by Tigris Eden
She couldn’t compel them, so she sat quietly until one of them spoke.
It was Bren. “Your heart is heavy.”
She turned to look at Bren, whose eyes were a chocolate-brown today. He placed a warm hand over hers.
“Allow me to explain. Traditionally, there are three rulers. One female, two males. Your aunt Aoleon only chose Ulstair to mate with and the High Priest as her counsel. The High Priest is actually Ulstair’s brother. As Stegis is mine. It should have been three rulers, but your aunt gave up her Majesti rights to become the Sovereign. There is a backup who was appointed, while the High Priest took on the role as her guard. You have the same option. You can mate with both of us, or one of us. Or you can choose us to only rule beside you as Enforcers.”
Stegis placed his hand on her thigh in a comforting gesture.
That was a lot for her take in. A lot.
“Um, don’t you two have women you were with prior to me coming? There was no way you knew whether I was ever going to show.”
Bren winked. Stegis grinned.
“If you’re wondering if we’re experienced in giving pleasure. We are. Very experienced. We’ve always been preparing for you, or the one who would ascend to the throne. Our markings match because we’re best suited for each other in all things. Whether it be spiritual, or physical. Even as your Enforcers.”
“Can I think about this? I’m not expected to ascend. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”
“You’re the rightful heir, but again, that is your choice. What Ulstair did was deplorable, and not in line with how we are as a people.”
True. Her uncle had been so nice. He’d played the role so well. As if he truly cared for her wellbeing, when really, he was only concerned about himself. Phineas had done the same.
“I’d like to see Phineas.”
Bren shook his head.
“That can’t be allowed. He’s still recovering, and our healers have him heavily sedated in the Oasis room. No one can enter until his cycle is complete.”
“So, now what?”
“You rest, we talk, get to know each other. Discuss our future.”
“Can I go home?”
She missed Khalid and Beats. Needed to check on her plants.
“You mean back to Solum?”
She nodded, looking between both men.
“Once you’re fully rested and healed. Draven has requested a vial of your blood. If you’re still up for that, he’d like to do that right away.”
Anything to stop the restart of Earth. She was all for it. Her brothers were there, and she wanted to do her part, however big or small it was.
“Of course. We can do that now. They have a naming ceremony I’m sure they want to get to.” Jorunn smiled. She was at least going to get something right.
Bren stood and took her hand. When she stood, he led her back inside. She knew that once she gave the Unit her blood, they were gone. If Dietrich hadn’t left already, he would soon.
~ ~ ~
Dietrich found himself back in the crypt. Gregor had been reluctant to lead him to the bane of all their existence. But he needed some answers. Really, he just needed one. One answer to one question, then he was ghost. Gone. The dungeon they’d kept the Fallen locked in wasn’t a dungeon at all. There were no bars, not even a cage. Enri was on his knees. Chains around his wrists, waist, neck, and ankles held him in place. He seemed calm enough. That was until Dietrich walked over and stood before him.
“I have a question to ask you.”
Enri’s dark head of hair moved slowly. The Fallen was trying to give the illusion that he was drowsy or even drugged. But Dietrich wasn’t fooled. He knew that the Angel was biding his time, waiting to set his trap, and once again be let out to wreak havoc.
“Well, Primori, I have a question for you.”
Dietrich sniffed. “Well, what is it?” He knew he should have just let it go, got the information he wanted and walked away, but no, that would have been too simple. Instead, he’d invited stupidity into the conversation. There was very little you could take from Enri and actually believe, it was an even split, either he’d tell the truth, or he’d lie. There was no middle ground. So he’d hear the guy out, see if he could work the session to his advantage.
Enri looked up, both his eyes swollen. Only the whites of his eyes showed as he squinted up at Dietrich.
