She drags me through corridors and up staircases before opening a door leading to a bedroom. It looks untouched and unused – almost clinically clean. Weird. She pulls me straight through to the bathroom and points at the shower.
“Sort out your shit! I’ll be waiting outside, and don’t take forever,” she says before leaving the room and closing the door. I let out a sigh of relief. Just the sight of a shower makes me far happier than it should. I turn the tap and peel off my clothes, which are crusty with dirt, and leave them in the corner. Steam fills the room, and I feel my entire body start to sag. Climbing under the hot water feels like heaven, even if the uncountable cuts I have received at the hand of Micah and his favourite knife sting like hell under the heat of the water. I lean forward against the wall, watching the blood and dirt run from my body and down the drain. Tears run down my face, disguised by the water running down my body. I don’t know why I’m crying; I just know that I need to. I’ve resisted thinking too much about everything. Xander. Home. Everything I could potentially lose. In this one moment of solitude, I let it all out. The frustration, the anger. I cry for my lost friends, and all of the things I wish could be. I need to clear my mind before I face whatever my next fuck-tastic torture is. I need to be strong and these feelings, these regrets are a weakness.
A loud bang on the door startles me, and I slip, grabbing onto the shower rail to stay on my feet.
“Come on, Addie, don’t make me come in there. We both know you won’t enjoy it. Hurry the hell up,” she shouts.
“Get a grip, Liv. I’m showering off a shitload of grime here. You can give me at least another ten minutes,” I shout back. I grab a bottle of shampoo from the shelf and run it through my hair. It’s grown so long. I need to get it cut; it’s becoming almost unmanageable. Not really high on the priority list right now, Ads, I think to myself before laughing out loud. Maybe I’m losing my mind? I stand under the hot water for another five minutes just to piss Liv of. Screw it, what do I care. I’m going to be kept here either way. The door flies open and Liv stomps in; her arms crossed over her chest.
“Seriously, Addie? Get out of the god damn shower before I pull you out,” she says, throwing towels at the door. “I’ve got you some clothes, but if you don’t hurry up, I’ll throw them out and you can go naked.”
I roll my eyes at her and turn off the shower. I make no attempt to cover myself up. It’s not the first time she’s seen me this way, but it is the first time I’ve looked so emaciated; the ribs showing under my skin, and my muscle tone has faded. Not surprising considering everything I’ve been through. Despite her hard act, her eyes flit away guiltily and she leaves muttering something under her breath that I don’t quite catch. I dress quickly before following her out of the door. Thing One and Thing Two are standing outside the door, and Liv is nowhere in sight. Maybe I could make it out of here? There’s no way these guys have any sort of speed with all that bulk… right?
Who am I kidding?
I retreat back inside the room. I barely have the strength to stay upright let alone run. The despair grips me again and it takes all I have to push it back down. I will not break now. I have too much to lose outside of here.
Sliding down the wall, my knees meeting my chest, I wrap my arms around myself, desperate for human warmth. With my head on my knees, I think on all the reasons to survive this. Xander. Rose. Dimitri. Hell, even Kaden, Michael, and Celeste. Each cut and sore on my body pinches, giving me a reason to survive and destroy all those who thought they could do this to me, to those I love, to the whole goddamn world. I don’t know exactly what Coles plan is, but if what I’ve learnt in the past is true, whatever it is won’t be good for anyone but him. His side cannot be allowed to succeed, and if they have to die, then so be it. Even Livvy if it comes to it. She’s the whole reason I’m here.
Resolve builds inside me. There is no way I’m not getting out of here.
“Stay strong Addie. We can survive this.” I hear a voice in my head that sounds like mine but doesn’t belong to me. Just what I need. Voices in my head. Awesome!
“We’ve got this Addie. You just need to be strong for a little while longer. I’m here. You’re not alone anymore. I’ll keep you safe.”
When I lift my head Logan is crouched in front of me. I must have fallen asleep.
“How are you holding up, Addie?” he asks.
