“He’s in the back room, resting,” Levi said. He was standing by the window, looking at the “beautiful” view outside.
I stood my ground in the middle of the living room and crossed my arms. “How did you find him?”
Standing behind the couch that was placed between Levi and me, Ceris tsked. “You answer our questions first. What took you so long?”
I looked around. Nadine wasn’t in the living room, the dining room, or the kitchen. I could sense her aura if I wanted to, but I avoided doing that. It felt like invading her privacy, and if she knew, she would hate me more.
I sighed, letting my arms droop down beside me. “I failed.”
I told them everything. About the island, Nasya, the Cup of Life, and the Death Lords. I also told them I had been searching for the Death Lords all this time, but I didn’t tell them about the deal with the Death Lords. I didn’t tell them about the black tendrils of poison spidering across my chest, and I certainly didn’t tell them about the Black Thorn in my pocket.
Levi leaned against the windowsill. “You knew it was a long shot.”
Yes, I did. But I was also hopeful, especially after passing Nasya’s tests.
“I’m sorry,” Ceris said.
I stared at her. Wow. Her tone, her expression. She actually meant it. “Me too,” I admitted.
“What are you going to do now?” Levi asked.
I shrugged. “What we were doing before. Find allies, fight Imha and Omi. What else can I do?” I frowned. “I don’t feel Izaera and Zelen.”
“They have been out, looking for allies,” Ceris said.
“And Maho?”
“Nadine found him,” Levi said.
That was a nice surprise. “What? How?”
“She had the idea to use the map to find them, the same way she found our scepters,” Levi explained. His tone held a hint of pride. “She has only found Maho so far, but we’re hopeful she’ll pinpoint all the gods and lesser gods.”
“That would be a great help.”
Levi nodded. “It would.”
“That’s not all,” Ceris said. “Yesterday, when we arrived on the island in Thailand to get Maho, Edan and Nuri were there. They had Maho imprisoned. We fought them, but they managed to pin down Levi. Nuri had a Black Thorn.”
Fuck. I looked over at Levi. He seemed well, though. “And?”
“Nadine saved me.” Levi smiled. “Again.”
“Wait. How?”
“She used magic,” Ceris said.
I gaped. “Magic?”
“Yes. She lunged at Nuri and it looked like she was going to use her sword, but then magic shot from her hand. She knocked them all out. Literally. Edan and Nuri and the nymphs were all unconscious after her magic hit them.”
“So … she has powers?”
That was certainly an unexpected development. A good unexpected development. With magic, Nadine would be able to defend herself better during battles—which always worried me. Half of my mind was always on her, concerned she would get seriously injured during a fight. I tried not to worry because I knew it pissed her off, but when I could, I butted in and saved the day. It was my way to ensure she would be okay.
Ceris tsked. “Well, apparently she doesn’t. Maho couldn’t sense any power in her after we came back.”
“He suggested she redirected power from us somehow,” Levi said.
I frowned. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”
“We’re not sure it is, but whatever it was, it was powerful.”
“What was powerful?” Nadine’s voice echoed from the hallway. She stopped by the archway and my breath caught. She wore jeans and a tank top that hugged her perfect body. She had a hand towel around her shoulders, and she ran her fingers through her long, wet hair. Barefoot, she looked casual and relaxed—until her gaze found mine. Her face paled and her beautiful green eyes went wide.
Fuck. I thought I had been prepared to see her again, but the force of the longing that rippled through me almost brought me to my knees. It was all I could do not to run to her, take her in my arms, inhale her delicious scent, and hold her close.
I cleared my throat. “Levi and Ceris were telling me what happened when you all were rescuing Maho.”
She nodded and averted her eyes. Without another word or glance in my direction, she marched to the kitchen.
“Her mood hasn’t been the best,” Ceris said once Nadine had closed the kitchen’s door. I nodded, knowing all too well I was partly responsible for her bad mood. “I’ll go talk to her.”
