Last Descendants (Vitarian Chronicles Volume 2)

by S. L. Watson

“Cal’s in the parking lot, waiting for me. We’re heading to Selkie’s to scour our grimoires for anything that might help Molly. Will you tell your brother I’m leaving my car here for him?”

  I nodded mutely as my mom hurried off.

  The doctors had asked that no more than two visitors go into Molly’s room at a time, so Jasper, Ty, and Lucas stayed behind in the waiting room, while I went to find Molly’s room. Molly had been raised by her grandparents, and both had recently passed, and the only other relatives I was aware of lived out of town. We were Molly’s family.

  The lights throughout the entire hall leading to Molly’s room dimmed low, then buzzed bright, and it wasn’t me this time. Nurses spoke in rushed whispers about the cause, but I already knew. Darion’s energy seeped through the entire fifth floor. I had to pause and steady myself. The curse raged through my veins as I drew nearer to my brother.

  I swallowed a dry bubble as my hand hesitated on the doorknob leading into Molly’s room. Machines beeped from the other side of the door, and whispers came from Darion. I didn’t want to eavesdrop, so I pushed the door open and went inside.

  Molly lay faceup on the hospital bed with closed eyes. Darion sat at her side with his face pressed sideways on her bare arm, and her hand cradled in his.

  Be strong for Darion. I refused to let the hot tears spring loose. I steeled myself as I tiptoed to the sink and found a clean washcloth and ran it under warm water. The black wig Molly had been wearing had been discarded, but she still wore the heavy makeup she’d applied for her Morticia costume. Molly was a stickler for a clean face, and she’d be furious if someone let her sleep with all that goop clogging her pores.

  I maneuvered carefully around the heart monitor, which beeped a steady rhythm, and made sure not to disturb the tube taped down the length of Molly’s arm, which was connected to a needle on the back of her hand, delivering a constant source of fluid. I smoothed the pink strip of hair back so it blended with Molly’s natural blond and began gently cleansing her skin.

  “What are you doing?” Darion looked up, and my gut twisted like I’d been kicked hard. His strained eyes were silver pits of worry.

  I spoke quietly even though I knew the volume of our voices couldn’t wake her. “Molly hates to sleep with makeup on, so I’m cleaning it off for her.”

  Darion placed a soft kiss on the top of Molly’s hand that he held folded between his. “She’s such a feisty little thing. I’ve never met anyone like her. I—” He broke off, and his forehead fell back down to lie on her arm. His voice came out in a harsh muffle. “I should have told her how much she means to me. I should have been there to protect her.”

  Fire burned in my chest. I crumpled the washcloth in my hand. “I’m so sorry, Darion. This is—”

  “Don’t you dare say this is your fault. You didn’t do this to her, but when I find whoever did, they are going to pay.” The sudden rage surging from Darion’s aura put me on edge. When Darion got angry, he got reckless. And what he was feeling now was explosive.

  I teetered on whether I should tell him about his impersonator. The gray storm brewing in his eyes nearly held me back, but he deserved to know that someone was masquerading around, looking like him. But just as the words were about to leave my mouth, an object glinted with sparks of red and orange as Darion shifted Molly’s hand to lay it on her abdomen.

  I recognized the stone Calista had brought him from Bali. He’d tucked it in Molly’s hand. Calista had said it enhanced determination and willpower. Darion held a different stone in his hand. He rubbed his thumb over the image painted atop the dream stone he’d drawn from Freya’s bowl.

  “Darion. What did Freya say to you before you ran out?”

  He glanced up from the stone and stared past me.

  My breath caught at his strained expression. His raven hair stuck up in all directions. I’d never seen Darion so disheveled.

  My stomach twisted. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. You need some rest.”

  His attention snapped to. “I’m not leaving.”

  I didn’t bother arguing, because I knew it would be a pointless effort. I glanced around the room and noticed that the cushioned area next to the window was large enough to fit someone Darion’s length. A folded blanket and an extra pillow lay there, ready for use.

  “I’ll bring you clean clothes in the morning. But please at least try to get some rest.” I patted the pillow and lifted the blanket. “Molly needs you to be strong for her. If you stay up all night, worrying, you won’t be much help to any of us. Now come on.”