“About as well as can be expected.”
He sits beside me and wraps an arm around me. “I’m sorry that it’s all come to this,” he says.
“What happened to her?” I ask quietly.
“You mean Liv?”
I nod, not wanting to stop the flow of him speaking. I need answers.
He chewed at his thumb thinking for a moment. Silently, I urged him to carry on. He glanced around and took a deep breath before saying, “When we got here, she was exactly how you’d remember her. I don’t know everything that happened exactly, but there are monsters that live here Addie. Some of them are dead now, but I couldn’t save her from them all. They did things to her - things I will never say out loud - because she was weak.
“When she arrived she was sweet and pure and innocent, and they wanted all of it. They wanted to be the ones to claim it; be the one responsible for breaking her. Cole saved her, but not after something had changed in her. He found her after they’d finished playing with her – they just tossed her away. Cole’s wrath extended across the house, making each of those who made her suffer, suffer in a worse kind. None of them are here anymore. And Liv, well she’s not who she used to be, and I don’t think she could be even if she tried. I’m not making excuses for her, but I can’t even imagine… I’m not excusing her behaviour, Ads. She’s being a bitch, but maybe now you’ll understand her a little better.”
I’m in shock. I never would have imagined. I couldn’t have. And the fact Cole stopped it all, that he saved her – I’m not sure what to make of that either. I sit and ponder the possibilities, daydream about what could have been. Logan sits beside me in silence, letting it all sink in.
After a while, I feel him get up and walk away from me, followed by the sound of the door closing.
I’m alone again.
XANDER
It’s been three months since I left. A month and a half since I got back, and no-one seems to have any hint of an idea where Addie’s gone or when she left. Bloody hell! I don’t have a clue where else to look. She has no-one else here anymore and after the way we left things, it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s just taken off, just to piss me off.
I run my hands through my hair for the hundredth time, trying not to pull it out. I’m sat in our kitchen with no clue of what to do next. Dimitri doesn’t think she’s left, and if anyone knows her better than I do, it’s him.
Luckily I love him like a brother so I know I have nothing to worry about. The whole team has been out searching for her. Christ, I even sent my best trackers, Zero and Gunner, with Salene out to other territories looking for her. No-one has seen her. There are whispers, but nothing concrete. I slam my hands down on the oak table I bought for her, regretting it as soon as I hear the wood splinter. Christ. I can’t handle this. I need her back. I need to know she’s okay. And if the rumours are true, if Cole has her, then I’m not sure she’s okay at all.
It kills me to think on how long he could have had her while I was away on that stupid recon mission, which ended up being a total waste of time! History feels like it is repeating itself again – and again, I have no control over it. If I was a better man, I’d hide it better, but I keep lashing out at those around me even though it’s not their fault. The frustration and desperation inside of me is building and I can’t seem to stop it. For centuries, I’ve had a handle on myself. I was the definition of calm and collected, but then she came into my life. Ever since I fell hard in love with her, something inside me unlocked; unleashing emotions I never thought I’d feel. And it’s too late now to put the cork back in the bottle. I’ve never known hap
piness like I feel when I’m with her. If I had to trade an eternity of suffering to have her in my arms again, it would be worth it.
I know what I have to do, but doing it means unlocking the secret I swore to keep all those years ago. It means putting so many people in danger to save her, but I’d walk through the fires of Hell if it meant saving her. I will get her back if it’s the last thing I do.
I’m pacing the room, waiting for everyone to arrive. They’re all due here any minute with news of their latest search, and for the first time, I can remember, my patience is wearing thin. Finally, the door opens, and they walk in with a solemn look on each of their faces.
“I’m assuming this means no-one has good news?” I say, terser than I mean to, but I don’t seem to have much control over my anger right now.
“The only thing we’re hearing is what we’ve already heard. She’s with Cole. No-one seems to know how long she’s been with him, or if she went willingly. We have no solid information and no-one from his side is talking. Whatever’s going on, it’s being kept quiet, and that worries me,” Dimitri says.
