“I didn’t see him after the battle, but I did see her and there were whispers floating throughout the walls of the castle.”
“What kind of whispers?” Uriah asked.
“Whispers that Esperanza’s youngest daughter was far more powerful than anyone ever imagined.”
Lothar’s eyes narrowed.
“There was also a rumor that her magic did something to Darion physically. I heard he had what could only be called a dire and insatiable appetite. All I know for sure is there had been a lot of traffic coming and going from his chambers, prior to my leaving, mostly those who he had used before finding his true mate. That and you should probably know that Lady Esperanza has taken over rule of the Dark Lands in Darion’s absence…”
Bain growled and turned from Zander’s cell to push past his brothers.
“Bain!” Lothar called after him.
“Not fucking now, Lothar,” Bain roared as he hit the steps, taking them two at a time. He couldn’t be down there anymore. He couldn’t listen to what he knew was the truth… his mother was lost to him. She was a miserable woman, who knew nothing of compassion, but she was still the woman who’d raised him. The woman who did, on occasion, show moments of love. He’d hated her after she forced his hand with Izzy, but even his sweet Izzy had tried to convince him to forgive. That would never happen now. Not after he saw her protect that deviant she now called a true mate at the expense of Rowan’s life.
Bain pushed through the steel door at the top of the stairs and nearly knocked Holly to the ground. Reaching out, he caught her arm and steadied her. She pushed her curly hair from her face and smiled up at him, her eyes shining.
“Sorry, kiddo.”
She shook her head and stepped back. “No worries, except you’re almost the size of an ogre. You could smush someone if you’re not careful.”
Bain chuckled. “You’re a smartass. I blame that bastard Evan.”
Holly rolled her eyes. “’Cause I couldn’t possibly have learned it from you.”
“Nope.” Bain grinned.
“Okay, let’s get serious. You seem pissed. What happened down there?”
Bain glared at the door behind him before sighing. “We got some intel that pretty much fueled my bad attitude.”
“Which part of your bad attitude?” she asked in a deadpan tone.
“The one that always sits just below rage level.”
Holly nodded with understanding. She’d learned a lot, and they had spent the past few months catching up and finding the familiar banter and close connection they had always shared. So she knew all too well what he spoke of. “Mother.”
“Seems she’s found herself in the leader position of the Dark Fae.”
Holly arched a brow and shook her head. “It’s what she’s always wanted… Are you surprised, hurt, or just angry? Because, it’s okay to be sad and to miss who she was. For all the bad, she did love you.”
Bain studied his little sister. For all the pain that she had endured, she’d come out swinging and was far better adjusted at this point than he ever dreamed of being. God, how he had missed her and in truth, if not for Izzy and Holly, he wasn’t sure he would have survived the loss of Rowan… He wasn’t sure that pain and void would ever dissipate. He wasn’t sure he would be whole again, but the remaining women in his life would push him to be the best a broken man could be. Bain wrapped his arms around Holly and lifted her into a bear hug.
“I’m so glad you’re back, Hols. I sure missed you.”
Holly sighed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to squeeze him back. “I love you, big brother.”
“I love you too, kid.” He set her down and grinned. “You want to go with me to find your niece?”
Holly smiled. “I can’t think of anything I would rather do than spend time with that little doll. She seems to be adjusting all right.”
Bain nodded. “She’s got lots of people who love her. She cries mostly at night, but it’s happening less and less with each passing day. She’ll always miss her mom, but she has aunts and uncles to help fill the void and she loves Izzy.”
Holly nodded. “Oh, there is no question about that, and Izzy loves her as if she were her own.”
Bain nodded. “Izzy wants one of her own.”
Holly looked up at him. “You two are going to have a baby?” She nearly cooed at the thought. “Oh my goodness, I hope it has our eyes and her dark hair. You two will make gorgeous babies.”
Bain laughed. “Babies?”
“Yes, babies, you guys need a whole house full… ooh, better yet, a castle full.” She grinned wildly.
