by Lexi C. Foss
“It means I created him, or rather granted him immortality. About two hundred years ago, to be precise. Mateo is much younger. Only a few decades.”
“Do I even want to know how old you are, Issac?”
His chuckle was warm and affectionate. “I prefer not to think about it, so let’s leave it at a few centuries. I’m much younger than Aidan and all the Elders. They’ve got a few millennia on me.”
“Right …” Balthazar and the others didn’t act like ancients, not the way Osiris did. Thinking of the terrifying Ichorian sent a chill down her spine. And his buddy Aidan is in the other room. That’s just great.
Issac went to her suitcase and picked out a blue sleeveless dress and her swimsuit. “In case you want to swim with the others.”
She didn’t, but she put the outfit on anyway while he grabbed a pair of those illegal jeans and another grey shirt. The black boxer briefs went on first, followed by the rest. The intimacy of dressing with him warmed her to an extent, but thinking of those who were waiting for them doused her in cold water. “Are there rules again?”
He walked around the bed with a wicked grin. “Oh, I can come up with some, if you like.” His fingers knotted in her damp hair as he pulled her in for a kiss that melted some of the ice flowing through her veins. “Maybe later in the bedroom.”
“So I’m allowed to talk to them?”
“Unfortunately,” Tristan replied from the doorway. He was leaning against it with his arms crossed. His board shorts and polo shirt were what she expected from a man in the Hamptons. “And I can’t silence this one.”
“She’s off limits.” Issac’s hand moved to her lower back, his thumb tracing a line above her birthmark. “I need to tend to Aidan and Lucian, but Tristan will keep you company in the interim. Right?”
His progeny looked about as excited as she felt by the prospect. “I would be delighted.” He replied, hazel eyes flashing. The way he studied her was the way someone might study a bug they were considering squashing.
“Thank you. Cherie put the coffee on in the kitchen and there are snacks in the fridge. Help yourself.” He kissed her on the cheek and cast a pointed look at Tristan as he passed him in the doorway. His hazel eyes never left her, the downward curl to his lip indicating he found her lacking.
“Yeah, I’m going to the pool.” He turned with no invitation to follow.
Yes, Issac. Great escort choice.
She went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, no sugar, and stepped out onto the patio. Issac hadn’t gotten very far. His arms were braced on a lounge chair and he was looking down at a grinning Clara. Her bronze-orange bikini left little to the imagination. Anya was lying beside her, tanning her bare back. The black bottoms she was wearing barely covered her ass.
Oh good. The whole gang is here. And the one with the lethal touch who liked bitey humans was close to naked. Fan-fucking-tastic.
“I see he told you,” Tristan murmured beside her, his hands in his pockets.
“Told me what?” she asked, eyes narrowing as Issac leaned down to brush a kiss against Clara’s forehead. He winked at Anya before starting towards the house. Neither act left a good feeling in her stomach.
“About how Clara was turned as a gift for Issac, of course. She’s perfect for him, really. I can see the logic behind Aidan’s actions.”
Aidan gifted the gorgeous blonde woman with immortality so she could be with Issac? The knife in her abdomen twisted. He stated they were just friends, but the look she was giving him was one of adoration and worship. An Ichorian mate, not a Hydraian, like she would become. Not the news she wanted after spending a night in his bed.
“Yes, well, enjoy it while it lasts as it won’t for much longer. Obviously,” Tristan added before walking over and taking a lounge chair beside the women. He leaned over to whisper something in Anya’s ear as Clara’s blue gaze skittered over to the patio.
“Come sit with us,” she invited, her smile welcoming.
Awkward. Left without a choice but to accept, she walked over to the lounge chairs and sat beside Tristan. His expression wasn’t friendly.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just grumpy that you’ve stolen his wingman,” the gorgeous woman said as she applied sunscreen to her perfect curves. It did little to make Stas feel better.
“Temporarily,” Tristan corrected. “She’ll die eventually.” From the gleam in his eyes, he was planning that to be sooner rather than later. “Are you sure powers don’t work on you? Maybe we should use Anya as a test.”
