Well, what are they saying?
They are just trying to persuade me to join them, in many different ways. You know Lucifer made the deal, hold on- he pauses explaining something to me to kick one behind him and then he does a three-sixty and punches the Hell-Hordian. It falls out of the sky and crashes into the ground with a sickening thud of bones breaking. So, as I was saying, you know how Lucifer made a deal with the Overlord that if he healed the survivors of the war and the plague then he would only start a small city and live there with all of us, while the Hell-Horde could roam the world free and own it all?
Well that's a lot to take in but I do remember hearing about this. Ah, yes.
Well I told them there's no way that I am joining them, and that I am going to kill them all and Lucifer and then free everyone in the city.
Sound good to me, I say.
It's not right that the Overlord has sacrificed two boys and girls every month for them to feed off of and rape. They will be punished!
He says, ending our mind-link before he starts killing them swiftly and efficiently.
Even Jezebel's attention is on him now in amazement, and I find that I'm not even jealous because his skills are so flabbergasting.
He is awful to see, moving with natural grace and power. He is swift and cunning, agile and deadly. He takes them out one by one and makes it look so easy and effortless.
After all of the Hell-Hordian are defeated, and the wounded are taken care of the the dead (which were few, actually) are properly buried and spoken over, Shadow slants his his head down and deepens our kiss.
“We will be back soon,” he tells me tenderly as his lips leave mine.
I nod but try to hold onto his hand as long as possible as he turns and walks away. When my arm and his are completely stretched his fingertips slide slowly off of mine and he turns away to meet Gabe and Wraith and the others that agreed to fight under his lead.
This is his new army. The free kinds army, and he is their leader. They are going to free everyone in the Grand Mecca while Shadow finds Lucifer.
I worry for his safety against the most powerful known Hell-Horde leader. But if the prophecy is right, which it has been so far, I have nothing to worry about because it clearly says that Shadow defeats Lucifer.
I watch his beautiful, black wings grow farther and farther into the distance until I am probably imagining that the tiny spec way off in the distance is still him.
Epilogue
Three days later...
It's just before sunset, and I lay on my back with my hands folded behind my neck staring up at the stars, knowing that Shadow and the free army are somewhere under the same stars. It makes me feel better to know that he could be looking at the same bright start that I am right now. I feel closer to him thinking that way.
“Well, another day has passed,” Kaia sighs, “they probably won't travel at night with all of the kinds from the city, so much for hoping.”
“You never know,” Jezebel says. “Just don't give up hope in them.”
We are silent for at least half an hour, all staring up into the sky, thinking about what's on our minds.
Off in the distance I hear a strange noise and I an't quite put my finger on it.
Kaia sits up and Jezebel and I join her. I squint my eyes to try to see but I never did have good vision in the dark.
“Can you see in the dark, Jezebel?” I ask.
“Of course, I can shift into anything that can, but actually with my diamond eyes I can anyways, it refracts the light.”
I just nod, not really listening as the noise grows louder. It sounds like, I dunno, a disturbance in the wind? Echoes off of the trees?
Jezebel gasps and we look to her intently.
“What?! What?” Kaia sounds panicked, but I know that there is nothing else bad around here.
“It's them,” she whispers, shocked to her core.
She stands up and claps excitedly. “It's them, it's the army!”
We stand up to join her and can see them coming into view now. Thousands and thousands of kinds. Wow.
“I didn't know there were so many!” I say.
“Me either,” Kaia agrees.
“I wonder if we will see our parents,” I ask.
Jezebel looks at me with a stranger look, but she frowns and then turns away.
“My parents were killed a long time ago,” she says a minute later.
That's what I was afraid of. I knew that look well from seeing it in Shadow's eyes. “You have Gabe now,” I say, making her smile slightly. “And us,” Kaia interjects.
I nod.
A tear escaped down her cheek and she wipes it away, staring straight ahead.
Either of us act like we noticed it.
The army lands followed by all of the free kinds and Gabe runs up to Jezebel and Kaia spots Wraith.
The free kinds wonder off separate ways and make themselves at home, speaking fondly among each other, getting to know each other. Intermingling, something that they were not really allowed to do in the City.
Gabe hugs Jezebel tightly and he looks over her shoulder at me. I smile at him but notice the distraught look on his face.
“Oh no,” I say.
“Shadow-”
He shakes his head, “No, its not Shadow...it's my father.”
My heart drops and I gulp a breath. So thankful that it wasn't Shadow but still upset for Gabe.
