Decadence (Tree of Life Series Book 1)

by Nichole Austin

  “Give me my sister,” she hisses with so much venom in her voice that Lawrence hands her over without comment. He mutters under his breath, but then he suddenly drops to the ground. “Don’t you dare put a hex on him. He was finally honest with me, unlike you.”

  She makes her way out of the clearing with her sister, my soul mate, in her arms.

  Crouching down, I tell Lawrence, “You can’t fight fate. She may love you, but she’ll always be mine.” Softly chuckling, I say, “It was time everyone knew you weren’t who you pretended to be. I’ll tell Rosalyn next.”

  Standing up, I go to step over him, but his hand grabs my leg. He grunts, “Our queen will never allow it.”

  Shaking my head, I pull my leg from his hand and follow Alizon. She has a head start on the two of us, and the last thing I want is her locking us out of whatever healing room Rosalyn ends up in. Once again, it looks like she’s overused her powers. I’ve been in her head multiple times, and I know she does this often.

  I notice Lawrence’s heavy footsteps behind me.

  Suddenly, Rosalyn is pushed into my arms, and Alizon quickly whispers, “Hide with her.”

  My heartbeat pounds in my ears, and I look around when I see a patch of trees. Stashing Rosalyn there, I climb the tree to see what’s going on down below, and I also see Lawrence crawl in with Rosalyn.

  In front of me, I hear Alizon talking. I get a glance of who she’s talking to, and I can’t believe my eyes. I close my eyes for a second, and they’re gone.

  Rubbing my forehead, I look down and jump from the tree. Lawrence crawls out holding Rosalyn, and I ask, “Did you see that?”

  “Yeah.”

  We both walk to Alizon, and I’m the first to ask, “Were you just talking to a Vampire without trying to kill him?”

  “What did you just ask?” A frown mars her face.

  “You heard what I said, Alizon.” I cross my arms over my chest and wait for her to speak again.

  She doesn’t answer me and steps over a root to walk toward the castle.

  While we’re walking, Lawrence starts in. “We’re not stupid. We know we saw you talking to a young Vampire. They’re hard to miss,” he retorts while carrying Rosalyn protectively.

  Impatiently, she snorts and throws up her hands, continuing toward the castle.

  As we’re walking, I look everywhere. I’m officially on guard duty. Nothing will happen to my mate. Protect her with your life, Xavier. My teeth grit together, and I do my best not to swear. It’s one thing for me to be in my mate’s head, it’s another thing for this jackass to be in mine. Get the hell out of my head, Alaric! my voice booms.

  All I hear is his laughter, and laughter of two other men. Quinn’s voice breaks through. We’re all connected. If you were such a good guard, you would have figured that out by now.

  I need to ignore them and pay attention to what’s going on around me because I almost missed the fact that guards were running toward us.

  The tallest one of the six asks, “Is she okay?”

  Alizon flippantly responds, “Well, since you guys are late to the game, she overused her powers.” I watch as she gets in his face, and he cowers in fear. “Because of you, they got away.”

  Lawrence is about to say something when I put a hand on his arm and shake my head. Lifting a single brow at her, she shrugs her shoulders at me. Rapidly, my thoughts gather, and I realize she’s protecting herself and Rosalyn. She would throw her sister under the bus any day of the week, but not herself.

  Most of the guards race in the direction from where we just came, and a couple race toward the castle. Lawrence heads toward the entrance where the healing rooms are. It won’t be long until Andreya requests our presence.

  As we get closer to the castle, I go into a daze, my feet dragging across the courtyard. Memories of the last time I was here flash through my mind as sweat collects on my forehead. There’s practically no way I can keep the prophecy away from the queen if she wants it.

  As I pass under the doorway to the corridor, I can almost feel the knife going into my skin and Andreya leaning over me. My knees lock, and I want to flee. Lucas’s baritone voice fills my head. Think of Rosalyn. It’ll get you through the memories.

  Taking a deep breath, I put one stiff step in front of the other and move down the hallway. This isn’t the same situation. Rosalyn is recovering, and I am returning to support her.

