She looked down at the piece of bread that was now a mutilated mess of peanut butter and starchy goo. Oh, lovely. She really didn’t want it anyway, but she was hungry. Now, she’d have to start over or demand something else.
“I suppose not,” she replied. “And you are not allowed to laugh at me about it.” She turned her back to him and smiled as she washed her hands and the spoon. It wasn’t funny. Well, maybe it was a little funny.
“There’s something else we need to talk about, Sara,” he said to her back.
She paused. He called her Sara! But did that mean this discussion was going to get worse? Was he trying to manipulate her in some way? He always called her Seraphina, and a switch now didn’t seem natural. She decided to pretend she didn’t notice.
“Okay.” She turned to face him. “As long as it doesn’t involve demons, Overlords, or cultists, I’m game.”
“Alright, I’ll play your game,” he replied with a chuckle. “When you called for my strength, I willingly gave it to you. I’m guessing you didn’t realize what was happening?”
“I thought we weren’t talking about the battle?” Sara asked in frustration.
“We aren’t. We’re talking about you and me.”
She bit her lip. Technically, he was right, but she wasn’t admitting it.
“No, I didn’t recognize what was happening.” She shrugged. “Why?”
“Bonded couples have the ability to transfer strength to one another,” Darian said, shifting in his seat as his eyebrows drew together. “But I was under the assumption there was a shutoff switch on both sides. You drew a rather large amount of power from me, and there was nothing I could do to stop you.”
Sara’s eyes widened as she considered what he was saying. Had she hurt him? She didn’t even realize he had a well of power. Did that mean she did, too?
“What happened to you after I killed those demons?” she asked cautiously.
“I was extremely tired,” he replied. “I have a rather large well of power that would take a great deal of effort to drain.”
She bit her tongue to stop the sarcastic remark that nearly slipped past her lips. She was certain he didn’t intend it the way her mind interpreted it.
“What happens if I did take it all?” she asked.
“I’m not sure.” He looked at her with that same strange expression she hadn’t figured out. “But I’d rather not find out. I think we need to practice transferring our strength so that you can recognize what it feels like. It would also be a good idea to find out what our limits are.”
“Apparently, it will be difficult for me to reach your limits,” she snapped, realizing too late she should’ve kept her mouth closed.
He grinned at her, then laughed. “I used to believe that, but after today, I’m not so sure.”
Chapter 32
Darian
Darian pushed open the door to the meeting room. Mikel, Raphael, and Stephen sat at the long table with troubled looks. Darian sighed. He wasn’t ready for more bad news.
“Has the radio worked at all since yesterday?” Mikel asked Raphael.
“No, but I don’t think it’s the radio.” Raphael leaned back away from the radio and rubbed his hands through his dark hair. “I think the operator we spoke to the other day is gone, and he was the only one within range.” He stood and approached the long table, the map still spread out on one end. “EMPs don’t last forever. Once the technology is repaired, we should be able to use it again.”
“But according to all of our reports, the bombs took out almost every power station,” Mikel replied from his own chair at the table. “I assume that was deliberate.”
“Has Adalina’s team made it back from England?” Darian asked.
“Not yet,” Mikel replied. “I assume your Sentinel is finally awake?”
“Yes.” Darian dropped into the nearest chair. “She’s trying to put on a brave face, but I’m worried she’s right on the edge of breaking.”
“She didn’t look very fragile ten hours ago,” Mikel replied. “What did she do to the demons, anyway?”
Darian shifted in his chair, unsure how to explain what they experienced. “She was reluctant to talk about it,” he replied. “But I believe she connected to their minds and somehow destroyed them.”
“So, the emotions you felt belonged to the demons?” Mikel asked.
Darian nodded, still not certain what to make of it. If she could kill with a thought, he probably needed to be more careful about making Seraphina mad.
“And your inability to stop her pull of power?” Mikel questioned.
“We’re going to work on that. She didn’t even realize it happened.”
“That makes sense,” Mikel replied. “Where is she now?”
“Aneera met us on the way over here,” Darian replied. “I left the two of them together. Aneera said she would bring Seraphina here when they were done.”
“Do you think we need to add a layer of protective runes over her mind?” Raphael asked. “Silana and I have been working on a new one. She suggested modifying the one given to her by Arik to protect her from the Citadel’s power. It would still provide the intended protection but will also act as an enhancer for any ability tied to it. I think it would work brilliantly for Sara.”
“I don’t think so, Raphael,” Darian answered. “At least not yet. I’d like to find out what her limits are first before we start restricting her ability.”
“The mind is a fragile thing, Darian,” Raphael said. “Be careful.”
“I have no desire to lose her now that she’s mine. I just don’t want to restrict that ability if she’s able to control it on her own.” He paused for a moment thinking about the advantage she brought to their group. “She killed over fifty demons with nothing but a thought. Granted, my own strength amplified hers, but that ability alone would save so many lives.”
“So, I am no more than a weapon to you?”