“Who do you think is the devil on your shoulder?” His laugh came out like more of a cackle. “It isn’t my dear old dad, Hades, or that pussy, Lucifer. He’s too busy looking for a way back into the pearly gates, something that’s different for each of you by the way. There’s an order to life and death. There’s a system. You can’t break one rule and bypass another. It’s not done. Just not done!” The Fallen appeared to be out of breath, but he wasn’t finished. He had more to say. “It’s not any of the other pawns I’ve moved around over the centuries either. It’s me. I influence the bad, I push the good-hearted over the edge, and why do you think that is?”
Does he really want someone to answer the question, Dietrich thought to himself. Dude was fucking whacked out of his brain. It was like he was having a mental breakdown of some sort.
The chains rattled around his wrists and neck as he pushed forward, reaching out as if he were capable of attacking someone. Gregor had assured Dietrich that the chains would hold. D stepped as close as he could get to the deranged Fallen without having to be in his personal space.
“Man, I don’t give a fuck who you are or what you’re capable of. What I care about is the end game. You have information we need. That’s why I’m here, and that’s what you’re going to give me.”
The Fallen’s head dropped as if he were too tired to hold it up. His shoulders began to shake with silent laughter.
“You’re really testing my patience, Enri.”
His head popped up. His glacial stare probing, peeking through tiny slits as he watched Dietrich.
“Testing you? You think this is testing you? I haven’t even begun to fuck with your head. But for argument’s sake, I’ll drop you a lifeline.”
Enri lowered his head again but said nothing. Minutes passed, and still no words spilled forth. They just needed to know who was required to drink from the cup. An image appeared behind Enri’s shoulder. An image of Enri and Jorunn locked in a passionate embrace. It was her, but it wasn’t her. The shape of her body had changed. There were more contours and lush curves. Her belly was slightly swollen. Everything inside of Dietrich’s mind screamed betrayal. Names he’d reserved for the lowest of the low floated through his mind as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. This was the reason he didn’t get attached to females. This was why he fucked and ducked out. It was the only way to protect what was left of the emotions he had shored up.
“I don’t need to see this shit.”
“Oh, but you do. She’s not finished yet, that’s just a taste of what’s to come. How about we take a look at what’s happening right now. While you’re standing here trying to get information from me. Stegis and Bren are doing a bang up job of getting all up in sweet little Jorunn.”
The image behind Enri morphed into a room. At first there was nothing, and then he saw it. Jo’s Chrysalis pod. It was covered in blue and green moss. The roots from the ground constricted, making the pod she was in smaller. He could barely see inside, but there she was. Asleep. Alive. Then, she was emerging, and when she rose, she was held by dipshit one and dipshit two. There was a moment when the three of them stood silently. Some sort of mental communication passing between them, and then they were going at it.
“I don’t need to see this shit!” Dietrich spat.
“Oh come on, really? You’re not even a little bit curious whether she can take more than one cock? I mean she’s already had yours, and apparently, you can’t give her what she wants. What if it was three of us. One in each hole. Then, she’d really be doing it well.”
Dietrich lashed out with a fist, repeatedly hitting Enri in t
he jaw until he heard bones crack and his nose crunch. The entire time he wailed on the other male, the Fallen laughed. A crazy glee-filled laugh that echoed off the walls. It wasn’t until his knuckles were bleeding and Enri’s face looked as if it had been pulverized that he stopped.
“Who needs to drink the blood?”
Enri spit blood and teeth into Dietrich’s face.
“You’re going to pay for that, asshole,” Dietrich warned. He punched Enri two more times before Gregor stopped him.
“That’s enough.”
Dietrich stepped back and watched as the male fell to the ground as if in sleep. His shoulders were still slumped over in silent laughter that wheezed every so often.
“Who do you think that was whispering inside your head? Huh, Dietrich? That was me,” Enri wheezed out.
“Yeah, well, you’re at least good for something.”
~ ~ ~
Dietrich couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The universe was out of whack. Someone was playing a cruel joke on him. He’d angered the Orisha. Something. It would be the only reason his sister was talking about staying at the damn monastery.