  Lawrence goes to the same healing room where the queen tortured me, and I want to smack the look off his face. He lays Rosalyn on the bed, and the healer gets to work on her.

  “What happened to her?” She’s looking her over and healing power fills the room. “I don’t see any injuries.” Worry breaks through the tone in her voice.

  Rapidly, I answer her. “There was a confrontation in the woods, and she had a vision.” Alizon scoffs, but I continue. “She only overused her powers.”

  The healer looks at me and cocks her head to the side in a look of disbelief. “Take a close look at her,” she demands.

  Stepping a little closer, I notice her cheeks are as white as the snow, and she’s limp. My thoughts race, and I realize just how useless I was out there.

  The healer clears her throat, and I do my best to keep my face clear. Pursing her lips, she narrows her eyes at each of us. She sharply snaps, “Somehow, she drained all of her power, so one of you better start talking. Her heartbeat is so weak. She’s dying.”

  My heart skips a beat, flashing back to a time when I witnessed a Witch, who hadn’t reached immortality yet, lose their life after draining their powers. The limitless power hadn’t set in because it happened before he reached eighteen.

  I don’t blink and choke on the words I want to say, no matter how hard I try to get them out. Taking a shaky breath, I look over at Lawrence and Alizon. They need to take over.

  Alizon wrings her hands, and her eyes dart around the room. “She developed another power and had more than one vision today.”

  “No thanks to you,” Lawrence mumbles in the corner of the room.

  Alizon whips around to face him, pinning him with a scowl. “I’d watch what you say to me.”

  Lawrence crosses his arms over his chest and scowls right back at her. “She wouldn’t be like this if it wasn’t for you.” He walks toward her, and I shake my head. He has a death wish. “You took her to a forbidden territory and caused one of the visions. If you hadn’t been dead set on taking her there, none of this would have happened.”

  There’s movement at the doorway and I look over, seeing Andreya in a ruby dress. Her stare is strong enough to cause pain, and I realize that Alizon has finally earned her mother’s wrath. A sigh of relief leaves my mouth.

  Andreya continues to stand in the same spot, and I clear my throat to get Lawrence to stop talking. When he looks at me, I direct my eyes to the doorway, watching his eyes widen when he sees her. He promptly shuts his mouth, and we both watch to see what happens next.

  When the queen slowly walks across the room, I watch to see what she’ll do. You can tell with each word she speaks she’s barely hanging onto her temper. She grips Alizon’s chin. “Where did you take her?” she asks, her voice deathly quiet.

  Alizon gulps, refusing to look her in the eye. “You don’t understand.”

  “Enough,” she snaps. “I won’t have your excuses. It’s time to confess before I make you.”

  If it wasn’t for the love of my life dying on the bed next to them, this would be entertaining.

  Alizon’s eyes dart around the room, and then her voice is tiny when she admits, “I took her to the sacrificial grounds.”

  Andreya’s hand comes up, and a crack rings through the room as her hand makes contact with Alizon’s cheek, causing her daughter to fall to the ground. Standing above her, she orders, “You need to explain to me why you took her somewhere that is specifically forbidden to her.” She clenches and unclenches her fist, cracking her neck. “She was never supposed to know our history, so you better have a go
od reason, dear daughter.” Venom drips from each word.

  For the first time in a century, I see tears gather in Alizon’s eyes. She looks over at me with malice, and Andreya follows her gaze. Growling, she throws Alizon against the wall, and I barely catch what she says. “You took her there because of your hatred for him.” When Alizon minutely nods her head, her mother uses a nail to slowly trace down her cheek. “Just how much does she know?”

  Alizon quietly whispers, “She knows about what happened to Benjamin, and what he did.”

  “If she dies or knows anything she shouldn’t, I’ll make you suffer.” Looking over her shoulder, she shouts, “Guards!” When they rush into the room, she instructs them, “Restrain her and take her to the dungeons.” Her arm goes back and she punches her daughter so hard, she knocks her out.

  My eyes bulge, and I hear Lawrence gasp sharply. Not once has the queen ever thrown Alizon in the dungeons.

  When Alizon is out of the room, Andreya turns to Lawrence and me, pinning us with her gaze. “One of you will explain to me what happened.”

