Soul Bound: Dark Souls, Book 1

by Anne Hope

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Jace hadn’t noticed the resemblance, but now it struck him. Her skin tone, her bone structure, even the shape of her mouth were exact replicas of his. This woman could’ve easily been his sister or—in a world where age didn’t factor in—his mother.

  He took an instinctive step back. “Regan? The same Regan who dumped me on my father’s doorstep and ran for the hills?”

  His mother had the decency to look remorseful. “I’m not proud of what I did, but at the time, it was the only option I had.”

  Lia took hold of his hand, squeezed it.

  Gulls circled overhead, releasing a series of mournful cries that were swiftly swallowed by the roar of the surf. Salt-laden air seared his nostrils as he strengthened his grip on Lia’s fingers. She was his lifeline, the one thing in the world that brought him peace and kept him centered. With her at his side, he could face anything. Even a long-overdue encounter with the mother who’d abandoned him. Anger would’ve been the natural reaction, but he didn’t remember enough about his past to feel anything beyond a mild tug of disappointment and curiosity.

  “Why?” He studied Regan’s face, tried to find the answers he sought in the shuttered depths of her golden eyes. “Why was it your only option?”

  “Because I wanted to give you a chance. You had a soul. A very powerful soul. I thought it might be strong enough to fight the darkness.” She gazed up at the birds, their gray-white wings flapping in the breeze, and her expression grew reflective and somber. “Some Hybrids live relatively normal lives until they turn, especially when they’re surrounded by people who love them. If David had been stronger, if he hadn’t broken—”

  She shook her head. “Well, it doesn’t really matter now, does it? What’s done is done. There was really nothing else I could do.”

  “You could’ve kept him.” Emotion pinched Lia’s features. “You could’ve helped him understand what he was.”

  Regan wagged her head again, sending a fiery tumble of curls rioting around her pale face. “My presence would’ve destroyed him. His soul had enough trouble fighting the black energy inside him. If I’d stayed, all I would’ve done was fuel the darkness.”

  His mother stood at edge of the cliff, staring at the restless waves licking the shore. Something flickered across her face, too weak to be considered regret. “Cal wanted me to keep the child,” she confessed. “To raise him at the complex along with the others, but I couldn’t. If I’d agreed, they would’ve had to turn him at birth.”

  Jace bristled. “You mean kill me.”

  Regan didn’t need to answer. The look on her face said it all. “I may be soulless, but I’m still a woman, a mother. I wanted my kid to have a chance at a normal life, if only for a few years.”

  He released a humorless laugh. “Normal. Right. That perfectly sums up my existence.”

  Regan shrugged. “Guess I was wrong.” The quality of her voice changed, grew cold and resigned. “I should’ve listened to Cal.”

  “Does he know?” The breezed picked up. Beside him, Lia shivered, and he wrapped his arm around her to warm her. As soon as her body fused with his, a simmering glow coiled at his core, then uncurled long-reaching fingers through his limbs. That glow tempered him, kept him focused. “Does Cal know I’m your son? Is that why he’s so determined to have me join him?”

  A beat of silence followed. “He thinks my child is dead, that I drowned him the minute I gave birth to him. He’s only after you because of the prophecy.”

  “I keep hearing about this goddamn prophecy. Care to enlighten me?” Jace waited for his mother to explain, and she didn’t disappoint.

  “Cal is versed in Enochian script, and that allows him to decipher messages from the angels.” Regan frowned at the clouds boiling in the distance. “About two hundred years ago, he got his hands on one of their predictions. Apparently, a really special Hybrid will one day join the Watchers and take down Athanatos.”

  She released a long, laborious sigh. “Unfortunately, Athanatos had spies among us—Hybrids and Kleptopsychs often worked hand in hand back then—and he learned of the prophecy. Since then, he’s been determined to kill any newly turned Hybrid before he or she can join the Watchers. And Cal—”

  “Cal has been determined to ensure every Hybrid swears his allegiance to him,” Jace finished.

  “That’s the gist of it.”