Darian cringed at Seraphina’s voice. Of course, she would arrive at that very moment. He rubbed his hand across his face and stood. She and Aneera waited in the doorway, but Darian could only see Seraphina’s scathing look.
“I’m certain we missed the first part, and likely the most important part of the conversation, Sara,” Aneera said, obviously trying to soothe her emotions.
“Aneera is right,” Raphael added quickly. “We were discussing the best way to protect your mind while not limiting any of your abilities. Darian was concerned about the effect of any protective rune we might use.”
Darian watched as Seraphina walked into the room and pulled out a chair across from him. Her eyes never left his, and he could feel her poking at his mind. He regained his seat.
We’ll talk about this later, her voice echoed in his head.
He raised an eyebrow at her. It might be best to have witnesses for this discussion.
Her eyes widened. Are you certain? I intend to remove the filter between my brain and my mouth.
Then we should wait for Adalina. She’ll be mad if she misses it. He suppressed a grin but knew she’d seen it.
You’re an ass! How can you not take this seriously? You want to use me as a weapon, and you think I should be laughing about it? Her scowl deepened with each thought.
He leaned forward on his elbows and stared at the woman across from him. She mimicked his actions.
Had you been paying attention, you would know that’s not how I see you, nor would I ever want to see you, Darian responded.
Her eyebrows rose with her disbelief. Paying attention?!
“Do the rest of us need to leave?” Mikel asked, interrupting Seraphina’s silent tirade. “Or can we continue this conversation?”
“That’s up to Sara,” Darian replied, deliberately using her nickname.
Her frown softened slightly. “Please continue, Mikel,” she replied without releasing Darian’s gaze. “Darian and I will finish our discussion later.”
“Darian suggested you find your limits with y
our new ability, and I agree with him,” Mikel said. “I’m certain we will still require Raphael’s assistance, but Darian’s right. We need to know if we need to restrain it first.”
“Just keep in mind,” Aneera interjected, “it only takes a tiny push to send someone over the edge.” She turned to Seraphina, her expression stern. “Don’t let your desire to destroy the demons change who you are.”
Seraphina turned to Aneera and nodded, then completely avoided Darian. He tamped down his resentment with effort. Had he made that suggestion, Seraphina would’ve argued.
Stephen cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Regardless of Darian and Sara’s own personal thoughts, the boss is right. If Sara can kill dozens of our enemy without us having to engage them, well, why wouldn’t she?” Stephen shot Seraphina an apologetic look. “We all know what happens to Adalina if she loses too many of her warriors. I don’t know about you, but that’s something I’d rather avoid. Not only that, it would allow us to use our resources more efficiently.” He cast his eyes at the table for a moment, then back to Seraphina. “Sorry, Sara. It would be a huge benefit going into a fight knowing our lives were not hanging by a thread because we are always outnumbered.”
Darian watched Seraphina’s expression change from discontent with his comments to guilt and understanding. He knew she wouldn’t admit it to him, but she wouldn’t back down from her responsibility either. It was a trait he always admired in her. For a moment, he wished he could hear her thoughts.
“What happens to Adalina?” she asked. “Eva told me you guys lost half of your warriors during the last battle, but I didn’t know Adalina was affected.”
Aneera was the first to reply. “Her gift is, like everyone else’s, very unusual. The men selected as her warriors are naturally drawn to her. We don’t know why, but she’s always been that way, even before Mikel and Raphael met her. They share a connection. When she loses them, that connection is severed. She won’t talk about it, but I believe it’s physically painful to her.”
Seraphina bit her lip yet again. “I see.” She met Darian’s gaze once more, her frown returning. “Then I guess we better get to work.”
He nodded, keeping his expression impassive. His Sentinel would be everything they needed if she could make it through the transition in one piece.
Chapter 33
Seraphina
Darian took Sara back to the beach. The sun’s rays floated across the water as it set, and shades of pink and purple peeked beneath the clouded sky. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was soothing, and she found her thoughts straying to the moments she and her husband spent at the beach.
Her Watcher stood by her side, tall and silent. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of his cologne. She didn’t want it to smell good, just like she didn’t want to know how he felt about her. She refused to acknowledge the closeness growing between them and forced herself to believe it was her grief and need to avenge her family. But hadn’t Aneera, or maybe it was Magdelin, said that the bond would make their hearts and mind grow together as one? She shook her head. She wasn’t ready for that yet.
“So, what do we do now?” she asked the silent watchman next to her.
He didn’t turn to meet her gaze, so she stared at his profile. It was rather nice. His square jaw aligned perfectly with his full lips, and the space beneath his nose was neither too big nor too small. The long bridge of his nose dipped slightly between his eyes, which were the most brilliant shade of blue she had ever seen. Yep, she didn’t need to go there.
“I’m wary about how to approach this,” he finally said. “I imagine we’ll need to open our minds to one another.” He looked down at her, and his stare made her shiver. His compassionate side was nowhere in sight this time. “I have a lot of memories I do not wish to share with you.”
“I thought you shared your worst ones during our bonding ritual,” she replied, looking away from his gaze.
