“Ready to go?” Mark asked.
Daniel nodded. “Do we know where and what we’re facing? At all?”
Mark shook his head. “I’ll send Surcy the image, and we’ll teleport there. I’ll know more then.”
Daniel didn’t like any of it, not at all. But he moved closer and took Surcy’s hand, ignoring the tingle that moved through his body at her touch.
Whatever they would find there, he already knew it wouldn’t be good.
Chapter Four
Caine glared at the Fate. She was no longer just a tiny, filthy thing; instead, she was a bloody, filthy thing. Every day since she’d helped Sharen’s demon-scum escape, he’d dragged her out into his throne room and watched as his guard beat her senseless.
Not only did she help a traitor, she allowed one of the Immortals to escape my reach. And both crimes deserved punishment... a lifetime of punishment.
Yet still, when the Fate looked at him, her bright green eyes were filled with defiance.
Will nothing break her?
She spit blood onto his polished floor and lifted her head. Her back was in shreds from his guard’s whip. Her clothes had long ago fallen to pieces around her, and yet, when she opened her mouth, he knew only insolence would spout from her lips.
“Did you get off yet, Caine?”
He didn’t need to send his dark magic swirling. His guard automatically whipped her again, over and over again until he heard a sob explode from her throat.
“Enough,” Caine called, punctuating the command with a swipe of his hand.
She’s not useful to me unconscious.
His guard stopped and stepped back, whip still in hand.
“Today is not just about your punishment,” Caine said.
She didn’t lift her head. “Yeah, it’s about you masturbating in that fucking black shadow of yours.”
His teeth ground together. “Today you will tell me how to take The God Finder from Surcy’s demon.”
He watched the rapid rise and fall of her blood soaked chest. “I have a feeling today I’ll be bleeding in my cell, like every day.”
Why must we play these games? You cannot lie, and I will get the truth from you.
He glanced up at the pale blue wisps that had gathered on the ceiling of his throne room. With the slightest gesture of his hand, the souls lowered. He neither brought them to the bright swirling hole that represented the angel-realm, nor the dark hole that represented the demon-realm. Instead, he moved them to hang above the Soul Destroyer.
Before he took the throne from the Immortal Ten, it was rarely used. A soul had to be completely unredeemable and far too dangerous to be allowed an afterlife, to be thrown into the Soul Destroyer. The place was reserved for the absolute worst beings.
He’d heard the Immortals whisper that overuse of it could throw off the balance of the realms, so he’d withheld himself. And yet, lately he had more and more difficulty not using it. When he saw a soul that was strong, confident, and capable... but would never bend to his will, he imagined what they would be like as a demon. Just another soldier in the war against me.
It was easier to flick them into the Soul Destroyer. When the world didn’t crumble around him, he began to accept something: the Immortal Ten may have lied about the consequences of using it too much.
And if they did, there’s nothing to hold me back now.
So, when he brought the soul of a man to hoover above The Soul Destroyer, he watched the Fate’s gaze move to it. The soul flowed with goodness, with strength. This man was capable of amazing things. He would never obey Caine.
He smiled. “Tell me how to get the God Finder from the druid.”
The Fate struggled to climb to her feet. Her legs and arms visibly shook. She slipped in her blood, falling several times, but at last stood. “I won’t keep helping you.”
His smile widened. “You don’t have a choice.”
Turning to the soul, he made a decision there and then. He would destroy it. What did it matter? And then he’d destroy another and another, however many it took to get the Fate to obey him.
No more threats, Fate. You’ll learn I’m a man without limits.
Moving his hand, he watched in satisfaction as the soul lowered closer and closer. The man began to scream as the blackness licked at him, tearing tiny pieces from him that would never exist again.
Caine closed his eyes, listening to the sound grow louder and more desperate.
“Stop it,” he heard the Fate shout.
“Tell me what I wish to know,” he whispered.
“And you’ll save him?”
“Perhaps not him. But the next one... maybe.”
Caine lowered the man even more and his blood-curdling screams were like music to his ears.
His guard shouted.
Frowning, Caine opened his eyes to see the Fate was racing across the room. Caine opened his mouth to give an order, to do anything, but it was too late.
She slammed into the soul, shoving it free of the Soul Destroyer. To his shock, she fell into the gaping black hole. She disappeared without a sound, leaving nothing behind.
“No!” he rose from his throne and scrambled as close to the dangerous hole as he dared.
The Fate was gone.
Had a living being ever been destroyed?
His pulse raced. Now, he would no longer know the future. He wouldn’t know where the angel and her demons would go next and he wouldn’t know how to steal the God Finder.
And what will happen in this world without one of the Fates? The thought made his head feel light.
Something within him whispered that there would be consequences.
Balling his hands into fists, he strode back to his throne. No! The Fate was not essential to his plan. She was nothing more than a tool. Sometimes tools broke and had to be thrown away. Her destruction meant nothing to him. And he might not know how to take the God Finder, but—
His smile returned. The easiest answer was that he could simply torture the druid. Everyone had a breaking point. And he would make it his goal to discover the traitor’s.
