Memory of an Immortal Heart (Immortal Hearts)

by Kita Bell

  Can’t be true.

  Brand gave a low growl as he scanned the trees. Can’t be true.

  But fuck, was it?

  Those old memories, Khael’s memories, stirred again in the recesses of Brand’s mind like a dark cloud, clawing at the edges of his control. With ease that came from centuries of practice, Brand locked the visions away. Dwelling on those memories only brought rage. Madness. And a hopeless, despairing pain.

  Guilt. His own.

  They reached the car. Open your eyes, Brand willed the female in his arms, shifting her against his body so he could open the door. The scent of her blood tugged at him, distracting his focus. Tell me your name.

  Tell me if you’re my amati.

  But, clutching her to himself, his heart gave a stilted double-beat, and Brand realized he already knew the answer to that.

  Corin King stood at attention as Rohe Nightchild paced the windows before him.

  The snow-filled night outside the Asylum illuminated her dark silk-clad figure perfectly, setting off her height and long ice-blonde hair. Rohe was curvy, her breasts the perfect shape for his palms, but she was not sensuous. Not in the way most individuals would define “sensuous.” Rather, King had always considered her akin to an albino cobra he had witnessed once in Northern Africa. Its curves had been sleek, mesmerizing with their deadly economy of movement – and its gaze, like Rohe’s, promised an unpredictable and excruciating death.

  Rohe was, King thought dispassionately, incredibly beautiful. Too bad that she was not the sort of woman he considered for his lovers. Despite what she planned.

  “Strategoi,” Rohe whispered, using his title from her father’s Court as she stopped pacing. She curled her fingers around his jaw, down his chest, then lower. “I have a task for you,” she murmured, gripping him.

  At that moment, Rohe’s eyes were brown and human, wide and warm-looking. But Rohe’s eyes always appeared mortal. One of the greatest assets his master’s daughter had was her eyes, for so many of her targets forgot to peer deeper, to see the chilled emptiness that lurked as a warning beneath the warmth. Rohe entranced her weaker victims with her gaze, even as she controlled the humans with a wish.

  Quite simply, her desires became their desires.

  King reached down, took hold of Rohe’s slender wrist. “You disrespect me,” he said coldly. “And your patron. I am here as his gift to you.”

  Rohe’s lips tightened and she squeezed – once, harsh, in punishment – before withdrawing her hand from the front of his tailored pants. The deceptive warmth of her gaze frosted over as her rage bled through.

  “Two of my pets have escaped,” Rohe said, crisp and cold. “You are to retrieve them.”

  “The Kaspian and the Winterbourne Sakai?” King asked, already knowing which subjects she referred to.

  Rohe’s smile chilled. “Find them, or kill them. I will not have ill-trained beasts running free.”

  King nodded and touched the sword at his side. “As you wish, my lady,” he said, bowing. He meant every word. He had been sent to protect Rohe, to watch her. It was not in the Courts’ best interest to leave either the Kaspian or the Winterbourne free to talk. Free to act. Not after what Rohe had done to them.

  Escaped prisoners made for uncontrolled enemies. Uncontrolled enemies were dangerous. Corin King turned to leave, to gather his soldiers and hunt his quarry. The ashes of something old and distant stirred in his chest, as they did every time he began a hunt: anticipation. Corin King had been born to hunt.

  “Strategoi.”

  King paused at the threshold. Rohe was facing the windows again, the long fall of ice-blonde hair shimmering over her shoulders like a veil.

  “Yes, my lady?” His voice was toneless as her own.

  “I find I am bored. If you will not see to my entertainment, then send someone who will.”

  Chapter 2

  Eva woke to warm darkness and the sensation of someone much larger – and more dangerous – looming over her. Despite how she despised her weakness, she forced her body to stay relaxed, taking groggy stock of the situation.

  It felt as if a truck had hit her. That was nothing new. But Eva could still fight. Or run. Her feet felt swollen, pulsing with pain, but if Eva was running from Rohe, then she could run forever. If she had to.

  And the concrete floor was soft beneath her… Wait.

