by Vivian Wood
All eyes turned to Alice, and she bit her lip.
“Well, I’ve been out of commission for a while, but I can tell you with certainty that Pere Mal’s goals have shifted in recent days. He’s moved away from searching for the Three Lights, since the Guardians are… well, in possession of them, to his thinking.”
Alice appreciated Echo, Cassie, and Kira’s collective eye roll and groan.
“So what is he looking for now?” Gabriel asked, folding his arms on the table and fixing Alice with an intent gaze.
“He’s got some exotic witch working for him now, a diviner from Yoruba. She’s been guiding him through the piles and piles of prophecies Cassie gave him, sorting which ones are important to him in the near future. They’ve hit upon a short list of names, as it were, but they don’t know what they mean yet. Or they know some, but not enough to act on any of the information.”
“Is there any reason why Pere Mal has switched tracks so suddenly, I wonder?” Rhys’s mate Echo mused. “There always seems to be a method to his madness, but in this I see none.”
Alice hesitated, glancing at Mere Marie, wondering how much she could say. How much the white witch knew, and how much she kept back from her employees.
“What do you know of Pere Mal’s motivations?” she asked the group, trying to find the right balance. So many secrets, and a time for each to be revealed. To Aeric, she felt she could tell anything, but the others were still unknown to her.
“Power,” Rhys said. “He wants to rule the city, maybe more.”
“He’s interested in using his ancestral spirits to grow his power and influence,” Gabriel chimed in.
Alice glanced at Cassie, whose lips were pursed in thought.
“He wants all those things, it’s true. He believes that if he plays the game well enough, he will come out on top, no matter how dangerous the stakes become.” Alice bit her lip. “He’s not really pulling the strings, though. He’s acting in his best interests, but he has a… I’m not sure boss would be the right word. Master is the closest thing, I think.”
Silence reigned for several long seconds. Mere Marie and Cassie’s expressions both pulled into surprised frowns, and Alice realized that neither woman had an updated or complete gasp on the picture of Pere Mal’s situation.
“So you’re saying… he serves someone else now?” Gabriel asked, stabbing a finger into the table for emphasis.
“That is correct,” Alice said with a nod.
“Since when?” Mere Marie asked, her tone sharp as shattered glass.
“I’m not certain. I believe he courted several… entities… from beyond the human realm. Some well within his reach, like his own ancestral spirits. And some… much larger forces. Somewhere along the way, walking the tightrope, he tumbled and lost his focus.”
“How can you know any of this?” Mere Marie snapped. Alice saw a fleeting moment of genuine concern in the witch’s eyes, which surprised her.
“I’ve seen him consult with the creature. He’s used me as an agent to do the creature’s bidding time and again. One of those times, his control slipped and the creature brought itself forth into the human realm using a human vessel. It was…” Alice shuddered. “Unpleasant to behold.”
Again, silence. Everyone seemed to be soaking that bit in. Asher bounced back first, seeming less affected than the rest. Alice didn’t know him from Adam, but the big brute smacked of former military, a soldier who rolled with the punches and came back up swinging. It would take a lot more to put Asher off his game, she bet.
“You don’t know who he serves?” Asher asked.
“No.”
“Can you tell us who he’s looking for, then?” Asher pressed.
“He wiped the memory from me shortly after it happened,” Alice said.
Aeric made a sound low in his throat, and Alice reached out to take his hand under the table. That simple contact bolstered her.
“Ah,” Cassie said, nodding. “You want me to pull it from you?”
Alice cracked a smile at the way her friend knew just where she’d been leading with this. Everyone else looked a little puzzled.
“The Oracle has many uses,” was all Cassie said in response to their raised brows.
She reached out and gestured for Alice’s hand. Alice released Aeric’s fingers, not wanting to mix his memories with her own in Cassie’s mind. Oracles worked in mysterious ways. She took Cassie’s hand and waited. Cassie, for her part, merely closed her eyes and hummed under her breath. After a few moments of concentration, Cassie grinned.
