by Jami Gray
As if she had a choice. The blanketing darkness crawled closer, covering her in a smothering weight. With a quiet sigh, she let her eyes close for the last time.
She never imagined the kiss of death being quite like this.
Chapter Thirty-One
Watching Natasha’s chest still and her arms fall limply to her side made Darius clench his teeth. Doubts and sick fear fought for purchase, but he couldn’t acknowledge them.
The clock was ticking. He whipped the coil of his magic around the last anchor and, with a vicious jerk, shattered it into ash. Within seconds, he was back in the mortal realm. “Now!”
Across the warehouse, the floating light glinted off of the blood covering Gavin hands as he lifted them from Ryder’s decimated chest. Ryder’s body convulsed against the table. In Darius’s arms, Natasha’s body did the same. He turned his attention to Raine, her pale face set in grim lines. Seconds ticked by, each one more ominous than the next. Natasha’s body stilled. So did Jamie’s.
Then just as he was ready to launch himself at the girl, those eerily silver eyes opened. “Done.”
Wasting no more time, he burst into the Side, and yanked on the magic tethered to Natasha’s spirit, dragging her ruthlessly back from the crumbling edge between life and death. His heart raced, his other half snarling at her resistance to his demands to return as she slipped farther than he anticipated.
He tightened his hold, denying the greedy demands of death, the pull stronger than expected, but still no match for what fueled him. Once certain she wouldn’t slip out of reach, he palmed the back of Natasha’s head.
“Breath of my breath.” He covered Natasha’s slack mouth with his and sent air deep into her lungs. Raising his head, he slashed a line along his inner arm until blood ran warm against his skin. “Blood of my blood.” He held his arm over her mouth, rubbing her throat, forcing her to swallow. “Spirit divided, sundered no more.”
His magic, still twined about Natasha’s spirit, swept into her still body anchoring her spirit to its mortal shell. Then he focused on the energy binding her two halves together, the one the spell left in tattered ribbons. They flailed in the magical wind sweeping around him, dancing out of reach, while every hair on his body rose. Gritting his teeth, he focused, determined not to lose her now.
Another energy joined his, adding to his strength. Female, fierce, and uncompromising. Raine. She brought Gavin’s healing touch, adding it to Darius’s energy until it became an unstoppable force. Together they gathered the magic and forced it to bend to their will, reestablishing the vital bonds between Natasha’s dual natures.
The magic whipped around him and the precious body he held. He felt ribbons of energy sinking deep within the alabaster skin. He waited and, for the first time, prayed for a fucking miracle. Had he kept her hovering in that in-between state too long? Would this work? Had he misjudged his ability and killed her?
Suddenly, light burst from every inch of Natasha’s body, searing his retinas with such intensity he roared, giving voice to all the brutal emotions clamoring inside him.
The body in his arms convulsed. He drew her closer, trying to still the bone jarring movements. They faded, and his head bowed over hers.
“Open your damn eyes,” he whispered.
Between one breath and the next, his wish was answered. Natasha’s eyes flew open revealing a feral, crimson gaze. His heart stuttered, his relief replaced by grim realization.
Natasha’s demon was in full control and she was beyond pissed. At him.
Her claws swept out. He barely managed to get his arms up in time to block the blow. Her nails tore strips from wrist to elbow. She twisted out of his lap, landing on her feet with cat-like grace. Crouched in front of him, her lips curled back from razor-sharp teeth, she hissed in fury. That crimson gaze fixed on him with lethal intent. Her head lowered, bringing those deadly horns into play. Her body began a slow, mesmerizing weave back and forth, her maddened gaze never moving.
He rolled to his feet. “You want to play, darling?” he drawled, curling his fingers in a come-hither motion. “Let’s play.”
Whether following his voice or the insolent curl of fingers, she snarled and rushed him, her instinct overriding any trace of intellect. He let her in close then stepped to the side, intent on immobilizing her, not hurting her. She, on the other hand, had no such intentions. Anticipating his move, she went in low, her claws flashing as she slashed toward his hamstrings. A twist and turn got him out of harm’s way, but set him off balance and straight into the kick she aimed at him.
