The Everlast Series Boxed Set

by Juliana Haygert

  I sucked in a sharp breath. “All right.” I did the same thing I had always done with Micah and Victor. With my hand resting over the wound, I closed my eyes and imagined my power, my energy traveling from my core to the wound, cleaning it, gluing it, closing it. Warmth surged from around the scratch. I opened my eyes and gasped when I saw the cut healing. After a few seconds, it was all done. The skin was smooth and fair again. No sign of any injury. “That’s … incredible.”

  One corner of Micah’s lips tugged up. “It really is.”

  I lowered my hand as a sudden feeling invaded my chest, making it hard to breathe. I was sad for having to leave. “Maybe it’s time to go.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I didn’t want to leave. Not yet. Because once Micah dropped me outside the wards in NYC, that was it. Our army would be gathered and tomorrow we would march on Imha. I would probably only see Micah again during the fight, and after we hopefully won, my time would be up. He and I would conclude the Soul Oath.

  And I would never have told him how I felt.

  Boldness exploded in my chest, and I choked on the words that were rushing through my mouth.

  Gripping the spear hard, I stood and faced him. “This might be the last time we’re alone and not in a run-for-your-life situation, so I need to tell you something.” His brow pinched and I almost lost the courage to continue. Almost. I sucked in a deep breath and pushed through anyway. “Before I die, I need to tell you that I love you.” I swallowed, shocked I had actually said it. His eyes widened in surprise. “I first realized I loved you when you brought me to the underworld to see my family, but I think I started loving you much—” With his eyes hard and his lips pressed tight, Micah rose and I stepped back. “—sooner than that.” He advanced toward me, and by the look on his face, I was sure he was going to hit me. Or shake me. Or teleport me to NYC before I could embarrass myself further. “Anyway, I just thought you should know.” I extended my hand between us. “Now you can take me back to the others.”

  Micah closed his hand around mine and he pulled me hard to him. I almost lost my hold on the spear. Now, up close, I could clearly see I had misinterpreted the hard look in his eyes. He wasn’t angry or disgusted. He was hungry. For me.

  I gasped as one of his hand wound around my waist and the other caught the spear from me and placed it on one of the chaise lounges. Then his hand was around my neck and his face leaned down, his mouth only one inch from mine.

  “I love you too, darling,” he whispered. “I love you too damn much.”

  Before I could process his confession, his lips crashed on mine and erased everything else from my mind. There was only us.

  At that moment, I surrendered myself to him, body and soul. I had always been his; he had owned me even before the Soul Oath. His kiss was ardent, starving, deep, and I matched each move and each stroke. I tangled my arms around his neck, molding my body to his, wanting to touch him, to feel every inch of him.

  His tongue teased mine and I moaned. At that, he pulled back and groaned. Taking advantage of the separation, I tugged his shirt up. He lifted an eyebrow at me, a question in his eyes.

  Warmth seeped in my cheeks, and I said, “I love you, Micah, and I want you to make love to me.”

  His eyes widened for a second and he groaned again. Without another moment of hesitation, Micah pulled his shirt over his head and threw it aside. And I let my eyes fleet over his gorgeous, rippled chest and abdomen. However, his new tattoo caught my attention.

  I grazed my fingertips on what looked like the center of the tattoo, right above his heart. “How … how is it longer?”

  He rested his hand over mine and pressed my palm against his heart. His heartbeat was accelerated and the up and down of his chest erratic.

  “Because it’s not a tattoo,” Micah said, his voice somber.

  “What is it, then?”

  “Is it okay if I explain later? Right now I have more important things to do.” His eyes traveled up and down my body. He licked his lips, the shine of hunger becoming brighter in his eyes.

  I smiled, loving how he looked at me. “Show me what these important things are,” I whispered.

  Micah hissed. Then he hooked his arms under my shoulders and my knees and walked with me past the chaise lounges. I had no idea where he was taking me until an archway appeared out of nowhere in the wall. He walked past it with me into what looked like a massive, elegant bedroom with a big four-post bed with black gossamer curtains and black silk sheets. With his eyes boring holes into mine, he carried me to the bed and gently deposited me right in the middle.

  Micah crawled on top of me. He placed his hands flat on the pillow on each side of my head, his dark gaze searching my face.

  “Are you sure?”

  I lifted myself on my elbows and grazed my lips on his. “I’ve never been surer in my entire life.” I wound my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, and pulled him down on me. He groaned, taking my mouth again, and I moaned with how delicious his weight felt on me.

  There was only us, and then the two of us became one—our bodies tangled together in the silk sheets, skin on skin, our breaths mingled in a frantic rhythm. My heart was about to explode with the righteousness of it all. It was as if we belonged together, as if there was nothing else in the world but us. I never thought I could feel this way, this love, this passion—about what we were doing and about him.

  And deep inside, I kept wishing this moment would never, ever end.

  “I shouldn’t go much farther,” Micah said, one hand around my waist, keeping me close to him.

  It was late morning and we were in the middle of a dying forest. Micah had teleported us four times already since we left the underworld.

  After we made love last evening, Micah convinced me to stay with him for the night.

