Envisioned (Immortal Chronicles Book 3)

by Samantha Britt

  Thane snarled. His attempt at appearing calm disappeared into the air. “That is not enough. The alliance already has warlocks and witches searching for my wife. None have found her.”

  “You will have our three strongest,” the man continued, surprisingly unafraid of the powerful immortal. “If they cannot find your wife, no one can.”

  Lome placed a staying hand on Thane’s shoulder. He looked ready to pounce on the cowardly clan. “The risks for you are minimal,” Thane ground out.

  “So you say,” the man acknowledged. “But I, personally, do not wish to risk the future of the clan should the alliance fail.”

  Des hand shot out and latched onto Thane’s bicep. He turned on his heel and placed the other against the older brother’s chest. He and Lome struggled to keep Thane on the stage.

  So much for him acting composed.

  Now that Des faced Thane, Darcie could not see the reactions of the other individuals in the room. Based on the lack of noise, she guessed they were all too shocked or frightened to make a sound.

  “Calm yourself,” Des commanded in a low tone that only he, Thane, Lome, and Darcie could hear. “This is not the way to get what we need.”

  Thane tried to free his arm, but Lome threw weight into maintaining his hold.

  “She is my wife.” Thane continued to struggle. His eyes were wild with grief and frustration. Darcie’s heart went out to him. His suffering pushed behind the wild and illogical behavior.

  “The three strongest Nightsbane masters,” Charmian said, drawing all three brothers’ eyes. “My three most powerful offspring will assist the alliance in finding and rescuing Bella. Take it or leave it.”

  Thane growled and moved to shove Des away. The middle sibling held tight. “Think, Thane,” he barked. “It is this or nothing. We need help.”

  The immortal leader did not reply, but his attempts to free himself subsided. He stilled against his brothers’ hands.

  “We accept your offer,” Lome said over his shoulder. “Charmian, please escort your offspring out of the room.”

  “There is a condition.” All movement and conversation stopped as the individuals in the room heard to quiet statement.

  Still firmly holding his brother, Des rotated his torso until his gaze locked onto Jennifer Bane. “A condition?” Disapproval covered the words.

  Darcie’s mother did not back down. “We take the girl under our wing. We train her. Where we go, she goes.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  She was not deterred. “Darcie is one of us, and she is going through a dangerous transition period. She needs to be around us so we know when she needs help.”

  Des was unaffected. “Darcie remains here.”

  “Fine,” Jennifer bobbed her head. “But we get access to her. We train her.”

  Darcie did not know what to make of the stipulation. Why did her mother want to help her all of the sudden? Was it guilt from seeing how much pain she was in?

  If that were the case, she would rather the Nightsbane clan kept their training to themselves. She wasn’t interested in alleviating anyone’s conscience… especially not her mother’s.

  “Those helping the alliance will need to remain in the stronghold,” Lome stated, also turning his upper body to see the clan. “And you cannot take Darcie off the premises without the alliance’s consent.”

  “Done.” Jennifer bowed her head in agreement.

  Des’ chest heaved. He did not like the idea of Darcie being around the clan. She could almost hear the distrusting thoughts floating through his mind.

  “What does Darcie think?” her mother asked, surprising the entire room.

  “What?” Des asked. His mistrust grew exponentially.

  “What does Darcie think?” she repeated.

  “How are we supposed to know?” Lome countered with irritation.

  Jennifer’s knowing eyes remained on Des. “He might know.”

  Des’ spine grew rigid. “How?”

  “Because,” her eyes shined with knowing. “She’s currently in your head.”

  “What?” Master Ben’s head whipped around. Everyone else in the room just stared in stunned silence. “How do you know that?”

  Jennifer shrugged. “I can feel her presence.”

  “Well, throw her back into her mind,” Master Ben commanded. “She should not be traveling minds so soon after waking from her healing coma.”

  Apparently, Jennifer agreed. Her mother lifted her palm and aimed it at Des. A faint pressure pushed against Darcie’s mind.

