House of Imperial

by Jaymin Eve

  I opened my eyes to find Chase across from me, Marsil’s other hand in his. He had sat with me the entire time, the two of us staying with Marsil until the very end.

  “You honored him well,” he told me, voice rough.

  With a shake of my head, I turned to where Daniel was storming across the platform toward us.

  “We failed him,” I murmured.

  Before another word could be said, Daniel was standing in front of me. Literal fire burned in his eyes, and the sight of that chased away more of the darkness inside. Sorrow held me still, but I was clawing my way back. Piece by piece.

  “Are you okay?” His worry was palpable, slamming into me. He hadn’t touched me yet, but his hands were hovering at his sides like he was stopping himself from doing so.

  “I’m fine,” I said, my voice breaking. “Marsil is the one who has paid the price for everything this day.” My heart squeezed, and I willed back the tears.

  Daniel lost his battle with his hands, reaching out and sweeping me against his body. His chest shook as he held me, and I realized just how close he was to losing control. “Every time I turn my back,” he said, “someone is trying to kill you.”

  It was true. Daniel had only known me for a short time, and already he’d saved my life, had me abducted out from under him, found me almost without memory in a pool of goo, and now I was sitting next to the corpse of one of his friends. It could have been me, we all knew that. Even if Laous wanted me alive, there were no guarantees in war. Accidents happened.

  Lexen’s guttural roar ripped through the air and the platform did that shaky thing again. His energy rocked the huge metal disc on its foundation.

  “Emma?” He was not looking at me, but I answered.

  “She was hurt, but she’s okay. Star took her back to House of Darken.”

  Scales appeared across his forehead and cheeks and everyone took a step back.

  Lexen dropped down at his brother’s side, absolute devastation creasing his features, a pain so deep there was permanence to it. Lexen would never be the same again. From this day on, his very being would be altered.

  He reached out with both hands, pressing them to Marsil’s chest.

  “What happened?” Daniel asked, voice short and hard. I wondered if this was bringing back memories of losing his own brother.

  “They hit him with a legreto weapon,” I choked out. “Some water crystal made from starslight stone. It embedded itself deeper and deeper into his chest, before it shattered.”

  More Daelighters joined us now, lots I didn’t recognize, and a few I did. Daddy Darken was there, his face creased in grief as he dropped down next to his son. “Marsil, no … my son…”

  Jero joined them, kneeling at his fallen brother’s head. The three of them placed their hands on Marsil and lowered their heads. I couldn’t look at them any longer. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I stared out into the distance.

  Chase broke the silence: “Callie tried to save him. She held his hand until you arrived. He was never alone.”

  No one said anything until the overlord major lifted his head. He had the same symbols as Lexen etched into the side of his hair, and his face was a mix of his three sons. “Thank you for honoring Marsil,” he told me, voice hoarse. “We will not forget this.”

  Even more tears streamed down my cheeks. I couldn’t speak. I just nodded. Daniel lifted me into his arms, and for once, I didn’t fight him. I had no fight left. I was exhausted and in pain and … my heart was breaking a little.

  “I need to take Callie back to Imperial,” I heard Daniel say. I couldn’t see who he was talking to because my head was buried in his neck. “She’s drained and needs the land to recharge her.”

  There were murmured replies, and I heard something about a farewell ceremony, and then we were moving again. I must have drifted off, because when I woke next I was in Daniel’s bed. Memories immediately rushed in and I rubbed a hand across my burning eyes. I hadn’t cried for most of my life, but I was certainly making up for that in the last little while.

  Sitting up, I stared down at my hands, trying to pull myself together. Thankfully, the darkness that had been tainting my soul, that debilitating depression, was gone again. It was becoming abundantly clear that the dark despair I sometimes felt was a side effect of not renewing my bond to Daniel and this land. When I was away from it for too long, I lost pieces of myself. My hope and happiness were the first to go. Then my mental and physical health followed. It was systematic, one thing after another until eventually it would be my life.

