A part of me recognized Cassius’s last minute appearance and then sudden disappearance, but I had no idea if we were all dream walking through one of his sick games, or if this was reality.
If Alex had turned.
If he was the siren we had all always feared he would become.
Bannik ignored me, as he always did, and approached Alex. “I have a job for you.”
Alex fell to his knees. “I’m yours.”
“Hell.”
“I know.” A cruel smile spread across Bannik’s features. “Let this be a lesson to the rest of the immortals. If you do not fill the empty spaces with something, eventually, you will default toward darkness — it is the way of the world. And now… I don’t just have Alexander — I have a way to take the essence of the rest of those who watch.”
It was hard to look anywhere near Alex’s direction. Light burst from him; the man looked like he was on fire, just ready to explode into a supernova if he got too pissed. Never in my life had I seen such awesome beauty — never in my life had I been so certain that beauty masqueraded as the very evil I felt pulsating off Alex.
Bannik had gotten to him.
Had forced him to forget.
And now, Bannik had control of him.
Like a weapon.
I didn’t know how to kill the siren. The demon bite was all but gone. Alex’s white eyes gazed over me, bright orange flames licked and hissed through his red hair.
He looked like the Greeks’ version of Hades come to life — only prettier.
Because a siren was never handsome, he was always pretty, his face masculine and yet feminine all at once — which was probably why both men and women were constantly attracted to him. He chose which face he showed, depending on what or whom he was seducing — it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him suddenly turn into whatever he wanted — in order to seduce his counterpart.
Alex’s smile was sad as he very slowly transformed into a mirror image of my face, of my body, down to the small scar near my chin that had been put there by Sariel himself.
“Impossible.” I let out a shaky breath.
“Full potential.” Bannik smirked. “Let’s go, my son.”
Alex turned on his heel and followed Bannik out of my house and toward what I knew would be our death.
And the demons — they would let him because they followed me, because they were attracted to power — because they would sense it in Alex.
“We’re doomed,” I said. “And it’s my fault.”
“No.” Hope sounded… hopeful. How was the woman still standing after watching the man she loved not only go supernova but switch sides? “I refuse to believe it.”
“Your refusal doesn’t change the fact that the siren you supposedly love just marched out of here looking like my doppelganger. He’s going to help Bannik drain ten watchers — you do realize how powerful they are? Each of them holds a specific power over whatever region they guarded or watched. Imagine Bannik having full control of the elements. It would be like unleashing the apocalypse!”
Mason transformed back into his human form and shook his shaggy hair, “I hate that you’re right, demon.”
“Thanks.”
“All is not lost.” A familiar voice said, and I felt his presence like I felt my heart beating within my chest. I hated the power Cassius wielded, but not as much as the yearning inside I felt, every damn time he was in the same room. He couldn’t turn off his angelic presence any more than I could turn off my demonic presence. Where there was light, darkness must still exist, though, since Hope’s awakening in this time, in our world, I’d felt less and less like a demon, and more like… something else. What? I had no clue.
“That happens once one realizes they have a soul,” Cassius said, pressing a large palm against my shoulder. I shuddered at the touch. There was too much good in his touch — too much everything. And I hated feeling. I hated emotion. I hated knowing that if something happened to Hope, I wouldn’t stare at her lifeless body with hollow indifference. No, I’d mourn her as if she were a sister.
“Because in a way, she is.”
“Could you guys possibly share with the rest of us?” Hope interrupted my dialogue with Cassius.
“Your blood, elf blood.” Cassius pressed a palm to Hope’s wound. I watched in rapt fascination as the skin knit back together and closed completely without leaving a scar. “It links your race, and it runs through Timber’s veins. He was saying you feel like a sister… and I told him in a way you are.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I’ve never had a brother.” She turned to Mason cautiously. “Though I distinctly remember having a best friend.”
Mason frowned, “Huh?”
Cassius’s eyes flared white.
Mason fell to his knees and roared.
“Sorry, old friend.” Cassius sighed. “Sariel never meant to keep your memories from you — but they weren’t safe, not even in your gruff pinecone-filled head.”
“You sound like Alex.” Mason trembled on the ground. “Hope,” He looked up with tear-filled eyes. “You used to pet me.”
With a gulp, Hope ran toward him and leapt into his arms. “You told me you would always watch over me!”
“I failed.” Mason hugged her tightly. “In so many ways.”
“Nobody has failed,” Cassius interrupted with that deep, commanding voice of his. “Alex has fully realized his potential as a siren. He knows his own power, not just the ability to attract anyone and anything, but become anyone and anything… only the most powerful sirens possess it — I knew there was something beneath the surface, but that future — it was hidden from me.” Ethan and Stephanie burst into the house. “We will go to them, to Bannik.”
“Great.” Ethan’s green eyes lit up. “Because we haven’t been fighting for the past what? Few weeks? Year?”
“There will always be a fight.” Cassius shrugged. “And more often than not — it will either be against your own darkness — or for the one you love.”