  “What are you doing?” Des sounded confused, but not at all afraid of the powerful witch.

  “Sending Darcie back,” she replied.

  Then, with a lock of her elbow, Jennifer sent Darcie sprawling back through darkness. She tossed and tumbled through the void, feeling out of breath, until she landed back in her own head.

  16

  Gasping for breath, Darcie placed a hand on her racing heart. Its beat was frantic. For a moment, she worried she might be in the middle of a panic attack. Her body felt cold and hot at the same time, and she couldn’t feel her legs.

  “You’re back.” The familiar voice grounded her, bringing her mind back from the brink of complete and total self-induced devastation.

  She turned towards the sound. “Y-you,” she had to pause and fill her lungs. “You knew… I-I had already… done it.”

  Des nodded, not looking the least bit ashamed. “Your mother sensed you were in my mind. The news caused quite a stir once you left.”

  “Once she tossed me out, you mean?” Darcie rubbed her forehead, remembering the uncomfortable pressure.

  His cheeks twitched with a smile. “Yes.”

  “That was so weird,” she muttered. She lowered her arm. “I didn’t mean to be in your head. Sorry if that was… intrusive.”

  Des shrugged away the apology. “Depends. Did you hear any of my thoughts?” he asked.

  Her brows furrowed. “No.”

  “Then it wasn’t intrusive.” He picked up one of her numb hands. Rubbing it gently, he said, “Besides, I find your ability fascinating. I’m interested in knowing what else you can do.”

  “You and everyone else,” Darcie could not hold in the petty comment. “All anyone seems to care about is how I can help them, benefit their cause, or find some other way to use me.”

  His fingers stopped their soothing movement. “Am I included in that group?”

  Her eyes lifted and met his questioning gaze. It showed no emotion. Des did not try to sway her answer one way or the other. He simply wanted the truth.

  She shook her head slightly. “No. You aren’t included in that group.” If anything, the immortal tried to go out of his way to not include her in things. He certainly had never tried to use her visions or abilities for any advantage of his own.

  “Is there a reason for that?” she asked, numerous possibilities popping up in her head. “I know you said you don’t mind that I’m a half-breed… but is there like a conflict of interest here? Am I a freak to be both a witch and your…” She trailed off. Her cheeks flamed. She couldn’t believe she was being so thoughtless with her words. Why did she keep leading them towards the embarrassing conversation?

  Shut your mouth, Darcie.

  Des’ green eyes glittered. “My what? My soulmate?”

  She nearly choked. “Uh…” She looked at the door behind him, praying someone would save her from the most embarrassing situation of her life. “Sure. Friend. Soulmate. Whatever. Is there a conflict there?” Still avoiding meeting his gaze, she hoped he would bypass the title and continue the conversation. She wasn’t so lucky.

  Des still held one of her hands, his touch pushing away the lingering numbness. He picked it up and kissed the back of her fingers. “No. There is no conflict of interest. It has never happened before, so some may need time to adjust to it. But we will not need to worry about that until after Adir is taken care of.”

  “Right.” Darcie scolded hers
elf for worrying about such minor things when Bella was out there, somewhere, at the hands of a deranged Original immortal.

  Priorities.

  “But,” Des added, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “I think you should prepare yourself for the opinions of the Nightsbane clan. Once the truth gets out, I am sure they will try to persuade you to run fast and far away from me.”

  Her heart sank at just the idea of running from Des. “Why? Don’t they like you?”

  “Hardly,” Des scoffed. “Charmian has done a magnificent job of ensuring her offspring both revere and fear The Council.”

  Darcie remembered the pomp and circumstance surrounding the meeting with the clan. Eshe had said it was Charmian’s doing. “Why would she want that? I thought you guys were allowed to talk to offspring.”

  He shrugged. “I’m not sure of the exact reason. Perhaps she wishes to protect them from the complexities surrounding our existence. The less they are around, the less likely they will be pulled into any conflicts.”

