She could feel his words against her cheek. She fought the urge to lean away again, refusing to acknowledge her discomfort.
Adir continued. “Or are you going to help us? Help the rebellion, and I promise no one will ever attempt to harm you again. You can return to your home and live your life as if none of this ever happened.”
Darcie knew she didn’t hide how tempting she found his offer.
Adir placed both hands on either side of her face and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, their color seemed intensified.
Before Darcie could wonder what would come next, the world quickly darkened.
In a blink, her mind fell into unconsciousness and she was completely at the mercy of Adir and his powerful hands.
Chapter 24
Darcie! It sounded like someone shouted the name directly into her ear. She felt the stranger grab her shoulders and shake. “Darcie, wake up! We have to get out of here!”
Darcie could hear the voice but, try as she might, could not open her eyes to see its source.
It was odd. Darcie tried moving her arm, hand, and fingers.
No part of her responded.
Her mind was completely aware, but it could not control her body.
A loud crash sounded through Darcie’s ears, causing the surface beneath her to vibrate from impact.
“Bella!” Another voice called from a distance. “What’s the hold up? We need to get out of here now!”
“She won’t wake up,” Bella responded, her voice now recognizable. “I don’t know what’s wrong. She doesn’t seem hurt.”
“Move.”
Darcie heard fabric rustle as the newcomer approached.
A warm hand pressed against her throat. The contact caused a tingling sensation where the skin touched hers. “She has a pulse, but she is cold as ice.”
Another loud bang emanated through the room. A gust of air caused Darcie’s hair to blow across her face. Her fingers itched to reach up and brush it away.
“We have to go,” the masculine voice said. “NOW!”
“We can’t leave her!” Bella replied.
“We are not going to leave her.” Strong hands reached under Darcie and lifted as if she weighed no more than a feather. “GO!”
Their feet pounded against the ground as Bella and her rescuer moved quickly towards a blind escape.
“Why can’t we leave?” Darcie heard Bella’s winded question.
“We have to get out of the house. Find an exit.”
They continued to move at a quick pace, changing direction at random intervals. Darcie felt every step as she bounced in the strong arms.
“He is going to know we are here for Darcie. The fighting will not distract him for long.”
Darcie knew Bella spoke about Adir.
Part of Darcie couldn’t believe the immortals actually came for her. She was just starting to realize the complex histories surrounding the brothers’ and the burdens they carried. She was only a small piece in the thousands of years old immortal game.
Even so, the other part of Darcie never doubted for a second.
“Bella,” the man carrying Darcie stopped moving. “You have to get out of here.”
“We all do! Come on.”
“Bella,” the voice brooked no argument. “You are right. Adir will know we came for Darcie. I can defend myself against anything he throws my way, but not if I am worried about you. Find Thane and get out of here.”
“Des, no,” Bella sounded distraught. “Come on. We will find a way out of here.”
Darcie’s heart raced. Des carried her? The tingling sensation which had dulled came back to life.
“Adir has the entire place surrounded and warded against us leaving, Bella.” Des practically shouted. “He wanted us to come. He planned on it. You need to get out now.”
“Adir won’t hurt me,” Bella protested.
“Look what he did to Darcie,” Des shook her body in demonstration. “I didn’t think he would hurt her either, but look at her!”
A tense pause followed.
Darcie desperately wished she could open her eyes and see what was happening.
“What will you do?” Bella whispered, resigned to follow Des’ instructions.
“Find a safe place,” Des stated, shifting the weight in his arms. “And try to get Darcie to wake up.”
“Be careful.”
Darcie heard Bella’s light footsteps as she moved away.
Not a moment after she stopped hearing Bella, Des turned around and ran the opposite direction.
Darcie felt as he stopped and scanned the surroundings before continuing to move. Even if Darcie knew the layout of her location, she would be completely lost at this point. Des turned every which way and never stopped moving.
Finally, Darcie heard a door open.
Des walked into the new room and quickly closed the door with his shoulder.
Gently, he placed Darcie against a hard surface. She guessed it was a floor.
“There you go,” Des murmured as he pulled his hands away from her. Darcie’s skin felt cold without the contact. The discomfort didn’t last long.
Almost as soon as he released her, Des placed his hand on her forehead. It moved to her cheek, then her throat. Des’ palms traveled across her body, searching for an answer to her ailment.
“What did he do to you?”
Darcie tried to move her lips to no avail. She wanted to scream obscenities from frustration.
“You look fine,” he spoke out loud. “It doesn’t look like he kept you in a cell.”
Darcie wondered if she still wore the clothes Adir loaned her. Even unconscious, she was sure her cheeks colored at the thought of Des seeing her midriff.
“I’m so sorry, Darcie.” She heard Des shift and felt him sit beside her. His leg rested against her arm.
“I said you could trust Adir. I was wrong. I am so sorry.”
She wanted to assure Des it was not his fault. Once again, cursing her inability to speak.
“I never should have allowed Thane to host the ball. It was a horrible idea from the beginning,” Des began to ramble, his voice fluctuating between a whisper and higher volume.
