by Lizzy Ford
Safe. Soon. The answer from her Watcher was far briefer than its normal exchanges. Relief poured through her. As much as Dusty and his brothers distrusted the Watchers, she’d found them unlikely friends. They’d never lied to her.
Bianca sat back, hands shaking. She waited for news of Sofi and prayed for her mate, wherever he was.
Darian couldn’t believe what he’d seen through Jenn’s eyes. He’d altered their course to take them to the beach, where the obelisk was. Where Jenn was. Where she was.
“Darian, where are we going?” Yully asked.
“I’ve got some business to take care of.”
“And I want to kill some Others.”
Darian glanced at Charles. “Both of you, go to the obelisk. Stay behind it. No one will mess with you before I get there.” He held out his hand to Charles, pushing the location into his mind.
“I’ll start collecting its magic,” Yully said. “Don’t be long, Darian.”
“I won’t be far,” he promised.
Heart pounding, Darian waited until they were gone. He sheathed his weapons and Traveled to where the beach met the apple orchard. Xander materialized and leaned against a tree, watching. Darian moved forward as if in a dream, stopping within the shade of apple trees as he gazed at the scene before him.
“Sexy,” Xander purred. “Hope you don’t want them both to live through this.”
The two warriors were well matched physically. Darian took in Jenn’s body first. She’d been through a lot already today; her exposed midriff and leggings were red with dried blood, and cuts crisscrossed her arms and back. His necklace bounced against her chest as she struck and blocked with fluid, catlike movements.
His gaze moved to her opponent, a woman who looked as poised and rested as Jenn appeared battered. Claire’s auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail, her shapely body clad in a black cat-suit. Her blue eyes flashed with familiar fire, fire that used to make his blood hot for her.
Memories bombarded him, almost crippling him. Memories of a time when he’d been happy as the White God with his Oracle at his side. Memories of a time spent in a black hell while his mate helped the Black God keep him enslaved. She was still as beautiful as the day he met her, but she’d never have Jenn’s heart. Jenn fought for him. Claire fought for Claire.
“I thought she was dead,” he said at last. “Damian killed her.”
“Does it matter?” Xander said. “Whoever you don’t want is mine. Jenn would be a good addition to my … collection.”
“You’re not getting either of them.”
“You only get one mate. Pick one.”
“There’s no decision to make.” Darian looked at Xander, unable to determine what game the Original Being played. The Vamp watched, interest on his features as the two women fought.
“She’s not going to win with that cuff on,” Xander observed.
Darian watched for a moment longer. Jenn was holding her own, even without her magic. But as a mortal, she’d tire faster than Claire, whose magic would continue to feed off the surroundings to keep her energized. Claire just had to keep on her feet until Jenn’s strength gave out. A few close calls made it more of a challenge, as Claire bounced back to avoid Jenn’s strategic strikes.
Xander was right. Darian had to interfere before either was killed. He had unfinished business with both women, and he wasn’t about to let Jenn fight a battle she’d lose.
His surprise wore off, replaced by cold rage that rose from deep within him.
“I don’t have time for this.”
Darian strode forward, Xander forgotten as he focused on the two women. The tip of Claire’s sword sliced Jenn’s collarbone, freeing the necklace. Jenn ducked a second strike, and Claire snatched the necklace from the ground with a triumphant smile. Darian saw the fury cross Jenn’s face, and her next strikes were fast and hard enough they might’ve given her the upper hand she needed.
Darian snatched her sword arm to keep it from falling. Claire was in the surf, her own sword just out of her reach but the necklace clenched in her hand. She scrambled up, ever the actress, and smiled at him as if this was any other day before the Schism.
“Go to Yully,” he said to Jenn with firmness even she wouldn’t challenge. Darian released her and stepped between the two women. Trust me, he added silently.
He felt Jenn’s pain the moment he stepped towards Claire. Jenn’s emotion was raw, and it reverberated within him. He knew that kind of pain. He was looking at the only person who’d ever caused it.
“It never pays to be the mistress, love,” Claire said to Jenn.
