“Show me?” Darcie wanted to see their first moments together. She wanted the memory.
“Of course.” Des lifted his free hand and warmth seeped from his fingers into Darcie’s head. Suddenly, the scenes became crisp.
She saw Des sitting at a coffee shop in the National Garden. Darcie had nearly tripped when she caught sight of him staring out into the plaza. He wore a dark green V-neck and midnight blue jeans, and he was, by far, the most handsome man she had ever seen.
A passing tourist bumped into her arm, freeing Darcie from her trance. Shaking her head, she willed herself to not be so caught up by an attractive face. She returned her attention to the map in her hands.
Then, he approached her.
Darcie relived the entire afternoon. She remembered how nervous she was, wondering why a guy like Des would opt to spend so much time with her. She had tried to play it cool, but she was sure her girlish reaction was easy to read.
She attempted to distract herself by observing the ancient ruins around them, but every time she looked up, Des intently watched her. She had been so nervous, she even asked for his help picking out a silly keychain.
Wait…
“The keychain,” she whispered, looking back up into Des’ anxious gaze. “That’s why you seemed fascinated with my Parthenon keychain.”
His thumb stroked the back of her hand. “I was glad to see you still had it.”
“There was no way I would get rid of it,” she replied. “Mind manipulation or not, I was weirdly attached to that cheap piece of plastic.”
Des’ mouth curve upward, but he still looked unsure. “You aren’t angry with me?”
“No,” she answered honestly. “I know why you did it. Do I like it? Of course not. But you had a good reason… if only Thane would have believed you.” She smiled up at him to let him know she was teasing.
But Des’ face grew serious. “I’m glad Thane wasn’t so easily fooled,” he confessed. “Otherwise, I might never have seen you again.”
“I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“It turns out I had no idea what I wanted.” Darcie’s heart warmed with his words.
She inched closer to him, closing the short distance. “Promise me you will be careful.”
“Only if you promise to stay safe as well.” Des shifted forward, lowering his face towards her. His kiss was sweet, gentle, and full of unspoken emotion.
It wasn’t their most passionate kiss, but Darcie didn’t think the moment called for unbridled passion. While she was sure everything would turn out okay, Darcie wanted to make sure Des knew how she felt. And her feelings went beyond mere physical desire.
Realizing the depth of her own emotions might have shocked Darcie, but she needed Des to know how much she cared. She wasn’t brave enough to put her feelings to words, but she could reveal them in her kiss. And that’s exactly what she aimed to do. Darcie reached up and rested her free hand on Des’ chest.
Des pulled back. “Darcie,” he murmured her name against her lips, sending shivers down her spine. His forehead rested against hers. “No matter what happens, I want you to know that I lo-”
“Alright love birds, that’s enough,” Paige called through the still-open doorway, interrupting whatever he was about to say. Des sighed, but smiled softly before he stepped away.
Darcie stared at Des, wondering if he was going to say what she believed he was going to say.
Before she had time to think any more about it, Paige and Brian re-entered the shack. The pair glanced knowingly between the couple.
“All done in here?” Brian asked with a cheeky grin. “After all, Desmond, we should be returning to our units.”
“Yes.” Des cleared his throat. “Of course.”
He turned back to Darcie. “I’ll see you soon,” he promised, letting his affection seep into his stare. All she could do was nod, too affected by their kiss to form words.
With another kiss on Darcie’s hand and a nod toward Paige, Des turned and left the shack with Brian. Darcie stared after them and a gnawing sensation started to build in her stomach.
For some reason, she could not shake the thought that she had just missed the chance to tell Des how she truly felt.
34
The sounds were distant, only faintly registering in Darcie’s enhanced hearing, but she knew the moment the battle began. The tell-tale crack of magic and powers combining traveled across the snowy ground. The noise bounced off the trees and through the thin walls of the shack.
“Well, Adir doesn’t like to waste any time,” Paige muttered from beside Darcie. Both girls stared out the dirt-covered window, listening to the sounds of battle.
“Apparently not,” Darcie replied. The sun had barely completed its rise from the horizon when the attack was initiated. She breathed in her nose to calm herself. The time had finally come. Adir and The Alliance would fight for the right to dictate how immortals interacted with the world. She prayed for her friends and their success. Adir’s world was not one she ever wished to see.
“We should sit down and relax,” Paige stated, moving to return to the wooden chair by the portable heating unit. “All we can do is wait for news at this point.”
Darcie nodded but looked back out through the dirty glass. Please be safe. She tried to send the words to Des through whatever mental bond they shared.
Darcie knew Des could feel her emotions when they were extreme and, at that moment, she believed her worry was extreme enough to detect. She let her finger trail the glass before she followed Paige’s example and sat down.
Almost as soon as her body touched the pillowed cushion, Darcie’s head began to ache. She pressed against her temples, trying to relieve the pain.
“Darcie?” Paige questioned. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. Just a headache.” The moment the words passed her lips, a searing heat scorched her forehead.
Darcie hissed and threw her head back. “Agh!”
“What is it?” Paige leapt from her chair and rushed over to Darcie’s side. “Darcie? Can you hear me? What’s wrong?”
