“And you look like you belong at my side.”
She nodded. “There is nowhere else I’d rather be.” She stopped directly in front of him. “I love you,” she whispered with a sadness he never wanted to see on her beautiful face.
“I love you, too.”
She smiled and struck at him.
****
Darion and Esperanza sat back in the shadows. As Samira approached Makyle, a sinister sneer took residence on Esperanza’s face.
“They need to get to the fighting already,” Darion complained.
“Don’t you see the pain in her face, love?”
Darion turned to Esperanza and smiled.
“Look!” she said excitedly, as Samira’s sword arched through the air and narrowly missed Makyle.
Darion eagerly turned to watch the show. Makyle moved with fluidity and grace. There was little chance that Samira would win the fight. It was why Darion had completed all the wishes he could think of. His lands were thriving, his castle fortified with a new grandeur that would lead the luckiest of men to jealousy. Each room was adorned with precious metal, and his wealth now superseded that of any king before him. He and Esperanza were set for a long and glorious life.
Darion felt complete as the clashing of metal rang out before him. He watched as Samira struck out again, Makyle sidestepped and swung around, only lifting his sword to halt her next attack. With a growl that rang through the air and a solid shove, he had her reeling back, stumbling to catch her footing.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Come on,” Cree ordered, as he threw open Zander’s cell door.
Running to catch up, Zander bolted down the long corridor and up the stairs. “What’s happening?”
“Samira just showed up at our gates. Makyle is dealing with her, but we need to find Darion and Esperanza. We have to get that lamp from Darion before someone gets hurt.”
Zander chuckled. “You don’t think Makyle can handle her?”
“I think Darion has her on a death mission, and eventually, one of them is going to get hurt. Now, shut the hell up and come with me.”
“What is you expect me to do?”
Cree grinned as he pushed open the front door of the castle. “Give us a little luck,” he said, grabbing Zander’s arm and pulling him towards the outer wall. He let his wings free and leapt over the stone barrier. Dropping to the ground outside the wall, he met up with Uriah, who was hunkered down, scanning the area.
“Over there, just past the gates,” Uriah whispered.
“What, exactly, is the plan?” Zander asked.
“You’re going to get to feed today, my friend,” Bain said as he came up behind them.
Zander grinned. “And pray tell… who will I be feeding from?”
Bain grimaced. “My mother will be your target while we get the lamp from Darion.”
Zander rubbed his hands together and grinned at Bain. “I imagine this will be hard for you to watch… That alone will make her luck all the sweeter.”
Cree groaned. “Knock it off. I’ll stick with Zander; you two get to Darion and get that lamp.”
Staying low, they weaved through the trees to come up behind the pair. Uriah felt his anger grow the closer he got to Darion. With narrowed eyes, he sent a wave of magic towards the two and sent them both face-first into the unforgiving soil. With swift movements, Cree was on Esperanza, pulling her to her feet by the back of her shirt.
Esperanza struggled, and with a firm kick back, she attempted to get loose of Cree’s grip. “Let me go, you sniveling excuse of a man.”
Zander grinned and cupped Esperanza face. “You aren’t working your title very well—that wasn’t very ladylike at all.”
“Fuck you. You’re just as worthless as the warriors.”
Zander shook his head. “Time to get a taste.” He slammed his mouth to hers, his tongue pushing past her lips as he began feeding.
Darion was pinned against a tree as he shouted at Zander.
Uriah sneered at Darion with lethal intent as he drew closer. “You have a problem with someone else touching your mate?” he asked, low and dangerously, their faces only inches apart. Reaching down, Uriah yanked the lamp from Darion’s belt. Tossing it to Bain, he said, “Get it to Makyle. I have unfinished business with this demented fuck.”
Bain nodded. Leaping over the outer wall, he went straight for Samira.
She caught his approach out of the corner of her eye. With seamless elegance, she turned her sword on Bain. “I’m sorry!” she shouted as her blade arced and sliced along his side.