  Lawrence puts his arms behind his back and pipes up, “Xavier will know the most. He disappeared with Rosalyn when everything was going on.”

  Inside, I’m screaming. He doesn’t realize he has threatened Rosalyn’s life if she survives. No, she will survive.

  Andreya cocks her head to the side and taps a finger to her lips. “Interesting. You’ll tell me the details of what happened out there.”

  Behind my back, my hands form fists. Over my dead body will I tell her everything. A protective instinct flares inside me, and I know I must guard not only Rosalyn, but also the other three men, with my life.

  I tune into what they’re talking about, and I hear the healer say, “She’s going to need to get energy, and fast. She’s fading without it.”

  Alaric’s voice breaks through my head. You need to be holding her hand, or lying next to her. She needs skin-to-skin contact. She can borrow some of our energy. My thoughts freeze as I try to figure out what he’s talking about. Quinn and I can push our powers through you as a conduit. We know you don’t have yours right now.

  Quickly I answer him, because what happens afterwards worries me. I don’t know how to do that without telling the queen everything.

  He’s quick to respond. Tell her as much as you need to without giving anything important away. There’s a reason I didn’t tell you everything.

  “Is there anyone she has a soul-deep connection to?” I catch the healer asking.

  Lawrence quickly goes to Rosalyn side. “She’s in love with me,” he declares.

  Laughter bubbles up my throat. She may love him, but they don’t have a soul-deep connection. It’s such a sad sight to watch. She’s about to break his heart.

  Andreya comes to my side and asks, “Do you have something to say, Xavier?”

  Being as respectful as I can, I admit, “Rosalyn had a vision. We’re supposed to be together. She and I have a soul-deep connection.”

  She cackles and says, “Rosalyn loves Lawrence. What you say is preposterous. Lawrence, save her.”

  “You don’t understand,” I quickly say. “We’re soul mates. Please let me try. I’ll let her drain everything I have so she’ll survive.” Gripping my hands, I plead with her. “Please let me save her. I’m begging you.”

  The healer yells, “We’re losing her.”

  Not caring anymore, I push Lawrence to the ground to get to Rosalyn. My hand clutches hers, and I push my lips to hers. Give me all you’ve got Alaric. She’s dying.

  Bright light fills the room as power bursts from my lips. The energy flows from me into Rosalyn, and the connection between the four of us grows stronger with each passing second. Even Lucas pushes some of his energy into me to help save our mate.

  Rosalyn’s eyes fly open. Her bright blue eyes look into mine, and my body flies across the room, hitting the stone wall. She’s wringing her wrists and clenching her teeth. Finally, she shouts, “Why the hell was he kissing me?”

  The amount of power overflowing in the room nearly chokes me, and I buckle to the ground. She grips the sides of the bed and glares at the healer and her mother, finally making her way to Lawrence.

  Andreya’s mouth is open, and she snaps it shut. Her face transforms into one of rage as her porcelain skin flushes. Slowly, I count to ten while I wait to see what she does. Quietly, she hisses, “You might want to thank Xavier because he saved your life. Once again, you used your powers too much, dear daughter.”

  Lawrence abruptly gets up, and I hear his boots against the ground before the door slams. Rosalyn’s face drops so we can’t see it. When she looks back up at me, her eyes are hard and she throws her blankets off to run after him. “Lawrence,” she screams.

  Andreya watches Rosalyn with disgust and follows Lawrence from the room. Loud enough for me to hear, she says, “You’ll give me an explanation, Xavier. I want it soon.”

  When the door shuts behind Andreya, Rosalyn finally lets the tears fall. She’s falling apart over a man she was never meant to fall in love with, but did because of my behavior. Now, it’s going to be up to me to help her move on.

  I’ve made many mistakes in my life. And I have a long road ahead of me to earn the trust of my mates. The biggest mistake I made was ruining the trust and love between Rosalyn and me. My main goal now is to recover the bond we once shared. She is my life, my soul mate, my future wife. I will be tied to her by a cord that stretches through eternity. My last dying breath will be used to fix what is between us.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Rosalyn

  In my mind, I imagine each of his limbs being torn from his body and the blood collecting on the ground until he’s dead. He’s the reason my best friend, and first love, stormed out of the room. If Xavier hadn’t done what he did, I’d have had the chance to explain to Lawrence what was going on.

