by Ford, Lizzy
“Only you can make being soul-less not sound horrible,” Stephanie grumbled.
“Stay safe. Leave quickly and stay away,” he added and dropped his hands. “I’ll do what I can to keep the Immortals away from you.”
“I thought you said you have no power.” She turned to face him. Her emotions had quieted, though her eyes darted to his lips.
“I have my charm,” he said and winked. He wasn’t going to admit the truth: that they were both in danger, and he was already fucked.
She hesitated.
“Go on.” He glanced towards Hannah.
“What will happen to you?” Stephanie asked a little uncertainly.
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
She gave him a long look then turned away. Hannah opened the door to the chamber, and Stephanie followed her out into the hallway. She paused once more to look back at him before sliding out the door.
Of all the emotions Fate experienced, he didn’t expect to feel relieved. With Stephanie out of Wynn’s grip, she wasn’t going to be used against him. Further, he’d have the opportunity to manipulate those he needed to on his end to keep his promise of protecting her without putting her in the crosshairs.
And … the woman currently confusing him was gone. He had too much time to think when it came to being a human and not enough where she was involved. His fingertips tingled from where he’d touched her arms, and his blood was racing with heat. He had never been possessive about anything, even the Future, never felt drawn to fight the flow of life and the universe and take a real stand.
A tiny shift inside him, a tiny voice, yearned for his mate. This concerned him more than what Wynn planned to do to him. A mate left him vulnerable to manipulation and threatened his freedom.
And he began to think he really didn’t care, not if giving Stephanie up for good meant he lost the unusual connection they shared before he’d had a chance to understand it. His life had been planned so as to eliminate the chance of regrets. He knew with no uncertainty that he’d regret losing her if he didn’t have a chance to explore the appeal of a mate.
Chapter Nine
A week passed. Then two, three, four, five. By the sixth, the shock of Olivia’s death and her introduction to the Immortal society had faded. All that remained were Stephanie’s nightmares and the tattoo.
And bills. She sifted through the stack on the kitchen table she’d shared with Olivia. The apartment was quiet. At the very least, her rent was paid through the end of the year by Olivia’s parents, who hadn’t wanted to throw out their late daughter’s friend after the trauma of Carmel.
“There’s a baseball bat in every room of the house,” her sister, Sammy, said, jarring her out of her thoughts. The blonde kickboxing champion entered the kitchen with a grin. “They’re metal, too.”
“But, remember, don’t confront someone if you don’t have to,” their mother added. “Just run and call the police.”
“Don’t let them kidnap you though if they catch you.”
“Sammy, these people are really bad. She’d just make things worse fighting them. It’s what the police said. Run, get somewhere safe, and call.”
“But what if –”
“Omigod. I’ll be fine,” Stephanie said and rolled her eyes.
They both looked at her, neither willing to call her bluff.
Unable to discuss what happened that night or where she’d gone, Stephanie let herself be swept away in the assumptions of others. Her mother thought she was suffering post traumatic stress syndrome from seeing her roommate killed and being kidnapped while others assumed she was in the middle of a breakdown. She didn’t care what they thought, so long as they gave her some space and no one asked too many questions.
Stephanie expected to remain traumatized after leaving the castle, to become the basket case everyone else thought she was.
Her state of mind, however, was far from traumatized. The real world seemed less solid, less hers, and she found herself almost … bored. Waiting for something magical to happen when she turned the corner at the grocery store. She’d almost been special among the Immortals. Worse, as fucked up as their world was, she felt like she belonged, like her lifetime of not understanding how she fit into the human world suddenly made sense. The real world, the human world, was back to confusing her, to making her feel like life held no meaning and she was stuck on the fringes.
Not that she wanted anything to do with her father, but she had liked Kiki and …
Fate. Whenever she thought of him, of how ludicrous it was to marry a god, her heartbeat accelerated, and she smelled brown sugar. He’d somehow kept his promise. No Immortal or demon or anything else had shown up in her house in six weeks. Stunning in appearance, enigmatic and intelligent enough to scare her, Fate left her dumbfounded whenever she thought of him and their short conversations. She stretched back to touch the tattoo. If not for the markings, she would’ve dismissed the entire adventure as a psychotic break after witnessing Olivia’s murder.
Realizing her family was staring at her, she shook off her thoughts and stood from the table. “I’m sure the bats are amazing, Sammy,” she said with a snort. “And yes, Mom, I’ll run.”
“I’m going to make sure your windows are locked before we go.” Sammy left the kitchen.
Rachel Jennings was studying her closely. “Someday, when you’re ready, I really want to know what happened.”
“I know.”
“It’s important.”
Not a chance in hell. Stephanie smiled instead of speaking. “I’m okay, Mom, really.” She hugged her mom. “They aren’t coming back to get me.”
“I wish I could believe that.” Her mother sounded sad. “I wish I’d kept you safer.”
“I’m twenty three. I can take care of myself.”
“You’ll always be my baby.”
Stephanie smiled, happy to feel her mother’s worry after the stint with the Immortals. “I love you, Mom. Kisses!” She started kissing her mother’s hair the way she did when she was little.