Darian motioned for his former mate to walk with him down the beach. Claire appeared pleased, and he couldn’t quite get over just how unconcerned she was with what she’d done to him.
“Did the Others or Watchers set this up?” he asked.
“What matters is that we’re here together again,” Claire replied.
Others, he told himself mentally.
“Have you missed me?” she teased. “I remember how we used to walk this stretch every night, before the Schism.”
Darian looked out over the sea. He’d always loved the teal waters that were neither too warm nor too cool.
“We’re not thirty feet from the pool where you used to make love to me,” Claire said. “You do remember, don’t you?”
“I remember everything.”
“They gave me a second chance. I was as much a prisoner to Czerno as you were. I never thought we’d be here again.”
Darian said nothing. He expected the sight of her to stir the storm within him. He was as calm as the sea.
“I don’t remember you being so quiet, love,” she said, looking at him finally.
“A lot has changed,” Darian replied. “I’ve come to peace with some things and am working towards peace on others.”
“You were always so strong. So much stronger than me.”
He glanced at her, taking in the face he’d fallen for so long ago. A tingle of regret rose from his quiet thoughts.
“Yeah,” he agreed softly. “I am.”
“We’ve both learned important lessons about ourselves.”
“What was yours?”
“To trust myself instead of the words of others. I was manipulated into doing what I did to you.”
“Betrayal’s a bitch,” he said.
“You weren’t the only one betrayed, Darian.”
“I didn’t earn my betrayal.”
“It’s done. We both learned and grew,” she said. “We have a second chance now to live as we should have before.”
He stopped walking to face her. Claire hadn’t aged since the day they met. Her fiery hair was darker than Yully’s, her eyes bluer than even Sofi’s. Her face was flushed from the fight with Jenn while her trim body was close enough for her breasts to rub his arm when she breathed in.
He’d wondered how he’d feel if he met her again, what he’d say. The possibility hadn’t existed before the trip to the underworld. He thought he’d feel anger and a familiar passion for the first and only woman he’d ever made love to. He felt nothing, except concern for those fighting guardsmen at the obelisk.
A sound from the direction of the fighting made his heart slow. Jenn’s scream. His mate was alive, but if the Others had it their way, she wouldn’t be for long. They’d been cunning by bringing Claire here to distract him. They meant to light the fuse on his emotions and power by taking what he cared for most. Maybe they wanted to use Jenn against him.
Darian held out his hand for his necklace.
Claire searched his face, trying to read him. She placed it in his hand.
“You forgive me?” she asked.
“I do forgive you,” he said. “I came here to bury the past and the immortal world.”
“I don’t have to be your past. We are, after all, still mated.”
He held up the necklace, gazing at the symbol that marked his lineage. His eyes went past Claire for a moment, to the dark figure
waiting by the tree line. The look was enough for the forefather of all vamps to start towards them.
“I forgive you, Claire, but I don’t want you,” Darian said. “I have a new mate.”
“Darian—”
“I am, however, grateful I got to see you one last time. I don’t think I could’ve let go of you otherwise.”
“There’s no need to let me go.”
“Yes, there is. I made the mistake of not trusting my instincts when I met you,” he said. “I’m going to trust them this time. Right now, they tell me the woman I love is in danger, and you were meant to distract me so someone else could finish her off.” He started away from her towards the obelisk.
“Darian, wait—” Claire called.
“Farewell, Claire.”
He didn’t look back but tagged Xander on the arm as he passed. The vamp’s fangs were already showing. Darian jogged towards the obelisk and followed its tall form into the clouds with his eyes. The raw rage he didn’t feel walking with Claire unfurled within him, until he was sprinting.
Trust me. Darian’s words did nothing to soothe Jenn. She lowered her weapon, breathing hard from the battle in the soft sand. Darian stepped towards Claire. The traitor sheathed her weapons, and Jenn’s gaze went to the necklace in her hand.
“It never pays to be the mistress, love,” Claire purred to Jenn.
