by Raven Steele
Before he could say another word, she turned and bolted for the door.
“No!” Lucien cried. “Come back! Eve!”
He waited a few breaths, listening to the sounds of her footsteps running the opposite direction, before he yelled again, this time for Charlie. He thrashed on the small bed, but the thrashing was only in his head.
Some time passed, but it might as well have been forever. Eve was gone and she wasn’t coming back. That meant only one thing:
The next time he saw her, she would be Alarica, and they were going to fight.
Chapter 28
Eve ran down the long hall as fast as she could, breathing hard. If she hesitated for just a second, Lucien’s cries would pierce her resolve and she would return to him. She had to push him and his proposal from her mind. It was the only way.
Charlie was at the door leading to outside, his lips pressed tightly together.
“Don’t try and stop me,” she said, her voice pleading. She wiped the tears from her cheek with the back of her hand.
“As much as I want to, I can’t. I know what needs to happen.”
“Thank you,” she said, and her shoulders slumped forward. “I don’t have the strength to say no to both of you. And please apologize to Liane.”
Charlie pulled her in for a tight hug that surprised her. In a low voice, he said, “I want you to know that you healed me. After my wife’s death, I never thought I could be happy again, but then you came into my life. And then there’s Lucien. Don’t tell him this, but I think of him as a brother. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for the two of you.”
Eve released him and narrowed her eyes, a sinking feeling growing in her gut. “Why are you saying this now?”
He smiled, but it looked forced. “It’s nothing. Just know that I love you, and that I am happy with my life and the decisions I’ve made.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he pushed her gently. “Go. Now, before Lucien finds a way to free himself.”
“He’s going to hate you.”
“Don’t worry about me. Just stay safe. We will find you.”
She opened the door to a warm darkness and glanced back over her shoulder. “Is that a promise?”
He nodded, but his eyes glistened with tears. “Goodbye, Eve.”
“See you soon.” She left the building, wondering if she might ever return. Charlie had made a promise, but he seemed sad about it. Had he seen this part of her future? Had he watched her die and was afraid to tell her?
She didn’t know what would happen to her once she became Alarica, especially after she restored all of Boaz’s powers. Would the transformation kill her? It didn’t matter. She would still have to go through this. She had argued with Henry hours ago about finding another way, even though she felt the truth in the pit of her stomach. Henry had comforted her by telling her that as soon as Boaz’s powers were restored, he could finally reveal himself. Between him and Lucien, they should be able to save her, and then the three of them could kill Boaz once and for all.
But what if she didn’t survive? If the transfer of power didn’t kill her, then Boaz easily could as soon as he was made whole.
Henry didn’t have an answer for that, other than saying at least when Boaz had all his powers back, he wasn’t protected anymore. He even thought using the same sleeping spell they had already tried on Boaz would work. Then justice will be served. Dmitri and all the others he killed would finally be avenged.
Eve turned the corner on Maple Avenue, a small side street that led up a steep hill. She didn’t know where she was going, or how to find Boaz, but figured he would find her.
The night was unusually warm and humid, moistening the exposed skin on her shoulders and arms. She swept her hair to one side to let air get to the back of her neck. When she reached the top of the hill, she scanned the city, its lights bright against the darkness.
“Boaz,” she whispered. “It’s now or never. I’m alone.”
It was a few minutes before the pressure in the air changed. Something supernatural was close by. She turned around. On the next hill over, standing in the middle of the road, stood Hunwald. He turned and walked away. Eve followed, resisting the urge to light his hair on fire. Hopefully there would be time for that later.
Hunwald kept a fair distance away but never out of view. He led her out of the city and into an affluent neighborhood protected by tall iron gates. Hunwald somehow squeezed through the narrow bars, but there was no way she would be able to do the same. Instead, she crouched low, whispered the word, “Tripudio,” and jumped at the same time. Magic exploded within her legs, giving her the force she needed to clear the ten-foot fence. Landing was another story.
At the last second, she lost her focus, something she was barely hanging onto as it was, and thought of Lucien. She fell hard on her ankle, twisting it the wrong direction. She collapsed to her knees and inhaled a shaky breath. Lucien. Her eyes filled with tears.
A deep, throaty growl startled her. Hunwald was standing beneath a large oak tree, his eyes glowing yellow.
“Shut up!” she snapped. “I’m coming.”
He growled again.
Eve reached for a nearby rock and threw it at him, hard. He easily dodged it and bared his teeth.
She stood. “You know I’m going to kill you one day, right?”
Hunwald turned around and trotted down the street. Reluctantly, she followed.
The houses in this neighborhood were farther apart and set back from the road, many of them blocked by rows of trees and landscaped yards. Every once in a while, she would catch a glimpse of one of them. They were enormous!
Hunwald turned down a private lane that seemed much darker than the rest of them. She hesitated. This might be her only chance to run away, to spare herself from a life of suffering. She knew the things she would do as Alarica, having lived the life before. It had taken her years to recover from the horrible things she had done, but this time she feared it would be so much worse. This time, she had people in her life she cared about, and Alarica would do all that she could to destroy those things. Eve might never recover. The people she loved might never recover. She had already lost Dmitri.
