by Ciara Graves
“Then why did you?” she snapped. “Why?”
“It was my job. I’m a necromancer and a frost mage,” he told her, revealing his hands.
“What?” She ran her fingers over them. “I’ve never seen these before.”
“I hid them from you,” he admitted. “When we met, I had just become a member of the Elite Guard. I knew how dangerous my life would be, and you told me you weren’t used to magic. I wanted to keep you safe, so I lied.” He held out his hands as she tentatively touched the markings. “I’m so sorry. So sorry.” His voice was filled with pain and regret. “I should have just told you the truth up front.”
“And your hair?” Carefully, she ran her fingers through his much longer hair.
“Happens when you’re a necromancer,” he told her. “That’s why Rori’s has some white in it now.”
I held my breath, thinking Mom had gotten over it all.
Then she pushed up from the couch, furious all over again. “You walked out on me! On Rori!”
“I went on a mission to try and find and stop the bastards who started this war, before it even started,” he argued. “I went, and I was taken captive, held in a cage, tortured… broken.” His voice cracked on that last word.
I started to go to him, but he held up his hand, stopping me.
“Our daughter reminded me of who I am and got me out. Our daughter brought me back to you, so I could tell you the truth. I apologize. Jodie, please. I can’t say enough how sorry I am, but… I love you, never stopped loving you. I tried for so long to get back to you both. I did. But each time I failed. The only thing that kept me going for so long was the thought of you.”
Mom was crying now, her arms crossed over her chest, as if that would protect her from a whirlwind of emotions.
“I love you,” he repeated. “But I’ll understand if this is too much. If you want me to go.” Dad took a step toward the door, though his face was begging her to say something.
Mom said nothing.
He sighed and turned. “Rori, I’ll see you again soon.”
“Dad, wait,” I tried.
He shook his head and kept on walking.
He was at the door when Mom whispered his name. She bolted across the room, and he turned in time to catch her in his arms as she kissed him. He wrapped her up in a hug, and she mumbled apologies through her tears as he told her she had nothing to be sorry for.
I wiped my own tears away.
Chas slipped his arm around my waist. “See? Told you it’d work out,” he whispered.
“Yeah. You were right, for once,” I added, nudging him. I considered trying to slip out and give my parents some time to catch up, but they were both suddenly looking at me, and I felt like I was a little kid in trouble again. “What?”
“You are not going anywhere until you tell me everything that happened, both of you,” she said.
Dad’s smile fell away.
“Come on. I have a fresh batch of cookies. And Chas, do you mind making coffee?”
“Of course,” he replied, then kissed the top of my head. He hurried into the kitchen.
I let out a heavy sigh knowing I was about to get the longest lecture of my life from my mother.
Through all the story recounting, tears, yelling, cursing, and eventually hugging, I finally managed to slip from the kitchen while Mom and Dad were whispering quietly to each other.
Chas had gone to use the bathroom and send a message to Brogan and Brunie, letting them know all was going better than I expected.
Mom had yelled at me for scaring her, but she’d yelled at Dad worse, and I’d smirked throughout the entire three minutes of her nonstop swearing at him to never keep the truth from her again. Ever, or he’d wind up with a frying pan upside the head.
I stepped outside into the cool evening air, breathing it in. After being dragged around to so many different outposts, it was nice to be home, even if it was only for a week. I walked around the yard toward the trees that Mom never had the heart to take down, even though they’d been dead for years now.
Closing my eyes, I reached out and rested my hand on the dry bark.
Power slipped from my fingers in the shape of a violet light, surrounding the trunk and stretching out through every branch and down to every root. I poured life back into the tree, giving it a piece of myself until leaves sprouted to life, filling it in completely.
The rush of power took more out of me than I expected. I figured I was still recovering from the epic showdown and taking Brogan into the void. I started to sway, expecting to hit the ground, but instead met a warm chest keeping me upright.
Chas scowled down at me.
“What?”
“You heard what Agnes told you. No powers yet. You already got in trouble for that stunt you pulled with Brogan. I got an earful for letting you do it.”
“Only time, promise,” I assured him, leaning back so I could see my handiwork. “Worth it.”
He slipped his arms around me as I stayed pressed against his chest, watching the breeze rustle the branches full of life now.
“Your dad can handle the rest.”
“I know. Talk to Brogan?”
“Just texted him. Told him we were all alive. He told me they’re a few hours out still.”
“Has he done it yet?” I asked with a smirk.
“Didn’t ask, but from the hesitation, in his last text, I’d say no,” he replied with a laugh. “And we’re not going to bug him either. Let them have their time, so we can have ours.”
“And what would you like to do with ours?” I asked as I turned around, waggling my eyebrows.
He burst out laughing.
“What? You don’t find this look highly attractive?”
He leaned down and kissed me. “I thought we might have a nice dinner in town. Like a normal couple. And then see where the night takes us.”
I gave a nod.
