by Elle Lincoln
I pause at the dry bar, sigh in defeat, and pull two tumblers from the shelf. “You smell like blood.”
“Your senses are sharpening.” Alloysius steps from the shadows, his hand wiping his mouth though no blood lingers there.
I snort as I pour bourbon into the glass, its amber liquid dark in the lighting. “Why are you here?” I inquire.
“You weren’t at the meeting.” I hand the extra glass over to the refined vampire, one who won’t lunge for my throat. “You’ve been bitten again.”
“There’s no purpose for those meetings.” I ignore the question in his dark eyes about the bite, I took care of her anyway.
“There is every purpose for those meetings.” He sips the bourbon after inhaling its sharp scent. “Flynn was visibly distraught. Trouble in paradise?”
“Those meetings have devolved into a presidential debate. We’re running a shit show here.” Again, I ignore his taunts. Yes, there is trouble in paradise. Flynn is hiding shit. And the meetings? The weekly ones, where mortals and immortals clash with sharp tongues, are nothing more than a debate over whose species is more important.
It doesn’t matter, because in the end death will come for them all. I will come for them.
“You deem them meaningless already.” He walks from the room, the anticipation for me to follow spoken in the lazy roll of his spine as he glances back expectantly. I throw my bourbon back, cherishing the burn as it glides down my throat, and follow him into the kitchen.
The scents of freshly baked bread and meats almost overwhelms me. Yet Alloysius already had his meal, this is a bribe. “What do you want?” I’ve already decided to hear him out as I snatch the yeasty loaf off the counter and hop up to sit in its place.
“What makes you think I want anything?” He raises a dark brow. When I first met him, he was malnourished, starved to the point where his hair was nothing but a ratty mess and his body a leathery shell. Now, he stands before me in a suit perfectly tailor to his trim fit. Where he bought that, I’ll never know. His bloodred silk shirt hides behind a tailored suit jacket, with three buttons popped free of their homes, revealing his alabaster skin. Though it’s his healthy face I find haunting.
A face that resembles my gram’s, and thus my own. His features are sharp and angular, now speckled with a hint of a dark ginger beard. His hair, the same color, regrows in a smattering of patches here and there. He’s no longer bald from head to toe.
“When are you going to tell me who you are?” I counter.
His smile is all toothy. “There’s only so much I can hide, my dear Mae.”
I bite into the bread, chewing with my mouth open in hopes I annoy the fuck out of him as much as he’s annoying me. “Speak, vampire, what do you want?” Maybe I’m the one who’s devolving as I chew with my mouth open.
“I want you to stop hiding. You can keep up this hunting, if you will, but show up.” His voice is hard, unyielding.
Yet, it doesn’t fool me. “No.” I’m not ready yet.
“I’m not saying show up just for Flynn’s sake. Without you there, then there can be no unity.” His frustration shows in the way his eyes glow a deep red.
“I don’t know where I belong, Al.” I cast my eyes away, staring at the back door.
“Mae, none of us do.” His voice, so soft, pulls me from my spiral of depression.
“You always knew.” I fight back my tears as I gnaw on another bite of bread.
His laugh startles me. “Mae, I was once human too.” He leans casually against the counter. “I walked this world unsure of where I fit in for a long time, and all I discovered was me wasting time. There are much better uses for your troubles than wondering where you belong.”
That escalated quickly. He sounds like a chastising parent. One in which he very well may be. “I have no intent to unify those who are unwilling to work together. There is a bigger threat out there, one right under our noses that must be rectified.” My anger grows with each word.
“You think they don’t know that?” He stands to face me down, each of us holding the stubborn nature of our ancestry. “They argue over meaningless topics that they can control because they have no power over Neit. But you do!” He’s yelling at me, his saliva flinging from his mouth as he punctuates each word with a razor’s edge.
“You’re wrong,” I whisper, once more feeling defeated. “I have no power there either.”
“Because you are unskilled!” I flinch at his shout, my eyes looking into his coal hot orbs. “You have only knowledge of fictional worlds, and yet you do not strive to know this one! Learn, you daft girl, and understand your enemy!”
