Enchanted Immortals Series Box Set: Books 1-4 plus Novella

by C. J. Pinard

  Seth was now sitting, naked, curled up in a ball, his arms around his long white legs. “I miss her so much,” he said, wiping his eyes. “I can’t believe that bastard killed her. What could she have done that was so terrible?”

  Malachi was used to Seth’s emotions, he had to listen to it day in and day out while they were imprisoned – both times, at Alcatraz and on the other island. He tried to be as comforting as he could. “Well since she was naked, I’m assuming she was shifting when he shot her. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

  “I’m starting to not really care why, Mal. I’m really not. I’m going to kill Jonathan Murphy.”

  Malachi shook his head. “No, you’re not. He’s freakishly strong. You can’t.”

  “Then I will have to catch him off guard. You’ll help me, right?” He looked up into Malachi’s brown eyes.

  Malachi’s black hair was lying lazily over his left eye and he brushed it away. “I think we are lucky to be off that godforsaken island, and you need to grieve Sheena and move on. I’m not going back to jail, Seth. Not for you or anyone. We have good jobs in the club and we can shift, run, and hunt whenever we want. I’m not screwing it up, and neither are you, my brother.”

  Seth shook his head and stood up. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

  Malachi also stood and put his hand on his shoulder. “Promise me, Seth. Promise me you won’t go after Murphy. I don’t want to lose you. You’re my oldest friend, my brother. He will destroy you without a second thought. I can’t lose you.” Malachi shook his head and looked down.

  Seth let out a huge breath. “The only thing I’ll promise is that I won’t go after him right now. I am not letting this go, but someday, Malachi, someday, Jonathan Murphy is gonna get his. I promise you that.”

  And with that, he crouched on all fours and turned back into the gray wolf, bounding off the way they had come.

  Malachi followed.

  Chapter 19

  ∞∞∞

  When Serina woke up the next morning, Malina was gone. The blankets were folded neatly on the couch with the pillow stacked on the top. On the kitchen counter was a note:

  Serina,

  You are my oldest and dearest friend, so when you talk, I listen, and as usual, you were right. It’s time I put on my big girl pants and deal with this. I have exhausted all avenues to keep my immortality, and it’s now time to get ready to have this beautiful baby and start my life with Thomas. I want you to know that I stayed up most of the evening, meditating and praying on this decision, and I am at peace with it. It’s not right what I’ve done to Thomas, what I’ve put him through. I want to thank you, my dear friend, for not only putting me up in your lovely home, but for putting up with me. I have portaled back to Portland, and when this baby is born, I want you there, for you will be his or her Godmother, if you would do us the honor. I haven’t discussed this with Thomas, but I know he’ll have no objections.

  Thanks again, Serina. As usual, your kindness knows no boundaries.

  ~Malina

  Serina wiped a tear and held the beautiful note to her chest. She looked at it again and folded it neatly, placing it in a drawer. She let out a long breath she had probably been holding for the past two weeks and went into the bathroom to start her day.

  ∞∞∞

  The Immortals gasped when Malina appeared in the living room, her purple bag slung over her shoulder. She was in a short flowing purple dress and her feet were stuffed into flat shoes. Her brown curls were pulled into a loose ponytail.

  Thomas jumped out of his seat, the chair squeaking obnoxiously against the hardwood as he ran over and squeezed Malina. She hugged him back, tears pouring down her cheeks.

  She looked up at him. “I’m so sorry, Tom. I’m so, so sorry,” she choked.

  He buried his face in her neck and shook his head. “Shh.”

  Kathryn got up and put her arms around both of them. “We’re so happy you’re safe.”

  Tyler and Jonathan laughed at Kathryn.

  “If it’s okay, we’re going to our apartment,” Thomas said more than asked, as he walked toward the front door, slipping on his shoes.

  Jonathan nodded. “Of course.”

  As they took the elevator down one floor, Malina pulled a vial from the pocket of her backpack. She shook it between her thumb and forefinger. “You’ll be taking this now.”

