Brent and Amelia were sitting close. Jackie was curled in Eddie’s arms. Seemed like everyone was ready for some alone time.
Jacinda stood up. “Thank you for everything, but we’re ready for bed.”
Jackie smiled. “Anytime. We’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.”
Brent moved in front of Jacinda and gave her a quick hug. “Even if you find it hard to see me as family, I hope you’ll see me as a friend.”
Jacinda squeezed him back. “I can see you as both.”
“That works too.” Brent put an arm around Amelia. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Chatan wrapped an arm around Jacinda’s waist. “Good night, everyone.”
Amelia waved, a smile on her lips. “Good night.”
Jacinda made her way to the bedroom, then turned toward him as he shut the door.
Only Chatan could take the pain away. She wanted a break from the weight of emotions.
She closed the distance and trailed her fingers under his shirt, lifting the fabric as she went.
He made a purring sound and she leaned up to kiss his lips while he unbuttoned her shirt and slid it down her arms. She pressed tight, loving his skin on hers. Their hands explored flesh as their mouths danced in a slow kiss.
His lips skimmed across her skin, to her ear. “I missed this.”
“Me too.” She leaned back, capturing his gaze. “You’re the only part of any of this that makes sense.”
Kissing her, he pushed her pants down. “I need you, Jacinda. I need to feel the way we connect every time we make love.”
She hopped up, wrapping her arms and legs around him, squeezing him tight. He was everything she needed. He could make her forget for now.
If he hadn’t been there…
Her mouth collided with his. She drowned all the doubt out by kissing him. He fell onto the bed with her, pinning her down. The bed creaked.
She lifted a hand and wove the spell to seal in the sound as she giggled.
Chatan met her gaze. “What was that?”
“Don’t want them to hear.”
He laughed. “Hopefully she knows that trick because I don’t want to hear them either.”
“Don’t care about them.” She kissed his throat and he pressed into her, sliding deep. Her gasp made him stop as he threaded his fingers into her hair.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
She shook her head. “Don’t, it’s good. More.”
“Slow.”
“No.”
“At first,” he murmured, moving until he could go no further. “Forgot you’re not used to this.”
“Crave this,” she murmured, trailing her hands down his back, in hopes of getting him moving.
Chatan moved slowly. Pleasure rolled through her with every stroke. Magic built, his dancing with hers. Her walls squeezed, and he groaned, his eyes locking on hers.
She’d never felt more whole than when they were together, especially intimately. He moved his arms to either side of her shoulders and delved his fingers into her hair, locking their gazes.
“Love you,” she promised.
“Love you so much, Jace.”
She pulled his head down for another kiss and locked her ankles around his waist. She felt him everywhere, his magic pulsing through her, charging her own. If they weren’t careful they might combust, but she didn’t give a damn—she just wanted more.
“Chatan, please,” she begged.
He caught her earlobe between his teeth and took their pace faster. Her fingers bit into the curve of his ass. He felt so damned good she exploded in pleasure. He followed her into release, clinging tight as he rolled to the side.
“You are everything I need,” she whispered.
He kissed her head. “You’re mine.”
* * * *
Her magic flared, pulling Thanatos toward her, but something else called to him. A new voice. One he recognized as familiar. Perhaps of his brother’s bloodline? And the voice came from the same direction as Jacinda.
In fact, the voice pulled him through the shadows faster than he could safely manage on his own. Magic called to the entity who helped Thanatos in the past.
The shadows melted away as he appeared before a man who looked a lot like he did in the beginning of life. A cruel smile spread across Thanatos’ lips. He was much closer to Jacinda, even if her essence had faded away again.
“You seek a girl named Jacinda? Do you not?”
“Who are you?”
One golden brow arched. “Lars Montreux. I descended from your bloodline.”
He’d never had children, but his brothers had. They lived and prospered still. Warlocks, sorcerers, and other dark casters, usually shunned by the upstanding Silver Council. “What is it you want?”
“You want to be free, and I want Scathane’s power.”
The fool thought he could handle Scathane? He could have him. After centuries trapped with the foul being, Thanatos had realized that even if breaking free meant death, it was better than his present situation.
Lars would cease to appear human. He would become a demonic looking being. Even if he managed to bind Scathane to the Earth, he would never be accepted again. And he would be forced to feed off the essence of other living people.
In fact, Thanatos had been killing and sucking down magic for so long, he wasn’t sure he could live without it. But he needed to remember death was better than being imprisoned to that thing and locked away in the shadow realm most of the time.
“And what is it you wish of me?” Scathane asked, stealing Thanatos’ voice.
“I’ll ensure you have Jacinda present to perform the ritual that will remove Scathane from your body, then take him into myself.”
The dark voice laughed. “You will do nicely. Bring us the girl, and you can have my power.”
Not that Lars would ever be fully in control, something Thanatos learned long ago. At times he was, but there were too many times Scathane took over.
* * * *
Matoskah walked up to Brent Shadow’s front door and knocked. A moment later a young woman—vampire—with long auburn hair opened the door.
Her red-brown eyes locked on his. “You’re Chatan’s father?”
