He nodded, but his expression was troubled.
“Is it when you go for walks?”
His gaze met hers again. “Yes.”
Her hands tightened on his. “Then, for now on we go for walks together.”
He let out a breath that seemed to shake his whole chest. “I’d like that. I’ve just been so lonely, and—“
She released his hands and shot into his arms. I’m such a freaking idiot. Of course he’s lonely. I’ve been using him for sex and not caring about him. Tristan was right to scold me. I deserved it!
“From now on you’re not going to be lonely. You’re going to be annoyed, because we’re going to stick to you like glue.”
He laughed, that rumbling laugh she loved. “All right.”
When she drew back, she caught his hands again. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
Taking a deep breath, she transported them back to the edge just beyond the barrier around the mountaintop, praying the angels were gone. And praying Mark and the Immortals were safe.
Chapter Sixteen
Mark stood on legs that shook and leaned heavily against the cave wall, wincing and wrapping an arm around his stomach. He didn’t want to tell the others, they’d already been through so much, but he felt like he was going to throw up. His entire body felt wrong. Weak. And it scared him.
I need to protect these frightened prisoners. Not lay in a corner puking. Damn it!
The worst part of it all—this was his fault. He’d known he was pushing himself too hard. He just didn’t realize he was making himself fucking useless in the process.
Next time he looked for Immortals, he would take more breaks from the God Finder. Because this time he’d plunged forward, every time he saw a glimpse of an Immortal in a vision, and was shot back out of the vision, he pressed back in. He’d done it over and over again for weeks, determined to pull all the pieces together enough to see where to find them.
Because of that feeling.
When his stomach calmed, he peered out of the cave entrance. The angels seemed to have vanished an hour earlier, but he could never be sure about the slimy little creatures. As weak as he felt, he couldn’t risk giving away their hiding place. If they found them, and he was unable to fight, everything they’d done would be for nothing.
And yet, he couldn’t escape the nagging feeling he’d had the last few weeks. The one that said their time was drawing to an end. That the battle between the realms would rage soon, and without the Immortals, they’d lose.
He wanted to believe the feeling was nothing more than anxiety, but he knew better. His druid’s staff might have been broken, still lying in pieces in the sanctuary, but his powers still lay within him. And they screamed that he needed to keep pushing himself, no matter the price, or all would be lost.
But I won’t be useful to them if I can’t help.
As the sun set, its rays painting the top of the burnt mountaintop, Surcy and Daniel came over the edge. He moved without thinking, walking out to greet them. Surcy ran into his arms, holding him tightly, and Daniel patted his back, with a smile. He sensed a change within them. They seemed... closer.
It made him happy. When he died, they’d need each other.
“So, what’s the plan now?” he asked, forcing the words past his tired lips.
“We take them to the sanctuary,” Surcy said, no doubt in her voice. “Do you think they’re strong enough to climb down a little?”
I know I’m not.
“No.”
She nodded. “Then, I hope they aren’t afraid of heights, because I can teleport them after they jump.”
“We aren’t,” Spring emerged from the cave, followed by the other Immortals. “But we can’t go to the sanctuary first.”
Surcy frowned. “Why?”
“We need to go to our sacred island to regain our strength.”
“You’ll be exposed to Caine and the angels. They could take you back at any moment.”
Spring smiled. “It’s the only way we can regain our strength, and we’re certain it’s where the gargoyle will take Summer.”
Surcy looked like she wanted to keep arguing.
But Daniel answered. “Alright, we can take you there, but we need to leave as quickly as possible.”
Spring nodded.
Autumn and Winter came to stand at their sides, looking as if they might collapse at any moment.
“Show me where you need me to teleport you,” Surcy said, moving toward them. “And I can take you one at a time over the edge.”
Autumn stiffened and moved in front of Spring. “You can teleport?” His eyes narrowed. “Are you an angel?”
Surcy paled. “I was an angel. I turned my back on Caine.”
Instantly tension sang through the air. Mark looked between the Immortals and Surcy.
Uh oh.
Chapter Seventeen
Surcy stared at the Immortals. They looked... upset. Her stomach churned, and for some reason, she felt ashamed.
I didn’t choose to be an angel. They can’t possibly hold it against me. Could they?
“I’m no longer serving Caine because I have to; I’m serving a cause I believe in.”
“Which explains your missing wings.” Spring reached out and touched her back lightly.
Surcy winced and nodded.
Autumn crossed his arms over his chest. “And we’re really just supposed to accept that?”
She didn’t know what to say. It was almost surreal. She’d lost so much when she lost her wings, and yet, she was still seen as an enemy by these Immortals. Is that how the rest of her life would be? The thought made the weight on her shoulders feel heavier.
“You can always stay here,” Daniel said, indicating the mountain. His tone dripping with sarcasm. “I mean, sure we risked our lives to save all of you, but if the fact that she’s an angel bothers you that much, stay here. Keep wasting away. Keep starving. Why the fuck should we care?”
Winter held out her hands. “Enough! Apologize, Autumn.”
Autumn glared.
“Apologize you angry old, shifter!” Daniel ordered.