Darcie wanted to reply, but the pain was too excruciating. She couldn’t even open her eyes. She felt like her head was going to explode.
Without warning, a black curtain fell across Darcie’s mind. With a gasp, Darcie realized she was being pulled into a vision. The next moment, her mind left her body and traveled across the snowy compound toward Des.
* * *
Darcie felt like she was underwater. She struggled against the heavy pressure, fighting her way back to her own mind. Her vision had been vivid and clear, and she needed to return to her body and take action. Des’ life depended on it.
Shoving aside the blackness, Darcie regained consciousness, gasping for breath. Her eyes popped open, and she recognized the quaint shack with its sparse furnishings. Before she could make a move, Paige’s worried face appeared in front of her.
“Oh, thank God.” Paige slumped with relief. “You’re awake.”
Darcie bolted up. “We have to go.” She flung aside the thin blanket draped across her legs, briefly acknowledging Paige must have covered her while she was caught up in the vision.
“Woah.” Paige caught her arm. “We aren’t going anywhere. You need to stay out of sight.”
Darcie easily pulled her arm free. Paige’s half-breed force was no match for her immortal strength. “You don’t understand. Des is in trouble.”
“He can take care of himself,” Paige firmly stated. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
It was too late. Darcie knew what she saw. Henry and a group of warlocks had tricked Des somehow. She wasn’t sure if she had seen the present or future, but she knew she needed to find Des.
Spinning around, Darcie shoved aside the weak door and ran through the snow. Her vision was on replay in her mind, showing the warlocks leer over Des as he was trapped by strange glowing rope. She nearly stumbled as she relived watching the light fade out of his s
ea green eyes.
Darcie pumped her arms faster. She couldn’t let Des die–she refused to fail him like she failed Bella.
Leaping over hidden stumps and branches, Darcie let her internal compass lead her to Des. It was as if an invisible thread linked their bodies and pulled them toward one another. She followed the feeling until she exited the forest on the southwest side of the compound.
Surprisingly not out of breath, Darcie wasted no time in scouring the surroundings for a sign of Henry’s attack. She prayed she arrived before it began.
Then, as if The Creator heard her prayer, Darcie’s immortal ears heard the faint snapping of a twig. Not one second later, a blast of white light shot into the sky from the other side of the hill.
Without hesitation, Darcie climbed over the small mound and slid down the other side, crouching on her knees. She inched forward, concealed by unkempt shrubs until she was right up against the dead plant life. Peering through the branches, she had to fight to contain her cry of relief.
Des stood, surrounded by warlocks and witches, but he was unharmed. Darcie had seen a vision of the future and arrived before it had the chance to take place. Now, she just needed to make sure it never had the chance to happen.
She examined the warlocks and witches. Henry stood directly in front of Des while the other four magical half-breeds flanked him. Each warlock and witch had their hands glowing with the characteristic colors of their powers–except for Henry.
The traitorous warlock grinned with cruelty. “I’m sure this is not how you expected your little surprise attack to go.”
Des did not speak, move, or even blink. He refused to give Henry the satisfaction.
The warlock chuckled. “Fools. Did you really think we would not know? If it weren’t for our spies in the pack’s inner circle, we would have figured it out when our scouts saw you and the girl canoodling on the upper deck last night.”
Darcie bowed over like she’d been kicked in the stomach. The air rushed out of her as she realized she and Des had exposed The Alliance’s plan. She felt like an idiot. They had been working so diligently to keep their strategy from Adir. But, with one spontaneous decision, they had ruined it.
“Did you really not believe we were aware of the spies among the pack?” Des returned Henry’s words with equal disdain. “Are you so confident that you did not consider we made adjustments for that very fact?”
Darcie’s eyebrows lifted. Did we know about the spies? She couldn’t tell if Des was bluffing.
Apparently, neither could Henry. He and the other magical beings shifted and scanned their surroundings. Darcie ducked just as the witch closest to her turned towards the dead brush.
Heart pounding in her chest, Darcie counted to ten before she dared look up again. Her shoulders relaxed when she noticed the witch’s attention had turned elsewhere.
Taking advantage of their distraction, Des shot a curving ball of light out of his left hand. It hooked to the right and collided with an unsuspecting warlock’s back. The man crumpled, face first, into the snow.
Des smirked as the retinue of magical beings dropped back into their fighting stances. “One down. Four to go.”
Only Henry did not let his fear show. The remaining rebels looked nervously to one another. Darcie urged them to abandon their attack and leave, but they held their ground.
Her anxiety grew as she recognized the first scene from her vision. Moving her eyes from the crumpled form to Henry, Darcie watched as the warlock walked over to the man and kicked snow onto his form. “Idiot.”
Oh no. Darcie’s hands began to shake. She knew what was coming the minute Henry slyly reached into his back pocket. His companions grinned as they watched him withdraw a whip-like weapon.
Darcie had seen Henry use the weapon on Des, even managing to wrap him up in the glowing ropes. She had no idea where the warlock received an object powerful enough to debilitate an Original immortal, but Darcie refused to let him have the chance to use it.