I haven’t lost all my precious tools... there is always Surcy. He’d look forward to another late night visit of forcing himself into her mind and pulling out her secrets.
He hummed to himself as he continued judging the souls.
Chapter Five
Mark’s knees shook as he gripped the ancient relic that hung from around his neck and sent the image he’d seen into Surcy’s mind. She stiffened for an instant as the world swept away around them. For a few precious seconds he couldn’t breathe, and then they were standing in the desert, just outside of a massive city.
“Where are we?” Surcy asked, frowning.
He knew instantly, even though he wasn’t sure how. “Outside of Phoenix.”
“It looks like hell,” Daniel grumbled.
And feels like it.
He didn’t say a word, but he agreed. Already the sun was harsh overhead, and the sand stretching out until it reached the city looked miserable.
“We had better start walking,” Tristan said, his tone neutral.
He’s right. Even though I hate not knowing quite what trouble we’ll find.
They followed Mark’s lead, but instead of walking to the city, he turned and started toward the desert. He felt the indecision of the others, but they followed slowly behind.
Because they know I’m never wrong about where to find the Immortals.
The God Finder was a gift and a curse. It helped him to know where to go, like a man moving through a dream, but it also had consequences. Everything does.
He didn’t tell the others. They knew he was tired, but he couldn’t let them know that each time he used it the artifact took some of his life force. It frightened him, but not as much as the possibility that it could kill him before he saved all the Immortals.
Then, Surcy will never be safe. Nor will Tristan, Daniel, and the other demons.
So, he pushed bac
k the exhaustion and fear he felt each time he used The God Finder and continued forward. Because his life meant nothing when it came to the well-being of the people he loved. And because this is what I was always destined to do.
The desert looked harsh and unforgiving. He skirted around small mountains of rock and strange cacti. Lizards scurried past as they walked, and every few minutes he heard what sounded suspiciously like a rattlesnake. He knew this path would lead him to her.
They walked for hours under the harsh sun before they reached the base of a small mountain. Not far from it, they could see a paved road and a little dirt road that broke off and headed toward the mountain.
“What are these creepy things?” Daniel asked, drawing Mark’s attention.
The demon pointed at little figures carved from stone that encircled the mountain, every ten feet or so. They were covered in layers of dirt and grim, yet stood straight and solid, as if cemented in place.
Tristan touched the feathers and beads that were part of the little figures. “They are art made from these lands.”
“And they contain magic,” Surcy added.
Daniel glanced up at her. “What kind of magic?”
“A shield. When we step through it, we’ll sense the barrier created by the magic. They keep angels and other beings from teleporting in... and probably keep this place hidden from a lot of paranormal creatures.”
“So the person who lives here knows magic?” Mark asked, frowning.
“Someone who lived here did,” she explained. “But these are at least a couple hundred years old. I’m not sure if they put them here, or someone else.”
Weird.
They started forward and instantly felt the tingle that told them a shield was indeed in place. It wasn’t as powerful as the one the druids had erected around the sanctuary for the Immortals, but it would do the trick. Moving up the hill, they passed more cacti and red stone. Eventually they reached a dirt path that curved around the side of mountain, big enough to allow a car to travel up and down.
At the top, an adobe building stood silent near a beat-up car in the driveway. Neither the car nor the house looked as if they’d been used in a long time. And wide windows tinted against the bright sun appeared to watch them like eyes, but Mark sensed no movement.
Since they’d rescued two Immortals, Mark fully expected to find angels guarding every inch of this one’s house.
So why weren’t they?
“Uh, is this it?” Surcy asked.
Mark turned, and it took him a second to form the response. The sunlight was at her back, and it bathed her dark hair in a golden light. Even without her wings, Surcy was an angel, a being more beautiful than any woman he could imagine. And... he missed her.
She’d spent a year away from them, taken by Caine. And now that she was back, he thought that his heart would finally heal from her disappearance and he would feel full again. Instead, seeing her when she didn’t remember him hurt him in an entirely new way. He tried to pretend he didn’t think of her... every second of the day, but he did. Only his mission kept him sane.
“Mark?” she asked, his name holding a concerned note.
He cleared his throat. “This is her home.”
“And she’s a shifter?” Daniel asked frowning.
Mark nodded.
“What... like a lizard shifter? Or does she turn into rocks and dirt?”
Mark shrugged. “I’m not sure. I have all these pictures in my mind, but they don’t fit here. I don’t get it.”
“So what should we do?” Surcy asked.
“I guess,” he turned back to the house. “We knock. And keep an eye out for angels.”
“Good plan,” Daniel said, his sarcasm lacing each word.
Mark ignored him and started for the front door. He didn’t know what he’d find inside, probably danger, but this was his best plan. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.
He heard movement inside and sensed someone on the other side of the door. For a long minute no one answered, and then he heard the sound of a chain being pulled. The door opened inch by inch, and the barrel of a shotgun appeared. He held his breath as it swung all the way open, and then, there was the woman from his visions.