Ceris joined Nadine in the kitchen and I exhaled. This wouldn’t be easy.
“I’m really sorry about the Cup of Life,” Levi said. “I wish there was something I could do to help.”
I snorted. If only he knew. “Unless you know where the Death Lords are hiding, there’s nothing anyone could do.”
A knot creased Levi’s forehead. “Wait. What if we found them?”
“I’ve been trying for the last three weeks.”
“I know, I know, but two heads are better than one. Perhaps you didn’t look for them in the right place.”
“And where could they be?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll brainstorm.” He took a step forward and clasped my shoulder with a strong grip. “I don’t want to feed you false hope, but I don’t want to see you give up yet.”
I wasn’t sure I could handle more crushed hope, but there was nothing else in the world I would like more. Even the war and the restoration of the balance seemed like trivial things when compared to losing Nadine.
Because I would lose her. Even if she died and went to the underworld and I summoned her like I had done to Morgan, she wouldn’t be the same. She would be dead, trapped in my underworld, and Nadine deserved more than that. She deserved to live, to smile and laugh, to sing, to see the sun rising and setting.
I closed that part of my mind and heart before hope took hold of me. I couldn’t let myself hope. Not anymore.
With every ounce of strength I had, I said, “We have more important things to take care of.”
6
Nadine
Ceris sat on the other side of the kitchen island, looking at me as if I was going to burst into flames at any second. Here was the only place in the apartment where Ceris hadn’t lit scented candles—probably because it already smelled of coffee and whatever else we were baking or cooking.
“What?” I asked her again.
“Nothing,” she answered again.
I wasn’t buying it. I reached for one of the sandwiches Keisha had made for dinner and left on a tray for us. Ceris took one too.
“Why are you babysitting me?”
“I’m not babysitting you.”
“Yes, you are.” I took a long drink of water. The cold drink washed down my throat, reinvigorating me. She thought I was going to let my emotions get the best of me—the emotions I was desperately trying to ignore. Oh my God, Micah was here! He was back! He had even spoken to me. He had stared at me. And I honestly didn’t know what to make of that. She thought I was going to explode on Micah, demanding he … what? I had no right to demand anything from him. I sighed. “Look, I won’t do anything stupid, okay?”
“What if I want you to do something stupid?” She took a bite out of her sandwich.
“W-what?”
She lifted a finger, asking me to wait while she finished chewing. After she swallowed, she said, “Well, you shot magic out of your hands when your emotions were high during a battle. Maybe being irritated with Mitrus and getting into a fight with him will trigger another response.”
I gaped at her. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why not? It seems like a good test.”
“You’re crazy.” I ate the last bite of my sandwich, grabbed my water, and marched out of the kitchen. I braced myself, expecting to see—and ignore—Micah again, but he wasn’t there. Neither was Victor.
Disappointment took hold of me and I gasped, startled by th
e emotions swirling in me. I shouldn’t feel disappointed. I should feel relieved.
Afraid of my own feelings, I rushed to my bedroom. It was too early to sleep though, so I immersed myself in the books spread across the floor. I had brought a few from the dining room the other night so I could read them in bed, but my mind wouldn’t cooperate. It kept drifting to the man—to the god—somewhere in this apartment.
In the past, Micah had pushed me away on certain occasions, and on others he had cornered me and wouldn’t leave me alone. We had kissed, then he left without any explanation, and he stayed away for three weeks.
Now he was back and I didn’t know what to make of it, of us, of him … of anything. Should I confront him like an abandoned girlfriend? Should I ignore him? Should I treat him like a regular friend or acquaintance? Or should I treat him like a god? Call him my lord and bow to him every time I was forced to speak to him?
I shut the book on my lap and let it slide to the floor. Why bother reading if I wasn’t actually paying attention to the words on the pages?