  Thomas shook his head. “Not right now.” He bent down and kissed her.

  She broke the kiss. “Please, Tom. It doesn’t matter, at least buy yourself five more years.”

  He shook his head again. “Later,” he whispered.

  The elevator doors opened and they walked into their new apartment, which was just about finished. Just some paint and a couple more pieces of furniture, and it would be done.

  Malina sighed as they walked in. “Oh, how I’ve missed my home.”

  Thomas laughed. “Where were you anyway?” He picked up a huge pile of mail that lay on the floor and chucked it onto the kitchen countertop.

  “At Serina’s, of course. You should know she got very angry with me.”

  He looked surprised. “She did? Why?”

  She laughed. “Because I wouldn’t go home. She was pretty upset after she came from handing out the doses.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure I upset her,” Thomas said. “I was pretty darn mad myself because she wouldn’t tell me where you were. Sorry she took it out on you.”

  Malina shook her head. “No apologizes. All of this is my fault. I’m so sorry, Tom. I was being childish and it won’t happen again.”

  He hugged her and then pulled away, looking into her eyes. “I’m just glad you’re home. Are you two okay now, though? I don’t want you at odds with Serina. She is a wonderful girl and your closest friend.”

  She nodded. “Yes we’re fine. Well, I think we are. I left her a note. She’s very forgiving. I will call her tomorrow.”

  “That’s good. So are you going to tell me what caused all of this?”

  She grabbed him by the hand and led him into the bedroom, where she removed her shoes and sat on the edge of the bed, patting it so he would sit next to her. Once he did, she grabbed his hand again. “I’ve been alive a very long time, as you know,” she said, letting out a large breath. “I never knew if I wanted children, but when I became pregnant, I was immediately overjoyed. I love you so much, and I know you’ll be a great father. But as the months went on, it started to sink in that you and this baby, if it’s a girl, will eventually go on without me.”

  Thomas shook his head. “She may, if it is a she,” he said, pointing at her belly, “but I won’t. I’m done with this immortality business after this baby is born, boy or girl. I want a normal life with you.”

  “Please, Tom, just hear me out. I tried making varying doses of Enchantment to see if they might help other sylphs keep their immortality after they gave birth. I found five pregnant girls, and it didn’t work on any of them. It was the only hope I was holding onto, and when it failed, I fell into a depression.

  “But after yesterday, when Serina gave me a good talking to, I realized she was right. I need to stop being selfish and enjoy the time I have left. I am going to have a beautiful baby girl or boy, and maybe more after this, and I want to enjoy them to the fullest. With you.”

  He smiled at her and kissed her lips gently as he placed his hand on her belly. “Yes, we’ll do this together. I will grow old with you. It’ll be fun,” he teased.

  She shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that, to yourself, to Jonathan…” she trailed off.

  He put a finger under her chin and gently tipped her face up to his. “I’m not taking it anymore. I’m done. Jonathan will have to get over it.”

  When she saw how serious he was, she exhaled dramatically. She looked at him with pleading eyes. “Will you at least take this now, though? Five years won’t matter.” She put the vial in his hand and closed his fingers around it.

  He looked down at it, then back up at her. “I su
ppose you’re right. It will appease Jonathan, and I will be able to use my special abilities to protect you and our child in case I ever need to.”

  “My thoughts exactly, my love.” She grabbed the vial from his hand and popped off the stopper. She pulled a sewing needle from the pocket of her bag and pricked her finger, dropping in three droplets of blood. The liquid turned from pink to aqua and began swirling. She closed her eyes and recited her silent incantation over it. Opening her eyes, she handed it back to him. “Ad vitam longan,” she whispered.

  “Here goes nothing,” he said, smiling. He slammed it back in one shot while she grabbed the vial from his hand. He put his head between his knees and breathed through it as he had done over a dozen times before. The liquid burned through his veins like fire and he rocked back and forth with his eyes shut tight and waited for it to pass.

  He eventually opened his eyes and looked at Malina. “I love you. Now get undressed and get into bed. I need to hold you against me.”