  Eva’s brain woke up and she just kept herself from stiffening. The floor? No, this was a bed. They put me in a bed. And the harsh lemon scent of hotel soap – a scent Eva knew far too well– pervaded her senses as if someone had cleaned her body.

  Rohe’s guards had cleaned her and put her to bed.

  No. On a bed.

  Eva panicked, barely keeping her body from tensing. No – no, no no. As long as she hadn’t challenged Rohe, she had been safe. There had been a line Eva had known never to cross, a line she had taken pains to avoid – a line that had allowed her to escape this. After that first time, Eva had been careful – very careful – not to even toe the line.

  The first time she had gotten free of the table restraints and struck Rohe across the face, Rohe had given her to the guards to drink.

  As a guard leaned to take her neck, Rohe had smiled down at Eva, saying, “If you will not play with me, then you will play with everybody. Your first warning, pet.” And then her smile vanished – it was a monster’s smile anyway – and the guard had frozen with his teeth touching her skin. Everyone feared Rohe, even – no especially – the guards. “Well, idiota? Will you not feed? It is not everyday someone will feed the likes of you,” and Rohe had tapped a thigh with one of her scalpels, as if contemplating using it on the guard. Then those fangs had sunk into her flesh…

  Eva snapped back into the present as a large hand brushed her hip, turning her body onto her chest; her heart began to thud until she realized that someone was examining the gravel abrasions on her back. Her terror grew and she resisted the urge to clench her thighs together. As long as they thought she was asleep, she was safe. Two deep voices were speaking in a foreign language and Eva sucked in a breath as her stomach twisted.

  There was a masculine, spicy scent to the air. Eva struggled against it, confused. It was as if, somehow, she recognized that scent. Because that scent – everything about that scent – told Eva she was safe. That she could relax and sleep, and know that she would be safe and protected. That she could trust this scent. Eva desperately wished it were true. But she knew better than to cling to stupid hope or blind fantasies.

  It had to be one of Rohe’s tricks. It had to be.

  Because she wasn’t safe. Never again.

  But if they were going to rape me, wouldn’t they just do it on the floor?Why bother with a bed?

  And none of Rohe’s guards would have cleaned her. Or be touching her so…gently.

  This wasn’t right. Nothing about this situation was right. It didn’t matter. Because she wasn’t safe. Eva curled her fingers beneath the surface of the pillow, keeping her body relaxed as she waited for her chance to strike.

  Her freedom was riding on this, as was her chance to see Rainey again.

  She concentrated on the broad hand on her hip and tried to ignore that enticing scent.

  “Why the hell were we you driving out there anyway? We should have been on the interstate,” Brand snapped, trying to keep his voice low so he wouldn’t wake the female. He didn’t know what was wrong with her – she should have woken far before now, and that fact was beginning to worry him far more than it should.

  “I have some merchandise in the trunk that it’s better border patrol not discover.” Joshua examined one of his knives with a critical expression; the dim light of the muted TV cast him in a greenish glow. “Lets just say I know a man who knows a back road to where we need to go.”

  “Goddamn it, Joshua.”

  “Not my fault. Seth asked me to pick up the merchandise. Take this up with your brother.”

  “Believe me, I will.” Brand cursed softly as
he examined the abrasions on the woman’s back and forced himself to ignore the softness of her skin. Yes, he could help speed the healing of some of her injuries – but the gravel would have to be cleaned out first. And healing wasn’t exactly his primary ability. “That is the reason I try not to fall asleep if you’re around,” he muttered.

  Joshua snorted, then slid the blade away. “Live and learn, cousin. Live and learn.” Then he learned forward, frowning at the woman, and Brand resisted the urge to snarl at his proximity. “You know, Brand, you might want to be careful. I’m not sure she’s actually – ”

  The female whipped around, clawing at Brand’s eyes with short, ragged fingernails. Joshua cursed, jumping back and Brand was too startled to do anything but blink. Then he swore and caught her wrists. She flashed small white teeth at him, snarling, and – his amati or not – Brand’s training took over – he jerked up on her hands, unbalancing her so she fell back into the bed, and pinned her legs with his own. She writhed beneath him, struggling. And then, as if realizing the futility of what she was doing, she sucked in a breath, gave a half-moan and fell back onto the sheets.

