Enraptured: Immortal Chronicles Book IV

by Britt, Samantha

  “The warlocks have masked the entire compound with a formidable spell. No one can transport in or out, and it is masking immortal abilities.”

  “Oh my god.” Darcie could only imagine the disadvantage the spell created for The Alliance. No reinforcements could arrive, and no one could flee to safety if the battle took a turn for the worse.

  She stared at Des, watching his body move to easily deflect each spell. She had wondered why he didn’t just blown the half-breed rebels out of the snow. He was an Original Immortal for crying out loud; his powers should be far above theirs.

  Now, she understood. Des was severely disadvantaged.

  What would the limitation of their most powerful soldiers mean for The Alliance?

  One way or another, the rebellion is going to end today.

  A renewed sense of urgency filled her veins. Darcie started to throw magic out of her palms with increased frequency. Her moves became frantic, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t let anything happen to Des or her friends. The Alliance needed her witch abilities, and she was determined to use them.

  Her efforts started to land significant blows. The man with the injured feet received an intense jolt as a magical arrow pierced his shoulder. All it took was another heavy, bowling ball-sized shot to send him to the ground.

  Henry shouted in frustration, yelling for his two remaining companions to close ranks. Darcie hurled all her frustration and anger at the traitorous warlock.

  She had trusted Henry; she trained with him. Yet, he turned on her when he abducted her for Adir. Henry had stood to the side and watched as Adir forced Darcie’s change to immortality. He sat by when Adir murdered Bella for trying to save Darcie.

  A mounting sense of power started to press against her skin. Strong magic boiled in her blood, adding heat and pressure. It longed to be unleashed.

  Every scene from that fateful day filled Darcie’s head, but the one her brain focused on was Bella’s unseeing eyes. A tear escaped, and something inside Darcie snapped.

  Gone was the scene before her. Now, Darcie stared at The Veritas. She saw the page with the spell to terminate a witch’s abilities and, suddenly, every single word made sense. The ancient book whispered a welcoming greeting, calling her into its binding with a bewitching tone.

  Purpose filled Darcie as the words of the spell started to roll off her lips in perfect succession. Gone was her stilted pronunciation. The harsh and awkward words became melodic and smooth. Darcie sounded like she was born speaking the ancient magical language.

  She wove her soul into the spell, calling it forth to do her bidding. The warlock had hurt her friend. Henry helped Adir steal her life away. Now, he would suffer.

  She vaguely heard shouts and cries of protest, but Darcie saw nothing but The Veritas and the spell. She recognized Des’ voice as he called her name with concern, but she could not understand the other sounds around her.

  Finally, her mind snapped back to the snowy compound. Des observed her with a mix of disbelief and awe, but Darcie barely acknowledged it. Instead, her eyes moved across the landscape until they landed on Henry and his two rebel subordinates. All three of them stared at her in horror. No one dared to move while under her gaze.

  “Finish them,” Darcie said in a voice that sounded nothing like her.

  Henry reared back, preparing to run, but it was pointless.

  Des heeded her command without pause and shot three debilitating blows into each of the defenseless traitors’ chests.

  35

  The fire cracked in the stone fireplace located at the edge of the room. Darcie sat, staring into the moving flames. At some point, someone must have wrapped a green blanket around her shoulders. Her fingers trailed the knitted fabric, but she hardly spared it a glance before she resumed watching the fire. She overheard the conversation being whispered behind her, but she did not feel compelled to join in.

  “How did she do it?”

  “What’s wrong with her? What happened out there?”

  “We need to find Adir and end this thing before the spell breaks.”

  Assertions and replies continued for endless minutes. Darcie heard people periodically enter and exit the room as leaders of The Alliance worked to devise a plan. She should have been interested in the discussion, but Darcie found herself lacking any and all motivation to interject herself into the decision-making process. She content to gaze mindlessly at the fireplace.