“Son of a bitch,” Bain gritted out as he tossed the lamp to Makyle, and his hands flew to his side to hold his flesh together.
“Samira! Stop!” Makyle roared.
Her eyes fell on the lamp in his hands as his thumb rubbed over its metallic surface. She nodded and stepped back. “I am so sorry!” she cried out.
“You’re free, Sam.”
The lamp burst into gold smoke, and the cuffs on Samira’s wrists dissolved into her skin. A gold pattern of intricate lines and dots appeared where the metal had marked her as a slave. Her lids slid closed, and a tear ran down her cheek. She had her true freedom now, and her magic still flowed deep in her veins. “Thank you,” she whispered.
****
Izzy pounded at the glass as she watched Samira strike out at Bain. A guttural scream ripped from her throat as she watched Samira’s blade connect with his side. In a flash, she found herself standing just behind him as he tossed the lamp to Makyle and pressed his palms to his bleeding side. Rushing forward, she ducked under his arm and helped hold his weight.
“What are you doing down here?” he grunted through the pain.
“I saw her attack you… and then here I was.” She held her hand over his and began the healing process.
“You flashed,” he said through the pain.
She nodded and ignored all the chaos around them, only focusing on healing Bain. Once his skin had fully knitted back together, she turned to see Makyle holding Samira. She lifted her head from Makyle’s chest.
With tears in her eyes, Samira mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t really you,” Izzy said.
Uriah, Cree, and Zander returned with Darion and a passed-out Esperanza in Cree’s arms. Lothar, Holly, and Kale came over the wall from the opposite side.
“You all right?” Cree asked.
Bain nodded his head. “I’m fine.” His gaze drifted to Izzy. “I need to get her back inside.”
“I’m fine, Bain.” Her tone had a stubborn edge to it that he had gotten so used to hearing.
With a sigh, he looked back to Cree and gestured towards Esperanza. “Is she still alive?”
Cree nodded.
“What are we going to do with them?”
A sinister twist lifted Cree’s mouth as his blue eyes became glacial. He dropped Esperanza to the ground and rushed at Darion in a movement so fast, even his brothers were caught off guard. Uriah released the Dark Fae lord as Cree wrapped his fingers around Darion’s neck and held him only inches from his face.
“I told you, that you would pay for what you’ve done,” Cree snarled in a low, savage tone. His free hand whipped out from behind his back, a long shimmering blade held tight in his fist. With a quick, flawless, upward thrust, the blade buried in Darion’s flesh.
Their gazes remained locked as Darion’s eyes widened and he coughed. A trickle of blood fell from the corner of his mouth, and he gasped for air. Cree grinned. “That was for my Rowan.”
Screaming pierced the night air as Esperanza stumbled to her feet and pushed at Cree, trying to get to Darion. Not missing a beat, Cree turned his gaze on her. “I suggest you run while you can. You are not innocent in the death of one daughter and the torture of the other. You get a reprieve at this moment because your son is standing too close for me to kill you now and not feel the weight of his sorrow, no matter how much he may hate you. After all, you are still his flesh and blo
od.”
Esperanza’s hand flew at Cree’s face. Uriah caught her wrist. “Cree is the only reason the rest of us haven’t jumped at the opportunity to rid this world of your miserable existence.” His gaze lifted to Lothar. “While I’m not the empath, I can still feel him seething at the sight of you. Go. Now!” Uriah ordered as he released her wrist with a less-than-gentle shove.
Her gaze returned to Darion. Cree threw his limp body at her feet. She shook her head and glared with a scornful sneer. “This is far from over.”
“But it is for tonight,” Holly responded. With a flick of her wrist, Esperanza was flashed from the courtyard.
“Get ready, boys,” Cree said as he stepped over Darion’s lifeless body. “Makyle’s brothers will be here soon.”
“Izzy, go inside,” Bain said tersely.
“I’m not a wilting flower, Bain. I’ll be fine. So just stop.” She pushed past him and made her way over to Makyle and Samira. “Are you two okay?”
Samira nodded. “We’re fine.”