  “She’s pulling them in now,” Darcie pointed out.

  “Because we are in dire need of their help. Offspring or no, they are powerful beings who can help us find Bella and take down Adir.”

  She nodded, but once again, averted her eyes when a painful thought came to mind. “Do you…” She cleared her throat. “Have any offspring?” She blurted the question before she had the chance to reconsider. It wasn’t the first time she pondered the possibility. Des had been around for a long time, but she was never brave enough to ask anyone the question. To be honest, she was terrified of what it would mean if he gave one particular answer.

  Des’ response would have been comical if Darcie wasn’t so nervous. His perfectly tan skin glowed pink. “N-no,” he sputtered. “No, I do not have children.”

  The tension in her shoulders fell away. Relief took its place. “Good.”

  “How long have you been holding that question in?” he asked, knowing her better than she realized.

  Darcie released a sigh. “For a while. What about Lome? Or Thane?” Did either of them have relationships… outside of their marriages?

  Des shook his head. “No. We are the only three of the Originals who do not have any offspring.”

  “Is that because of the soulmate thing?” she asked.

  “In part,” he admitted. “And also because neither Thane or Lome have been able to conceive with their wives.”

  She bobbed her head. She had learned a little about the subject. “Bella said immortals having children together is rare.”

  “It is,” he agreed. “More so than immortals and humans.”

  “Why is that?”

  Des shrugged. “I suspect it is a limitation from the Creator. He may not wish any more powerful immortals being created outside of his influence.”

  “Hmm.” Darcie contemplated the idea. The half-human offspring of the immortals already had crazy powerful abilities. What would a full-immortal child have? What about a full Original immortal? The possibilities were endless. And if she was being honest… terrifying.

  Maybe that’s what stopped Bella and Thane, she mused. Their kid could potentially be as powerful as both of them. What would The Council think about that?

  Even though Des said they didn’t, Darcie couldn’t help but wonder if his brothers had offspring from different women. Lome, especially, could be a likely candidate. He and his wife weren’t exactly… romantic. Bella basically told her the couple had relationships outside of their marriage.

  Just because someone has a relationship with someone else, doesn’t mean they have kids, Darcie told herself. She scolded herself for letting her thoughts take such a turn.

  “Penny for your thoughts?”

  She stilled; she’d forgotten Des was sitting there. Staring at her. It was her turn for her cheeks to brighten… again. “Nothing.” She answered too quickly.

  He turned his head to the side. The look he gave her said he didn’t believe her.

  Darcie groaned. “Fine,” she glanced away from the knowing look, using the ceiling as her focal point for bravery. “I was thinking about you guys living so long, and how you all more than likely had relationships with other women… beside your soulmates.”

  Des lifted his brown eyebrows. “That is a rather private subject. Don’t you agree?”

  Darcie was mortified. She closed her eyes. “I know. I’m sorry. Forget I said anything. It’s just me being nosy.”

  Way to go, idiot.

  “That would be like me asking about your relationship with the human boy.” The sentence had a bite to it. Darcie lowered her chin, opening her eyes to observe Des. He tried to conceal his discomfort, but she could see right through it.

  “Kevin?” she asked even though she knew that was who Des was walking about. There was no one else he could mean.

  A firm nod. “Yes.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She swallowed. “Uh… do you want to know about Kevin?”

  Des found himself fascinated by the massive bed’s headboard. “That depends.”

  Darcie sat up and observed his tense posture. She couldn’t figure out how their conversation had turned to this, but there was no way she wouldn’t get whatever questions Des had out of the way.

  “On what?” she finally managed.

  “On whether or not you are still promised to him.”

  “Promised?” She nearly choked on the word. He made it sound like they were engaged or something.

  “Intended. Going steady,” he offered the two alternatives. “Whatever it is called now.”

  “Dating,” she gave him the correct term. “The term now is dating.”

