“Of course,” Mark pulled back and fiddled with his glasses, giving them both a tired smile.
Surcy wanted to pull them both back to her again. She wanted to inhale their familiar scents and feel their strong arms around her. But as always, there wasn’t time for that.
Trying not to look disappointed, she turned and walked back to the Immortals, who watched their exchange with interest. When she stopped in front of Spring, she was suddenly struck by the underlying beauty beneath all the dirt. Her eyes were the purest blue, like the petals of an extraordinary flower. No mortal had eyes like hers.
Her heart raced as Spring lifted her hands and touched the sides of her face. Instantly, images bombarded her. There was a beach of glowing golden sand. Large trees with golden apple-like fruits , and houses woven from nature itself were concealed within the trees.
Home. The word echoed through her mind with a sadness that rang through her very soul.
Surcy opened her eyes and nodded. “I’ll get you there.”
The Immortal smiled. “I know you will.”
Surcy stepped back from her and looked at the other Immortals. Autumn no longer watched her with suspicious eyes; instead, his amber-colored eyes were filled with interest. And Winter’s eyes, so dark they were black, were oddly intelligent. As if she was evaluating everything that had taken place, and had come to some kind of decision.
“Who should I take first?” she asked, feeling strangely humbled in their presence.
“Spring,” Autumn and Winter said at once.
The Immortal took her hand without question, and Surcy nearly jumped at how cold and boney it was. Leading her to the edge of the mountain, she stopped and looked back.
“I’ll be right back.”
Daniel raised a brow. “We’ll be here.”
She almost laughed. But instead, she looked at the Immortal. “Ready?”
Spring nodded, and as one, they jumped.
Chapter Eighteen
It was long past nightfall when Surcy had finally brought everyone to the tiny island. Tristan and the Immortal were already there when they reached it. The dragon-shifter was in his human-form, but unlike the other Immortals, he never spoke. He just moved among the trees eating apples with a desperation that spoke of his hunger. In fact, all the Immortals ate and ate.
As the night grew later, she began to nod off. All the fighting, along with using her powers, was exhausting. And yet, she couldn’t get comfortable on the beach.
I’m pretty sure I have a seashell poking me right in the back. Ugh! She pulled it out, lay down again, and still squirmed, unable to rest.
When Tristan suggested she head home to get some sleep, she gratefully leapt at the chance. If she didn’t get a good night’s sleep, she had no idea how she’d be able to teleport so many people to the sanctuary in the morning.
And after that, my demons can sleep for days, if they want to.
She returned to their empty home and showered, then changed for bed. A strange tension filled the air, and she found it difficult to sleep. Staring into the darkness, she tried to decide why she was feeling so uneasy, but nothing came to mind.
The Immortals and my demons are safe. I’m safe. So what’s wrong with me?
A teasing wind blew the white curtains near her balcony, bringing with it the sweet scents of Daniel’s garden. The scent reminded her of the sweet demon. And, at last, she was able to close her eyes. With a smile on her lips, she snuggled deeper into her pillows and felt herself slipping into sleep.
Something made her open her eyes as she shifted. And a man was standing over her.
Her eyes flashed open again. A scream caught in her throat.
Even though she’d never seen him through his cloud of dark magic, she knew it was him. Caine. He radiated a power so intense that it took her breath away. His hair was dark. His eyes pale and cruel. His body was neither thin, nor muscular. Instead, he was built like a man whose strength was woven into every inch of his flesh. He wore a simple dark shirt and pants, and his expression was intense.
“Surcy,” he practically purred her name.
On instinct she tried to teleport away, but his powers held her there.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered, in horror.
He slid closer. “Must we do this every time?”
Her hands were sweaty, clutching the blanket to her chest as if it could stop whatever was about to happen. “I don’t understand.”
He slid even closer. “You, Surcy, are my spy. That is the only reason I didn’t simply call you to me and throw you into the Soul Destroyer. And now, you and your filthy demons have angered me by taking my Immortals. So, you are going to show me where they are, and I’m going to end their worthless lives.”
No! She stiffened. She would not allow this to happen. She couldn’t!
“Don’t touch me!”
He lifted his hand. “Always so stubborn. Even until the end.”
Taking a deep breath, she watched as his hand grew closer. Then, moving faster than she ever had before, she called her soul-blade to her and struck out. His hand went flying.
She leapt on the bed as a scream of pain left his lips, then jumped toward him, determined to severe his damn head. Instead, he raised his good hand, and she hung in midair for a painful second before being thrown back against the mattress.
Her soul-blade vanished, and then he was over her, his one good hand wrapped around her throat. “You’re going to pay for that, Surcy. And your demons are going to pay for that. I might not be able to kill them yet, but I can make them suffer, and I will.”
She struggled, thrashing on the bed. Her legs kicking wildly, but his hold on her throat was relentless. Her vision dimmed, and then she felt him, like a spider crawling through her mind. She fought him, with every ounce of her being, but she knew the second he found what he was searching for. The location of the four Immortals.
His voice held immense power. “I knew they wouldn’t just go to the sanctuary.”
She felt tears slide down her cheeks.
“Now, where did you hide that damn mermaid?”