“If Issac hears you talk like that, he might ask Anya to try out her gift on you,” Clara said as she pulled her long blonde hair over one shoulder.
“He’s not going to choose a pet over me.” Tristan removed his shirt to reveal a torso that rivaled Issac’s and relaxed into his chair. Too bad his personality was shit. The Irish lilt in his voice was hot too, except he only seemed to say offensive things with it.
She took a long sip of her coffee. Caffeine was a requirement for this conversation, otherwise she might let her dark part out to play and command Tristan to stab himself. He would look fantastic in red.
A man with a mop of black hair appeared in front of them wearing a big grin. Stas nearly dropped her cup, causing some of the hot liquid to splash over the side onto her hand. Setting it aside, she sucked on the tender skin as Clara jumped off the chair and threw her arms around the shorter man. Dressed in a band t-shirt and jeans, he couldn’t be older than twenty-five. He was one of the Hydraians Stas ate dinner with last night, but she couldn’t recall his name. Clara reminded her with a squealed, “Jacque!”
The teleporter. That explained him appearing out of thin air in front of their chairs. And it seemed he was on good terms with the Ichorians.
Anya peered up at the newcomer. “I wondered when you would pop by.”
“I was busy running errands for Luc,” Jacque replied over Clara’s shoulder. She hadn’t let go of him yet, something that didn’t seem to be bothering him. “And he just gave me another task.” Silver eyes gleamed her way as he disentangled himself from the blonde’s arms. “He wants to see if I can teleport you, Stas.”
“He what?”
“Just into the house,” Jacque clarified. “As a test, since B can read your thoughts.”
“Oh, I want to play this game too.” Tristan’s smile was devilish. “Scream for me, love.”
“Fuck you,” she said instead as she scratched her flaring birthmark.
“Damn.” He settled back into his chair. “Worth trying anyway.”
“Want to see if my gift works on you?” She couldn’t help the smile that followed the taunt. She had several ideas in mind for the asshat.
His wicked hazel eyes crinkled at the corners. “Oh, darling, give it your best shot.”
“Or,” Jacque cut in, “you could let me teleport you into the house where Luc and B are chatting with Eliza.”
“Yes, and how’s that going?” Tristan asked before she had a chance to reply.
Jacque scratched his head. “Well, it could be going better. I think she has some trust issues.”
“She’s distraught. As anyone in her situation should be,” Clara put in before shifting her bright blue gaze to Stas. “Eliza is the girl that was auctioned off the other night during the Conclave. The fledgling Aidan and Anya saved.”
“You mean the one Anya won as her new pet?” The memory turned over her stomach, which was still bruised from Tristan’s earlier revelation about Clara being made for Issac.
“All part of the act, love,” Anya called from the pool’s edge. “That’s all the Conclave really is, a show meant to terrify. Once you master that, you’ll be fine.”
“I have no intention of going back, but thanks.”
This news pleased Tristan. “Brilliant.”
Jacque sat beside her, his grey-blue eyes kind. His easy smile reminded her of Owen. Actually … She frowned. His black frock of hair and young features were familiar. “You were in that photo al
bum on Issac’s bookshelf.” He was in over half of the photos with her friend, yet Owen never mentioned anyone named Jacque. He also failed to mention he was immortal, so how well did you really know him?
“Oh, yeah.” He grimaced. “Issac wasn’t happy I left that there, but it belonged to Amelia, which means it belongs to him now. I was just trying to encourage him to visit.”
“He appreciates it, even if he doesn’t say it.” Clara patted his slender shoulder on her way over to join Anya in the pool.
“So, anyway, Luc wants me to teleport you into the primary living room. Ready?” He held out his hand and she eyed it warily.
“I don’t know.” It was a safe way to test her immunity to Hydraian gifts, but the idea of him experimenting on her made her nauseous. It was unnatural.
His brow furrowed. “What? Why? I teleport people all over the world. This is just a hop, skip, and jump.”
“It’s also really weird.”
“Maybe Ash can come out and light her on fire instead?” Tristan suggested.