Rachel laughed and tried to wriggle away. Smaller than either daughter, she was soon trapped when Sammy wrapped her arms around her, too, and both assaulted her with kisses.
Stephanie laughed for the first time in weeks. She released her, and Sammy did as well.
“My silly babies.” Her mother’s face was glowing. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to us,” Sammy said with a sigh. “I’m too tough, and Steph is too smart. We’re good, Mom.” She turned to Stephanie. “I meant to ask you last week. When did you get a tattoo?”
Stephanie froze then caught herself. Normal people didn’t know what the tattoo meant. She tugged her shirt down over the hem of her jeans. “You saw that.”
“It’s gorgeous. I always thought I’d be the one to get one first.” Sammy indicated for her to turn around. “Look, Mom. Isn’t this cool?”
Stephanie lifted her shirt, aware neither of them had any clue what it meant.
“Who or what is Shai?” Sammy asked.
“Ancient Egyptian god of fate,” their mother answered, a hushed note in her voice.
“How’d you know that?” Steph asked and faced them. Sammy, too, appeared surprised by their mother’s obscure knowledge. A strange sense passed over Stephanie, one that made her wonder if her mom knew something more about Wynn than she’d ever revealed.
She dismissed the idea, not about to suspect her sweet mother of having that deep of an involvement with Wynn and his fucked up world.
Rachel was frowning. “I read it somewhere,” she murmured. She stared hard at Stephanie. “I think we need to have that talk sooner than later.”
“Not now,” Stephanie pleaded. “Just give me a little more time.”
Before her mother could insist, a knock sounded at the door. Stephanie fled the kitchen and opened it to find Olivia’s younger brother in the hallway.
“Hey,” he said. “I came to get
another box or two.”
“Yeah, sure.” Stephanie led him into the living room, where she’d stacked the boxes of Olivia’s things. Her brother dropped by when he was in the neighborhood, about once a week, to pick up another load.
“We’re going to head out!” Sammy called.
“Call me when you’re done!” her mother insisted.
“Okay,” Stephanie said, though she had no intention of following through.
“I’m serious!”
“I heard you!”
Rachel continued to frown as she left the apartment with Sammy.
Olivia’s brother grabbed one box without a word and left the apartment. Stephanie did the same, gritting her teeth under the weight of the journals she’d found stacked in Olivia’s closet. Stephanie walked down the narrow stairs and out the lobby doors to the Smart car parked in front of the building. Olivia’s brother maneuvered his box into the passenger seat then took the journals from her.
She stepped back, breathing in the sea and pine trees surrounding the cozy town of Newport, Oregon. “You want me to get another box?” she asked.
Olivia’s brother stood back and evaluated the space. “Nah. Not this time. I’ll be back next week,” he said.
She stepped onto the curb and shielded her eyes against the midday sun. Movement across the street caught her attention. A tall man with dark hair stood staring at her. At her look, he began walking.
Stephanie watched him. Uneasiness drifted through her. She’d grown wary, if not paranoid, about her surroundings since Carmel. She had no way of knowing if he was one of them, but she also didn’t doubt he could be. He was creepy enough.
“See you next week!” Olivia’s brother said and hopped into his car.
“Yeah,” she replied, distracted.
The figure disappeared around a corner, and she stepped back from the curb. Stephanie folded her arms and retraced her path to her apartment. She’d left the door open and sighed, irritated with herself for not being more careful now that she knew monsters were real.
She closed and locked the door and started to return to the kitchen table to ruminate over how she was going to pay the utility bills when she had no job. A faint sound came from the living room, and she froze.
“Hello?”
No response.
Stephanie stretched for the bat Sammy had placed inside the kitchen. Her protective sister had been more than willing to help her feel safe again after the presumed kidnapping. Her heartbeat filled her ears and adrenaline lit her blood. She gripped the bat tightly and entered the living room.
A man sat on her couch, tossing magazines off the coffee table in disgust. He was well over six feet, muscular, with Middle Eastern features and a scowl. His eyes were amber enough to be gold. At first glance, he appeared normal, until she saw the weapons lining his belt. Normal people didn’t carry weirdly shaped knives.
“What do you want?” she demanded, lifting the bat.
“First, to know why your magazines suck,” he replied and tossed the last on the floor. Unconcerned with her, he stood. His gaze scoured the living area with disdain rather than interest. “This whole place sucks.”
“Who the fuck are you?” she snapped.
He glanced at her. “One of your brothers. You know how hard it was to find you?”
“I didn’t exactly want to be found.”
“With a family as fucked up as ours, I don’t blame you.”
Something about his delivery reassured her he wasn’t a demon or other kind of monster. She lowered the bat to her side.
“But … you are family,” he added, gaze settling on her. He held out a hand. “I’m Tamer.”
She recognized the name from her talks with Kiki. Against her better judgment, she shook his hand and then stepped away quickly.
“I’ve been trying to find you for the past few weeks. Kiki won’t leave me the fuck alone about making sure your life went back to normal.”
“That’s not possible.”