Again, he pilfered through her thoughts, her memories, with a reckless, violating power that made her choke down a sob.
“Ah! She too refused the sanctuary.” She felt his cold lips press against her temple. “I wonder how it will feel to know that every risk you took, everything you and your demons did was for nothing. I will simply take the Immortals back, and leave you all to suffer the consequences.”
“Bastard,” she ground out, more tears rolling down her cheeks.
She felt his lips smile against her skin. “You know what the best part is? You’re the one who betrayed them. You ruined it all for them.” Then, his voice grew quieter. “And you won’t even remember it.”
That horrible feeling came again, of him prying inside her mind, and then, everything went black.
Chapter Nineteen
Tristan watched as the morning sun rose over the horizon, feeling strangely satisfied. This island was one blessed by the four Immortals who controlled the seasons. No one else had ever walked these golden sands, until them. He could feel the healing energy of the powerful magic coursing through his skin. He liked the impact it had on those he protected.
The Immortals had eaten the golden apples for hours. And over that time, they’d visibly changed. Their skin glowed. They gained weight, filling out their bodies. And they seemed to hum with power with each passing second.
They’d then stripped off their clothes and bathed in the waters that surrounded the island. Waters that sparkled like stars. When they’d finally emerged, they wore clothing representative of their seasons. And they also wore smiles.
Only the Immortal known as Summer seemed to have no emotion. He ate, bathed, and curled up on the sands without a word or a sign of his feelings. And yet, when they slept, they all slept curled together on the sands.
We were right to take them here.
He’d deba
ted whether he was making a mistake. The shifter he carried had woken, pointing and guiding Tristan as he flew him. Tristan had thought he should bring the shifter to sanctuary, but seeing how their lands healed them, he was glad he didn’t. They needed this.
They deserved it after all they had been through.
And now, Daniel and Mark were sleeping contently near him, the Immortals only a few feet further away, and Surcy safely in their home.
He felt... happy. Nothing made him happier than when the people under his protection were safe. Perhaps it was the gargoyle in him, but he didn’t mind.
Closing his eyes, he felt the sun as it caressed his flesh. Since meeting Surcy, he found himself staying in this form more and more. He no longer wanted to hide in stone. In fact, he felt like an entirely new person. All the years before he’d been broken, he slept unless his village needed him. Now, he couldn’t imagine hiding in his stone form.
It felt... nice to be alive.
Something sliced through his chest, and pain shot through every nerve in his body. His eyes opened, and Frink stood over him, grinning. The angel pulled back his soul-blade and blood poured from Tristan’s mouth. He tried to shout, to warn the others, but it came out gargled through his blood.
Frink’s smiled widened, and he plunged his sword into Tristan’s chest again, pinning him back against the sand. His head turned. White-winged angels crept along the golden sands, their blades drawn, as they surrounded Mark, Daniel, and the Immortals.
Drawing every ounce of strength within him, he spit blood, and shouted, “angels!”
The word wasn’t loud. But it was enough. Daniel and Mark shot awake. The angels raised their soul-blades, and suddenly, swords appeared in the demons’ hands. Metal clashed with metal, and then they were leaping to their feet.
The Immortals rose too, their expressions giving nothing away as the angels surrounded them.
He couldn’t let them die! He couldn’t!
Frink grabbed his face and pulled him to face him as he leaned down on his sword, twisting it more painfully inside him. “I can’t kill you, demon-scum, but I’ve been told I can make you very, very miserable.”
Tristan spit blood in his face, then coughed up more.
Frink wiped it away, his eyes wild.
And then, Daniel severed the angel’s head from behind. The fire mage stood over him, pulled the blade out of his chest, then turned to face the next attack.
Tristan willed his flesh to turn to stone. It took longer than usual, but with the blade gone, it was possible. He knew the instant it worked, because the pain echoed through him, but was no longer unbearable.
Breathing hard, he still couldn’t rise. But his thoughts began to clear.
A roar shook the air.
Letting his head drop to the side, he was shocked to see the dragon he’d rescued. He’d transformed again, but this time he no longer looked as sickly. Still too thin, but his scales were a brilliant gold, and his wings looked stronger.
The angels scattered back from him.
He lashed out at them, and the angels scattered into the air. Summer rose into the air, following them like a being focused only on revenge. On the shore , Spring shifted. Where the woman once stood, a silver dragon rose. Without slowing, she followed Summer into the sky.
Winter shifted into a black dragon. A massive creature with dark eyes. And Autumn changed beside her, into a red dragon. They too launched into the air.
The angels Mark and Daniel fought were plucked off the ground. Thrown, ripped into pieces, and torn with vicious teeth. Tristan had seen many battles in his lifetimes and had seen a lot of blood, but this was different. These dragons were out for blood. They didn’t just want to kill the angels, or win the fight. They wanted to make the angels suffer.
Screams filled the air. And with each second that passed, Tristan fought to rise. He didn’t know what he would do, but he was determined this would not be the first battle he didn’t fight in.
When he managed to climb to his feet on unsteady legs, he looked down at Frink. How many times had they killed the damn angel? He was growing tired of killing him.