Bain shook his head. “What about you?”
Holly shrugged. “I want babies, but I’m not sure I can have them.”
“Well, Lothar is part fertility god, just like Uriah. You’ll have them someday, Hols.”
She smiled. Lifting on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck, she pulled him down to press her lips to his cheek. “I love you, big brother.”
Bain beamed. “I love you too, Holly.”
She smiled. “I know that. Now go see Izzy and don’t let Mother get to you.”
Bain looked down at Holly again, struck by her maturity. “You’re a better person than I am.”
“Naw, I’ve just known who she truly is for a lot longer than you. You’ll get there, Bain… I hate that you will one day be resigned and less affected by the woman she is. But one day, it won’t hurt so much. Just like one day, Cree will look at us again and not feel pained by our resemblance to Rowan.”
“You noticed it too?”
Holly nodded. “Of course I did. He’s hurt, and the space we’ve given him was necessary. Hopefully soon, he will look at us, see the good memories, and not just feel loss. Time will allow us to heal. The thawing of the lands feels like a beginning.”
“That it does,” Bain said as they headed up the stairs in search of Izzy and Kyra.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Uriah’s fist rapped against Makyle’s door. When he heard Makyle call for him to enter, he pushed the door open.
“What can I do for you, Uriah?”
Uriah scratched at his jaw briefly before answering. “I never thanked you. Through all of this, I never once said thank you for bringing me my son. I don’t know exactly what it means for you, but I do know that Iz was crying earlier and I realized that it will carry severe consequences.”
Makyle dipped his chin. “I knew what I was facing the moment I made the decision to help Jelena and Makiah escape from my domain.”
“And what is it you face?”
“It was a treasonous act. I went against the majority rule on the matter. My punishment will come at the discretion of my brothers.”
“So, you don’t even know what you have sacrificed?”
Makyle smiled. “No, but I know that there is no price too high to pay for that child.”
Uriah nodded, “You know we will protect you, and you are welcome to live out your life in this castle.”
Makyle tilted his head, as he realized that another new emotion was suffusing him. He felt grateful for those who lived in this castle; he felt something that had been missing slide into place.
“Thank you.”
Uriah’s brows nearly hit his hairline. “Did you really just utter the words, ‘Thank you’?”
Makyle grunted. “I did.”
Uriah laughed. “Did it feel weird?”
“Fuck off, Uriah.”
Uriah laughed even harder. “All these years, you had us all believing that you were infallible and didn’t need curse words to get your message across. Turns out you aren’t that different from us.”
Makyle grinned. He really wasn’t and as each emotion pushed through, he found that a life with feeling and true meaning was much better suited for him… Only he didn’t know what that truly meant for his future.
“I believe Cree is waiting on us for dinner.”
“Yep. Let’s go.”
Makyle w
atched the interactions of the group. They were all so comfortable with one another, joking, laughing, and finding support in each other’s presence. As dinner progressed, Makyle found ease among the rhythm of the warrior family. His gaze was almost always split between Makiah and Izzy, who, though upset by their earlier conversation, never failed to provide a smile whenever their eyes met.
“Come on, boys,” Cree said as he rose from the table at the end of the meal.
Kat, Holly, Marie, and Izzy all smiled as their respective warriors rose.
Marie stood and pressed a kiss to Uriah’s cheek. “Go have fun. We’re having a girl’s night with Kyra and Makiah, and you are going to go spend some time with your brothers.”
Uriah kissed her forehead. “Have fun.” He pulled her to him and squeezed her gently before picking Makiah up from the swing he was now resting in. He kissed his baby boy on the top of the head and handed him to Marie. She smiled and followed Izzy and the other ladies back to Izzy and Bain’s room.
The warriors and Makyle followed Cree back to the hole where one of the kitchen staff stood behind the bar. She smiled brightly as they all entered.
“Hi guys!”
“Hi Kendall,” they responded.
Kendall had been part of the staff for many years and had been head bartender for many of the events Rowan had hosted.
