The Pull of Destiny (Undying Love, Book 2)

by Felicity Kross

  A slight whimper escapes Arsen’s lips, but he silences it. His lips continue trembling. There he goes again, trying to make me feel sorry for him.

  “Looks like Tasia took care of getting Arsen free,” Valor remarks. “Set off as soon as you are ready.” She leaves the room after that.

  Imae glances at me and Arsen and says, “I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

  “We’ll be there soon,” I reply. I stand up and head toward the door after Imae. Arsen isn’t following me though “Come on,” I say. “We’re leaving right now.”

  “You want me to walk right now?” he asks, glaring at me.

  “You’re fine,” I say. “You’re a big and powerful demon. You should have healed enough by now. So get up.”

  He crawls and whimpers at the same time as he struggles to his feet. He’s a bit wobbly, but he stays standing. Then he limps his way over to me. The other demon watches him along with the other angel in the room, but they don’t say a word.

  “You do realize I’m going to get blood all over the floor,” Arsen mutters when I open the door and walk out into the hall.

  “That’s fine,” I say. “Someone will clean it up.”

  Arsen doesn’t respond, apparently out of his comebacks. He follows me down the hall, and I notice he’s walking better by the moment as he moves, but he’s still limping by the time we make it to the lobby. I see Rynne and Imae standing there, waiting for us. Fiona, Divya, and Donovan are there too for some reason.

  I walk over to Rynne and Imae, and I find myself wondering why Valor assigned Rynne to this mission. There’s no point. Imae, Arsen, and me would have been more than enough. We were able to catch Uden without any problems. I’m sure the three of us could complete this mission just as easily.

  Fiona is the first to speak, “You’re sure you want to do this, right?”

  “I’m sure,” I say.

  “There’s a change of clothes for Arsen in this backpack,” Divya informs quietly as she hands me the pack. She looks at me for only a moment before her eyes rest on Arsen.

  We’re all wearing casual clothes for this mission.

  “Thanks,” I say. “It would be pretty hard to get onto the set with Arsen looking like this, all covered in blood. Then again, it is a horror movie set. He’d probably fit right in.”

  I get a bunch of blank stares, but I wasn’t saying it to get a reaction. I was saying it because it’s true.

  “Good luck to all of you,” Donovan says.

  I’m not really sure why we’re getting this sendoff. We’ve been going on missions off and on almost constantly for the past couple weeks. Maybe it’s the significance of this one. Arsen won’t be a problem anymore after this mission. That’s what Valor said.

  “We’ll be back soon,” Rynne assures.

  He hasn’t looked at me once since I entered the lobby. I do catch him looking at Arsen though.

  Whatever.

  I take my team outside, and I order Arsen to shift.

  “Are you sure?” Rynne asks. “He looks pretty injured.”

  “He’s fine,” I say. “He’s healing.”

  I turn around as Arsen tears off his pants and shifts into his wolf-dragon beast. I stay where I am until Arsen lets out a strangled bark.

  “Everybody climb on,” I say as I turn to face him.

  Arsen lies down obediently. I sit in my usual spot near the base of his neck, Rynne takes his place behind me, and Imae takes hers behind him. Once we’re secure, I give Arsen the okay.

  “Take us to Hollywood,” I command.

  With a few powerful flaps of his wings, we’re sent airborne, higher and higher into the sky until we reach a cloud covering that will conceal us from the eyes below. This is it. Everything is going to change after this.

  ARSEN FLIES US as far as he can until we get to the point where it would be too conspicuous to land. We end up having to find a cab to drive us the rest of the way to Hollywood, but it’s not a big deal. The weather here is nice, and if we were on vacation, I’d actually be enjoying this. But I’m worried. Arsen is acting lethargic, dread clouding his face. He hasn’t completely healed from the silver bindings he was in. And that’s not all that’s wrong.

  We’re at the steps of Monster Works. Our cab driver took us right to our destination, and now we’re in the parking lot outside of the film studio.

  “Are you sure Arsen is ready for this?” I ask Tasia.