He took the blow meant for his ribs on his back. The force of it wrenched a grunt from him, but he managed to wrap his hands around her leg. He pulled and twisted, yanking her off balance and torqueing her body face down on the ground. He didn’t waste time, but followed her down. Dropping to his knees on either side of her hips, he locked one hand on her wrist, twisting it up and between her shoulder blades, forcing her thumb toward her spine.
She smashed her head back, the edge of one her wicked horns, slicing a line of fire along his cheekbone, perilously close to his eye.
He cursed and clamped his other hand on the base of her skull, holding her head in place, her cheek pressed to the ground. He leaned in and growled, “As much as I enjoy this rather testy side of you, could you save it for someone who actually deserves it, darling?”
The thrashing body under him stilled. Her spine rising and falling with her harsh breaths. Small tremors ran through her. Her muscles locked as if fighting something from within.
“That’s it,” he crooned, hoping to get through to her. “It’s just me, Natasha. I need you to come back. We have a few things to finish.”
A violent shudder wracked the demon under him, before she went limp. Silence hung for a breathless moment, then a hesitant, “Darius?”
She was back. Relief thundered through him. “Yes?”
“Get off me before I show you what testy really means.”
He laughed as he rolled off of her, gathering her tight in his arms. “Welcome back, darling.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Hours later, Natasha drifted through the quiet of Vidis’s house, careful not to disturb Cheveyo, sprawled asleep on the massive sectional. Carys had gone home, leaving Cassandra to watch over a stabilized Axel upstairs, while Gavin and Raine had retreated into another room. Vidis had been gracious enough to offer Natasha one of the rooms upstairs to rest. She tried, gods above and below knew she tried, but sleep eluded her. And from the sound of running water, Darius was still in the shower, which meant she could slip away unnoticed.
Carefully, she opened the French doors and slipped into the quiet of the pre-dawn night, pulling the door closed behind her. Right now, the last thing she wanted to do was field the questions and concerns the night’s events would bring. Time enough to shoulder it in the morning.
The moon chased the horizon, leaving Vidis’s wild yard bathed in silver light. She took the steps down to the ground and made her way across the yard.
The night was far from quiet. The constant hum of insects followed her. The soft hoot of an owl drifted on the breeze as it danced through the leaves to add a soft shushing counterpoint. A fine mist drifted over her, making her glad she hadn’t taken the time to dry her hair earlier. She stopped in the middle of the yard, steps from where the forest held watch, and lifted her face to the sky. Closing her eyes, she just breathed. In and out. In and out. Taking Nature’s unruffled calm in deep.
The irony didn’t escape her. A being of chaos looking for a moment of peace.
Finally she dropped her head, opened her eyes, and stared at the trees in front of her with unseeing eyes. As if a dam had broken, everything—Ryan’s death, Jamie’s betrayal, Taliesin’s weight, the treacherous path looming ahead—crashed into her.
Without Ryan to talk to, who could she trust to understand her decisions? They could so easily be misconstrued. Who would keep her in check? With DiMarcco hunting the Northwest, one
wrong move would cost more than she could bear. How could she keep her people safe when she couldn’t even see the snake curled around her neck?
Jamie’s betrayal cut deep, deeper than she thought. She spent years with him, but the minute something shinier came along, the minute she stumbled, he left. Who else stood by, waiting for her to make another mistake? Who would die this time? Silent and hot, tears fell unchecked. For one brief, dark moment, she wondered if her death wouldn’t have been the better option.
“I didn’t think you were that breakable, love.” Ryan’s achingly familiar voice haunted her from the past.
“Dammit Ryan, everyone breaks.” She ran a shaky hand through her damp hair, a harsh sound—half sob, half laugh—escaping. “You left me. Left us.”
“Not by choice.” The dark, deep voice had her spinning around to find Darius behind her.
