Something felt off.
Darcie passed the point of being able to hide her interest in the story. “What happened?”
“Initially,” Adir continued to stare at the ceiling. “Nothing. The Original Nine met and discussed the situation. We each vowed to limit our influence on human history. We could live among the emerging civilizations, but under the condition we did not alter their path to satiate our selfish desire for power.”
“I’m guessing that didn’t work.”
Adir’s chin dropped and he met Darcie’s gaze. “No, it did not.”
“What happened?”
“The Fall of Rome.”
Adir proceeded to explain how the Original Nine immortals played a part in the fall of the most well-known empire in the western world:
Both Faine and Eros prospered in the society surrounding the city of Rome and the cities of the empire the indulgent society reached. Faine encouraged the arts, becoming the patron to various musicians, actors, and artisans. Eros thrived in the lust-filled and pleasure-seeking Roman society. He often lessened general’s military tactics by encouraging their efforts to be centered on seeking female companions for the night. Both of the immortals, unknowingly, diminished the Roman people’s conquering talents which enabled them to become the dominant empire in the first place.
Julisanna and Evetta both played games with members of the emperor’s family. Evetta facilitated jealousy between the sons of emperors, encouraging discord and usurpers to step forward to lead the empire. Julisanna’s fault lied in encouraging mothers and fathers to pick a favorite son to dote on, developing deep and lasting relationships with one another. The relationships only gave Evetta concrete targets of jealousy for the less-loved children, leading to disarray and civil wars.
Charmian’s part was more intentional. The normally gentle immortal was fond of the Germanic tribes and their beautiful landscapes. She grew tired of the mistreatment of the peoples by Roman soldiers and worked to empower the tribes in their revolts against Rome. She became the champion of all those Roman’s considered “barbarians.”
“Thane, Lome and Des did nothing but benefit from the conflicts created by their siblings,” Adir revealed. Darcie released a relieved sigh she did not realize she held in. “But they did nothing to stop the downfall they saw coming, either.”
“And you?” Darcie questioned. “How did you contribute to the Fall of Rome?” Just saying the words aloud made her sound crazy.
“I,” Adir started to wrap up the long-winded and intricate explanation, “Encouraged as many battles, street scuffles, and wars I could manage. I never felt so alive.”
She could only stare. In truth, Adir looked stronger after just sharing the story. What power had each of the immortals incurred as a result of their actions? It must have been something incredible for Adir to look so invigorated.
“Now you can see why things changed after that.” He said, catching Darcie off-guard.
“What do you mean?” Her voice came out as a whisper.
“It became clear to us,” Adir rose from the chair and walked towards Darcie. “We could not continue our interactions with humans without causing another series of events which could, eventually, cause their extinction. The Fall of Rome was a hit to civilizations for many years and led to the dark ages for the western world. The Council’s new purpose was to ensure immortal influence on human existence became minimal.”
Darcie watched his approach and tensed.
“We immortals need humans alive in order to continue our own existence. While we have no proof, we all suspect our lives will end the moment humans are no longer walking this planet.” Adir stopped two feet away from her.
He reached out a hand to her. “May I?”
Cautiously, Darcie placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her up. She immediately stepped back to put more distance between them and crossed her arms across her chest.
“How does all of this affect me?” While Darcie found the information interesting, she could not figure out why Adir was bothering to share it with her. He must have a motive.
“Your protectors,” Adir said the word with disdain, “were appointed the official enforcers of this agreement. Whenever an immortal is suspected of interfering with human history, they answer to the three brothers.”
“Okay…”
“Any idea why the brothers would be designated as the council’s police?”
Darcie looked down. She tried to think of a valid reason. “Because their powers mesh? So combined they are the strongest. And they did not partake in the interferences which caused the Fall of Rome?”
Adir gave a low chuckle, but he looked anything but amused.
“Thane, Des, and Lome are not the strongest because they work together. They are the strongest because their power is fueled by human conditions they do not need to facilitate. Destruction, whether it is caused by men or natural disasters throughout the world, strengthens Thane. Any pain, whether it is emotional or physical, fuels Lome.
“And your dear Des,” Adir smirked. “Death, whether it is caused by men in times of war or by the natural passage of time, increases Des’ abilities. Every. Damn. Day.”
The room spun. Death? Des’ life was tied to the death of others?
“So you see, young Darcie,” Adir moved forward and reached out his hand to gently stroke her cheek. His voice took on an eerie calm. “The brothers enforce a rule which limits other immortals’ power. All the while, they continue to grow stronger without even trying. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?”
Darcie’s stomach rolled. Not only from the information Adir just shared, but also the unsteady expression she read behind his eyes. He looked ready to snap.
“No,” she murmured. “That isn’t fair.”
Adir’s hand lowered onto Darcie’s shoulder; his thumb rested against the pulse at the base of her neck. The contact caused another spike in its pressure.
“I’m glad you agree with me.” His thumb gently traced her throat.