“Kieran Kellan… and Ephraim?” she said, pronouncing the latter ef-rem in a soft, foreign accent. “I’m not sure if that’s all one name or two, but I’ve got a glimpse of the guy Pere Mal’s hunting. He’s quite a personality… and very handsome.”
At a soft growl from Gabriel, Cassie released Alice’s hand with an apologetic shrug to her mate.
“I don’t make the prophecies,” she replied tartly. “I just tell it like it is.”
“I think that’s quite enough for now,” Gabriel said with a scowl. “You should rest now.”
Cassie’s eye roll was more amused than annoyed.
“Alice, I’ve been up since dawn with the baby kicking like crazy, so I think I might take his advice. We’ll catch up later, okay?”
Alice rose and hugged her friend as the group broke up, pairing off neatly with the exception of Mere Marie. The witch took off with a determined expression on her face, making Alice glad that she wasn’t to be the recipient of Mere Marie’s attentions.
At last the room’s only occupants were Alice, Aeric, and a mischievous-looking black cat. Alice tilted her head back to glance up at Aeric, who seemed to be having some kind of internal struggle. His hands were clenched, his stance tense, his jaw tight.
In a rush, Alice understood. Dragons were solitary creatures, yet here he was presented with another person who roused his interest. Every touch, every glance threw sparks between them, their chemistry was so undeniable. But secretive creature that he was, Aeric would be torn between indulging in his fantasies and keeping himself separate, safe. Alice didn’t know much about dragons taking mates but she imagined that it was quite a serious undertaking. If he’d made it this long without personal attachments, it made sense that he would be loathe to change.
“Aeric,” she said, reaching out and taking his hand.
He arched a brow, his expression softening just a hair.
“We don’t have to make any decisions, do anything drastic,” Alice said, making herself as plain as she could. “Just take me to bed.”
His eyes flared with golden sparks, dragon and man caught in a whirlpool of desire.
“Are you certain?” he asked, fists bunched so tightly that his knuckles were white.
“It’s the only thing I’m sure of,” Alice said with a soft smile.
It was truer than she could say; knowing that this was the end of her life, she wanted nothing more than to be close to the man she’d wanted for so many centuries. Standing so close to her, his eyes bright with desire, a muscle ticcing in his jaw, Aeric was more temptation than she could stand. At this point, what reason did she have to resist?
Alice tugged at his fingers, and he wavered. Aeric pulled her into his arms, all warmth and firm muscle under her fingertips. He brushed his lips over hers, gently at first, then kissed her deeply. When they pulled apart again, breathless, he gave her a wry smile.
“Come,” he said, pulling her toward the foyer.
Alice went, only too willing to discover the small comforts of this, her final and most meaningful chapter.
4
Chapter Four
Aeric was shaken to his core as he led Alice into his bed chamber. His footsteps slowed halfway through the room as he contemplated his crisply-made king sized bed, a heavy moment of reality dragging down the fantasies flooding his brain. But the fantasies won, because…
She was here. Right here, in his bedroom, looking at him with
wide eyes. Biting her lip as she took a seat on the edge of his bed, tossing off the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. This was no dream, and it was a big step away from the solitude and silence that dominated Aeric’s life.
Alice flipped her long, dark hair back over one shoulder and beckoned to him, and Aeric could only do her bidding. He stepped between her knees, leaning down to kiss her hard and fast, one big hand splaying out against her lower back to bring her body against his.
This. Gods, her taste… The feel of her luscious lips under his, her tongue meeting his boldly, the soft sounds she made when his free hand traveled up to cup her breast through the thin shift she wore…
She was too much, overloading him, making him burn alive from the inside out. Everything seemed to speed up, breaths coming quicker, hands running over every inch of each other’s bodies, hungry and seeking. Aeric’s lips touched her brow, the edge of her jaw, the soft silk of her neck just below her ear. He stripped away her shift as her hands ripped at his vest and t-shirt and pants, peeling away his layers and laying him bare.