Perhaps it was too early, but I was exhausted. I was still tired from yesterday. Between the traveling, fighting, and the inexplicable magic, I felt drained. The shower and the sandwich had helped, but I really needed some peace and quiet. I hoped my body and mind were so tired I wouldn’t have any nightmares. It would be a first.
I changed my tank and jeans for a loose tee and sweatpants and slipped under the covers. I hugged Pinky, my little sister’s stuffed bunny, and closed my eyes, willing my thoughts to good things, which seemed like a hard task. In the world we lived in, nothing was good anymore. The only good things I could think of had been taken from me.
My family had been killed right in front of my eyes. My father, my mother, my little sister, and my two little brothers. And many years before that, my other brother had died. Then, a few weeks ago, I had killed Morgan.
How could I find any peace?
I rolled in my bed, thinking of a time when my family was alive, when we were happy together. I thought of my last birthday, when Micah took me to see them in the underworld. That brought a small smile to my lips.
Micah would never admit it, but he had a soft spot. Taking me to see my family, even if I couldn’t interact with them, had been the best present anyone could have given me. I wished he would take me there again. But I still hadn’t decided on a course of action—ignore him or treat him like an acquaintance—so that was out of the question.
Finally, my mind relaxed and I could feel the edge of sleep coming to take me.
The weirdest dream invaded my mind.
“Come on, I will show you,” a girl said. She smiled and her bright eyes twinkled. Her dark hair was pulled back into an intricate braid with white flowers woven into it. Her smile, her face … I had seen it before. “I think you’ll like him.”
I took a moment to situate myself. We stood behind some rocks on a hill, watching over a village on the vale. A village with houses made of poor wood and straw. Women dressed in simple gowns walked around with baskets full of clothes or bread. Men sported odd pants and shirts, thick belts and boots—and bows on their backs and daggers at their waists. The children played around them, most of them barefoot on the unpaved and uneven ground.
I looked at the girl beside me. She wore an elegant white dress, much like the ones Greek goddesses wore in modern depictions. Looking down at me, I noticed I wore the exact same dress, and my hair was pulled back in the exact same fashion.
“There he is.” She pointed to a man exiting one of the houses. Like the other men, he had a bow and quiver filled with arrows on his back and a dagger tucked in his belt. “Isn’t he handsome?” She sighed.
Yes, he was handsome. Not like Micah and Victor, but those two were gods. They were abnormally perfect. This man, the one this girl was showing me, was handsome in a natural and casual way.
“I know this is dangerous. I know I shouldn’t, but please try to understand.” Her eyes pleading, she grabbed my hand.
Like the script of a play had been downloaded into my brain, I finally understood what was happening in this crazy dream. This girl was my sister, my twin sister, my best friend. We weren’t supposed to be here, but she was in love with the man in the village and he was in love with her.
I was happy for her, but I also feared where this would lead. She wasn’t supposed to fall in love, not with someone like him. Not with a mortal.
The man stopped at the corner of a house on the east edge of the village, looked around, and then rushed up the hill.
“Come on,” the girl said, squeezing my hand. “He’ll be waiting for me.”
She set out running and my body jerked with her pull. I fell into step with her. Disbelief burned in my veins.
I took a long breath to calm down, then another. Then a third one, but this time it wasn’t to remain calm. It was to help me breathe easier. My vision blurred, and my legs wobbled. The burn spread, searing white hot in my limbs.
I fell on my knees.
“What is it?” the girl asked, kneeling in front of me.
My vision darkened and the pain exploded. I heard her calling me, but then she was gone.
I sat up on my bed, screaming my head off as the pain burned in my chest.
My bedroom door flew open and everyone in the apartment hovered over me.
“Nadine, what’s happening?” Ceris asked.
“What is it?” Keisha asked.
“Say something, darling.” That was Micah.
I closed my mouth and swallowed my scream. I would have snapped at him for calling me that, but I was afraid if I opened my mouth, I would only scream more.
