by Ford, Lizzy
Wynn wouldn’t hesitate to seize the chance to manipulate a deity through his daughter.
Wynn wouldn’t knock up a human, either. Fate hadn’t had the chance to dig around for information about Stephanie’s mother before Karma balanced him, but he had observed Wynn long enough to understand the Immortal made no mistakes, especially when selecting the mothers of his children. With no soul for deities to read, Stephanie was a blank spot to anyone trying to solve the mystery of her mother.
The rumor of him having a mate would put his reputation at risk, as would his ability to stay one step ahead of the Dark One, who had become his chief opponent on the chessboard the past few millennia. Too much was at risk, both to himself and the rest of the world.
But walking completely away didn’t feel like an option, either, as if some part of him accepted his place in her life. That piece of him was buried too deeply for him to determine exactly why he had decided to attend tonight instead of staying in Carmel.
“Can I get you anything?” Kiki asked, joining him.
“No, thanks,” Fate replied.
“Mind if I join you?”
“As you will.” Fate glanced at him. His instincts, honed over the course of a lifetime, understood Kiki wasn’t there to chit chat. The business-oriented member of Wynn’s clan had been the lowest of the Ancients on Fate’s radar for this reason. He wasn’t erratic or prone to power plays like the others.
“We weren’t introduced the other day,” Kiki said.
“I know who you are.”
“Usually when people introduce themselves, they both give their names.”
“Hmm.”
The Immortal shook his head. “Look, I’m not Wynn. I think she’s in danger being here. Whatever game you guys are playing, take some poor human out of the middle.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fate replied, sipping his drink. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check on my sister.” He started away, irritated Kiki knew enough to suspect why he was there. Had he given it away? Had Karma said something when she shouldn’t have?
“Shai,” Kiki called after him.
Fate stopped in his tracks. He faced the Immortal, his lightheartedness gone, and returned to Kiki. “I haven’t heard that name in quite some time,” he said. “I wasn’t aware anyone knew it.”
Kiki cleared his throat. “I’m not trying to cause any issues. We just need to talk.”
“You have my attention.” Fate stood aside. “Let’s talk.”
Kiki nodded and led him through the crowd, out of the chalet and into the dark, cool night. Fate breathed in the scent of pine trees and sky, marveling at how strong the smells were as a human.
Laughter and light spilled out from the balcony four stories above them. Kiki’s gaze flickered up to the windows of the party before he focused on Fate.
“What makes you think I can help her?” Fate asked before Kiki could speak.
“No Immortal is going to do it,” Kiki replied. “And you’re in the right position.”
“Meaning …”
“I saw the mating mark, and my brother deciphered whose name it is. By Immortal Code –”
“Immortal Code does not govern the doings of deities.”
There was a pause, then, “You have to claim your mate. I don’t care who you are. She needs your protection.”
“I’m not in a position to protect her.”
“You’re a fucking deity!” Kiki exclaimed. “Wynn called this party tonight for the sole purpose of seeing what Immortal ended up preordained to take her as a mate. Do you have any idea what he’ll do when he figures out it’s not just an Immortal he can manipulate but a god?” Kiki ran a hand through his hair. “He’s hoping her mate turns out to be from another Immortal family, an influential one he intends to crush after taking their money.”
“The dealings of Immortals are not my business.”
“But she is!”
Fate was quiet. He didn’t care to openly admit to anyone, especially Wynn’s son, that there was more involved than Stephanie at the moment.
“I knew your kind were trouble,” Kiki muttered angrily.
“Most people know better than to insult a deity,” Fate said, unable to help his amusement. He studied Kiki. The Immortal was in distress, pacing and clenching his hands. “There’s something else going on here, isn’t there?”
For a long moment, Kiki was quiet. “Wynn’s up to something,” he said at last. “I don’t know what, but I know finding her now isn’t a coincidence.”
“You think he knew about his daughter.”
“I’d wager my soul to a demon he did. No one knew he existed before a year ago. He’s been planning something. It’s what he does.”
Fate listened. Wynn’s reappearance, after being dead-dead for thousand of years, hadn’t surprised him. In the complicated maneuverings of deities, he’d run across the chain of events that led to Wynn’s return more than once and worked with Past-Death, his former adversary, often enough to suspect what she was doing in the background.
If she were half-human, Stephanie would hold no power that could help Wynn. Fate once again wondered what Wynn was truly after and what secret he and Stephanie were both hiding about who she really was.
“Will you consider getting her out of here for awhile?” Kiki asked.
“What does she know of her Immortal abilities?”
“Nothing yet. I told her she needs to become as useless as possible to Wynn.”
“Wise. Why have you not turned her over to Andre?”
“He’s missing.”
“Missing or dead-dead?”
Kiki shrugged. “Wynn won’t tell me. I know they met a few weeks ago, and Andre vanished.”
“There aren’t many places where a deity can be kept without anyone noticing.”
“There’s one I know of.”
“The preferred place of exile for Wynn’s sons,” Fate mused, thoughts on how two of Wynn’s sons had served stints in Hell, one voluntarily while the other was exiled. “A deity-son imprisoned by the Dark One and a daughter he suddenly acknowledges. Wynn is up to something.”