“I was selfish. I wanted the opportunity to show everyone they were wrong. When Adir approached me and told me he believed me, I jumped at the chance for an ally. My own brothers didn’t trust me. Adir knew exactly what to say for me to trust him in their stead.”
Darcie greedily soaked in the information. This was the most Des spoke to her… pretty much ever.
Aside from planning their deception, the immortal was distant to say the least. She wished she could console him.
Despite the situation she found herself in, Darcie couldn’t blame Des for anything.
She felt as he reached out and picked up her limp hand. He placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand before holding it flat on his leg. The gesture shocked her.
“I hope you can forgive me.”
The warmth of his hand spread through her palm. It felt like blood returned to the immovable limb.
With hope, Darcie tried to wiggle her fingers.
Her index finger shifted ever so slightly against his pants.
“Darcie?”
Des repositioned himself beside her. She could feel his breath as he leaned over her.
“Can you hear me?”
Darcie tried to move more than her fingers, but the best she got was a tiny spasm in her left arm.
“You are conscious.” The relief was evident in Des’ tone. “Come on, Darcie. Keep trying. You can do it. You need to open your eyes.”
I’m trying! Darcie wanted to shout. She had been trying since Bella first woke her up.
Minutes passed where Des continued to whisper words of encouragement. He was trying to motivate her, but Darcie didn’t need any more motivation. She would open her eyes if she could. She would gladly get up and walk out of whatever room they hid in.
The pr
oblem was, Darcie couldn’t gain control of her body.
“Why can’t you move?” Des spoke more to himself than to her.
Suddenly, Darcie felt him stiffen. She heard him swallow loudly.
God, why can’t I open my eyes!?
The quiet was unsettling after his endless motivational comments.
What is he thinking?
“Forgive me.”
Before Darcie could think on what he meant, Des shifted and she could detect his slow approach.
Des leaned down until there was barely any space between their faces.
“I hope this works.”
His lips touched hers, the action completely surprising Darcie, but not as much as the bolt which shot through her body.
Blood pounded in her ears as Des continued the kiss. He placed his hands on either side of her face and wrapped his fingers in her hair. Darcie wished her lips weren’t paralyzed.
“Wake up,” he broke the kiss to say.
“Please, Darcie.” He kissed her again. “Please wake up.” Des continued to kiss her and lifted Darcie off the floor and into his lap. Her head rested in the crook of his arm at a more comfortable angle.
Des rubbed his hands up and down her side, almost as if he was trying to warm her from the cold.
Slowly, Darcie began to feel the familiar sensation of movement returning to numb areas of her body.
Her lashes fluttered open.
Worried green eyes crowded her vision.
“Darcie?” Des leaned back slightly as his eyes darted back and forth, assessing her consciousness. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” her voice croaked.
His head fell forward and brown hair covered his forehead. “Thank god.”
“Where are we?” She asked. The words irritated her dry throat.
“Adir’s stronghold,” Des replied, moving farther back until he no longer leaned over her. “Currently, we are hiding in an empty closet.”
Darcie turned her neck and glanced around. “At least it’s a big closet.”
Des gave a weak chuckle. “Indeed. How are you feeling?”
She assessed her body. She moved her toes and fingers with ease, but her limbs felt impossibly heavy. “I’m okay. I think my body just needs more time.”
“Do you know what he did?”
“No idea. My mind was awake the moment Bella found me,” she revealed. “But I couldn’t control my body. It was bizarre.” Des’ brow furrowed. His confusion unsettled Darcie.
“Did he use his powers or something?”
“I do not know what Adir did, but his powers should not have been able to put you into a waking sleep. That’s… not a skill immortals possess.” Darcie didn’t miss the insinuating pause. She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud crash outside their door.
Des jumped to his feet and faced the sound. It took all the strength in Darcie to rise into a sitting position. If she needed to run, she’d be toast.
Tense seconds passed where Des looked ready to destroy anything that came through the door.
Nothing happened.
After a few more moments, Des’ shoulders relaxed with the passing threat.
He looked down at Darcie. “Can you walk?”
She glanced down to her heavy legs. “I don’t know.”
“Shit.” Des ran a hand through his hair.
“I-I can try.” Darcie hated seeing the negative reaction.
“No,” Des crouched down to her eye level.
As he stared at her, Darcie watched thoughts pass behind his eyes.
Finally, one stuck. Whatever it was, it caused Des to look very uncomfortable. He averted his gaze.
“Whatever Adir did,” he cleared his throat. “Whatever he did hasn’t left your body. We need to get your strength back if we have any hope of getting out of here uncaptured.”
Darcie nodded in agreement. “Alright. How?”
Des turned back to her and she read the answer in his expression. Only then did she remember Des’ kiss just before she opened her eyes.
“Oh,” she breathed. Her face filled with heat.
“I don’t know what Adir did,” Des repeated after observing her reaction. “But I know physical contact helps. Maybe I give you my strength?”
That makes sense.