“So, dinner it is then. Not sure I can eat much after all those cookies, but I’ll give it a go.”
He hugged me again, just holding me.
I closed my eyes, sinking into his embrace.
This was all I wanted for a week. No fighting, no powers, just Chas and me together.
I glanced over his shoulder to the back door.
Mom and Dad were there; I could see their silhouettes. They were watching us. Dad had his arm draped over her shoulders as she leaned into him. He kissed the top of her head and then they turned away, disappearing into the house.
“Ready to go?” Chas asked.
“Yeah, I’m ready.” We left through the gate, climbed into the car, and drove the short distance into the main part of town.
We strolled around for a while, holding hands, window shopping, and talking about anything other than fighting or Cleansers, or the hell we’d been through.
We’d already had those talks, and I’m sure at some point they would come up again. But now, we were both content to let the past stay in the past. What the future held I had no freaking idea, but with Chas and Brogan and Brunie, I was no longer so afraid of the unknown.
We were the most powerful team to exist in decades.
I almost felt sorry for whatever bad guys tried to come for us next.
They’d get a rude awakening and a bruised backside.
Chapter 13
Brogan
My cell dinged, and I checked the message from Chas.
“That Rori?” Brunie asked, her eyes focused on the long stretch of road ahead of us and the mountains in the distance.
“No. Chas. Says so far all is going well.”
“Good.”
“Should be able to meet up with us in a week as planned, at the outpost in Maine.”
“Yeah. Not looking forward to dealing with whatever this crap is we’re going to be driving into without the four of us together,” she mumbled. “What kind of creature steals hearts from their victims?”
I shrugged. “Not sure. Could be werewolves. Could be goblins. Who fr
eaking knows. We’ll figure it out once we get there. Next week.”
“You sure you don’t want to go there now?”
“Very sure. We need a break.”
We were currently driving to check in with my family and stay at the cabin on the land, the one where I was most connected to the world around me.
Brunie’s folks lived near the outpost, so she’d already visited with them and let them know she was alive and well, and part of the team. With everything moving so fast, she hadn’t had time to tell them.
Now we would be seeing my parents, and I would be delivering the sad news that Greyson was dead, but at least I knew he was happy.
Rori had even taken the time to take me into the void before she left, so I could speak with him. We’d sat and talked for an hour, mostly about his time with Chas’s parents and Trevor. He told me the importance of being with a team, being open and willing to face all trials head-on. I understood most of what he said now, after going through so much turmoil in the beginning with Rori and Chas. And now with Brunie.
I glanced at Brunie. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she did when she was thinking. “What?’
“Huh? What do you mean, what?” she asked in a rush. “What nothing, I’m good.”
“You’re thinking about something. Care to share? We’ve still got a few hours to go, and this is going to be a long drive if we don’t talk about anything.”
She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “Really, it’s nothing.”
“Brunie, I’m not an idiot, not blind, and I definitely remember whether you seem to think I do or not.” I reached over carefully and covered her hand with mine. “Pull over for a second.”
Her gaze glowed softly as it flickered from my hand to my face then back to the road. She signaled to pull off to the side. With the car safely parked, she turned to face me, opened her mouth to probably give me some over analyzed rundown of why she kissed me when she thought I was dead, but I stopped her.
I undid my seatbelt, shifted as close as I could, and cupped her face. Gently, my lips brushed over hers, tentatively at first until she sighed, leaning into my touch.
We pulled back from each other, my own eyes reflected in her gaze, lightning shooting through them like storm clouds rolling in on the horizon. “I remember.”
“I didn’t want to say anything,” she replied. “You were dying in my arms, and I wasn’t even thinking, but if you were going to die, I had to.” She traced her fingers across my face then grabbed my chin firmly in her fingers as she pulled me back for another kiss. “Never scare me like that again. No dying.”
“Well, if the priest had known what she was doing—ow!” I exclaimed then laughed as she socked me in the arm. “Kidding. I was kidding.”
“You better be,” she huffed through her grin as she settled back in the driver’s seat. “I’m a damned good priest, and you know it. Known what I was doing,” she mumbled, starting the car again. “If my shaman hadn’t taken that last hit for me it might’ve turned out differently.”
I leaned across and kissed her again, stopping her ranting.
She buried her hands in my hair, and I wished the cabin was only minutes away instead of hours. “I was not going to let you take that hit.”
“Hmm, what?” she mumbled.
I drew back.
Her eyes dreamy, she shook her head, shoving me back into my seat. “We’ll continue this conversation later.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, that’s so. Put your damned seatbelt on so we can get going again.” She was grinning the whole time she said it, trying and failing to stay annoyed with me.
She pulled back onto the road, and when she rested her arm on the center console, I held her hand in mine for the rest of the drive toward our new lives, and wherever they might lead.
Keep reading for an excerpt from the Mercy Temple Chronicles series!
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Copyright © 2018 by Ciara Graves
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