I lay down again, fighting to breathe through the pain while everyone talked and asked questions at the same time. Their voices, their agitation, only made it worse. I gasped, taking in a lungful of air, but it came in hitches, hurting more than helping.
Would this pain, this burn ever go away? What if it didn’t? Maybe this pain was here to claim me, to take me. I didn’t want to die yet. I had to remain alive to fulfill the Soul Oath and bring my family back to life. If I died now, it all would have been in vain.
“Nadine, what is going on?” Ceris asked, her voice close. “Tell me what you’re feeling.”
I tried, but I couldn’t. I opened my mouth to tell her, but only whimpers came out.
She placed her hand on my chest and warmth seeped in, warmth much different from the burning in my body, warmth made of love, of life. After a few minutes, I was able to breathe again. The pain was still there, burning like a bitch, but at least I didn’t scream each time I opened my mouth.
“You healed me?” I croaked. It hurt to speak.
“Not really,” she said. “Healing isn’t one of my powers, but I passed good vibes on to you, hoping to dull the pain.”
“Are you still hurting?” Victor asked.
I nodded.
“What happened?” Micah asked. His eyes shone with concern. Or maybe it was something else. I was probably too tired and hurt to see anything clearly.
“I … I don’t know.” I took a deep breath. “I was having an odd dream. The pain started in the dream, and I woke up burning on the inside.”
“What dream?” Ceris asked.
“I don’t know. It was … odd. I was … it was a long time ago, like centuries ago, and I had a sister. A twin. She wanted to show me something, someone, but before we could get wherever she was taking me, the pain started. And I woke up.”
“With the pain,” Micah said.
I nodded, not looking at him. “With the pain.”
“How is it now?” Victor asked.
I closed my eyes and assessed it. “Still here, still burning, but I can breathe and speak through it now.”
Micah turned to Victor and Ceris. “Do we have something for this? A medicine, a potion?”
“I’m afraid without knowing what exactly is afflicting her, we could risk doing more harm,” Ceris said.
Wi
th gentle hands, Maho touched two fingers to my forehead and closed his eyes, breathing deeply.
Moments later, his eyes snapped open and he looked down at me. “The pain is magical.”
“W-what?”
“Magical pain?” Victor asked, staring at me as if I were a lab rat again.
Micah crossed his arms. “What do you mean?”
“It’s not physical pain,” Maho said. “There’s nothing wrong with her. It’s pure magic.”
“So now there’s magic in her?”
He nodded. “Yes, but it’s not hers.”
What did that even mean?
“Is there anything we can do for that?” Micah asked, his eyes hard on Maho.
The red-haired man shook his head. “Not right now. Maybe a healer could lessen the pain.”
“Do you know where to find a healer?” Micah asked Ceris.
“No, but I can search for one,” she said, her tone indicating she didn’t really want to go.
“It’s okay,” I said, closing my eyes. “It’s slowly diminishing. I just want to rest now.”
Even with my eyes closed, I could feel their gazes on me. And I heard whispering. They were talking, planning in hushed tones.
“Someone should stay with her,” Micah said, his voice low.
“I’ll do it,” Keisha said. Thank God. If Micah had proposed to stay, I would have screamed some more. “I’ll stay here with her.”
Keisha exited the bedroom with the others. When I opened my eyes, Micah stood under the doorjamb, looking at me with worry in his eyes. With a grunt, I rolled on my side and gave him my back.
“Excuse me, my lord,” Keisha said.
I spied over my shoulder as Micah retreated from the bedroom and Keisha entered with a sleeping bag. She closed the door behind him and then sat by my bed.
“You don’t need to stay,” I said. “I’m sure I would scream again if it got worse.”
She chuckled, though it wasn’t an amused tone. “I know, but I want to.”
“Why?”
She lifted one shoulder. “It just feels right.”
I passed my pillow to her. “At least try to get some rest too.”
The Everlast Series Boxed Set Page 58