“Did he get killed?” Jezebel asks softly.
Gabe looks down at her, his lip wobbling and he nods. “I killed him,” he whispers very quietly. “Oh baby,” she says as she draws him close.
This is a very private moment so I let them have it.
I wonder off looking for Shadow, but knowing that he is not here. He still feels far off, but I can still feel him.
I need to see him now, to hold him.
Aeron comes over to me and gives me a hug. “He will return, My Sweet, do not worry. Of this I am sure.” He kisses the top of my head. “Did you know that everyone is talking about painting you with gold and dressing you up as the queen of the free people?”
“Ah, no. Why would they do that?” I ask.
“It is a great honor and a symbol of interlacing the kinds traditions before the war. The spirits would paint white streaks in their queen's hair, the Wraiths would glue gold flecks on her skin, and the Fae would cover them in gold dust. They want to do all of these things to you,” he replies.
“Wow,” is all I can say. “That sounds beautiful...”
He nods. “It will be, on you.” He bows to me, before turning and walking off to settle down for the night and I am left alone to think about this and many other things, yet again.
My panic grows as the hours tick by and surely the sun should be up by now. Everyone has long since found their place here, in their new home, and settled in for the night, but I lay out here under the stars by myself, thinking of my lover.
“Please, please be okay. Please come back to me,” I mutter to the stars. My breath comes out in a cloud of white puff and a shiver racks my body.
It's been way too long. The army has been back for two days now and still no sign of Shadow. It's bad, bad news.
“I can't live without you...” I say in a broken voice.
“And I don't ever want you to have to again,” a voice that feels like home to me, says softly.
I let my eyes shut and this feeling swamps me, and I want to cry and scream at the same time.
I want to jump around like a crazy person and let out all of my stress and worry and just scream and cry in relief.
I jump up from where I was laying and turn around. I am greeted by my very cut up, very beautiful, red-eyed, demon-angel.
I run towards him at full speed, tears streaking down my cheeks, mouth open in a silent cry until I slam into his chest and his arms wrap around me.
Home, is all that I can think.
This feels like home to me.
“We are home, Bayla,” he whisper
s in my ear as he holds my trembling body with his strong arms.
“Did you kill Lucifer?” I ask.
“I did, horribly. He is horribly dead.”
I smile into his cut-up, blood stained chest. It's not awfully bad but it looks painful and sore.
“You're dirty,” I say leaning back and looking at the bloody, slick chest.
He laughs. “Yes, I am dirty. And I need a bath. But first I need your blood.”
The bluntness and frank authoritative way that he says this heats my blood. He knows that he owns me completely and what a turn on that is. My heart sparks to life with even more love and passion.
“Yes,” I manage to choke out. “It has been a week since you fed and you have lost a lot of blood and energy...I suppose that you could have some of my tasty blood,” I tease.
“Yes I have,” he says voice gruff, as he leans down and I tilt my neck. He kisses my right on the vein and it throbs to life under his ministrations. “I love you, Alexia,” he says.
I press his head into my neck at those words, and he bites me. Relief and so many other, fantastic things flow through my body and mind and soul. “I don't know if love is a strong enough word for what I feel for you, Shadow,” I whisper, grasping his big shoulders.
Well, maybe we should come up with a new word then. How about....Lerish?
I frown. What? Lerish?
He seems to pause for a second and stiffen. Just as I am about to ask him what that was about he replies, Yes, Lerish...for love and cherish.
Hmm. I like that a lot baby. You're so amazing.
I can feel his lips pull into a smile against my neck, even though his fangs are still in me. Thanks, Bayla. And you are so pregnant.
My mouth drops open.
….and then I smile.
About The Author
Anastasia really wanted to come up with a story that included all of her favorite genres. This was sort of complicated, you see, because her absolute favorite genres are dystopian and romance. However she also enjoys reading epic and fantasy. So here it is, fantasy slash dystopian slash romance.
She thinks it turned out pretty good but of course it's the fans that she wants to hear from!
She lives in a little town called Asheville in North Carolina and works on teeth for a living.
She enjoys going to the Rush Fitness Complex, shopping (of course), movies, and dancing! (She does modern clogging!)
All of that aside ,(it's me now)...Thank you, thank you, thank you, for reading My Immortal and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it!
If you didn't get a chance to read the first book, Eternally Yours, it's currently available for .99 cents where most ebooks are sold!
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
My Immortal Page 13