Slowly, her captor lowered his head to stare directly into Darcie’s eyes. “How about we move to a more comfortable location and I tell you how you are going to help me overthrow the brothers?”
Chapter 23
Darcie sat in an overstuffed chair and tried take in the room’s exits without anyone noticing. She knew the door they entered through led to the rest of the house, but the two closed to her right were a mystery. She could always try to escape through one of the three windows, but she had no idea if they were on the ground level.
Not to mention, Adir currently stood between her and the potential glass exits.
Her captor paced along the far side of the room talking on a cell phone. He spoke too quietly for Darcie to hear, but his body language revealed his unhappiness with the conversation. The frown on his face put her on edge.
She tugged on the hem of the shirt Adir gave her to wear. It fit her the way it was intended to, but Darcie did not like the style that showed off an inch of her stomach. She tucked her legs to her body, glad the jeans were flexible enough to allow for the maneuver and cover her abdomen.
“Just take care of it,” Adir commanded into the phone.
Darcie watched as he ended the call and threw the device on the ground.
She stilled and braced herself for what was to come.
Adir walked over and sat down in the chair across from Darcie. He ran a hand through his hair, causing a portion to move out of place.
“Eric!”
Darcie jumped.
One of the doors to the right swung open and a harried teenager rushed into the room. Darcie strained her eyes to look beyond the newcomer and into the space behind the door, but he quickly shut the door behind him. Darcie tried to keep the disappointment from her face.
“Yes, Adir?” The youth’s voice wavered.
“Eric, I need you to contact your kin. The rebellion is underway and we will be in need of your services.”
“Of course. Right a
way.” Eric spared one curious glance Darcie’s way before he left to complete his task. Once again, she was unable to see the room beyond one of the mysterious doors.
Adir let out a sigh. Darcie turned her head.
Adir looked at her with a contemplative expression.
Darcie fidgeted in the chair. “Who was that?”
“Eric?” Adir waved a dismissive hand. “No one. A lesser deity who acts as a messenger. Nothing more.”
“A messenger between you and his family?”
“Not family in the way you use the word,” Adir replied. “Eric, and other deities like him, thrive on conspiracy and intrigue in humans and immortals alike. They aligned with the rebellion without much coaxing.”
“Aren’t you worried they will turn on you?” Darcie thought it obvious people who thrived on traitorous behavior couldn’t be trusted.
“Don’t worry, Dear Darcie,” Adir’s lips turned up. “No one will dare cross me. Though, I appreciate your concern.” She bit back her retort, remembering his instability in the prison cell.
“What do you think of my home?”
Darcie looked around the finely decorated room. She wouldn’t say it, but the space reminded her of many rooms in the brothers’ mansion.
“It’s nice. You have good taste.” Her voice lacked inflection.
“Come now, Darcie. Lighten up.” Adir tilted his head and observed her. “You look so tense. Relax. I will not harm you.”
“I’m cold.” Darcie demonstrated the fact by allowing a small shiver to run through her body.
“Well we can’t have that,” Adir stood and reached behind his chair. He withdrew a thick, green blanket.
Darcie watched as he stepped her direction and draped the blanket over her body. He took care to not touch her in the process.
She lowered her chin, unable to maintain the uncomfortable eye contact.
“Better?” He asked before returning to his chair and looking at her expectantly.
His false concern was frustrating; his attempts to appear friendly were annoying. Darcie couldn’t take it.
“Why am I here?” She finally asked the nagging question.
“You are going to help me overthrow the brothers.”
Darcie shook her head. “I don’t understand how. You know I’m not Des’ soulmate… or whatever it’s called.”
“Yes, I believe that to be true,” Adir allowed. “However, Thane and Lome seemed convinced otherwise.”
He paused, letting the last statement hang in the air between them.
“So?” Darcie asked impatiently.
“They will do anything to ensure your safety, including accepting their role as the enforcers for The Council is over.”
Darcie could only stare in disbelief. She tried to open her mouth to reply, but couldn’t form words. There was no response for his statement. In no way did Darcie think she was important enough for the brothers’ to make such a momentous decision. It would affect not only her, but the entire human race. How could Adir believe anything else?
“Once they agree to stop persecuting immortals,” Adir continued. “Members of the rebellion will make our move to overpower them. With any luck, at least one brother will be removed from the world, making subsequent victories more easily obtained.”
Darcie’s blood turned cold. “You are planning to kill them?”
“With fortune on our side, yes.”
“How is that even possible?” She hated the thought. “You are all immortal. By definition, you cannot die.”
“We do not die from old age or illness,” Adir explained. “But we are susceptible to the power of immortals. How else do you think the brothers successfully control other immortals from interfering with humans? The threat of oblivion is powerful motivation to conform.”
For the one hundredth time since waking up after the attack in the Brunswick grocery store, Darcie wondered how in the world she ended up involved in the immortal feud.
The thought Adir planned on using her to weaken and maybe kill one of the brothers caused a hollow feeling to settle in her stomach. She couldn’t bear the thought of being the reason any of them were harmed.