He rarely worries; he’s as level-headed as I am, which sets my protective instincts into overdrive. What does he want with her?
“If this is all we have, then I have no choice but to take action. I need to visit someone, in the meantime, go back to The Academy and make sure the guard is on alert. I’ll come and find you all later.” The edge in my voice obvious. I see that they are unsettled by my high emotion but they are loyal. They nod at me, accepting their orders before leaving the house – all but Dimitri; the most loyal of them all.
“You know I’m going with you, right? Addie is like a sister to me, Xander.
I go to protest, my heart raging that he has no right to claim he feels even a drop of the love I feel for her, but it isn’t true. He does love her as a brother – and that love is powerful. He’s right: she needs us both, and he’s going to find out the truth sooner or later.
“Fine, you can come, but whatever you hear, you need to keep to yourself,” I say. I see a flash of question across his brow. “I mean it, Dimitri; it’s that, or you don’t come with me.”
He nods. ‘Unless it’s something that can help her.”
"If it can help her, I'll use it myself,” I snap.
***
At the splendorous gates of The Valoire Palace, the guards see me and open up; I can see the questions in their eyes. I only come here if something is wrong, unless there is a State celebration. If only they knew.
Pulling on this particular string is going to unravel a lot of truths for a lot of people. Lives are going to change, and I can’t say it will all be for the better, but I have no other options. I need the Queen’s help if I’m going to save her daughter.
A wave of guilt suddenly slams through me. Guilt for not protecting her, for blurring the lines – for falling in love with Addie. I’d never change it, not for a minute, but the loyal streak in me, the one I’ve battled with this last year, the one that told me everything I’ve done is wrong, that’s the one that’s front and centre.
We pull the car up in front of the imposing palace doors and get out. Dimitri follows swiftly behind me. I hand the keys to the new kid working the valet service. The wonder on his face is not something I’m fazed by. The palace looks like something from the imagination of a child; light coloured stone glimmers in the sunlight, as if covered in glitter. With rounded turrets at each end of the front wall, the palace stretches out on either side of us, almost as far as the eye can see before being taken over by the wilderness of the forest that surrounds it. Being the head of my House means I come across the palace reasonably often be it because all hell has broken loose or when certain Fae come to visit, especially when they’re from other territories.
I walk with purpose towards the throne room, no-one stops me. Being known has its advantages. The guards at the doors of the throne room open them without any kind of exchange of pleasantries. It is clear I mean business. My arrival is announced before I even get to the door. King Kellan and Queen Eolande are sat on their respective thrones, the room buzzes with activity still recovering from the Frosthearts being here when they came to collect Rose after Addie saved her, I’m sure.
“Xander Bane,” King Kellan bellows, “and what did we do to merit sure a rare visit?”
“Your Highness, I request a private meeting with Queen Eolande,” I say bowing down on one knee.
“Xander, get up. You know you don’t need to do that,” Eolande says, her voice so raspy it almost sounds like a whisper. She stands and joins me, linking her arm with mine. “You can always come and see me, my dearest one. Let’s go to my garden room.”
She leads me out of the hall, Dimitri on our heels, leaving a suspicious looking Kellan sat on his throne. Appearances mean a lot to the Fae, he would never let his distaste for me, and my kind be known. He’s an old purist. As far as he’s concerned, unless you’re a Fae of noble blood, you are not worthy of his time.
The garden room is room made from glass, and it takes up one entire end of the palace. It's so big you could easily get lost in it, especially as the greenery is almost more wild and luscious than what’s to be found out there in the actual forest. Small humming birds flit around, hovering orchid to orchid, and causing a momentary distraction. It’s a magical space, and reflects everything Eolande is.
Eolande walks us to a table and chairs set out for tea. She pours us each a cup of the rich Chinese tea before sitting down herself.
“Now then, Xander, what brings you all the way here?” she asks nervously.
