by Lexi C. Foss
“How do you feel now?” B asked softly.
“Hmm, what?” Alik blinked dazedly at him. “What do you mean?”
“Are you still angry?”
“Angry? Nah, I’m good.” Alik leaned against the wall, his body relaxing. “So yeah, I’m in.”
“Can we hold him to that?” Luc smiled with his eyes, amused. “Or is that cheating?”
“I don’t think it’ll matter in a few seconds,” B mused as he took a step backward.
Alik blinked again, his expression clouding, then his eyebrows lifting. “That…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Can you do that to multiple people at once?”
“Easily,” B replied. “And to answer your unspoken question, Lucian is essentially omniscient, as he remembers everything, and he can enhance physical pain or pleasure. So sort of like you, except the pain has to be real.”
Alik’s eyes flashed as he reappraised them both. “All right, and if I decide to join this insanity, who else do you have in mind?”
“You’ve already decided,” Balthazar replied, his gaze knowing. “And we’ve tapped those two over there.” He motioned with his head subtly. “They’re staying put for now so as not to make things obvious.”
“And what’s the plan?”
“For now?” Balthazar shrugged. “To play along. That’s really all we can do until we have a better understanding of the situation.”
“Acting on impulse is never the desired ploy,” Luc added. “We observe, we learn, and we act when the opportunity presents itself. It might not happen immediately, but one of the perks of immortality is unlimited time. We’ll act when we’re ready, and in the interim, we’ll determine how best to pair our gifts.”
“What about the others?” Alik asked, glancing around the room.
“I’m still assessing,” Balthazar said softly. “Recruiting them all would be ideal, but likely improbable. Not everyone shares our will to survive.”
Luc nodded. “Let’s discuss our choices and go from there.” He arched a brow at the telepath. “Assuming you’re officially in?” He hadn’t actually agreed yet.
“It’s not like I have a better option.” Alik tucked his hands into his pockets. “Just be advised, I’m not a team player.”
“I can work with that.” Luc palmed the back of his neck and rolled his shoulders. “All right, I need to know more about everyone’s gifts in the room, B. Detail them for me.”
10
B
Balthazar needed a break. Luc’s mental web of ideas and solutions, coupled with all the other thoughts of this place, were killing him. All the lethal notions, fear, and general hatred weighed heavily on his conscious. Was it really just last night that he said farewell to Nythos? Because it felt like years or decades ago.
He sat with his head in his hands while Luc and Alik spoke above him. After cracking the male’s exterior, he’d opened up and taken a liking to Luc’s analytical side. The telepath was smart, hence his flair for languages and lying to Osiris on the fly about his true gifts.
The moment Balthazar had heard the man’s mind, he knew he would be an asset. The one called Jayson, too. Despite his easy candor and grins, he possessed a warrior’s spirit. His affinity for metal would be useful, in addition to his need for vengeance.
Balthazar. It’s starting. Aidan’s voice trickled through his head, causing him to focus on the myriad of beings outside the doors. Several hundred minds, not all of them belonging to immortals, came to life at once. He picked through them one at a time, sorting them into piles. Most weren’t useful, but a select few fell to the important pile. Osiris remained mute to him, his presence not found.
“Osiris is immune,” he said, interrupting whatever Luc had been saying to Alik. “Their leader, the one who can compel, I can’t read him.”
Luc frowned. “Can you feel his emotions?”
Balthazar shook his head. “He’s not accessible.”
“I can’t reach him either,” Alik added. “I tried. You know, when he showed up yesterday.”
His memory trickled down the mental pathways. Alik had attempted to incapacitate Osiris to escape, and when his attempt had failed, he’d lied about his abilities. “Smart play,” Balthazar said, impressed.
“If he’s not susceptible to our gifts, there could be others.” Luc folded his arms, concern etched into his brow. “Anything from Aidan?”
“The debate regarding our futures has begun.” Balthazar leaned against the wall for balance as he dove back into the voices. Organizing them all took patience and skill. It wasn’t as simple as just ignoring one over the other; it had more to do with volume and finding that one amongst the crowd he desired to hear most.
…smell sweet…
…kill them all…
…I wouldn’t mind using a few of them for my own personal means. That feminine tone was one he saved for later. It might be useful.
…don’t know about the blood, Aidan thought at him while he formulated a speech in his head. Their blood possesses no value to us, just as ours is of no value to each other. We feed on the human essence to stay alive. While it may be enjoyable to experiment with the dual-powered ones, I feel it’s a degradation to both us and them. Why bother with something that truly yields no value?
“Your father is trying to convince them not to use us for blood,” Balthazar murmured, his brain still focused on the conversation.