  After an unknown length of time, the sounds behind Darcie stopped. She did not turn around, but she saw a figure approach from the corner of her eye.

  Des’ familiar chocolate hair brushed against her vision as he sat down beside her on the leather couch.

  He cleared his throat. “Darcie? Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine.” Her voice sounded artificial, almost robotic.

  “You don’t look fine.”

  Darcie’s neck twisted before she realized she had made the decision to look at Des. “What do you mean?”

  He seemed unsure. “Your eyes. They’re… different.”

  In an instant, Darcie jumped from her mind to Des’. She observed herself through his perspective. She could not help but notice the solid white ovals dominating her eye sockets. The familiar blue irises were gone, as were her dark pupils. In their place rested eyes the color of golf balls.

  Darcie’s examination continued. The skin drawn across her face had a plastic-look, and her expression looked void of all emotion. The sight was nothing short of eerie.

  Snapping back to her own head, Darcie tried to will the odd features away from her face, but she was unable to conquer and control her own body.

  “I see what you mean,” she informed him in the same flat voice. “What’s wrong with me?”

  Des’ forehead furrowed. “I don’t know. The change happened after you completed the spell from The Veritas.”

  She did not speak for a moment. Then, she said, “The Veritas did this to me.” Darcie had no doubt she spoke the truth.

  The intense magic she released during furari vis must have caused the change in her. Even so, Darcie did not regret using the spell. It helped saved Des’ life in a moment of crisis. She would use it again, even knowing it turned her into some weird zombie-like creature.

  “Your mother doesn’t think so,” Des countered. “The general consensus is you are deeply attached to your power.”

  He waited for the information to sink in before continuing, “Perhaps you can try to release it? Free yourself from your abilities?” His tone betrayed what his face did not.

  Des was worried for Darcie. He didn’t know what caused her current state, but he was worried the change might be irreversible. He’d never seen such a side-effect from using magic. Still unaware what, exactly, caused her state, he vowed to lock The Veritas away the moment he could.

  It was only after the last part when Darcie realized she was hearing Des’ thoughts.

  “I am listening to your mind,” she told him. “You fear for me.”

  To his credit, Des did not let the information affect him. “Yes, I am afraid for you. You are not yourself, Darcie.”

  “I know,” she said. “But I don’t know how to fix it.”

  Des reached out and grabbed one of her cold hands. She did not feel compelled to return his squeeze.

  “I need to go speak with the others,” he said, letting go of her hand. “You should relax. I will send Gregory up to stay with you.”

  “Alright.” Darcie turned back to the fireplace. Des lingered for a moment longer. Darcie heard his internal struggle with what to do.

  Part of him wanted to stay and help Darcie conquer whatever happened to her, but the other part of him knew he needed to join the others. They needed to figure out what to do to win the battle. Adir wasn’t attacking, but that did not mean he wasn’t planning for another one at that very moment.

  “Go,” Darcie told him, sparing a quick glance his direction. “I am fine. Send Gregory.”

  Des’ lips t
hinned. With a nod, he pushed himself off the couch and left the room.

  Moments later, a familiar presence glided into the room. Gregory sat on the armchair across from Darcie, but he did not say a word.

  The pair remained that way, silent and staring into the fire, while the rest of The Alliance figured out how they would squash the rebellion.

  Deciding she was bored watching flames flicker across wood, Darcie threw her conscious out, searching various rooms of the compound’s main building until, at last, she collided with Des.

  * * *

  “Kendrick, what is the report?” The question came from Des. The leaders of The Alliance had gathered in the Mesa pack’s formal dining room, but the big space felt cluttered when you considered the tension and anxiety hanging in the air. Darcie stood slightly behind Des, observing the scene.

  Kendrick, the lesser immortal Darcie remembered from Greece, spoke up. “It is confirmed: every clan member, both rebel and ally, has lost the ability to use their magic.”