Sort of. It’s her... but it’s not.
She was older, with long white hair, and tired eyes. She wore a nightgown and robe, both with seashells on them. And even though there was something sickly about the tone of her skin, her hands on the gun were sure.
“What can I do for you?” she asked, her eyes flashing with a challenge.
Mark held her gaze. “We’re here to see you.”
“Why?” she asked, her eyes running over all of them.
Damn it. Mark hadn’t thought this far ahead. And he really should have.
Daniel shifted closer. “We’re interested in purchasing your land.” He purred the words, a big charming smile on his face.
Mark’s heart raced as he looked between her gun, which was now pointed directly at Daniel’s chest, and Daniel’s grinning face. The fire mage was so damned cocky. Did he really think he could convince her with just a little demon charm?
It helps, but it isn’t fool-proof. He knows that!
The fire mage’s grin widened. “And we aren’t poor chumps. We’re talking about a good offer here. One that will set you up for the rest of your life.”
Her gun lowered. “I’d be interested in hearing what you have to say, but this gun is staying right by my side.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less, ma’am,” he said.
For the first time, she smiled, then gestured for them to come in. “Sorry, the place is a mess. I’ve been sick for a while.”
They entered the room and were surprised by the strong scent of herbs. Everything was fairly neat. On one side of the room, there was a small seating area, with couches with little starfish on them. Bottles with ships and seashells on nearly every surface and a lamp made out of a blowfish continued the nautical theme. Around a slight corner, a kitchen table held different pill bottles and bags of herbs.
“Take a seat,” she said, gesturing toward the couch.
She sat on a big chair, her knitting in a bag next to it, and rested her gun against her leg. Her hand went to a chain around her neck, and as she fiddled with it, he spotted another seashell on the end of it, this one pure white and simple. His feet froze and he stared at it until the others pushed him forward.
They awkwardly shuffled in and squeezed onto the couch, while Tristan remained standing beside them.
“Thanks for hearing us out,” Daniel said, always the smooth talker. “Can you tell us a little more about your land and the history here?”
She laughed. “Well, you’re the straight shooter, aren’t you? Not even a ‘how are you?’ or ‘what’s your name?’”
He smiled. “Sorry, where are my manners? These are my business associates and dear friends, Tristan, Mark, and Surcy. My name is Daniel.”
“I’m Mertal,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”
“What a lovely name,” he complimented, settling back against the couch.
“Thank you. Now, you asked about these lands. Well, they’ve been in my family for generations. And to be honest, they’ve been nothing but a curse.”
“A curse?” Mark asked, his instincts springing to life.
She gave a sad smile. “Every one of us has been born here. And every one of us dies here. Every time we get a chance to leave, something happens and we don’t.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad.” Mark stared at her in confusion.
Was this really the Immortal? She didn’t look the way he imagined, and yet, there was something about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“It is bad when you want to see other things,” she said, a sigh slipping past her lips. “Like the ocean. Have you ever been? I imagine the sand between my toes and the sound of the waves. I even hear them in my sleep.”
Mark winced, and more images flashed through his m
ind. The ocean. There was something about the ocean. But what? Something wasn’t adding up. Something wasn’t making sense.
“You’re not too far from it, just a few hours,” Daniel said. “Why not just go?”
Her wistful expression faded. “Like I said, something always happens. But now, here you all come wanting to buy my lands, and I got to say, I think it might be just what I need to finally escape this place.”
Mark spoke without thinking. “You believe in curses. Do you also believe there are things in this world most people wouldn’t believe?”
Her gaze swung back to him, and he saw her fingers near her gun twitch. “What kinds of things?”
“Like shifters.” He said the words, then stared, waiting for her response.
She threw back her head and laughed. “Like shiny vampires and werewolves and shit? You got to be kidding me, boy. I’m not some damn teenage girl.”
Daniel joined in on the laughter. “Sorry, my pal here is a joker.”
After a minute, she rubbed at her eyes. “Thanks, son. It’s been a while since I laughed like that.”
“You mentioned being sick,” Surcy asked, her voice soft.
The woman’s gaze moved to Surcy, and she smiled. “Yeah. The doctors can’t find anything wrong with me. But I’m always tired. My body aches. And sometimes I see things that just ain’t right. They keep telling me I’m depressed. I’m not depressed. I’m sick.”
“What kinds of things do you see?” Mark pressed.
She spoke after a quiet minute. “Just things that aren’t right.”
Mark felt that prickling again. It moved down his spine.
“Now, you mentioned an offer?”
Mark stood and moved to her window, staring out at the desert. Daniel’s useless chatter drifted away. He touched The God Finder, and the world began to swim around him. The desert faded away, and he was at an ocean. A beautiful mermaid leapt from the waves and flashed him a smile. He stared at her for a long moment, and then realized why her eyes looked so familiar. Mertal? The old woman and the mermaid blurred together, and it hit him, they were one and the same.
Mates of the Realms: The Complete Collection: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Box Set Page 47