  “My pleasure. And tomorrow, sweetheart. I need you to take me somewhere.”

  “Where’s that?” he asked, slipping his shirt off.

  “To the Oregon Vortex.”

  ∞∞∞

  “So what are you going to do?” Vania asked, painting her fingernails with black polish. She was on the last finger and closed the bottle and began blowing on her nails.

  Brandon looked at the polish then up at her. “I don’t know. Part of me wants to leave, just take off out of here and tell my folks I joined the military or something. But I have a life here. I like my job. I just don’t like the way Darius was talking to me.”

  Eric, the normally quiet vampire of the bunch, spoke up. “Maybe we will like being foot-soldiers. I mean, really, what could that entail anyway? Just being his personal bodyguards, right? We would do that anyway.” He brushed a strand of blonde hair from his forehead and looked up from the picnic bench into the sun. “Look, it’s just a title. I think we should grin and bear it. Even though Darius can go in the sun now, too, there are others in this clan who can’t. That’s a huge advantage to us. They need us, Brandon. It was the whole reason Pascal made us.”

  Brandon’s green eyes stared at Eric. “I hear what you’re sayin’, bro, but our special little gift could also be our demise. What if the older ones start feeling threatened and kill us? I mean, I still don’t trust that Mike won’t stake me in my sleep after what we did to Pascal.”

  “He would have done it by now if he was gonna. Starting with me,” said Vania, her fingers still parked by her lips. She continued to blow on them.

  “That’s true,” said Bryan. “Mike’s bark is worse than his bite. I think we need to just tow the line for a few years and see what shakes out.”

  Brandon glowered at him. “Easy for you to say, Lieutenant.”

  Bryan picked a piece of grass off his Metallica T-shirt and flicked it away. “I didn’t ask for that. It’s what Pascal wanted. And now Darius. I’m not going to get all high and mighty about it. We’re still friends. Just roll with it, man. And not to change the subject, but what are you going to do about Angel?”

  Brandon looked confused and cocked his head slightly. “What do you mean?”

  “Are you two still an item, or what?” Bryan asked.

  He shrugged. “I guess. When she wears out her usefulness, I’ll move on.”

  Cocky bastard. Vania thought, glowering at him.

  The back door to the house opened and they looked to see Darius walking out. He had a coffee mug in his hand but they all knew it didn’t contain coffee. He was dressed in baggy jeans and a green button-up dress shirt.

  “What are you kids plotting out here?” he asked good-naturedly.

  “Hey, boss,” Bryan said, standing up.

  Darius eyed them, then sat down, straddling the bench. He put both arms on his knees. “So, what’s up?”

  “Just enjoying the sun,” said Brandon, pointing to the sky.

  Darius looked up and slipped on sunglasses which he kept in the front pocket of his shirt. “Yes, incredible, isn’t it? I never imagined I could ever go out in the sun again. Then when I was human, I really didn’t care to. Now that I know I shouldn’t be able to, I want to come outside all the time.”

  He had tried the little experiment a week ago with Angel watching from the window and had almost cried when he walked out in broad daylight without starting to smoke and sizzle. He had never been so happy.

  “Why do you always wear those sunglasses?” Vania asked, pointing at them.

  He sighed. “Well, when I was human, I had developed cataracts, and when I was… re-born, my eyesight improved, but I noticed a halo around the edges of my vision, and direct light or sunlight is actually uncomfortable.”

  “Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry. That must really, really suck.”

  He smiled, his white teeth lighting up his face. “It’s okay, it’s better than the cataracts. And being human.”

  She smiled. “I bet.”

  “Boss, can I ask a question,” Bryan said, still standing.

  “Of course, Bryan,” Darius answered.

  He paused for a minute, working up the courage. “Are you going to be turning any more vampires at the Vortex?”