  An annoyed noise sounded. “I could have told you that.” Darcie turned to see her mother. The witch looked exhausted; she had obviously been involved in the battle, but she appeared unharmed. “The spell affected all of us. Darcie didn’t know to target only one clan. She blanketed us all with it.”

  “But it isn’t affecting Darcie.” Des swung his gaze across the room. “She is still in contact with her powers.”

  “And she managed to leave the rebel barrier around the compound intact,” Alex voiced from a chair in the corner of the room. Unlike her mother, the vampire’s body and clothes were littered with marks and scrapes. His involvement in the attack had been physical.

  “How is that possible?” Mistress Lola asked, shaking her head. “Darcie wiped out every drop of magic in the vicinity. How did she exert the control required to leave the barrier unaffected?”

  “I don’t know,” Des replied. “I was there. One minute, she was standing in the snow behind me. The next, she was hovering in the air, arms spread out, chanting words in a language I did not understand. It took me a moment to realize what she was doing. But, before I knew it, the spell was finished. Henry and his companions were easily defeated after that.”

  “The Veritas,” Master Ben said the words in awe. “I cannot believe one of our own used The Veritas.”

  “She is not one of your clan’s members,” Darcie’s mother bit out.

  The warlock held up his hands. “I did not mean it like that. I only meant that she is from our bloodline. Am I permitted to be proud of that fact?”

  Her mother did not reply. Instead, she turned to Des. “If the barrier is in place, all of the rebels are unable to leave. Including, Adir.”

  The immortal nodded and jerked his head towards Alex. “I know, and we fully plan on hunting him down on this compound.”

  The vampire stood and limped slightly as he walked towards them. “My baby sister and her retinue of bloodthirsty Brits are scouring the forest as we speak. All pack members have been instructed to stand down until they are told to help in the search efforts.” Alex looked to Lucas and Joseph, the two werebeast representatives in the room.

  Joseph stepped forward. “My son and his army have descended to the bunkers and the tunnels which connect them. They will wait for my word before returning to the surface. Your search parties will receive no interference from my kind.”

  “Or mine,” Lucas seconded. “Our pack knows how violent you vamps can be when on the hunt. They will not risk running into one.”

  Alex smirked. “Good. With any luck, we will have Adir’s location soon. Then, the rest of us can move in to help subdue my dear father.”

  “What about Darcie?” An accented, feminine voice lifted into the room.

  All eyes, including Darcie’s, turned to Eshe. She was standing beside Lome, both of them looking a little worse for wear. The couple wore matching expressions of fatigue marred by determination. Thane was nowhere in sight, but Darcie noticed the other Original allies lined the edges of the room.

  It was Alex who returned the question. “What about her?”

  Eshe scowled. “She isn’t herself. Is there a plan to help her?”

  “Let’s worry about that once we take care of Adir,” Eros, the normally carefree and flirtatious immortal, adopted an air of seriousness. “Finding him is priority.”

  Lome disapproved. “Darcie’s condition warrants worry.” He turned imploring eyes to his brother. “Aren’t you concerned?”

  “Of course, I am, but I don’t know what can be done. Darcie is barely responsive. Perhaps she just needs time.”

  “Nonsense,” Lome was quick to dismiss the lame reply. He looked at different sibling. “Charmian, can you help Darcie?”

  Glancing at the earthy immortal, Darcie had to do a double take as she observed Charmian’s condition. The lovely Original immortal was disheveled and sitting in a chair with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her dress was sliced and burned, and her hair was matted and frizzy. She looked like she’d been through hell. Add in her tear-streaked cheeks, and Darcie thought she had never seen someone look so wrecked.

  What happened to her?

  “Charmian?” Lome repeated.

  “Don’t bother,” Julisanna exhaled. “She’s been this way ever since she fought Faine. I think she’s in shock.”

  “She fought Faine?” Darcie’s mother voiced the question with the same surprise Darcie felt.