Soon they were skin to skin, mouth to mouth, sharing every breath. There was a persistent rhythm to each touch, to the sway of their bodies as Aeric laid her back on the bed, fitting his big body against her small one, appreciating the lean softness of her. All thought fled when Alice grasped his cock and guided him to her entrance; he couldn’t have resisted if he’d wanted.
When he thrust into her waiting heat, it was a homecoming he never could have expected. Alice cried out, holding him close and whispering words of encouragement. She moved with him, driving him higher and higher, her taut breasts pressing against his chest, her nails raking his flanks. It was hard and wordless and full of awe, every second feeling impossible and overfull and drunk with joy.
Alice tightened around him and came in a sharp burst of energy, dragging Aeric’s release from his body without warning. He marked her, teeth finding their home in the soft flesh of her neck, dragon and bear and man frenzied and shaking with the force of their need. His blood sang with the pure pleasure of it, his release and the feel of her under his body and the knowledge that she was his, his and no one else’s.
That feeling, the possessiveness, the way she just felt right to him… he’d never experienced that in his life. He’d lain with many women, even loved a few in his long life, but until now he’d never experienced a pure and unbreakable moment of connection. It frightened him even as his heart soared, twisted him around himself until he could barely breathe.
Aeric collapsed onto his side and pulled her against his body, kissing her neck and listening to the rasp of her breathing. It slowed as she drifted off in his arms, and it felt as though a great balloon was inflating in his chest, a new kind of tension that made him feel worried and excited at once.
He lay there, inhaling her drugging scent, his mind whirling. Alice stirred after a moment, sleepily pressing her lips to his jaw and murmuring something.
“What’s that?” Aeric asked, a smile tugging at his lips as he brushed her hair back from her face.
“It was worth waiting,” she said, the same satisfied smile on her face.
“What do you mean, waiting? You knew about me?” Aeric asked.
Alice laughed.
“Yes.”
“From the dreams, you mean.”
She shook her head.
“No. There’s much we haven’t discussed yet, my dragon. My kind, we know our mates from early in our lives.” Her expression darkened a little, and she sighed. “I’m afraid it’s not the best news for a Fury when she takes a mate.”
Aeric pulled back a few inches, staring down at her intently.
“What does that mean?” he demanded.
“We’re supposed to kill our mates, but of course I couldn’t kill you. So I just lived my life, enjoyed myself, and I knew that we’d find each other eventually…”
Aeric frowned at her.
“You’re not making any sense.”
Alice pulled a face.
“Well… for Furies… our mates bring about the end of our lives. Always, without exception.”
Aeric’s mouth opened in astonishment, but not a word came to mind.
“You— I— What?” was all he could manage.
“You’ll be the death of me,” she told him, as calm as ever.
“You are not going to die,” Aeric growled at her. “I’ve only just found you. Like hell I’m going to let anything happen to you now.”
Alice gave him the sweetest smile and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“You’re sweet,” she said, burrowing into his arms with a contented sigh. “I’m glad I didn’t kill you.”
Aeric wanted to shake her, to make her talk to him, agree that her declaration of doom was nonsense. Alice didn’t seem overly worried about any of it, quietly slipping into a light sleep even as Aeric was still struggling to understand her words.
When could she have killed him? How long had she known him, exactly? And this thing about her dying… To Aeric’s chagrin, he couldn’t summon a single bit of useful information about Furies off the top of his head. They were Greek, that was basically all he knew.
So he laid there and held her as she slept, feeling sick to his stomach. His life was a roller coaster today, all dizzying highs and lows at breakneck speeds that he wasn’t sure his heart could handle. He tried to slow down his racing thoughts, break it down into simple pieces he could manage.
Alice was wonderful, amazing, and magic. There was no denying that. Still, he barely knew her, aside from their silent dream meetings. She was lovely and bright and multi-faceted, and he found that more than anything, he wanted to know everything he could about her. It would take time, but he wasn’t letting her go anywhere.