…it’s a valid point.
…like eating our own children.
… still might be fun, especially during sex. And it’s not like any of them are mine.
…why are we even discussing this?
I’m more interested in their abilities and what they can do, Aidan continued. Their gifts are unique, with some being far stronger than others.
… a threat.
… potential ally.
… friend.
… how boring. Would anyone notice if Ezekiel traced us out of here? Surely he would prefer a break from all of my father’s madness. I certainly desire one.
Balthazar frowned as the voice abruptly cut off, as if the being had flipped a switch and shoved him out. Did he sense me? No one else seemed aware of him when he intruded in someone’s mind.
He shook it off and continued his mental perusal, locking on Aidan again. It’s working. They’re considering your worth, though some still see you all as a potential threat. Osiris has suggested the notion of regulations for your kind, rules that will keep you in line. It’s a temporary solution until they can learn more and provides us with time to plan. Tell Lucian.
Balthazar passed on the message.
Luc scratched his chin. “They wish to experiment and test our limits, which is a way to weaken us while learning more.”
That wasn’t exactly what Aidan said; however, it sounded right. “Will they separate us?”
“That, or they’ll keep us together in an attempt to use us against one another. The latter carries a stronger probability—most react irrationally when under stress or in pain, which leads to poor decisions and actions. Why bother wasting energy on killing us when we can murder ourselves?” Luc shrugged as if that future outcome meant little to him.
“And what do you suggest?” Alik prompted.
“Hmm.” A variety of maps and designs unfolded in Luc’s mind, adding to Balthazar’s headache. He attempted to tune out the strategic master and focus on Aidan, but his brain showcased a similar vortex of ideas.
He rubbed his temples and slid down the wall to the floor, his brain overloaded with all the emotions and thoughts within a several-mile radius. So much hurt, hunger, and hubris. Death. Torment. Desire.
How many days had it been since Balthazar slept? Three? Four? He couldn’t remember. It all seemed like a distant memory, even his Nythos. This new nightmare had taken over, forcing him to consider the future and a necessary escape. But when?
Balthazar, Aidan called. They’ve reached a verdict. All of you are to be tested and kept here for evaluation.
Osiris has assigned me the task of cataloging all the findings, which will be used in a future discussion to decide your fates. He’s labeled you all the Children of Ichor—an essence of the gods. And you are to be kept together, likely because he wants to encourage fighting. You and Luc must rally everyone together. Be smart. Strategize. Survive. We’re coming.
Balthazar relayed the details to Alik and Luc, his voice tired. “This is not going to be easy.”
“Nothing worth having ever is,” Luc replied, his emerald gaze shining. “But we have something they’ll never be able to take from us. And, in fact, it will only strengthen over time.”
“And what’s that?” Alik asked flatly.
“The will to survive.” Luc took in the room, his expression that of a leader blossoming into his true purpose. “This is our beginning. Let them underestimate us. Let them think we’re meek and compliant. And when they’ve grown comfortable and complacent, we attack.”
“What about those who don’t want to fight?” Balthazar asked, sensing at least six in the room who were either too weak or too depressed to try.
“We motivate them.” Luc leaned against the wall. “But for now, we see what tests they have planned. The strongest among us will remain alive, and those will be our allies. The others were never meant to survive.”
Balthazar looked up at him. “That’s a bit harsh.”
“Yet practical,” Alik said. “We can’t afford any weak links.”
“Agreed.” Luc rolled his neck, his arms tensing and loosening with the move. “So we wait, we observe, and we learn. They may outnumber us, but we have the talent among us to put up one hell of a fight. And with my father feeding us information, we stand a reasonable chance.”
“How long will it take?” Alik stood with his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched. “How many days?”
Luc grinned, but it was sad. “Not days, friend, but months. Perhaps even years. We’ll very likely only have one chance, and if we rush it, we’ll all suffer. Trust and planning require time. Fortunately, we have forever.”
“The gift of immortality,” Balthazar muttered. “We’re going to be here a while.”
Yes. This is just the beginning, my friend.
* * *
“Calling this ‘The End’ would be wrong. It’s more accurately ‘The Beginning.’ Hopefully, my translations were adequate enough. I need a drink after all that. Talk about a trip down memory lane.”
—Luc
Lizzie: Hmm, yeah, I have a question. Is Patreena still alive? You know, the female mind reader who chose Jay?
* * *
Jay: No. And it was a long time ago, Red.
* * *
Lizzie: A long time ago, meaning…?
* * *
Alik: Am I excused yet?
* * *
B & Luc: No.
* * *
Alik: Fine.