“What if you’re wrong?” Her voice was practically a whisper. “What if they don’t care? What if Des finally convinces them I am not his One?”
“Let’s just hope they do,” Adir replied coolly. “For your sake.”
Darcie gulped. “Alright.” She understood the implication. Things would not go well for her if the brothers did not agree to the terms.
“Are you hungry?” Adir asked, characteristically changing the subject at random. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
Adir clapped and a scantily clad woman entered the room.
Well, Darcie thought she was scantily clad. After spending weeks with modest immortals, she found herself uncomfortable to see the revealing clothing.
In truth, the short shorts and strapless top could just be the girl’s modern style.
“A meal,” Adir spoke to the woman. “For our guest.”
The girl bowed her neck and left almost as soon as she entered. Unlike Eric, she did not spare a glance in Darcie’s direction. She wondered at how many “servants” Adir had at his disposal.
“What makes you think you will not be punished for kidnapping me?” Darcie asked with genuine curiosity. She suspected Adir had a plan but could not figure it out herself. “They could say they will step down as the enforcers, but then keep doing it once I’m safe.”
Adir smirked. “Honor among immortals, especially the Original Nine, is valued above all else.”
“I plan to reach out to the brothers,” Adir continued. “I will inform them of your presence with me, and that I will release you to their custody once they publically denounce the limitation placed on immortals by The Council. Then, they shall step down and you will be returned to their care.”
Darcie couldn’t see the plan working. It relied too heavily on factors beyond Adir’s control. “And then the rebellion will attack once you are all stronger?”
Adir nodded and winked. “You got it.”
Darcie turned towards the window. She stared, avoiding Adir’s gaze, and longed for the freedom beyond its glass.
Darcie resisted pointing out the fact she now knew of Adir’s true plan. Once she returned to safety, she could easily inform the brothers of it.
Either Adir overlooked the major flaw in his plan, or he had a way to ensure her knowledge would not threaten him. Darcie decided she didn’t want to find out which was true.
“Don’t look so worried,” Adir told Darcie. From her peripheral vision, she could see he observed her.
“Although the brothers took you in their home for protection, please believe it was done only with selfish intentions.”
The air in the room shifted as tension moved through the space.
“The brothers crave power so much they are willing to do whatever it takes to secure more of it, including abducting and holding a young woman hostage.”
Darcie couldn’t help but look over to where Adir stood.
Anger and resentment rolled off him in waves. His expression conveyed sympathy and fury on her behalf. Darcie didn’t know what to make of it.
“Despite Des’ constant report you are not his future companion, Thane and Lome insisted you stay with them at their home. Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “They were protecting me from other immortals. I was attacked twice.”
“Indeed. Those members of the rebellion were out of line. No one should have attempted you harm. You are an innocent. That is not the way of this rebellion,” Adir replied.
Darcie felt no relief in the confirmation immortal rebels were behind the attacks on her life.
The brothers often referenced the rebellion as orchestrators of her attack, but the realization did little for her now. The sound of stilettos against bathroom tile played in Darcie’s mind.
“Evetta was an Ori
ginal Nine,” she pointed out. “She would’ve been a leader in the rebellion.”
“Evetta’s action was fueled by something beyond justice. She thrived on jealousy of others as well as herself. I am sorry you became a victim of it.” His eyes were soft as he spoke.
It was becoming more difficult for Darcie to see through Adir’s concern. His acting was award-worthy.
“They were using you, Darcie,” Adir’s long legs moved him to stand above where she sat. She bent her neck back in order to see his face.
Adir gazed down at her with sympathy. “Thane, Lome, and Des have always thrived as the most powerful immortals. They would do anything to maintain their status. Including,” Adir reached out a hand and gently traced her cheek bone, “isolating you from the world you know.”
Darcie leaned away from his touch. “You criticize them, but you plan on doing the exact same thing. You’ve already told me of your plan to use me as collateral to get what you want.”
Adir lowered his arm. “You are right. I do plan on using you for leverage.”
“The difference is,” Adir lowered himself to the ground. He knelt on one knee and reached out to take Darcie’s hand, the one he nearly crushed at the ball. She tried to pull away, but his grip was strong.
“The difference is,” he continued. “My motives are pure. I am not using you for my own selfish gain. Rather, you will be helping right a wrong from more than one-thousand years ago. For too long, the brothers have manipulated and controlled the rest of us. It is time to demand equality. You can help us do that.”
Adir’s eyes locked on hers. They seemed to look into her mind, searching for her reaction to his words.
Slowly, she released a breath. “This isn’t my fight,” she finally managed to say. Once again, she tried to remove her hand. Adir held on and placed his other hand on top of theirs.
“The brothers made this your fight,” he tightened his grasp as he emphasized the word. “Whether you like it or not, you are in this now.”
Adir leaned forward. Darcie stilled, too afraid to move an inch.
His face continued moving toward hers and stopped when he was barely a breath away. “The question is, are you going to continue to let the brothers make decisions for you?”
Enlightened (Immortal Chronicles Book 1) Page 18