As for her insistence about dying… well, it went without saying that he’d go to the ends of the earth and beyond the human realm to prevent that. With the Guardians at his side, surely there was something that could be done. He’d need Gabriel for research, and Cassie would be a huge asset.
Blowing out a long breath, Aeric managed to calm himself a measure. He hadn’t wanted a mate, but Alice happened to him anyway. Sometimes fate played out in a way you couldn’t predict; he had to trust that the same fate would keep her safe and close.
Turning over the day’s events in his mind, Aeric came back to the earlier meeting and Cassie’s pronouncement of the three names. Keiran Kellan Ephraim. Well, they could all be one name… He racked his brain for any scrap of information pertaining to that name. Kieran sounded oddly familiar for some reason, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. His mind and body were tired, and Alice’s soft breathing lulled him unduly.
He decided that he needed to sleep. He’d find the man or men that Pere Mal sought, the ones who could bring down the man who was likely Alice’s biggest threat. Once he found them and Pere Mal was destroyed, Aeric would be free of his promise to the Guardians and Mere Marie.
Then he would sweep his mate up and carry her off to some secret place, protecting and cherishing her like a dragon hoarded gold.
The image made him smile as he slipped off to sleep.
5
Chapter Five
Warmth curled low in Alice’s belly when she woke in Aeric’s arms. After the initial burst of passion, she’d fallen into a light sleep, but Aeric woke her again and again in the night. At turns tender and rough, Aeric’s lovemaking was incredible and exhausting. When she woke to find him dressing, she was nearly relieved. If he’d been naked and within reach, she doubted that either of them would make it out of the room today.
“Duverjay was just here, letting me know that everyone is gathering downstairs,” Aeric said apologetically.
“Who?”
“Our butler.”
“Ah. Fancy,” Alice said with a smirk.
“You mock, but he brought a rack of clothes for you. Cassie gave him a few specifications, I think.”
“Ooooooh. Nice! I hadn’t thought that far ahead
yet,” Alice said. “I’ll have to thank… what was his name again?”
“It’s pronounced Du-vurr-jay. Three hard syllables. And he’s not very friendly, but you can try to thank him if you really want to.”
“Gratitude is important in all relationships, no matter the persons involved,” Alice said, arching a brow. She scooted off the bed and went to the silver rolling rack near the wall, a grin splitting her face when she saw the garments. “Ah, Cassie nailed it. All black, lots of Anthropologie and Topshop.”
“I have no idea what those words mean,” Aeric said as he pulled on a black linen dress shirt. Alice gave him an appreciative glance.
“Well, you’re wearing Tom Ford, so somebody’s picking out your clothes. I’d say you have more to thank Duverjay for than you realize.”
“Yeah?” Aeric said, his expression thoughtful. “As long as you think they look good.”
Alice pulled a filmy satin-and-lace dress off the rack. It covered everything from the neck to the knees, and it was austere enough to suit her style.
“These are all black and dark gray,” Aeric said, nodding at the dresses.
“Yep.”
“You don’t like to wear color, ever?” he asked.
“Says the style guru who doesn’t pick out his own clothes. I’d like to point out that I’ve only seen you in black and navy so far,” Alice said as she opened a back of silky undergarments and began to get dressed.
“Just curious. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just imagine you’d look good in almost any color,” Aeric said, his gaze roving up and down her body as she pulled the dress on over her head.
Alice paused, lips twitching.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, corralling the curtain of her dark hair and pushing it over one shoulder. “Should we go downstairs?”
“Sure. I think there are a bunch of boxes of shoes for you down there, and some other feminine… things,” Aeric said, his shrug making Alice laugh. He’d been intense for every second she’d known him, even the times when she’d spied on him with a scrying mirror. This lighter side of him was unspeakably appealing. It made a lump form in her throat when she remembered that their time together was very limited. She had to push the thought away as she took the hand Aeric offered and followed him downstairs.