Her tears vanished as she choked back a snarl. “Why are you following me?”
“He’d have stayed if he could, Natasha.” He ignored her question, instead cocking his head to the side, allowing the moonlight to chase away the shadows hiding his face. A kindred grief darkened his eyes even as he searched her face. “He trusted you, trusted those he left behind to see this through. He would not leave something so precious as his people to someone weak.” He stepped closer and carefully cupped her face with both hands. “You are so far from weak, you wouldn’t know how to break if you tried.”
She studied him from inches away. “I made a mistake, and he paid for it with his life.” She forced the painful confession from her aching throat.
“Everyone makes mistakes, Natasha.” His thumb traced away one last damp trail before slowly letting her go. “Even Ryan.” He captured her hand and tugged her into walking with him. He didn’t look at her, but continually scanned their surroundings, alert even here. “Ryan’s mistake cost him the life of his sister, Catriona.”
Natasha held her tongue and listened.
“When Ryan left the Order, he knew there were those who wouldn’t be satisfied with just letting him go. He held too much power, too much influence to be allowed to just walk away. Threats were made, some even acted out against him and his sister, until he was forced to leave Europe. No one could live under the constant strain of never knowing who or where the next knife would strike. Catriona was his weak spot, and his enemies knew it. The target on her back burned much brighter than his.”
“Over the years he became very protective of her, too much so, he later admitted. Catriona wouldn’t push him on things, unless it was worth it to her. Twice she faced down her brother, refusing to bow to his version of protection.”
“Raine’s father,” Natasha murmured, as memories of Ryan, furious and frustrated, when his sister refused to name the man she was involved with, despite his repeated pleas for a name.
Darius nodded. “And raising Raine on her own, away from Ryan’s protective shadow. It was the center of their last argument. Ryan told me it got so bad, he said things he couldn’t take back, and Catriona wouldn’t talk to him for years. They’d barely starting talking again, when she and Raine disappeared. And when he found her…”
“It was too late,” Natasha finished, remembering Ryan’s devastation when he returned with Raine, leaving Catriona’s body behind. Little things began to click into place. “He kept a distance between himself and Raine out of guilt, not grief.”
Darius’s jaw tightened. “He could never forgive himself for Catriona’s death, but he also knew if he showed any tenderness to Raine, his enemies would once again switch their focus. He wasn’t willing to take that chance. Especially when he found out Catriona had been worried she and Raine were being hunted, but hadn’t gone to him. He always thought if he hadn’t held on so tight, Catriona would’ve reached out sooner. He didn’t want to make the same mistake with Raine.”
Natasha stepped over a log, using Darius’s arm for balance. “So he pushed her away?” She shook her head. “Damn idiot, did he learn nothing?”
Darius tightened his grip on her arm, bringing her to a halt. He waited until she looked up at him. “And will you learn from your mistakes?”
What had she learned? She looked away, thinking. She twisted her decisions around and around, running through her would’ve, could’ve, should’ve scenarios, while quiet minutes ticked by. Darius stood patiently waiting, giving her the time to face her own realizations. Finally, she answered, “How does that saying go? ‘Those who don’t learn from the past, are doomed to repeat it’?”
His lips twitched. “You really want a repeat of tonight?”
She gave him a small smile. “Not really, no.”
She began to pick her way through the forest. With each step, her grief loosened its hold and she made her decisions. Ryan tried to protect his people by standing in front of them. Well, perhaps it was time for a change in strategy. DiMarcco held his position for centuries, using a politician’s proven tools—lies, manipulation, and slight of hand. If she wanted her people to survive, they would need something DiMarcco would never consider—trusted allies and unexpected weapons.
Allies like the one behind her, who gained her trust by killing her. She smiled to herself. It made a twisted sort of sense, if you were into that kind of thing. And she definitely was. Time to play the game for keeps. “We’ll have to give Gavin and the others DiMarcco’s name.” She shot Darius a look over her shoulder. “And we need to bring Zayn to the table.” She turned forward, leading the way. “Your choice to share your relationship or not.”
