by Ivy Asher
The door opens again, revealing the one elder I’m not surprised to see here. When he sees me, he pauses a couple of steps into the room, and I think I catch shock in his eyes. He pulls his gaze away from me too quickly for me to read what’s written on his face and takes in Sabin and the dead shifter. He looks over to his fellow council members, and a small smile plays at the corner of his lips.
“Well, from the looks of things, someone’s been having fun.”
Elder Albrecht chuckles deeply and then gives Elder Balfour a self-satisfied grin that reeks of superiority.
While the elders are focused on each other, I look to Sabin.
“As soon as these fuckers are done kissing each other’s asses and telling me their plans for world domination, I’m going to kill them. You take out the bald guy and slow down anyone you can, okay?”
Sabin’s eyes are locked on mine, and he gives an almost imperceptible nod. Elder Cleary moves into the room and takes the seat next to me. I pull my gaze away from Sabin and refocus on my targets.
Elder Cleary runs his eyes over me, his gaze lingering on the tape around my arms.
“Want to fill me in on what’s going on?” he asks, as he reaches over and runs the point of his index finger against the thick gray bands.
With a touch, he cuts through the tape and then he proceeds to pull it away from my skin. Thankfully it comes off easily; I guess there was too much blood coating me for the tape to adhere to my skin better. The methodical and casual way that Elder Cleary handles the liberation of my arms surprises me, almost as much as his words.
“I’m sorry to spring this on you, in this way, but I know that we’re like-minded individuals, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Elder Albrecht explains.
Elder Cleary doesn’t immediately respond as he balls up the duct tape in his hands and runs his gaze over the room.
“You mean, you need three casters for the binding and thought I was your best bet to bring on board.”
Elder Albrecht’s eyes narrow ever so slightly. “There is that, too.”
The word binding sends fear running up my spine, and I look over the room more carefully, trying to see whatever clued Elder Cleary in on what’s happening. The room is sparse with only the green, velvet chairs in it, so I focus on the paneling of dark wood on the walls and floor, and that’s when I see the runes carved into the ground. They form a large circle around where I was dropped when they brought me in here. I have no idea what the setup means, but based on what Elder Cleary just revealed, they’re either going to bind themselves to me, or bind my magic — neither of which I’m going to allow to happen.
My arms are free, and no one is holding a knife to Sabin’s throat anymore. If I’m going to make a move, it’s better to do it now than wait and have to deal with the other elders when they arrive, and I have more magic to go up against. I start to call on the runes for my throwing knives when Elder Cleary’s words stop me in my tracks.
“How long have you been working with Adriel, Seth?”
Elder Albrecht’s head snaps to Elder Cleary, and I can see him work to keep his nonplussed mask in place.
“I’ve suspected for some time now that Adriel’s coven of lamia had inside help, but I could never identify the connection.”
I have to swallow back the seething anger that rages through me, demanding action. He’s been working with Adriel this whole time, selling out his own people, and doing who knows what else?
“Sabin, now!”
With that, I’m out of my seat in a flash, slamming daggers into Elder Albrecht’s chest. I pin him to the green velvet chair, staining it with the blood of a monster who’s hurt the ones he was supposed to protect. A scuffle breaks out next to me, but the piece of shit I’m shoving my hate and blades in, has my full attention. He blasts me with maroon magic that activates my shields, and I press into him even further.
The twins’ faces run through my mind, followed by Silva and their mother, smiling back at me from the framed photo that Bastien has in his room. I imagine Lachlan and Vaughn with their arms around each other laughing and talking shit, and then I picture my mother. This fucker ruined all of their lives! I pull my dagger out of Elder Albrecht’s chest, and I cling to the faces of the ones I love, and never got to love, as I shove a blade through his ribs to pierce his lung.
“They fucking trusted you, and you sold them out for what? More power?” I shake my head at him seething and shove another blade slowly into the other side of his chest. “Well, they can look through my eyes now and watch you die... slowly... painfully... pissing yourself.”
I stare at his face until it goes slack and the life in his eyes fades. I stand up to find Elder Balfour’s body in a heap on the ground and Elder Cleary helping Sabin off the ground where the bald guy is lying in a pool of his own blood. I stride towards them, cock back my fist and punch Elder Cleary in the face. Sabin moves next to me as Elder Cleary pulls his hands away to protect his now broken nose.
“I’m not in on this, Vinna! I was trying to help!” he shouts, his voice pained and nasally as blood drips through his cupped hands.
“Don’t convince yourself that you’re the good guy! You took your shot at trying to play and manipulate me, too. Be glad you just have a broken nose; it could be worse.”