“I told him the same fucking thing.” Tamer crossed to the photographs displayed on one wall. “Your mother is the only one that survived our father. He killed the rest of ours after they gave birth. I’m guessing she outsmarted him. Is she an Immortal? Doesn’t look like an Immortal.” He was quiet. “What the fuck do I know?”
She didn’t feel as alarmed this time by the revelation Wynn had murdered seven women after they bore his sons. She’d kept her distance from her family since returning as well, as if a part of her knew her stint with the Immortals wasn’t over yet.
“So what’re you doing here?” she asked.
“Someone found you.”
“Who?”
“Demons.”
Oh, god. They were in her nightmares at least three times a week, either in their human forms with huge fangs or as monsters.
“Go pack. Time to move,” he added.
Stephanie studied him before obeying. Her hands shook as she pulled a small suitcase from the closet and began tossing in the essentials. Was she horrified to be dragged back to their world or relieved to leave her boring one?
“Can I ask where we’re going?” she called.
“Not Wynn’s.”
“Good enough.” She tucked a picture of her family in the suitcase and zipped it. “How is Kiki and … uh …” She stopped herself.
“Your mate?”
“He’s not my mate.”
“Yeah. Get over it.” He sounded amused. “Kiki is his normal, boring, organized self. Last I heard, Fate wasn’t doing too good. Almost made the list.”
“What list?”
“Death’s list.”
Her breath caught. Stephanie dropped the suitcase and returned to the living area. “He’s not dead.”
“Not yet. Close. My boss is freaking out about it.”
“Your boss is … Death.” She’d spent much of her time writing down everything she learned about the Immortals as a way of sorting through the overwhelming experience.
“Yup.”
Stephanie absorbed the information. A sense of panic fluttered deep inside her. She barely knew the man and certainly didn’t consider him a husband, even if the Immortals assumed that was the case. But … he’d helped her twice and promised to do what he could to protect her, despite being a prisoner of Wynn’s. It was more effort than anyone else in their weird world had made.
“But he’s not dead, right?” she prodded once more, uncertain why the thought made her start to panic.
“Nope. Boss says he can’t die-dead or the world ends.”
“Oh. That’s … good, I guess. Wynn won’t destroy the world, will he?”
“To get what he wants? Yeah.”
“What does he want?”
“No one knows.”
She shook her head, confused already, and grabbed her suitcase. “Can I … should I … uh, do something?” she asked awkwardly. She felt the answer but didn’t want to acknowledge it.
“Come with me. It’s all you can do.”
A chilly, damp breeze touched the back of her neck, and she shivered.
“No!” cried a familiar female voice.
Stephanie spun. Fate’s sister walked from a portal in her bedroom into the living area. Her eyes were wild, flickering rapidly between every color of the rainbow. Her hair rippled with unnatural hues as well, and her features were flushed.
Overwhelmed by her wired energy, Stephanie backed away.
Tamer eyed her. “Karma, I presume.”
“Death dealer.”
“Karma, as in the karma?” Stephanie asked.
“Yes,” said the woman. She stepped between them. “And if you want her, you have to go through me.”
“We’re not enemies, godling,” Tamer snarled. “My boss wants your brother alive as much as you do!”
“My brother is dying as we speak! He needs her!”
“If you have an ounce of sense, you’ll know you can’t fuck with Wynn without a plan!”
“Or …
a third option. We can eliminate both of you and take her with us.”
The two fell silent at the third voice. Three men in black, all with fangs, emerged from the kitchen.
Stephanie shifted to grab her bat once more.
“Oh, no. That won’t happen.” Karma stepped boldly up to the first. Her hair and eyes were black. She knocked aside his attempt to strike her and snatched him by the neck, lifting him off the ground with superhuman strength.
Stephanie watched. Just when she thought the Immortals couldn’t surprise her any more, she saw the goddess Karma draining the life from a demon. The creature wriggled in her grasp without being able to escape. His skin began to shrivel and cling to his bones while blood streamed out of every orifice.
She stumbled away, not about to be an inch closer to Karma or the demons.
Tamer waved her towards him. She dropped the carrier of her suitcase and clambered over the couch to reach him. A portal yawned open, and she crowded him, ready to run.
“No!” Karma’s cry came a split second before Stephanie was tackled to the ground by Fate’s sister. Energy smashed into her, rattling her to her teeth like lightning. Stephanie lay still, gasping for air and uncertain what the hell was going on.
Karma and Tamer were fighting each other when not murdering demons. Stephanie barely escaped being trampled by the factions warring in her tiny living room and hauled herself up onto a side table, displacing the lamp that was there. Her gaze fell to the portal, and Fate’s instructions returned to her.
More demons were streaming through the front door.
Stephanie bolted into the portal. When she stood in the cool depths with fog clinging to her ankles, she cleared her mind as much as possible. No image of where she wanted to go formed, for there was nowhere she knew to run.
“Somewhere safe,” she whispered. “Wherever that may be.”
One of the doors glowed in response. This one was a black door, unlike the yellowish doors lining the rest of the cave. She approached it, aware of the melee in the apartment behind her. Did she trust a magic door or take her chances with Karma and a bunch of demons?