In the air, the dragons circled the sky, roaring fire. No angels remained, but still, the dragons circled. Their flight changing slowly from one of rage to one of pleasure.
When Daniel and Mark moved and took his arms, placing them over their shoulders, he relaxed between them. They watched the dragons with an unspoken amazement. They were beautiful creatures. It was rare to see one. The beings were powerful enough to create glamours that even demons couldn’t see through.
And there was something amazing about seeing them free. Never, in all his days, would he forget the sight of the broken dragon, of its dull scales and broken wings.
Beauty like that should never be destroyed so thoughtlessly.
At last, the dragons landed lightly on the shore. Within seconds, they transformed. For the first time, the four Immortals truly looked like powerful beings of legend. Magic surrounded them and lit them from the inside out, like a glow.
Summer moved forward. His broad shoulders and muscles humming with strength. “Thank you.”
Daniel responded. “You’re welcome.”
After a quiet moment, Mark spoke. “You know we sought you out because we intend to overthrow Caine.”
Summer nodded. “Because he controls your angel.”
Tristan stiffened. “He does not.”
Summer’s silver eyes focused on him. “He does. He could call her back at any time. Make it so painful that she has no choice but to return. But he doesn’t, because she’s his spy.”
Tristan pushed away from the demons who held him. “No! She would never!”
The shifter tilted his head. “She does not have a choice. None of us had a choice. Caine plays with our minds. Our memories. He plucks what he wishes from her, and erases her memories of what he has done.”
He felt sick, so sick he thought he might hurl right on the beach. “That can’t be true.”
Spring moved forward, the bright, lively flowers in her long, golden hair, moving slightly. “It’s true. Her life is in his hands as long as he sits upon the throne in Zedussa. When we are restored to power, the angels will be under our control once more.”
“I can’t believe it,” Mark murmured softly.
Summer looked sad. “How do you think the angels found us? Don’t forgot this.”
The massive shifter moved toward the water and shifter back into the golden dragon, before gracefully leaping into the sky.
Spring followed him, but paused at the water’s edge. “We will not forget what you’ve done for us.”
When she transformed, and Autumn followed her, only Winter remained.
The woman was stunning. Long black hair framed a pale face that was overwhelmed by two dark eyes. “You might love her, but you cannot trust her. Even though it is against her will. Do you understand?”
Tristan nodded, numbly.
Winter turned to look at the sky. “We will go to this sanctuary of yours, until it’s time. But you should also know, none of us believe you will be able to save the others. The odds are simply... against you.”
She shifted, and then the dragons circled overhead several times before shooting off into the sky.
“Do you think they’re right?” Daniel whispered.
Tristan was surprised when Mark answered. “The angels took me because of the God Finder. I couldn’t figure out how they found out about it, but if they can pull information out of Surcy...”
Tristan collapsed onto his knees. The bodies of the angels turned to light and disappeared, leaving behind golden sands covered in blood. And yet, none of that mattered, because now they knew the truth. Surcy was not safe. Surcy was not free.
And Surcy could no longer help them in their search for the Immortals. Yet, if she wasn’t useful to Caine anymore, what would he do to her then?
They heard a sound behind them.
Surcy’s voice came, s
oft and shocked. “What happened?”
How can we possibly tell her?
Chapter Twenty
Surcy sat at the dining room table with her demons. They’d barely spoken since returning, just enough to say they’d been attacked by angels, and that the Immortals had returned to the sanctuary. A tension she didn’t understand hung in the air, and no matter how she tried, it remained.
Even Mark wouldn’t look at her.
They ate their spaghetti and salad in silence.
“How are you feeling?” she asked Tristan, turning to the stoic gargoyle.
Instead of answering, he set his fork down, rose from the table, and left.
What happened? How do I fix this?
“Is he okay?” she asked the other two.
Mark said nothing.
Daniel took another bite of his food. “None of us are.”
“But none of you will tell me a thing,” she pressed, sounding frustrated.
“We need to discuss it first... without you.”
She felt her brows rise. “Without me? Why?”
He shrugged. “That’s just how it is.”
Suddenly, she couldn’t take it anymore. She tossed her napkin on the table and rose. “Fine. I’m going out for a little while.”
Neither man said anything, so spinning on heel, she marched to the door. Looking back, she glared at them. “Do you have any idea how crappy it feels to feel like the three men I love are hiding something from me?”
Both turned to stare at her, but she didn’t wait for their response, she slammed the door instead. Rushing down the pathway through the garden, she felt her anger grasping her like rough hands. But as the autumn winds swept over, teasing her hair, she calmed slightly. Going to the little door on the wall that led out into the city, she pushed it open and slipped out onto the sidewalk.
Shoving her hands into her pockets, she didn’t look at the people she passed. She felt... lost. Maybe it was because their strange behavior came after the Immortal who didn’t want to trust her for being an angel, but she was angry. Maybe she didn’t have her memory. Maybe she was still kind of an angel. But she was also Surcy, the woman they’d fought so hard to prove she could trust them, to get her to love them.
Rebel Lies: An Angel Reverse Harem Romance (Mates of the Realms: Immortals Book 2) Page 10