“I am comfortable inside these walls.”
“Bullshit!” He yelled, making her flinch. He tried to reach for her, but she stepped back. “Yewa, no. Just the other day you refused to go inside. Now you want to live here? Hell, no! Fuck that! You’re coming with me.”
They were all leaving today. Except for Jo. She was staying. According to Aoleon, she wasn’t up for travel. But after what Enri had shown him, he was done. Over it. Too many damn emotions for him to handle all at once. He was limited to two emotions a day. All this extra bullshit that was being dumped on him was weighing him down. It was time to cut ties and live free. Enri had asked him a question. Something he wasn’t truly ready to process. Not now, maybe not even ever because if what the male had said was true, well then, they were all puppets in an elaborate game of chess. There was a part of him that knew it could all be real. But a bigger part of him hoped it wasn’t.
The scenes he’d been shown, the possibility of Jorunn with someone else, had sent him into a psychotic rage. He wanted to kill Enri, Stegis, and Bren, but he made the decision to stay away. The others had gone to her awakening, but he hadn’t.
“Omari, you need to listen to me. This is where I belong.”
His sister brought him back to the present. He wasn’t going to let Yewa slip through his grasp. Otherwise, everything he’d worked for would have been for nothing. Nothing.
“You don’t know what you need,” he said quietly. He was furious, more with himself, than with his sister.
She placed a calming hand on his arm and smiled up at him. She was so small. Tiny. He couldn’t let her go. Not like he had with Andina. He couldn’t do it.
“Please,” he begged. Maybe if he pleaded with her, she would relent and come home with him.
“No, Omari, you need to save yourself now. I’m okay. I’m healing. It’s time you start that process. Be the man I know you to be. Let go of the anger and live your life.”
Yewa reached up to pull him down for a kiss and a hug. Then she turned and walked away. He wanted to go after her, but didn’t.
“You did the right thing,” Jes said quietly.
He didn’t realize he’d had an audience. Did he really do the right thing? Because it didn’t feel like it.
“Go and say goodbye to Jorunn.” She looked over at him then shrugged. “Or not.”
“Thought you didn’t like her.”
“I was wrong.” Jes walked over to Draven and the others. He’d talked to Gregor about the Seether. That was the bitch that had taken down Mouth. Gregor had told him there wasn’t much he could do about it, as Seethers acted like a kind of alarm system for the monastery. They were a permanent part of the abbey, and were a danger to those not given access to the labyrinth beneath. Didn’t fucking matter. Ryn had given him the answers he needed and justice would be served.
Jorunn rounded the corner with the two meatheads. She looked up and met his eyes. His breath stammered for a moment, and his heart pumped copious amounts of adrenaline into his blood stream at the sight of her. She was sexy. Her curly hair was starting to grow, and the black horns on her head were shiny and sharp. Everything about her was desirable. Her eyes popped and her plump lips were glistening with gloss, inviting him to taste. She passed everyone and made her way straight to him. Two tiny fangs peeked out when she smiled. Fuck. That was sexy, too. Clear your head.
“Dietrich.”
Dietrich cleared his throat. He took off his glasses, so she could see him.
“Jorunn.”
She smiled and cleared her throat. Her eyes went from a green moss to a vivid honey.
“I wanted to thank you for everything.”
She walked right into his chest and placed her head over his rapidly beating heart. Slowly, his arms went around her and just held her. Comforting her, and hoping that she’d understand why things had to be the way they were. He took in her scent, her warmth. Her.
“You’re welcome, Peaches.”
She squeezed his waist.
“I love you, and when you’re ready, come and find me. I’ll be waiting for you. You’re worth it.”
He pulled back from her and looked down into her face. Her eyes were bright with emotion. The love she felt clearer than any sky. He pulled back from her, made sure she could see him. Really see him.