  “He’s fine,” she says briskly. “He’s just tired out.”

  “Enough, Rynne,” Imae chastises. “There’s no reason to worry about Arsen.”

  There’s a subtle darkness surrounding the Monster Works building. I’m not sure if it’s because of a demon or because of the type of people who work on these films. It could be both. I hope Yuki isn’t in there.

  “Do you feel her?” Tasia asks. “Arsen, do you feel Yuki? Is she in there?”

  Arsen presses his lips tightly together, draining the color out of them.

  “Don’t make me ask again,” Tasia threatens.

  Arsen’s lips tremble as he replies, “Yes, she’s in there.”

  “Good.”

  My heart lurches. I guess it was too much to hope that she wouldn’t be here.

  Arsen ducks his head and says quietly, “Don’t make me do this.”

  “If you really don’t want to, then don’t do it, but you’d have to actually care about her to make that work. I know you don’t care about anyone, though,” Tasia mocks. “You’re just a demon, a heartless monster.”

  I can’t believe how calloused Tasia is being. She’s acting downright cruel. Can’t she see Arsen is suffering enough? He isn’t messing around. He is in genuine pain. I wanted to support Tasia and her destiny. I wanted to believe I could be strong. But I can’t take this. I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this. I don’t know what I’m going to do just yet, but I know I have to stop this. I have to get Tasia back to her old self. She wouldn’t want this. I know it. She needs to be free from all of these influences and make her own decisions. She needs to form her own opinions. She needs to do it far away from angels. She needs to do it without diamonds protecting her and shielding her. Her whole life she’s been leaning on angels as a crutch without even knowing it. That’s the answer. I just hope that those diamonds and the oracle’s hold on her isn’t so deep that getting rid of the crystals won’t bring her back.

  We walk up to the studio’s entrance where we run into one of the staff.

  “Who are you people?” he asks. “We’re filming right now.”

  “We were invited by the lead actress,” Tasia replies smoothly and confidently. “Yuki. Her boyfriend is here to visit, and she said she’d show us around.”

  The staff member looks at us, unsure. “Wait here. I’ll tell the director.” Then he rushes away.

  “If he’s going straight for the director, they must not be filming anything too important right now,” Tasia remarks.

  The director comes out a few minutes later, not making us wait long at all. He has a big grin on his face and he’s playing with his goatee as he walks over to us. “So which one of you is Yuki’s boyfriend?” he asks.

  Tasia nudges Arsen, who reluctantly makes a waving gesture with his hand. He looks like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world than here. The director looks us up and down as his grin grows even wider.

  “Yuki sure has a taste for good-looking people, doesn’t she? I know we’re a horror studio, but I love blending the beautiful with the horrific. You should all consider working with us on the next movie.”

  “Yuki promised she’d give us a tour,” Tasia says. “Are we going to get one?”

  “Most certainly,” the director says with, his grin never faltering as he bows. “Right this way.”

  He leads us into the Monster Works building—which is huge. It’s large enough that several scenes are all set up at the same time, taking up different parts of the studio. Look one direction and you’d think you were inside a cabi
n. Look in another direction and you’d think you were in a hospital. There is no shooting going on right now though, as far as I can tell. It looks like people are just finishing up a lunch break, so they’ll probably start shooting again soon.

  I can feel a distinct darkness other than Arsen’s now.

  “We’re just about to film a new scene,” The director informs. “You have exquisite timing. You can watch.” There’s a twinkle in his dark eyes that makes me think he would have let us in here even if Tasia hadn’t said we were here for Yuki. He seems anxious to show off what they do.

  “We’d like that,” Tasia says, apparently the speaker for our group.

  We follow the director to a scene where a bunch of fake trees are set up to look like a forest with ghostly lighting. That’s when I see where the darkness is coming from. This is the first time I’ve laid eyes on Yuki, but she’s gorgeous. She looks like she’s of Asian descent, Japanese specifically, like her name suggests—even though that’s impossible since she’s a natural demon. Her hair is long, dark, and straight past her shoulders. She’s thin and has precise curve. She’s dressed like a supermodel, in a formfitting black dress highlighted with reds. I’m not sure what kind of horror movie this is, but she looks out of place in every way except for in her dangerously seductive walk and look.