  Darius smiled and swung both legs to one side of the bench and leaned his back against the table. “You know, I’ve been thinkin’ about it. And when I gave it some serious thought, I decided no, I’m not going to. You guys, plus me, we’re enough of a team to get things done without needing more sun-resistant vamps. The rest we turn will be regular, sun-hating vampires. But they will only be turned by choice. I am not Pascal, I do not turn people against their will. There are plenty of people who would jump at the chance, especially these days with all the vampires in the movies and on TV. It’s quite amusing, actually.”

  Vania nodded. “That’s true. There are some serious vampire fanatics out there. They have these Internet clubs and they meet on weekends and pretend to bite each other and stuff. It’s kinda funny now that I know the truth. I went to a few parties before Pascal found me at Night Crawlers. Very creepy. There are some sick people out there.”

  “I’ll let you know if I need any more,” Darius said with a laugh. Then he looked at the group and said, “Would the rest of you go inside and give Brandon and me a minute right quick?”

  They all got up quickly and did as they were told.

  Darius turned back around and sat facing the table and downed the rest of the blood from his coffee mug.

  Brandon sat still with his arms folded and watched him.

  Darius set his mug down and stacked both of his thin hands on top of it. “Brandon, I just want to ask; are we cool?”

  He thought long and hard before answering Darius. It was go time, he thought, and he had to make a decision. It was now or never. He exhaled. “Yes, boss, we’re good. You won’t hear a peep from me. The only thing I ask is that you let me continue working my paramedic job. I love it and Pascal didn’t have a problem with it.”

  “I don’t either, but I have to ask. How do you handle the blood and gore? You’re so young. When I was as new as you are, I surely would have lost it seeing as much human blood as you probably do. Haven’t you ever lost control?”

  Brandon laughed and shook his head. “Only once. Horrific car accident on the 205, five people dead, two decapitated by a semi. I could smell the blood a mile away – literally. Once we reached the scene, I had to excuse myself and I went down into a ravine on the side of the road and had to down two blood bags I kept in my pants pocket before I could get a grip. Other than that, I do fine. In all honesty, the majority of the work is just responding to heart attacks and stuff. A lot of carting around old folks from the hospital to their nursing homes, or vice-versa.”

  Darius laughed. “I know you’re not lyin’ there. I would shudder every time one of the old-timers would bite it. Always thought I was next.”

  Brandon grinned. “I’ve been to Shady Grove many times. I didn’t know y
ou were there.”

  “And I didn’t know the ambulance service had a vampire working on its crew or I would have begged you to take me with you,” Darius quipped with a shiny white smile.

  “So to answer your question, yes we’re good. You don’t need to worry about me. But I do have another question.”

  “Shoot,” Darius replied.

  He looked around the backyard, then up to the window where Angel’s bedroom was. “Are you okay with my relationship with Angel?”

  Darius raised an eyebrow. “What relationship?”

  “She didn’t tell you?” Brandon looked confused.

  He shook his shiny head. “No.”

  “Well, she and I have been kind of seeing each other, and before you ask, yes, it started before Pascal died. I’m not proud of it, but it is what it is.”

  Darius nodded. “Okay. Well I am not going to stop you, but just keep yourselves under control and remember that when I need you, I expect you to be there. You feel me?” He stood up and plucked the coffee mug from the picnic table.

  “No problem.”

  Darius began to walk away.

  “Hey, Darius,” Brandon called out.

  He turned around. “Yeah?”

  “Thanks.”

  Chapter 20

  ∞∞∞

  Portland, Oregon – Present Day

  Kathryn’s eyes shot open at the sound of the doorbell buzzer going off. She rolled over and looked at her bedside clock: one a.m. “What the hell?”

  She grabbed the short, silky pink robe from the back of her door, and went into Jonathan’s room and shook him. “Someone’s at the door, John. Get up.”

  He woke easily and also looked at his clock. “What the hell?”

  “My sentiments, exactly,” she said.

  Jonathan pulled the 9mm pistol from his bedside drawer as the doorbell buzzed again. He checked to ensure it was loaded as they slowly walked to the front door. Jonathan peered through the peephole, then swore under his breath. “Vampire. Should have grabbed the UV gun.”