  Darion tucked Molly’s arms under her blanket.

  I turned away to give him privacy while he whispered in her ear.

  He plopped down on the narrow cot and kicked off his shoes, while I shook out the blanket and tossed it over him.

  “She said it’s the toll to cross the barrier.”

  I’d already forgotten about my question, so it took me a second to register what Darion was talking about, but then I remembered the dream stone. “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know yet.” Darion’s head turned so his eyes fell on Molly’s motionless body. “But I’m going to figure it out.”

  I smoothed his hair back. “Get some sleep first.” I started to turn away, but Darion’s hand reached for mine, and the curse buzzed between us. We didn’t need to speak. Thanks to the curse, our emotions vibrated as a single thread when we made contact. I squeezed his hand back. “I’ll see you in the morning. Oh, and Mom left you her car.”

  I dimmed the lights in the room and slipped back out into the hall. As soon as the door clicked shut, tears that I’d held back in front of Darion flooded out. My body shook as I slid down to the floor.

  Passersby looked away, used to seeing visitors of patients crumbling in hallways, where the occupant of the room couldn’t see. A nurse who hadn’t layered herself in cold, impenetrable walls bent down and gently touched my shoulder.

  “Is there someone I can call for you?” Kind and gentle brown eyes squinted over me.

  I shook my head and mumbled, “Thank you.” Then I pushed myself back to standing.

  When I got back to the waiting room, Lucas sat alone on a plastic chair with a duffel bag on the floor next to his feet. He’d changed from his Halloween getup into jeans and a T-shirt, which made me all the more aware of how uncomfortable my costume felt.

  “What happened to Ty and Jasper?” I glanced around the still-full waiting room.

  Lucas stood and pulled me into his chest. “They thought we might like some time alone, so Jasper left me his mom’s car, and they both got a ride with your mom and Cal. They’re coming back in the morning to see Molly.”

  “Oh.” I nestled against Lucas’s chest, and his arms snuggled tighter around me.

  His fingers kneaded the tight muscles in my neck. “Do the doctors know anything yet?” he asked.

  I shook my head, not wanting to make up any more lies.

  “Don’t worry.” He smoothed my cheek. “I’m sure they’ll know more by the morning.”

  I wished I could tell Lucas that he was wrong, that there was no way the doctors could fix Molly, since what was wrong with her had nothing to do with human anatomy, but instead, I just nodded. “Take me home.”

  Lucas swung his duffel bag over one arm and tucked me into the other as we left the hospital. Neither of us spoke during the drive. I felt Lucas glance at me a couple of times like he wanted to say something, but he remained quiet.

  My mom had given Lucas my purse, which I’d left in her car when we’d visited Freya, and I slid my phone out to check for messages. The most recent text was from my mom, letting me know she’d taken Luna with her to Selkie’s. I released a grateful breath. Luna had been alone most of the day, and she’d have been thrilled to go on a car ride.

  When we got inside my apartment, I kicked off my shoes and set the bag of stones Freya had given me on an end table. Then I sank onto the couch. I was dying to take off the flapper dress, but ex
haustion kept me in place.

  Lucas stood by the door, watching me with a careful expression. The overhead kitchen light reflected in his cobalt eyes as they trailed my body with a hard intensity. The corded muscles in his arms tensed as he bent down and tore off the cowboy boots he’d worn as a part of his earlier costume. He ran his hand through his sandy waves as he came over and sank down next to me. He stretched my legs atop his and massaged my calves and feet. My eyes wanted to drift closed, but I took a deep breath and plunged forward before I lost my nerve. “Lucas, I—”

  “Shh … not tonight.” He slid his hands underneath my body and pulled me onto his lap. His fingers massaged up the back of my neck and tickled my ears before he unclipped my hair.

  My scalp tingled with instant release as my long black hair fell down over my shoulders in loose waves. I trailed my fingers across Lucas’s forehead and circled his almond-shaped eyes.