  The clean, pure scent of rain – spring rain and somehow silver – wafted up to fill the air around Brand like a kiss. To his horror, Brand went instantly hard. Fuck. The female was terrified. It didn’t take an idiot to know that – and this was the moment his cock chose to wake up?

  He momentarily closed his eyes and grabbed hold of his fraying control. Think of her as one of Stronghold’s fighters. A young one.

  “If you were going to attack me, why didn’t you just Change? You would have had better luck,” Brand snapped, opening his eyes to meet her dazed silver eyes as she started to struggle again, hoping to hell she hadn’t noticed his growing need – and promptly lost it.

  Something inside of Brand shifted, changed. The memories surged, tearing at his focus, and Brand had the terrifying sense of being on a collision course; he promptly closed his eyes and anchored himself inside that scent – Her scent. Why in hell she should ground him so easily? Spring rain and silver. Brand tensed as emotions slammed through him: elation – joy – confusion – amazement…pain. Guilt. So much fucking guilt.

  Because it was his fault. If only he had just…

  Fuck. Fuck.

  An amati. His amati.

  He didn’t…he didn’t need this. He didn’t need her.

  Not ever – not right now.

  Brand shoved the thought away and opened his eyes. The female had gone still again, her graceful brows drawn in a confused sort of desperation.

  Brand knew her. He had never seen her before, but he knew her. To the depths of everything he was. And she was lovely.

  Lovely…and battered. Brand wanted to reach forward, brush the hair out of her eyes, and heal the dirty scrapes that abraded her right cheek. He wanted to erase the pain from her body.

  Except that would mean letting go of her hands, which would result her fingernails raking out his eyes.

  “You’re safe,” he said quietly, keeping himself raised off her enough that he hoped she wouldn’t feel the press of his erection. “I’m Brand Kade, this is Joshua Elisaie. We aren’t going to hurt you. I give you my word.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Joshua muttered to his left, and Brand caught the wink of the blade his cousin held. “I don’t know that hellcat well enough to make any promises to her.”

  Brand growled a warning at Joshua, then cut it off, focusing on the woman beneath him. A delicate line had creased her brow as she continued to stare up at him. Her hands were beginning to shake, and he found himself fixating on the ragged dark waves of hair beneath her head, the smooth warm skin of her throat as she swallowed. Her perfectly rounded breasts. They were peaked in fear.

  His mouth went dry.

  “Kade. Kade and Elisaie,” she repeated, her voice hoarse, trembling, as if she had screamed herself raw in the recent past. “I know those names. From somewhere. From…” those silver eyes blinked, went wide. “From the Gens. The Resh hated you, used to curse you, said you wanted his territory. Because you…you’re Kaspian too. That’s why you smell safe. Because you’re Kaspian.”

  Tension abruptly drained from her body as she breathed a sigh of pure and utter relief. Brand released her wrists and gratefully rolled off her.

  “You aren’t Rohe’s? You swear you aren’t Rohe’s?” There was a close-held fear to the female’s gaze that tore at Brand, made him want to reach out and gather her into his arms. She was strong – that was apparent from her posture, her gaze, the stubborn delicate curve of her jaw – but she was clearly frightened.

  “I don’t even know who Rohe is,” Joshua responded bluntly, and slid the knife back into its sheath beneath his leather coat. “He isn’t from any Gens I’ve heard of.”

  “You swear?” The female looked at Brand, unwilling to take Joshua’s word for it.

  “I swear,” Brand replied, and dared to reach out to brush the dark waves from those stark silver eyes. “On my honor. As both a Kaspian and a Kade. You’re safe with me.”

  The female blinked, made a small choking sound in the back of her throat. Then she twisted over onto her side, giving them her torn back as she buried her face in her knees and burst into tears.

  A hand had settled on the curve of her hip – gently. “You’re safe,” the male who looked like a cross between a foreign prince and a sexy underwear model said again. Brand, Eva reminded herself, and concentrated on stifling her tears. She couldn’t cry right now – not right here, not in front of him. No matter how great the relief was – but the thought that there were other Kaspian here…oh god, she was safe.