  “Levi won’t be waiting for you until tomorrow,” he had said. “And this will be the only time we have alone.”

  His argument was compelling, but in the end I stayed because I wanted to.

  Later that night, he teleported out and brought us dinner, and while we ate, he told me about his fight against the Death Lords and about the poisonous web spreading through his body. I jumped into action, trying to formulate a plan, a way of saving him, of stopping the poison, of making him whole again. I even tried healing him, but apparently a lady of Diana wasn’t that strong of a healer. However, he said he wasn’t worried about that, not yet. We had more important things to focus on. I knew he was right, but that didn’t make me any less worried about him. He robbed me of my thoughts when he kissed me and took me to bed again, where we made love again before falling asleep in each other’s arms. It had been the best sleep I had in a long time—nightmare-less and feeling completely safe. In the morning, Micah repeated the process, but in the opposite order. We made love, and then he went out to bring us breakfast. Then it was time to go.

  I shook my head, forcing myself back to the present. “Because of your aura?”

  Micah nodded. “All of our allies are supposed to be in New York, getting ready for the battle. If I stay there too long, they will sense me. We aren’t sure who we can trust, so it’s better if they all think I’m still on Imha’s side until the last minute.”

  My stomach dropped. “I understand.” Trying to appease the despair taking hold of me, I gripped the hilt of the sword hanging from the belt on my waist. It was the spear disguised as a simple sword. Micah’s idea so nobody would stare at me and wonder what the hell I was up to. His way of keeping the spear and its function a secret.

  “So I’m just gonna teleport us there, and I’ll instantly teleport out.”

  “Are you saying goodbye now?”

  One corner of his lips quirked up. “I’m trying.” He slipped a hand around my neck and cupped my nape. “Gods, I don’t want to leave you.”

  I held on to his shirt as his forehead touched mine. “I don’t want to leave you either.”

  He brushed his lips on
mine. “Please, be careful, darling.”

  “I’ll be with Ceris and Victor and Alice. You’re the one with the enemy. You should be really caref—”

  He silenced me with a kiss. A desperate, deep, harsh, long kiss that left my soul raw, my heart in pieces. After a long while, he withdrew his lips but kept his head close to mine.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  “I love you more,” he said.

  I was about to protest, but then the world spun and blinked and the next thing I knew I was standing outside the barrier in New York. Alone.

  Even knowing he wouldn’t be beside me anymore, I looked around, hoping to get one last glimpse of him.

  I sighed, checked to see if my uniform was still okay—save for the bloodied, ripped shoulder—if my hair was in place, and if the sword was still secured on my waist. As soon as I crossed the barrier, everyone would be able to sense me, feel how my aura was different, and they all would look at me.

  Regardless, I had to go on.

  After a long breath, I crossed the barrier and started walking toward the building where our apartment was hidden. Two turns later, I started seeing our allies camped along the path—and they were all standing, looking at me as if I were a one-woman parade. I had to admit, I didn’t think we had this many allies—I couldn’t count fast enough, but if I had to guess, I would say there were about two thousand deities and supporters gathered around our apartment. And, as I walked by, they all gawked at me as if I were a creature with seven heads.

  About fifty yards from the front doors of the building, Ceris and Victor poofed right in front of me. Startled, I skidded to a halt and almost bumped into them.

  “Want to give me a heart attack, jeez!” I snapped, trying to calm my racing heart.

  They both stared at me with giant eyes.

  “Where’s the spear?” Ceris asked, her voice low. Staring at her, I touched the sword again, hoping she would get my message. She lowered her gaze to the weapon and her eyes lit up with wonder. What? She had so little faith in me she thought I wouldn’t be able to retrieve it?

  “Your aura,” Victor said. “We can tell you’re the same as Alice’s, but there’s still something off.”

  Ceris turned her wide eyes to me. “It’s like you’re more than her.”

  “More powerful,” I added. That was what Micah suggested, though I didn’t feel powerful. “Maybe because of my higher rank?”

  “By the Everlast,” Victor whispered.

  “That’s … amazing.” Ceris smiled.

  “So,” I started. “I know you guys want to know all about my quest and I want to know all about what happened here.” I glanced around to the curious people gathering. “But can we do it inside?”

  “Of course,” Victor said.

  Ceris touched my arm and poofed us both inside. Victor met us there.

  Frowning, I glanced around and realized why they had transported us to their bedroom. “You don’t want the others to know about the spear.”

  Victor nodded. “We know we have a traitor, but we don’t know who, so until we find out we want to keep the spear a secret.”

  “All right.” It made sense, though depending on who our traitor was, he or she would be able to sense my new aura. He or she would know something was different. Well, that was a problem to think about later. Exhausted, I sat down in an armchair in the corner of their room. “So, what do you want to know first?”

  33

  Micah

  The first time I walked through these gates had been painful.

  This time though, it felt like having a new Black Thorn rip through my chest with each step. I didn’t want to be here, I didn’t want to see Imha again, I didn’t want to stand in front of her and pretend I was on her side.

  I took a deep breath and entered Imha’s improvised throne room.