  Lia curled up against him, snuggled in his embrace as if in need of the support he offered. “Can you tell me how I figure in?”

  Regan studied Lia’s luminescent face as twilight settled over them. “You’re the link to his lost soul. Jace draws his power from you. If Athanatos wants to eliminate the threat Jace poses to him, all he has to do is cut off his energy supply. The best way to do that is to steal your essence.”

  Lia’s body stiffened. “My soul can’t be taken. The brute you just pitched into the Pacific proved it.”

  “Rogues are fools, ruled by impulse.” Regan flung a disgusted look at the creatures’ watery grave. “Just because that idiot failed doesn’t mean Athanatos would. The guy’s an Ancient. He’s existed for over five millennia, and if he has his way he’ll exist for at least five more. Believe me when I tell you he’s got loads of time and patience. If anyone can separate you from your soul, it’s him.”

  Jace tightened his hold on Lia. “That’s not going to happen. I’ll make sure of it. Even if I have to take the bastard out myself.”

  His mother arched a skeptical brow. “Cal and the Watchers have been trying to do just that for centuries. What makes you think you can do it alone?”

  Jace gave Regan the benefit of his most sarcastic grin. “I’m the chosen one, aren’t I?”

  “You may be. Then again, you may not.” Regan’s face reclaimed its smooth-as-marble quality. “There’s only one way to find out.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Let me help you hone your skills. Admit it, Jace. You need me. Especially if you plan to take on the likes of Athanatos.”

  Lia’s body slackened beside him. He felt her cave in, read her next thought before she voiced it. “I think you should do it.”

  “Listen to her,” Regan advised. “She’s a smart girl. Has my taste in clothes, after all.”

  A blush spread to stain Lia’s cheeks. “Sorry. He refused to let me go home to change.”

  “Don’t sweat it. The outfit looks great on you, but we’ll need to get you something a little more with the times.”

  Jace struggled not to roll his eyes. “Can we hold off on the shopping spree until we’ve buried Athanatos?”

  Regan laughed. “Do you know what Athanatos means? It’s Greek for immortal. Not sure if he was born with the name or if he adopted it over time, but it fits him to a tee.” She gave him a condescending pat on the back. “Trust me when I tell you we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

  Jace’s resolve finally crumbled. “When do we start?”

  “Tomorrow at dawn.” Victory deepened Regan’s eyes to shimmering bronze.

  “How do I find you?”

  “You don’t.” With a final glorious flare, the sun dipped beneath the rippling surface of the sea, and the purple haze of dusk engulfed them. “I’ll find you.”

  That night, while Lia slept, Jace crept into her room, settled himself in the burgundy velvet wing chair by her bed, and watched her. The need to be near her overpowered any notions he may have entertained about keeping his distance.

  He’d nearly lost her today. The sight of that Rogue attempting to suck the life out of her was forever seared in his brain. As much as he tried, he couldn’t chase the image from his head. It gnawed at him, fed the darkness. The switchblade he’d used on the creature clattered softly as he placed it onto the nightstand. He didn’t want a reminder of the Rogue anywhere near Lia, but he had to keep the weapon close at hand, just in case.

  She looked serene, her features slackened by sleep, her hair a wild tangle of gold around her beautiful face. He exten
ded his arm, brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. The glow enveloping her flared at his touch. It made no sense. How could he be bad for her when his presence fueled the bright energy inside her? Right now every inch of her shimmered like a ray of pure light.

  She nestled her face against his hand, sighed. The innocent act awakened the hunger again, but it also infused him with peace. The feeling was so foreign, he hardly recognized it. Something within him reached for it. Ignoring the voice of reason clamoring in his head, he crawled into bed beside her. He needed to hold her, to feel her next to him and know she was alive, safe and sound.

  No thanks to him.