But what choice did she have? Even more people would die if Boaz was allowed to live.
Eve straightened her shoulders and walked down the long driveway until she saw the house. She stumbled. The gray-stoned mansion before her was familiar with its tall wooden beams and massive front doors. It was almost an exact replica of Boaz’s home where he had first taken her.
Bile rose in her throat, threatening to choke her, but then the doors opened, spilling light onto the stairs. She glanced behind her, hoping to see someone who might stop her from going inside. But there was no one.
She took a step forward and then another one. Let your past go and clear your mind. She thought this over and over to keep her body moving forward. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the doors closed behind her.
The inside of the home was also similar to Boaz’s other one, even down to the landscaped paintings on the walls and the silver chandelier hanging above her. Then it dawned on her. Boaz probably had this home built after she destroyed his last one when she was Alarica. The thought of Alarica’s dark power had her reaching for the door.
What was I thinking? I can’t do this!
“Come in,” a smooth and commanding voice said.
Eve turned around slowly. The voice had echoed from the living room. She took a few tentative steps forward to where she could see inside the room. A fire burning in a fireplace cast flickering images around the room. Two plush leather sofas sat opposite each other on top of a wide black rug. Boaz stood in the corner where the shadows seemed the darkest. There was no sign of Hunwald.
“I know why you did it, Love,” he said.
She lifted her chin a little. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Before she could blink, he was across the room and crushing her against the wall, his hands pi
nning the tops of her wrists above her head. “I would kill you right now for your deception.”
A surge of power ignited inside her and, with a pointed glare, she shoved Boaz away from her hard. His feet were knocked out beneath him, and he rolled along the marbled floor. His head snapped up, and he whispered something beneath his breath.
Heavy pressure squeezed her, forcing her body to slide up the wall. She tightened her lips and fought against the invisible restraints as Boaz walked toward her, his hands clasped behind his back. A tiny sensation poked at her mind. It was so faint that she would’ve missed it had she not been trained to recognize it for what it was: Boaz was attempting to steal her magic. She mentally pushed back, using the technique that Dmitri had taught her.
“You have learned a lot,” he said. He stopped in front of her and reached up, a sly smile spreading. His hand slipped beneath her shirt and touched the skin on her hip. “I know you’ve missed my touch.”
Eve broke the invisible bands against her. Before she fell to the floor, she brought her knee up hard, hitting Boaz in the nose. He stumbled back and pressed his hand to his nose. Blood dripped onto his chin.
“Don’t ever touch me,” she said.
He waved his hand over his face, making the blood disappear. “For the longest time, I thought you were dead. It truly hurt.”
Eve walked away from him and closer to the fire. She would toss him into the flames if he tried to touch her again.
Boaz pursued her. “Your mother tried to tell me otherwise, but I wasn’t convinced until she disappeared trying to find you. You are the only one strong enough to have stopped her.”
“It was Lucien, not me.” She said the words before she could stop herself. The less conversation with the devil, the better.
Boaz tensed and dropped onto the couch. “Did he kill her?”
Eve wondered how much to tell him. Would he attack the Deific and go after her?
“Your hesitancy is answer enough. No doubt you have her trapped in some magical cell within the Deific.” He leaned back and stretched his arms along the top of the sofa. “It’s only a matter of time before I destroy that place. Once you restore my powers, a lot of things are going to change.”
Eve weakened at the thought of having to put the necklace around her neck. She lowered onto a sofa opposite Boaz.
“You finally look frightened,” he said. “Good.”
“Will it kill me?” she asked.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Once I transfer all the magic from the necklace to you. Will it kill me?”
He laughed. “Is that what you think? That orb was magical long before it held my powers.” He sighed, fully relaxed, as if having a casual conversation with a friend. “No one knows where it came from, exactly, but it’s whispered that it was smuggled out of hell by a devil who found a way out. I was fortunate enough to have it given to me.”
He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out the necklace. The glass orb fell from his hands and dangled in front of him from a silver chain. “I owe you an apology. I didn’t realize how powerful the necklace was the last time you wore it. Because of your already strong magical abilities, I was afraid the necklace’s own powers wouldn’t be strong enough, so I had Sable and Eric enhance it in hopes of counteracting yours. But, well,” he chuckled, “You saw how well that worked out.”
Eve glanced at the exit. She could make a run for it, or simply teleport out of here. It would be so easy.
“Don’t worry, Love. That won’t happen this time.”
Eve tried to slow her breathing. “Can we just get this over with before I change my mind?”
Boaz leaned forward. “Not until I’m done punishing you.”
“You can’t torture me with magic,” she said. “I won’t let you.”
He stood and walked over to her, pocketing the necklace as he did so. Slowly, almost gently, he sat next to her. The motion was so unlike him that it frightened her.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, “but I am going to insist that we spend the next twenty-four hours together. Just you and I. Like old times. Inseparable.”