“Gracious of you, darling,” he drawled with dry amusement.
“I thought so, pet.”
His silence as they continued through the woods assured her he was considering the pros and cons of sharing. Finally, he said, “It may serve us better to keep that connection quiet for a bit longer.”
“Why?”
Darius reached above her, tugging a drooping branch out of her way. “Until we have actual proof against DiMarcco, we’ll need every advantage we can get. We have no idea how far or deep his reach goes.”
He had a point. “One of the many things we’ll need to uncover before the Council meeting in June.”
“You think we can unravel which humans are working with him by then?”
“We? No.” She stopped and half turned back to him. “We are going to leave that task to Gavin and Raine. They seem to have such fun interacting with the humans. Besides, it will give the two of them the chance to hone their new-found skills.”
He arched an eyebrow, wicked amusement dancing in his eyes. “And give you a chance to evaluate their potential power.”
She put on a pout. “You say it like it’s a bad thing.”
His lips twitched. “You sure that’s wise?”
Dropping the pout, she shrugged. “Wise? Perhaps not, but it will definitely be effective and necessary. DiMarcco wants to eliminate what he doesn’t understand, so why not use what he fears against him? We need every weapon we have. He won’t go down without taking everyone and everything he can with him. I don’t intend to let the Northwest be part of his collateral damage.” She turned back to resume walking. “Besides, you, Zayn, and I have something more important to do.”
“What’s that?”
“We need to figure out who’s standing on which side of the line before the Council meeting.”
“Easier said than done, darling.”
The serious undertone to his comment slowed her steps. “I’m sure your brother is more than up to the challenge.”
“Of that I have no doubt.” Darius fell into step beside her. “But are you ready for what this alliance between you and us will trigger?”
“What exactly do you think will happen?”
“The Northwest is the only one capable of garnering the type of support needed to bring DiMarcco down. It’s why he’s targeted you to begin with. You know he’ll make a move before the meeting, especially if you enter the game officially.”
“Oh, I truly hope he does.�
�� Dark satisfaction purred under her words. The trees thinned and then disappeared, leaving behind a small clearing where a shack stood, semi-camouflaged by fallen branches and leaves. “In fact, I’m counting on it.” She stopped and turned to face him, not bothering to hide her savage needs behind a civilized mask. “Do you happen to have your knife handy?”
Darius slipped out a sharp, lethal blade, and handed it to her hilt first. “Something I can help you with?”
“No.” Her smile was all teeth as she took it from him. “I just don’t want to chip a nail.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Leopold DiMarcco took one last sip of coffee as he finished the morning paper. Setting it aside, he rose from the comfortable chair tucked on the small hotel balcony in downtown Portland. He’d be happy to leave this city of gray, weeping skies and enjoy the sunnier climes of his home. Unfortunately, he had to stop in Washington, DC first, to ensure the legitimacy of his business trip. This spontaneous trip to the Northwest had not turned out quite as he expected. While the arrogant little prick, Jamie Ryder, managed to pull together quite the impressive list of influential humans, he pushed his streak of initiative too far.
DiMarcco glared down at the crawling traffic below. Kidnapping Bertoi was a critical error, especially so soon after Mulcahy’s death. His lips twisted in a smile. Now, that particular plan had ended brilliantly in his opinion, even if it did miss its originally intended target. Which was why he added a little something extra to the spell he gave Ryder. The same spell the idiot used on Bertoi. It wouldn’t matter if the cocky shit did his job or not, because the spell would do it for him. All with the added benefit of keeping DiMarcco’s name out of this mess. Just like he preferred.
He turned from the view, leaving the cup and paper outside. He stepped back inside the hotel room only to come to an abrupt stop. On the dresser sat an inconspicuous box. Narrowing his eyes, DiMarcco scanned the room. His bags were still stacked by the door, waiting to be picked up by the bellhop. His jacket lay on the bed, next to his phone and wallet. From where he stood, he could see that the lock was engaged on the door.