  And not just any Kaspian…His name is Brand. Brand Kade. Which means he is from Kade Gens, the oldest Gens. The first Gens. So he probably is a prince-underwear-model. Eva choked on a slightly hysterical laugh, and heard the frown in his sinfully deep voice when he said, “We found you in a snow bank. Unclothed. On the side of a road. With a Sakai standing over you.”

  As if somehow that were her fault. “Couldn’t help it,” Eva choked, and wiped her face into the pillow, praying she didn’t look as blotchy and unwashed as she knew she was. “Wasn’t exactly planned.”

  “I didn’t say it was.” That hand on her hip tightened, making Eva think things she shouldn’t be thinking. Not after the last few weeks she had gone through. He probably has a girlfriend. He probably has a harem of girlfriends. This isn’t even the right situation for that. No one knew how the wealthy and powerful Kades chose to conduct their lives and even from that brief glance, Brand had looked like the sort of man who could walk into a bar and not have to worry about whether he was going home with someone that night.

  Well, Eva could do that too. The schematics were just a bit more difficult for her. For one, she lived with her sister. For the other, she couldn’t actually bring the guy home.

  “What’s your name?” Brand said. His voice was intent, traced with an accent, and Eva realized that this wasn’t the first time he had asked her. He probably only asked because he wanted to know where he should deposit her before brushing his hands off and going on his way.

  Which would serve Eva just fine.

  Because at the moment, all she wanted was her family. All she wanted was to curl up next to her sister and have Rainey tell her the nightmare was over and that everything would be all right. Returning to the Turner Gens – no matter how badly Eva had schemed to leave it over the years – wasn’t so bad, all things considered.

  “I need to go home,” she told them painfully. “To my Gens.”

  “I know,” Brand said quietly, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll take care of everything,” and that hand squeezed slightly, setting off a chain-reaction in Eva’s body – coupled to a strong thread of gratefulness. Take care of everything? It had been so long since she hadn’t had to worry – about everything. Eva shivered, a faint but rising arousal burned through her at his touch…and was stunned by her body’s response.

 
“You’ll take me to North Carolina?” Eva swallowed both her tears and her nerves as she twisted around; a jolt coursed through her as Brand’s hand dropped away, his fingertips roughened against her skin. She met those eyes – and was hit by it again. Him. His presence. “You would do that for me?”

  Brand hesitated, his gaze flickering. Then he cautiously nodded. “We will take you home.”

  Thank god.

  “Oh for Christ’s sake,” the tall sandy-haired Kaspian – Joshua – muttered. “You know our name. What is yours?”

  “Eva. Eva Turner.”

  Blue eyes – dark blue irises, sapphire blue irises. Brand’s hair gleamed a rich black, falling thickly about his face like a thick sleek mane. It offset the deep gold of his skin, and Eva’s fingers twitched against the sheets. Surely his hair’s not that soft? She curled her fingers into her palm. He was tall. Muscular. And so well-dressed.

  His gaze rose, and Eva realized he had been staring at her breasts. “Oh my god.” She ripped her arm up to cover them and tore at the sheets until Brand oh-so-politely offered her the coverlet. Eva pretended she wasn’t flushing. “Why didn’t anyone tell me I was naked?”

  Joshua snorted, and began to say something until Brand shot him a glare, and Eva’s humiliation was complete. “Don’t look,” she muttered, avoiding Brand’s gaze. “It’s not my fault I’m naked.”

  “I know. Who do you think pulled you from the snow?” A deep amusement to that tone.

  Oh god. Change the subject. Now. “Where am I? Are we…safe?”

  A pause.

  Eva snuck a glance: Brand was treating her to a discerning look, a small smile lurking at the corner of his mouth. Her heart stuttered.

  “I’ve seen a lot of women in my lifetime,” Brand finally said. “So nakedness doesn’t shock me. Though yes, you are lovely, Eva. Much lovelier than anything Joshua was about to say.” Then as Eva turned red, all amusement died from his face. “So tell me, Eva: why did we find a tigress from a North Carolina Gens lying by the side of the road in Vermont, naked and injured with a Sakai standing over her? We need to know what happened. You are as safe as Joshua and I can make you, but neither of us can make promises when it comes to threats we can’t assess.”