Elder Cleary follows my gaze back to the dead Elder Albrecht. He looks back to me and gives me his best I’m not intimidated look. So I give him my best I’m not fucking joking, I will stab you look. We stand like that for a moment before Elder Cleary pulls his phone out of his pocket and calls for help. I guide Sabin out of the room ignoring Elder Cleary’s order to not go too far. Sabin hasn’t said a word, and it’s freaking me out, so I stop just outside of the room, now coated in death. I cup his cheeks and stare up into his green eyes.
“Talk to me, are you okay?”
I don’t ask where he’s hurting, I just push healing magic into my hands and let it start working on his injuries.
He just stares at me, something unreadable in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone like that. I should have been more aware of what was happening around you. Please, say something, anything, even if you need to scream at me…”
“I love you, Vinna.”
I don’t know what I was expecting to fall out of Sabin’s perfect lips, but that was not it. I send another pulse of healing magic into him, certain there must be a serious head injury I missed somehow, but he pulls my hands away from his face.
“It’s not a concussion-addled confession,” he tells me, his mouth turning up in a smirk, but I don’t miss the flash of insecurity in his eyes.
“No, Sabin,” I tell him, and he looks at me confused. “Not when I’m covered in blood and reek of death.”
He cups my cheek. “I know those words should be spoken under starlit skies and punctuated with soft kisses, but they’re no less true when we’re covered in blood and reek of death. I love you.”
Before I can say anything else, Sabin leans down and kisses me. I may not want to hear him say I love you, not like this, not when I’m not sure I can say it back. But he tells me anyway, his lips on mine, his soul demanding its place with my soul. I may not know what love like this is supposed to be like, or if I’m ready to say those words, but I let what I do feel for him seep into my lips, and it surprises me when my kiss begins to feel just like his.
44
Sabin and I walk out of the front door of the palatial monstrosity Elder Albrecht called a house. We’ve been questioned and now released by the paladin sent to investigate and clean up what happened here tonight. I’m exhausted. The heaviness of my tired feet and limbs is made worse by the fact that the difficult times don’t die inside this house tonight. There is still so much more death and destruction waiting for me out in the world, and we’re about to take a direct flight right into the middle of it.
I spot the guys huddled just past a guard of paladin who’ve been instructed not to let anyone
onto the grounds. I break into a run pulling Sabin along with me, and I shove through the line of guards and jump right into the middle of my pile of Chosen. Ryker catches me, and I’m peppered with kisses as he runs his hands over me confirming for himself that I’m alright. I already saw a healer inside, and I reassure him that the blood isn’t mine and I’m okay.
I don’t get any more explanation out before I’m stolen away and the kiss-slash-check-if-I’m-okay process begins again and gets repeated three more times. When the guys aren’t checking on me, they’re checking on Sabin.
“By the stars, that was awful. Knowing what was going on and not being able to do anything is by far the worst feeling in my life,” Knox confesses, pulling Sabin into one side of him and me into the other.
We all take a moment just to breathe and try to rid ourselves of the anxiety and worry that has hung heavy around all of us throughout this whole ordeal. We climb into the car and head for home, and I try to sort through everything that’s happened tonight.
“Did Aydin and Evrin make it to Torrez?” I ask, terrified they’ll say no, and somehow equally terrified that they’ll say yes.
Bastien turns to me, and I can’t read what’s written on his face. “He needed more healing, which Evrin took care of, and he’s resting back at the house.”
So many different feelings flash through me, and I’m not sure which one to cling to; relief, fear, intrigue, worry? I finally settle on guilt.
“I’m sorry you guys,” I announce into the quiet of the car.
“For what?” Bastien asks.
“For wanting to mark someone other than you guys. I didn’t know, until I thought it was too late that I even wanted to. But Torrez was right, it was there, and I just didn’t want to look at it too closely. I was drawn to him, but it was different, I don’t know how to explain it...I should have talked to you guys more. Tried to figure out what was going on, so we could all make a decision, and now I’ve gone and forced another thing onto you all.” I confess, feeling horrible that once again my lack of self-awareness has made a mess of things.
“We’ll just have to adjust, Vinna. We all trust your magic, and if it found him worthy, then we’ll find a way to as well.” Sabin tells me, and I’m shocked when each of the guys voice their agreement.
I feel like I should say more, explain more, but when I sift through the words in my head, nothing feels right. I don’t know what sentences I could string together, that would make me feel better about what happened. Or what I could say that would make it easier to believe that this transition will be as simple as Sabin’s words make it seem. So instead of looking for a solution that doesn’t seem to exist, I stay quiet and soak in the reassurance and acceptance that I always feel just being in their presence.
We park in front of the house once again, knowing that we’re here to clean up, pack our bags and then leave for the airport. Aydin, Evrin, and the sisters pour out of the front door, and all of us are wrapped up into hugs and relieved greetings.
“Well, Little Badass, at this rate we should probably stop letting you out of the house at all. Have you guys ever met a bigger trouble maker?” Aydin teases, after he sets me down from a bone-crushing hug and wipes a few tears from his cheek.
