“Did you—did you kill her?”
She giggled impishly. “I’m not a Noble killer. I only have the power to suspend them in time.” She approached him and lowered to her knees, allowing the length of her dress to pool around her. “That’s where she is, caught in a void, neither here nor there.”
A sharp pain shot through his right side, reminding him of his dire predicament. Doing his best to withstand the agony, he curled into the fetal position and slowed his breathing. If he could just get to his injection, maybe he’d have a chance…
Nope. I’m gonna die here, for sure.
She pressed her little palm to his temple and slipped her fingers into his hair. “You’re so silly. I’m not going to let you die, Dr. Bishop.”
Her touch… It felt different. It was warm and inviting. He felt it down in his soul. Now in place of Ethelina’s ominous and sexual presence, he could feel this child’s spirit. It was full of comfort and love. Did that mean his connection with Ethelina had been completely severed?
A fountain of tears exploded out of him. He laid there and wept like a baby, unsure how to feel about this moment.
“Aw, Dr. Bishop, don’t cry. It’s okay. I’ll take good care of you.”
The pain in his body gradually lifted. With it came a sensation of weariness.
Her pint-sized clan rushed in and surrounded him.
He felt his body rise as his consciousness drifted away.
Chapter Fifteen
Stolen Memories
Alexis jerked out of Tristan’s embrace and twisted around to face him. “For real? Your Führer is a Fey? Like, a real live Fey?”
Tristan chuckled. “I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it myself.”
“And elves? That’s a thing?”
“That’s a thing.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“Soo, what fantasy movie are we in?”
“Right.”
Suddenly, a great sadness consumed her. “You were really trying to die.” Her heart stammered in pain as the words whispered from her lips. “I felt it.”
Briefly, he closed his eyes and huffed out a sigh. “Yeah, uhm…” He raked his fingers through his hair, pulled his lips tight, and nodded. “I didn’t think I had anything to live for.”
After seeing everything he’d gone through, she could understand why he would choose death over life, but still…it hurt like hell. Tears welled in her eyes. “Glad you changed your mind.”
“Me too.” He grabbed ahold of her and snatched her back into his arms. “Ya know, thinking back…some nights I prayed we wouldn’t find you. I figured you were better off without a broken man who’d gained immortality. I wished for your happiness from afar. But the Führer made me realize in his own twisted way that there would be no happiness for you if I didn’t do what I could to end this war. I have blood on my hands, Lexi. And surely more will bleed for me. I’ll undoubtedly be drowning in a crimson river by the time this over.”
“Not if I help you.”
“Knowing how crazy things are about to get…I don’t know if I want you on the front lines with me.”
“Oh, how cute. You think you have a choice in the matter.”
Smiling, he buried his face in her damp puffy mane. “I don’t wanna lose you again.”
“You won’t if we fight the power together…” She raised her fist. “Like we used to do back in the old days.”
He chuckled. “Good times.”
“Listen, now that I know at least part of what’s going on, there’s no way I’m ‘bout let you run into the fray without me.” Craning her neck, she tilted her face toward him. “Let’s make a deal—”
He claimed her lips, gently, deeply, swallowing the rest of her words. “Okay. Let’s hear this deal.”
Cupping his chin, she pulled back from his hungry mouth. She huffed out a breathy sigh as she repositioned herself to look into those mesmerizing eyes again. “WE battle as a united front, but only when we come up against a Noble.”
“What about before then? There will be obstacles in our way, obstacles in human form.”
“Then we shake the tree and clear the field, with the least amount of bloodshed. No more humans die…”
“Unless absolutely necessary.”
“Tristan, work with me here…”
“Unless absolutely necessary,” he reiterated on a deepening tone. “There can be no victory without sacrifice. You cannot save everyone, and most particularly, the councilmen. They are in league with the renegade Nobles, Lexi. They have to be taken down. That’s the only deal I can agree to.”
She reared back and cocked her head. “When did you become this much of a hard ass?”
