrible down there. I never would have wished this upon him.”
“Perspective changes everything. You do seem to be headed for a one-eighty as far as Makyle is concerned.”
“I think I am more like him than I ever wanted to admit to myself… emotions are scary, and when you’re alone, they make you feel weak. I’ll do anything I can to help.”
“We’ll get him back, and we’ll figure out what needs to be done to help sever the link. Then maybe you can move on, and the second chance you’ve been given won’t seem like such a burden.”
Samira smiled softly and nodded.
Izzy’s phone sang out from her pocket, and she smiled brightly as the lyrics of “My Wish” echoed off the stone walls. “Hold on,” she told Samira as she answered the call. “Hi Papa, what are you doing?”
Immortal Awakening: Immortal Heart Page 3