“No, I shared the ones I thought you needed to see. I didn’t want you to think this would be a walk in the park.”
She snorted. “It’s been anything but that.”
“Let’s sit,” he suggested, folding his long legs and sitting in the sand. “I think this might take a while.”
She sat down next to him, and he shifted so that he was facing her, much like they did during the bonding ceremony. They both started to speak at once, and Darian smiled.
“Please, go ahead,” she said. “I have no idea what we’re doing.”
“I assume Aneera talked to you about her telepath theory?” he asked.
She nodded but remained silent. Aneera suspected she could read people’s minds and control them, too. It sort of explained what happened to the demons, but not entirely. She didn’t read their minds; she just felt their anger and hatred.
“Raphael has given both of us his standard protection rune that prevents someone, specifically Zar’Asur, from controlling our actions. It also acts as a buffer to those who would interfere with our thoughts. It’s why you cannot hear everyone’s thoughts in Santuario.” Darian rubbed his palms on his knees. “In order for you and me to share our strength and be able to control the flow back and forth, I think we’ll have to open that barrier.”
“But I thought you shared your strength with me during the fight in Calais?” she asked.
“I did, but as soon as I opened the barrier, there was no closing it again. You need to learn where your own strength comes from and how to recognize it. Then, I think you’ll be able to control how much of mine you take.”
“I did apologize, you know,” she said, pouting. “I didn’t realize what I was doing.”
His lips twitched, and she repressed her own smile. His harsh, impersonal side wavered for a moment.
“I know, which is why we’re here.” He tapped the center of his chest. “This is where mine starts. I can feel the well of power sitting in my chest. When I want to use it, it spreads through my core and responds to my requests.”
Sara bit her lip and thought about how many times the same place on her own chest burned over the last nine or ten months. “You mean the same place on my chest that ached every time I had a conversation with my favorite fencepost?”
“That’s certainly a possibility.” He didn’t suppress his grin this time. “Focus on that spot, and tell me what you feel.”
“Do I need to close my eyes?” she asked as she did so.
“I don’t think it’s necessary, but do whatever feels right to you.”
She focused on the spot just above her sternum and felt the slow burning sensation ignite. “It’s like a churning feeling in my chest, writhing around trying to get out,” she mumbled.
“Then you should release it,” Darian said. “Think about what you want it to be. Imagine it in your mind, visualize it, and make it happen.”
The churning in her chest swirled outwards through her arms and escaped her fingers. She imagined a translucent dome taking shape over her head and surrounding them both. She opened her eyes to see Darian’s cottage distorted behind the nearly-opaque shield. She watched her shield take on a red glow as Darian’s flames raced over it. She raised the dome, cradling the fire and wrapping it into a long tube. The flames shot out the top like a firecracker, and Sara laughed.
“What else can you make?” Darian asked, drawing her attention to him. His amusement revealing the other side of his personality, the one she found herself liking more and more.
The glowing tube vanished, and she thought of Mikel’s sword. She placed her hands on her knees, palms facing the sky. The churning started again, and a translucent hilt formed in her hand, followed by a long blade. She shook her head, and it vanished. She wanted something unique, something that would be her own.
Sara’s thoughts went to Darian’s ornate daggers. She imagined the same twisted hilt but a blade slightly longer than Darian’s that curved at the end. It came to life across her lap, and she wrapped her fingers around the hilt, creating
a small triangular shield in her other hand.
“I feel like an Amazon warrior,” she said dramatically, thrusting her sword into the air.
Darian laughed, and she looked over at him. He closed his mouth for a second before a full belly laugh erupted from him, and he rocked backwards.
“It wasn’t that funny,” she said as her weapons vanished.
“No one has told you about Adalina, have they?” he asked, gasping for air.
“No, other than she’s the leader of your warriors.”
“Adalina is an Amazon warrior,” he said. “I’ve never seen her wield a sword and shield. Her favorite weapon is her axe.”
“No, she isn’t,” Sara argued. “Are you talking about Wonder Woman type Amazon?”
“I suppose,” he replied. “Except that Adalina is the real thing. She scoffed at the first Wonder Woman comic, then got really pissed at the first television series. It’s been a running joke since then.”
“You’re serious?” She couldn’t believe it, but why not? Everything else about this group was unbelievable.
“Of course I’m serious.”
“That’s amazing! I have so many questions. I loved the Wonder Woman series as a little girl. I even dressed up as her for Halloween one year. She was strong and independent and everything I wanted to be!”
“Your questions will have to wait,” he stated. Just like that, the harsh, impersonal man was back. “Tell me what you felt when you created that sword. Did you feel your well of power grow as you made more demands of it?”
“Not really.” She thought about it for a moment. “I didn’t notice anything different. It just happened.”
“Interesting,” Darian replied, rubbing his chin. “Let’s try something else. I want you to try to share your strength with me, without taking mine. It will be a one-way street only, so concentrate on the one-way transaction.”
“Okay,” she said skeptically. She didn’t want to suck the life from him again. “How do I do that exactly?”
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