  Lucas cupped the back of my head and guided it down until our lips touched. His mouth caressed mine with a gentle and tentative kiss. When I responded, Lucas shifted his body so that I slipped beneath him, while he straddled my hips. His hand skimmed up the inside of my leg while his lips trailed down my neck.

  “Everly …”

  I looked up into his hungry eyes, and his mouth crashed down onto mine. The walls of my apartment and the sofa beneath me vanished as the memories I couldn’t suppress flooded my mind. The rough surface of an ancient oak tree replaced soft cushions, and green eyes burned into mine as Arden’s lips scorched my skin with every touch.

  My body went rigid like it did every time Lucas and I got intimate. I pushed Lucas back. “I can’t. I’m sorry.” The flush in my chest ran hot, and the burn in my cheeks flared as understanding washed across Lucas’s face. I sat up and adjusted my dress back over my legs.

  “You can’t be with me because of him.” His jawline hardened. “All this time, I thought you just weren’t ready, but it’s been him all along.”

  I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t deny the truth. And if I did, I’d just be lying to both Lucas and myself.

  “It all makes sense now,” Lucas went on when I didn’t answer. “Why you’ve always kept a part of yourself from me.” His words weren’t angry, just sad and disappointed. “I think a part of me has always known that you had to be in love with someone else, but why didn’t you just tell me?”

  I choked on the tears that sprang loose. “I don’t know. I’m so sorry, Lucas. I care about you so much.” I reached across the couch and grasped his hand. “I never meant to hurt you.”

  He threaded his fingers through mine. “I saw the way you looked at each other. And when I saw you in his arms, I knew …” His hand separated from mine.

  Lucas wiped the burning tears from my cheeks with the back of his finger and tilted my chin up. “Do I even have a chance for you to feel that way about me?”

  My shoulders shook, and I told him the truth “I don’t know.”

  The spark of hope in Lucas’s eyes faded, and he stood and pulled on his boots.

  My thoughts spun, and I scrambled to explain. “My feelings for Arden are complicated. I don’t want to lose you, Lucas.” And I realized how true that was. I didn’t want to lose Lucas, but I couldn’t change the way I felt about Arden either.

  I crossed the room and stood in front of him. Why couldn’t I just move on from Arden and be with Lucas? But I knew why, and by the way Lucas was looking at me, he knew too. He opened his arms, and I squeezed my own around him, hoping it wasn’t the last time we’d hold each other like this, but knowing I couldn’t expect Lucas to settle with someone who couldn’t give him the love he deserved.

  His chest rumbled against mine when he said, “I’ll come see you tomorrow, before I head out of town, okay?”

  I nodded into his chest and sniffled as my tears soaked into his T-shirt.

  He kissed the top of my head and then gently backed out of my arms and left.

  I crumpled to the floor and buried my face in my hands. Everything was falling apart … again.

  I didn’t know how long I’d been on the floor, but when the knock came at the door, my back and legs ached as I uncoiled myself to try to stand.

  When I opened the door, a sea of blue-green washed over me. Arden took in my appearance, and I shrugged, not needing to explain. The connection I shared with Arden went beyond words. He reached a supportive arm toward me, and when I didn’t object, he scooped me off my feet and into his arms. My body relished the weightlessness and melted in his warm, protective energy as he carried me in a comfortable silence to my room and laid me on my bed.

  “Will you stay?” I whispered, exhaustion pulling my head down into the pillow.

  He nodded and tucked the covers over me, cocooning me in a blanket of warmth. My eyes drifted as the weight of his muscled arm settled across my body.

  I awoke to the smells of garlic and rosemary and strong coffee. My eyelids hung heavy and resisted opening. I scraped away the crust that kept them sealed, and I knew that when I looked in the mirror, they’d be puffy. I tried stretching, but my legs were constricted. Oh, I slept in my dress.

  Memories of last night came rushing back, and I quickly checked the other side of the bed. It was empty, and then I smelled the scent of herbs again. Arden must be cooking.

  I darted up out of the bed. I couldn’t let him see me like this. I quietly opened my bedroom door and rushed out of my room and across the hall into the bathroom. I took a shower in record time, using my best-scented washes, brushed my teeth, hair, and threw on some yoga pants and a tank top.