  Luckily, I had a wonderful man at my side, one determined not to let me fade out of existence.

  There were no windows in his room to determine time of day, but I sensed I had slept for a long time. Flashes of images hit me hard, one after another: the memory wiping, the Daelighters I had incinerated, Marsil dying right before me. How could so much go wrong so quickly?

  “You’re awake.”

  My head jerked up to find Daniel perched in the doorway, broad shoulder nudged into the side of the frame, eyes focused on me.

  “How’s Emma?” I asked quickly.

  He crossed his arms. “She’s fine physically, but devastated about Marsil. They’re hoping to have a farewell for him soon. But that might not be possible until we deal with Laous.”

  I wasn’t sure I could handle a farewell, but at least I didn’t have to decide right now. I did want to be there for my new friends. And to honor the man who had fought beside me.

  Hopefully I’d find the strength to go.

  Rubbing a hand across the ache in my chest, I let my gaze linger on Daniel. I was barely stopping myself from jumping out of bed and into his arms. I could have lost him yesterday. Seeing Marsil die hit me extra hard, and not just because he was a good person and did not deserve his fate, but also because it could have been Daniel. He could have died, and I would have never had the chance to tell him I loved him, never truly showed him how much he meant to me, that despite everything shitty that had happened lately, he was the best thing to walk into my life in eighteen years.

  “Do you need anything? Want me to grab you some food?”

  I was dying for coffee, but for once I wanted something more. I wanted Daniel.

  He moved closer. I still couldn’t manage to form words.

  “Talk to me, Callie.” He sounded worried. “Fuck, I’m so sorry you had to deal with that alone. Again … I failed you. But I’m here now. I’ll help you figure it out.”

  For some inexplicable reason, anger licked across my emotions. “I don’t want to talk about it. Talking won’t bring Marsil back. Talking won’t reverse time so I don’t accidentally kill a bunch of those resistance assholes. Talking won’t bring my mom back or stop Laous from everything he has done. Talking is useless.”

  I was standing on the bed. I didn’t even remember jumping up. As I stepped forward to the edge, he caught my hand, gently encasing it with his own. He leaned himself forward so both of our hands were pressed to his chest. My anger died as quickly as it had arrived, and as I stared down into his face, all I felt was my soaring love for him.

  “I’m sorry, Cal. I wish I could take this pain from you.” His eyes shut briefly as if he was fighting his own emotions. “And I should be sorry that I took your free will away, tying you to me. I did it at the time because it was the right thing to do, but now I’m starting to think it was the only thing I could do. Because without you, I have nothing.”

  I blinked once slowly, and then again, my breathing ragged and short.

  “I love you,” I said, without reserve. “I have never said that to anyone, but I’m saying it to you. The only person to own my soul … and my heart.”

  I could never regret him. Even with all the pain I was experiencing, love made it all worth it. I finally understood what Emma meant when she said she would not change the now, no matter the future heartache. Daniel let my hand go, cupping my face and pressing his lips to mine. With a sigh, I sank into the kiss. H
e pulled back far too quickly, but at least he remained close enough for our lips to brush.

  “I love you, Callie.” Those murmured words set me off again, more tears sprinkling my eyes.

  Over the years, I had tried to imagine someone saying those words to me, but just like sitting in the fancy car, I had to experience it myself to truly understand.

  “We share a heart and soul,” Daniel said, pressing kisses to my lips as he spoke. “I promise, you will never be alone.”

  We kissed again, deeper, and I could no longer fight my need to be closer to him. My arms went around his neck and I pressed my body firmly to his. His hands dropped from my face, sliding underneath me to bring my body flush against his. I was on fire, liquid heat licking across my insides. Everything inside of me craved him.

  “Not close enough,” I muttered, leaning back to try to rip his shirt off. My legs were wrapped around his waist though, holding it down.