Evrin wraps an arm around my shoulders as we head inside the house and gear up to leave again. I look around, nervous that Torrez will be leaning against a wall smirking and demanding that our new situation is dealt with immediately, but he’s nowhere to be seen.
“He’s sleeping in a guest room. The sisters cleaned him up, fed him, and fussed over him. He passed out pretty quickly after that. I don’t know how Sentinel magic works with other kinds of supes, but he seemed to be pretty wiped out.”
I give Evrin a grateful smile. “Thank you for healing him. I didn’t know if I had done enough, so thank you for making sure he made it.”
Evrin gives me an awkward hug, and I chuckle.
“You’re worse at that than I was,” I tease, and he laughs. “Do I need to sic the sisters on you? They’re good at hug-it-out therapy.”
Evrin laughs again and points me in the direction of my room. “Go shower; you’re gross.”
I laugh, but realize he’s right. “Sisters, Evrin really needs a hug. He’s feeling very emotional,” I shout over my shoulder, and dash into my room just in time to see the three of them surround Evrin.
“Thanks a lot! Payback’s a bitch!” he shouts at me.
I laugh all the way to the bathroom where I promptly strip and throw everything I’m wearing away. I don’t know how long I spend under the molten stream of water that falls from the ceiling of the shower, but no one comes to hurry me along, so I take my time. I magic myself free of most of the hair on my body and then towel off, dry and style my hair, and take a deep breath before I leave the sanctuary of the bathroom and step back into the real world.
I get dressed and head out to ask if I need to pack a bag when angry yelling has me running down the hallway to the front of the house. I get out to the living room and run right into complete chaos. Aydin and some of the guys are trying to pull Knox and Bastien off of...Enoch?
What the fuck is going on?
I rush to insert myself in front of Knox and Bastien as they’re pulled back, and when I see the looks on their faces, it scares the shit out of me. I’ve never seen them so angry.
“You fucking shit bag liar, I’m going to kill you!” Knox bellows over me, as he struggles to get out of Aydin and Sabin’s hold.
It’s a good fucking thing he has no idea how to use his Sentinel strength yet, or we would be in some serious trouble. I spin around, focusing on a swollen-eyed, bloody-lipped, Enoch.
“What the fuck is happening here?”
“I swear on everything, Vinna; I have no idea how it happened. They just showed up.”
I’m confused as fuck about what Enoch is rambling about. They just showed up? Who showed up? Enoch swipes at the blood on his lip, and everything inside of me plummets, as I take in the black marks on his finger.
No. Fucking. Way.
I spring for him, my bloodlust demanding action. The betrayal I feel screaming through every part of me. I catch him with a right hook to the cheek, and he falls back avoiding my follow up hit. I’m raging inside, but I say nothing as I pounce on him ready to smash his face in. Kallan steps in front of me, and I move to go around him until I spot what’s on his hands, too. My seething eyes find his, and the only thing that keeps me from killing him is the terror in his eyes.
“How the fuck do you have runes, too!” I demand.
Arms wrap around me from behind yanking me away from the people who need to give me answers, right fucking now. My Chosen may not know what they’re capable of yet, but I sure as fuck do, and I push magic into all of my limbs and fight to get away from whoever is holding me back. I writhe, and flail, and do everything short of hitting and stabbing my captor, but fuck they’re strong. Lips press close to my ear.
“I can do this all day, Witch. But if you’d stop rubbing yourself all over me for just a second, I’d like to point something out.”
Torrez’s arms tighten around me, and the shock of his deep voice makes me pause. He pushes a hand out in front of my face and nuzzles my neck.
“They’re not the same.”
His words and silky tone reverberate through me, and it takes me a minute to figure out what he means. I stare at the dark tan tone of his skin and the runes that mark his entire ring finger. The second rune, the one marking him as mine, sits black and prominent on his finger. Its presence pushes the rest of the runes representing my other Chosen, down, the last resting on his knuckle. He moves his palm slightly, and I look through his large splayed fingers, honing in on Enoch’s hand.
He’s right...The runes on Enoch’s finger aren’t mine. So, whose the fuck are they?
The End of Book Two...
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are so many people who helped this book get passed the finish line. Denise, Nichole, Robin, Megan, Nesa, Tiffany, Sara, and Dom, thank you for your time, talent, support, eagle eyes, and for being incredible!
Raven and Ann, thank you for being the most supportive, badajj, birches a girl could ever hope to find and call squad!
S & S, thank you for being amazing about the nights of eating out, and weekends of staying in to write! Love you!
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About the Author
Ivy Asher is addicted to chai, swearing, and laughing a lot—but not in a creepy, laughing alone kind of way. She loves the snow, books, and her family of two humans, and three fur-babies. She has worlds and characters just floating around in her head, and she’s lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing people who support that kind of crazy.