I run through my to-do list as we make our way to the portal that will take us back to mortal earth. And I can’t freakin’ wait; I have had my fill of Devonshire. At least for five hundred years. Clearly focusing on Nikkee’s wedding, I suddenly remember something very important.
“Shit!” I shoot up nearly hitting my head on the roof of the carriage.
“What?” Justice tenses his arms.
“I forgot to write my maid of honor speech! The wedding is tomorrow night!”
Justice relaxes his body and rolls his eyes at me as if to say: must you give me a heart attack over nonsensical bullshit, you’re the only one on the planet who can scare the living shit out of me.
It isn’t nonsensical to me.
“She’s your best friend, how hard can it be to throw together a speech?” He closes his eyes and rests his head against the carriage wall.
“That’s the problem,” I pine. “She’s my best friend. It has to be earnest and heartfelt and sincere. How am I ever going to pull that off?”
“Pretend she’s dead,” Derrin subtly remarks. I gape at him appalled. “That’s just morbid.” “Yet, effective,” he smiles unashamed.
I glace around the carriage; all eyes are incredulous. Justice just shakes his head. I know that gesture well; he’s telling me to ignore the ass.
I lay back onto Justice, horror-stricken at the thought of Nikkee’s death. Thank you, Derrin, I am scarred for life.
We are just on the outskirts of Century city when something catches my eye out the window. I see her only for a split second before I bolt out of the carriage after her.
“Liv!” Justice bellows.
I hear him hustling after me, but I don’t slow down. I have to catch her!
I slip down an alleyway, trailing after her energy. My heart races with fear that I won’t find her. The shadows of the adjacent buildings cloud the sun as I stumble down the narrow, boundless passageway. Justice helps to steady me as I stagger. “What the
hell’s gotten into you?” he demands.
I don’t have to answer as she emerges out of the darkness. We both stop.
Justice stands defensively in front of me. The air thick with tension.
“What the hell do you want?” he snarls.
I don’t need to tell him who she is. My brief description in the enchanted forest has stayed with him.
The old woman stands at ease, not intimidated by Justice at all.
“Nice to see you again, sonny, I see not much has changed.
Still as stupidly overprotective as ever.” Again?
Changed? Ever?
What?
He regards her cautiously.
She watches us closely, as if amused.
“You can’t have her,” he growls, taking one step back, shielding me with his body. His arms stretch out behind him. I can feel the heat start to rise from within him; stress and anxiety summoning the flames.
“I don’t want her,” the old woman scoffs. “I want to warn her.”
“Warn her?”
“Warn me?” I echo.
We both stare, completely still waiting for what? An explanation? Some clarification? Enlightenment might be nice.
“Justice, let me by,” I pull at his shirt and on his arms, wanting to get closer to her.
I am captivated by this woman; by this person I don’t even know.
Resistant, Justice cools his jets and I scamper in front of him, nearly falling over my own feet just to get next to her.
She looks upon me fondly as I search through her energy. She knows exactly what I’m doing.
“Who are you?” I ask mystified. How do I know you? “A presage,” she says simply.
“A what?”
Her expression crinkles sadly.
“Time runs short my child.” She goes on. “When darkness turns to light a decision is meant to be made.”
What the hell does that mean?
“Choose wisely, this will be your last chance.” “Last chance for what?” I question.
She smiles in a wily way; warm, doting emotion swimming in her deep blue-black eyes.
“I hope you choose right,” she whispers, placing her hand tenderly on my face. My insides light up with an intense spectacle of emotion. I can barely keep my breath as the feelings
revolve within me and all around me. I’ve never felt anything
more powerful than the energy emitted from his woman. It’s almost as if we are connected in some strange, displaced way. A second later she evaporates. “Wait!” I cry, reaching out, and watch as once again her eyes are the last part of her to linger.
All at once sunlight beats down on us from above, and as if just released from suspended animation Justice and I are left utterly dazed and monumentally confused.
I look up at him, suddenly fearful. He pulls me into his arms. We both feel it. The dark, foreboding force that suddenly sweeps over us; threatening us both.
***
The coach is silent as we make our way to the edge of the forest. Justice is squeezing me so tightly, the bones in my body struggle not to crack. My energy has put the entire carriage on edge. The old woman’s words are haunting puzzle pieces in the darkest corners of my mind.
Justice unconsciously runs his nose up and down my bare arm; his bright blue eyes are vigilant and tense. Psychically communicating with me, I can interpret his fear. He wants to protect me, defend me, and shield me from the indistinct threat. There’s no question, it’s what I want too.
There’s no place safer in my world than bonded tightly in his arms.
We’ve made it to the portal, a few more minutes and I will finally be back in reality. At least my weird, twisted version of it anyway. Peril aside, I have Nikkee’s wedding to concentrate on now, and it is a welcome distraction.
Dragging ourselves out of the coach, I watch Derrin and Melenia hop through the threshold first, then AJ with Danika next. Jocelyn, Justice and I are last.
“I’ll go through first, and catch you on the other side,” Justice turns back to tell me. I nod, knowing I could, potentially, end up neck deep in water without him.
He suddenly stiffens, all senses alert. He looks like a spooked cat.