Autumn kept glaring, but mumbled out an apology.
Winter nodded. “Sorry, he gets cranky when he doesn’t eat. And he’s been hungry for a long time.”
Surcy tried to push away the hurt his words had brought, but they lingered. At least you have Daniel here to defend you. Glancing back at his angry expression made her sadness ease. It was actually kind of nice to see his temper directed at someone else.
A little laugh exploded from her lips.
His gaze jerked to her. “What?”
“Nothing,” but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face.
Like a force of nature, he came to her, sweeping her hair back from her neck and kissing her until her knees went weak. When he pulled back, she clung to the front of his shirt.
“Wow.”
“Maybe that’ll teach you not to laugh at me.”
Unable to help herself, she slid her hands down his chest. “Or maybe I’ll tease you more.”
Suddenly, arms wrapped around them. She turned to find Mark grinning like mad. “You two made up!”
“We weren’t fighting!” Surcy protested.
Daniel reached out and ruffled Mark’s hair. “Yeah, we made up.”
Mark kissed Surcy’s neck in just the right spot to send tingles through her body. “Good.”
“We might want to continue this when everyone is safe,” Daniel said, but there was humor in his voice.
“Of course,” Mark pulled back and fiddled with his glasses, giving them both a tired smile.
Surcy wanted to pull them both back to her again. She wanted to inhale their familiar scents and feel their strong arms around her. But as always, there wasn’t time for that.
Trying not to look disappointed, she turned and walked back to the Immortals, who watched their exchange with interest. When she stopped in front of Spring, she was suddenly struck
by the underlying beauty beneath all the dirt. Her eyes were the purest blue, like the petals of an extraordinary flower. No mortal had eyes like hers.
Her heart raced as Spring lifted her hands and touched the sides of her face. Instantly, images bombarded her. There was a beach of glowing golden sand. Large trees with golden apple-like fruits , and houses woven from nature itself were concealed within the trees.
Home. The word echoed through her mind with a sadness that rang through her very soul.
Surcy opened her eyes and nodded. “I’ll get you there.”
The Immortal smiled. “I know you will.”
Surcy stepped back from her and looked at the other Immortals. Autumn no longer watched her with suspicious eyes; instead, his amber-colored eyes were filled with interest. And Winter’s eyes, so dark they were black, were oddly intelligent. As if she was evaluating everything that had taken place, and had come to some kind of decision.
“Who should I take first?” she asked, feeling strangely humbled in their presence.
“Spring,” Autumn and Winter said at once.
The Immortal took her hand without question, and Surcy nearly jumped at how cold and boney it was. Leading her to the edge of the mountain, she stopped and looked back.
“I’ll be right back.”
Daniel raised a brow. “We’ll be here.”
She almost laughed. But instead, she looked at the Immortal. “Ready?”
Spring nodded, and as one, they jumped.
Chapter Eighteen
It was long past nightfall when Surcy had finally brought everyone to the tiny island. Tristan and the Immortal were already there when they reached it. The dragon-shifter was in his human-form, but unlike the other Immortals, he never spoke. He just moved among the trees eating apples with a desperation that spoke of his hunger. In fact, all the Immortals ate and ate.
As the night grew later, she began to nod off. All the fighting, along with using her powers, was exhausting. And yet, she couldn’t get comfortable on the beach.
I’m pretty sure I have a seashell poking me right in the back. Ugh! She pulled it out, lay down again, and still squirmed, unable to rest.
When Tristan suggested she head home to get some sleep, she gratefully leapt at the chance. If she didn’t get a good night’s sleep, she had no idea how she’d be able to teleport so many people to the sanctuary in the morning.
And after that, my demons can sleep for days, if they want to.
She returned to their empty home and showered, then changed for bed. A strange tension filled the air, and she found it difficult to sleep. Staring into the darkness, she tried to decide why she was feeling so uneasy, but nothing came to mind.
The Immortals and my demons are safe. I’m safe. So what’s wrong with me?
A teasing wind blew the white curtains near her balcony, bringing with it the sweet scents of Daniel’s garden. The scent reminded her of the sweet demon. And, at last, she was able to close her eyes. With a smile on her lips, she snuggled deeper into her pillows and felt herself slipping into sleep.
Something made her open her eyes as she shifted. And a man was standing over her.
Her eyes flashed open again. A scream caught in her throat.
Even though she’d never seen him through his cloud of dark magic, she knew it was him. Caine. He radiated a power so intense that it took her breath away. His hair was dark. His eyes pale and cruel. His body was neither thin, nor muscular. Instead, he was built like a man whose strength was woven into every inch of his flesh. He wore a simple dark shirt and pants, and his expression was intense.
“Surcy,” he practically purred her name.
On instinct she tried to teleport away, but his powers held her there.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered, in horror.
He slid closer. “Must we do this every time?”
Her hands were sweaty, clutching the blanket to her chest as if it could stop whatever was about to happen. “I don’t understand.”
He slid even closer. “You, Surcy, are my spy. That is the only reason I didn’t simply call you to me and throw you into the Soul Destroyer. And now, you and your filthy demons have angered me by taking my Immortals. So, you are going to show me where they are, and I’m going to end their worthless lives.”