He nodded. “Matoskah. Are you Amelia?” He expected someone older, and not a vampire.
She smiled. “Yes. Come in. We have questions about Thanatos. Chatan mentioned you were working with her father to try to stop him.”
“I’ll tell you what I can, but I expect Brent at the longhouse tomorrow.”
Amelia’s head cocked. “The longhouse?”
Brent entered the room, shoving his hands in his pockets. “There’s a place for Others who don’t fit in anywhere else. Pine Vale Reserve. They have all sorts of permits to keep normal humans out. The magic around the property will deter even Others without a guide.”
“He’s right,” Matoskah answered. “And I’m not positive you’ll be able to come across, Amelia.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Vampires are typically not of this world. Once you die you become something else. I can’t guarantee you’ll be able cross the border, even with Brent’s help.”
“Considering we’re meeting during daylight I don’t see the problem. However, I doubt her crossing would be an issue. Her magic is awakened. What made her human is still there. And sure, most vampires may not be able to enter your land, but there are always exceptions.”
His head tipped to the side. “I’m sorry, how do you have magic?”
She sighed. “The first vampire traded blood with me. The first vampire gave my magic back. That’s a long story. But I certainly do have magic now.”
“Which may come in handy, considering you stopped something like Thanatos already,” Brent answered.
“That will come in handy,” Matoskah said. He didn’t bother asking how. That wasn’t important.
Brent smiled, then turned to Matoskah. “Why are you here?”
“I want to
know more about Jacinda. Can you tell me about her? Chatan hasn’t given me much to go on, other than he loves her, which I always knew would be the case,” Matoskah answered.
“That’s clear,” Amelia stated. “She’s quiet, takes everything in. I don’t think she’s been around many people too often. A loner. She believed she needed to keep everyone at a distance, but Chatan seems to have changed that.”
“Her mother—her whole damned family—kept this to themselves. Sometimes sharing with their significant other, sometimes not.” Matoskah sat back. “As it was, Mina didn’t want to tell me what she was running from, but Tyrell insisted because of what she saw with Dove and Hawk.”
Brent paced away and came back. “Why is it you only now tell me you knew my son?”
“Because the Branches of Emrys had a policy to keep everything related a secret. We’re changing that policy now. And Jacinda and Chatan are important to the bigger picture. But that will have to wait until tomorrow. They’ll know the whole story. So will you. I understand Draecyn attempted to recruit you many times, Brent.”
He huffed. “Yeah, well, I don’t like agreeing to something when no one wants to fill me in on all the details. It’s one thing if there is a mystery to be solved, but it’s something quite different when the people calling the shots know everything but keep the rest of us in the dark.”
Amelia held up a hand. “What is the Branches of Emrys?”
Brent sighed. “From what I understand, it’s run by the founding members of the Silver Council. They guide parties in the direction they want, without explaining why.”
“Your son knew all the secrets,” Matoskah answered.
“Because he agreed blindly, I’m sure.”
“No. He agreed because he saw the way we operate. And he knew we could find more information about what was hunting his beloved Mina. I had never been able to get the information out of her. She only wanted to know about the stories surrounding Hawk and Dove.”
Amelia shook her head. “Hawk and Dove? What about birds?”
Matoskah sighed. “Not birds exactly. There are stories about some of our first people. They embodied great magic. They helped create the wards that protect Wanatoga and Pine Vale. They were responsible for banishing a good many evil spirits.”
“Okay, so your tribe’s legends or myths?” Amelia prompted.
Matoskah tipped his head back and forth. “Something like that. They were real. Jacinda has worn Hawk’s symbols since she was born. I understand she found Dove’s.”
“How did she get Hawk’s symbol?” Brent asked.
Matoskah shook his head. “I don’t know. He never told me anything, but he’d always had it.”
Brent looked him dead in the eye. “Tell me you have a plan to stop Thanatos.”
“No, and Jacinda is the only one who can decipher the clues her father left. He didn’t have the magic to do it himself. But he never fully explained before he got himself and Kimi killed.”
Matoskah sat back. He hated thinking about his last months with Kimi and how much she had changed. She became bitter, held him away. The curse twisted her, took away her vibrancy, her life. Nothing he did saved her. He couldn’t find anyone to counter the dark magic. She twisted Chatan’s memories when she locked away his magic, made him believe he couldn’t do what he had. And the boy loved his mother so much Matoskah couldn’t bring himself to tell Chatan the truth. That all changed tomorrow, and he feared it would only drive Chatan farther away.
“How?” Brent asked.
“Did you see Mina today? Were there symbols burned into her body?”
He nodded.
“The shadowy ooze the creature secretes is a magical poison. It seeped into your son, and when Kimi attempted to heal him, it tainted her as well. The small dose she received was enough to make her wither and die. She changed so much in those months, the only thing she loved in the end was Chatan, but she broke something inside him in order to protect him. I believe Jacinda can fix what she did.”
Brent sat forward. “Oh, I believe she already did. Chatan’s magic has increased a hundred-fold. I’m not sure he realizes how much power he holds now.”
Matoskah smiled. “I hope he can accept his magic.”