Chapter 29
Lucien had never concentrated so hard in his life, not even in his training with Henry. Then again, he had never wanted something this badly before. He needed to free himself from the wolf’s poison so he could catch up to Eve and stop her from going to Boaz. He was already afraid it was too late. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed as it was.
The mattress beneath him was soaked in sweat, and every one of his muscles burned to the bone. At least he could move his head and arms now.
He closed his eyes tight and focused on the magic within him. He imagined it as a white light racing through his veins in search of the dark toxins that plagued him. When he encountered it, pain would rack his whole body, but within a few minutes he was able to expel it and move to another part of his body.
“That looks painful.”
His eyes opened. Charlie stood in the doorway. Before Charlie could say anything else, Lucien stretched his one moveable arm and, using magic, slammed Charlie against the nearby wall. Lucien closed his fingers a little. In response, an invisible force pressed against Charlie’s throat.
“You let her go,” Lucien growled.
Charlie coughed. “You heard us?”
Lucien squeezed tighter. “Why?”
Charlie kicked his legs and attempted to free himself from the invisible grip. Lucien wouldn’t hurt him much more, but he was angry. He had heard Charlie say goodbye to Eve, like it was no big deal.
“Let me explain,” Charlie coughed out.
Lucien released him, and Charlie fell to the ground, gasping for air. While he recovered, Lucien grunted as he expelled more poison from the top half of his body. It took great effort, but he pushed himself into a sitting position. His legs still wouldn’t move, but at least he was upright.
Charlie cleared his throat one more time and straightened. “I’m sorry, Lucien. Really I am. You know how much I love Eve, but I can’t deny her future anymore. It’s unpreventable.”
“What are you talking about?”
Charlie crossed the room to a window on the other side and raised the blinds. The sky was a mixture of light pinks and deep oranges. Sunset. Had so much time passed? Lucien clenched his jaw. There was no way he would get to Eve in time now.
“Before you met Eve,” Charlie began, “she had been following you around for several months.”
“I already know that.”
Charlie turned around to face him. “But what you don’t know is that she came to me with some serious doubts. You were trapped in a dark place mentally, and she didn’t know if she would be able to help you or not.”
Lucien lowered his gaze to the white tiled floor. He had been trapped, for centuries. It embarrassed him to think that Eve had seen him in that state.
“So guess what Eve asked me to do?” Charlie asked.
Lucien looked up, meeting Charlie’s gaze.
“She wanted to know her future with you. Just a couple of years, and just enough to know if you were worth saving.”
A sinking feeling spread in Lucien’s gut.
“I saw you, Lucien. I saw what you would become, what you two would become together. I knew the consequences, and I knew the rewards. There was much sorrow and much joy.” Charlie turned his head and peered out the window, a shadow crossing his face. “I didn’t see everything, but there were some things that terrified me. Then Eve died, and I thought I had somehow gotten it wrong.”
Charlie turned around. “Since the moment you told me Eve had survived, I’ve tried to change her fate, and even my fate, but the future will not be ignored. The plan is set, and I can’t stop it. I accept this at last.”
“Your fate?”
“All our fates,” he clarified and averted his gaze back to the window. “If I try to change it, the order will be upset and we will have lost Eve forever.”
Charlie walked back to him. “It’s too late. The wheels are in motion. All you can do now is find a way to save Eve from Alarica, and I’m going to help you do that.”
“How?”
The door flew open, and Rick rushed into the room.
“It’s time!” he said, out of breath. “The Vice President, or I should say President, is getting ready to speak.”
“I’ll be right back,” Charlie said and turned to go.
“Wait!” Lucien said. “Take me with you.”
Charlie nodded at Rick, and together they looped one of Lucien’s arms on each side of them and lifted him to a standing position. Lucien tried to balance his body weight onto each of them.
“You good?” Charlie asked him.
“I hate this.”
“Get over it,” Charlie said.
He and Rick walked toward the door with Lucien’s legs dragging behind. They carried him down the hall and into the elevator.
“Why is the new President getting ready to speak?” Lucien asked. He had been so consumed with getting better for Eve that he hadn’t even thought of the explosion.
“Our sources tell us he’s going to announce who killed the former President,” Rick said. “We also hear that whoever did it has already been captured.”
The doors opened. Lucien managed to slide his right leg forward, but the left still hung awkwardly. They helped him into the conference room and sat him on a chair.
“Not a fun experience, is it?” Henry asked. He was sitting at the table opposite of him, looking paler than usual. Lucien resisted the urge to fight with him. Henry could’ve stopped Eve too.
“I take it you’ve been bitten by Hunwald before?” Lucien asked, avoiding eye contact. He swept his gaze around the room, noting Liane wasn’t present.
“Once. Although, I admit, I didn’t recover as quickly as you did.”
“Turn it up,” Charlie said to Rick. He dropped into a chair next to Lucien.