“You’re the only one who knows what.”
“Not at the moment,” Fate said carefully. “I’m on vacation.”
Kiki scowled. “Then go back to work!”
Fate offered a distracted smile, thoughts on Stephanie. At first an inconvenient complication, her appearance was beginning to appear a little less random.
With turmoil in his breast, Fate realized he was going to have to enter this game after all. It meant he was also about to be at odds with Wynn – without the aid of his power.
There was a time near the beginning of his reign when he’d had to use more than wits to win. He’d never truly forgotten what it meant to fight, even if he’d moved away from physical altercations in favor of long-term manipulation to keep others in check. It was during this period he checked his future daily – and when he’d first seen the dual chain of events he first thought unlikely but which now seemed inevitable. Wynn was going to destroy the Immortals in his quest, and Fate was about to claim his mate.
“Does she know what the marking means?” he asked and swirled what remained of his drink.
“No. I told her to keep it a secret.”
A shriek pierced the night, and both of them looked up in time to see one of Wynn’s guests being thrown off the balcony by a man-sized creature with fangs and wings.
“Demons,” Kiki breathed. He bolted.
What is Wynn up to? Wynn and the fortress held special magics to keep the demons out. For demons to appear in the middle of Wynn’s party …
It wasn’t an accident. Fate tossed the glass and ran after Kiki. They raced through the chalet towards the sounds of screams. Immortal warriors scrambled to react, and guests began pouring out of the massive chamber.
Kiki stopped and snatched one warrior, barking orders and gesticulating wildly. Fate fought the flow of panic
ked Immortals, eyes searching the crowd for signs of Karma or the mate he didn’t want.
He shoved his way into the parlor and ducked out of the flow of traffic. Several demons were rampaging the parlor, killing and destroying everything in their paths.
“Brother!” Karma tripped and caught herself against the wall beside him. She appeared excited and sacred and grabbed his arm. “The human. She’s trapped!” She pointed.
“Get to safety,” he said and pushed her in the direction of the other fleeing guests.
Without stopping to debate the wisdom of his actions, Fate worked his way through the guests until he came to a point where he could see exactly what was going on. Wynn was absent, and the bodies of several other Immortals littered the floor. Five rampaging demons were chewing and clawing a path through the guests. Blood sprayed the walls and ceiling and anyone near, including the frozen figure of Stephanie at the center of the drama.
His breath caught. As before, his insides seized as if crushed by an invisible hand. His instincts, the ones he normally silenced with peeks at the future, were screaming at the thought of her in danger. The intensity of his reaction startled him, reminded him there was something else at work here, a magic carried over from the time-before-time that not even he was immune to.
I never had a choice, he admitted.
Stephanie’s eyes were squeezed closed and her chest heaving as if she were struggling not to panic.
One demon drew near, sniffed at her, and then swept by her.
The demons either couldn’t sense her or weren’t interested in a creature without a soul.
The shouts of Immortal warriors in the hallway, trying to get by the panicked guests, drew the focus of two beasts, who began chasing the fleeing Immortals.
Fate gauged the speed and movement of those that remained, capable of calculating the most likely actions after years of challenging himself to do so without the aid of his power.
He waited for his opportunity and strode confidently into the middle of the mess. Side stepping demons and over bodies, with his sensitive human senses trained on the world, he kept his focus on Stephanie. Whether or not he intended to, he’d just entered the game, and he was going to play it with the same methodology he used to plot the futures of billions of people: discipline, focus and the grim knowledge that losing meant the end of life everywhere. There was no room for error in what he did, ever.
As he drew near her, he saw the figure of Wynn in the balcony, shrouded by the night. The Ancient Immortal was smiling faintly, watching him.
Vaguely, in the depths of his mind, Fate realized this was Wynn’s doing, to flush out the mate of his daughter. Fate’s gaze was drawn to a demon and then quickly back to the balcony.
Wynn was gone. However, the feeling Fate was walking into a trap of some kind stirred, along with dread powerful enough, his stomach hurt.
Chapter Seven
Stephanie had been enjoying the dinner party as much as possible. Everyone she met was especially nice, the food fantastic and the event a distraction from the fact she’d left her old life behind several days before. If anything, people seemed warmer towards her than they were Wynn. She hadn’t expected such a welcome from complete strangers after never fitting in anywhere in her life. It was a pleasant experience.
Until the monsters came. She’d started to run from the melee then been cut off and watched several guests attacked. Unable to cope with the sight, she’d simply closed her eyes and waited to die. Somehow, the monsters hadn’t gotten to her yet, despite the screams and sounds of bodies hitting the ground around her. She waited, trying hard not to panic and even harder not to run. She wasn’t getting far in her dressy shoes and she preferred a quick death to a slow one.
“Hey, gorgeous.” Warm hands rested on her forearms, and she flinched. “This party’s gone to hell. You ready to get out of here?”
Her eyes flew open at the familiar voice, and she looked up into the mesmerizing gaze of the enigmatic stranger she’d met in Carmel. He smiled, seemingly unaffected by the massacre occurring around them. He wore a suit of light grey fitted to his athletic form. His shirt was open at the neck to reveal the golden skin of his chest, and his warmth countered the chill creeping in from the open balcony. His light brown hair was mussed fashionably. His direct gaze jarred her out of the cycle of inner panic.