  My fingers tap on my arms as I look to the healer for an explanation, but she quickly follows my mother out of the room. All my interactions with my mother make sense now. I realize the woman I always thought was my mother really isn’t. She’s been lying to me my whole life. That woman can join the long list of people who’ve betrayed me. It makes sense why I don’t look like anyone. I don’t have parents. I don’t have anyone. My whole life is a lie. The dejection I feel is tearing me apart.

  The one person I could count on is now furious and probably wants nothing to do with me, but I’m going to find him. He has to let me explain.

  As I’m getting out of bed, I feel a hand on my arm, and I want to throw the bastard against the wall again. But something inside me won’t let me to do it consciously. Freaking mate bond, it’s going to be the death of me. Don’t curse the mate bond, sweetheart. It just saved your life. Alaric’s voice would normally calm me down, but not today. Leave me the hell alone, Alaric! They all need to leave me the hell alone. They decided to mess up my life. The least they can do is allow me to try to pick up some of the pieces.

  Looking at Xavier, I tell him with as much strength as I can muster, “Please don’t touch me, Xavier. I can’t handle it. I’m barely hanging on by a thread, and I need to find Lawrence. I have to explain everything to him.” Shaking my head, I look him straight in the eyes, and my voice is strong even though my heart is breaking. “I love him, and he deserves an explanation. Either you’ll let me go, or I’ll force you.”

  I can honestly say that today has been the worst day of my life. Everything I thought about my life has been fragmented. Everyone has been lying to me since the day I was born, including the man standing in front of me.

  Xavier steps in front of me. He reaches out for me but at the last minute pulls his hand back. “Go, Addy, but we’ll talk afterwards. He isn’t the only man who cares about you. Give us the same chance you gave him.”

  Every time Xavier hurt me rushes through my head. I can’t get over all the lies. He’s had so many chances. With my anger steadily rising, I respond to him. “How dare you ask fo
r more from me. I would have given you everything! You betrayed me!” I scream at him as my anger boils over. “Lawrence was there for me. He was the one who picked up the pieces of your betrayal. You had the chance, and you blew it.” Flying out of the room, I chase after Lawrence.

  My tears steadily dry as I get to his chamber door and see it’s cracked open. He’s on his bed, and I see his tears. My heart breaks. This prophecy is destroying people’s lives. It’s amazing how something that’s supposed to save the world is ruining mine.

  My dress brushes quietly across the floor as I make my way into the room and close the door. When the door latches, he looks up in anger and sadness. I don’t give him the chance to tell me to get out. I rush across the room and climb over him to lay on his other side.

  Using my dress, I gently wipe the tears from his face and whisper, “I’m so sorry. Please believe me when I say I never wanted this.” Tears fill my eyes as I say the next part. “I love you. I love you so much. I don’t want to lose you, Lawrence, and right now I feel like I’m losing you.”

  Curling in on myself, I sob. Even though I’m supposed to be comforting him, he gathers me on top of him and soothes me. “We’ll get through this, amare. Our love for each other is too strong for anything to break it apart. It spans across eternity. You are everything I live for, the reason I breathe. As long as we never give up, everything will be okay,” he vows as his lips kiss away the tears on my cheeks. “I’ll be here every time you fall apart. We’re soul mates.” A gut-wrenching sob breaks through my lips, and he presses his lips to mine, gently kissing me. I curse everything in my life, including my mate bond. Pushing my tongue into his mouth, I kiss him passionately, but we’re suddenly shocked as I fly backwards.

  I hear Alaric’s voice in my head. If you think we’re going to let another man touch what is ours, you’ve lost your mind, sweetheart.

  I’m completely stunned. Alaric, you should know this by now considering you’ve been in my head the longest. Don’t try to control me. Stay the hell out of my business, and get the hell out of my head. What’s been going on between Lawrence and me started long before any of you came into my life. You will allow me to have my time with him. You’ll allow me to grieve.