“Peaches, I am not that guy. I can’t be. We’ve already talked about this.”
“You talked. I listened. You said you would give me everything, just not now. I never agreed, Dietrich. I’m not going to now. You can pretend all you want. You can sleep with all the women in the world, but at the end of the day, you’ll be lost. Empty.”
People really thought they had him pegged.
She does, though.
“Jorunn. It’s pointless. I won’t come looking for love. I know it’s temporary and un-lasting.”
Hurt echoed through her eyes as she stared at him, a lone tear slipped down her cheek, he ached. He ached for a time when he wasn’t so disenfranchised by the life given to him, or negative to receive someone’s love. He wanted to be that guy for her, he really did. But in the end, he couldn’t.
“Real love is everlasting. Goodbye, Omari.”
She stepped back and looked up at him one last time before returning to the others to say her goodbyes. Draven walked over to him and sneered.
“Coward.”
“Pussy,” Dietrich replied back.
Draven leaned forward and whispered in his ear so only he could hear.
“By the way, I reject your resignation. Your bound by blood. Fuck with me, and I’ll fuck you back.”
Dietrich almost laughed, but thought better of it.
“Sure thing, Nancy. Jes know you’re hard up for my dick?”
“You wish.”
“Let’s go before the Brothers Grimm figure out what I intend to do. Ryn gave me a heads up about the Seethers.”
“Seethers?”
“Yeah, the one that ended Mouth and tried to take a piece out of you.”
Draven nodded, gathered the team, then they were leaving. Dietrich turned one last time and saw Adam exchanging something with Jorunn. Bastard Vampiri didn’t understand he was signing his own death certificate. D hung back as the others walked ahead. He waited for Adam to catch up. When he did, he tagged him around the neck and slammed him into the wall.
“If I’m not good enough for her, what makes your bitch ass a better candidate?”
Adam’s shoulders tightened and Dietrich could feel the other man’s strength, but he held fast.
“Dumbass, I was offering her our contact information. You love her so much, you shouldn’t have let her go.” Adam pushed back and stepped out of Dietrich’s grip. He didn’t love her. He was fond of her. Knew in another life, a different time, they’d have been good together. But love? Nope. Not him.
Chapter 27
> 6 Hours Later
They were well and truly gone. They had the cup and Jo’s blood, but were no closer to finding the damn Sahidic. They needed to find the third piece to the Danae Trinity. He and Jacobi had been successful in capturing the Seether. They were taking it home to present to Tavarious’s family. Things weren’t all that bad, but they weren’t good either. He’d been away six hours and the hole in his chest grew exponentially as the distance lengthened between him and Jo. He wasn’t going to do anything to stop the onslaught of emotions. He welcomed it. It was the only way he knew he was alive.
~ ~ ~
Two Weeks Later
The blonde sticking her tongue down his throat wasn’t helping matters. Why did women feel the need to overcompensate? This had been Jacobi’s idea. To go out and get laid. All Dietrich could think about was Jorunn. Two weeks later, and he was still fucked up. What was she doing? Who was she with? It was on constant repeat in his head. He couldn’t even sleep in his room back on base because everything still held her unique scent.
Dietrich winced and the blonde kissing him pulled back to whine, “You’re not even into this are you? What’s wrong?”
Everything.
Everything was wrong.
“Sweetheart, why don’t you leave? I’m tired, and well, honestly, you’re just not doing it for me.”
The female reared back and sneered.
“Well. Fuck you, then!”
He’d at least been nice and honest with her. He’d called her sweetheart. That was something.
“You’re on some winning streak,” Jacobi commented, taking a seat next to him.
“I was honest, and I wasn’t rude.”
“Women don’t appreciate honest. Oh, they’ll tell you all day long they want it. But they also forget to remind us to read the cliff notes. Fuck ‘em.”
“What’s got you all twisted? This was your idea,” Dietrich reminded his friend.