I groan, my head hitting the cabinet behind me as a giggle bubbles up from my chest. “Did you just call me a daft girl?” I laugh harder. “In an English accent?”
“Yes, well.” Still with the English accent, Alloysius adjusts his collar. “We can’t all be refined Americans.”
I laugh harder still. “Are you trying to be American?”
“I am trying to fit in,” he snaps, his tone nothing short of snarky.
“You will never fit in with that hair.” I wiggle my fingers. “Meat.”
He throws a brown paper bag of meat at my head, but jokes on him, I catch it. He jerks his arms out, adjusting his cuffs. “I will not apolo—”
“Oh, shove it,” I state around bites of meat. “I don’t expect an apology, actually the truth is refreshing.”
He raises a dark red brow at that.
I sigh, glancing at the clock that still ticks away. It’s nearly four in the morning. It was once rare for me to ever stay up this late, and now it’s all I do, living as a creature of the night just like the one in front of me. “My life is one big lie wrapped up in golden packaging.”
His gaze falls to the hall, unseeing. “You’re right. But will knowing those secrets change who you are today?” He slices a hand through the air. “No. Let me rephrase that. Will the secrets your ancestors hold make that much of a difference for the living?”
What game is he playing at here? Who is he referencing? My parents? Him? Gram? “Sometimes, secrets shed light on the paths that were paved for us.”
“You speak as though you have no choices.”
“Don’t I?” I snap back. “I was never given a choice in this life, aside from when the sperm met the egg.” He cringes at that, as we both know that wasn’t my choice either. “They weren’t really saving my life, they cursed it. Every step of my life was chosen for me. And now you stand there expecting me to stand up and be what? What do you want me to be? It doesn’t even matter because that’s my choice.”
He opens his mouth to speak and I challenge him with my brows raised.
“You cannot deny it. You want to use me as a tool. What I don’t know yet is why.”
“Mae, I would never use you as a tool,” he denies
“Think back to your words not a moment earlier.”
“Not once did I tell you what to do. I merely implied that you should—”
“Same thing, vampire.” I pitch the meat in the sink for breakfast and hop off the counter. “Can you just go?” Weariness settles deep in my bones and confusion clouds my mind.
“Goodnight, Miss Mae.” He finally turns to leave, his hand on the door handle, and a small part of me yearns for him to stay to divulge the secrets he holds. To finally tell me where he lands in my ancestry. How far back does he go? Did he swear he would watch over his lineage? Did he make the deal with the devil, cursing the women to die?
“Alloysius.” His name falls unbidden from my lips, the plea of a thousand questions on my tongue. But I say none of those things. “Goodnight.”
His shoulders are stiff and poised as he twists the handle, leaving the house, and with it the only warmth inside these walls.
Alone. I quickly lock the door, fighting the tears threatening to fall. Am I cursed to be nothing more than a failure? As the lock clicks home, I peek outside, noticing the rain has now turned to fat, wet snowf
lakes. An immortal winter is already on the way. I peel back the wet layers of clothing, leaving them where they lie. No one is home to yell at me anyway.
My feet avoid the creaks upon the stairs out of habit as my eyes trail to the fireplace. Wood. I’ll need to stock up on wood. But not tonight. Tonight, I need to do nothing more than sulk and lick my wounds, for tomorrow is another day, and I intend to spend every waking moment studying with Rhia.
The weight of my foot creaks on the worn wood. Odd. I don’t recall that step bending before. I lift my foot and place it back down. No creak.
I’m not alone. I drop to the steps, my eyes focused on the second floor. No shadows move, no noise disturbs the peace.
Until a slight flutter catches my eye just inside my room. My sanctuary. Anger rises within me, hot and violent like a lava flow spilling into the ocean.
My scythe is in my hand as I ghost to the door, swinging it around as materialize before the intruder who dares step inside my home.