  “My dear Mitrus,” she cooed from her throne. “It’s so good to see you.”

  I approached her. “I see everything is going well here.”

  “It’s wonderful.” Her eyes shone with wicked light and her smile widened, becoming even more crazed than before. “I’ve received your reports. Well done, Mitrus. I knew you still had it in you.”

  I just nodded because really, what would I say? I didn’t have it in me to push myself that far. “What is our next move?”

  Imha pouted. Not a pretty sight. “Oh, so serious and direct. You need to learn to have fun again.” She strolled to me, moving her hips more than necessary. “I can show you how.”

  It took everything in me not to flinch. “Maybe another time. After we win the war.”

  “We’re close to winning, dear.” She circled me, looking me up and down, as if she were appraising me like a pig, seeing if it was fat enough for the table. She clicked her tongue. “My spy informed me of Levi’s next move. They plan on taking over one of my training camps in two days’ time. Stupid,” she muttered. “We’ll be there, waiting for them. We’ll end this war once and for all.”

  “Sounds like a good plan. When are we leaving?”

  “I’ve already sent several of my generals, but we’ll go tomorrow. Just to make sure we are there, prepared for the final battle, even before they set foot there.” Imha ran her finger across my shoulders. “Which means we have time …” She didn’t finish it, probably expecting me to.

  Once more, I fought the urge to jerk away from her, from her touch.

  “To rest and get ready,” I added, hoping I sounded bored. “After all I did these past few days, I need to rest.” Turning to her, I caught her hand in mine and forced a half grin to stamp my lips. My eyes fixed on her, I leaned down and kissed the back of her hand. “I’ll see you later.”

  Later as in right after she left for the battle tomorrow. Until then, I would hide, pretending I was too busy to notice anything else.

  Her dark eyes glinted with mischief. “Certainly,” she purred.

  I winked and walked past her. Once she couldn’t see my face, my grin slipped away and my lips turned upside down. A deep shudder took root in the base of my spine, but I held it back until I was out of the throne room and out of sight.

  Now, if only I could stay out of her sight for the next twenty-four hours.

  34

  Nadine

  We were all here. Victor, Ceris, Izaera, Zelen, Maho, Sol, Ronen, Alice, and me. Except for Micah. Besides Victor and me, no one knew he was actually on our side.

  My heart ached a little looking at everyone now, all dressed up in our beige uniforms, with combat boots and heavily armed with weapons, standing together in the living room of our apartment. We were still missing two great allies, and there was no way to get them back. Morgan and Keisha. How I wished they could join us today. Their strength and their energy would be missed.

  Maho started pacing. “Are you sure Imha will be at the training camp?” he asked.

  “We’re hoping she will be,” Ceris said. “Either way, if she’s not, that’s where most of her army is located. We take them down and then we go after her regardless of where she is.”

  “And how will you find out where she is?” Sol asked.

  “We will torture it from one of her generals,” Victor said, sounding calm. Then he straightened and cleared his throat. “Everyone ready?” Some of us uttered “yes” while others just nodded.

  Together we climbed down the stairs and exited the building. We stopped in front of the thousands of allies gathered outside. From the looks of it—tactical clothing, heavy boots, and weapons strapped to belts or hooks—everyone was ready for battle.

  I thought Victor would stand up on an improvised platform and deliver a few words of encouragement to our army, but all he did was raised his closed fist and yell, “Let’s kick Imha’s ass!”

  A roaring cheer erupted from our allies. Then we all marched until we were on the other side of the protective shield and teleported to the place we were meant to go.

  35

  Micah

  Imha and Omi left wit
h nearly eighty percent of the army she had housed in this castle. I left with them, but then when she was too busy and focused on her tasks, I teleported back.

  I called all the demons left in the castle to the throne room and told them to wait for me as I had important information to deliver. Meanwhile, I went to the gates and unlocked them, undoing the magic Imha and Omi had conjured to secure the estate.

  In the distance, I saw a red spot against the dark top of a hill. The signal that they were here.

  A feeling of unease settled in my stomach as I walked back into the villa’s main building. I wasn’t nervous or thinking this over—I just wanted to get this done so we could move on.

  In the throne room, the demons grew restless. They looked side to side, growled at each other, as if I didn’t give some important order soon, they would become too bored and start ripping each other’s throats out.

  Which was all right by me.

  A few tense minutes passed.

  We’re here, Victor said in my mind. In position.

  About time, I answered.

  “All right, all right,” I said out loud. The demons quieted down and turned to me. “I have some important news to deliver to you.”

  On cue my allies dropped the veil over their auras and burst through the doors and windows of the throne room—Nadine, Levi, Ceris, Izaera, Zelen, Alice, Ronen, Maho, Sol, and many other deities. They fell on the demons and didn’t give them a chance to fight back.

  With pure rage in her eyes, Ceris came at me, but Levi stepped in her way. “He’s on our side,” he said out loud, so everyone could hear him.

  Her jaw fell open and her eyes widened. “W-what?”

  Behind them, everyone else, but Nadine, faltered. They engaged the demons, but their attention was on us.