  I notice Arsen lagging behind, almost like he’s trying to hide behind Tasia, Imae, and myself. It’s not all that practical, though. He’s the tallest out of all of us, and his presence is unmistakable. I’m sure Yuki feels him. As if to answer my suspicion, Yuki looks right at him. Her face lights up instantly. All of the dangerous and seductive nuances are gone. I see a light, a happiness. She doesn’t care about putting on a show for Arsen, at least not right now. She’s just happy to see him. The way she moves toward us, without any hesitation, it’s like she doesn’t see the rest of us at all. She has eyes only for Arsen, and the look she’s giving him isn’t the look of someone who is a slave. The way she’s looking at him is the way people look when they’re in love. She loves him. It’s so plain to see. Anyone who can’t see it must be blind.

  Arsen brushes past the rest of us to meet Yuki, but he walks stilted and slow. Yuki doesn’t hesitate as she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him passionately. Arsen grips her tightly, but he doesn’t kiss her back or hold her in the same passionate way that she’s holding him. He’s shaking. Yuki must notice it too, because she pulls away. Arsen presses his lips to her ear and says something I can’t catch, but by the look on her face, he must have said something pertaining to the rest of us.

  “Now,” Arsen says loud enough for the rest of us. “Run now, Yuki. And as far as you can.” With each word his voice grows more urgent, more desperate.

  Tasia takes over. “Do it, Arsen,” she demands. “Show her why you’re really here. Kill her.”

  Arsen starts shaking even worse, and Tasia’s words get us several looks, especially a confused one from the director himself. Looks like we’re not being discreet. Tasia’s become completely reckless.

  Arsen pushes away from Yuki and he presses the heel of his hand to his forehead. His teeth are bared, and he’s growling.

  “Leave,” he struggles to say. “Damn it, Yuki! Get away from me!”

  “What is going on here?!” the director demands.

  “Why are you hesitating?!” Tasia screams, ignoring everything but the task at hand. “Kill her!”

  “Please!” Arsen begs. “Anything but this.”

  Yuki reaches out and touches Arsen’s arm. His growl grows fiercer, and he shoves Yuki back a few feet, but she doesn’t leave.

  “Kill her,” Tasia says, cold and devoid of any feeling.

  Arsen’s growl becomes entirely feral as he rushes at Yuki, knocking her onto the fake forest set as the trees collapse around them. All the frozen people scream and run.

  Imae looks around frantically. “This is a little rash,” she mutters. She jumps into action, managing crowd control.

  “Stop, Tasia!” I exclaim. “Think about what you’re doing!”

  “Rynne!” Imae shouts. “Let Tasia do what she has to do and help me get these people out of here.”

  I don’t even glance at my overseer. My eyes are only for Tasia. I have to believe she’ll stop. Please, stop.

  I hear my overseer let out a frustrated sigh as she gathers people and gets them out of the building.

  I follow Tasia’s cold, hard gaze to Arsen and Yuki grappling on the floor. I see red. Arsen is tearing into Yuki. He’s snapping and growling, raking his claws against her, but Yuki isn’t even fighting back.

  “Why won’t you fight back?!” Arsen demands. His attack should be much more furious than it is. He’s still restraining himself. All the blood he’s shedding is the result of shallow wounds. “Protect yourself, dammit!”

  Yuki gives him a look of complete submission. “If you want to kill me, Arsen, go ahead and do it. I have no desire to fight you,” she says.

  “You have to,” Arsen says, his voice breaking as his claws dig into her arms. “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to kill you.” The light catches on his face, and I see something glistening down his cheek. He’s… crying.

  “Please, Yuki,” he says. “If you can’t do this for yourself, do it for me. Get away from me. I am literally begging you.”

  This time Yuki does as he says. She manages to squirm out from underneath him, proving once again he had no desire to have her pinned there in the first place, and she dodges his next wild swing easily.