Izzy looked up at Makyle and pointed to the thin line of blood running down the side of his face. “She got you good.”
He nodded. “Yep, the hilt of that sword was pretty damn solid.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Now, go inside, please. My brothers will be here soon, and I would feel much more comfortable if you were out of their sight.”
Izzy rolled her eyes. “I swear, you two are impossible.” She turned and headed toward the castle. She was stopped short when Josiah, Alistair, and Zarek appeared in her path.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Izzy gestured towards Darion’s limp body. “He’s right over there,” she said as she attempted to push past them.
Alistair arched a brow at her. “She lacks respect.”
“She doesn’t know to respect you,” Makyle answered, as he stepped forward and pulled her back from them.
“Had you not fed her our blood, she wouldn’t even be here,” Zarek said coolly.
“Clearly, she was meant to be here. Look at what my blood brought out in her. She brought back a line that has been extinct for years.”
“Did it ever occur to you that Azreal’s line was meant to stay extinct?”
A rumble sounded from behind Izzy and Makyle. She risked a glance at the warriors, all pissed off and all baring fangs as they growled at the Immortal Rulers.
“Just take what you came for and leave us be,” Izzy said curtly.
Zarek sneered as he stepped forward. “You need a lesson in respect.”
With a quick swing of his arm, Makyle had Izzy flying back. Uriah sent a blast of magic to cushion her landing.
Bain moved to her side and helped her to her feet. “Either go inside, or keep quiet. Got it?”
She nodded.
“Don’t, Zarek,” Makyle shouted, as his brother attempted to move past him. “You have a soul to collect and a prisoner to return to his rightful place in your domain.”
Tilting his head, Zarek locked his gaze on Makyle. “You mean our domain.”
Makyle shook his head. “No, not anymore.”
With a roar that shook the ground, Zarek reached for the collar of Makyle’s shirt. Stone and mortar crumbled as Makyle was slammed against the courtyard wall.
Chaos broke out as the warriors tried to get to Makyle while Alistair and Josiah held them off. Holly and Izzy both ran towards the group, but they were tossed back when Uriah caught sight of their approach.
Light burst from the courtyard, ending the melee of magic as everyone was thrown back. Izzy shook her head as she sat up. Everything was suspended in time—the world was frozen as if someone had hit the pause button on a movie. Her gaze raked over the bodies strewn around her. Heart racing she spotted Bain, flat on his back with a split lip and crimson staining his golden hair.
“Bain!” she screamed as she scrambled to her feet and rushed towards him.
“He’s fine. Nothing compared to what he’s suffered before.”
Izzy’s head whipped to the center of the courtyard from where the light had emanated. Hovering a good five feet from the ground sat an ancient woman in a white gown that flowed around her. Izzy’s head tilted and her brows furrowed. “Lechesis?”
“Aww, you are a smart one… though being of Azreal’s line, I should expect nothing less. It’s time for you to come with me.”
“Excuse me?”
“Makyle gave you the vial, did he not?”
Izzy felt for the pendant of Valkyrie blood that rested under her shirt between her breasts.
“Yes, that vial. Now come; we haven’t much time.”
“I don’t understand,” Izzy said, shaking her head. “What did you do to them?”
Lechesis smiled. “I paused the timeline. So many destinies have been altered, and all but one has been set back on course. You are meant to help me fix the one still in question. You must come with me.”
Izzy’s lips tipped up. “Whose destiny?”
Lechesis returned the smile. “I believe you already know. Now, you need to come with me.” Her gaze shifted to the frozen Rulers and warriors littering the area around them. “I will end this while you realign the fate of the one the Immortal Three set off course.”
Izzy bit her lip but nodded, then moved to Bain’s side. Dropping to her knees, she pressed her lips to his and breathed a healing breath over his wounds, sealing the cut on his lip and closing the gash on his scalp. “I love you,” she whispered. “You’re my arrogant warrior. I’ll be back soon.”
Lechesis held out a wrinkled and boney had to Izzy. She took it, and with a deep breath, they disappeared in a flash of light.