She nodded. “Maybe.”
Des placed his hand on her shoulder. “The kiss worked quickly. We are working against time, otherwise I would let you gain strength back another way.”
Darcie was mortified. She was under no illusion Des kissed her for his own benefit, but hearing him say it to her was awful.
She looked over his shoulder, unable to meet his eyes. “Alright.”
With a fortifying sigh, Des leaned forward. Using his other hand, he guided her cheek to the side and pressed his lips to hers.
At first, Darcie refused to move underneath his touch. She did not want Des to mistake any participation as desire for what was happening. He made it perfectly clear this was only a necessity.
However, as Des’ ministrations became more probing, Darcie found it difficult to remain stoic. Des’ hands cupped the side of her face. His lips urged hers to part and their breath mingled together. She didn’t know what to do. Every part of her wanted to throw herself into the kiss, but her mind continued to remind her this was not a romantic kiss. Des had been clear. He knew of no other way to help her regain strength. This was their only option.
But Des didn’t act resigned to the task. With each moment that passed, Des’ kiss became more and more passionate. His breathing increased and he pressed closer to Darcie.
Try as she might, Darcie could not stop her body’s natural reaction. She lifted a small hand to Des’ cheek and tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Her blood pulsed with fire. Her heart swelled. Her entire body experienced a myriad of sensations in response to each press of Des’ lips. Darcie never felt anything like it.
She always wondered what her first kiss would be like. Movies led her to believe it would be timid and sweet, but that was definitely not the case. Des’ natural intensity played into the passionate kiss. It was beyond anything she could have imagined.
Control returned to Darcie’s legs. She pulled them behind her and sat on her legs, careful not to break the kiss. She was just about to advance further when an odd sound reached her ears. She paused to listen, but Des continued to move his lips against hers.
Slow clapping sounded above their heads. “Look what we have here.”
Chapter 25
Darcie leaned away from the kiss and froze when she saw Adir’s sardonic grin. Des stood and turned to face him. He stepped in front of Darcie.
She rose to her feet, no trace of numbness in her body, as she observed Adir’s state. He was covered in black smudges. His shirt was torn in various spots. It was obvious he’d been in a fight.
“Stand down, Adir,” Des commanded, his tone full of the authority Darcie realized was bestowed upon him by the immortal council. “You are acting against the orders of The Council.”
Adir’s laugh was maniacal. “I do not recognize the authority of The Council.” His grin grew. “Their orders do not apply to me.”
“This is treachery,” Des growled. His body tensed. “Don’t be a fool, Adir. Stand down.”
“I don’t think I will.” Darcie watched as Adir threw forward his palm and a bright red light shot from its surface. Des deflected the light with his forearm, but the impact sent him careening back into Darcie and pressed her against the wall.
The breath flew out of her lungs, leaving her gasping for breath.
Des bolted forward and crashed into Adir, sending both immortals flying out of the closet and into the adjacent hallway.
Darcie stumbled forward, still trying to catch her breath. She used the door frame for balance and took in the scene before her. The entire hallway looked as if it had been blown away by an explosion. The walls were crumbled. Debris littered the floor. It looked like a war zone in an e
xpensive mansion.
Adir and Des continued to try and harm the other with the sources of light. Darcie blinked multiple times and shook her head, but the scene before her didn’t change. The brothers never mentioned any ability to shoot light out of their body. The acknowledgement made Darcie more inclined to believe Adir when he said the brothers didn’t tell her everything. The evidence was right before her.
But Des came to rescue me.
A loud boom reverberated through the door frame.
Darcie didn’t know where she was in relation to any exit. Knowing her safety depended on Des winning and helping her escape the house, she crouched down and watched the immortals fight.
Adir continued to shoot red light from his hands, and Des expertly dodged or deflected every attack. He returned counter attacks with a blinding white light emanating from his hands.
One large burst sent Adir jumping back into an adjacent room. Through the crumbling wall, Darcie could see Des pursue the rebel immortal and continue his assault.
For the life of her, she could not tell if someone had an advantage. Both immortals looked evenly matched. Des would appear to be on the offensive but, in the blink of an eye, Adir would begin pressing and Des would have to move to defend himself. Neither was able to gain the upper hand.
Briefly, Darcie wondered if Des was only stronger in the presence of his brothers.
As if the universe heard her question and decided to offer assistance, Darcie heard a distant voice she recognized. “Des? Des, where are you?”
Another shake caused Darcie to lose balance. She lurched forward and caught herself with her palms. She hissed as her skin made contact with shards on the ground.
“Des?” The voice sounded closer. “Darcie?”
“Over here!” she shouted. Despite the effort, she was sure her reply was lost in the sound of the fighting taking place all around her.
“No!” Des cried.
Darcie turned her head and the world seemed to slow down as she watched one of Adir’s red bolts progress through the air. She watched it pass by Des as if it were not meant for him at all. She saw Adir’s lips turn up at the corners, happy with the move he made.
Enlightened (Immortal Chronicles Book 1) Page 19