This was one of Issac’s closest friends? If he wanted his progeny to improve her opinion of Ichorians, then his plan was backfiring. He would have better luck with Mateo. From what little she saw of him, he seemed far more pleasant.
“I promise it won’t hurt. It leaves people a little winded, like you just worked out or something, but that’s it.” He waggled his fingers. “At this distance, you probably won’t even notice.”
It would get her away from the Ichorians. And he was right about testing her immunity in a safe environment. She eyed his fingers, pursing her lips. What did she have to lose? “Okay.” She placed her hand in his.
“Three, two …” They appeared in the living room on “One.” She went from sitting to standing, something that left her off balance, but she corrected it with ease.
“That’s a neat trick,” she admitted.
“Ah, it would seem you’re only immune to Ichorian talents, then,” Luc said by way of greeting, his green eyes crinkling at the sides. “Excellent.”
Aidan sat beside him on the sofa while Issac stood behind them, arms crossed and legs braced. Balthazar was across from them with his brawny arm around the dark haired woman from the other night. She was still frail, but looked a million times better in a pair of jeans and a black tank top. There were a few bruises marring her creamy white skin, mostly around her wrists and beneath her dark eyes, and there were two healing puncture wounds on her neck. But she was clean and there were no chains.
Issac moved to her side, his hand going to her lower back and his lips to her ear. “Lucian was just laying out Eliza’s options.” There was a passport on the table next to some credit cards and other travel documents. “Mateo set her up with a new identity to get her away from the city and Aidan was kind enough to set aside some funds. Or Lucian has offered her a home with the Hydraians.”
The conversation continued with Luc explaining life on Hydria. She gathered it was an island with a small community of immortals. There weren’t any humans except for the occasional tourist who arrived by ferry for a day visit. No cars or motorized vehicles were allowed on the island despite it having a twenty-mile radius, and they all worked various jobs near home or in nearby cities she didn’t recognize.
Jacque disappeared about halfway through the explanation. Balthazar must have read the teleporter’s mind because he gave the smaller man a nod right before he vanished. Did he have the same range as Issac in terms of power radius? If yes, then he had a lot of voices in his head. What a headache that must be.
“How you end up contributing depends on your talent and personal interests,” Luc continued, still discussing jobs on Hydria.
Eliza’s dark brow furrowed. Now that she was cleaned up, her age showed. She couldn’t be older than twenty-one. “My only experience is surviving on the streets.”
Balthazar rubbed her arm in a comforting gesture. Concern poured from his chocolate gaze, a stark difference from the sexual vibes he presented to her yesterday. It seemed the seductive man had a soft side.
Their discussion continued with Aidan outlining the dangers of returning to the city. He wasn’t shy about what would happen to her if placed in the wrong hands. Everything he said applied to Stas as well, something his green gaze implied each time he looked her way. She could see the resemblance between him and Luc. The age lines around Aidan’s mouth and eyes placed him closer to fifty years old, while his son appeared to be in his mid-thirties. He was shorter and thinner than Luc, too, but still in better shape than most men. She was betting he was solid muscle beneath the black suit he was wearing.
“How long do I have to make a decision?” Eliza asked when he was done explaining the risks.
“You can have as long as you like, but the Elders are leaving in the morning, and so am I.” Aidan looked to Issac. “I’m assuming she can stay here?”
“Of course,” he replied, his thumb tracing a pattern against Stas’s lower back. “Astasiya and I will be here for a few days as well.”
Luc raised a brow at Stas. “Do you intend to go back to the city?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Small island life would be too much like her hometown in Montana. There was a reason she moved to New York City. She preferred the ambiguity and the hustle bustle of life. Small towns weren’t her thing, even if they were safer. Osiris might be a threat, the CRF, too, but she wasn’t the type to let fear drive her decisions. A small part of her also admitted that she wasn’t ready to leave Issac either. Whatever was blooming between them was fragile and unique, and not something she was ready to leave yet, even if it was only temporary.
Luc looked like he was about to say more, but thought better of it. “I won’t force you, Stas.” The words not yet hung in the air between them. She wasn’t naive. Her persuasive gift could come in handy to a group of outnumbered immortals. If anyone understood that, it was the master of strategy staring her down. He was the leader of his race for a reason, and she suspected he was not used to being turned down.