“What’s going on?” Kale asked as they all sidled up to the bar.
“No matter what is happening around here, and more importantly with each of us… the last months have found us all in pain of some sort. We have mourned, felt the chill of the frozen land, and have been shadowed by the darkness that has surrounded this castle. Tonight, we will celebrate. We will appreciate the thawing of our home. We will celebrate the ones we’ve lost, and we will find comfort in the new additions to our family,” Cree said as he picked up the shot Kendall had placed before him. The others followed suit and held their glasses up as Cree continued. “So here’s to our youngest member, Makiah, and to the one who risked it all to bring him home, Makyle.”
Clinking rang out around the room as glasses were thrust together and then shot back and slammed to the bar top.
Makyle cringed as the hot liquid burned a path down the back of this throat and dropped to the bottom of his stomach. “What out of the Underworld was that?”
Kendall furrowed her brows. “I went with Patrón. You didn’t like it?”
“It’s horrid,” Makyle said, sliding the glass back to her.
Kale huffed. “Why is everyone so hard on my baby?”
“We’re all actually quite nice to Kat.” Bain grinned.
Kale reached for the bottle of Patrón and pulled it to his chest. “I meant my other baby.”
They all shook their heads and laughed.
“Okay, so Patrón isn’t your taste, let’s see if you’re more in line with Lothar,” Kendall said as she pulled a couple of different bottles from the shelf and filled all the shot glasses.
Makyle studied the new liquid. He lifted the glass to his nose and sniffed the contents; it smelled nutty with a hit of nature… wood perhaps. Shrugging, he shot back the amber-gold liquid. Again, he grimaced. “No. Lothar can drink that by himself.”
Lothar chuckled and grabbed the bottle of Jameson to pour himself another shot.
Kendall arched a brow. “Well, I guess we will try Bain and Cree’s favorite.” She grabbed a bottle and poured a glass for Cree, Makyle, Bain, and Uriah, while Lothar and Kale poured their own shots. “Don’t shoot this one back; it’s a smooth sipping liquor.”
Makyle lifted the tumbler to his nose and again sniffed the amber liquid. Sweet, nutty, and spicy. He eyed Kendall critically as he sipped from the short, stumpy glass. “It’s not bad, but I see no need to drink more of it… I don’t believe I understand the point of alcohol.”
Uriah leaned across the bar and whispered in Kendall’s ear. She smiled wide, a mischievous twist that spoke of her brownie nature. She reached under the bar and poured something out of the brothers’ and Makyle’s sight. She placed a glass filled with clear liquid on the bar top and slid it to Makyle. “Try this one. Sip it or shoot it, either way works with this liquor.”
Makyle skipped the sniffing and took a small taste of the liquid. It was smooth, sweet, and almost made him smile. “Now, that’s not bad… what is it?”
Kendall smiled. “It’s flavored vodka.”
Kale, Lothar, and Uriah began to chuckle, causing Makyle to arch a brow.
Kendall smiled and began to pour from a martini shaker. “If that was better, you will likely love this one.”
Makyle grasped the glass, eyeing the pink concoction before him. He took a swig then smiled. “That one is good… what is it?”
Kendall smiled brightly. “I call it a Pink Muff.”
The room broke out in laughter. Makyle shrugged and grabbed the shaker to pour himself another tumbler full of the fruity drink.
“I assume I am missing something, which I would never under normal circumstances even consider, but as of right now, my stomach is warm and I don’t give a damn.”
Kendall poured more shots, mixed more fruity drinks for Makyle, and somehow kept coming back to the mixture of Watermelon Pucker, Grenadine, and pineapple juice.
“Do you understand why we like alcohol now?” Asked Kale as he stood from the bar stool and made his way to the billiards table.
Makyle had a crooked smile on his face and his diamond eyes were half hidden by heavy lids.
“To make you feel weirdly happy?”
Bain followed Kale, reaching for his lucky cue stick and grabbing the small, blue square of chalk to scrape over the tip of the pool stick. “Are you feeling weirdly happy?” he asked, grinning.