“If I were a betting man…” The voice glides up my spine, but not in fear, on no, my body knows that voice all too well. He gently pushes the blade away from his neck, challenging the wrath of the magic held within. “I’d bet you were avoiding me.”
Adrenaline surges through my body, not yet willing to let go as it demands a use for the energy. Knowing he’ll just deflected any blow, I angle my blade and jerk back before swiping at his stomach. Not one to be outdone, he pulls his longsword from the ether before deflecting my strike.
“Is this couple’s therapy now?” The clang of metal echoes throughout the house.
“Shut up.” Like a fool, I make a strike that causes him to slice my scythe in half. I send that back to the otherworld before materializing another, barely dodging his next blow. “How was parliament?” I mock with a strike.
He only sighs at me like I’m acting like a child. Me. Not him who plays at a being a leader. “We could have used you tonight.”
There’s that word again. Used. Like a tool. My strikes become wild as my anger takes over. Advancing upon Flynn, I feel sweat beading on my brow as his furrow in confusion.
“Again, if I were a betting man, I’d bet you’re trying to strike me.” He snaps my scythe in half then kicks me in the gut, sending me flying back into my bed. “I’d hate to ruin a perfectly good bedroom.”
Like a child throwing a temper tantrum, my fists slam into the mattress as I growl to no one in particular.
“Mae, what do you want?”
He says the right words and I feel their genuine empathy. Yet, he’s hiding something from me, I can feel it as though it’s something I’ve lost that he holds close to him.
“Nothing, I want nothing.” Lie.
“If that were true, you wouldn’t be pouting on your bed. And why are you walking around in nothing but your bra and panties?” That last bit was pure male interest.
“I was wet.”
“Hunting again?” I feel his body dip the bed, his tone without judgment.
“You knew.”
“I knew. Sleep, the sun will rise in a few hours, and I suspect we have a few things to discuss.” He gets up, lifting me from the white comforter before settling it on top of me. After pulling away from me, his hand grazes the witch’s orb to further dim its light.
Yet as his footsteps carry him away, my heart seizes. “Flynn.” The one word, spoken so softly, freezes him at the doorway. “Stay.”
His eyes burn like embers when he gazes back at me, causing my body to shiver. “If that’s what you wish.”
I don’t want tricks or promises. All I want tonight is his warmth surrounding me as I drift off to sleep. While I don’t speak the words, he understands all too well. The mattress dips as he sits, then his shoes hit the floor with a clack.
I roll away as his body engulfs mine, his heat surrounding me. He may evade and tell half-truths, but with his arms around me, I’m home.
Chapter 3
Mae
The sound of a horn pulls me from my dreams. Dark and twisted, they haunt my mind as they take their time to fade. Rain splatters against my windows, with strikes of green lightning pulsing from the sky. Yeah, I’ll take the honking horn any day over that.
I roll to the side, noting the empty side of the bed. My hand sweeps across the cooling sheets, which are still indented from Flynn’s body.
Rocco’s mumbled shout filters through the window as the front door slams. Alone again. Somehow, I feel like I’ve waited forever to have that man back with me and yet I feel abandoned.
“Stop sulking, get up.” Clothes are flung at my head as the goddess without boundaries appears in my room. Again.
“Do you not have a conscience?” I peel the clothing from my face.
“Why ever would I need that?” She snorts. “We have an issue. Get up.”
I wave at my body. “Not going to fairy godmother me up this time?”
She huffs, blowing her dark, wavy hair from her face. Today, her makeup is expertly shadowed, smoky, and sultry. Her dark red power suit matches her lips. Honestly, if one didn’t know she was a goddess, then they are an utter fool. “Fine. Only because there’s an issue.”
There is always an issue, Morrigan moves from crisis to crisis. With a flutter of her hands, the grime, sweat, and dirt disappears from my body. My hair transforms into a silky satin wave that cascades down my back, matching the satin of the power suit I now wear. The deep blue of the suit accents every feature in a way I thought only royalty could be capable of. I roll out of bed with my flats already on my feet, and face the temperamental goddess who has her hands in all the cookie jars.