“When I realized there was a chance…” He grabbed her by the hips, drew her in close then rested her thighs over his. “…I could save you.”
“Who said I needed saving?”
“In the vision I showed you…” He sunk his fingers into her hair and pressed his forehead against hers. “Fey and elves weren’t the only revelations. Please tell me you saw it, or at the very least, felt it.”
Felt it? Closing her eyes, she searched her thoughts and rummaged through everything he’d shown her. The majestic Führer, the cute shifter dude with the different colored eyes…she even saw the mohawk chick who’d had her fair share of fun with Tristan during bath time. And then… “The girl from my dreams…”
“Uh-huh—yes.” The eagerness in his voice made her heart tremble.
“She’s not just a seer with vampirism in her blood, is she?”
“No, she’s not. She’s so much more.”
“Is she—wait, what’s that feeling?”
A bizarre vibe entered the room. It was followed by a buzzing sound.
“General!” A void opened up in thin air. The cat-girl leaped through, her large eyes stretched wide, her breathing erratic.
Tristan released a grunt-filled sigh. “Nefertiti, I thought I told you—”
“Don’t start railing at me for bursting in here. You cut off our communications.”
“For good reason.”
“I’ve been screaming at you for the last fifteen minutes!”
“And that’s why I cut you off.”
“Hol’up…” Alexis interjected, palming her head. “Why’re you so pressed? What’re you yelling about?”
Nefertiti cocked her head and snarled at her. “Excuse you. Is your name General?”
“Oh—okay, bitch. So you wanna get flippant right off the bat, huh?” She slid off the bed, powered up, ready to go toe for toe with this heifer a second time. “I’m actually glad you showed up. I didn’t feel like going through the trouble of tracking you down. Where’s that sword?”
Before Alexis could get further away from the bed, Tristan caught her hand. “C’mon, baby, I need you to think back on what you saw in that vision.”
The cat-chick huffed out a strangled groan. “You mean you haven’t told her yet?”
Alexis shot glances between the two. “Told me what?”
“Nefertiti!” Tristan roared with a growl.
Both women shuddered at the sudden thunderous rise of his voice.
Nefertiti took several steps back even though she was clear across the room. “General…”
“Last time. Mind. Your. Fucking. Business.”
“Would you just listen! It’s about the mission. Nai—she—”
“I know what she did.” His silky croon returned. “I gave her a choice to make, and she made it. What is done is done. Now go away.”
“You left that kind of decision in the hands of a child? Are you mad?!”.
“Leave. We’ll discuss our next plan of action later.” He hung onto Alexis’s hand as he climbed out of bed.
Clucking her tongue, Nefertiti looked away from them. “Could you two put on some—oh never mind.” She made a series of quick movements with her hands. “This isn’t a honeymoon, ya know.”
A Legion uniform manifeste
d on Tristan’s body.
A sudden thick fabric slid along Alexis’s skin. It eased over her breasts, hips, and legs. She looked down at herself to see she’d been donned in a gold and ivory uniform—one that matched Tristan’s. Only this one was more her style.
The cape was draped over the right side of her shoulder, the inner lining gold. The fitted tunic-like jacket was sleeveless on that side. An arm-harness hugged the upper part of her arm, its compartments filled with needlepoint shuriken. The left side brandished a fitted sleeve. Ivory toned, contoured pants fit close to her skin. Black boots climbed up her legs, ending mid-thigh. Adding more flair to the ensemble, a forked tail dangled over her rump.
“You’re welcome,” Nefertiti offered snidely, lips pursed. “I wasn’t about to continue this conversation while you two were naked.”
Alexis groaned. She hated to admit it, but this uniform was fire! “No matter how dope it looks on me, I can’t walk around the CK barracks flashing Legion threads.” And why was it so much more comfortable than her Cross Knight uniform? This ain’t right.
“General, the morning is nipping at our heels. You have to take Alexis back, and then we have to figure out—”
“Lexi, look at me.” Ignoring his feline comrade, Tristan pinched Alexis’s chin and made her face him. “You were gonna say something about the girl?”