  Daniel’s eyes shifted to a burning gold and I had to shut mine to try and find some composure. He was literally the only one who could destroy me with one look. If someone could bottle the emotion and energy of love, they would make a fortune. When I lifted my lashes again, we were moving. He placed me back on the bed, crawling up to hover over me on hands and knees.

  “I need to feel you,” I told him, ready to combust. Before he could answer, I had his shirt up and over his head.

  Greedily, I drank in the sight of his broad, tanned shoulders, following the lines down over defined pectorals, and those abs … if someone carved a statue of the perfect male physique, they could use Daniel for inspiration. The deep maroon marks, which matched those on his head, filled the skin of his chest and arm. I wanted to trace each and every one. It would take me days. And I would love every single second of it.

  “I’m a fan,” I said with a grin, running my hands across his abs. They tightened under my touch. I liked to see the way I affected him.

  He caught my hand before it went lower. “Callie, love, it kills me to say this, but there’s no rush. The last few days have been crazy. A lot has happened. I can wait as long as you want.”

  I wiggled further under him, my hands back to exploring his delicious body. “Are you even listening to me?” He sounded amused, before he leaned down, his lips pressing to my neck.

  I gasped, choking out, “What if I don’t want you to wait at all?”

  My hands moved toward his belt and he caught them. I paused to try to get my hormones under control.

  “You’ve been through a lot,” he repeated, holding himself above me, our gazes locked. “If you need time to adjust to everything, including the fact that we are soul-bonded and soulmates, then you should take the time. There’s no rush. If I get my way – and I usually do – you will be here forever. Home. With me.”

  Home. It was my dream. Daniel was my dream. I reached out for him, wrapping my hand around his jaw, and pulled him down to me. I took control of the kiss, letting him know exactly how I felt about waiting.

  I was no virgin, and I was keeping my promise of being with someone I loved. I was done waiting. Pulling myself up, I pushed Daniel back, straddling his body and settling against him. I was pretty bold in the bedroom, always had been. I liked to take control and right now Daniel was trying too hard to be a good guy. He didn’t have to try, though. I already knew he was.

  “This has nothing to do with grief,” I said, pressing my lips to his, over and over. Then moving lower, I kissed across his jaw and down his neck. “This is about our love, this is about life being short … able to be taken from us at any moment. This is about me wanting you right now more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”

  “This is about our forever,” Daniel finished, and I nodded.

  “You’re my forever,” I confirmed. I’d never been one for random fleeting loves, so I knew this was it for me. Soul mate and soul bound, I was okay with that.

  He took control back then, his kiss hot and deep, our lips moving with desperation and emotion like nothing I’d ever experienced. His arms wrapped tightly around me, and I rocked against him, needing relief. I managed to get his pants off, leaving him in just a pair of boxer briefs. They were black, fitted to the hard lines of his impressive body. The tatted marks extended down past the waistband, following his perfect vee.

  Holy fuck … someone give me a freaking fan.

  I needed to cool down. Looking at Daniel had me burning up. The fire inside of him was igniting the fire inside of me. He removed my shirt in one smooth movement. I was wearing nothing below, because I’d still been in the clothes from Leights.

  He touched my bare skin gently, fingertips rubbing across the sensitive peaks until I was a writhing, groaning mess.

  “You’re beyond beautiful,” he said.

  I wanted to say the same thing back, but his lips were on me again and I couldn’t speak. My shorts were gone soon after, and there were no more words as we loved each other. In that moment with Daniel, it was abundantly clear that while I was not a virgin, I had truly never understood the actual beauty in lovemaking. Sex I’d had, but this was so much more. Every caress brushed more than just my skin. I felt it all the way through my body.

  To be this close with a person you cared so deeply for … it was everything.

  For the first time in my life, I didn’t wake alone. Warmth surrounded me, and I was so comfortable that it felt like I could doze here for the rest of my life. I wiggled myself back on Daniel, needing more of his touch. A low growl in my ear had a grin stretching across my face. I liked this little power I had over him. A large hand snaked over my stomach and pulled me back into his hardness. I wiggled again, tormenting him the way he was tormenting me.