I turn to see what provoked him.
Siberian is lurking in the trees with an infatuated stare.
“You can’t go,” his voice travels through the woodlands, sending a shiver down my spine. And then, Siberian is beside me, his hand gripping my arm. He tugs, jerking me away from the others.
“She’s mine,” he hisses maniacally.
“Let go!” I wrangle. But his grip only tightens.
“You belong to me,” he growls, and an intense sensation of control rolls over me.
This is the Siberian I knew always existed, the part he kept at bay in order to lure me. It’s amazing to see that polite, regal
being turn into such an obsessed, fanatical freak.
“Does she really?” Justice carefully challenges him. “I know her given name,” Siberian divulges.
Say what?
“What is it then?” Justice dares.
Siberian’s eyes are ferocious. “Pasture, Alivyanna Pasture.” My jaw unhinges. Did I really tell him my last name was
Pasture? And when did I tell him my last name was Pasture?
I know I shouldn’t be blushing from embarrassment in a situation like this, but I can’t help it.
Justice glares at me with a wry, satisfied smile. Then he rushes Siberian, striking him across the face. Siberian flies back, hitting the ground hard, causing it to quake.
“Goddamn right it’s Pasture,” he spits on Siberian, then kicks him while he’s down.
Brutal.
Justice grabs my hand and pulls me towards the portal, wasting no time while Siberian is leveled. His skin is searing, shooting flames straight through my muscles.
“Pathetic,” he murmurs, right before he pushes me through. My feet are just about to leave Devonshire when my necklace suddenly at
tacks, chocking the life right out of me. I gasp for air, collapsing to my knees.
“If I can’t have her no one can!” Siberian hisses viciously, holding his fist tightly in the air.
Holy shit, pixie gone postal!
I pull at the tightening chain as Justice crouches, preparing to pounce.
“One step closer and I will sever her head!” The strangling shackle starts to slice through my skin; blood runs down my fingers as I claw at the metal chain. I can see the panic in Justice’s eyes. One wrong move and my life is over.
As Justice formulates an attack strategy, Jocelyn tries to wrestle the necklace away from my throat.
I start to see stars as the lack of oxygen asphyxiates me.
Jocelyn suddenly puts her hands around my neck, staring frightfully into my dying eyes.
“Liv, listen to me,” she whispers. “Channel me.”
I stare, confounded. I can barely keep conscious and she wants me to use my powers?
Her eyes are desperate, demanding. Trembling, and gasping for breath, I try.
Concentrating on the sapphire blue of her irises, I suddenly hear her. Her lips don’t move, but her voice is clear and concise in my head. “Stay calm, you are the only one who can save yourself.”
I listen intensely as the noose jerks tighter, Justice and Siberian still at a standoff beside me.
“When we say, throw a blast. It doesn’t matter where, Justice just needs a distraction.”
My eyes widen. I only have a few seconds left, I’m not sure I can do what she asks.
“Liv, try.” I hear Justice’s distracted voice echo in my mind. Crazily, my channeling ability and the psychic bond Jocelyn and Justice share has linked us all together.
With barely a blink I concede.
“Now!” Justice commands and I do as I’m told.
Concentrating on Jocelyn, while hacking and choking the last bit of breath I have left, I throw a blast, and then crumple to the ground. Blackness swallowing me.
I come to with someone pounding on my chest. That hurts! “Breathe goddamn it! Come on!”
I stifle in some air, and cough and gargle in a very unattractive way.
There’s a sigh of relief as Jocelyn pulls me into her arms. “Are you alright?” She asks, pawing me all over.
“I’m fine,” I groan. “But I think you broke a rib,” I say, wincing in god-awful pain as she hugs me.
I’m going to be a wreck for Nikkee’s wedding.
“Where’s Siberian?” I look around. He’s nowhere in sight.
“I don’t think you want to know,” Jocelyn tells me with a curled lip. “Justice went demonic on his ass.”
“Demonic?” I look up and find Justice suddenly there, standing over me. His fists are balled so tight his knuckles are
white, his jaw is clenched and there’s a ferocity blazing in his
eyes that rips me right in two. He kneels down next to me, drawing his face close to mine. At first I think he’s going to kiss me, but he bypasses my lips and brings his mouth to my ear. “Murderous,” he whispers, and the menace in his voice flares every nerve-ending I have.
“He’s really dead?” I snap my head to look him in the eye.
He doesn’t answer. He just passes a glance to Jocelyn and then back to me.
I think I’m in shock.
“We better get out of here,” Justice’s demeanor is seemingly cool as he carefully pulls me to my feet. “I think I’ve really done some damage now.”
Ya think?
***
“Drive!” Justice barks at the horrified cab driver as he cleans my neck. Jocelyn bought an ambulance’s amount of first aid on the walk back from the cliffs.
The older man’s pupils dilate slightly before he turns and takes off towards the airport. Only his grey hair and Irish flip cap are visible over the headrest as he drives, he never turns to look at us again.
I stare at Justice intensely. “I heard you, your voice, inside my
head,” I say amazed.