“He has enough people around him to help,” Brent replied.
“We may need his help.”
“You don’t know how Jacinda can stop him?” Amelia asked.
“Ceridwen has an idea, but that’s for her to explain tomorrow,” Matoskah announced. “But Jacinda is like a sponge. She absorbs magic, Brent. She doesn’t steal it. She takes what’s left. Much like a druid can take leftover magic essence and spin it into their spell, only she takes that essence and learns the magic herself, casting something stronger. Or at least that’s what Tyrell believed.
Brent leaned forward. “I’ve heard of people like that. Never met one. Not sure how they come about, but I’ll see if there’s anything I can find.”
“Loretta says there are some things she cannot do. I imagine most of that is in her head. However, she was key to unlocking what was trapped inside of Chatan. Kimi wanted to protect my boy, but she hurt him. Spirits, this may all blow up tomorrow. I only hope she can calm him down to listen to the whole story.”
“Draecyn and Ceridwen want them as part of the Branches?”
Matoskah nodded. “I believe so. Hawk and Dove have chosen them both. They may be the only ones with the potential to use the old magic.”
* * * *
That was a punch in the gut. His son had been too pure of heart, willing to do everything for love. And Brent had done the same. He couldn’t blame him, but he missed Tyrell.
“You sound bitter,” Matoskah stated.
“No, not at all.” The words dripped with sarcasm. “I lost my son because of something to do with the Branches of Emrys.”
“No, that’s not true. Thanatos came about before the Branches of Emrys. They only seek to put an end to the creature. If he gets his way, he can bring about the Crimson Dawn, or at the very least, the creature bound to Thanatos will be summoned in his pure form and become something worse than the devil.”
“Fine, they weren’t to blame. Though I still believe if they had shared more knowledge I could have saved my son before his death. Kimi’s too.” Not that he’d ever met her, but if he could have saved one, he would have saved both.
“Do you hate the Branches?” Matoskah asked.
“No. I’ve considered joining, but I preferred to be on the outside, collecting information. Now, I doubt I have much choice if it’s the only way to help Jacinda.”
“Would you reconsider if they answer all your questions?”
Brent leaned forward. “Do you ever question whose side you’re on?”
“Never. We protect relics from being in the wrong hands. We influence major groups to keep the world turning. Look, Ceridwen or Draecyn can explain all that. And I believe they’ll be more willing to discuss everything than usual. There are new members recently, something that hasn’t happened in many years. There is another group that wants to bring the end of the world, and they’ve made big moves lately. We need all the help we can get to stop them. And Ceridwen believes Jacinda and Chatan may be the key.”
“Got anything else for me?” Brent asked.
“Sure. I’ll share more of what Tyrell shared with me. And we were close, but we needed Jacinda, and she needed to be more than two.” He sighed. “Perhaps, if she had been older, I wouldn’t have lost Kimi.” Matoskah lifted a shoulder. “Chatan may hate me by the end of tomorrow.”
“Maybe for a time, but he will forgive you once he understands,” Brent assured.
“I hope you’re right.”
Chapter 11
“Nervous?” Chatan asked, coming up behind Jacinda.
“No. Figure if you don’t like him, I don’t have to impress him.” She nudged his shoulder. “Your opinion is the only one I care about.”
He sighed. “I don’t hate him, but I don’t u
nderstand him. I do love him, but I can only take so much before I need a break. You know?”
Her head dipped. “Yeah, I get that. But no, I’m not nervous about meeting him. I just hope he can tell me more about my father.”
Chatan pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “He’s excited to meet you. I just wish I knew what to expect today.”
“Wish I could say we don’t have to worry, but this has to do with Thanatos. I have to deal with him.”
“We do.”
“We.” She turned in his arms. “I’m trying to get used to using we. It’s always been me. Even with Mom there.”
He swept his fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead. “This morning you meet my father. Tonight, I want you to meet my brothers. Dakota sent a text earlier. He’s setting up a barbecue for us.”
She smiled. “We should go.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Look, you’re going to see creatures you don’t see anywhere else at Pine Vale Reserve. Centaurs, satyr, there’s a lamia staying out there.”
“I’ve been to places where all those and more go. I’ve traveled, just not much up this way. Mostly to Edenton, because of A Good Book.”
“Well, chances are if Tremaine can’t get his hands on something you’re looking for, Brent can. He should be here.”
“Then why are we stalling?” she teased.
He shook his head and pulled her to the living room.
Brent looked up from his cup of coffee. “Morning, Jacinda, Chatan. Hungry?”
Chatan glanced at Jacinda.
She smiled. “Yes. And I think he can always eat.” She nudged his ribs.
One corner of Chatan’s mouth pulled up with a wry grin. “Where are we eating?”
“The Monsoon. It’s not far from here. They have excellent food,” Brent suggested.
“They do have good food,” Chatan agreed.
“Let’s go.” Food was food. As long as she didn’t have to think too much about it, she was easy to please.
* * * *
Breakfast was easygoing. Jacinda continued to open up. Little by little, Chatan understood more of her past. All while he closed down. Whatever they learned would be important, but his father’s cryptic warning had rattled him.
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