Darian motioned for Claire to walk with him, and they started down the beach. Leaving her. Darian clasped his hands behind his back, and Claire’s smile was both triumphant and sweet. They looked like two lovers out for a stroll, not enemies. Raw pain filtered through Jenn as they walked away.
Maybe they aren’t enemies. Jenn sucked in deep breaths, hanging onto Darian’s words.
Trust me, he’d said. Nothing else. And he hadn’t taken back the necklace.
She watched them until she couldn’t bear to anymore. Darian hadn’t even looked at her. He’d blocked the strike that probably would’ve killed the woman who betrayed him, saving her instead.
While the hole inside her grew, Jenn’s sense of duty returned. Darian told her to find Yully. Jenn forced herself to move, hurting more from the wound inside than all those outside. Xander watched her approach, seemingly at ease while the world went to shit around him.
“Where’s Yully?” Jenn asked.
“Obelisk.”
“Take this shit off.” She held out her arm.
He complied, touching it. The cuff fell away, and magic flooded her. At once, her body felt energized where she’d been drained before. Her extrasensory gifts returned. She still felt raw on the inside, but she could fight.
“Good luck,” Xander said, not looking at her.
His dismissal felt permanent, and she hoped whatever business he had with her, it was now done. Jenn glanced up at him. His eyes were on the two walking down the beach, his arms crossed, as if he waited for something. She trotted away from him up the beach towards the marble obelisk that rose out of the orchard. Her hands shook as much from emotion as the returned magic in her blood.
She didn’t let herself think. She ran hard, spotting Yully and Charles fighting back-to-back at the base of the obelisk. The beautiful Magician sparked with magic that rippled through her body and shot out through her knives as she deflected and attacked the guardsmen. Yully’s hair blazed like a fire, her skin as pale as the obelisk. Something seemed off about Charles, but Jenn didn’t have time to place what. She launched into the melee, fighting her way towards the two with brutal ferocity borne of emotion.
She couldn’t get the image of Darian and Claire out of her head. Jenn closed her eyes, reveling in her freed senses and allowing her instincts to guide her. Sweat and tears ran down her face. She fought harder to keep the pain inside her from winning.
Suddenly, there were no more swords falling. Jenn opened her eyes. She slung her head back, filling her lungs with air. She was coated in blood, the metallic scent heightening her blood lust. A glance around revealed the carnage: twenty guardsmen.
“Ye possessed?”
Jenn snorted and swallowed hard. She faced the two. Yully appeared as uneasy as she sounded while Charles licked his lips at the blood around them.
“Not possessed,” Jenn said. “What’re we doing here?”
Charles let out a string of curses and dragged one of the guardsmen off the ground. Frustrated, he flung the body down again.
“Waiting for Darian,” Yully hedged. “You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine.” Jenn gazed at the obelisk that rose into the sky. It radiated power, the seat of the White God’s magic. She took a step towards it. Her hands grew clammy as she circled the wide base of the obelisk to see the names on the other side.
Damian, Sofia, Adrian.
Darian, Jenn.
She touched her name, leaving bloodied streaks on the white marble. Her hand went to her chest, where the necklace had been just moments before. She didn’t know what to think.
Trust me.
Trust was not something she did well. It made her heartbeat elevate, her body sweat. If given a choice between trusting him and walking away from him, she’d trust him. Dusty had been right; she was in far too deep to walk away this time. She’d never left her fate in the hands of another, and right now, it was. She closed her eyes, feeling sick.
“Jenn,” Yully whispered from the edge of the obelisk.
Jenn glanced towards her. Yully was pale, her hair sizzling with magic. Her gaze was on something behind Jenn.
Jenn turned, knowing what was there before she faced it. She sensed nothing; she wouldn’t, for only Charles and Darian could.
“Step back, Yully,” she ordered.
“Jenn—”
“Now.”
Touch the obelisk, Yully said into her thoughts.