Izzy found herself standing before gilded gates. Looking back from the gates, she was greeted by acres and acres of golden fields.
“This was the vision.” Izzy took in everything around her, recognizing the fields and the gates.
Lechesis gestured towards the gates as they slowly swung open. “Don’t waste time. It moves differently up here. Find Jelena, and give her the vial of blood.”
“Why? What’s it for?”
Lechesis smiled. “That is for Jelena to decide. Now go.”
Izzy took a deep breath and stepped through the gates. She was greeted by rolling, green grass that swayed slightly as a small breeze moved through the land. A sun that held no heat shone brightly in the cloudless, blue sky. A flock of birds flew overhead as Izzy moved further into the Immortal Three’s domain. The fields of grass gave way to a white marble city. Gold streets shimmered in the distance.
Izzy looked back to the now-closed gates. With a deep breath, she continued toward the city. The closer she got, the easier she could see the bustle of life as Fae moved about the city, but one Fae in particular caught her eye.
Long, blonde hair and bright, lavender eyes shone in the light as Rowan’s head fell back and laughter rent the space around her. Izzy stopped for a brief minute to simply take in Rowan’s expression as she smiled at the man across from her. Izzy’s gaze drifted to the incredibly handsome man. His hand cupped Rowan’s cheek, and Izzy found herself studying the body language between the two. The thickly muscled, blond-haired man leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Rowan’s forehead as she leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. Izzy continued to study the man. He was tall, with an athletic frame. Light hair framed his face and tumbled over his shoulders. He was handsome, a little rugged, with a dusting of light-golden facial hair.
He looked like Bain. He looked like Rowan, too.
“Whoa.” She blew out a quick breath as she started towards them.
Her voice was but a whisper when she called out to them. “Rowan.”
Rowan pulled back from the man Izzy was sure was Rowan and Bain’s father. Rowan’s eyes instantly began to well as she met her gaze.
“No!” she said, shaking her head and backing up. “No, no, no, you can’t be here. He won’t survive.”
Izzy shook her head and reached for Rowan. “It’s okay. It’s not what you think.”
“Oh, Isabelle.” Rowan pulled her into her arms and let her tears flow. “What happened to you?”
Izzy stepped back, her own tears flowing as she looked upon Rowan. She was as beautiful and elegant as she always was in life. “Lechesis brought me here. I need to find Jelena before I can go back.”
Rowan shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“Me either,” Izzy admitted, her gaze shifting to the warrior watching them. “Are you Tyr?”
The man nodded. “That I am.”
“And you would be the Isabelle who stole my boy’s heart.” He tipped his head in Rowan’s direction. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Izzy smiled. “Bain and Holly talk about you all the time. I see it in his eyes that he envies her for the time she got to spend with you.”
Tyr smiled. “In the Fates’ temple.”
Izzy nodded and stuck out her hand. “I know it’s not Fae tradition, but it’s the best way I know to introduce myself.”
Tyr smiled at her. Taking her hand, he pulled her into a tight embrace. “How’s my boy?”
She smiled. “He’s Bain. He’s amazing and strong.”
Tyr let her go and stepped back to look down at her. “And you love him.”
“More than words could ever describe.”
“Then we better get you to Jelena so you can get back to him.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Where is she?” Bain roared as he threw a chair across the room. The thick, polished wood shattered into tiny pieces when it connected with the unforgiving stone wall.
“Calm down, brother,” Cree ordered. “We’ll find her.”
“It’s already been two days.” Bain couldn’t breathe. He felt the pressure of her loss weighing down on his very soul.
Kale grabbed Bain by the shoulders. “Go, take a break.”
“She’s gone, Kale,” Bain said softly, his heart breaking as he uttered the words.
“But not for good.” Kale cupped the back of Bain’s neck and pressed their foreheads together. “We will do everything we can. I promise. Lothar and Holly are out there looking for her as we speak. Now go get some sleep.”
Immortal Awakening: Immortal Heart Page 11