  I turn my gaze back to Tasia. Surely she saw that. She saw that, right?

  Tasia shouts, “Finish it already!”

  Nothing has changed.

  I grab her arm, trying to get her to look at me. “Isn’t this enough already?” I ask.

  She jerks away from me, but she doesn’t even offer me a look. Her eyes are only on Arsen. They’re burning fire. She wants blood more than anything. I look back at Arsen and Yuki. Arsen’s moves have become more precise, calculated, like Tasia is forcing him to focus. Then his claws rip through Yuki’s chest well on their way to her heart.

  “That’s enough!” I shout as I tackle Tasia.

  I trap her to the ground as my fingers find their way around her silver chain necklace and rip it off. I catch her diamonds in my other hand. She makes a strained gasping noise once the crystals are no longer touching her. I can’t think about that now. I hurry away from her and break a window. I throw the diamonds and the silver chain as far as I can. Then I look back.

  Tasia’s on the ground where I left her. Her eyes are wide open and her mouth is open too, like she’s trying to scream but no sound is coming out. She’s not moving. It’s like time has frozen still, and then the scream on her lips finally escapes. In the same instant, Arsen crumples to the floor.

  Yuki is still standing. There’s blood on her chest, but it doesn’t look like Arsen broke too far into her flesh. She’ll heal. She’s already healing. Arsen didn’t take her heart.

  She drops to the floor and pulls Arsen to her, cradling his head in her lap. I go to Tasia and do something similar. Her eyes and mouth are closed now, and she actually looks peaceful, like she’s only sleeping. I bury my face into her neck.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I didn’t know what else to do. I love you, Tasia. You said you wanted to go through with this… this destiny, but is all of this pain really what you chose? Is that what you want? You should have a say in your own life choices. Things have been moving too quickly. Duty, destiny, everything has been pressed too hard on you. Angels have been influencing you your entire life. They have been shielding you and teaching you what they wanted you to know. It all started with your black diamond. Even before that.

  “I believe you’re strong enough, Tasia. You need to figure life out for yourself. You don’t need your diamonds anymore. You’ll be okay without them. You don’t need me anymore either. I’ll just be in the way. I am one of the angels after all, one of the angels that
brought you to this point. I’m sorry for everything, but I had to stop you now before you did something you’d never forgive yourself for. I know you’re in there somewhere. I know the little girl I first got to know, the kind girl who never wanted to hurt anyone or anything, the same girl who accidentally stepped on a ladybug and cried for an hour over it, is still inside of you somewhere.”

  I feel a twitch of movement. I bring my head back, away from Tasia’s neck in time to see her eyes flutter open. Her eyes are unfocused. Her expression is dazed and confused. She mumbles something incomprehensible. I touch her cheek gently, trying to soothe her.

  “Where are we?” she asks in a small voice. “I feel like I’ve been sleeping forever.” She places her trembling hand on top of mine, trapping my hand to her cheek. She searches my eyes with a softness I haven’t seen in her for days. This is the way I’m used to her looking at me, with love in her eyes.

  I swallow the emotion rising up in my throat, but I can’t stop the tears that escape my eyes. Tasia immediately moves her hand to my face to wipe away the tears.

  “What’s wrong, Rynne?” she asks quietly.

  I shake my head. Then I lean down to kiss her. I kiss her long and sweet, because this will be the last time.

  “I love you more than anything in this world,” I whisper. “But now I have to let you go.”

  Tasia doesn’t react, probably still feeling disoriented after everything that’s happened. I catch Arsen and Yuki watching me and Tasia. Both of them are standing now, and they both look okay.

  “Imae will be back any minute,” I say. “The three of you have to leave.”

  “What?” Tasia squeaks.

  “You’re leaving with Arsen and Yuki,” I say; I can hardly believe those words are coming out of my mouth. “This connection between you and Arsen is something you need to figure out for yourself.”

  The light in Tasia’s eyes becomes more apparent. She’s becoming more coherent. Her fingers glide to her neck, searching for something that isn’t there.