  He’d left her alone and exposed, had allowed himself to get distracted. Because of that, the vultures had narrowed in on her and swooped down for the kill. How she’d managed to survive the attack baffled the mind. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was right. Could Lia truly be immune, unbreakable? If so, then he could kiss her, plunder her mouth, without fear of stealing the essence that sustained her. His body responded to the possibility. His skin hummed wherever they touched. Something thick and impossibly sweet gathered in a tight clasp beneath his ribs. He laced his fingers through her hair, reveled at the feel of those silky strands caressing his palm.

  His life so far might not have amounted to much, but right there and then, he made a promise to himself—to her. He would keep her safe, no matter what he had to do, no matter what it cost him. No one would crush her light.

  The first step was to hone his skills. Once he learned to control his newfound abilities, he’d be stronger, less likely to screw up. If in order to accomplish that he had to trust Regan—the woman who’d left him in the cruel hands of a broken man and never looked back—then so be it.

  She came at dawn. The sun had barely risen when Jace sensed another presence in the room. Instantly on guard, he vaulted to his feet and grabbed the switchblade from the nightstand.

  “Someone’s on edge.” Regan’s lips twitched at the corners. “Keep some of that fire. We can use it.”

  “Do you always creep into people’s rooms when they’re asleep?”

  She hitched a shoulder in a childlike shrug. “Habit. There isn’t much privacy where I live. The Watchers are one big happy family.” Jace could’ve sworn he caught a note of bitterness in her voice.

  “Ready to get started?”

  He shot a cursory glance at Lia, who still dozed in the king-sized bed. “I don’t want to wake her. After yesterday, she needs her rest. But I’m afraid to leave her alone.”

  “She’s safe. Cal cloaked her. He cloaked both of you.”

  “Cloaked?”

  Regan took him by the arm, drew him out of the bedroom. “Some of us, like Marcus, can track a person’s signature, the energy they give out. Cal has the ability to mask that energy. That’s how we keep the Kleptopsychs from raiding our location. There are shields around our grounds, which keep our enemies from finding us.”

  “I found you just fine last time.”

  “Only because Cal wanted you to. He must’ve dropped the shields. Otherwise, we would’ve been virtually invisible to you.”

  Jace ran his palm over his face, realized no beard covered his chin even though he couldn’t remember the last time he’d shaved. “If Lia’s been cloaked, why was she attacked yesterday?”

  “The Rogues didn’t track her. Large human gatherings tend to attract them. From what I understand, there was some kind of event going on at the library, which made it the perfect feeding ground—remote and packed to the hilt with unsuspecting souls. Rogues usually target highly populated areas, but lately they’ve changed their feeding patterns. News of city attacks travels much faster, and Cal has men stationed at all potential locations he suspects the Rogues might target. Places like the Lincoln City Library are not usually on our radar, so we don’t police them. Throw in an event of this magnitude, and it’s an opportunity they just can’t pass up.”

  He had so many questions. Unfortunately, every time Regan answered one of them, another ten sprang forth. “Give me a couple of minutes to wash up,” he told her. “Then we can get this show on the road.”

  This time her smile bordered on heartfelt. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

  One second she stood in front of him, the next she was gone.

  Jace made a mental note to ask her to teach him that particular trick. With a wag of his head, he headed to the bathroom and braced himself for another cold shower.

  Lia awoke with a start, her heart pumping a million beats a minute, her skin glazed with a thin coat of sweat. Memories of the giant’s mouth on hers, sucking the oxygen from her lungs, buffeted her. She could still taste his mint-flavored breath, and it turned her stomach. Drawing a few, long inhalations to settle her pulse, she sat up in bed and wrapped her arms around her bent legs.

  “It’s over,” she reassured herself. “He’s dead.”

  She perched her chin on her knees, stayed like that until the ugly images faded. After everything she’d witnessed yesterday, she hadn’t expected to sleep at all, but surprisingly enough her slumber had been deep and dreamless, even peaceful.

  Of course, the illusion of peace could only last so long, and reality had risen with the sun to douse her. It was hard to feel safe in a world where even your soul could be killed. She’d never been particularly religious, but the idea of an afterlife still provided some measure of comfort. Now even that small solace had been stolen from her, and she felt exposed and vulnerable.