  “Waking with you in my arms,” he murmured. “Sign me up for a lifetime?”

  A low moan slipped out from between my lips and I pretty much jumped him. A girl only had so much control. If the last few days had taught me anything, it was that every second was precious, and I was not wasting another moment not loving Daniel.

  Much later, I got to experience my second new intimacy. Naked, we sat on the floor of his huge shower and we talked. About everything and nothing. After some time, it grew more serious.

  “The lead you had on Laous was completely dead?” I asked, sadness creeping into my heart again. I was hurting for Lexen and Jero and Emma. Also, Marsil’s parents, who would have to bury – farewell – their son. Life really wasn’t fair.

  Daniel leaned back. “He had definitely been there but was clearly tipped off before we arrived. We just missed him.”

  “What about Rao?” I said, a part of me worried for the big scarred dude. “He protected me, Daniel. There’s something good in him still, if we can just get him away from Laous.”

  Daniel reached out and took my hand, our arms forming a bridge between us. I liked being able to watch him like this, water slicking across his face, looking so damn beautiful.

  “Rao was gone, also.” He paused, and my heart hurt at the grief in his eyes. “I honestly can’t believe he’s still alive. I thought I lost him. I’ve mourned him for years. I should have known … there was no record of his soul through the justices. Every soul that dies is recorded in this large tome. I always assumed my father couldn’t bear to see Rao’s name, so he wiped the ledger.”

  I understood a parent doing that. Losing a child was a pain worse than any other, in my opinion.

  Speaking of his brother reminded me of something else: “Dan, I think I saw Fraizer on the platform. He was part of the resistance.” As he sat straighter, I quickly added: “I don’t know for sure. He jumped off the side before I could confirm it. But it definitely looked a lot like him.”

  “Fraizer is missing.” Daniel sounded resigned. “He hasn’t been in House of Imperial for two days. And there is no record of him through the network. He’s off the grid.”

  “The council is looking for him?”

  Daniel nodded. “He’d better hope they find him before I do.”r />
  My voice grew hard. “I guess we know where these leaks and betrayals are coming from. The resistance had members of all four houses.”

  He cursed. “I’ve never been so pissed off with my own people. We have to assume there are more than just the ones who attacked you.” Flames flickered in his eyes. “The council have those betrayers Chase captured. They will be interrogated, and hopefully we’ll find out who the ones still in hiding are. Then they will be punished.”

  Judging by his expression, this punishment was not going to be pleasant. Since they killed Marsil, I was okay with that.

  I straightened then as I realized something. “We’re in House of Imperial,” I said slowly. Daniel nodded. “Marsil’s soul … is it here?” He nodded again, and my heart raced and ached at the same time. “Well…” I pushed. “Tell me what is happening with him?”

  Sorrow carved very fine lines around Daniel’s eyes and mouth. “When a Daelighter dies a true death, it’s different to what happened with you, or even with Emma when she was thrown into the justices. Marsil has no body left now, it’s only his essence. Energy. At the moment it is in the incubation zone, where those domed structures are.”

  “The egg room…” I pushed.

  “Yes, the egg room. He will be there for a few days while his energy deals with the trauma of dying. Then he will be weighed, judged, and make his choices.”

  “What do you think he will choose?” I whispered, still not fully understanding how their afterlife worked.

  Daniel’s hand tightened over mine. “I’m not sure. I didn’t know Marsil that well, but something tells me he has unfinished business, so he may choose rebirth.”

  “And we’ll never know which child he becomes?”

  He gave a simple head shake. “That’s a power beyond Imperial.”

  I still wasn’t sure exactly how to wrap my head around my new world.

  “So what do we do about Laous now?”

  Using just his impressive abdominal muscles, Daniel stood, pulling me with him. “Right now, there’s nothing we can do. He’s cut off all avenues of tracking. We had the one shot and we blew it. We didn’t know about this resistance, but now we will be more aware. Our next step is to find the third family of secret keepers before he does.”