So, without taking a second to reconsider, Darcie jumped to her feet, simultaneously snapping her right arm forward and releasing a bright white disk at Henry’s wrist. She jumped over the brush concealing her hiding spot and stared at her attack’s progress.
She cried out in frustration when Henry deflected her power with a shield he conjured faster than the blink of an eye.
Henry turned to her, furious. Recognizing her, his face shifted into maniacal glee. “Darcie? What a pleasant surprise. I see you have been practicing your powers. Very good.”
Knowing she had thrown herself into a dangerous situation with the failed attack, Darcie stepped forward until she landed at Des’ side. She didn’t take her eyes of Henry for a second. “I have been practicing,” she told him. “Maybe you should rethink your plan now that there are two immortals here.”
The witch closest to Henry mumbled her agreement, recommending they fall back. Henry silenced her with an angry slash of his arm.
“We go nowhere,” Henry growled. “We came for the girl, and there she is, standing right before us.”
Des moved to position himself slightly in front of Darcie. “I will kill you before you have the chance to lay a finger on her.”
Henry’s eyes gleamed with madness. “Then, do it.” He cracked the whip in his hands. It must have been their unspoken signal because the moment the sound hit the air, the surrounding witches and warlocks unleashed their own powers and let them rain down above Des and Darcie.
Throwing her hands up, Darcie created a shimmering shield. With concentration, its edges crept down until it met the snowy ground.
Now, Des and Darcie stood inside a protective bubble about ten feet in diameter. It was the first time she had created something so elaborate, but remembering one of Alex’s early reprimands, she told herself to not be distracted by her accomplishment.
Orbs, bolts, bullets, and many other forms of attack collided with the shield, but Darcie’s spell held.
“What are you doing here?” Des asked, taking the opportunity the shield afforded to reprimand Darcie. “You were supposed to stay in the shack!”
“I had a vision,” Darcie gritted out while making sure to not drop their protection. “This meeting didn’t end well for you.”
Whatever Des planned to say died on his lips. He observed her for another moment before nodding once. “Thank you.” He knew the implications of what she said.
“No problem,” Darcie replied. “Now, if you don’t mind, can we try to come up with a way to get rid of these guys?” She jerked her head towards Henry. The warlock was cracking his whip against the bubble, but his arm was forced back with every collision.
The bubble wasn’t just protecting them, Darcie realized. It was also repelling anything that came in contact.
“How are you doing this?” Des asked with a hint of awe.
“I don’t know, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold it.” With perfect timing, a bead of sweat trickled down her temple despite the frigid temperature.
“Right.” Des moved towards the shield and cautiously released a tendril of his power towards it. Darcie’s jaw dropped as she saw his ability pass through the barrier with no hindrance.
Des laughed and swung his gaze back to her. “Nice job.” Then, without holding back, Des unleashed fiery bolt after fiery bolt. Many were deflected, but two found their mark and left one target unmoving on the ground.
Two down.
Henry roared and shouted for his companions to join him. The older-looking witch and warlock trained their powers onto the same spot on the shield. Henry joined in. After ten long seconds, the barrier began to crack.
Des shot at them, but the magical beings had closed in and stood behind a shield the size of a wide door. His power couldn’t reach them.
“What’s the plan?” Darcie shouted over the sounds of magic hitting magic.
“You need to get out of here,” Des said, still firing off white orbs and bolts. “Don’t let them get take you
to Adir.”
“I’m not leaving!” Darcie could not bear to think of what might happen if she left. Henry still had the whip-like weapon. Her interference had prevented her vision from coming true, but that did not mean Des would not meet the same end.
As long as Henry was fighting, her instinct screamed at her to not leave Des alone.
A loud snap reached her ears just before the protective bubble disappeared. Des did not waste a second before he reached over and threw her behind him. Darcie lost her balance and fell onto her knees, staring wide-eyed as the rebels resumed their attack. They had put more distance between them now that the protective shield was taken care of. The rebels might have the upper hand, but they were still scared of the Original immortal.
Des parried each incoming spell with ease, but they continued to fire at a constant rate. Darcie didn’t know how much longer he would be able to keep protecting them. She could already see Henry was trying to figure out a way to breach Des’ defenses.
“Where is everyone else?” Darcie imagined Lome and Eshe, or even Alex, would be a valuable addition to their fight.
“Busy fending off Adir’s forces,” Des replied without missing a beat. “There were more than we expected.”
Rising on shaky legs, Darcie kept her center of gravity low. Wanting to help ease Des’ load, she began to return fire. Her spells did nothing more than force the rebels to pause their attack while they defended themselves, but it was something.
“Aim for their legs,” Des instructed as he continued to protect them. “They are focused on protecting their torso and head.”
Darcie didn’t question it. Lowering her target, she started firing pellet-sized magic at the nearest warlock’s feet. Not only did their size keep the attack from being noticed, but the man wasn’t even looking that low to the ground. The magic met its target, and the warlock howled in pain.
Darcie did not let her victory distract her. “Why don’t we just get out of here?” She hadn’t thought of it before, but it seemed like an obvious solution. Des could transport them to another location in an instant. His next words rendered her idea hopeless.
Enraptured: Immortal Chronicles Book IV Page 23