  He failed. She grasped that irrefutable truth, clung to hope. Your soul can’t be taken.

  Which confirmed what she’d been telling Jace all along. She was immune. Maybe now he’d finally believe her.

  Voices chimed outside, and she reluctantly left the safe haven of the bed and ventured across the room to the window. Jace stood in the yard with Regan—it was hard to think of the woman as his mother. She looked so young. Younger than Jace. Even younger than Lia.

  From the looks of it, Regan was teaching him some battle moves. Jace struggled to deflect her blows, stumbled back and landed flat on his back. Amusement tickled Lia’s throat. The only thing he’d hurt in the fall was his pride.

  She still wasn’t sure what to make of the woman, but she liked the idea of having her in their court. There was only so much they could accomplish on their own, and Regan’s guidance was sure to come in handy.

  Slipping out of the satin nightgown she wore, she hastened to shower and dress, suddenly anxious to join them.

  The day was bright and balmy, with a thin ribbon of mist unraveling to carpet the ground. Trees shivered, scraping a too-blue-to-be-true sky, which struck Lia as odd. How could sunlight and fog coexist so seamlessly, as if they’d reached an agreement not to invade each other’s turf? In the distance, the sea moaned.

  Lia approached Jace and Regan, who turned in concentric circles, on guard, each waiting patiently for the other to launch an attack. The instant Jace sensed her presence, he inclined his head her way, which gave Regan the opening she needed to pounce. Jace went down—hard.

  “You need to stay focused.” Regan towered over Jace, her hands riveted to her hips. “All it takes is one second and you’re out.”

  Jace clambered to his feet, dusted himself off and lunged. Regan vanished. A heartbeat later she appeared behind him and swiped his legs out from under him. Jace struck the mud-caked ground with a loud clunk and a colorful curse.

  “You’ve gotta teach me that disappearing act,” he grumbled.

  Regan’s only reply was a cryptic smile. “Some things can’t be taught.”

  He turned toward Lia, swept his gaze over her with a warmth that liquefied her bones and made emotion cartwheel in her stomach. “Can I have a minute?”

  Regan studied them, her expression both curious and pensive. “I’m feeling generous. You can have two.”

  In a flash he was beside Lia, his hands gripping hers. “How are you feeling?” The silky quality of his voice whispered over her flesh and m
ade her pores thrum. Everything inside her came alive at his touch.

  “I’m fine. I’m a tough nut to crack, remember?”

  His mouth twitched at the corners but failed to curve into a smile. “You gave me one hell of a scare. I thought I’d lost you.”

  Molten heat pooled in her chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Regan cleared her throat. “I’m, uh— I’m going to go make a phone call, check in with the Watchers before they decide I’ve gone rogue and send a posse after me.” She whipped out the tiniest cell phone Lia had ever seen, then melted into the woods.

  “How are things going with her?” Lia pried one of her hands loose and raised it to his cheek. His skin was smooth, as soft as velvet with only a fine blanket of stubble. He nestled his face in her palm, brushed his lips over her skin in a way that made her heart trip and crash.

  “Better than I expected.” He took a sudden step back, established a safe distance between them. “There are benefits to not being shackled to the past. No baggage. I should be pissed at her for what she did, but I can’t muster up enough resentment to blast her.”

  “Good thing. It’s pretty obvious she’d wipe the floor with you.”

  This time, amusement curled his lips. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He stared at her face with an intensity that shook her. “Are you sure you’re okay? For some reason, I can’t read you right now.”

  “Maybe I’m learning to shut you out. A girl needs her privacy sometimes.”

  He palmed her cheeks, searched her eyes. “Not now. I need to know what’s going on inside you.”

  “Take a number,” she quipped.

  A shadow swept in to dull the bright glitter in his gaze. Because he touched her, she was able to catch glimpses of his thoughts, and what she saw terrified her. Purpose and determination swamped him, and she knew exactly how far he was willing to go to protect her.