Jacque teleported in with an armful of pizza boxes. He dropped them on a table and disappeared again, only to reappear with more. She counted twenty boxes when he was done, his brow dripping with sweat as he collapsed into a nearby chair. “Sorry, Amelia,” was all he said.
Issac chuckled. “Yes, she would not be happy about you setting those on her mahogany table.”
“I know, but the kitchen is way too far.” There was a grin in Jacque’s voice, insinuating some kind of inside joke that sparked smiles from several others in the room, including her demon.
“Pizza!” Jayson swung off the banister from the second floor and landed with a thud in the foyer. She forgot the Hydraian was here, having not heard much from him at dinner last night. He went right for the pizza boxes, selecting two pies, and taking them over to a nearby chair. It made her smile. Lizzie would have reacted the same way, minus the two-story drop.
The aroma of melted cheese made her stomach rumble. Coffee was not sufficient after last night’s activities and it was well after noon.
“You didn’t feed her? Have I taught you nothing, Wakefield?” Balthazar’s deep tenor swirled with lewd insinuations. “Sweetheart, whenever you’re ready for the full immortal experience, you just let me know.”
Issac’s hand drifted to her ass and squeezed just as Clara and the others walked in from outside. “I sated her in every way that counts, or couldn’t you hear all the screaming?” Stas elbowed him in the side, her face on fire. She couldn’t believe he just said that out loud. He kissed her neck; his version of an apology. Whether it was for not giving her breakfast or embarrassing her, she wasn’t sure. Maybe both.
Anya picked up a pizza and sat on the sofa armrest beside Aidan in nothing but her tiny bikini while Tristan picked up a box and joined Jayson. Clara stood between Issac and Balthazar wearing nothing but a see-through swimsuit cover and a smirk. “Oh, how I wish Amelia was here to witness this,” was all she said before taking a seat besi
de Balthazar and draping her bare legs over his strong thigh.
“Tease,” he murmured as he began massaging her calf with his free hand. She blew a kiss at him. Their easy camaraderie was much like the night before, with a few added tensions. Eliza was one of the latter, but Balthazar seemed to be putting the girl at ease. The handsome immortal was an expert at multitasking. She watched as he comforted the wounded brunette and flirted with Clara at the same time. It was fascinating, if not a little disturbing. No man should be that good with women. It would lead to unfair expectations for all of male kind.
Issac selected a pizza at random and led her over to a love seat near the windows before handing her the box. From their corner position, they could see everyone in the room, a vantage she appreciated. His arm went around the back of the couch. “I recommend you re-energize, love. We have a game in the shower to finish later.” It was said for her ears alone.
“Only if I get to make the rules.”
He nibbled her neck, triggering a shiver from her. “Not going to happen.”
Quiet conversation flowed through the room as everyone ate. The bond between Luc and Aidan became more apparent as they ran through various topics, their intellect far superseding everyone else in the room. She gathered Luc’s gift of intelligence came from his father as they jumped into a strategic discussion about the current financial affairs throughout the world. They would make a killing playing the stock market.
Jayson was doing something with a knife that seemed to interest Tristan while Clara flirted shamelessly with Balthazar. Eliza’s gaze drifted around the oversized living room, landing on Stas a few times before looking away. There were unspoken questions in her dark eyes. They were both thrown into a paranormal world without choice, but Stas’s past made her more equipped to handle it. From what she gathered about Eliza, she had been oblivious about her heritage until she took on the wrong John.
“What’s her gift?” Stas wondered, gesturing at Eliza with her chin. “Is it hypnotic, like that Jarod guy said during the Conclave?”
“Maybe.” Issac polished off his half of the pizza with a final bite. She was only a quarter of the way through her side and moved one of her pieces to his half of the box. He picked it up with a smile. “It’s abnormal for a fledgling to display power the way you do. Most fledglings don’t realize they are different until they die and wake up immortal or meet the wrong Ichorian. Eliza’s likely just a proficient seducer, as would be required by a woman with her occupation.”