“You can’t keep ignoring me when our mission is in jeopardy!” Nefertiti persisted, anxiousness lifting her tone. “We have to discuss this now!”
A sudden blaze of heat welled behind Alexis’s eyes. Only she wasn’t angry about anything. Just a little annoyed.
Eyes rolling toward the ceiling, Tristan shook his head and heaved out a groan. “Since you’re intent on trying my patience today…” He shot across the room, moving so fast he stripped the paint from the walls. The motion lifted the furniture off the floor and sucked it in a whirlwind.
Alexis’s feet carried her in a flash-step. All of a sudden, she found herself standing between Tristan and Nefertiti. His arm was stretched over Alexis’s shoulder, his hand wrapped firmly around Nefertiti’s neck.
With one hand pressed against his chest, Alexis braced her stance.
Behind her, Nefertiti wheezed and gasped for air. She flailed and thrashed about. Her feet repeatedly drummed against the back of Alexis’s legs.
Alexis carefully curled her hand around Tristan’s arm. His muscles bulged within her grasp. Those black veins of death returned, circling his scarlet eyes. His jaw was locked tight. He stared straight through her, his glare focused on his prey, which unfortunately was Nefertiti. Shit, he was super pissed.
“Tristan…” Alexis tried to keep the fear out of her voice. But failed. “Baby…” Why am I so scared? It wasn’t for herself. It was for the irritating shifter girl behind her—the shifter she felt a deep connection to. “Please don’t do this. At least, not in front of me.”
“Not in front of you? How about NOT EVER, sister!”
Nefertiti’s high-pitched voice in her head jarred her.
A ringing sounded as Alexis’s vision dimmed. “Wha—what is this?” She blinked rapidly as her surroundings changed.
The room around them shrunk. The walls took on a dark mahogany tone. Dozens of glowing orbs circled the ceiling, illuminating the space. Strangers emerged before her. The sound of a baby crying wafted through the air. Humming murmurs followed.
“What a gift to this undeserving world.” A man draped in a cassock cradled a small, wiggling bundle against his chest. “You must take her to the Führer. Make haste.” He passed the bundle to Nefertiti.
She carefully took it from him. “But my sister—"
“She’ll be safer if the child is with the Legion.”
“I’m not leaving her here! She doesn’t know any of you people.”
“And in a minute, she won’t know you either. The Noble’s curse runs deep. She will see the world in a very different light when she awakens.”
“Not if I’m by her side. I can fix this.”
“Perhaps, you shouldn’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“The child will return to her when the time is right. It has been foreseen. But for now, they must be separated. She shouldn’t know that her child has been taken away.”
Nefertiti scanned the room searchingly. Her sights zoomed in on the trio of masked nurses who stared back at her. “What about the father?”
The priest drew in a shaky breath before speaking again. “I have a feeling he is lost to us now. Please, Nefertiti! Time is not on our side. This child is releasing high amounts of spiritual pressure. It’s like a beacon to the supernatural. They WILL come for them. We cannot protect the catalyst AND the seer. But if the seer is with the Legion…”
The chances of the catalyst surviving would be greater. She knew this to be true. She felt it in her heart. Still… “If my sister dies…” she growled in Latin.
“Still your tongue, girl. Take the child and go now. Your sister will be fine.”
“She’d better be.” Glare fixed on the high priest, Nefertiti held the baby close to her bosom and back stepped into the portal.
Alexis blinked wildly as the vision commingled with the present. Once again, she stood in the room, gazing into her lover’s demonic eyes. But the past continued to play out.
A new face entered the room. “Father, I just received word that Lycans have breached the city. They are approaching the temple.”
“Of course, they are. Her scent is in the wind.”
Alexis stumbled out of her stance, confused by what was real and what wasn’t. A pain rose in her heart, a dull throb in her belly. What is this? Is this MY past, or Nefertiti’s? The throbbing sensation turned into a warm stirring in her womb. She saw herself unconscious on a bed, her legs propped open, and her feet in stirrups. Blood pooled beneath her.