  My stomach growled with the anticipation of food. I hadn’t eaten since the birthday party, and I was starving. When I walked into the kitchen, my hunger pains morphed from painful knots into a twist of flutters.

  Arden stood over the stove, barefoot in a pair of jeans and a dark gray T-shirt that stretched against the taut muscles of his upper body. His golden hair was slightly mussed but in a good way. He gave the “just rolled out of bed” look a whole new meaning. He flipped the bacon with tongs, and it sizzled and filled the room with a savory deliciousness.

  My cheeks flushed when Arden caught me watching him. He grabbed a mug from the cabinet and filled it with coffee and a splash of coconut milk from the fridge. “I hope you don’t mind me taking over your kitchen.” He smiled, handing me my coffee.

  I took a long, deep sip and then another, while my eyes traced the honeyed stubble covering his strong jawline. “Not at all.” A crackle from the stove and the snap of grease popping forced Arden to turn away. “I could get used to waking up like this,” I teased.

  Arden glanced sideways with a look that sent shivers racing across my skin. “Me too.” The words were so quiet I wasn’t sure if he’d said anything at all, or if I was just making words from the hissing of the oil cooking.

  I leaned against the kitchen island, admiring the sight of an army commander cooking in my kitchen. It seemed such a natural task for him that I wondered about his life on Aenoas-Vita. “Do you cook much when you’re back home?”

  He retrieved two plates from a cabinet and piled them high with an egg-and-herb scramble and slices of bacon. “Not as much as I’d like to. I mostly eat at the royal palace, but I enjoy cooking for myself when I can.” He carried our plates over to the kitchen table, which overlooked the field of wildflowers, and pulled a chair out for me.

  “Thank you.”

  Arden watched me dig in with a look of satisfaction. The buttery eggs and savory bacon settled my stomach.

  After we’d both eaten every bit of food on our plates, we leaned back in our chairs. I gripped my coffee mug.

  “Do you want to talk about what happened?” Arden asked, signaling for me to hand him my cup. He refilled it and brought it back to me.

  I sipped the warm, earthy brew, wondering where to start. How could I explain to Arden what had happened between Lucas and me without telling him he was the reason for our problem? Instead, I started at the beginning,
with the Spider Witch’s reading, leading up to what had happened at the ball. After I’d finished telling him about the Darion look-alike and what had happened with Molly, Arden’s entire demeanor changed. His muscles tensed, and the cerulean vanished from his eyes as they became a pool of green algae.

  “You didn’t know about what happened at the ball? I thought that’s why you came last night,” I said.

  His answer came out as a low growl. “No.” He got up and cleared our plates. He moved quietly, deep in thought.

  “Who are the shape-shifters, and what would they want with Oria’s ring?”

  He rinsed the plates and added them to the built-in dishwasher. “The shifters are from a planet not far from ours. Oria brokered a treaty with them when she still ruled, and we’ve coexisted since with minimum conflict. I don’t know what they are doing here or why they want Oria’s ring. But I’m going to find out.”

  I stood up. “You’re going back?” I walked over and gripped the edge of the countertop.

  Don’t leave me again. If only I had the courage to say the words aloud, but it wouldn’t be fair to Arden. His life remained on Aenoas-Vita, not Earth.

  Arden closed the dishwasher door, then came to stand in front of me. He gathered my hands in his. “I’m sorry about your friend. I won’t be gone long, I promise.”

  “Why did you come last night?” I had to know before he left.

  His hands trailed up my arms, causing goose bumps to spread across my entire body. I closed my eyes as his hands continued moving over my shoulders and into my damp hair. Shivers tingled down my spine. I was tired of resisting my feelings. All I’d wanted since the day I’d first met Arden was to be his and for him to be mine.

  I stood on my tiptoes as Arden’s head moved toward mine. Our lips met and fire ignited. He tightened his grip and pressed me into him. Our bodies molded together like a lock and a key. Every touch and stroke of his tongue sent flames rippling between us. He lifted my legs around his waist, while his lips never left contact with my body. I wanted nothing more than to let go completely and be with him.