“You said there was a problem?” I snap my fingers as her gaze blurs, unseeing.
“Yes, yes I did.” She grips my arms and just like that, we spiral through the layers of reality, popping out on the other side of... somewhere.
I huff out a breath and watch in fascination as it puffs out in a cloud. My eyes scan the area that’s completely and utterly white. “Where the hell are we?”
“England, maybe.” With her hands on her hips, she shakes her head. “He’s been moved already.”
“Who?” But she’s already gripping my arms, moving us once again. This time we pop out in the middle of a blizzard. The cold touches my skin, but doesn’t penetrate. I don’t ask because Morrigan seems almost flustered—an odd occurrence for her. That says a lot about the crazy goddess. “Now what?”
“The body.”
Oh, so we’re looking for a dead man. Right, well then, that only makes perfect sense. “So, who are we reaping?”
“Bodb.”
“Bob, okay.”
“No, Bodb. Never mind about pronunciation, you’ll never get it. The point is he’s dead.” She throws her arms up before spinning on me. “He’s dead, do you know what that means?”
I lick my lips and raise my brows, wondering if she’s about to spring some kind of immortal quiz on me. “Yeah, I have no idea.”
Again, she huffs. “Try and find his body.”
“Morrigan.” The glare she gives me is violent and hostile. “Right, so use my mojo. He was a god, I presume?” Otherwise, she wouldn’t be as on edge as she is right now. I prefer her in a calmer manner, even if she’s a bit strange.
“Not just any god, you insolent child, a God of Wisdom. Wisdom!” She throws her hands up before growling at me. I should think before pissing off the crow.
“Okay, so how did you find him?” I try to keep my tone warm and comforting, but I swear she sees right through me.
“I felt his spirit die. I rushed to get to him, but as I did his power died with him.” She points a finger at me, those long, sharp nails looking deadly. “Inside each of us, we house the power that keeps us immortal. It isn’t just the soul, it’s a living, viable entity. His body died, then his spirit died with it. That isn’t normal.”
I scrub a hand down my face before remembering I’m wearing makeup. “Wait, so my goddess power… What happens to it when I die
?” Seriously, where is the Goddess 101 handbook?
“It finds another soul.” She huffs a sigh. “That’s how I learned I could transfer it to you.” She rolls her hands, waving at me expectantly.
“Fine.” I ghost to the next realm, looking for the most recent deaths. They all leave an imprint, a memory upon the world. If I left it to just all deaths, every inch of the world would be covered by spikes. Since we’re in England, or were—now I sense we’re just north, maybe Ireland—he would have to be close. But there’s nothing. I can find no memory of the god she speaks of. “Morrigan.”
“Get on with it, girl!”
“I can’t.” I open my eyes and really look at my surroundings. “Morrigan, where are the houses? The roads? Trees?”
“Buried, about ten feet down.” Her reply is too casual, and I almost forget immortals seem to be ignorant of reality.
“Morrigan, how long has the snow been falling?” Chills race up my spine and I begin to wonder how I’m not falling through the snow.
“A night. Why?”
Everything screams at me. “Is this a Realm winter?”
“Of course.”
“Morrigan…” I pinch the bridge of my nose. There are so many problems occurring all at once, it’s giving me a headache. “Everyone is probably dead.” There is no way we’ll all be able to survive this winter.
“Not all. They may starve though.”
First chance I get, I’m ghosting Flynn here to find survivors. “Okay, second problem, I can’t sense the dead here. It’s a literal dead zone.”
“You can’t...” She pauses. “Of course.”
She grips my hand, and once again, we’re traveling. This time we land at the one place I’ve been completely avoiding—headquarters.
“How about now? Can you feel the dead here?” She’s gone completely mad.
Still, I close my eyes, and I immediately feel Gram and Rhia not far away, and a recent death down the street. “Yes.”
“Whoever killed him is trying to cover their tracks.” She begins to pace.
“Mae.” Flynn comes to stand beside me in the kitchen, which smells like freshly baked goods and coffee.