“Oh ya?” Justice concentrates on taping up the ragged wound that rounds most of my neck. “Did I say anything interesting?” He asks with a flat, sarcastic tone.
I suck some air through my teeth as Justice wraps the bandage with a white silk scarf Jocelyn bought to camouflage the dressing. Even the slightest bit of pressure hurts.
“It was just crazy how we were all connected, that’s all.”
Justice sweeps his eyes up to mine, “You should know by now, with us, crazy is a common occurrence.”
“I need to keep reminding myself.” I exhale, leaning into him. He pulls me protectively into his arms and we ride the rest of the way to the airport in silence.
Once there, Justice compels the ticket agent and customs officer, just like Jocelyn did on the trip over, since, well, as Nikkee pointed out, I don’t have a passport. And with the short timing of our trip, I didn’t exactly have time to apply for one.
I scratch at the itchy tape while tapping my foot as I sit uncomfortably in the airport terminal. My nerves unraveling from yet another near death experience. I don’t know how many more life threatening encounters my blood pressure can take.
Justice puts his hand on my knee, but I can’t sit any longer as it’s killing my side, and I can’t help but wonder how I’m going to tolerate a seven hour flight home.
Lots of tiny airplane bottles maybe.
I stand up, stretching my torn tendons, wincing in pain.
“Liv, you should sit.” Justice restlessly stands up beside me.
“I can’t, I need to move,” I say irritated. I am so uncomfortable.
I shuffle across the airport floor over to the huge glass wall. The rolling green hills of Ireland hold no candle to the majestic beauty of Devonshire’s lands, but I can’t tell you how relieved I am to be back on earthly soil.
I stare mindlessly out over the countryside, Siberian suddenly in my thoughts. I almost regret that our time had to end like it did.
“What are you thinking about?” Soft hands settle on my hips. I flinch from the pain; my whole body seems to hurt.
“Siberian,” I tell him.
“Him?” Justice asks disgusted. “Why waste the brain cells?” “Because he’s dead!” I hiss under my breath.
“Who cares?” he says callously. “I do.”
“Why? He tried to kill you,” Justice reminds me bitterly.
“I know, it’s just, he was nice to me, and he was there when I needed someone to be. I just wish it didn’t have to end like that.”
Justice sighs, “What if I told you he’s only sort of dead?
Would that make you feel any better?”
“What the hell does sort of dead mean?” I turn to look at him. “It means I killed him, but it’s not going to stick.” Justice
grimaces. “He’s sure going to remember it though.”
“Want to explain that statement?”
Justice leans against the window, rubbing the toe of his sneaker into the thin carpet of terminal floor. “You can only truly kill a pixie with a metal object. I didn’t have anything readily available, so I just made sure it felt like I stabbed a steel knife into his windpipe,” he smirks, happily satisfied.
I’m not even going to ask how he did that.
I huff. “I know it shouldn’t, but that does make me feel better.”
“You know what will make me feel better?” He asks, as he glides his fingers down the white silk scarf hiding the wreckage around my neck.
“What?” I ask alluringly.
“Getting the hell out of this wretched country.” He crosses his arms and glares out the window.
“Say what?”
Okay. I’ll admit, that wasn’t the panty pleasing response I was expecting.
It’s then I realize exactly what country we are standing in.
I glance over at Derrin. He’s sitting next to Melenia, his body sagging in the chair, arms crossed. A look of contention is muddying his angelic face as he stares idly
at Justice. I can only imagine the feelings being here dredges up.
Derrin and Justice’s relationship has been on the slow mend
over the last few months, even though they don’t act like it most
of the time. I understand the memories this place must hold. Their childhoods, their families, their pasts, their deaths. It’s not somewhere they’ll ever forget, it’s just a part of their lives they have to move on from.
“I’m sorry being here is so painful for you.”
“Those are the breaks, right?” He says aloofly, still looking out the window.
“You shouldn’t feel that way, it’s your home,” I contest.
Justice looks down at me, an indebted expression suddenly on his face. “This isn’t my home, Liv. My home is wherever you are.”
I smile shyly. “For me too.”
There’s No Place Like Home, There’s No Place Like Home
It’s late when we pull up to The Cliffs. Justice nudges me awake as the cab pulls up behind the Intimidator. I watch as Aayden, Jayden, Jocelyn and AJ each step out of the Escalade pickup truck, AJ carrying Danika. I don’t know where Derrin and Melenia disappeared to. I shift carefully off Justice, my whole body stiff from the epic journey home. As I slide into the night air, my senses are assaulted by the fresh smell of the ocean’s salty breeze and the warm sensation of the beachy atmosphere. Nothing compares to a late summer night on the Jersey shore. I can hear the waves crashing in the distance as I follow Justice and the others up the three stone stairs to The Cliff’s front entrance. Without warning, the massive stained glass doors magically open to Daniel standing in the middle of the grand foyer; the mural of the fiery serpents on the ceiling reflecting at his feet on the polished black and white marble floor. He has this look on his face as we all enter, like his children have just returned home from battle. He regards Jocelyn first. He nods, and then glances over at AJ and Danika.
Gravitational Pull (Vis Vires, book 2) (Vis Vires trilogy) Page 18