Was he this incredible looking when they first met? Enough for her to forget the monsters around them?
“Y…yes,” she whispered.
“Let’s go.” He held out a hand.
She took it, looking around feverishly at the demons he didn’t seem to notice. The bodies were piling up, and she froze, unable to move. Visions of Olivia were in her thoughts again.
“Head up.” He lifted her chin. “Ready?”
She didn’t respond.
The man casually unbuttoned the jacket of his suit and began walking towards one monster. He tugged her when she hesitated, and she sucked in a breath, waiting for it to see them and attack.
It didn’t. Their timing was perfect, and they reached the spot it was the second after it had leapt to attack someone else.
Stephanie didn’t let herself look at who it was attacking. She gripped his hand in both of hers, hanging onto him for dear life as he seemed to follow an invisible path through the mayhem and monsters. Once, she was certain a monster was headed towards them only to be cut off by one of the soldiers that lived in the castle.
The stranger glanced over his shoulder to give her a quick smile of reassurance at odds with the steely determination in his gaze and continued the confident walk through the madness without slowing or stopping once.
Stephanie’s amazement grew after another near miss, and she crowded him, going so far as to hug his arm so he didn’t accidentally leave her behind. The cries of dying Immortals were soon joined by the pain-filled roars of monsters. She squeezed her eyes closed, close to panicking, and prayed with all her might for the stranger to lead them both to safety.
The sounds of mayhem grew fainter as he led her into the hallway and away from the people. She didn’t release him then or when they turned a corner. It was all she could do to keep from collapsing into a screaming puddle of uselessness, the kind likely to get them killed if any rogue monster escaped the soldiers into the castle.
He stopped and drew her into his body. One of his arms wrapped around her back, the other around her shoulders so his hand rested on her head. He tucked her securely against him.
Stephanie struggled to block the sounds, the memories, the feel of blood splashing her skin. The man’s body was strong, solid and warm. He grounded her when she thought for sure she had finally snapped. A few days pretending to lay low, to accept the insanity of a world she didn’t know existed, had nonetheless been filled with enough angst and anxiety about her fate and that of her family that she’d spent every night crying herself to sleep. She’d been unable to leave and unwilling to try after another warning from Kiki. The sense of helplessness hit her again in the middle of the banquet hall, where she’d found herself almost grateful something was going to end the nightmare.
In the stranger’s arms, away from the mayhem, she shook hard enough she couldn’t stand on her own. Instead of dwelling on how she was cowering in someone’s arms, she focused instead on his faint scent – sandalwood and brown sugar – and pulling her senses and emotions back from the brink. The stranger didn’t speak, for which she was grateful. Slowly, her mind left the banquet hall and returned to her. She clutched at the stranger’s suit and opened her eyes. His heartbeat was steady and strong, and the warmth of his body bled through his shirt, assuring her at least he was real. The physical connection, the heat of his frame with the warm energy he gave off, soothed her.
Like this world, being in his arms felt too natural, too right, for her not to belong.
“I have a feeling what happens next is going to be equally unpleasant.” He spoke in a low, calm voice.
She lifted her head to see h
is face. His enthralling eyes studied her features. Realizing she was intimately pressed to the body of a complete stranger, she stiffened and shifted away until they no longer touched. He released her readily, and they gazed at one another long enough for the moment to become awkward. The attraction was stronger this meeting than last, and she struggled against the urge to return to his embrace.
“I want to leave,” she said hoarsely. “Now.”
“The situation’s complicated.”
“It’s easy. We just go.”
“Has anything about the Immortal world been easy?” he challenged. “Your father isn’t going to be so quick to free you.”
“That asshole is not a father.” She swiped at tears in her eyes. “I don’t care. You can come or not.” The moment she said the words, she wished she hadn’t. She sounded like she was asking a complete stranger to accompany her, and her face flamed with heat. “I mean … I’m leaving.” She spun away and started down the hallway in the opposite direction of the banquet halls.
She tripped on the heels and cursed, pausing to take them off so she could run without worrying about breaking her neck. Stephanie quickened her step, overly aware of the handsome man following her. His brown sugar scent lingered, and she found herself lost between the images of people dying in the banquet hall and how it felt to be in his arms.
Had she ever felt stripped so bare to the world? She focused on leaving the castle of the man who should never have been a father to anyone. Kiki’s map had the exits marked and she sought to recall which direction would take her out of the madness. She reached the stairwell located in each corner of the castle and hurried down the cool stone steps.
“You don’t have to come,” she said over her shoulder.
“On the contrary, I do.”
I’m not asking why. Something about the man always compelled her closer when she needed to run away. She reached the landing to the third floor and continued. By the time she was at the ground floor, she heard the sound of boots on stone as several people followed them. Fueled by fear of discovery, she reached the ground floor to join the rest of the guests who had been evacuated from the banquet hall. Grateful for the masses to hide in, Stephanie wove through the Immortals in the direction she thought the exit was.