  A stiff nod. “Are you still dating him?”

  “Of course not.” Her face heated. Did Des think she was the kind of girl who would kiss one guy while keeping the other on a hook?

  I’m not like Marie, she thought indignantly.

  Instantly, she regretted the mean thought. Even if she believed her best friend was using Josh, Marie was still her friend. She wasn’t a horrible person. People were allowed to make bad choices.

  The memory of their last conversation played in her mind, and Darcie wished she could take back the harsh words she said to her best friend. Marie had been upset for her brother. She didn’t understand why Darcie would break up with Kevin out of the blue. Any sister might have acted the same. Darcie should have tried to understand…

  Instead, she released her temper and pent-up frustration on her life-long friend. She wanted to fix it.

  Darcie shook the thoughts away.

  Worry about that later.

  She looked up and stared at Des. “Why would you ask me if we are still dating?”

  Des did not waver. “I knew of your deep regard for him while you stayed with us. I did not think the feelings you held would be so easily swayed.”

  Her jumbled mind tried to process the information. “Wait,” she held up a hand. “You say you knew about my feelings. How could you know that?”

  He managed to look the tiniest bit ashamed. “Your cellphone was tapped. We needed to ensure you were not telling anyone important information.”

  Darcie’s jaw dropped. Livid, she snapped it closed and said, “What the hell, Des? That’s a massive invasion of privacy.”

  “We needed to make certain you were not telling your loved ones the truth. If you did, we would need to go find them to alter their memories as soon as possible.”

  She understood the reasoning, but she was still furious for the massive violation. “Why give me a phone in the first place? If you were worried I would squeal, you shouldn’t have given me a phone!”

  “You were miserable,” Des replied. “You needed the ability to speak with your friends and father. You were much happier once I returned your phone.”

  She was about to continue her angry rant when her mind acknowledged the last statement. “You returned my phone?” She remembered the device being dropped off at the door anonym
ously. She’d been so happy, she did not give its sudden appearance a second thought.

  She crossed her arms. “Why would you do that? Did you want to spy on me?”

  “Of course not,” Des’ lips turned down. “As I said, you were miserable. You needed something to ground you to your previous life. Thane and Lome would not agree to permitting your communication with others unless it was monitored.”

  Countless phone conversations ran through her head. While most were nothing more than your everyday topics with friends, Darcie wanted to die of embarrassment when she thought of Des hearing her and Kevin express their feelings for one another. It was horrifying.

  “So, you overheard Kevin and I speaking. What exactly do you want to know?”

  Des cleared his throat. It was obvious he wasn’t entirely comfortable with their conversation either. “I know the pull we feel to one another is strong, but I do not want it to interfere with the choices you have made for yourself. You seemed very happy to have his affections. I do not want to be the reason you lose that happiness.”

  Darcie did not know what to say. He said the words so matter-of-factly, and he did not let any emotion seep into them. She wasn’t sure what to think, but she knew she couldn’t withhold a response.

  She sat up as high as the comfy pillows would allow her. “I was happy to learn Kevin liked me,” she started. It was hardly noticeable, but she saw the subtle tension cross Des’ shoulders.

  “And when we were together, I was happy. But… things changed.” The conversation was surreal. How was she supposed to explain the various reasons behind her change of heart? It wasn’t one thing that led to their breakup, but several things added together.

  “The complications with us and Adir,” Des provided as an explanation. “We made it impossible for you to remain happy with the human.”

  She sighed and reached out a comforting hand. It landed on his arm, but he did not so much as look at it. Des had braced himself against the conversation, and the realization made Darcie’s heart ache.

  “No,” she said. “It was impossible to remain happy with Kevin because we were different. We cared for each other, but we were not compatible. Sure, the trouble with Adir and the near-kidnappings might have accelerated the process, but Kevin and I were not going to end up together in the long run. I realized it almost immediately, but I wasn’t sure what to do about it.”