“How do we get through to him?” I changed the subject, uncomfortable with their discussion because I was a demon, I was darkness. Wasn’t I?
“The same way, the elves got through to you, I imagine.” Cassius looked between Hope and me. “Is she ready?”
“Ready?” Hope repeated. “Ready for what? I’m not a fighter.”
“To link the willing,” Cassius whispered.
“Link the what?”
“You are their true leader, not Bannik. the demons will listen to you because many years ago, an elf sacrificed herself and made a promise to a race full of darkness and regret — protect Hope — and in return, she would once again connect what had been long ago severed.”
Hope shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about and even if I could link I don’t know how to—”
“The heart and soul — in demons it is no longer linked, a punishment given to them for turning against the light — a punishment needed to keep the balance in order. They will follow Bannik now — but if they see you, if they see Timber, who he truly is — then they will fight to the death to have that completion, and they will be loyal to you forever.”
“And the ones who aren’t willing?” I just had to ask. “What about them?”
“Death.” Ethan’s eyes glowed. “You know there is no other choice, Timber. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah,” I croaked. “You know what happens when a demon dies without its soul.”
“We are still offering them a choice, whether or not they take it, is completely up to them,” Ethan reminded me. Hell, sometimes I hated vampires.
“Fine.” I sighed. “I’ll lead you to Bannik, Hope does her thing, and maybe if we’re lucky Alex won’t kill everyone!” I said it all with fake enthusiasm.
Cassius whispered in my head. “Have a little faith.”
Hope
MY HEART HURT for him.
It was like I could feel his pain, the rejection of his family, the way that he eve
n sometimes felt rejected by the immortals because he was the last remaining siren, because he never truly understood what he was or how he fit in with everything.
Always alone.
Always.
Until Hope.
Somehow, when he’d fallen to his knees, and that giant flash nearly blinded everyone it had been like he’d slammed every last memory he’d ever had into my brain and pressed play.
Alone.
Always.
Until Hope.
I had to believe that he wouldn’t hurt me — that a part of him loved me still — and wanted to protect me. And yet, at the same time, I berated myself for being that girl, the girl who convinced herself that she was a game changer, that she was different. When I was nothing at all, not really.
In the past, I had been elf royalty.
Which basically meant I once had been a complete and total shut-in — and hopeless with plants, much to my parent’s dismay, since elves were supposed to have a green thumb.
I had no special power to speak of.
But I did have really pretty blood — strong blood, or so I was told, blood that would help our race carry on through the centuries.
Protect her at all costs. I could still hear my parents saying this phrase over and over again wherever I went.
And a part of me realized, the reason my mother sent me away that night when Alex was supposed to be protecting us, was because a part of her felt a shift with my friend Mary. Mother had a gift for sensing darkness, and what she must have sensed scared her so terribly that she sent me, unguarded, to a hotel lobby to look for an archangel who didn’t even like us half the time, let alone anyone else.
Alex had loved me.
But he was afraid his love would destroy me — he was afraid that it wasn’t real that he would wake up from the dream to find that I was just like everyone else in his life who had claimed to love him. He thought my body wanted him — that I was confused and that one day I would get tired of him. One day I would walk away.
They always do. His thoughts screamed.
They want my body.
Never my heart.
His heart would not survive it. Maybe that was why he was so convinced that if we were apart for more than twenty-four hours either of us would die, maybe it was his subconscious reminding him of something.
Regardless, I needed to concentrate on the present, not the past.
Timber parked the car in downtown Seattle. The restaurant was dimly lit, like everything else I noticed that had demon all over it. Before we got out of the car, he placed his hand over my wrist, blue fire danced along both of our arms.
“You have to show them who you are. They will sense you, but they will think Cassius is playing a trick on them.”
I nodded as the fire tickled and teased my skin.
Timber had fire on both of his wrists too, like bracelets surrounding his muscled forearms.
Ethan, Cassius, Stephanie, and Mason were all waiting for us. I tried to calm my out-of-control heart, but each of their eyes were locked on my wrist, on the fire. I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
“It’s been so long.” Mason whispered. “So, so long.”
“And yet,” Ethan said, putting an arm on Mason. “It feels just like yesterday when we were put on elf duty.”
“We’re really that defenseless huh?” I grumbled.
“Your body may be weak,” Cassius was suddenly in front of me, tilting my chin toward him. “But your blood is strong… it sings.”
“Huh?”
“It’s true,” Ethan moved to my right and lifted my hand to his face. “You smell like life itself.”
“That’s…” I winced. “Great?”
“For a demon?” Timber chimed in. “It’s like an all you can eat buffet.”
“That’s not helpful,” Ethan snapped.
“Sorry.” Timber gave me an apologetic look. “We’ll go through the restaurant first and into the back. With any luck, most of the demons will be too busy feeding to notice us, and if they do…” He swallowed. “Hope, that’s when you come in.” With strong hands, he gripped my arm and flipped it over so that the fire danced on my wrist. The small blue tattoo shuddered, and when Cassius pressed his hand over it, blood began to slowly trickle down my fingertips, blue blood, life blood.