Makyle moved from the bar stool to the couch, his movements less steady than usual. “I feel… confused perhaps.”
Cree and Lothar exchanged broad smiles, while Uriah shook his head, grabbed his drink, and moved to one of the chairs across from the couch.
“About what?”
“Everything. Life isn’t so black and white… is it?”
“Nope, it never has been.”
Makyle pointed a finger at Uriah, his arm swaying as he tried to focus on the warrior who sat across from him. “You sound like my little Isabelle.”
Bain cocked a brow and looked to Makyle. “Who’s Isabelle?”
Makyle looked to him. “Shut up, you territorial asshole, she is my baby Fae daughter… even she says so… said… she said so.”
Bain shook his head and hit the cue-ball, breaking the cluster of balls apart and sinking two solids.
“I think Makyle is drunk.” Kale snickered as he watched Bain continue to clear the table.
“It is a good possibility… I feel weird. I think I miss Sam.”
Uriah smiled, and the others looked to Makyle.
“She was rude… She threw an energy ball at me, and she slapped me, but I think I miss her.” Makyle looked to Uriah. “She is very pretty, isn’t she?”
Uriah laughed and leaned forward, taking the glass from Makyle’s hand. “You’ve had enough, big man.”
Makyle glared at him. “Are you saying she isn’t pretty?”
Uriah shook his head. “Not at all… but let me ask you this, do you think Marie is pretty?”
Makyle crossed his arms over his wide chest. “We’re talking about Sam, not Marie.”
Uriah nodded. “I know, but answer the question.”
Makyle threw his arms in the air. “Yes, Marie is pretty, but not as pretty as Sam, she’s powerful, and strong-willed, hotheaded… I wish she were here.”
Kale arched his pierced brow. “Who the fuck is Sam, and how the hell did she wrap the infallible Makyle around her finger?”
“She bit me.” Makyle slurred his words as he stood from the couch to snatch his drink from Uriah. “I need some air,” he said, stumbling from the room and out the French doors.
“Do we follow him?” Uriah asked.
Lothar
shook his head. “No, he’s fine… He’s just got one thing, or better said, one person on his mind. Now I’m with Kale, who is Sam?”
“Oh there is history there,” Uriah said, smiling. “But we know of her as Samira.”
Cree cocked a brow. “The genie?”
“Yep, it’s possible we’ve always seen Makyle as something less than he really is. I think Ro was the only one who saw past what he projects… seems he’s been more of a savior than any of us ever realized.”
Cree smiled softly. “Ro always did see the potential and best in everyone.”
“Yes, she did,” Bain agreed. He stood from the table and leaned on his cue stick. “She loved unconditionally.”
“She was the purest of souls,” Lothar added.
Kale smirked. “The last to judge the not-so-well thought-out decisions of others.”
“She was our queen, our family, and most importantly, the gentle hand that guided us all to be better men,” Uriah said, lifting his glass before taking the last of his drink. “To Rowan.”
“To Rowan,” they all echoed.
****
Marie laughed as she sat with Kat, Holly, Izzy and Kyra. She munched on popcorn while they watched Brave. She slipped pieces of the butter kernels to Izzy’s little pet, an argolette she’d been told. Who knew that little flying hound dogs existed? Of course, it made sense that Izzy would own one.
“If you continue to feed him, he will try to follow you home,” Izzy said as her finger brushed through Garcia’s thick coat.
“Would he be safer with me? Garcia keeps licking his chops when he looks over here.”
Izzy smiled. “Garcia knows better. He and Tracker get along just fine.”
“I wanna shoot a bow,” Kyra said, pulling their attention from the pets to the movie playing out before them.
Marie smiled at the beautiful little girl, her large, purple-indigo eyes beseeching Izzy to agree.
Izzy shook her head and ran her hand over Kyra’s thick wavy blonde hair. “Ask your father.”
Immortal Rapture: Immortal Heart Page 13