“Your daughter,” I say, blunt and to the point. Her face pales and she places her cup down on its saucer shakily. The shock on Dimitri’s face is not hidden either, but he says nothing.
“My… my daughter? You watched over her? Where is she? Is she okay?” she asks, looking hesitantly at Dimitri, I smile at her to reassure her that she can trust him.
“I do. You’ve met her, and she has grown into an extraordinary young woman.”
Wonder and happiness drift across her face until she looks in my eyes and realizes something is wrong.
“What is it Xander?” she asks.
“She’s been taken. Again. Except this time, all we have are whispers. I need your help to find her, Eolande.”
“Taken! Who would do such a thing?” she gasps.
“From everything we’re hearing, it’s Cole. Do you have any idea why he would be interested in her?” I ask.
Her face falls and she gathers it in her hands, crying, “I knew this would come back to haunt me.” She raises her head, meets my eye and I see that a fire has burned out her tears. The shock and fear have transformed into something fierce. “That stupid son of a bitch never could learn to let things go!”
My shock at her language is evident, and she laughs bitterly, “Xander don’t look at me like that; I’m a queen, not a saint.”
“Sorry, Ma’am.”
She looks out of the window and towards the forest – thinking deeply, and I can see she’s drilling a dark well. After several moments of internal battle, her eyes return to mine, and despite the recent angry outburst, I see a film of tears has returned across her eyes.
“I suppose I need to tell you the whole story.” She sighs. “You’d both better get comfortable – it’s a complicated one.
“The secret I told you all those years ago wasn’t the complete truth, Xander. I’m sorry for that, but I wanted to protect my daughter as much as I could. Aeveen isn’t half Fae, half human; it wasn’t a human male I had an affair with, it was Cole.”
My eyes widen so much that the bright sunlight feels like a stab from a knife. “Cole?” The name shoots from my mouth before I can stop it.”
Queen Eolande is not impressed by my judgement, but to be fair, I’m not sure she’s standing on solid ground. She’s humiliated and her cheeks are flushed with shame. She hurries to explain, “I was caught up in an unhappy marriage, and his charm was
like a breath of fresh air. I knew it was wrong. I knew I couldn’t trust him, but I couldn’t help myself – it’s hard to explain; it was an almost elemental draw. We snuck around for a little over two years, but I ended the affair once I realized what he was really after.”
The shadow that flits across her eye tells me she loved him. She actually loved him! And he hurt her.
“He wanted a child,” she continues, “but not just any child, he wanted the child from the prophecies: half Fae, half Fallen. Twice as strong as both, and twice as powerful. It wasn’t me he loved; he was just power hungry. It was weeks later, after I’d ended everything, that I discovered I was pregnant. You can imagine my surprise, what with the difficulty my kind have with conception, and with my own marriage being barren. The idea hadn’t even cross my mind. Other than the prophecies of old, it is not even thought possible, but it was, and I was pregnant. I hid my pregnancy from everyone but you, Xander. But I couldn’t tell you the whole truth. What she was, what she could be…
“If the truth gets out, the other Fae families won’t accept her. They’ll want her put to death, and they won’t be shy about it, Xander. That’s why I asked you to hide her among the humans, why I didn’t tell you the truth. I hoped she wouldn’t manifest any power and I bound her just in case. I hoped and prayed each day that she wouldn’t be the child from the prophecy. She was never meant to find out who she was. This world, the world of the Royal Fae, isn’t one I’d wish on my daughter. Especially not when she is a hybrid.”
I sit back, trying to take in everything Queen Eolande just revealed. I’ve heard of the prophecy, we all have, of the hybrid child. The Reborn. A Fae warrior with the power to bring us to our knees. The warrior who would have the power to turn the world we know into nothing more than ash and to devastate the Earth.
“Are you truly telling me Addie is the one the prophecy speaks of?” I ask.
“Addie? I like that name. It’s fitting for Aeveen. And I don’t know, but Cole clearly thinks she is.”
Crash (The Immortal Chronicles Book 2) Page 3