* * *
Lizzie: Just because he interrupted me doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.
* * *
Jay: I already fucking hate this book, and we haven’t even gotten to Brazil yet.
* * *
Lizzie: What happened in Brazil?
* * *
B: Keep reading, sweetheart.
* * *
Stas: No, hold on. Before we go on, you’re telling me this whole thing started before 1500 BC, but your war with the Ichorians didn’t start until the 13th century, right?
* * *
Luc: Essentially, yes. It wasn’t until the Ichorians finally realized our blood is toxic to them that they decided to start killing us. Before then, we were just seen as the weaker race and treated as such.
* * *
B: Writing all that would turn this novella into an epic, something we should totally do.
* * *
Luc: Another time, B. In summary, Stas, after a hundred or so years of experimenting, they rounded us up and dropped us off on an island with various sentries. We were given menial tasks, no means to survive, and essentially used as needed.
* * *
Alik: It sucked.
* * *
Luc: Yeah, but it only brought us closer. And as more of our kind were created, they were shipped off to the island—thanks to an edict issued by Osiris. Since we were not considered a threat after all the trials, just “lesser” beings, the “higher” immortals were allowed to make us. As a result, our numbers continued to increase, as did our power. It wasn’t until seven or eight centuries ago that someone discovered the truth about our blood.
* * *
B: One of our best-kept secrets, and Osiris’s strongly worded suggestion that his brethren not drink from us only aided our attempts.
* * *
Luc: He means it was a law punishable by death—literally. It was my brilliant father who convinced him of it during the trials.
* * *
Alik: Yeah, yeah. Can we move on? I’m bored.
* * *
B: Someone’s eager to get back to Brazil.
* * *
Alik: “Someone” is eager to finish this fucking book.
* * *
Issac: I agree with Alik.
* * *
B: We’ll get to you soon, Wakefield. Don’t worry your pretty little head.
* * *
Issac: Can I write a short story where Balthazar dies? I think it would be quite entertaining, if a little tragic. And bloody.
* * *
B: If he gets to create that story, then I want to write one about Wakefield being Hydraian so I can introduce him to what he’s missing. Oh wait, I can do that with a few graphic visuals.
* * *
Stas: You two have fun with that. I want to know more about what happened after the Ichorians realized Hydraian blood could kill them.
* * *
Alik: War. People died. The end.
* * *
Luc: It’s a little more complicated than that.
* * *
B: Story time?
* * *
Luc: Story time.
* * *
B: Let’s go.
1
Alik
Hello, gorgeous. Alik sent the telepathic message to the curvy blonde dancing in the waves a few yards away. She flung out her arms and spun in a circle as fire flickered across her fingertips.
His lips curled in amusement. Jenika always did this after battle. It was the adrenaline rush from engaging her pyrokinesis that left her exuberant and smiling. Even covered in blood, she looked radiant and full of life.
He admired her exposed legs as she pulled her white shift over her head, tossing it into the ocean. All that long, silky hair flowed down her naked back as she whirled an intoxicating mix of water and flames.
Alik had never seen someone so beautiful. He lounged on the black sand—legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles—and supported his upper body on his elbows.
Dance for me, he whispered seductively into her mind.
Her hazel eyes glimmered with arousal as she moved in a way that drove him wild. The water only reached her thighs, leaving everything on display for his open perusal. So fucking sexy.
Do not come anywhere near the beach, he told everyone within a mile radius. Or you’ll regret it.
His ability to torture mentally, coupled with Jenika’s affinity for water and fire, made them quite the formidable pair.
She continued to gyrate her hips enticingly while he observed beneath hooded eyes. This was their sport of choice—a silent pastime meant to entice and seduce—and it drove him wild.
Do that again, he murmured to her.
With a laugh, she tossed her head back, arching her body in a way that beckoned sex.
Mmm, yes.
Fire engulfed her being, followed by water, as she responded in kind.
Being with her was a risk. Flames could kill an immortal if they burned hot enough, for their gift of life existed in the blood. That was a trick they’d discovered a few centuries back when Al
ik first met Jenika. She’d glowed so hot as she burned her enemy to the ground.
He licked his lips. Thinking of that day aroused him even now. It’d been lust at first sight, which blossomed into love soon after.
She curled a finger toward him, inviting him to come play.
You’re ready for me already? he taunted, tilting his head to the side.
Jenika responded with a sultry pout as a twirl of embers danced within an inch of his hands on each side.
Threatening me, love?
The heat increased as she set the sand ablaze all around him, leaving a path to the ocean as his only option.
He smiled. Demanding little thing, aren’t you?