Oh God!
“Lexi…” A hand slipped into hers. “Stay with me.”
Again, Alexis blinked feverishly. The past faded from her sights.
Tristan’s worried face bled through. The black veins were gone. The anger had left his gaze. Only concern lingered in its wake. Staring deeply into her eyes, he cradled her face in his hands. “What did you see?”
“Uhm, I—I’m not sure.”
Nefertiti rubbed at her neck. “I don’t know why you bothered to interfere,” she hissed, her voice strained. She pinned Tristan with a scowl. “He’s just going to try and kill me again some other day.”
“Wait, you didn’t just see that?” Alexis asked Nefertiti, her thoughts scattered.
Nefertiti’s brows bunched in confusion. “See what?”
Damn. So Nefertiti wasn’t aware. She had no idea Alexis had just caught a glimpse of her past through her mind. What does that mean, that we’re truly connected by blood?
“Anyway—General, I get that you’re in a nasty mood, but we’re in a real crisis here. Nai just sabotaged the whole mission!”
“Hol’up…Nai?” Alexis glanced over at Nefertiti. “That little girl? Her name is Nai? Seriously?” She knew that name. It was a nickname her mom gave her.
“Yes, seriously.” Nefertiti planted a hand on her hip and cocked her head. “Your mother used to call you that. Right? Nai…it’s short for Naijan.”
“But…” Her breathing accelerated. Her thoughts continued to race. “But Naijan is my birth name.”
Nefertiti smirked. “Correct, which is why it was so fitting for the little girl.”
Gaze darting between the two of them, Alexis shoved away from Tristan and palmed her head. “Why is her name Naijan?” she shouted. “Why?”
“Lexi. I know this is a lot, probably too much to comprehend.” Slowly moving toward her, he held his arms out. “But I need to get this out of you now.”
Backing away, she shook her head. “Gimme a sec.”
“When the Nobles make their move and the Legion attacks, things are gonna move swiftly. Last thing I need is for all of this to hit you in the middle o
f battle, ‘specially considering what’s at stake. Now please, focus on me and tell me what you saw.”
She needed a day, maybe two, to process everything that had happened up to this point. But she probably didn’t have that kinda time. Not like the wheels of the train would slow down for her sake. She had to either jump on now or watch it ride away. “I was laid out on a table, crucifixes all over the walls, hover lights above me. Nuns—nurses, or whateva surrounded me. I heard prayers.” Her breath hitched. She swallowed hard and covered her mouth. Tears burst from her eyes. “Uhm, I saw blood on the floor, and all over me.” The images continued to flash through her mind as she spoke. “There was a priest. He had a baby in his arms. Too small to be outside of the womb.”
Tristan nodded. “Premature.”
“He gave the baby to Nefertiti.”
“Yes. What do you feel?”
“Getting back to the snag in our plan…” Nefertiti interjected, unaware Alexis and Tristan were deep in conversation. “Nai not only sealed a Noble with a magical spell that will alert the other Nobles of our presence…” She paced back and forth, her voice rising and falling in aggravation. “She conducted a binding ritual with that scientist! He’s the very reason they were able to entrap our clan in the first place. She should’ve just eliminated him—”
“Wait.” Confused, Alexis stared at Nefertiti. “What scientist? You better not be talking about Bishop.”
“Lexi. Me. Focus on me. What did you feel?” he asked again, closing in on her.
“Uhh, my neck hurt.” She rubbed at the spot where the Noble chomped down on her all those years ago. “It still hurts. I feel tremendous sadness and anger. I uhh…I dunno know how to explain it. I feel incomplete…” She clutched at her belly and winced. “Like someone stole a piece of my soul.”
Blood tears filled his eyes. A smirk danced on his lips as he rested his forehead on hers. “There’s a reason for that, sweetheart.”
“She deviated!” Nefertiti shouted, continuing to rant. “I told her not to and she did it anyway. Insufferable little bra—”
Antares Page 18