Jenn nodded once to show she heard. Yully retreated, and Jenn faced the Other. It bristled with purple power and was focused on her. She eased back a step, closer to the obelisk. The Other raised a hand, and Jenn dived to the ground as lightning ripped through the air towards her. It glanced off the obelisk. She rolled away from the second strike but the third tore through her, frying her from the inside out. It flung her against a tree then dropped her.
She cried out. The blast was short but sucked her magic and left her feeling as if her insides were on fire. Jenn grated her teeth and climbed to her feet, wishing Bianca was there for another of her healing charges. The obelisk was twenty feet away. It could’ve been a million, with the Other readying another attack.
Drawing her knives, Jenn drew a deep breath and gathered what magic she could from the world around her. She flung a knife. The Other moved, his first strike sizzling by her. She threw herself down to avoid the second, sent another knife in its direction to distract it, and leapt up, dancing and twisting through the lightning streams. From the corner of her eye, she saw the first of another group of guardsmen rushing the obelisk.
Her ankle twisted as she landed on a rock, and she fell, yanking free another knife to block the guardsmen’s first blow. Jenn rolled and slammed into the obelisk. Its power raced through her and out, sending the guardsman nearest her flying.
Channel it! Yully’s voice was almost a shout in her mind.
Jenn looked from the next guardsman to the Other whose lightning lit up its hands. She touched the obelisk again. Yully shoved the magic into her from the other side, and Jenn pointed her knife at the Other. White lightning snaked through the air. The Other sailed across the orchard and slammed into the hillside and through it.
Jenn didn’t have time to celebrate. She stumbled away from a guardsman’s blow that knocked her remaining dagger from her hand and landed hard.
Another Other appeared. Purple lightning sizzled and a guardsman’s sword arced towards her simultaneously. Jenn covered her head, waiting for the pain.
It didn’t come. She looked up. Darian stood over her. He knocked the guardsman back with a punch and deflected the Other’s lightning effortlessly. He offere
d her a hand. Jenn stared at it then at him. She took it. Darian pulled her up. She stepped away from him quickly.
“You dropped something,” he said, holding out the necklace.
Her eyes lingered on it, emotions churning within her. She met Darian’s gaze. His golden eyes blazed. Light and shadow bent and swirled around him, his magic magnified by the immortal world. The warm-cool sensations swept past her.
“Another shitty proposal,” she said at last.
“Just a formality. You’re already mine.”
Jenn snatched it and leaned forward to grab a knife from his waist. Hope and anger raced through her, her body tingling with more than his magic. She stepped away to slash at a guardsman then tugged the necklace on quickly.
“You know what, Darian?” she called over her shoulder.
“You’re grateful for my help?”
“Not quite. To quote an Original Being, fuck you.”
“That better be an invitation,” he replied.
Jenn met his gaze again, furious. “Let me clarify. Go fuck yourself.”
His eyes burned brighter, and he gave her a dark smile that sent chills through her. Rather than reply, he released a wave of power that knocked over guardsmen and trees alike. Jenn stared as they fell. Darian strode to her, not stopping until she took a step away. His scent was strong, sweat and man, tainted by the sea. Her body’s aching response to his direct stare and nearness took her by surprise, and she inched back.
Darian moved forward. “You really thought I’d even consider choosing her?”
“I thought for the first time in my life, I can’t walk away and wish I could.”
“You belong at my side, Jenn, just like I belong at yours.”
“Are you gonna do something about the Other creeping up on us?” she asked, catching sight of the small creature.
“In a minute. We’ve got to settle something first.”
“My gods, Darian, the world is falling apart! We—”
“No. Now. I need to know before we leave here.”
She looked up at him again, unaccustomed to sharing her thoughts or emotions. Her mouth wouldn’t form the words she wanted to say. Instead, she reached up and took his face in her hands. She rose to her tiptoes to kiss him, not as she had anyone else, but as she did her mate: with hunger she’d never let herself feel before. Darian’s response was instant, his passion and need matching her own. Jenn felt the last of his barriers fall as her own did in the face of their unspoken promise of complete surrender between lifemates. There would be no more secrets or restraint, no more attempts to deny him. In that moment, she yielded as much to her fate as she did to him.