“One drop.” Cassius nodded. “On their tongues. They must ingest it for the blood to knit what’s been broken. The change must always take place from the inside out.”
“Okay.” Yeah, I was freaking out. “I can do that.” Could I, though?
“You are stronger than you will ever know,” Cassius whispered in my head. “Lead the way, Timber.”
Timber gave a jerky nod then opened the door to the restaurant, immediately I was hit with a sense of dread as dark eyes darted in my direction.
Cursing and a few bellows of “It can’t be,” filled the room.
And then a man stumbled in front of me. Blood leaked from his eyes. Was this why I cried blood?
“You mourn them the way they mourned you,” Timber whispered. “Open your mouth brother, let her heal you.”
“My queen.” The demon fell to his knees, his scissor tongue slid out from beneath sharp fangs. One drop of blood landed in his mouth. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. When he opened them again, they were a pale blue. A sudden light burst forth from his mouth.
I stumbled back into Timber’s arms. “What was that?”
Timber trembled beneath me. “His soul.” I felt myself starting to cry again as the demon, once crazed, stood to his full height and smiled. It didn’t look pained like before. Instead, he looked whole as he whispered, “I feel everything.”
“Kinda sucks, doesn’t it?” Timber added, probably for my benefit since he was whispering still.
“Thank you.” The demon walked away, shoulders back, and so, that was how I slowly painfully made my way through the restaurant, soul after soul restored.
And almost every single demon, after tasting my blood, rose to his feet, and stood behind us, like a ready-made army.
Ready to die.
For me?
For a person they didn’t even know?
Or maybe for a greater purpose than they’d ever been a part of.
“It’s just in there,” Timber pointed to a large oak door. “His office, and behind his office, the ten are chained to the wall, their blood slowly draining from their bodies, though every so often the process is stopped so that they retain their power.”
I shivered as Timber opened the door to Bannik’s office.
It looked… normal. With leather chairs, a large desk and dark velvet curtains.
Once I stepped over the threshold, I was hit with a surge of Alex’s scent, his power. I wanted him so badly.
But I wanted all of him.
His body was beautiful yes —but it was nothing compared to the heart that it kept within.
“Poetic.” Bannik’s voice sounded, and then a wall turned, revealing a basement-like setting. Ten huge men were chained to a cement wall. They had black and red hair just like Bannik.
And they looked pissed.
Like so pissed I was afraid to look at any one of them since the sheer power of what they were was like getting hit over the head with a blunt object.
Each of them was in armor with a tree etched in the middle.
And each man had a sword at his side that was just out of reach.
“Let them go,” I heard myself saying.
One of the men, the middle one, smiled weakly at me and whispered in a language I didn’t understand, the rest of the men laughed loudly.
Bannik swore. “She is weak. Humans and elves alike — so weak compared to those who watch.”
Cassius stepped forward, his wings spread in vivid color, each feather standing at attention, ready to strike. “Bannik, stop this now.”
“I see my brother left a parting gift. I hope it doesn’t hurt too badly when Alex rips them from your body
.”
“He won’t,” I said in a strong voice.
“Oh, my dear, but he will.” Bannik smiled. “Alex, come here, would you?”
A crack sounded as Alex dropped from the ceiling, like literally fell from wherever he’d been perched, watching, waiting. His eyes flashed between black and his normal blue, his hair was still on fire. It burned my eyes to look at him.
He was sheer beauty.
“They all want you.” Bannik sniffed the air. “Every being that has breath in its body — wants you.”
Alex took a step toward me.
I held out my hand.
He frowned while Bannik snorted in disgust.
“The Alex you knew is long gone.” Bannik’s low voice cut through the air like a sword. I hated that I didn’t recognize the look on Alex’s face, that the man I’d loved all those years ago was trapped behind whatever surge of power had overtaken him. “And once he’s finished killing all of you — he’ll give me his blood, blood that can shape shift into anything — and I’ll drain my brothers. Once and for all.”
“So dramatic,” Mason whispered.
Ethan let out a low chuckle.
Bannik whipped around, hand raised toward Mason.
“No!” I ran in front of my friend and held out my hands, fully aware that I wasn’t going to do anything to physically stop him, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try.
Demons growled behind me as Bannik’s hand came into contact with my cheek, searing pain exploded from the side of my face as I stumbled against Mason’s chest.
And suddenly I was jerked away from Mason.
By Alex.
Alex
London, England
1915
“LONELINESS IS DANGEROUS,” Sariel whispered.
I ignored him.
I ignored him a lot these days. I just had no idea why I felt so empty, so alone. Every time I slept with another woman, I was satiated for maybe half a day before I was hungry again, before I needed to be touched. I wasn’t stupid enough to crave love. The idea itself was repugnant.
Love?
It didn’t exist.
Dark Surrender (The Dark Ones Saga Book 3) Page 16