  “She killed Faine,” Eros corrected. “She refused to step away from the rebels and align with us. Charmian had no choice.”

  “Oh no,” Eshe breathed. She moved to step to Charmian, but Lome grabbed ahold of her arm and shook his head.

  Throughout the entire conversation, Charmian did not speak. The auburn immortal continued to sit in the chair, crying silently as she stared at the floor beneath her. Darcie stared at her with a tendril of pity. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to be the one to kill your closest friend.

  “I still think we need to find a way to help Darcie,” Lome led the group back to the previous discussion. “We need to make sure she is okay.”

  “I agree,” Alex said, cracking his neck and wincing with the movement. “Even if you do not care for her wellbeing, it is in our interest to ensure her mind and body are unharmed. Otherwise, there is the potential none of us will ever be able to leave this blasted compound. No offense, Joseph.” He tilted his head with respect.

  The werebeast leader waved a hand. “None taken.”

  “We all care about the girl,” Julisanna told Alex. Even in her unemotional state, the words shocked Darcie to the core. She had no idea the beautiful immortal held any opinion about her, much less cared for her. “But Adir is the bigger problem at the moment. We can work to help Darcie after we take care of Adir.”

  Des listened to the conversation with no expression. When the room grew quiet, he cleared his throat. “All those in favor of diverting our energy to finding and neutralizing Adir, say ‘aye’.”

  A chorus of ayes met Darcie’s ears. She approved of the decision. It was the right thing to do. As Julisanna said, Adir was the bigger problem.

  “Very well,” Des leaned over the table covered with a map of the compound. “Let’s finish this.”

  36

  A quarter of an hour later, Darcie had seen enough. With a simple thought, her conscious mind returned to her body located on the top floor of the compound’s main building.

  When she focused on the room, she had to lean back to distance herself from Gregory’s leering face. His ice-blue eyes observed her. “You’re back.”

  It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway. “Yes.”

  “A vision?”

  “A trip.” Darcie did not elaborate, and Gregory did not pry.

  With a bob of his head, he returned to sit on the armchair across from her. Darcie tried to resume watching the flames, but the fire had lost its appeal.

  “The Alliance is pushing the rebels back,” she told him
without meeting his gaze. “Those who surrender will live, no matter their transgression. But those who do not surrender will die on the spot.”

  Gregory did not appear surprised. “Did you learn that on your trip?” He was trying to make a joke, but Darcie was unable to feel amusement.

  She turned toward him. “Yes.”

  The smile on his lips faded. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by a timid knock on the door.

  Gregory stood and his body tensed as the door swung open. Instantly, he relaxed when he saw Paige standing in the doorway. He fell back into his armchair.

  “Hey there. I came to check on the rule-breaker.” Paige walked towards them and sat on the arm of the leather couch, keeping some distance between her and Darcie. “How are you feeling?”

  Darcie did not immediately recognize Paige was talking to her. “I’m fine,” she replied.

  Paige stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate. When Darcie remained silent, she continued, “Yeah? Good. I’m good, too. Lucky for me, your soulmate didn’t tear me apart for letting you escape the shack.”

  “Des would not punish you for my actions.” Paige was foolish to believe the contrary.

  “Uh, I know that,” Paige shot a worried look towards Gregory. “I was just joking.”

  “Oh.”

  The vampire and werebeast held a silent conversation between them. Both were concerned with Darcie’s stoic personality, but neither knew what to do to bring her out of it.

  “Glad to see you are okay,” Paige finally said out loud. She gestured to Gregory’s disheveled state. “See a lot of action?”

  “More than I wished,” he replied, not romanticizing the battle in the slightest. “I, too, am glad to see you unharmed.”

  Then, Gregory moved his attention to Darcie. “You, as well. I was worried when I heard about your encounter with Henry and the other rebels.”

  Darcie did not look away. “They are dead.”

  Gregory didn’t waver. “I know.”