No! She stiffened. She would not allow this to happen. She couldn’t!
“Don’t touch me!”
He lifted his hand. “Always so stubborn. Even until the end.”
Taking a deep breath, she watched as his hand grew closer. Then, moving faster than she ever had before, she called her soul-blade to her and struck out. His hand went flying.
She leapt on the bed as a scream of pain left his lips, then jumped toward him, determined to sever his damn head. Instead, he raised his good hand, and she hung in midair for a painful second before being thrown back against the mattress.
Her soul-blade vanished, and then he was over her, his one good hand wrapped around her throat. “You’re going to pay for that, Surcy. And your demons are going to pay for that. I might not be able to kill them yet, but I can make them suffer, and I will.”
She struggled, thrashing on the bed. Her legs kicking wildly, but his hold on her throat was relentless. Her vision dimmed, and then she felt him, like a spider crawling through her mind. She fought him, with every ounce of her being, but she knew the second he found what he was searching for. The location of the four Immortals.
His voice held immense power. “I knew they wouldn’t just go to the sanctuary.”
She felt tears slide down her cheeks.
“Now, where did you hide that damn mermaid?”
Again, he pilfered through her thoughts, her memories, with a reckless, violating power that made her choke down a sob.
“Ah! She too refused the sanctuary.” She felt his cold lips press against her temple. “I wonder how it will feel to know that every risk you took, everything you and your demons did was for nothing. I will simply take the Immortals back, and leave you all to suffer the consequences.”
“Bastard,” she ground out, more tears rolling down her cheeks.
She felt his lips smile against her skin. “You know what the best part is? You’re the one who betrayed them. You ruined it all for them.” Then, his voice grew quieter. “And you won’t even remember it.”
That horrible feeling came again, of him prying inside her mind, and then, everything went black.
Chapter Nineteen
Tristan watched as the morning sun rose over the horizon, feeling strangely satisfied. This island was one blessed by the four Immortals who controlled the seasons. No one else had ever walked these golden sands, until them. He could feel the healing energy of the powerful magic coursing through his skin. He liked the impact it had on those he protected.
The Immortals had eaten the golden apples for hours. And over that time, they’d visibly changed. Their skin glowed. They gained weight, filling out their bodies. And they seemed to hum with power with each passing second.
They’d then stripped off their clothes and bathed in the waters that surrounded the island. Waters that sparkled like stars. When they’d finally emerged, they wore clothing representative of their seasons. And they also wore smiles.
Only the Immortal known as Summer seemed to have no emotion. He ate, bathed, and curled up on the sands without a word or a sign of his feelings. And yet, when they slept, they all slept curled together on the sands.
We were right to take them here.
He’d debated whether he was making a mistake. The shifter he carried had woken, pointing and guiding Tristan as he flew him. Tristan had thought he should bring the shifter to sanctuary, but seeing how their lands healed them, he was glad he didn’t. They needed this.
They deserved it after all they had been through.
And now, Daniel and Mark were sleeping contently near him, the Immortals only a few feet further away, and Surcy safely in their home.
He felt...
happy. Nothing made him happier than when the people under his protection were safe. Perhaps it was the gargoyle in him, but he didn’t mind.
Closing his eyes, he felt the sun as it caressed his flesh. Since meeting Surcy, he found himself staying in this form more and more. He no longer wanted to hide in stone. In fact, he felt like an entirely new person. All the years before he’d been broken, he slept unless his village needed him. Now, he couldn’t imagine hiding in his stone form.
It felt... nice to be alive.
Something sliced through his chest, and pain shot through every nerve in his body. His eyes opened, and Frink stood over him, grinning. The angel pulled back his soul-blade and blood poured from Tristan’s mouth. He tried to shout, to warn the others, but it came out gargled through his blood.
Frink’s smiled widened, and he plunged his sword into Tristan’s chest again, pinning him back against the sand. His head turned. White-winged angels crept along the golden sands, their blades drawn, as they surrounded Mark, Daniel, and the Immortals.
Drawing every ounce of strength within him, he spit blood, and shouted, “angels!”
The word wasn’t loud. But it was enough. Daniel and Mark shot awake. The angels raised their soul-blades, and suddenly, swords appeared in the demons’ hands. Metal clashed with metal, and then they were leaping to their feet.
The Immortals rose too, their expressions giving nothing away as the angels surrounded them.
He couldn’t let them die! He couldn’t!
Frink grabbed his face and pulled him to face him as he leaned down on his sword, twisting it more painfully inside him. “I can’t kill you, demon-scum, but I’ve been told I can make you very, very miserable.”
Tristan spit blood in his face, then coughed up more.
Frink wiped it away, his eyes wild.
And then, Daniel severed the angel’s head from behind. The fire mage stood over him, pulled the blade out of his chest, then turned to face the next attack.
Tristan willed his flesh to turn to stone. It took longer than usual, but with the blade gone, it was possible. He knew the instant it worked, because the pain echoed through him, but was no longer unbearable.
Mates of the Realms: The Complete Collection: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Box Set Page 54